Launching Indian Fast Food in Bulgaria

The country I would choose to launch the Indian Fast Food would be Bulgaria. In order to evaluate the marketing strategy we have to make research and to discover the differences between the Bulgarian and the UK market 1. Fast food in Bulgaria There is a little amount of information regarding the fast food market free on internet. A survey, done by Synovate (Synovate, 2009), shows that the Bulgarians love fast food more than that Americans and the Brits. According to the survey more than 68% of the people in Bulgaria confirm that they like so much the taste of the fast food that they can’t give it up.The survey also shows that there is a real passion for fast food in Bulgaria. Compared to the matured market like US and the UK the Bulgarians still find the quick service restaurants quite trendy and creative. Moreover there is no sign of the consumption to go down. The main players on the market are McDonald’s (since 1994), KFC (since 1994), SubWay (since 2008). In Bulgari a there is difference between the burger and sandwich fast food and the typical Bulgarian fast food, which offers pre-cooked or fast prepared dishes.Typical Bulgarian fast food chains are Happy, Ugo, Divaka. They all are quick service restaurants. And all of the fast food chains international and domestic are experiencing substantial growth during the years. 2. Indian restaurant in Bulgaria The next step is to check the market and the appearance of Indian food in the country. Actually after a short research in the internet I have found just four Indian restaurants Gurkha, Saffron, Kohinoor and Taj Mahal (Inyourpocket, 2012), all of them are in Sofia.Checking the online published menus confirm that the Indian food is expensive and therefore is accepted as exclusive high standard cuisine. 3. Demographic research The third issue is demographic research. Are there any Indian groups living in Bulgaria? In the research done online there are no traces of substantial number Indians living i n Bulgaria. 4. Identifying the differences in the marketing strategy Armed with the research information I would point the first difference from the original projects. The two segments of consumers identified in UK are not applicable in Bulgaria.There is no Indian society and the people are not familiar with the Indian food. A new primary research should be conducted in order to identify and segment the clients. Next- the marketing strategy should be changed to meet those needs. In the UK in terms of consumer value created we are going to meet stated needs by the interviewed potential clients. In Bulgaria we will have to create value by offering completely new cuisine. We need to create hunger for Indian food in the potential clients. We will do it with the mystic of the Indian food offering it at a very good price.So in terms of positioning strategy we will compete mainly with the fast food restaurants offering cooked food and not much with the sandwich and burger fast food. Compet ing with the Indian restaurants will be in the part of food delivery and again targeting the fast food segment we won’t have big difficulties beating them with better prices. Because of the huge demographic differences in the country I do not believe that the service should be offered nationally. I would rather choose between three and four big cities for launching the restaurants.Another interesting spot to open a fast food restaurant is on the highway. The segment targeted will completely differ from the two identified in the UK Market. As potential clients I would point the people practicing Yoga. 5. Identifying differences in the marketing mix Because the product will be completely new for the local clients the menu variety must be easily recognizable. The primary research will give a better idea about the taste of the people and expectations they have. In terms of pricing there is huge difference between the UK and Bulgaria so the prices should be adjusted accordingly.An d again the prices should be in a close competition with the fast food restaurants offering cooked meals. The places for the restaurants are going to differ from those in the UK for example. The reason is that in Bulgaria the train stations are usually used by the people below or around the poverty line. So the locations should be chosen carefully. I would start with one in the city center in Sofia, another in some of the city malls and third in the biggest business park where more than 10Â  000 are working every day.Again changes in the promotions should be made not only to make the clients enter the restaurants but also to make them try the food. A promotion mix should be selected very carefully so to turn every new client into regular one. With having most of the main differences identified I still believe that launching Indian fast food restaurants will be successful. First because the people love it, second because they use it on daily basis, third because the dining out cultu re is highly accepted in the bigger cities.Another reason is that the people use for centuries the Indian species, moreover we love spicy hot dishes, and finally but not least Bulgarians are open to try new things especially when it comes to food. Inyourpocket, 2012. Inyourpocket. [Online] Available at: http://www. inyourpocket. com/Bulgaria/Sofia/Restaurants-and-Cafes/Indian [Accessed 22 11 2012]. Synovate, 2009. Softpedia. [Online] Available at: http://news. softpedia. com/news/Bulgaria-Is-the-Real-Fast-Food-Nation-Study-Reveals-113448. shtml [Accessed 22 11 2012].

Vincent Tinto And Student Retention

Vincent Tinto is currently a Distinguished University Professor at the Syracuse University a position he has held since June 1998. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Education from June 1985 to June 1998 and an Associate Professor of Education since September 1975 to June 1985 at the same university. In the period September 1971 to June 1975 he was an Assistant Professor of Education in The Columbia University New York. He is also currently the chair of the Higher Education Program a position he has held since 1999. His academic background is also very impressive. He did his undergraduate studies in Fordham, The Jesuit University of New York in 1963 where he graduated with a bachelor of science in Physics and Philosophy. He went on to Rensselear Polytechnic Institute to pursue his masters’ degree in Physics and Mathematics in 1965. He holds a Ph. D. in Education and Sociology which he got from the University of Chicago in 1971. It is noted that while he was pursuing his doctorate he dropped out of school to join the Peace Corps and this may be one of the reasons why his researches major on student attrition and the ways to retain them in school. In this paper, the discussion will revolve around the arguments that he presents in the course of his numerous researches and in his body of works. The professor is of the view that to retain students in school all that the schools have to do is provide quality education. He tries to explain the reasons why students dropout of school especially after the first year of college (Tinto V. 1975). He also tries to provide the solutions that may work in retaining the students in the school especially through the provision of better and quality education to the students. This is done with the assumption that students want to be in school but other factors end up pushing them away. Looking at the way he approaches the issue, one notices that he lays most of the blame on the faculty. In his opinion, students would rather be in school but the faculty and education systems fail to meet the expectation of the students and hence their inability to continue being in school. They end up not trusting an education system that does not seem to meet the standards they expect an institution of higher learning ought to possess. The reception they get at the school also determines a lot if they will make it to the end of their course or they will drop out midway. According to Professor Tinto, there are three main factors that determine whether or not a student will complete their college education and these are â€Å"academic preparation, commitment and involvement† (Seidman A. & Tinto V. 2005). Although there are other factors, these are the ones identified as being most common among most of the cases. It has become of paramount importance for the schools to be able to retain their students because the graduation rate has become one of the factors determining the rating of a college. In order for a school to upgrade its position or maintain the one it is currently holding if it is a good position, a way has to be found to retain the students who are at risk of withdrawing from school. Professor Tinto among others have been conducting researches to determine what makes student leave school while others faced with similar problems persist. He conducts interviews using high-risk students who have succeeded in college as his subjects. He focuses mainly on those who are in the two and the four year courses and are under prepared and underrepresented in terms of college education. He tries to find out from them which factors enabled them to persist when others failed. As stated before, commitment, preparation and involvement are the key factors determining whether one will remain in school or one will quit midway. In an article he wrote with Cathy Engstrom ‘Access Without Support is not Opportunity’ (http://www. changemag. org), they give the example of Donald who dropped out of college after transferring to a different school. He is an example of students who drop out due to being disappointed by the college. He starts off college in a school where the teachers are concerned with the students’ welfare and the environment is challenging. However, due to familial problems Donald is forced to move to another college which he feels lacks in quality when compared to the previous school. Professor Tinto notes that, although in Donald’s he later went back to school, not all dropouts go back to finish their education. It has been recorded that majority of high-risk students especially those who are low-income do not complete their college education. In the case of the four year degree courses, only about 26 percent of low-income students finish in a period of six years when compared to the 56 percent of high-income students who achieve the same (http://www. changemag. org). The reason given for this is that they are academically under prepared especially because they do not have access to academic resources in a manner similar to that of the high-income students. This leads to feelings of inadequacy and helplessness among the low-income students often resulting in their dropping out of school. They tend to view the time spent in school as a waste of their time which could be used to generate income by working. This decision is made because they cannot foresee ever getting the same grades as the high-income students since they are not on the same level. This means that their lack of preparation leads to their lack of commitment to the education that they are receiving. Lack of commitment then obviously leads to very high rates of dropping out of college. To deal with this problem, the faculty has to get involved since as professor Tinto sees it they are the main perpetrators of the problem. In Donald’s case, although he had not been well prepared for college, in his first school the teachers were concerned with his welfare and hence he was able to feel welcome in that school and able to concentrate on his studies. This corresponds to the idea that student-faculty out of class contact is very important to a students’ academic growth (Tinto V. 1993). When a student feels free to approach a teacher out of class, even if he or she was not well prepared when enrolling in the college, there is a high possibility that the student will succeed. The reason given for this is that the student will be able to ask for assistance and guidance from the teachers. This assistance may be academic or personal for example in choosing a career one may be able to get the best guidance from the teachers who know which are the student’s strong and weak points. A student may also be suffering from personal problems that affect his or her academic performance and by opening up to a teacher may be able to get the extra help required for excellence in the academic field. A teacher may also be able to assist a student with required material for the class or direct the student where to get the material if they do not have it or are unable to afford (Tinto V. 1975). From his research, Professor Tinto has found out that most of the students who succeed in college yet were in danger of dropping out attributed their achievement to contact with a faculty or staff member although this was rare (Tinto V. 1975). This contact with someone affiliated to the school helped the students get into the rhythm of college life and gave them someone to approach whenever they had problems in the school. They also got a point of reference when setting their goals of what they would like to achieve since they now had real life models to emulate and learn from. The student-faculty out of class relationship is very important as it leads to various positive gains by the student thus ensuring their retention in school. The student involved in this sort of interaction feels more satisfied with the faculty and the college as he or she feels welcome in the school. They develop both personally and intellectually while gaining the ability to think critically by being constantly in the presence of someone with experience in the field. The perception that the student has of the quality of the college improves consequently leading to their improved performance and in class while raising their educational aspirations. The overall result of all this is the persistence of the student to graduate since they have dreams to achieve (Tinto V. 1975). All the above is possible because the student has become committed to the education that he or she is receiving which is one of the key factors that the professor talks about. The student feels that there is a responsibility to attain the best grade possible because there are people helping him or her and it would be wrong to let them down. Furthermore, they have their appetites for education and also betterment of their futures through the same whetted and they also feel proud of having done the best that they could. There is also a sense of not wanting to be the one who let the entire school down through bad performance and dropping out. The third key factor that the professor talks about is the importance of the involvement of the student in the school society/community. He has come up with the idea of Learning Communities which involves the participation of both the faculty and the students. These communities work in creating a sense of community in the school that helps the students feel that they belong in a society that welcomes them. These communities are not for students only but faculty members can also form their own communities that aid them in providing the best possible education to the students while making learning easier and more enjoyable for both parties (Tinto V. & Engstrom C. 2002). Learning Communities are described as teams that meet on a regular basis a number of times in a week. These teams have an agenda to improve their work for the collective betterment of the school. The members also want to improve themselves daily by engaging in discussions within the group that aid in the attainment of the schools goals and also their individual goals. This is done independent from the classroom experience which also takes place. However the classroom influences the teams because members of the same group have top have similar interests which are determined by what is done in class. In the case of students, those pursuing similar courses tend to be members of the same group because they can discuss the same things in the group and also have the same goals. The students will meet several times a week at a time convenient for all the group members’ other than class time. Their discussions will revolve around the class work and the problems each encounters when attempting the same. In case there is a major problem common to all the members they have the opportunity to get in touch with a teacher and discuss the problem and get the necessary assistance (Seidman A. & Tinto V. 2005). When it comes to the faculty members, they may decide to meet weekly or twice a month to discuss ways in which they can improve service delivery to aid the students in their education. They also offer their criticism concerning the students and try and work out which ways would be best to improve the students’ performance. They also share the common problems that they encounter when performing their duties and discuss the ways in which they can make their work easier and the best ways they can deal with the problems. It is important for both students and faculty members to be involved for the Learning Communities to work. The students have to be able to count on the teachers support when addressing their issues and know that the teacher will respond to their queries. The teachers have to be available for consultations with the students. The students must be able to find time outside class when they can meet and address their problems and discuss class work. This is when this theory meets a hurdle in its implementation because time is a rare factor in college. It is almost impossible to find the people all having some free time at the same time and if the students manage it the teachers may not be available at that particular time. In conclusion, one has to give Professor Tinto credit for the work that he has done in trying to come up with ways to deal with the problems that students encounter in their college life. He has dedicated a lot of his time to researching on how to make learning easier and pleasurable to students so as to avoid their dropping out of school. He focuses on the failure of the faculty to provide a good learning environment thus causing the students to feel that the education they are getting is not worthwhile. He shows the different ways that this can be remedied to ensure that students remain in school and get good education. From his interviews, he arrives at the conclusion that for a better learning environment to be attained the students and the faculty has to change their attitude towards learning by making the learning institutions more welcoming to students. This is done by improving the out of class faculty-student relationships which aids the students get attuned to college life. It can also be done by forming learning communities which help both the students and teachers improve the education in the school and consequently the overall grade of the school. However, as much as his arguments as very valid and his solutions reasonable there are problems that are encountered in executing them. The students and faculty members claim not to have the time to be involved in the learning communities and in the student-faculty out of class meetings. However if they were to be implemented, they would be able to work beautifully. It is however important to note that not all students will be retained since some dropout of school for other reasons different from the ones discussed by the professor but the ones discussed can be greatly reduces if the measures were to be implemented.

Chemistry Review Chapters 1 2

Therefore the rings of electrons underneath the valence atoms shield the valence electrons from the nucleus so that the atom isn’t pulled in as tight as the one before it. o Trends for atomic size: As you go down a periodic table, atoms get smaller Because the protons increase as you go down a period, the positive charge on tighter to the nucleus rather looser. o Trends for ionization energy: Ionization energy tends to go down a group o As you go down a period the attraction between the nucleus and the electrons in the outer energy level decreases. o Ionization energy tends to increase across a period. o As you go across a period the attraction between the nucleus and the electrons in the outer energy level increases. Therefore, more energy is needed to pull an electron away from its atom. Lewis structure: a symbolic representation of the arrangement of the valence electrons of an element  · Octet: an arrangement of eight electrons in the valence shell of an atom  · Ioniza tion energy: the energy that is needed to remove an electron from a neutral atom  · Atomic mass unit (u): a unit of mass that is 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12  · Radioisotope: an unstable isotope of an element, which undergoes radioactive decay  · Mass number: The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of one of its atoms. Each proton or neutron is counted as one unit of the mass number. Energy level: fixed, three-dimensional volume in which electrons travel around the nucleus.  · Valence electron: an electron that occupies the outermost energy level of an atom.  · Stable octet: an arrangement of eight electrons in the valence shell of an atom.  · Electron affinity: the change in energy that accompanies the addition of an electron to an atom in the gaseous state.  · Cation: a positively charged atom.  · Anion: a negatively charged atom. Theories: Law of Conservation of mass: During a chemical reaction, the total mass of the substances involved does not change. Law of Definite Proportions: Elements always combine to form compounds in fixed proportions by mass. (Eg. Water always contains the elements hydrogen and oxygen combined in the following proportions: 11% hydrogen, 89% oxygen) Lesson 3 Ionic and Covalent compounds  · Chemical Bonds: the forces that attract to each other in compounds. o BONDING INVOLVES THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE VALENCE ELECTRONS OF ATOMS WHICH USUALLY CREATES A MORE STABLE BOND THAT AN ELEMENT ON ITS OWN.  · Ionic compound: between a non-metal and a metal where the metal loses an electron and the non-metal gains it Characteristics of an ionic bond consist of:  § Normally happens between a metal and a non-metal  · Metals tend to lose electrons, non-metals tend to gain them.  § Very high melting point  § Easily dissolved in water  § Good conductor of electricity, in water or on its own.  · Covalent compound: a bond between two non-metals (or a metal and a non-metal when the metal has a high electron af finity), where atoms share electrons o Characteristics of a covalent bond consist of:  § Low melting point  § When contained under high pressures or temperatures, becomes liquid  § Weak conductor of electricity Somewhat soluble o Polar covalent compound: a bond where the electronegativity is not great enough to completely bond to the other atom. Although, it does move closer to an atom, it never completely bonds. (between 0. 5 and 1. 7) This therefore means that when the electrons are partially exchanged, rather than having a + or – sign, they receive a ? + or ? – symbol  · Electronegativity: the measure of an atoms ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond. (EN) the opposite of atomic size which therefore means that as the atomic size increase, the electronegativity decreases If the electronegativity difference is 0. 00-1. 6 the bond is covalent. o If the electronegativity difference is over 1. 7 and up the bond is ionic.  · Octet rule: atoms bond in o rder to achieve an electron configuration that is the same as the electron configuration a noble gas. (8 valence electrons)  · Isoelectric: when two atoms or ions have the same electron configuration. (e. g. Cl and Ar)  · Molecular compounds: See covalent bonds  · Intramolecular forces: the forces that bond covalent bonds together  · Intermolecular forces: the forces that bond ionic bonds together Metallic bonding: in order to combine two metals both metals lose their valence electrons and combine them in a free flowing â€Å"sea† of electrons so that the electrons are shared equally by all atoms that join the bond.  · Alloy: a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals.  · Lone pairs: electron pairs that are not involved in bonding  · Bonding pairs: electron pair that are involved with bonding.  · Polar molecule: a molecule with a partial negative charge on one end and a partial positive charge on the other end.  · Non-polar molecule: a molecule that has nei ther a positive nor negative end.

System analysis and design Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

System analysis and design - Article Example On this basis, this paper focuses on analysis and critique of the functional and non-functional features of a sample information system via an account of petrol station sales management system. A water flow and entity relationship diagram used in the development of the proposed system has provided the basis of the whole analysis process (Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2012). The second phase, requirements specification, is clearly a very positive move in the strategic presentation of the system since it aided in ensuring that the right functional requirements were gathered. This information is highly fundamental in ensuring that this information system is efficient enough in performing the expected functionalities. The design process was about creation of graphical presentations of the targeted system. Implementation phase engrosses development of small independent modules of code that offered unique but related functionalities. In testing and integration, the individual modules were put together into one coherent component and then tested against the design diagrams. Lastly but certainly not the least, the operations and maintenance phase proved to be very important in the development of the Information system. Not only did this phase aid in delivering the final system but also played a huge in adding and removing features that had been spotted as erroneous (Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2012). It is vital to note that, although, the waterfall model offered a clear view and presentation of the system development process; it still delivered a considerable set of challenges. One of the most crucial challenges is that all the errors and omissions can only be rectified at the operations and maintenance phase (Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2012). For any system development process to be successful, users have to be widely involved in the whole development process. However, in this methodology (waterfall), users are only involved

The high salaries paid to CEOs are not justified. To what extent do Essay

The high salaries paid to CEOs are not justified. To what extent do you agree with this statement - Essay Example The high compensations are in the forms of high salary, bonuses or stock plans. The performance of the CEO has no quantifiable effect on corporations’ performances as the remuneration has little or no effect on the performance of the CEO (Lys, Rusticus and Sletten, 2007). As mentioned above, the only quantifiable effect is the widening gap between them and the other management people on whom the CEOs depend to produce positive performance of the company. In an article in Business Week, during the 1980s the average pay of a CEO was 42 times more than the hourly wage paid to a worker (Finch and Bowers, 2009). As the business entered the 1990 era, this multiplication grew to 85 times more than average hourly pay of a worker which reached the astonishing height of 531 times in 2000 (Finch and Bowers, 2009). What caused this hike in the salary of the CEOs and was this hike justifiable? This question remains unanswered to this day although many studies have been carried out on a lin k between CEO performance, company performance and the pay scale. Researchers such as Daines, Nair and Kornhauser (2005) tried to define measurements for CEO skill. They wanted to isolate the specific factor for CEO competence that can be used to justify the compensation and company performance. According to Daines, Nair, and Kornhauser (2005), the performance of any corporation does not depend only on the CEO skills or performance but also depends on other factors such as the economy, regulations, and conditions of the industry and so on. They hypothesized that a company managed by a skilled CEO should be performing better than the competitors in its industry. This hypothesis is based on the belief that if a company is managed by a poor CEO, the company’s performance will be poor and vice versa. The results of this research were informative. The economic performance and CEO salaries for the years 1990-2002 were studied which showed that small business

Experience Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Experience Assignment - Essay Example Since the far-reaching economic reforms from the late 1960s, growth has fuelled a remarkable increase in per capita income and at the same time, however, income disparities have increased. The growing income inequality is illustrated clearly by the living standards between the urban and the rural areas. The last three decades have seen unprecedented progress when it comes to reducing extreme poverty around the world, but there is still an awful lot more to be done. However, as the World Bank still points out, there are still roughly 1.3 billion people completely destitute, including about 400 million children. People around the world in â€Å"extreme poverty† tend to lack enough food to meet basic physical and mental needs. Judging from the daily incomes of the extremely poor around the world, extreme poverty is getting less deep. Poverty for middle and high income countries fell more than 50 percent since 1982. When one looks closely st the recent progress in the developing world, much of it is mostly attributed to countries like China, and to a lesser extent, India, whose amped up economic growth in recent years reduced their poverty rates. By contrast, extreme poverty in the 35 â€Å"low-income† countries fell by less than 33 percent. Aside from China and India, In dividuals living in extreme poverty in the developing world, today appear to be as poor as those living in extreme poverty thirty years ago, as the World bank puts it. Instead of asking myself which car should I buy, or what clothes should I wear or which different restaurant should I visit next, living on less than t $5 forces one to really have a tight budget as you cannot afford the luxuries that some of us do take for granted at times. When money is tight, we have to make whatever we have to stretch and lesser money means smaller, simpler meals. In this day and era, it is impossible to live without a

Christian Dior's existing and recommended luxury brand strategies Assignment

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Empirical Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Empirical Project - Research Paper Example Methodology The study is based extensively on secondary research. The secondary information is from the gold reserves of gold holding IMF countries from a Book and few websites. Literature Review The gold reserve of a country is that gold held by the central bank or nation depicted as a commodity to redeem which assures for the depositors to pay and note holders. Gold is treated as a liquid money which is mainly used for trading purposes against any currency. The gold reserves as on date are exclusively helps in the settling the international transactions. The central banks by the end of 2004 and investment funds held 19% of all above-ground gold as bank reserve assets. It is predicted that the gold mined by the end of 2009 sum up to 165,000 tonnes. Fixed at US$1000/oz. as price, it exceeded in 2008 and 2009, one tonne of gold has a value of approximately US$32.15 million. The overall gold mined so far would exceed US$5 trillion. IMF gold holdings The International Monetary Fund by J une 2009 held 3,217 tonnes (103.4 million oz.) of gold, which is constant over many years. In 2009, the International Monetary Fund announced that it will disburse 12.5% of the gold holdings, a maximum of 12,965,649 fine troy ounces (403.3 tonnes) based on the recent income model as agreed in April 2008, and further declared the sale of 200 tonnes to India, 10 tonnes to Sri Lanka, and further 10 Metric tonnes of Gold was also given to Bangladesh in September 2010 and 2 tonnes to the Bank of Mauritius. These gold were sold in stages at existing market prices. The IMF reiterates book value of its gold which is far below the market value. This book value was SDR 35 in, or about US$47 per troy ounce in the year 2000. Further the resale value of gold reserve value which faced challenge for various causes. In fact, Canada no idea of revaluing the gold reserves, as it may be pushed to sell the gold on the open market and further decline of gold prices may be the result. Officially reported gold holdings Gold reserves per capita The International Monetary Fund’s data on national assets of various countries is give in the following table. The data are put into use by the World Gold Council to systematically rank and report the gold holding of countries and official organizations. The gold holdings given in the table for each country is not physically stored in the country listed, because the central banks did not allow the audits and reserves independently. World official gold holding for some important countries as of December 2010 Rank Country/Organization Gold (tonnes) Gold's share of national forex reserves (%) - Euro Area 10,792.6 60.7% 1 United States 8,133.5 73.9% 2 Germany 3,401.8 70.3% 3 IMF 2,846.7 - 4 Italy 2,451.8 68.6% 5 France 2,435.4 67.2% 6 Switzerland 1,040.1 16.4% 7 Japan 765.2 3.0% 8 Netherlands 612.5 57.5% 9 India 557.7 8.1% 10 ECB 501.4 27.9% 11 United Kingdom 310.3 16.8% 12 Spain 281.6 38.6% 13 Belgium 227.5 36.8% 14 Singapore 127.4 2.5% 15 BIS 120.0 - 16 Australia 79.9 8.1% - World 30,562.5 - Privately held gold As of October 2009, gold exchange-traded funds held 1,750 tonnes of gold for private and institutional investors. Gold Holdings Corp. a publicly listed gold company estimates that the amount of in-ground verified gold resources currently controlled by publicly traded gold mining companies is roughly 50,000 tonnes. Serial Correlation The correlation between the successive

BHP Billiton Limited Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BHP Billiton Limited - Essay Example The concept of corporate governance can be defined as the procedures which are used to direct and control an organisation in alliance with its determined mission and vision. The extended role of corporate governance further exhibits a proper structure specifying the delegation of rights as well as the responsibilities bestowed upon the participants of an organisation including its board members, lower and middle level managers, stakeholders, shareholders and other interest groups (OECD 2005). The corporate governance comprises the three basic factors. In this context, it provides with adequate transparency in its decision-making process. Transparency in turn provides scope for accountability that entails the responsibilities of the decision makers within an organisation. It also provides accountability for the conservation of the concern with respect to the shareholders’ interests as well as the commitment of the organization towards its stakeholders. Indeed, accountants and o ther financial decision makers play a vital role in determining organizational effectiveness to mitigate such concerns through high degree of ethical commitments. Thus, it can be stated that the accounting theories and the corporate governance are interrelated as the underlying function of the corporate governance is to control organizational activities and the utilization of the corporate resources (Clark 2011). Based on this understanding, the objective of the paper reflects the corporate governance practices of BHP Billiton Limited (BHP) to alleviate the risk related to the corporate factor with further reasons to such conventions. Areas of Corporate Governance in BHP Billiton Limited to Alleviate the Risk of the Corporate Failure The corporate governance system practiced in BHP entails the approaches to provide the value that has been created on a long term basis complying with a high-quality governance framework (FRC 2012). The company believes that the governance must not be l imited to the Board, but it must be spread within the organisation. Through its governance system, BHP aims to foster a culture that values as well as awards the ethical standard prevailing in the organisation along with the personal and the corporate integrity and the standard to have respect deciphered aptly for its stakeholders on the whole. The company hereby aims to establish an appropriate ‘Code of Business Conduct’ for the employees, the suppliers and the customers constituting a major proportion of its stakeholders group. The application of these approaches related to the governance further attempt to foster the long-term goodwill of the company playing a major role to alleviate the risks of the corporate failure on the basis of accounting discrepancies (BHP Billiton 2012). Notably, the corporate governance structure of the company entails the diversified perspective of the Board of Directors. The structure in BHP comprises of the shareholders, the Board of Dire ctors, the functional committee, the Chief Executive Officers and the group management committee. The framed structure helps the company to

War On Terror by Kenneth Waltz Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

War On Terror by Kenneth Waltz - Research Paper Example The first image proposes the individual nature of man as the primary cause of wars which is why it can to be known as ‘individual level of analysis’. As Waltz say in his book Man the State and War â€Å"the locus of the important causes of war is found in the nature and behavior of man†. This analysis coincides with the point of view of numerous philosophers such as Spinoza, Rousseau and Niebuhr who believed that war was the direct result of human aggressiveness self-interest, misdirected and stupidity to achieve a peace in a self intellectual level. Hence according to this level man must change his psyche, however this theory cannot be declared entirely true as Waltz himself later argued that the importance of human nature as an individual cause of wars is reduced by the fact that the very same nature explains a variety of events. Waltz then analyses another reason for war, that is the second image. He proposes that war is a product of internal structure and domestic strife within countries. ‘With many sovereign states, with no system of law enforceable among them, with each state judging its grievances and ambitions according to the dictates of its own reason or desire - conflict, sometimes leading to war, is bound to occur.’ He assumes that the nature of a states political institutions and how it is governed will determine whether the state will be at war or peaceful however the most logical counter argument to this analysis is that it assumes that â€Å"bad states lead to war†¦that good states mean peace in the world,†.... He assumes that the nature of a states political institutions and how it is governed will determine whether the state will be at war or peaceful however the most logical counter argument to this analysis is that it assumes that â€Å"bad states lead to war†¦that good states mean peace in the world,† ( Waltz 159) which in itself is a highly doubtful proposition. His third level of analysis emphasizes the anarchical international system composed of states and the interdependence of the policies of all states, namely the structure of the international system is the root cause of war. Analyzing political issues from the third image means relying on the international organizations, forums, and treaties that nations abide by. Major governmental and non governmental organizations are analyzed when seeking the causes of war and conflict according to third level of analysis. Waltz draws heavily upon the work of Rousseau and states that just as individuals act upon their immediate interests to the detriment of the general group interests, states should follow a rational course of action. Harmony in anarchy exists when not only is every state rational but every state assumes that every other state is rational too. Moreover, â€Å"To allow...for the irrational acts of others can lead to no determinate solution but to attempt to act on a rational calculation without making such an allowance can lead to (my own) undoing†(Waltz 169) I believe the most important cause lies in the third image i.e., the imperative influence of anarchy is the ‘underlying’ or ‘permissive’ cause of war. Many of the causes of war can be explained by the pressures exerted on states by the anarchic

Love in Infant Monkeys Analysis Essay Example for Free

Love in Infant Monkeys Analysis Essay A mother can impact lives greatly. Could you imagine growing up without a mother? You can either be very lucky with a mother that cares for you or be deprived of that sense of love from a mother figure. It is inhumane to destroy any kind of maternal bond because mothers are not people to depend on, but are people to make depending not required. In my opinion, Harry doesn’t understand the true meaning of mothers earlier in the story but does get they have some sort of value. The repercussions of this lie in the story. Many times he brings up mothers whether it’s with his sick wife or the infant monkey’s mother. Harlow must not think much of mothers in general based off of what was said in the story, â€Å"Mother’s are useful, †¦in scientific terms† (Harlow 310). A solid explanation is the fact that he obviously does not totally understand the strip down meaning of mother. Harlow is now drawing a very small part of the very big picture, â€Å"They have intrinsic value, even beyond their breast milk. Call it their company† (Harlow 310). He gets that mothers naturally belong and that they are sort of important to the people they need to influence and care for, no matter if they are human or not. However, at this point in the story he doesn’t comprehend the true values of mother. Harlow later in the story conducts an experiment with an infant monkey and its mother that should give him closure about his hypothesis. Without compassion he begins tests, â€Å"Anxiety first, shown in trembling and shaking; then come the screams† (311). This examines Harlow and his lack of realization and empathy towards mothers and how they have essentials that are beyond scientific. Slowly though, he begins to show and give in to his inner feelings about mothers. It takes a few experiments for him to realize â€Å"Time after time, baby monkeys return. Bad mother is better then none† (312). It took time and cruel methods but Harlow is almost at the point where he accepts the true meaning of Mother. The turning point was the â€Å"Deep swig† (Millet 314). In his drunken self-conscience the truth was released. He began to fathom the underlying details that he couldn’t pick up from his time with the monkeys earlier. Still trying to hold on to thoughts put into his mind, â€Å"He mistook each infant monkey for a beloved soul. In that way the nightmare was confusing† (Millet 314). As you can see it is still in his conception not to believe himself that what he was doing was wrong. This is a battle between his self-conscience and what he was taught to believe. Finally, actuality kicked in, â€Å"He saw each infant in the heart of its mother, precious, unique, held so close because the mother was willing to die for it.† (314). What Harlow saw was the absolute certainty of what his inner being was desperately attempting to communicate to him. It was that he was wrong. The test subjects before him were real living things just like himself. The mother is a complex creature proven throughout the story. These actions all help express why mothers and their presence are so important. As shown, they are very crucial in the development of younger beings. The mother is a helper by nature, impacting by teaching its child to survive at life. Independence is the arch lesson that is taught by the mother. Harlow enduringly grasps the cardinal meaning of why it is inhumane to destroy any kind of maternal bond. Mothers are not people to depend on, but are people to make depending not required.

Ethics Log Essay Example for Free

Ethics Log Essay I was out shopping with a friend and saw something that struck me as very unethical. We were eating at the mall and the manager at one of the fast food places at the food court was given extra money then was due by a customer that was directly ahead of my friend in line. Instead of giving the lady back the extra money he pocketed the money. I know that we are in a financially hard time, but still the man should have told the women that she gave him too much money instead of pocketing the difference. It made me promptly decide to eat at a different place that day. September 15, 2008: I was struck today by something that made me have faith in other people. A man was rushing to leave a store and his wallet dropped out of his pocket. Two teenagers were standing around and watching the people going in and out and they both saw what happened. One of them walked over and picked up the wallet. I thought that the kid was going to pocket the money in the wallet, but instead he walked over to where the man was still putting groceries into his car. He handed the man his wallet and told him that he saw it fall out of his pocket. The man thanked him and offered him a reward. The kid shook his head and said a reward wasn’t necessary. Most of the time teenagers are given a bad name, but seeing that kid be as honest as he was made me feel good knowing that our future are the hands of kids like that. September 22, 2008: I was taking my mother to the doctor and I saw something that seemed to me to be very unethical. Two nurses were waiting for the elevator and they were discussing patients, using the first names of those patients. No one else was around the elevator, so these two women must have thought they were alone. I couldn’t believe my ears, because they were talking in very load tones and telling each other about the details of each patient. I know that doctors are held to strict ethical standards and I thought nurses were too. Anyone could have been listening to these two women gossiping. They finally stopped when I cleared my throat and gave them a look. September 29, 2008: I was watching the evening news and one story struck me as interesting. It was a story about a building contractor who had used substandard materials on some houses that he had built. The people who had bought these homes found mold and parts of their houses were falling down so that living in these homes were dangerous to the occupants. I have always believed that building contractors had an ethical right to use materials that would ensure a safe environment for the people that buy the finished homes. It seems this man cared more for the end dollar that he received then for the quality of building he produced. October 6, 2008: I was watching the news the other night and I saw a story about a psychologist that was being accused of having a relationship with a patient. I was appalled at this fact since psychologists are people who should realize how unethical something like that is. Doctors are in a position of authority over their patients and as such should not abuse hat authority by becoming involved with their patients. The psychologist is facing criminal charges and will probably have his license to practice psychology revoked. I was shocked and outraged by this story and it made me wonder what had to be going through the man’s head to get into such a situation as this where he ahs put his professional life and the reputation of his family in jeopardy. October 14, 2008: I was shopping this weekend and I saw something that struck me not only as ethical but as an example of the goodness in people. I was walking down the street from store to the next and in an alleyway there was a man who for all intents and purposes was homeless or he appears that way. As I was walking I had to stop and answer my cell phone and in vainly trying to find my phone everything in my bag fell out and spilled all over the sidewalk. This man, who was dirty from his head to his feet, came over and started helping me pick things up. I was in such a rush that I didn’t notice that my credit card had bounced in the shadows. I gave the man a curt thank you and was walking away when I heard the man come up behind me. I thought at first he was going to try and do something to me (we all don’t like to admit it but stereotypes sometimes linger in the back of the man about homeless people), and turned ready to hit the man when he smiled toothlessly at me and told me I had dropped my credit card. This man could have pocketed the card, but he chose to do the ethical and right thing of returning the card to me. October 20, 2008: An article that I read recently stuck me as very unethical practices. It was an article on how Treasury Secretary Paulson was utilizing his old Wall Street firm as a way to investigate the goings on of other Wall Street firms. The problem then is that it gives other people the idea that now Paulson’s old firm has their hands in the proverbial Treasury Cookie Jar. That kind of practice is not just unethical but wrong. The United States Treasury is something that has to investigate firms and by allowing a Wall Street firm to be seen as having ties in the department of Treasury gives the idea that the department of the Treasury is biased and will allow this firm to get by with everything and there will not be any repercussions. October 27, 2008: I was reading an article in the newspaper and came across a story about a court case in which the case had to be dismissed because the evidence that was collected was tainted. Apparently when he evidence was collected, it was misplaced and then found two days later. This struck me as highly unethical, since from my understanding when something like that happens it’s hard to know if it is really from the crime or if it had been planted. It also struck me as unethical because evidence should not be contaminated or last in order to make sure questions are not raised in the long run. November 3, 2008: I read in the newspaper about a new school curriculum that has been used at some schools around the nation. Building Decision Skills (BDS) that had â€Å"potentially positive effects† on students. This curriculum targets character education, strengthens critical thinking skills, builds leadership skills, and focuses on teaching students the best way to make ethical decisions as they enter the high school setting and are affected more by peer pressure. I remember my own high school days and how tough it can be when surrounded by friends that want you to make a decision that you don’t feel comfortable with. Ethical behavior after all is learning the right way to do something or the right choice to make when in a given situation. This new curriculum will help students with those kinds of situations. November 10, 2008: The newspaper had an interesting story about the Emperor’s Club and the case against the New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer and his charges for hiring prostitutes. Tania Hollander, the VIP scheduler for the club, also had to take responsibility in the unethical behavior of the attorney general. Ms. Hollander will face jail time for her part in this case, while the New York attorney general was cleared of the charges against him. The attorney for Ms. Hollander made a point of insinuating that this kind of nonsense was unethical in the least because it gives the public the idea that the New York attorney general is being given a slap on the wrist because of his position as an attorney general. Abuse of position such as this is always an unfair and unethical practice.

The Block Cave Mining Method

The Block Cave Mining Method Block caving is a large-scale underground mining method applicable to the extraction of low-grade, massive ore bodies. With the amount of literature available on block caving this report identifies the need to provide a simple understanding of the process. Understanding a production process of a block cave mine is an important aspect before getting involved with technical aspects of the mine. This report attempts to give an introduction into the production process of a block cave mine and also an understanding about block caving. The document has been split into four chapters, Chapter One gives a basic understanding of the method and highlights the considerations that have to be made before the implementation of a block cave mine. Chapter Two gives an introduction into the production process involved in a block cave mine by taking into account four major levels involved in production. The production process has been described in the form of a flow chart for simple understanding of the process. Chapter Three outlines the significance of production control and production management in order to increase productivity of the mine. Chapter Four outlines some of the safety and risks involved in a block cave mine and the necessary precautions to be taken in order to increase safety. This report has been intended to provide a simple understanding of the block cave mining method and the production process involved. This report is advocated towards a layman in block caving in view of getting an impression about the block cave mining method. Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Block Caving Block caving is an underground mining method applicable to the extraction of low-grade, massive ore bodies with the following characteristics: large vertical and horizontal dimensions, a rock mass that will break into pieces of manageable size, and a surface that is allowed to subside. These rather unique conditions limit block caving to particular types of mineral deposits. Block caving is used for extracting iron ore, low-grade copper, molybdenum  deposits, and diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes. 1.1.1 Block Caving Method A large slice of material is blasted at the base of the ore body which creates an instability within the orebody, inducing the breakdown and mobilization of ore to the production level through the breakdown of ore and waste due to the natural pattern of breakages, development of stresses in the active caving area, and the low strength of the rock mass. The size and shape of the undercut depends on the characteristics of the rock mass. Excavations are created at the production level at base of the orebody to draw out the broken material. A large amount of development expenditure is required to set up the facilities to break the lowest level of the ore body, and all the broken rock is extracted out of the block cave through a system of drawbells. Once the caving is initiated, operating cost of the block cave is very low comparable to the operating costs in open pit mining. Once caving is initiated, production can be ramped up until the production rate is almost equal to the caving rate. The undercut is advanced in the horizontal plane to create greater areas of caving for increasing the production.   Rock breakage occurs only in the caving areas, induced by undercutting, and has low drilling and blasting cost; some amount of blasting may be required at the drawpoints1  to break some of the large rocks coming through the drawbell, especially during the initial stages of draw. Most block caves these days are highly mechanized with large number of large LHDs (load-haul-dump machines) working at the lower levels, though smaller orebodies can also be caved and extracted using gravity draw systems with orepasses2  and slushers3. The development of a conventional gravity flow system of block caving involves Figure Conventional Gravity Flow System http://technology.infomine.com/reviews/BlockCaving/assets/images/BlockCaving1.jpgSource: Infomine Block Caving A spot where gravity fed ore from a higher level is loaded into hauling units A vertical or inclined passage for the downward transfer of ore A mechanical drag shovel loader an undercut where the rock mass underneath the block is fractured by blasting; drawbells beneath the undercut that gather the rock into finger raises4; finger raises that draw rock from drawbells to the grizzlies; a grizzly level where oversized blocks are caught and broken up; a lower set of finger raises that channel ore from grizzlies to chutes for train loading the finger raises are arranged like the branches of a tree, gathering ore from a large area at the undercut level and further channeling material to chutes at the haulage level; and a lowermost level where ore is prepared for train haulage and chute loading. When LHDs are used, the development required is considerably less complex and involves Undercut Levelhttp://www.edumine.com/xcourse/xblock101/docs/figures/images/10002x.jpg Extraction LevelSource: Infomine Block Caving 4 Steeply sloping openings permitting caved ore to flow down raises through grizzlies to chutes on the haulage level an undercut where the rock mass underneath the block is fractured by blasting; drawbells constructed between the undercut and extraction levels; an extraction level with drawpoints at the base of drawbells; and an ore haulage system to collect, crush and transport the ore out of the mine. Underground Mining Methods Unsupported Artificially Supported Pillar SUpported Shrink Stoping Bench and Fill Stoping Room and Pillar Sublevel Mining Longwall Mining Sublevel and Longhole Open Stoping Block and Panel Caving VCR Stoping Cut and Fill Stoping 1.1.2 History of Block Caving Late 19th century:  precursor to modern block caving developed in the Pewabic iron ore mine, Michigan, USA Early 20th century:  the block caving method developed in the USA for iron ore and then copper mining in the western states 1920s:  block caving started in Canada and Chile Late 1950s:  block caving introduced into southern African diamond mines and then chrysotile asbestos  mines Late 1960s:  LHD vehicles developed for underground mining 1970:  LHDs used with block caving at El Salvador mine, Chile 1981:  mechanised panel caving introduced in the primary ore at El Teniente mine, Chile 1990s:  planning of the new generation of block caves with larger block heights in stronger orebodies (e.g. Northparkes, Palabora) 2000s:  planning and development of super block caves under existing open pit mines (Grasberg, Chuquicamata, Bingham Canyon) and at great depth (Resolution Copper) http://www.edumine.com/xcourse/xblock101/docs/figures/images/10003x.jpg Source: Infomine Block Caving 1.2 Management Organizational Chart Mine Manager Technical Services Superintendent Technical Services Superintendent Mine Superintendent Human Resource Logistics Electrical Mechanical Cave Development Cave Production Ventilation Projects Geo-Technology Geology Survey Long Term Planner Short Term Planner Design The organizational chart might differ based on the requirements of a specific mine. 1.2.1 Managerial Responsibilities: Mine Manager is responsible for the overall management, direction and coordination of the mine and related operations. Mine Managers are also intended to provide the technical leadership in the area of underground mine engineering.   The focus of the Mine Manager should be on the following subjects Ensuring underground mining activities are conducted in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations and environmental standards Complying with all safety requirements Observing all company policies and procedures Assisting with the development of production targets Ensuring production targets are met or exceeded Developing schedules, budget and ensuring these are controlled and managed effectively Monitoring production results on a progressive basis and preparing monthly progress and variance reports Maintaining effective working relationships with Contractors, Suppliers and Service Providers, and ensuring adherence to contractual requirements Developing a sense of continuous improvement Ensuring appropriate training programs are in place to meet safety and production requirements Maintaining knowledge of current statutory requirements and industry best practices and ensuring compliance at all times Interphases with other managers and superintendents as part of the management team Reviewing mining methods Implementing optimisation programs where appropriate Managing manpower levels to achieve their performance 1.3 Parameters to be considered before the implementation of cave mining Twenty five parameters that should be considered before the implementation of any cave mining operation are set out in Table 1. Many of the parameters are uniquely defined by the orebody and the mining system. No. Parameters Considerations 1 Cavability Rockmass Strength Rockmass Structure In situ stress Hydraulic radius of orebody Water 2 Primary Fragmentation Rockmass strength Geological structures Joint/fracture spacing Joint condition ratings Stress or subsidence caving Induced stress 3 Drawpoint Spacing Fragmentation Overburden load and direction Friction angles of caved particles Practical excavation size Stability of host tockmass Induced Stress 4 Draw Heights Capital Orebody geometry Excavation stability 5 Layout Fragmentaion Drawpoint spacing and size Method of draw 6 Rockburst Potential Regional and induced stresses Rockmass Strength Structures Mining Sequence 7 Sequence Cavability Orebody geometry Induced stresses Geological environment Influence on adjacent operations Rockburst potential Production requirements Water inflow No. Parameters Considerations 8 Undercutting Sequence Regional stresses Rockmass strength Rockburst potential Rate of advance Ore requirements 9 Induced Cave Stresses Regional stresses Area of undercut Shape of undercut Rate of undercutting Rate of draw 10 Drilling Blasting Rockmass strength Powder factor Rockmass stability Required fragmentation Height of undercut 11 Development Layout Sequence Production Drilling and blasting 12 Excavation Stability Rockmass strength Regional and induced stresses Rockburst potential Excavation size Draw height Mining Sequence 13 Primary Support Excavation stability Rockburst potential Brow stability 14 Practical Excavation Size Rockmass strength Insitu stress Induced stress Caving stress Secondary blasting 15 Draw Method Fragmentation Practical drawpoint spacing Practical size of excavation 16 Draw Rate Fragmentation Method of draw Percentage hangups Secondary breaking requirements 17 Drawpoint Interaction Drawpoint spacing Fragmentation Time frame of working drawpoints No. Parameters Considerations 18 Draw Column Stresses Draw-column height Fragmentation Homogenity of ore fragmentation Draw control Height-to-base ratio Direction of draw 19 Secondary Fragmentation Rock- block shape Draw height Draw rate-time dependent failure Rock-block workability Range in fragmentation size Draw control program 20 Secondary Blasting Secondary fragmentation Draw method Drawpoint size Size of equipment and grizzly spacing 21 Dilution Orebody geometry Fragmentation range of unpay ore and waste Grade distribution of pay and unpay ore Mineral distribution in ore Drawpoint interaction Secondary breaking Draw control 22 Tonnage Drawn Level interval Drawpoint spacing Dilution percentage 23 Support Repair Tonnage drawn Point and column loading Secondary blasting 24 Extraction Mineral distribution Method of draw Rate of draw Dilution percentage Ore losses 25 Subsidence Major geological structures Rockmass strength Induced stresses Depth of mining Source: Laubsher Chapter Two -Production Process 2.1 Block Cave Mining System In a Block Cave Mine there are four major levels that contribute to the production of the mine. The levels that have been taken into account here are Extraction Undercut Haulage Ventilation In a natural progression of a block cave mine the infrastructure that need to be built before the start of caving includes Primary access to the production levels (ramps and shafts) Extraction level excavations Haulage and Ventilation level excavations; and Crushing and ore transport facilities. While most of these excavations need to be created before the start of caving operations, construction of some extraction, haulage and ventilation level drifts can be planned just in advance of actual caving operations. Each of these levels is given a brief introduction and the production process for each level are outlined from collecting data from different sources. The information flow in the form of a flow chart is provided for ease of understanding the process. The information flow chart provided is implemented from personal experience and its objective is to provide an impression on the production process of an underground block cave mine. 2.2 Extraction Level The extraction level is the main production level in a block cave operation. All the ore from the block cave is drawn through draw points at the extraction level and then transferred to haulage level through a system of ore passes or a fleet of LHDs. Since this is the main production level, it is developed and supported to counter the stresses and displacements that can be expected during the life of the drawpoints at the level. The arrangement of drawpoints, drawbells and other excavations on the extraction or production level is referred to as the extraction level layout. The development of the extraction level and the drawbells creates two types of pillars. The major apex is the shaped structure or pillar above the extraction level formed between two adjacent drawpoints but separated by the extraction or production drift. The minor apex is the shaped structure or pillar formed between two adjacent drawbells on the same side of the extraction drift. The drawpoint spacing, the drawpoint width, and the distance between the undercut and extraction levels are all designed based on the fragmentation expected within the block cave. The ground support installed in the excavations at the extraction level is based on the characteristics of the rock mass and the expected stress levels at different locations. 2.2.1. Drawbells The ideal shape of the drawbell is like a bell, so that ore can flow to the drawpoint. However it is a compromise between strength and shape. The major and minor apexes must have sufficient strength to last out the life of the draw. It needs to be established how much influence the shape of the drawbell has on interaction. It has always been an empirical point that shaped drawpoints improve ore recovery as the ore should have better flow characteristics than a drawbell with vertical faces and a large flat top major apex. The time consuming operation is creating the drawbell. The undercut technique also determines the shape of the major apex and importantly the shape of the drawbell. The draw rate from the drawbells is an important factor in that it must provide space for caving; also it must not be too fast to create a large air gap and possible air-blasts. If the draw rate is too fast seismic activity will occur. Production must be based on this value and not rely on economic factors such as short term return on investment that ignores long term consequences. There is also the fact that a slow draw rate will mean improved fragmentation. 2.2.2 Extraction Level Production Process Planning Design Equipment/People Decision Making Ground Support Drawbells Drifts Ground Support Development Pathways Ventilation Ventilation Blast Hang ups Drawpoint Undercutting Secondary Blasting Ore Removal LHDs Ore pass full Ore Pass Haulage Level Secondary Ore pass Crusher 2.3 Undercut Level The process of undercutting creates instability at the base of the block being caved. Block cave mining is based on the principle that when a sufficiently large area of a block has been undercut by drilling and blasting, the overlying block of ore will start to cave under the influence of gravity. The process will continue until caving propagates through the entire block surface or to the open pit above, unless a stable shape is achieved. The purpose of the undercut level is therefore to remove a slice of sufficient area near the base of the block to start the caving of the ore above. The undercut level is developed at the base of the block to be caved. The caving of the block is initiated by mining an undercut area until the hydraulic radius of the excavation reaches a critical value. As the broken ore above it will collapse into the void so created. Vertical propagation of the cave will then occur in response to the continued removal of broken ore through the active drawpoints. The horizontal propagation of the cave will occur as more drawpoints are brought into operation under the undercut area. 2.3.1 Undercutting Undercutting is the most important process in cave mining. As not only is a complete undercut necessary to induce a cave, but the design and the sequencing of the undercut is important to reduce the effects of the induced abutment stress. It is essential that the undercut is continuous and it should not be advanced is there is a possibility that pillars will be left. This rule which is often ignored owing to the problems in re-drilling holes, results in the leaving of pillars resulting in the collapse of large areas and consequent high ore losses. The undercut technique also determines the shape of the major apex and importantly the shape of the drawbell. Care must be taken that there is no stacking of large blocks on the major apex as this could prevent cave propagation. 2.3.2 Undercutting Techniques Conventional The conventional undercutting sequence is to develop the drawbell and then to break the undercut into the drawbell. Henderson Technique The Henderson Mine technique of blasting the drawbell with long holes from the undercut level just ahead of blasting the undercut reduces the time interval in which damage can occur. They have also found it necessary to delay the development of the drawbell drift until the drawbell has to be blasted. Advance Undercut The advance undercut technique means that the drawpoints and drawbells are developed after the undercut has passed over, so that the abutment stresses are located in the massive rock mass with only the production drift. 2.3.3 Undercut Level Production Process Design Planning Development Equipment/People Decision Making Ground Support Ventilation Drifts Pathways Undercutting Ore Removal Haulage Level LHDs Crusher Muck Removal LHDs Ore Pass Waste Dump 2.4 Haulage and Ventilation Level The haulage and ventilation levels lie below the extraction level. They need to be developed with adequate excavations to handle the quantity of broken ore and ventilating air streams required for the designed production rates, equipment and manpower employed within the block cave. Facilities for storing, crushing and conveying the broken ore to the mill need to be developed at the haulage level. The larger excavations required for the crushers, ore bins and conveyor transfer stations need to be located outside the zone of influence of the stresses due to the block cave, and adequate ground support will need to be installed to ensure that the excavations are stable during their expected life. The excavations and levels must be placed far enough apart so that there is limited interaction between numerous excavations created to move the ore from the production level to the milling facilities at the surface. 2.4.1 Haulage Level Much of the development of the infrastructure for a block cave operation is completed during the pre-production stage though some haulage lines and ventilation drifts and raises may be deferred to later in the life of the block cave. Scheduling the development of haulage and ventilation drifts needs careful planning so that the required facilities are in-place well in advance of their requirement. Though there is some flexibility in the development of these levels since they are different elevations and lie below the extraction level, the preliminary layouts need to be prepared so that the flow of materials, ore and ventilating air can be integrated without interruption as the block cave progresses. 2.4.2 Ventilation Level Ventilation Levels are normally developed between the haulage and the extraction levels. During the development phase air is streamed through the undercut and extraction levels to the working faces and exhausted through the raises to the ventilation level. During production, air is coursed through the extraction level and exhausted through the ventilation raises to the exhaust side of the ventilation level. Additional air is provided at the working areas through ventilation raises which connect to the intake of the ventilation level 2.4.3 Haulage Level Information Chart Scoop Ore Removal Haulage Level Haul Distance Optimization LHDs Crusher Figure Haulage Level Information Chart 2.4.4 Ventilation Level Information Chart Auxillary Ventilation Intake Raise Exhaust Raise Fresh Air Exhaust Air Drifts Pathways Fans/Vent Ducts Chapter Three Production Control 3.1 Departments in a block cave mine involved in Production Control Design Planning Geology Geo-technology Ventilation Maintenance Cave Development/Production Survey Construction Electrical Mechanical Human Resource Safety In a Mine Environment each and every department plays a crucial role to keep the Mine running and to meet the production targets. Problems associated with these departments no matter how small they may be contribute damage in their own way to dampen the production. Production planning for block cave operations can be complex. The factors to be considered include geotechnical constraints, cave shape, draw point development sequence, draw point productivity, production block limits such as loader capacity and ore pass capacity and variable shut-off grade mining costs. The nature of the problem also changes during the life of a cave from initial production build up to final closure. Overall objective for production planning should be to maximize productivity, some of the aspects of production planning include Minimum/Maximum tonnage per period Maximum total tonnage per draw point Ratio of tonnage from current drawpoint compared with other drawpoints. Height of draw of current draw point with respect to other drawpoints Percentage drawn for current draw point with respect to other drawpoints Maximum tonnage from selected groups of drawpoints in a period. 3.2. Production Control Major Concerns 3.2.1 Fragmentation Rock fragmentation is the fragment size distribution of blasted rock material, in caving operations fragmentation has a bearing on Drawpoint spacing Dilution entry into the draw column Draw control Drawpoint productivity Secondary blasting/breaking costs Secondary blasting damage Primary Fragmentation Caving results in primary fragmentation which can be defined as the particle size that separates from the cave back and enters the draw column. The data to be considered for the calculation of the primary fragmentation is In situ rock mass ratings Intact rock strength Mean joint spacing and maximum and minimum spacing Orientation of cave front Induced stresses Secondary Fragmentation Secondary fragmentation is the reduction in size of the primary fragmentation particle as it moves down through the draw column. The processes to which particles are subjected to, determine the fragmentation size distribution in the drawpoints. The data to be considered for the calculation of the primary fragmentation is The effect of fines cushioning Draw strategy and draw rate Rock block strength Shape of fragments Frictional properties of fragments Column height Fragmentation is the major factor that determines productivity from a drawpoint. Fine material will ensure high productivity. 3.2.2 Draw control Draw control is one of the major concerns that need to be optimized in order to increase productivity of the mine. Geomechanical issues related to draw control have played a dominant role in efforts to reduce stress and improve fragmentation and reduce dilution. Draw control is the practice of controlling the tonnages drawn from individual drawpoints with the object of Minimising dilution and maintaining the planned ore grade. Ensuring maximum ore recovery with minimum dilution. Avoiding damaging load concentrations on the extraction horizon. Avoiding the creation of conditions that could lead to air blasts or mud-rushes. The following have to be considered for draw control strategy in order to maximize productivity, Any factors observed during the start of caving that will influence the planned caving and drawdown processes. Control the draw from the first tonnage into the drawpoint. Define the potential tonnages and grades that will be available from each drawpoint. The draw control system must be fully operational. Confirm that the planned draw strategy is correct. The recording and analysis of the tonnages drawn, this important aspect is often not treated with the required respect. Managing the draw by following the adopted draw strategy. Define how the control is to be monitored, maintained and audited. Planning for how the draw column would behave with time. An estimation of the remaining tonnages and grade for future production scheduling and planning. Personnel must be aware of the definition of isolated drawpoint. Ensure the drawpoints are clearly and correctly identified underground. There must be reporting system to record and describe why allocated drawpoints have not been drawn. Ensure secondary breakings are done effectively and efficiently. Develop standard procedure for close drawpoints. Draw control is what block caving is about, the reasons for and the principles of draw control must be clearly understood by all operating personnel. Preparation of orebody must be done in a sound way so that preventable problems do not hamper the draw control. 3.2.3 Secondary Breaking Irrespective of the method of primary blasting employed, it may be necessary to reblast a proportion of the rock which can then be handled by the loading, hauling and crushing system. There are four types of problems that cause a need for secondary breaking, High hang-ups are where a large fragment lies across the entrance to the draw bell up to 19m above the footwall. This type of hang up is very rare though, and it is more common that this will only occur up to a distance of 5 m above the draw point floor. Rock jumble is where several ore fragments of rock smaller than two cubic meters form an arch in a drawbell. This is found to occur especially in the troat of the drawpoint. Low hang up is a large fragment of over two cubic metres hanging in the troat or on the floor of a draw point clocking the flow of ore. Draw point oversize is any large fragment over two cubic metres on the floor of a draw point and effectively prevents loading by LHDs. Some of the techniques that are in use for secondary breaking are as follows, Concussion blasting Drill and blast Emulsion secondary blasting Robust hydro fracturing breaking system There are many products on the market today that promise effective secondary breaking of both hang-ups and boulders, including cone packs, the quick draw system, the boulder buster and the penetrating cone fracture technique. In order to choose a secondary breaking method with respect to productivity the following need to considered and evaluated, Explosive quantities Labour and Equipment requirements Fragmentation Safety 3.3 Significance of Production Management

Drinking on the Job :: Essays Papers

Drinking on the Job Drinking on the job. I never had a job in a restaurant where somebody could drink while working until I got a job as a waitress at Sweetwater Grill and Tavern. Taking part in this activity at work is a sure-fire way to have a strange work experience. I, of course, was not drinking on the job since it was my first day waiting tables at Sweetwater Grill and Tavern, and I was underage (only 18 years old at the time). I had just gotten the job and couldn't wait to work in a comfortable, laid back work environment, which I had never been accustomed to. At Sweetwater, the servers did not have to wear uniforms like most restaurants. Here, servers were allowed to wear cut-off jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and whatever type of shoe that we preferred. The bosses of the restaurant just sat at the bar all day long and caught up with what was going on with their new and old friends. Nobody came in expecting good quality service. As a matter of fact, Sweetwater was infamous for the worst servic e around in town. This restaurant was any server's dream job. The freedoms were not limited to these, though. Oh no, since the tavern was pretty much an organized "drunk fest" for drinkers of all ages, the servers were also allowed to partake in the festivities, and drink and smoke as much as they pleased without letting it interfere in their work. So everyone got to have fun at work. Surely this would make the endless nights working go by much quicker and be more bearable. I could not have been more wrong in my life. Since it was my first day on the job I arrived promptly at four o'clock that evening. I was very nervous about making new friends. At least I would be the first one out that night. To my surprise, the other two servers working the floor that night, Patrick and Lindsay, were very pleasant and talkative. They immediately informed me that "Beef Jerky Time" was the code for "let's party" and that it would begin at 10:30 that evening. "Great!" I replied with what must have been the most frightened look upon my face. Drink on the job?

The Outsider By Albert Camus V :: essays research papers

The Priest(Kafka vs Camus) The Outsider, written by Albert Camus, and The Trial, written by Franz Kafka, are two books that have been critically acclaimed since the time that they were published. There are critics that claim that The Outsider is a dull book, and is not even a read-worthy book. Other people claim that it shows us how society actually acts upon people who do not want to be like the rest of society. The Trial falls under the same kind of criticism; but both books, although written by different writers in a different à ©poque, fall under the same kind of genre: Imprisoned Lives. In both The Outsider and The Trial there are many people who influence the protagonists in a positive and in a negative way, but none of those characters are as important as the priest. The priest, being of the same profession in both books and trying to accomplish the same kind of tasks, have a totally different effect on the two protagonists. In The Outsider the priest changes the whole attitude that Meursault has to li fe, whereas in The Trial the priest tells Joseph K. how his life actually is. "Why do you refuse to see me?" This question was asked by the priest and was meant for Meursault. Normally, if a person is convicted to death, he will see a priest before the sentence is executed. Meursault did not do that. He profusely refused to see the priest and why should he? He "did not believe in god." Meursault did not care, as he did not care if his mother died, or if someone proposed marriage to him. This of course went totally against the rules and ethics of society, which cannot permit such kind of behaviour. But why does Camà ºs characterize Meursault like that? Why did he create such kind of an outsider to society? Camà ºs created such an outsider because he wanted to show people how life actually is. Society does not accept people who do not bend the truth a little and lie. Society wants to make life as easy as can be, making up lies so that everything can run smoothly because truth can hurt sometimes, and Camà ºs knows that. Camà ºs implements the priest not just as another character in the novel, but as a person who wants to tell Meursault how society expects him to behave. Meursault did not want to know how he has to act to make the society happy, as a matter of fact, the priest was "beginning to annoy" him.

Analysis of Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton Essay -- Rumble Fish S.E. Hinto

Analysis of Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton Rumble Fish is a great book for teens to read. It is a book about younger teens joining gangs. The main character in the book is Rusty-James who is a high school boy that is in a gang and likes to get into fights. Also there is a guy named the Motorcycle Boy who is Rusty’s idol. Some minor characters in the book include Steve who is the best friend of Rusty-James, another character is Smokey who is another good friend of Rusty-James, also Biff who wanted to beat up Rusty-James because they are in different gangs, and always are looking to fight each other. In the story Rumble Fish, Rusty James is a greaser who has a lot of fights in and out of school. He always sees the Motorcycle Boy and whenever Rusty is in a big fight, the Motorcycle Boy al...

Pros and Cons of Probation and Parole Essay

1. What are the competing expectations for probation and parole are often made scapegoats? Americans want greater protection from crime while insisting that efforts to afford this protection do not jeopardize treasured constitutional rights. We want a system that deters would be miscreants an incapacitates those not deterred without imposing significant tax dollars . 3.How does the abolition of parole release impact on probation? the abolishing of parole may increase the number of people on probation, for example Virgina abolished parole release in 1995 and the number of persons placed on probation more then double. 5. Why can criminal justice in the United States be referred to as a system that is not systematic? There is a lack of joint planning and budgeting, or even systematic consultation, among the various agencies responsible for criminal justice. 7.Why can’t it be determined whether a probationer or parolee has been rehabilitated by the absence of a new conviction? Consider that most reported crimes do not result in an arrest and conviction, futhermore, national crime victimization surveys reveal that most crimes are simply not reported to the police. 9. How did the classical concept of a social contract challenge disparate justice? The disparate practices of meeting out justice were forcefully challenged in the eighteenth century with the advent of classicalism. During this era, philosophers, such as Montesquieu and Voltaire, spoke out aganist the French penal code and inhumane and ineqitable punishments. Jean Rousseau and Cesare Beccaria argued for a radical concept of justice based on equality. At a time when laws and law enforcement were unjust and disparate and punishments was often brultal, they demanded justice based on equality and punishment that was humane and proportionate to the offence. 11. How does neoclassicalism in criminal justice differ from classicalism? classicalism argued that law should respect neither rank nor station-all men are created equal-and punishment should be meted out with a perfect uniformity and in proportion to the offense. Neoclassicalism differs from classicalism because it maintains the basic belief in free will while paving the way for entry of mitigation into criminal justice by considering three areas, past criminal record, insanity and retardation, and age. Punishment can be justified only if crime is freely chosen, intentional, and rational. 13. How does determinism conflict with the concept of punishment? Punishment can be justified only if crime is freely chosen, intentional, and rational. Determinism conflicts with this because determinism suggest a lack of choice, particularly the belief that one’s behavior is â€Å"determined† by physiological or psychological variables. 15. How does the standard of evidence in a criminal trial differ from that of a probation or parole revocation hearing? Every jury is told that the facts pointing to the guilt of the defendent must be established beyond reasonable doubt, as opposed to the preponderance of the evidence, which is the standard in the civil and some juvenile cases as well as probation and parole revocation hearings. 17. What are the sources of information for the preparation of presentence report? the source of information comes from court records, examine other reports, such as psychiatric and school records; and interview the defendent, spouse, employer, arresting officer, and victim. information from from the presentence investigation will be prepared in the from of a written preparation of presentence report.

Applying Learning Curve Theory Essay

1. Change table distribution to decrease wait time and increase clientele which entails profitability. Originally, wait time including queue was 11 to 12 minutes. By applying these changes, wait and queue reduce to 9 minutes approximately. Also, a $454 increase of profit is attained. 2. Purchase the Plax Oven instead of keeping the old unreliable manual ovens. By doing so, product availability is increase and the queue time is reduced. Using the old manual ovens, pizza took 15 minutes to cook. Utilizing the Plax Oven takes 4 minutes. 11 minutes are saved and faster service is provided to customers. Profits continue to increase. After the addition of the oven, Mario’s Pizzeria is at $1,653 in profit. Lost sales reduced to $345. 3. Purchase the Menu Point System. This system aids in reducing the queue. Wait staff does not have to walk the order over to Kitchen Staff. Thus, queue time is diminished and profits continue to increase since the utilization wait staff is reduced from a 95% to 80%. 4. Rent Cream Puffs versus opening a new counter for pick up. Renting is a better decision since no additional operating costs would be required. 5. Renting Cream Puffs allows for the capacity of tables to increase; adding 7 tables of 4 and 4 tables of 2. This aids in reducing both wait and queue time. Wait time is at 3.21 minutes and Queue is at 2.71 minutes versus the original 11 to 12 minutes of the entire process. Profits increased to $2,040 while the lost sales came to $690. Analysis of Alternative Process in Effect Mario’s Pizzeria simulation is a tool that aids in understanding how to apply the learning curve theory. The simulation begins by illustrating the current process used at Mario’s Pizzeria and describing the current issues this pizza parlor must address in order avoid a greater loss of profits and loss of customers. The simulation allows for an alternative process to be created and implemented. By creating an alternative process, one can then analyze why one process is more effective and efficient than the other. At the initial start of the simulation, the table utilization is at a 97% and the waiting time is between 11 to 12 minutes. The goal is to reduce the wait time in order to increase customer satisfaction and increase profits. To do so, the first step was to change the table distribution. By simply rearranging the table set up, customers wait time reduced significantly; wait time reduced to 5.36 and the queue to 2.57 minutes for a total of 7.93 minutes. This means that the current process of the table set up simply created an unnecessary bottleneck approach. In order to prevent this, a performance process was changed and created a more effective way of making customers stay. This is sort of change can be used to illustrate how the learning curve theory is applied. According to Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilano (2006), the Learning Curve Theory is based on three assumptions: 1) the amount of time required to complete a given task or unit of a product will be less each time the task is undertaken, 2) the unit time will decrease at a decreasing rate, 3) the reduction in time will follow a predictable pattern. By applying this theory to Mario’s Pizzeria, it is evident that a small change goes a long way. For instance, the utilization for tables decreased from 97% to 95% on tables for four, but in tables for two the utilization was 88.9%. Although customers still walked away, the number of those who left was not as high as the initial number during the first week. Mario’s Pizzeria continued to face issued when the manual oven broke. The wait time for customers was affected because the process slowed down. As a manager, one has to take immediate action to solve the problem at hand through thought process in order to avoid high additional cost to this small business. If the learning curve theory is applied correctly, Mario’s Pizzeria will not be affected dramatically especially since they have dealt with previous wait time issues. The learning curve theory states that the more a task is done several times, the less likely it will be that a similar mistake will occur. In this situation, the metric that continues to be affected is time and the dissatisfaction of a customer having to stand in line for a long time. By not using this type of performance process and to avoid reaching the upper control and upper tolerance limits, the solution was to replace the manual ovens and purchase the Plax Ovens. The Plax Ovens cook more pizzas in fewer minutes than the manual ovens. If the current manual ovens were not replaced, the cooking time will be higher and fewer pizzas would be available, which in turn the queue would not decrease for the customers. Customers will continue to wait for fifteen minutes versus four minutes. Another option that was used in the alternative process was the purchasing of Menu Point Systems. This system will allow for the process time to drop significantly. Although, the cost of the menu system seems high in price, the return of investment is of 125%. This percentage indicates that in the long run the system is worth its price for the pizza parlor. By implementing this Menu Point System, Mario’s Pizza parlor decreased it wait time to 3.76 minutes and the queue to 2.62 minutes. Additionally, the utilization of their wait staff was at 60 to 80 percent. The utilization dropped since the wait staff no longer had to walk the order over to the kitchen staff. A change was made to the queue system. A step was eliminated in the queue section, thus, saving time. By implementing, both the Plax Oven and the Menu Point System a profit of $1, 622 was earned. If this two performances process were not in place, Mario’s pizzeria would be back to step one, waiting time at its upper tolerance and upper control limit. These are two factors that should be avoided at all cost when trying to aim for total quality management in a business. Implementing the Plax Ovens and the Menu Point System, the learning theory curve is in effect. Now, when the order is placed, it goes directly to the kitchen staff, the kitchen staff then process the order through the Plax ovens which are quicker in cooking time. Finally, after all the great implementations and changes made to the pizza parlor, business continues to increase and more decisions were necessary in order to keep the timeliness and customer satisfaction. Mario’s pizzeria rented the business next to the parlor instead of opening a pick up counter. If a pick up counter was chosen as an option, operating cost increase. However, renting Cream Puffs was the best option. Renting the business next door allowed for capacity of tables to increase which in turn increased profit and lessen the overall processing time of a customer. In the end, Mario’s Pizza Parlor profited $2,040 and the grandchild earned the trust of the grandfather.

Confession of a Pop-Culture Addict Essay

Now that I have your attention, I’d like to come to my topic about the ascendancy and deprivation that pop culture has made; first of all, I believe that pop culture is a reflection of social change, and not the cause of social change. I say this because many researchers have come across the question â€Å"how would teens react to a certain show? † â€Å"How much power does popular culture truly have? † Media seems to be perceived as the problem in every corner, when in fact humanity is just evolving. Why question diversity? And why must we humans put a reason and a cause towards a dilemma that doesn’t necessarily follow a certain culture? The fairly aged generation may argue and say that media is the devil. In my opinion, I believe they are just contradicting themselves; how can one side with media when it fits their cultural beliefs and previous experiences but side against it when media previews other point of society views? Pop-culture is all around us indeed. Music, television, and street posters are one of the most commonly used methods in viewing media. The pros and cons of pop culture weigh each other out. To me, media is a matter of optimism and pessimism; for example, â€Å"is the cup half empty, or half full? a more related example to our current life style are women in the virtual world. A little inside about how women are perceived in media is that they are tall, thin, organized, and always running a perfect, healthy life style. An optimistic person would find this as a motivational â€Å"push† to his/her life; whereas a pessimistic person would find these goals unreachable, and wouldn’t try pushing themselves to their limits. Thus, media is not the influencer neither the influence, but rather a source of entertainment and a way of propagating information to the world in order to stay united as one union.