Example Of Differentiation & Positioning

Figure 1. 1 is a positioning map showing our target customers' percetions of our brand versus competing products on important buying dimensions, which are price and quality. Here shows two of our competitors, one is mcdonald which has large market share with low percieved price and quality. Another is a famous snack shop called Fie Jie located in Mong Kok. It is perceived low price and a quite good quality. And you can also see the predicted position of our brand whcih is perceived high price and quality.In order to choose a differentiation and positioning strategy, we need to identify possible value differences and competitive advantages. It is clear that we have product differentiation. First, bur-dle is differ from traditional burgers that bur-dle use noodles instead of breads as the envelope. Second, bur-dle is portable noodles that can take away by hand. These value difference help bur-dle to gain competitve advantage to overcome its bad competitor environment. Then, what differ ence are bur-dle going to promote? The first one is important. Bur-dle is important to our target customers that it is portable and made to order.Portable is important to our target customers that they prefer to eat and walk on the street at the same time. Made to order is important to our target customers that they always prefer a fresh one. The second one is distinctive. Bur-dle is distinctive that it is portable noodles and concern about vegetarians. In fact, we provide bur-dle without meat especially for vegetarians. For value proposition, it is more for more. Bur-dle sells at $25 whcih is generally higher than our competitors, for example mcdonald. On the other hand, bur-dle's quality is high.As mentioned before, bur-dle use meat supplied by companies that have quality guarantee, awards and recognitions. In addition, bur-dle is made to order, which means they are made only when customers order. For the tpye of buying behavior of our target customers, it is variety-seeking buyin g behavoir since there are low comsumer involvement and significant difference among brands. If there is variety-seeking buying behavior, there may be brand switching not because of dissatisfaction, but due to customers want to try new things. Therefore, we would like to provide more choices for our target customers.

Gender Roles Defined

All the Pretty Horses would be widely considered a fairly typical western in the traditional sense. There are many of the common western tropes that exist explicitly and implicitly within the novel. While much of the idealistic â€Å"western† characteristics appear in a blatant manner, the novel is laced with incidents and dialogue of seemingly little consequence or significance at first glance. There are many occurrences which are overlooked in the story that represent and support a common and major idea that is stated in a more major or explicit form at other times.The role of gender is one such idea. In the early stages of the novel, the conflict which sets the entire story in motion takes place as Cole's mother has decided to sell the ranch now that his grandfather has died. Cole is distraught over this as the ranch is his desired lot in life. He attempts to talk to the familys attorney after attempts at persuasion with his mother fail only to reach similar end. The reason ing the attorney postulates for his mother's decision is a minute detail of the scene but brings about an interesting and otentially underlying idea throughout the story.His rationalizes her motives on the basis that, â€Å"she's a young woman and my guess is that she's like to have a little more social life than what she's used to† (McCarthy 17). This determination does not come off as explicitly Judgmental but simply a plausibly suggestion for her actions. Upon closer examination however, it proves to be more meaningful. The attorney is asserting Cole's mother's social life as a legitimate reason for her to forfeit the ranch her father had built from the ground up and worked so hard for.There is no such concern mentioned for the sixteen year old John Grady whom is interested in not only keeping the ranch, but running it himself. The adolescent stage of life in generally considered the pinnacle of social importance in society as adult relationships begin to form and develop. This is a very biased Judgment on the attorneys part based on a very glaring difference between Cole and his mother which is their gender. Mrs. Cole's social obligations appear to him as a legitimate reason for her to back out of the hard work, and presumably things considered â€Å"man's work† ecessary to run the ranch which she had inherited.It appears through his acceptance about Cole's mother and her decision, reaction to Cole's request, and lack of concern for his social needs that the attorney is convinced of his mother's inability to run the ranch without much displeasure because of her gender inferiority. There is no question of the ability and willingness to struggle by both Cole and his grandfather but there is a quick dismissal of the lack of drive and ambition to keep the ranch by the female entity.Such a characteristic of women as playing an inferior role to males is shown elsewhere in the novel. Examples of this ideal being maintained in the story came also in more explicit form. One such an example is in an exchange between Rawlins and Blevins as they discuss the riding skills of Cole. Rawlins is fishing for a positive response from Blevins to support his highly held esteem of Cole so asks he poses a clearly untrue and negative statement that, † suppose I was to tell you he's never been on a horse a girl couldn't ride† (McCarthy 8).This assertion is intended to draw a clear reaction to me being false due to the absurdi ty ot a male, let alone the Jonn Grady Cole, be ot a lesser ability ot riding a horse than a female. The reference to the female gender inferiority in that statement is understood by Blevins despite not being in close relations previously with Rawlins which shows an encompassing ideal that women are inferior to men. The male superiority trope surfaces again later in the novel as Rawlins and Cole come across the ranch which they work for. Rawlins observes the use of female horses as work horses and is surprised by such an act. Well†¦ I can see why theyre hard on a horse. Putting up with them bitches† (McCarthy 102). Rawlins is suggesting by his surprise in the use of female horses to perform work as opposed to males that the females are incapable, whatever the species, of performing the tasks and duties that are expected of and within the ability of a male. Along with their inadequacy he also sympathizes with the ranchers having to deal with the less desirable temperament of he females and promotes the subsequent assertion of physical dominance over the animals do to their supposed inferior gender.Such dominance would be easy to gain due to the lack of supposed equality between rider and horse as the riders are male and therefore more capable according to the ideology. Gender inadequacy is even given as verbally explicit presence in the eyes of the novel as possible when Alfonsa. Her concern for the relationship between Alejandra and Cole rests in the unfair but concrete views o f society on the morals of women compared to that of men â€Å"There is o forgiveness. For women. A man may lose his honor and regain it again. But a woman cannot. She cannot† (McCarthy 137).Alfonsa's extremely blunt but realistic views on how people perceive and forgive actions committed by men and women paints a black and white picture of the glaring inadequacy the novel's ideals carry for gender. Essentially she is saying that males lay above reproach or at least may atone for their sins or supposed sins but females are held to a much harsher standard with a greater punishment in that they cannot regain the positive image society has nitially placed upon them no matter what action that take to rectify simply because of their sex alone.The implicit and roundabout assertion of the attorney to Cole lay the foundation for a very prominent ideal of the story. Female inferiority to males is illustrated explicitly and has no bounds in terms of the realm of inadequacy or even the species as it appears to be universal. Such flaws of women can't even be atoned for in the eyes of the story as forgiveness is only available to those fortunate enough to be seen in society as forgivable because of their superiority.

A New Joe on the Block

He needs to understand what makes a coffee shop popular in United States c. Joe needs to know the coffee consumption pattern in United States. 2. What are the deliverables that an outside researcher should produce to help Joe with the Key decision? An outside researcher should be able to provide enough information through descriptive research about key problems faced by his client, â€Å"Joe†. The result should have information like right location for coffee shops; commercial areas might be more suitable for coffee shops than residential areas. Also what affects the popularity of coffee shop, whether it is the brand, services, price, products, consumer behavior and to what extent these variables have on the popularity of the coffee shops, and lastly, how often people consume coffee and what affects their consumption habits. 3. How relevant are the coffee taste studies cited above? Explain. Each study is relevant in its own way. The first two studies compared the four brands with different outcome. The study that surveyed 100 consumers form a small organics shop provides some insight into the behavior of some adamant coffee drinkers, part of which can be used in understanding the attributes of popular coffee shops. The other studies show different opinion about coffee taste preferences from different locations. All these can provide some kind of understanding about the competitor’s landscape. 4. What flaws in the coffee taste studies should Joe consider in trying to weigh the merits of their results? The flaw in the first two taste studies is that the conclusions are based on opinion of single person and not a random sample that could reflect consistent pattern among the target consumers. Research based on a single person is not as strong as it would be if it were to be based on more of the target population. The taste studies also reviewed a sample of 100 people from an organic shop, which isn’t the market Joe would be targeting for his coffee shop. 5. Briefly relate this situation to each of the major stages of the marketing research process. If Joe wants to conduct a business research, firstly he needs the objective in this case that would be what kind of coffee people in United States like and which is the best possible place for his coffee shop. Then he needs to plan a research design and a sample study. Collecting and analyzing the data comes next. Surveying would be the most appropriate in this case. After analyzing the data Joe or his researcher can produce a report to conclude the study. 6. Try to do a quick search to explore the question â€Å" are american consumer preference the same all across the United States ? Search in the internet shows that Americans choice of coffee is not much different than one another. It may differ a little in terms of place but most of them go for instant coffee and majority of coffee-drinking Americans go for franchaise coffee shop and are loyal to them. The biggest franchaise in America are Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Mcdonalds. 11% of American adults go to Dunkin’ Donuts. Where as 13% of American adults go to Starbucks. 7. Would it be better for Joe to do the research himself or have a consultant perform the work? From the report of the research Joe will decide where to open a coffee shop, what kind of coffee he should produce and where to produce. I believe a hiring a specialist is much more suitable option in this situation. 8. If a consultant comes in to do the job, what are three key deliverables that would likely be important to Joe in making a decision to launch the Cup of Joe coffee shop? The three deliverables Joe is looking from his hired consultant would be; which place would be best for his coffee shop, what makes a coffee shop successful and which combination of price and quality most people in that region like most.

Supply Chain Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Supply Chain Operations Management - Essay Example ASDA Company’s fast food entity’s supply chain operations management must ensure delivery of approved ingredients on time. ASDA Plc If ASDA Plc’s head office is strategically situated in Holborn Circus, London (www.ASDA.co.uk). The store was set up during the 1800s. With a tried and true grocery chain experience dating as far back as the United Kingdom’s Victorian age, Sainsbury Plc is another good alternative if both Tesco Plc and ASDA Plc do not deliver quality services and high quality products to the ASDA Chicken Curry with Brown Rice processed meal global processed food supply chain, especially within the United Kingdom environment (Plunkett, 2008). ASDA Plc has all the necessary expertise to ensure the supply chain connections are not spoiled by the unscrupulous inclusion of horse meat. With the discovery of several hamburger patties being tainted with horse meat, many companies turned to online purchases to promote the produces and services of the c ompanies. In the same light, ASDA Plc will play an important part in eradicating the hose meat scare issue. The people will learn to accept the ASDA Plc and other companies’ explanation that the products, including the ASDA Chicken Curry with Brown Rice processed meal products, are not tainted by the unauthorized inclusion of the horse meat into the final processed food product alternatives (www.ASDA.co.uk). In the same light, ASDA Plc will play an important part in eradicating the hose meat.... Other possible locations include Scotland chicken growers or chicken farms. Other alternative sources of chickens are chicken farms located in Wales. ASDA must purchase quality chicken products from tried and tested chicken suppliers. Chicken Fat & Stock ASDA can purchase the chicken fat and stock ingredients from the same the England chicken growers or chicken farms. If ASDA cannot find available sources of chicken fat and stock in England, ASDA purchasers can buy the chicken fat and stock requirements from the quality Wales chicken farms. Similarly, the ASDA purchasing officers can also purchase the chicken fat and stock from established Scotland farms. ASDA should buy their chicken fat and stock requirements only from established chicken fat suppliers. Wheat Flour. ASDA can purchase the wheat flour from the England sources of Wheat flour. If ASDA cannot find available sources of wheat flour in England, ASDA purchasers can buy the wheat flour requirements from the quality Wales whe at flour sources. Similarly, the ASDA purchasers can acquire the wheat flour from sources located in Scotland. ASDA must purchase quality wheat flour ingredients from preapproved chicken suppliers. Dried Onion ASDA can buy the Dried Onion ingredients from the England suppliers of dried onions. If ASDA cannot find available sources of wheat flour in England, ASDA purchasers can acquire the dried onions from the quality Wales suppliers of dried onions. In the same manner, the ASDA can acquire the wheat flour from sources located in Scotland. ASDA must purchase quality dried onion needs from qualified chicken suppliers. Apple Puree ASDA can buy the apple puree ingredients from the England suppliers of apple puree. If ASDA cannot find locate local sources of

Law of Contract Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Law of Contract - Assignment Example It may be noted that a contract essentially contains two elements: Agreement and enforceability by law. An agreement is defined as 'every promise and every set of promises forming consideration for other.' This essentially means that there should be an offer and acceptance to form an agreement. It is important that before an agreement is finalized there should be a Consensus ad idem (Consensus to the matter) between the two parties. Both the contracting parties should 'say and mean the same' without which there cannot be a contract. The other element of contract, enforceability by law, emphasizes the importance of intention to create a legal obligation or duty to perform or abstain from performing certain act(s). These acts could relate to social or legal matters. A standard form contract is a pre-established record of legal terms regularly used by a business entity or firm in transactions with customers. The record specifies the legal terms governing the relationship between the firm and another party. The firm requires the other party to accept the record without amendment, and without expecting the other party to know or understand its terms. A Standard Form of Contract is used because the contract record specifies the legal terms governing the relationship between the firm and another party. The firm requires the other party to accept the record without amendment, and without expecting the other party to know or understand its terms. Why would anybody use a standard form of contact A Standard Form of Contract is used because the contract record specifies the legal terms governing the relationship between the firm and another party. The firm requires the other party to accept the record without amendment, and without expecting the other party to know or understand its terms. The effectiveness of the Standard Form of Contract is only when it is accepted. The Standard Form of Contract are being used since the 19th century for many commercial transactions like railroad tickets, insurance contracts, lottery tickets and mail order sales contracts. These contracts do facilitate business transactions. Another major reason for using this Standard Form of Contracts are that economize time and effort and dispense with formal contract requirements that would impede business and raise the costs of products. Available Standard forms of Contract 1. Repair and Maintenance Contract. This is a contract used for a home owner/occupier without a consultant. (JCT) 2. Minor Works Building Contract with contractor's design. This is used as a Home Repair and Mainte

Response To Memo From K. Abbott-Gill, The Cfo Of Antipodes Mineral Case Study

Response To Memo From K. Abbott-Gill, The Cfo Of Antipodes Mineral Resources Company - Case Study Example The core business in a mineral company is; mining and therefore most investments in such entities revolve around this central activity. The following are the areas I would expect AMR to make their investments: †¢ Prospecting and exploration of minerals: The process of pinpointing deposits is costly and time consuming. A mineral company must therefore, invest in the process of geological mapping to stay in business by securing the supply end of its operations. The amount of drilling and excavation involved in mining is determined at the exploration stage and therefore, this preliminary phase of the mining process determines the financial allocation required to purchase the right tools for the jobs that include among others, drilling and transportation equipment. †¢ Equipment: After locating the mineral deposits in the exploration stage, a mining company like AMR in this case, must invest in the acquisition of the correct equipment. The success of a mining process is entirely dependent on the available excavation, drilling and transportation machinery. AMR must therefore commit to continuously acquiring proper tools, something that is always a work in progress project for companies in this industry since new, more efficient equipment are manufactured everyday. †¢ Acquisition of mines: After the completion of exploration process, mining companies must make ownership of such mining locations their projects. This can be done through partnerships with both governments and local communities in the mineral rich locations. It is my expectation that a mining company should make significant investments in acquiring mines to ensure sustainability of their respective material supply chains. Value addition on minerals: Most minerals fetch better prices if value is added onto them through diverse industrial processes. I would therefore expect a mining company to make investments in value additions for their minerals that involves construction of value addition plants. Transportation network infrastructure: The process of transportation from mining field to value addition plants for a mineral company is crucial to its success. How fast and efficiently they can excavate, transport and process ores determines the consistency of mineral supplies to th eir customers both in their localities and the world over. A mining company must therefore invest in transportation system that include ; construction of shorter routes to their plans to reduce fuel costs, acquire large capacity transport equipment, construct railway lines as well as properly maintain their roads (Bomsel, 1990). This investment ensures that such a company is not only efficient in its operations but is also profitable through transportation cost reduction. Acquisition of mining licenses: the process of securing a mining license, in as much as it may not be tangible is a crucial project in the workings of a mining company. Securing these licenses require serious negotiations and involve the hiring of attorney services. A mining company must therefore invest in the best lawyers and trade negotiators to handle this aspect of their operations. Trainings of staff: Employees are expected to hold particular skill sets at the time of employment. To ensure efficiency in actua l company operations, AMR must invest in additional training of staff so that they acquire skills specific to the company’s activities. Employees are the most valuable assets outside the balance sheet and their training therefore, is directly proportional to an organization’s operational efficiencies and profitability. Training is one project I expect to see the company invest its resources. Green energy: Energy consumption in the mining process is a major cost element and coming up with cheaper more environmentally sustainable energy sources is one area I would expect to see

World Hunger Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World Hunger - Assignment Example In addition to approaching the issue from the sociological imagination there are a number of key issues researchers must consider. This essay presents a broad sociological overview of the primary issues surrounding world hunger. While a great degree of altruism through government donations and non-profit organizations have attempted to solve world hunger through direct food donations, it’s clear that this is only a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Instead, solving world hunger requires that government organizations worked towards aiding developing nations through building infrastructure and improving overall economics. One of the main points within this spectrum of understanding is that there is not a lack of food to feed individuals, but rather a lack of infrastructure and structural efficiency to see that the found makes its way to the right people. Consider this statement, â€Å"As shown in the Genetically Engineered Food and Human Population sections on this we b site, people are hungry not due to lack of availability of food, but because people do not have the ability to purchase food and because distribution of food is not equitable† (Shaw).

I was about six years old when I first realised Mum and Dad were Essay

I was about six years old when I first realised Mum and Dad were fighting, Mullender et al (2002) What does current research and practice say about the effects - Essay Example The infant and young children grow at the laps of the foster mothers the so-called nannies experience the world in a different revelation. It is like feeding the baby with container milk instead of mother's breast, whatever is the reason. Studies showed that the role of the parents is more significant than first thought as we moved into the concept of primary caregiver. In a study published in Child Development May/June 2003, Volume 74, Number 3, Pages 801-821, Bruce J. Ellis, et al, found that presence of the natural father was the most significant factor in reducing rates of early sexual activity and rates of teenage pregnancy in girls. Covariate factors used included early conduct problems, maternal age at first childbirth, race, maternal education, father's occupational status, family living standards, family life stress, early mother-child interaction, measures of psychosocial adjustment and educational achievement, school qualifications, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, suicide attempts, violent offending, and conduct disorder. Therefore, we must agree that love massively matters in the formative growth of a normal child. If we cannot bestow this incredible value on them, they are bound to lead an abnormal life. In case of unexpected circumstances, there lies the role of social workers and state legislations to ensure a life worth to live. Why Love Matters of Sue Gerhardt stirs our emotional moral responsibilities for those who are involved in the care of children, from expecting mothers through to policy makers. Distilling the current science into easy-to-understand prose, Sue Gerhardt has provided a founding text for the future health of modern society. It explains that love is essential to brain development in the early years of life, particularly to the development of our social and emotional brain systems, and presents the startling discoveries that provide the answers to how our emotional lives work. The earliest relationship shapes the baby's nervo us system, with lasting consequences and our adult life has earlier influence since infancy stage. The development of the brain can affect future emotional well being, and goes on to look at specific early 'pathways' that can affect the way we respond to stress and lead to conditions such as anorexia, addiction, and anti-social behavior. Mother's love is therefore mysteriously magical while father's love involves the nurturing passion for the baby along with the other family members and happy surroundings. While focusing all the goodness of relationship we nevertheless come across domestic violence in a male dominance society. Domestic violence, men's abusive power and control over women in intimate relationships, is a widespread but still largely hidden problem. Rethinking Domestic Violence explodes the myths concerning its nature, causes, and explores how the responses of social workers and probation officers to the women, children and men involved need to be far better co-coordinated and more effective. Women experiencing violence and abuse actually are in need of social work setting but, to date, their needs have largely been ignored. Their unhappy relationship quite often breed ancillary problems bring devastation to ruin all sorts of peace. This book looks at men's violence

Re-write lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Re-write - Lab Report Example Sand was already there in the can. A thermocouple sheath made of stainless steel was also introduced into it exactly quarter of an inch above the crucible’s base. The isolation was created with a glass fiber that decelerated the cooling process. The experiment used this time to note the data. He noticed the alteration of temperature with respect to time. Until the temperature of Tin reached 150C, temperature was noted several times at an interval of 5 seconds. 150C is essentially 10C above the freezing point of Tin. This was done so as to ensure that the thermocouple sheath does not get frozen. Once the data was completely collected, the Tin cooling curve was developed using the information of temperature versus time. Abstract This experiment was intended to find out Tin’s melting point for which, a ceramic crucible that contained Tin was heated in a furnace enough to get the temperature above Tin’s estimated melting point. The molten Tin was shifted to the coffe e can filled with sand. A thermocouple sheath was placed into the molten Tin and was isolated with a glass fiber. The cooling process was slowed down due to that and the experimenter noted the data meanwhile. Finally, with the help of data of temperature alteration with time, the Tin cooling curve was formulated.

Am a Filipino, a Proud One Essay Example for Free

Am a Filipino, a Proud One Essay The Philippines. The Pearl of the Orient Seas, a country full of wonderful places, places being visited of tourists from different countries. A great country with great people called Filipinos. Filipinos, people with such nice traits. Tan, the color of their skin, the color that makes many foreigners envy them. They have rich black hair that flows naturally. Twinkling eyes some have black ones, some have hazel brown. They have such lovable characteristics. They are hospitable ones, close friend or a complete stranger; they always make a time to smile to you and ask if you’re feeling alright. Cheerful, they are, and talented too! Reciting poems expressing the appropriate feelings, singing to the top of their lungs, dancing so gracefully that you want to join them. They are hard-working, industrious they are. They are also religious of course, they surrender all to God. There are lots of traits of the Filipinos that are to be proud of. And I am one of them, one of the â€Å"They†. I am a Filipino, a proud one. And you, I suppose, are one too. I just can’t think why we, Filipinos are not proud of our nationality, our country. Why we, choose other products than ours, because in our mind things made locally are ‘CHEAP’ which is totally not true, we are makers of world class items. We should be proud of our country. Don’t you know that we, Filipinos, are admired by people around the world? They love the Philippines AND the Filipinos. There is nothing, absolutely nothing to be ashamed of being a Filipino. Neither our physical traits, nor our characteristics should be ashamed of. So, how do we show our love to our country? Easy. Simply choose our own products instead of the imported ones. This will also help our country arise in terms of economy. Learn about our country, this will also help you love our country more. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our beloved country.

Process of Embedding Fuzzy Logic Methodology In Racing Game

Process of Embedding Fuzzy Logic Methodology In Racing Game Alamin Hussain Key words: fuzzy logic, XNA, AI, racing game ABSTRACT Fuzzy Logic has many opinions and understanding from people to people. In its simplest understanding Fuzzy Logic outputs truth(s) based on approximation for reasoning. In essence compared to traditional binary sets, which outputs absolute truths or false values, Fuzzy Logic may have a false or truth-value which ranges in degrees from 0 to 1. Using the above notion, I will be implementing this ideology or method in the perspective of providing behaviors for my Non-Playable-Opponent. What this means is that I will be programming Fuzzy Logic into my video game. Which should provide a more human like interaction. I will be utilizing the Microsoft XNA framework and C# programming language to output the implementation. In attempting to program in Fuzzy Logic, I had come across several hurdles. Such as breaking the rules and calculations down to the most possible simplest form possible, then trying to implement line by line each element. Thereafter running into Syntax Errors and Runtime Errors of which there were many. Finally I was forced to remove some more complex forms of Fuzzy Logic due to time constraints and inability to fully comprehend Fuzzy Logic and apply it via programming. INTRODUCTION Fuzzy Logic is an area of study in Artificial Intelligence built on the idea that in a fuzzy set, each element in a given set which can assume a value from 0 to 1 and does not follow the conventional classic or crisp theory of just 0 or 1. Basically this method follows the conception that approximation is used for reasoning rather than a fixed value. An element is categorized in its gradual inclination towards its relevant set, this is known as the degree of membership. The objective of this project is to efficiently utilize the XNA game engine using C# programming language and DirectX graphics API, to create a function racing game which utilizes Fuzzy Logic artificial intelligence. Previous programmers and coders have utilized Fuzzy Logic in video games, but the use for fuzzy logic in real world applications for video games has been minimal due to more popularity of other methods such as the A* artificial intelligence model. The reason of this project is to identify how fuzzy logic can allow for more human like interaction in a video game setting. In essence providing human feedback and reactions to the player and establishing cohesion in immersive game play. Throughout the main chapters of the thesis, I will going through the process in which I have understood general AI in video games and how fuzzy logic can be applied in this territory. Due to my illness, which has made me bend bound and on medication for just over 2 months from the beginning of February, my research and understanding is very little. As such I will try my best to demonstrate my current knowledge and how I established it into my project. I will be providing and understanding of Artificial Intelligence in video games and how the two are intertwined; he current state and use of AI in video games; Game AI techniques; Fuzzy Logic AI; how Fuzzy Logic is utilized in video games; the benefits of fuzzy logic; the cons of Fuzzy Logic; Fuzzy State Machines; the use of fuzzy logic in the video game industry and previous research conducted on fuzzy logic. MAIN CHAPTERS Artificial Intelligence in Video Games In the study of artificial intelligence in video games it is made up of all the methodologies and techniques for implementing intelligence into video games. Artificial Intelligence in video games contain aspects of, but are not limited to: path finding, control of animation, strategic thinking, procedural generation and learning. All of which require some form of solving problems, which are executed utilising Artificial Intelligence algorithms. The main essence of using game artificial intelligence is bringing a more human like interaction for the player, in creating a more fun, immersive and strategical play. This can be in the form of enemy bosses or interaction with NPCs (Non-Playable-Characters). In the words of Alan Turing, considered the father of of artificial intelligence, an agent is intelligent if its behaviour cannot be distinguished from that of a human[1]. From real human perspective Game artificial intelligence is in essence not real intelligence but the illusion of such methods[2]. Successful video games implement varying degrees of compelling artificial intelligence. It is not a requirement to implement very intelligent, unbeatable smart opponents but a much fun and some what realistic opponent who does not do damagingly stupid manoeuvres of which could ruin the whole game play and remove a player from the immersion. Like in most aspects of a video game, the game AI compliments and provides a higher realisation of a given video game, such as maintaining high levels of entertainment and fun game play. From the beginning of video game development to the the present times of complex large project based games, Artificial Intelligence has certainly been widely used and with the passage of time has increased usage and complexity with it. As such video games such as online multi player games have brought forward advanced artificial intelligence and have changed the habits and perception of players. This in effect has made players demand much more intricacy in game play in regards to artificial intelligence and developers are more and more focusing in providing human-like methods in AI, which are capable of learning from the players inputs. Developers have since moved away from predictable and scripted opponents and heavily focused on the advanced artificial intelligence in games. Due to the nature of video game development, game AI has real world constraints, in terms of time management and scheduling of a project. As such tested and working methods are used in development and the lack of innovation in the field of game AI is very much not visible. Game Artificial intelligence borrows knowledge from academic based AI such as robotics. But has its own parallel workforce of improvement and research and development, whilst keeping practicality in mind due to the nature of the game industry[3]. All forms of AI research and development borrows elements of information and as such same techniques can be found in some form in all fields of study. This thesis will delve on the study of a particular method of video game artificial intelligence, which is Fuzzy Logic and the use of such AI in video game. Then bringing a conclusion from my findings and usage of Fuzzy Logic game AI. Current Usage of Game AI Game artificial intelligence had gained traction from the late eighties early nineties, as such has gained much more attention from the game industry in the last decade or so. Traditionally video game have been pushing boundaries in the composition of visual graphics and audio realism in a bid to gain traction from end consumers. This in return had made it so that CPU (Central Processing Unit) processing powers was largely given precedence to graphics computation, followed by sound computation and then the game logic. This process of allocation of resources in previous game development left very little computation al power to artificial intelligence, which resulted in very stupid, generic and easily overpower enemies and or opponents. The previous process of developing video games and limitations on resources meant that artificial intelligence was very minimal. In more recent times graphical fidelity has improved so well that the visuals on screen are indistinguishable to their real life counter parts. As well as the costs of provided more resources on a much lower capital and recent inclusions of GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), meant that visual graphics had a dedicated resource in providing improved graphics, whilst freeing up the CPU to focus more on intricate computations. This has allowed artificial intelligence and physics to flourish and become more improved over the years, allowing more immersive game play. This trend of game development and resource allocation has allowed video game artificial intelligence to become some what of an essential necessity to differentiate and better develop high quality video games. As costs are minimising and developers improving, there are more and more dedicated teams of developers focusing on game AI, in creating seemingly intelligent NPCs, opponents and enemies, thus enabling challenging and interesting video games for the players. Following these development cycles and improvements over the years in the study of video game artificial intelligence has allowed people studying and or researching artificial intelligence to use video games as a mean of testing their research. This in essence allows reducing large overheads, increasing safety and utilising a simple environment in a virtual world. As opposed testing in the real world, which would increase costs and potential pose a risk to researchers if it were a large scale project utilise large physical object(s).

Equity and Trust in UK Essay -- fully secret trust, half-secret trust

Consider the validity and effect of the following two clauses in the will of Dan: a) ‘I leave my cottage, at 42 Drumsesk Road, to my friend Gurpreet in full confidence that he will dispose of it in accordance with the instructions given to him during my lifetime’. Just before Dan signed the will, he told Gurpreet that he had left a ‘sum of money’ in the will to Gurpreet which he wanted him to hold for the benefit of Jenny. Gurpreet witnessed the will. Jenny died two days before Dan leaving two children. b) ‘I leave my residuary estate to my brothers Ken and Sam jointly’. A few days before the execution of the will Dan gave Ken a sealed envelope, saying ‘these are some instructions I want you and Sam to carry out when I die’. Ken replied ‘you know you can rely on me – if it’s fine with Sam it’s fine with me’. A year later Sam and Dan were killed in a car accident. The sealed envelope says that Dan wa nted his residuary estate to pass to his youngest son Joseph. Advise the executors of Dan’s will. Secret trust evolved as a response act to the Wills Act 1837 and was originally created to prevent fraud. As the House of Lords held that equity will not allow a statute to be used as an instrument of fraud by the secret trustee . It is a concealed arrangement made between a testator and the trustee and is made to come into force after death. A justification for ST is the ‘dehors the will’ theory which means the trusts arise outside of the will - a inter vivos trust. Its purpose is to benefit another individual that hasn’t been written in the formal will. The testator will leave property to the trustee under the will with the understanding that they will hold the property as a gift for which they will then later on be expected to pas... ...y to the real beneficiary. Therefore implying that regardless of Sam’s passing away, as Ken had obtained consent on her behalf, before the testator died, the trust will still proceed, and Joseph will obtain Dan’s residuary estate. After establishing that this trust is a FST, one must again asses as to whether this trust fulfils all the requirements needed to become binding. Intention was established when Dan gave Ken the sealed envelope with the terms of the trust. Communication was proven when Ken and Dan had an oral conversation in regards to the terms of the trust, Communication was also proven as in Re Keen stated that envelope and letter stating the terms was seen as sufficient amount of communication. Finally acceptance was proven when Ken stated â€Å"you know you can rely on me†. Concluding that the FST is binding, and Joseph will indeed receive the trust.

Capital Punishment Essay -- Crime Jail Death Penalty Essays

Capital Punishment Throughout the history of man, the penalty of death was given to criminals who broke the law. Capital Punishment is the extreme penalty for crime (Compton's) and is still in use today in many countries. A criminal can be sentenced to death for various crimes. Even more were the methods used to execute, many being cruel and unusual. There have been many debates on whether or not to abolish the death penalty. There are many pros and cons to this complicated issue. Capital Punishment is in use for many reasons and has been enforced in numerous ways throughout the years. The condemned prisoner on death row may have broken the law, but does that give us the right to take the life of another human being?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why have we used the death penalty? The death sentence permanently removes law-breakers from our society and "prevents the executed criminal from continuing his criminal career (Hollywood Studio)." We kill in desperate hopes that these killers and rapists will not be able to strike again, murdering or raping more innocent victims. In many cases, the criminal has broken the law, but if he is let off easily and slips through the system, he may go out and commit the crime again and again. The death penalty is the ultimate punishment; it gets the point through and teaches the lesson that society will not put up with the people who break the law. It is a very real punishment and leaves no room for rehabilitation of the criminal. Repeat offenders must be kept from breaking the law once more. They have had their chances to repent and reform. The only other way to stop repeat offenders is to merely eliminate them (Electric Chair). Why not just sentence them to life impris onment? Life imprisonment just isn't as effective as the Death Penalty because it is not as severe and harsh (KSCOffices). Life imprisonment is soft and only succeeds in removing the criminal for a certain amount of time. Life imprisonment is also very expensive. The criminal who broke the law should not be allowed to mooch money off the system, receiving heating, clothing, in-door plumbing, and three meals a day, whilst a homeless person has nothing and has not harmed anyone. It costs roughly $30,000 each year to keep an inmate in jail, and many people do not feel it's worth their money to keep Capital offense criminals alive. We use the death penalty to teach a lesson t... ...Penalty and the Disadvantaged. Wisconsin: Gary E. McCuen Publications, Inc., 1997. McCuen, Gary E., and R.A. Baumgart. Reviving the Death Penalty. Wisconsin: Gary E. McCuen Publications, Inc., 1985. Isenberg, Irwin. The Reference Shelf: The Death Penalty. New York: H.W.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wilson Company, 1977. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Compton's NewMedia, Inc., 1994. Webster's Concise Encyclopedia. Sofsource, Inc., 1996. Clark, Richard. "Some Thoughts on the Death Penalty." [Online] Available http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/capital_punishment- UK/homepage.html, May 14, 1998. No Author. "The Electric Chair." [Online] Available http://www.theelectricchair.com//index.htm. May 8, 1998. No Author. "Methods of Execution." [Online] Available http://www.dos.state.fl.us/fgils/agencies/fcc/reports/monitor/methmon.html/, May 8, 1998. Dieter, Richard C.. "Capital Punishments in the Past: Capital Punishments." [Online] Available http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/3015/cap.htm, July, 1998. McNamara, Colleen. "Capital Punishment" [Online] Available http://www.keene.edu/KSCoffices/upward/cappun.htm. Keene State College Upward Bound, 1997.

1970 - 1980 Essay -- Essays Papers

1970 - 1980 During the 1970’s, the United States experienced "Watergate," the most famous political scandal in American History. It was a scandal that began with a break in and ended in resignation. On June 17, 1972 five intruders were caught and arrested for illegally entering the rooms of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington’s Watergate Complex. "The investigation of the break-in lead directly to the reelection campaign of President Richard M. Nixon and unraveled a web of political spying and sabotage, bribery and the illegal use of campaign funds" (Washingtonpost.com). Two-and-a-half-years later along with a number of court hearings led to the 1974 resignation of Richard M. Nixon. Nixon became the first President in U.S. History to resign. During all the political drama the United States brought an end to an unpopular war and made great strides in space exploration. The Vietnam War finally came to an end on January 27, 1973 when the United States and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Accords. Under its terms, U.S. troops would with drawl from Vietnam. Even though this ended many years of warfare, the "Vietnam War badly burdened the American economy" (Bondi 125). Turning away from the problem of increased debt, America saw technology at its best. On November 16, 1973 NASA gave us Skylab, our country’s first space station: "Skylab offered is an opportunity to do what none had done before – to study the Sun from space" (Eddy xiii). Despite the happenings of Watergate and the weight of the Vietnam War, this ground- breaking space exploration brought excitement and opportunity to the United States. During the 1970’s the world experienced many events, however, there were a few that made history. On... ...od of the piece captured my imagination, and my thoughts for several days" (Michaels 1). Along with Tim O’Brien another popular author during the 1970’s was Alice Walker. Alice Walker was involved in the Black Nationalism movement in the early 1970’s. This group fought to bring economic equality to the African American community. They also wanted to promote a separate identity and a sense of pride. One of their slogans was "Black is Beautiful". This is seen in Walker's short story "Everyday Use." In this story, she involves characters from both sides of the African-American culture. Some represent "new black" and others remain "traditional." Walker is trying to show that African Americans should not be ashamed of their culture or their African American heritage (Raz). In other words they should follow the slogan of the Black Nationalism movement "black is beautiful."

Antony and Cleopatra Essay

This scene presents the readers with a brief preface to the universally known love story of Antony, the ‘triple power of this world’, and Cleopatra, his ‘wrangling strumpet’. The scene opens with two Romans, Philo and Demetrius, discussing the incredible power Cleopatra has over Antony and the remarkable change they can perceive in Antony’s character. Through Philo’s opening speech we are told that Antony’s former qualities included those of a strong-minded ruler and a valiant warrior, including physical prowess and military skill. However, the Romans now see him as a changed man who is no longer behaving like a ruler; instead of fulfilling the duties of a leader and returning to Rome, he is being ruled by a â€Å"tawny gypsy†. Thus, before meeting the lovers themselves, we are presented with the Roman attitude towards the relationship; responsibility and allegiance has been abandoned for love. We sense that Antony must be debating in his mind whether to pursue his passion or perform his duty, and those around him are anxiously waiting for him to embrace his role as a leader again and return to his former self. On observing the interaction between the two characters, I found myself accepting Philo’s objections to the relationship and his observations on Antony’s altered state, and studying the evident infatuation that is blinding Antony as he loses his sense of responsibility. Cleopatra is his self-indulgence, and he cannot entirely understand his great sexual passion for her. We know that his overindulgence leads to a loss of reason and control later in the play, and the disregard he expresses in this first scene towards his obligations makes us aware of the great power his passion has. â€Å"Let the Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch/of their love. † His indifference towards the news from Rome again illustrates how he is shirking his duties in Rome when under the spell of the exotic, mysterious eastern monarch. From the first scene, we learn of Cleopatra’s ‘tawny front’, entrapment of a great general and her ‘gypsy lust’. Her entrance is a grand one, accompanied by Antony, ‘her Ladies, the train, with Eunuchs fanning her’. Her authority and command as a ruler are emphasized, and as we then witness in the dialogue between the lovers, her power over Antony mirrors her political power. In this first scene, we see Cleopatra as both dominant and skeptical. ‘If it be love indeed’, she taunts Antony, ‘tell me how much. ‘ Antony, the ‘triple pillar of the world’ is ‘transform’d /Into a strumpet’s fool’ as he prepares to renounce all his power in exchange for Cleopatra. Cleopatra seems to love these assertions of love, as she is wary of the fact that she stands on loose ground, even though she is a seductress of the best abilities. Antony is married to Fulvia, and Cleopatra questions his love for his wife†¦ is it greater than the love he holds for her? We see here that her love for Antony is possessive, yet she too depends on it. Although she dominates Antony in the opening exchanges, her first line ‘If it be love indeed, tell me how much’ points to the ever searching, questing, explorative nature of her personality. She teases, wrangles and resists the definite, whilst playing on Antony’s weak spots, reminding him of his wife and public responsibilities. Thus, I feel the strongest aspect of the relationship that Shakespeare conveys here is highlighted when Antony tells Cleopatra ‘There’s not a minute of our lives should stretch/Without some pleasure now’: all is to be reduced and sacrificed for the sensuous, intense pleasure of the moment – hedonism is to predominate over duty and responsibility.

Gaddafi Essay

The person that I chose to represent Machiavelli’s ideas is Muammar Gaddafi. He is the longest serving head of state in the world next to Queen Elizabeth II. He is known for his controversial political strategy and his very unusual personality. Gaddafi is easily spotted in animal skins and colorful clothing. His name regularly pops up on lists of the worst dressed world leaders. Ronald Regan named him the â€Å"Mad Dog of the Middle East. † Muammar Gaddafi’s reputation ranges from a popular revolutionary to an international reject. Gaddafi graduated from the University of Libya then continued to pursue a British military education. While in Great Britain he began to devise a plan to overthrow the Libyan monarchy. In 1969, Libyan King Idris was overthrown by a small group of Gaddafi’s Junior military leaders. A year later, being inspired by Egyptian President Gamal Nasser, he decided to close US and British military bases and expel all Italians and Jews. While trying to enforce Islamic socialism, he banned alcoholic beverages and gambling and failed at trying to unite Libya with other countries. By the mid-1980s, he was widely regarded in the West as the principal financier of international terrorism. He was also accused by the United States of being responsible for direct control of the 1986 Berlin discotheque that killed three people and wounded more than 200, of whom a substantial number were U. S. servicemen. Gaddafi’s adopted daughter was killed in a bombing of Libya that was retaliation for the U. S. After that two Libyans were accused of placing a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded and killed 270 people, Gaddafi refused to give up the suspects to America or Britain. Gaddafi finally admitted responsibility for the attack in 2003 and paid more than $2. 7 billion to the families of the victims, initiating the end of Libya’s international isolation. Now in Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Qualities ofa Prince† the very first paragraph talks about how everything dealing with the government is viewed through a military lens. Machiavelli doesn’t believe that the prince is a man who is skilled in many disciplines, but he believes that the prince should own a responsibility to make sure that whatever he governs is stable. Gaddafi took responsibility for Libya by creating his own form of government called Jamahiriya, in which the nation is governed by the masses or local councils and he defended his government by saying, â€Å"There is no state with a democracy except Libya n the whole planet. Machiavelli also raises the question whether it is better to be loved than to be feared. In the twelfth paragraph he states â€Å"†¦ l say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel; nevertheless, he must take care not to misuse this mercy. † It is said that Gaddafi’s examples and though ts inspire the struggling troubled masses and haunts the ones doing the trouble. This is why he is loved by people of the world, but feared by the ruling cliques who know that his words and actions expose them for what they are.

Book Report †Middle School Series Essay

Rafe Khatchadorian has enough issues around his family life, without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he’s got an incredible plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school’s Code of Conduct. Having gum in class scores him 5,000 points, running through the hallways, another 10,000 points and pulling the fire alarm, 50,000 points! But not everyone thinks that Rafe’s game is a good idea, especially the teachers, parents and other students at the school, so he’ll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he’s finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he’s been avoiding. http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_middleSchool.php#.UWY9FFdstN4 Middle School the Worst Years of My Life is written by James Patterson and is a realistic fiction book that takes you through the journey of Rafe’s first year at middle school, dealing with the awkwardness of crushes, bullies, and family issues as he tries to break every rule in the school’s Code of Conduct. The book features many different pictures that tell you what’s going on as well, and is considered a graphic novel. Middle School the Worst Years of my Life received a critical acclaim from the most reviewers, it won the YALSA 2012’s Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers award and James Patterson got nominated for the Children’s Book Council’s Author of the Year award. James has written well over 50 books, a lot of them being in series, and has won many awards. Middle School the Worst Years of My Life is the first book in the Middle School series. The setting of the Middle School series is in middle school. There is no specific day or time that this book is set in, other than it being during middle school. A lot of the time the rules that are broken are broken within the school timing, but there are one or two rules that get broken out of school times. I think the setting has been chosen well, and believed it suited the book well. The novel starts with Rafe entering sixth grade at Hills Village Middle School. Beginning the new school year with a negative mindset means that Rafe starts the year bored and believes that ‘it was a prison Pilgrims back then, but not too much has changed. Now it’s a prison for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.’ Rafe quickly understands that he will be stuck in middle school for 3 years, and invents â€Å"Operation R.A.F.E.† with his best friend Leonardo the Silent. The plan was to break every single rule in the schools handbook. He also has to put up with the issues in his home life. His mum is always working double shifts at a diner and never gets time with her children, Rafe, and Rafe’s younger sister, Georgia. He has a verbally abusive stepfather (Bear) who looks after him when his mother is away. Then, there’s Jeanne Galletta, who Rafe is madly in love with. Jeanne is a doubtful of Rafe’s plan and wishes he would spend more time on school work then his games. Operation R.A.F.E’s consequences consists of many detentions with his English teacher, Ms. Donatello. This creates tension between Rafe’s family, and after having a fight with Bear about Leonardo and how he is a bad influence on Rafe, we discover that Leonardo is Rafe’s imaginary friend. Rafe’s actions eventually lead to bad grades, getting himself suspended, and then forced to be tutored by Jeanne, whom he had been trying to avoid because she doesn‘t like him. While the tension in the family gets stronger, Bear throws Rafe’s mother to the ground and moves out, Rafe gets expelled for spraying graffiti on the school walls, but Ms. Donatello see’s the potential artist within him and comes up with the idea to send him to art school. The final part of the book reveals that Leonardo is Rafe’s dead twin brother. An exciting part of the novel is when Rafe graffiti’s the school wall at four in the morning. ‘The next morning, I left a note for Mom saying that I had to go to school extra early to work on a project, which was basically true. I just left out the part about how early meant four in the morning and project meant highly illegal activity. â€Å"You’re not going to regret this,† Leo kept telling me. The way he saw it, the whole point of Operation R.A.F.E. was about breaking rules, so why should I let a little thing like losing the game stop me from doing the part I’d been looking forward to the most? Like I said before – genius†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I unpacked my new flat black marker, a big old camping flashlight, and some of my latest practice sketches. I’d drawn these ones on graph paper, which is kind of like a brick wall, to show me how big everything would need to be. But Leo was feeling impatient, â€Å"You don’t need those anymore,† he said. â€Å"The clock’s ticking. Stop thinking so much and just go.† So I did. I set up the flashlight on a rock so that it was shining right at the wall. Then I picked up my marker and started. It was king of slow-moving at the beginning. I wasn’t sure what to draw first, or what order to do things in. But the more I kept going, the more I got into it, and then somewhere along the way everything started to flow†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.After a while I was running around like crazy, working over here, working over there and getting up on an old trash can to reach the higher parts when I needed to. The whole thing started to get so big that I felt like I was inside it, even while I was still drawing. It was like Leo had said – I wasn’t thinking anymore. I was just doing it, like the marker was just another part of me, and the lines and shapes and pictures were coming right out of my hand.’ After a while, the police show up, and are surprised that a kid had done all that work, but then again, it was illegal, so into the cop car went Rafe and Leo. I like this part of the novel because I felt as if I was in the actual scene. It was as if I was Leo and I was scared we’d get caught. This scene, although it’s short, it was intense. You didn’t want Rafe to get caught, but you wanted to know what would have happened when he got caught. I just believe that the way this chapter/scene has been written makes it believable and makes you feel like you’re there. The style of this novel is average pace. The novel begins out very slowly, and it doesn’t have much meaning, but once the novel gets a fair way into it, the drama begins, and the pace slowly picks up. At the end of the novel, things get more intense and more happens in a shorter amount of time, and by the end of the novel, so much has happened, that it takes a while to comprehend what has happened, but you realise that James wrote it that way for a reason, and to me, that reason was so that he could have a short book, that had a lot in it, and might eventually be able to make a movie, much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. The Worst Years of my Life uses a lot of slang humour, but not so much that it’s over powering, it’s just enough that it creates the characteristics of the book. A genre is the category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. There are several genre’s the feature in this novel, some more than others. The genres that feature heavily in Middle School the Worst Years of My Life are: Comedy Humour Drama The genre that is featured in the book, but not as heavily is romance. Have you ever had a crush on someone and had them not like you back? Romance is a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. Rafe Khatchadorian discovers his feelings for Jeanne Galletta on one of his first days at school. They were all sitting in the school gym and she was one of the candidates for the student council representatives and part way through or speech, she offers to buy Rafe fries later that day, and that’s when he knew he liked her. Towards the end of the novel, Rafe’s grades start to go downhill and the school as well as his Mum think it’s a good idea to get some extra help. Little did Rafe know that his dream girl Jeanne was going to be his tutor. Even though Rafe is a teenage boy who likes girls, middle school would not be any good without a sense of humor or a comedian mixed into the scene. The biggest class clown in the school is here, and his name? Rafe Khatchadorian. A class clown is the funniest person in the class who often gets in trouble. Rafe’s first year at middle school is spent trouble making and trying to make people laugh, but not everyone thinks that his plan to break every rule in the Code of Conduct. Miller the Killer was the school bully, and his new prey is Rafe. Throughout Rafe’s middle school year, he comes into conflict with Miller many times. The biggest thing that happens to Rafe because of Miller the Killer is when he discovers Rafe’s notebook with all the Operation R.A.F.E. (Rules Aren’t For Everyone) and makes Rafe buy each page back off of him for a dollar a page, but Rafe discovers Miller’s plan with the notebook early on, and it isn’t pretty. Miller the Killer enjoys making Rafe’s first year at middle school hell, but Rafe enjoys the humorous side of school. School is tough on everyone, so what’s the best way to get through? Have fun! And that’s what Rafe intends to do by breaking all the rules in the Code of Conduct and earning himself points. The catch is, he only gets given three lives, and if he breaks all three, the games over. All the seriousness aside, Rafe gives himself, and Leo a good laugh. The funniest scene in the book to me was when Rafe decides to break the schools dress code, and he was given the best chance to do this with Halloween just around the corner. Leo knew that it would only be a matter of time before Rafe was caught by a teacher, so Leo was giving him 10,000 points for every 50 yards of the school he covered in his costume. Rafe ran, as fast as he could in all black, with a pocket full of Cheerios as throwing stars, and nunchucks made from paper towel roles with rope knotted at either end. Yep, you guessed it. Rafe was a ninja. ‘I came tearing out of that bathroom at full speed and just kept running – through the first floor (10,000!), up the stairs (10,000!), down the second floor hall past all the lockers (10,000!), throwing Cheerios and swinging my nunchucks like crazy.’ Right before he got caught, Miller the Killer was right in his aim. ‘I made sure my mask was pulled down tight over my face. Then I took a big windup as I went by, and beaned him upside the head with one of the chucks (10,000!). â€Å"What the – ?† Miller turned the wrong way, just as I passed him. By the time he’d figured out where I came from and where I was headed, I’d already left him in the dust. He was twice as big as me, but I was twice as fast. Eat it, Miller!’ And then it happened. Caught right in the act. Yep, a teacher saw him†¦ Well, he ran into the teacher. Games over Rafe. ‘And then – splam! I ran right into Mrs. Stricker. Literally. Let’s just say, she wasn’t in the mood for wrestling.’ But Rafe had another plan and it was going to earn him double points. ‘I went into the bathroom and came out a minute later without my ninja costume, running just as fast as before. Some kids got out of my way. Some even ran in the other direction. A few of the girls screamed when I cam2 through, but I don’t think they meant it. And a few people even yelled stuff like â€Å"Go, Rafe, go!† and â€Å"Don’t let ‘em get you!† Because, like I said, I wasn’t wearing my ninja costume anymore. In fact, I wasn’t wearing much of anything at all.’ No, he wasn’t naked, but he wasn’t wearing much†¦ ‘Just sneakers, a pair of boxers, and a big old smile.’ Boy, did Rafe get in big trouble for that, but on the other hand, he did earn himself a lot of points! Rafe loves making people laugh, and I believe that the reason he does it isn’t for other people, but he does it to make himself feel good. I belie ve that the main theme in this novel is coming of age and growing up into a better person in a way. To me, I think this means that by using the resources that are around you (family, friends etc.) to become the person you are supposed to be. For Rafe, this is trying to get over his prank, funny, humorous stage, and into the more serious schooling stage. This can be hard for some people, especially when they don’t get along with their family, and when their only friend is in their imagination, but by the end of the book, Rafe has realised that even though he isn’t academically smart, he does have a gift with art, which sees him going to art school. Love is also in the novel, as Rafe discovers Jeanne Galletta, but it doesn’t impact on the story as much as growing up does. The main characters in the book are: Rafael (Rafe) Khatchadorian – Rafe is the trouble maker in the story who is in his first year at Hills Village Middle School. Rafe is important because without him, there is no story. I like this character because he makes the book fun. Even though he isn’t an actual person, this character has a funny personality and a childish sense of humour. I believe that James Patterson has described this character well. Georgia Khatchadorian – Georgia is Rafe’s annoying little sister who likes to be in everyone’s business and know what’s going on in Rafe’s life, especially when he is in trouble. She is also the family tattletale and always dobs Rafe in when she catches him doing something wrong. Even though Georgia annoys Rafe a lot, he also protects her, which is like all siblings love-hate relationships. I like her because I think I can relate to her because I am the younger sister in my family, and I like to annoy my older brother, but I also know that he will always be there for me. I think that Georgia is a main character in this story because she is a part of Rafe’s home issues because she never leaves him alone and always wants to know what’s going on in his life. Carl AKA Bear – Bear is Georgia and Rafe’s, abusive, rude, obese stepdad who can be found on the couch. Bear is often yelling at Rafe after school. He also argues with Mrs. Khatchadorian, Rafe and Georgia’s mum, and one argument let Bear to accidently push her down the front steps, and when the police show up, it doesn’t look good for Carl. I don’t like him at all! He’s so rude and obnoxious, and I would hate to have a step parent as bad as him. Leonardo (Leo) the Silent – Leo is Rafe’s best friend, who we later discover is in his imagination. We also later find out that Leo was Rafe’s twin brother who died when he was still a baby. I think that Leo is the glue that holds everything together. He helps Rafe with school, with home, and he gives him the motivation to keep going when things get tough. I really like Leo the Silent because even though he isn’t real, he is the perfect best friend. Jeanne (Jay-Gee) Galletta – Jeanne is Rafe’s crush. He is madly in love with her, but she is also the goody-two-shoes of the school, and she hates Operation R.A.F.E. I like her but I don’t. I feel like she tries too hard to be a good student, and doesn’t give herself enough freedom, which is why I don’t like her. I think that being a teenager, or getting to that stage means that you can manage school and social life, and to me, it’s like she has no social life. She’s important in the story because as we get older, we start to see people in different ways, and we start to like them, and I believe that Jeanne is important because without her, it’s not a real adolescent’s life. Ms. Donatello AKA the Dragon Lady – Ms. Donatello is Rafe’s English teacher, as well as his detention buddy. Even though she is strict and can get aggravated easily, she also has Rafe’s best interest at heart and wouldn’t help him if she didn’t believe he was better than what he shows. I like her because I have had plenty of teachers that are hard on me, but they do it because they want what’s best, and without that push, we wouldn’t grow and evolve as people. I understand why Rafe doesn’t particular like her, but teachers always want what’s best, and he will eventually see that. Miller AKA Miller the Killer – Miller is the school bully, hence the name ‘Miller the Killer.’ He is constantly giving Rafe a hard time throughout his first year at middle school, and without the school bully, school wouldn’t be school. There is always that one person that puts people down to make themselves feel good, although not a lot of bullies take kids lunch money, but hurt them mentally, or even physically. I don’t like Miller because I believe that he hurts people because he can and he needs to get disciplined. Without Miller, or a bully in the book, it wouldn’t be like school life, so I can understand why James Patterson included him in it. I’m not much of a reader, but I really enjoyed this book, and I found it easy to understand and comprehend because of the little sketches throughout the book. This book is much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and I believe it is aimed at the same kind of age group. I think that I was too old to read this novel, but I didn’t find it so easy that I could just read it in a day, but not hard enough that it took me forever to read. It was a good balance, so I would suggest it for kids 13 years old and younger, somewhere between 9 and 13. To be honest, it was a good book, but it could have been made longer so not everything happened at once towards the end. In general, it was a good read, and I would recommend it to younger kids who enjoy having a good laugh and getting into trouble.

Interoperability Paper: Child and Family Services Essay

The Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County provides many different services and resources. In this paper I will be talking about the Child and Family Services. The program that I will be focusing on is a program that supports and focuses on children and families. CSSW recognizes the impact that family life has on a child’s ability to grow and develop. We have established programs that recognize and address the needs of children to ensure they are in a stable, safe and loving environment. In addition, CSSW offers caregivers the necessary outlet or training needed to mentally and emotionally tend to and their parent/caregiver, connect caregivers to community resources and promote a family’s ability to stay together. (â€Å"Catholic Social Services Of Washtenaw County†, 2013) I will be focus on the three models Loosely Linked Network, Network Model and Top-Down Model. I will talk about the advantages and disadvantages that all three models have when referring to the origination Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County. Loosely Linked Network Model This model is the least impact and would give the agency more control over their creativity and what they can afford. The child and family program that I am taking about could easily have a model like this implemented and it also could be very affective for this organization. Having in house resources and other organizations in the area can also help. The Loosely Linked Model can help with resources that they can use on the internet to find services directly related to them, it can resource the overall cost of technology that they use in the Child and Family program, and it can also it has the flexibility with in the Catholic Social Service as a whole. There are some advantages to this modal for this particular organization, cost being a big factor, and training for the staff that is working in the program and for the agency. This model would be the easiest but maybe not the best for this agency and their needs. There however are several disadvantages to this particular model. A few are there is no quality control, who is watching out for potential lack of standards and the overhead cost could be high because inefficiencies and monopolies that may occur. Also with this particular model it makes work for some organizations but for this one it would be a bad idea, because they have so many other components to their agency. If technology failed in this model it would not be hard to keep the programs running smoothly. These models resources are still local and would not require networking using a computer. Having paper information of all the support and resources that are being used would need to been done so the clients are still supported no matter what. Network Model This model is more of a formal model that has guideline and standards that have to be met and set up before establishing it for the agency. For this particular organization this type of model may be something that they really need to look and to see if this is something that would benefit the whole agency. At Catholic Social Services there is more area of focuses besides the child and family, they also have programs like adoption, counseling, housing, parenting, and pregnancy. By having a systems that networks their clients information and situation would already be in the system for the other areas of support to find resources for them and or give them other types of support that they did not know was even out there for them. There are a lot of advantages to this model like the overall networking piece, and making sure that the clients get the resources and support they need because of the network being used at the agency, there is always some disadvantages too. One major disadvantage is funding, making sure that all the agencies, services and resources are linked together has a cost to it. Another huge disadvantage is some of the jobs preformed can be taken away because the networking is being done automatically, which them the individuals that had those jobs would have to move to more complex jobs which then you may have the cost of training and or hiring individuals that are more educated for the jobs at hand. For this agency having more of a networking model would be beneficial and would also support the individual and or families more.  Having access to more services is always a bonus. This model may have a hard time functioning if technology fails. This best thing for this model is to make sure there is always paper trails and backup. It may seem like a lot of extra work but you need to remember it is for the clients that you are helping. Top-Down Model The Top-Down model is a model that has several components and ways to share the information that is needed. Keeping the Catholic Social Services Child and Family programs the three components of the IGHI would be the (a) the Child and Family Services, (b) Washtenaw County Catholic Social Services and (c) Catholic Social Services. By having these three components they are an informational infrastructure not just an organizational agency. Having these three components working together there can have some pro and cons to it. Some pros are that is a client needs information, resources or services outside Washtenaw County their information is available to others with in the Catholic Social Service origination. Also by having multiply agencies using the same system some of the task can just become routine for the system so the human service professional can focus on other task, like having more time to meet with clients. There are also some cons to this type of model. There has to be goals that are set by everyone, system wide goals. Without system wide goals there is no monitoring and control by the origination. Over all lack of support by everyone involved can be a major issue for the organization and their clients. This model would work if all parts of the origination were on board and was able to understand the benefits to this model. If they do not understand the model they may feel that they do not have the freedom to help their clients the way they see fit when in reality it is the opposite. The more information and support right at your figure tips the better for the human service professional and most importantly the clients. This model could get a little tricky if technology failed. Having everyone on the same system could and or would take down the whole agency, which them no one could help their clients until it was fixed. Even if only done for a short time it could really matter in some of your clients cases. Making sure that there is back up information on all clients would need to be done, so supporting clients could still happen even without technology. All three of these models have several pros and cons to them. I  think that to help this particular agency, The Washtenaw Catholic Social Services: Child and Family that the Networking model would be the best to support their overall need for the organizations and their clients. They already have a Facebook, twitter and a very interactive web page. This organization no matter of their model is here to support their community. â€Å"As a member of our community, we believe our work attains the greatest benefit when we join with our neighbors and colleagues to create a responsive, compassionate society where all are valued, honored and have the opportunity to thrive.† (â€Å"Catholic Social Services Of Washtenaw County†, 2013) References Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County. (2013). Retrieved from http://csswashtenaw.org/ Schoech, D. (2010). Interoperability and the Future of Human Services. Journal Of Technology In Human Services, 28(1/2), 7-22. doi:10.1080/15228831003759539

Facquier Gas Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Facquier Gas Company - Case Study Example These specifications are designed to accommodate the gas flow which should start flowing in September. Thus, in this case there are two variables for consideration and require the company to act fast so that it completes the installation of the pipes before September. Additionally, due to the increase in demand, the thickness of the pipe, which determines the volume of gas passing per unit time, has to be increased as well. There are two problems with reference to the case of Facquier Gas Company. Firstly, in order to reflect the desired changes that will lead the company to acquiring more sales and supply to more customers, the company, through Mr. Murphy is burdened with the task of accommodating major lead times. This means that the supply of the required products will foreseeably experience some delays related to the fact that Facquier Gas Company’s orders would not be fitted in the schedules of suppliers. Additionally, from Mr. Murphy’s understanding, the company has formerly used different specifications for the pipes such as 3/8 inch while the current design uses 3/7 inch thickness. The length of the pipe in former specifications has been 35-45 feet in length. Eventually, the consideration of order the products within a short schedule is also faced with a constraint of lead time. This is the case with the wrapper and coal tar as one company supplying the coal tar s located at Phila delphia while he one to supply the wrappers is located in Atlanta. a. To adapt the new design specifications as they are in order to meet the current demand and at the same time offset the time wastage the 3/8-inch pipes contribute for attracting regular standards’ inspections (Cowen, 2014). b. The company should consider acquiring the products with the new specifications but consider choosing a different logistics channel offering quicker delivery packages. Although the quicker delivery will increase costs, it will ensure that

Ethics memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethics memo - Essay Example Instant messaging might be considered as a source of enhancing the productivity of Texas technologies. This is because IM allows the employees to perform multiple tasks in an effective manner. However, a major issue linked with this feature is that the security and privacy risks as well as legal issues of the employers can be made an increased subject of exposure. it should be concern that if no strict policy is not put into practice, the Texas technology would result in a lack of control over their employees and inevitably into a disastrous end for the company. A major concern is that the most of the employers are unaware of the pervasiveness of the use of instant messages within the company. This is mainly because the employees at Texas technology are set up IM accounts without the knowledge of the company. In order to put a stop to this issue within the Texas technology it is important that effective policies should be enforced and the employees should be educated on the matter. Certain guidelines for appropriate and suitable personal as well as business use must be enforced and set so as to ensure that the employees are utilizing the feature of IM in a professional manner at Texas technology. By educating the employees regarding the proper IM usage will lead to minimized employers risk. Due to the fact that the IM accounts are an easy target for hacker penetration, the technology should be in place because this is allow the identity of the person they are in communication with to be confirmed. The employers must be made aware of certain legal issues which result from using the instant messaging within the company. Closing: it can thus be summarized that the use of instant messaging certain employees consider as a type of break can result in disastrous effect for the company. This can be done by appropriate IM management. Defense against liability for the behavior of the employees on IM can be accomplished

A Critical Review of Competing on capabilities (George Stalk, Philip Essay

A Critical Review of Competing on capabilities (George Stalk, Philip Evans, Lawrence E. Shulman 1992) - Essay Example Considering these aspects, the essay intends to present a review of the article ‘Competing on capabilities’ by ‘George Stalk’, ‘Philip Evans’, & ‘Lawrence E. The essay critically considers the major strengths and weaknesses of the article and further attempts to compare with the theories propounded by other scholars. The article ‘Competing on capabilities’ by ‘George Stalk’, ‘Philip Evans’ & ‘Lawrence E. Shulman’ specifically describes about the role and importance of business competitiveness on strategic decision making capabilities of companies. Throughout the article, multiple references of Wall Mart have been illustrated in order to establish a suitable alignment of this retail giant with the article’s theme (Shin, 2001; Stalk & et. al., 1992). According to the authors, a business process can only be categorized as capacity-based depending on the types of business strategies espoused by it. The facts mentioned within this article also appeared to have a specific amount of focus on the customer-satisfaction attainment factors. According to the authors, higher level of customer satisfaction can be achieved through the provision of superior quality of services and the price affordability of products offered by the companies (Article Myr iad, 2014; Sorescu & et. al., 2011). Throughout the article, specific emphasis has been laid upon the effective mechanism of replenishing the store inventory on a regular basis as a strategic plan towards establishing strong brand positioning within the minds of the customers (Bressler, 2009; Chadwick & et. al., 2007). Notwithstanding, appropriate implementation of business strategies has always been a debatable factor for the multiple reviewers as well as retail giants. This eventually proves the credibility of this article as being appropriately debatable against the wider perception of the effects business strategy

Marketing Management in Practice Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Management in Practice - Case Study Example The report will also define the segments which need to be addressed by the company in order to enhance their sales. The later part of the report explains the justification of the product launch and various objectives which would be helpful to achieve targets, and finally it concludes with the sales forecast and the Marketing Mix. Although soft drinks trends patterns are substantial in Australia still there are many factors which will play an important part in the acceptance of the product by the consumers. There is healthy demand for the imported fresh juices which can be fulfilled by Cadbury Orange Juice. Cadbury traces its history in Australia since the year 1919. It is one of the leading chocolate and Ice Cream manufacturers in Australia. The major specialty of the company is Chocolate. By merging with the Schweppes, Cadbury expanded its operation and identity. The expansion continued and in 1980 it acquired the Red Tulip confectionery company and broadened its range of fine products to include a vast array of Easter confectionery, as well as After Dinner Mints. The company entered the Asian region in 1995 and established a factory in Beijing, China. After being successful in the Chocolate and Ice Cream business the company is planning to launch the range of 100% pure orange juice that will use fresh, rather than concentrated juice. Following are some successful products of the company (Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd, 2009). 'Australian Chocolate Brands in last Two Decades: Time Out Bar (1995) The launch of chocolate-covered wafer Time Out bar was a phenomenal success - the first brand to reach the top five best-selling bars in its first year Favourites Boxed Chocolates (1998) Cadbury Australia introduced Favourites boxed chocolates in 1998, giving Cadbury fans a selection of their favourite Cadbury products in bite-size pieces. Dream Cadbury Dream Block (2001) The new Cadbury Dream block was promoted as "real whiter chocolate, wicked taste". It took four years of research to perfect the flavour, but it was an astounding success. Boost Boost Bar (2006) Boost bar was launched in 2006 and was immediately successful.' (Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd, 2009) 2.2 Macro Environmental (PESTLE) analysis: In order to understand the external environment of the Company it is important to undertake the PESTLE analysis, which is as follows: Political: Decrease in demand due to unstable political situation. Economic: Imposition of Tax or quota from the Government on the major players of market in order to avoid monopoly in the market. Socio-cultural: The

What's Your Dangerous Idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What's Your Dangerous Idea - Essay Example Most of the thoughts that echo in the modern world are dangerous not only because they are believed to be false, but because they may become true. It is a provocative question to ask â€Å"what is your dangerous idea?† John Brockman edited this anthology of essays from a number of the best thinkers. The edge foundation inspired this effort and it had the consent to endorse inquiry and discussion of literary, artistic, philosophical and intellectual issues and also work with the social and intellectual achievement of society. I will mention several ideas that may evoke dangers in the society, but I will dwell mostly on the issue of religion and science. There are some dangerous ideas that exist in the society. For example reducing the population of the human race globally to approximately one billion and maintaining it at that number. Another dangerous idea is taking the biological yearning of people to play fathers and mothers and redirecting it to responsible stewardship of t he world. These ideas sound quite draconian. Another dangerous idea is imposing taxes on mosques and churches. Another is idea is decriminalizing the use of street drug. None of the esteemed contributors of John Brockman raised anything that seemed risky, perhaps because the risk of such ideas occurs instantly to the person who applies the ideas. Psychiatrist Randolph offers some direction on why those ideas are not being tackled in the book. For example when an individual’s business is attempting to handle a savvy competitor, it may mean that they may have a superior product because they are smarter. David Lykken believes that parents ought to acquire licenses for parenting their children and also act as proof that they are over twenty one years old and married. Jordan Pollack encourages people to embrace that are based on faith. He argues that physics may sing the songs that continuous motion may solve the energy calamity. He also adds that scientists ought to put God on th eir side to revoke the second thermodynamics law. One of the ideas that may turn out to be extremely dangerous is the idea of religion versus science. Religion believes that science tries to destroy it or to eliminate it. Science is also against religion because in science there is nothing like belief in a spirit. Science only gets answers through experiments that produce real results and not things that require belief in something (Coon and John 23). For example scientists have theories that attempt to explain the origin of the universe. Theories like big bang argue that the beginning of the universe came up after the big bang. However, this theory does not make sense at some point in explaining how living things came to exist within the universe. It fails to explain how animals, plants, human race, the skies and other natural occurrences came to existence. Charles Darwin also gives the theory of evolution that attempts to explain how human beings evolved from being primitive to be ing the intelligent modern man. All these science theories have their weaknesses because they fail to convince people at some point. Religion also has its theories of the origin of the universe and the human race. The popular religious explanation of the origin of the universe comes from the Christian Bible. The Bible states that God created everything in the universe with his own hands within seven days. After creating everything in the universe, he made man in his own image and the first man that he made was Adam whom he later created his partner, Eve. This theory also has its weakness because it fails to convince people the origin of God (Coon and John 31). It plainly states that God (whose origin is withheld) came from nowhere and designed the universe. Christians insist that no one

Administrative Processes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Administrative Processes - Assignment Example Contextually, the 5-step problem solving method can be used to measure and sustain quality in healthcare settings. The first step is definition of an underlying problem. In healthcare quality management, patient suggestion boxes can be used to collect feedback from concerned clients. Subsequently, clients’ suggestions can be analyzed and used as input in defining a healthcare quality problem. The brainstorming step can be used to indicate the most urgent quality solutions for the defined problem. Thirdly, prioritizing and picking of solutions that are in harmony with quality and cost objectives of an organization helps in the measurement of healthcare quality. Next, the solution implementation step can indicate quality through effectiveness of execution and progress testing techniques. Finally, the last step of evaluation and correction indicates the level of success achieved by the problem solving method. A different problem solving method that can be used in place of the 5-step method is the Deming Cycle. Deming Cycle has the following steps; plan, do, check, and act. In healthcare, social marketing strives to influence consumers through marketing mix strategies used in business environments. Marketing mix strategies combine elements of price, place, product and promotion in influencing consumer behaviors. In health campaigns, social marketing involves customized selection of messages and delivery channels that suit a specific segment of audiences. For example, popular social media channels like Facebook and Twitter can be used to deliver customized messages about dangers of drug abuse to teenagers and young adults. Contrarily, cause-related marketing involves provision of goods and services that exactly meet customers’ demands. In healthcare, cause-related marketing entails delivering medical services that suit client’s tailored needs. An example of cause-related marketing in healthcare is provision of

An act of kindness you did for someone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An act of kindness you did for someone - Essay Example I myself wanted to keep a dog but my mother would never allow. She said that animals have germs and keeping them is not very hygienic for us. However, this was one chance for me to keep a pet and see if they are really that unhygienic to keep or difficult to manage the mess they create. So I took the chance and told my friend that she could leave Nin with me while she was away. My friend became very happy to hear this and said that it was a big load off her shoulder. She thanked me a lot. She said that now she could leave peacefully and content that her cat would be taken care of in her absence. When I brought Nin home, it was a shock for my mother. My mother is very conscious about maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in everything. While that is a good habit, but it gets a little irritating for others for whom the standards of cleanliness and hygiene are a little different from hers. It was not easy for me to convince my mother that I would be extremely careful with the cat and would regularly clean up any mess that Nin created. Still, my mother was not satisfied till the time she saw that it was not that difficult to keep a pet. I used to bathe Nin in a tub of luke warm water on alternate days, and would dry her with an air-blower. I bought Nin some very fine pet-cookies from the store from my own pocket money, and made sure that she had sufficient supply of cookies and milk. I also used to leave a little meat on the bones from my own meals to share it with Nin. This was all I could do with the pocket money I had at that time. In the evening, I used to take Nin out so that she could play. When my friend returned, she was extremely happy to find that Nin was doing well. She noticed that Nin had gained a few extra pounds. She was very grateful to me to have taken care of Nin so well. To see her smile was a very precious moment of my life, and reassured me that I

Literature Survey on Advanced Aircraft Materials Essay

Literature Survey on Advanced Aircraft Materials - Essay Example The latter showed that the causes of the accident were metal fatigue. Experts detected multiple fatigue cracks in aircraft structure /Fildey, 1990/. Numerous site fatigue damage, which resulted in structural failure, were detected in the process of investigation. The investigation, conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board explained the accident by the inability of the operators maintenance program to detect corrosion damage /Miller, 1990 /. One of the possible interpretations of the problem was the function of lap joints to bond large panels of skin to one another. These lap points used to run longitudinally along the fuselage. It was supposed that there should be no problem of fatigue cracking due to the strong connection among the overlapping panels. Similar aircraft, which underwent thorough inspection, also showed disbonding, corrosion and cracking problems in the lap joints /Miller, 1990 /. Faying surfaces were torn separately in the course of the â€Å"pillowing†, which happened in the result of corrosion processes combined with the subsequent build-up of voluminous corrosion products inside the lap joints / Komorowski, 1996/. So, the main cause of the Boeing 737 air crush was defined structural failure: fatigue. This type pf failure is sometimes called â€Å"metal fatigue†, however, this is not precise as even plastic parts can undergo cyclic loading. Cyclic loading of a piece of metal or plastic first of all results in cracks, which further grow and expand. This in its turn leads to fracture /Pizzo, 1995 /. The next problem of main aircraft materials is corrosion, which happens in steel, aluminum and titanium. Except of the gross corrosion, which is particularly common to steel equipment, there also exists another type of corrosion, which is more subtle but not less dangerous /Pizzo, 1995 /. One of the most dangerous parts of corrosion is the one occurring in mated, moving parts. This results in