Virtual Reality - A one way ticket? :: essays papers

Virtual Reality - A one way ticket? Virtual Reality is considered one of the most exciting technologies today, constantly evolving and improving. According to Eric Drexler, a world known pioneer in this field, VR is "A combination of computer and interface devices (goggles, gloves, etc.) that present a user with the illusion of being in a three dimensional world of computer generated objects." The term ^virtual reality,^ is not finite in its meaning, but generally includes desktop VR, immersion VR, where the goggles and gloves are used, and projection VR. The virtual reality technology is not yet perfect and still too expensive for the common man. The use of high-end VR is mainly restricted to larger companies, and to special areas such as medical surgery and pilot training. Home users are limited to desktop virtual reality programs, which lets them navigate in three-dimensional worlds, but seldom gives the feeling of actually being there. The entertainment industry has yet to embrace the technology in full scale, but in his book ^Virtual Reality^ Howard Rheingold states ^Used today in architecture, engineering and design, tomorrow in mass-market entertainment, surrogate travel, virtual surgery and cybersex, by the next century ^VR^ will have transformed our lives.^ Will VR cause people to lose their grip on the real world, or is it just a continuation of previous developments that took people to imaginary places? People seem to always have escaped to ^imaginary worlds^, to get a way from the stress of real life and to relax. We have all experienced Greek theatre, read novels and been to the cinema, and lived ourselves into fiction stories that we identify with. Our imagination creates a fiction world, which leads us away from real life for a moment of time. In our own utopia, we forget contemporary problems of reality. Even though the virtual reality technology creates a utopia for us to explore, it is in a lot of ways different from other developments we know so well today. June Deery, from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy says ^whereas in fiction we imagine and empathize, in cyberspace we are supposed to ^actually^ step into the other world.^ This means that the other world is not created in our minds, but is already there. We have to move in that world and take part in it, not only with our mind, but by using our senses, such as seeing, hearing and touching. These are our navigation tools. This world is imaginary in the way that it is not of something real, but a result of the programmer of that worlds imagination. It is ^virtual.

The Brown Sisters Lecture Essay -- Brown versus Board of Education

The Brown Sisters Upon hearing the narrative assignment, I found myself stunned that I would actually have to attend a lecture outside of my classes. When scanning the list of possible events, the Brown Sisters lecture stood out in my mind. I had just completed an essay solely devoted to the decision and it’s impact on society so I thought it would be interesting to hear a first hand account of the tumultuous times these brave women faced. The lecture turned out to be more interesting than I originally imagined though I left with a slight sense of dissatisfaction. As I slowly trudged up the steps of Foellinger Auditorium, I saw my pledge mom and walked up to her prolonging the time before I had to enter the room. She immediately asked, â€Å"What class are you here for?† African Americans were forced to deal with social inequalities for centuries by their white counterparts and struggled to break free of the chains of racism. The Brown decision took a huge step towards fixing the discrepancies between races and should be celebrated by every citizen of our country. If the Brown family appeared at a university, every one should flock to see people that made the advancement of African Americans possible. But in reality, student converse about that mean teacher that makes his students attend outside lectures and how their time could be better spent. The composition of the audience came as no surprise to me. Students sat with dread as they pulled out notebooks in order to fulfill a required class assignment. Teachers and administration scattered the audience and a predominantly African American high school class filed in also wearing faces of discontent as a result of a required field trip. Two mi... ...band never got to see the success of Brown due to his death shortly after the decision but I think that Oliver Brown, to this day, would not be satisfied. To my disappointment, they did not deal with issues surrounding the current integration status and spent little time talking about what changed after the decision. Growing up, I lived a sheltered life and issues of integration did not concern me. As I further investigate the aftermath of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, I become decreasingly naà ¯ve about our current integration situation. When thinking about the area I live in, I notice that integration is nonexistent. Our society has come a long way in the past fifty years since the decision but we still have a long road ahead of us. The Brown decision signifies the beginning of the fight against segregation not the end of it, as many people believe.

Education Philosophy Essay

The impact of religious studies on the education system is a subject that is increasingly making many education researchers and experts invest their time on, as the world goes global and multicultural education becomes popular. This subject is especially established in the higher education context, due to the interest multicultural education is increasingly raising to educationists. This paper examines the impact Islamic philosophy and Christian philosophy, the two major religious studies, have on higher education. In spite of the fact that higher education has been increasingly becoming secularized since the late nineteenth century (Roberts and Turner, 2000), the impact the Islamic and the Christian philosophy has on higher education, globally, is immense. The Islamic philosophy, a division of Islamic studies whose main aim is synchronizing the Islamic faith and reason, draws its impact on the global higher education from Islamic religious principles and teachings. This is the fundamental reason why the subject is a major tropic of interest in the education context, given the influence that Islamic teachings and practices have to the learning processes and strategies of a student. In his book, Philosophy of education: an encyclopedia, Joseph James Chambliss writes that one of the leading issues in the Islamic philosophy of education regards how religious teachings relate with secular knowledge, or other knowledge emanating from outside the Islamic religion. Religious knowledge, for instance, is recognized by Islam as the most important source of knowledge, a fact that has a dominant influence on the education system in countries such as in the Middle East, where Islam is the religion practiced by the majority. Chambliss notes that although it is common belief that religious instructions and secular instructions are distinct, imitation of religious methods and practices is often seen in secular settings (Hoosain & Salili, 2006). One way this happens is, for instance, the recitation by heart of chapters and quotations, a practice that is common in secular schools. This practice is also common in Christianity sectors, where many students imitate practices learnt in their However, certain practices and modes of culture may have adverse impacts to higher education. One feature of Islamic philosophy involves the modes of teaching religious knowledge, whereby the religious teacher is supposed to teach unchallenged by the students, who are not encouraged to raise difficult questions requiring clarification of more than technical ideas. This is because the teacher is viewed as a transmitter of knowledge that is not supposed to be challenged, and any attempts to challenge it are taken as Islamic criticism. Under such an environment, it would seem unusual for a student to have information that would be of value. This greatly discourages student participation in the class. Moreover, the student imaginative capabilities are discouraged since by the teacher being the custodian of the truth, any imaginative attempts of the students would be viewed as a distortion of the truth . the students are not supposed to another negative impact to the higher education is on (Chambliss, 1996). These ideas have a major impact on the higher education, since many students; in the global context make use of concepts and practices learnt in their formative years in their studies. The current trend in education, where more and more students are increasingly getting their higher education from overseas institutions, ensures that students are in touch with other students with such practices as aforementioned. References Chambliss J, (1996 ). Philosophy of education: an encyclopedia Taylor & Francis, Retrieved April 1, 2009 from

Law of International Trade Essay

Introduction Coffee Beans that were bought in Sao Paulo, Brazil are to be transported to a depot based in Durham, England. The total weight of the Coffee Beans to be shipped is 1500 tonnes. At first, this may seem to be an ordinary shipment on the surface. However, when putting into perspective the amount of legalities to be fulfilled and the massive quantity of beans involved, the daunting nature of the task becomes evident. Every country has its own set of peculiar trade laws. These laws become more complex and stringent when it comes to International trade. However, while trading across boundaries, the local domestic law needs to be respected at any cost. An International trade law is a combination of the law of the land and international laws governing the transactions of goods or services across borders (Cornell, 2005). Multilateral treaties are also signed between countries to resolve disputes and effectively enforce mutually consented terms and conditions. This is done to standardize the entire process and prevent conflicts. For instance, the Convention on contracts for the International Sales of Goods  (CISG) is one such international trade agreement put forth by the UN to govern International trade operations. The different modes of transportation available for transportation need to be considered, keeping in mind a host of factors. This includes ensuring the safe transit of the beans at each and every point, right from the spot of purchase to the destination depot. Efforts also need to be made to make the process as economical as possible. The reduction in transportation charges would translate to higher levels of profit. The sharing of the costs involved in shipping the beans should be properly worked out and the decisions should be incorporated into the agreement. The point at which the seller’s liability ends also needs to be appropriately documented.   It is usually indicated by the INCO terms. Although economy in transportation is essential, it should not come at the cost of invaluable time. The goods also need to be transported within a reasonable timeframe. The laws regulating trade in the departure as well as destination points need to be properly interpreted, in order to avoid confusion at a later point of time. This calls for relevant paperwork which would certify the legitimacy of the whole process. To start with, the whole process needs to be broken down into different steps. The purchase of coffee beans can either be from a manufacturer or a wholesaler. Relevant proof of purchase provided should be provided by the seller, after receiving the agreed price. Other export licences should be purchased, in order to ship them to the depot in Durham. Then, the purchased beans are moved to a warehouse. Since the purchased goods are quite voluminous and bulky, transporting the goods through best the most cost-effective solution. However, the goods from the seller’s premises have to be transported to a warehouse. A warehouse is usually an empty storage with adequate facilities for moving goods. It is used by manufacturers, businesses, importers, wholesalers, exporters and customs agency to intermediately store goods. The seller would have to notify the buyer about the estimated time of arrival. The seller would also have to provide necessary proof documents of each stage involved in the carriage of the goods. A host of expenses are usually incurred during the carriage of goods from one country to another. This includes expenses incurred in Warehouse storage and labour, export packing, loading charges, inland freight, terminal charges, forwarder’s fee, vessel loading charges, charges upon arrival, ocean/ air freight, excise duty, taxes, customs and charges upon delivery at the destination. While carrying out International trade, the main concern is the surety of obtaining payments within an acceptable period of time. This concern is addressed by the concept of Documentary Credits. Documentary Credit is a system by which the buyer instructs his bank to pay the seller. On the basis of customer trust, the bank transfers the funds to the seller’s bank account on the behalf of the buyer. However, adequate documents in support of the concerned transaction will have sent from the ship to the seller’s bank. After verifying these documents, they are sent to the buyer’s bank for further processing (Fraud Aid, 2005). In this arrangement, the bank becomes the primary obligator, thereby promoting healthy International trade by eliminating doubts and concerns about payment. The written instruction given by the buyer to his bank is also commonly known as letter of credit (L/C). The International Chamber of Commerce has defined some internationally recognised trading terms. These terms are otherwise referred to as INCO terms 2000. These trading terms are commonly used during the overseas transportation of goods. They are used to indicate whether it is the seller or buyer that has to produce the required documents essential for carrying out trade on a global scale. The INCO terms should be followed by the named place mentioned in the contract (International Business Institute, 2000). The named place in this case is Durham, England. These terms are capable of designating the liabilities as well as rights of each party involved. Incoterms 2000 ‘Ex Works’ refers to type of delivery where the entire cost and risk of transporting the goods from seller’s premises to the final destination is borne by the buyer. This model is highly beneficial to the seller, since there is no risk involved. The seller does not even have to take up the responsibility of loading the goods from his premises, as the only obligation will be to make goods available. The relevant invoice and testimonials mentioned in the contract will also have to be provided by the seller. The short term for Ex Works is EXW. ‘Free Alongside Ship’ transfers the risk and cost of transportation when the seller transports the goods to the quay, alongside the ship. The abbreviation for Free Alongside Ship is FAS. In ‘Free Carrier’, the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the goods ends for the seller when the goods are handed over to the Carrier’s custody at a mutually agreed location. This location is referred to as the named point. In Free On Board, the seller bears the liability until the goods are put on board the ship at the Port of shipment. The port of shipment is mentioned in the contract. From this point, the risk transfers to the Buyer. This is commonly known as FOB. In Cost & Freight (CFR), the seller ships the goods to the named Port of destination mentioned in the contract, by paying the freight charges. The buyer then takes up complete responsibility when the goods pass over the ship’s rail at the Port. The conditions of Cost Insurance & Freight are similar to the previous one. However, the Seller has to take the additional responsibility of paying the insurance premium on the buyer’s behalf. This is denoted by CIF. The seller has to also incur expenses in insuring all the risks until the named destination, in the case of Carriage & Insurance Paid (CIP). When the seller bears the freight charges of the goods until they reach the mutually agreed location, it is mentioned as Carriage Paid (APT). As soon as the goods reach the first carrier, it becomes a liability of the buyer. In Delivery at Frontier (DAB), the seller bears the charges and liabilities until the goods enter the Frontier.   When the goods reach the Customs process, it risk transfers to the buyer. Delivered Duty Paid (ADP) is most favorable to the buyer, since the seller will bear all charges incurred in delivering the goods to the buyer. Delivered Duty Unpaid is similar to ADP, with the exception of import duty and other official import charges that are borne by the buyer. In Delivered Ex Ship (DES), the responsibility and cost of transferring the goods passes from the seller to the buyer when the ship carrying the goods reaches the destination port. It will be the buyer’s responsibility to discharge the goods.   Delivered Ex Quay (DEQ) is of two types; Duty Paid and Duty on Buyers Account. The seller has the obligation to deliver the goods in the quay of the destination port. Either the buyer or the sealer takes up the responsibility of the paying the duty, according to the initial agreement. Farther considerations Many factors have to be considered when it comes to structuring a carriage contract agreement. There are three forms of carriage; common carriage, contract carriage and private carriage. Common carriage is a type of carrier service catering to the general public to perform common transportation services. These services have to be authorized by various government regulatory agencies. The tariffs that are charged for the service lawfully demanded locations are held by these agencies. Contract carriage involves transportation services to an unlimited number of posts. These agencies also have to get necessary authorization from the same agencies. Relevant contracts consisting of details about the minimum rates and charges are filed at different granting agencies and. Copies of this contract are also retained at the facilities of the shippers as well as the carriers.  Private carriage offers transportation services to business enterprises.   This service is for meant for manufacturers and distributors that transport their goods in their private vehicles driven by their own employees. It is also commonly known as shipper-carrier. The ‘distinct needs’ provision takes care of distinguishing the different carriage types. It is very essential to distinguish between a normal contract and a carriage contract; failure to accomplish this could result in several liability issues on both sides. This distinct needs provision helps to distinguish a carriage contract from a regular one. This provision incorporates certain unique terms and conditions including specific requirements of a shipper and the obligations that need to be satisfied by the contract carrier. Some of the commonly mention distinct needs in a carriage contract agreement are price adjustment clauses, terms of credit, incidental transportation charges, cargo transfer charges and specific delivery schedules. However, the shipper should truly comprise these unique services if they are mentioned. A certain degree of reasonableness should be allowed while dealing with carriage contracts. First of all, one has to understand various shipping term in order to comprehend the shipping rules better. ‘Carrier’ is a term used to refer to the person who signs the contract of carriage with a shipper. It is usually the owner or charterer who hires a ship to carry their cargo, passengers or other goods. ‘Shipper’ refers to the person who pays money to the carrier to transport his goods (Arnold, 2003). Hence, the term ‘shipper’ may either refer to the buyer or the seller of the beans, depending upon the INCO term in use. Carrier is the company or agency which undertakes to ship the beans from Brazil to England. The Contract of carriage will apply to agreements mentioned in the bill of lading or any similar document that concerns the carriage of goods by sea.   The term ‘goods’ is used to refer to wares, merchandise and other articles. However, live animals are not included in the goods category. Goods such as brandy and gun powder were classified as dangerous goods. The validity period of the Contract of carriage starts from the time of goods being loaded until they are unloaded from the ship. Hague & Hague Visby Rules Hague rules were framed by the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading and Protocol of Signature. It came into effect on 25 August 1924 in Brussels. It was an effort to constitute a minimum mandatory liability for carriers, since most of them were evading the liability due to loss or damage of cargo. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development   (OECD), this was a move by the International community to fabricate a fair system for the shipper as well as the carrier. Even today, these rules act as the foundation for framing marine trading laws for a majority of the nations around the world. According to Hague Rules, the carrier will be liable to bear the cost of damaged or lost goods only if the shipper is able to prove that the shipper’s lack or absence of diligence. However, the carrier would not be held liable if the ship was unseaworthy. The carrier will also lose the liability to compensate for the goods, when the damage is caused by a natural calamity termed as ‘Act of God’ or a fire accident which is caused to due to any reason other than a fault in the carrier vessel. The carrier will also not be liable for damages caused due to the act of terrorists, war or and other anti-social elements like pirates. The carrier would not be responsible for a delay in the delivery of goods, if the delay was caused due to an emergency situation like lockouts, quarantine operations or public strikes. The shipper would not be able to claim damages from the carrier, even in the event of neglect of the duty by the employees of the ship.    Hence, this enabled the carrier to get away with liabilities arising as a result of errors made by the people working on board such as mariners and the carrier’s working staff, if the carrier was in a position to prove that the ship was seaworthy and adequately and appropriately manned (Admiralty Law Guide, 2006). Since this provision lets carriers to get away scot-free, it has posed a serious conflict in balancing liabilities between the carrier and shipper. Transportation of goods involves two main types of contracts. They are Carriage Contract Agreement and Bill of Lading Contract. Carriage Contract Agreements are usually signed when long shipments are involved. It serves as a continuing contract that stands for the safe delivery of goods to promised destination. It usually covers multiple shipments that are necessary to carry out a long shipment process. The complete shipment process may involve other modes of transportation such as ground and air shipment.   However, carriage contract can not serve as a receipt of merchandise. The Bill of Lading is issued by the carrier as a proof of receiving the goods and serves as receipt of merchandise. A Bill of Lading is an agreement for a single shipment process which may be a part of a long process. In the practical sense, it is a list of expenditures incurred towards loading goods into a vessel. It is governed by all the terms and conditions mentioned in the Carriage Contract. It also acts as certificate that verifies the authenticity of the loaded goods. Further, it indicates whether the received goods were in good condition or not. Depending upon condition of the goods and packaging, the Bill of Lading is classified as Clean or Foul Bill of Lading. It also is further proof of the existence of a Carriage Contract (Wikipedia, 2006). However, the Bill of lading and Carriage Contract are completely different entities and they serve different purposes. Hence, the Bill of Lading can not be used as a Contract Carriage and vice versa. There are three types of bill of lading; straight bill of lading, order bill of lading and bearer bill of lading. In straight bill of lading, the consignee can claim damages from the consigner when the goods are not delivered on time due to defaulting or negligence of the consigner. This bill of lading is non-negotiable. In order bill of lading, the consignee can obtain delivery of goods if the consignee provides a bill and evidence showing the consigner’s interest to transfer. This bill of lading is negotiable. In bearer bill of lading, any person holding the bill of landing is entitled to receive the goods. When the consigner does not mention the consignee’s name, it becomes a bearer bill and can be negotiated. Goods that are issued with a negotiable bill of lading can be received only if the original documents are presented at the time of delivery. However, the speeding of trade and transit operations has given way to the issue of non-negotiable documents for goods, which enables the consigner to receive the goods by just presenting the non-negotiable bill of lading (Forwarder Law, 2005). Some of the standard obligations that have to be fulfilled by the consigner include providing the carrier with consignee’s name and address and destination of the carriage. The nature, weight, volume and the quantity of the goods to be shipped are also to be clearly stated. Even the packing and wrapping style, number of packages and any other details needed to identify the goods need to be provided by the consigner. The consignor would be held be responsible for any damages, in the event of false or insufficient details being provided. According to Article 283 of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (CGSA) (1924), the Bill of Lading can be issued either in the name of a particular person or the bearer.   It usually consists of the following details, 1) Date of issuing the bill. 2) Venue where the bill was signed and brought to effect. 3) Place of departure and destination. 4) Names and addresses of the consignor, consignee, carrier and the carriage commission agent. 5) The value and identification details of the shipped items. 6) Date of shipping. 7) Freight and other expenses with an indication of whether they are payable by the consignor or the consignee. 8) The conditions pertaining to the loading and unloading, type of transport means required to be used for carriage, the route to be followed, a determination of the responsibility and any other special conditions which may be included in a carriage contract. In addition to the bill of lading, the carrier also issues a non-negotiable receipt called waybill which proves to be useful in a situation when the goods arrive before the transaction documents. It is also issued when the consignee and the consigner is the same person (Evans, 2001). This option can be chosen when the consigner decides to reduce paperwork. A ship’s delivery order is another document that undertakes to carry goods by sea. The provisions for this document are provided by the CGSA (1992). However, this document can neither substitute a waybill nor a bill of lading. According to Article 284 of the CGSA (1924), the carrier would be required to issue a bill of lading to the consigner. Alternatively, the carrier can also give a receipt mentioning the details of the goods carried and date of consignment to the consigner. The consigner would be required to deliver the goods to be shipped at the carrier’s premises. The consigner should also produce relevant document deemed necessary for shipping. The consigner will be held responsible for any liability arising as a result of inaccurate or incomplete information in the documents provided. According to Article 288 of the CGSA (1924), Since the carrier possesses the right to examine the packaged goods and the standard of packing before the carriage, the damage of goods arising due to improper packaging is not entirely borne by the consigner; the liability is shared with the carrier. According to Article 289 of the same Act, the initial examination of the goods would require the presence of the consigner, if opening of packaging is involved. If the consigner is absent during the inspection process, the examination would progress and examination costs would be levied from the consigner. If the carrier finds the goods to be unsuitable for transit, the consigner would be informed about the same. Such goods would be shipped by the carrier only if the consigner bears the liability of damage of goods and the consigner’s consent about the same is incorporated into the Bill of Lading. Cargo Insurance compensates the shipper with losses caused due to fire, loss of cargo and damage. However, losses that can be recovered from the carrier will not be compensated by Insurance Company. It is also popularly known as Marine insurance. It is further classified into Inland and Ocean Marine Insurance. Inland Marine Insurance is issued for goods that are transported without the involving any form sea transport and Ocean Marine Insurance is meant for goods that are shipped through waterways. The three pillars of Marine Insurance are insurable interest, utmost good faith, and indemnity (Export 911). Marine Insurance is not mandatory, unless it is mentioned so in the agreement. The proof of Insurance is provided by the Insurance policy duly signed by the authority of the Insurance Company.   Generally, the insurance would cover the loss or damage of coffee beans under normal circumstances. However, the insurance would become void when the shipper tries to or succeeds in causing intentional damage. When the loss of coffee beans is meagre or caused as a result of improper packaging, the insurance would not cover the loss. According to Article 292 of the CGSA (1924), the carrier is obliged to travel in the mutually agreed upon route mentioned in the agreement. However, the carrier is expected to take the shortest route if a route is not mentioned in the agreement. However, the carrier can change course if any unavoidable situation arises and the carrier would not be held liable for any loss caused to the consigner due to the late delivery of goods, provided a genuine reason is established. The goods being transported by the carrier should be properly safeguarded. The costs incurred in achieving this objective, such as repackaging charges are solely borne by the carrier. However, this does not imply taking additional care of the goods being transported. For instance, when animals are being shipped, the carrier will not be responsible for maintaining the health of the animal by providing food and water. The same condition will stand good while transporting plants as well. However, the carrier would have to take up such responsibilities, if such conditions governing the well-being of plants and animal are incorporated in the agreement Generally, the carrier will have the obligation to discharge the goods from the ship and bear the charges incurred towards it. In the event of the agreement not requiring the delivery of the shipped item to the consignee’s facility, then the consignee would have to receive the same on a particular date fixed by the carrier. If the consignee fails to do so, then s/he would have to bear the charges incurred by the carrier for storing the shipped item. However, the consignee has the right to examine the contents before acknowledging the receipt and refuse the same, if the carrier is not co-operating. The next protocol towards the emancipation of the shippers came in the form of the Brussels protocol in 1968. It was responsible for infusing an important clause called the ‘container clause’. It enabled shippers to claim the compensation for each container specified in the Bill of Lading (Admiralty Law, 2005). As a result, this liability system came to be known as the Hague-Visby Rules. An additional protocol was added in 1979 to enhance and revise the rules. However, neither of two supplementary protocols of the Hague rules was able to effectively modify the basic liability provisions. Hamburg Rules The Hamburg rules were enforced at the United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea held in Hamburg on 30 March 1978. The chief objective was to enforce a system that would share the liabilities and obligations between shipper and carrier in fairer manner. However, it was only able to mildly move the liabilities to the carrier.   In addition to the terms carrier, shipper, goods and ship, a term called ‘Actual carrier’ is defined by the Hamburg rules. It refers to a person or an agency to which the carrier hands over the complete or partial responsibility of carrying the goods. The time period for claiming the liabilities caused by the carrier is also specified by the Hamburg rules. The shipper can sue the carrier for any liabilities with a two year time period from the date of delivery of the goods. This period can be extended by issuing appropriate legal declarations. However, this time period gets reduced to 90 days, in the case of a second claim after the verdict is reached for the first claim. First of all, a written complaint has to be instituted to the carrier within the next working day, in the case of apparent damage or loss. However, in the case of damage or loss not being evident, the shipper would have to file a written complaint to the carrier within 15 days of receiving the goods. In order to be in a position to claim damages due to delay, the carrier would have to give a compliant to the shipper within 60 days of the delivery. The complaint can be sent to the carrier in writing or via telegraph. Adequate facilities will also have provided by both parties to inspect and clarify these claims. If the shipper fails to satisfy any of the aforementioned conditions, he or she will not be able to claim damages from the carrier. The Hamburg rules also specify the limits for liability compensation. The compensation for the liabilities arising as a result of damage or loss can not exceed an amount more than 2.5 units of account per kilogram or 835 units of account per package. This unit is quantified by the International Monetary Fund as a result of a Special Drawing Right. If the shipper’s State is a member of the International Monetary Fund, then the units would be changed into the State’s currency on the judgment day. If the shipper’s State is not a member of the International Monetary Fund, the units would be converted according to the State’s local laws. The liabilities for delay in the delivery of goods should not be more than the total freight payable; it can be up to two and a half times the freight payable for the goods that are delayed, under the contract of carriage. Arbitrations & Disputes The arbitration of these claims and general disputes would normally take place in a venue of the claimer’s preference. However, the place should be with in accordance to the stipulations mentioned. It should not be a place outside the State where the defendant’s business or residence is located. It can also take place in a State where the contract was signed or at the place of loading or unloading the goods. Judicial action may also be taken against the carrier in the same places mentioned above. It is better to insure the coffee beans before they are to be shipped onboard a vessel, due to the risks involved in transportation. Since the carriers have only restricted limitations, it does make sense to obtain insurance. Most carriers shipping from Sao Paulo to Durham, for instance ‘Xiameter’ (2006) follows Carriage and Insurance Paid (CIP) delivery. Therefore, it is better to ship the coffee beans through a reputed carrier, in order to minimise risks and complete the shipping within a desired period of time. Bibliographies ACE- Baracuda, Guide to Incoterms, http://www.ace-baracuda.com/template7.asp?pageid=26 (accessed at: 23 April 2006) Admiralty and Maritime Law Guide, International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading (â€Å"Hague Rules†), and Protocol of Signature: http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/conven/haguerules1924.html (accessed at: 23 April 2006) Briel, E. (1947) International Straits: A treatise on International law, Nyt Nordisk Forlag, Copenhagen. Brooks, M, (2000) Sea Change in Liner Shipping: Regulation and Managerial Decision-Making in Global Industry, Pergamon press, Amsterdam. Brown, E.D. (1997) Law of Sea History. Bernhardt, R. (Ed), Encyclopaedia of Public International Law, Amsterdam, Northern Holland. Brugmann, G. (2003) Access to Maritime ports, Master of Laws (LLM), Books on Demand GmbH, Noderstedt, Germany. Caron, D. (1989) Ships, Nationality and Status. Bernhardt, R (Ed) Encyclopaedia of Public International law, Vol. 11, Amsterdam, Northern Holland. Lex Mercatoria: Information on United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), UN Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea 1978: http://www.jus.uio.no/lm/un.sea.carriage.hamburg.rules.1978/doc (accessed at: 23 April 2006) References Admiralty Law (2005) Hague-Visby Rules. Available from: http://www.admiraltylaw.com/statutes/hague.html (accessed at: 29 April 2006). Admiralty Law Guide (2006) Hague Rules. Available from: http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/conven/haguerules1924.html (accessed at: 28 April 2006). Arnold, A (2003) Relocation Terminology. Available from: http://www.aarnold.net/terminology.htm (accessed at: 28 April 2006). Evans, J (2001) Law of International Trade, 3rd Edition, Old Bailey Press, London. Cornell Law School. (2005) International Trade. Available from: http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/International_trade (accessed at: 29 April 2006). Export 911. Principles of Cargo Insurance. Available from: http://www.export911.com/e911/ship/principl.htm#xInstitute (accessed at: 30 April 2006). Forwarder Law. Status of Seaway Bills. Available from: http://www.forwarderlaw.com/library/view.php?article_id=237 (accessed at: 30 April 2006). Fraud Aid. (2005) Documentary Credit. Available from: http://www.fraudaid.com/Dictionary-of-Financial-Scam-Terms/documentary_credit.htm (accessed at: 28 April 2006). International Business Institute. (2000) Incoterms 2000. Available from: http://www.i-b-t.net/incoterms.html (accessed at: 29 April 2006). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Hague Rules of 1924. Available from: http://www.oecd.org/document/41/0,2340,en_2649_34367_2086825_1_1_1_1,00.html (accessed at: 29 April 2006) (2006) Bill of Lading. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_lading (accessed at: 28 April 2006). Xiameter (2006) Incoterms 2000 Descriptions. Available from: xiameter.com/content/bxrules/incoterms.pdf (accessed at: 24 April 2006).

Adams Aircraft Analysis Report

Adam aircraft is a company that mainly deals in designing, building and certifying new products. The main factor that brought this company into being was that in the aviation industry for many years it lacked a company that wanted to get involved in the business of making new aircrafts from scratch. The above was experienced due to two factors lack of financing and lack of government support. These two factors can be elaborated by the following sentiments:   it’s not until 1994 when the government stepped in to protect aircraft manufacturers from lawsuits that emanated from dealing with aircrafts that were older than18 years. Before this the industry had died because of the many suits that had been filed. Thus not many people wanted to join an industry that would cost them more money in running other than the investment itself. To build a single aircraft is valued at the price of 250 million dollars this value is minus the certification process which takes a lot of money. The two factors are the main contributors of lack of innovation when it comes to the aviation industry. Adam Aircraft Company is an example of a company that has defied all odds in the aviation industry by escaping such hurdles as technology, capital, competition from staunch players like the Cessna and Boeing builders, and skeptics’ from players of the aviation sector, to come to a point of success by creating A500 and A700. The company is faced with major responsibilities which include the need of more finances to improve their innovation models in this industry as they have majored in light weight jets. In the past they have been using a lean budget to oversee their innovations. The company has opted to this kind of plane to increase its utility and increase efficiency. Another major responsibility faced by the company is the need of working through a lean budget, to deliver planes in good time that are not behind schedule or which will be carried out in a slow pace attracting the attention of competitors who will end up using their ideas to make better planes. Adam aircraft company has done well from its conception of humble begins they have grown to beat some of their competitors just by being innovative and timely in their actions. By the fact that they take anything that comes their way with outmost confidence they work with ultimate swagger of understanding their strategies well and to the core. They have taken the advantages of technology and used it to their advantage, this they have done by making it possible the designing of plane structures using the computer which tends to give them preciseness and accurate findings. The fore-mentioned idea helps the company to beat deadlines. Its engineers are always ready to upgrade new ideas and learn more as they work hence their ingenuity is affected to the maximum. When faced with challenges they tend to face it with an attitude of possibilities other than brushing it away to oblivion. Take for the case of john being asked if they can be able to solve the problem of putting an overhead window on an A500 plane to increase visibility of the tanker high and right, the engineers at Adams aircraft could do it in a week’s time. The engineers at Adams aircraft are committed people who are adaptable and flexible flourished and with their years of experience. Key recommendations include the need of motivation which should be revived daily in the company as the spirit of innovation is kept alive. Recruiting new engineers as their market flourishes should be inculcated as the new employees come in, in-training and key company strategies should be instilled in them. Introduction This analysis report on Adam Aircraft Company will mainly dwell on two issues how to waiver competition from established companies in this sector and the challenges that they face as they try to sell their product and new innovation ideas to a market that seems to be resilient to change. The market seems to be inflexible and question new comers who come to the arena. Will the company be able to sell its new innovative ideas because they need the money when it comes to expansion and carrying out research as they invent new products in the aviation industry? The art of selling themselves in market that has lain dormant for more than 3 decades is a major hurdle this report is going to evaluate the market, try to comprehend what the market needs in terms of approach, what kind of problems the industry faces when it comes to a stringent, inflexible, neglected market. (Sheehan 2003) How will they counter the problem of competition in relation to timeliness? They have to invent ways on which they can increase their speed when it comes to the time given to research new findings and the time of implementation of research findings. This is the main factor that will distract their competitor’s stables. How to go about it has to be brought to the light by the basis of finding the strengths and weakness characterized in the sector. Marketing Adam Aircraft Company has a market plan already set in place this is by the fact that it sells its product to the government and private owners. It has specialized in selling of the A700 Models twin engine aircraft and A500 Models thrust twin engine aircraft meaning it has a goal in place.   But how can they increase their market space in order to increase transactions which will alleviate the problems of job cuts brought about by the economic melt down that is being experienced world wide? One market area they should expound in, is the private owners through the charter system. They can make them their biggest customers by approaching and selling their ideas to them. With their A700 Model which can carry an approximate number of three people per trip it can go down well because the charted planes operate like taxis or cabs. Though people would like to travel in charted planes the ability to do so sometimes is unachievable. Hence Adams Aircraft Company should be able to provide affordable rates when it comes to their chattered services. Availability and accessibility of their planes should also be improved. The second market group is the private jet charters, this group can be considered a unique group which brings about specializing the services. People who make up this group consist of entertainers, athletes and celebrities these kinds of people are always on the move and are on tight schedules. Thus they need to have packages that are efficient and reliable. These private planes should be constructed in such way that will enhance privacy, comfort ability and convenience. By making them spacious, by having in built refreshing areas and other essentials that will be needed by this group of people. (Sheehan 2003) The advantage of investing in chartered airplanes is the fact that security details are given full cover. In that the charter company takes full responsibility when disaster strikes like terror attacks. Another advantage posed by private jets is that the customers are exposed to the equipments of the plane thus knowing and gaining full knowledge of the plane thus the eventual buying of the plane. A private charted plane also encourages employees and workers to communicate with each other without much ado of others hearing their work matters. In chartered planes the customers get the advantage of using a wide variety of services offered with different planes for various kinds of operation needed by the customer. This is because small planes have variable speeds and different kinds of equipments installed hence it gives the user an opportunity to experiment with all planes and one day perhaps will buy the best of them all. To reach the clients the company needs to employ various marketing skills such as employing sales personnel, employing direct customer contact and reaching out to other companies that offer the same kind of services to rent the companies planes. To penetrate the market even further Adam Company can develop a soft ware that will enable the market to respond to problems experienced while using its services. This will make the definition of the customers problem to be highlighted and alternative solutions be delivered. The company also should diversify its network to other countries especially developing countries who have the older models kind of planes that tend to have major snarl ups especially when it comes to visibility problems. Due to the high research inn put being put by the company it should find ways of approaching governments of other countries on the advantages of using their highly motivated air planes that have spare parts availability. Adams Aircraft Company can also venture into creating spare parts of old models. Thus this will increases their market share, because of the vacuum created due to the dormant years. It can take the initiatives of inventing more susceptible spare parts that will be used on old models. This initiative will go along away in increasing their capital standings, because it will cover even models that are not of their company. Thus beating their competitors at their own game, taking for instance they will increase their innovativeness when it comes to these said spare parts. This venture will mean more money being pumped in for research purposes but the out right benefits to be found afterwards are of outmost gain. They can take the above measure into two ways, one creating spare parts that are compatible with what they are specializing in that is for A700 planes and A500 planes, here they only need to upgrade the spare parts of other models to be compatible with theirs, this will enhance saving on capital subjected to the project. The second way is creating new spare parts from scratch for the old models. This will mean a lot of research input and capital investment. In conclusion it’s a venture that will increase its market share and pump in more money to the company. Competition Competition is another area of concern. Adam aircraft company should device ways on how to combat competition from their detractors. Adam Company is a new company in this arena compared to pipers, Cessna and Boeing which have rooted their operations world wide.   By taking advantage of their research and innovativeness they can increase their profit margin. But their lean budget tends to restrict them to progressive meaningful steps. This is to imply that timely acts can differentiate between the space of actual innovation and implementation. (Sheehan 2003) Adam aircraft company should pump more money to its research programs this will enhance its innovative programmes. This should be followed by specializing in the manufacturer of light weight jets only. This will mean they will go into research to improve what they already have meaning, not much money will be needed because it’s a continuation of the first process. They will be aiming to improve in efficiency, increase in capacity, and increase speed. By concentrating on a selected set of items more energy is directed to one certain point thus the end product will be a good product that doesn’t waiver because of economic recessions. The time between innovation and making a complete revolution of a product should be decreased with appropriate money set aside for certification process which is quite expensive. Business in mini jets and jets is anticipated by the majority of the population which likes to save time that is usually wasted at the airports and a population that likes to enjoy privacy and convenience thus this factor should motivate Adam Aircraft Company to continue producing its series of light weight jets. (Sheehan 2003) Two specific trends that favor the innovation of jets are as flows: proliferation of fractional ownership programs and the introduction of relatively low cost mini jets. As explained in other paragraphs increased flexibility in trip scheduling has improved by the accessibility of mini jets. Fractional ownership can be defined as the process where by a company buys a fraction of a fleet owned by lets say Adam Aircraft Company. This entitles that particular company to use that fleet at their own convenient time while paying for the services rendered. This includes the use of every kind of aircraft that Adam Company owns in its fleet this is arranged on the basis of the company paying a small fraction of the typical purchase price. This arrangement provides the user with a fixed number of hours that can be used per year. Another more innovative way of practicing the above idea is that of having jet cards program that entails individuals and companies to accesses flight time in 25 hour increments, hence increasing accessibility and lowering the cost than buying into a fractional ownership program. The above area hasn’t been exploited to its limits thus Adam aircraft Company can specialize in it. (Sheehan 2003) Manufacturers of these small jets should be well equipped to serve its clients who are more interested to efficiency and service delivery. The demand of these small airplanes has risen as years go by, Adam Aircraft Company should innovate smaller piston engines that can impact high altitude air space and air space around major metropolitan areas. It is expected by 2015 the growth and idea of plane taxi would have spiraled to up to 20% this should be factor on which Adam aircraft company should rely on to beat its competitors. The main cause of the two problems that is market penetration and competition can be attributed to one, a market that has lain dormant for over thirty years without the introduction of new products. The market was used to having models made in the sixties and seventies whose wiring systems and engines had been elapsed by time and technology, though they had adapted fine to its defects. The entry to this sector of manufacturing small jets and planes needs a lot of money for starters and incase of lack of time management a good innovation can be elapsed by occurring events leading to innovation of a product being back scheduled. A company needs a team of experienced engineers who are able to innovate better, efficient and faster planes compared to the planes made in the seventies. Security and safety measures should also be taken for consideration. (Sheehan 2003) The second problem of competition arises by the fact that in this field there are large companies that have been in the playing field for ages. For example large companies such as Boeing and Cessna have a large market and capital base thus for a company like Adam aircraft company to weaver that competition it needs to strategies its services and production levels. Adam Aircraft Company needs to increase their capital base in order to increase their competitive rates, by this they can materialize on specialization, increase innovation, increase and expand their delivery boundaries by involving charter companies. Conclusion For a successful company to affect its course it has to have a strategy that is well organized. In our case study the Adam Aircraft Company has that; it has specialized in an area that is perceived by many in the aviation sector as minor. But times are changing and the mode of having taxis and cabs on road will invade the air space and soon this industry of light weight jets will pronounce its vastness. As other big players continue to ignore the fertile grounds that small jets offer if innovation is instilled, their sector of heavy planes will be adversely affected by the competition it will experience in coming years. As more people venture for efficiency, more personalized services, and privacy that only the small jets and planes can offer. It is by the above fact that Adam aircraft company should take the pioneering role of establishing a company that will dully specialize in creating jets that have increased efficiency. By now their might be a negligent growth when it comes to usage of light weight jet but as civilization takes its course and sophistication improves the market will flourish for this kind of business.

Motivation self worth theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Motivation self worth theory - Essay Example complishment of the motivational action itself, while extrinsic motivation is supported by goals that are based outside of an internal locus of control. In some cases there is interplay between these two varieties of motivation, thereby resulting in a process that requires much investigation to elucidate the roles of each motivating factor. Related research is usually based on or contributes to one or more theories of motivation. Many theories from several schools of thought have been proposed and used to study motivation. These approaches usually focus on one or more of several characteristics that are believed to be related to the motivation to perform a particular behavior. Some of these attributes include expectancy, values, initiation reasoning, and cognitive influences. Expectancy refers to the anticipation of the results of the behavior (success vs. failure, for example), values are personal beliefs, initiation reasoning is the purpose for participating at all, and cognitive influences refer to thought processes in the brain that are associated with the behavior. Each of the available theories on motivation offers an alternative perspective of the process. Self-worth theory is an approach to studying observation that focuses on the expectancies related to a motivational behavior, as well as the personal and/or social values that are involved in the process. Covington (1984) introduced the self-worth theory of achievement motivation as a tool to examine the impact of self-worth and the self-protective process, as well as anticipations about the outcome, on a student’s motivational behaviors. The author demonstrated that children, when faced with a challenge in which failure is a possibility, would avoid the task rather than risk being viewed as incompetent. The results of this study were key in revealing the role of mental health (in the form of self-worth) in achievement motivation, as well as in identifying academic assessments as a major source of

How did the Internet has brought people to think and see the world Research Paper

How did the Internet has brought people to think and see the world globally - Research Paper Example Mass media – this is written, spoken or broadcast communication with reach to a great range of audience (Zlatar 1). This includes radio, television (TV), advertisements, billboards, movies, magazines, mobile phones, newspapers, the Internet, and so forth. As earlier noted, media acts as a highway or rather a vehicle over which there is viral transmission of content, allowing a given user to initiate communications with multiple people across the globe, with an opportunity given to each that allows them to even further spread the information to different people and places around the world (Besley and Burgess 631). A clever and dedicated person possessing a quality message can turn the whole world into a personal marketing force with the use of the mass media. In addition, Zlatar reveals that media helps people be noticeable as it helps them engage with their audience as well as allow easy location or identification of the right audience to add on the cheap costs of advertizing it presents to its users (3). Political. The mass media can be an effective tool for enabling a country’s citizens monitor the activities of their governments and use this type of information to carry out their voting decisions. The deliverable of this is a government that is more accountable for its citizens as well as responsive to the needs of the citizens. In democratic governments, Besley and Burgess assert that free media aims at scrutinizing those in power and providing the public with unbiased and accurate information so that they can appropriately act on it (632). Thus, it acts as an effectual check on the power of the government as well as the influence it has over its citizens (Etling, Faris and Palfrey 37). The past few decades have been accompanied by an unprecedented increase in mass media plus reducing costs of TV, radio, and Internet services. Besley and Burgess believes that this trend has helped bring the political activities of the world to a much larger au dience as well as help various political elements or rather organizations reach a wider range of people quickly and effectively (634). Etling, Faris and Palfrey believe that the major issue with media is the inability to take a neutral stand where some take one side of the political continuum providing them with the best biased coverage at its best and at its worst acting like a virtual propaganda machines for a given political organization and or entity (41). Media coverage occurs via a wide range of gadgets ranging from mobile phones to computers working online. Today’s politics is taking a different dimension as many are adopting media or rather the mass media to pass over their political intents as well as organize political meetings and or rallies. In addition, the prevailing generation of young people is heavily immersed into the social media, for instance, Facebook and Twitter. A number of politicians have gone further to use the short message service (SMS) to communic ate their political ideas and or information to various target audiences (Etling, Faris and Palfrey 42). Social. Today, the internet has become a basic need to almost everyone and its use has continually increased with the increasing innovation of social networks (Gladwell 42). Communication in today’s societies is propelled by the constant development of new and quality social networking sites yet some find less enthusiasm in the type of interactions that these social