Does Violence in Video Games Contribute to Misconduct in...

Does Violence in Video Games Contribute to Misconduct in Youth? In recent years, many technological advancements have led to a new form of entertainment for society. One of the soaring forms of this entertainment is video games. While the sale of games continue to rise at a drastic rate, game designers and the media focus the publics attention on violent video games, since it seems to currently be to the more attractive type of game, not only among the public, but the gaming industries as well. As these games become increasingly popular, there has been an abundance of researchers and health officials that say that such games result in increased violence among juveniles. Many believe that violent video games cause behavioral problems and†¦show more content†¦These games can help improve coordination and concentration, as well as contribute a harmless form of stress relief (Parks 25). As long as game time is monitored, children can be greatly enhanced by such games. This form of stimulation is not just found in violent video games, but in every form of the games. Some categories are merely just for themes like action and adventure, strategy, or education, which allows the consumer to easily see which games will stimulate the mind or be more competitive and action-packed. An easy way to monitor video games would be to look for and understand the ratings of said games. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) measures the content of all video games and rates them for the intended audience that should play the games. Knowing game ratings can greatly improve a parents understanding of the types of games their children play and how strictly to monitor their use. Game ratings include Early Childhood (EC), Everyone (E), Teen (T), Mature (M), Adults Only (AO), and Rating Pending (RP) (Norcia). Each of these levels increase in what is allowed, i.e. more violence, all except Rating Pending which means that a game has not been rated yet, but is coming soon. Most games that are held in the â€Å"violence† category are rating between Teen to Adults Only. Teen ratings consists of mild to strong language and are intended for people 13 or older. Mature ratings are intended for those who are 17 or older. This category contains languageShow MoreRelatedâ⠂¬Å"There is increasing evidence that early exposure to media violence is a contributing factor to the1000 Words   |  4 Pagesthat early exposure to media violence is a contributing factor to the development of aggression† (Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, Eron, 2003). Huesmann and Kirwil (2007, p. 545), argue that an individual’s aggression and violent behaviour are not only caused by emotional, mental and physical circumstances but also the environment plays an equally vital role. They further on state that hastening violent behaviour in the short-term sense is due to disclosure to violence, which can be either throughRead More Understanding Antisocial Behavior in Children Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesUnderstanding Antisocial Behavior in Children In northeast Pennsylvania, 9 year old Cameron shot seven-year-old Jessica with a rifle and then hid it. The reason for the argument was a disagreement over a video game. In Englewood, a suburb of Chicago, a seven-year-old and his eight-year-old best friend became the two youngest murder suspects in the US when they were accused of the murder and sexual assault of an eleven-year-old boy. His body was discovered in a vacant lot. InRead Moresocial media1798 Words   |  8 Pagesand even game consoles. There is an unlimited amount of things that you can do on social media sites and very few restrictions. People believe that this is where the problem comes in. Being able to do almost anything online can cause a lot of harm. 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Msc Strategic Management Free Essays

The copyright of the Master thesis rests with the author. The author is responsible for its contents. RSI Erasmus University is only responsible for the educational coaching and beyond that cannot be held responsible for the content. We will write a custom essay sample on Msc Strategic Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Acknowledgements I would like to thank Raymond van Wick, Bert Flier, and Justine Jansen for their inspirational lectures and papers forming the basis for my thesis and new found interests; Raymond van Will and Mochala Chippers for thoughtful discussion and feedback during the process of writing this thesis; the managers responding to my river for enabling thesis testing; my parents, sister, and brother for their enduring and limitless support and patience; and XX for her support, love, and understanding. Your valuable contributions enabled the writing of this paper. XX, March 2009 Marten van Brussels Designing ambidexterity Social Capital and Ambidexterity 10 Cognitive social capital 11 Shared culture and systems Shared vision 12 Relational social capital 13 Trust Tie strength 14 Ambidexterity and Unit Performance It provides the organization the ability to be aligned with and adaptable to its environment. The ambidextrous organizational form builds on internally inconsistent structures and cultures, allowing exploratory and exploitative units to optimally configure themselves around specific task-environment requirements. Exploratory units search for new knowledge and skills for the development of radical innovations and are characterized by loose cultures. Exploitative units build on and extend existing knowledge and skills for making incremental changes and fair well with tight cultures. Thus, to achieve ambidexterity organizations have to integrate the contradictory forces of exploration and exploitation and manage the internal tensions hat these forces bring along. However, it is strategic integration which remains to be a complex issue. The mechanisms for integration need to be able to access and integrate knowledge across relatively autonomous units. Till date, formal integration mechanisms have received ample attention, while organizational social capital was largely ignored. Cognitive and relational social capital are found to be essential determinants for the transfer of knowledge between units within the organization and thus for their integration. Therefore, this study explores how cognitive social UAPITA, represented by shared culture and systems and shared vision, provides the needed meaning and understanding for business units in a context of contradiction which is apparent in the ambidextrous organizational form. In addition, the facets of relational social capital, represented by trust and strong ties, are explored as enablers to bringing units focusing on either exploratory or exploitative activities together. In total 52 autonomous business units, from three globally diversified electronics and electrical equipment companies, participated with the research through surveys. These business units are responsible for either a specific market segment or product group, ranging from more traditional businesses to newer businesses. They provided insight into their achievement of ambidexterity, performance, the extent of mutual meaning and understanding with other units, and the content of their relations with other units. The results concerning the four separated factors used to measure cognitive and relational social capital appear to be influenced by invisible multimillionaires. However, these factors still explain to considerable extent the achievement of business unit ambidexterity and reference. Concerning cognitive social capital, a shared culture and systems do not appear to influence the achievement of ambidexterity, while a shared vision among business units strongly supports business unit ambidexterity and to considerable extent performance. Concerning relational social capital, trust between business units seems to contribute to ambidexterity, but a shared vision is an important contributor to this relationship. Trust also positively influences unit performance. Strong ties do not seem to influence the simultaneous pursuit for exploratory and exploitative innovation. If at all, the relation would have been negative. Before strong ties would benefit ambidexterity, these ties need to be complemented by a certain amount of trust. In addition, strong ties do not support unit performance. The findings indicate that a combination of shared culture and systems and shared vision into a single measure of cognitive social capital does explain business unit ambidexterity and to considerable extent unit performance. The sharing of a vision amongst separated business units appears to reduce the negative effects of resistance to change and adaptability following from a shared culture and systems. By combining shared vision and shared culture and systems it seems that a more balanced understanding or context is created in which units accept the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation. The combination also positively impacts performance. A combination of trust and strong ties into a single measure of relational social capital does explain unit performance, and to some extent ambidexterity. It appears that trusting relations positively mediate the negative relation between strong ties and the search for novel ideas. While trust leads to the exchange and combination of rich resources, the implementation of the consequent novel insights and combinations is benefited by strong ties. The achievement of business unit ambidexterity does positively influence unit performance. However, ambidexterity does not seem to mediate the relation between social capital and performance. Rather the relation between social capital and unit performance is a direct one. Overall, social capital dimensions enable the integration of exploratory and exploitative activities, while ameliorating the subsequent internal tensions. In addition, the content of relations and extent of mutual understanding between business units influences unit performance. Hence, social capital is an important contributor to vital business unit outcomes. Top managers should therefore master the creation and exploitation of social capital. Interesting avenues for future literature are discussed. Taken together, these understandings deliver new insights into how business units might achieve competitive advantages and increased performance and survival chances. 5 An organization’s long-term survival depends on its ability to â€Å"engage in enough exploitation to ensure the organization’s current viability and to engage into enough exploration to ensure future viability’ (March, 1991: 105). Indeed, Rakish Brainwash (2008) in their effort to merge the burgeoned literature on organizational ambidexterity conclude that successful firms are ambidextrous. It provides the organization the ability to be aligned with and adaptable to their environment (Gibson Brainwash, 2004), enables the organization to simultaneously pursue exploratory and exploitative innovations (Banner Dustman, 2003), and gives it competitive advantage (Dustman Reilly, 1996). To achieve organizational ambidexterity organizations have to unite the contradictory forces of exploration and exploitation and manage the internal tensions that these forces bring along. While the benefits of organizational ambidexterity have been emphasized and important contributions providing insight in how to accomplish organizational ambidexterity have been made (e. G. Jansen, George, Van den Busch, Belabored, AAA; Kittening Dustman, 2007; smith Dustman, 2005; He Wong, 2004), empirical evidence explicating the factors underlying the process of achieving organizational ambidexterity is largely lacking (Reilly Dustman, 2008; Jansen, et al, AAA). The ambidextrous organization thrives on internally inconsistent structures and cultures (Smith Dustman, 2005). Exploratory units search for new knowledge and skills for the development of radical innovations in order to meet the needs of emerging customers or markets, while exploitative units build on and extend existing knowledge and skills for making incremental changes to existing products and services to meet the needs of existing customers and markets (Banner Dustman, 2003). This focus enables the units to optimally configure themselves around specific discontentment requirements (Lawrence Lora’s, 1967). However, it is the strategic integration of these contradictory forces which leads organizational ambidexterity to become a dynamic capability for the organization (Reilly Dustman, 2008). Since organizational ambidexterity appears to be such an important concept for organizations and difficult to achieve a lack in research on its antecedents is surprising. This paper focuses on the antecedents of ambidexterity at business unit level by taking on a social capital perspective. The research on managing and integrating exploratory and exploitative activities has mainly focused on formal structures and incentives, largely ignoring the social structure that likely enables organizational ambidexterity (Cleanable Dustman, 2007; Jansen, Van den Busch, Belabored, 2006). By focusing on cognitive social capital and relational social capital, the two dimensions of social capital that provide closure within the organization (Van Wick, Jansen, Less, 2008), the paper attempts to explain the integration of exploratory and exploitative activities. The paper argues hat cognitive social capital, represented by shared culture and systems and shared vision, provides the needed meaning and understanding in the context of contradiction (Smith Dustman, 2005; Inpatient Shoal, 1998; Inept and Tsars, 2005; Van Wick, et al, 2008), which is apparent in the ambidextrous organizational form. The facets of relational social capital, represented by trust and strong ties, are seen as enablers to bringing units focusing on either exploratory or exploitative activities together (Van Wick, et al, 2008; Tsar, 2000). Also, social capital stands central o the understanding of innovation (Inpatient Shoal, 1998; Moran, 2005) and as such influences exploratory and exploitative innovation. In addition, Guppy, Smith Shelley (2006) state that learning from exploratory and exploitative activities is more likely to occur at macro level (I. E. Team, unit, organizational, or interdenominational), than at micro level (I. E. The individual). Thus, referring to the definition of social capital (Inept Tsars, 2005), organizational learning is a resource which is embedded within, becomes available through, and can be derived from a network of relationships. Following this logic, organizational ambidexterity resides in the relationships between units, which are explained by social capital theory. By addressing the question how social capital can enable ambidexterity, the study attempts to bring a social perspective into the ambidexterity debate. Research addressing this link is missing, while the two are seemingly related. By studying the relation between social capital, which has the ability to build competitive advantage (Inpatient Shoal, 1998), and ambidexterity, which leads to long-run survival (Rakish Brainwash, 2008), this paper contributes mainly to the strategic management and organizational literature. In the following sections theory and hypotheses will be presented. Ambidexterity and social capital will be explained, while the hypotheses and the research model linking the two are given. Then, the methodology section will outline how the study tests these hypotheses within business units. The results section provides initial insight on the fulfillment of the hypotheses, while their implications will be outlined in the discussion and conclusion section. In addition, the paper proposes future avenues for inquiry. 7 Duncan (1976) introduced the term ambidexterity, in the organizational setting, arguing that long-term organizational success depends on switching organizational structures in sequence, depending on an organization’s state of innovativeness. When an organization finds itself in a phase of innovation it should adopt an organic structure. When the organization is ready to exploit the innovation a mechanistic structure is more appropriate. However, it was not until the seminal article of March (1991) on organizational learning that research on ambidexterity started burgeoning. March (1991) argued that organizations should â€Å"engage in enough exploitation to ensure the organization’s current viability and engage in enough exploration to ensure future viability’ (March, 1991: 105, italics added). A focus on exploitation at the expense of exploration is likely to lead to short-term success, but in the long-term may lead to competency traps and inertia. A focus on exploration at the expense of exploitation might lead to innovate ideas, but would leave the organization without the ability to reap the benefits. Dustman Reilly (1996) showed that organizations are able to combine exploratory and exploitative activities. How to cite Msc Strategic Management, Papers

Publications History and Recent Developments

Question: Discuss about the Publications History and Recent Developments. Answer: Introduction Art has, since time immemorial, been the most reflective mediums of communication. It has the ability to describe or imitate the reality, conjure an image of what the reality should be or can be. The combination of the colors, brushstrokes etc might sound mundane separately but together they create something that goes beyond the universal reality McInnes, G. (1939). When it comes to representing women in the works of art, many accomplished artists have not only failed by reaching the required mark, they have often ended up painting a very wrong and disappointing picture. Most of the artwork on women portrays them as sad, fragile and helpless and the representative of common stereotypes of the particular period in which a painting had been made Kelly, J. and Wossen-Taffesse, M. (2012). However, post 1960s, a new era of female artists arrived which used the representation of women in their paintings to convey their opinions on matters of race, gender, war etc. Every artist goes through a financial crisis at least once in his life. Edgar Degas is no different. Although a legit art form, his choice of nudes, casts a shadow of doubt on his intentions of producing that art. An artist who wants to experiment and learn the art of painting nudes will surely not stick to one gender or a particular age group of people. His choice of painting female nudes of specifically young, rather curvaceous women makes it quite clear that he preferred them as subjects of his paintings due to the fact that they would make a much better saleable product than a mans or even a babys nude Morris, J. (1972). His was widely criticized of his portrayal of women in brothels and baths and in various other intimate and awkward positions. However, today his work is considered as one of the best artwork of that period for his difference from the impressionists and his preference of realism in his works. Despite his impeccable style of painting human bodies in their raw form , it cannot be denied that he was one among many who considered a womans nude to be a profitable commodity rather than artwork. Prudence Heward created paintings portraying women, both white and black models. The subject of her Indian Head was an indigenous woman Kelly, J. and Wossen-Taffesse, M. (2012). She used words like head or girl rather than woman because it was a time when use of gendered language was not appreciated. Her interest in using black females as subjects stemmed from a lot of factors such as formal interests i.e. painting a black woman allowed her a wide variety of use of colors; altruistic i.e. emphasizing the issue of race or it might have been the presence of numerous black women as models in need of extra cash Heward, P. (1948). The bad posture, depressed expressions and unattractive bodies of black women in her paintings speak loudly of the issues of gender and race in the Canadian community during that period. Coming from a affluent white family in Montreal, Hewards representation of black women went beyond race and gender towards issue of social class. Art historian Charmaine Nelson asks, How could one seriously interpret Prudence HewardsDark Girl(1935), a lone naked and melancholic black female surrounded by tropicalized foliage, without discussing the evocation of Africa as the dark continent and without mentioning Hewards seeming preoccupation with black women and girls as subjects for other paintings likeHester(1937),Clytie(1938),Girl in the Window(1941), andNegress with Flower(n.d.)? Prudence Hewards insistence on painting women independent of children is quite indicative of the fact that she wanted to put some light on female as a person alone and not as mothers or wives or daughters etc. It also reflects the scenario of the early twentieth century where women were rebelling against the demands of familial relations especially in marriage Heward, P. (1948). Her painting of her niece Ann is a representative of that. Heward is quite known for her painting of her friend Eleanor and Mabel Lockerby as a portrayal of womens independence, where the latter is seen sitting in a caf alone. It depicts the presence of women in modern spaces during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Heward, P. (1948). Dennis Read, in his A Concise History of Canadian Painting, discusses Hewards Farmers Daughter 1945, and remarks upon the subjects vigorous individuality bold, exciting, it is almost shocking in its sugar-acid colors and defiant anonymity. In 1986, Luckyj curatedExpressions of Will: The Art of Prudence Hewardat the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, which was accompanied by an exhibition catalogue, one of the first texts to focus on a sole Canadian woman artist. Conclusion Before the arrival of the first wave of feminism, women, in the art produced by skilled and esteemed artists, are merely present for the sake of being present. There is no deeper thought or meaning in their representation Morris, J. (1972). Their worth in these artworks is nothing more than their worth in real life. When someone creates a piece of art, people expect it to be something more than what their dull minds could ever conceive but these kind of paintings merely make the plight of women in that period worse but making a public mockery out of it. Post 1960s period saw women contributing actively in the field of art. Their art was not merely an exhibition of their skills but also a portrayal of their struggles, their thoughts on the contemporary issues of society and most importantly their individuality, instead of just being an object of desire. The stark difference between being painted by man and being painted by a woman is not only clearly visible but too striking to ignore McInnes, G. (1939). Art was not just a means to an end but had become a platform for voicing their opinions. References BjArhovde, G. (2014). Emily Carr: Border-crossing Canadian artist and writer. Nordlit, [online] (33), p.171. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.7557/13.3178 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Dunn, L. (2012). Revolutionizing the Study of Female Artists. The Eighteenth Century, [online] 53(2), pp.253-256. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ecy.2012.0015 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Eriti, . (2015). Representation of Women in Late Ottoman Paintings. Moment Journal, [online] 2(2), pp.59-79. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.17572/mj2015.2.5979 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Heward, P. (1948). Prudence Heward. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada. Kelly, J. and Wossen-Taffesse, M. (2012). The Black Canadian: An Exposition of Race, Gender, and Citizenship. Journal of Canadian Studies, [online] 46(1), pp.167-192. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jcs.46.1.167 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. McInnes, G. (1939). A short history of canadian art. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada. Morris, J. (1972). The nude in Canadian painting. Toronto: New Press. Singer, L. (1983). Canadian art publications: history and recent developments. Art Libraries Journal, [online] 8(01), pp.4-57. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s030747220000331x [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Sleigh, S. and Graham, M. (1976). Some Canadian Women Artists. Art Journal, [online] 36(2), p.168. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/776173 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Stephenson, J. (2010). Portrait of the Artist as Artist: The Celebration of Autobiography. Canadian Theatre Review, [online] 141, pp.49-53. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.3138/ctr.141.49 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017].

Pestle Anaylsis of Snack Food free essay sample

Even we have to bulky purchase from suppliers, it does not affect us so much since the production of preserved fruits is most important part and we own the formula ourselves. 2. Substitutes |Analysis Criteria |Risk Rating | | |High |Medium |Low | |The relative price performance of substitutes |V |   |   | |Switching Costs |V |   |   | |Buyer propensity to substitute    |   |V | |Overall Risk Rating |V |   |   | Preserved fruits are not the compulsory daily items, they can be substituted by any snacks like candy, chips etc. Most of the substitutes are lower price than ours, the product types are more diversified and the packages are fancier as well. More, the promotion are all around us, for example, TV advertisement, magazines, internet etc. Therefore, there are easy to get the information from the substitutes. However, there are several types of people are quite high loyalty on the preserved fruits such as 60’s-70’s people and the Chinese traditional pr eserved fruits which are HK-made seekers. We will write a custom essay sample on Pestle Anaylsis of Snack Food or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 3. Buyers Analysis Criteria |Risk Rating | | |High |Medium |Low | |Differentiation of outputs |? |? |V | |Switching costs |V |? |? | |Presence of Substitutes |V |? |? | |Industry concentration relative to buyer concentration |V |? |? | |Importance of volume to buyers |? |? |V | |Cost relative to total buyer purchases |V |? |? |Impact of outputs on the cost of differentiation |? |? |V | |Buyer information about supplier products |? |V |? | |Threat of backward integration |? |V |? | |Overall Risk Rating |V |? |? | Though our products distribution are poor which are no official website, not enough media exposure, some products can be homemade, lesser and lesser HK-made Chinese traditional preserved fruits in HK, so it should be a certain buyers. Since there are lots of substitutes (candy, chips etc) can be replaced preserved fruits and their promotion are all around us like to through the media, internet, they just pay no cost to switch to the substitutes. They can buy the products almost everywhere as convenient shops, supermarkets, stores etc. Also preserved fruits are the insignificant to the buyers overall purchase, so buyers usually do not purchase bulky. 4. New Entrants |Analysis Criteria |Risk Rating | | |High |Medium |Low | |Economies of scale |? |? V | |Proprietary product differences   |? |? |V | |Brand identity |? |? |V | |Switching costs |? |V |? | |Capital requirements |? |? |V | |Access to distribution |V |? |? | |Absolute cost advantage |? |? V | |Government policy |? |? |? | |Expected retaliation |V |? |? | |Industry Profitability |? |? |V | |Stage in industry life cycle |? |V |? | |Overall Risk Rating |? | |V? | The industry of handmade Chinese traditional preserved fruits is in declining in HK, more relat ed-products which are not handmade are rising like the resellers, wholesalers (Aji Ichiban, Okashi Lan). More, our promotion channels are weak because of no official company website and poor media advertisements, it’s quite hard for buyers to have bulky purchase by using the order list from the company website. However, there are 20 retails shops located at the Kowloon, New Territories and Hong Kong Island where most of the shops are closed to commercial buildings, shopping malls and the housing estates. Buyers can buy the products easily. For the reason of lesser and lesser companies to produce the products in HK themselves, that’s the key selling point of our company! And especially the King Preserved Plum ( ) is the signature of our company, therefore, many people are willing to pay higher price to buy the products in HK-made Chinese traditional preserved fruits with good quality. 5. Rivalry Competitors Analysis Criteria |Risk Rating | | |High |Medium |Low | |Industry Growth Rate |   |   |V | |Product Differences |   |   |V | |Brand Identity |   |   |V | |Sw itching Costs |   |V |   | |Informational Complexity |   |   |V | |Concentration and balance |   |   |V | |Industry Commitment   |   |V |   | |Exit Barriers |V |   |   | |Overall Risk Rating |   |   |V | We have a large investment in producing preserved fruits and equipments, unless there is a buyer for preserved products, they may need to remain in the industry even if it is not profitable. Since we can change the suppliers easily, but the more important part is the production, so the cost to quality check for final products are high. And there are rare companies to produce HK-made preserved fruits, the competitors are trying to commitment the industry. Though there are lots of related-products resellers and wholesalers like Aji Ichiban, Okashi Lan, they are just purchase from worldwide, not the HK-made. Lots of people are willing to pay higher to buy the HK-made productions rather the non-HK-made products reseller and wholesalers. The fatal point is we are the well-known as the HK-made Chinese traditional preserved fruits company and even the King Preserved Plum ( ) is the signature of our company. 6. Summary five_force |Risk | |suppliers |Low | |substitutes |High | |buyers |High | |new entrants |Low | |rivalry competitors |Low | |overall |Medium |

Sand Dunes Around the World

Sand Dunes Around the World Sand dunes form some of the most spectacular and dynamic landforms on the planet. Individual sand granules (grains of sand) accumulate through both water and wind (eolian) transportation, a process known as saltation. Individual saltating granules form transversely (perpendicular) to the winds direction forming small ripples. As more granules collect, dunes form. Sand dunes can form in any landscape on Earth, not just deserts. Formation of Sand Dunes Sand itself is a type of soil particle. Its large size makes for swift transportation and high erodability. When granules accumulate, they form dunes under the following conditions: 1. Granules accumulate in an area devoid of vegetation.2. There must be enough wind to transport the granules.3. Granules will eventually settle into drifts and in larger quantities dunes when they accumulate against a stable barrier to the wind, such as vegetation or rocks. Parts of a Sand Dune Every sand dune has a windward (stoss) slope, crest, slipface, and leeward slope. The stoss side of the dune is transverse to the predominant wind direction. Saltating sand granules travel up the leeward slope, slowing as they accumulate other granules. The slipface forms right underneath the crest (the peak of the sand dune), where granules reach their maximum height and begin to slope steeply down the leeward side. Types of Sand Dunes Crescent sand dunes, also called barchan or transverse, are the most common sand dune shapes in the world. They form along the same direction as the predominant winds and have a single slipface. Since they are wider than they are long they can travel very quickly. Linear dunes are straight and are often in the form of parallel ridges. Reversing dunes result from sand dunes that are impacted by wind that reverses direction. Star dunes are pyramid-shaped and have three or more sides. Dunes can also be comprised of smaller dunes of different types, called complex dunes. Sand Dunes Around the World Algerias Grand Erg Oriental is one of the largest sea of dunes in the world. This portion of the vast Sahara Desert covers over 140,00 square kilometers in area. These predominantly linear dunes run north-south, with some complex dunes in the area as well. The famous sand dunes at Great Sand Dune National Park in southern Colorado formed in a valley from ancient lake bed. Large quantities of sand remained in the area after the lake breached. Predominant winds blew the sands towards the nearby Sangre de Cristo mountains. Storm winds blew over the other side of the mountains towards the valley, causing the dunes to grow vertically. This resulted in the tallest sand dunes in North America at over 750 feet. Several hundred miles north and east lie the Nebraska sandhills. Much of west and central Nebraska is covered by these ancient mostly transverse dunes, left over from when the Rocky Mountains formed. Agriculture can be difficult so ranching is the predominant land use in the area. Livestock graze these heavily vegetated hills. The sandhills are significant as they helped form the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides water for much of the Great Plains and central North America. Highly porous sandy soils collected centuries of rain and glacial meltwater, which helped form the massive unconfined aquifer. Today organizations such as the Sandhills Task Force strive to save water resources in this area. Visitors and residents of one of the Midwests largest cities can visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, along part of Lake Michigans southern shore, about an hour southeast of Chicago. The dunes at this popular attraction resulted when the Wisconsin glacier formed Lake Michigan over 11,000 years ago. Sediments left behind formed the present dunes as the massive glacier melted during the Wisconsin Ice Age. Mount Baldy, the tallest dune in the park actually retreats south at a rate of about four feet per year as it is too tall to for vegetation to hold it in place. This kind of dune is known as a freedune. Sand dunes are found around the world, in varying types of climates. Overall, every sand dune is created by the interaction of the wind with soil in the form of grains of sand.

A Timeline of the War of 1812

A Timeline of the War of 1812 The War of 1812 officially began on June 18, 1812 when America declared war against the British. Known as Mr. Madisons War or The Second American Revolution, the war would last for over two years. It officially ended with the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. Following is a timeline of the major events that led to declaring war along with the events of the war itself.   Timeline of the War of 1812 1803-1812 - British impress approximately 10,000 Americans, forcing them to work on British ships.July 23, 1805 - British decide in Essex case that American traders who travel between neutral and enemy ports will allow for the seizing many commercial ships.January 25, 1806 - James Madison delivers report concerning British interference and impressment of sailors causing anti-British feelings to arise.August 1806 - American minister James Monroe and envoy William Pinkney are unable to resolve the major problems between the British and Americans concerning commercial shipping and impressment.1806 - The British blockade France; American ships are caught in the middle, and the British seize approximately 1,000 US ships.March 1807 - Thomas Jefferson receives the Monroe-Pinkney treaty but does not submit it to Congress because it represents a dismal failure for the Americans.June 1807 - The American ship Chesapeake is fired on by the British ship Leopard after refusing to be boarded. This creates an international incident. December 1807 - Thomas Jefferson attempts peaceful coercion of the British with his embargo, but it results in economic disaster for merchants.1811 - Battle of Tippecanoe - Tecumsehs brother (the Prophet) leads attack on William Henry Harrisons army of 1,000 men.June 18, 1812 - America declares war against the British. This war is known as Mr. Madisons War or The Second American Revolution.August 16, 1812 - the U.S. loses Ft. Mackinac as the British invade American territory.1812 - Three attempts are made by the U.S. to invade Canada. They all end in failure.1812 - The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) defeats the HMS Guerriere.January 1813 - Battle of Frenchtown. British and Indian allies repel Kentucky troops in bloody fighting. The American survivors are killed in the Raisin River Massacre.April 1813 - Battle of York (Toronto). US troops take control of Great Lakes and burn York.September 1813 - Battle of Lake Erie. US forces under Captain Perry defeat a British naval attack. October 1813 - Battle of Thames (Ontario, Canada). Tecumseh is killed in a US victory.March 27, 1814 - Battle of Horseshoe Bend (Mississippi Territory). Andrew Jackson defeats the Creek Indians.1814 - The British plan a 3-part invasion of US: Chesapeake Bay, Lake Champlain, the mouth of Mississippi River. The British are eventually turned back at Baltimore harbor.  August 24-25, 1814 - The British burn Washington, D.C. and Madison flees the White House.September 1814 - Battle of Plattsburgh (Lake Champlain). The US secures its northern border with a huge victory over a larger British force.December 15, 1814 - The Hartford Convention occurs. A group of Federalists discuss secession and propose seven amendments to protect the influence of Northeastern states.December 24, 1814 - Treaty of Ghent. The British and American diplomats agree to return to the status quo from before the war.January 1815 - Battle of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson scores a huge victory and paves the way to the Wh ite House. 700 British are killed, 1,400 are wounded. The US only loses 8 soldiers.

Wwek3dicussions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wwek3dicussions - Case Study Example Some benefits may be excluded by the statutes from an employee’s income such as the on- premise eating facilities. Even though fringe benefits are treated as being part of the taxable wages, there also includes individual fringe benefits that are expected. Thus, the IRS should retain these exclusions in the tax code (Lieuallen, 2011). There is also a major gain to offering the benefits is that one can still take a business deduction for his or her cost regardless of whether the employees do not have to pay taxes. The fringe benefits may include qualified employee discounts as well as adequate transportation fringe benefits among others. In addition, some of these taxable income exclusions benefit particular industries as per the exclusions benefiting industries such the insurance industry. The proceeds from a life insurance that are paid when someone dies are not taxable. Another good example is the timber industry; the incomes generated from the sale of timber are not considered as gross income, but they are treated as capital gain thus being subject to capital gains tax (Karayan, Swenson & Neff, 2010). Permanent amendments were made to the federal estate tax laws in the late 2013, whereby according to the new law individuals whose estates were taxable through at the states or federal level could have the following options put in place to reduce their tax bill (United States & Dickinson, 2013). One of the options is to spend assets; it is the easiest and quickest approach to reducing the estate value. Using of advanced estate planning techniques may also be another way of eliminating the potential estate tax (Geisler, 2013). The option of gifting through a family limited company may offer estate tax reduction as well as the protection of assets. Finally, the creation of the charitable trust, such as the charitable remainder trust, can give the clients a charitable income deduction in instances when the trust is