Y2k Computer Problem Essays - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL

Y2k Computer Problem The year 2000 is just around the corner. As some people look forward to a new and brighter millenium, others prophesize about the Second Coming, or the apocalypse. While these prophecies may be ignored by many, they might not be too far off base. The year 2000 may not bring an end to the physical world; however, it may cause great havoc to the worlds computing industry. The year 2000 problem (or Y2K as it is often referred to) is not really a bug or virus, but is a computer industry mistake. Personal computers (PCs), mainframes, and software are not designed or programmed to compute a future year ending in double zeros (00). This is going to be a costly fix for the industry to absorb. In fact, Mike Elgan, editor of Windows Magazine, says, . . . the problem could cost businesses a total of $600 billion to remedy(Experts Elgan). Y2K has become a two-part problem. One is the inability of the computer to adapt to the MM/DD/YY issue, while the second problem is the unwillingness of many people to see the impact it will have. Most IS (information system) specialists are either unconcerned or unprepared. In order to fix the year 2000 computer problem and its impact, one must fully understand what this problem is. Back in the 1960s, programmers decided to store the year of dates as two digits instead of four in order to save much needed space and cut costs. So the year 1998 would be stored as 98 and 2000 will be stored as 00. These two-digit dates will be on millions of files used as input for millions of applications. This two-digit date affects data manipulation, mainly subtractions and comparisons (Doomsday Jager). For instance, Joe was born in 1957. If the computer was asked to calculate how old Joe is today, it subtracts 57 from 98 and reports that he is 41. This calculation is correct. In the year 2000 however, the computer will subtract 57 from 00 and say that he is -57 years old. Many owners of home computers feel this bug wont affect their personal computer but its expected that up to 80% of all personal PCs will fail when the year 2000 arrives. More than 80,000,000 PCs will be shut down December 31, 1999 with no problems as workers leave their office for the weekend. However, on January 1, 2000, some 80,000,000 PCs will fail as systems are turned on and booted up (Believe Jager). Fixing the problem seems to be difficult a difficult task, as all applications from spreadsheets to email will be affected. Should an individual replace his current computer with one that is Year 2000 compatible or simply replace the RTC (Real Time Clock), the BIOS, or the OS? Even if the hardware problem is fixed is all the software used may not be adequate to make the transition. The answers to these questions and others like these cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. For one thing, the leading experts in the computer world cannot agree that there is even a problem, let alone discuss the extent to which it will impact society and the business world. CNN correspondent Jed Duvall illustrates another possible problem scenario. Suppose someone on the East Coast, at 2 minutes after midnight in New York City on January 1, 2000 decides to make a call to a friend in California, where it is still 1999 because of the time zone difference. With the current configurations in the phone companys computers, the New Yorker will be billed from 00 to 99, a phone call lasting for 99 years (Duvall). Say a deposit of $100 was made into a savings account that pays 5% interest annually. The following year the depositor decides to close the account. The bank computer figures the $100 was there for one year at 5% interest, yielding $105, simple enough. What happens though, if the money is not withdrawn before the year 2000? The computer will re-do the calculation exactly the same way. The money was in the bank from '95 to '00. That's '00 minus '95, which equals a negative 95 (-95). That's -95 years at 5% interest. That is

City Spotlight Houston Job Market Growing Fastest in Nation

City Spotlight Houston Job Market Growing Fastest in Nation maybe your only association with texas’s largest and most diverse city is its relationship with nasa’s johnson space center (aka mission control, ala â€Å"houston, we have a problem†) or nickname it acquired after hurricane katrina: â€Å"the big heart.† what you may not know is that it’s been rebounding from the recession faster than practically any other city in the country. a city at the head of the best top 10 listshouston’s unemployment rate is significantly below the national average. in addition, its low cost of living contributes to its standing as the nation’s highest-paying city, it was insulated from the housing bubble that rocked the rest of the country- and it is the number one city in the u.s. for job creation! suck it, every other city!top job categories# of jobsaverage salaryhealthcare20,110$54,080sales12,122$44,990computers11,201$88,234financial services and banking8,208$82,618administrative office work7,502$36,546en gineering and architecture5,465$103,334customer service call center4,151$34,064marketing, advertising business dev.3,962$64,516operations, logistics warehousing3,761$50,000human resources / recruiting3,346$51,000 [source: thejobnetwork]according to new geography.com:[t] he average annual wage in 2011 was $59,838, eighth highest in the nation. what puts houston at the top of the list is the region’s relatively low cost of living, which includes such things as consumer prices and services, utilities and transportation costs and, most importantly, housing prices: the ratio of the median home price to median annual household income in houston is only 2.9, remarkably low for such a dynamic urban region. . . adjusted for cost of living, the average houston wage of $59,838 is worth $66,933, tops in the nation.a city of reinventionthrough 2014, houston has recovered 300% of jobs lost to the recession- possibly due to its vibrant port trades and 26 fortune 500 company headquarters. many of those recovered jobs were in the energy industry- including conoco phillips, marathon oil, sysco, apache and more.houston is so business-friendly, more than 100 internationally owned companies expanded, relocated, or were founded there in the past 5 years.healthcare professionals can also find lots to occupy themselves in houston- the texas medical center is the single largest employer in the city, with 21 hospitals, 8 academic and research institutions, and 50 related not-for-profit organizations. the university of texas m.d. anderson center’s premier cancer research hospital is at the heart of it.a thriving place to live and learnhousing is more affordable in houston, and it’s third in the nation for green space per capita. two major universities call houston home- the university of houston and rice university, one of the country’s best undergraduate schools for the applied sciences.mark rothko contributed to the design of â€Å"the rothko chapel,â⠂¬  which joins 19 other museums and the houston museum of fine arts, one of the finest collections of american arts and furniture craft in the country. it hosts its own fashion week, attracting homegrown and international designers.another bonus- travel + leisure magazine named houston its best city for foodies this year:the city ranked at no. 1 in three separate food categories: burgers, brunch, and specialty food shops (like revival market, where local gourmands stock up on artisanal cheeses, charcuterie and house-made pickles and jams). houston also knows how to break free of american-style convention: one hot new place, dak bop, does korean-style fried chicken with spicy sauces, paired with blackberry chili margaritas. speaking of burgers, though, it’s hard to leave town without enjoying one of the old-school, mustard-laced big boys at lankford grocery,   or the acclaimed 3-oz. sliders at little bigs in the museum district, which also offers a respectably long wine l ist- after all, the city ranked at no. 3 for vino.houston is well-known for its vietnamese, cajun, and mexican food. there’s also an outpost of uchi, one of america’s most lauded sushi restaurants!so if you’re in the market for a new home base that can give you cultural resources, good eats, and a promising job market- consider addinghouston to your list of possibilities!here are the top companies that are hiring in houston right now:1. lowe’s2. hcr manorcare3. crossmark4. johnson johnson5. general dynamics information technology  6. boeing company7. life time  8. quest diagnostics9. whole foods market10.  matrix

The Silent K

The Silent K The Silent K The Silent K By Sharon One common spelling error is omitting the K at the beginning of words where it is silent (example: nick-nack instead of knick-knack). The origins of silent K are difficult to pin down. What we do know is that the k wasnt always silent, especially in words of Germanic origin. Just as it is in German, the k was actually pronounced and many of the words which now have silent k originally began with that distinctive clicking sound. My high school teacher made a point of this when teaching us Chaucer. However, some time after the Chaucerian era, the k sound disappeared from the kn combination. There is speculation that it suddenly became hard to pronounce, and was just one of many linguistic changes after the Great Vowel Shift. I havent found any corroboration for this theory. Heres a partial list of words with a silent K. Feel free to add yours. knack knacker knapsack knave knead knee kneel knell knelt knew knick-knack knickers knife knight knit knob knock knoll knot know knowledge knuckle Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Email EtiquettePhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Word - Essay Example The first imperative ethical issue facing him is the fact that he has setup a system that allows him to trace information such as emails sent among his fellow employees. This is a violation of communication privacy that is usually avoided in majority of work places. Additionally, Mr. Child’s has setup the system through passwords that gives him the absolute access to all the information. These passwords do not allow other employees to access imperative work information. Moreover, Mr. Child’s has been working overtime without the instructions of his employers. This is another instance where he violated work ethics that guides the general time period, which employee should perform their duties. Consequently, he was found guilty of creating a vulnerable system through Digital Subscriber Line that allows unauthorized persons to access the Company’s information from online sources. This is a violation of the ethics that guide the privacy of a company’s information. The ethical issue in the case study provided, involves poor management of information among the employees specifically caused by Child’s actions. It affects the company’s efficacy of modus operandi in regard to their access to information. Indeed this scenario involves decision making in order to eliminate undesirable modes of information management within the company. Consequently, the case is more than legal as it entails making decisions ascribed to work ethics within a department. The case study presents a scenario where there is poor inter-personal relationship between Mr. Child and other employees. There is also poor information management majorly due to violation of communication ethics. Mr. Child and his employer seem to be the cause of the problem thus they are important in determination of the final outcome. Another crucial way, which can facilitate decision making in this case is facilitating dialogue between Mr. Child and his Employers outside the court. This can be done by a

Drugs and Crime- The Media's Influence-repost Personal Statement

Drugs and Crime- The Media's Influence-repost - Personal Statement Example According to Morgan, the freedom of media need regulation in order to meet the needs of the citizenry, which requires impartial, justice and fairness (46). The misrepresentation of facts is a crime and the media should be accountable for false information. This is because the misrepresentation of facts is a civil misdeed, which may lead to defamation and other damages on the part of the defendant. The media should discourage drugs, instead of the media applying double standards in a bid to save the image of celebrities like Bieber. The media should take the initiative to enlighten the public, especially the youth, on the side effects of misuse of drugs. This will serve as a deterrent measure of the prevalence of drug misuse, which leads to road carnage and other social evils. The media can make use of advertisements and other form of media outlets in the dissemination of information on the effects of misuse of drugs (Morgan 67). Information is power and it can help the decision making process of the vulnerable populace especially the youth population. The media should not be allowed to be part of any criminal proceedings with regard to drugs and crime. This will ensure that justice is administered without undue

Impact of Texting On Society Essay Example for Free

Impact of Texting On Society Essay A majority of 57 % of teenagers said they view their cell phones as the key to their social life. 47 % of teens say their social lives would end or worsen if texting was no longer an option. The impact of texting even expands in the classroom as numerous amount of teachers nationwide are noticing texting lingo in papers that are handed into them. 64 % of students nationwide say they text in class at least once a week. 54 % of teens prefer texting instead of talking face-to-face or talking on the phone. Texting has become the biggest phenomena in the past decade. One-third of American teens today text over 100 times a day. Texting has even expanded to adults. But in contrast to its original purpose, texting has become a curse, hindering communication, attentiveness, social lives, and even academics. Due to this, texting has become a phenomena that has changed or hindered development and abilities of society negatively. Furthermore, with the increasing numbers of texting, the use of texting messaging has hampered people’s abilities to communicate effectively. LOL, OMG, and BTW are examples of the new texting â€Å"lingo†. Text messaging started its own â€Å"language† in which words and sentences are shortened to what they sound like instead of how they are really spelled. When 293 of teachers where surveyed, 193 of them said that students are carrying text message lingo in their class assignments ( Negative Aspects of Text Messaging 1). This means that many students are shortening their words and using ineffective grammar not only while they text but also when they do school assignments. Even though many teachers have found texting habits in papers being handed into them, some say that the main problem is the lack of depth the students work. Texting is very simple and with the rapid growth of texting student’s sentence are starting to become simpler and less descriptive. Likewise, texting has caused a lack of verbal communication skills on people. Studies have shown that text messaging is the number one form of communication the people prefer, including face-to face or verbal communication. Text messaging is simpler than verbal communication because there is no real depth in the conversation and the people that are communicating don’t have to be engage in the conversation. College engineering major Darko Marquez agrees with this by saying â€Å"The thing I love most about texting is that unlike the phone where you have to sit and concentrate into a long, boring conversation, you can multi-task and talk to as much people as you want†(Cesar Marquez 1). Darko is an example of people in society today lacking the ability to get emotionally attached in a verbal conversation. Psychologist Cecilia Holguin has studied effect of texting on communication skills and her studies have shown that texting does not have any emotional connection compared to verbal conversations, which attracts many young people to texting(Cesar Marquez 1). This means that texting is making society simpler and less emotionally attached while communicating. Furthermore, effective communication and grammar is vital for society to improve intellectually. But unfortunately, texting messaging is playing a key role in hampering society’s improvement in communication and grammar. Likewise, texting has not just affected communication but is also has changed the development of adolescence. Texting has been profoundly used by teenagers in America. Almost, if not all, teens in society text to one another. Teenager’s text everywhere and anytime they can. Teens text in class, at the dinner table, at parties, even if they are in the same room they text to one another. Texting has been hurting many teenagers grades because they text instead of studying or doing homework. A 13 year-old teen named Reina grades plummeted because she texts about 14,528 messages a month(Katie Hafner 1). Reina was so focused on texting that she would push her schoolwork to the side. But grades is not the only thing affecting teens. Sleep deprivation has been a problem because many teens stay up later to text friends. About 80% of teens that text late at night have problems with maintaining good sleeping habits. Sleep deprivation itself has negative side effects on adolescent’s health such as unintentional injuries, poor school performance, low grades, and an increase in mood disturbances(Teen Texting Taking a Toll: Lack of Sleep May Impact School Performance and Mood 1). Furthermore, if texting is causing sleep deprivation, than the health of adolescent’s and their performance academically is at stake. Likewise, the emotional development of adolescents is taking a toll due to the rapid growth of texting. Many teens keep in touch with their parents throughout the day due to instant contact of texting. Due to this many teens have an attachment problem. Sherry Turkle studies have shown that with the constant contact of student’s parents teens lack independence and the ability to make decisions of their own (Texting is not talking 1). This means that instead of teens maturing on their own, they are becoming more dependent. Teens are very important in society because they are our future. If texting is negatively affecting teen’s developments, than there is no future. Texting needs to be limited in order for adolescences to mature into independent, intellectual adults. In continuation, different types of relationships have also been affected by the rapid growth of text messaging. Family structure is important in society because how kids are taught at home resemble their actions in public. Families are important to give advice, love, and support. But texting has played a key role in decreasing the amount of time families spend together. Teens are always texting to their peers, which normally isolates themselves from the rest of their family. Even at dinner time, numerous amounts of parents have said they have caught their child texting while at the dinner table. But it is not just teens, parents do it as well. Some parents usually text excessively for work, making it hard to spend time with their children. A parent-child relationship cannot be strengthen when a child or a parent is texting excessively which makes it harder for children to lose crucial life skills(Michele Borba 1). In romantic relationships, texting is a key attribute in many relationships. April Jones says that texting is major in her relationship and that she texts her boyfriend 20 times a day at least(Jefferson Graham 1). This means that April and her boyfriend have instant contact with each other which means less space and privacy. In continuation, some couples even call it quits through texting instead of face-to-face or a phone call. In a survey, 30% of the people surveyed said they have been dumped through texting and another 24% say it is acceptable to dump someone via text( Jefferson Graham 1). This means that text has decreased the emotional aspect of relationships and breaking up. Peter Tollner had experienced a break up via text and that most of the communication had been through texting even though they work in the same office( Jefferson Graham 1.) This means that romantic relationships have shifted to texting instead of affectionate time spent together. Bonds and relationships are important and in order to maintain these bonds time must be spent with one another. But with the increase of texting, family relationships and romantic relationships have changed for the worst. Furthermore, texting has ultimately became a distraction for many people of all ages. In the classroom, many teachers have caught their students texting. Schools across the nation have banned the use of cell phones in the classroom. But students continue to use their cell phones to check up on their peers or even text someone in their classroom. According to studies by Professors Deborah Tindell and Robert Bohlander, 95% of students bring their cell phone to class and 91% text while in class(Audrey Watters College Students Admit To â€Å"Shocking† Text Messaging Habits in Class 1). Of course it varies from school to school and class to class, but the number of students using cell phones in class is steadily increasing. This increase in cell phone use in class distracts students from the lesson and contributes to poor performances academically. Furthermore, what is worst than distractions in the classroom is distraction on the road due to texting. The numbers of people that are dying due to texting while has increased over the years. People who text while driving put themselves and others lives in danger. Even thought many states have banned DWT or driving while texting, but a new survey shows that 26% stiil do it and 60% of the 24% are from ages 16-19(Robert Roy Britt 1). This means that lives, especially youth lives, are in danger. According to studies, 16,000 deaths have been caused from texting while driving in a course of six years, 2002-2007,(Stephanie Hanes 1). The addictive aspects of texting have affected people so much they do it everywhere and anywhere they can. People do it in classrooms, in restaurants, and even while driving. Texting has become a major distraction in the classroom and even on the road. In continuation, texting has become people, especially adolescence’s, social lives and without texting many people would not know what to do. 57 % of students feel that their cell phones are a key to their social lives and 47% of that 57% feel that their social lives will get worse if their cell phones were taking from them. To maintain a healthy social life people must gather and enjoy an activity or spend time with each other. But now some people feel as if their the main part of a social life is communicating by texting instead of gathering together. Dr. Martin Joffe surveyed teens and found out that many students text about a hundred times a day(Katie Hafner 1). This means that most of time that teens spend together is not actually with each other but texting one another. With the rapid increase of texting, a new form of harassment is being displayed through texting. 39% of high school students said that they have been bullied through text messaging(Text-message bullying b ecoming more common 1). This means that rumors and nasty things are being said about teenagers through texting. This can ruin someone’s social life and even crush someone’s self-esteem. Bullying has been around for years, but with instant communication of texting more things can be spread to more people faster than ever. Social life is key for adolescence development. Texting has changed social life by communicating in person to texting being a number one form of communication. Texting has become a curse that has hindered many aspects of society such as communication, attentiveness, teenagers, social lives, and relationships. Texting has become a huge phenomena that is changing how adolescence develop mature. With the increase of texting, people no longer have to put forth the effort to do things that are normally done in person. Texting has made people more dependent and it has worsen critical thinking. Therefore, texting has become a problem that has negatively affected the skills and abilit ies of society.

Jackson Pollock :: Essays Papers

Jackson Pollock Jackson Pollock was an American abstract artist born in Cody, Wyoming in 1912. He was the youngest of his five brothers. Even though he was born on a farm, he never milked a cow and he was terrified of horses because he grew up in California. He dropped out of high school at the age of seventeen and proceeded to move to New York City with his older brother, Charles, and studied with Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League. Thomas Benton was already a great artist at the time in which Pollock studied with him. Benton acted like the father figure in Pollock’s life to replace the original that wasn’t there. Benton was known for his large murals that appear on ceilings or walls. â€Å"Jack was a rebellious sort at all times,† recalls his classmate and friend, artist Harold Lehman. He grew his hair long and helped pen a manifesto denouncing athletics, even though â€Å"he had a muscular build and the school wanted to put him on the football team,† says former teacher Doug Lemon. Pollock always was upset with himself in his studies because he had troubles drawing things like they were supposed to look. From 1938 to 1942, Jackson joined a Mexican workshop of people with a painter named David Siqueiros. This workshop painted the murals for the WPA Federal Art Projects. This new group of people started experimenting with new types of paint and new ways of applying it to large canvas. People say that this time period was when Jackson was stimulated with ideas from looking at the Mexican or WPA murals. Looking at paintings from Picasso and the surrealists also inspired Jackson at this time. The type of paint they used was mixing oil colors with paint used for painting cars. Jackson noticed that the shapes and colors they created were just as beautiful as anything else was. Jackson realized that you didn’t have to be able to draw perfect to make beautiful paintings. Jackson started developing a whole new way of pa inting that he had never tried before and his paintings were starting to look totally different from before. Jackson also started action paintings, which are paintings that are abstract, but get the word action from the way they are made.

Childhood Memories

In every human life, there is an unforgettable childhood experience. There could be many experiences or just one. These journeys can be good or bad and possibly end up beneficial or not. I have had a few bad ones. However, they occurred around times when I was trying to fit in and find my inner-self. In a sense, these experiences help to define my personality. In one way or another, bad experiences can lead to great success. Now I can talk about my experiences and what they led to. This is my story. Over the years between the third grade to the eighth grade, I have tremendously struggled with friendships. To be popular was a big need during the late 1990's and early 2000's. Kids were hanging out at basketball and football games, going to school dances, starting to date and have crushes on other students, and earn reputations throughout the school. Some students already had a reputation of being very `popular' while some were trying to fit in. I was one of those students. However, as time went by, I started to fit in more with cliques and different groups of friends. It sounded great however; being popular also comes with consequences. There are rumors that could be spread about you or someone else with your name in it.  Like read about memories? Read also  Flashbulb memory! Well, that's what happened to me. I was a friend of a student named Lorena. Our friendship was really good that we would hang out after school with other friends after riding the school bus home. As our friendship grew, so did our trust between each other. She told me that she had a crush on another student. I felt so special and popular but my 15 minutes of popularity would not last long. One day, Lorena and I had an argument. I threatened to tell people about her crush on another student. In reality, I never told anyone about her crush. One day, I was threatened verbally by some of her friends and I felt so bad. From that point on, I learned that being popular is not a big deal. Its consequences can put a damper on people's lives and can put people under pressure such as my situation. That means, people will remember or you will remember how you used to be. In addition, people will see how you will handle situations under pressure. If you don't come out strong, you will go from extremely popular to unrecognized. My 15 minutes of popularity was good to experience, but I'm glad the time was up. The consequences of being popular were more effective than the popular feeling itself. My last experience came with not being alert to public dangers. The cause of this experience was partially my fault. I will never forget that day. I was in the 7th grade and it was either a Tuesday or Wednesday night at the Wizards game. I was with my after-school group. Some of us had separated and looked around the stores inside the MCI Center. I went into the Discovery Center with one of the students from the program. We looked around and enjoyed some of the scientific display models. On our way out of the Center, we happened to encounter these young teenagers or younger in the elevator with us. There were 3 of them who were from either DC or Maryland. They looked sort of troubled but I was not giving them much attention. While in the elevator, one of them asked us for a dollar. I responded with saying of five dollars, which was larger than they asked for. From this moment, I was not street smart at because I was raised with out any street troubles and had no knowledge on how to be safe while you some talks to you that you do not know. My friend jumped out the elevator on purpose and left me in with the other guys. The three of them decided to tackle me and held me on the ground. Then, one of them reached in my pockets and took a dollar. I had realized I was just robbed. After 5 seconds, the elevator made it to ground level. When I got exited the elevator, security and my after-school chaperones came and made sure everything was all right. I was in complete shock and people asked me about what happened and I said to them that they took a dollar from me. In my mind, I was thinking of what I could have done to make the situation better. The reminisce lasted several months. This incident put a major effect in my life and it changed my personality. I am much more cautious of my surroundings and whom I hang out with. I definitely learned a lot from this situation. Those were my unforgettable experiences. I learned that being popular is not the best thing. If you just be yourself, people will accept you for who you are and not for what you are trying to be. Also, the elevator incident warned me that I need to be more alert of my surroundings. I should of never told those guys I had money in the first place. Secondly, I could have founded another way to get to the ground level once I saw those guys of what they're appearance looked like. I really learned from these situations. It's hard to predict when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unless you use your senses, you definitely can determine what can happen. These were great experiences for me to go through. If it were not for these experiences, I would be a fake fool and a mess. Now, I have a great personality and street smarts. I have made remarkable achievements. I am one of many people who probably went though experiences like that, that made a change for the better. This experience had a good and bad part of it, but there was a lesson learned from it. There will always be a lesson learned from any experience and they are a good way for people to look at if they are having problems themselves. Experiences are part of life. Childhood Memories In every human life, there is an unforgettable childhood experience. There could be many experiences or just one. These journeys can be good or bad and possibly end up beneficial or not. I have had a few bad ones. However, they occurred around times when I was trying to fit in and find my inner-self. In a sense, these experiences help to define my personality. In one way or another, bad experiences can lead to great success. Now I can talk about my experiences and what they led to. This is my story. Over the years between the third grade to the eighth grade, I have tremendously struggled with friendships. To be popular was a big need during the late 1990's and early 2000's. Kids were hanging out at basketball and football games, going to school dances, starting to date and have crushes on other students, and earn reputations throughout the school. Some students already had a reputation of being very `popular' while some were trying to fit in. I was one of those students. However, as time went by, I started to fit in more with cliques and different groups of friends. It sounded great however; being popular also comes with consequences. There are rumors that could be spread about you or someone else with your name in it.  Like read about memories? Read also  Flashbulb memory! Well, that's what happened to me. I was a friend of a student named Lorena. Our friendship was really good that we would hang out after school with other friends after riding the school bus home. As our friendship grew, so did our trust between each other. She told me that she had a crush on another student. I felt so special and popular but my 15 minutes of popularity would not last long. One day, Lorena and I had an argument. I threatened to tell people about her crush on another student. In reality, I never told anyone about her crush. One day, I was threatened verbally by some of her friends and I felt so bad. From that point on, I learned that being popular is not a big deal. Its consequences can put a damper on people's lives and can put people under pressure such as my situation. That means, people will remember or you will remember how you used to be. In addition, people will see how you will handle situations under pressure. If you don't come out strong, you will go from extremely popular to unrecognized. My 15 minutes of popularity was good to experience, but I'm glad the time was up. The consequences of being popular were more effective than the popular feeling itself. My last experience came with not being alert to public dangers. The cause of this experience was partially my fault. I will never forget that day. I was in the 7th grade and it was either a Tuesday or Wednesday night at the Wizards game. I was with my after-school group. Some of us had separated and looked around the stores inside the MCI Center. I went into the Discovery Center with one of the students from the program. We looked around and enjoyed some of the scientific display models. On our way out of the Center, we happened to encounter these young teenagers or younger in the elevator with us. There were 3 of them who were from either DC or Maryland. They looked sort of troubled but I was not giving them much attention. While in the elevator, one of them asked us for a dollar. I responded with saying of five dollars, which was larger than they asked for. From this moment, I was not street smart at because I was raised with out any street troubles and had no knowledge on how to be safe while you some talks to you that you do not know. My friend jumped out the elevator on purpose and left me in with the other guys. The three of them decided to tackle me and held me on the ground. Then, one of them reached in my pockets and took a dollar. I had realized I was just robbed. After 5 seconds, the elevator made it to ground level. When I got exited the elevator, security and my after-school chaperones came and made sure everything was all right. I was in complete shock and people asked me about what happened and I said to them that they took a dollar from me. In my mind, I was thinking of what I could have done to make the situation better. The reminisce lasted several months. This incident put a major effect in my life and it changed my personality. I am much more cautious of my surroundings and whom I hang out with. I definitely learned a lot from this situation. Those were my unforgettable experiences. I learned that being popular is not the best thing. If you just be yourself, people will accept you for who you are and not for what you are trying to be. Also, the elevator incident warned me that I need to be more alert of my surroundings. I should of never told those guys I had money in the first place. Secondly, I could have founded another way to get to the ground level once I saw those guys of what they're appearance looked like. I really learned from these situations. It's hard to predict when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unless you use your senses, you definitely can determine what can happen. These were great experiences for me to go through. If it were not for these experiences, I would be a fake fool and a mess. Now, I have a great personality and street smarts. I have made remarkable achievements. I am one of many people who probably went though experiences like that, that made a change for the better. This experience had a good and bad part of it, but there was a lesson learned from it. There will always be a lesson learned from any experience and they are a good way for people to look at if they are having problems themselves. Experiences are part of life. Childhood Memories In every human life, there is an unforgettable childhood experience. There could be many experiences or just one. These journeys can be good or bad and possibly end up beneficial or not. I have had a few bad ones. However, they occurred around times when I was trying to fit in and find my inner-self. In a sense, these experiences help to define my personality. In one way or another, bad experiences can lead to great success. Now I can talk about my experiences and what they led to. This is my story. Over the years between the third grade to the eighth grade, I have tremendously struggled with friendships. To be popular was a big need during the late 1990's and early 2000's. Kids were hanging out at basketball and football games, going to school dances, starting to date and have crushes on other students, and earn reputations throughout the school. Some students already had a reputation of being very `popular' while some were trying to fit in. I was one of those students. However, as time went by, I started to fit in more with cliques and different groups of friends. It sounded great however; being popular also comes with consequences. There are rumors that could be spread about you or someone else with your name in it.  Like read about memories? Read also  Flashbulb memory! Well, that's what happened to me. I was a friend of a student named Lorena. Our friendship was really good that we would hang out after school with other friends after riding the school bus home. As our friendship grew, so did our trust between each other. She told me that she had a crush on another student. I felt so special and popular but my 15 minutes of popularity would not last long. One day, Lorena and I had an argument. I threatened to tell people about her crush on another student. In reality, I never told anyone about her crush. One day, I was threatened verbally by some of her friends and I felt so bad. From that point on, I learned that being popular is not a big deal. Its consequences can put a damper on people's lives and can put people under pressure such as my situation. That means, people will remember or you will remember how you used to be. In addition, people will see how you will handle situations under pressure. If you don't come out strong, you will go from extremely popular to unrecognized. My 15 minutes of popularity was good to experience, but I'm glad the time was up. The consequences of being popular were more effective than the popular feeling itself. My last experience came with not being alert to public dangers. The cause of this experience was partially my fault. I will never forget that day. I was in the 7th grade and it was either a Tuesday or Wednesday night at the Wizards game. I was with my after-school group. Some of us had separated and looked around the stores inside the MCI Center. I went into the Discovery Center with one of the students from the program. We looked around and enjoyed some of the scientific display models. On our way out of the Center, we happened to encounter these young teenagers or younger in the elevator with us. There were 3 of them who were from either DC or Maryland. They looked sort of troubled but I was not giving them much attention. While in the elevator, one of them asked us for a dollar. I responded with saying of five dollars, which was larger than they asked for. From this moment, I was not street smart at because I was raised with out any street troubles and had no knowledge on how to be safe while you some talks to you that you do not know. My friend jumped out the elevator on purpose and left me in with the other guys. The three of them decided to tackle me and held me on the ground. Then, one of them reached in my pockets and took a dollar. I had realized I was just robbed. After 5 seconds, the elevator made it to ground level. When I got exited the elevator, security and my after-school chaperones came and made sure everything was all right. I was in complete shock and people asked me about what happened and I said to them that they took a dollar from me. In my mind, I was thinking of what I could have done to make the situation better. The reminisce lasted several months. This incident put a major effect in my life and it changed my personality. I am much more cautious of my surroundings and whom I hang out with. I definitely learned a lot from this situation. Those were my unforgettable experiences. I learned that being popular is not the best thing. If you just be yourself, people will accept you for who you are and not for what you are trying to be. Also, the elevator incident warned me that I need to be more alert of my surroundings. I should of never told those guys I had money in the first place. Secondly, I could have founded another way to get to the ground level once I saw those guys of what they're appearance looked like. I really learned from these situations. It's hard to predict when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unless you use your senses, you definitely can determine what can happen. These were great experiences for me to go through. If it were not for these experiences, I would be a fake fool and a mess. Now, I have a great personality and street smarts. I have made remarkable achievements. I am one of many people who probably went though experiences like that, that made a change for the better. This experience had a good and bad part of it, but there was a lesson learned from it. There will always be a lesson learned from any experience and they are a good way for people to look at if they are having problems themselves. Experiences are part of life.

Compare/Contrast of Two and a Half Men

The popular television show, Two and a Half Men, has been on the air for just under a solid ten years. Even after ten years, and a complete main character change, it is still one of the most watched and beloved shows on television today. Most would argue, including myself, that the original version starring Charlie Sheen was much better than the current version, starring Ashton Kutcher.Both are very funny and have attempted to keep to the same â€Å"womanizing† main character, though the original pulled it off with much more success. The show was originally about a â€Å"pleasure-seeking† jingle writer, Charlie Harper, his uptight brother, Alan, and Alan's growing son, Jake. Charlie's laid back life becomes complicated when his brother gets divorced and moves in, along with Jake, to Charlie's beach-front Malibu house.The Harper brothers Charlie and Alan are almost opposites but form a great team for comedy. They have little in common except their dislike for their dull, emotionless, and dominant mother, Evelyn. Alan, a compulsively neat chiropractor and control-freak, is thrown out by his manipulative wife Judith who nevertheless gets him to pay for everything and do most jobs in the house. Charlie is a freelance jingle composer and irresistible bachelor who lives in a luxurious beach-house and rarely gets up before noon.Charlie â€Å"temporarily† allows Alan and his son Jake, a food-obsessed, lazy school kid who constantly moves between his parents, to move in with them after Alan's separation/divorce. The sitcom revolves around their conflicting lifestyles, raising Jake (who has the competent, caring dad while having a ball with his fun-loving uncle who teaches him the fun way to live), and bantering with Evelyn and various other friends and family.Other fairly regular characters include Charlie's cleaning lady Berta, who is the sarcastic and sharp-tongued character who merely does nothing more than insult almost every other character unf ortunate enough to cross her path (while completely ignoring her actual job), and his rich, self-confessed stalker neighbor Rose who often sneaks in to spy on Charlie and induce havoc into his already screwy life. Charlie's love life is a recurring theme in his character. He is an alcoholic womanizer who has engaged in decades of frequent one-night stands, prostitutes, casual sex, and â€Å"relationships† of short duration, in stark contrast to his rother Alan's inability to bring in much female attention. Even though Charlie usually never calls any of his partners again after he had sex with them, there are a few relationships on the show that lasted longer than one night, notably his neighbor Rose, who continues to stalk him after they spent one night together, and Jake's ballet teacher Mia, whom Charlie was actually in love with, and almost married in Las Vegas. He usually dated much younger women. Alan is almost the complete opposite of Charlie. He had been divorced twice over the series, and is notably seen as socially awkward with any woman he comes into contact with.Alan is essentially a leech on Charlie’s life, as he was only supposed to stay with Charlie for a short amount of time, that was ten seasons ago. Recently, though, Alan has managed to keep one person tied down and hold a steady, healthy relationship with. This person is Lyndsey MacElroy, who is actually a mother of one of Jake’s stoner friends. At the end of season eight, Charlie leaves in pursuit of Rose, who he admits he loves, to Paris. At the beginning of season nine, it is revealed that Charlie died in Paris, because he â€Å"fell† in front of a train (it is widely believed that Rose murdered him because he cheated on her, a lot).Enter: Walden Schmidt. Now begins the more recent version of the series. Charlie Harper is dead, and Alan and Berta must now move out of the fabulous beach-house and have no idea where to go. Schmidt is introduced to the series as a billionaire internet entrepreneur who has recently been divorced and is now suicidal. After unsuccessfully attempting suicide, he turns up at Charlie Harper's beach house and decides to buy it from Charlie's brother, Alan, to whom Charlie has left the house in his will, after dying in France. Alan has to put the house up for sale as he is unable to afford the mortgage payments and property tax.While Alan is speaking with Charlie's ashes and trying to decide where to spread them, Walden suddenly appears on the house's back deck, scaring Alan and causing him to drop the ashes on the living room floor. When Alan lets Walden in so he can use the telephone, Walden reveals he has just tried to commit suicide by drowning in the ocean. He tells Alan that he is worth $1. 3 billion, but would give it all up to reconcile with his wife Bridget, from whom he had recently separated. Walden and Alan then proceed to bond at the local bar, where Walden tells Alan that e made his money when Microsoft purchased his website. At the end of the episode Walden tells Alan that he is going to buy the house. This is fantastic news for Alan, as he now no longer has to move, Berta can be rehired, and a surrogate family has now been formed. Walden is a hopeless romantic and has had many failed relationships, ranging from divorce and breakups to rejection of marriage proposals. Walden's ex-wife describes him as â€Å"having the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old†, and she, his housekeeper Berta and his girlfriend Zoey have all described him as needy.However, he drives a Fisker Karma as he cares about the environment, and does not believe in lending money, as it is never repaid and leads to resentment of the person to whom the money is lent; instead he prefers to just give it away. He does not like the taste of alcohol and so does not drink much. When Walden met Alan Harper, the two almost instantly formed a friendship. Walden is very generous, which Alan uses to his advantage, such as when Alan's ex-wife Judith drops off their son Jake, and Alan convinces Walden to allow Jake to stay. Despite events such as this, Alan does demonstrate genuine concern for Walden.When Walden discovers that his imaginary childhood gorilla friend, â€Å"Magilla†, was real, and was part of an experiment being conducted by his mother, he becomes very upset, as he thought of Magilla as a brother. Alan climbs a roof to console him, telling him that he knows what it's like to lose a brother. Walden knows that Alan is poor and has offered him money, but Alan refuses because he wants Walden to see him as a friend, rather than a freeloader. From this point on Alan and Jake have fully moved in and Walden considers them family, refusing to kick Alan out of the beach-house, though knowing that he is quite the leech.While there has been much change to the popular television show over the years, it has managed to sustain a fresh comedy to most viewers and appears as if it could continu e airing for the next ten years also. The show is now very different, since the introduction of Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen as the main character. But it continues to maintain the viewers, ratings, and new ideas that make a good show great. Comparatively, the older seasons are better than the newer, but the newer are certainly getting the job done.

Concept Testing

Concept Testing My innovative business idea concerns the introduction of a new product in the market which is aimed at reducing the deaths of American soldiers during war together with other innocent civilians. The product shall be marketed under the brand name Sham-lethal detector. A lot of research will be put in the development of the device which utilizes the latest technology. In addition, the product will not only be able to detect explosive devices but also landmines that are mostly found in war torn areas especially Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, this will enhance reduction of the number of casualties that often occur during war which have recently been on the increase. For instance, the US troops based in Afghanistan who were also on a search mission to find and destroy those places (caves) that were mostly the inhabitants of Taliban and Al-Qaeda found out that there were a number of unexploded ordnance in the caves and this poses a greater risk and danger to their lives as well as those of other civilians. This device will also have intelligent and advanced signal sensors which will have the ability to detect any danger within a fraction of a second and within the radius of 150 metres. By this, the military or soldiers will be in a position to identify their positions as regards their battle locations in addition to enemy and friendly forces as this will enable the soldiers to locate their positions hence less mistakes are made. Moreover, this product (Sham-lethal detector) can also be able o deactivate explosives that are intended to harm human beings just before they reach their intended targets. Since success of an enemy equipped with explosives highly depends on effective between acompliances, such a device should be able to jam communication and therefore this means that the suspects will be able to be upheld at a faster rate and a wider coverage is guaranteed since the device can be used in groups or individually. In addition, the product is designed in accordance to safety provisions and does not present any known harm to the handler. It is versatile and all weather hence less dangerous. Since it is a small electronic device, it is portable and will weigh only a half kilogramme and therefore it is not a burden to soldiers who have to shoulder heavy loads in terms of suppliers. The product will also cost less compared to other similar products in the market and this means that it can be afforded by a w ide range of consumers. In the market analysis, intend to assess the future and current market (s), positioning, competitive conditions and any regulatory concerns that may exist in United States as well as other markets. Our entire market consists of United States, Britain and the Middle East Countries. The segment market will constitute the military, airlines and VIPs. Targeting may occur in two main phases. The first one concerns the single segment which consists of a single product. This is whereby a single product is targeted by a marketer and this takes place in a market and consists of many segments. On the other hand, the second phase relates to a situation whereby a single product is aimed at the available market segments as a whole by a marketer. In this case, less importance is placed on differentiation as compared to cost. In addition, there is also the multi segment system of approach whereby different segments in the market are target by a marketer and this also includes various products that are differentiated. This product will take on the second phase. This therefore means that the target market is bound to perceive the introduction of this product as a good thing and the demand for this product will also be high because there are a lot of casualties as a result of effectiveness of suicide bombers in penetrating security systems unnoticed. The economic background for our target market is also good as these economies are strong consisting of individuals who have above average earnings hence their capability of purchasing this product. The product is intended to curtail the increasing numbers of killings that have been occurring in war torn countries resulting to several deaths of human beings consisting of innocent civilians and the police or military who are on a mission to creating peace in these areas and fighting off the enemy especially terrorists who often carry out illegal activities in these countries. As regards the marketing strategy, customers are the focal point as concerns the purchasing of products that organizations worldwide promote, develop, price and distribute hence this call for proper definition of the product so as to enhance and maximize consumer satisfaction. The marketing strategy for Sham-lethal detector will constitute the four elements of marketing mix which include product, price, place and promotion so as too create effective management decisions in order to attain stated objective of the product which is to reduce the number of casualties in the battle fields. They will be blended in an optimal manner by the firm with an objective of getting a positive response from the consumer in the market place. This is because these four variables play the vital role in the decision making process by management. Products could either be goods or services that are available for consumer consumption. As concerns product decisions, the decisions that will be made may be based on appearance, service function, warranty and packaging among others. For this product, the main service function will be to reduce the number of deaths during war and also to ensure that the unmet needs of various customers are achieved. As regards pricing decisions, the need could occur under a number of specific circumstances for different types of products and services. For the existing brand or product, the decision can incorporate increases, reductions and holding price. The major circumstances in which pricing decision need to be made are: new product introduction, changes in external circumstances e.g. competitive action in raising and lowering of prices, raw material tax or any duty changes, promotion, changes in the market structure, as well as other internal changes arising from new processes. It is therefore vital for decisions made on the pricing and the profit margins of products discounts, financing and other various options such as leasing also constitute primary decisions. For this product, pricing decision and strategy, the decision m ade will use the method of low-end targeting. This will enhance the provision of this product at relatively low prices so that majority of military personnel and organizations in the case of this product, the cost will be decided after a careful analysis of market prices for similar products. The price objective will be to give consumers best value for their money by offering high quality product. The product will also be affordable so as to meet the overall goal of reducing the number of casualties suffered as a direct result of explosives. In addition, a competitive price will be offered for the product and it only be sold through authorized dealers (wholesale) as individual units will not be encouraged. Placement decisions are mostly linked to various marketing channels of distribution, which often provide the means for transferring these products so that they can get to the specified customers. Decisions that concern distribution include logistics, channel member selections, levels of service and market coverage. For this product, we shall source for well known arm dealers licensed to operate in the United States and who have branches in the named segment markets. These dealers will be charged with the responsibility of distributing this product to various destinations so that potential consumers can access this product. Other products will be donated to United Nations whereby there are a lot of military personnel as they embark on their peace keeping mission. If commanders like them, they may influence procurement offers back at home. On the other hand, decisions that are made relating to selling and communication towards potential consumers are referred to as promotion decisions. These decisions require a breakeven analysis as these costs may be large. The promotion strategy for this product will be based on brand image, advertisements and commercials that will be available to all. Promotions will also be conducted through military shows and exhibitions for countries in the entire market. Moreover, advertising is a vital tool which will be used in the marketing communication mix. The communication as a result of advertising will be directed to various consumers through the mass media as this is a quickest form of communication as compared to other elements that exist in the marketing communication mix for instance personal selling which requires briefing or recruitment of the entire force that exists in sales. Therefore the integrated marketing communication mix for this product consists of public relations, internet promotion as well as marketing, brands, merchandise, sales promotion, direct marketing, advertising packaging and all these aimed at enhancing the sale of this device. This product provides a number of strengths to the consumers in the market place. The product has a ready market since its objective is to attain the unmet needs of consumers. This is also a unique product with a strong brand and its design is also superior. This superiority in design makes the demand for this product to be high. In addition, this product will be within reach of the intended target market and the special features that it has are as a result of well carried out research and development. However, this Sham-lethal detector possesses some weakness. The product may be expensive for some consumers and it can only cover a radius of 150 metres within the target location. The device might not be easily identifiable since it is a new product in the market. The other weakness relates to lack of marketing expertise since the product is just about to be introduced in the market. Lastly, the product is undifferentiated and this means that its supply may be limited. This device also provides a lot of opportunities for consumers. Such opportunities include ready markets internationally; there is room for expansion as regards research, product reinvention. Lastly, this device also provides opportunities for mergers and joint ventures in the near future. The threats that may be evident as regards the device include price wars that could exist among different competitors and this may greatly influence. The threat of background of the targeted military contracts may also be evident or a competitor could also be having an innovative product which is new. In addition, the brand quality may also decrease in the future hence allowing other competitors to gain entry. There are also a number of devices that already exists in the market which is mostly used by the military personnel in reducing the number of deaths that occur in battle fields. Such devices include warlock red. Warlock Green. The SHORTSTOP Electronic Protection Systems (SEPS) among others. The SHOTSTOP is an RF Fuse that is also a counter measure and it has the capacity of detonating incoming motor wounds and artillery. This device is used in protecting friendly vehicles, ground troops, equipment which could be on fire. This system was built by CA to be used as a response resulting from artillery threat that may come from Iraqis during the Gulf war. Warlock Green/ Red is a protection system used for lifesaving. The device has also been used in countering any threats that may arise from explosive devices. Despite the existence of these similar products in the market, Sham-lethal detector is still the product too choose because of its superiority in technology and the competitive prices that it has in store to offer.

Italian Preposition Da - Preposition Da in Italian

Italian Preposition Da - Preposition Da in Italian In its simplest form, the Italian preposition da means from in English. It’s used in time expressions, in which case you may translate it as since or for. Here are the most common ways to use â€Å"da† in Italian. Common Ways to Use â€Å"Da† 1) To indicate an an action that began in the past and is still going on in the present. You would use the construction of present tense da time. Da quanto tempo leggi questa rivista? - How long have you been reading this magazine?Leggo questa rivista da molto tempo. - Ive been reading this magazine for a long time. 2) To express the equivalent of the English phrase at the house of: Vado da mio fratello. - Im going to my brothers house.Vado da Filippo. - Im going to Filippos house.Andiamo dai signori Rossi. - Were going to the Rossis house.Arrivo subito da te. - I’ll be right over to your place. 3) To indicate origin or source Vengo da Torino. - I come from Torino.Vengo dalla Francia. - I come from France.È tornato dalle vacanze. - He’s back from vacation.È tornato dagli zii. - He’s back from his aunt and uncles house. This also occurs In surnames: Francesca da Rimini; Leonardo da Vinci In correlation with the prepositions a and : si à ¨ trasferito da Roma a Firenze (movement); cadere dalla padella nella brace (figurative) 4) To indicate the worth or price of something: Voglio un francobollo da cento lire. - I want a 100 lire stamp.È una casa da poco prezzo. - Its a house of little worth.Unautomobile da dieci milioni - A ten thousand million dollar car 5) To indicate a location, place (stato in luogo) Ti aspetto dallavvocato. - I’ll wait for you at the lawyer’s office. 6) To indicate cause, reason (causa) Piangeva dalla gioia - To cry from joy 7) To indicate time Non lo vedo da molti anni. - I haven’t seen him in years. In correlation with the preposition a: lavorare dalla mattina alla sera - to work from the morning until the evening Other Ways to Use â€Å"Da† Here are some other ways to use â€Å"Da† 1) To indicate movement through a particular point (moto per luogo): Sono fuggiti dalluscita di servizio. - They escaped through the service exit. 2) To indicate separation (separazione, allontanamento): I Pirenei dividono la Spagna dalla Francia. - The Pyrenees divide Spain from France.Non riesce a staccarsi da quegli amici. - They can’t get away from those friends. 3) To indicate means, method (mezzo): Giudico le persone dai fatti, non dalle chiacchiere. - I judge people from facts, not from gossip. 4) To indicate purpose, ending (fine): Carte da gioco - Playing cardsSala da pranzo - LunchroomSpazzolino da denti - ToothbrushAbito da sera - Evening dress 5) To indicate an attribute (qualit): Una ragazza dagli occhi azzurri - A girl with blue eyesUn uomo dal cuore doro - A man with a heart of gold 6) To indicate a way, matter, mode (modo): Agire da galantuomo - To act like a gentlemanTrattare da amico - To treat as a friend 8) As a predicative (predicativo): Fare da padre - To act as a fatherFungere da presidente - To serve as president â€Å"Da† With Infinitives Followed by a verb in the infinitive, the preposition da introduces the following clauses:  » consecutive clause (proposizione consecutiva): Ho (una) fame da morire. - I’m starving.Fa (un) caldo da impazzire. - It’s so hot!  » final clause (proposizione finale): Dammi un libro da leggere. - Give me a book to read.Che cosa vuoi da bere? - What do you want to drink? Phrases Using â€Å"Da† The Italian preposition da is used to form prepositional and adverbial phrases, such as: Da parte di - A part ofFuori da - Outside ofDi qua da - Further on from/This side ofDi l da - On the other side of/BeyondDa vicino - Close/CloselyDa lontano - From afar/From far awayDa capo - Start over (from the top)/Start anewDa parte (from somebody) -  Of youDa parte (to save something) - (Put) AsideDa meno - For less...Dappertutto - Everywhere Prepositional Articles With Da When followed by a definite article, da is combined with the article to give the following combined forms known as prepositional articles (preposizioni articolate: Le Preposizioni Articolate Con Da PREPOSIZONE ARTICOLO PREPOSIZIONI DETERMINATIVO ARTICOLATE da il dal da lo dallo da l' dall' da i dai da gli dagli da la dalla da le dalle

Evaluate the key factors that should be considered by management when Essay

Evaluate the key factors that should be considered by management when deciding upon a particular capital structure - Essay Example More often than not, managers rely on the principles of financial planning and avoid sticking to any particular capital structure theory. Capital structure can be defined as â€Å"the composition or make-up of the company’s capitalization and includes all long-term capital resources, i.e., loans, reserves, shares and bonds† (Patra 2006, p.237). The importance of capital structure decisions cannot be overestimated, since firms are willing to utilize available business growth opportunities even when they lack sufficient financial resources to meet their strategic targets. What factors are the most important when considering capital structure decisions is difficult to define. The current state of literature of theoretical and empirical literature does not provide a single, comprehensive answer to the problem of capital structure decisions and the aspects, which influence them. It would be fair to assume that key aspects, which influence capital structure decisions, will va ry across firms and depend on the circumstances of each particular decision. However, managers must be able to create a complete picture of internal, external, and other factors affecting every single capital structure decision. Capital structure decisions: What do managers think? Contemporary scholars are increasingly interested in the relationship between capital structure decisions and various factors affecting them. ... Earnings per share dilution and financial flexibility are the two most important factors of capital structure decisions among European managers (Bancel & Mittoo 2004). Hedging considerations play an important role in how managers decide to manage firms’ financial capital (Bancel & Mittoo 2004). â€Å"Financial planning principles dominate specific capital structure models in governing financial decisions for the firms† (Pinegar & Wilbricht 1989, p.87). Mean industry leverage and financial risks are considered, too (Goyal & Frank 2004). The significance of financial structure decisions and knowledge of the aspects influencing them are justified by the fact that the prevailing majority of managers (82%) are willing to depart from the existing capital structure and leverage new resources, whenever they are presented with attractive growth opportunities (Pinegar & Wilbricht 1989). That managers do not stick to one particular capital structure model is further explained by t he fact that â€Å"there is actually no universal capital structure theory, and there is no reason to expect one† (Myers 2001). Obviously, managers taking capital structure decisions must take into consideration a variety of factors and influences. What exactly matters will depend upon the conditions and circumstances of each particular capital structure decision. Capital structure determinants and factors affecting capital structure decisions The determinants of capital structure decisions are numerous and varied. Collateral value of assets is believed to have defined effects on how managers manage firms’ capital. Simply stated, â€Å"capital structure decisions are heavily