The Impact of ASEAN Free Trade Agreement on Malaysian Automotive Dissertation

The Impact of ASEAN Free Trade Agreement on Malaysian Automotive Industry - Dissertation Example verview of Research Methods 3 1.6 Research Significance 4 1.7 Dissertation 4 1.8 Summary 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review 6 2.1 Introduction 6 2.2 Overview of Malaysian Automotive Industry 6 2.3 ASEAN Free Trade Area 9 2.4 Malaysian Governments’ Reaction to AFTA 10 2.5 Impact of AFTA on Industry 13 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 18 3.1 Introduction 18 3.2 Research Approach 18 3.3 Research Methods 19 3.4 Research Design 20 3.4.1 Sample 20 3.4.2 Data Collection Method 21 3.4.3 Data Collection Instrument 22 3.4.4 Data Analysis 22 3.5 Ethical Considerations 23 3.6 Summary 23 Chapter 4: Findings and Results 24 4.1 Introduction 24 4.2 Section A: Findings from the Customer Interviews 24 4.2.1 Customers’ Perception of Impact of AFTA 24 4.2.2 Customers’ Perception of the fate of PROTON and PERDUA with AFTA 25 4.2.3 Perception of Governments’ Policies 27 4.2.4 Customers’ Preference: Imported vs. Indigenous 27 4.2.5 Customers’ Perception of Problems as a direct result of AFTA 28 4.2.6 Customers’ Perception of Advantages of AFTA 29 4.2.7 Customers’ Perception of the Problems Related to Increase in Traffic Post AFTA.29 4.2.8 Customers’ Perception of Public Transport 30 4.2.9 Customers’ Perception of Selling Indigenous Cars to buy Imported Cars 30 4.2.10 Customers’ Perception of Need to Support Local Manufacturers 30 4.2.11 Customers’ Opinion of Changes that PROTON and PERODUA should undergo to meet the challenges of AFTA 31 4.3 Section B: Financial Analysis of PROTON and PERODUA 31 4.3.1 Ratio Analysis - PROTON HOLDINGS BHD 31 4.3.2 Ratio Analysis - DAIHATSU 35 Chapter 5: Discussion and Analysis 39 5.1 Introduction 39 5.2 Malaysian Government’s Approach to Combat impacts of AFTA 39 5.3 Perception of Malaysian consumers on Policies of Malaysian Government 43...The industry has shown a 20% growth in output in 2010 and appears to be heading towards an era of continuous growth in the futur e (Dinne et al, 2010). While Malaysia started as a country where International brands of cars were initially assembled, the progressive policies of the government have now made the country a manufacturer of world class vehicles. Perusahaan AutomobilNasional (PROTON) and Perusahaan OtomobilKeduaSdn. Bhd (PERODUA) now produce automobiles that dominate the Malaysian market. This has been made possible by enacting a series of protectionist policies like the requirement of local content, local labour, local partnership on the foreign companies that wanted to open their assembly plants in Malaysia. In addition, the government has proactively invested time and resources in boosting the two national automotive organizations - PROTON and PERODUA. As a result of the governmental policies, PROTON and PERODUA sell 90% of all domestic requirements while the two companies also export a large number of units worldwide (Business-in-Asia.com (n.d). However, with the implementation of Asian Free Trad e Area (AFTA) in the year 2005, the Malaysian automotive industry faced new challenges from neighbouring countries like Thailand and China, in terms of the quality and pricing and availability of imported cars in the market (Gabilaia, 2001).

Project finance deals usually require some form of Governmental Essay

Project finance deals usually require some form of Governmental support. What Governmental or Legislature actions create better - Essay Example It can be well depicted from the definition provided by Benjamin C. Esty, which states that â€Å"Project finance involves the creation of a legally independent project company financed with equity from one or more sponsoring firms and non-recourse debt for the purpose of investing in a capital asset†3. Project financing include various features which in turn develops the entire process to be complex and multifaceted. Few of the major characteristics involved in project financing relates to the nature of the contract among the project company and the parties who are financially responsible for the completion of the project. Project financing also involves the legal agreement between the financially accountable parties and the project company, focussed on the availability of cash to assist the operational expenditures and fulfil the requirements of debt services in any circumstances. Another major attribute of project financing is that the process includes a legal consent from the involved parties which intends to secure the process of the project financially in case of any defaults arising even after the completion of the project. Thus, the process involves various risks in form of credit and commercial threats4. The basic features identifiable from the above provided description and definitions of project financing imply that it is a legal process and requires strong and effective regulatory interventions in its course to reduce the risks involved. This signifies the role of government to be quite significant in structuring the legislative actions concerned with minimisation of risks involved in project financing. However, in project financing, not only the regulatory frameworks, but other macro-economic factors also play crucial roles which can be controlled by governmental support. Based on this thought, the paper will intend to recognise and critically evaluate the governmental measures that can effectively support project financing in the modern day context. The Complex Structure of Project Finance With a general point of view, it can be stated that project finance intends to create an entity which is based on a special-purpose and aimed at the achievement of a particular goal, unlike any other commercial institution. For instance, an entity created with the aim to develop a power plant or a petrochemical unit or a toll road or even railways and operate it with the sole purpose for serving the state5. Thus, it is quite apparent that the purpose of project finances is predominantly broad which involves multiple facets and disciplines for its achievement. It is in this context that the structure of project finances are divided into two broad disciplines, i.e. the development of the project and finance. Both the disciplines are termed to be quite significant. The progress of the project deals with the functions performed by corporate players entitled to develop the project. Similarly, the finance discipline concentrates on the fu nding of the project representing the relationship between the financial lenders and the project development6. According to the experts, project financing is a complex process which involves mu

Stigma Against Methadone Essay Example for Free

Stigma Against Methadone Essay The purpose of this research is to identify a stigma against methadone users and those in the healthcare field who are trying to help them become drug free. Methadone is a synthetic drug brought to America in the 1960’s to help with opiate addiction. During the fifty years since then, it has been a very successful treatment drug, but a stigma has developed that to use this drug is to be considered a â€Å"junkie†. This is not the case; this paper will also discuss ways in which to educate about and overcome the stigma against those who work with or take methadone. What is a Stigma? According to sociologist Erving Goffman, â€Å"a stigma refers to characteristics that discredit people†¦ the stigma can become a person’s master status, defining him or her as deviant† (Henslin, 2012). Whether or not the accused person actually takes part the activities and behaviors the stigma depicts, they are still discredited, judged, and even ostracized because of others like them who do participate in the stigma’s behaviors. Anyone associated with a deviant behavior automatically gets grouped together, whether they take part in it or not, hence the stigma. What is Methadone? Methadone is a man-made drug originally synthesized in Germany in 1937. Thirty years later, in the 1960’s, it was introduced to the United States as a treatment for drug addiction. Since then, for over fifty years, methadone has been used to help drug addicts get clean of opiates and regain stability; during that time, there has been no evidence that taking methadone for long periods of time causes damage to the body (Drug Policy Alliance, 2006). The Drug Policy Alliance, an organization committed to identifying, acknowledging, and promoting health-centered alternatives to drugs (2011), supports the use of methadone to treat opiate addiction and states that when used appropriately and a proper dose is reached, opioid â€Å"cravings stop, without creating the effects of euphoria, sedation, or an analgesic effect† (2006, p. 8). In other words, the human brain has receptors that when stimulated by drugs, create a drug user’s â€Å"high†. Methadone covers those receptors so that the user does not feel the need to take drugs, yet they will not get high from the methadone either. This is called â€Å"the blockade effect† and allows for drug-dependent people the opportunity to stabilize, maintain a job, buy a car, get an apartment or housing, and keep healthy relationships, among other things. A Stigma against Methadone Methadone is used for both chronic pain and opiate addiction, yet the majority of society has the assumption that if one is to use methadone, they must be drug addicts. Yes, there are many people in society who are trying to free themselves from drug use, but there are others who take methadone simply because it helps them with their chronic pain when nothing else does. Also, when society hears the word methadone, a picture of an addict getting drugs off the street and overdosing from heroin and cocaine comes to mind immediately. However, this is not the entire picture; at a methadone clinic in Westbrook, Maine, only twenty five percent of the patients who come to get their dose are people who are detoxing from street drugs. That means that there are an additional seventy five percent dosing every day. Why are they patients at the clinic? Because they are there to clear themselves from drugs that their own physicians have prescribed to them. Even though three quarters of the population coming in every day are there because of their doctors, and not because they were addicted to street drugs, patients still have a difficult time entering methadone maintenance treatment. Walter Ginter, director of the National Alliance of Methadone Advocates (NAMA), reported the following to Alcoholism Drug Abuse Weekly: Many of the public think of methadone as just a ‘substitute’ for another addictive drug and that even methadone patients themselves sometimes doubt that they can be in recovery, as long as they are on methadone†¦ partly because they have so little support in the community. The stigma is so great that nobody wants to say they’re a methadone patient. Even people who are successful in treatment don’t want anybody to know about it. (2007, p. 1) Many patients who enter treatment start thinking of tapering off methadone almost as soon as they begin their treatment, for the desire to get off methadone and away from the stigma associated with it is so great. The fact of the matter is, however, that seventy percent of patients who taper off methadone too soon or too quickly will relapse into drug use again (Ginter, 2007). Healthcare providers who work in methadone clinics and assist addicts in their recovery are subject to judgments as much as the patients are, even among fellow healthcare providers. A lot of patients look to their clinics to help them find â€Å"methadone-friendly doctors,† so that they can share the fact that they are taking methadone without having to fear judgment and reprimand. One patient at the clinic I work at has a doctor who discovered that she was taking benzodiazepines for anxiety along with her methadone, which can be dangerous when mixed in large amounts. The patient’s dose was not high enough to be quite as dangerous, but her doctor decided to stop her prescription for benzodiazepines immediately, with no tapering down; one can only imagine what that act did to the patient, both physically and emotionally; the patient presented at the clinic extremely anxious and shared the following with the dosing nurses when they asked if she wanted to talk about her situation with them: They (the doctors) just don’t understand. They don’t know that they can’t just take you off one drug cold turkey (the benzodiazepines) while leaving you on another (the methadone); it just doesn’t work like that. They just don’t care about people like me (anonymous patient #1, 2012). I have also been subject to the stigma and prejudice against methadone, just because I work with the addict population; when I first obtained the job, friends, family, and strangers alike would ask where I worked, and then promptly changed their expressions from interest to shock, horror, and even revulsion. It would have been quite amusing to me if it weren’t for the fact that their reactions were towards my patients. I once even had a friend’s mother say to me, â€Å"you be careful – don’t trust them for a second. They are dangerous people. † I would immediately start educating them about what these patient were really like and how I believed that it was a privilege to be helping them with their addiction treatment. In addition, I would throw out the statistics of how many people were coming in to get clean from doctors’ prescriptions, to show that not all of the patients were â€Å"junkies† and that they all chose to be in treatment to take control of their lives again. This helped to ease fears against my working there, and since then everyone asks how work has been going, with sincere interest, rather than with suspicion or doubt that I could actually enjoy working there. Though many healthcare providers who work with the addict population speak out against the stigma and the judgments against them, to defend both themselves and their patients against unjust prejudice, there are some who say nothing about where they work or what they do for work so as to avoid the negative attitudes directed at them from that moment on. Though it is understandable to say nothing about working in methadone treatment or defend the patients working hard to get clean, it does nothing but add to the stigma, and will make it that much harder to overcome in the future. Methadone Helps despite the Stigma I have worked in a methadone clinic for the past six months, and just in that short time, I have already witnessed extraordinary transformations. The nurses and I don’t just dose the patients and have them leave; when the patients come in and we give them a quick once-over assessment to make sure they can dose, we also talk to them. We are sincerely interested in how their life is doing, and though every person has ups and downs (even those who do not have an addiction), so much of the time I will hear of how someone’s life has changed so much for the better, and that they are so appreciative of this one thing that has helped them to live their lives again. One patient stated the following to me just a couple of weeks ago: I’ve got my life back again – I’ve got my family back, I’ve got an apartment, I’ve got a new car. I’d probably be dead right now if it wasn’t for this clinic. Methadone is the reason that I’ve been clean for seven years and will continue to be in the future (anonymous patient #2, 2012). Another patient who was coming in for her last dose at the clinic before tapering out for good, shared what she was feeling on her last day: â€Å"I finally have my life together again. It’s been eighteen years of being miserable and now I’m finally ready. For the first time in so long I can be happy, and I’m ready for that† (anonymous patient #2, 2012). She was a little nervous about what was to come, but the determination to stay on track was easily visible on her face, and so far, she has been out of the clinic for almost three months without any problems or relapse. How to Help To help fight against the stigma of methadone users and the healthcare providers who serve to help them, education is the only option. By providing science- based education and materials from peers, patients, educators, and healthcare professionals, people can learn that methadone is simply the medication part of opiate recovery. Patients must have emphasis on the fact that they are not â€Å"junkies† just because they take part in methadone maintenance. This stigma creates problems when trying to advocate for methadone maintenance and its patients. The best way to advocate for methadone treatment is to have patients appear publicly to provide testimony that methadone is not just a drug to replace another drug, and that long term maintenance provides stability and opportunity for those who use it. The problem is, â€Å"it can be difficult for everyone to be outspoken about being a methadone patient as people in recovery are afraid for their own recovery, due to stigma† (Ginter, 2007, p. 2). Conclusion  By educating society of the benefits of methadone and dispelling the myths and stigmas about it, recovering addicts can be less afraid for their physical and emotional well-being, healthcare providers don’t need to feel the need to hide what field they work in from others, and society can see what methadone maintenance really is. With education, understanding, and eventual acceptance, society will see that there are significant changes taking place in the recovery field at this very moment and there will continue to be changes as time moves forward.

The importance of investment appraisal

The importance of investment appraisal Investment appraisal helps the investors or the financial institutes to identify the attractiveness of any investment proposal among different available methods, for instance IRR (Internal Rate of Return), NPV (Net Present Value), Payback period etc. Investment Appraisal is a fundamental body of Capital Budgeting which is also applicable in the areas where the return may not be quantifiable. Investment Appraisal is important as because it shows the investors to calculate the outcome of the investment. Furthermore, with the help of Investment Appraisal the investors can easily identify the best or most profitable option among the available alternatives. (Investment Appraisal, [n.d.]). (b) What is the payback period of each project? If AP Ltd imposes a 3 year maximum payback period which of these projects should be accepted? The payback period is the time frame required to recover the invested amount. In the case of the cash flows with an annuity (same amount in each year), then payback period can be easily calculated by dividing the cost by the annual cash flow. Otherwise we subtract the cash flows from the cost until the remainder is zero. For any sort of investment firms prefer short payback period as the investment can be used somewhere else. Generally, firms maintain some maximum allowable payback period against which all investments are compared. It is a popular method as is quick and easy to calculate and importantly it gives a measure of the liquidity of the project. (Timothy R. Mayes, [n.d.]) Payback Period for Project A: Year Cash Flow Cumulative Cash Flow 1 38 38 2 42 80 3 48 128 4 50 178 5 70 248 The payback period for Project A= 2+ (115000-80000)/48000= 2+ 0.73= 2.73 years Payback Period for Project B: As this is a constant stream of cash flow, the payback period for Project B = 115000/43000= 2.67 years Both the projects can be accepted, If AP Ltd imposes a 3 year maximum payback. But between these two projects, B will be preferred over A. (c) What are the problems of the payback period? Though the payback method provides real usefulness by providing information on how long funds will be engaged in the project it suffers from two primary problems: Payback Period does not consider the time value of money: In this calculation, Cash Flows are simply added without discounting. This violates the most basic principle of financial analysis which stipulates that cash flows occurring at different points can be considered only after suitable compounding/ discounting. (V S RAMA RAO, 2008) This measure does not consider a projects profitability. It is just a measure of a projects capital recovery. Though it measures a projects liquidity, it does not indicate the liquidity position of the firm as a whole. (V S RAMA RAO, 2008) The payback period method leads to ignore projects generating substantial cash inflows in later years. (Sarma, Deepak, nd) (d) Determine the NPV for each of these projects? Should they be accepted explain why? Project A: Year Cash Flow Discount Factor Net Present Value 1 38000 0.896860987 34080.72 2 42000 0.804359629 33783.10 3 48000 0.721398771 34627.14 4 50000 0.646994413 32349.72 5 70000 0.580264048 40618.48 Total 175459.16 So, Profit = Total Inflow- Initial Investment = 175,459.16-115,000.00 = 60459.17 As the NPV of Project A seems a profitable one (Projects NPV is bigger than the Initial Investment) it can be accepted. Project B: Year Cash Flow Discount Factor Net Present Value 1 43000 0.896860987 38565.02 2 43000 0.804359629 34587.46 3 43000 0.721398771 31020.14 4 43000 0.646994413 27820.75 5 43000 0.580264048 24951.35 Total 156944.74 So, Profit = Total Inflow- Initial Investment = 156944.74- 115000 = 41944.74 As the NPV of Project B seems a profitable one (Projects NPV is bigger than the Initial Investment), it can be accepted. (e) Describe the logic behind the NPV approach. The net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of the cash flows (the benefit) and the cost of the investment (IO): In other words, this is the projected increase in wealth that the shareholders will receive out of any accepted project. All projects with NPV greater than or equal to zero should be accepted. A project with positive Net Present Value means the IRR is greater than the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). NPV, Net Present Value, allows you to value a companys assets at their correct current value when the accounts are prepared. The calculation of NPV takes into account the assets original cost, less all accumulated depreciation allowed against that asset in previous tax computations. The NPV method is based on a logical approach. An NPV of zero signifies that the projects cash flows are exactly sufficient to repay the invested capital and to provide the required rate of return on that capital. If NPV > 0, then the project is generating a larger amount of cash that required to service debt and to allow a return to shareholders. So if the firm takes on projects that have positive net present values (NPV) then the wealth of shareholders will increase, enticing them to increase their investment in the firm. The NPV method of capital budgeting dictates that all independent projects that have positive NPV should accepted. The rationale that is behind that assertion arises from the idea that all such projects add wealth, and that should be the overall goal of the manager in all respects. If strictly using the NPV method to evaluate two mutually exclusive projects, you would want to accept the project that adds the most value (i.e. the project with the higher NPV). Net present value is defined as a way to improve the effectiveness of project evaluations through the use of discounted cash flow techniques. To find the present value of a project, you must first find the present value of each cash flow discounted at the cost of capital. Then, sum the discounted cash flows. If the NPV is positive, accept the project. If NPV is negative, reject the project. It is important to remember that if two projects are mutually exclusive, the project that has the higher NPV should be selected. Net present value is defined as a way to improve the effectiveness of project evaluations through the use of discounted cash flow techniques. To find the present value of a project, you must first find the present value of each cash flow discounted at the cost of capital. Then, sum the discounted cash flows. If the NPV is positive, accept the project. If NPV is negative, reject the project. It is important to remember that if two projects are mutually exclusive, the project that has the higher NPV should be selected (f) Discuss the relationship between NPV and cost of capital. NPV has a direct impact on the capital budgeting decision. These two factors are directly inter-related. NPV NPV = 0 implies IRR = Cost of Capital: Provides the minimum return. Probably reject from the cash flow perspective. Others factors could be important. NPV > 0 implies IRR > Cost of Capital: Screen in for further analysis. Other investments may provide better returns and capital should be rationed, i.e., go to the most profitable projects. Others factors could be important. (g) Calculate the IRR for each project. Should they be accepted? IRR of Project A: NPV at 25% Year Cash Flow Discount Factor NPV 1 38 0.8 30.4 2 42 0.64 26.88 3 48 0.512 24.576 4 50 0.4096 20.48 5 70 0.32768 22.9376 Total 125.2736 Initial Investment 115.0000 Net Present Value at 25% 10.2736 NPV at 30% Year Cash Flow Discount Factor NPV 1 38 0.769230769 29.23077 2 42 0.591715976 24.85207 3 48 0.455166136 21.84797 4 50 0.350127797 17.50639 5 70 0.269329074 18.85304 Total 112.2902 Initial Investment 115 Net Present Value at 30% -2.70976 So, IRR For Project A = 25%+ {10.2736/(10.2736+2.7097)} x (30%-25%) =25%+3.95% =28.95% As the IRR of Project A is a positive one, it can be accepted, considering the remaining factors constant. IRR of Project B: Net Present Value at 25%: Year CashFlow Discount Factor NPV 1 43 0.8 34.4 2 43 0.64 27.52 3 43 0.512 22.016 4 43 0.4096 17.6128 5 43 0.32768 14.09024 Total 115.639 Initial Investment 115 Net Present Value at 25% 0.63904 Year CashFlow Discount Factor NPV 1 43 0.769230769 33.07692 2 43 0.591715976 25.44379 3 43 0.455166136 19.57214 4 43 0.350127797 15.0555 5 43 0.269329074 11.58115 Total 104.7295 Initial Investment 115 Net Present Value at 30% -10.2705 So, IRR For Project A = 25%+ {6390/(6390+102705)} x (30%-25%) = 25% +0.29% =25.29% As the IRR of Project B is a positive one, it can be accepted, considering the remaining factors constant. (h) How does a change in the cost of capital affect the projects IRR? The internal rate of return (IRR) is considered as the discount rate that nullify the present value of a particular projects projected cash inflows to the present value of the projects cost (interest rate) or equivalently, the IRR is the rate that forces the NPV to equal zero The  discount rate often used in capital  budgeting  that makes the net present value of all cash flows from a particular project  equal to zero. Generally speaking, the higher a projects internal rate of return, the more desirable it is to undertake the project. As such, IRR can be used to rank several prospective projects a firm is considering. Assuming all other factors are equal among the various projects, the project with the highest IRR would probably be considered the best and undertaken first. The logic behind the IRR method is: The IRR on a project is its measured rate of return. If the internal rate of return exceeds the cost of the funds used to finance the project, a surplus will remain after paying for the capital, and this surplus will accrue to the firms stockholders Therefore, taking on a project whos IRR exceeds its cost of capital increases shareholders wealth. On the other hand, if the IRR is less than the cost of capital, then taking on the project will impose a cost on current stockholders. It is this breakeven characteristic that makes the IRR useful in evaluating capital projects. (i) Discuss why the NPV method is often regarded to be superior to the IRR method? The IRR is defined as the discount rate that equates the present values of a projects expected cash inflows to the present value of the projects costs (Page 351). Additionally, when dealing with independent projects, the NPV and IRR methods will always yield the same accept/reject result. However, in the case of mutually exclusive projects, NPV and IRR can give conflicting results. One shortcoming of the internal rate of return is that it assumes that cash flows received are reinvested at the projects internal rate of return, which is not usually true A conflict exists if the cost of capital is less than the crossover rate. Two basic conditions can cause NPV profiles to cross, and thus conflicts to arise between NPV and IRR: (1) when project size (or scale) differences exist, meaning that the cost of one project is largest than that of the other, or (2) when timing differences exist, meaning that the timing of cash flows from the two projects differs such that most of the cash flows from one project come in the early years while most of the cash flows from the other project come in the later years (Page 355) The value of early cash flows depends on the return we can earn on those cash flows, that is the rate at which we can reinvest them. The NPV method implicitly assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the cost of capital, whereas the IRR method assumes that the firm can reinvest at the IRR (Page 355). Because of the above criteria The NPV method is considered as more reliable method than IRR. The best assumption is that the projects cash flows can be reinvested at the cost of capital (Page 355). The IRR is a popular technique primarily because it is a percentage which is easily compared to the WACC. However, it suffers from a couple of flaws: The calculation of the IRR implicitly assumes that the cash flows are reinvested at the IRR. This may not always be realistic. Percentages can be misleading (would you rather earn 100% on a $100 investment, or 10% on a $10,000 investment?) Using both measures gives better results than using either alone. IRR is also useful alone in virtually all time-value-of-money problems.

Organ Trail :: essays research papers

I have traveled the Oregon Trail many times in my day. From various mistakes I have made in the past, I have learned different procedures to take in order to prevent bad things from taking place. I have also learned many techniques that have helped me along my journey. I hope to share these steps of advice with the new travelers of the Oregon Trail. If these steps are followed, the ride is assured to be much safer. Important Steps To Take 1) Do bring plenty of money. There will be many different stops along the way where you can trade. It will be important to get new tools and belongings on your way to help you. You can also trade for food. You may run out of food on your trip so it will be necessary to have money as a side plane. 2) Do bring a riffle. It will be important to have a riffle for protection. There will be many dangerous obstacles along your way. You may have Indians or other men who stand in your way or wish to fight. You may also have animals such as buffalo that you can hunt and make great use out of. A riffle will definitely come in handy in your travels. 3) Do bring lots of water. Water will help you to stay healthy along your way. You can easily get dehydrated on a trip like this. Water is better then any drink because it helps you to maintain your body the best. Water will nourish all of the people on your wagon and keep them in good conditions. 4) Do bring basic medicines. It is easy for your fellow members to get ill on this long and harsh journey. You will face deadly weather conditions and many diseases along your way. While traveling there will be no close destinations to stop and recover the sick at. Nor will you have time to take breaks in order for the sick to get well. The medicine will help them get better as you continue to travel. 5) Do bring basic tools. You will go through various things where tools will be extremely useful. You may get stuck in the mud after a downfall near The Great Basin. You will need tools to help you work the wagon out of the mud. You may also need to fix parts of the wagon in case pieces break through the rough journey. Organ Trail :: essays research papers I have traveled the Oregon Trail many times in my day. From various mistakes I have made in the past, I have learned different procedures to take in order to prevent bad things from taking place. I have also learned many techniques that have helped me along my journey. I hope to share these steps of advice with the new travelers of the Oregon Trail. If these steps are followed, the ride is assured to be much safer. Important Steps To Take 1) Do bring plenty of money. There will be many different stops along the way where you can trade. It will be important to get new tools and belongings on your way to help you. You can also trade for food. You may run out of food on your trip so it will be necessary to have money as a side plane. 2) Do bring a riffle. It will be important to have a riffle for protection. There will be many dangerous obstacles along your way. You may have Indians or other men who stand in your way or wish to fight. You may also have animals such as buffalo that you can hunt and make great use out of. A riffle will definitely come in handy in your travels. 3) Do bring lots of water. Water will help you to stay healthy along your way. You can easily get dehydrated on a trip like this. Water is better then any drink because it helps you to maintain your body the best. Water will nourish all of the people on your wagon and keep them in good conditions. 4) Do bring basic medicines. It is easy for your fellow members to get ill on this long and harsh journey. You will face deadly weather conditions and many diseases along your way. While traveling there will be no close destinations to stop and recover the sick at. Nor will you have time to take breaks in order for the sick to get well. The medicine will help them get better as you continue to travel. 5) Do bring basic tools. You will go through various things where tools will be extremely useful. You may get stuck in the mud after a downfall near The Great Basin. You will need tools to help you work the wagon out of the mud. You may also need to fix parts of the wagon in case pieces break through the rough journey.

How the Media Affects My Life :: essays papers

How the Media Affects My Life One thousand six hundred and eighteen minutes. One thousand six hundred and eighteen was spent by me, on my computer, in three days. That seems to be a lot of time when you think about it, probably just about twenty seven hours. How could all that time be spent at as single machine like a PC. One of the best features of the PC is that you can use many different media forms at one time. I use my PC for communication with my boyfriend who goes to SUNY Albany, to check my email for letters of annoyance from my parents, and to provide me with entertainment. Sometime i also use it for work, but that doesn’t happen to frequently. The best part about that though is that i can do all those things all at the same time. Usually i turn my PC on when i wake up and off when i go to bed. My computer saves me time and money and makes my life so much happier. As i conducted the data, I realized how much i actually did surf the web in one day, and how many advertisements i saw. The internet, which is the virtual playground of where i spend most of my time, is a swamp of never ending advertisements and hidden links. Every other thing that you click is hypertext disguised as something else so the site will get a hit. I had never really realized but the media today has endless possibilities for advancement because of the internet. Right now currently the biggest thing going on is the 27th Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, which is being solely covered by NBC and their affiliates. Since the Olympic Games began, the regular NBC site has tripled their Web hits and their official Olympic site has almost maxed out on the systems resources from all te people logging on and trying to find out â€Å"Up to the minute results.† I myself even have spent hours on the site finding out track and field times and Gymnastics scores. How the Media Affects My Life :: essays papers How the Media Affects My Life One thousand six hundred and eighteen minutes. One thousand six hundred and eighteen was spent by me, on my computer, in three days. That seems to be a lot of time when you think about it, probably just about twenty seven hours. How could all that time be spent at as single machine like a PC. One of the best features of the PC is that you can use many different media forms at one time. I use my PC for communication with my boyfriend who goes to SUNY Albany, to check my email for letters of annoyance from my parents, and to provide me with entertainment. Sometime i also use it for work, but that doesn’t happen to frequently. The best part about that though is that i can do all those things all at the same time. Usually i turn my PC on when i wake up and off when i go to bed. My computer saves me time and money and makes my life so much happier. As i conducted the data, I realized how much i actually did surf the web in one day, and how many advertisements i saw. The internet, which is the virtual playground of where i spend most of my time, is a swamp of never ending advertisements and hidden links. Every other thing that you click is hypertext disguised as something else so the site will get a hit. I had never really realized but the media today has endless possibilities for advancement because of the internet. Right now currently the biggest thing going on is the 27th Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, which is being solely covered by NBC and their affiliates. Since the Olympic Games began, the regular NBC site has tripled their Web hits and their official Olympic site has almost maxed out on the systems resources from all te people logging on and trying to find out â€Å"Up to the minute results.† I myself even have spent hours on the site finding out track and field times and Gymnastics scores.

Article “Cradle-to-cradle: the next packaging paradigm?” Essay

In his article â€Å"Cradle-to-cradle: the next packaging paradigm? † David Newcorn suggests three entirely new strategies for packaging items—strategies which may at first instigate eyebrows to rise. On closer look, however, Newcorn’s suggestions may indeed live up to one of its goals: to arrive at a packaging strategy conducive for the environment. Newcorn has three objectives in mind in order to achieve such an end: use more packaging materials, not less; design the best package possible instead of designing with the cheapest materials without worrying about per-package cost, and; ‘littering’ can help the environment. But how are these supposedly ‘environmental threats’ do the exact opposite of further degrading the environment and contribute to the crusade for the strengthening of the environment through strategic and environmentally friendly packaging schemes? In order to arrive at a better understanding of Newcorn’s suggestions, it is equally important to note that what separates Newcorn’s suggestions from the rest is that the suggestions actually target the possibilities of the future. By offering three distinct strategies which may at first seem threatening to the environment, Newcorn turns the table around by citing examples of ‘what if’s’, possible situations which have a high probability of being real sometime in the future. For the moment, however, the efficiency of Newcorn’s suggestions seems to hang in the balance for a few good reasons. First, Newcorn suggests that by using more packaging materials instead of less, we can actually save the environment from being harmed because sometime in the future there will be ice cream wrappers which turn into a ‘biosafe liquid’ or foam food containers which contain essential nutrients which revitalize the earth’s topsoil, for instance. While the prospects for his suggestion are noble, it can hardly be denied that the possibilities remain to be seen. Newcorn even admits that the possibilities are yet to be obtained. If the possible elements in the illustrations he has elaborated in his article remain to be seen, then there is little reason to believe that manufacturers of these products should immediately adopt the strategies he offers. The same goes for the designers who have the same inclinations as Newcorn. In current times, using more packaging materials or ‘littering’ the environment with these materials is only effective in theory. At the least, designers can hardly deny the fact that the current environmental measures being taken all around the world are in startling contrast to Newcorn’s suggestion precisely because the environmental problems which beset the modern societies are the result of piles and piles of garbage produced on a daily basis. What Newcorn’s suggestions give the designers, however, are insights into the future. Although the situations he has given in his article are possibilities, they nevertheless give designers a glimpse of what the future may look like. Given these brief future sketches of packaging strategies, designers cannot simply dismiss the thought that Newcorn’s suggestions are worth the efforts of being studied. Both scholars and designers concerned in the packaging sector may very well agree that there is more than what meets the eye in Newcorn’s assumptions. Technical and biological nutrients may indeed soon take over the packaging materials used in products. Science and technology are constantly evolving and are relentlessly seeking new methods and designs to improve the materials we use daily in the larger effort to preserve the environment. Recycling packages which may soon be eco-effective without the downside of degrading the quality of the packages for commodities is another thought worth pondering (Bendor, Terry and Kenneth, p. 175). Newcorn, however, may be correct in insisting that a large amount of history involving packaging materials should have to be beaten first before anything else of the efforts to resort to recycling and using eco-effective packaging materials can be fully achieved. Much of what companies do in order to sustain their operations is to use whatever is cheaper and more efficient in the market. The fact that bottling companies for soft drinks have relied â€Å"less and less on bottles and more and more on cheap and recyclable aluminum cans as containers (Banks, p. 72)† suggest that money-making ventures may find it difficult to fully adjust and align their packaging strategies according to what Newcorn’s assumptions for the future. Any designer involved in the packaging sector will think that the problems which beset the environment also have consequences on their part and to the rest of the world. Newcorn’s efforts serve as a model not only for the big companies under the packaging sector but also for the average citizen. However, Newcorn’s suggestions face the direct criticism of failing to obtain in the contemporary time which is in deep need of innovations in packaging strategies. It may be high time for designers in the packaging industry to settle down and think of other innovative ideas which will provide ways to counter and prevent environmental problems brought by wastes from packages which are also attainable in the soonest possible time. The future of the environment is indeed filled both with good prospects that are hanging and with contemporary as well as previous problems in terms of garbage from packaging materials which pose problems which cannot be easily set aside for the benefit of acquiring more profit. It is logical enough to presume that the future does not promise anything clear. Yet it would also be absurd to assume that nothing can be done to anticipate and, hopefully, resolve the current environmental problems and the future environmental hazards both at the same time. Newcorn’s suggestions may still lack its applicability in contemporary times. However, the effects and prospects of Newcorn’s suggestions are promising and may prove to be more than useful in the coming years. WORKS CITED Banks, Seymour. â€Å"The Measurement of the Effect of a New Packaging Material Upon Preference and Sales. † The Journal of Business of the University of Chicago 23. 2 (Apr. , 1990): 71-80. Bendor, Jonathan, Terry M. Moe, and Kenneth W. Shotts. â€Å"Recycling the Garbage Can: An Assessment of the Research Program. † The American Political Science Review 95. 1 (2001): 169-90. Newcorn, David. â€Å"Cradle-to-Cradle: The Next Packaging Paradigm? † 2003. Packaging World Magazine. January 13 2008. .