Author: chris

1. Briefly describe your town. This should include the name of the town, the latitude and longitude of the town, some historical background, why you chose it, and any other relevant or interesting information about the town.
2. Compare the graphs of satellite and ground station temperature data. This should include a short explanation of how each of these sources gathers information, a comparison of time periods the two sources cover, and an analysis of the graphs specifically addressing whether there is a climate change trend. Include the average winter and summer temperatures, and a discussion of how much year-to-year variation in temperature there is.
3. Compare the 5 year running averages of temperature to the average temperature graphs. Include a discussion of why a running average is useful, and what kind of trends you can see in the data when you use a 5 year running average.
4. Discuss the difference between the different sized running averages (5 year, 11 year, and 21 year). What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these different sizes?
5. Compare your findings about the temperature record in your town with another student from a different geographical area. You can use the Forum tool on smartsite to contact another student. Discuss the similarities and/or differences in the temperature trends between these two locations. Can you think of an explanation for those similarities and/or differences?
6. Conclude with a discussion of whether what you learned in this assignment will influence how you look at reports of climate change and why/how.
7. Please include your graphs as an appendix (not in the main body of the essay; copy and paste the graphs on the last

Population and Migration
Paper details

Step 1: Identify an article from the readings, and examine the footnotes or further reading suggestions in Payne for a Foreign Affairs or other similar article (Foreign Policy, Wilson Quarterly, The Economist feature articles) that is on a topic of interest to you. There are usually several articles of this nature cited by Payne in each chapter. If you can’t find one of interest, search along the key terms of interest to you in Google scholar while specifying a journal title. You must inform me as soon as possible of the week’s readings which article you choose.

Step 2: Write a 5-page (double-space) critique of the article, : identifying the article’s main points and offer a counterargument based on your understanding of different perspectives on the issue of interest.

As you evaluate the article, consider that your critique should answer the following questions:
• What is being argued?
• What causes what?
• How persuasive is the argument?
• Who cares? To whom should this issue matter?
• What do I disagree with and what is the thesis of my counterargument?
• Which authors support my thesis and why?

Drawing on the lectures and readings, what is your position regarding an interdisciplinary approach to interior architecture theory?
Paper details

To answer this question position yourself in relation in TWO of the authors from the semester reading list and use TWO projects from the lectures as evidence to support or illustrate your position. ( I will be providing you the selected authors and projects) Deliverables: Format is landscape. Be clear about your critical approach and representational method. Consider the book as though it is a diagram of your interior discourse discoveries. It is designed object. Strong projects will convey a critical and active engagement with the semester readings and lectures. Do not summarise the readings. It is asking what you are arguing for? Argue why is it have any relevant to interior architecture theory? And what is your position? Back up with the chosen 2 authors and 2 projects from lectures. 1000 words essay : 125 words intro, 3 body paragraphs (250 words each paragraph) and 125 words conclusion Body Paragraph 1 : Interior Architecture Theory Body Paragraph 2 : Interdisciplinary Body Paragraph 3 : Your position – How do you apply Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 1 ? Referencing: No footnote. Cite next to excerpts/explanation/quotes – for example ……. “…excerpt….” (Author: Date, Page Number) or for explanation: ….. ……explaining what the reading was about to back up ur position…. (Author:Date, Page number(if it is a specific page)) *Better over-cite than under-cite*

measures to end exploitation, and illicit trade, of natural resources for the benefit of the affected populations. The Resolution MUST be ALL ROUNDED. Use both Ian Smillie [cite specific pages], and your own views

a major international security issue that has occurred this year i.e.- 2015 (3 pages max.). Cite your sources inside the body of your Resolution

Are business networks still important for doing business in Asia? Study one Asian country to illustrate your argument.

Use headings and sub-headings and avoid using excessive direct quoting. Please be analytical and look at both sides of the argument and have good theoretical and empirical support. Must have a clear structure and expression.

Marketing mix
Mercedes Benz
Faced with competition in the automobile industry, Mercedes has worked hard to ensure that it maintains its place in the automobile industry. Mercedes Benz has been said to be the most recognized automobile brand globally. Such a high profile success is not by an accident but by the hard work, patience and also the excellent use of effective marketing strategies by the management.
Mercedes Benz is recognized as the world’s oldest producer of luxury cars and chances are this reputation will remain for a long time. In this marketing mix we will look at the Mercedes Benz’s marketing and advertising that has made it a leader in the very competitive industry.
Product
Mercedes Benz is a name that is widely known globally. You need not to introduce the name even to a child. Even with such a big name, most people do not know the story behind Mercedes and it products. Mercedes Benz has been linked to the world-class cars, buses, and tracks which acknowledged for the luxurious nature. The company started in 1890 as Daimler AG. Before that Karl Benz had a company which was founded in 1871, and later came and joined Daimler AG. Its headquarters are at Baden-Wurttemberg and Stuttgart in Germany.
As we have mentioned, Mercedes Benz produces advanced luxury trucks, cars, coaches and buses in the various manufacturing plants around the world. The first car was marketed in 1902 and ever since then, the company has maintained its place in the automobile industry by manufacturing luxury cars.
Promotion
Mercedes Benz has worked hard to ensure that its products are recognized worldwide. To get a huge global recognition, you have to ensure that you promote your products using the best available options. The management in Mercedes Benz Company has taken time to ensure that there is proper promotion of its products. That is the reason why almost everyone in the world has an idea of what Mercedes Benz is
So as to increase the communication with its market, it has maintained its accessibility to consumers using the following methods
• Television advertising
• Social media
• Online advertising
• excellent customer service
• warranty with excellent conditions
• Print media
It has ensured that it has a good reputation when it comes to quality and exclusivity in all of its products, thus remaining as one the recognizable brands worldwide.

Place
Mercedes Benz has brought up many technological innovations. However many companies have copied these innovations threatening the place of Mercedes Benz in the automobile industry. This has not been a great challenge to Mercedes since many of its consumers understand the quality in their products. Those who want a quality car will go for a Mercedes however much there are copies all over.
Their cars are known to be long lasting and this has ensured that they keep a wide variety of customers who always come back for their new brands.
This is the reason why Mercedes has maintained its position in the manufacture of luxury and quality cars.
Pricing
For a company to succeed in the ever competitive automobile industry, it has to ensure that it prices its products in the best possible way. This comes with strategy. You have to make sure that you have a strategy that will work for your product.
Strategy Identification
Good Marketing strategies aid an organization to be successful. This is a creative field which drives the revenue of any company. Strategic marketing organizes numerous subjects into fewer categories that include creating tools and processes developing the strategy, managing and generating customers. In a given market, the chances of offers outweighing the price are high. It is easier to convince customers to by sing offers than it is by lowering prices. If you give customers offers, you will stand a higher chance of winning the customers than lowering the prices of your products. (Jeannet & Hennessey 242)
A major step is providing an organization with a competitive position, to define how to distinguish the offer and get value in the market. This creates a spot which is competitive and provides specific strategies on which to focus, based on factors such as market profile, competitive analysis, positioning strategy and value positioning. Marketing strategy fully focuses on attaining competitive advantages on a maintainable basis created through the availability of capabilities and resources.
Marketing strategies are operational in all the activities of marketing and are impossible to get achieved in isolation. The marketing strategy must support the corporate strategy/strategic plan. Furthermore, a business is made up of numerous functional areas which have to aid each other succeed in the general business. In the realization of a marketing strategy, several key concepts have to be considered. Firstly, product differentiation and product positioning influence how customers perceive or view a brand’s feature compared to those of the competitors. It purposes of gaining demand through generating a product on precise qualities and a clear image which distinguish it from the competing product and therefore getting brand equity.
The competitive strategy is basically how a company management plans to compete successfully. It usually focuses on move to please its customers, ways in which to counter the moves of its rivals, ways of responding to changes in the market conditions. Managers in every company have to think of various strategies that will enable them to stay ahead of the competition.
There are five different strategies, namely:
Low-cost Provider Strategy
This is the kind of strategy that calls for a company to be a low cost producer of products which are at a given quality level. Here the company has the option of selling the products at the average cost at the market or selling the products at a price lower than the average cost so as to acquire market share. This is the kind of strategy that targets a broad market setting.
Broad differentiation strategy
This type of strategy calls for a company to develop products which have unique qualities which the customers value and which they perceive as better as compared to the competitors’. This kind of value may allow the company to charge higher prices for the products than its competitors. This higher cost is a way of covering the costs which the company incurred to produce the highest quality of products
Focused-low-cost strategy
This strategy concentrates in a narrow segment and it tries to sell the product at a lower price than that of their competitors. This strategy wins the buyers’ loyalty in in a particular small market.
Focused differentiation strategy
This kind of strategy focuses on a particular market niche and offers better quality products to its consumers.
Best-cost provider strategy
Best-cost strategy occurs in case where a company makes a high quality product and sets its cost lower than that of the competitors which gives more value in exchange of money. The strategy focuses on value-conscious customers who are willing to pay for a good which has upscale features.
Mercedes Benz strategy
After looking and analyzing the five generic competitive strategies, I conclude that the strategy used by Mercedes Benz. Is Broad differentiation strategy
Having identified the strategy used by Mercedes Benz as Broad differentiation strategy, I will therefore go on to analyze why they choose that strategy, and how are they using it (or how well are they implementing it.)
Why Mercedes Benz chose the broad differentiation strategy
There are many reasons for a company to decide to use broad differentiation strategy. The Mercedes Benz also chose this strategy as it has a lot of benefits in comparison to the other strategies.
Differentiation creates value for the company. When a firm uses this strategy which concentrates on the value of a product against the other same products in the market, a perceived value is created amongst the buyers and future customers. Mercedes Benz creates a perception to the consumers and its potential consumers that their products are of a higher quality, hence creating a value for their goods. Such perceptions create value for the Mercedes Benz Company and its products are sold at a higher price than the competitors’ similar products.
Broad differentiation Strategy brings about non-price competition. The differentiation strategy allows a business to bring competition in other areas away from price competition. It also focuses on cost saving since the products are seen as long lasting as compared to competitors’ products.
Brand differentiation creates brand loyalty. Customers believe in that product and will always go for products created by that company. Mercedes Benz customers have the tendency of getting a new car whenever it is released by the company since they believe in the quality of the products. This makes the company have the confidence to invest in new products since they have loyal customers who will be ready to buy and try the products once they are released into the market. This brand loyalty also ensures that there are returning customers’ hence security when investing in new products. These loyal customers are the ones who bring their friends to try the products, hence increasing the company’s market share.
When a company has fully incorporated the differentiation strategy, the customers have the perception that there is no substitute for the company’s products. For instance, Mercedes Benz users believe that the Mercedes Benz is a whole different product from the other products, hence believing that there can be no car that can take the place of the Mercedes Benz. Differentiation focuses on quality and design that cannot be found in other products in the market. This makes the product gain advantage in the market against the similar products in the market. This therefore translates to more sales for the product.
The Mercedes Benz Company has used the differentiation strategy since it comes with the above mentioned advantages
Mercedes Benz and the five forces model
• Substitute products. This occurs in the case whereby there are products that are similar to the product and can end up substituting the products. Customers may switch to these other products which may be cheaper. In our case, Mercedes Benz’s products have created a perception that there cannot be any product that can substitute them. Although there exists products in the market which are almost similar to the Mercedes Benz’s products, the chances of totally being replaced are slim since there is that perception that the products are of a higher quality and last longer hence cost effective.
• Customers. The Mercedes Benz Company does not have a problem with buyers since it has a large number of customers. It boasts of millions of customers so this does not pose a problem to them. The products that they offer are unique, hence making them retain loyal customers. The use of the differentiation strategy has helped a lot in the creating a large base of loyal customers. These customers always attract other customers to try the Mercedes Benz’s products.
• Suppliers. The Mercedes Benz Company does not face a big problem when it comes to suppliers. Being a monster company with a good reputation, there are many suppliers ready to work with them. If one supplier was to increase the price, the company can easily get other suppliers. However, we should note that the company focuses on high quality products, hence suppliers who supply high quality materials have a higher bargaining power
• The threat of new entrants is low, because Mercedes Benz has a way continuously differentiating its products from those of its rivals. It also has a production that is wide-spread and it can make products at a lower cost.
• Threat of rivalry- It should not worry about the rivalry in the markets since it has set the standard for its products. They are highly differentiated from those of the rivals.

Implementation
But before a company uses this strategy, it has to have the following.
Access to an advanced scientific research-To engage in broad differentiation strategy, the products that are being sold to the customers must be of a high quality. The product must unique qualities that will appease the customers. They must be of a very unique quality that is unrivaled by the competitors. To be able to products, the company must have access to advanced scientific research. Mercedes Benz has advanced scientific research and this allows it to produce goods that are of a high quality in comparison to the ones produced by its competitors.
Creative and high skilled team for product development-This is a crucial element in the broad differentiation strategy. As we have noted above, the products must have unique qualities, and to achieve this, the company must have a team of product development who are highly skilled and very creative. The aim here is to have a product that has better qualities in comparison to the competitors’ products. To come up with such a product, there has to be a team which is up to the task. Over the years, Mercedes Benz has invested a lot in the employment of product development team and this has ensured that they have high quality products which always please their customers.
The company must have a strong sales team that has the ability of selling the products to the customers. Such a sales team must be in a position to show the high qualities of the products to the customers. Such a sales must be able to show the customers that they are getting high value goods for their money. This is a very important factor to consider as it will determine the number of sales that a company will make and hence the profits to be made. The Mercedes Benz has taken this very seriously and it has ensured that there is a huge number of sales personnel qualified enough to present the products’ strength to the customers.
The corporate name for quality and innovation- to use the broad differentiation strategy, the company must have a good reputation in quality and innovation. This helps in marketing the products as the customers will have confidence in the products. Mercedes Benz has a corporate reputation in the industry and the customers are confident in their products.
Its products have been designed to stay ahead of its peers. Although there is high competition, it has done well in generating a high demand for the products, this has given it power to control its prices and it has ensured that there is customer loyalty. It has focused on customers willing to pay more for the products and they have maintained a premium pricing of units. It has set up some kind of artificial barrier for entry by its competitors.
The company has properly made use of the differentiation strategy and it has worked well for them so far.

REPORT WRITING GUIDELINES
The Structure of a Report
Reports have a standardised format. The structure will be based on the following model:
Not all reports include all of the elements listed. You should always check what is needed with the person who set the work.
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Executive summary (not required for this report)
• Introduction
• Main Body
• Conclusion
• Recommendations
• References/Bibliography
• Appendices
1. Title Page
This shows the title or subject of the report, who the report is for, the name of the writer and date of submission.
2. Table of Contents
This details all sections and sub-sections of the report with page numbers.
3. Executive Summary
This summarises the main points and findings. (This is not always needed, particularly if it is a short report).
4. Introduction
This includes the scope and background to the work including:
• The aims and objectives and the terms of reference. The context of the report and its purpose. Sometimes included are details of the organisation requesting the report and the question(s) they are hoping will be answered.
• The methodology – how you have gathered the information presented in the report, for example: by interviews or postal questionnaires. Sometimes it includes an explanation of why a particular investigative approach / methodology was chosen.
• The topics covered – a broad outline of content and scope and any limitations of the project.
5. Main Body of the Report
This is where information is presented, explanations provided and questions answered. It deals with what, how, where and why?
The findings of the report are broken down into discrete sections and sub-sections. Each section and sub-section should have a title/heading, and be numbered.
Include in the body of the report:
• A literature review (in an academic report)
• Method – what you did and why you did it.
• What you found – quantitative data – what was observed, outcome of questionnaires and results of experiments; qualitative information; case studies.
• Discussion – what you have deduced from the findings and how these relate to previous research or other studies. You should discuss findings in a theoretical framework and give opinions based on reasoning and critical thinking. All sources should be referenced.
6. Conclusion
Conclusions should clearly relate to the objective(s) of the report. This is the place to draw together key points made in the report; nothing new should appear here.
7. Recommendations
These should be one or more practical proposals and may offer solutions to problems investigated in the report. You will not always be asked to include recommendations.
Each recommendation should be listed and discussed separately.
8. References (Bibliography)
This should reference all books, articles, journals, websites, and any other sources you consulted when writing the report. This should be listed in alphabetical order.

9. Appendices
These should be at the end of the report. They contain relevant information which is too lengthy or detailed to include in the report itself. Each appendix should contain different information. They should be referred to in the report and not left to stand alone.
The report should look professional and information should be easy to find
• Use plenty of white space with wide margins and generous spacing between lines. Dense text and cluttered pages can put the reader off. (1.5 line spacing is often recommended but particular specifications may be given).
• Use a font that is clear and comfortable to read, for example Arial. Choose fonts that convey a formal style.
• Do not use fonts at less than 12 point. Headings and sub-headings can be larger, and in bold.
• When you use diagrams, graphs or tables, number these and put them at the point where they are first referred to. They should have a heading/title and include sources – this can be in a smaller font 9 or 10.Use consistent and suitable formatting and numbering. For example:
1. HEADING
(a) Sub-heading one.
(b) Sub- heading two
or
A. HEADING
(i) Sub-heading one
(ii) Sub-heading two
• Bullet points can also be used.
• Headings should be consistent and convey a clear meaning. They will also be used in the Table of Contents to direct the reader to the information they are seeking. Avoid writing headings in the form of questions – in academic writing you are not expected to directly address the reader.
• Ensure that the length of a report adheres to guidelines or restrictions imposed.
• Proof read and carefully check grammar, punctuation and spelling

Speech to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC):

Write a speech to the UNSC discussing ALL legal natural resources that have been exploited and those that are still being exploited today to finance conflicts and their impact on the affected countries. Your speech must be ALL ROUNDED. The speech MUST strictly follow official UNSC speech format and be in Sierra Leone, official Letter Head/Logo. Cite your sources inside the body of your speech,Use Times New Roman, font 12, 1.5 spacing.

TOPIC : ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE
THE ARTICLE MUST BE PUBLISHABLE TO A JOURNAL. INDICATE THE JOURNAL THE ARTICLE CAN BE PUBLISHED ON.
SOME SUGGESTED POINTS OF DISCUSSION
– MANAGED CARE /HMO’S
– GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION AND REGULATION ON HEALTH CARE
– HOSPITAL TRENDS/ COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOSPITALIZATION.

Introduction
The belief about survival of consciousness and the soul reincarnation has been propagated by many people from different points of view. There are many research works that has been done and put into writing by various scholars to prove the belief of reincarnation. This paper will break down the research work done by Dan Darling dubbed Zen Physics: The Science of Death, the Logic of Reincarnation. I will endeavor to provide an objective summary of this excellent research by the scholar; an attempt to convince as many folks about the science of death and the possibility of reincarnation. This paper will also critically evaluate the data presentation in the book as well the discussions thereof.
Death is the inevitable end of all the living souls in the world, whoever thinks otherwise has buried his head in the sand and will delay in adjusting to the truth of life (McClelland 262). However, human beings have a soul which does not die with them; the fate of the soul is the main interest of this paper. Where does the soul go at death; is it kept somewhere until some time? Does it resurrect and live again? Does it get lost without ever returning? Does it immediately get into another being and live again? Does our consciousness end at the moment our natural mechanism break down? These are some of the questions that this paper would want to explore to bring out a proper understanding rather than assumptions about the soul of a man.

The Book Summary
David Darling makes a lot of submissions about the soul of man and what happens to it at death in his book. The book is based on the findings of a research done with great care and detail for academic and religious purposes. There are evidences presented in the book supporting the conclusions of the research that Darling carries out about death, consciousness, reincarnation and the soul. There are two conclusions of Darling’s research that are supported by evidences of study. The first conclusion is about incarnation of the soul; David believes that incarnation is plausibly bound to happen. Life after death seems to be an indisputable fact for all souls; life does not end at death (Stemman 123).
The consciousness of an individual also does not stop at death; there is a continuation of the same into the next world. David’s research concludes that immediately one dies he/she begins another life. Secondly, the book concludes that the brain restricts the rise of consciousness at death. The mind, however, must be clear as it is the most essential property of the universe. Science seems to be enjoined with religion and psychology in proving this continuity of life in all human beings; disputing this fact may fail to hold waters. Death basically connotes a transition from the physical to a spiritual life thereafter.
The book Zen Physics: The Science of Death, the Logic of Reincarnation, connotes the thought of death to make men threatened and trembled. Many people dread the occurrence of death because they do not know where they will be thereafter. The changes that occur on the corpses some of the times prove the thought in people that there is no hope of life after death. The purple-red stain on the bottommost part of the body, the stiffening of the eyelids and immediate inflexibility of the whole body are some of the changes that instill fear in people.
More dreadful changes in the dead bodies come after a number of days; the greenish skin discoloration that begins from the abdomen to the whole body in a week’s time. Bloody blisters also develop on the skin weakening the body such that the skin easily peels off at the slightest touch. All these are signs of decay and a disapproval of the belief about life after death. It is these changes that men see in the corpses of the departed ones that alleviates the hope of life after death at all costs. One would not find it easy to believe that the rotting individual was alive elsewhere. The changes in the corpses brought about the invention of different methods of preserving and disposing the corpses (Weiss 65)
.
However, David proves from the statements of physicists of old time that death is basically a transition of life from the physical to the spiritual. One only goes to a “dreamless sleep” as stated by Socrates. Transition from life to non-life is a factor relative and subject to the individual interpretation. The creation at the beginning of time was only made of chemical substances wrapped in a casing; these chemicals became complex with time and increased the intellectual capacity of human beings. At death, the physical body becomes doomed and gives room to the control of the spiritual man (Pojman & Louis 234). There may be no proof for the continuous life of the soul for it leaves no mark or recognition mechanism whatsoever.
The soul is neither a phenomenon nor does is there any logic to claim its physical or supernatural state; only the effects can be felt and proved. The brain has the sole work to interpret and assess the things that draw its attention such as wisdom, ideologies and occupant catechism. The brain factors perceptions, words, actions and gestures that define and direct it at the end. Human beings are also shaped from the environment, doctrinal belief systems and caretakers. Consciousness is defined as the ‘symmetry-breaking factor between the objective and the subjective (Darling 20).
Consciousness is what informs the bounds of being a person and different from all others. It is the ability to know what one is as opposed to others. One would be better concerned about what happens to his/her soul rather than what happens to his/her corpse after death (Darling 41). This means that people believe they are more than the body substance and the brains; we are what our bodies and brains give rise to. Self-consciousness is defined as the ability to have an ‘I-thought.; this means that a person accepts the fact that he/she exists.
Analysis and Evaluation
Before I got to read this book, I had a different perspective of self, consciousness, the brain and the soul. I had thought that a person’s self is actually one’s perception of life and their inbuilt actions. Consciousness according to me used to be ability to recognize changes in the environment and the ability to fine-tune and acclimatize to the changes. Reading the book has given me the perspective of a pathway of thinking and feelings that gives way to the rise of consciousness. The reading of this book helped me to understand the character of mentality and the brain.
The juicy matter was the very blend of science and philosophy; Darling uses the contributions and conclusions of old time philosophers to prove his findings. Besides this, there is great use of known principles and findings of science that provide a basis for David’s arguments. David uses physics, quantum mechanics and philosophy to prove the mind boggling question of whether there is life after death using numerous theories and sacred beliefs. I agree with the presentation of data and hard knowledge based on real cases in this book; the facts are without doubt convincing to all. The book uses simple English and can be understood by all, David easily opens the eyes of all to a new understanding and facts.
This book is well researched and the findings cannot be doubted for anyone who reasons with facts. There is a simultaneous approach to studying what consciousness is and what it is not such that the final conclusion is clear. There is a communal thought in identity among people that David replaces with the I-thought consciousness of identifying self. There is a firm founded theory about what happens to the soul after death; when one can no longer see what happens some moments after the very last breath. When the material brain lastly dies and the rest of the body begins rotting, where does the soul go? And what happens to it? This book validates my belief about survival of consciousness and the ability to re-incarnate