Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay With the emergence of internet, business organization of 20th century has undergone structural, cultural and qualitative change, the way business is done and a new organization structure has emerged known as E business enterprise. E business enterprise enables employees, professionals, terms, groups, vendors, customers to perform business operations through electronic exchange of data and information anywhere at any time. The business operations are performed through E communication and collaboration initiatives. Therefore, E business enterprise has a global market, reach, source and global competition. Due to extensive use of technology, the enterprise is now called a digital firm. The business process are conducted through enterprise software like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply Chain Management) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) supported by data warehouse, decision support system, knowledge management and content management system. Information Technology (IT) consists of computer hardware, software, data and storage technology, and networks along with the human resources required to operate the technology. The managers and employees directly interact with these systems, it is important for the company now and in the future that the information architecture and IT infrastructure meet the business requirements of the company and that the systems can work together where needed. An Information System (IS) as interrelated components that work together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization. An Inofrmation System (IS) can be any organised combination of people, hardware, software, communication networks, and data resources that stores and retrieves, transforms and disseminates information in an organization The Field of Information Systems encompasses many complex technologies abstract behavioral concepts, and specialized application in countless business and nonbusiness areas. The figure beside Illustrates a useful conceptual framework that organizes the knowledge presented in the text and outlines what you need to know about information system. For Detailed Information Students are requested to refer MIS by James A OBrien Page 6 7 This framework Outlines the Major areas of Information Systems Knowledge needed by business professionals The Three Major roles of the business applications of information systems. Information system provides an organization with support for business processes and operations, decision making, and competitive advantage Support Business Process and Operations: As a consumer, you regularly encounter information system that supports the business process and operations at the many retail stores where you shop. For example most retail stores now use computer based information system to help them record customer purchases, keep track of inventory, pay employees, buy new merchandise, and evaluate sales trends. Store operations would grind to a halt without the support of such information system Support Decision Making: Information System also help store managers and other business professionals make better decision. For Example, decisions on what lines of merchandise need to be added or discontinued, or on what kind of investment they require, are typically made after an analysis provide by computer based information systems. This not only supports the decision making of stores managers, buyers and other, but also helps them look for ways to gain an advantage over other retailers in the competition for customers. Support Competitive Advantage: Gaining a strategic advantage over competitors requires innovative application of information technologies. For example, store management might make a decision to install touch screen kiosks in all of their stores, with link to their e-commerce web site for online shopping. This might attract new customers and build customer loyalty because of the case of shopping and buying merchandise provide by such information system. Thus, strategic information systems can help provide products and services that give a business a comparative advantage over its competitors. DATA INFORMATION AND ITS ATTRIBUTES D:Projectsken pptslides imageslaudonf01-02.gif Data: Streams of raw facts representing events such as business transactions Information: Clusters of facts those are meaningful and useful to human beings in the processes such as making decisions The Features / Attributes / Characteristics of Information Improves representation of an entity Updates the level of Knowledge Has a surprise value Reduces uncertainty Aids in decision making Three activities in an information system produce the information that organizations need to make decision, control operations, analyze problem and create new products or services. These activities are input, processing and output. Input Captures or collects raw data from within the organization of from its external environment. Processing converts this raw input into a meaningful form. Output transfers the processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for activities for which it will be used. Information system also require feedback, which is output that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct the input stageD:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf01-03.gif CLASSIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION The information can be classified in a number of ways provide to a better understanding. John Dearden of Harvard University classifies information in the following manner. Action Versus No-action Information Recurring Versus Non-recurring information Internal Versus External Information Planning Information Control Information Knowledge Information Organizational Information Database information Functional or Operational information Action Versus No-action Information: The information which induces action is called as action information. The information which communicates only the status of a situation is a no-action information. No stock report calling a purchase action is an action information but the stock ledger showing the store transactions and the stock balance is a No-action information. Recurring versus non recurring information: The information generated at regular intervals is recurring information. The monthly sales reports, the stock statements, the trial balance, etc are recurring information. The financial analysis or the report on the market research study is non recurring information. Internal versus External information: the information generated through the internal sources of the organization is termed as an internal information, while the information generated through the government reports, the industry surveys, etc is termed as an external information, as the sources of the data are outside the organization. Planning information: certain standards, norms and specification are used in the planning of any activity. Hence, such information is called the planning information. The time standards, the operational standards, the design standards are the examples of the planning information. Control information: Reporting the status of an activity through a feedback mechanism is called the control information. When such information shows a deviation from the goal or the objective, it will induce a decision or an action leading to control. Knowledge Information: A collection of information through the library reports and the research studies to build up a knowledge base as an information source for decision making is known as knowledge information. Such a collection is not directly connected to decision making, but the need of knowledge is perceived as a power or a strength of the organization. Organization Information: When the information is used y everybody in the organization, it is called as organization information. Database Information: When the information has a multiple use and application, it is called the database information Functional or the operational information: When the information is used in the operations of a business it is called functional or the operational information. Module 2 Transaction processing systems (TPS) are basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization by recording the daily routine transactions required to conduct business, such as payroll and sales receipts. Transactional Processing system is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Examples of TPS are order entry system, cheque processing system, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems and ticket reservation systems. These systems help any company to conduct operations and keep track of its activities. TPS was first developed in the year 1950s in accounting departments of major corporations. It is the oldest type of information system and can be called as the work horse of the information system industry for the last 50 years.D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-02.gif The principal purpose of systems at this level is to answer routine questions and to track the flow of transactions through the organization. How many parts are in inventory? What happened to Mr. Williams payment? To answer these kind of questions, information generally must be easily available, current, and accurate. At the operational level, tasks resources, and goals are predefined and highly structured. The decision to grant credit to a customer, for instance, is made by a lower level supervisor according to predefined criteria. All that must be determined is whether the customer meets the criteria H:mis10eimagesimg02_06.jpg The figure illustrated beside is transaction processing system. Managers need TPS to monitor the status of internal operations and the firms the external environment. TPS are also major producers of information for the other types of system TPS are often so central to a business that TPS failure for few hours can lead to a firms demise and perhaps that of other firms linked to it. Imagine what would the airlines do without their computerized reservation system? Transaction processing is the set of procedures for handling the transactions. Common Activities in transaction processing include: Calculation Classification Sorting Storage Summarization Types of Functional categories of TPS Systems D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-04.gif Management Information System The MIS has More than one Definition, some of which are given below: The MIS is defined as a system which provides information support for decision making in the organization. The MIS is defined as an integrated system of man and machine for providing the information to support the operations, the management and the decision making function in the organization. The MIS is defined as a system based on the database of the organization evolved for the purpose of providing information to the people in the organization. The MIS is defined as a computer based information system. It serve middle managers interests by providing current and historical performance information to aid in planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level. MIS typically compress TPS data to present regular reports on the companys basic operations. Middle Management needs systems to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making, and administrative activities. The principal question addressed by such systems is this: Are things working well? In any organization, small or big, a major portion of the time goes in data collection processing, documenting and communication it to the people. Hence, a major portion of the overheads goes into this kind of unproductive work in the organization. Every individual in an organization is continuously looking for some information which is needed to perform his / her task. Hence, the information is people oriented and it varies with the nature of the people in t he organization. Role of the Management Information System. The system ensures that an appropriate data is collected for the various sources, processed and sent further to all the need destinations. The system is expected to fulfill the information needs of an individual, a group of individuals, the management functionaries: the managers and the top management. The MIS satisfies the diverse needs through a variety of systems such as query systems, analysis system, modeling systems and decision support system MIS helps in strategic planning , management control, operational control and transactional processing The MIS helps the clerical personnel in the transaction processing and answers their queries on the data pertaining to the transaction, that status of a particular record and references on a variety of documents The MIS plays the role of information generation, communication, problem identification and helps in the process of decision making. The MIS, therefore, plays a vital role in the management, administration and operations of an organization. Decision Support systemH:mis10eimagesimg02_08.jpg DSS is an interactive computer based system which facilitates the solution of unstructured problem. Scott Morton Defined Decision Support system as Interactive computer based systems, which help decision makers utilize data and models to solve unstructured problem It supports non routine decision making for middle management. They focus on problems that are unique and rapidly changing, for which the procedure for arriving at a solution may not be fully predefined in advance. They try answering questions such as these: what would be the impact on production scheduled if we were to double sales in the month of December? What would happen to our return on investment if a factory schedule were delayed for six months? Although DSS are internal information from TPS and MIS they often bring in information from external sources, such as current stock prices or product prices of competitors. These systems use a variety of models to analyze data, or they condense large amounts of data into a form in which decision makers can analyze them. DSS Characteristics of DSS Ability to support the solution of complex problem Fast response to unexpected situations that result in changed inputs Designed to help support decisions that are formulated as semi structured, complex problems May be constructed to support one time decisions DSS is typically designed for either a particular decision maker or a group of decision makers Allows the decision makers to interact in a natural manner due to careful design of the interface It is a way to organize information intended for use in decision making Ability to quickly and objectively try different strategies under different configurations Other Characteristics: Cost Savings Improving managerial effectiveness Extensive range of support to management Support of individual / group Graphic Display Designed and run managers; incorporated data and models Attributes of Decision Support system Flexibility: The system are flexible so that any semi structured or unstructured decision making sitation can be tackled with ease and speed Simple models: The systems use simple models of decision making. The only change is that a different set of information is sought for the use of different models. The choice of a model depends upon the complexity of decision making Database: the decision support system needs database(s). The system calls for several inputs from database(s) from decision making. The use of information being common, input to the system is from the database Types of Decision Support System Status inquiry system: The number of decisions in the operational management and some at the middle management are such that they are based on one or two aspects of a decision making situations. It does not call for any elaborate computations, analysis, choice, etc. for decision making. If the status is known, the decision is automatic, i.e., the status and solution is unique relation Data analysis system: These Decision systems are based on comparative analysis, and use of a formula or an algorithm. But these processes are not structured and, therefore vary. The cash flow analysis, the inventory analysis and the personal inventory system are examples of the analysis systems. The use of simple data processing tools and business roles are required to develop this system. Information analysis system: In this system, the data is analyzed and information reports are generated. The reports might be having exceptions as a feature. The decision makers use these reports for assessment of the situation for decision making. The sales analysis, the accounts receivable systems, the market research analysis, the MRP systems are examples of the systems. Accounting System: These systems are not necessarily required for decision making but they are desirable to keep track of the major aspects of the business or a function. The contents of these systems are more data processing leading to formal reporting, with exceptions, if necessary. These systems account items such as cash, inventory, personnel and so on and relate it to a norm or norms developed by the management, for control and decision Model based systems: These systems are simulation model or optimization models for decisions making. These decisions, generally, are one time and infrequent and provide general guidelines for operation or management, the product mix decision, the material mix, the job scheduling rules, and the resource or asset or facilities planning systems are the examples. Executive Support System These are management information systems tailored to benefit the strategic information needs of the top management / senior executive. ESS summarizes and presents data at the highest levels of aggregation. Usually, they involve presenting reports in standard formats and they often involve graphics. ESS is the newest of the five categories of MIS. They have had the least acceptance of the five types. The reason being that most executives started their careers prior to widespread use of computer. Executive Support systems provide critical information from a wide variety of internal and external sources in easy to use displays to executives and managers. For example, top executive may use touch screen terminals to instantly view text and graphics displays that highlight key areas of organizational and competitive performance What are the characteristics of MIS? How do MIS differ from TPS? From DSS? MIS supports the management level by providing routine summary reports and exception reports for various purposes, including planning, controlling, and decision making. Examples include sales and profit per customer and per region, relocation summary and analysis, inventory control, capital investment analysis, and even a report on students who were here in the autumn but did not to return in the spring. MIS differs from TPS in that MIS deals with summarized and compressed data from the TPS and sometimes analysis of that summarized data. Decision-support systems provide material for analysis for the solution of semi-structured problems, which often are unique or rapidly changing. Typically, they provide the ability to do what if analysis. While MIS have an internal orientation, DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports right now analysis rather than the long-term structured analysis of MIS. MIS are generally not flexible and provide little analytical capabilities. In contrast, DSS are designed for analytical purposes and are flexible. What are the characteristics of DSS? How do they differ from those of ESS? DSS provide sophisticated analytical models and data analysis tools to support semi structured and unstructured decision-making activities. DSS use data from TPS, MIS, and external sources, provide more analytical power than other systems, combine data, and are interactive. ESS support senior managers with unstructured strategic-level decision making. They may be less analytical than DSS with less use of models such as linear programming or forecasting. However, they often rely on external data and rely heavily on graphics. Describe the relationship between TPS, office systems, KWS, MIS, DSS, and ESS. The various types of systems in the organization exchange data with one another. TPS are a major source of data for other systems, especially MIS and DSS. TPS are operational-level systems that collect transaction data. Examples of these are payroll or order processing that track the flow of the daily routine transactions that are necessary to conduct business. TPS provide data that are required by office systems, KWS, MIS and DSS, although these systems may also use other data. KWS and office systems not only use data from TPS but also from MIS. DSS not only use data from TPS but also from KWS, office systems, and MIS. MIS rely heavily on data from TPS but also use data from KWS and office systems. ESS obtains most of their internal data from MIS and DSS.

Tokyo City: Architecture and Agriculture

Tokyo City: Architecture and Agriculture Kostof Essay Tokyo city The archaic capitals of Japan, such as Fujiwara-Kyà ´ (694-710 AD), Nara (710-784 AD), and Kyoto (AD 794-1868) conformed to Tangs capital grid-planning. However, grounds of defence, the devisers of Tokyo shunned the grid, preferring instead an irregular network of streets encompassing the Edo Castle grounds. Afterwards, several parts of Tokyo were grid-planned. The history of Tokyo played a significant role in the present architecture of Tokyo city. Tokyo faced two major destructions in its history; first by Great Kanto earthquake and firebomb during the pacific war. After the pacific war Japanese government was bankrupt could not execute citywide redevelopment to support the economy. Instead it embarked on infrastructural development leaving residential and commercial urban development in the hands o local actors. As a result unplanned cities sprang up despite deliberate efforts by the government to plan the city. The city planning and zoning act of 1968 aimed to create a separation between urban and agricultural lands. Despite the government of Japan adopting the city planning and zoning act of 1968 with an intention of separation between urban and agricultural lands, this has not been fully realised.. Since the Meiji restoration Japanese cities have eagerly been trying to apply western planning concepts which set a clear demarcation between urban and rural land use. Despite efforts to pursue this goal, urban periphery landscapes with an apposition of segmented agricultural lands and urban land uses has lived through the history of Japanese cities including Tokyo. Agro-activities take place in Tokyo in more than 900ha of land. Setagaya is one of the most agriculturally active Tokyo wards. Some agro-activities take place at the heart of Tokyo city. Presence of agricultural land in Tokyo city interferes with grid-planning of the city. Some parts of the city are grid-planned while others are not. Le Corbusier likens grid planning to the way a human being walks. Human beings walk on a straight line since they have a goal and know where he is ending to. Man also turns at right angles when he needs to.  [1]  Therefore the oftenness of cross streets is his own decision with topography having little to do with it especially if it is a flat site. It is stepping the land with streets at right angles with each other is the opening move in settlement planning. The grid is the most common pattern of urban planning in history although its use was not uninterrupted through history. The grid is recommended as the standard scheme urban solution for different sites. It is also a means for equitable distribution of land as well as easy allocation of land for trading of real estate. Straight through-streets provide defence. The concentration of buildings into blocks as in grid-planning provides defence too. One common feature with all grids is their orthogonal street pattern. This does not make grids immutable but on the contrary they can curve around irregularities on the ground without betraying its basic logic. In orthogonal street pattern, long streets are straight with short streets joining the long streets at right angle. Structures in Tokyo are organized along wide road and rail network. This is also repeated in the residential areas though in a smaller scale. In the residential areas houses are organized along long lanes (roji) where small shops and restaurants can be found. These lanes are hardly accessible to vehicles. Existence of coordinated array of town does not ensure and orderly extension of the town grids into the surrounding territories. Town grids can only be extended to the surrounding territory only if the city authorities had the power to oversee development in the suburban regions. As mentioned earlier, after the devastating calamities of Great Kant earthquake and the bombing in the Second World War left Japan government bankrupt. As a result, the government was concerned with infrastructural development leaving the urban development in the hands of local actors. Tokyos shimokitazawa neighbourhood is an example of citys incremental urban development. It emerged from a combination of local liberty and an infrastructural retrofitting by the Japanese government. It grew from a village with rice fields in the periphery of Edo to become and a modern urban cultural and commercial hub. Today shimokitazawa has a village and ancient Tokyo atmosphere. The typology of Shimokitazawa is characteriz ed by little low-rise constructions along a complex network mainly of pedestrian streets, busy ground market activity, and tight community networks. Shimokitazawa is one of the areas of Tokyo city that presents deformed grid. Organic city Some parts of Tokyo city can be referred to as organic city. Organic cities grow spontaneously adhering to no master plan, do not enjoy benefit of designers. Alternatively organic citys growth is dependent on passage of time, the lay of land and the day to day lives of the citizens. The result of these forces is irregular non-geometric with incidences of crooked and curved streets and randomly defined open spaces.  [2]  Organic city emerges when development is left in the hands of individuals without a governing body subdividing the land before disposing it off to the people. Spiro agrees with the fact that people have different opinions about organic cities. Some people might chose to find fault with organic city or celebrate its action-packed topography, forthcoming and flexible development of its form, and its culture characterized by communal living. He does not seem to oppose organic cities. He asserts that even planned cities present features characteristic of organic cities. The extent of life in terms of the buildings mass and varying height of buildings marshalled like troops along a city grid can result to picturesque characteristic of unplanned city. Spiro also argues that even the geometrical irregularity of unplanned city is a matter of grade. The streets curve frequently but not canonical. What looks like in orderly arrangement is often a matter of straight streets sections intersecting at random angles, and their linear elements broken with frequent angulated bends.  [3]   According to Spiro planned and organic cities exist side by side e.g. Tokyo and Shimokitazawa most historic towns, mainly those of metropolitan size are puzzles of premeditated and self-generated segments, diversely juxtaposed or interlocked.  [4]  Organic cities may start as shantytowns on unoccupied land at the remote edges of town, or in centrally located areas that are difficult to build up such as steep slopes, canyons, or garbage dumps. Shimokitazawa has many narrow passages that are inaccessible to vehicles which give a true sense of adventure as one explores the town on foot. Second hand clothes shops selling miscellaneous items from the 70s and old animated themed toys are popular. Various cultural festivals are held in Shimokitazawa which showcase the cultural wealth of the town. In the month of February, the town of Shimokitazawa if full of festivity. Various plays are performed in eight small theatres during the month long Shimokitazawa theatre festival. The Tengu-Matsuri festival held at the end of January or early February gives a serene and friendly appeal of Shimokitazawa. The lively Mikoshi-Matsuri festival otherwise called the portable shrine festival is held early September. Organic cities lay both conceptually physically and in the middle of slums and contemporary planned cities. They are a budding environment that increased gradually and spontaneously evolved over generations. Often organic cities are culturally vibrant and creative dependent on local skills and cultural capital. They can provide solutions to challenges facing modern cities such as population density. Organic city are able to support high population density in an environmentally and socially sustainable way. With increase in number of poor people living in degraded urban environments organic cities have potential to shift the paradigm of urbanism. Therefore organic cities should be recognized as a legitimate urban form and developing it from within. The grand manner The tree planted streets of Tokyo city as well as its parks contribute to the citys plan grand manner. Side walks and parkways in the streets of Tokyo city are amazing. The tree- planted sidewalks and parkways give the city a sense of serenity. Some avenues have double rows of trees depending on the width of the sidewalks. For example, on Grand Avenue in South Park where an average 24 inch sidewalk are required, a double row of trees are planted. Road tree in Japan is thought to date back as the middle of the eighth century when trees were planted along the roads for the welfare of travellers. However, only after Japan opened its frontiers that it started to overhaul and thus turning trees to be part of urban landscapes. Black pine, cherry, maple and other species were planted in Tokyo on Ginza Street in 1873. Exotic trees were first used to line the city streets in 1875 when a black locust tree was planted in Tokyo. However because of poor care most of them dried up. In 1907 the government of Japan embarked on a big project of planting trees along city streets of Tokyo. Ten fast growing trees were selected which included among others Trident maple, Plane tree and Ginkgos. Ginkgos was planted in front of Tokyos city hall thus was marked as a street tree in Japan. However this project suffered two major setbacks; the Great Kanto Earthquake that resulted into fires that destroyed more than half the street trees, and bombing of Japan during the Second World War. Tree planting in city streets was part of Tokyos reconstruction process. Even to date Ginkgos remains the preferred street tree in Tokyo. Large number of evergreen trees are planted in wide and high-speed expressways to reduce traffic noise in the surrounding residential areas. Trees creating harmony are preferred for expressways passing through undeveloped areas like mountain foothills. Ginkgo tree has been utilized mainly in designs that c omprise western landscape characteristics. Tokyo National Showa Memorial Park was created in 1983, and sits on a 450-acre parcel of land and Ginkgos forms its allee. The park was created to mark the fifteenth anniversary ascension of Emperor Showa. The place having been occupied by United States Tachikawa military base, the buildings were demolished and hills rebuilt, tree planted and grasses sown to make forests and fields. The relationship of city to its natural environment Urbanization process has led to reduction in green spaces and loss of public spaces. He present urban regeneration projects in Tokyo are aimed at converting ex-industry land and shifting land to high rise building areas. These areas relate weakly with the encompassing city areas. Currently nature scarcely exists in Tokyo. During the Edo Period, samurai residential areas were situated on the high land of the Musashi plateau, while abodes of low caste samurai and tradesmen were situated in the valleys below, making a life space for a variety of living and working areas according to the contour of the land. The Tokyo Bay was visible at a distant from the roads going down from the high land. There were also many places where people could relish the sight of Mount Fuji. Protecting view points of various centres of attraction such as Mt. Fuji is not an important factor in Tokyo city planning. On the contrary emphasis has inclined towards universality rather than the features of the place, and the result is stereotype city space. Like many historical cities, Tokyo is developed close to the rivers and canals. Presently, the rivers are separated from the town by perpendicular embankments, with the buildings having their backs to the polluted rivers. Originally the ideal sites for city architecture were river banks with straight access to the water transportation system. Relationship of the man-made to the natural context The relationship between manmade and the natural in Tokyo can be described as chaotic. The city plan does not give emphasis to visibility of natural features such as Mt. Fuji. Unlike London, where protecting the perspective of Saint Pauls Cathedral from several main points across the city is a key guideline for the city planning, Tokyo does not give much consideration to the view of its esteemed feature in the city. Save for a few parks at the centre of Tokyo, parks and open spaces have reduced compared to those of ancient Edo (Tokyo). Even some of the parks cannot provide the relaxation they were intended because of noise pollution. For example, Uchibori-dori Avenue cuts across the Outer Garden of the Imperial Palace which is next to Hibiya Park. The car noise creates a restless atmosphere within the park. Putting Uchibori-dori Avenue underground, and planting of Japanese black pines would create a large open space area about thirty hectares conducive for events, outdoor stage or sporting events. This would in turn revive the business area in the core of the city which has since lost popularity on holidays. Urban fabric and monuments Tokyo city is a unique in that western or modern and ancient city planning is intertwined in the development of the city. Agricultural land is seen in the city as it is historic of Asian cities. Some people view this kind of coexistence as chaotic mainly because Japan government adopted the western style of city planning that makes a clear demarcation between urban and rural areas which Japan has not been able accomplished. However when looked from historic and cultural perspective, it can be understood as serving an important role in the Japanese cities and specifically in Tokyo. The agricultural land sustains their surrounding population. The urban fabric of Tokyo is often made of a soft residential core, qualified by low-rise and thickly built houses, encircled by a hard shell of taller and larger buildings along broad roads or railways. A new generation of needs has led to changes in building types. For example, apartments are seen to be small and their narrow staircase not providing adequate access. This has made people to migrate form apartments for better housing. The originally neat, modern parks and greenways of the apartments have now become jungles of vegetation. Now efforts are directed towards redeveloping the apartments to attract new residents. Tokyo city has several ancient and modern monuments. In some cases modern and ancient monuments are juxtaposed depicting western and ancient architecture evident in Tokyo city. They also depict the co-existence of western and ancient cultures. An example is Zojoji Temple located next to the Tokyo Tower. In summary Tokyo city can be described as combining grid and organic city in its urban fabric. The city planning and zoning act of 1968 intended to create a separation between urban and agricultural lands. However this attempt has failed to produce the desired results as agricultural lands are still evident in Tokyo city. This makes Asian cities which have borrowed the European way of urban planning, including Tokyo look disorderly. As a result of combining western and ancient styles of city planning, some parts of Tokyo city are grid planned whereas others not. Although the city may look chaotic it has still been able to maintain a grand manner in its streets and open space. Tree planting along the sidewalks and parkways as well as parks such as Ueno contribute to the citys grand manner. Also contributing to the uniqueness of Tokyo city is its monuments some of which are juxtaposed both modern and ancient e.g. Zojoji Temple and Tokyo Tower.

Admiral Jarok as a Traitor :: Star Trek Traitor Essays Papers

In our recent viewing of the "The Defector", an episode in the saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation, we encountered a traitor. A traitor is one who has knowledge or power of information and betrays the cause, another, or trust; to commit an act of treason. Romulan Admiral Jarok is a traitor in the episode. Admiral Jarok is a traitor because he divulged top secret Romulan military information to the enemy; The Federation. Disclosure of restricted military information qualifies Admiral Jarok as a traitor. Admiral Jarok sought asylum from the Federation in exchange for confidential Romulan military information and he did not uphold his duties as an admiral. Treason and betrayal should be sufficient evidence to assume that a traitor is among us. Just as Admiral Jarok is a traitor among the Romulans. To begin with, Admiral Jarok is a traitor in that he sought asylum from the Federation in exchange for confidential military information. Captain Picard and his crew beam up a Romulan seeki ng asylum in to the Enterprise. This Romulan declares himself as, "Sub-lieutenant Setal, who claims to be a logistics clerk who has discovered a plot for a new Romaulan offensive" (Tong 1995). Clearly stated are the facts that Jarok has information to give the Federation on the enemy; the Romulans. Setal (A.K.A. Jarok) continues to state that the Romulans have constructed a base in the Neutral Zone on the Planet Nelvana III. He also states that, "there are twenty-one Warbirds in orbit around her, just waiting to make a first strike" (Tong 1995). He also suggest that the Federation strike first and that the Romulans have the same intentions and are just seeking the perfect moment. Admiral Jarok attempts to validate his convictions by speaking of the, "reports, fee receipts, and work orders for the construction of the military base" (Smith 1/30/96), he had seen. Jarok insist that the Federation make a move for future lives are at stake. One of the future lives that is reliant on the F ederation making an attack is that of Jarok's own daughter. In an attempt to move Captain Picard's emotions, Jarok tells Picard of his true motives to stop war; his daughter. Fleeing with military secrets Admiral Jarok claimed he had intentions of preventing war so that his young daughter might have a future. Captain Picard, weary of Jarok (Setal), demands proof of his convictions for he too believes that Jarok is a traitor.

computer basics :: essays research papers

Computers can be intimidating. Educating oneself about some of the basics of computers can lessen this intimidation. In addition, a computer user will be able to get the results that he or she is hoping for. Input devices, output devices, storage, and computer speed are a few areas that will be discussed further. In order to maintain accurate records or create precise results, data input should be done with the best possible input device. I will give examples of a few situations and explain which input device would work best. Printed Questionnaires- For this situation, I believe the most widely used input device, which is the keyboard, would work best. Questionnaires are made up of primarily letters and numbers that are easily found on a keyboard. Most people are familiar with a keyboard and creating a questionnaire should not be difficult. Telephone Survey- In this situation a touch input device may be a better choice, such as a touch screen. This way, the interviewee does not have to wait for the interviewer to finish typing. The touch screen would work best if there were multiple choice answers to the telephone survey. Bank Checks- The MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) is used by the banking industry. This device can scan checks quickly and ensures that checks are sent to the proper bank. Retail Tags- Most stores now use a bar-code scanner for pricing. The bar code scanner recognizes a series of bars of different lengths and sends that code to the computer. Even small retail stores may have a handheld bar code scanner to make pricing and checkout more efficient. Long Documents- Though I have never used this device, a voice input device would make long documents much easier. This requires special software and may require using the keyboard for editing. Because keyboards can cause injury, an individual that has to prepare many long documents may want to consider a voice input device. Just as accuracy and choosing the correct device for input is important, the same applies to output. Choosing the correct device can increase quality and convenience. In the following situations, I will share which output device I feel would work best: Hand held Computer- If an individual has a hand held computer; it is likely they are looking for mobility. Wireless data transfer would be ideal for this situation. Color Photograph- A photo quality printer should be used for color photographs. Some desktop printers will work, but often times the color will fade over time.

Essay --

The Crucible will forever be a classic due to its intriguing story line that is based on a true event. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are represented as an adulterous romance turned into a vicious plot for vengeance. The Crucible touches on the horrible fates that led to death of so many innocent people, but Arthur Miller does not portray the entireness of the blood bath that was the Salem witch trials. The once Broadway play, that captured the hearts of millions doesn’t hold justice to the anguish the people of Salem endured. However if his goal was to entertain us, he most definitely succeeded. In Salem, nineteen accused witches were hanged in Gallows Hill, four more died in prison and a lone man was pressed to death when he failed to plead guilty. The Salem Witch trials were an absolute travesty. At one point in February a young girl fell seriously ill, her symptoms cause scientist now to believe that she had a disease called "convulsive ergotism" brought on by â€Å"ingesting rye--eaten as a cereal and as a common ingredient of bread--infected with ergot.† This scientific conclusion explains the child’s chaotic behavior. However in the 1600’s science wasn’t nearly as sophisticated as it is now, and thus when her symptoms were similar to an Irish women in Boston who was suspected of witchcraft, people began to believe the worst. When other playmates began showing the same symptoms, a doctor was brought in to examine the girls. His conclusion was that the problems was of a â€Å"Supernatural Origin†, or in simpler words, witches were targe ting the children. The number of girls showing symptoms continued to grow until it reached seven. Similar to the play â€Å"The girls contorted into grotesque poses, fell down into frozen postures, and comp... ...he entire story of John Proctor the young farmer and Abigail having an affair was only a way for Miller to creatively explain why there was enough hatred for these hangings and torture to occur. When in reality, Abigale never worked for John and they lived quite far apart. John was actually a 60 year old tavern keeper, all making the affair quite unlikely. While the story flowed and managed to capture us with sentiment. It’s impossible to disregard the ability he had to use the language of the time period, making the story come to life in such an authentic manor. His purpose was to entertain and he succeeded, however with a lack of some truths it lost some validity with the more critical readers. On the other hand no one can blame him for doing so, some of the best books, films, plays, or even television shows are grounded on real events and turned into nonfiction.

The use of recombinant technology can only benefit humans

Recombination is a way in which meiosis produces new combinations of genetic information. During synapsis, chromatids may exchange parts with other chromatids, leading to a physical exchange of chromosome parts; thus, genes from both parents may be combined on the same chromosome, creating a new combination. Recombinant DNA technology is a series of techniques in which DNA fragments are linked to self-replicating forms of DNA to create recombinant DNA molecules. These molecules in turn are replicated in a host cell to create clones of the inserted segments. I think that recombinant technology only benefits humans as it allows us much greater control over genetic manipulation, which we can then use to our advantage. Indge, Rowland and Baker (2000) summarises some of the ways that recombinant technology has been beneficial to humans; > Genetically engineered micro organisms- large amounts of insulin and human growth hormone can be produced cheaply. > Genetically modified plants- Desirable plants can be transferred from an organism to a crop plant. > Genetically modified animals- human proteins such as haemoglobin and blood-clotting factors, are already produced in the milk of transgenic cows, goats and sheep. > Human gene therapy- gene therapy involves inserting a ‘normal' gene into an organism's body to correct a genetic disorder. ; Mapping human chromosomes (the Human Genome Project)- scientists in over 1000 laboratories around the world are contributing to the Human Genome Project. Their aim is to create a map of all human chromosomes, identifying the precise location of every gene. This will help to develop new gene therapy treatments. The ability to clone genes through the use of recombinant technology is a big advantage to humans. The production of human insulin is now done on a very large scale and benefits many thousands of diabetics. Kent (2000) states that human insulin made by recombinant DNA technology produces fewer side effects than insulin prepared from cow or pig pancreatic extracts, previously the main source of insulin. But diabetics are not the only people who are benefiting from recombinant technology. Jones and Jones (1999) show that considerable advances in genetic engineering are making gene therapy possible. Gene therapy is intended to correct inherited disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, which are caused by a defective gene. If the ‘correct' gene could be inserted into the affected person's cells, then they should be free of the disease. Recombinant technology is also beneficial to humans when it comes to crop production. Genetic engineering is used to produce pest resistant varieties of crop, which means that fewer pesticides would have to be used on the crops and they would produce a greater yield. Jones and Jones (1999) say that tomatoes have been produced containing genes that result in them remaining fresh for much longer than usual after picking. This makes it much easier, and therefore cheaper, to transport them form grower to sale point, so they have a much longer shelf life. But genetically modified crops can also cause problems in the environment. If crops are produced containing a gene making them resistant to herbicides and are then sprayed with the herbicide to kill weeds, this gene might then somehow spread to wild plants and affect the balance of the ecosystem. Although recombinant technology is of great use to humans when it comes to gene therapy and genetically modified crops it can also be a threat if used in the wrong way. Jones and Jones (1999) state that the techniques of genetic engineering could be used deliberately to create new organisms that could infect and kill humans. There are, of course, already many organisms that can do this, but little use had been made on biological warfare. About half of the nations of the world signed a treaty in 1972 pledging not to produce biological weapons of any kind. However, the concern remains, and it is certainly possible that new, highly dangerous forms of infectious organisms could be used deliberately.

Is the cost of College tuition to high?

There has been recent chatter that the cost of college tuition is rising more and more each year. It’s a definite setback to every college students especially those of us who can barely afford to pay for community college. It almost forces us to consider taking out college loans just for first two years of college. But is that even a safe choice? Currently, as of Monday, CNN reporters have announced that college loan interest rates are doubling 6. 8% on July, 1st. Now, I know that loans aren’t the only way to help pay off college. There is always FAFSA, but even FAFSA has cut down on funding and is making it a little trickier to receive the pell grant with their new policies and guidelines. Even though College is very important and a path to a bright and successful future the cost of our tuition is very discouraging. Its honestly a scary thought and it adds another heavy brick to the stress wagon. But According to research there are fine reasons to why the situation has been lead to the where its at today. Odland, Steve. â€Å"College Costs Our of Control. † Forbes. om. Forbes, 24 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 June 2013. This article explains how education is an essential part of the American life but it also establishes the expenses and how expensive everything has gotten for a college student today. Education is the counterbalance in our country, people can grow up with very little but have a gateway to success by using education. I really like how this article explains how important education is regardless of t he price or school. It gives clear and current data of how much each degree pays off in the end. The information in this article would be useful in a sense to explain how important an education is and what it can deliver in our country. This would be great info to build a perspective for some one who is looking to enroll into college because it gives it an encouraging tone. Nielson, Amy. â€Å"Is College Getting Too Expensive for Americans ? † Deseretnews. N. p. , 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 23 June 2013. In the article Is college getting too expensive for Americans The author Amy Nielson Explains How much the depth for college expenses has grown. She elaborates on students would have to go to colleges closer to home, rather than choosing a college of their preference. For some people the cost of college even limits their choice to picking a career because the cost of your tuition also depends on your career choice. They would also have to cut down on transportation and basic essentials such as food, maintenance, technology†¦ Etc. She concludes by saying that 36% of college students don’t gain the skills they paid for in college, or they aren’t content with their college education. This article would definitely show Both students and administration how the cost of high tuition can give a negative impact on our students by limiting them to go further or choosing what they really want to do. I would probably just use this article for its static’s since a lot of it is much similar to my other sources. Hechinger, John. â€Å"U. S. Colleges Raise Tuition 4. 8%, Outpacing Inflation. † Bloomberg. com. Bloomberg, 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 30 June 2013. With that being said, in my next source U. S colleges Raises tuition 4. 8%, Outpacing inflation explains how drastically tuition has risen in America. It states in the year 2012-2013 they have increased tuition by 4. 2% leaving tuition at 30k / year. This article defines how much debt there has been since 2011 and how other financial aides such as federal aide, and grants have been decreasing due to little government funding. This article also addresses an undesirable truth on how high college prices are and how much debt there has been. This would definitely be a perfect article for the college board, and administration. This would be very helpful trying to open up the eyes of my audience by showing the dramatic increase in college tuition. Morici, Peter. â€Å"College Too High, Delivers Too Little. † Ocregister. com. N. p. , 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 June 2013. In this editorial it discusses also the high cost of college but how colleges can rip off a student. Over the decades, Americans have been convinced that jobs are required to have certain skills and knowledge that require a college education such as managers, salesperson, electricians.. Etc. Job titles that were once learned by experience now require a degree or certification. The author Peter Morici is convinced that universities are taking advantage of this. He feels that today institutions and universities focus more on the money than the education. Although this is more of a biased article the author explains well his opinions, and uses persuasive writing and facts to convince his audience. I could use some examples and ideas to do the same with my readers. Holtom, Brooks C. â€Å"College Is worth the Cost. † Http://www. businessweek. com/debateroom/archives/2010/03/college_is_worth_the_cost. html. Bloomberg Business Week, n. d. Web. 30 June 2013. College is worth the cost give both Pros and cons to attending college regardless of the current financial state. Although it points out the flaws (which is mostly the expenses) it praises more the positive outcomes by explaining how much well off a person is with a college education is than someone with just a high school diploma. Using a piece like this would come in handy to an audience of younger people that could be discouraged to go to school. It explains very well the pros and cons, this could inform and give a college student and build their own personal opinion. This source was ok but a lot of it was a repeat the only distinction is that it shows both positive and negative points which was helpful, ut a lot of the information I already know. Gonzales, Sara. â€Å"Why It's Harder for College Students to Get Financial Aid This Summer. † Florida RSS. State Impact, 14 May 2012. Web. 01 July 2013. Amongst all of this we cant forget about FAFSA. FAFSA has also shrunk their privileges lately and instead replace them with more loans. Recently a lot of students have â€Å"maxed out their Grants during the fall and spring, having students not having enough for summer school. The reason why students have Maxed out their loans is because FAFSA doesn’t lend as much money because heir has been some recent changes to the qualifications, a significant one being that they lowered the amount of income a family can make in order to qualify. This article would be very well used in an article for students and the college board. This current information is important for a student to know and hopefully it would open of the college board to see how much our options are declining. Using this up to date information would be very effective in my re search since it effects a lot of students such as myself.