Thursday, August 27, 2020

Managing in a global economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Overseeing in a worldwide economy - Essay Example The confections incorporate an assortment of sweets and chocolate bunches, caramels, creams, truffles and formed chocolate bars. Singular establishment stores make an assortment of caramel and apple confections, fudge, chocolate things and other grouped confections. The organization needs to open an establishment store in Singapore. This paper looks to build up an authoritative structure, budgetary examination and human asset rehearses that will guarantee accomplishment of the establishment in the new area. Utilitarian position authoritative structure will be utilized for the Singapore establishment. The structure is favored on the grounds that it is basic and obviously characterizes jobs and elements of every office. The chain of command of power and channels of correspondence are all around characterized to encourage smooth activities and kill any disarray. A basic authoritative structure is fitting for the new business since it chops down organization expenses and increment effectiveness, which is extraordinarily required for the establishment to earn back the original investment and become gainful. The activity positions for this structure incorporate line positions and staff positions (Milgrom and Roberts, 2013). Line positions are answerable for the achievement of the company’s objectives and targets. The staff positions give skill, guidance, and backing for the line positions. The line officials/administrators have line/direct power that they exercise to achieve authoritat ive objectives. The staff officials/supervisors have utilitarian power to guidance line officials and direct their work. Related employments are joined to shape a useful unit. For instance, the chocolate and candy items are set in various divisions. Inside these offices, there are sub-divisions that have practical experience in various exercises, for example, blending the plans and including various flavors for example caramel office is not quite the same as sub-division that makes fudge or truffles. Practical departmentalization improves the activities and makes it conceivable to

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Team Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Group Building - Essay Example Compromise process is fundamental to determine clashes that emerge among people or potentially gatherings. Clashes can emerge at numerous levels, for example, relational levels, job level, between different gatherings, and at outer levels (Fisher, 1977, Rev 1985 2000). At work environment, most basic clashes happen at relational levels, which emerge between people due to various necessities, objectives, and convictions. The most widely recognized factor that is engaged with relational clashes is the connection between two people. It is hard for a third individual, similar to a supervisor, to break down relational connection between two people since connections are molded by an assortment of episodes previously. Thus, it turns out to be amazingly testing to determine relational clashes that emerge in view of relationship history (Collins and O’Rourke, 2008a). In any case, such clashes can seriously influence their presentation and conduct. Subsequently, it gets significant for supervisors to address clashes at these levels so as to guarantee smooth progression of work and keep up sound condition in the group. All the time, relational clashes are trigged by absence of correspondence or error of correspondence. Relational clashes can be tended to by encouraging compelling correspondence among colleagues. For this, the colleagues should initially be made to understand the hugeness of correspondence in working environment. This can be accomplished by leading this straightforward teambuilding exercise named ‘Do you comprehend what I mean?’ (Kumar, n.d). This teambuilding exercise includes interest from the whole group. Right off the bat, one volunteer from the group ought to be encouraged to draw various shapes/pictures of at any rate 10 unique things that go to his/her brain on a graph. Next, the volunteer must teach the colleagues verbally to draw these accurate shapes without really demonstrating the diagram. The colleagues might be permitted t o pose inquiries. The aftereffect of this activity will be that none of the group’s pictures will coordinate the first picture precisely (fit as a fiddle as well as size), and some might be totally unique. This activity will cause the colleagues to understand the significance of correspondence in comprehension the different person’s perspective so as to deliver the ideal result. Correspondence breakdown is considered as a significant reason for relational clash. Thusly one needs to have or obtain powerful relational abilities to deal with clashes. Relational abilities that are basic in compromise incorporate tuning in, posing proper inquiries, clearness of words and discourse, and deciphering the discussion in the correct way that is worthy to both the gatherings engaged with the contention. In this teambuilding exercise, the colleagues need to pose open finished inquiries with the goal that they improve thought of the image that should be drawn. Open-finished inquirie s help in obtaining more data from the other individual; and start with words, for example, ‘how’ or ‘what.’ However, during clashes, individuals will in general ask shut finished inquiries that inspire just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers (Collins and O’Rourke, 2008b). Open-finished inquiries give more data and figuring out how to the audience members. Another significant part of correspondence, particularly significant in compromise, is to tune in to the next individual. In the current exercise,

Friday, August 21, 2020

Essay Topics for Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Essay Topics for Heart of Darkness by Joseph ConradHeart of Darkness is a novel that I have not read that is being considered as one of the best writing techniques ever. It is also being considered to be one of the best books that you can read to learn how to write an essay. So how does one go about looking for the best essay topic for it?The essay topic for the book is quite interesting and it is perhaps because of this that it has become such a favorite among many people. There are several reasons why the book has been so successful.One of the most important things that has contributed to the popularity of this book is the way that it portrays the horrors of humanity in our today's world. We are all familiar with the well known quote 'never sleep with someone who is hungry'. But the book goes further to show us the myriad horrors that we usually overlook.Another good thing about the book is that the author, Joseph Conrad, did not shy away from showing some of the darker sides of hu man nature and being. He showed that it was not all what we can see. He used this to explore certain concepts in the text which made it easier for readers to understand.There are some concepts that are quite debatable whether the author himself included them or not but the truth is that he did not like to use it. The important point is that he did not use it because he wanted to but it was easier for him to avoid doing so. When he included certain concepts in the book, it was because he wanted to make it easy for the reader to understand.Some writers may have avoided talking about dark subject matter because they wanted to avoid any controversies regarding the content of the novel. Others may have wanted to discuss it, but could not find any good use for it. Because the book is a serious literary achievement and certainly one of the best written books that ever came out, many writers have worked hard to give their best to make the book a success. One great example is the essay topic s of Joseph Conrad.There are those who may not want to touch on the dark subject matter but it would be best for them to consider this: if it is hard to read, the readers will surely notice. While others may never care about it but when the time comes, it would only be a waste of time for them.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Cross-Cultural Communication Essay - 1173 Words

Introduction For the course of International Management the following assignment has been giving with the objective to select a topic in the field of International Management. The topic for this paper is Cross-cultural Communication in Marketing/advertising. Communication is such an important part of everyone’s daily life, not only in one’s personal life but also in organizations. Also now a day, we are becoming every year more and more global and working with different countries and cultures around the world. Henceforward, globalization is increasing, which makes communication a very important part of doing business internationally. Every organization has their own way of communicating and doing business with others. They have their†¦show more content†¦Market segmentation: The process of dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers who might require separate production or marketing mixes (Wells, Burnett, Moriarty, 2006). Advertising: Paid non-personal communication from an identified sponsor using mass media to persuade or influence an audience (Wells, Burnett, Moriarty, 2006). Globalization: The process of social, political, economic, cultural, and technological integration among countries around the world (Luthans Doh, 2012). 1.2 Advertising Messages: International Management Communication is the process of transferring meanings from sender to receiver. On the surface this appears to be fairly straightforward process. On analysis, however, there are a great many problems in the international arena that can result in the failure to transfer meanings correctly (Luthans Doh, 2012). Communication – verbal and otherwise – remains an important dimension of international management, and there are different communication styles, how communication is processed and interpreted, and how culture and language influence communication and miscommunication (Luthans Doh, 2012). One way that perception can prove to be a problem in international management communication is the very basic misunderstanding caused when one side uses words or symbols that are misinterpreted by others. Many firms haveShow MoreRelatedCross Cultural Communication And Communication744 Words   |  3 PagesCross-cultural communication is increasingly recognized as a major barrier to leveraging intellectual assets globally. The importance of cross-cultural competency has been identified in numerous areas of business, and strategies are continually developed to improve cultural awareness and effective communication and collaboration. It is important to first establish what is meant by cul ture and communication. Munter defines culture as consisting of â€Å"values, attitudes, and behavior in a given groupRead MoreCross Cultural Communication : Communication2036 Words   |  9 Pagesbetween cultures and wanting to promote cross-cultural communication. Promoting interaction between different cultures has its advantages, but it also takes a great amount of time and research to be successful in cross-cultural communication (Barker). Not having a strong cross-cultural understanding will inhibit companies from being able to compete with their competition due to lack of concern for other cultural differences around the world. Cross-cultural communication is no longer an option where oneRead MoreCross Cultural Communication1730 Words   |  7 PagesCross Cultural Communication Mohamed Elamin Date: 02/23/2011 City University of Seattle Abstract This paper is about comparing and contrasting the American style of communication and that of Bahrain. Different countries have their own interpretation for every single issue based on their culture background and their way of thinking. The most significant characteristics of American culture are: individualism, equality, competition, freedom and privacy, action orientation, directness, particularityRead MoreCommunication And Cross Cultural Communication1834 Words   |  8 Pageshuman day-to-day conversation of cross cultural communication. To effectively and appropriately communicate with an individual of a different culture an individual needs to fully understand the beliefs, norms and stereotypes affiliated with the culture. The process of learning a language accompanies the positives and negatives of what is acceptable within the culture in the context of communication. To equip and guide the learner, simultaneously diffusing cultural assumptions which are consideredRead MoreCro ss Cultural Communication9880 Words   |  40 PagesCross Cultural Communication: Far East Asian Countries This paper gives a short overview of the observed behavioral pattern across some of the far east Asian countries. Understanding these behavioral patterns is important for doing effective communication with people/people group from these countries. The effective communication holds one of the key of establishing business and personal relationship in these countries. This paper also looks into some of concepts and theories in intercultural andRead MoreCross- Cultural Communication2005 Words   |  9 Pagesin the same boat.- Bernard Baruch Cross-cultural communication is the process of exchanging meaningful and unambiguous information across cultural boundaries, in a way that preserves mutual respect and minimizes antagonism, that is, it looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds endeavour to communicate. The study of cross-cultural communication was originally found within businesses and the government both seeking to expand globally. Communication is interactive, so an important influenceRead MoreCross Cultural Communication : Communication2092 Words   |  9 PagesTianli Yuan 1043313 Assignment-A1 Cross-cultural communication I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. -----------Martin Luther King Communication is the transference and the understanding of meaning, it is also an activity that conveying meaning through a shared system of signs and semiotic rules. By commutingRead MoreCultural Background Of Cross Cultural Communication1328 Words   |  6 Pages Introduction Culture is defined by the behavior and knowledge of a specific group of people, such as language, religion and customs. Cross cultural communication studies how people from different countries, social status, and upbringing interact with each other In this new era of globalization cross cultural communication in organization it is not no longer a theory because of all the transformation that are happening are in the world we live in. People from different backgroundsRead MoreImpact Of Communication On Cross Cultural Communication911 Words   |  4 PagesCultural differences can negatively impact effective communication thus companies need to train employees on cross-cultural communication. Companies not trained in cultural differences run the risk of ruining a business deal or relationship. Mukherjee and Ramos-Salazar (2014) mentioned, â€Å"The key to global business success depends on effective cross-cultural etiquette and global workforce diversity management† (p.18). Companies that understand differences between cultures have a competitive advantageRead MoreCross Cultural Communication Skills And Communication1318 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction This paper will give a brief overview and then analyze the different cross cultural communication skills, including; oral, written, formal, informal, verbal and non verbal. It will then compare and contrast two focus areas of cross culture communication; culture and ethics. This paper will then conclude its findings Brief overview of cross-cultural communication skills Oral communication is transmitted through speech. It includes personal conversations, speeches, meetings, telephone

Friday, May 15, 2020

How to Conjugate the Verb Dare in Italian

The word dare† in Italian has the following meanings in English: to hand over, to pay, to entrust, to charge, to give up, and to let have. Considerations When Using the Verb Dare It’s an irregular first-conjugation verb, so it doesn’t follow the typical -are verb ending pattern.It can be both a transitive an intransitive verb -- the former taking a direct object and the latter not taking a direct object when conjugated with â€Å"avere.†The infinito is â€Å"dare.†The participio passato is â€Å"dato.†The gerund form is â€Å"dando.†The past gerund form is â€Å"avendo dato.† INDICATIVO/INDICATIVE Il presente io do, d noi diamo tu dai voi date lui, lei, Lei d essi, Loro danno Ad esempio: Ti do il mio numero di telefono, va bene? - I’ll give you my phone number, okay? Il passato prossimo io ho dato noi abbiamo dato tu hai dato voi avete dato lui, lei, Lei, ha dato essi, Loro hanno dato Ad esempio: Le ho dato un bicchiere di vino rosso. - I gave her a glass of red wine.Vi ho dato la mia fiducia! - I gave you my trust!/I trusted you! L’imperfetto io davo noi davamo tu davi voi davate lui, lei, Lei dava essi, Loro davano Ad esempio: Ogni mese mi dava cinquecento euro. - Each month, he gave me 500 euros.La mamma mi dava sempre un piccolo compito da fare. - My mom used to entrust me with a little task. Il trapassato prossimo io avevo dato noi avevamo dato tu avevi dato voi avevate dato lui, lei, Lei aveva dato essi, Loro avevano dato Ad esempio: Le avevo dato la camera migliore dell’hotel, ma si à ¨ comunque lamentata. - I had given her the best room in the hotel, but she still complained. Il passato remoto io diedi/detti noi demmo tu desti voi deste lui, lei, Lei diede/dette essi, Loro diedero/dettero Ad esempio: Mi diedero il mio primo premio vent’anni fa! - They gave me my first award twenty years ago. Il trapassato remoto io ebbi dato noi avemmo dato tu avesti dato voi aveste dato lui, lei, Lei ebbe dato essi, Loro ebbero dato TIP: This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io dar noi daremo tu darai voi darete lui, lei, Lei dar essi, Loro daranno Ad esempio: Quando ci vediamo, ti darà ² una bella notizia! - When we see each other, I’m going to give you good news!Non credo che i proprietari daranno le redini dell’azienda ai figli. - I don’t think the proprietor will hand over the reins of the company to their sons. Il futuro anteriore io avr dato noi avremo dato tu avrai dato voi avrete dato lui, lei, Lei avr dato essi, Loro avranno dato Ad esempio: Le avranno dato una mano. - They must have given her a hand. CONGIUNTIVO/SUBJUNCTIVE Il presente che io dia che noi diamo che tu dia che voi diate che lui, lei, Lei dia che essi, Loro diano Ad esempio: Non voglio che il mio capo mi dia la promozione, voglio rinunciare! - I don’t want my boss to give me the promotion, I want to quit! Il passato io abbia dato noi abbiamo dato tu abbia dato voi abbiate dato lui, lei, egli abbia dato essi, Loro abbiano dato Ad esempio: Oh, penso che ti abbia già   dato le informazioni per il corso di Italiano. - Oh, I thought he had already given you the information about the Italian class. L’imperfetto io dessi noi dessimo tu dessi voi deste lui, lei, egli desse essi, Loro dessero Ad esempio: Non desiderava che gli dessi soldi, ma so che ha bisogno dell’aiuto. - He didn’t want me to give him money, but I know he needs the help. Il trapassato prossimo io avessi dato noi avessimo dato tu avessi dato voi aveste dato lui, lei, Lei avesse dato essi, Loro avessero dato Ad esempio: Se mi avesse dato un giorno in pià ¹, avrei finito i compiti! - If he had given me one more day, I would have finished the homework. CONDIZIONALE/CONDITIONAL In the condizionale/conditional: Il presente io darei noi daremmo tu daresti voi dareste lui, lei, Lei darebbe essi, Loro darebbero Ad esempio: Ti darei questa bottiglia d’acqua, ma anche io ho sete. - I would give you this bottle of water, but I’m thirsty, too.Vi daremmo pià ¹ soldi se foste pià ¹ coscienziosi! - We would give you more money if you were more diligent! Il passato io avrei dato noi avremmo dato tu avresti dato voi avreste dato lui, lei, egli avrebbe dato essi, Loro avrebbero dato Ad esempio: Ti avrei dato pià ¹ tempo da passare insieme, ma ero molto impegnato in quel periodo. - I would have given you more time to spend together, but I was really busy during that time.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Water Scarcity Of Water Pollution - 877 Words

Many people oppose the idea of the seriousness of water pollution. Many argue that the water supply for consumption is enough and that there will be no water shortage. â€Å"Peak Water† is a term used for a global water shortage (The Environment), so people who consider that the water supply is not going to end use this in their favor. They say that thinking that water is going to be scarce In the future is silly, that people are being peak water alarmists, because there is enough water for everyone, it’s just that there needs to be a way to get to that water. The argument is that water trapped underground and the developing of new ways and technologies to have the ocean water go through a process of desalinization and become usable for people is the reason why there will never be a water shortage. All of this would seem to make the fight for water pollution pointless because if there are more ways to get to water then there would be no issues with fresh water shortages . Other opposing arguments are that people do not have the money to prevent water pollution from happening. In this case it would be farmers who have to use pesticides for some of their crops. Most farmers would not have in mind that the pesticides they use will end up affecting water supplies miles away, and even if they did they would not be able to purchase a system that could contain the chemical runoff because they simply cannot afford it. The cost of having something that can properly treat water pollutionShow MoreRelatedWater Scarcity And Water Pollution2066 Words   |  9 PagesA Basic Necessity Introduction The amount of available fresh water is very limited in Benin, Africa. Much of this is a result of under urbanization, at one end of the spectrum, and poor government and infrastructure, at the other end. The population of Benin is roughly 10,160,556. It is estimated that each individual produces about 77 pounds of excrement and 132 gallons of urine a year (George 2008). This is â€Å"waste† that is typically flushed down a toilet and into a sewer system. However, this isRead MoreWater Scarcity Of Water Pollution1215 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION Water is typically refers to a colorless and transparent liquid that forms the world’s streams, lakes, seas, oceans and rain. It is chemically composed of one atom of oxygen and two hydrogen atoms, known as (H20). The name. In addition, water is life because it is the major part of the fluids of all living things. www.ecomena.org Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water recourses to meet the demands of water usage within a region. Although the scarcity water is not a problemRead MoreWater Pollution and Water Scarcity Essay1309 Words   |  6 Pages Water is essential for humans and organisms to live â€Å"Drinking water, â€Å"2008). Water covers most of the world and makes up more of the world than land. Water comes from different sources. Water may surround us but there are still shortages. Water allows us to live but it could be harmful to our bodies when polluted. Humans and natural disasters can cause damage to the water supply It is important to conserve water whenever possible (â€Å"Drinking Water, â€Å"2008). Oceans make up two-thirds of the EarthRead MoreEssay about Water Pollution and Drinking Water Scarcity1408 Words   |  6 Pages It is scary but true. Water, one hydrogen and two oxygen, is a compound that life on Earth is completely dependent upon. A clean drinking water supply is imperative if life is going to continue. Without a supply of clean drinking water, life would cease to exist. Much of Earth’s water is contaminated with chemicals and more water is being polluted each day. The sad fact is that the pollutants are being dumped into the water by man himself. We are slowly, and knowingly, killing off our ownRead MoreGroundwater Pollution and Drinking Water Scarcity Essay1007 Words   |  5 PagesBy means of water, we give life to everything. – Koran, 21:30 Drinking water is our most precious resource, something every human being needs to survive. Yet today over 1.2 billion people a day on average do not have access to drinking water. Even if they might have this access, the chances are good that the drinking water is polluted with many contaminants. In the future, we will probably find that clean drinking water will go to the highest bidder, and even more people will findRead MoreWater Scarcity and Pollution: Don’t Let Our Tear Become Last Drop of Water1824 Words   |  8 PagesTong Li Zach Hilpert Focused Inquiry 112 Water scarcity and pollution: Don’t let our tear become last drop of water Years of thoughtless exploitation and consumption of environment by mankind has resulted in the effects staring in our face now. More and more potentially devastating environmental problems come up and affect various nations worldwide. But many people have trouble recognizing why a resource that seems infinite, is actually, scarce. Humans have already put excessive pressureRead MoreGroundwater Pollution and Drinking Water Scarcity Essay example1111 Words   |  5 PagesWe have the ability to provide clean water for every man, woman and child on the Earth. What has been lacking is the collective will to accomplish this. This is the commitment we need to make to the world. Jean-Michel Cousteau The Issue: Recently, the issue of drinking water quality has become a matter of great importance. Hydrogeologists and water resource managers have realized that the increased demand for drinking water, due to population growth, has placed a huge burden on ourRead MoreA Brief Note On Water Scarcity Of India1413 Words   |  6 Pages Geography inquiry Water scarcity in India Flora Leung What is water scarcity? Water scarcity is the phenomenon describing the lack of water sources or the lack of access to safe and clean water. Water scarcity is happening all over the world. Nearly 1 billion people in the world were suffering from it. In the world Asia is one of the continents, which is serious suffering from water scarcity. The countries that are facing serious water scarcity in Asia are concentrated in South Asia and IndiaRead MoreWater Scarcity Is A Lack Of Tolerable1286 Words   |  6 PagesWater scarcity is defined as a lack of tolerable, available amount of water a region possesses. Water scarcity is occurring all around the world and nothing is being done about it. An article What is Water Scarcity? states that about one billion people do not have access to clean water (Conserve Energy Future). Since there are only about seven billion people on planet Earth and one billion of that population cannot access clean water that means roughly fourteen percent of the human race is sufferingRead MoreEffects Of Climate Change On China1494 Words   |  6 PagesIn addition, not only does Beijing face water scarcity due to an increase in water demand and water pollution, but climate change also affects the access to water. Climate change can have impacts on the availability and quality of water due to â€Å"altering precipitation patterns, increasing the intensity of extreme events, raising water temperatures, and accelerating the melting of snow and glaciers† (Pitt, 2000, p. 87). Although the country of China can be known as one of the major emitters of green

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Advertising Campaign of Tpg Internet Pty Ltd

Questions: 1. Briefly describe the nature of TPGs advertising which caused ACCC to bring these proceedings 2. What statutory provisions did ACCC allege that TPGs advertising contravened 3. What were the findings (conclusions) of the primary judge about the following aspects of the advertising bundling. the set up fee. single price.4. What were the differences in principle between the approach of the Full Court and the approach of the primary judge in evaluating whether the TPG advertising was misleading? 5. The High Court concluded that the approach taken by the Full Court was not correct. For what reason or reasons did the High Court come to this conclusion? 6. The Full Court, in coming to its conclusions, applied as a precedent the ratio in a case calledParkdale Custom Built Furniture v Puxu (Puxu). The High Court said that the Full Court wrongly applied the principle in Puxu. Explain why the High Court thought Puxu was not a proper precedent to apply to the TPG advertising 7. What did the H igh Court have to say about the dominant message approach? 8. What did the High Court say about the assumed level of knowledge in TPGs target audience? 9. Is an intention to mislead essential for advertising to be misleading? Explain what the High Court thought about this 10. If you were employed in the marketing section of an internet service provider or a fitness centre which was about to launch an advertising campaign promoting an attractive plan for membership in which there were several parts (costs and benefits) to be taken into account by potential customers, what advice would you give about the format of the advertising, based on your understanding of the High Courts ruling in ACCC v TPG? Answers: 1: The advertising campaign of TPG Internet Pty Ltd due to which, these proceedings were initiated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was run between 2010 and 2011. In these advertisements, and offer was prominently displayed by the company according to which, unlimited ADSL2+ services were offered to the consumers at $29.99. But there was a requirement also present in the advertisement as a result of which, the service offered by the company was required to be bundled with home telephone service by the consumers and this requirement was displayed in these advertisements much less prominently. The result of this requirement was that ultimately the consumers were required to pay additional $30 per month and this requirement was for a minimum period of six months. At the same time, the company has also imposed a setup fee of $129.95 that the consumers had to pay. Similarly there was another requirement according to which, the consumers were also required to deposit t elephone charges worth $20. However, TPG Internet has mentioned all these requirements much less prominently in its advertisements. The result was that the ACCC claimed that the advertisements of the company were misleading and deceptive (ACCC v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2013]). 2: The Australia Consumer and Competition Commission Claimed that the multimedia advertising campaign of TPG Internet was misleading and deceptive for the consumers. In this regard, it was claimed by the ACCC that along with section 18, Australian Consumer Law, it has also reached the section 24 of this legislation. The reason due to which it was claimed by ACCC that these statutory provisions have been breached by the company was due to the fact that there a disparity was present between the offer prominently displayed in the advertisement and the other terms that qualified the offer which were displayed less prominently by the company. Therefore, ACCC claimed that these advertisements have contravened the statutory provisions because they have not prominently specified the complete price of the package offered by the company as a single amount. 3: The trial judge accepted the contention of ACCC that the advertising campaign of TPG Internet was misleading and deceptive and in this way it breached the provisions of section 18 and 29 of the ACL. It was also accepted that the total price of the package has not been prominently mentioned as a single figure in the advertisements and therefore it breached section 48, ACL. Bundling: The court found that first-time users were also included in the target audience of these advertisements. Similarly as a result of the fact that a wide range of Internet options are available in the market, it cannot be expected that the ordinary consumers will have a starting assumption regarding the fact that the offer of TPG was a separate or a bundled service and therefore, it can be expected that the consumers will rely on the advertisement itself to look for the information related with the service. The Setup Fee: Although it was accepted by the court that setup fee is charged in case of broadband contracts that are for a period of less than 24 months and the target audience of these advertisements can be expected to be aware of respect however the court stated that the dominant message given by these advertisement resulted in the creation of an impression among the consumers that no further charges were there and therefore it was necessary that the advertisements should clearly qualified that message by indicating that there is a requirement of further fee to be paid by the consumers. Single Price: In this regard, the court stated that the advertisements have not prominently displayed the single price of $509.89 as required by s53C(1)(c) of the Trade Practices Act (TPA) in the advertisements that were initially issued by the company in newspapers, television and Internet. 4: Noteworthy differences were present between the approach that has been adopted by the primary judge and the approach that was adopted by the Full Court. The first difference in this regard was related with the significance that was attached by the two courts to the "dominant message" that has been displayed by the advertisements issued by TPG Internet. In the same way, difference was also present between the approaches adopted by these two courts dealing with the knowledge that was attributed to the target audience of these advertisements issued by the company. 5: The reason behind the decision of the High Court that the Full Court was not based on the reason that the Full Court was not correct when it held that it was wrong for the primary judge to consider the dominant message of the advertisement as crucially significant. Another reason was that the Full Court had not appreciated the advertisement's misleading nature which was not neutralized even if particular knowledge was attributed to the target audience according to which, there were supposed to assume that ADSL2+ services are offered as a bundle. Therefore the High Court stated that as a result of these errors, differences were present in point of principle related with the approach of the primary judge and as a result, the Full Court has committed an error in performing its appellate function. 6: In this context, it was stated by the High Court that the Full Court has committed an error when it arrived at the conclusion that it was wrong for the primary judge to consider that the "dominant message" of the advertisement should be given high significance. Therefore the statement of Gibbs CJ made in Puxu that the Full Court applied in this case cannot be considered as being decisive keeping in view the circumstances of the present case (Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd, 1982). 7: Regarding the approach adopted by the court towards the dominant message given by the advertisement, the court stated that the primary judge was correct when it stated that crucial significance needs to be given to the dominant message of the advertisement and at the same time, another has been committed by the Full Court when it stated that the primary judge was wrong in giving crucial significance to the dominant message of the advertisements. 8: The High Court mentioned regarding the level of knowledge that can be resumed in case of target audience that the terms mentioned in the message and also the way it was conveyed to the target audience creating an impression among the audience that TPG Internet body to create an impression that was different from the impression caused by these advertisements if the company would have given same importance to all the elements that are part of this package 9: A number of factors were mentioned by the High Court that have to be considered in order to decide if the advertisement can be treated as misleading and therefore the intention to mislead is not the essential element. Therefore it cannot be expected that close attention will be paid by the target audience to all the terms that have been mentioned in the advertisement and there will be many members of the target audience that will only look at the 'general thrust' of the advertisement. However it is required that a general tendency should be present resulting in leading the consumers into error. 10: When a fitness center is offering an attractive membership plan to its customers, it is important to make sure that the advertisement is not of such a nature that the consumers will only observe the dominant message of the advertisement. Similarly if the membership plan that is being offered to the consumers have several parts, it is important that all these parts have been given the same significance in the advertisement and as a result, the costs and benefits that are being offered in these parts are highlighted with equal importance. Therefore the advertisement issued by the fitness center should be of such a nature that it gives the total cost of membership and it should not happen that only the cost of selective parts are highlighted. References Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 54 Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd [1982] HCA 44 Legislation Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth)

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

American Civil War - Battle of Oak Grove

American Civil War - Battle of Oak Grove Battle of Oak Grove - Conflict Date: The Battle of Oak Grove was fought June 25, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders: Union Major General George B. McClellan3 brigades Confederate General Robert E. Lee1 division Battle of Oak Grove - Background: After constructing the Army of the Potomac in the summer and fall of 1861, Major General George B. McClellan commenced planning his offensive against Richmond for the following spring.   To take the Confederate capital, he intended to sail his men down the Chesapeake Bay to the Union base at Fortress Monroe.   Concentrating there, the army would advance up the Peninsula between the York and James Rivers to Richmond.   This shift south would permit him to bypass Confederate forces in northern Virginia and would allow US Navy warships move up both rivers to protect his flanks and help supply the army.   This part of the operation was shelved in early March 1862 when the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia struck Union naval forces at the Battle of Hampton Roads. Though the danger posed by Virginia was offset by the arrival of the ironclad USS Monitor, efforts to blockade the Confederate warship drew off Union naval strength.   Slowing marching up the Peninsula in April, McClellan was fooled by Confederate forces into laying siege to Yorktown for much of the month.   Finally continuing the advance in early May, Union forces clashed with the Confederates at Williamsburg before driving on Richmond.   As the army neared the city, McClellan was struck by General Joseph E. Johnston at Seven Pines on May 31. Though the fighting was inconclusive, it resulted in Johnston being severely wounded and command of the Confederate army ultimately passed to General Robert E. Lee. For the next few weeks, McClellan remained inactive in front of Richmond allowing Lee to improve the citys defenses and plan a counterattack. Battle of Oak Grove - Plans: Assessing the situation, Lee realized that McClellan was forced to divide his army north and south of Chickahominy River in order to protect his supply lines back to White House, VA on the Pamunkey River.   As a result, he devised an offensive that sought to defeat one wing of the Union army before the other could move to provide aid.   Shifting troops into place, Lee intended to attack on June 26.   Alerted that Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons command would soon reinforce Lee and that enemy offensive action was likely, McClellan sought to retain the initiative by striking west towards Old Tavern.   Taking the heights in the area would permit his siege guns to strike at Richmond.   To accomplish this mission, McClellan planned to attack along the Richmond York Railroad in the north and at Oak Grove in the south. Battle of Oak Grove - III Corps Advances: The execution of the assault at Oak Grove fell to the divisions of Brigadier Generals Joseph Hooker and Philip Kearny from Brigadier General Samuel P. Heintzelmans III Corps.   From these commands, the brigades of Brigadier Generals Daniel Sickles,  Cuvier Grover, and John C. Robinson were to leave their earthworks, pass through a small but dense wooded area, and then strike the Confederate lines held by the division of Brigadier General Benjamin Huger.   Direct command of the forces involved fell to Heintzelman as McClellan preferred to coordinate the action by telegraph from his headquarters in the rear.   At 8:30 AM, the three Union brigades commenced their advance.   While Grover and Robinsons brigades encountered few problems, Sickles men had trouble clearing the abatis in front of their lines and then were slowed by the difficult terrain at the headwaters of White Oak Swamp (Map). Battle of Oak Grove - A Stalemate Ensues:               Sickles issues led to the brigade falling out of alignment with those to the south.   Recognizing an opportunity, Huger directed Brigadier General Ambrose Wright to advance with his brigade and mount a counterattack against Grover.   Approaching the enemy, one of his Georgia regiments caused confusion among Grovers men as they wore red Zouave uniforms which were thought to only be used by some Union troops.   As Wrights men halted Grover, Sickles brigade was repulsed by Brigadier General Robert Ransoms men to the north.   With his attack stalling, Heintzelman requested reinforcements from McClellan and informed the army commander of the situation.    Unaware of the specifics of the fighting, McClellan ordered those engaged to withdraw back to their lines at 10:30 AM and departed his headquarters to inspect the battlefield personally.   Arriving around 1:00 PM, he found the situation better than anticipated and ordered Heintzelman to renew the attack.   Union troops moved forward and regained some ground but became entangled in an inconclusive fire fight that lasted until nightfall.   In the course of the battle, McClellans men only managed to advance about 600 yards. Battle of Oak Grove - Aftermath: McClellans final offensive effort against Richmond, the fighting at the Battle of Oak Grove saw Union forces suffer 68 killed, 503 wounded, and 55 missing while Huger incurred  66 killed, 362 wounded, and 13 missing.   Undeterred by the Union thrust, Lee moved forward with his planned offensive the next day.   Attacking at Beaver Dam Creek, his men were ultimately turned back.   A day later, they succeeded in dislodging Union troops at Gaines Mill.   Beginning with Oak Grove, a week of constant fighting, dubbed the Seven Days Battles, saw McClellan driven back to the James River at Malvern Hill and his campaign against Richmond defeated.       Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Seven Days BattlesCWSAC Battle Summaries: Oak GroveHistory of War: Battle of Oak Grove

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Jesus in the eyes of the American Jewish population in the 21st Essay

Jesus in the eyes of the American Jewish population in the 21st century - Essay Example A discussion of American Jewish attitudes towards Jesus can sensibly start with the small (but growing) sect of Judaism called Messianic Judaism which believes that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Messianic Jews claim 47,000 followers and 280 congregations worldwide by the turn of the Twenty-First century (Kaplan, 2005). The idea that Jesus was the Messiah is seen as antithetical to the vast majority of American Jews. Kaplan succinctly states the problem that they have with the Messianic adherents: Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness . . . .Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews. Thus Messianic "Jews" regard themselves as a culmination of Judaism rather than a branch of Christianity. Even their very claim to being Jewish has been rejected by nearly all Jewish denominations, organizations and the State of Israel itself. This is remarkable as Jews have been consistent throughout their history in being, as a whole, a tolerant religion used to adapting to various kinds of creed within their religion. The line that cannot be crossed, as far as most Jews are concerned, is regarding Jesus as the Messiah. It would thus seem that a majority of American Jews will not regard Jesus as the Messiah in the Twentieth Century, even though their Messianic brethren would claim this as a fact. The Central Conference of American Rabbis puts the situation in context: For us in the Jewish community, anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate. Through that belief she has placed herself outside the Jewish community. Whether she cares to define herself as a Christian or as a 'fulfilled Jew,' 'Messianic Jew,' or any other designation is irrelevant; to us, she is clearly a Christian. (Harris-Shapiro, 1999) Some have even related Messianic Judaism with an attempt to convert Jews, which is in reality an attempt to destroy Judaism through being a wolf in sheep's clothing. Or, to mix the metaphor, Messianic Judaism is seen as a Trojan Horse within this argument, designed to topple Judaism from within. Again, it is American Jews who seem to take this argument to its most extreme conclusions: ... Except in relations with Christians, the Christ of Christianity is not a Jewish issue. There simply can be no dialogue worthy of the name unless Christians accept - nay, treasure - the fact that Jews through the two millennia of Christianity have had an agenda of their own. There can be no Jewish-Christian dialogue worthy of the name unless one Christian activity is abandoned, missions to the Jews. It must be abandoned, moreover, not as a temporary strategy but in principle, as a bi-millennial theological mistake. The cost of that mistake in Christian love and Jewish blood one hesitates to contemplate. ... A post-Holocaust Jew can still view Christian attempts to convert Jews as sincere and well intended. But even as such they are no longer acceptable: they have become attempts to do in one way what Hitler did in another. (Fackenheim, 1987) (my emphasis) The idea that Christians trying to convert Jews to their religion, which often seems to

Friday, February 7, 2020

Strategy management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategy management - Essay Example These strategies are usually based on theoretical frameworks that guide a firm towards success or growth. There would be three different strategic frameworks utilized in this study for critical analysis such as Porter’s diamond model, Porter’s generic strategies and Yip’s drivers of internationalization. Michael Porter has been able to elaborate on three types of general strategies that are basically used by every other organization. There are two dimensions that define these three generic strategies like strategic strength and strategic scope. Porter developed the diamond model in order to analyze reasons behind some firms becoming competitive in specific locations. On the other hand, Yip’s drivers of internationalization states that there are drivers such as cost drivers, market drivers, competitive drivers and government drivers which drives overall international strategy. In this study all the three strategic models will be applied on Samsung and Micro soft Nokia. Samsung is a South Korean company and it consists of affiliated subsidiaries and business. The company had entered into electronics industry in 1960s. Nokia is an information technology and multinational communications firm of Finland. This firm is regarded as the biggest vendor in mobile phone market and has recently entered into strategic alliance with Microsoft so as to use for its smartphones an exclusive Windows platform. As per figure1, market drivers basically mean market forces. This driver encompasses similar needs of customers, transferable marketing strategy and global customers. Customers possessing same needs or wants are usually offered same product. On the other hand, global customers shall differ in their demands which have to be addressed properly. Cost drivers consist of economies of scale, country specific differences and favorable logistic conditions. Economies of scale can be well justifiable in terms of research and

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Project Proposal Essay Example for Free

Project Proposal Essay 1. Recommend a project portfolio management method for your selected project. Provide a rationale for your recommendation. Note: Be sure to align your project with the strategic efforst of the organization. 2. Create an outline of an executive summary that includes the type of problem, requirements, and proposed business problems solutions. 3. State the vision and the goal of the project. Note: Be sure that the goals are specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART). 4. Determine five (5) major deliverables of the project, and explain the importance of each one. 5. Provide the timeframe for delivering the solution to the project. 6. Create a table which contains the generic resources, including people, equipment , and materials needed to undertake the project. 7. Estimate the total budget for the project based on the cost of the resources specified in the table that you have created . Next, add contingency and any other additional costs (e.g. intangible cost, the cost of a change in culture or process within the the business etc.). Support your response. 8. Determine the key success criteria for your project. Provide a rationale to support your response. 9. Assume that your project is delivered on time, within scope, and budget. Justify your stakeholders’ satisfactory level with three (3) key success criteria, against which the project will be measured. 10. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Property in Second Treatise of Civil Government and Robinson Crusoe Ess

Property in Second Treatise of Civil Government and Robinson Crusoe  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Both John Locke's Second Treatise of Civil Government and Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe deal with the question of property. In these two texts, the following questions arise: when does common property become an individual's property; and what factors make the appropriation of property justifiable or not? These questions may be answered by looking at each author's political views, followed by how they are incorporated in their work. Locke outlines the procedures for the transition of property to private ownership, while Defoe details the way Crusoe appropriates property (i.e., food, accommodations, and slaves) during the course of his stay on the deserted island. However, in order to really examine the question of ownership, it first must be established how property was viewed during Locke's and Defoe's eras. Property was "a revolutionary force in the seventeenth century" (Larkin 56). A dictionary from that time period distinguished an individual's property by "its independence from others' control, defining it as 'the highest right that a man hath or can have to anything, which is no way depending vpon any other mans courtesie'" (Harris 224). Property was widely distributed in England during Locke's life (Larkin 57). Since it was natural to associate political authority with property during the seventeenth century, Locke's theory of property was "seated with a view to politics" (Harris 226; Larkin 57). His Treatise of Civil Government was written after the civil war of 1642 (Larkin 57). Referring to property as that which individuals have "in themselves, and also in goods," Locke expressed the view that "the supreme power cannot take from ... ...   Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. New York: Bantam Books, 1991. Harris, Ian. The Mind of John Locke. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Larkin, Paschal. Property in the Eighteenth Century. New York: Howard Fertig Inc., 1969. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government, The Works of John Locke. Vol. 5. London: Thomas Teggs et al., 1823. 352-367. Novak, Maximillian E. Defoe and the Nature of Man. London: Oxford University Press, 1963. Shinagel, Michael. Daniel Defoe and Middle-Class Gentility. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1968. Simmons, A. John. The Lockean Theory of Rights. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992. Tully, James. A Discourse on Property: John Locke and His Adversaries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980. Welch, Dennis. Thesis Statement Feedback. 27 October, 1998.   

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Case Study †Angus Cartwright III Essay

I. Case Overview Angus Cartwright III, an investment advisor, was asked to provide investment advisory services for two clients, John DeRight and Judy DeRight. They both wanted to purchase a property that (1) is large enough to attract the interest of a professional real estate management company and (2) has a minimum leveraged return on their investments of 12% after tax. Their major goals are: Diversification of investment portfolio Protection from future inflation Take some tax advantages (especially for John) Mr. Cartwright selected four properties and performed various financial analyses to best match the needs of his clients with the characteristics of the properties and the returns they offered. II. Assessment of the Analyses and Assumptions: Cartwright employed three stages of analysis: Preliminary Analysis (Exhibit 1 to 3), Risk Analysis (Exhibit 4) and Financial Analysis (Exhibit 5 to 10). Preliminary Analysis starts with gathering key facts and data such as purchase prices, current and future income, depreciation, estimated sales price and cash flows, loan and its rate and amortization, taxes and etc. The 1st year setups (Exhibit 2) for each property were developed and major comparable statistics (Exhibit 3) were calculated. Such analyses serve as a foundation for identifying directions and strategies for further detailed analysis, including financial analysis, physical inspection and an examination of day-to-day operations of potential investment properties. Risk Analysis consisting of a review of financial leverage (loan to value ratio) and operating risk (debt coverage ratio) can help a real estate investor to weigh the level of risks in relation to his investment objectives. In this case, Fowler had the highest leverage of 74.47%, while Alison Green had the highest Debt Coverage Ratio of 2, followed by Ivy Terrace(1.92), Stony Walk(1.46) and Fowler(1.26). The cushions they had are all sufficient for most lenders. The Break-Even Analysis, shown in Exhibit 4, was valuable to understand how a small change in occupancy levels can make a corresponding change in a property’s financial performance; most real state analysis assume the initial occupancy rate to remain at the same level through the investment period. Once all the relevant and key financial data is gathered, a number of effective financial analyses were performed; they are capitalization rate on both purchase and sale, cash-on-cash return rate, Internal Rate of Return (â€Å"IRR†), Net Present Value (â€Å"NPV†), Profitability Index and Cash Flow Analysis. The Quality of the financial analysis outcome heavily depends on the quality and accuracy of implicit assumptions used. However, applying financial analysis is still the best way to estimate the future performance of investment properties and comparing or prioritizing multiple investment opportunities. IRR is the most important and frequently used investment analysis indicator. Understanding various components of an IRR (Exhibit 8, 9 and 10) can help to carefully plan the timing, the sequence and size of events within an investment that will  impact the performance/outcome of the investments. In his analysis, Cartwright used the following assumptions: Annual increase in cash flow from operations: 4% for Fowler and 3% for the others. Vacancy rate: 5% for Alison Green and Stony Walk, 7% for the others. Capital reserve: $250 per apartment p.a., timing of when to disburse the reserve and its tax implication Sufficient funding of the equity investment Tax laws remain stable with ordinary tax rates: 35%; Capital gain tax rate: 15%; tax rate on the depreciation related gain: 25% Cartwright made, in general, conservative assumptions to simplify his analysis, and therefore, no particular assumption stood out to be unreasonable. As a continuing effort to improve quality of his assumptions, we could revisit and review his assumptions with the following generic questions: Is 3% or 4% increase in cash flow reasonable in current market/economic condition? How realistic is it to negotiate a rental guarantee with developers to be at 93% occupancy rate? How realistic is it that the capital reserve will remain at the same level for the next 10 years? How realistic is it that the leasehold payment will remain at the same level for the next 10 years? Should there be any significant changes in the outcome of the analysis, if the timing of the reserve disbursement is not assumed to be at the end of the lease term? Will there be any trend or expected government legislating new tax laws that will have significant impact on real estate investments? All properties appear to be large enough to attract the interest of professional real estate management companies and all exceeded the minimum leveraged return on investments of 12% after tax. On the simple return measures, Stony Walk had the highest Capital Rate on Purchase where Fowler ranked at the highest in Capital rate on Sales; Alison which had a high cash flow with low vacancy rate, and thus a high effective gross income was ranked in first for the Cash-on-Cash Return; Fowler which was still under construction and appeared to be undervalued had largest increase in capital value. On the discount return measures, Fowler had the highest IRR at 15.38 while Stony Walk had the lowest rate at 14.54, with a difference of 0.84; Alison had largest NPV with a difference of $115K comparing with the lowest NPV; Fowler which required the smallest equity investment had the highest Profitability Index. While the two residential properties have higher returns from their on-going cash flows, the increase in the investment value of the other two commercial properties will come from future value increase – see Exhibit 9. Completed exhibits for all four properties are included in the Appendix. The relevant analysis of other financial exhibits is integrated in the following chapter as reasoning of the recommendations. IV. Recommendations If we simply select an investment choice based on the highest IRR rate, Fowler should be recommended for both clients. However, as we better understand the components of the IRR (see Exhibit 9 in Appendix), we should try to best match each client’s ultimate investment goal to distinct character of each property instead of recommending an investment base only on the highest IRR rate. Exhibit 9. Percent of Total Benefits (@IRR) For John, our team recommends Alison Green with the following reasons: John is a retired, passive investor who wants to live comfortably from stable income/returns from the savings he accumulated, and was particularly interested in taking advantage of the new tax law, which will give him a favorable capital gain’s tax. As we can see from the breakdown of IRR, Alison Green and Ivy Terrace were projected to have higher steady income streams than the other two properties. Between them, Alison, although with a lightly lower IRR, has much higher tax benefit than the Ivy. Alison requires a higher initial equity investment than Ivy. However, Alison is estimated to be appreciated more at the end of 10 year and therefore will produce higher capital gain. Since John wants to take advantage of the new tax law and pay his capital gains at the newly enacted 15% rate, Alison is a better choice than Ivy. For Judy, our team recommends Fowler Building with the following  reasons: Unlike John, Judy is an active executive who can be a more aggressive investor and has some available fund for outside investment to diversify her portfolio. She may not care about the stable incoming cash flow as much as John. She will be more tolerant on any fluctuations such as a short-term, negative operating risks such as lower occupancy rate or lower investment value at the beginning as long as her investment will appreciate adequately at the end. We consider Judy as an investor focused more on ‘growth’ than ‘value/steady income’ seeking investor, and therefore we recommend Fowler because of its highest Profitability Index (=NPV/Equity).

Saturday, January 4, 2020

How to Find the Draco Constellation

Draco is a long, winding constellation easily visible to northern hemisphere observers. Its one of those star patterns that actually does look somewhat like its name, tracing out the long body of an exotic dragon across the sky.   Finding Draco Constellation Locating Draco is pretty easy in clear, dark skies. The best way is to first locate the north star Polaris, or look for the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper. They are on either side of the long body of the celestial dragon. Its head is at one end, near the constellation Hercules and its tail is up near the bowl of the Big Dipper.   This chart shows Draco in relation to nearby constellations of Ursa MInor (the Little Dipper) and Hercules. Click to enlarge. Carolyn Collins Petersen Draco Constellation Mythology The ancient Greeks envisioned Draco as a serpent-dragon, which they called Ladon. They placed it close in the sky to the figure of Hercules. He was their mythical hero who, among many other notable actions, killed the dragon as one of his twelve labors.  Over the centuries, the Greeks spoke of Draco going after heroines, particularly the goddess Minerva, as well as his adventures as the son of the Titan Gaia. In contrast, the ancient Arabic astronomers saw this region of the sky as home to two hyenas attacking an infant camel who is part of a mother group of older camels. The Stars of Draco Constellation Draco has fourteen brighter stars that make up the body of the dragon, and many others that lie inside the official IAU-designated region for the constellation. Its brightest star is called Thuban, which was our north star at the time the ancient Egyptians were building their pyramids. In fact, the Egyptians angled certain passageways inside the pyramids to point directly at Thuban. Thuban existed in a region of the sky that they believed was a gateway to the afterlife.  Therefore, if the passageway pointed there, the soul of the pharaoh would have a direct pathway to his reward. The official IAU chart showing the region of the northern hemisphere sky that contains constellation Draco. IAU/Sky Publishing. Eventually, due to the procession of Earth on its axis, Thubans position in the sky changed. Today, Polaris is our north star, but Thuban will be the pole star again in about 21,000 years. Its name is derived from the Arabic term that means snake. This chart shows how Earths north pole precesses as Earth wobbles on its axis. The result is that the pole appears to point at different stars over the course of 26,000 years. Right now it points at Polaris, but in the past (and in the future) Thuban is a target. Based on a graphic provided by Tauolunga, via Wikimedia Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 license.   Thuban, also called ÃŽ ± Draconis, is a binary star system. The bright one we see is accompanied by a very faint star that orbits very close to its partner. The second-brightest star in Draco is called ÃŽ ² Draconis, with a familiar name of Rastaban. It is near the bright star ÃŽ ³ Draconis, which is also called Eltanin. Interestingly, Eltanin is actually the brightest star in Draco.   Deep-Sky Objects in Constellation Draco This region of the sky has a number of faint deep-sky objects that require binoculars or a telescope to see. One of the most famous is the Cats-Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543. Its a planetary nebula that lies about 3,000 light-years away from us and is the remains of a sun-like star that experienced its final death throes some 1,200 years ago. Before that, it gently blew off its material in a series of pulsations that formed concentric rings around the dying star.   The Cats Eye planetary nebula, as seen by Hubble Space Telescope. NASA/ESA/STScI The unusual shape of the nebula is due to the clouds of material blown away from the star by a fast stellar wind. It collides with material that was ejected earlier in the stars aging process. The cloud of material is mostly hydrogen and helium, mixed with other materials. Astronomers suspect there may have been a binary companion star involved, and interactions with it may have caused the complex structure we see in the nebula.   Viewing the Cats-Eye Nebula requires a good small- to medium-sized telescope, since its actually quite dim. The nebula was discovered by William Herschel in 1786 and has been observed by many professional astronomers using both ground-based instruments, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.   Observers with good telescopes can also spot several galaxies in Draco, as well as galaxy clusters and colliding galaxies. Its well worth a few evenings of exploration to ramble through Draco and spot these fascinating objects.