Inventory management. Amazon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inventory management. Amazon - Research Paper Example The competitive advantage possessed by a company is also determined by similar factors. Efficient management of logistics allows a company to focus on other activities such as adding value to existing products, etc which indirectly increase the productivity of the organization. However, in today’s business scenario, the retail market has evolved and efficient logistics management is no longer just an advantage, it is the norm. Companies have found several different ways in which to achieve this, usually in alignment with their business models. The use of IT technologies has been one of the main factors that have hastened this process since companies are now able to communicate between offices regardless of the distance that separates them (CILTUK, 2007: 10-11). In order to understand the practical issues concerning inventory management, we examine the case of Amazon in the below report. Aims and Objectives of the research The following case study which examines the case of Amazon reflects on the growth of the company with respect to various theories associated with logistics management, in particular with the subject of inventory management. It attempts to relate the issues faced by the company and its subsequent successes to the research available in the field. It also explores the alternatives available for the company that might help it grow further. With the above information, the study also attempts to predict the future direction of the company based on the current status of the company and available business scenarios. Literature Review Company and market overview Amazon was setup in 1994 by Jeff Bezos as an online book store. Similarly, it was established in Europe as a book store in 1998. As a result of its successes, it was launched in other countries as well. Amazon International consists of a number of subsidiaries such as Amazon Japan and its operations in Europe. Its Europe operations ha ve needed an improvement to match its expected growth rate. In particular, its distribution strategy has been looked at more closely and an attempt has been made to emulate the American structure. Due to advancements in technology, Amazon has been able to enter a number of markets. However, technology, coupled with the opening up of new markets across the world has also led to an increase in the number of competitors in the field. Lessons from American Distribution strategy Reducing the costs incurred due to the purchase and holding of inventory or stocks is one of the main challenges for a retail store. However, the challenges faced by an online store are unique. Amazon was setup at a time when most of its competitors, other book stores, were brick and mortar stores or mail – order catalog businesses. The challenge of maintaining a low cost for stocks, at the same time satisfying customer demands is magnified for an online store. Amazon initially tackled this problem by hold ing minimum stocks while relying of wholesalers to satisfy most of its demand. This helped reduce the holding cost of stocks. At the same time, Amazon also tied up with publishers so that the unit cost of stocks would also decrease (Waters, 2003: 52). A combination of the two helped the company's capacity grow from 1 million book titles to 2.5 million book titles in the early years. This also helped ensure that orders were completed

Ping Sweeps and Port Scans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ping Sweeps and Port Scans - Assignment Example Computer activities fall into broad categories of the ones which enhance proper functioning of other programs running on a computer whereas others which render expected functioning difficult. We must safeguard our computers against the malicious activities. Information about a computer such as the details about its operating system, details about programs running on it, information about various protocols, details about usage of ports and responses to different functions are amongst those targeted by hackers and jammers in a network. Ping sweep is a very fundamental scanning activity used to primarily determine the range of IP addresses which map to live hosts (TechTarget, 2002). Usually we ping a computer to know the active presence of the desired host. However, ping sweeps do it for a multitude of computers. Ping sweep is also known as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) sweep (TechTarget, 2002). Ping sweeps can be performed voluntarily by an organization to determine active hosts. Upon determination we use this data to perform data transactions/sharing between desired active hosts. It can also be performed by an outsider with an intention to drag information out of a computer database for wrong purposes. The process of knowing active hosts in ping sweep is similar to an act where a pickpocket identifies his prey in a crowded bus (Murali, 2004). Every sweep is an attempt with hope. We can take stringent security measures to avoid responding to external pings. Once the computer responds to ping sweep, there begins the next process of port scanning. Port scan is the process of sending messages to a port for determining the type of network services offered by the host (Ireland, S, 2009). Upon receiving messages the ports respond with their status of being in use or being dormant. Depending upon this status information, the tuned port can now be used for hacking useful and often confidential information. The ports represent potential communication

Swinburne, His Poetry and Religion Essay Example for Free

Swinburne, His Poetry and Religion Essay Before one can attack an individual, group, or ideology, it is a logical requirement to achieve a considerable amount of knowledge on the particular subject. This was adhered to by Swinburne, whose familial background and values necessitated his education in the Anglican Church. He knew much about the scriptures, as well as the corresponding interpretative methods of apocalyptics, prophecy, and typology. With this knowledge, Swinburne was equipped with means and ways to express his own interpretations through poetry. Acknowledging the Victorian society’s preference for biblical allusions, he regularly made use of language that contained religious references that often challenged the issues of the Roman Catholic Church. Swinburne took a fancy to attacking organized religion, particularly the Catholic Church’s involvement in a divided Italy. Parody and blasphemy started to make their way into Swinburne’s works, although he never dismissed the existence of the Church—in fact, its absolute presence became the foundation for his poetry. In â€Å"Hymn To Proserpine†, a 100-line dramatic monologue, is all about the mythological figure Proserpine, offspring of Zeus and Demeter, who eventually became queen of darkness, and, in Swinburne’s terms, death. The Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, historically known to have opposed Christianity, takes on the main task of being the voice of the poem. Included in the epic are mentions of a â€Å"pale Galilean†, which is a thinly-veiled reference to Jesus Christ. Such a bold statement completely revealed Swinburne’s ties to paganism and atheism, which was soon criticised by the press. Another work, â€Å"Atalanta in Calydon†, also surprised readers due to its dramatic entrance in the literary world, which was maintained by poetry of subtle and mostly quiet character. Patterned closely after classic Greek drama, it also utilises elements unique to this traditional form—but with the signature style in rhythm and metrical agility. With its Greek structure and ancient themes of being in control of your own fate and the belief in divine intervention, Swinburne succeeded in going beyond the typical Greek tradition of religious acceptance, and appeals to the spirit of man to overcome and conquer the tyrannical rule of the gods. Quintessentially Swinburne, with his partiality and focus on sensual and sexual pleasures, upheld the beauty and spirit of life by denouncing the forces that controlled death and decay. On the other hand, one of Swinburne’s most popular works, â€Å"Poems and Ballads†, no longer attempted to hide behind the cloak of traditional styles or references. It outwardly declared the poet’s trashing of convention, and introduced themes that celebrated immoralities such as sexual freedom and philistinism. Within the work, the subjects of â€Å"The Leper†, â€Å"Anactoria†, â€Å"Faustine†, and â€Å"Laus Veneris† were all directly proclaiming the benefits of physical and sexual obsession, as well as excessive and abusive living. Once more, paganism figured prominently as Swinburne’s larger theme, with the work dedicated solely to the cult of the goddess of pain—from whom escape will only result in death. But like the previous â€Å"Atalanta†, Swinburne’s use of rhythm and magical verse was worthy of applause; his ability to move within the restricted format nimbly yet exuding the emotions designed per work is a feat still left unchallenged even by many modern poets. Movement appears to be Swinburne’s skill—as evidenced by the slow and unhurried â€Å"Laus Veneris†, the haste and quickness in â€Å"The Triumph of Time†, the carefree lightness of â€Å"Faustine†, and the swiftness in â€Å"Dolores†.

Freuds Concept of the Unconscious Hitchcocks Psycho

Freuds Concept of the Unconscious Hitchcocks Psycho In this essay I have analysed the famous Hitchcock film psycho using Freuds concept of the unconscious. The bleak, monochrome film is made more effective by Bernard Herrmanns sparse, but driving, recognisable score, first played under the frantic credits. The criss-crossing patterns, like mirror-images, are correlated to the split, schizophrenic personality of a major protagonist. The initial usage of staccato chords immediately provides us with a hint of detachment of a character to be involved, this along with the titles created by Saul Bass, (who was known for his style reminiscent of 1920s Soviet poster art) immediately provide the audience with apprehension. The screech of the violins is representative of birds, which we later see depicted throughout the film. Many of Hitchcocks recurring images are important in Freudian dream interpretation. It is apparent right from the beginning what lies ahead is no ordinary story, and a strange feeling of anxiety swells with the visual and musical intro. Screenwriter Joseph Stefano adapted Robert Blochs novel Psycho into what would become one of Alfred Hitchcocks influential works and one of the classic films of all time. We are led to believe Psycho is a film about cloak-and-dagger affairs, misappropriation, murder, secrets, and mental struggle; although in the darkness, there lies an examination of the temptations of wealth, sexual identity, gender roles, sexual expression, it depicts the appalling events which can occur with the departure of normal advancement. Psycho reiterates to its viewers that people sometimes provide a visual falsity of who they are and stories we have read as children of a bad person visually representative of their character traits in life are not often the case, and when the personal development has not reached an expected level that immoral crimes may occur. Sigmund Freud wrote about the human psyche in the 1920 essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle, and fully elaborated upon it in The Ego and the Id (1923). Freuds theory of the subconscious consists of three parts, the Id, the Ego, and the Super Ego and the interaction between them all. The Id is considered to be chaotic, the center for animalistic impulses, and is governed by the pleasure principle, otherwise known as instant gratification. It is also the location of the libido, which is our life force or our sexual drive. The Ids driving instinct is for self-preservation. The Ego is quite different from the Id, it is the broker between the Id and the Super Ego. The Ego is also the personality we show others, founded upon the reality formula. The Super Ego represents our conscience or moral standards, ideas of right and wrong which are permanently instilled in our minds by our parents or other authority figures. Freud regarded the mind to be like an Iceberg (see Figure 1) where the uncon scious lies below the surface, and the conscious above. To conclude: the Id demands gratification, the Ego responds to reality (civilization), and the Superego which is our moral code and also is dictated by the demands of society. The storyline of this film involves a young woman who through the pleasure principle of the id steals $40,000 from her employer. Marion is motivated by her desire to settle down and have a family with her lover Sam and to have financial freedom. Her super ego and the moral side have been outbalanced by her personal desires to live the perfect life with her lover. She ends up on a personal odyssey towards terror when she encounters a disturbed young hotel proprietor who is dominated by his mother. Throughout the film is a parallel to psychoanalysis as it attempts to piece together limited parts to understand as a coherent whole. Even the films cinematographic techniques reinforce individual images as being composed of fragmentary pieces. Part of Psychos visual appeal comes from Hitchcocks use of montage. James Naremore quotes Hitchcock describing montage as puttinglittle bits and pieces of film together Marion drives to her lover and a curtain of rain leads her to check into the Bates Motel. Paths and steps and roads are prevelant in Pyscho , the path between the motel and house which symbolises a path between the normal and the insane, in Psycho stairs lead to madness. In his documentary The PervertHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perverts_Guide_to_CinemaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perverts_Guide_to_Cinemas Guide to Cinema, Slavoj Ã…Â ½iÃ…Â ¾ek remarks that Norman Bates mansion has three floors, paralleling the three levels that psychoanalysis attributes to the human mind: the first floor would be the superego (Figure 2a), where Bates mother lives on; the ground floor is then Bates ego (Figure 2b), where he functions as an apparently normal human being; and finally, the basement would be Bates id (Figure 2c). For Freud, most repressed memories relate to sexuality. One type, for example, derives from the primal scene, where the child witnesses his parents having sex, then represses the memory of the scene. In Psycho, Norman Bates is said to have murdered his mother and her lover after finding them in bed together. Freud identified the tendency of a person who has experienced a traumatic event to re-live the negative event over and over, in action, in memory, or in dreams. A key aspect of the theory is the urge to put oneself into situations where the traumatic experience is likely to recur. Some forms of sexual dysfunction are interpreted as examples of repetition compulsion for example, an individual spanked as a child may seek out masochistic sexual experiences The best known of Freuds theories about childhood sexuality is named from the mythological king Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother. As Freud described the complex, a young boy is sexually attracted to his mother, and as a result desires to kill his father in order to possess the mother. This forbidden desire is then repressed, only to return later in neurotic form. In popular Freudianism, mothers are often seen as encouraging the Oedipal complex through possessive or flirtatious behavior toward sons. As Norman Bates tells Marion Crane, a boys best friend is his mother. (But also: A son is a poor substitute for a lover.). Freud believed the purpose of psychoanalysis is to recover these repressed memories so that the patient can deal with them in the conscious mind. In Freudianism, a successfully integrated personality is under control of the Ego. We see Norman engage in a discussion with Marion in the parlour where he reveals a desire to escape from mothers tyrannical grip, but cannot gain the will to do so. Norman fails to achieve the self-mastery which Freud claimed psychoanalysis may provide. At this stage Marion retires to her room and decides to return to her old life. In the parlour adjacent to Marions room we see Norman remove a painting to reveal a spy-hole. The audience is forced into Normans secret world as he watches her undress. Normal develops masculine and sexual feelings towards Marion. Bates alter ego of his mother is not happy about the prospect of an attractive young woman disrupting the love affair between mother and son. He even holds conversations with himself thinking hes speaking to his mother. While dressed as his mother, Bates with knife in hand murders Crane while she is taking a shower in one of the Bates motel rooms. During the shower scene the piercing violin strings play a large part in creating sheer terror during the horrific scene, screaming begins before Marions own shrieks. The murder during the shower scene destabilises the audience as the blade is pointed at her abdominal womb area, attacking the site of motherhood is perhaps a gesture to prevent her giving birth to men like himself see Figure 3a and 3b. From Freud we learn Normans id becomes the core of the psyche and determining force causing the mother half of Norman Bates to commit murder. Normans psyche represses this information causing the fear of reappearance. The compulsion to repeat is a manifestation of the power of the repressed (Freud, 1920), illustrating the strength of the influence of the repressed and the unconscious.ÂÂ   After the murder of Marion and Norman disposing of her in the swamp next to the house, the spectators turn to Norman to replace Marion as its main focus in its subjective role. Later on, when Sam and Lila search for evidence regarding Marions disapparance, Sam Loomis distracts Norman as Lila quietly walks up to the house to talk to Normans mother. She finds in the lower floor Normans mothers dead body which has been removed from its grave and preserved. At this point we realise Norman is two people. Norman is metamorphosised and revealed as his Mother when as he attempts to kill again his disguise is stripped away and ripped off. The Norman self completely dies, while his macabre Mother self is brought to life, shown by his mothers hysterically-laughing face, animated and resurrected by the light. Normans restricted personal growth this can be linked with the Oedipus complex. During the development of the Oedipus Complex the child develops a strong sense and powerful urges for sexual possession of the opposite sex parent. This urge gives rise to serious problems. The boy identifies with his father, and in doing so, internalises the fathers moral standards consequently the boy takes on the morals from his father, forming the superego. In Normans case, the absense of his father has resulted in an unresolved oedipus complex which results in a weak superego. Perhaps its this reason why he struggles with identity disorder as he houses his mothers superego in attempt to compensate for the one which he never developed as a result of his fathers absence. At the end of the film the psychiatrist explains: When reality came too close, when danger or desire threatened that illusion, he dressed up, even to a cheap wig he bought. Hed walk about the house, sit in her chair, speak in her voice. He was never all Norman, but he was often only Mother. Freud believed that traumatic events, usually from childhood, are repressed by the conscious mind. However, these destructive memories remain in the subconscious, where they are the source of neuroses and psychoses. The purpose of psychoanalysis is to recover these repressed memories so that the patient can deal with them in the conscious mind. The audience, although they had received an explanation for Normans actions, is left terrified and confused by the last scene of Norman and the manifestation of his split personality. Faced with this spectacle, Hitchcock forces the audience to examine their conscious self in relation to the events that they had just played a role in. Psycho creates a fear not necessarily from the brutality of the murders but from the subconscious identification with the films characters. To conclude, Hitchcock enforces the idea that all the basic emotions and sentiments derived from the film can be felt by anyone as the unending battle between good and evil exists in all aspects of life. The effective use of character parallels and the creation of the audiences subjective role in the plot enables Hitchcock to entice terror and convey a lingering sense of anxiety within the audience through a progressively intensifying theme. Freuds concept of the unconscious is so explicitly mirrored throughout the film. We have a seemingly normal woman whose balance is offset by a desire and which drives her to commit a financial crime. At the other end of the spectre we have again a man who most would think was harmless enough but due to his childhood and developmental restrictions has for other reasons allowed his unconscious to take full control of his conscious. According to Freud the essence of repression lies simply in the turning something away, and keeping it at a distance f or the conscious; Freud believed traumatic memories usually of childhood events are repressed as a defence mechanism which keeps the ego free of conflict and tension, however something can induce the momentary retrieval of a repressed memory and in the case of Norman Bates this triggered a psychotic in his mother psyche episode.

Why is Nancy such an important character in the novel Oliver Twist? Ess

Why is Nancy such an important character in the novel Oliver Twist? {1837-1839} Oliver Twist was probably one of the most popular novels of its time. Within Oliver Twist the characters were the central main focus of the novel. Oliver: the main c... Why is Nancy such an important character in the novel ‘Oliver Twist’? {1837-1839} Oliver Twist was probably one of the most popular novels of its time. Within ‘Oliver Twist’ the characters were the central main focus of the novel. Oliver: the main character is made to appeal to the reader’s sense of sympathy. Meanwhile Fagin is loathed by the reader. Nancy is seen as not so important by the reader but actually is the most important character after Oliver. So just why is Nancy such an important character in the novel ‘Oliver Twist’? The first mention of Nancy is when she comes to see Fagin, along with Bet, and she is described from Oliver’s point of view as not so pretty, with a great deal of hair but it wasn’t very neatly. They were untidy and dirty below the waist. Their stockings and shoes were also very dirty. â€Å"Oliver thought them very nice girls indeed.† This shows that Oliver’s first impression of Nancy is quite a good one which then shows that she might be influential to him later on in the novel. This is because he is easily led by Fagin and his gang because he thinks they are nice people. And he will be easily led by Nancy who he thinks is also a very nice person too. A long time afterwards they left when Master Bates said, that it was time to pad the hoof. Next Nancy is mentioned when she has to go and find out what happened to Oliver! At first when Fagin asks Bet, she declines and when he asks Nancy, she also declines! But the... ...) who tried to rob them which shows Nancy is on the same side as them( the side of good). So why is Nancy such an important character in the novel Oliver Twist? The main reason Nancy is such an important character is because she risks her life to save Oliver and goes through many hardships and brutalities to ensure that Oliver stays alive and doesn’t get dragged into the criminal underworld that she hates and doesn’t wish to be part of! It is a typical ‘good VS evil’ scenario and when good prevails the reader really enjoys this. This is what is happening with Nancy, she represents good in a struggle with Fagin and Sikes who represent evil. She dies but for a just cause, when she frees Oliver from the criminal underworld and lets him know about his undiscovered riches. So that is why Nancy is such an important character in the novel ‘Oliver Twist’.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe :: essays research papers

Question: In essay form, explain what this paragraph reveals about Okonkwo. Work specifically with the language proceeding through in an organized fashion. Structure of section †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Achievement o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What he wanted out of life o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Becoming a clan leader ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fear – didn’t want to be weak ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shame of childhood ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmation of his masculinity ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harsh self judgment †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss (fish) o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss (chi) In the paragraph on page 94 near the bottom, Achebe reveals the desperation that Okonkwo has fallen into because of his banishment. Okonkwo up to this point in the book has proven to be warrior-like in his approach to all things in life, but now we see that he has lost the battle of achieving the greatness, leaving him with a broken spirit. In the first section of the paragraph it is made known that Okonkwo was â€Å"†¦ruled by a great passion - to become one of the lords of the clan.† This was evident at the very beginning of the book by his fear of failure. The loathing he had for his father and what he stood for had driven Okonkwo to work hard through his entire life. This commitment help confirm the manliness that he had be seeking for, the one thing that could separate him from the shame of his childhood. However his strong will and determination has left him with a very egomaniacal self-image that leaves Okonkwo helpless when he actually fails in something. His banishment to Mbantu was a very hard blow to his self-image, leaving him weak and broken while trying to live there. The way Okonkwo refers to his banishment was that he â€Å"†¦had been cast out of his clan like a fish on to a dry, sandy beach, panting.† This pitiful image shows Okonkwo’s personal disgust, comparing himself to a lowly creature like a fish. The image of the fish out of water shows his suffrage, that a fish cannot live without water as Okonkwo cannot live without his clan and honour. The fact that the fish is panting shows that he is still alive but most likely suffering a slow and painful death. The analogy of a slow death shows how much Okonkwo sees the banishment as something that has completely destroyed his life and legacy and that his god had turned against him. In the Ibo tribe the chi or â€Å"personal god† plays a pivotal role in each person’s life. In this section we see that Okonkwo has lost faith in his chi saying that â€Å"†¦his personal god or chi was not made for great things.

Private Tuition Essay

It is now fashionable for many Malaysian students to go for private tuition. In fact, most students feel insecure if they do not have extra tuition after school. Isn’t that correct? Extra tuition may be necessary for some of you. For example, some of you are weak in mathematics. Without help, you may be left behind. Many of you are in classes which are large. Your teacher cannot give special attention to weak students but your private tutors can. Some teachers may seem unapproachable. Timid students feel afraid to ask questions. They do not want to look stupid. In a small tuition group such students may feel confident. Tutors can also afford to be more patient and allow students to take their time. They do not have to worry about completing the syllabus. Not all teachers are experts in their subjects. Unfortunately, you cannot choose your teachers. On the other hand, you can shop around for good tutors recommended by friends. You can also change tutors whom you find unsatisfactory. However, not all tutors either. Nowadays new graduates join tuition centres while waiting for other jobs. They are not trained teachers. They leave when they find something better to do. They are not bothered about completing the syllabus before the resign, so be careful. In addition, tuition centre exist to make a profit. Classes are often large; there may be as many as 20 to a class. This means you pay for individual attention but do not get it. They have also been cases of tuition centres closing after having collected fees in advance. Finally, extra tuition takes up too much of a student’s time. A lot of time is wasted on travelling to and from the tuition centre. Some of you treat tuition classes as social gatherings. You can actually use your time more profitably on hobbies or personal revision. After attending tuition classes, you may be too tired to do your homework or your school work. If you pay attention in class and do your revision regularly there is no need for extra tuition. The money you would save could be used to buy revision books or put a side for furthering your education in the future. Personally I feel private tuition is a waste of hard-earned money.