Inciting Incident 101 Definition and Expert Tips (With Real Examples!)

Inciting Incident 101 Definition and Expert Tips (With Real Examples!) What Is An Inciting Incident? Definition, Mythbusting, and Examples The inciting incident: a vitally important yet wickedly confusing element of any story. Time after time, readers and writers alike have wondered: What does it do? When does it occur? And how do you know if you’ve written a good one†¦ or if you have one at all?There’s a great deal of uncertainty surrounding inciting incidents - specifically, how they work within the context of a full narrative arc. So without further ado, here’s your all-inclusive guide to the elusive inciting incident: what it is, how it’s used, and tips on constructing your own. Inciting incidents: what they are, where to put them, and how to create your own What Is An Inciting Incident?The inciting incident is the narrative event that launches the main action. It typically occurs within the first act of the story and means something significant for the main character, most likely impacting their entire life. It should also fully engage the reader with the story, serving as an indicator of what’s to come.That being said, there are a few very common misconceptions surrounding inciting incidents - so let’s do a bit of mythbusting.Myth #1: The inciting incident is always the first thing to happen.You’ll recognize the inciting incident as the event that triggers the primary action, rather than simply the first event to occur. There may be some backstory or buildup before this, such as a conversation or scene leading up to it - but that doesn’t change its role in the story!Myth #2: The inciting incident is exactly the same as the â€Å"hook.† The hook is a dramatic description or scene that first catches t he reader’s attention. The inciting incident catalyzes the plot and solidifies that attention. Sometimes they overlap, but the incident tends to require more exposition than a hook - so don’t start thinking they’re synonymous.Myth #3: The inciting incident raises more questions than it answers.As a matter of fact, the inciting incident usually involves some kind of newfound clarity or realization for the main character. It does create some questions, but its main purpose is to give the main character a distinctive path to follow, rather than muddling it.Some of these ambiguities can definitely be confusing. Fortunately, we have plenty of examples on hand to show what we’re talking about. Here are five famous inciting incidents to illustrate how they function in a story. Reedsy mythbusting: 3 common misconceptions about inciting incidents #getthefacts Inciting Incident Examples1. Hagrid telling Harry he’s a wizard"Harry - yer a wizard." "A what?" gasped Harry. "A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit.†- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,  p. 39One of the most famed catalysts (and indeed best moments) in all of literature is Hagrid revealing to Harry Potter that he’s a wizard. Suddenly, all the strange occurrences leading up to this scene make sense: Harry somehow getting up onto his school roof, making the glass disappear at the zoo, and of course, his uncle’s refusal to let him read any of his letters.This incident perfectly exemplifies the features outlined above: it completely absorbs the reader, sets the main plot in motion, and involves a pretty major revelation for Harry. While some might argue that elements of the buildup - such as Harry receiving his fir st letter - could be called â€Å"inciting incidents,† this is the scene where Harry truly begins his journey.What's the inciting incident in your story? Share it with us in the comments!

Should I Take a Gap Year 6 Reasons the Answer Is Yes

Should I Take a Gap Year 6 Reasons the Answer Is Yes SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Not excited about the idea of starting another year of school in the fall? What if you could instead take a break from school and spend a year backpacking around Europe, volunteering for a cause you care about, or getting paid to work on a cruise ship? With a gap year all those things possible! Have you heard of gap years but aren’t sure what they are?Do you know other people taking gap years but aren’t sure if they’re a good idea for you? What are the benefits of taking a gap year anyway?In this guide, I use my own gap year experience to explain the major benefits of gap year programs and why they’re such a great choice for many students. I end with some tips to ensure you get the most out of your own gap year. My Gap Year Experience By the time I finished my Master’s degree, I was 24 years old and burnt out from years of non-stop studying, writing papers, and taking tests. I was applying to all sorts of jobs, but I wasn’t excited about any of them.After years of spending all my time and energy on school, my life had become boring, and I felt like I was just going through the motions without actually enjoying myself or doing the things I cared about or was interested in. I kept going because I felt like I didn’t have any other choice than to jump straight from school to a career. One day, while scrolling through Facebook, I saw pictures posted by a friend currently traveling through Europe. She was on an around-the-world trip, and, while I’d scoffed when she’d told me she was quitting her job to travel, I had to admit that she looked happier than I did at the moment.Looking through her photos, I realized that that was what I wanted to be doing with my life: seeing new places, learning new things, meeting new people. Why couldn’t I do what my friend was doing? Maybe not quite as extreme as traveling around the world (I had students loans to pay off after all), but why couldn’t I change up my life and do something exciting? Why did I have to go straight from high school to college to grad school to a corporate job? I weighed the options for a few weeks, but in the end, choosing between taking a job I wasn’t interested in or spending a year having experiences I’d dreamed of having wasn’t a hard decision to make. I did some research and found that gap years are actually a fairly common experience in certain parts of the world. People who do a gap year can travel, get work experience, take a class they’ve always been interested in, learn a foreign language, do volunteer work, and more. Really anything you think is interesting or exciting could be the basis of your gap year. After looking at numerous options, I decided to spend my gap year teaching English at a high school in northeast France. I also had enough time on the side to volunteer at an environmental organization I was interested in.My parents and friends were largely supportive, but when I told my school advisor what I’d be doing, she was horrified. She told me I was making a terrible decision and warned me that not taking a job in the field I’d studied in would have a serious negative impact on my career. â€Å"Not to mention employers will think you look lazy,† she added. Those comments made me nervous, but I still felt like I was making the right decision. As a matter of fact, not only did I not torpedo my career, I came away with a host of new skills and a better idea of the kind of job I wanted, both of which made it fairly easy for me to find a job I was happy with once my gap year ended.More important though, was the fact that I finally felt like I was doing what I wanted with my life. I look back on my gap year now as one of the best decisions I’ve made, and many others who’ve taken gap years would agree. 6 Reasons To Take a Gap Year It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of taking a gap year, but you may also still have a lot of doubts about actually doing it. Your parents or teachers may also need some more convincing before they get on board with the idea of you taking a gap year. Whatever the case, here are six of the biggest gap year benefits. Read through them and you’ll see that a gap year can have all sorts of benefits for you academically, professionally, and personally. #1: It Can Boost Your GPA If you’re worried that taking a year off from school will cause your grades to suffer once you go back, don’t be! Studies of gap year students have shown that people who take a gap year actually get higher grades in college compared to their peers who don’t take a gap year. Why is this? There are several potential reasons. Many students, especially at those at risk of academic burn-out, benefit from taking a year off studying so they can return with more energy and motivation. Taking a gap year that relates to your future career can also help you get more excited about your studies so you’re more interested in your classes and motivated to do well. Planning and carrying out a gap year also often increases your organization skills, maturity, and confidence, all of which can help you do better in school once you return. If I could change one thing about my gap year, I would have done it earlier, either before I went to college or immediately after. By the time I took my gap year, I had been in school for nearly 20 years straight, and I spent the last year of my Master’s program just trying to get my work done as quickly as possible because I was so sick of school. Taking a gap year earlier would likely have helped me reset and go through grad school with more motivation and energy. #2: You Can Get Serious Work Experience A gap year is often a great way to get experience specifically related to the career you want. Many companies and organizations offer half-year or full-year internships or volunteer positions, but most people can’t do them because they are busy with school or work. This means these positions are actually often easier to get than many summer jobs, and since they’re longer you’ll have the benefit of gaining more experience and making stronger connections with the people you’re working with. This can mean better letters of recommendation and useful contacts when you’re trying to get a job later on down the line. If you spend your entire gap year working in the field you want to go into you’ll have experience that few other college students do. That can help set you apart in the future when you’re applying to jobs or grad school.By the end of my gap year, I had a full year of teaching experience, a year of volunteering experience at an NGO, and I had significantly improved my French skills. Any one of those could make me more qualified for potential jobs. #3: You’ll Gain New Skills You may not want to spend your gap year working in the field you plan on majoring in and getting a career in, and that’s also fine. Plenty of people choose to spend their gap year doing something they’d never have a chance to do otherwise, and the good thing is, you’ll still gain useful skills and knowledge, even if they’re not directly related to your future career.So if you’ve always wanted to learn how to survive in the wilderness, explore South America, work at a ski lodge, etc., this is the time to do those things. Also, you may end up using some of those skills in your future jobs, even if you didn’t think you would at the time. During my gap year, I learned all about the ins-and-outs of the French education system, which I thought was interesting at the time, but not something I’d ever need to know again.As it turns out, I later got jobs with a focus on international education, and many of the things I learned in France were still applicable for those jobs. So that information has been useful after all! #4: You Can Make Money This isn’t the case for all gap years, obviously, but if you decide to take a job or an internship during your gap year that pays, you could make a significant chunk of change during that year.Even if your job only pays minimum wage, you can still make about $15,000 in a year if you work full time, and you can put that money towards paying for school or another expense. If you choose to use your gap year salary to help pay for school, not only will you be able to take out fewer loans initially, but because your loans are smaller, they’ll accrue less interest than larger loans would. Student loan interest alone can easily total several thousand dollars by the time you graduate, so if you use your gap year job to pay for more of your school costs upfront, you’ll be saving money in two ways: by taking out fewer loans and by having less interest on those smaller loans. #5: You’ll Meet Tons of New People No matter what you decide to do during your gap year, you’re practically guaranteed to meet new people.Even if you already have great friends, a gap year is an excellent way to meet different kinds of people you wouldn’t normally come across. And in addition to expanding your social circle, you can even use these new friends as networking contacts if they work in a field you want a job in or know someone who can get you a job. Networking and finding useful career contacts is something colleges regularly encourage students to do, and you’ll be ahead of the pack if you start doing this during your gap year program. #6: You’ll Get a Better Idea of What You Want to Do Many students are reluctant to take a gap year because they worry it’ll put them â€Å"behind† their friends and peers, but that’s hardly the case.Taking a gap year can help you get a much better sense of what kind of career you actually want.This can save you years of time and tens of thousands of dollars in tuition money compared to graduating with a certain degree, taking a job in that field, and then realizing it’s not what you want to do with your life. When I was in college, I had lots of friends who wanted to be doctors. Only a fraction of them ended up graduating from med school; the rest realized medicine wasn’t actually the field for them. Many of them only came to this conclusion after graduating college with degrees in human biology, and a few even started med school before changing their career goals and dropping out. It’s not a guarantee, but these students may have had a much better idea of whether medicine was right for them if they’d spent a gap year working in a hospital or shadowing a doctor.Even if this put them â€Å"behind† for a year, it’s much less time and money lost compared to people who don’t discover until after college that they don’t like the career they got their major in and now need to find a different job or go back to school and get a new degree. Taking a gap year early on can actually put you ahead of a lot of your peers because you’ll have a better idea of what you want.Even though I spent most of my time during my gap year teaching English to French students, the part that I thought would be most useful for my future career was the volunteering I did at an environmental NGO since that’s the kind of career I thought I wanted.As it turned out, during my gap year I discovered I didn’t like that kind of work at all, and although it was somewhat alarming to realize I suddenly had to rethink my future, it was much better to figure that out earlier than after returning from the gap year, applying to a bunch of NGO jobs, getting one, probably moving somewhere new, and realizing I hated it. You could also go do a gap year in something you never considered a career in, love it, and end up deciding to get future jobs in that field. I have a friend who was majoring in engineering, but she spent a gap year working as a concierge in a hotel and ended up deciding to pursue a career in hotel management. You really only know if a certain career is a good fit for you after you try it out, and a gap year is a great, low-risk way to get that experience. 3 Tips For Planning a Great Gap Year In order to get all or many of the gap year benefits we just discussed above, you have to put some thought and planning into your gap year. Waiting until the last minute to figure how you’re spending the year could still lead to a positive experience, but in order to get the most out of your gap year, start your planning at least several months ahead of time (many of the most competitive jobs and internships have application deadlines around this time), and follow the three tips below. Figure Out What You Want to Accomplish During Your Gap Year The most important part of planning your gap year is to decide what your goals for it are.Do you want to travel? Earn some money? Volunteer for an organization you love? Gain experience in the field you want to go into? Start with your broad goal(s) for your gap year and gradually narrow them. If you want to travel where do you want to travel to? What do you hope to gain from traveling? Will you need to work to help cover your expenses?If you want work experience, what kind of places would you like to work at? Does it have to be paid, or can you do unpaid or volunteer work? What are you hoping to gain from the work experience? Something to put on your resume, professional connections, both?Keep asking yourself questions about what you want from your gap year until you have a solid idea of exactly what you’re hoping to get from it. Here’s the list I came up with for my gap year goals: Travel to new places Learn foreign language skills Get experience working for non-profits Make enough money to support myself After doing a lot of research, I decided that teaching English in France, while volunteering at a nearby non-profit, was the perfect way to meet each of those goals. Decide on Your Timeline and Budget Early On Figuring out what you want to do during your gap year isn’t the only important decision you’ll make. You also need to figure out early on how much time and money you can put towards your gap year. Most people spend an entire year on their gap year, but you may only be able to spend part of a year due to classes or work. Figure that out early on so you don’t end up applying to jobs or programs you can’t complete.Setting a timeline also ensures your gap year won’t stretch on indefinitely, a fear some parents have for their children. If you’re worried about your gap year going longer than you originally planned, having a firm end date set upfront can help you stick to your schedule, as can choosing gap year programs with their own end dates, such as visas that expire or classes that end after a certain number of months.When I got my job in France, my work visa was only valid for a year, which gave me a nonnegotiable deadline for when I had to leave. Budget is also important. If you’re going to be living with your parents during your gap year, you may have few or no expenses, but if your gap year includes travel and/or a program with admission fees, those costs could quickly add up.Again, figuring out how much you can spend on your gap year early on will reduce the chances of you finding a program or activity you love only to later realize it’s not in your budget.I had a bit of money budgeted for my gap year, but I also knew I’d need to get a job that paid me so I could cover my living expenses and begin paying off my student loans. Keep Yourself Busy If you spend your gap year working, say, ten hours a week at a job or volunteer position, that isn’t the best use of your time. You’ll have so much downtime that the experience will detract from your future college and work applications rather than enhance them.You want to make sure you’re spending your time productively during your gap year, which may mean taking more than one job or doing a combination of classes and work. You don’t need to exhaust yourself, but aiming for about 30-40 hours of work/classes a week is a good benchmark to set. This ensures you’re getting the most out of your gap year benefits and shows schools and employers that you’re a hard worker and who your time productively. My job as an English teacher only took up about 25-30 hours a week, so I used my extra time to take French classes, volunteer at an environmental organization, and travel around Europe on the weekends. Teaching English was the main purpose of my gap year, but filling my time with other activities helped me get the most out of my experience and gave me more to talk about when asked how I spent the year. Conclusion: Should I Take a Gap Year? Is a gap year a good idea? Gap years aren’t for everyone; some people are happy to stick to the path they’re on or can’t take a year away from work or school, and that’s fine. However, for many people, a gap year is a great way to do something you’ve only dreamed of doing, whether that’s traveling to a new part of the world, hiking the Appalachian Trail, working on a cruise ship, or whatever else you’re interested in. Some people dislike gap year programs because they feel students are too young to do them, or they think it’s more important for students to finish their education first and get some work experience before taking a year off. However, there will never be an easier time in your life to take a gap year. As you get older, things like student loans, mortgages, families, and jobs you don’t want to leave begin to pile up, making it harder and harder to achieve your goal of a gap year the longer you wait. Postponing your gap year can often mean it won’t happen at all, so take advantage of one of the few times when you can uproot your life and try something new without lots of things holding you back.Before I decided to take a gap year, I was worried I was going to mess up my life by not following the â€Å"plan† I was told was the way to success, but not only was my gap year a great experience, it put me in a better spot financially and professionally than I had been at before. What's Next? Have you decided to do a gap year?Get more information on how to find gap year ideas and start planning with our complete guide to gap years. Do you have the opportunity to study abroad in high school? This comprehensive guide discusses what it means to study abroad as a high schooler. Thinking about doing a volunteer abroad program?Read our guide to learnif volunteering abroad is really a good idea and what you should look for when selecting a program. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Business Data Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Data Analysis - Essay Example The value of correlation coefficient is positive. Therefore it can be said that as age increases so does income. The level of dissatisfaction is significantly higher in women as compared to men. There were 14 ‘extremely dissatisfied’ responses from women as compared to only 6 from men. On the other hand the positive responses were 117 as compared to only 89 from women. However almost 21 males very a little dissatisfied as compared to only 8 from women. a. Predictors: (Constant), How many promotions, if any, have you received while working for your present employer?, How many traumatic events did you experience last year?, How many hours did you work last week, at all jobs?, How many years of school have you completed?, In your household, how many family members, including yourself, were employed last year?, Age, Your pre-tax income last year ($000), Total family pre-tax income last year ($000), Since you were 16 years old, about how many years have you worked for full-time pay? The age of employees at the company varies between 69 and 18. This is a very large level of diversity. This diversity can be help in creating creativity but also can be a tough task to manage such a diverse workforce. The major workforce has their age in the mid thirties. The age of employees can affect their output. Therefore it was important to analyze the affect of employee age on different variables. The analysis revealed that as the age of employees was increases their number of hours worked were becoming less. This means that older people were working less as compared to the younger workforce. This can be due to the higher posts of senior employees and managerial roles. The increase in pretax income with an increase in age also supports this theory. As the employees get older they become senior and therefore have a better pay scale and have to put in fewer hours. The age however was totally unrelated to union membership. Therefore we can that there was an

Humanitarianism and Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Humanitarianism and Security - Essay Example This essay declares that humanitarianism operates in the best historical of emancipator ethics. It aspires to keep people alive, to expand their opportunities, and to provide them much control over their fates. It does that through various interventions, all defended on the basis that they improve the welfare and health of others who are too powerless and weak to help themselves. A variety of private and public actors contributes to humanitarian action, among them states, commercial outfits, religious bodies, philanthropies and various individuals. This paper makes a conclusion that humanitarian action they play a crucial function in saving lives across the globe. Humanitarianism as a doctrine ought to be man's duty to strive to promote the welfare of fellow mankind. In practicality, this has not been the case in many countries. Many academicians and other professional have questioned whether development and humanitarianism conventionally related. They have critic the ever increasingly involvement of government in humanitarian assistance and their motives. Humanitarian aid has been seen to be used as a political tool. However in recent years there has been hope in ‘new humanitarianism’. There exist a ‘new humanitarianism’ for the new century. ‘New humanitarianism’ is ‘principled,' ‘human rights focused and always politically sensitive. ‘New humanitarianism’ marks a break from the historical governance of humanitarian programs. It is a new concept in humanitarians a nd advocates for the system claims it can only get better with time.

Increasing the hardware Essay Example for Free

Increasing the hardware Essay Abstract As any business grows, they are always looking to expand all aspects of  their business. With this expansion, the cost of increasing the hardware and software needed for the expansion is also increasing. Many companies are looking for ways to keep or even streamline the hardware they currently have yet expand. They want a way to have their customers log into their site and go to a central server but want all the necessary files for the customers to be stored elsewhere which will increase the speed of the server. To be successful in today’s market, many businesses are realizing the necessity of using technology. As more and more companies use more technology, their IT infrastructure cannot handle all the traffic due to the lack of available server/storage space needed to meet the increasing demands of the customers. Whether the business is small or a large corporation, finding the needed available server/storage space is becoming an ever increasing problem. Trying to solve this problem, many businesses have begun to look for an alternative solution to store many of their business files away from their own main computers, this is called cloud storage. Think about how you have an external hard drive that you use to store files away from the hard drive of your computer, the cloud storage works in the same way. The only exception is that you do not own the external storage, you rent the storage space from someone who takes care of all the maintenance and updating of the site. JPCexpress has been operating for many years with their own internal storage capabilities and now are in the market to expand their business. The current server space that the company owns is being bogged down by the amounts of data it needs to use daily so they need a newer solution to their storage problems so that they can continue to offer their production facilities and customers the best possible service. Next day service sets this company apart from other online businesses and I will show what needs to be done to help then continue to accomplish this with a simple server space solution. Company Background JPCexpress is an innovator in the online printing industry. They use advanced technology that allows the customer to place an order and have it printed and delivered the next day. There are many online printing organizations, but JPCexpress was one of the first that offered next day delivery if you place your order by a certain time the day before. The  company was founded in 2001 that offered printing as a service so that the customer has access to all the company printing business solutions allowing them to place their orders right on the company website. The customer does not have to invest any monies into their own printing infrastructure and the staff that would be needed to maintain it. JPCexpress offers its services to many different organizations of all sizes that do not want to hassle with having internal printing capabilities. Due to the customer being able to upload all their information to help us perform the needed services, this takes up a lot of storage space. JPCexpress operates three huge warehouses that are strategically placed across the country. Within each facility, they house all the hardware and software needed to conduct the printing business along with all the hardware and software needed for the IT side of the business. The customers are able to use our site as their own so they know they will get exactly the product they want. Our teams of engineers are always introducing new services and solutions for the customers and they have them integrate the new technologies into our platform monthly. The reason we have the fastest turnaround time for online printing companies is due to the fact that our customers are able to use our site as their own to make and order their printing needs. We have become a leader in the online printing world because of our customer service, ease and speed of our online services and the fact that we guarantee you will have your order the next day if you meet the daily cut off time. Discussion of Business Problem During times of peak use, the amount of data used is overwhelming. JPCexpress is a top of the line printing business but due to our storage capabilities, we do have issues that will slow the service to our customers. This is an issue because the timing of the slowness (can prevent customers from making the cut off time for next day service) which directly relates to customer service and customer satisfaction. The main issue is that when there are many users on the system, it slows down and prevents ease of use. I think that JPCexpress could benefit from emerging technology as cloud computing or could storage. Increasing our storage capacity would prevent the system from slowing down and loss of data. Any IT department within any business always needs new ways to increase the capabilities of their current infrastructure without investing in new hardware, new licensing requirements  or having to spend the time and monies to train and hire new personnel. Due to the increasing amounts of data needed by our existing customers and the addition of new customers, members of our IT department has to manually go into the system and get rid of old files and clear any redundant data. This happens when our system becomes slow which slows the use of our production tools and this all adds up to a loss in the amount of work that can be performed. If the organization was to use cloud computing, the problem of overwhelming the system could be avoided. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends its existing capabilities (Gruman, 2012). Use of the cloud could begin at our centrally located facility for trial purposes until we see if using it would be beneficial to both the customers and to our stockholders. High Level Solution For many businesses, having enough storage space to hold all the information they have acquired from their customers and the working of internal business practices is a real challenge that becoming increasingly harder. Many organizations have turned to deleting huge amounts of data to open up room for the new data they need to stay updated and to continue to provide their customers with excellent customer service. Many businesses have turned to cloud storage to help relieve this problem. Cloud storage acts as a centrally located server whose main purpose is for storage only. Using cloud storage, each of the three facilities can store and retrieve files as they are needed without investing in more infrastructure. When deciding to move to cloud storage, a few concerns will be raised. Some people think that cloud storage is less secure than local data centers and this is not true. . When the cloud host that IT manager work together the cloud host will encrypt the data and the business w ill store the keys to that encryption on it local network (Marsh, 2013). Many cloud providers offer dashboards to the client so they can log and manage the company’s data center. They can add more storage if they need and all this is completed without adding any equipment to increase storage. I have checked two of the major providers of cloud storage for pricing and flexibility. Amazon S3 is 99.9 percent reliable and it is scalable to fit your current business needs and also can be changed to fit your future needs as well (Amazon Web  Services, 2013). All data going into this cloud storage is encrypted for data security and you can decide what region you want to have your data stored in. Another excellent benefit is that once the data is entered into the cloud, it is automatically backed up in case one system fails you will lose your data. All data uploaded is for free but they do charge for each GB of data that is transferred or downloaded from the cloud. This seems pretty reasonable since we will maintain a central server with only our servers logging into the cloud to retrieve the customer information. Google cloud storage offers secure and safe cloud storage. It has configurable security controls and the cloud is flexible so that you can get what you need now and later on if you need more storage you can always add more (Google Cloud Storage, 2013). Looking between the Amazon and Google sites, they both offer the same types of features but I could not find any data that says how reliable the Google cloud is. Also, checking the pricing from the two sites, it appears that Amazon is slightly cheaper than Google is. Moving to cloud storage is a viable option to help solve latency issues and website lag due to the enormous amounts of data being transmitted over our site. Benefits of Solving the Problem Solving this problem using cloud storage will increase the speed of the servers the customers use to conduct their business. The increased speed of the server will also take the customers’ orders quickly and get them to the desired printing facility to ensure they make the cut off time for next day delivery. Implementing the cloud storage solution at only one facility will allow the business time to see if the cloud is a viable option to investing countless monies in upgrading our current facilities. Using the cloud will save us money because of the increased speed at which the customers can use the system, the speed in processing the orders and also save us money because we will not have to hire additional personnel to maintain additional hardware or pay for licensing for additional software. In an article written by Joe McKendrick for Forbes magazine, he talks about the benefits of cloud computing for a business. Cost reduction – using cloud as storage lowers transaction costs, minimizes the investment in hardware and software and also reduces the need for a huge IT staff or for adding additional personnel to manage you IT infrastructure. Cloud as storage is scalable so  you can take as much or as little as you need and then increase as your needs increases. You only pay for what you use; most uploads are free so you pay when you download data from the cloud. Businesses of all sizes will have access to more up to date technology while using the cloud. Letting someone else manage your IT for you reduces the need for expensive licenses or buying software or hardware. Business/Technical Approach Conducting thorough research before deciding which provider of the cloud services we will go with. When a cloud provider has been chosen, our CIO and his team will work with the provider to ensure we get what storage we need and also to ensure the security of the files we will move to the cloud for storage. Only have one facility use the cloud as a test case to see if it will improve the speed of our system and also to see how reliable the cloud services are. Conducting technical inspections using our IT department will ensure that we are keeping control on what goes into the cloud storage and also to help us determine if the cloud is useful. When we move older files from our servers into the cloud, we should see an immediate improvement in the speed of our system and also improvements in order processing and order filling. The IT department must ensure what files are being put in the cloud and that they are being encrypted for increased security. Also inspecting the files in storage routinely to ensure the data is not being corrupted. To ensure we do not lose any of our major customers, we will move only the older files to cloud storage to increase space on our servers. When we have determined (Senior management/CIO approval) that the cloud is a viable option to investing in hardware/software, we will move more files to the cloud in an effort to free up more space which should increase the speed even more. Also, once the one facility has proven more efficient and profitable, we will migrate another facility to cloud storage. There is no set timeframe for this to happen, we just want to ensure the cloud is meeting our needs in the ways we want it to. Using the current IT staff at the first facility to check usage and speed of the system will help us in our decision whether to stay with the cloud or invest in our own infrastructure. Business Process changes Implementing cloud storage will allow the company to store more files  without causing the system to run slow which increase productivity. This is going to be a big move for JPCexpress in the way they do business at each of their facilities. We will use the current IT department at each facility to maintain the data stored in the cloud and to ensure that only the less used files have been migrated to the cloud until its reliability has been proven. There will be one central location for all the internal storage of customer information. When the customer logs onto the site with his credentials, they will log onto our central server who will access the cloud and pull their information off for the customer to use. When the order is placed, the server will then send that order to the printing facility closet to the customer location for fast, reliable completion of the order. When the cloud is implemented for use by all facilities, the IT departments at those facilities will be reduced . Setting up a team to continually monitor the cloud for reliability and security will also be accomplished. Senior management with the CIO will have to make a decision on implementing other facilities and how that will be accomplished. Technology or business practices used to augment the solution After thorough research I have decided that implementing cloud storage is the best solution to help fix the problems at JPCexpress. Moving the files to the cloud will free up valuable space which will increase the processing speed of our current servers. The IT department will maintain our current servers and monitor how effectively the cloud is to the company. The IT department will also routinely perform inspections on our equipment to see how well it is working and also to ensure what files are being moved to the cloud. Having someone compile quarterly reports on how well the cloud implementation has helped the speed of the system and to see if it truly has increased the speed at which orders are shipped. We will not have to hire additional personnel to accomplish any of these tasks; we will use the current staff at each facility. This alone will save the company huge amounts of money. Conclusions and overall recommendations The current system that JPCexpress has, it is not capable of handling the enormous amounts of data that goes through it during peak operating times. JPCexpress will have to upgrade their current hardware/software or find other alternatives. Cloud storage is just that alternative solution.  Moving files to cloud storage will free up much needed space that will allow the system to run faster during peak operating times. Using the cloud offers different ways that it can be beneficial to the company. Using cloud instead of investing in new hardware/software to upgrade our current system will save on ongoing support, maintenance and upgrades and having to hire additional IT staff to work the new system. When switching to the cloud we will replace all the up-front expense of investing in a new system and replace that cost with a manageable monthly subscription cost. David Linthicum discusses why companies should invest in the cloud. All the upgrades and maintenance are handled by the cloud host. The software will always be current without the company having to pay for expensive licensing. The fear of cloud storage’s security being an issue is being proven invalid. Cloud providers have been working hard to prove how secure their storage is. Cloud based companies offer the highest level of customer service because they cannot afford to lose customers because they are unsatisfied with the service and with all the blogs out there, a bad review could mean countless lost customers. Every data storage center or data processing center has some downtime at some point but many cloud providers offer higher than a 99 percent reliability rate. High level implementation plan * Conduct thorough research to ensure the right cloud provider is selected * Work with provider to ensure we get the security we need and also the plan that fits the amounts of storage needed * Schedule when to transition to the cloud storage * Determine what files will initially be moved to cloud storage * Reroute all traffic from one facility to the other two * Shut down one facility and transition to the cloud * Once all files are transferred to the cloud activate the cloud * Bring the shutdown facility back on line * Test the new configuration for speed and user ability * Monitor the cloud for potential problems * Produce monthly reports as to the speed of the facility and improvements in the processing of orders Summary of Project JPCexpress’ system runs slow because each facility has access to all the files that are stored on the server. The storage problem can be handled either by investing countless monies into a new upgraded data system or to use cloud storage to alleviate this problem. Business processes are slow due to the servers being bogged down during peak hours resulting in delays in processing and delivery of orders placed by the customers. When we transition to the cloud storage we can increase the processing speed which will increase the speed of the orders being printed and then shipped to the customer. This will save on time and money because we will not have to pay additional shipping costs when we can’t meet the next day delivery. This is not meant to be a permanent solution but will benefit the company until we can determine if this is the best solution. References Amazon Web Services. (2013, Oct 1). Retrieved from Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3): http://aws.amazon.com/s3/ Google Cloud Storage. (2013, Aug 1). Retrieved from Google Cloud Platform: https://cloud.google.com/products/cloud-storage/ Gruman, G. K. (2012, Feb 2). What cloud computing really means. Retrieved from InfoWorld: http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/what-cloud-computing-really-means Linthicum, D. (2013, June 25). Cloud adoptions tipping has arrived. Retrieved from InfoWorld Cloud Computing: http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/cloud-adoptions-tipping-point-has-arrived-221335 Marsh, J. (2013, Oct 3). The Top 5 Myths about Cloud Storage. Retrieved from Formstack: http://blog.formstack.com/2013/top-5-myths-cloud-storage/ McKendrick, J. (2013, July 21). 5 Benefits of Cloud Computing you arent likely to see in a sales brochure. Retrieved from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2013/07/21/5-benefits-of-cloud-computing-you-arent-likely-to-see-in-a -sales-brochure/

The effect of anthropogenic ecological stressors Essay examples -- Env

Biodiversity is the variation among organisms and ecological systems at every environmental level. However, the simplest way to study these organisms is to observe the richness of the species. Species richness involves observing the number of species found within a certain patch (Ricklefs 2008). The dispersal of the species involves organisms entering and exiting patches to inhabit another patch. Dispersal may affect the distribution of the organism or the overall fitness of the population thus harming the species richness or possible increasing the richness (Ricklefs 2008). There are multiple factors that can affect the species richness of an organism, known as anthropogenic ecological stressors (Thompson and Shurin 2012). There is a wide variety of these ecological stressors ranging from pollution, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species, habitat destruction and the change in environmental conditions locally and globally (Thompson and Shurin 2012). These ecological stressors can occur individually or several may take place at one time thus interacting with one another and causing change to the resident species. Multiple ecological stressors applied can have a great impact on biodiversity and the overall ecosystem function (Christensen et al. 2006). The stressors can be predicted due to changes in the environment, yet there is no control on how forcefully they are applied and when they will occur (Christensen et al. 2006). Biodiversity in freshwater is known to be extremely vulnerable to climate. In response to the increase in temperatures due to climate change, organisms are expanding their ranges to higher latitudes and altitudes (Heino et al 2009). Therefore they are shifting their overall distributi... ...ent that is experiencing constant changes, thus relating back to the spatial insurance hypothesis. Works Cited Christensen, M.R., Graham, M.D., Vinebrooke, R.D., Findlay, D.L., Paterson, M.J., Turner, M.A. 2006. Multiple antrhopgenic stressors cause ecological surprises in boreal lakes. Global Change Biology, 12: 2316-2322. Heino, J., Virkkala, R. and Toivonen, H. 2009. Climate change and freshwater biodiversity: detected patterns, future trends and adaptations in northern regions. Biological Reviews, 84: 39-54. Ricklefs, R.E. 2008. Community Structure. Pages 376, 413 in J. Correa and S. Moran, editors. The Economy of Nature. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, USA. Thompson, P.L. and Shurin, J.B. 2012. Regional zooplankton biodiversity provides limited buffering of pond ecosystems against climate change. Journal of Animal Ecology, 81: 251-259.

What If Exams Were Abolished

Exams are tests held for students to show their progress and knowledge in different subjects. These ‘assessments' are kept at regular periods of time every academic year. But should exams be abolished? What are the advantages and disadvantages of exams? This topic is an argumentative one. Let's see what would happen if tests and examinations were abolished by looking at the advantages and the disadvantages. Disadvantages of exams: 1 . ) Students are stressed due to the pressure of exams.They usually get nervous before the exam itself and end up forgetting everything they studied as soon as they look at the paper due to the tension. 2. ) Some students are able to rote-learn the content. This is unfair to other students as this gets the rote-learners good marks but they don't actually understand the concept and those who can't rote-learn aren't able to score satisfactory marks. 3. ) The pressure of exams has the students cramming the notes and staying up all night to study so tha t they complete the portion on time. ) The students are also pressured with the hope of their parent's to get nice marks and they may fall into depression and sometimes they might even commit suicide. These are some of the arguments supporting the disadvantages of exams. Advantages of exams.Students study harder to achieve better marks than their fellow classmates. Exams may pressurize the students but if they do their work properly and on time, they can try harder and work harder to get good marks. 2. If we be honest, the students wouldn't actually study if exams were abolished. They wouldn't be worried about the tests, marks or grades and hence, they wouldn't study. These are some of the arguments supporting the advantages of exams. According to the disadvantages and advantages of examinations mentioned above, respectively, there would be different effects on the students regarding the abolishment of exams. Essay by Florins S. Credit to: Different articles on the internet. What If Exams Were Abolished?

Coffee shop Essay

Java Culture coffee bar is determined to become a daily necessity for local coffee addicts, a place to dream of as you try to escape the daily stresses of life and just a comfortable place to meet your friends or to read a book, all in one. With the growing demand for high-quality gourmet coffee and great service, Java Culture will capitalize on its proximity to the University of Oregon campus to build a core group of repeat customers. Java Culture will offer its customers the best prepared coffee in the area that will be complimented with pastries, as well as free books that its patrons can read to enjoy their visit. The company will operate a 2,300 square foot coffee bar within a walking distance from the University of Oregon campus. The owners have secured this location through a three-year lease with an option for extending. The have also provided $140,000 of the required $170,000 start-up funds. The remaining capital will be obtained through Bank of America commercial loans. The company is expected to grow sales revenue from $584,000 in FY2001 to $706,000 in year three. As Java Culture will strive to maintain a 65% gross profit margin and reasonable operating expenses, it will see net profits grow from $100,000 to $125,000 during the same period. 1.1 Objectives. Java Culture’s objectives for the first year of operations are: Become selected as the â€Å"Best New Coffee Bar in the area† by the local restaurant guide. Turn in profits from the first month of operations. Maintain a 65% gross margin. 1.2 Keys to Success The keys to success will be: Store design that will be both visually attractive to customers, and designed for fast and efficient operations. Employee training to insure the best coffee preparation techniques. Marketing strategies aimed to build a solid base of loyal customers, as well as maximizing the sales of high margin products, such as espresso drinks. 1.3 Mission. Java Culture will make its best effort to create a unique place where customers can socialize with each other in a comfortable and relaxing environment while enjoying the best brewed coffee or espresso and pastries in town. We will be in the business of helping our customers to relieve their daily stresses by providing piece of mind through great ambience, convenient location, friendly customer service, and products of consistently high quality. Java Culture will invest its profits to increase the employee satisfaction while providing stable return to its shareholders. Company Summary. Java Culture, an Oregon limited liability company, sells coffee, other beverages and snacks in its 2,300 square feet premium coffee bar located near the University of Oregon campus. Java Culture’s major investors are Arthur Garfield and James Polk who cumulatively own over 70% of the company. The start-up loss of the company is assumed in the amount of $27,680. 2.1 Company Ownership. Java Culture is registered as a Limited Liability Corporation in the state of Oregon. Arthur Garfield owns 51% of the company. His cousin, James Polk, as well as Megan Flanigan and Todd Barkley hold minority stakes in Java Culture, LLC. 2.2 Company Locations and Facilities Java Culture coffee bar will be located on the ground floor of the commercial building at the corner of West 13th Avenue and Patterson Street in Eugene, OR. The company has secured a one-year lease of the vacant 2,500 square feet premises previously occupied by a hair salon. The lease contract has an option of renewal for three years at a fixed rate that Java Culture will execute depending on the financial strength of its business. The floor plan will include a 200 square feet back office and a 2,300 square feet coffee bar, which will include a seating area with 15 tables, a kitchen, storage area and two bathrooms. The space in the coffee bar will be approximately distributed the following way–1,260 square feet (i.e., 55% of the total) for the seating area, 600 square feet (26%) for the production area, and the remaining 440 square feet (19%) for the customer service area. This property is located in a commercial area within a walking distance from the University of Oregon campus on the corner of a major thoroughfare connecting affluent South Eugene neighborhood with the busy downtown commercial area. The commercially zoned premises have the necessary water and electricity hookups and will require only minor remodeling to accommodate the espresso bar, kitchen and storage area. The coffee bar’s open and clean interior design with modern wooden decor will convey the quality of the served beverages and snacks, and will be in-line with the establishment’s positioning as an eclectic place where people can relax and enjoy their cup of coffee. The clear window displays, through which passerby will be able to see customers enjoying their beverages, and outside electric signs will be aimed to grab the attention of the customer traffic. Products Java Culture will offer its customers the best tasting coffee beverages in the area. This will be achieved by using high-quality ingredients and strictly following preparation guidelines. The store layout, menu listings and marketing activities will be focused on maximizing the sales of higher margin espresso drinks. Along with the espresso drinks, brewed coffee and teas, as well as some refreshment beverages, will be sold in the coffee bar. Java Culture will also offer its clients pastries, small salads and sandwiches. For the gourmet clientele that prefers to prepare its coffee at home, Java Culture will also be selling coffee beans. The menu offerings will be supplemented by free books and magazines that customers can read inside the coffee bar. 3.1 Product Description. The menu of the Java Culture coffee bar will be built around espresso-based coffee drinks such as lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, etc. Each of the espresso-based drinks will be offered with whole, skimmed, or soy milk. Each of these coffee beverages is based on a ‘shot’ of espresso, which is prepared in the espresso machine by forcing heated water through ground coffee at high pressure. Such espresso shots are combined with steamed milk and/or other additives like cocoa, caramel, etc., to prepare the espresso-based beverages. Proper preparation techniques are of paramount importance for such drinks. A minor deviation from the amount of coffee in the shot, the size of the coffee particles, the temperature of milk, etc., can negatively affect the quality of the prepared drink. 3.2 Sales Literature.

Deviant Behavior †Psychology Essay

Deviant Behavior – Psychology Essay Free Online Research Papers In the United States attending school is expected. Public schools do not cost anything because everything is paid by the state. Children do not wear uniforms and the state takes care of the books and transportation. The only thing the family has to provide is school supplies, which generally do not cost much. In the United States, the parents contribute to the income, and children must be taken care of and prepare them for the future so they can do the same. This is different in the third world countries. Parents do not encourage or school is not required for children. Unfortunately the resources for education are not available in most third world countries. Children contribute to income and they start at a very young age. If education is available, the income they receive is for survival and school fees may be too much for a family to provide. In the United States in most states, parents are required to place their children in school or they may have their children removed from their custody. So for some parts of the world education is a privilege while others focus on just the labor of their everyday life to survive. Deviant behavior is usually not taken so harsh if the crime is committed by someone with powerful status. There are usually distinction between the powerful and the less powerful. Usually the penalties are more severe for a poor person, such as dealing drugs, or possession of narcotics compared to a person who is of powerful status. Many actors constantly get caught with possession of some sort of drugs and they never go to jail, if they do it is for 24 hours. The media saves this famous people committing these crimes. If an unknown person is caught with the same drugs, same situation, this person will do jail time. Also the treatment in jails is different for powerful or famous person compared to an unknown poor person. Money allows separation, in all factors. Research Papers on Deviant Behavior - Psychology EssayThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCapital PunishmentAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Nikola Teslas Inventions and Bio

Nikola Tesla's Inventions and Bio Nikola Tesla was born in 1856 in Smiljan Lika, Croatia. He was the son of a Serbian Orthodox clergyman. Tesla studied engineering at the Austrian Polytechnic School. He worked as an electrical engineer in Budapest and later emigrated to the United States in 1884 to work at the Edison Machine Works. He died in New York City on January 7, 1943. During his lifetime, Tesla invented fluorescent lighting, the Tesla induction motor, the Tesla coil, and developed the alternating current (AC) electrical supply system that included a motor and transformer, and 3-phase electricity. Tesla is now credited with inventing the modern radio as well; since the Supreme Court overturned Guglielmo Marconis patent in 1943 in favor of Nikola Teslas earlier patents. When an engineer (Otis Pond) once said to Tesla, Looks as if Marconi got the jump on you regarding Marconis radio system, Tesla replied, Marconi is a good fellow. Let him continue. He is using seventeen of my patents. The Tesla coil, invented in 1891, is still used in radio and television sets and other electronic equipment. Nikola Tesla Mystery Invention Ten years after patenting a successful method for producing alternating current, Nikola Tesla claimed the invention of an electrical generator that would not consume any fuel. This invention has been lost to the public. Tesla stated about his invention that he had harnessed the cosmic rays and caused them to operate a motive device. In total, Nikola Telsa was granted more than one hundred patents and invented countless unpatented inventions. Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse In 1885, George Westinghouse, head of the Westinghouse Electric Company, bought the patent rights to Teslas system of dynamos, transformers, and motors. Westinghouse used Teslas alternating current system to light the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison Nikola Tesla was Thomas Edisons rival at the end of the 19th century. In fact, he was more famous than Edison throughout the 1890s. His invention of polyphase electric power earned him worldwide fame and fortune. At his zenith, he was an intimate of poets and scientists, industrialists and financiers. Yet Tesla died destitute, having lost both his fortune and scientific reputation. During his fall from notoriety to obscurity, Tesla created a legacy of genuine invention and prophecy that still fascinates today.

Psychoactive Drug (Marijuana) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psychoactive Drug (Marijuana) - Research Paper Example Marijuana contains various chemicals that only increase in effect, releasing even more chemicals when burned, making the chemicals more stronger and pronounced should a person take advantage of them. Some of the physiological effects that a person will face when using marijuana include problems with memory and grasping something new; distorted perception; trouble with thinking; lack of coordination; increased heart rate; anxiety, paranoia, and panic attacks (Bonsor). In terms of the heart, marijuana can cause an increased heart rate, which can also lead to a higher blood pressure. The effects that a person will feel are similar to those of stress and of being overworked - by smoking marijuana, a person displays these while being stationary. They are making their heart work overtime, which, if experienced too often, the person is risking other heart-related diseases. The most negative effect of marijuana in regards to the brain has to deal with the ability to start an addiction with marijuana. Strong drugs such as marijuana increase the amount of dopamine in the neural systems of the brain. "Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with pleasure (Young)." Too much dopamine in the brain will increase that feeling of pleasure, which is one of the methods that causes the start of an addiction. A person who is using marijuana develops an affinity to that feeling, a feeling that tends to deplete them of negative feelings and emotions while under the influence of marijuana. They begin to smoke to get that feeling back, which is why marijuana tends to be a drug used for medical purposes, especially when a persons emotion is being greatly affected. Succumbing to addiction is something that is incredibly common with drugs. The person using the drug likes the effects to the point where they have to