Flame Test Essays

Flame Test Essays Flame Test Paper Flame Test Paper Title: Flame Test Aim: To determine the cation in each of the unknown substance X, Y and Z by observing the flame colour of different metal compounds. Introduction: A distinctive feature of many s-block metals is their ability to produce flame colours. At temperature of a Bunsen flame, a compound will decompose to give gaseous atoms of its constituent elements. When an electron in the gaseous atom absorbs energy from the flame, it will move from an orbital with lower energy to an orbital with higher energy. When such an electron returns from an orbital of higher energy to an orbital of lower energy, a photon with energy equal to the difference in energy of the two orbitals will be emitted. An emission line results. Each element has a unique emission spectrum. A metal can be identified if it has a strong emission line in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus when a compound such as NaCl is vaporized in a flame, ion pairs are converted to gaseous atoms. Na(g) atoms are excited to high energies, and 589nm (yellow) light is emitted as the excited atoms revert to their ground state electronic configurations. : Therefore, the cation in the unknown substances can be identify. Chemicals: Concentrated Hydrochloric acid (about 10 cm3) The following solids (0. 1 g) for flame tests: Barium chloride Calcium chloride Copper (II) chloride Magnesium chloride Potassium chloride Sodium chloride Unknown solids containing a single cation and labelled X, Y and Z Apparatus: Bunsen burner Insulation mat Platinum wire (or Nichrome wire), Watch glass Safety precaution: As concentrated hydrochloric acid is corrosive, skin contact should be avoided. It is preferable to use polythene gloves and wear goggles while handling it. Copper (II) chloride and barium chloride are highly toxic by ingestion. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. When Busen burner is not being used, close the air hole so that you can see the yellow flame. Keep your clothing away from the flame. Procedure: 1. The platinum wire was dipped into concentrated hydrochloric acid and heated in a non-luminous flame until the flame is no longer coloured. 2. A spatula of sample (e. g. barium chloride) was put onto a clean watch glass. 3. The platinum wire is dipped into concentrated hydrochloric acid and then the crushed sample of salt to be tested. . The end of the platinum wire is heated strongly in a non-luminous flame again. 5. The colour of the flame at the wire is observed and recorded. 6. The platinum wire is cleaned thoroughly after testing each solid. The test is repeated with chloride of Ca2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+ and unknown solid X, Y and Z in turn. Results: Compound| Colour of the flame| Cation Presents| Barium chloride| Apple green| | C alcium chloride| Brick red| | Copper(II) chloride| Bluish green| | Magnesium chloride| White| | Potassium chloride| Lilac| | Sodium chloride| Golden yellow| | X| Lilac| K+| Y| Bluish green| Cu2+| Z| Golden yellow| Na+| Discussion: 1. Why do certain metal ions give flame colours in this way? The elements have their outer electrons loosely bound so that they can be easily excited to higher energy levels on heating. As these electrons return to their ground states, radiations are emitted. It happens that for many Group I and II metals, these emitted radiations fall into the visible range of the spectrum, so that they can be seen by eyes, i. e. , visible. 2. What is the function of concentrated hydrochloric acid? It is used to clean the platinum wire. The concentrated hydrochloric acid converts ant contaminated salts to their corresponding chlorides, which are usually more volatile to be vaporized off. It gives better observations as the boiling point of metal chloride is lower and less heat is needed to vaporize it. Besides, the sample of powdered compound whose flame colour is to determined is easier to stuck on the platinum wire. 3. Substance A gives a golden yellow flame in flame test. When an acidified solution of A is treated with silver nitrate solution, a yellow precipitate is formed. The precipitate is insoluble in excess ammonia solution. Name A. Substance A is sodium iodide. Limitation The range of detected elements is small, and the test relies on the subjective experience of the experimenter rather than any objective measurements. The test has difficulty detecting small concentrations of some elements, while too strong a result may be produced for certain others, which tends to drown out weaker signals. Moreover, the test cannot differentiate between all elements. Several metals produce the same flame color while some compounds do not change the color of the flame at all. Source of error The source of error of the experiment include the subjective judgment of the colour by the human eye. Besides, the traces of Impurities from the last substance tested and the position of the wire put in the flame also affect the accuracy of the experiment. Improvement The wire should be moved first through the cooler part of the non-luminous Bunsen flame by approaching from underneath, so that even very volatile substances could colour the flame long enough to be observable. The platinum wire should be cleaned thoroughly before testing for a new compound as impurities or contaminants affect the test results. Conclusion: The cation in the unknown substance X, Y and Z is K+, Cu2+ and Na+ respectively.

Honda Civic EX vs Honda Civic Hybrid Fuel Mileage

Honda Civic EX vs Honda Civic Hybrid Fuel Mileage Here at Hybrid Cars and Alt Fuels, we field a lot of questions about hybrids, and probably the most common of all is simply, Are they really worth it? Do hybrids really get that much better fuel mileage than regular carsand is it enough to justify their price premium? Well, we always do a number crunch as part of our hybrid reviews, but weve never actually done a real side-by-side comparison, instead relying on EPA mileage estimates of the non-hybrid versus our observed hybrid model fuel mileage to draw conclusions. This works pretty well, but the more I (Scott) thought about it, the more I wanted to do a little street test of my own to see whats what in the real world. So, I needed a car that is offered in both conventional and hybrid drivetrains, and I needed to put them both through the same types of driving conditionsand carefully track all datato get as close as possible to an apples-to-apples comparison. This testorama would give me a good solid no arguments here body of data to unequivocally say X car in hybrid dress performed this way against X car with a regular engine. Having recently completed a test drive of the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid (in which I did extensive fuel mileage tracking), I decided that this car and its popular and efficient (and comparably equipped) brother, the Honda Civic EX, would be my guinea pigs. Honda agreed and sent over a beautiful Alabaster Silver 2008 Civic EX sedan, and I commenced to drive. I was pretty confident that Id be able to handily beat the EPA estimates in the EX by simply employing some of my favorite Thrifty-Drive techniquesthe same I used when test driving the Civic Hybrid. Ive been steadily honing these skills over the years and its gotten to the point that I can best the EPAs numbers by 15 percent or more for any given vehicle. I just slow down and drive gently, which ironically enough, gets me there in just about the same amount of time as aggressive yellow-light-running driving does, but at a much better bang-for-the-buck-for-the-minute rate. The Drivetrains Honda Civic EX: My tester EX came outfitted with the standard 140 hp 1.8-liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine and optional 5-speed automatic transmission. Its a nice package with plenty of power and great fuel economy numbers, thanks to Hondas thrifty variable valve timing scheme. The EPA gives the EX 25/36/29 city/highway/combined ratings. Honda Civic Hybrid: The hybrid version gets its very own purpose-built drivetrain package consisting of a 110 hp 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine and electric motor combination that transfers power to the wheels through a CVT transmission. EPA ratings for this package come in at 40/45/42 city/highway/combined. For more info on how this unique drivetrain works, see our 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid test drive and review. The Tests Because of the nature of pure city driving, with its short distances between numerous starts and stops, its difficult to employ Thrifty-Drive techniques and improve on EPA ratings. For this reason, I limited my mileage compares to all-highway and then combined (an assortment of roadways and traffic conditions) situations, and I further divided them by eco-styles and normal styles. I suppose at this point, its important to define what I call normal driving. In short, its aggressive behavior that I observe during my daily travels out on the roads with thousands of other motorists: jack rabbit starts ... not slowing (or worse, accelerating) on highway exit ramps ... speeding to stop signs (and then jamming-on the brakes at the last moment) ... and of course, my favorite shake-my-head-maneuver, constantly jockeying and darting to get ahead of the next guy. The Four Tests and Results All mileage numbers are expressed in miles per gallon: Normal combined jaunts driving like normal motorists described above. EX32.2, Hybrid41.5 Normal highway long freeway runs using no cruise and changing lanes frequently to keep pace with the fastest traffic (usually between 75 and 80 mph). EX36.6, Hybrid49.1 Eco combined everyday trips using the eco-techniques described in Scotts Thrifty-Drive. EX37.4, Hybrid48.7 Eco highway long highway jaunts with cruise set at a steady 61 mph. EX42.3, Hybrid54.7 Interpreting the Results These test results leave little doubt that the Honda Civic (hybrid or no) gets excellent fuel economy. Even when driven hard, I still was able to pretty much beat EPA ratings across-the-board. My experience has usually been that the more fuel-efficient a vehicle is, the less adversely its fuel economy is affected by aggressive driving habits. Conversely, economy cars respond better to eco-driving techniques than their large, less efficient counterparts. While both cars responded well to eco-driving, the EX did a little better in the combined mileage tests, whereas the hybrid aced the highway improvements. What gives here? It seems to me that the engine-only EX is more readily influenced by easy driving/light throttle techniques in combined roadway conditions where the engine could/would be more taxed during frequent acceleration. On the highway, a steady throttle can only do so much. On the other hand, on combined roadways in the hybrid, the electric motor mitigates some of the drivers influence for easing load on the engine (the hybrid system does it automatically). But on the open highway, the combination of the engines cylinder deactivation and steady electric motor assist allows the engine to work with minimal fuel use. So, Is the Hybrid Civic Really Worth It? In most cases, I think so, and under the right conditions, absolutely. Just look at the fuel mileage numbers. The hybrid bested the EX in every category, some by a larger percentage than others. Depending on the types of driving conditions/styles the Civic Hybrid owner would most regularly encounter, pay back time will likely fall within a four to six and a half year period of ownership. (Based upon $3055 hybrid price premium, $525 hybrid tax credit *ends 12/08*, 15,000 miles/year travel and gasoline $3.95/gallon).

Concentrated Solar Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Concentrated Solar Power - Essay Example The second chapter introduces us to possible solution to the problem stated in the introduction chapter. In the third chapter, various aspects of the solution are analyzed. In this case, the research has clearly explained justifications for using the solution outlined. The conclusion gives a summary of main ideas outlined in the research. In addition, various recommendations have been presented for potential advancement of this technology. We have analyzed various ways through which the lighting problem in the rural areas and other areas that are not connected to the grid can be lighted up. In addition, we have been focussing on the ways that can be adopted in order to in the installation scale down the electricity bills payable by consumers for the power supply. One of the main openings to providing a solution for the stated problems is to utilize the solar energy. It is important to note that every single household is always connected to the solar energy; since it is freely availab le as a gift of nature. This report investigates a power system used to generate electricity for powering domestic holdings, business and industries. The essay makes various recommendations for effective installation of solar panels to ensure that maximum power will be produced. In addition, this work provides technical skills for technicians involved in the installation. This research has been conducted with the aim of unmasking the potential that the solar energy possess if it was fully exploited.

Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme Case - Essay Example The fraud caused investors to lose billions of dollars, and gave rise to a crisis of confidence in the capital markets. In reality, Madoff’s funds had no investment strategy to provide â€Å"hedges† against the usual forms of risk. For over a decade, there had not even been any trading of stock. In Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the early investors were bought off with the money from the later investors; additionally, the payouts to the early investors were used as proof of profitability, to thereby convince later investors that the returns were legitimate. The bankruptcy trustee is implementing remedial measures including a â€Å"clawback† action for the later investors to recover the profits of the early investors. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme Case, examine the reasons for the fraud to take place over several years, identify the warning red flags missed by the investors, and the preventive and reco very measures to be adopted in Ponzi cases, besides other related aspects. Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi Investment Scheme The investment operation of Bernard Madoff was exposed in December 2008 as an extensive Ponzi scheme. The term is derived from Charles Ponzi who organized such a scam in 1919, and it denotes a fraudulent investment arrangement in which investors give cash and property to the main individual in the arrangement. While misappropriating some or all of the funds, the investment operator reports to the investors that the funds made profits. These professed amounts, and those actually paid to earlier investors are funds received from later investors. The fraud is revealed usually when a large number of investors wish to withdraw their investments at the same time, particularly when there is insufficient in-flow of money from new investors. Thus, Bernard Madoff duped investors of an estimated amount of more than $50 billion, by the time the fraudulent scheme was uncover ed (Mannino, 2010). Madoff’s alleged Ponzi had a reach across the globe of more than $50 billion. The sustained durability of the fraud for nearly two decades is considered to be due to Jewish money managers, severe regulatory shortcomings including ineptitude, and probable conflicts of interest by Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other regulators and auditors. Madoff appears to have taken actions that reveal him as an equal opportunity thief, who unashamedly misappropriated funds from close relatives and charities in his scheme (Vinod, 2009). One of the main reasons for Madoff’s attracting a wide following was that he â€Å"delivered consistently high returns with very low volatility over a long period† (Bernard & Boyle, 2009, p.3). His technique to obtain these low risk returns was to use a split-strike conversion strategy. This requires taking a long position in equities together with a short call, and a l ong put on equity index to lower the volatility of the position. It was eventually revealed that these returns were false. The Madoff case raises obvious questions on why it was not discovered earlier, and the reasons for investors and regulators to miss the various red flags. The need for risk management and regulation through improved capital requirements for operational risk, is evident from the implications of

Hilton Hotels Corporation Marketing Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hilton Hotels Corporation Marketing Analysis Essay The marketing issues addressed here are focused on how to draw more consumers from other gambling casinos, and how to make Hilton a resort destination. Two-thirds of Hiltons total operating earnings in the early 1990s were derived from the four casinos they owned in Las Vegas, Nevada. Expanding on this idea will ensure the hotel chain firmly plants its feet in the entertainment and resort business (Hilton Case Study). By investing massive amounts of revenue into developing their gaming division, the Hilton will become a destination resort that would encompass of all the guests needs to keep them interested staying within the confines of the resort. Some considerations include how Hilton would get its market share of the billions of dollars in casino revenues. The percentage of gambling versus side attractions will influence the profit margins, depending on how much focus is placed on each area. The hotel chain can also strive to increase its overall occupancy rate of seventy percent while continuing to set the industry benchmark (Hilton Case Study). In researching how to improve marketing to attract customers, we must first look at where the Hilton stands today. Second, we must analyze what has worked in the past and see if we can apply past practices into the current market. Third, we shall look at how the competitors are more effective by looking at their gaming plans, marketing structure, customers spending habits and dollar/cost value based on guest surveys. Hilton entered the gaming market as an attempt to compete with the other big hotels for the gambling dollar. Investments in renovation and expansion caused Hilton to over- extend. Although the investments were needed to compete, the hotel chain felt it needed to lure big money to its locations, and extend credit more than usual. Heavy hitters receive this same courtesy from other hotels, but this puts a strain on the operating cash flow, as chasing bad credit costs money, and slows up cash flow. Gaming revenue was already down, which was attributable in part to renovation and more so to extended credit that had been difficult to reclaim. In todays market, families are a prime target. Big beautiful hotels are  catering to families all along the Las Vegas strip. Gambling is still the main focus, but todays gambler is more inclined to visit the Casino Resort, a place that the kids can stay, have a good time and be entertained. Meanwhile, the parents can drop next months mortgage money at the casino. This type of package appeals to the whole family. As far as quality of service, no one does it better than Hilton, because they create an environment that the customer, family or non-family guests will remember and to which they will want to return. The focus on entertainment is important, but Las Vegas is still sin-city. Three point six billion dollars have been spent in packaging entertainment; focus on the family is important, but a balance of adult-only and child-friendly entertainment is required. Gambling is the central purpose for casinos to exist. Continue to market the standard tables of chance, card tables, slot machines, and lavish floor shows, with headliners people recognize, and the main source of revenue will continue to flow. Have shopping, kids activities, and outdoor recreation available, but not as the focus of why travelers should visit, and that will provide entertainment for the rest of the family. Hilton should pull back the extended credit. By doing so, they may lose a few customers, but the resulting loss of risk will increase bottom-line profit. By changing the focus to families, the customers that discontinue patronizing the hotel for credit line reasons are not the desired target anymore. The chain should pay more attention to the middle-market segment, conventions, and sporting events such as youth tournaments and professional venues. In volume, the more people that move through the doors, the more money there is to be made. With this said, room rates must stay within the $100.00 a night rate with weekend promotions of Thursday through Sunday at a lower rate; perhaps 25% to 35% lower. This would be a novel concept, as the industry generally promotes lower room rates Monday through Thursday. The food and beverage structure should remain the same, as it has proven to be more than adequate and very popular. The increase in competition can be dealt with through better values in room rates, childrens activities, slot machines that pay off more frequently and the most important aspect of the business, service. Hilton could offer something that the other hotels do not: ensuring the employee responses to each customers needs are met with enthusiasm and expedience. People are paying for an experience along with the opportunity to break the house; give them what they are looking for. Word of mouth is far more powerful than any media advertisement. Hilton has entered the gaming industry. Gaming must focus on gambling and hotel must focus on hotel amenities and service. It would be the hotels responsibility to insure the entertainment, promotions and accommodations were settled; leaving the gaming operations to generate gaming interest. Advertising would be a joint effort, but casino operations would focus on the age 21 and older market. The two operations would report to the Chief Executive Officer and his staffs to ensure all objectives are met. It would be the CEO and staffs responsibility to ensure both lines were working hand-in-hand, while maintaining separate operations. The purpose for this suggestion is to keep revenues separate so one function does not bear the full brunt of any losses that may occur. The casino will always show a bigger profit than the hotel, but by having separate bottom lines, profit and losses are easier to control. The hotel/casino is one business, but must have two different mindsets as the casino and hotel does, and will operate much differently. Situational AnalysisThe U.S. based Hilton Hotels Corporation is a multi-billion dollar corporation and a leading brand in the hotel and gaming industry. Conrad Hilton started the company in 1919 with his first hotel purchase. Since then the company has grown to over 2,000 hotels globally, with several brand name acquisitions, including Ballys, Hampton Inn, Doubletree Suites and Homewood Inn. Besides standard hotel service, the Hilton Corporation runs casinos, vacation ownership businesses and luxury hotels, like the Conrad Line. The Hilton Hotels Corporation earned in excess  of $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2003 (Datamonitor, p. 4). External FactorsAccording to the Datamonitor report, the Marriott and Hyatt Corporations are the Hilton Hotel Corporations biggest competitors. Las Vegas is a gaming town, thus every hotel is expected to have gambling casinos within. The Las Vegas Hilton website shows that they also provide live entertainment, including comics and headline musical acts, as well as hosting a million-dollar Blackjack tournament. These factors, along with the attractive room packages and gambling activities, should be enough to maintain the occupancy rate and keep the gambling action constant. According to its website, the Las Vegas Marriott is a hotel with 278 rooms. The Hyatt franchise is located 17 miles away from the Las Vegas strip on Lake Las Vegas, but is a resort, casino and spa. While the Hyatt is a luxury hotel chain, the Marriott is a corporation more in line with Hilton. The Marriott made over $9 billion in fiscal year 2003; more than three times the Hilton Hotel Corporation (Marriott Datamonitor report). To contend with a company of this magnitude is not an easy job for any of their competitors. Hilton Hotels Corporation is an enormous company as mentioned above; so sizable that they had to split the corporation into six main divisions, totaling approximately 100,000 employees worldwide. Hilton Hotels Corporation has been very successful since they were established in 1946. Their diversification profile is significant and ambitious; no matter where you go, there are Hilton hotels there. In addition, Hilton Corporation has been leading in customer service and efficient staffing by utilizing a call center to help them maintain their reputation for hospitality. Hilton Reservations Worldwide handles reservations and information requests for thousands of hotel properties, under their various brands, positioning the company on the top of: †¢ Accurate intraday forecasts†¢ Reduced management costs†¢ Excellent customer service †¢ An edge over the competitionA companys strength does not solely lie in the size of the company but in the management of the company, the employees and their commitment to their customers. Hiltons management promoted brand relevancy within minority markets. Their sales team strategic initiatives are to target the multicultural market. In relation to their employees, Hiltons are some of the finest. They are trained to do their jobs with care and make sure the customers are comfortable and happy. The customer personal profile allows the Hilton employees to treat each customer as a unique and special individual. WeaknessEvery company has weaknesses; Hilton Hotels weakness lied in its inability to recover quickly from the attacks on America in 2001. Although Hilton Hotels is a large company in many locations across the country, they had to reduce their manpower due to the decline in business. Matthew J. Hart (president and CEO) said; we have had a lot of job losses about 2,500 full-time equivalent jobs out of a worldwide workforce of 100,000. But we have no plans for any more, unless business gets worse (Finch, 2001, p.1). The September 11th attacks left the whole nation in awe, in grief, and for many New Yorkers, jobless. The attacks left the airline and hotel industry to recover from lost sales. Another weakness the hotel industry is facing is the evident decline in supply. The below chart shows how the demand to occupy the Hilton hotels has been a declining behavior during the last years:A closer examination of the demand cycle for economy hotels during the past several years reveals a pattern that is not consistent with other hotels. The rate of demand growth in this segment began declining during mid-2000, about nine months before a similar effect was felt industry-wide. In addition, as the industrys demand recovery has begun to accelerate the rate of demand growth, the economy segment has plateaud. Of even more concern is that the number of rooms currently being purchased in this segment is still declining when compared to previous-years levels. (Look Smart Articles, 2004, p.1)OpportunitiesAs mentioned earlier, Hilton Hotels Corporation is known worldwide; with this notoriety their reputation will carry them to expand their hotel empire even further. Their opportunity lies in the growing international market. The company is expecting 4-5% fee growth in 2004 within; new management contracts in Austin, Houston, Omaha and Conrad Miami. The company market overview reveals that recent trends in major markets are:†¢ Strong in New York, D.C., Hawaii†¢ Stable in New Orleans, Boston†¢ Weak in San Francisco, ChicagoThere will always be a demand for hotels and resorts. Currently, Hilton Hotels are working on more room availability; 80% of rooms have been renovated within last five years, and they are expanding into new markets. They also have Best Rates. Guaranteed, Internet easy access with a success rate of utilization from the customers:†¢ 13% of all reservations†¢ 85% through proprietary websites†¢ Self-service kiosksThis kind of service assists in making the experience convenient for the customer. Along with the convenience, Hilton Corporation and their six divisions take pride in making every building fee l like home and ensuring the customer is satisfied and pleased with their accommodations (Hilton Hotels Corporation, 2003, s.3-5). ThreatsA few of the threats for The Hilton are competition, and a declining economy. The competition for The Hilton is not only other hotel companies, but restaurants and other service centers as well. Marriott is the main competitor of The Hilton amongst other hospitality companies. Because Hilton is so grand and reputable, they have more room for error, which also makes them vulnerable. As time passes, the Hilton Hotels continue to strive for excellence and perfection. They make each new hotel or resort better than the last. Because of the continuous growth of this company, it has dealt  with its competition head on (Nairn, 2001, p.3). The second threat is the economic decline of this century. Since the September 11th attacks in New York City, the American economy has been declining in all service industry areas. There was an ominous fear of flying and for quite some time, many people chose not to travel for vacations or long-distance business trips. This reaction to the events of 2001 hurt the hospitality industry, and made difficult rebuilding what they lost in revenue. Fortunately, this trend has started to change and the industry will soon recover from their losses. This is an area that still needs close monitoring from the executives of the corporation. References Datamonitor Hilton Hotels Company Overview August 2004. Datamonitor Marriott International Inc. Overview August 2004. Finch, J. (2001, November 16). Hilton reports impact of September 11. Retrieved October 26, 2004, http://www.union-network.org/unitourism.nsf/2c89b80c011f2519c1256b06002163c2?OpenDocumentHotels Hilton Hotels Corporation. (1998, Fall 1998). Corporate History. Retrieved October 26, 2004, Http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en/ww/company-_info/corporate_history.jhtml;jsessionid=FGTDSXUCGXCGSCSGBIX222QKIYFCXUUCHilton Case Study. https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp Retrieved October 23, 2004. Hilton Hotels Corporation (2003, July). Hilton: Great Brands and a Balanced Business Model (presentation). Retrieved October 26, 2004, http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/NYS/HLT/Hilton%20Presentation%20February%202004/tsld002.htmhttp://www.lakelasvegas.com/http://www.lv-hilton.com/http://www.vacationclub.com/en-us/vc/about/marriottworld/lasvegas.asp?cookies=trueLook Smart Articles (2004, January 14). Economy segment lags industry in key performance measures Trends Stats. Retrieved October 26, 2004,

Darren Skanson Essay -- essays research papers

Overview From a very early age Darren Skanson had a burning passion for music. His passion grew deeper when realized how much excitement a crowd has when watching a musical performer. In 1989, Darren graduated from Moorhead State University with a BA in music. Darren’s career first began by being a lead guitarist in a heavy metal band. The band, Mata Hari, split up in 1993. Darren then joined Malcolm Watson, who was a classical violinist, at Watson and Company. Darren and Malcolm produced the third CD for Watson and Company. Shortly after the success of producing this CD the duo traveled nationwide performing. Within a year the sales had increased from $100,000 to $250,000. Malcolm wanted to move a little more slowly than Darren in expanding their business to greater heights. Since Darren was ready to move on, he left Watson and Company to form his own company. Darren had a vision to record, produce and sell his own music, as well as the music of other artists. Jennifer, a long time friend of Darren’s was the booking agent for his tour. Jennifer did not share the same vision with Darren so they parted ways and moved on. Trying to perform, handle CEO duties and handling the promotional marketing aspect of his business was getting to be too much for Darren. Business was getting to be complicated. He decided to hire a guy named Andy Harling, who was a classical guitarist to help with the office duties of the company and to suggest/implement ways to make CCM function more efficiently. Darren turned down two performances offered by Jennifer since he was already booked. However, he did not want to lose the business and the chance to get his name out there. Darren sent Andy to perform at the two shows. Andy was very successful and gained the knowledge of how the performances operate. Darren became a little nervous when he realized that Andy could leave him and become his competition. Darren then signed Andy to a contract and launched Andy’s first CD. Over time, Andy’s responsibilities grew with his performances that Darren hired an assistant for him. Recording and productions costs were high for musicians to produce their records/CD’s. Digital then came into existence and cut the costs of production. Music is sorted by labels. Because of the low costs in digital recordings it was possible for sma... ...erent marketing segment and would need to establish their resources and overall marketing clientele. Buyers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darren’s buyers are mostly between the ages 40 and 60 years old. Suppliers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Distribution centers from which he buys his supplies for inventory. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One-stop centers Substitute Products †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acoustitherapy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Thomas Harling †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Music for candles Recommendations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darren should get rid of Jennifer and find someone who is more compatible in helping him reach his goal of expanding nationally. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase product lines. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hire someone to operate his marketing, promotion, inventory and production costs and issues so that he can devote his time to tours and concerts. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try signing a contract with an artist of the Independent Label level in order to help increase his branding label. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hire an agent to sign on new artists rather than doing it himself.

Critical Analysis of Emily Dickinsons My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums

English 1102 2/20/13 A Characterization of the Narrator in My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums The speaker in Emily Dickenson’s â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† is very torn between rejoicing in the victory in the battlefield, and the regret they feel for the battles losers. The narrator feels pride at first, as shown in line 1 and the title’s use of the word â€Å"Triumph† yet that pride quickly turns into regret and disdain.The narrator laments what they feel are senseless acts of war and their deep regret turns into wishing the roles were reversed and they had died. In â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† the narrator describes the triumphant feeling at the end of a victorious battle. â€Å"My Triumph† means that the speaker recognizes that there was a victory and that they are on the side of the victors whom should feel jubilant in victory. The use of the word Triumph shows that the speaker is aware that there is a great sense of p ride to be had in winning a battle.This feeling, however, is very short lived. The speakers â€Å"Triumph† lasted only â€Å"till the drums/and then I dropped my victory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as noted in lines 3 and 4. These lines show the speakers a compassionate and caring person who feels remorse immediately after the triumphant feeling subsides. The speaker in â€Å"My Triumph† is an average person who is thrust into battle, emerges victorious, and sees that there is more defeat in victory than they realized.The narrator sees the reality of a cruel battle and the loss of lives and realizes that though they are victorious, the defeated are all dead. This deeply troubles our speaker as evidenced in line 15 and 16 where the speaker says â€Å"A Bayonet’s contrition/Is nothing to the Dead. † In this line the speaker is saying that the regret held by the bayonet and the hands guiding it means nothing to the dead man at the other end of the blade. This regret show s a person who may have enlisted, but now know that the brutality of war is not for them. And then I hated Glory/And wished myself were They,† lines 7 and 8, show just the conviction with which our speaker hates war. They wish themselves dead and that the defeated had been the victors. The narrator in the poem is a remorseful soldier looking upon the dead bodies of their enemies in combat. There is a great feeling of pride, but it is followed by the feeling of sorrow for the dead combatants. The speaker’s feelings are that the â€Å"Tyrannies of Men† are unnecessary truths of war.