Chartes Cathedral 1

Entering Chartres Cathedral Through the Central Portal In the town of Chartres about 50 miles southwest of Paris, is where the Chartres Cathedral is located and can be seen for miles as it is the tallest structure and was built on the highest point of the town. Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is its formal name but since the majority of the French Cathedrals were dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to avoid confusion the cathedrals are referred to the town to which they belong. The Chartres Cathedral has portals on the northern, southern, and western sides of the building.Each of the Portals has three enormous doors that are surrounded by sculptures depicting scenes from the life of Jesus and Mary as well as a Colossal Rose Window, which is above the doors. The Western Portal also called the Royal Portal is the oldest part of the church and mostly built in the Romanesque Style that was a precursor of Gothic. After a fire in The southern transept portals’ sculptures are of the New Testament and depict scenes from the Last Judgment while the Rose Window is a stain glass masterpiece of The Glorification of Christ.As you approach the central door, you are greeted by a statue of Jesus holding a book in one hand and appearing to be giving a blessing with his other, as his Disciples flank him on both sides of the jamb. The statue of Jesus is on the trumeau which is a column supporting a tympanum of a doorway at its center. Once through the door you are in the southern transept. This section of the cathedral is an arm of the Latin Cross that is the floor plan of all cathedrals. Just ahead is the Crossing, to your left is a side aisle of the nave, and to your right are the double aisles that lead to the area that is the back area of the Apse.The Apse is a rounded end (semi-circle) of a cathedral, church, or building that demonstrates its importance. Chartres Cathedral was constructed with double aisles to accommodate the large number of pilgrims who visited daily and who would pray in the Chapels. The back part of the Apse houses the Choir Screen, Choir Aisle (the first aisle), the Ambulatory (the second aisle), and seven Radiating Chapels. As you journeying towards the Apse, the next section that you will traverse is called the Crossing. This area is the center of the Latin Cross in the floor plan.There are four massive columns that are as big as the North American Red Woods that mark the four corners. These columns were carved to appear to be a cluster of many smaller columns to give the appearance of being lighter in mass that they really are. As your eye follows the columns up you notice the Triforium an area of arches that form a gallery or an arcade, and the Clerestory the section that has the most stain glass windows to allow daylight into the interior. These areas form the upper two levels of the Nave in the Cathedral.As your gaze continues upward you then began to notice the rib vaults that form the ceiling. As your eyes follow the rib s downward you notice the Piers that seem to sprout out of the columns that support the upper levels as well as the roof. Turning toward the right you are now facing the Choir this is the area that leads to the Apse. You have arrived. The Apse is cordon off by a low wrought iron prayer fence. This area is elevated by a series of wide steps that allow seating for the Leaders of the Cathedral, Alter, candles and other items used during Mass.There are 15 stain glass windows on the Clerestory level and approximately 60 on the Triforium level creating a Bay that illuminates the Apse. A Comparison of Giotto’s Arena Chapel Nativity with that of Pisano in the Pisa Baptistery Pulpit Giovanni Pisano (1250 – 1315) and Giotto di Bondone (1266 – 1337) were contemporaries who are credited as geniuses of the Italian Renaissance because they both produced works that were correctly created from the natural world. The natural stances, proportions, and folds of the material are ev ident in each of their works.Gone are the elongated bodies and stylized pleats and patterns of the Byzantine style, which preceded the Renaissance Giovanni was an Italian sculpture, painter, and architect who received his training from his famous father Nicola Pisano. Giovanni worked as his father’s apprentice up until his death (1284) this is when his sculptures began to have a more natural appearance. It is believed that Giotto was discovered by the Florentine Cimabue painter discovered Giotto drawing pictures of his sheep on a rock. They were so lifelike that Cimabue asked his father if he could take the boy as an apprentice.Giotto was a painter, sculpture, and architecture, who is considered the first of the Italian Renaissance. Although Giovanni and Giotto worked in different mediums, the breadths of their works are of traditional religious subject. Giovanni’s Pisano Pisa Baptistery Pulpit is hexagonal functional sculpture carved from marble that is divided into t hree sections. The lower register has lions and other figures, with the lions depicted as vanquishing prey – a Romanesque symbol for Christianity triumphing over paganism.The middle level depicts personified Virtues and Prophets, and the upper, has reliefs depicting events in the life of Christ. Giotto’s Nativity scene is one of 53 Frescos painted for the Arena Chapel that displays a host of Angels, shepherds, animals, Joseph asleep in the foreground, while a relaxing Mary and the Midwife place a swaddled infant Jesus into the manger. There is a similar scene in high relief of a reclining Mary and swaddled Jesus on one of the upper panels of the Baptistery Pulpit. It took Giovanni about 8 years to complete the pulpit while it took Giotto 5 years for the whole Chapel.Although one may think that a painting is easier that a sculpture, the technique for creating a fresco is time consuming due to the need of only applying the wet plaster to the area of the wall to be painte d in small patches. All the while temperature and atmospheric conditions could alter the paint as well as the drying time. Any areas that had a mistake would have to be cut out and the process would begin anew. The Baptistery Pulpit and the Nativity scene are both in some state of disrepair but to attempt to rectify this may further damage and take away from these great mater pieces.Another notable similarity between the two pieces is the use of the chiaroscuro technique. This is the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect. A few places in the Nativity scene Giotto used were to create the folds in the clothing and the crags seen on the mountains of the background. Giovanni was able to show this technique through the deep carvings, which cast shadows creating the light and dark areas.Both pieces are filled with symbolism such as the personification of Fortitude on the middle level of the pulpit as Hercules and the painted ass that represents the unenlightened and the ignorant for it’s failure to recognize the significance of the moment. Both works were commissioned not only to beautify their surroundings, but also to inspire and to educate through an emotional experience by viewing the realistic scenes. References http://images. library. pitt. edu/cgi-bin/i/image http://www. mcah. columbia. edu/ha/panos/Chartres/nave/ http://www. medievalart. org. k/Chartres/Chartres_default. htm http://upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Basilique_Saint-Denis_01. jpg http://www. mcah. columbia. edu/ha/html/medieval_chartres_ntransept. htm http://classics. uc. edu/~johnson/hum98/chartres-intext. asp http://teach2thrill. blogspot. com/2011/12/chartres-cathedral. html http://www. mcah. columbia. edu/ha/panos/Chartres/crossing/ http://www. sacred-destinations. com/france/chartres-cathedral http://www. medart. pitt. edu/image/France/Chartres/Chartres-Cathe dral/Windows/Transept-windows/122A-South-Rose/Chartres-122SouthRose.HTM http://www. GreatBuildings. com/cgi-bin/gbi. cgi/Chartres_Cathedral. html/cid_aj2831_b. html http://www. mcah. columbia. edu/ha/html/medieval_chartres_ambulatory. htm http://www. medart. pitt. edu/image/France/Chartres/Chartres-Cathedral/Architecture/Interior/Main-Level/Main-Int-Frame. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Giovanni_Pisano http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nicola_Pisano http://www. ibiblio. org/wm/paint/auth/giotto/ http://www. wga. hu/frames-e. html? /html/g/giotto/padova/index. html http://www. bluffton. edu/~sullivanm/italy/pisa/baptistrypulpit/pulpit. html

Meaning of Apathy

Apathy involves people either being content with their current status and the world around them, or being ignorant to those same surroundings. Apathetic citizens of any nation can cause the foundations of society to crumble because these people think everything is well on the surface, when in actuality, it is not. A society can go from having economic success one day, to being in a depression or even revolution as a result of apathy. The way to combat apathy in society is for the authorities to educate people on what their political system and its policies are. If people knew more about their politicians and their specific policies, they would want to get involved in changing society in order to benefit themselves. They would realize that whoever is elected to office, whichever it might be, affects their lives both indirectly and directly. As a result of the entire population getting involved in the political system of his or her nation, society would be able to continually change so that it could maintain economic success, low unemployment rates, and equality. Change is necessary for a society to stay healthy, and as Goldstone said in his essay â€Å"Revolution†, â€Å"Social and political change is not a problem. Social change is an ongoing in most societies†¦ A society that is stagnant often suffers from a social order that is ‘too stable†. Without change, a change society cannot make progress or solve social problems such as poverty and extreme inequality† (Primis 181). If society does remain stagnant, then economic success can lead to an apathetic population, and this can lead to repression, and eventually to revolution. The best way to study and analyze the apathy in society is to look at the voting rates from year to year. By investigating voting, one can see through percentages and numbers precisely how involved people are in politics. When the economy is doing well, as it is today in the United States, voting numbers usually decrease because people become apathetic, and they are less concerned about changes that might affect them. Due to the fact that some people are much better off financially than they ever have, they become less interested in politics and more interested in spending their well-earned money. It is when people begin to suffer economically that they become more involved with politics because they feel that a change in the status quo is necessary for them to escape whatever economic recession they are in. Sometimes people get sick with all the lies and promises that come out of politician†s mouths that they become apathetic towards voting. Rather than give one of these politicians who are only seen as â€Å"the better of two evils† a vote, they choose not to vote at all. Their frustration with their choices results in them becoming apathetic and in his essay â€Å"Toward A Theory of Revolution†, Davies says that revolutions â€Å"need both a period of rising expectations and a succeeding period in which there are frustrated qualities (Primis 205). Thus, a period of economic success, followed by the population being frustrated with its† political figures, can ultimately lead to a collapse in society. This apathy then results in people becoming too content with their current status and they then ask fewer questions, and this can cause foundations to crumble. The cycle then continues, with apathy leading to ignorance, and this can result in people blindly following the status quo, rather than examining the issues. Then, before these non-voting citizens know it, there will be revolutionary ideals floating about society. As long as the country continues to be economically successful, and the people view one candidate as too similar to the opposition, then people will continue to be apathetic because they feel the choices are not really choices at all. Apathy not only results from contentment and frustration, but also from ignorance. Democracy is something everyone learns as early as kindergarten. When the teacher asks if it will be kickball or dodge ball at recess, the majority usually wins. It is an easy lesson for a 5-year-old to learn, as is raising your hand for what you want. However, one of the most simple and necessary elements of a democracy is the reliance on active participation in the government by a majority of the population. If the participants are not influenced to be active, the system fails. By educating students and the public about the value of the system, the education system could help combat apathy. The tradition that college graduates are looked upon with more respect than the less educated has ended. How can the so-called higher educated members of society gain any respect when most graduates are unable or unwilling to participate in a ritual of our nation? The problem is that traditional education, that included more intensive study of government, has been replaced by a system that increasingly focuses on technology and skills training but may be failing in educating good citizens. A higher education should be more than job preparation; it should be a continuing desire to improve and guarantee the quality of life for generations to come. With a lack of knowledge in politics and democracy comes the myth that one vote does not make a difference. Many young adults have no faith in the system, therefore they do not vote due to the feeling of disappointment that their vote does not matter. How often do you hear young adults say, â€Å"I did not vote because I don't feel as if my vote would count. † Others are disenchanted with the political system because voting in the past never produced results. However, young people today need to realize that one voice does make a difference. In addition, if more young adults took an interest, politicians would be forced to listen. For example, financial aid is one of many issues at hand in recent political campaigns. If politicians continue to cut student aid, some young people may not have a chance for a college education. Thus, young adults must have faith in the system and increase the number of young voters. Otherwise, politicians will continue to cater only to the needs of the older generation that is voting them into office. The two largest voting publics in the United States are senior citizens and the college aged groups (Gherry 328). Ironically, it is the senior citizens who are the more politically informed, and who vote in the greatest numbers. These statistics support the contention that the youth of America are becoming less informed about the process and necessity of voting, and are also more apathetic about the true significance of voting. As Americans, we must do something about voter apathy because not only does voting allow us to be active in the political process, it enables us to fulfill our civic duty and exert our political influence. Contrary to public opinion, every vote makes a difference in this process and it may not seem like it, but if more people began to vote, they would definitely get noticed. Ironically, the last presidential election should have supported the idea of voter significance, yet served to create more apathy because of the post-election mess that occurred. Many people now feel the popular vote did not reign supreme, and that the voting system itself was shown to have more problems than was previously thought. To let our representatives know what we want, we must also exert our political influence by being politically active. How can we do this? We can vote in state, local, and national elections, lobby to persuade our representatives to vote a certain way, and write letters to our representatives about policy issues. Of course, there are other ways of being politically active; to me, these are the most effective. One thing needs to take place, and that is educational awareness of the political system and its impact, pure and simple. A good way to start getting votes out would be to have the majority rules method of voting. If you could just see that your vote made a difference in the election of the president of your nation, it would make you want to vote again. If the nation would listen to the educated people of the country instead of listening to the media, then the nation would be a whole lot better in terms of economics, welfare, war, and our society in general. In my opinion, we the people of this nation do not care about these campaigns that are putting the other candidates down, we just want to hear the good things about what they can do to better our nation. There is not anything that Americans hate more than liars and back stabbers. By â€Å"getting the vote out,† we voice our opinions on important issues. By participating in the political process, we fulfill our civic duty. By exerting our political power, we shape our government policies. The best way to get involved in our political process is to vote, so people have to get out there, get registered, and go vote in the next election. Voter apathy has lead to a dangerous situation in American politics. People have not listened to the issues and have therefore been left with candidates who seem to be all the same, only with different rhetoric and different levels of charisma. Most people when questioned about their vote related that they were more against Gore and the Clinton administration than they were for Bush, and the reasons were more over moral behavior than policy making. The simple fact that during the past four years the country has experienced unprecedented economic growth, yet the incumbent administration was narrowly voted out, signals a public more concerned with the behavior of its leaders in the bedroom than their political policies. Bush represents the status-quo as much as Gore does, and the recent election really only revealed a public split between two candidates whose only difference seemed to be that one was aligned with his predecessor who had fallen from public moral grace. In order to have more clear-cut choices in candidates and over issues, there must be a movement in the United States to bring political education back into the classroom. An uninformed, politically uneducated public is a dangerous one because that public easily becomes apathetic. Yet, it is the public that has allowed candidates steeped in rhetoric rather than issues to continue to hold office. This cycle is one that needs to be broken, and it is not going to be broken by those currently in office because they naturally want to keep the status quo going. It is the future voters, and voters from ages 18 to 30 who must start taking an active interest in our political system, become aware of the issues and the process, and care enough to see that voting intelligently can and will make a difference in our country†s future.

Week Six

Use the Internet to research and evaluate two (2) commercial HR database systems for your organization. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each system and, based on your knowledge of human resources and database systems, propose one (1) package that would fit the needs of your organization. Suggest three (3) specific reasons why you would recommend that system over the other. Capterra is a HR database provider that can provide the needs an organization to help with their HR needs. Their fully integrated, web-based suite automates and simplifies performance appraisals, 360 degree feedback, learning management, succession planning, compensation management, job descriptions and recruiting. Halogen's products make HR best-practices accessible to companies of all sizes. They also offer specific suites to meet the unique needs of a variety of industries. † (capterra. com) â€Å"Waypoint open source and other web-based software applications outlined on this website have bee n developed by HR-Fundamentals limited.Since 2002 HR-Fundamentals ltd has been providing online tools to help employers manage their staff and their business more effectively. Our friendly and approachable attitude enables us to work with different types of organizations, in many industries, across many continents, to deliver visible results to their business. HR-Fundamentals ltd offer a wide range of bespoke and personal services to employers, directors, line managers and employees. Our services include web based software applications and online employment related documentation available for immediate download. † (waypointhr. om) One of the advantages that Capterra has to offers program that can track holiday and sick time, along providing software to process payroll. It handles HR needs such as pre-employment testing and background checks. Capterra assist with all onboarding needs such as applicant tracking. Capterra can assist with all of a company’s recruitment need s. The disadvantage that Capterra has is there are a lot of options to choose from, and the website doesn’t seem to be easy to follow. The customer can easily be lost and maybe confused on what type of service they may need to choose from.With Waypoint I feel it can provide more support what a company is looking for and the website is easier to understand. Customer will get the feeling this company understand their needs and is willing to give them the service they are looking for. Waypoint specializes in HR Software and Web Development. They have modules that assist with Exit Interviews, HR Intranets, Online Appraisals, and Online Recruitment. The disadvantage that Waypoint may have is that their website is vague and it may give a potential customer the impression that it doesn’t have the areas of expertise a company is looking for.I would propose the absence management online program â€Å"Absence levels can be reduced through monitoring and management, sending empl oyees a clear message that you take sickness absence seriously. Our web-based Online Absence Management software is easy-to-use and accessible from any PC via a web browser and includes many features to help you and your line managers monitor, manage and handle sickness, injury and medical related absences. †(WaypointHR. com) I would recommend Waypoint because the services are on point with a customer needs. They can provide services such as online absences, and Exit Interview, and Online Intranet.These are basic services that most companies would like and want to promote. I would use Waypoint because it has the recognizes what companies needs are what they needs to make HRIS more efficient within the company. Waypoint specialty is Web Development and that is a must for HRIS to be utilized to its full capacity. To reduce using a lot of paper, Waypoint has an option that will allow important forms to be downloaded instead of always printing forms out. Suggest three (3) efficien cies that an organization would gain from using a SAAS for its HRIS needs and three (3) inefficiencies from maintaining an MS Access-based database application. The efficiency of HRIS, the systems are able to produce more effective and faster outcomes than can be done on paper. Some of the many applications of HRIS are: Clerical applications, applicant search expenditures, risk management, training management, training experiences, financial planning, turnover analysis, succession planning, flexible-benefits administration, compliance with government regulations, attendance reporting and analysis, human resource planning, accident reporting and prevention and strategic planning.With the many different applications of HRIS, it is difficult to understand how the programs benefit companies without looking at companies that have already benefited from such programs. † (ezinearticles. com) â€Å"One such company is IBM. IBM has a paperless online enrollment plan for all of its emp loyees. Not only has the online enrollment saved the company 1. 2 million per year on printing and mailing costs, the employees enjoy working with the online plan. Since we began offering online enrollment, we've learned that employees want web access,† Donnelly [Senior Communications Specialist] says, so they can log on at home rather than through the company intranet. So the company has been working to put in place a web-based enrollment system that employees and retirees can access from anywhere (Huering, 2003). By utilizing the flexible-benefits application HRIS has to offer, IBM was able to cut costs and give employees the freedom to discover their benefits on their own time and pace. † (ezinearticles. om) â€Å"The privacy of employee information has become a major issue in recent years. With identity theft becoming a common problem, employees are becoming more sensitive about who sees their personal information, and the security it is kept in. By making sure empl oyee information that is kept in the HRIS is relevant to the company and making sure there is limited access (password protection) to such information, companies can make its employees more secure with the safety of their information. Whether electronic or paper, employee files deserve to be treated with great care.Establishing security and end-user privileges calls for a balance of incorporating, HR policy, system knowledge and day-to-day operations (O’Connell, 1994). † (ezinearticles. com) â€Å"Illogically or inconsistently stored data can cause a number of problems. In a relational database, a logical and efficient design is just as critical. A poorly designed database may provide erroneous information, may be difficult to use, or may even fail to work properly. Most of these problems are the result of two bad design features called: redundant data and anomalies.Redundant data is unnecessary reoccurring data (repeating groups of data). Anomalies are any occurrence that weakens the integrity of your data due to irregular or inconsistent storage (delete, insert and update irregularity, that generates the inconsistent data). † (www. databasedev. co. uk) Assess the (3) most significant risks associated with combining products from multiple vendors into one (1) HRIS. â€Å"IaaS allows organizations to avoid the large capital expenses associated with infrastructure and data centers.It also has a low barrier to entry and enables automated scaling. One negative aspect of IaaS is that it brings with it new security risks that require different measures. For example, due to stringent information requirements associated with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), enterprises must carefully assess where such information resides and mitigate any privacy risks. In addition, how well IaaS works is vendor dependent. † (cloudcomputing. ys-con. com) The major drawback that mus t be mitigated is the security risk associated with centralization. In addition, since applications are centralized, version control and updates are relatively headache free and deploying software becomes instantaneous. On the other hand, applications that are centralized present enhanced security risks. (cloudcomputing. sys-con. com) Predict three (3) unintended consequences of not managing an HR database properly and how you would circumvent those situations from occurring.What is the impact of a poorly structured performance management process? If individual goals are not aligned with business strategy, then time and resources are wasted. Low employee engagement levels may mean that individuals are not performing at their best. Inconsistent evaluation criteria and rewards can lead to mistrust, lower productivity and higher attrition. If top performers see no differentiation in performance ratings, opportunities and compensation from underperformers, morale can suffer.Lack of docu mentation, visibility, and accountability can negatively affect stakeholders who are demanding more and more transparency. If accurate performance information is unavailable or difficult to access, training and development decisions along with project assignment decisions may not be made in the company's or the individual's best interests. An annual process will not adequately alert managers to problems in a timely manner. Last, but not least, a lack of proper documentation related to performance may result in legal issues. (www. successfactors. com)

East Asian Art Essay

One mark of how developed a culture is its art forms. The arts are a large aspect or subdivision of a culture. So much of a culture’s beliefs and traditions are reflected of expressed in various art forms. Art is made by an artist, an artist’s way of seeing and interpreting things are dictated by the culture of the society of which he is a part of; this is the relationship of the arts and culture. They have a link that cannot be severed. Ancient art forms that are reflective of a societal culture can include architecture, calligraphy, culinary arts, dance, drawing/ painting, fashion, music, language, literature, sculpture, crafts, and theatre; all these are represent the rich culture of a society. Some new and modern art forms that have been brought upon by technology include film and photography. As for East Asia, in geographical context, it is the region of Asia covering 12, 000, 000 square kilometers, which is 28% of the whole Asian continent. Countries in the East Asian territory currently include Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. East Asia being the home of some of the first great and influential cultures and civilizations, their ancient works of art would be a good area of study to understand how their culture developed. During the ancient times, the major societies that served as the cultural roots of the region are China, Japan and Korea. Understanding how their culture began through the events that transpired in the first 500 years of the Common Era that contributed to the development of their art can give us an insight on what their culture was and how the present culture of the region came to be.

The Market for Borrowing Corporate Bonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Market for Borrowing Corporate Bonds - Essay Example An efficient corporate bond market will lead to the efficient allocation of investment funds. An efficient market will also lead to investments in riskier assets. The types of securities which can be issued in the corporate bond market are debentures, unsecured notes and subordinated debt. One of the major reasons for developing a corporate bond markets is that the bond market provide an alternative solution or source for operational funds for the private sector other than borrowing from the equity markets and banks. This helps in improving the financial stability and allocation of credit. Companies running successfully can decide to expand their activities and commence new projects. To raise capital the company can decide on raising the funds from the corporate bond market as it can be beneficial for the company in the long run. The following sections give a detail understanding of corporate bonds. These sections describe the types of securities that can be issued in the corporate bond market, the types of companies that can issue it, the benefits of issuing bonds over other sources of finance, the providers of debt and their requirements. This information will certainly help the Board of Directors to reach a decision regarding the use of corporate bonds for raising capital to finance the new project. Types of securities that can be issued in the corporate bond market A company can issue three types of securities in the corporate bond market. These three types are explained below. 1. Debentures A debenture is secured by a fixed or floating charge over the issuing company’s unpledged assets. There are two types of debentures: fixed charge and floating charge. Both the types are explained below. a. Fixed Charge debenture: A fixed charge is placed over the permanent assets of the company such as fixed as sets. These assets cannot be sold until the bondholder has been repaid in the event of default. These bondholders have the first claim on the assets of the company. b. Floating charge debenture: A floating charge is issued over those assets which the company will sell in the normal course of the business to generate income such as finished good. These assets can be sold so the company issues a floating charge over these assets. Once the company defaults the floating charge becomes fixed charge. The bondholders will then take possession of the assets. Once the claims of the fixed charge bondholders have been satisfied, these bondholders can claim on the remaining assets. For example, if all the fixed assets have been used to pay off the fixed charge debenture holders, then the assets that the company sells to generate income will be used to pay off the floating charge debenture holders. 2. Unsecured Notes It is a corporate bond with no form of underlying security attached. These bond holders have no claim over the assets until the claims of the fixed-and floating charge bondholders have been satisfied. For example if a company defaults, the fixed charge debenture holders will be paid first, then the floating charge will be paid and finally the unsecured notes holders will be paid. 3. Subordinated Debt Subordinated debt is a long-term debt issue that ranks behind all other creditors. The subordinated debt also pays a specific interest stream. In the event of a default, the holders of subordinated debt receive nothing until the claims of all other creditors are satisfied. The debt issue may also include an agreement which states that the debt will not be presented for

Causes of building collapes Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Causes of building collapes - Term Paper Example Three of the main causes of buildings’ collapse are; faulty design of structures by incompetent engineers, overloading of structures, and natural disasters. Considering faulty design as a cause for building collapse, the most common areas of defects include architectural design defects, civil design defects, construction-drawing defects, defects caused by consultant firm consultants as well as staff, and defects resulting from construction materials among others (Assaf et al., 1996). Among the main causes of defects, design defect is the second most severe from failure to select the most appropriate materials implying that design is at the top of the reasons behind building collapses. The defects that may result due to civil design may be caused by factors that include failure to provide adequate structure movement provision and ignoring other critical considerations that incorporate effects resulting from environmental aggression, weather situations, biological effects, soil condition variations, effects of the wind on structure, and load impact on the structure. Architectural defects that may be blamed for leading to building collapse s include failure to relate exterior materials with anticipated climatic conditions, narrow stairs, and failure to consider the local climate when designing the exterior shape. Maintenance practicality as well as adequacy may result in design defects through failure to consider exit equipment for the maintenance workers, deciding to design permanent fixtures instead of having removable ones, which are convenient when maintaining, and failure to consider maintenance in its entirety (Assaf et al., 1996). Construction drawing may lead to the development of dangerous faults due to lack of details, the existence of conflicting details, and lack of references that are critical in determining the success of the anticipated construction design. Considering the consultant firm administration, the main faults that may

Starwood Hotels to India Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starwood Hotels to India - Case Study Example This paper will evaluate the environmental and competitive aspects of the Indian market that aloft will be exposed to once it begin its operation. The paper will also evaluate sound corporate and global strategies that aloft can adopt to improve its performance in the market to make a significant impact. Changes have occurred in the Indian business market since the reforms initiated in the 90s and the pro-market reforms that changed the perception of the Indian market towards foreign entities. The current growth pace of the Indian market presents a number of opportunities to local and foreign investors. With a world gross domestic product of the country expected to rise by over 5%, the country’s business environment has a strong ability to sustain new business entries (Thadani & Mobar, 2013). With the United States’ world gross domestic product expected to decline, India has the opportunity to rise into the third pole behind china and the United States. This environment presents a massive opportunity for aloft under Starwood hotels and resort to tap on the emerging growth in the sector. Increase in foreign investment in the country will increase the demand for hotels and resorts in the country and this presents a massive opportunity for aloft and Starwood hotels and resort (Tisdell, 2013). Starwood hotels and resort has faced massive competition from domestic entities in the country that will present massive competitive challenge to aloft should it enter the market. Companies like Indian hotels, the Leela ventures, Kamat hotels and the royal orchid have operated in the country for over a decade. These companies have chains of hotels and resorts in the major cities on India and have massive customer base among the local and foreign revelers. This is due to its massive investments, currently standing at $284 million after the pro-market reforms, which