Marketing Of Honda Motorcycles In The USA Essays - Honda

Marketing of Honda motorcycles in the USA The American Honda Motor Company was established as a subsidiary by Honda in 1959. During the 1960's the type of motorcycles brought by Americans underwent a major change. Motorcycle registrations increased by over 800,000 in five years from 1960. In the early 60's the major competitors were Haley - Davidson of U.S.A, BSA, Triumph and Norton of the UK and Motto - Guzzi of Italy. Harley-Davidson had the largest market share with sales in 1959 totalling a6.6 million dollars. Many of the motorcycles produced were large and bulky and this led to the image of the motorcycle rider as being one who wore a leather jacket and went out to cause trouble. The Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) report was initiated by the British government to study the decline in British motorcycle companies around the world, especially in the USA where sales had dropped from 49% in 1959 to 9% in 1973. The two key factors the report identified was the market share loss and profitability declines an the scale economy disadvantages in technology, distribution, and manufacturing. The BCG report showed that success of the Japanese manufacturers started with the growth of their own domestic markets. The high production for domestic demand led to Honda experiencing economies of scale as the cost of producing motorbikes declined with the level of output. This provided Honda to achieve a highly competitive cost position which they used to penetrate into the US market. " The basic philosophy of the Japanese manufacture is that high volumes per model provide the potential for high productivity as a result of using capital intensive and highly automated techniques. Their marketing strategies are therefore directed towards developing these high model volumes, hence the careful attention that we have observed them giving to growth and market share." (BCG p.59 ). The report goes on to show how Honda built up engineering competencies through the innovation of Mr Honda. The company also moved away from other companies who relied upon distributors to sell their bikes when the company set up its headquarters in the west coast of America. The BCG found that the motorcycles available before Honda entered the market were for limited group of people such as the police, army etc. But Honda had a "policy of selling, not primarily to confirmed motorcyclists but rather to members of the general public who had never before given a second thought to a motorcycle"( SP p.116 ). The small, lightweight Honda Supercub sold at under 250 dollars compared to the bigger American or British machines which were retailing at around 1000 to 1500 dollars. In 1960 Honda's research team comprised of around 700 designer and engineer staff compared to the 100 or so employed by their competitors showing the v alue which the company placed on innovation. Production per man-year was 159 units in 1962, a figure not reached by Harley-Davidson until 1974. Honda was following a strategy of developing region by region. Over a period of four to five years they moved from the west coast of America to the east coast. The report showed the emphasis which Honda paid to advertising when the company spent heavily on the advertising theme " you meet the nicest people on a Honda" thereby disassociating themselves from the rowdy, hell's angels type of people. Essentially the BCG is portraying Honda as a firm dedicated to being a low cost producer, utilising its dominant position in Japan to force entry into the U.S market, redefining that market by putting up the nicest people image and exploiting its comparative advantage via aggressive advertising and pricing. Pascale tends to disagree on many points of the BCG report. The report suggests that there was a smooth entry into the U.S market which led to an instant success. Pascale argues that Honda entered the American market at the end of the motorcycle trade season showing their impotence to carry out research in the new market. As they entered the market at the wrong time sales were not as good as they should have been and any success was not going to be instantaneous. Pascale also criticises the assumption that Honda was

Alfred Adlers individual psychology

Alfred Adlers individual psychology Major Principles of the Theory In his work of developing classical Adlerian psychology, Adler emphasized seven major principles which include; utility of the individual. According to this principle things like feeling, thinking, behaviors and emotions can only be understood well if considered as being subordinates of one’s lifestyle. â€Å"People are neither divided internally nor battleground of forces that conflict each other but every concept of individuality heads in the same direction† (Shultz, Shultz, 2009: 97).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Alfred Adlers individual psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The principle of goal holds that â€Å"there exist a single dynamic of personality originating from growth as well as forward motion of life by itself† (Slavik King, 2007). This personality is named future oriented, always striving to achieving an objective which is import ant, successful or even much powerful. Putting this aspect in mental health, it can be realized that the objective is real for social significance or superiority as compared to the general difficulties. Now putting the concept in mental disorder, Dreikurs stated that; [It is unrealistic goal of exaggerated significance or superiority over others. Early childhood feeling of inferiority in which one aim to compensate leads to the creation of a fictional final goal which subjectively seems to promise future security and success] (Dreikurs, 1935:72). It explains that, the real meaning of feelings that are inferior is one that controls the level at which the goal wants to attain in the long run becomes the route upon which behavior patterns follows. When explaining the principle of self-determination along with uniqueness, Adler emphasized that there are factors which influence goals and such factors may include, hereditary as well as cultural factors. However, the goal at the end origin ates from the individual’s creative powers which ultimately make it much unique. In most cases people do not understand or even don’t know what their goals are. Another principle is social context that holds â€Å"As an indivisible whole, a system, the human being is also a part of larger wholes or systems the family, the community, all of humanity, our planet and the cosmos† (Shultz, Shultz, 2009: 212). By looking at it in this perspective then there are three tasks of life namely; love, sex and occupation. However in the process of accomplishing these tasks, life is faced with a social challenge which entails the process of relating with others. The ways through which people respond to their first social systems, the constellation of families, in one way or the other might end up being the prototype of their world perspective as well as their life attitude (Slavik King, 2007). Community’s feeling forms the fifth principle and holds that;Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More [Everybody has the capacity for learning to live in harmony with the society. This forms innate potential for social connectedness which develops consciously. Social interests and feelings imply ‘social improvement,’ different from conformity and leaving space for social innovation through cultural resistance] (Shelley King, 2008:97). Mental Health principle states that â€Å"feelings of human connectedness and a willingness to develop oneself fully and contribute to the welfare of others are the main criteria of mental health†, (Dreikurs, 1935:45). In case such qualities have not yet developed fully there are higher chances of inferiority feelings haunting an individual. In other words there exists the likelihood of superiority attitude antagonizing others. As a result the fictional objective that is unconscious might end u p becoming self-centered as well as being emotionally explosive towards other people. In case the connectednesses along with the willingness of making contribution are much stronger then, there exists the likelihood of equality. As an effect the person’s objective will be self transcending and of much importance to others. Treatment forms the last principle; it explains that people have to overcome their insecurity feelings by developing real connectedness feelings, apart from ensuring that their significance striving is directed and socially fruitful. By the use of a Socratic kind of communication that can be considered as being respectful, people are in one way or the other given a task of correcting assumptions, behaviors, attitudes as well as feelings that are mistaken about themselves and the entire world. It is true that encouraging people constantly ends up stimulating people to try what they previously perceived as being impossible. Differences between Gender and cult ure In his presentations, he discussed that masculine is the term that relates to the opinion men showing empathy, sympathy and teamwork. On the other hand we have feminine characters which are considered as being less manly as compared to those individuals exhibiting masculine characters, which include high competition, very ambitious as well as very aggressive. For such men to reject their natural muscularity it is a must for them to make what Adler termed as neurotic compensation. Moreover, Adler felt that in the same way women having a desire of going beyond the so-called â€Å"gender definitions of a male dominated kind of society, have to undergo similar protests† (Stein, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Alfred Adlers individual psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Adler’s individual psychology, culture as well as its definition of gender duties is the main fact or in the development of neurosis. In most cases men under value women in those cultures that men dominate as a result their contributions and attributes affecting feminism are awarded much less values as compared to those attributed to masculine contributions. Looking at who differentiated cultures, it is true that things like lying are prominent in cultures that stress human relations while much less in societies that stresses on rules. One can say that individuals in cultures that stress human relations have higher chances of lying with the aim of protecting their relations, while those in cultures that that puts more emphasize on rules have few chances of lying as they need to follow the rules. At this point Adler â€Å"differentiates between cultures that are universally oriented (all rules apply to everyone) and particularly oriented; the nature of the relationship determines how someone will act in a particular situation† (Fiebert, 1997). Personality Development The th eory presents a comprehensive explanation of how personality develops. This is based on the fact that, the theory starts by giving an explanation of the environment in which a child is born. He describes it clearly as a world full of inferiority hence; the child starts as a weak and helpless individual. However, latter on the child learns how to overcome such deficiency by striving to become much superior as compared to those around him/her. Just like other psychologists, he calls this ‘striving for superiority’ which is perceived as being the force that drives all human minds, behavior patterns as well as emotions. Individuals with a stronger desire to be powerful, re-known business people or celebrated writers more often than note overcome their weaknesses thanks to a strong desire of doing so. However according to Adler such excessive inferiority feelings might also result to opposite impacts as well. He states that â€Å"As it becomes overwhelming and without the n eeded successes, we can develop an inferiority complex† (Slavik, King, 2007: 25). Such beliefs might leave individuals with a feeling that is incredibly much unimportant and deserving as compared to others; weak, without hope and motivation for superiority to strive which makes people complete.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theory asserts that people in childhood are predisposed significantly by those around them which form the basis of personality developing as well as the ways through which they will interact with others around them. It is true that human beings have their own abilities of making their own choices and set their own future goals. This is what Alder calls striving towards a specified objective, upon which patterns of their behaviors and how they interpret things. The decisions which people make concerning their personalities at early stages of child development will always affect their personalities in future. The theory also explains the effects of parenting styles on personality development. There are two parenting styles that Adler in his theory identifies as having negative effects on child’s personality development in future. One of them is pampering style of parenting; this is a situation where parents overprotect their children. This entails provision of too much atte ntion as well as sheltering the child from negative realities of life. By the time the child attains adulthood, he/she will not have equipped himself/herself well in a manner that will allow him/her to deal with such life realities. As a result children who have undergone such parenting will always doubt their capabilities, decisions and skills. Such people will always be seeking others to replace the kind of safety that they used to enjoy by the time they were young. Another type of parenting identified by Adler in his Individual Psychology is neglect parenting. Shultz Shultz (2004:63) Stated that, [A neglected child is not protected at all from the world and is forced to face lifes struggles alone. This child may grow up to fear the world, have a strong sense of mistrust for others and she/he may have a difficult time forming intimate relationships] Apart from identifying parenting styles that might have negative impacts on the child’s personality development the, theory i dentifies the best parenting style as one which protects children from all evils in the society, but not sheltering children from such evils. This means that children would grow better when they see what is happening in the society. For instance it is not good for parents just to move directly to the school principals in case their children are being bullied in school but it will hold more water if such a child is taught ways of responding to such practices or even means of taking care while in school. Order of birth is another factor affecting personality development. The theory states that â€Å"the order in which you are born to a family inherently affects your personality. First born children who later have younger siblings may have it the worst† (Nadine Bruszewski, 2010: 34). This is based on the fact that firstborns usually receive much attention and pampering type of parenting till the day that a little brother or sister will be born. As a result they feel inferior he nce questioning their significance in the society, some try desperately to regain back the lost attention (Stein, 2008). The middle born are seen by Alder as individuals who never receive pampering and much attention. This explains the reasons as to why middle born children always strive to become superior to their elder ones. This is because they always have a very high superiority need. Just like their firstborns, lastborns experiences personality problems in adulthood. This is based on the fact that, as a child who has grown up knowing that he has very little powers in a family, he sees older ones as individuals with lots of freedom and much superior. Apart from that he also receives pampering and lots of protection from parents, elder brothers and sisters. This at the end makes him think that there is no way he can take any responsibility alone, hence always inferior to others. Changes in Personality over the Lifespan Adler’s individual psychology explains that personalit y changes shows growth as well as well as forward movement of life. At childhood individuals â€Å"start their lives smaller, weaker, and less socially and intellectually competent than the adults around them† (Hoffman, 1994). However they always have a desire of growing up to become adults with various capabilities. Such kids then acquire skills in a gradual manner to later demonstrate their competence. In addition, people get to gain confidence along with self esteem as they continue growing up. However, this force of natural strive might be held back in case personal picture has undergone degradation as a result of intellectual, physical and social development failures. Apart from failures such individuals might suffer from criticisms coming from parents, peers and teachers. In case individuals are moving on well, they also start feeling competent hence can afford thinking about others. In case the movement is not right, meaning that life is getting the best good of indivi duals, then the opposite is true, as more attention will be about oneself. This might make individuals feel what Adler called inferiority complex. â€Å"This scenario makes them â€Å"shy and timid, insecure, indecisive, cowardly, submissive, compliant, and so on† (Boeree, George, 1997). People experiencing inferiority complex lacks what Adler refers to as social interests. This factor makes them to be egocentric; as they will always focus on themselves along with everything they perceive being their deficiencies. These individuals strive with the desire to improve their knowledge and skills. When individuals start developing fictional goals they then start pulling themselves up as a result of their bootstraps. Apart from serving as the significant reason of orienting people in the world, it also acts as a compensatory defense which has the ability of creating positive feelings in the current feelings with the aim of eliminating inferiority feelings (Stein, 2008:152). Peopl e attaining this stage ends up, developing what Adler calls superiority complex. This behavior entails covering inferiority complex by acting in a manner that shows that such people are superior. Basically, from birth to death people strive with the aim of overcoming, expanding, growing, completing and looking for security. Individual Psychology in the Modern World This theory fits well in the modern society as it is still the model of personality; the foundation of methods used in the development of minds, as well as personal growth. It is true that in the current society, everyone is still a representative of what Adler called â€Å"a unity of personality and the individual then fashions that unity (Stein, 2008). In addition the theory has enabled practitioners to a wide variety of techniques like art and drama therapies, which have proved much effective in the process of relieving sufferings as well as promoting positive change along with empowerment. Looking at it from mind dev elopment perspective, stresses on social interactions and contributions has remained to be the most significant but constant factor. This is because the higher the social interests, the lesser the inferiority feelings that an individual might have (Rocky Libby, 2010). It should be realized that till now lifestyle formulation as well as consistent usage of collected data with the aim of demonstrating individuals to themselves, is a unique technique that was copied from Adler’s individual psychology theory and till now it has been preserved. As a result this has been effective in the process of interpreting individual’s behaviors and teaching life philosophy. Apart from that it has been of help in the process of prodding people into actions. It has also gained much application in the development of minds. Looking at the issue of holism which was proposed by South African Philosopher known as Smut, which was latter taken to heart by Adler, it has been of great significan ce in viewing an individual as whole other than seeing him as parts. Additionally he changed the idea of individual’s personality to style of life, which the modern world is calling lifestyle. This alteration holds more water in the current society as it means the way people life, deal with conflicting issues and their relation with each other. Things of the past have lost meaning in the present society since people no longer determine their future based on the past experiences. In the modern society it is not a must that if c and d happened then y and z must happen. However the modern society has copied Adler’s principle that motivation entails moving towards the future which is in line with Adler’s individual personality. The current society doesn’t depend on the past to drive their future (Hoffman, 1994). References Boeree, C. George, G. (1997). Alfred Adler. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology.6 (5), 245-256. Dreikurs, R.  (1935). An Introduction to Individual Psychology. London: Kegan Paul, Trench Trubner Co.Ltd. Fiebert, M. (1997). In and out of Freuds shadow: A chronology of Adlers relationship with Freud. Individual Psychology, 53(3), 241-269. Hoffman, E. (1994). The drive for self: Alfred Adler and the founding of individual psychology. Journal of Individual Psychology. 5(3), 54-73. Nadine E. Bruszewski, V. (2010). Applying individual psychology to a Universitys sustainability initiative. Individual Psychology, 64(3), 241-269. Rocky, G. Libby, L. (2010). Individual psychology and individual differences in psycho-physiology. The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research, and Practice, 63(3), 2-17. Shelley, C. King, R. (2008). Community feeling and social interest: Adlerian parallels, synergy, and differences with the field of community psychology. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 18(1), 96-107. Shultz, D. Shultz, S. (2009). Theories of personality. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Slav ik, S. King, R. (2007). Adlerian therapeutic strategy. The Canadian Journal of Adlerian Psychology, 37(1), 3-16. Stein, T. (2008). Adlers legacy: Past, present and future. Journal of Individual Psychology, 64 (1), 4–20.

Olympics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Olympics - Term Paper Example In the event, the games will take two cluster organization methods. There would be a coastal cluster for ice events in Sochi, and a mountain cluster located in the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains (Nauright and Charles 76). There are expectations this kind of arrangement would make the games one of the most compact Olympic Committee has ever organized. The Sochi Olympic Park construction is along the Black Sea coast in the Imeretinskaya Valley. This is where all ice venues would take place. These include the Bolshoi Ice Palace, the Sochi Olympic Skating center, the Maly Ice Palace, the Olympic Oval, the Olympic Curling Center, the Central Stadium, and the main Olympic Village. In the mountain cluster in Krasnaya Polyana, this would be the home of all skiing and sliding sports activities (Hofstetter 78). The preparation for these games has triggered construction of new and modern telecommunications, electric power, new Olympic Park along the coast of Black sea, and transportation systems. W omen gymnastics would feature and as expected, the China Women gymnastic team would rock the event (Franks 88). They have previously put some distance on the other contenders in past Olympic Gymnasium competitions. Team goal or task – Level of difficulty In order to recreate the amazing moments that prompted the women gymnastics team of China to be branded exceptional, there ought to be more of what this women team have been doing. This actually calls for perfectionist awareness of the skills needed to be a top contestant in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The women teams needs medal, and for that golden medal to come by, they know that not only thorough preparations and rehearsals will come calling in the subsequent days but also their bodies need to reach that high level of flexibility (Coma?neci 64). Since the attaining number four in Olympics competitions for China women gymnastics in 2012, there has been that pressure and pursuit of the entire team to reach that level of perfec tion. The team can win everything by not only producing a stunning performance but also attaining the level of flawless performance. The team’s head coach Lu Shanzhen, would want a repeat of the 1996 margin of almost near perfect performance over the most competitive opponents even if it were not the Russians (Crawley, Sara, Lara and Constance 102). This came to a success because the entire country, board and the bench team were exceptional. The coaching staff and the gymnasts need to wake into reality that their greatest task and level of difficult is the repeat of the standards once termed by the Bela Karolyi, a legendary gymnastic coach in US as performance so rare for 16 years old minors (Nauright, John, and Charles 110). The China team comprises of a beautiful bouquet of individual talent, which showed greater unity, mental toughness, and togetherness to compete 2012 Olympics (Hofstetter 79). The same zeal and commitment is the ultimate goal if the team has to affirm ful ly its heights in the sport of gymnasts. In order to put 1996 and 2012 performances in line of repeat, the head coach is ensuring that the team remains a solid entity despite individual talents and skills. There are no cracks of jealousy and rivalries among the gymnasts if success is their goal in 2014 Sochi Olympics. The team goes through individual qualifying by challenging each other in order to reach the individual all around. This is the pre-trial performances that have helped in fine-tuning the bests of these gymnasts and even makes

Manuel Castells perspectives on the challenges of the network society Essay

Manuel Castells perspectives on the challenges of the network society - Essay Example This paper is a response to the final chapter of Manuel Castells’ work The Internet Galaxy. It will provide an overview of the author’s perspective on the challenges imposed by the network society and Castells’ judgment will be analyzed by comparing with other scholarly sources on the same topic. Manuel Castells has no qualms in admitting the fact that the network society â€Å"offers as many opportunities as it raises challenges† (2001, p.275). In his opinion the beneficial aspect of this network society were features like innovation and freedom of thinking that it encouraged but these were gradually overtaken by oppressive and restrictive ways. Instead of encouraging freedom of expression, it provides the means of controlling information as well as prompts the biased and monopolized use of the data (2001, p.277). This is an honest take from the author regarding the potential and somewhat long-term aftereffects of network society. Chris Kitchen argues by assuring that the most incredible fruit of network society â€Å"is the role of social media in the recent social movements and uprisings, particularly the momentous events of 2011 starting in North Africa and the Middle East† (2012). From this perspective rapid information sharing and globalization that is primarily regulated by information technology has induced awareness among people regarding their human, civil and political rights. On the contrary, Luke Tredinnick disagrees by providing the example of the democracy protests in Buran during 2007.

Advocacy-LLM Criminal Litigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Advocacy-LLM Criminal Litigation - Essay Example These criminal legal professionals help to defend and prosecute particularly in the most serious criminal cases. The legal practitioners in UK have to demonstrate high magnitude of commitment, professionalism and ethical norms since UK has earned high reputation for its criminal justice system on the international level. To guarantee the delivery of high quality of criminal justice in UK courts, criminal advocates have to demonstrate higher advocacy and great technical knowledge skill. The criminal advocates help to ensure that all citizens receive a fair trial in the adversarial legal system, which is the backbone of the nation’s criminal justice system1, It is widely accepted that a huge sum is being spent as criminal legal aid in UK, pubic expects an efficient and effective advocacy from criminal advocates and if any poor standards will definitely not only have an impact on the quality of criminal advocate profession but also on the overall legal profession in UK. The Law S ociety in UK affirmed its pledge to enhancing advocacy norms which it regarded as to be must for the efficient functioning of the criminal justice system in UK. In view of the same, the Law society strongly recommended to create a certification scheme for solicitor advocates with the main spotlight on enhancing the knowledge update and training available to solicitor advocates in UK.... etiquettes for a criminal advocate as for instance, there had been severe criticism in the Milly Dowler3 trail against the counsel in 2011 for the treatment received by the victim’s family when they were in the witness box, and it is an obvious signal that even in criminal cases, antagonist backing has its limits4. The most significant traits of a criminal advocate can be summarised as follows: He should have adequate knowledge and appropriate qualification in criminal law and criminal justice system. The criminal advocate should always work for to safeguard the rights and interest of his client and should have strong fervent for justice. While in court, he should be confident and bold and should have a strong presence and should be capable of intimidating the prosecution. He should be a great performer with emoting talents to attract the jury’s attention and be able to influence them of the defendants’ misery or innocence. He should have more confident and shoul d have conducted many analogues’ litigations and should have good success rate. He should have adequate courage and more capable of facing the judge and cannot be either browbeaten or humiliated. He should have adequate knowledge of how the police functions and should be capable of detecting out facts and clues. He should have sound, deep knowledge in hidden components of law and during court hearing; he should be capable of spring surprises when never anticipated. With a client, a criminal advocate should always be fair in his professional dealings and also be honest and should brief his client the status of the case and what one can anticipate. He should be sociable in character so that he can have good relations with police, other advocates so that he can search for information from them to help his

The Definition Of Biomimicry

The Definition Of Biomimicry Product design inspired by nature simply means that designers look to the nature for answer when they were in process of designing it. The action of copying from nature is called biomimicry. Biomimicry is not an entirely new idea to humans. The hook and loop fasterner or known as Velcro was invented in 1948 based on the bur plants. Biomimicry is important in product design because nature has the best solution whenever we came to a design problem. For example, for the wind resistance problem faced by Japanese bullet train, the front nose was remodelled to look like a kingfishers beak. Biomimicry design spiral is a kind of tool that takes us through the process of identify, translate, observe, abstract, apply and evaluate before a design is being developed. There are many inventions in this world that were inspired by the nature. Flying squirrel wingsuit, formula one car, sharkskin swimsuit and drag-reduced propeller are the best examples. The nature is and will always be our mentor in product design. Therfore, it is our responsibility to preserve and protect the nature we have today. Definition of biomimicry Biomimicry is a discipline that studies our natures ideas, models and processes to take inspirations from to solve the design problems faced by humans. In the words of biomimicry, bios means life while mimesis means to mimic. Therefore, biomimicry simply means to imitate from nature. Biomimicry is not a new idea. Humans have always been turning to the nature to look for any answer to solve both complex and simple problems. Humans take the nature as their mentor and model. This is because the animals and plants found on the Earth nowadays have survived for ages. They have gone through several stages of evolution and changes in order to survive in this planet. Therefore, their body structure and functionality are worth copying for. For example, without birds the Wright brothers will not be inspired to build an airplane that turns out to be one of the greatest invention of all time. In addition, Eiji Nakatsu, a railway engineer remodelled the front nose design of the bullet train in Jap an which will reduce air resistance and uses 15% less electricity. He took the idea from the shape of the beak of kingfishers. The significance of biomimicry in product design There are thousands of products being designed in every single day. What really matter is, do the products have the ability to cope with the environment and perform well. Humans are not brilliant in every way, sometimes we do need some help from the nature. Some of the flora and fauna had been on Earth long before the existence of human race. They are full of experience in coping with the nature in order to survive. Therefore, designers always mimic the design of some animals and plants. The product designs nowadays have become more and more sophisticated. Designers are hoping to decrease any possibility of disaster and waste of energy. This is where biomimicry will come in handy. The existence of biomimicry provides a rough idea to the designers of what the nature would probably do to solve problems faced. Therefore, the designers can make amendments to their designs to avoid any unwanted errors. Hence, it cannot be denied that biomimicry is playing an important role in product desi gn. Biomimicry design spiral http://juliangaviriasanchez.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/biomimicry-design-spiral.jpg Biomimicry design spiral is a tool that scientists created that uses our nature as our mentor and role model to solve any complex and simple problems faced while in the creation of any products. Identify: Instead of asking ourselves what we want to design, we need to identify what we want our designs to do for us. If not, we probably ended up designing something which is only an updated version of current existing products. Translate: Take the natures perspective into consideration. We need to know how nature carries out a certain function to tackle problem it faced. Observe: Consults biologist or natural experts. Take their advices into consideration before we begin to develop something new. Abstract: Find out the relationship between the nature and the product. We need to know whether the product can adapt to the environment where it meant to be once developed. Apply: Apply all the knowledge and studies that had been made into the development of product. Designs a product based on the research. Evaluate: Find out how does the design performs in nature. Can the design adapt to the environment? Biomimicry applications in products design Animals Falcon birds Peregrine falcons are one of the species of falcons and a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. The Peregrine falcon is renowned for its speed, reaching over 322km/h during its characteristic hunting stoop (high speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic program, the highest measured speed of a Peregrine Falcon is even up to 389 km/h. Hence, engineers have studied the body shape of the birds and implement it into the design of Formula 1 racing cars. A Formula 1 car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open-wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. Aerodynamics of the car play a vital role in determining the speed, safety and drag produced. Therefore, the aerodynamic designer has two primary concerns which is the creation of downforce to push the car onto the track, improve cornering forces and minimising the drag that slow the car down. So, the front nose of a For mula 1 racing car is inspired by the shape of the head of Peregrine falcon. The head of the birds is in streamlined shape which will reduce the drag produced when flying at high speed. Therefore, designers design the front nose of the racing cars to mimic the head of the birds which used to channel air flow to the back of the car. Hence, drag is reduced and the downforce is increased. Racing cars can be driven to a higher speed. Flying squirrel Flying squirrels are one of the 44 species of squirrels in the family of Sciuridae. Flying squirrels do not have wings and are not capable of powered flight like birds or bats. The loose folds of skin between the front and hind legs of these squirrels enable them to fly from trees to trees but what they actually do is glide through the air on the stretched surface of this loose skin. The direction and speed of the animal in midair is varied by changing the positions of its two arms and legs, largely controlled by small cartilaginous wrist bones. Therefore, man has used the body structure of the flying squirrel and created the flying squirrel suit. Modern wingsuit are equipped with fabric attached between the legs and under the arms which will add surface area to the human body to enable a significant increase in lift. A wingsuit flight normally ends with a parachute opening. So a wingsuit can safely be flown from any point that provides sufficient altitude for flight and parachute de ployment. Sharks Sharks, also known as the natures great predator are a group of carnivorous ocean going fish with 368 different species in a total of 30 families. Some species of shark, such as the great white, are infamous among humans because they have been involved in attacks resulting in severe injury and sometimes death. Most sharks have streamlined bodies designed for moving efficiently through the water. Many species have a projecting dorsal fin, and all have split caudal or rear fins. The shark can move very rapidly in search of prey. The shortfin mako shark, the fastest shark and one of the fastest fish, can burst at speeds up to 50 km/h. The reasons why sharks can swim fast in water are closely related to its skin. Seen under an electron microscope, sharkskin is made up of countless overlapping scales called dermal denticles. The denticles have grooves running down their length in alignment with water flow. These grooves disrupt the formation of eddies, or turbulent swirls of slower water and make the water to pass by faster. Therefore, the scientists replicate the dermal denticles and apply it on the racing swimsuit. Speedos Fastskin line of high-tech, high-performance swimsuits were inspired by the shark skins sandpaper-like texture is thought to reduce drag, hence its usefulness in swimming gear. Plants Bur A bur is a seed or dry fruit in which the seeds bear hooks or teeth which attach themselves to the fur of passing animals or the clothing of people. The hooks or teeth are irritants and quite hard to remove from clothing, such as wool or cotton. The bur of burdock was the inspiration for hook and loop fastener (Velcro). Velcro was invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral. Hook-and-loop fasteners consist of two components which are two lineal fabric strips which are attached to the opposing surfaces to be fastened. The first component features tiny hooks while the second features even smaller and hair-like loops. When the two components are pressed together, the hooks catch in the loops and the two pieces fasten or bind temporarily. Velcro strips make a distinctive ripping sound when they are being separated. Because it is extremely easy to use, low chances of being spoilt and safe, the hook-and-loop fasteners have been used for just about every conceivable application where a temporary bond is required. It is especially popular as a shoe fastener for children who have not yet learned to tie shoelaces and for those who choose Velcro over laces. Kelp Kelps are large seaweeds belong to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. Kelp grows in underwater forests known as the kelp forests in shallow oceans. There are several Pacific species of kelp which is a very important ingredient in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisines. Because of its high concentration of iodine, brown kelp has been used to treat the enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by a lack of iodine, known as goitre. Kelps have the very unique spiral shape which moves with the current rather than fighting against it. Therefore, they will not get swept away easily by rough current. This phenomenon inspired the design of drag-reduced propeller. A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust and normal seen installed at the back of vessel or boat. Propeller designed in spiral shape will has lesser drag when it spins in water. Hence, less energy is required to accelerate the water to the back of blade which in turns provides more forward thrust to the ship. Tumbleweed Tumbleweed is the above-ground part of any plants that once mature and dry or wilt. It will disengage from the root and tumble away in the wind. The tumbleweed is a norm in steppe and desert climates. The tumbleweed is a diaspore, which aids in the dispersal of seeds or spores. The tumbleweed is very light and round in shape. Therefore, it moves around and tumbles along to disperse seeds when the wind blows. Eventually, the tumbleweed comes to rest in a wet location, it opens as it absorbs water and then it dies. The characteristics of tumbleweed for being light and round in shape have inspired the NASA engineers to design a rover of the same concept. The rover is designed for any exploring missions in planet Mars. The rough terrain of Mars can be tackled using a wind-driven planetary rover. A wind-driven planetary rover design maximises drag and therefore it will be easy to manoeuvre around the planet. Conclusion Every single thing created by God in this world existed for a reason. It just that some of things are still yet to be discovered by humans. As mentioned earlier, most of the designs in this world are inspired by the nature. Humans copy the design of some animals and plants to achieve success in their design. The nature is our teacher, our mentor and our role model. We always look to nature for answer whenever we faced obstacles. Hence, through biomimicry, the relationships between humans and nature grow closer than ever before. The continued existence of the nature depends on humans and vice versa. Therefore, we must appreciate and preserve what we have right now for the sake of our latter generations.

The Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive :: Vietnam War Essays

In the mid to late 1960's the Vietnam Conflict was greatly controversial. This is mainly due to the fact that it was an undeclared war and was being fought with unclear objectives. It was fought mainly by Viet Cong guerillas and the NVA from the North and by the USA and ARVN from the south. Throughout the conflict it appeared as if the South was prevailing; up until one climatic battle that turned out to be a failure militarily; it is known as the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive started with diversionary attacks on Khe Sanh on January 21. It began with a concentrated artillery barrage and entrenching troops around the perimeter so that they could prepare further assaults on Khe Sanh's defenses. This caused the US to move their troops up in order to defend against the enemy intrusion. By causing the US to move their troops from their positions in the other major cities, the North had created an opportunity for an attack on all of those cites. Then next step of the plan was to infiltrate the major cities of the South like Saigon and Hue with VC and NVA soldiers. It is amazing how effectively the VC and NVA snuck their soldiers into the cities, because only a small number of them actually got caught. They pulled this off by sending their men in slowly, mostly by twos or threes, disguised as refugees, peasants, workers, and ARVN soldiers on holiday. Their weapons were smuggled in separately in flower carts, coffins, and trucks that looked as if they were filled with food for the civilians. All-in-all the amount of troops in these cities equaled about 5 battalions. Once the North had accomplished its goals of distracting the United States soldiers and infiltrating its guarded cities they decided to attack; they chose a day designated for truce, the Vietnamese New Year of Tet. On January 31st, in the early hours of the morning, the NVA and VC troops and commandoes began the Tet Offensive by attacking virtually every major city and town; including most of the major bases and airfields. Most of the attacks made came by total surprise and caused a maelstrom of chaos among the US soldiers who attempted to defend their posts. An example of one of these attacks is the one launched against the US embassy in Saigon. In Saigon, nineteen VC commandoes attempted to blast their way through the main doors of the US embassy and killed two of the 5 MP's on duty.