When Two Stars Orbit Together

Since our solar system  has a single  star  at its heart, its logical to assume that all stars form independently and travel the galaxy alone. However,  it turns out that about a third (or possibly even more) of all stars are born in our galaxy (and in other galaxies) exist in multiple-star systems. There can be two stars (called a binary), three stars, or even more.   The Mechanics of a Binary Star Binaries (two stars orbiting around a common center of mass) are very common in the sky.  The larger of the two stars in such a system is called the primary star, while the smaller one is the companion or secondary star. One of the best-known binaries in the sky is the bright star Sirius, which has a very dim companion. Another favorite is Albireo, part of the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. Both are easy to spot, but it requires telescope or binoculars to see the components of each binary system.   The term binary star system should not be confused with the term double star. Such  systems are usually defined as two stars that appear to be interacting, but actually are very distant from each other and have no physical connection. It can be confusing to tell them apart, especially from a distance.   It can also be quite difficult to identify the individual stars of a binary system, as one or both of the stars may be non-optical  (in other words, not especially bright in visible light).  When such systems are found though, they usually fall into one of four following categories. Visual Binaries As the name suggests, visual binaries are systems in which the stars can be identified individually. Interestingly, in order to do so, it is necessary for the stars to be not too bright. (Of course, distance to the objects is also a determining factor if they will be individually resolved or not.) If one of the stars is of high luminosity, then its brightness will drown out the view of the companion. That makes it difficult to see. Visual binaries are detected with telescopes, or sometimes with binoculars. In many cases, other binaries, like those listed below, could be determined to be visual binaries when observed with powerful enough instruments. So the list of systems in this class is continually growing as more observations are made with more powerful telescopes. Spectroscopic Binaries Spectroscopy is a powerful tool in astronomy. It allows astronomers to determine various properties of stars simply by studying their light in minute detail. However, in the case of binaries, spectroscopy can also reveal that a star system may, in fact, be composed of two or more stars. How does this work? As two stars orbit each other they will at times be moving towards us, and away from us at others. This will cause their light to be blueshifted then redshifted  repeatedly.  By measuring the frequency of these shifts we can calculate information about their orbital parameters. Because spectroscopic binaries are often very close to each other (so close that even a good telescope cant split them apart, they are rarely also visual binaries. In the odd instances that they are, these systems are usually very close to Earth and have very long periods (the farther apart that they are, the longer it takes them to orbit their common axis). Closeness and long periods make the partners of each system easier to spot. Astrometric Binaries Astrometric binaries are stars that appear to be in orbit under the influence of an unseen gravitational force.  Often enough, the second star is a very dim source of electromagnetic radiation, either a small brown dwarf or perhaps a very old neutron star that has spun down below the death line. Information about the missing star can be ascertained by measuring the orbital characteristics of the optical star. The methodology for finding astrometric binaries is also used to find exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) by looking for wobbles in a star. Based on this motion the masses and orbital distances of the planets can be determined. Eclipsing Binaries In eclipsing binary systems the orbital plane of the stars is directly in our line of sight. Therefore the stars pass in front of each other as they orbit. When the dimmer star passes in front of the brighter star there is a significant dip in the observed brightness of the system. Then when the dimmer star moves behind the other, there is a smaller, but still measurable dip in brightness. Based on the time scale and magnitudes of these dips, the orbital characteristics, as well as information about the stars relative sizes and masses, can be determined. Eclipsing binaries can also be good candidates for spectroscopic binaries, though, like those systems they are rarely if ever found to be visual binary systems. Binary stars can teach astronomers a lot about their individual systems.They can also give clues to their formation, and the conditions under which they were born, since there had to be enough material in the birth nebula for both to form and not disrupt each other. In addition, there werent likely large sibling stars nearby, since those would have eaten up the material needed for the formation of the binaries.   The science of binaries is still very much an active topic in astronomy research.   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Genetic Engineering Is Controversial Due To Some People

Genetic Engineering is controversial due to some people believing that genetic engineering is playing God. Opposition against this scientific field stands due to the lack of understanding of its value, or fear what may come out of following this new field of science. A portion of history is owed to genetic engineering as has led to many of the food products we enjoy today. Though there are some minuet deficiencies to genetic engineering or maybe because of them, there are ethical issues in today’s society that hinder and regulate genetic engineers. The form of genetic engineering today is a more efficient than our ancestors practice, selective breeding. All humans practiced selective breeding in one way or another. Its process is the†¦show more content†¦Most recently nematode worms are being genetically engineered with different proteins to study Alzheimer s disease. In the prelude to these events the National Human Genome Research Institute was formed in 1990 and ha s been guiding the activities of genetic engineers since its founding. In 1997, the National Institutes of Health had a conference to discuss the ethics and possibilities entailed with genetic engineering. One interesting topic reviewed were the mutations in the human genome and their hereditary prospects and properties. Euro Mà ¤ntyranta was one such anomaly, a Finnish champion in his own right by winning two cross country Olympic gold medals. Not only from skill or talent did his victory come, but he had assistance from a genetic mutation that increased his red blood cell count. This newly found mutation increased his aerobic prowess. This mutation is only one of many that are found around the world and to control them is a goal waiting to be achieved. (Wilgar, Scott ) Passing genetic code does not always have to be used to help a species as genetic engineering can be used to hinder or kill one. Dr. Esvelt who is the leader of the Sculpting Evolution group wishes to modify malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The idea is to control the mosquito population with an engineered population, and giving thatShow MoreRelatedGenetic Engineering : Genetically Modified Foods1312 Words   |  6 Pagestraits such as herbicide resistance and added nutritional content. The enhancement used to be done largely by selective breeding, which is very time-consuming and more often than not, it is not very accurate of effective. Genetic engineering is extremely controversial as people feel that it is not very safe as there could be unknown health risks involved and there have been a growing number of protests against GM foods across the globe. It is feared that genetically modified plants could spread undesirableRead MoreSale - Pro Plans Are 20% Off Today View Plans. Gradeproof1164 Words   |  5 PagesSentence Count: 28 Readability: 11.52 % Grade Level: 16.59 years Reading Time: 2 minutes Speaking Time: 4 minutes Type your title here... Genetic Engineering is a common theme of Gattaca, Splice, and Blade Runner. Gattaca takes place in a future where the best opportunities are given people that have the best genes, as a result from Genetic Engineering (cite). The main character Vincent has not been genetically engineered and has many health issues like Myopia (cite). He aspires to become anRead MoreGenetic Engineering Research Paper1584 Words   |  7 PagesGenetic engineering Explain how this technology works. Genetic engineering otherwise called genetic modification and can basically be described as the ‘direct manipulation of an organism’s genome’ which is the complete set of genetic material of an animal, plant or other living thing. This direct manipulation works by using modern DNA technology. This ‘involves the introduction of foreign DNA also known as synthetic genes into the organism of interest’ or curiousity. Genetic engineering does notRead MoreHow Genetic Engineering Should Not Be Researched For Ethical Reasons1452 Words   |  6 PagesCell Anemia, a genetic disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells. Without treatment, Jim would have a high chance of dying. However, Jim was given a second chance to achieve normality like his mother always wanted with the help of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering, â€Å"the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism† (Lincoln 1),can be used to treat genetic disorders such as sickle cell Anemia, but there is a large percentage of people that say genetic engineering should not beRead MoreEssay about Applications of Gene Modification869 Words   |  4 Pagesa lot of controversial topics and hot button issues. New breakthroughs in science and technology can leave people upset and not ready for change. One of the most prevalent examples of a controversial science is genetic engineering. The modification of genes is becoming a p opular application in science, but some people aren’t ready. Genetic engineering will play a big part in the scientific world in the next few years. Most people don’t think this is a good thing, but the use of genetic modificationRead MoreGenetic Engineering : Defining Our Children s Traits912 Words   |  4 PagesGenetic Engineering: Defining Our Children’s Traits is an article that explains the concept of altering genes and the advances we have had with genetics. The article starts out by explaining the genetic makeup of humans. Just like we learned in class diploid babies have one alleles from mom and one alleles’ from the father. The articles states how our DNA have genes that are about equal portion from our mother and father. It then goes on to talk about how we are made from the code that our genesRead MoreWhat Is Human Genetic Engineering?1193 Words   |  5 PagesHuman genetic engineering is currently a hot topic of discussion in the scientific world. What is human genetic engineering? According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, â€Å"Genetic engineering is the process of using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology to alter the genetic makeup of an organism. Traditionally, humans have manipulated genomes indirectly by controlling breeding and selecting offspring with desired traits. Genetic engineering involves the direct manipulation of one or moreRead MoreTaking a Look at Designer Babies1085 Words   |  4 PagesImagine if parents were able to select preferred traits and the intelligence level for their children. Soon this may be the case as scientists and researchers are slowly taking genetic engineering to a whole new level which jeopardizes the uniqueness of the human race. Genetic engineering has rapidly become hardwired into our society since its discovery in the late 1960s. The process involves removing DNA from an organism and modifying that strand of DNA in order to revise the functions or appearan ceRead MoreHuman Genetic Engineering : Ethical Or Not?1117 Words   |  5 PagesKendal Gower Professor Fountain English 101 17 September 2014 Human Genetic Engineering: Ethical or Not? If man could prevent his child from having Tay Sachs Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Down Syndrome and other life threatening genetic disorders, should he be able to? Using human genetic engineering, scientists have developed the skills and techniques to do just this. Human genetic engineering, however, is fairly new in the science world and many questions and unresolved problems still remain. ThisRead MoreWho Will Be Affected. As The Technology Keeps Progressing,1280 Words   |  6 Pagesprogressing, so will the evolution and ideals of designer babies. These ideals will ultimately end up impacting all parties associated in the present society of the world as well. These groups that will be affected span across many generations of people with different morals and standards. The overall group that will be impacted is society as a whole. The expenses of having to see multiple specialists and then to go through operations such as in vitro fertilization and replacing genes, can get

Lord’s Prayer Free Essays

Introduction Matthew 6:9-13 is commonly referred as the â€Å"Lord’s Prayer†. In this paragraph, Jesus presented a pattern of prayer to the disciples, thus suggesting the manner in which God should be addressed and the petition we are entitled to present to Him. What is it about this paper that intrigues so many people to dig into the meaning of it? It is interesting to see from the verses above that Jesus’ prayer puts God in the first place. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord’s Prayer or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first half of the prayer focuses exclusively on God and His agenda as believers adore, worship, and submit to His will before they introduce their own personal petitions. The second half of the prayer focuses on how should disciple invite God to their daily life and live upon God’s continuous spiritual provision. Even with the second half where their wills are introduced, God still takes dominant position in the relationship. The discipleship of the followers thus is being presented through day-to-day prayers. Socio-Historical Background To fully understand the meaning of the text, the first thing to do is to step back to examine the society where the text was written, back to the time where the incident happened, thus we can fully grasp the context of the paragraph. The Gospel of Matthew as we know it was almost certainly written before A. D 100. It is quoted by Ignatius (Smyrn. 1. 1), writing in approximately 110-115 A. D. , and probably referred to in the Didache, which may date to sometime in the late 90s. 2 External evidence helps us to confirm that Matthew wrote primarily to Jewish Christian congregation or congregations either on the verge of or just recovering from a substantial break from Judaism as a whole. 3 If Matthew depends on Mark, it must obviously be later than Mark, but the dating of Mark is equally uncertain. Most would place Mark under the Neronian persecution in the mid- to late-60s, but the evidence is highly inferential. 4 Various data within Matthew’s Gospel might also support an earlier dating. Why would only Matthew include references to the temple tax (17:24-27), offering (5:23-24) and ritual (23:16-22), or to Sabbath keeping in Judea (24:20) in an era (after 70) in which none of these was practiced any longer? Why would he stress Jesus’ antagonism against the Sadducees in an age in which they had died out? One answer is that these things happened that way during Jesus’ lifetime. But given the evangelists’ consistent pattern of selecting episodes from Jesus’ life that were theologically meaningful for their communities, one wonders if these data are not indirect pointers to a pre-70 date. The evidence is finely balanced, but it is believed there is a slight weight in favor of opting for a date in the 60s, sometime after the composition of Mark. The above surveys of the probable circumstances of its composition lead a majority today to conclude that the author was a Jewish Christian. 5 Strictly speaking, this Gospel, like all four canonical Gospels, is anonymous. Canonical Matthew is written in relatively good Greek, better than Mark, but not as polished as that of the native Greek writer, Luke. Given the amount of Hellenization that had infiltrated Galilee by the first century, and given that regular contacts with Gentiles that a toll collector would have had, the apostle Matthew would have become reasonably cosmopolitan Jew, quite capable of this kind of writing. 6 Some have inferred from reference like 13:52 that Matthew himself was a scribe, either before or after becoming a Christian, and that he therefore could not  also have been a toll collector. 7 In fact, if he were a Christian scribe or teacher, his previous experience with an occupation that required writing and record keeping might even have helped better prepare him for his later responsibilities. Without any ancient traditions to the contrary, Matthew remains the most plausible choice for author. This author, at least of an original draft of this book, seems quite probably to have been the converted toll collector, also named Levi, who became one of Jesus’ Twelve apostles (cf.10:3; 9:9-13; Mark 2:14-17). Literary Context Suggestions for Matthew’s Gospel have always involved apologetic design to try to convince non-Christian Jews of the truth of the Gospel, encouragement to the church’s witness in a hostile world, and deepening Christian faith by supplying more details about Jesus’ words and works. 8 All of these proposals make good sense and may well form part of Matthew’s intention. To what kind of church under what circumstance would such a Gospel to be addressed? The text itself never says. It is usually assumed that all of the Gospels are first of all addressed to Christian communities, since from the earliest days of Christian testimony that is where these documents are read. Suggestions about the church to which Matthew presumably is writing usually try to relate the circumstances of that body of believers to the large Jewish world. Most of the testimony states merely that Matthew wrote â€Å"to the Hebrews,† although occasionally a place in Palestine is suggested. Modern scholars have often suggested Syria, especially its central city of Antioch, 9 which was up to one-seventh Jewish and a center of early Christian missionary effort. More fruitful is discussion of the type of situation within Judaism that would have provoked this Gospel. Some have argued for Gentile audience, and interpreted Matthew’s Jewish emphasis as teaching Gentile Christians how to appropriate their Jewish heritage and Scriptures. Others have remained content just to label the community â€Å"mixed†. Most interpreters recognize Matthew’s audience as Jewish-Christian congregation or congregations either on the verge o or just recovering from a substantial break from Judaism as a whole. Graham Stanton suggests the concept of the church having broken from but still in debate with the synagogue. 10 Studies of â€Å"formative Judaism† point out how diverse Jewish thought and practice were before AD 70. After the destruction of the temple, however, only two primary branches emerged: rabbinic Judaism and Christian Judaism. The tension was quite high as each of these groups competed in the same communities to defend the claim that they alone were the true heirs to their religious heritage. 11 A situation like this can explain how Matthew could be so concerned to show Jesus as the fulfillment of all things Jewish and yet stress the rebellion of Israel’s leaders, comparable in Matthew’s mind to the hostility of the synagogue leadership in his day. Passage Analysis/Implication The paragraph selected is commonly known as the â€Å"Lord’s Prayer†. Versions of this prayer appear in both Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. â€Å"Pray then like this† is rendered similarly by most translation. Translators may have â€Å"When you pray, you should pray in this way,† â€Å"Your praying should be like this,† or â€Å"When you pray, this is the kind of prayer you should make. † The form of address in Matthew (Our Father who art in heaven) appears in Luke simply as â€Å"Father† (Luke 11:2). The modifier â€Å"Our† reminds us that no believer stands alone, while â€Å"in heaven† serves both to differentiate the heavenly Father from earthly fathers and at the same time to preserve the distant between God and man. The use of first-person plural pronouns through out the prayer reminds us that our praying ought to reflect the corporate unity, desires, and needs of the entire church. â€Å"Hallowed be thy name† is translated â€Å"may your name be honored† by Phps and â€Å"May your name be held in reverence† by Brc. With regard to the last part of this verse and the entirety of the following verse, it is observed that the three petitions are parallel in thought, and both the passive form and the use of â€Å"name† reflect the attitude of reverence found in Jewish prayers. â€Å"Thy kingdom come† is parallel to the first petition. The reference is to the final establishment of God’s reign on earth. And the prayer requests that God establish his reign for us, not that we establish for him. The next petition, â€Å"Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven†, is not found in Luke’s presentation of the Lord’s prayer. This petition is an exact parallel to the first petition concerning the honoring of God’s name, and as such it also stands parallel with the second petition. The meaning of the petition may be expressed in a variety of ways: â€Å"May people obey you as you are obeyed in heaven† (MACL), â€Å"May you to obeyed all over the earth as your are obeyed in heaven† (INCL). â€Å"Thy will be done† is a passive and does not specify who is to do God’s will. Many translations have to say â€Å"may people do what you will† or â€Å"the things you will, may people carry them out on earth, just as those in heaven do. † Some translations have understood the prayer to be asking that God’s will be done on earth and be done in heaven, whereas it is probably better to assume that his will is already done in heaven, and that the prayer is that people on earth carry out his will just as it is already carried out in heaven. The first half of the prayer thus focuses exclusively on God and his agenda as believers adore, worship, and submit to his will before they introduce their own personal petitions. â€Å"Give us this day our daily bread† is a short verse but difficult to interpret. The problem concerns the meaning of the word rendered â€Å"daily†. The word appears only in Christian literature, and its origin and meaning have never been explained to the satisfaction of all. Several solutions have been offered and are summarized in the commentaries. One of the standard Greek lexicons presents them in the following order: (1) â€Å"Necessary for existence. † Some commentators say that this interpretation makes the petition less than spiritual, but Jesus and his followers took seriously the needs of the body. (2) â€Å"For the current day, for today. † This seems to be the interpretation favored by translations that render â€Å"daily†. (3) â€Å"For the following day. † This would refer to the daily ration of bread, given for the next day; therefore, â€Å"give us today our daily portion.† Mft translates â€Å"give us to-day our bread for tomorrow,† while Brc renders â€Å"Give us today our bread for the coming day. † There are several possibilities of meaning. If the prayer was said in the morning, the â€Å"coming day† would be the day in progress. If future reference would permit an eschatological interpretation as well, in which case the â€Å"coming day† could be the coming Messianic banquet. However, in this context such an interpretation is highly unlikely. (4) â€Å"Bread for the future. † This is discussed under (3). It is so called eschatological interpretation. The first two alternatives are similar to each other. The third alternative, if taken as a reference to the present day, comes to mean essentially the same as the first two possibilities. The fourth interpretation, though attractive, does not seem to be in focus in the present passage. Since an eschatological interpretation should be rejected, the translation of â€Å"this day† should not be â€Å"in these days† or â€Å"in this age†. It means simply â€Å"today†, although it can be â€Å"each day† or â€Å"day by day† in some constructions, depending on how â€Å"daily† is dealt with. The Greek word for â€Å"bread† is here used with the wider meaning of â€Å"food†. Some have wanted to take â€Å"bread† to mean more than â€Å"food†, feeling it represents all our needs, spiritual and physical. Most translators will follow the examples listed under the first two interpretations: â€Å"Give us each day the food we need. † â€Å"Forgive† has proved very difficult to translate. It can be expressed with some figure of speech such as â€Å"Forget the wrong,† â€Å"no longer see the wrong†. â€Å"Debts† represents a literal rendering of the Greek word. However, commentators note that the word is here sued figuratively for â€Å"sins†. Spiritual debts to God are first of all in view. Our plea for continued forgiveness as believers, requesting the restoration of fellowship with God following the alienation that sin produces, is predicated on our having forgiven those who have sinned against us. As verse 15 stressed, without this interpersonal reconciliation on the human level, neither can we be reconciled to God. In the clause â€Å"As we also have forgiven†, the pronoun â€Å"we† is emphatic. The verb â€Å"have forgiven† represents an aorist indicative in Greek. A number of translations give it a habitual or timeless force. Other specify that the action is past in reference to the petition for God to forgive. The word â€Å"as† is important. Some translators have taken it to mean â€Å"because† or â€Å"since†. But it is better to have â€Å"in the same way† or â€Å"just as†. That is, we ask God to forgive us in the same manner we forgive other. The final petition is especially difficult to interpret. The Greek word translated â€Å"temptation† may also means â€Å"trial, persecution.† The petition does not imply â€Å"don’t bring us to the place of temptation† or â€Å"don’t allow us to be tempted. † God’s spirit has already done both of these with Jesus (4:1). Nor does the clause imply â€Å"don’t tempt us† because God has promised never to do that anyway. Rather, in light of the probable Aramaic underlying Jesus’ prayer, these words seem best taken as â€Å"don’t let us succumb to temptation† or â€Å"don’t abandon us to temptation. †12 We do of course succumb to temptations every once in a while but never because we have no alternative (1 Corinthians 10:13). Thus when we give in, we have only ourselves to blame. The second clause translates a verb that may mean either â€Å"rescue from† or â€Å"protect against. † â€Å"Evil† translates a noun that may also mean â€Å"the evil one†. The New Testament scholars are divided on their judgment. Some are of the opinion that the word is a neuter, inasmuch as neither Hebrew nor Aramaic uses â€Å"the evil one† to denote Satan. Others, basing their judgment upon 13:19, believe that the phrase may refer to the Evil One, that is, the Devil. In either case, the power of evil is here spoken of as a reality. Numerous late manuscripts add various forms of a conclusion to Jesus’ prayer, probably based on 1 Chr 29:11-13, no doubt to give the prayer a proper doxology that otherwise lacked. This well-known conclusion appears in the NIV margin but almost certainly did not appear in Matthew’s original text. 13 14 Conclusion The â€Å"Lord’s Prayer† is in fact closer to a disciple’s prayer in its content. As the sinless One, Jesus cannot ask God to forgive his sin. However, Jesus sets up an example of prayer for us to follow. Only with the fulfillments of various petitions can we reconcile with God in unity. We are called to honor God’s name in our daily life. We are called to be used by God and obey Him in building His kingdom. We shall pray to God everyday for the needs of our body, and ask for forgiveness of our sin. Jesus is calling disciples to pray for deliverance from and protection in testing. We surely cannot avoid testing as such. God lets us to be tested by the evil one to confirm our faith in Him. When such testing comes, only God’s strength can see us through. We may note that the use of plural pronoun â€Å"our† reminds us that just as we approach God as our heavenly Father, we must remember God’s other children as our brothers and sisters. I must seek not only my daily bread but also the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ. 15 Application This prayer is a great reminder for a highly individualized society we have. We pray for everything in our lives no matter big or small. There’s nothing wrong with praying all the time, but often times most of the prayers we say are about ourselves. We prayer for better grades, better health, more time, more patience, better lives, etc. It’s always about us. We often fail to realize that we are trying to take control of everything. We pray to God for His â€Å"help† instead of letting Him be in control of the situation. Through the studying of this prayer, I realize that only through God’s power can we stand against the storms in our lives, and through him can we find the true peace. Also, we must seek not only the provision for ourselves, but also those around us. Our own intimacy with God must lead to prayer for and active commitment to the needs of all his people. How to cite Lord’s Prayer, Papers

Business Model Needs and Wants

Question: Discuss about the Report for Business Model for Needs and Wants. Answer: Business Model This transcript helps to understand the Business Model as a concept that helps the company to reach the market with their products and services that requires from the changing scenario of the environment, the times and the competitive nature of the business and the market to innovate with disruption. This means that the existing business model to be changed with adoption of new technologies or the reframing and making certain changes to the business model with newer offering that suit the business needs and helps to satisfy the customer needs and wants. The Theory of Business Model This business model theory in this transcript provides the methods and the ways that the companies follow in renovating the business model through the disruption of the existing business model. This business model theory that with introduction of new methods and the technologies to reach the needs of the business and the market that help approach the customers by re inventing them with their business model. This with the strategies, the tactics and the methods with usage of the digital technology or new offers that disrupts the old business model creating new business model that is critical to the success of the company. Recent business model disruption The model regarding the recent disruption here in this transcript provides the example of the Fairfax that the company used in the recruitment industry that has transformed the industry with the innovation using the new technologies that helped to disrupt the old traditional business model with the usage of internet technology that helped them to reach the market. Their software helped the recruiters to reach the suitable candidates required for the job and the job seekers to get the jobs suitable for them without the need to go through the hassles of reaching the recruiters for the jobs they were seeking. This digital technology helped recruiters and job candidates to approach each other through digital platform provided by Fairfax that was the business model they invented with the disruption of the old traditional model. Business Models Comparison The need for the companies to develop new business models that are the traditional and the existing business models with that of the new business models with the use of digital technology or with offerings that helps to develop the new business model is crucial to the success of the company. However, this business model disruption always does not provide for companies a success as this needs to design based on the customer needs and satisfaction that for the company is critical for the success. Business Models for Future This transcript helps to under the requirements of the business models that require with change in the environment, the times and the markets demand the changes with disruption of the business models that is logical for the companies to undertake for the sustenance of their business. This gives a fact that future business models needs to account for the disruptions that are critical to the needs of the business.

Las Cervesas Mexicana Essays - DraftBuenas Pintas, Bonny Cepeda

Danny Granger Spanish 2 Professor Daffor Las Cervezas Mexicana! La cerveza mexicana se invent? hace mucho tiempo atr?s. Todo comenz? cuando los aztecas usaban para preparar algunas bebidas alcoh?licas. Un ingrediente muy com?n usado en la cerveza mexicana es de ma?z. Una de las cosas malas que la gente sol?a decir de la cerveza era que no teine una buena sonrisa a la misma. La cerveza mexicana es famosa por ser uno de los primeros en poner un lim?n en la cerveza. Hay dos grandes empresas que se ejecutan en la industria cervecera, Grupo Modelo y FEMSA. Cuando la cerveza se introdujo por primera vez a la gente de M?xico dijo que comenz? a los malos h?bitos de beber. Hay cuatro grandes cervezas mexicanas que son muy populares hoy en d?a, Tecate, Dos Equis, y Corona Pacifico. Todos ellos son similares y diferentes en ciertos aspectos. La cerveza m?s famosa de hoy es Dos Equis. Es sobre todo conocido por el comercial con "el hombre m?s interesante del mundo." Una vez le? un libro con los ojos cerrados. La botella de Dos Equis se caracteriza por ser de color verde. Otra cerveza mexicana que es muy popular en los Estados Unidos es Tecate. Son bien conocidos por su botella marr?n. Que utilizan la botella marr?n, ya que protege la cerveza contra el sol. Es una creencia tradicional mexicano que el sol cambia la cerveza. La cerveza mexicana ?ltimo es probablemente el m?s popular, Corona. Esta cerveza es Knon por tener la botella transparente. Esta cerveza es muy popular sobre todo en Estados Unidos. La cerveza mexicana tiene una gran influencia en los Estados Unidos y sigue siendo m?s popular.

Abenaki Life essays

Abenaki Life essays The Abenaki placed their villages near large water sources. The villages were made up of cornfields, cemeteries, family residencesand specialized buildings and spaces (the main area), and special huts andcamps. Groups of trails connected thedifferent parts of the village together. TheAbenaki spent some of the year in the main village. Here there were many bark houses with fires inside and holes inthe top for the smoke to come out. Their furniture consisted of woven mats, braches covered with hides, andmany furs for bedding. The longhouseswere large multiple family dwellings which housed 30-60 people. They used someof the special buildings for rituals, the shamans hut, and the sweat lodge.They would spend winter here, and would hunt and gather to survive. Summer would also be spent here, improvingthe village. There were not manyproblems in village life until European invasions. Therewere many seasonal camps for the Abenaki. In the early spring, they would go to camps to collect different kindsof bark and other building materials. They gathered different types of wood and bark for roofs, weapons,tools, and other necessary items. Inmid-spring the Abenaki would go to fishing camps. Since many of the villages were close to large water sources,people could often go home after a day of fishing. There was always plenty of fish and the leftover ones were storedin the main village. When the leavesbegin to turn (at the beginning of autumn) the Abenaki went to huntingcamps. They used bow and arrow, knife,lance hunting dogs, and later rifles. They hunted moose, deer, and bear. The women would skin and prepare the animals and the men would hunt. Thespecialized areas in the village were the council house, the dance ground, theshamans hut, the sweat lodge, the cemeteries, fields, and rock chambers. The council house usually faced the dancingground. Outside the house was the chief...

Vincent by Don Mclean Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vincent by Don Mclean - Essay Example He was residing in Massachusetts in an attractive federal designed residence. This house was referred to as the Sedgwick house. The Sedgwick household included an interesting individual whom Andy Warhol had worked with in the 60s, Edie Sedgwick. McLean composed the song in his dwelling that was filled with antiques. The motivation occurred to him one sunrise while he was on the veranda going through a work on Gogh. McLean discovered that a song about the artist could be composed out of Starry Night, the painting. The song makes use of the strings, guitar, vibraphone, and accordion (Whitburn 166). This paper will analyze the song, Vincent, by Don McLean, focusing on the lyrics, symbol, context, writing technique and how the music blends with the meaning of the song. The composer’s lyrics highlight his life situations. The lyrics of the song highlight how the writer comprehends what the difficulties of an artist are like. He asserts that the society does not know the reasons tha t make artists write or paint. McLean has experienced this situation himself. The writer of the song has come across the paintings of Vincent and has comprehended what Vincent was attempting to illustrate. The writer is attempting to communicate to the listeners that no individual would pay attention to what Vincent was attempting to say, and that individuals did not appreciate the correct meaning of the paintings because they perceived him as peculiar. The composer’s foremost point is that the society should become tolerant. The reiteration of the words, ‘starry starry night’, highlights the significance of the heavens. Vincent enjoyed night time and he had the ability to paint the skies with numerous stars. In the last chorus, Mclean asserts, â€Å"They would not listen, they are not listening still, perhaps they never will.† This shows how Van Gogh was not appreciated as a painter until he died (Whitburn 166). There is the use of symbol in McLeanâ€℠¢s song. The opening phrase, Starry Starry Night, is an indication of the painting, The Starry Night, by Van Gogh. The painting of Van Gogh and the song of Don McLean signifies what it feels like when an individual is not understood. The lines, â€Å"Paint your palette blue and gray† highlight the outstanding colors of Van Gogh’s painting, and they most likely are a testimonial to Van Gogh’s behavior of biting or sucking on his paint brushes during painting. The phrases, â€Å"ragged men in ragged clothes† and â€Å"how you tried to set them free† illustrates Van Gogh’s liking for the socially banished and humanitarian events. This is also highlighted in Van Gogh’s drawings and paintings. In addition, the lyrics, â€Å"They would not listen, they did not know how† signifies the family and a number of people who were significant of Van Gogh’s compassion to those presumed to be miserable (Whitburn 166). Finally, the line, â€Å"How you suffered for your sanity† symbolizes the schizophrenic condition which Van Gogh experienced. There are a number of situations that help in composing the song. McLean composed the song in his dwelling filled with antiques. The motivation occurred to him one sunrise while he was on the veranda going through a work on Van Gogh. McLean discovered that a song about the artist could be composed out of Starry Night, the painting. In addition, Van Gogh worked on his painting when he was experiencing one of his most trying times of his existence (Whitburn 166). During this time, he was put in prison in an asylum at Saint Remy. Van Gogh

Management (Bounded rationality) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management (Bounded rationality) - Essay Example Emotions act on a wide range of situations causing biases and errors (Rabin 1998). In short this means that in certain circumstances the complex, human logical apparatus ceases to process rationality, which establishes grounds for the emergence of bounded rationality. "The other is that in interactive situations of complication, agents cannot rely upon other agents they are dealing with to behave under perfect rationality, and so they are forced to guess their behavior. This lands them in a world of subjective beliefs, and subjective beliefs Bounded rationality plays on suggestion. Bounded rationality could affect managers, because there is not enough information for the manager to make the rational decision. In such occasions, he has to rely on suggestive guesses and interpretations. This may create errors and mistakes in the strategic course that the organization is taking. Beach (1996) describes the implicit favorite model of decision making. First, the need for taking a decision is determined. Then, alternatives are identified and a selection for the implicit favorite alternative is chosen. Afterwards, criteria must be established to match the implicit favorite and alternatives a compared with the implicit favorite criteria. At the end the implicit favorite is confirmed and finally selected. ... The selection can be influenced by the salary, proximity of the office, extra working hours, business trips and job position. How could you utilize the intuition in making your decision And when The business world is a dynamic one and recently is has become less structured too. Thus, managers are forced to use their intuition in essential situations especially when there is lack of information. Intuition is often mistaken for emotions, though. Although intuition is formed in subconscious level, the intuitive decision making is a combination of quick qualitative and quantitative analyses (Quinn 1980). Intuition can help decision making, because it is based on past experiences and knowledge deeply rooted in your subconscious rational thinking. Thus, relying on our intuition can aid us in situations when there is little information available. Intuition can be used in situations when the circumstances are rapidly changing and there is no time for analyses. Intuition is needed also in expedient decision making when the problem is poorly defined and structured. If the deal is not structured, incomplete, there are conflicting points or ambiguity, intuition is required. Perceptual blinder is one of four reasons that increase the escalation of commitment, list the other three and elaborate on the Perceptual blinder We can define escalation of commitment as the tendency to invest additional financial resources in seemingly losing non beneficial projects, because they cost already lots of efforts, money and time. The perceptual blinder can influence the escalation of commitment on the bases of emotions - fears or anger. Staw and Ross (1987) summarized several reasons for the formation of

One area of my business that I would like to change. The necessities Essay

One area of my business that I would like to change. The necessities of staff change - Essay Example In order to stay in a competitive market, fine tuning of business strategies or implementation of changes are necessary. I am running a Honda cars sales outlet at present and I would like to change the sales staff completely to promote more sales. My existing sales staffs are not competent enough to capture more business in this ever changing competitive market. Majority of them are more than 45 years of age. This paper describes why I want to implement a staff change in the sales department. The necessities of staff change Traditional Sales Mind-set always delivers a strong sales pitch. New Sales Mind-set stops the sales pitch -- and start a conversation. Traditional Sales Mind-set always looks for closing the sale. New Sales Mind-set is always to discover whether you and your potential client are a good fit (Galper, 2011). Relationship building is accepted as the core of every business activity at present. In other words, building strong relations with the customers is necessary fo r the benefit of a company. In this extremely competitive world, the value of customers is increasing rapidly. No organization can sustain its operations if it fails to attract a substantial volume of customers. My sales staffs are following the traditional patters of sales management. They are more interested only in capturing business than servicing the customers after the sales. In their opinion, their duty is over once they bring enough sales to the company. I got many complaints from different customers about the reluctance of my sales staff in servicing them after the closing of sales. The mind-set of my existing staffs needs to be changed completely. Even though I tried to empower them with the help of modern training methods, it is difficult for them to change their traditional methods and attitudes. A new sales team with ample knowledge in modern sales management techniques may serve better than my existing sales team. With superior knowledge in modern communication channel s and technologies, a new sales team would

Reflection on Personal Development and Self-Awareness

Reflection on Personal Development and Self-Awareness The Voyage Introduction The title of this essay is The Voyage . Its a reflective essay, and I am using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988) as a template for this exercise. Its a critical reflection on the importance of personal development and self-awareness, which are necessary if one is successful in becoming, and remaining a councillor. In simple terms its a examination of ones outlook on life, from their own behaviours and to how they interact with other people. By self examination and peer feedback facilities me to become more aware about myself. Conscious of my privileges, prejudices, perceptions, core values, beliefs ,and behaviours. Aware of my strengths, weaknesses and blind spots. This development of self awareness, along with the ability to self reflect on ones life experiences, is viewed as not only necessary, but professionally ethical, as its practice enables a councillor and clients to remain safe and emotionally detached from future relationships they are trying to develop. Because its so easy for a counsellor to fall into the trap of forming a sense of identity or empathy while counselling clients. But its vital for both, especially the councillor, that they remain emotionally detached at all times. Being objective is the main difficulty when assessing our personal development and self awareness. How we see and think of ourselves can be quite different from what other people see us. Only by rigorous personal inventories and feedback from others can we find a yardstick which with we can measure our ethics, and our professional standards which are vital in providing a safe environment when forming a relationship with our clients. Its only by this sometimes painful process of becoming more self aware can we then embarque on our lifelong personal development, and be better equipped in dealing with the challenges presented by possible conflicts, and enable us to be more attuned and less vulnerable with our relationships with future clients. The Voyage According to Plato the famous philosopher Socrates once said The greatest good of a man is daily to converse about virtue, and all that concerning which you hear me examining myself and others, andthatthe life which is unexamined is not worth living (Plato,Apology). This course, which is a diploma in the psychology of counselling, has contained within it a module on personal development and self awareness. This module challenges us to examine our core values, beliefs and prejudices and behaviours.. One of the requirements to becoming a good councillor is to know which way your moral compass points, and to be aware of any prejudices, privileges and blind spots, and to remain emotionally uninvolved. To achieve this one has to embarque on a new journey of fearless self analysis. We were advised to keep a journal, in which we could record events on one side and our feelings of these events on the other side. This has provided me with very valuable insights into my personality while compiling this essay. Also this paper is a reflective essay, and so we must immerse ourselves in self reflection. The goal of this exercise is to make us more self aware. Aware of our personality traits and prejudices, our core values, habits, emotions, and the psychological forces that dictate our behaviour. This comprises of all events, good and bad, acquired throughout our entire lifetime that shapes who we are as a person today, and what we have to offer any potential client. While our tutor explained the module in greater detail, warning us that it could be a emotional rollercoaster for some of us, I could sense the nervous atmosphere throughout the classroom. After all its not easy dissecting ones entire lifetime, reliving all the events, good and bad, questioning ones reactions, the lessons learned or forgotten, and most importantly how these events shaped our personalities, attitudes, and our behaviour. I could see the importance in such an exercise. To become a good councillor requires change, and the first step in making a change of any kind is to beawarethat a change is wanted or needed. This can only be achieved by getting to know oneself by immersing themselves in various scenarios, reflecting on past events, and questioning their reactions and what thoughts were felt at the time. This is the path to self awareness, and its only by self awareness one gets to know what are the strengths and weaknesses they poses that can achieve better results in their role as a councillor, and with their clients. Unlike many of my classmates I thought I had an advantage. The advantage in question is Im an alcoholic and a drug addict, thankfully in recovery, five years clean and sober. Ive been to rehab, several times. The most popular method of treatment used is called the Minnesota Model (Hazelden 1949) , this has developed into the more widely known twelve step program. Today there are many similar twelve step programs. But there is one important step common to all groups, that is step four, which reads: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves (The Big Book: April 10, 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc ). My feelings was that in my case it was already done and dusted. In overcoming my addiction I had to dig deep very deep. From my earliest childhood memories up to the present day. I didnt find it easy, but it changed the person I thought I was completely, and was a vital tool to my recovery. The life of a councillor will always be a work in progress, there is no such thing as perfection, but one should always be as self aware as possible, and continue completely and honestly with their personal development. This includes sourcing important feedback from superiors and colleagues, which proves valuable information as to how others view you. Like our tutor explained, the path to personal development and self awareness can be very difficult and emotional. The pain of dredging up memories long buried can be to some too much to endure. But the simple fact is just this, the pain one experiences while undertaking this difficult task, comes in not the journey, it comes by not having the courage to embarque on such a journey. Fear that one has to challenge and change some thought processes and behaviours that they have used and relied upon for some time. Often through various defence mechanisms that they may not be even conscious of. The journey of self discovery can be a difficult one, but I was first in line to buy a ticket, confident I had already been there, and if there were some omissions, I was eager to discover them. I viewed my life story as an open book, and was comfortable in disclosing any of my many shortcomings, to anyone at anytime. However I soon realised it was far from done and dusted. To maintain abstinence we have to always seek self awareness, and continue our personal development. In doing so we have to be completely honest and humble. Completing step four of a twelve step program is like looking at your reflection in a mirror. You only see your shortcomings through your own eyes. The fact that others may see you differently felt slightly uncomfortable, due to the possibility that I may be someone different to whom I thought I was. Over the next two months we sometimes engaged in groups to discuss and debate various topics. One of those being, what are the effects of modern society, and how people living in congested inner cities, with no community can lead to future mental health problems. I once thought of such people as scum. Undeserving of any free handouts. It would be true that I viewed these people as narcissistic parasites. Freeloaders who only existed by terrifying innocent and vulnerable people, and who should be locked up to protect decent honest people. However I began to realise that these same people were victims of a society that judged and condemned them, a society of which I was a part of. I realised that these people didnt have a choice as to which culture and society they were born into. A society which denied them equal access to education, sports and pastimes, marginalising them to such an extent that the easiest path to fill the vacuum they felt was through violence, crime, addiction, and most unfortunately suicide. I learned through enrolling in this course that it was they who were the victims. I grew convinced that the culture and society they lived in, was one we created for them. I soon formed the opinion that the root of these problems was a result of poor parenting. By poor parenting I mean stressed parenting. Stress caused by economic poverty, violence, unemployment, dysfunctional societies, abandoned mothers, poor housing, no access to education, crime, addiction etc. I argued that the problem started from birth, and possibility pre-birth as stress hormones in the mother has been proved as having a negative effect on the unborn foetus. (Verny & Kelly 1981). I was, and still felt that these problems were caused by poor or no attachment to any care giver because nobody cared. I also stated Bowleys opinion which was the infant and young child should experience a warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with his mother (or permanent mother substitute) in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment, and that not to do so may have significant and irreversible mental health consequences ( Bowlby, 1951). I also argued that in my opinion it was a Self fulfilling Prophesy that a Mother, who herself never had any attachment or continuous relationship with her own Mother, while also experiencing possible mental health problems, would give birth to a child whose template of care will be identical to her own, thereby ensuring that the chain of dysfunction remains intact. Another example was related to colour, race, and privilege. We were shown a movie directed by Lee Mun Wha called (The color of fear 1994). This entailed of a group comprising of Eight men, two African American, two Latinos, two Asian American and two Caucasians. The discussion was about race, especially the racial experiences as seen through each others eyes. in America. The exchanges were often dramatic, and sought to clarify the pain caused by racism in North America. In this movie the people of colour expressed their racial experiences and problems in American society compared to the two Caucasians in the group. As the discussion developed one of the African Americans became quite animated if not abusive towards one of the Caucasians in the group. The reaction of the Caucasian was one of surprise. He stated that he often employed these people of colour, and that some of them were his closest friends. He was obviously surprised at being portrayed as a racist. The other coloured people also expressed similar views, though in a calmer fashion. My first interpretation was that the Caucasian in question was being harshly treated. After all it was he who employed and befriended people of colour. As the discussion developed I began to realise some privileges that Caucasians poses and may be unaware of. The structure of American society was built by white Caucasian people of European descent dating back to the colonization of the continent. Any other race such as people of African, Asian, Latino origin arrived later, either through slavery, immigration, or economic need. It was these later arrivals along with native Americans who had to comply with the status quo, which was created by the Founding Fathers (Brown Jul 1976). by white European decedents. I began to realise that the debate may not about hard racism like the violent protests in the US during the1960s human rights movement, (New World Encyclopedia contributors , 05/11/2014) which eventually led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (congresslink.org, 2014). My interpretation is that its more like passive discrimination, and that the real issue may be inequality rather than racism, especially economic inequality. The US is one of most unequal societies in the world. Its inequality is now at Great Depression levels (Saez & Zucman 2014) However theres another term called Colour Blindness ( Doob, 2012). The author describes this process as allowing whites to ignore the disadvantages of coloured or non-white population. Doob also argues that white people may believe they live in a world in which racial discrimination no longer exists, but their behaviour often consists of racialized practices. My final analyses of the movie is simply that the Caucasian in question was Colour Blind but was not conscious of the fact. This I believe is because he never discriminated against such people, while also knowing at the same time such practices are widespread. From the irate African American point of view I believe he was angry that Caucasians had the privilege of deciding to play the Race Card or not, while not having this privilege himself, he may have viewed it as a prejudice not evoked, rather than exercising a privilege to which the Caucasian was unaware of. This movie brought into my consciousness some privileges I was totally unaware of. Examples such as race, religion, education, strong family bonds, access to healthcare etc. are some of the privileges I enjoy that many of the people I referred to at the start of this essay dont have. This leads to the question, am I racist? When referring to members of the travelling community, who are Irelands largest ethnic minority, I, like many others are of the opinion that its the minority of travellers that cause the most conflicts. In my opinion it is these people who are responsible for the discrimination experienced by them. Regarding travellers, I have witnessed both sides of their behaviour and culture. For thirty years I was a rural publican. I served travellers on many occasions, not in large groups, but in small groups of two or three that I knew would cause no problems. But unfortunately sooner or later these would arrive in larger groups. These larger groups would include the troublesome minority mentioned above. This would always result in expulsion from the premises. Always my main complaint would be why dont these people take responsibility for the troublesome minority? Instead of attempting to dissuade these minorities they seemed to close ranks and support them. Because my regular customers, to whom I relied on to make a living, objected to their presence, I felt I had no choice but to impose a blanket ban on all travellers. I dont think Im racist towards these people. My decisions were based on pragmatism rather than race. Unfortunately this seems to be the norm throughout todays society, even though some self rightness people object, stating its illegal for this discrimination. But the fact remains that all businesses have the right to refuse service, without having to provide a reason. Since leaving the trade I have come into contact with many of these people and they have treated me with the utmost respect. They are quite aware of the predicament I faced, and understood why I had to be pragmatic in choosing my regular and loyal customers over their unwanted presence. I now see in them a strong moral code. They are deeply religious. But unlike many devout, they also have an unconditional faith to match. A faith to which I have a unconditional respect. However I still question why they dont call to account the small minority of trouble makers who tarnish all the decent members of their identity and culture. Conclusion The two subjects discussed above are just two examples of the advantage of applying Personal development. There are many other examples where personal development and self awareness would be beneficial. All types of counselling present new challenges, wither counselling for depression, addiction, anxiety, bereavement, suicide etc. The fact that when we examine these in greater detail it results in a change of our point of view, we become more aware of subtleties and inaccurate assumptions. We become aware of different views which people revile. In other words it enables us to be more self aware. Because only counsellors who are aware of their own skills and knowledge can successfully help a client, Personal development and self awareness are vital. Today the benefits of personal development and self awareness have become more widespread in society. Practices such as mindfulness, yoga, meditation and other eastern philosophies are now widespread. More and more people practice some disciplines above. People, especially I, now question the narcissistic nature of western capitalism. I question is this the path to personal wellbeing and happiness? I, for one think not. I will end this essay with a quote from ex US President Jimmy Carter. â€Å"Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but rather by what one owns.† To own ones soul is true freedom. Only self awareness and personal development makes this possible. The End Bibliography Bowlby, J.(1951) Maternal care and mental health, Pg 51 World Health Organization Monograph(Serial No. 2) Brown Richard D. (Jul 1976) The Founding Fathers of 1776 and 1787 A Collective View, pp.465-480. William and Mary Quarterly,3rd Ser., Vol. 33, No. 3 (Jul. 1976). Dirksen Congressional Center. (2014) congresslink.org. Available at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_basics_histmats_civilrights64text.htm [Accessed on 17/11/2014] Doob C.B., (2012) Social inequality and social stratification in US society. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2013. Print. Gibbs, G.(1988)Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods(London, Further Education Unit) Minnesota Model: Hazelden (1949)Available at http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/minnesotamodel.page [accessed on 17/11/2014] New World Encyclopedia contributors, (2014), African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)Available at: :http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_(1955-1968)&oldid=985152 [Accessed on 17/11/2014] Plato,(Apology, section 38) Saez, E & Zucman,G (2014), Wealth equality in the United States since 1913, University of California–Berkeley & London School of Economics. The Big Book: (April 10, 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc ). The color of fear (1994) directed by Lee Mun Wha.USF Urban Education & Social Justice 1994. Thomas R. Verny T R & Kelly J, 1982, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, Published July 15th 1982 by Dell.

Help Desks :: essays research papers

Help desks must help themselves: With no relief in sight, help desks need to be given the right resources.(Industry Trend or Event)Author/s: Stannie HoltThe internal help desk has a precarious position in today's enterprise. Like Rodney Dangerfield, the help desk staff often gets no respect from its internal customers nor from executives who see them only as a cost center. But other times, like Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, they're your only hope.Insiders say that even though information technology is essential to productivity these days, minding the help desk is a thankless job whose burden will only increase over the next few years as IT's size and complexity multiplies. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel: Better-designed applications, more effective integration, and more Web interfaces could cut down on the IT clutter and therefore the help desk workload -- but not for years to come."The trend for service centers [or help desks] today is we get more and more stuff to support and more and more [IT] complexity," said Renee Seay, senior manager for IT Customer Service at semiconductor maker AMD, in Sunnyvale, Calif.Analysts say most large organizations use 30 to 50 different applications and types of hardware. Some companies have separate help desks for different products, but most prefer the convenience of a centralized service desk.According to Kurt Johnson, vice president of service management at the Meta Group, in Stamford, Conn., in the past decade the number of calls to internal help desks has risen from one or one-and-a-half per employee per month to two calls, and is likely to hit three or more within a few years.There are several reasons for this growth, and they are not all bad, according to Johnson. First, there is "the continued proliferation of technology on the desktop," he said.For example, enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors such as SAP are trying to expand the scope of their manufacturing and financial- ori ented applications so a broader range of people can use them.Moreover, many ERP vendors are offering self-service features, such as letting all employees directly look up their available vacation days, which means everyone must have access to these applications, not just the human resources department, Johnson said.On the other hand, such self-service applications can also be a good way to cut down on calls by letting employees look up their own answers on a FAQ list or database, according to Cecil Lawson, director of executive services at Remedy, in Mountain View, Calif.