Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York Research Paper

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York - Research Paper Example I will follow the continued growth of Chinatown and its divided two tier society that formed the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. I will discuss the ramifications of the Exclusion Act and the construction of the Chinese bachelor society. I will conclude with Ping Dong’s story of her entrance into the United States and the subterfuge she had to perpetuate in order to rejoin with her husband, following the lifting of the Exclusion and the entrance of War Brides after World War II. In the 1850’s and 1860’s, Chinese immigration began with arrival in the Port of New York, which was a passageway for westward expansion and the California Gold Rush. , Many men from China moved west to pan for gold and seek their fortune, but instead â€Å"busted† with little success. Unemployed and unwanted, Chinese workers were hired for manual labor to build the railroads, cook and clean. When the railroads were completed, and jobs were more scarce, animosity quickly developed between the â€Å"yellow peril† and the white workers. Enmity grew so much that racism became legal; the Workman’s Party in California adopted the slogan, â€Å"The Chinese Must Go.† ... Most left their families behind, hoping to make a fortune in the gold mines and to send for them, not expecting the backlash of harsh immigration laws aimed directly at their population. Most were poor and uneducated and worked at odd jobs, laundry, cleaning, and household help. Most were â€Å"unassimilated,† staying within the confines of the community for friendship and family, not easily conversant in English. As they were not allowed to become naturalized citizens, nor were they allowed to bring their wives, they were mostly a bachelor society, with men outnumbering women 27 to 1 (Foner 145). The Chinese community was close-knit, in part due to enforced segregation from the white populace, but also to provide for each other and for financial strength. It was common for a two room apartment to have 5-15 people, each with his own limited space. They slept in tri-tiered bunks, two or three to a bed (Burrows 1128). The Chinese looked to their own selves for self-support, they created a self-sustaining society with a government, social services, businesses, and jobs. In order to protect itself, the Chinese created the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, or the CCBA (McIllwain 215). It was through this association that one could buy a business, get a job, plan a funeral, or arrange for banking. This was self-governing and self-regulating for the Chinese community, a hierarchical system of courts within the community that also decided law and imposed taxes for the New York Chinese. Each section of Chinatown had representation through the Tongs. The Tongs collected the taxes and imposed the protection within the community. Chinese society was two tiered: Uptowners, or the Elite, mainly comprised of investors and businessmen, and Downtowns, or the Workers, made

Motivational types Essay Example for Free

Motivational types Essay The hypothesis for this study was â€Å"Do certain types of personality traits determine individual motivational types? † The importance of this type of study has been recognized by many researchers. For example Tett and Burnett (2003) determined that recognizing different personality types could determine how an individual might be influenced by various motivational factors which in turn reflect how productive and viable an individual might be under different work environments. The impact of finding a direct correlation between personality traits, and motivational types, could be significant in many industry fields. This paper considered the following motivational factors: money, energy from other people, the work environment, professional growth and power. In general the findings were unsurprising. For example many people mentioned that money was a motivational factor in their workplace, yet those on a higher pay were more reluctant to say so. What was interesting in this study was the apparent lack of significance of power on an individual’s motivation to work. This would suggest that there are some personality types that firstly distinguish between power in the workplace and decision making, and secondly that some individuals prefer a position where they are not called on to make decisions. In relation to whether or not an individual classified himself as a ‘private person’ and how this impacted motivation, only one scenario was considered; that of being a private person and project planning. Although the results were not definitive there was a strong suggestion that those respondents who considered themselves private people, also liked a structured work environment. This is supported by other results in the study such as the significant number of people that enjoyed working in a team environment, and those who found the energy of people around them a motivational factor. The limitations of this study included a necessary restriction on the variables studied and the small number of participants in the sample group. However many of the results found in the variables studied were quite conclusive and further study with larger respondent groups and more variables associated with different personality types could prove useful in this area. References Tett, R. P. ,Burnett, D. D. (2003). A personality trait–based interactionist model of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 500-517.

Disadvantages Of The Open Cycle Configuration Environmental Sciences Essay

Disadvantages Of The Open Cycle Configuration Environmental Sciences Essay The main problems of todays society are; the ever increasing demand in energy, a possible resource shortage and environmental pollution. Therefore a lot of money is spent in research to find alternative ways of producing energy using Earths natural resources like wind, sun and the ocean. This report is a study on Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) which might be the answer to the energy and environmental problem our world has to face. A basic description and an introduction to the types and principles of operation of closed cycle, open cycle and hybrids of OTEC technology is given in this report. Emphasis is shown on the hybrid cycle which has advantages compared to other single purpose plants for fresh water production or power generation. The process of desalination of sea water can prove vital for countries which have water shortage. This report is focused on the technology that would be suited for a hybrid cycle OTEC plant situated in Cyprus. Contents Table of Figures 1. Aims and Objectives The aim of this project is to investigate the characteristics of a dual purpose plant for simultaneous production of desalinated water and electric power. An attempt will be made to state the conditions and criteria for adjusting the ratio of desalinated water to power production and also how this ratio is affected by a variation in seawater temperature and pressure. In addition, different design considerations of the hybrid cycle particularly suitable for an OTEC plant operating in Cyprus will be discussed. 2. Introduction The ocean surface absorbs more heat from the sun in one square mile than could be produced by burning 7000 barrels of oil (Avery Wu, 1994). Therefore the solar energy absorbed per day by the surface waters can be used to provide a green, zero-emission production of electricity. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion or OTEC is the technology that meets the technical requirements and is economically viable for harvesting the solar energy absorbed by the ocean. OTEC plants make use of the thermal gradient that exists between the surface of the ocean and the deep cold waters to initiate a power producing cycle. The warm tropical surface waters (at a temperature of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 22 °C) and the deep ocean waters (at a depth of 1000m a temperature of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 4 °C) are used as a source of thermal energy to vaporize and condense the working fluid of a turbine-generator system. The thermodynamic cycle for this heat engine is the called the Rankine cycle. OTEC systems maybe either clos ed cycle, open cycle or a combination of the two also known as hybrid systems. In the closed cycle, seawater is used to vaporize and condense a working fluid, such as ammonia, which drives a turbine-generator in a closed loop, producing electricity. In the open cycle, surface water is flash-evaporated in a vacuum chamber. The resulting low-pressure steam is used to drive a turbine-generator. Cold seawater is used to condense the steam after it has passed through the turbine. The open cycle can, therefore, be configured to produce fresh water as well as electricity. The hybrid cycle consists of both the closed cycle system and the open cycle system. The system is interconnected and arranged in such a manner that the former cycle provides electricity and the latter yields desalinated water. Such a system has promising potential in countries which have issues with lack of water. 3. Literature Review 3.1 Closed Cycle OTEC System 3.1.1 Principle of Operation The closed cycle was first proposed in 1881, by DArsonval in France, and was demonstrated in 1979, when a small plant mounted on a barge off Hawaii (Mini-OTEC) produced 50 kW of gross power, for several months, with a net output of 18 kW (Vega, 1992). The principle of operation of the closed OTEC system is demonstrated in figure 1 below. Figure : Principle of operation of a closed cycle OTEC system (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) In the closed cycle, the OTEC system utilizes the warm surface seawater to vaporize a working fluid, such as ammonia, which flows through a heat exchanger (evaporator). The vapor expands at modest pressures and drives a turbine which is coupled to a generator that produces electricity. The vapor then passes through another heat exchanger (condenser) where it is condensed back into a liquid using cold seawater from pumped from the oceans depths through a cold water pipe. A pressurizer or feed pump is used to pump the condensed working fluid back to the evaporator to complete the cycle, producing continuous power generation as long as the warm water and cold water continue to flow. The closed OTEC cycle is basically the same as the conventional Rankine cycle employed in steam engines, in which the steam is condensed and returned to the boiler after driving a piston or steam turbine, OTEC differs by using a different working fluid and lower pressures and temperatures (Avery Wu, 1994). The four processes of the ideal Rankine cycle are listed below: 1. Isentropic expansion (Turbine) 2. Isobaric heat rejection (Condenser) 3. Isentropic compression (Pump) 4. Isobaric heat addition (Evaporator) 3.2 Open Cycle OTEC System 3.2.1 Principle of Operation The open cycle concept was first proposed in the 1920s and demonstrated in 1930, off Cuba by its inventor, a Frenchman by the name of Georges Claude (Vega, 1992). In the open cycle, the warm seawater is the working fluid. The warm seawater is pumped into a vacuum chamber where it is flash- evaporated to produce steam at an absolute pressure of about 2.4kPa. The steam passes through a low pressure turbine which in turn drives a generator to produce electricity. The steam exiting the turbine flows is condensed by cold seawater pumped from the oceans depths through a cold-water pipe. In this open cycle configuration a surface condenser can be used and therefore the condensed steam remains separated from the cold seawater and provides a supply of desalinated water. Figure 2 below shows the principle of operation of the open cycle OTEC system. Figure : Principle of operation of an open cycle OTEC system (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) 3.2.2 Disadvantages of the Open Cycle Configuration This type of configuration produces less power than the closed cycle alternative but it is attractive in places where water shortage is an issue. In addition, the very low pressure at which the system operates means that connections must be carefully sealed to prevent atmospheric air from entering the system, which could bring the operation to a halt. Another disadvantage compared to the closed cycle system is that the specific volume of the low-pressure steam is very large compared to the pressurized working fluid used in the closed cycle system. Therefore the components must have large flow areas to ensure that steam flow does not reach a high enough velocity which could damage the turbine. Also, a large turbine is required to accommodate the very high volumetric flow rates of the low-pressure steam in order to generate a sufficient amount of electrical power. 3.3 Hybrid Cycle OTEC System 3.3.1 Principle of Operation A hybrid cycle combines the features of both the closed-cycle and open-cycle systems. In a hybrid OTEC system, warm seawater enters a vacuum chamber where it is flash-evaporated into steam, which is similar to the open-cycle evaporation process. The steam vaporizes the working fluid of a closed-cycle loop on the other side of an ammonia vaporizer. The vaporized fluid then drives a turbine that produces electricity. The steam condenses within the heat exchanger and provides desalinated water. Figure 3 is an illustration of the hybrid cycle OTEC system. Figure : Principle of operation of a hybrid cycle OTEC system (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The electricity produced by the system can be delivered to a utility grid or used to manufacture methanol, hydrogen, refined metals, ammonia, and similar products. 3.4 OTEC Components The main components of an OTEC system are described below- namely, heat exchangers, evaporators, turbines and condensers. 3.4.1 Heat Exchangers for Closed Cycle OTEC Systems The design of heat exchangers to meet industrial requirements for efficiency, durability, ease of manufacture, packaging, system integration reliability and cost has led to an extensive technology devoted just to this subject. The special requirements of OTEC can be met by heat exchangers with different operating characteristics than conventional designs. Also, research has been done to increase the overall heat transfer coefficients in ways that will reduce the heat exchanger costs per kilowatt of net power generated. This has led to the investigation of various potential types of heat exchangers with features designed to be optimal for OTEC applications. Some of these are briefly described below. Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers: This is the most widely used type of heat exchanger for industrial evaporator and condenser applications. As the name implies, this type consists of a shell and a bundle of tubes inside it. Specifically for OTEC applications, water flows through the tubes and the working fluid flows across the tube bank in the middle section. In conventional ones, seawater flows through the tubes, and the working fluid evaporates or condenses in a shell around them. This design can be enhanced by using fluted tubes: the working fluid flows into the grooves and over the crests, producing a thin film that evaporates more effectively. Plate Heat Exchangers: Another type of heat exchanger that would offer advantages in performance and cost is the plate heat exchanger. The plate type heat exchanger is more compact than the shell and tube configuration. In this type, the seawater and the working fluid flow in alternate channels separated by parallel plates. Suitable manifolds are used to guide the fluid into the proper channels. With this type of heat exchanger the gains in heat transfer coefficient can be up to 100-200%, compared with the conventional shell and tube designs. The material which heat exchangers are made of is very important in terms of cost and performance. Titanium was the original material chosen for closed-cycle heat exchangers because it resists corrosion. However, it is an expensive option for plants that use large heat exchangers. Therefore other cheaper materials such as corrosion-resistant copper-nickel alloys can be used to protect platform and cold-water pipes, but are not compatible with ammonia, the most common working fluid. A suitable alternative is aluminium which performs well under marine conditions and results indicate that selected aluminium alloys may last 20 years in seawater (Thomas Hills, 1989). Marine organisms and slime can quickly grow on surfaces exposed to warm seawater- a buildup known as biofouling- and this reduces the heat transfer efficiency. Laboratory experiments indicate that the addition of chlorine in the pipes can prevent biofouling (Panchal, Larsen-Basse, Little, 1984). 3.4.2 Evaporators for Open Cycle OTEC Systems Open-cycle flash-evaporators include those with open-channel flow, falling films, and falling jets. These conventional evaporators typically perform to within 70% to 80% of the maximum thermodynamic performance at acceptable hydraulic losses. The technological development led to a vertical-spout evaporator that can perform to within 90% of the thermodynamic limit (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). In this evaporator, water is drawn upward through a vertical pipe (a spout) and violently sprayed outward by escaping steam (Bharathan Penney, 1984). To enhance performance, the spray may fall on screens that further break up the droplets and increase the evaporation rate. To avoid pressure loss, the evaporator has simple intake and exit systems that separate the steam from the discharge. Steam continues through the system, and the remaining seawater is discharged from the bottom of the evaporator. Violent flashing in a spout evaporator causes seawater droplets to be entrained by the steam. If they are not removed, these droplets can cause erosion and stress-corrosion cracking in turbine blades and contaminate the desalinated water discharge as well. Passing the steam through the commercially available mist eliminators used in the process industry removes a sufficient quantity of these seawater droplets (Bharathan Penney, 1984). 3.4.3 Turbines In the open cycle process, after the droplets are removed, steam flows through large, low-pressure turbines, entering at a pressure of about 2.4 kPa. These turbines must be able to handle the large steam flows necessary to produce a significant amount of electric power. Multistage turbines used in nuclear or coal-fired power plants are already available. The low-pressure stages of these turbines typically operate at conditions close to those needed in an open-cycle OTEC plant. In close cycle OTEC systems the turbine needs not be so large because it works with vapor at elevated pressures. 3.4.4 Condensers for Open Cycle OTEC Systems Once the steam passes through the turbines, it can be condensed in direct-contact condensers or surface condensers. A surface condenser consists of an intermediate solid wall, which is absent in direct-contact condensers and therefore the latter provides more effective condensation (Bharathan, Parsons, Althof 1988). In one design-a two-stage condenser (see figure 4 below) developed at Solar Energy Research Institute-cold seawater is distributed through two open-ended vessels filled with a commercially available structured packing material. About 80% of the steam is condensed as it flows through the first vessel in the same direction as the cold seawater. The remaining steam is routed into the bottom of the second vessel and flows through it in the opposite direction to the seawater. At the top of the second vessel, a vacuum system pumps out the non-condensable (inert) gases along with any uncondensed steam (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). Figure : Illustration of a two stage condenser (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Surface condensers keep the cooling seawater separate from the spent steam during condensation. By using indirect contact, the condensers produce desalinated water that is relatively free of seawater impurities. The surface condensers considered for use in OTEC systems are similar to those used in conventional power plants; however, these surface condensers must operate under lower pressures and with higher amounts of non-condensable gases in the steam. These non-condensable gases which are present in the open cycle system are released from the seawater when it is exposed to low pressures under vacuum and are namely oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Air can also enter the open cycle vacuum chamber through leaks therefore decent construction techniques can reduce the rate of air leakage to very low levels. These gases, if are not removed from the vacuum vessel, they can build up enough pressure to stop evaporation. An exhaust compressor is usually used to remove these non-condensab le gases. The compressor however requires about 10% of the total power generated by the system (Parsons, Bharathan, Althof, 1985). 4. Methodology In this section, pending work and project plan summary will be described. For the final project, the literature review might be expanded a bit more to include the various types of working fluids that can be used. Furthermore, a section explaining the thermodynamics behind the operation of the OTEC cycle (Carnot efficiency and Rankine cycle) will be added, followed by a more realistic calculation on the OTEC actual thermal efficiency, net power output and production of desalinated water. Once these calculations are carried out, a reasonably concise section on the application of solar heating on OTEC will be written. Then an investigation on the effect of increasing water inlet temperature on power generation and fresh water production will be carried out. In addition, the effect of an increase in pressure on power generation and fresh water production will also be included. Computational software such as Wolframalpha or Matlab will help in determining the relationship between variable temperatures and pressures on power generation and desalinated water production. If time allows it, simulation software such as Simul8 will be used to find the optimum conditions for the hybrid cycle OTEC plant. A section of discussion and analysis of results will follow explaining the obtained results, including suggestions for improving the design. Finally, a segment explaining by what means the proposed hybrid cycle OTEC plant is suitable for operation in Cyprus. This segment will include the economic factors involved (need for finance, government subsidies etc.), drawbacks and benefits such a plant will have on the island. 5. Gantt Chart The Gantt Chart below represents the plan for completion of the project including important deadline dates for presentations and submission of the report. Figure : Figure showing the Gantt Chart 6. Conclusion Water and energy are essential for human life. A steady supply of energy and water is indispensable for improving the living standard and economic stability of any country, especially countries which face water shortage problems like Cyprus. The goal of this report is to demonstrate the characteristics of a dual purpose OTEC plant and through various design considerations find the optimum conditions for such a plant to be as productive and as efficient as possible and at the same time be economically viable to attract investors.

Spiders Essay -- essays research papers

Spiders My essay is on spiders. I have chosen a few spiders to report about. I also have some basic info about spiders in general. Spiders comprise a large, widespread group of carnivorous arthropods. They have eight legs, can produce silk, and usually have poison glands associated with fangs. More than 30,000 species of spiders are found on every continent except Antarctica in almost every kind of terrestrial habitat and a few aquatic ones as well. Spiders range in body size from about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) to 9 cm (3.5 in). The term spider is derived from the Old English spinnan ( "to spin" ) referring to the group's use of silk. Spiders make up the order Araneae in the class Arachnida, which takes its name from the mythological character Arachne, a peasant girl who challenged the weaving skill of the goddess Athena. Arachne equaled Athena's skill in a contest, and in response to Athena's anger she hanged herself. In belated remorse Athena changed the body of Arachne into a spider and allowed her to retain her weaving skill. My first selection is the brown recluse spider. The brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is a poisonous spider in in the United States. Its mostly found from Kansas and Missouri, south to Texas, and west to California. Found in sheltered places indoors and outdoors it is about 10 mm (.4 in.) long and has an orange-yellow body with a dark violin-shaped design on its back. Its bite isn't usually fatal to humans, the venom destroys the skin a...

Digital Fortress Chapter 50-54

Chapter 50 Only yards from TRANSLTR's hull, Phil Chartrukian stood over a patch of white lettering on the Crypto floor. CRYPTO SUBLEVELS AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY He knew he was definitely not authorized personnel. He shot a quick glance up at Strathmore's office. The curtains were still pulled. Chartrukian had seen Susan Fletcher go into the bathrooms, so he knew she wasn't a problem. The only other question was Hale. He glanced toward Node 3, wondering if the cryptographer were watching. â€Å"Fuck it,† he grumbled. Below his feet the outline of a recessed trapdoor was barely visible in the floor. Chartrukian palmed the key he'd just taken from the Sys-Sec lab. He knelt down, inserted the key in the floor, and turned. The bolt beneath clicked. Then he unscrewed the large external butterfly latch and freed the door. Checking once again over his shoulder, he squatted down and pulled. The panel was small, only three feet by three feet, but it was heavy. When it finally opened, the Sys-Sec stumbled back. A blast of hot air hit him in the face. It carried with it the sharp bite of freon gas. Billows of steam swirled out of the opening, illuminated by the red utility lighting below. The distant hum of the generators became a rumble. Chartrukian stood up and peered into the opening. It looked more like the gateway to hell than a service entrance for a computer. A narrow ladder led to a platform under the floor. Beyond that, there were stairs, but all he could see was swirling red mist. Greg Hale stood behind the one-way glass of Node 3. He watched as Phil Chartrukian eased himself down the ladder toward the sublevels. From where Hale was standing, the Sys-Sec's head appeared to have been severed from his body and left out on the Crypto floor. Then, slowly, it sank into the swirling mist. â€Å"Gutsy move,† Hale muttered. He knew where Chartrukian was headed. An emergency manual abort of TRANSLTR was a logical action if he thought the computer had a virus. Unfortunately, it was also a sure way to have Crypto crawling with Sys-Secs in about ten minutes. Emergency actions raised alert flags at the main switchboard. A Sys-Sec investigation of Crypto was something Hale could not afford. Hale left Node 3 and headed for the trapdoor. Chartrukian had to be stopped. Chapter 51 Jabba resembled a giant tadpole. Like the cinematic creature for whom he was nicknamed, the man was a hairless spheroid. As resident guardian angel of all NSA computer systems, Jabba marched from department to department, tweaking, soldering, and reaffirming his credo that prevention was the best medicine. No NSA computer had ever been infected under Jabba's reign; he intended to keep it that way. Jabba's home base was a raised workstation overlooking the NSA's underground, ultra-secret databank. It was there that a virus would do the most damage and there that he spent the majority of his time. At the moment, however, Jabba was taking a break and enjoying pepperoni calzones in the NSA's all-night commissary. He was about to dig into his third when his cellular phone rang. â€Å"Go,† he said, coughing as he swallowed a mouthful. â€Å"Jabba,† a woman's voice cooed. â€Å"It's Midge.† â€Å"Data Queen!† the huge man gushed. He'd always had a soft spot for Midge Milken. She was sharp, and she was also the only woman Jabba had ever met who flirted with him. â€Å"How the hell are you?† â€Å"No complaints.† Jabba wiped his mouth. â€Å"You on site?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Care to join me for a calzone?† â€Å"Love to Jabba, but I'm watching these hips.† â€Å"Really?† He snickered. â€Å"Mind if I join you?† â€Å"You're bad.† â€Å"You have no idea†¦.† â€Å"Glad I caught you in,† she said. â€Å"I need some advice.† He took a long swallow of Dr Pepper. â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"It might be nothing,† Midge said, â€Å"but my Crypto stats turned up something odd. I was hoping you could shed some light.† â€Å"What ya got?† He took another sip. â€Å"I've got a report saying TRANSLTR's been running the same file for eighteen hours and hasn't cracked it.† Jabba sprayed Dr Pepper all over his calzone. â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Any ideas?† He dabbed at his calzone with a napkin. â€Å"What report is this?† â€Å"Production report. Basic cost analysis stuff.† Midge quickly explained what she and Brinkerhoff had found. â€Å"Have you called Strathmore?† â€Å"Yes. He said everything's fine in Crypto. Said TRANSLTR's running full speed ahead. Said our data's wrong.† Jabba furrowed his bulbous forehead. â€Å"So what's the problem? Your report glitched.† Midge did not respond. Jabba caught her drift. He frowned. â€Å"You don't think your report glitched?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"So you think Strathmore's lying?† â€Å"It's not that,† Midge said diplomatically, knowing she was on fragile ground. â€Å"It's just that my stats have never been wrong in the past. I thought I'd get a second opinion.† â€Å"Well,† Jabba said, â€Å"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your data's fried.† â€Å"You think so?† â€Å"I'd bet my job on it.† Jabba took a big bite of soggy calzone and spoke with his mouth full. â€Å"Longest a file has ever lasted inside TRANSLTR is three hours. That includes diagnostics, boundary probes, everything. Only thing that could lock it down for eighteen hours would have to be viral. Nothing else could do it.† â€Å"Viral?† â€Å"Yeah, some kind of redundant cycle. Something that got into the processors, created a loop, and basically gummed up the works.† â€Å"Well,† she ventured, â€Å"Strathmore's been in Crypto for about thirty-six hours straight. Any chance he's fighting a virus?† Jabba laughed. â€Å"Strathmore's been in there for thirty-six hours? Poor bastard. His wife probably said he can't come home. I hear she's bagging his ass.† Midge thought a moment. She'd heard that too. She wondered if maybe she was being paranoid. â€Å"Midge.† Jabba wheezed and took another long drink. â€Å"If Strathmore's toy had a virus, he would have called me. Strathmore's sharp, but he doesn't know shit about viruses. TRANSLTR's all he's got. First sign of trouble, he would have pressed the panic button-and around here, that means me.† Jabba sucked in a long strand of mozzarella. â€Å"Besides, there's no way in hell TRANSLTR has a virus. Gauntlet's the best set of package filters I've ever written. Nothing gets through.† After a long silence, Midge sighed. â€Å"Any other thoughts?† â€Å"Yup. Your data's fried.† â€Å"You already said that.† â€Å"Exactly.† She frowned. â€Å"You haven't caught wind of anything? Anything at all?† Jabba laughed harshly. â€Å"Midge†¦ listen up. Skipjack sucked. Strathmore blew it. But move on-it's over.† There was a long silence on the line, and Jabba realized he'd gone too far. â€Å"Sorry, Midge. I know you took heat over that whole mess. Strathmore was wrong. I know how you feel about him.† â€Å"This has nothing to do with Skipjack,† she said firmly. Yeah, sure, Jabba thought. â€Å"Listen, Midge, I don't have feelings for Strathmore one way or another. I mean, the guy's a cryptographer. They're basically all self-centered assholes. They need their data yesterday. Every damn file is the one that could save the world.† â€Å"So what are you saying?† Jabba sighed. â€Å"I'm saying Strathmore's a psycho like the rest of them. But I'm also saying he loves TRANSLTR more than his own goddamn wife. If there were a problem, he would have called me.† Midge was quiet a long time. Finally she let out a reluctant sigh. â€Å"So you're saying my data's fried?† Jabba chuckled. â€Å"Is there an echo in here?† She laughed. â€Å"Look, Midge. Drop me a work order. I'll be up on Monday to double-check your machine. In the meantime, get the hell out of here. It's Saturday night. Go get yourself laid or something.† She sighed. â€Å"I'm trying, Jabba. Believe me, I'm trying.† Chapter 52 Club Embrujo-â€Å"Warlock† in English-was situated in the suburbs at the end of the number 27 bus line. Looking more like a fortification than a dance club, it was surrounded on all sides by high stucco walls into which were embedded shards of shattered beer bottles-a crude security system preventing anyone from entering illegally without leaving behind a good portion of flesh. During the ride, Becker had resolved himself to the fact that he'd failed. It was time to call Strathmore with the bad news-the search was hopeless. He had done the best he could; now it was time to go home. But now, gazing out at the mob of patrons pushing their way through the club's entrance, Becker was not so sure his conscience would allow him to give up the search. He was staring at the biggest crowd of punks he'd ever seen; there were coiffures of red, white, and blue everywhere. Becker sighed, weighing his options. He scanned the crowd and shrugged. Where else would she be on a Saturday night? Cursing his good fortune, Becker climbed off the bus. The access to Club Embrujo was a narrow stone corridor. As Becker entered he immediately felt himself caught up in the inward surge of eager patrons. â€Å"Outta my way, faggot!† A human pincushion pawed past him, giving Becker an elbow in the side. â€Å"Nice tie.† Someone gave Becker's necktie a hard yank. â€Å"Wanna fuck?† A teenage girl stared up at him looking like something out of Dawn of the Dead. The darkness of the corridor spilled out into a huge cement chamber that reeked of alcohol and body odor. The scene was surreal-a deep mountain grotto in which hundreds of bodies moved as one. They surged up and down, hands pressed firmly to their sides, heads bobbing like lifeless bulbs on top of rigid spines. Crazed souls took running dives off a stage and landed on a sea of human limbs. Bodies were passed back and forth like human beach balls. Overhead, the pulsating strobes gave the whole thing the look of an old, silent movie. On the far wall, speakers the size of minivans shook so deeply that not even the most dedicated dancers could get closer than thirty feet from the pounding woofers. Becker plugged his ears and searched the crowd. Everywhere he looked was another red, white, and blue head. The bodies were packed so closely together that he couldn't see what they were wearing. He saw no hint of a British flag anywhere. It was obvious he'd never be able to enter the crowd without getting trampled. Someone nearby started vomiting. Lovely. Becker groaned. He moved off down a spray-painted hallway. The hall turned into a narrow mirrored tunnel, which opened to an outdoor patio scattered with tables and chairs. The patio was crowded with punk rockers, but to Becker it was like the gateway to Shangri-La-the summer sky opened up above him and the music faded away. Ignoring the curious stares, Becker walked out into the crowd. He loosened his tie and collapsed into a chair at the nearest unoccupied table. It seemed like a lifetime since Strathmore's early-morning call. After clearing the empty beer bottles from his table, Becker laid his head in his hands. Just for a few minutes, he thought. Five miles away, the man in wire-rim glasses sat in the back of a Fiat taxi as it raced headlong down a country road. â€Å"Embrujo,† he grunted, reminding the driver of their destination. The driver nodded, eyeing his curious new fare in the rearview mirror. â€Å"Embrujo,† he grumbled to himself. â€Å"Weirder crowd every night.† Chapter 53 Tokugen Numataka lay naked on the massage table in his penthouse office. His personal masseuse worked out the kinks in his neck. She ground her palms into the fleshy pockets surrounding his shoulder blades, slowly working her way down to the towel covering his backside. Her hands slipped lower†¦ beneath his towel. Numataka barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere. He had been waiting for his private line to ring. It had not. There was a knock at the door. â€Å"Enter,† Numataka grunted. The masseuse quickly pulled her hands from beneath the towel. The switchboard operator entered and bowed. â€Å"Honored chairman?† â€Å"Speak.† The operator bowed a second time. â€Å"I spoke to the phone exchange. The call originated from country code 1-the United States.† Numataka nodded. This was good news. The call came from the States. He smiled. It was genuine. â€Å"Where in the U.S.?† he demanded. â€Å"They're working on it, sir.† â€Å"Very well. Tell me when you have more.† The operator bowed again and left. Numataka felt his muscles relax. Country code 1. Good news indeed. Chapter 54 Susan Fletcher paced impatiently in the Crypto bathroom and counted slowly to fifty. Her head was throbbing. Just a little longer, she told herself. Hale is North Dakota! Susan wondered what Hale's plans were. Would he announce the pass-key? Would he be greedy and try to sell the algorithm? Susan couldn't bear to wait any longer. It was time. She had to get to Strathmore. Cautiously she cracked the door and peered out at the reflective wall on the far side of Crypto. There was no way to know if Hale was still watching. She'd have to move quickly to Strathmore's office. Not too quickly, of course-she could not let Hale suspect she was on to him. She reached for the door and was about to pull it open when she heard something. Voices. Men's voices. The voices were coming through the ventilation shaft near the floor. She released the door and moved toward the vent. The words were muffled by the dull hum of the generators below. The conversation sounded like it was coming up from the sublevel catwalks. One voice was shrill, angry. It sounded like Phil Chartrukian. â€Å"You don't believe me?† The sound of more arguing rose. â€Å"We have a virus!† Then the sound of harsh yelling. â€Å"We need to call Jabba!† Then there were sounds of a struggle. â€Å"Let me go!† The noise that followed was barely human. It was a long wailing cry of horror, like a tortured animal about to die. Susan froze beside the vent. The noise ended as abruptly as it had begun. Then there was a silence. An instant later, as if choreographed for some cheap horror matinee, the lights in the bathroom slowly dimmed. Then they flickered and went out. Susan Fletcher found herself standing in total blackness.

Luxury Watches

Marketing 48-Hour Report: The Jewelry Industry – Luxury Watches Section 2 – Group Number 7 Group Members: 250556161 250517768 250572192 250568255 250582064 Executive Summary Rolex is currently facing a problem in their brand positioning in the U. S. luxury watch market. In the years following the 2008 recession, Rolex’s competitors Breitling and Omega have outpaced them in market share growth. This report aims to analyze the reasons behind this decline and to provide a recommendation for Rolex to reaffirm position as the market leader.Our industry analysis shows that despite suffering from the sales decline during the recession, the luxury watch market   has regained a growth rate of 7% after 2010. The intense competition within the industry and increasing usage of mobile phones for timekeeping have transformed consumers’ preferences for watches. The target market of the luxury watch market consists of affluent males with higher education   and active lifestyle.They perceive luxury wristwatches as a piece of craftsmanship that represent their identity and socioeconomic status. The competitor analysis depicts that in the luxury watch market, although Rolex has established its reputable image as the market leader, it has not achieved effective marketing strategies and not adapted to consumers’ needs and desires. In contrast, Omega has responded to changes in consumers’ preferences and Breitling has evolved its core brand image to capture more market share.Our short term recommendations for Rolex revolve around addressing the current, known consumer shift to mechanical watches, as well as fixing realigning their marketing to be forward facing with thetowards the 35-44 age category of a decade ago, but to the 35-44 category of today. This involves pushing their current Daytona line as well as finding a fresh new brand ambassador such as Orlando Bloom. In the long term, Rolex needs to connect to the younger consumer segm ent and fix their current image of being a dated or grandfatherly watch.They also need to react faster to market trends and leverage their position as the industry leader to set trends instead of remaining passive in the market. We recommend they start a Rolex membership club and to start hosting exclusive events targeting the affluent young male crowd to build their future customer base. Intro This report analyzes the luxury wristwatch segment of the jewelry industry in the U. S. , specifically the brand positioning of Rolex as compared to the their competitors Omega and Breitling.In recent years Rolex has not kept pace with other companies in the luxury watch industry in terms of trends, image and ultimately market share. Omega’s market share has been trending upwards worldwide (World Watch Report, 2012) and Breitling in particular has just finished a co-branding campaign that positioned them in closer competition with Rolex in the U. S. and increased market share by an imp ressive 8% (World Watch Report, 2012).By analyzing the jewelry industry, target segment, direct competition, and the strengths and weaknesses in Rolex’s company and brand, this report provides recommendations for Rolex that will help to reposition the brand to recapture market share in the U. S. luxury wristwatch market. Industry: Most jewelry sold in the U. S. is imported (â€Å"Jewelry Retail†. 2011), and the luxury wristwatch segment is dominated by Swiss watchmakers. The Swatch Group, owners of Omega, are the largest and only public Swiss watch company.They compete alongside a multitude of strong private companies. The market leaders in this luxury category are Rolex, Omega and Cartier and combine for a (global) market share of 41% (World Watch Report, 2012). The performance of the jewelry industry, comprised of diamond jewelry and loose diamonds (45%), watches (13%), gold jewelry (10%), and colored gemstone jewelry (8%), is strongly correlated to the performance o f the economy (INSEAD report, footnote jewelry industry beta = 1. 8). Jewelry sales are also highly seasonal, with the majority of sales happening the the fourth quarter leading up to Christmas (â€Å"Jewelry Retail†. 2011),). The 2008 recession and subsequent lack of consumer confidence led to an almost 14% sales decline in the industry from 2008-2010. This in turn impacted the distribution channels of many foreign watch brands in the U. S. , as many of the smaller jewellery boutique watch specialists they relied on went out of business.As the watch brands themselves survived the recession, mainly through surging sales in China, they have started to take advantage of their relative strength by opening their own brand specific stores in the United States. Having assumed the position of both wholesaler and retailer, they will have more image control and higher margins on their own products. In 2011, the economy improved and affluent consumers of luxury jewelry regained their c onfidence and once again began spending their money. This increase in demand has since tapered off in 2012, but growth is still expected to continue (Exhibit 1).The luxury wristwatch segment of the jewelry industry is projected to grow at a rate of 7% per year (Watches in the US, 2012), which is the higher than the general wristwatch industry growth of 4% (Watches in the US, 2012)) and once again, slightly higher than the jewelry industry average growth of 6% (Jewlerry in the US, 2012). Competition within the industry is the primary driver of innovation and change. As the industry is extremely mature and the products lack a patentable attribute that can define them, brands mainly compete on design, quality, and brand image.Furthermore, mobile phones with clock features, which have saturated 96% of the American market, have reduced the timekeeping importance of the wristwatch. Thus consumers are shifting towards purchasing watches strictly as luxury items or to make a fashion stateme nt. Ultimately, luxury watchmakers must handle their brands with care, or risk losing to a more consistent competitor. Target Segment: With many similarities between luxury watch brands, target market selection is paramount. In addition, brands must choose a market segment that they can grow with. Though 50% of all affluent consumers in the U.S. are aged 35-44 and 45-54, from a brand equity perspective it would not make sense to start marketing to just the older segment because this is the stage where the brand should already have a relationship with the consumer (Affluent Consumer, 2009) Therefore, by primarily targeting the 35-44 year old demographic, luxury watch brands are able to establish awareness and recognition that can build to a relationship that will last with that consumer as they age. Additionally, by selecting a male demographic, watchmakers gain access to the majority of the affluent population.Thus, the common target segment between Rolex, Omega and Breitling are af fluent males age 35-44 with an above average income and a high socio-economic status. This segment is worth $316. 25 million or approximately 13. 75% of the luxury watch market (Affluent Consumer, 2009). For the complete breakdown of this segment value, refer to Exhibit 2. The approximate income of this affluent target segment is $75,000 or greater, and can be correlated to the education attained and occupation held by a majority of this segment (Affluent Consumer, 2009).Prevalent occupations include managers, architects/engineers/social scientists, and sales representatives, requiring at minimum a college level education (Watch and Clocks, 2006). As luxury watches carry price tags of $1000 or more, a sizable salary is a critical characteristic of this target segment as larger salaries account more disposable income for luxury goods (Watch and Clocks, 2006). Interests of this target segment include active lifestyles in refined athletics such as golf, tennis, yachting, equestrianism as well as exploration (http://www. rolex. om/) This target segment is highly concerned with status and is driven largely by fashion and association with a luxury brand. In fact, 53% of this segment considers designer labels as defining a luxury purchase (PPT). This not only illustrates this segment’s savvy awareness of luxury products, but also illustrates the likeliness of these consumers desiring symbols of wealth. According to WWD, the needs, wants and desires of men purchasing luxury watches are becoming increasingly focused on technicality and functionality of the timepiece, in addition to its specific brand.The â€Å"fashionable consumer† trend focusing solely on designer labels seems to be at the end of its lifecycle. The marketing by luxury watch brands has resulted in more educated customers today who know that a designer brand name does not necessarily mean a quality watch. This segment is in the process of shifting into the connoisseur category, as the cust omer perception of a fashionable watch is shifting towards qualities such as artistry and craftsmanship, having handmade mechanical movements, and having a classic or timeless design. Men in this target segment want to be seen as collectors of watches.They justify high price purchases as â€Å"seeking a safe haven in high-quality watches†; as an investment in precious metals that â€Å"appreciate in value instantly†(Diderich, 2011), rather than a squander of money. This segment also views luxury watches as a representation of their identity needs in striving for high self-esteem. As one luxury watch dealer commented: â€Å" you can drive a Ferrari, but you can’t drive it into a board meeting†(Spitznagel, 2012) This drives these consumers to reach the ‘response’ and ultimately a long standing ‘relationship’ stage of the brand equity pyramid for their luxury brand of choice.In considering the buying decision process, this segment r ecognizes status and high self-esteem as needs satisfied through purchasing luxury timepieces. Following this recognition, the information search process commences. As â€Å"credibility and expertise had the greatest impact on respondent purchase intention†(Gautschi,2005), consumers in this segment seek professional advice from sales associates at retail end-points in order to evaluate alternatives. Following the purchase decision, availability of epair services for example, is also valued as consistent high-quality service throughout the long-standing relationship with the brand would exceed expectations and further strengthen and foster positive post-purchase behaviors and feelings. Competitive Analysis: Although there are at least 40 global brands in the luxury watch segment, the largest and most impressive competitors, with the largest American market shares, are Swiss. Three direct competitors in the Swiss luxury watch market are Rolex, Omega and Breitling.Due to the sim ilar pricing of these three brands, the consumer in the target segment must often distinguish and select one of these competitors. Rolex U. S. A. , Inc. Rolex has positioned itself as the exclusive luxury watch brand for those with a high socioeconomic status that offers a classic and prestigious watch which validates their hard work and accomplishments. Rolex is the best known luxury watch brand and holds the largest share of the US market at 29. 3% (FOOTNOTE THIS CALC).This is a result of their reputation as the first wristwatch to be certified with Class A precision (Liebeskind,2004) and because they have historically limited their yearly production despite high demand. To maintain consistency between the target segment and the messages of Rolex’s advertisements, 75% of their brand ambassadors are 35 years of age or older (Gautschi, 2005). These endorsements portray individuals who have achieved success as a result of hard work and dedication. The attributes of their ambas sadors are willfulness, determination, self-control and the ability to excel beyond average performance.This resonates with the reality and desires of the consumers who view a Rolex wristwatch as the prize; something one gets as validation for their accomplishments. As it has been shown that 60-70% of individuals who regularly follow golf are also those able to afford a luxury watch (Gautschi, 2005), Rolex has built strong associations with the game of golf, sponsoring players, such as Tiger Woods, and tour events. Furthermore, the association with golf ambassadors portray success and determination in the context of a gentleman’s â€Å"refined† sport.Rolex is rated as the most desirable brand and has spent $47 million on advertising to maintain this standing (Thompson, 2012) . Despite making the largest advertising expenditure in the industry, Rolex’s market share growth rate in America has declined from 5% in 2010-2011 to 2% in 2011-2012 (World Watch Report, 20 12). This is compared to consistent growth from Omega and an explosive emergence in the U. S. market by Breitling. Although Rolex has not targeted a different age group, a new wave of 35-44 year olds have come into focus.With needs far different from that of the former group, Rolex has done little to address these new needs, wants and desires. Omega Omega has positioned itself as a sophisticated luxury watch brand focused on reliability and craftsmanship that offers those with a high socioeconomic status a trendy, modern and technically superior watch. As of 2011, Omega holds 14. 6% of the U. S luxury watch market-share and attempts to be seen as a more fashionable and more modern brand than that of Rolex (World Watch Report, 2012). The company’s marketing is heavily focused on associations with other well known brands, people and organizations.Although they target much the same audience as Rolex, Omega differentiates themselves through their brand image. The company emphasiz es the dependability of their watches through the association of the brand with the NASA space program, and as the longest standing official timekeeper of the Olympic Games. Both of those organizations require precision and reliability of the highest standard, while being seen as trustworthy by these organizations resonates with Omega’s consumers. Recently, the brand has responded to changes in consumer preferences by emphasizing the technicality and sophistication of their watches as well.Association with NASA has also been key in this regard, and their brand has enjoyed a significant competitive advantage through an endorsement by Neil Armstrong as being the first watch used on the moon. Furthermore, horologist George Daniel, inventor of the co-axial escapement, a revolutionary watch mechanism, became yet another brand ambassador and further differentiated Omega from its competitors in terms of technicality and sophistication. Omega also strives to target a different psycho graphic than Rolex. The majority of Omega’s ambassadors are younger males, and their key attributes encompass suaveness, sophistication and hedonism.For example, the Omega has a long-standing association with the James Bond enterprise, as both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have been ambassadors for the brand. Further differentiation can be illustrated in looking and the various advertisements Omega produces compared to those of Rolex and Breitling. For example, while both companies have produced athletic advertisements, Rolex emphasizes the difficulty and eventual achievement, while Omega illustrates the pleasure derived of particular undertakings (Exhibit 3). BreitlingBreitling has positioned itself as a luxury timekeeping instrument brand for those with a high socioeconomic status and offers professional chronographs focusing on precision and high performance that dare men to live like navigators, aviators, and adventurers. Breitling commands 10% of the U. S. luxury watch market in 2011, ranked fourth behind Rolex, Omega and Cartier. What is remarkable about Breitling is that they have only recently moved into this position, having increased their share of consumer interest by 8% from 2010 to 2011 (World Watch Report, 2011).This increase can largely be credited to significant advertising spending in 2010. Second only to Rolex for spending, the campaign worked to build brand awareness, and was coordinated with the launch of Breitling’s first branded boutique. (Media scan, & http://search. proquest. com/docview/820311288). Broadly, Breitling’s core brand emphasizes professionalism with their media image and product design. Originally intended as a brand for aviation instruments on private and commercial planes, the association to technicality is driven home in their slogan: â€Å"Instruments for professionals† (http://www. reitling. com). As professionals typically use nothing less than the best tools to do their jobs, Breitlingâ €™s watches are almost inextricably associated with masterful craftsmanship. This is predominantly reflected in the product design of their flagship models, which are significantly different from the flagship models by Rolex and Omega (Exhibit 4). Breitling’s most notable ambassador is actor John Travolta, who is well known for his private hobby of owning and flying planes (travolta. com).He is a familiar household name, and so helps consumers to relate to the brand, as well as maintaining consistent brand associations with the concept of aviation. Although Breitling has dominated the niche market of affluent males whose interests and/or aspirations encompass aviation and aircraft, Breitling has expanded its brand beyond this niche category and into the larger and more general exclusive luxury segment. More recently, Breitling has begun to evolve its core brand image of strictly instrumental aviation timepieces to navigational watches capable of multiple functions.Specifi cally, Breitling has begun to position themselves within disciplines such as sailing, space exploration, underwater diving and most recently, motorsports (luxury watches overview). Most notably, they are partnered with ultra-premium car manufacturer Bentley Motors through the co-branded ‘Breitling for Bentley Motors’ product line, which has been the most visible shift in Breitling’s marketing in the last 10 years (Exhibit 5). This captured the prestige and exclusivity portrayed by Bentley, transferring these aspects into a luxurious and fashionable timepiece, while maintaining Breitling intricacy (Exhibit 6).Breitling’s rapid growth in market share in just a single year can be largely credited to two factors. First, changes in market trends and perceptual shifts of consumers desiring watches of a more technical nature (refer to target segment analysis) have given Breitling an advantage over competitors who are continuing to simply rely on their brand name to drive recognition and ultimately sales. As consumers become more educated, they begin to see the value of a well made, functional and intricate wristwatch rather than one simply bearing a well known name.This market shift is to Breitling’s advantage, as their value proposition has always been offering intricate and technical watches. Secondly, Breitling has not been passive in their brand promotion, having increased their exposure through advertising expenditures that improved brand equity. It is Breitling’s consistency that helps consumers to not only become â€Å"aware† of the brand, but go through the steps of building their own unique relationship with it as well. These two factors have resulted in the 8% growth of Breitling in the luxury watch segment, causing the company to advance upon its competitors Rolex and Omega.