Competition of Ports with the Panama Canal

Competition of Ports with the Panama Canal Strategies for Older Ports Len Edwards Towards the end of next year, the Panama Canal will open a third set of locks allowing larger ships to transfer the canal. These â€Å"super ships† called Post-Panamax ships will soon have easier access to the ports on the east coast, reducing the travel times for cargo from Asia. This has resulted in aggressive port expansion to accommodate these giants. Many ports have the available room for expansion to handle the influx of containers without many modifications of their operations. However, many older ports desire an expansion although they are limited on room for expansion. How can these cramped ports compete with larger ports in attracting increased cargo volumes in the near future? The first option for smaller ports with limited space is utilizing an off dock sorting area known as a satellite terminal. It is interesting to note that satellite terminal is only one of many terms describing the operation off-dock sorting areas; there seems to be no consensus on the terminology resulting in a wide range of terms including dry ports, inland terminals, inland ports, inland hubs, inland logistics centers, and inland freight villages (Rodrigue Notteboom, n.d., para. 4). The satellite terminal uses dedicated rail service form the dock to a secondary sorting facility further inland. The advantage to this system is the ability to handle the increased volume of container from Post –Panamax ships at ports with limited land for storage of the containers, in effect increasing the ports throughput in crowded urban environments. The containers are loaded onto waiting train shuttles without sorting by destination. The train then carried the containers to a secondary sort ing yard where the containers undergo further transferring to other trains by destination. Additionally the satellite terminals can service the trucking industry. Trucks deliver container to the satellite facility to be loaded on a rail car for delivery to the dock or a terminus inland. The synergy between the port and the satellite terminal creates a new type of maritime / land interface, which essentially results in a regionalized port (Rodrigue, n.d., para. 3). This type of operation is under the process of development at the Port of Baltimore. The rail company CSX, in hopes to attract more ships to the port, is considering a satellite facility 15 miles for the port. The rail line offers to deliver cheaper rates to shipping companies using the port and the devoted rail line. Another area for older ports to focus on is modernization of the existing infrastructure. Besides the amount of containers the port handles, focus should shift to offering specialized facilities at the ports, securing an advantage over larger ports. An example of this at the Port of Philadelphia is warehousing. In 2011 Philadelphia completed a warehouse for storing refrigerated freight, the 686,000-squarefoot building, the largest refrigerated building in North America. The idea was to link the world-class produce market with the premier perishables port in the United States. (O’Brien, 2013, para 17). Additionally, the ports looking to compete with larger ports must look at improving the infrastructure moving freight off the pier in an efficient and cost-competitive manner. The Port of Miami attacked this problem in three ways. First, they secured funding to improve rail lines serving the port, which included the rebuilding of rail bridges linking the port to the rail yard. Th ere are plans to construct three tracks capable of holding trains a half-mile long. Furthermore, the port invested in a new tunnel linking the port to the nearby interstate, while also upgrading surrounding roadways, offering the ability for trucks entering and leaving the port to bypass the congested downtown streets, the only other access to the port. The final piece of the project involved dredging the channel to a depth of 50 feet to accommodate Post-Panamax ships. With Miami’s three-pronged attack — tunnel, rail, and dredging — the port claims it will be able to make inroads into some of the markets that Savannah now dominates (Whitefield, 2012, para. 33). Moreover, Baltimore requires a redesign of the rail system leaving the port. The only rail tunnel leaving the port is 130 years old, lacking in the proper diameter to handle the modern double stack trains or tri-level auto racks. Without railroad redesign in Baltimore, its estimated that Maryland might ev en lose up to 50 percent of its container traffic to a port like Norfolk, Va. — the other East Coast port able to handle the larger ships — costing our region hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in economic activity and tax revenue (Sadowski, 2012, para. 8). One last alternative for crowded ports to compete besides the pervious mentioned options is entering strategic alliances with major shipping companies via a dedicated terminal. This alliance benefits both the ports and the maritime shipping company, this relationship requires a long-term agreement. For the shipping company it secures a port in a profitable location without having to compete with other shipping companies. As for the ports, the shipping company considers the port part of their supply chain, directing a majority of their ship to call upon the port even if there are ports closer or ports containing better facilities. For port authorities, dedicated terminals encourage the development of port facilities allowing them to push for more funding; it is also a useful strategy if there is competition between port terminals (Lun, Lai, Cheng, 2010, p. 182). The Port of Philadelphia remains proactive on attracting ships to their port; they have agents stationed across the world. Likewise, the Port of Baltimore in the late 1990’s attempted to attract two major shipping companies by offering lower dock rates and upgrading facilities around the port. Unfortunately, for Baltimore the shipping companies rejected their offer. Although, this reinforces the lengths that port will go to attract a dedicated shipping company. In conclusion, with the completion of the Panama Canal upgrades soon to be completed, the ports operating on the east coast now face a rush to prepare. The larger ports fare well in this situation, having the room for expansion and up to date infrastructure. The older ports in urban environments scramble to prepare a system to handle the increased demand. There are a few options to aid these ports, depending on the amount of funding available. Some ports like Baltimore are looking to move the sorting of containers to off-site location, depending on rail transportation to deliver the containers. On the other hand, some port authorities are improving the needed infrastructure to allow rapid movements of rail and trucks to and from the facility. Lastly, many ports are securing deals with shipping companies to lure them to make the older ports their main stops in America. This report discussed issues with east coast ports although these strategies are not limited to that area. They are e asily applied to struggling ports across the globe. References Lun, Y.H., Lai, K., Cheng, T.C. (2010).  Shipping and logistics management. London, England: Springer. OBrien, D. (2013, Summer). Pennsylvania’s Homeport: The Port Of Philadelphia.  Catalyst Magazine. Retrieved from http://http://digital.graphcompubs.com/article/Pennsylvania’s+Homeport:+The+Port+Of+Philadelphia+/1445490/0/article.html Rodrigue, J.P., Notteboom, T. (n.d.).  Inland Ports/Dry Ports. Retrieved August 6, 2014, from https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch4en/appl4en/ch4a4en.html Rodrigue, J.P. (n.d.).  The Insertion of a Satellite Terminal in Port Operations. Retrieved August9, 2014, from http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch4en/conc4en/agileport.html Sadowski, J.T. (2012, October 24). The port: Baltimores gateway to opportunity.  The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-10-24/news/bs-ed-port-20121024_1_port-expansion-cargo-activity-intermodal-facility Whitefield, M. (2012, November 18). Competition heats up as U.S. ports prepare for Panama Canal expansion.  Miami Herald, p.para. 33. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/18/3104323/competition-heats-up-as-us-ports.html

The Study of the Relationship (Satire) Essay -- essays research papers

The Study of the Relationship Introduction A relationship? Something meaningful? Forever? HA! All ploys and devious schemes devised by horifically cruel creatures, in order to have their every wish granted for all of eternity. These terms were created to destroy our lives, they were created by the most evil and demented of all creatures, The Female. Ask any boyfriend, or should I say "slave", and they will tell you that the Female is a very mean creature that gets her every way without any questions. They turn us into their servants and force us into a permanent relationship, or a permanent "slavery", as I prefer to call it. Step One: Scouting Their Prey The First thing you need to remember about these...things, is that they always, without exeption, travel in packs. So remember that when aproaching one of them. Back to the point at hand. When in the proper habitat that these Females inhabit, stay cautious, as they seem to sometimes pounce upon their prey, and ask you to preform something that you are currently incapable of (example: asking you to dance). These manuvers are used to make you semi-embaressed, and thus would do anything to regain your higher status, no matter how long it takes you. Thus they have control before any plans are even made. Step Two: Pulling Out The Whip After the initial request made by the male generally, thye begin to start a "relationship", or so it is called. By this time you are already stuck with her, and all of your friends...

Granite :: essays research papers

Granite Vigorously wiping off the dead grass and dandelion petals from the rock, the girl’s hand brushed a jagged edge roughly. As she quickly drew her hand away for examination, she saw what her hand had lain upon. The right upper corner of the baby’s headstone was broken off. She took a moment to contemplate her blood expanding into the crevices and gullies of the edge’s gap. She scanned the knoll ahead and around it and spotted the chunk. She walked over and picked it up, her knuckles getting whiter every second as she clutched the severed edge firmer and firmer. Then she spotted the culprit. An old rusted mower and a tactless, overweight nimrod with gray hair crowning it. With a shot of adrenaline, she hurled the stone edge after the tractor. Had this man no respect for the souls he so violently cut over? The stone dropped ten feet short, and the man was oblivious to it. The girl, innocent and full of rage, dropped to her knees at her deceased brother’s headstone. The only way she’ll ever see him. Only one tear fell the whole night, though. She wasn’t as mad as she was blown away at the whole idea that, even though he was her older sibling, he’d always be preserved in time, like the granite above him, as a four-day-old infant. She considered this while shifting her vision to the huge slab of white stone near the left road. This was the children’s saint, with most of the children buried around it. When her family came to the grave when she was in grade school, she used to love to climb on the smooth stone and hear the sparrows in their tiny trees dotting the plateau of the dead. She shook this thought off with a cold shiver as the first droplets of a new rain fell tumbling on her jersey. Her eyes showed she was inattentive to it while she kneeled, slowly outlining the word "Joey" with her left pinky. She’d always regretted the fact that she never felt any real depression from his death, but how could she? She wasn’t even a twinkle in her parents’ eye when it happened.

Parenting and Education During Early Childhood Essay

This paper will discuss various forms of caregivers, parenting styles, and early childhood education. Topics covered are: †¢ Evaluate the different types of parenting styles and their influence on development during infancy and early childhood. †¢ Compare and contrast at least two different kinds of caregivers and the positive and/or negative impacts on development during infancy and early childhood. (examples: stay at home parent, daycare, grandparent, and nanny) †¢ Discuss how early childhood education has evolved and its impact on cognitive development in early childhood. Parenting style is a psychological construct, strategies that parents use in the development of their child during infancy and early childhood. There are many differing theories and opinions on the best ways to rear children. Many parents create their own style from a combination of factors in the home, parent upbringing, and surrounding environment. The parent styles are affected by both parents (if both parents are involved with the child) and the child’s temperament; other influences include culture, tradition, and parent upbringing. Despite these challenges in child development, researchers have found links between parenting styles and how these styles affect children. In the early 1960’s psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study on 100 pre-school children. Observing the different parent involved in the study, it was identified that there are four dimensions of parenting. The four parenting styles are: The Four Parenting Styles †¢ Authoritarian Parenting: This type of parenting, children are expected to follow strict rules established by the parents. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reason behind the set rules. Failure to follow these rules results in punishment. If the child asks to explain, the parent then replies to a simple answer â€Å"Because I said so†. These Authoritarian Parents have high demands but are non-responsive to their children. Diana Baumrind labels these parent as â€Å"obedience and status oriented and expect their orders to obeyed without explanation†. (1991) †¢ Authoritative Parenting: These parents like authoritarian parents establish rules and guidelines that are expected to followed by there children. But this style is more democratic, and parents are responsive to the child(s) and willing to listen to the child(s) questions. If the child fails to meet the expectations, the parents are more nurturing, forgiving, rather than punishing. They are assertive and not restrictive and intrusive; their disciplinary methods are supportive rather than punitive. The parents want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, self-regulated, and well cooperative. Diana Baumrind suggests these parents â€Å"monitor and impart clear standards for their children’s conduct†. (1991) †¢ Permissive Parenting: Sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, they have very few demands from their children. Permissive parents rarely discipline their children, reason being the parents have low expectations of maturity and self-control. The parents are non-traditional and lenient; they do not require mature behavior and allow considerable self-regulation with confrontation avoidance. Baumrind refers to these parents as â€Å"generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking the role of friend rather than parent†. (1991) †¢ Uninvolved Parent: This parent style speaks for itself, parent have very few demands, little to no communication, and low responsiveness. These parents usually fulfill the child’s basic needs. They generally detached and in extreme cases reject or neglect the needs of the child or children. The Impact of Parenting Styles The outcomes of the parenting styles differ; these styles are produce effects rather than causes that lead to the child’s outcome. Here are some â€Å"general† outcomes from the parenting styles listed above. †¢ Authoritarian parenting children may have less social competence due to the parent or parents telling the child what to do instead of allowing the child to make a choice. In some cases the demands are to forceful and resulted with the child or children to break down, rebel or run away. †¢ Authoritative parenting is attentive to their children’s needs and will typically forgive and teach versus punishment for the child’s short comings. The result is the children have a higher self-esteem and independence. This is most recommended parenting style by experts. †¢ Permissive parenting children tend to more impulsive and may engage in more misconduct as an adolescent. The children go on to never learn to control their own behavior and always expect to get their way. As in better cases they child may mature quickly and live a very dependent life. †¢ Uninvolved parenting: children of uninvolved parents develop a sense that other aspects of the parents’ life are more important than they are. The child often attempt to provide for themselves, sometimes halt dependence on the parent to have a feeling of independence and mature beyond their years. Child from this environment often withdraw from social situations, this also impacts there relationships later on in life and they show patterns of truancy and delinquency. Studying these outcomes with any accuracy is very difficult, if not impossible, and trying to simply connect adult or adolescent outcomes to the parenting style used with them without adjusting for a multitude of other factors will produce misleading or false results. Some potential causes of these differences include culture, personality, family size, parental background, socioeconomic status, educational level and religion. Compare and Contrast Over the years child education has evolved from the old fashioned simple lectures and drill styled lessons of the past. Instead of the one dimensional process of teaching, it is based around not only learning by repetition but what motivates a child, using different means and medias to teach. By including all the kids and making it engaging and fun for them the kids are not only able to learn the material but to take the next step by using what they had learned. Theorist Piaget’s stated that children learned through a process called Concrete operational thought. In short this is the ability of a child to process experiences in a logical manner by the age of 8. The other big part of his theory revolved around perception. Where as a child of 9 years old lets’ say distinguishes between different types of bugs a child who is five years see all bug being the same even if nine happen to be ants and one is a grasshopper. In that younger child’s mind that separation hasn’t been made yet. Through all of Piaget’s experiments they showed that around the age of eight is when this ability is found in children. Piaget’s thought was that the main way of learning for kids was more through a process of discovery. Now on the other side of the spectrum was a theorist named Vygotsky. His thought process was one that children learned through cultural interactions, lesson instructions and through their own peers. That the lessons passed down through the generations were as important as the instructions during class. Things that were a knowledge base too were just as important. With all these things combined is what bridged the learning gap. Vygotsky also emphasized the importance of surrounding children with what is being taught. Reading a big focus among all ages and the importance for this to be learned is one huge example of his thought. If a child is surrounded by family who reads and encourages this to happen by not only telling but also engaging in the activity. In turn the child is more adept to follow in step. So in today’s schools the two theories are practiced or more combined into one. Meaning not only is the old fashioned style of repetitious lectures still partially important. It is also even more so encouraged that kids interact with one another in a fun positive environment led by a teacher. So in this way learning is taking place from many different angles. It is pushed for parents to get involved with their kids by more than just taking them to and from school but to read with them, to practice the math concepts they are taught. Teachers are also encouraged to look at the possible cultural differences and take them into account to develop their lesson plans. So in many ways the teaching of children has changed much from the previous generations. Early childhood Education More responsibilities come along happiness and pride of becoming parents. Children depend on their parents and also need their love and protection. Parents also have to decide what type of care giving they want for their kids. Daycare and stay-at-home are two different kinds of care giving parents may choose for their offspring. These are different in many ways, but at the same time they both benefit children. Studies have shown that daycare can be useful and stimulates a child’s intellectual and social development. Children get interaction with kids their same or different age and staff at daycares usually is trained in early childhood development. Furthermore these facilities are certified, and offer different types of educational games for children. Children’s experience at the daycare also contributes to their development (Chilman, 1993). That is by acquiring better language and cognitive skills as they grow up. On the other hand, daycare may not be affordable to everyone, since the cost is usually really high. As Chilman (1993), continues to explain in her study the lack of quality affordable child care causes numerous absences from work. She also mentions that daycare may not be available for sick children, children with special needs or infants. Staff members at daycares also have to care for more than one child at a time, therefore children may not get the attention they need while being there. Daycare children might not get to know their parents that well, especially if the parents have a real busy work schedule. Most parents would like to be their children’s primary caregivers and stay home to care for them. Being a stay-at-home parent brings satisfaction and pride by knowing their child is getting the attention and quality of care needed. The parent gets more time to bond, and witnesses each developmental milestone the child is going through such as, saying the first word, or taking the first step. Some professionals have found out that stay-at-home mothers have been shown to provide better care than working mothers (Shpancer, Melick, Sayre & Spivey, 2006). Even though the parent caring for the child at home can have playtime and bring out toys, the child still needs to interact with other kids their age and socialize with them. The mother or father may not have the special training or use the proper toys for the child to play with. Another disadvantage of this kind of care giving is that the parent has to stop working in order to care for their child. As Chilman (1993) illustrates on her findings career drives may be postponed by one or both parents for a short period of child care. This could affect the family financially and emotionally since the parent is not fulfilling his or her career goals. In short, it has been shown that daycare gives the child the opportunity to socialize with other children, and caregivers, but they also need the attention and nurturing care of their parents. Reference: Baumrind, D. (1967). Child-care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75, 43-88. Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance use. Journal of Early Adolescence, 11(1), 56-95. Chilman, Catherine S. (1993, July). Parental Employment and Child Care Trends: some Critical Issues and Suggested Policies. Social Work 38(4). Maccoby, E. E. , & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent–child interaction. In P. H. Mussen & E. M. Hetherington, Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (4th ed. ). New York: Wiley. Maccoby, E. E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. Developmental Psychology, 28, 1006-1017. Au Shpancer, N. , Melick, K. M. , Sayre, P. S. , & Spivey, A. T. (2006, February). Quality of Care Attributions to Employed versus Stay-at-Home Mothers. Early Child Development and Care 176(2). http://psychology. about. com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style. htm Parenting Styles, The Four Parenting Styles Pulled from web Feb 1, 2012.

High School and Younger Girls Essay

I chose to write this paper on bullying and its effect on school. In my middle school years, after I had moved here from Alaska, I was bullied a lot because I was new to the school and it was such a small town. It had effects on me that still affect me today. For example, if someone says my name or taps me on the back I don’t turn around because when I was younger girls would do that to me and then laugh at me. I feel bullying is a serious subject and that’s why I chose to look further in to it. The article I chose to do was Bullying in School: The Traumatic Effects of Bullying on Children by Dr. Terry Ehiorobo. The beginning of his article starts off by explaining how bullying has gotten out of hand and what is being done about it. For example, a child getting bullied ended up suing his school because on one was doing anything to stop the bullying, and he even won. In his article he explains different types of bullying situations using certain examples. Dr. Ehiorobo says in his article, â€Å"The world of bullying has a life of its own. It takes no prisoners and its effects can be long lasting and endemic in some cases.† Bullying is a very serious issue in today’s society and I’m glad something is being done to put a spotlight on it. If a stop is put to bullying kids will do better in school, therefor having a better effect on the rest of their lives. Works Cited Ehiorobo, Terry Dr. â€Å"Bullying in School: The Traumatic Effects of Bullying on Children.† CPI. n.p. 25 September 2013. Web March 2012. http://www.crisisprevention.com/Resources/Article-Library/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention-Training-Articles/Traumatic-Effects-of-Bullying-Children

Death Penalty Argument Essay

Argue in favour or against this proposal The death penalty isn’t always the best way to deal with serious crimes, but it also depends on what you would class as a serious crime. The death penalty was abolished in 1965 for murder and in 1998 for all circumstances, we have managed to deal with most murders with executing them now so why do we need to bring it back? The death penalty puts innocent lives at risk. Many people have been executed but months, or even years, later have found out to be innocent or that there was no way they could have committed the crime. The death penalty also costs a lot of money. It is estimated that it costs $9 million per year in America for the death penalty alone. If they were to get rid of it they would save over $2.3 million. However the public need to be kept safe and if a dangerous criminal got onto the streets, after he has served his sentence, they would be terrified of what he could do next because nothing is stopping him committing more crimes. The death penalty goes against almost every religion. A human life is very valuable and those against the death penalty believe that even the worst murderers should not be deprived of the value of their lives. They believe that the value of the offender’s life cannot be destroyed by the offender’s bad conduct – even if they have killed someone. Mentally ill people are executed. Many mentally ill people are unable to to participate in their trials and appear unengaged, cold and unfeeling before the jury. Some have been forcibly medicated in order to make them competent to be executed.

Black People and Grandfather Essay

8. How can the dream at the end of the story be related to the major incidents that precede it? The dream at the end of the story is about the circus with his grandfather. He refused to laugh at the clowns no matter what they did. There is a relationship between clowns at circus and the black boy in battle royal. They are forced to entertain the white man and are treated as if they are no better than animal. The seemingly endless series of envelopes implies that inequality still continue for a long time until black man fall of weariness and white society will continue to create clowns for their entertainment. 9. Given the grandfather’s advice, explain how â€Å"meekness† can be a â€Å"dangerous activity† and a weapon against oppression. In the death bed the grandfather told his son as well as his grandson keep up a good fight. â€Å"Live with your head in the lion’s mouth†, the grandfather want his son to prepare for himself a mask of meekness, overcome white persons with yeses, underline them with grins, agree them to death and destruction. This meekness is considered as dangerous activity because their family as well as many black men in recent society is controlled and oppressed by the white man. Becoming the white’s favorite is the only way to survive. However meekness is not the same as surrender, it seems to be a shield to conceal a deeper revolutionary spirit. The grandfather bequeathed to his grandson not only strategy to live with â€Å"the lion† but also a weapon against oppression.