Ikrandraco - Facts and Figures

Name Ikdrandraco (Ikran dragon, after the flying creatures from Avatar); pronounced EE-krahn-DRAY-coe Habitat Rivers and lakes of Asia Historical Period Early Cretaceous (120 million years ago) Size and Weight About 30 inches long and a few pounds Diet Fish Distinguishing Characteristics Moderate size; distinctive bill structure; possible throat patch for holding fish About Ikrandraco Ikrandraco is an odd choice to honor the Ikran, or mountain banshees, of Avatar: this early Cretaceous pterosaur was only about two and a half feet long and a few pounds, whereas the Ikran from the hit movie are majestic, horse-sized, flying creatures that the Navi ride into battle against their human antagonists. Once you get past its name, though, Ikrandraco avatar may have been a truly unique pterosaur: some paleontologists claim that it had a pouch on the underside of its distinctively shaped bill in which it stored recently caught fish, which would make it similar to the modern pelican. However, not everyone is convinced by this putative anatomical feature of Ikrandraco (made of soft tissue, a throat pouch would have no chance of surviving in the fossil record), nor by the hypothesis that this pterosaur skimmed over the surface of lakes and trapped wiggling prey in its submerged lower jaw. The fact is that it can be difficult to infer the everyday behavior of a 120-million-year-old reptile by analogy with modern birds, and the possibility remains that Ikrandraco fed in more conventional fashion, like other pterosaurs of the early Cretaceous period, simply diving into the water and swallowing its fill of fish.

Types of Budgeting Essay Example

Essays on Types of Budgeting Essay The paper "Types of Budgeting" is a great example of an essay on finance and accounting. One significant difference between rational and incremental budgeting models is the comparative level of difficulty. The rational budgeting model is a lengthier, more costly procedure although it offers businesses more alternatives in terms of working in manifold areas with little financial resources (Cropf, 2008). On the other hand, the incremental budgeting model is suitable for little change since the most recent budget and there are extra financial resources to spend. New business objectives, episodes of financial difficulty, and creative approaches are hard to put up using the incremental budgeting model.One advantage of the rational budgeting model is savings, whereby every agency and task financed can account for every dollar spent easily (Cropf, 2008). A disadvantage of rational budgeting is possible, lengthy bureaucratic procedures that can be overwhelming. Rational budgeting models are used often by public agencies and involve complex protocols where even the agencies themselves are not certain they will be financed at all. An advantage of the incremental budgeting model is stability. Incremental budgeting is a stable procedure where the project’s individual share of the entire budget will not increase or decrease drastically (Cropf, 2008). A disadvantage of incremental budgeting is unnecessary funding. Since this model serves to stabilize sections or elements of a project, incremental budgeting processes end up financing these elements simply because they were underfunded in the past. As a result, efficiency is not a factor.An improvement I would make to the rational budgeting model is to reduce political processes and increase the involvement of special groups that decide the parts of a project worth financing (Cropf, 2008). For the incremental budgeting model, I would allow agencies or sections of a project to account for their previous uses of the budge t in order to determine the current or future allocations.

Converse Target Market Analysis Free Essays

The Nike-owned American sportswear company has taken over its own distribution in China, moved senior marketing staff to China and put Nike ad agency Wieden Kennedy in charge of a campaign centered on â€Å"Love Noise,† a documentary film (as well as an integrated marketing campaign) about one of the most quintessential aspects of the music world: the road trip. Two bands, 3,584 miles In August 2008, two Beijing-based groups — the post-punk-rock band P. K. We will write a custom essay sample on Converse Target Market Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now 4, already one of the most influential bands in China, and Queen Sea Big Shark, a hybrid dance-rock group — traveled more than 3,584 miles by bus for two weeks. Alongside local bands in each venue, the two groups performed in six Chinese cities: Nanjing, Hangzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Xi’an and Beijing. As the tour and story unfold, nine featured musicians reveal their personal journeys on the road to self-expression. The documentary was directed by Liu Feng, a filmmaker who joined Wieden Kennedy in 2005. The program was created by the independent agency with media-planning support from WPP’s Mindshare. Both companies also work with Nike, which acquired Converse in 2003. The documentary rolled out last month and will be distributed to consumers who purchase Converse shoes at local retailers through the end of March. It’s a risky move to adapt Converse’s music-oriented U. S. strategy for China, because the country’s independent music scene is still very small. On tour, unknown bands typically attract dozens or hundreds of people, not thousands. China’s independent music scene doesn’t have anywhere near the mass appeal it has in the West. It’s at the pioneering stage at this point, but it is growing,† said Cheryl Calegari, who relocated to Shanghai as Converse’s senior marketing director for Asia/Pacific last January. Close ties with music world Converse has cultivated close ties with the music world for decades. The Chuck Ta ylor All Star and other Converse shoes have been worn by music legends such as Sid Vicious and Blondie, and Converse created a special-edition shoe for Kurt Cobain. Throughout our 100-year history, we’ve always celebrated art, music and fashion, so it was a natural fit for us to be a part of what’s happening in China,† Ms. Calegari said. Before joining Converse in 2005, she worked with fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole. Ms. Calegari arrived in China at about the same time the Nike subsidiary stepped up its presence in the mainland. It has increased its marketing investment and last year switched from a licensing setup to a distributor model. Converse shoes are now sold in more than 1,800 retail outlets in China. How to cite Converse Target Market Analysis, Papers