Abstract
The paper offers a case study of ERG Smart Cards, a company offering the means for widespread use of smart cards. The paper explains that this is a system allowing for monetary value to be loaded onto "smart cards" with embedded microprocessors for recording transactions and calculating changes in value. The paper relates that this sort of technology has been in development for a decade or so and has been pursued by a number of companies, some in association with ERG, some acquired by ERG, and some concentrating on different aspects of the market than ERG.

From the Paper
"ERG Smart Cards is a company offering the means for widespread use of smart cards, a system allowing for monetary value loaded onto "smart cards" with embedded microprocessors for recording transactions and calculating changes in value. This sort of technology has been in development for a decade or so and has been pursued by a number of companies, some in association with ERG, some acquired by ERG and some concentrating on different aspects of the market than ERG. ERG today is in a strong position for the future but is also faced with a reduced stock price because of problems with its association with Motorola, once a linchpin for the company and now a drain on the stock price. CEO Fogarty has to determine whether to continue to pursue the company strategy of concentrating on large-scale projects or chase smaller tenders."

Tags:erg, smart, cards

Abstract
The paper ascertains the attitudes of students relative to credit cards, examining their attitudes towards their perceived convenience, risk and the extra cost of potential transactions. The analysis includes both the students' and their families' income, the frequency of parents' fights over money and credit cards, specifically, and the number of credit cards carried. The paper discusses the conclusions from this research, that shows the marketing of credit cards for college students, both to their parents and to the students themselves, is extremely effective. The paper explains that credit card companies are successfully imparting the messages of control, ego gratification and the rationalization of emergencies.

Outline:
Executive Summary
Research Issue
Methodology
Analysis of Results
Conclusions/Recommendations
Limitations
Appendices

From the Paper
"Fifty students were given the printed questionnaire and assured complete anonymity and privacy, and also were left alone in classrooms after sessions were over to complete the survey. A $3 Starbucks Card was offered to the first ten students to complete the survey, so that motivation to quickly finish the research instrument would be assured. Graduate-level students were asked to complete the survey during an evening course break. "The sampling focused primarily on business students, with an even mix of women and men in the samples to rule out gender bias in the analysis of the results, a research design advocated by Hair, J.F., Anderson, R.E., Tatham, R.L., & Black, W.C. (1995) in their book."

Tags:control, ego, gratification, emergencies, cost, payment

Abstract
This paper points out the numerous opportunities for fraud that would be created if the U.S. government were to mandate the use of identity cards. The paper explains that, while the idea of issuing identity cards came about as a response to the events of 9/11, the ease and ability of creating false identity cards, as evidenced by the number of 9/11 hijackers who held false passports, could actually work against the purpose of identity cards, which is to help keep out potential terrorists.

From the Paper
"Since the attacks by al-Qaeda on the United States on September 11, 2001, both citizens of and officials of our government have considered what we can do to reduce the chance that al-Qaeda could launch another successful attack. We now see long lines at airports as luggage and carry-ons are more thoroughly checked, and travelers are required to show identification multiple times before boarding planes and other public transportation systems (La Londe, 2002). However, because each state sets its own standards for issuance of major methods of identification such as driver's licenses, some have argued that the United States should issue federally controlled identity cards. In this way we could standardize the documentation required, and have more confidence that they were accurate indications of who the person is."

Tags:birth, certificates, drivers, licenses, social, security, immigration, and, naturalization, service

Abstract
The paper relates that with nearly 43,000 retail outlets in the United States alone and distribution to more than 100 countries, Hallmark Cards is one of the largest privately held manufacturers and distributors of greeting cards in the world. The paper relates that Hallmark's headquarters are in Kansas City, Missouri and the company employs approximately 16,000 people ("Hallmark Cards"). To assess the increasingly competitive industry Hallmark operates within, the paper analyzes Porter's five forces that drive industry competition including: rivalry among competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of channels and end users, bargaining powers of suppliers, and barriers to entry for new competitors.

From the Paper
"With nearly 43,000 retail outlets in the United States alone and distribution to more than 100 countries, Hallmark Cards is one of the largest privately held manufacturers and distributors of greeting cards in the world. Hallmark's headquarters are in Kansas City, Missouri and the company employs approximately 16,000 people ("Hallmark Cards")."

Tags:industry, analysis, hallmark

Abstract
Since the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, government officials have considered what can be done to reduce the chance of another successful attack, with some proposing to issue federally controlled identity cards. This paper argues, however, that even our most tightly-controlled document, the passport, isn't free from use in false identification. While protecting our country from further terrorist attacks is of crucial concern, given our track record, it does not seem likely that our federal government can create an incorruptible system of identification. The paper argues that, for this reason, national identity cards could actually increase our risk of attack, since the terrorists would probably obtain such identity cards as well.

From the Paper
"The argument in favor of national identity cards is of course that we would create systems that circumvent false information being used to obtain them, and that because the need is so great, the necessity is just as great. The critics point to the same evidence, that the hijackers obtained the identification they used to board the planes because of weaknesses in our documentation systems."

Tags:documentation, Al-Quaeda, hijacking

Abstract
The paper explains that a video card (also referred to as a graphics card) is an essential part of computer hardware. The paper relates that without these cards, monitors would not display the pixels in a format the human eye could understand. The paper discusses the evolution of the graphics card from simple chips that displayed nothing more than text, to the graphic wonders that can create any detail today. The paper predicts that they will continue to add vivid color, striking details and complex capabilities for computer users far into the future.

Outline:
Abstract
Evolution of the Graphics Card
Future of the Graphics Card

From the Paper
"Graphics cards are essential to the computing we know today. From PDAs to laptops, the graphics card allows the user to play games, create graphics and complex mapping, and even view the world one pixel at a time through programs such as GoogleEarth. Graphics cards have evolved from simple MDAs that only displayed text to complex cards that can render ever more complicated and detailed graphic images. In the future, computer users can expect graphics that are even more detailed, faster memory and interfaces that reduce rendering time, and even better 3D graphics that will allow them to become "part" of the screen."

Tags:graphics, pixels, hardware, images

Abstract
In the first part of this paper, the writer discusses the rise in credit card use and looks at the reasons behind this increase. The writer then examines how the availability of easy credit caused a fundamental shift in American tastes. The writer also evaluates how these trends could affect a consumer's purchasing power, the credit industry, and even the national economy. The writer concludes that a combination of consumerism, economic need and the easy availability of credit have contributed to the revolving debt figures in the US. Further, the writer argues that as more people become knowledgeable about credit and are turning to debit cards and cash, creditors will have to devise new ways to encourage credit spending.

Outline:
Credit History
Credit Aftermath
Economic Effects
Works Cited

From the Paper
"Previous research has suggested that only a small amount of credit-card holding households were responsible for the vast majority of credit card debt. Others have shown that as credit cards became more common forms of payment, average balances increased across the board. The fact that credit cards became more readily available in the early 1990s partly accounts for this phenomenon, and tends to support the latter conclusions. It is far more likely that all people are using credit cards more, rather than merely a fraction of American households."
"Bernthal et al attributes this increase in revolving debt to intense competition among lenders. There was therefore a strong incentive for lenders to extend loans to riskier households. In the 1980s, credit cards were seen as a status symbol, only acquired by those who had disposable income. By 1995, however, the average credit card holder had lower income and was more likely to be single. The average credit card holder was also more likely to rent rather than own their home, worked in a blue collar profession and often carried higher credit card balances."

Tags:debt, payment, borrowing, balances

Abstract
This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the artwork, "Raftsmen Playing Cards" by George Caleb Bingham. Specifically, it discusses the historical context and aesthetic effect of the piece and looks at why the work is so appealing.

From the Paper
"This art is clearly American Realism at its best. The minute detail of the figures and the raft, the attention to the riverbank and the misty mountains in the distance, Bingham executes all these details with deftness and a real concern for realism. He has even spent the time to recreate distinct personalities for his river men, which are quite apparent with a close viewing of the painting. There is a dreamlike quality to the surroundings, but the main subjects stand out in stark relief. It is clear they are the main focus of this painting, but they also reveal Bingham's realistic style that followed him throughout his lifetime. At a time when there were no commonly available photographs, Bingham captured scenes as if they were shot with a camera, so that people all over the world could see what life was like on the American frontier. His style is consistent with other realists of the time, who strove to capture scenes as they really were, and depict people as they really looked."

Tags:saint, louis, art, museum, missouri, oil, mississippi, river, raft, winner, riverbank, mountains

Abstract
The paper identifies the main concerns regarding college students using credit cards and highlights the implications of student debt on individual students, colleges and the economy. The paper considers potential solutions for colleges, but notes that there is only so much that colleges and the government can do, within the bounds of reason and free enterprise.

From the Paper
"Credit card companies are increasingly targeting college students. A recent survey showed that 76% of students had cards marketed to them on campus, and a third of them said that free gifts were offered as an inducement to sign up . Card companies love the student market because students typically have few ties to financial institutions, and are thus a source of new customers. In particular, college students represent a demographic that is expected to secure good, white-collar employment once they graduate."

Tags:debt, loans, salaries

From the Paper
"On the surface, the smart card is a means of gathering up loose change and loose economic threads, and moving toward a cashless society. In the real world, almost everyone carries paper money, coins, credit cards, checks, and the occasional debit card. These are the currently accepted financial instruments used in everyday transactions of money and credit. One or all of these instruments are accepted by whomever we choose to do business with. As the year 2000 draws near, the likelihood exists that stored value cards, often known as smart cards, will all but eclipse the use of small bills and coins (Morrall, 1995)."