How Can Facebook Be Good for Business Research Paper

How Can Facebook Be Good for Business - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss how Facebook can be good for businesses. This will also analyze the scope of marketing activities in this new age of online branding. Facebook provides users with a common platform to express their views and share their opinions easily so as to significantly take part in the social formation process. As compared to traditional promotion techniques, companies obtain a great pool of audience while marketing through the Facebook channel. In other words, firms can cheaply advertise their products and services to people across the globe using Facebook. In contrast to conventional promotion techniques, Facebook-based promotion assists companies to collect customer feedbacks regarding various product/service instantly. Today all successful companies have a well maintained Facebook page and they keep their pages updated in order to be in good touch with customers. Market analysts point out that Facebook is very helpful for companies in dealing with brand positioning i n the current business environment. Modern people spend more time browsing the internet, particularly Facebook rather than watching television. Therefore, TV ads would be less effective (in terms of cost and productivity) today. The most fascinating advantage of Facebook-based brand positioning is that it significantly benefits businesses to cut down their operating costs while achieving the planned benefits quickly. To illustrate, an organization can very cheaply maintain a Facebook page and develop its followers’ group as there is no extra charge for doing so. According to Schivinski and Dabrowski, with the emergence of Facebook, communication with customers has become an easy task for organizations and this situation, in turn, drives the formation of timely and potential operational strategies. Undoubtedly, most of the marketing managers will agree that a notable percent of their new business comes from existing customers. In the opinion of Lynn and Davis, mouth publicity is the most powerful tool of advertising because consumers are the ones who can best evaluate a product/service. It is evident that Facebook provides users with extensive exposure to discover and share information and this feature of social media contributes to the feasibility of ‘word of mouth referrals’. The Guardian reports that â€Å"there are more than 3.2 billion likes and comments posted to Facebook every day, many of those to the 37m brand pages†. It directly reflects the unimaginable scope of Facebook-based brand promotion. Since a company’s Facebook page will reflect its business and what it stands for, the management must pay higher attention to creating and maintaining its brand page. To illustrate, the firm may set a cover photo that depicts the essence of its brand and quality of products/services offered. Firms can include the â€Å"find us on Facebook† option on its website, emails, and newsletters in order to encourage its existing customers to like the firm’s brand page. Hence, the company gets a huge group of existing and prospective customers subscribed to its brand page.

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 9

Finance - Essay Example Unlike security bonds that have fixed flow of cash, stock is an equity security that guarantees individual shareholders a proportionate ownership in a business. Some of the corporate values that shareholder gets including right to vote and periodic payments from the investment returns called dividends (Ferraro 2009, pg. 10). Like financial assets, the value of the invested stock will be the discounted value of prospective cash flow in the future. Stock fundamental value is reflective of any dividends and the sale price of the stock in the future (Arnold 2007 p.225). One of the cornerstone elements of stock valuation is the Price-to-Earn-Ratio (P/E) it links stock prices changes to the valuation of stock. In the financial market, P/E dictates the prices of stock and the subsequent effect on overall organization stock value. Besides, this ratio shows how long wills a particular stock take to pay back the investor capital if there is stagnation of the business. For instance, a stock trading at $20 with a return of $2 per individual share has a P/E of 10. Essentially, this means that an investor will get the capital invested back (Arnold 2007, p.225). Arnold (2007 p.225) notes that the stock pricing is a cornerstone in valuation of stock. Entrepreneurs values the stock in terms of their ability to return the money invested. Besides, an important financial ratio is Dividend Yield (DY), this identifies return from the investment. The higher the DY, the higher the value of the stock in the market. The critical determinants of DY are purchasing prices and selling prices of a particular stock. Inconsistent and lower dividends reflect low valued stock and thus, poor stock prices in the stock markets. Valuing a stock uses numerous market indexes such as Nasdaq and OTC methods. In each of them, the fundamental value of stock rests on the existing market prices and future prospects.

The Conquest Of Mexico Essay Example for Free

The Conquest Of Mexico Essay The Spaniards, in the conquest of the Mexican people, relied just as heavily on chance and luck as they did on their on their skills on diplomacy and military prowess. The sicknesses that the Spaniards brought over with them in addition to the political situation that the Mexica had established with their neighbors is what really brought about the downfall of the great Mexican civilizations. In addition to these factors there was also the fact that up to this point in history the Americas have had very little in the way of contact from the outside world and consequently had next to no knowledge of the civilizations across the sea. When they first encountered the Spanish Conquistadors they held the belief that they were from the gods and that Cortez was the reincarnation of one of their gods and as such welcomed them with open arms. When you take into consideration all of the factors mentioned above you will see that the conquest of Aztecs and other Native American civilizations by the Spanish was accomplished by three major factors: diplomacy, military prowess, and no small amount of luck. The first of those factors is the diseases that the Europeans brought across the Atlantic with them. The most notable disease that caused the majority of the deaths among the Native American people was the pestilence of smallpox. An account of just how devastating smallpox was among a populace whose immune systems had no prior experience with or any way to combat European diseases can be found in book twelve of the Florentine Codex. â€Å"Before the Spaniards came to us, first an epidemic broke out, a sickness of pustules. It began in Tepeilhuitl. Large bumps spread on people; some where completely covered. They spread everywhere, on the face, the head, the chest, etc. [The disease] brought great desolation, a great many died of it. (Lockhart, 1993, 190)† The account goes on to describe the horrors that the disease had left behind in the lives of those who were lucky enough to survive. Many of the survivors had been left horribly scared or even blinded if they were unlucky enough for the disease to spread into their eyes. The main reason that these diseases had such a devastating effect on the natives and not on the Spaniards is the fact that the natives had very little in the way of domesticated animals. The Europeans had for thousands of years been in possession of a great many domesticated animal, such as pigs, horses, chickens, and cows, and it is these animals that are usually the incubators and carriers of a great many deadly diseases. Since the Europeans had been around them for so long their immune systems had adapted to the situation and were able to combat the diseases. The Aztecs had no such advantage. The deadly diseases of Europe were something completely new to them and their immune systems had no way to combat them. The Spaniards had no compunctions about taking advantage of the situation in their conquest of Mexico. Another huge factor that the Spanish had in their favor was the superior weapons that they had at their disposal and huge advantage that the weapons gave them in battle. The Aztec people were severely limited in the type of weapon that they could wield in battle due to the simple fact that their civilization had never discovered the art of metallurgy which Europe had discovered long prior. The weapons that they created were made from wood and stone. One such weapon that the majority of the Aztec warriors had in their possession is described in the book titled Victors and Vanquished. â€Å"Their primary weapon was a kind of wooden sword set with obsidian blades designed for slashing and incapacitating rather than killing an opponent. (Schwartz 2000 11)† The weapons of the Aztec warriors were all similar to that in that they were designed to incapacitate instead of kill. The entire reason for the Aztecs to be at war was the capture of prisoners that they could sacrifice to their gods. The Spaniards were not like that. Their weapons were designed for one purpose, to kill. Many of those weapons, such as the musket or crossbow, had a much greater range than any of the weapons that the natives could field in battle and they had no answer at all to the power of the Spaniards canons. The one factor that made all of every weapon that the Spaniards had at their disposal superior to any Aztec weapon is the simple fact that they were made of steel. There was one obstacle that the Conquistadors had that would prevent them from overwhelming the Aztecs even with their superior weaponry. That aforementioned obstacle was the fact that the Spanish only numbered in the hundreds while the Aztecs had their entire civilization backing them. The way that they were able to overcome that obstacle was through the art of diplomacy. The constant invasions and taking of prisoners by the Aztecs for their human sacrifices had earned them many enemies among their neighbors. When Spain began its exploration of the new world those very same neighbors saw their chance to finally bring about the destruction of their oppressors. An example of this can be found in a Spanish account of the invasion of Chapultepec. â€Å"The war was sustained fiercely on both sides, since on our side we had the help of many Tlaxacalan warriors †¦(Aguilar, 1993, 196)† The constant warfare and human sacrifice that the gods of the Aztecs demanded of them had finally helped to bring about the downfall of that great civilization. There was no one thing that brought about the downfall of the Mexican people. It was a conglomeration of events that finally toppled the great civilizations. The sicknesses and plaques that the Europeans brought over with them played no small part. The way in which the natives waged war was also a significant factor. The factor that really broke the back of the Aztecs was the constant need for human sacrifice. In their dealings with their neighbors they had created the foundation that Spaniards used for the negotiating of allies in the conquest of Mexico. In this collision of two previously separate worlds it was the Spanish who came out as the victor and the Aztecs as the vanquished.

Risk And Uncertainty When Entering A New Market Economics Essay

Risk And Uncertainty When Entering A New Market Economics Essay When entering a foreign market for the first time, a firm will be faced with many unknowns. Distinguish between the concepts of risk and uncertainty when a firm is entering a market of your choice. Give examples of types of risk. INTRODUCTION This paper will examine the concept of foreign market incursion by domestic business entities. It will analyse the risks associated with and probe uncertainties inherent in globalizing the local business. The market of choice used in this paper is the entertainment industry in general and the music industry in particular, with a special focus on the music industry in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper will begin by defining key terms used and then give a broad background of international business and globalisation. The paper will then narrow its focus to the business context within which it will define risks and uncertainties. Each type of risk is expounded upon within the context provided and a conclusion made. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Credit Risk: (also called default risk) the risk of non-payment or uncertainty associated with payment of financial obligations when they are due. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Any investment abroad in which the company being invested in is controlled by a foreign entity or corporation. Foreign Exchange Risk: The risk of loss or money depreciation through change in currency exchange rates between the host country and country of origin of foreign investment. Interest Rate Risk: Uncertainty associated with changes in interest rates. Location Risk: These are spillover or contamination effects created by challenges or problems specific to the region in which a country is in. Piracy: The act of misuse of other peoples intellectual property. Pirate: Someone who uses anothers intellectual property as if it were his own. Political Risk: Actions by groups of people or governments which have the potential to affect the immediate or long term viability of a firm. Price Risk: Uncertainty associated with potential changes in the price of an asset cause by changes in interest rate levels and rates of return in the economy. Pure Risk: The type of risk which only offers the potential for loss but never results in gains. Risk: The likelihood of an occurrence of an outcome which is disadvantageous or harmful. Sovereign Risk: This is the risk that the government or one of its agencies will refuse to honour agreed terms of a loan agreement whenever the situation makes it arduous or undesirable for it to pay. Speculative Risk: The type of risk which offers both the potential for gain and the potential for loss. Systematic Risk: Risk which influences a large number of assets and which are impossible to prevent such as political events or acts of nature. Also called market risk. Talent: Someone with an exceptional ability. Uncertainty: The quality of human knowledge or information concerning risk. Unsystematic Risk: (Specific Risk): Risk which affects a very small number of assets or which is specific to a company such as a lockout at a recording studio. Visibility: The level of exposure to public scrutiny offered by such factors as a good marketing strategy. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND GLOBALISATION The term international business is concerned with the exchange of goods and services between individuals, groups and organizations in two or more countries. It includes all cross-border transactions between nations with commercial or political value, both by government and by private entities. Although globalisation is a complex construct to measure, it is widely acknowledged that much of the worlds business is either crossing borders and becoming global, uses imports in its manufacturing and/or supply or competing with foreign products in the same industry. Globalisation is a force that simply cannot be ignored. For purposes of clarity and due to differences in academic opinion on the subject, a working definition of globalisation for this paper will be derived from Hamilton and Webster (2009): Globalisation involves the creation of linkages or interconnections between nations. It is usually understood as a process in which barriers (physical, political, economic, cultural) separating different regions of the world as [sic] reduced or removed, thereby stimulating exchanges in goods, services, money, and people (Hamilton Webster 2009, p.5). The concept of globalisation acknowledges a world evolution into a global village where activities in one part influence and have marked significance over those in other parts in a short space of time (Katsioloudes Hadjidakis, 2007 p.366). Rapid technological advancement has undoubtedly improved connections between countries by expanding telecommunications, transportation services, government operations and general enterprise. There are, however, both strengths and weaknesses to be derived from the inexorable advancement of globalisation. Supporters of the concept argue that globalisation has brought about amazing dividends including a sharp fall in poverty; improved global health evidenced by an increased global life expectancy and a drop in infant mortality; a rise in global literacy; and an unprecedented wave of democratization (Ã…slund A Dabrowski M, 2008 p.3). THE CONTEXT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY The music industry is a blend of producers, promoters, talent, the musical art form, the product format and modes of distribution. Unlike in Western nations where big production studios such as SONY BMG, Motown Record Company, and Arista run the industry through music production, record sales, publishing and related merchandise, in many sub-Saharan African countries, the producers are entrepreneurs who more often than not exploit young and inexperienced talent to turn a profit. Returns to the local industry have been handicapped by piracy and the inability or unwillingness of governmental structures to protect intellectual property in itself a reaction to the growing rates of youth and graduate unemployment. The music industry in the region has therefore experience limited growth until recent years. Today, advancement in music production technology, the internet, and the influence of multinational enterprises such as telecommunications giants like AIRTEL and MTN are reshaping the musical culture through intense exposure and multi-faceted advertising campaigns promising to deliver new and exotic musical forms to a global market characterised by quick and ready consumption for innovative and new products. Through this economic globalisation, a new musical culture is emerging, and relatively unexposed classical and contemporary musical art forms in sub-Saharan Africa are beginning to enjoy global exposure. The advantages which the music industry in Africa has to offer are in the uniqueness of the product offering, the vast array of products or individual artistes with individual music and dance styles, and the novelty of the African experience. The Product Life Cycle (PLC) theory explains that the growth stage of international products is characterised by fast growing demand. From an analysis of the music industry in Africa, one could argue that it is rejuvenated into a growth phase in a new product cycle. There is evidence of demand for the new African musical product from such groups as Africans in the diaspora, African Americans, and art lovers from diverse cultural backgrounds. This can be said to be the justification behind the consistent exchange of musical artists between Africa and the West in corporate promotions of international telecommunications giants including Airtel, MTN, Orange and Safaricom in several sub-Saharan African countries. One could similarly argue that since the election victory of Barack Obama, the first US president of African parentage, African American entertainment moguls wishing to identify with the motherland have been creating opportunities for more interaction between Africa and North America in music and film. Film and music festivals such as the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), African movie Academy Awards (AMAA), the MTV African Music Awards (the MAMAs), have been consistently attended by American stars of African descent in an effort to increase the involvement and presence of the American entertainment industry (a global leader in the field). Other Awards in the north such as the Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBOs) and the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) have been striving to acknowledge and recognise African talent in order to spread awareness of the budding industry. One of the reasons why organizations engage in international business is to minimize risk by securing their product in a market with an expanding economy or to counter the strategies of competitors (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2009, p.60). When establishing operations abroad, however, a company also exposes itself to certain types of risk. In making an incursion into a foreign market, music businesses are often faced with several unknowns which are highlighted under types of risk. RISK AND UNCERTAINTY Both risk and uncertainty are factors which inherently influence corporate, strategic and tactical decision making in firms. Risks are calculable or known premises of the probability of having an undesirable outcome. They are a combination of the probability of occurrence of hazards and the magnitude or impact of their likely consequences. People who make decisions always have a certain level of knowledge about risks they take. The music producer, for instance, understands the risk of piracy in his immediate environment and the impact it may have on his ability to turn a profit from the music business, or he may understand the risk taken on investing in and promoting hitherto unproven talents in the industry based on mere intuition. The tolerability of risk is the willingness of a subject to live with a certain level of risk in exchange for some certain benefits. While the risk of competing with pirates who have minimal production and set-up costs may be high, the trade-off is often industry visibility for the product which enables the producer or label to get beneficial contracts for live and sometimes international music events. Further risks faced by the music industry in an effort to globalise are outlined below under risks faced by the industry. Uncertainty, on the other hand, is the situation in which the decision maker has no precise knowledge of the probability of occurrence of different states of outcome. The decision maker, in essence, has no predictive knowledge of the probability of any form of outcome. The music producer may be largely uncertain whether his or her product or talent is suitable for a market which has a different cultural context which may include a language barrier. He will also probably be uncertain about whether there will be a terrorist attack (a political risk) at any one of the shows organised for the benefit of promoting his talents abroad, even though he may be warned in advance of the risk of a cyclone and other forces of nature. TYPES OF RISK Risks may be typified along several different and distinct lines but due to volume restrictions and for the purposes of this paper we shall be examining the typologies listed below: Country risk Political risk Transfer risk Economic risk Foreign exchange risk Location risk 1. Country risk All businesses which transcend borders become exposed to a certain measure of risk which is not present in their domestic activities and transactions and these are known as country risks. In the narrower view of the concept, country risk is defined as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ risk that a country will not be able to honour its financial commitments (Katsioloudes Hadjidakis, 2007 p.185-6). In the broader context, however, country risk analyses are general aggregates of sub-risk factors present within the country. They may be calculated and form the basis on which to determine the desirability of choosing a country upon which to invest. For instance, countries which favour external investments and remove restrictive trade barriers are normally considered to be safe ground for foreign direct investment. By and large many third world countries like those of sub-Saharan Africa have not got the best end of the globalisation bargain (Waters, 2001 p.45) Due to usual high levels of uncertainty, country risk is not always easily calculated. However, some practitioners calculate country risk by dividing it up into sub-categories of risk which are then aggregated. These usually include: political risk, economic risk; transfer risk; foreign exchange risk; location risk; sovereign risk. According to current country risk ratings, Norway as the country with the least risk for investment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_risk). 2. Political Risk Political risks include all risks associated with the actions of government especially those to do with the legal dimension, relationships between countries, and security of investments. As with every other facet of business, political risks influence the music industry and the feasibility of globalisation. The African music and entertainment industries desire to move into Asia and North America because of the influence, technology and financial pull of Bollywood in India and Hollywood in the USA. Countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq are not ideal destinations due to political turmoil and the potent risk of loss of life, property or investments there. Other countries with an Eastern or socialist inclination are not attractive to those with capitalist orientations. In order to avoid fallouts of a political nature in investing in a global music enterprise, those in the African music industry simply need to do some country research to acquire relevant information about political stability and diplomatic relations between the country of potential investment and the country of the investors origin. There are a variety of web-based services which offer information on countries via country reports. The probability of travel restrictions barring temporary immigration or work based travel and visa denials due to stringent conditions are also elements of a political nature whose risks need calculation before any major investment can be made. 3. Transfer risk Sometimes the country of an individual who borrows money in an investment restricts the ability of people in that country to buy foreign exchange. The impact of this is that the borrower may not be able to meet his/her obligations to repay in foreign currency the currency of the borrowed amount. The risk of this occurring is normally known as transfer risk and because of the role of government in this type of risk; it is also a type of political risk. This risk is mostly present in countries where democracy is not the system of government. 4. Economic Risk Economic risk in the context of globalisation is the risk that the investment will be economically unsustainable. Variations in different financial inputs and outputs of the enterprise need to add up to ensure that the risk of fallout is checked. In the music industry, when the investment in an artist in terms of publicity and promotion, training and logistical costs are predicted not to be able to be offset by predicted future sales from the work of the artist, then it can be said that the economic risk is too high and it is not a good or advisable investment. 5. Foreign Exchange Risk This is also known as exchange rate risk or currency risk. It is the risk of change of the value of an investment due to fluctuations between exchange rates of the currency of the investor and the currency of the host country for the investment. The possible adverse effect of foreign exchange risk is that the investment may become more expensive as a result of unprecedented changes in currencies which are outside the control of the investor. A music producer who invests in a product for sale in a foreign market will be happy if the value of the foreign currency appreciates against the value of his local currency as that would mean increased profits for him. The foreign exchange market is highly volatile and predicting the direction of foreign exchange movement a guessing game. Many foreign buyers prefer to avoid this risk by trading in their local currency. 6. Location Risk Location risks are risk factors associated with the political neighbours of a country or region. Certain states in North America which border Mexico are affected by illegal immigration and have concerns to do with illegal migrant workers; the political dynamics of such countries as Tunisia affects that of similar or neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Libya as evidenced by the recent revolts (in the first quarter of 2011). RISK RETURN TRADE-OFF The risk-return trade-off principle holds that low risk levels are associated with low potential returns while where high risks exist; the possibility of high returns looms large. This is why even when the country risks are great, firms may decide to take on the challenge of investing nevertheless, often prompted by the need to defend against the prospect of the companys competitors taking the initiative. For example, in the music and entertainment industry, many North American artistes used to shun the Middle East as a suitable showground due to the notion that Middle Eastern ideologies and Islamic values predominant in the culture there were inconsistent with the entertainment requirements of unrestricted freedom of expression. However, in an unprecedented turnaround, Middle Eastern cities such as Dubai are fast becoming a favourite of artistes since big artists like Michael Jackson took the plunge of tapping into the market in the 1990s. OTHER RISKS FACED BY THE INDUSTRY Polycentrism may influence the art form of the music talent. Polycentrism works through the belief of foreign business units of trying to act local. Artists and producers are often strongly influenced by the local culture of the foreign environment of investment by sub-elements of personality including the language, dressing, use of available musical instruments and technology, and the musical art itself. Socialization of this nature may cause irreparable modification to the art they offer and the image they normally portray, a product exported for its original nature. This may later influence the potential of the talent to remain intellectually authentic the musical talent in some instances may be accused of no longer sounding African or of losing authenticity. SUGGESTED STRATEGY OF INCURSION INTO THE FOREIGN MARKET Based on the factors examined it is advisable for investors in the music industry to seek partnerships with foreign counterparts in selling the unique products of African traditional and contemporary musical art in a globalised setting. Just as local food is internationalised by countries such as Italy, Japan and the US in entities such as MacDonalds, single entrepreneurs can expand the musical product in clubs which offer African musical content with renewable, trainable talent acting as the products on offer. The risk from competition, while challenging, helps organizations focus their energies on quality strategies of survival or market expansion. Due to the challenges inherent in integrating into a foreign market, foreign firms must enhance the process of their integration into local markets as a matter of necessity. This can be done by recruiting locals and learning the language and culture (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2009, p.505) among other integration strategies. CONCLUSION The paper has outlined the concepts of risk and uncertainty in the global arena within the context of the incursion of a local business. The sub-Saharan African perspective has been brought to bear on the analysis. The paper highlighted the difference between risk and uncertainty showing their relationship to one another and giving examples on each of the concepts. The paper has also looked at ways in which a firm in the music and entertainment industry may benefit from globalisation. Comparisons were made between the African music industry and other globalised franchises in the world such as MacDonalds in suggesting a useful model which may be simulated.

The Story Of Isaak :: essays research papers

The story of Isaac . In telling the story of Isaac it is very important to tell about his father Abram . Once Lord ordered Abram to leave his country , his people and his father's household and to go to the land that God was going to show him . After that God made promises which were fulfilled inthe rest of the Genesis. The first was making Abram into a great nation . Naturally question arises : how can man be made into a great nation ? The answer is that through one's heir that in it's term will give more and more heirs (children) one can be made into nation . Than God promised that he would bless Abram , making his name great, that he would bless those who bless him , that he wold curse those who curse him and finally that through Abram all nations would be blessed. At that time Abram was seventy five years old , so he followed the Lord's will and took his wife Sarai , nephew Lot and moved to Canaan. While Abram was travelling at the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shehem , God appeared to him and told that through his offspring he would receive that land . Because there was a famine in that land Abram went to Egypt. But there was a problem . Abram knew how beautiful his wife Sarai was, also he knew what would happen to her if Egyptians saw her ; moreover he knew what would happen to him if they would have learned that Abraham was her husband- he would be dead . So they decided to pretend as if she was his sister . But once Pharaoh's officials saw her so they took her to the palace . Sarai became Pharaoh's wife , Pharaoh in his term treated well to Abraham(he gave cattle, sheep, different servants).But the Lord inficted serious deseases on Egypt , Pharaoh understood that that was all because of Sarai and he gave back her to Abram . Then he made orders about them to his men and they sent him on his way . All that time Lot was with them . They came to Negev , after that they moved to Bethel, there Abraham called on the name of the Lord . Land could not support allof them while they stayed together , for their posessions where so great .

The Flaws Of Hamlet :: essays research papers

What is Hamlet's flaw?…';Nor to any one is he known to have defect. No one ever ventures to speak of him slightingly or critically. Why does not the King, Laertes, or Fortinbras despise him for a scholar and a dreamer, at least, instead of taking him as they all do for the worthy son of his warrior sire? Why does not the Queen once sigh, or Horatio sadly shake his head? He is a courtier, soldier, scholar, the expectancy and rose of the fair state, cries Ophelia, and there is no suggestion that she is saying it as one who does not know. It is the accepted opinion. The king fears him, and he shrinks form bringing him to account for Polonius' death, he says because of the great love the general gender bear him. This sinful Queen quails under his rebuke, and yet loves him too well to betray his confidence. And as often in Shakespeare's tragedies, at the end of the play judgment to the same effect is pronounced on his character by a disinterested party.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Was Hamlet out of his mind, or was he pretending to be crazy? Did anyone realize what Hamlet's dilemma, such as Ophelia, the King, and the Queen? What was his delay? Could it be that Hamlet was not so much afraid of killing the king, but hurting his mother, mentally, emotionally, after the death of her King and her abrupt marriage to Claudius. Was Hamlet afraid, that maybe the ghost of his father wasn't really his father's ghost at all, in that it was a trick of the devil?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet's over analysis is what turns out to be the reason for so many deaths, including his own. His procrastination kills not only himself, but also his mother, his girlfriend, and others, but it also leaves the reader full of doubt. Of course the average reader is aware that Hamlet will kill the new king, but was it necessary to have so many deaths due to one mans uncertainty? Yes, his father, the king, was killed by his own brother, Hamlet's uncle, and at seems as quickly as he died, he queen was re-married just as quickly. More often than not, Hamlet questions himself, his goal, his reason for being alive, but for every question came an opportunity to kill Claudius and he didn't. Hamlet, undoubtedly was confused, and probably scared, but the key question here is, was he in his right mind?

The Smacking of Children should be banned by Law :: Child Abuse Violence

I firmly believe that the smacking of children should be banned by law. For me, there is no real debate in this matter. Many parents abuse the right to smack their children, which can lead to severe consequences. Children grow up copying and learning from their parents from a young age. If parents drink and smoke, their children may want to copy them. If parents smack, their children will think that it is acceptable to be violent and will be more likely to smack their own children in the future. Surely the main consideration in this case is that, if parents choose to smack their children they are damaging them, not always physically but definitely psychologically. I don?t believe that smacking is in any way acceptable, as the smallest bit of violence against children could cause them to use it themselves when they are older. Today, the law states that parents are allowed to hit their children as long as they leave no mark, graze or bruise. There are constantly cases in the media, involving the abuse of the right to smack children in Northern Ireland. This is because parents have been abusing this right more frequently in the past couple of years. I believe the reason for this is that most children have been exposed to violence in their homes, which has led them to be violent in their future. It is a vicious circle. Also, by beating children we are telling them that it is acceptable to smack, which will create more violence in the future, therefore making the matter worse. In dealing with this issue can we ignore the fact that there is no debatable reason why it shouldn?t be made illegal? In everyday life, violence doesn?t need to be used to control children?s behaviour. Most parents say that they use smacking as a way of controlling their children when they are disobedient. For example, if a child kept reaching for an open fire even when they are repeatedly told not to by the parent, the parent would eventually resort to smacking the child. I think the better alternative to this situation would be to buy a fire guard. This way, the child would learn that the fire is out of bounds in a non-violent way. I believe smacking can affect children when they become adults in two ways. They could disagree with smacking their own children because they didn?

Problems Faced by International Students

International students are the ones that are coming to study in a foreign country or foreign educational institutions. Andrade Snow defined the term â€Å"international student† applying to the UK as individual enrolled in institutions of higher education who are on temporary student visa and are non-native English speakers. However, Bamford gives a definition which differs a little bit: â€Å"The term ‘international students’ is taken here to mean those students who have been educated in a national education system outside the UK and who on the whole are likely to be non-native speakers of English, although this is not necessarily the case. (Bamford, 2008, p59) In the latter definition there has a little difference from the first one. It mentions an insignificant, on the face of it, feature – mother tongue even though it is one of the toughest challenges anyone going abroad might possibly face – language barrier. Over the past several years, the nu mber of student going to study abroad has been gradually increasing. United Kingdom became one of the most popular destinations of international students to head to. According to statistics provided by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and later used by Angela Harrison for an article in BBC news, their quantity increased by 32% from 2005 to 2010 and 1. 64% from 428225 in 2010/2011 to 435235 in 2011/2012. New coming international students in the United Kingdom are most likely to find it challenging to adapt to newly arising problems such as homesickness, language problems and adapt to new surroundings, academic culture and lifestyle. The very first thing every student notices when coming to study abroad except for the different language, if this is the case, is the difference in culture and the way of living. For the most people arriving in the UK the greatest shock is the right hand side driving. However, those are not the most important difference for the one’s seeking for education in Great Britain. Academic culture in the UK does not generally match the one of their motherland’s. The main emphasis here is made on self-work and trying to understand the material rather then doing main aspects during lessons or lectures and a student being given all the information needed and just being asked to memorise it and be able to answer the questions correctly. Therefore we can come to the conclusion that there is a different system of learning in here to which foreign students have already got used to. One of the key aspects is the interaction between a teacher and a student. In most countries teachers give all the information needed to the student and then gives out assignments to be completed. In the UK, however, it is all up to a student. Teachers are there only to guide students rather than do all the work for them. One can always rely on the tutor to ask for any questions a class might have and advice what literature they should read in order to succeed instead of giving a fixed list of books to read and set of questions to answer. The latter one is commonly used in such educational systems as the one’s of ex-USSR countries alongside with learning things by rote. It might be quiet hard for the freshers to get used to the whole new style of learning material. Some of the students might even try to get back to the skills and schemes they acquired back at their home countries in order to cope and keep up with the current work but generally the experience of students shows that it is worth trying to get along with the new ones they are given. Mainly because new skills they are being taught are adjusted especially for the particular learning schematics used in the United Kingdom. There is no doubt that approaches towards learning vary from country to country. The only obvious solution is for an educate to get along with his or her situation and try to make best of the hits he gets from the tutor without bearing against them and carrying on with what is already familiar. â€Å"To accommodate students' learning styles, teachers need to apply new management techniques for the classroom which they can learn in Diploma in Holistic Education Programme. † This is a piece of advice, given by Prashing Style Solutions, in order to make it easier for students to adapt with any different learning styles to the ones they are already used to it. One of another probable complications to arise is the problem of homesickness. Leaving family, friends, and a home culture in pursuit of an academic opportunity abroad, international students frequently find themselves simultaneously grieving for missed persons and places, building new social networks, and adjusting to new cultural and environmental demands (Chen, 1999; Mori, 2000; Sandhu & Asrabadi, 1994). And according to a research conducted at Warwick University, â€Å"up to 70% of students will experience homesickness in their early days at university. It is a normal part of the experience of leaving home. However, even mild homesickness deserves careful attention. It is a reminder of our need to respect our physical and emotional needs at a time of stress. Yet, for some people the results of homesickness are quite disabling, and need additional support from parents, friends or professionals. † For someone this might be the first experience of being abroad alone without family and friends. This might be a critical strike for someone as this leads to a fall in academic life as well. Homesickness is known to bring about such problems as emotional bursts, loss of concentration and will strength to do anything, reticence, problems with sleeping and nutrition, sadness and in some cases even mental disorder. Such feelings as loneliness, depression and the illusion of being pressurised by peers also derive from homesickness. This instability makes people an easy target for bullies and offensive jokes. All the surroundings and even the environment around might seem to be hostile. Everything to what a person has got used to is gone in a matter of a second. We can tell that homesickness occurs when a person leaves a supporting social life back home, and at a sudden finds him/herself all alone in a new environment missing that support as well as he/she is away from it, which makes it hard to decide to just step back into it (Beck, 2002). A solution to this problem might be trying to find new friend in order to have someone to whom a person can always talk to. Generally, people are trying to find some of their co-nationals and stick to them as it makes their stay easier and more pleasant even though it has an influence on their productivity (Tompson and Tompson’s 1996). This is not the only reasonable category of choosing new friends. It is a good idea to join some social clubs and find people who have the same interests and passion so that you have some common ground lest not to feel lonely, gain confidence and lessen the amount of tress and psychological problems. And what is more, all the modern technology available at our hands makes it much easier to communicate with friends and relatives left overseas. Last but not least, nearly in all the cases there is a problem of a language problem. There is no doubt that language is one of the most important problems, as most of the students come from non – English speaking countries. As a consequence, there are difficulties at expressing oneself and understanding others present. Struggling with language usually means an increased amount of time spent on accomplishing. Moreover it makes it harder to integrate into the society. Even the University of Leeds Language Centre’s research states that international students enter the University with different levels of proficiency in English and varying degrees of familiarity with British academic and social conventions, which makes the odds of getting on with others uneven. Trying not to be shy and communicating may be a way out. Getting into conversations and practising helps out. Even though it will probably be scary at the beginning, practise makes things perfect. It is also highly advised by psychologist to face one’s fears in order to overcome them. Other than that it also may be useful to make use of such tools as cinemas and television. Media is not only a mean of entertainment but also a tool to be used in order to enhance the level of language possessed. Academic journals and books can come in handy to enrich one’s lexicon with academic and specific vocabulary, which is generally a necessity for succeeding in studies. In the conclusion, it is not a point of argument that most of the students coming from abroad to study in the United Kingdom are going to experience anticipated problems, which, however, can be easily avoided by taking counter – measures. It is always good to remember why you chose this path for yourself and made a first step by moving to a different country. If it still is a hot issue for you and you can’t find a solution on your own, the rational answer will be to find someone who has already fought down same problems or to speak to people assign to specifically help people with those matters.

D’Leon Inc. Case Study Essay

D’Leon Incorporated is a small food producer that specializes in high-quality pecan and other nut products sold in the snack-foods market. In 2004, D’Leon’s president, Al Watkins, decided to undertake a major expansion to become more competitive within their market. The following report describes some of the financial effects that this expansion has had on the company. D’Leon began its expansion by doubling its plant capacity, opening new sales offices, and investing in an expensive advertising campaign. Watkins felt that they had superior products to the competition and that he could charge a premium price for their products to result in increased sales, profits, and stock price. The results, however, were unsatisfactory. Sales were below and costs were above all initial projections. These results have raised questions about the expansion and also caused concern among the Board of Directors and the major shareholders about the future of the company. Part I of this report analyzes D’Leon’s financial statements from 2004 and 2005. It describes some of the effects of the expansion on the financials of the company and some of the problems that have arisen with their current financial position. Net operating profit decreased, but operating working capital and total operating capital have shown increases. Sales had a considerable increase, but net income decreased. D’Leon’s financials also indicated a decrease in cash flow due to the company spending more cash than they were taking in. These changes are subsequently resulting in decreased stock prices and a deteriorating financial position which is concerning both management and shareholders. Part II of this report discusses the ratio analysis of D’Leon’s financial statements. It begins by explaining the five major categories of financial ratios: Liquidity, Asset Management, Debt Management, Profitability, and Market Value. While most of the 2005 ratios have shown significant declines and are below industry averages, the 2006 projections look promising for the company and are showing significant increases. Part II continues with a discussion of some of the limitations of financial ratios as comparison tools and concludes with a brief discussion of D’Leon’s credit issues and a  summary of the company’s 2006 projections. It is recommended that D’Leon Inc. conduct in-depth financial research and perform an extensive ratio analysis of their financial position before deciding to undergo any further expansions. Doing this could greatly help the managers in their decision-making and aide in determining the effects of any future expansions on the financial stability of the company. Sales In addition to expanding the company, D’Leon’s president, Al Watkins, felt that the company’s products were of a higher quality than the competitions and that he could charge a premium price, resulting in greatly increased sales and profits. Following the expansion, D’Leon did see a sales increase of $2,602,000 , a 75.8% increase over the previous year. Even though the company did experience a sales increase, liabilities such as accounts and notes payable increased, resulting in decreased profits. Net Operating Profit after Taxes Net Operating Profit after Taxes (NOPAT) is a company’s after-tax operating profit for all investors, including shareholders and debt holders. NOPAT represents the company’s operating profit that would accrue to shareholders if the company had no debt. Unfortunately, due the increased debt and liabilities associated with the expansion, D’Leon’s NOPAT experienced a significant decrease of 168.8% from $114,257 to -$78,569. Net Operating Working Capita lNet Operating Working Capital (NOWC) is a financial metric representing the amount of day-by-day operating liquidity available to a business. NOWC is calculated by subtracting a company’s non-interest bearing current liabilities from their current assets. An increase in working capital indicates that the business has either increased current assets by receiving cash or other current assets, or has decreased current liabilities, by possibly paying off some short-term creditors. As a result of D’Leon’s increased sales from the expansion, the company has experienced an increase in NOWC from $842,400 to $913,042. This is an increase of about 8.4%. This increase is good because it’s a positive indicator that the firm is able to continue its operations and that it has sufficient cash flow to satisfy both maturing short-term debt and upcoming operational expenses. Total Operating Capital Total Operating Capital is simply the addition of a company’s net fixed assets to the NOWC. D’Leon’s expansion generated a significant increase in the company’s net fixed assets of almost three times the previous years. This figure added to the NOWC generated a 56.1% increase in total operating capital from $1,187,200 to $1,852,832. Net Income Net income, or profit, is the income that a firm has after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue. It can be distributed among holders of common stock as a dividend or held by the firm as retained earnings. Once again, however, due to the significant increase in costs and expenses such as notes and accounts payable, D’Leon had a negative net income in 2005. They experienced a decrease of 282.1% from $87,960 to  -$160,176. Cash Flows Cash flow refers to the amount of cash being received and paid by a business during a defined period of time. The measurement of cash flow can be used to determine and evaluate such things as problems with liquidity and the state or performance of a business. It can also be used to generate project rate-of-returns and to examine income or growth of a business when it is believed that accrual accounting concepts do not represent economic realities. In this report, cash flows will be categorized into three components: net cash flow, operating cash flow, and free cash flow. †¢Net cash flow (NCF), the measure of a company’s financial health, equals the cash receipts minus cash payments over a given period of time. It can be considered money that is available for expansion, research and development, or retained as cash reserves. From 2004 to 2005, D’Leon’s net cash flow decreased dramatically by 140.4%. This decrease in funds needed for the expansion is causing great concern with the major shareholders of the company over the future of D’Leon Inc. †¢Operating cash flow (OCF) is the cash flow from operating activities. It refers to the amount of cash a company generates from the revenues it brings in minus the costs associated with long-term investment on capital items or investment in securities. The company experienced a 71.2% decrease in OCF from the previous year. †¢Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash flow actually available for payment to investors. The value of a company’s operations depends on its expected future free cash flows. This is another cause for concern for D’Leon’s major shareholders because, following the expansion, the FCF decreased dramatically to -$744,201. Market Value AddedMarket Value Added (MVA) is the difference between the current market value of a firm and the capital contributed by investors. If MVA is positive, the firm has added value. If it is negative, the firm has destroyed value. The expansion of D’Leon has decreased their MVA. This can  be seen in that the stock price has decreased over the past year by about 73.5%. In order for MVA to increase, the amount of value added needs to be greater than the firm’s investors could have achieved investing in the market portfolio. SECTION 2: Working CapitalA good indicator of a company’s health is its working capital. The working capital represents the amount of operating liquidity that is available to a business and is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. A company can be endowed with assets and profitability, but short of liquidity, if these assets cannot readily be converted into cash. Section 2 of this report focuses on the three components of current assets: sales, receivables, and purchases. SalesThe objective of any business is to create or increase profits through sales. One way that D’Leon might increase sales would be to offer 60-day credit terms to their customers rather than the 30-day credit terms that they currently offer. If sales were to double as a result of the change in their credit policy, the cash account would initially decrease because they would have to build up their inventory to support the increased sales. This would result in an increase in accounts receivable. Over time, D’Leon’s cash account would eventually begin to rise as collections increased. One downfall to this option, however, would be if the competitors learned of the change and began to offer similar credit terms to their customers. If this were to happen, D’Leon’s sales would remain constant, resulting in its cash account decreasing and its accounts receivable increasing. ReceivablesDay-to-day business at D’Leon, just as in any other business, consists of them spending money. They spend money for labor, materials, and fixed assets needed to make products to sell. The sale of these products result in receivables, which are simply the billing of customers who owe money to the company for the goods that have been provided. The receivables eventually generate cash as the outstanding bills are paid by the customers. Because of this process, D’Leon’s cash account has decreased dramatically due to the company spending more cash than it is taking in. Because of this, it appears that the sales price does not exceed its costs per unit sold.  This has a negative effect on the cash balance because, as stated above, more cash is going out than is coming in. PurchasesD’Leon purchases its materials on 30-day terms, meaning that it is supposed to pay for its purchases within 30 days of receipt. Judging by D’Leon’s 2005 balance sheet , its suppliers probably do not get paid on time. This conclusion can be made from the fact that sales have only increased by about 76% over the past year while accounts payable have increased by about 260%. SECTION 3: Problems AnalysisAdditional questions and problems have raised concern among the board members and the major shareholders of D’Leon Incorporated. Section 3 of this report focuses on these issues as well as options that the company might pursue to ensure a healthy financial future. Cash ProblemsThe expansion at D’Leon weakened their financial strength. Because the company issued long-term debt rather than common stock for the funding, it appears that it has financed its expansion with external capital rather than with internally generated funds. Due to the significant increase in receivables, even if it had broke even in 2005, D’Leon would still experience a cash shortage requiring it to raise external capital to finance its increase in assets. Regarding the company’s physical stock, the question has been raised to depreciate them over 7 years rather than 10 years. Unfortunately, this change would not affect the physical stock. The balance sheet account for fixed assets, however, would decrease due to the increasing accumulated depreciation. The company’s reported net income would decrease and the decrease in tax payments would result in an increased cash position. Stock IssuesEarnings per share (EPS) are the earnings returned on the initial investment amount. It is calculated by dividing net income by shares outstanding. Dividends per share are calculated by dividing dividends by shares outstanding. Book value per share is calculated by common equity divided by shares outstanding. The market price per share of a stock does not equal the book value per share because the market value reflects future  profits, while the book value per share represents historical cost of the stock. Tax IssuesFor businesses, interest paid is tax deductible. This is because it is considered an expense and is paid out of pre-tax income. Dividends paid, however, are paid out of after-tax income. Interested earned is subject to income taxes because it is part of the company’s taxable income. Dividends received are also taxed as part of the ordinary income. For corporations, Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income. D’Leon was able to use Tax Loss Carry-Back and Carry-Forward Provisions to receive a tax refund because of its net loss of -$160,178 in 2005. PART II:Financial StatementAnalysisSECTION 1: Ratio AnalysisThe primary goal of any business is to maximize its value. In order to do this, it must take advantage of its strengths and correct its weaknesses. Businesses do this by first comparing their performance to other businesses in the same industry and secondly by evaluating trends in their financial position over time. This evaluation is done through ratio analysis . Ratio Analysis is simply a tool used by individuals to conduct a quantitative analysis of information in a company’s financial statements. These ratios are calculated from current year numbers and are then compared to previous years, other companies, the industry, or even the economy to judge the performance of the company. These calculations provide assistance in decision-making, reduce reliance on guesswork and intuition, and establish a basis for sound judgment. The following section discusses the five major categories of financial ratios. LiquidityLiquidity refers to an asset’s ability to be easily converted through the act of buying or selling. A liquid asset can be bought or sold rapidly without causing a significant movement in the price and with minimum loss of value. Liquidity ratios are calculations that show the relationship of a company’s cash and other current assets to its current liabilities. These ratios include the current ratio and the quick ratio. By looking at D’Leon Inc.’s quick ratio for 2004 and 2005, it is clear that their liquidity has decreased, but it is projected to increase in 2006. Asset ManagementAsset management ratios are another group of financial calculations that measure how effectively a company is managing its assets. These ratios attempt to answer the question â€Å"Does the amount each type of asset seem reasonable, too high, or too low in view of current and projected sales?† If a business has too many assets, its cost of capital will be too high and its profits will be depressed. If assets are too low, however, profitable sales will be lost. Asset management ratios include inventory turnover, days sales outstanding (DSO), fixed assets turnover, and total assets turnover. D’Leon’s inventory turnover and total assets turnover are below the industry average, but their DSO is above the industry average. Their fixed assts turnover, however, is above the industry average. By the inventory turnover ratio being low, it appears that the firm either has excessive or obsolete inventory. If inventory were reduced, their current asset and turnover ratios would improve and the debt ratio would reduce even further, increasing D’Leon’s profitability. If D’Leon were to improve its collection procedures and lower its DSO to the 32-day average, the effects would ripple through the financial statements and free up over $250,000 in cash that would, in turn, raise their stock price. Debt ManagementDebt management is also referred to as financial leverage. Financial leverage is the using of given resources in such a way that the potential positive or negative outcome is magnified. It most generally refers to using debt, or borrowed funds, in an attempt to increase the returns to equity. Financial leverage can allow greater potential returns to the investor than would have otherwise been available. The potential for loss is also greater, however, because repayment of the loan principle and all accrued interest is still required if the investment becomes worthless. Debt management ratios include times-interest-earned (TIE) and EBITDA coverage. D’Leon’s expected TIE for 2006 is much improve over its 2004 and 2005 levels and is above the industry average. Their EBITDA has also improved, but is still below the industry average. ProfitabilityProfitability ratios reflect the combined effects of liquidity, asset management, and debt. It measures a company’s use of its assets and  control of its expenses to generate an acceptable rate of return. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitor’s ratio or the same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well. Profitability ratios include profit margin on sales, return on total assets (ROA), basic earning power, (BEP), and return on common equity, (ROE). D’Leon’s profit margin is above 2004 and 2005 levels and is slightly above the industry average. Their BEP, ROA, and ROE ratios have also increased from the previous year, but are all still below the industry average. Market ValueMarket Value Ratios are the calculations that relate a company’s stock price to its earnings, cash flow, and book value per share. These ratios give management an indication of what investors think of the company’s risk and future prospects. If all of the previously discussed ratios look good, and if these conditions have been stable over time, then the market value ratios will be high, the stock price will probably be high, and management has been doing a good job. Market value ratios include price/earnings (P/E), price/cash flow, and market/book (M/B) ratios. All of these ratios at D’Leon Inc. are above the previous years level, but are all below the industry average. SECTION 2: Financial Ratio LimitationsWhen evaluating a company, analysts recognize that they must consider certain qualitative factors . These factors are:†¢Are the company’s revenues tied to one key customer?†¢To what extent are the company’s revenues tied to one key product?†¢To what extent does the company rely on a single supplier?†¢What percentage of the company’s business is generated overseas?†¢Competition†¢Future prospects†¢Legal and regulatory environmentWhile these factors must be considered for all company’s alike, not all company’s can be compared equally when it comes to their financials. There are a number of limitations to using financial ratios as a tool for comparison. One such limitation is that company’s use different operating and accounting practices and procedures. This could cause distortion in comparisons. Another possible cause of distortion between ratio comparisons is seasonal factors. Industry average comparisons can be made difficult if company’s operate many different divisions. Another  major issue is that a company may not always know whether the ratios that they are comparing theirs with are good or bad because some company’s use certain techniques to make their financial statements and ratios appear better than they actual are. SECTION 3: Problems and DiscussionCredit IssuesIn 2005, D’Leon paid its suppliers much later than the due date, and it was not maintaining financial ratios at levels called for in its bank loan agreement. There was concern that this behavior would lead to the suppliers cutting the company off and refusing to renew the loan when it comes due. Even though the company’s projected ratios appear to be improving, the credit manager will most likely not be able to extend credit to it. However, the bank will mostly likely not demand repayment because this could for D’Leon into bankruptcy. Financial ProjectionsUsing the extended Du Pont equation, we find that D’Leon has an ROE of nearly 13%. Looking at the 2006 projections in Appendix F on page 16, we see that the company’s strengths include above industry average fixed assets turnover and profit margin. D’Leon also significantly reduced it debt ratio, resulting in a decreased interest expense and improved TIE ratio. Some of the company’s weaknesses include poor asset management ratios, EBITDA coverage, profitability ratios, and market value ratios. I would have recommended that the company perform an extensive ratio analysis of its current financial position before taking on any expansion plans. This could have immensely helped managers to determine the effects of the expansion on the financial stability of the company. Brigham, Eugene F., and Joel F. Houston. Fundamentals of Financial Management. â€Å"D’Leon Inc., Chapter 4 spreadsheet module†. Made available on July 1, 2008 by Dr. Richard Constand. Brigham, Eugene F., and Joel F. Houston. Fundamentals of Financial Management. Thomson: South-Western Publishers, Eleventh Ed. 2007.

Good and bad. Mobile phone Essay

Handphones have become a major part of our lives. Today, it is being widely used all over the world. Most of us, that is. It has metamorphosized from being a luxury to necessity for some of us. Handphones are one of the things that we cannot do without, for one reason or another. We have come to depend on it, increasingly so, and in doing so it has become a need. Having handphones can prove to be very useful but it can also be said otherwise. There are both advantages and disadvantages to owning a handphone or being in the midst of people who own them. Owning a handphone means one can be easily reached when on the road or when one is not at home or in the office. It can even be used when one is overseas, using the ROAM service. There are features such as voice messages and SMS, in other words, Short Message Service. This is to allow people to contact a handphone owner even if he is busy or is unable take the call. These features enable the owner of the phone to know why he is being called, so on and so forth. SMS-es help to keep it short. Without calling, you can leave a short message. Nowadays though, people use it to have conversations, especially the young, and those who find it easier to message than to talk. It is also cheaper and thus allows one to save on talk time. Another advantage would be that of being able to call whenever and wherever there is an emergency, for example when you are in a road accident or you need to call someone and there does not seem to be any public phones nearby. There are also different mobile service plans to choose from to suit one’s communication needs, be it longer talk time, free incoming or outgoing calls, or more free local SMS. As such, one can reap much benefits and save costs. Nowadays, handphones rarely just have one function, which is to make and receive calls. There are more functions and features such as listening to music, taking pictures with an in-built camera, playing games, and even logging on the internet and etc. There are also disadvantages that come along with the usage of handphones. Firstly, there are limitations to where a handphone can be used. If there were no reception, then there would be no possibility of making or receiving calls. On another note, a person can say he is at a certain place when in fact he s somewhere else. So, you can never be too sure of where a person  might actually be. User-abuse is another factor. Here, what is meant by user-abuse is the fact that some users are not considerate in that they make use of the phone in places where it is not allowed. As such they disturb others. It is one thing to let it ring loudly, but yet another, to be answering the phone. For example, in movie theatres, plays and the like. It is said that there are dangers of handphone radiation, though there is no conclusive evidence to prove a link between cancer and handphone radiation. Lastly, handphones cannot be used in most parts of hospitals as it could affect the readings on the equipments due to the radiation emitted and would pose as great danger to the patients.

Buildings to See in Tennessee

Buildings to See in Tennessee From Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee offers a variety of interesting and often surprising architecture. The great state of Tennessee even boasts a house by Frank Lloyd Wright and the controversial home of former Vice President Al Gore. Architecture in Memphis Graceland Mansion was home to rock star Elvis Presley from 1957 until his death on August 16, 1977. Its now a National Historic Landmark and the most popular tourist attraction in Memphis. In fact, it seem that all Memphis tourism centers around Graceland, but its also worth a trip into town to visit some of where the locals hang out. Not many skyscrapers on the eastern shore of the Mississippi River. The tallest building in Memphis is the 430 foot 100 North Main Building built way back in 1965. From this skyscraper, turn around to South Main Street, where youll find turn-of-the-20th century architecture in the historic arts district. Headed back toward Graceland Mansion is the mid-19th century Elmwood Cemetery, which got its start during the Rural Cemetery Movement. Nashville Sites Capitol State Park MallSite of many important buildings and memorials.Tennessee State CapitolDesigned by the noted architect William Strickland.The HermitageHome of President Andrew Jackson.The Nashville ParthenonWorlds only full size replica of the ancient Parthenon of Greece.Batman Building (ATT), Earl Swensson Associates Architect (1994)The tallest building in Tennessee.Belle Meade PlantationQueen of Tennessee Plantations.Historic GermantownGrand houses, workers cottages, and shotgun homes.Nashvilles Best Historical HomesRyman AuditoriumHome of the Grand Ole Opry Chattanooga Terminal Station, Chattanooga Choo ChooHunter Museum of American ArtWalnut Street Bridge, 1891, wrought-iron and steelThe privately owned Usonian home built for Seamour and Gerte Shavin by Frank Lloyd Wright is located at 334 N. Crest Road on Missionary Ridge. Plantation Houses Belle Meade Plantation, NashvilleOaklands, MurfreesboroRippavilla, Spring HillAntebellum Architecture Victorian Tennessee Historic Rugby, a Utopian community founded by Thomas Hughes, author of Tom Browns School Days Plan Your Trip to Tennessee Plenty of other excitement can be found all over the state. When visiting Discovery Park of America in Union City, remember that architects were involved with its making. And if the museum looks familiar it might be because Bostons famous Verner Johnson company had a hand in its design. The Great Smoky Mountains alone are enough of an excuse to get yourself to Tennessee, but then theres Dollywood in Pigeon Forge that will keep you there. Architectural gems can be found throughout the state, like the Langston Hughes Library on the Alex Haley Farm in Clinton, Tennessee, a small reference library designed in 1999 by Maya Lin. Plan your trip with Tennessee Tourism and the whole state can be your destination. Sources Tallest buildings in Memphis, EMPORIS, https://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings/city/101918/memphis-tn-usa [accessed October 2, 2017]

Learning German Verb Conjugations

Learning German Verb Conjugations One useful verb for any wanderer to learn is to travel. In German, the word fahren  means to travel or to go. Learning to properly conjugate this word will help you tell your new friends all about your journey. If youre lost and looking for directions, youll be thankful you know how to say were traveling  to   Berlin when asking for help. In some cases fahren is also used to mean drive or have driven, this will usually be apparent from the context of the sentence. Stem-Changing Verbs German, like many other languages, has what is known as stem-changing verbs. This means that the stem or ending of the word is what changes based on who the action is referring to. These endings will remain consistent throughout the language for regular stem-changing verbs. Unlike in English, where I take and we take uses the same form of the verb in German the stems of the verb would change. This can make learning the language easier because you only need to remember the roots of most verbs. Unfortunately, nehmen is also an irregular  verb. This means there are times when it does not follow the normal rules of stem-changing verbs. Learn How Fahren is Conjugated in All Tenses The following charts will show you how the  German verb  fahrenis conjugated in all its tenses and moods. Fahren Present Tense -  Prsens Singular Deutsch English ich fahre I travel/am traveling du fhrst you travel/are traveling er sie fhrt es he she travelsit Plural wir fahren we travel/are traveling ihr fahrt you (guys) travel/are traveling sie fahren they travel/are traveling Sie fahren you travel/are traveling Examples: Fahren Sie heute nach Hamburg?Are you going/traveling to Hamburg today?Er fhrt mit dem Zug.Hes taking the train. Possible meanings of  fahren:  to travel, go, drive, ride, sail, take, move, transport Fahren Simple Past Tense -Imperfekt Singular Deutsch English ich fuhr I traveled du fuhrst you (fam.) traveled er fuhrsie fuhres fuhr he traveledshe traveledit traveled Plural wir fuhren we traveled ihr fuhrt you (guys) traveled sie fuhren they traveled Sie fuhren you traveled Fahren Compound Past Tense (Pres. Perfect)  Perfekt Deutsch English Singular ich bin gefahren I traveled/have traveled du bist gefahren you (fam.) traveledhave traveled er ist gefahrensie ist gefahrenes ist gefahren he traveled/has traveledshe traveled/has traveledit traveled/has traveled Plural wir sind gefahren we traveled/have traveled ihr seid gefahren you (guys) traveledhave traveled sie sind gefahren they traveled/have traveled Sie sind gefahren you traveled/have traveled See more verbs in our  20 Most-Used German Verbs. Fahren  Past Perfect Tense  Plusquamperfekt Deutsch English Singular ich war gefahren I had traveled du warst gefahren you (fam.) had traveled er war gefahrensie war gefahrenes war gefahren he had traveledshe had traveledit had traveled Plural wir waren gefahren we had traveled ihr wart gefahren you (guys) had traveled sie waren gefahren they had traveled Sie waren gefahren you had traveled See more verbs in our  20 Most-Used German Verbs.

Narrative Report Essays

Narrative Report Essays Narrative Report Paper Narrative Report Paper A Narrative Report Presented to College of Business Administration and Accountancy Mindanao State University-General Santos City In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management Submitted to: RAMON V. DESCALLAR OJT COORDINATOR Submitted by: Edenne Louise C. Marcos Student Trainee JUNE 2011 ACKNOWLODGEMENT The trainee would like to express her gratitude to the people who helped her for this training to be possible. She is thankful to the Lord for giving her the strength and good health to finish this training. Next, she wants to express her sincerest gratitude to her family for supporting her financially, emotionally and spiritually. She also would like to gratefully acknowledge the staff of Mindanao State University Procurement Office for giving her some knowledge about their work. And she would like to thank the professors of the Mindanao State University for conducting this kind of program that help the students experienced things in the real world. Lastly, she would like to acknowledge her OJT Coordinator, Mr. Ramon V. Descallar for the support that he gave to his trainee. INTRODUCTION The Office of Procurement Services assist schools, academic and operational departments in obtaining quality goods and services at competitive prices from responsible suppliers. The office provides direction, planning and coordination of the Purchasing division. It purchases supplies, furniture, equipment, textbooks, food and services when required. The office prepares and distributes certain supplies and services. Meanwhile, in Magsaysay Memorial District Hospital, although I still don’t have any experience in the special area, I learned a lot regarding the orientation about the hospital. The staffs are approachable and the facilities are quite improved. Still, I am waiting for my turn to come and experience more operations of varied cases. KNOWLEDGE- I refreshed my thoughts regarding the instruments and its uses that has been taught in the school. I learned what should be done for an operation and what should not. Also, I became oriented with the routines during an operation. I’m lucky that I was able to learn all of those. SKILLS- Communication skills with several patients were practiced through the ward teaching. Persuasive type of speaking was used in order for me to encourage them to do what we were teaching them. One more skill practiced was the skill during the operation. I was able to assist successfully. ATTITUDE- Presence of mind and courtesy are the important thing while in an exposure. These can be used in several situations. One more thing is the bond between our instructors and between my groupmates. I’m happy that we become stronger and respect each other as well. Prepared by: SERRANO, Rostum Harold B. Group 11/ BSN IV

Cassandras Rantâ€Comedic Female Monologue

Cassandra's Rant- Comedic Female Monologue This funny monologue for actresses comes from an educational comedy play called The Greatest Play Ever Written by Wade Bradford. Written in 2011, the premise of the play is that the narrator attempts to write the greatest play ever by combining all the major literary elements: conflict, genre, character, irony, symbolism. The scene that includes Cassandras monologue is  a comic mash-up that pokes fun at various characters and situations famed in  Greek mythology. The complete script is available at  Heuer Plays.   Character Introduction- Cassandra According to ancient legends, Cassandra could predict the future, yet no one ever believed her. According to Greek mythology, she was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Legend also has it that Apollo gave her the ability to tell prophecy to seduce her, but when she still refused he cursed her so that no one would believe her prophecies.   She foretold that Pariss capture of Helen would cause the famed Trojan War and the destruction of her city. But since the Trojans welcomed Helen, Cassandra was seen as misunderstood or even a mad woman. Monologue Summary and Analysis In this scene, Cassandra is at a party in the city of Troy. While everyone around her celebrates the marriage of Paris and Helen, Cassandra can feel that something is not right. She mentions: All is twisted and sour- and I am not just talking about the fruit punch. Can you not see all of the signs? Cassandra complains about all of the ominous signs around her by pointing out the ironic behavior of the party guests around her, such as: Hades is the Lord of the Dead, yet hes the life of the party ... Prometheus the Titan  gave us the gift of fire, but hes banned smoking. Ares has made peace with the fact that his brother Apollo isnt very bright ... Orpheus only speaks the truth, but he plays a lyre ... And Medusa just got stoned. The play on words and allusion to Greek mythology creates jokes that tend to be a crowd-pleaser, especially for literature geeks who dont take themselves too seriously. Finally, Cassandra ends the monologue by saying, We are all doomed to die. The Greeks are preparing an attack. They will lay siege to this city and destroy this city and everyone within these walls shall perish by flame and arrow and sword. Oh, and youre out of napkins. The mixture of contemporary colloquial speech and dramatic presentation reserved for Greek plays creates a comedic juxtaposition. Plus, the contrast between the gravity of everyone being doomed to die with the triviality of having no napkins finishes the monologue with a humorous touch.

The Peel Commission essays

The Peel Commission essays The Arab Revolt of 1936, during the British Mandate over Palestine, led to perhaps one of the most important events leading up to the establishment of the independent state of Israel. As a reaction to the increasing immigration of Jews the Arab Higher Committee declared a strike, demanding the immediate end of Jewish immigration, the cessation of land sales to Jewish settlers and the establishment of an independent Arab government. The majority of the strike took form in violent attacks against Jews; with responsibility for maintaining peace, the British government had to take action. In August of 1936 they appointed a Royal Commission, chaired by Earl Peel, with the task of ascertaining the causes of the revolt and to make recommendations to end the hostilities and prevent future insurgencies. The Peel Commission was also given the duty to ... inquire more widely into the implementation of the Mandate, the obligations of the Mandate to both the Jews and Arabs, and the grievances bet ween the two (Shlaim 54). British officials in Palestine were the first to offer testimony to the Royal Commission. Most sought a sympathetic understanding of the difficulties from the commission by conveying the difficulties they faced under the pressure from both the Jewish populations, numbering approximately four hundred-thousand, and the Arab majority which neared a population of one million. Isaiah Berlin, an observer, made an excellent comparison paralleling the Mandate situation to a school setting, There was the headmaster, the High Commissioner, trying to be firm and impartial: but the assistant masters favored the sporting stupid boarders (Arabs) against the clever swot dayboys (Jews) who had the deplorable habit of writing home to their parents on the slightest provocation to complain about the quality of the teach, the food and so on (Shlaim 54). Berlins view is that the British Government wishes to stay impart...

American Indian Movement History and Profile

American Indian Movement History and Profile The American Indian Movement (AIM) started in Minneapolis, Minn., in 1968 amid rising concerns about police brutality, racism, substandard housing and joblessness in Native communities, not to mention long-held concerns about treaties broken by the U.S. government. Founding members of the organization included George Mitchell, Dennis Banks, Eddie Benton Banai, and Clyde Bellecourt, who rallied the Native American community to discuss these concerns. Soon the AIM leadership found itself fighting for tribal sovereignty, restoration of Native lands, preservation of indigenous cultures, quality education and healthcare for Native peoples.​ â€Å"AIM is difficult to identify for some people,† the group states on its website. â€Å"It seems to stand for many things at once- the protection of treaty rights and the preservation of spirituality and culture. But what else? †¦At the 1971 AIM national conference, it was decided that translating policy to practice meant building organizations- schools and housing and employment services. In Minnesota, AIM’s birthplace, that is exactly what was done.† In its early days, AIM occupied abandoned property at a Minneapolis-area naval station to draw attention to the educational needs of Native youth. This led to the organization securing Indian education grants and establishing schools such as the Red School House and the Heart of the Earth Survival School that provided culturally relevant education to indigenous young people. AIM also led to the formation of spin-off groups such as Women of All Red Nations, created to address women’s rights, and the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, created to address the use of Indian mascots by athletic teams. But AIM is most known for actions such as the Trail of Broken Treaties march, the occupations of Alcatraz and Wounded Knee and the Pine Ridge Shootout. Occupying Alcatraz Native American activists, including AIM members, made international headlines in 1969 when they occupied Alcatraz Island on Nov. 20 to demand justice for indigenous peoples. The occupation would last for more than 18 months, ending on June 11, 1971, when U.S. Marshals recovered it from the last 14 activists who remained there. A diverse group of American Indians- including college students, couples with children and Natives from both reservations and urban areas- participated in the occupation on the island where Native leaders from the Modoc and Hopi nations faced incarceration in the 1800s. Since that time, treatment of indigenous peoples had yet to improve because the federal government had consistently ignored treaties, according to the activists. By bringing attention to the injustices Native Americans suffered, the Alcatraz occupation led government officials to address their concerns. â€Å"Alcatraz was a big enough symbol that for the first time this century Indians were taken seriously,† the late historian Vine Deloria Jr. told Native Peoples Magazine in 1999. Trail of Broken Treaties March AIM members held a march in Washington D.C. and occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in November 1972 to spotlight the concerns the American Indian community had about the federal government’s policies towards indigenous peoples. They presented a 20-point plan to President Richard Nixon about how the government could resolve their concerns, such as restoring treaties, allowing American Indian leaders to address Congress, restoring land to Native peoples, creating a new office of Federal Indian Relations and abolishing the BIA. The march thrust the American Indian Movement into the spotlight. Occupying Wounded Knee On February 27, 1973, AIM leader Russell Means, fellow activists, and Oglala Sioux members began an occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, S.D., to protest corruption in the tribal council, the U.S. government’s failure to honor treaties to Native peoples and strip mining on the reservation. The occupation lasted for 71 days. When the siege came to an end, two people had died and 12 had been injured. A Minnesota court dismissed charges against the activists who participated in the Wounded Knee occupation due to prosecutorial misconduct after an eight-month trial. Occupying Wounded Knee had symbolic overtones, as it was the site where U.S. soldiers killed an estimated 150 Lakota Sioux men, women, and children in 1890. In 1993 and 1998, AIM organized gatherings to commemorate the Wounded Knee occupation. Pine Ridge Shootout Revolutionary activity did not die down on the Pine Ridge Reservation after the Wounded Knee occupation. Oglala Sioux members continued to view its tribal leadership as corrupt and too willing to placate U.S. government agencies such as the BIA. Moreover, AIM members continued to have a strong presence on the reservation. In June 1975, AIM activists were implicated in the murders of two FBI agents. All were acquitted except for Leonard Peltier who was sentenced to life in prison. Since his conviction, there’s been a large public outcry that Peltier is innocent. He and activist Mumia Abu-Jamal are among the most high profile political prisoners in the U.S. Peltier’s case has been covered in documentaries, books, news articles and a music video by the band Rage Against the Machine. AIM Winds Down By the late 1970s, the American Indian Movement began to unravel due to internal conflicts, incarceration of leaders and efforts on the part of government agencies such as the FBI and CIA to infiltrate the group. The national leadership reportedly disbanded in 1978. Local chapters of the group remained active, however. AIM Today The American Indian Movement remains based in Minneapolis with several branches nationwide. The organization prides itself on fighting for the rights of Native peoples outlined in treaties and helping to preserve indigenous traditions and spiritual practices. The organization also has fought for the interests of aboriginal peoples in Canada, Latin America and worldwide. â€Å"At the heart of AIM is deep spirituality and a belief in the connectedness of all Indian people,† the group states on its website. AIM’s perseverance over the years has been trying. Attempts by the federal government to neutralize the group, transitions in leadership and infighting have taken a toll. But the organization states on its website: â€Å"No one, inside or outside the movement, has so far been able to destroy the will and strength of AIM’s solidarity. Men and women, adults and children are continuously urged to stay strong spiritually, and to always remember that the movement is greater than the accomplishments or faults of its leaders.†

Democracy in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Democracy in China - Essay Example As Chinese 'media' and 'democracy' are interlinked in a single framework, people expects from media to wake up democracy in China, not the vice versa. It is through the wide contribution of picky media that today has made it possible to at least speak in favour of self-contained civil societies and public spheres in China. With these issues unresolved, and with market economics and representative democracy only partially institutionalised, Chinese Government has detected that socialism and fascism in today's era would not be taken as alternative models for modern society. A society which is media driven and can be scanned as long as it is 'Chinese local media'. But to the extent where Chinese Government enters the boundaries of International scrutiny, capitalist democracy in both the economic and political spheres is unable to acquire superiority. However, the efforts on part of the Government could be on its way showing fascism along with its military failure and all the inefficiencies of state socialism and authoritarian tendencies can be put in the court of Chinese Government. Media currently is playing hide and seek with the Chinese democracy where on seeking any possibility of democratic revival, International media would consider it a genius. ... y which has opened some new ways for building up a better image of democracy among the International media relations, International Media can help in protesting to social inequalities. Since this issue is the main obstruction in reviving a democratic China, therefore media can juxtapose 'social construction' in awakening democracy. These inequalities require a foreign body to predict reality on the basis of racial differences (Vhang et al, 1998). The foreign media can utilise this little opportunity from behalf of the Chinese government to make the Chinese public understand the responsibility to deliver a 'new' generation. A generation free from social inequalities and injustice. This would serve as the first step towards a democratic Government. International media can turn Chinese educational centers into 'revolutionary centers' as long as differences exists between yellow race and Koreans and Chinese who pour into schools from deprived and shabby homes quickly amaze with their high IQ scores. Such a social construction would serve as an injection at the ground root level where media would not only infuse equality among the public which would ultimately lead to democratise China but also would be helpful to develop a society where there would be no hard and fast social class differences among the citizenry. This message of equality from the international media would change the thinking of at least the younger generation, and on the basis of such equality democracy would be strengthened in China. From the local community 'town meetings', to the media of discussion and questioning, when all the racial and social differences would be alleviated the outcome would be finally into the great halls of the legislatures, the courts , the executive departments for prudent

Constructing the written evidence based proposal Essay

Constructing the written evidence based proposal - Essay Example If a nurse does not know the amount or level of exercise that may put the patient at risk, they may end up getting low quality healthcare services. A number of studies have shown that it is not necessary for an individual to meet the recommended time for exercise in order to achieve the best outcome. It is evident from the studies that the intensity of the exercise to be done is dependent on the age, gender, and the severity of the condition. For instance, one study found out that women who walked a distance of more than ten blocks reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by a considerable margin. The proposed change at the hospital involves the introduction of an exercise recommendation plan. The Change will be implemented in a period of 24 months. The process of incorporating the change into the organization’s culture, structure, and workflow will be based on the 8-step change model developed by Kotter. The change will be initiated by a group of nurses working as a team in the care of cardiovascular disease. The change will be overseen by a committee to include various stakeholders including nurses, physicians, and clinicians. Resources needed for the change implementation include staff, educational materials, assessment tools, and funds. The plan will be evaluated by surveying nurses in relation to their attitudes toward the change, comparing the patient’s discharge survey before and after initiation of the change, and comparing the probability of cardiovascular risk among individuals who exercise and those who do not based on their gender and age. Tools to e ducate the project participants include questionnaires and PowerPoint slides. The evidence will be disseminated through websites, newsletters, reports, e-mail, workshops, briefings, and conferences. Exercise has been described as an important element in the well-being of an individual. In fact, exercise has been hailed by many an expert as

Secure Software Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Secure Software Testing - Essay Example So, it can easily be visualized that the CCQAS is a massive system with multiple sources of data storage as well possible queries for retrieval. Testing phase with the software has been completed in two phases. The first one being the System Integration test (SIT)and in the second phase it's been the System Qualification Test (SQT). The SIT being the first phase of testing i.e., Development Test & Evaluation (DT&E) is performed by The McVey Company, Inc (TMCI). TMCI provided an independent team for this test with sole purpose being the validation of capabilities of the CCQAS system in ensuring technical specification, the rules of business, its various functionalities and other specifications mentioned in the requirement document as well as those defined by the developers and possible end users. The test environment provided for this phase of testing was similar to that of the designed production environment. TMCI role in this phase extends to testing all releases of CCQAS during the duration of SIT. Now in the second phase of DT&E it's the System Qualification Test (SQT)that needs to be performed. Here, the testing is performed by the experts of the subject matter or the service representatives.