Produce a critical analysis of an article on a current economic issue Essay

Produce a critical analysis of an article on a current economic issue of your choice from the 'Financial Time' - Essay Example According to the news, published in the Financial Times on July 13, 2010, Lord Turner who is the chairman of the Financial Services Authority has announced the new proposals for the mortgage lending policy (Goff and Masters. 2010). The FSA has found that due to the shortcoming of the mortgage lending policies, the customer are facing problem with the repayment of the loan that may lead to credit crunch in financial service sector of U.K. The FSA has conducted a review and analysed the current scenario of mortgage market. According to the review, the FSA has found certain facts indicating the borrowers’ inability to repay the loan. These facts have been discusses below. It has been found that the living cost of 46% consumers’ household has been reduced after the repayment of mortgage. The burden of the mortgage repayments are so high that borrowers are left with no or very little money after the repayment of mortgage. The overall idea of FSA’s proposal for the mortgage loan policy is to ensure that every mortgage borrower will be able to repay the loan. Lesley Titcomb, who is a FSA director of the mortgage market has commented that â€Å"While it is clear the mortgage market has worked well for many, we need to build a strong new framework to protect mortgage customers and to ensure that the problems we have seen in the past do not happen again, particularly as the mortgage market recovers† (FSA-website. 2010). However, the current mortgage market is already in distress as there has been a decline in the house prices and the interest rates. â€Å"Estate agents had fewer inquiries from potential homebuyers last month while the supply of homes for sale showed signs of picking up, adding to fears that the housing market could be poised for further price falls† (Cohen. 2010). The supply of the real estate has gone up but the demand for houses remains weak in the first quarter of this month. The agents

Apple Financial Analysis Paper

Apple Financial Analysis Paper Apple Inc. is a unique company in the personal entertainment sector. It has been loyal to its design and marketing strategy over the past 33 years and has been able to position itself as a cult brand that is known worldwide for its innovative and market leading business operation. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc. once said: A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets (Warner, 2009). It is this attitude and the provocative but entertaining way the company introduces new products and presents itself to the public that made me want to have a look behind the scenes and into their finances. Background Apple Computer Inc. was founded in 1977 in the United States, in Cupertino, California and renamed to Apple Inc. in 2007 to display its comprehensive product portfolio (Datamonitor, 2010). Today Apple Inc. and its subsidiaries (from here referred to as Apple) operate in the wide field of personal entertainment. This includes designing, producing and promoting a variety of hardware products such as personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players (Apple Inc., 2010, p. 1) as well as software solutions and services around its products. Over the past 3 years the company has raised its resources for research and development leading to expenses of $1,109 million in 2008, $1,333 million in 2009 and $1,782 million in 2010, a total increase of 60% (2008 to 2010). As a result Apple launched several new and revolutionary products such as the iPhone in 2007, the time capsule software in 2008, a new edition of the iPhone in 2009 and the iPad in 2010 which have led to a sustained success that reflects in the financial statements of the recent years (Datamonitor, 2010, p. 9): In the fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 ending in September of each year Apple increased its revenue by 14,4% to $42,905 million (2008 to 2009) and thereafter by 52% to $65,225 million (2009 to 2010). The companys net profit was $6,119 million, $8,235 million and $14,013 million in 2008, 2009 and 2010 which resembles an increase of 34,6% (2008 to 2009) and 59% (2009 to 2010). The introduction of the iPad, where 300,000 pieces have already been sold on its launch day, April 3rd 2010, and 7,458 million pieces since its launch (Apple Inc., 2010, p. 33) as well as the new release of the iPhone and the third-party offers in the iTunes Stores being music and electronic book downloads are mainly responsible Apples recent success (Dowling, Press Release, 2010). In order to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of the end of year financial results for Apple and its past and future development a critical analysis of its financial statements has been conducted and is presented hereafter. Analysis The critical analysis of the financial statement of Apple includes the general comparison of Apples main financial influencing factors and secondly a ratio analysis which will provide an in depth audit of the financial performance and its effects on the company. Main financial influencers The main influencing factors of Apples financial statements are the revenue, operating profit, net profit, cost of sales and earnings per share. These indicators show the overall financial performance of the company. The overview given in Table 1 (Refers to Appendix V) highlights the superior performance of the company from 2008 until 2010. Apple Inc. is an American based company, which is why the figures are expressed in USD and in the following table in $ million except for the earnings per share, which express the per share amount. Apples financial results are a good indicator for the economys progressing recovery from the financial crises of the recent years. The above-average rise of Apples revenue and profit are the result of its investments in product developments which have met the needs and wants of the target markets. The image of the company was strengthened by its very good sales performance which was influential for the rise of earnings per share. The great increase for Apples costs of goods sold result from the development and production of the iPad, which will also be visible in the result of the financial year ending September 2011, as well as the development and production of the new release of the iPhone. Ratio Analysis A ratio analysis is used to express how the figures in the financial statement relate to each other and by interpreting the ratios to explain how the figures affect each other and the companys development and performance (Dyson, 2010, p. 219). Comparisons of the figures are made within Apples own performance over the past financial years and where appropriate the figures are compared to two Apples competitors. For this critical analysis the competitive companies are Dell Inc. since they compete within the personal computer segment and Microsoft, who are one of Apples main competitors in the computer software sector (Datamonitor, 2010, p. 27). It shall be mentioned that currently there is no other company which provides a similar product portfolio as Apple. Therefore no absolutely satisfactory industry comparison can be made for the ratio analysis but indications on the positive or negative trend on the figures can be made. Liquidity ratios Liquidity ratios allow the assessment of the amount of cash which a company has access to from its own resources within the next twelve months. The two ratios which are put into one context are the current ratio and the quick ratio (Table 2 Refers to Appendix I). The norm result for the current ratio is 2:1 (Hendricks, 2010, p. 6). The higher the current ratio, the more liquid resources are available for the company to pay its short term debts. The current ratio for Apple was higher in 2009 but is still within the industry norm in 2010. By reducing the stock, the quick ratio is considered a more reliable statement of a companys liquidity. A ratio of 1:1 accounts as safe. This again has been greatly outperformed in 2009 and slightly decreased towards 2010 which indicates on Apples good ability to turn assets into cash quickly. The overall reduction of both ratios in the Financial Year 2010 (FY 2010) can be traced back to the fact that the companies liabilities have increased due to RD, production and retail store investments. Profitability Ratios Profitability ratios calculate the earnings a company generates in relation to the expenses and costs it has during the financial year. An increase of the value of a profitability ratio indicates that a business performing well. In order to interpret the companys performance a comparison to two competitors in Apples operating environments has been drawn. Apple has invested in its fixed assets by expanding its retail segment which explains the slight decrease in return on gross assets (ROA). As financial analysts state a ROA should not undergo 5%, Apple is in a very good position with an ROA of 24.66%. (Table 3 Refers to Appendix II,A,B). A high return on shareholder equity (ROE) expresses a companys effective employment of stakeholder investments and in return high earnings for the stakeholders. The figures show that Apple has been able to invest more effectively in FY2010. But the company comparison reveals that even with a great loss in ROE for Dell in 2010 it can compete with Apples performance. Where as Microsofts ROE with 40.6% is much higher. However since the ROE should be interpreted in relation to the debts, and Apple only has short term debts which the company covers quickly, the investment strategy of Apple can be considered as benefiting for both the company and the shareholders. Apples gross ratio decreased in FY2010. This is due to the less efficient use of its fixed assets in raw material and manufacturing. The company comparison shows that Apples gross ratio is at a high percentage a positive indication for profit that is confirmed in Apples overall results. The figures of Apples profitability ratios in relation to its competition display Apples ability to manage its investments and sales lucrative. Efficiency Ratios Efficiency Ratios express the ability of a company to use its resources profitably. An increase of the ratio figures over the years show an efficient management of resources. (Table 4 Refers to Appendix III). The rate of stock turnover (ROST) can be described as the number of times the stock is being replaced per year. A high ROST show the efficient investments and a low ROST can be an indicator stockpiling and poor sales. Since Apples sales have greatly increased in FY2010 the decrease in ROST of 33% from FY2009 to FY2010 most likely result from inefficient stockpiling. Speculations can be made that a too high prognosis on iPad sales in combination with a lower sales rate of iPods may have led to an increased inventory level. The fixed asset turnover (FAT) has decreased by 27% in FY2010 which means that Apple was less successful in using its fixed assets to generate sales. The reduction in FAT is the result if Apples investment in its retail branch and therefore an increase of fixed assets. While the ROST and FAT are decreasing naturally the cost of sales ratio (COS) will increase. Apples has more money tied up in its fixed assets and was not able to handle its stock as efficient as in recent years. The debt ratio expresses the percentage of assets which are financed by debts. Apple only has short term liabilities and no long term debts (Apple Inc., 2010, p. 27). Even though the short term debts have increased to 36.43% which Apples should reduce over the coming financial periods 63.57% of Apples assets are covered by equity. The risk for Apple therefore is low. Investment Ratios This part of the ratio analysis helps to judge how remunerative a potential or existing investment is or might be (Table 5 Refers to Appendix IV). Apple does not pay dividends per share to its shareholders explaining the dividend yield of $0.00. Therefore the company has more financial resources to reinvest in its business and the development of its products to maintain a peer position in the market. The earnings per share (EPS) allot the profit of a company to its number of shares and therefore indicating on the companys overall profitability. Apples EPS increased by 67% to $15.41 in FY2010 which relates to the nearly 60% higher net profit in 2010. It also reveals an increase in investment in the companys shares which most likely result from Apples positive consumer and investor awareness through the introduction of its new product developments. A high price/earnings ratio (P/E) describes the high demand of the shares and therefore the confidence of investors towards a positive future of the company. With the high increase in EPS the P/E has risen as well. Apples market price per share ($) tradedÂÂ  at 14.76x the EPS of $15.41. Over the past years Apple has proven to be a lucrative company to invest in and it is likely that this trend continues for the following financial year. Impact of current event since last balance sheet The publishing date of Apples recent annual financial report is the 25th September 2010. Since then Apple has introduced a new developments of its MacBook, the MacBook Air, a thinner and more powerful version of the Apple laptop (Dowling, Press Release 2, 2010). This will affect the sales of the iPad since it can be seen as a competitive product and it is likely to increase Apples stock turnover ratio because it is an additional product in the companys range. But at the same time Apple has made a move to stay competitive in the personal computer sector and it is likely that the company will increase its total revenue until the next financial report. Conclusion and recommendations Financially the fiscal year 2010 was a very successful year for Apple. The company has increased the investments in research and development of new products and its retail branch. This has led to the launches of the iPad and the new iPhone generation and has brought the focus of public attention to the company enhancing its image and increasing its desirability in the minds of shareholders and investors. Apple has increased its revenue by more than 50% and is taking a leasing position in the personal computer market despite the intense competition and price sensitivity of the consumers. The software and online services Apple is offering through third parties, such as the e-books have gained popularity. A negative affect has been recognized when analyzing Apples efficiency in using its resources. The stock turnover decreased compared to the previous year which affected the cost of sales and fixed asset turnover. It is recommended to continue the trend of high investments in research and development as this is a key success factor for Apple to be one step ahead of its competition. Additionally the service offers though third party suppliers in the range of music, e-books and applications for the mobile phones should be kept up, as they increase the popularity of Apples products. Furthermore Apple could compensate the negative effects of the decrease in stock turnover by introducing improvements in its marketing and promotion efforts to boost sales.

Acting Black and Acting White in Racist America :: Racism Race Essays

Acting Black and Acting White in Racist America Several years ago, four New York City police officers were acquitted after their trial for the murder of an African immigrant. Bill Bradley is quoted in Newsweek (March 6, 2000): "I think that it shows that when racial profiling seeps so deeply into somebody's mind, a wallet in the hand of a white man looks like a wallet, but a wallet in the hand of a black man looks like a gun." My nephew, David, who is African American, is beginning to expereince teasing about doing well in school and "acting white." He will end up, as have his mother and our other two African American siblings, learning to act black in certain situations and white in others. People live in quite similar and yet vastly different Umwelten. In this reflexive paper I intend to explore for myself some ideas about the Umwelten of inner city, lower SES African American families (I taught in inner city Washington, D.C.) and white American suburban middle class families. Different Umwelten can lead to vastly different ways of thinking about what it means to be successful in life and, thus, how parents raise and what they desire for their children. The conversation my sister and I were having did not end with thoughts about David and his hardships in school. We discussed reasons children would tease other children for valuing schooling, and what the teasing says about parents' and culture's educational beliefs. My sister decided that she could not imagine any parents who would not want their child to get an education and, if they had the opportunity, to go to college. (Implied in this sentence is, of course, the assumption that every person has the opportunity to go get that "education.") I was aghast. Aren't we both liberal people brought up together in the same liberal household? Yet my sister seems to have some limiting views that I do not share (at least not consciously). First, "education" means graduating from high school and the opportunity to go on to college. Second, every parent would want and value this education for their children. Third, this would mean that the opportunity for this education was available to all children and their parents know it. Here I saw a glimpse through a slice of the rhizome that is my sister's mind, where her interpretants for the signs of "opportunity" and "education" are different from mine, and where they lead to different connections than these interpretants do for me. Acting Black and Acting White in Racist America :: Racism Race Essays Acting Black and Acting White in Racist America Several years ago, four New York City police officers were acquitted after their trial for the murder of an African immigrant. Bill Bradley is quoted in Newsweek (March 6, 2000): "I think that it shows that when racial profiling seeps so deeply into somebody's mind, a wallet in the hand of a white man looks like a wallet, but a wallet in the hand of a black man looks like a gun." My nephew, David, who is African American, is beginning to expereince teasing about doing well in school and "acting white." He will end up, as have his mother and our other two African American siblings, learning to act black in certain situations and white in others. People live in quite similar and yet vastly different Umwelten. In this reflexive paper I intend to explore for myself some ideas about the Umwelten of inner city, lower SES African American families (I taught in inner city Washington, D.C.) and white American suburban middle class families. Different Umwelten can lead to vastly different ways of thinking about what it means to be successful in life and, thus, how parents raise and what they desire for their children. The conversation my sister and I were having did not end with thoughts about David and his hardships in school. We discussed reasons children would tease other children for valuing schooling, and what the teasing says about parents' and culture's educational beliefs. My sister decided that she could not imagine any parents who would not want their child to get an education and, if they had the opportunity, to go to college. (Implied in this sentence is, of course, the assumption that every person has the opportunity to go get that "education.") I was aghast. Aren't we both liberal people brought up together in the same liberal household? Yet my sister seems to have some limiting views that I do not share (at least not consciously). First, "education" means graduating from high school and the opportunity to go on to college. Second, every parent would want and value this education for their children. Third, this would mean that the opportunity for this education was available to all children and their parents know it. Here I saw a glimpse through a slice of the rhizome that is my sister's mind, where her interpretants for the signs of "opportunity" and "education" are different from mine, and where they lead to different connections than these interpretants do for me.

Kip Kinkel Essay

Kip Kinkel was a high school student at Thurston High who was incarcerated for killing his parents, 5 students, and injuring over 20 other kids at school. Kip had a lot of psychological problems due to the biological and social aspects of his life, that maybe if had been treated properly, would not have made him feel the need to commit the crimes that he did. To begin, Kip Kinkel had many biological problems that may have kick started his problems from a young age. He had dyslexia, so he could not read and write very well. This caused him to fall behind in class and have to be held back a year. Biological psychologists would say that he had this problem due to his brain structure and chemicals and his brain that were dysfunctional and it caused him to have learning problems. He was also too small for his age, this made him get bullied by other boys at school. Psychoanalytic psychologists would say that because he had bed experience as a child, he probably would become bitter and feel like an outcast later in life as well. His mother was older than the recommended age to have babies and still be healthy, biological psychologists would say that this may have caused some abnormalities in his body and brain, such as the small body for his age, and dyslexia. Kip Kinkel had a terrible social life at home and at school. He got bullied in school because of his small body image; according to humanistic psychologists, this would lead him to low self esteem. He also had a lack of friends because growing up, he only had one friend, who was a girl, because he lived in a house that was kind of secluded in the woods, so there weren’t many kids around. He also got held back a year while all of his friends went on to the next grade. This would make him feel lonely and isolated according to the humanistic approach. Kip had a bad relationship with his family as well. He did not live up to his parents standards, and he did not really have anything to bond with his father over, except guns. This probably made him insecure about himself, always trying to be better than he was to please his parents. According to the psychoanalytic theory, security and parental relationships are major influences on personality. Kip also had many psychological issues that may have pushed him over the edge. He was diagnosed with depression, and given Prozac. However, shortly after he was starting to feel okay, the doctors took him off of it. This made him depressed again, but nobody realized it. He was also believed to be a schizophrenic because he would talk about â€Å"the voices in my head†, however he was never diagnosed and never treated for it. The combination of depression and schizophrenia lead him to maladaptive behaviors, according to the cognitive perspective, such as exploding homemade bombs and shooting things to take out his anger and relieve stress. Incarceration may not have been the been conclusion for the crimes that Kip committed. All of the things he did were because of his of his psychological problems that were caused from the social and biological aspects of his life growing up, and that were mistreated. If Kip had been better treated medically, the shootings may have not happened. Kip Kinkel is just the severe victim of his disorders, not just a cold hearted killer.

College List Essay

Pg. 211 Check Comprehension 1. The speaker addresses the happy leaves, the happy lines, and the happy rhymes. The listeners are asked to deliver what he feels to the women he loves. 2. In Sonnet 35 the speaker wants the same type of visual devotion from his wife as he is to her. 3. In Sonnet 35 the speaker compares his eyes to narcissus and his own-self infatuation. 4. In the first four lines the speaker writes his wives name in the sand twice and then the tide washes the names away both times. One speaker is Edmund Spenser and the other is his wife. Critical Thinking 1. The Physical and emotional state of the speaker is evolved around the desire of having the girl because he doesn?t have her he is starving and becoming unhealthy emotionally, he is depressed because his heart is throbbing without her. 2. The ?object of their pain? that the speaker is talking about is the inability for his wife to give affection to him, but he gives it to her. 3. It expresses morality and poetry as being the same because once it is written it begins to fade and morality begins to fade also. 4. Pg 213 Check Comprehension 1. In sonnet 31 the speaker addresses the moon. 2. In sonnet 31 the moon appears to the speaker weak, sickly, and pale. The speaker believes that the cause of the moons sadness is that it does not receive the love that it deserves. 3. The six benefits that the speaker attributes to sleep are the certain knot of peace, the baiting place of wit, the balm of woe, the poor man?s wealth, the prisoners release, and the indifferent judge between the high and low. 4. In sonnet 39 the speaker wants to sleep to shield or escape his sorrow. Critical Thinking 1. The connection between the appearance moon and the thoughts that the speaker utters is that they both have pale and sickly faces that look very sad. 2. The speaker is seeking escape from his sorrow though sleep by using it as a shield. 3. Judging by what is said in each sonnet you can make the conclusion that each speaker is yearning for his love because they got into a fight and were separated. 4. The speakers lover might scorn the moon because of it?s love for her. 5. Sonnet 39 talks about his desire to sleep are related to how people still deal with problems. People believe psychologically that it heals their problems.

Give It Up vs. Applaud

Give It Up vs. Applaud Give It Up vs. Applaud Give It Up vs. Applaud By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Lately, I hear announcers introducing acts by saying GIVE IT UP FOR, rather than   LETS HAVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR. Is this a new expression? The verb give/gave/given has been in the English vocabulary for more than a thousand years. The earliest OED citation is from Beowulf: Beowulf 1719 Nallas beagas geaf Denum à ¦fter dome. Note: The reference is to Heremod, a Danish king who did not honor his men by giving them treasure as custom required. A literal translation of this example is â€Å"Not at all rings gave [he] to the Danes for honor.† The OED entry for give requires more than a hundred items to clarify the various ways in which this verb is or has been used throughout the centuries. The expression â€Å"give it up for so-and-so† is just one of the verb’s more recent uses. The earliest OED citation for â€Å"give it up† in the sense of â€Å"applaud,† dated 1990, is from a Web source: Hey folks, lets give it up for Andy! One huge round of applause please!- Re: ShrinkIt 3.0 in comp.sys.apple2 (Usenet newsgroup). The basic meaning of give is â€Å"to make another person the recipient of something in the possession of the giver.† When an audience is asked â€Å"to give it up† for a speaker or performer, they are being asked to show appreciation by applauding. In this way, they give their approval. An earlier expression referring to the act of applauding links give with hand. At the end of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow) asks for applause this way: Give me your hands, if we be friends: And Robin shall restore amends. Audiences are said to â€Å"give a hand† to performers. Performers hope to â€Å"get a big hand† from their audiences. No one seems to mind such established circumlocutions for applaud, but the latest expression provokes annoyance: Does anybody else hate the expression, â€Å"give it up† for whoever it is instead of just clapping? It drives me mad. Oh, I must say that I  hate  the recent,  Put your hands together for. Or the even more egregious,  Lets give it up for â€Å"Give it up† annoys me too. I hate this new age talk, it just sounds lazy. I hate â€Å"give it up for [so-and-so]† when announcers introduce entertainment acts. Love it or hate it, â€Å"give it up for† in the sense of â€Å"please applaud† has caught on with large numbers of speakers. Note to ESL learners: In some contexts, â€Å"give it up† or â€Å"give up† can also mean surrender, abandon, and quit: The house is completely surrounded. You might as well give it up. Eventually he took a huge risk and  gave himself up to  the Chicago  police. Unable to overtake the planes,  he gave up  the chase three miles from his own lines. How  many  people do something just once and are  ready to give up?   Give it up! You can’t win. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for Money75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Drama vs. Melodrama

Cameron Auto Parts Essays

Cameron Auto Parts Essays Cameron Auto Parts Essay Cameron Auto Parts Essay 1. Do you agree with Cameron’s decision to grant McTaggart a license? Do you agree with the way Alex went about it? What other options were available to Cameron? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? The business potential of flexible coupling was evident to Alex. The salespeople were looking for 35$-40$ million during 2004. He realized that the plant cant hold both lines (OEM and flexible coupling). The costs of expansion were too high and required many of the companys resources. The companys cash flow couldnt support a plant expansion. The flexible coupling industry is different than the auto industry. Every dollar of flexible coupling sales requires an investment in inventory and receivables of about 30 cents. Furthermore, in the flexible coupling industry you have to manufacture to inventory, as a result you dont see revenue right away. Alex saw the potential in the European market; however he didnt know the foreign market that well. Exporting to the European market meant that the European costumer pays about 20 percent more (because of taxes, insurance etc). An opportunity to penetrate the European market was offered to him in his visit to Scotland. By granting McTaggart a license, Alex ensured a quick, almost risk-free penetration to the U. K market. Along with the advantages of licensing, granting license to McTaggart, means sharing not only profits, but the unique knowledge, which is Cameron’s intellectual property. Considering the companys financial situation, the costs and risks of penetrating to new market, I think Alex did the right thing in granting McTaggart a license. Although it was a good opportunity, I believe he didnt handle that appropriately. He signed the contract with McTaggart without consulting with his financial, operational and legal advisers. He didnt fully take under consideration all other options before closing the deal. A comparison between his options: | Advantages| Disadvantages| Exporting| * Economies of scale in the long run * Independence * quality control through own responsibility| * Lack of capacity * Currency risks * High Investments * No specific market knowledge * Transport risks * Trade barriers| Licensing| * Quick market entry * Low investment costs * Reduced financial risk * Economies of scope| * No control over local business * Risk of image loss * Communication gaps * Loss of flexibility (because of the commitment to he licensee) * Shared profits| New plant| * Keeping the IP – low risk of knowledge leeks * High margins| * High initial investment (building the new plat)| Joint Venture| * Benefit from local partner’s knowledge. * Shared costs/risks with partner. * More profitable than royalty| * Less profitable than producing in house * Risk giving control of technology to partner. * Shared ownership can lead to conflict. | 2. Was McTaggart a good choice for a licensee? What should Alex have done upon hearing Sandys offer for a licensing agreement? According to exhibit 3, I think McTaggart was a good choice for a licensee. It was an old and stable company with excellent credit record. It had vast market coverage in 3 continents. This widespread and stability is important when picking a licensee, in order to penetrate new markets. Furthermore, the license to McTaggart was given to 5 years only, not a long term commitment. In that period Cameron can learn about the European market and improve its cash flow, and by the end of that period can decide whether to continue with the licensing or go on its own. . Was the royalty rate reasonable? What does reasonable mean? (Hint: Based on what you know about Cameron’s outlays for developing the product how much does Cameron need to recoup over what period? Cameron expects that $12 million in assets will generate $30 million in flexible coupling sales and a profit of $5 million. ) According to exhibit 1: Assets: $12M Profit: $5M Assuming that the debit interest is 7% and the licensi ng will last 5 years. According to NPV – there is profit of ~7. 9M$, which is IRR = 30%. As shown in the table below, 3% royalty out of sales makes 9. 1% out of profits: The 25% Rule suggests that a licensor should receive 25% of the extra profit derived from the licensees use of the licensed technology. According to that, 9. 1% licensors share of the profit is too low. In order to get the 25% of the extra profit the royalty should be around 10%, according to the table below: Conclusion: Current royalty of 3% 2% is too low. 4. What conflicts do you foresee in the relationship between Cameron and McTaggart assuming that sales in Europe will increase? How can the two partners address these potential conflicts at this point? Should they? Assuming the sales in Europe will increase, each company may come the conclusion that it is better off on its own than to be restricted to the contract. After a short while, Camerons managers may think that they know everything there is to know about the European market, and may seek other partners or even try operate on its own. Furthermore, as mentioned in question 3, the royalty rate of Cameron from the agreement is lower than it should be. As a result I think the company will surely try to find a way to increase its royalty rate or cancel the agreement. I think both companies should establish a JV or some sort of an alliance, using Camerons product and McTaggarts capabilities in the European market. This will be a win-win situation for both companies: Cameron will get more significant part of the profits and won’t be frighten by McTaggart’s exclusivity. McTaggart, on the other hand, although it will split the profits, will grow and penetrate outside the U. K. boarders to other European countries.

The Mixed Blessing of Online Research

The Mixed Blessing of Online Research The Mixed Blessing of Online Research The Mixed Blessing of Online Research By Mark Nichol A recent report about the pluses and perils of online searching by students has lessons for all writers, regardless of age, who use the Internet for research. A survey found that though most schoolteachers believe that digital search technology is beneficial, it also encourages more superficial searching, and that conundrum applies to the populace in general and to writers in particular. Writers, like students, are more self-reliant than ever about obtaining information. Although reference librarians are still available to help them search for publications or other resources, and online portals to research materials abound, writers are likely to seek out the documents and other media themselves using computers and other digital devices rather than resorting to a visit to the library. Meanwhile, larger publications that once employed their own reference staff, realizing that workers can easily do research on their own, have long since eliminated such positions. The result is that many digital explorers seek out information randomly, often relying on the first return for a search result rather than the best, or at best one or more selections among several high-ranking responses that may not be the most authoritative. Just as students frequently no longer engage in satisfying their intellectual curiosity, opting instead for a quick fix, writers seeking source material to develop an article or an essay or a report, or a fiction or nonfiction book, are likely to miss out on nuances or fail to realize that a resource they’re relying on is of questionable validity or is controversial. For students and writers alike, the faster pace of their daily responsibilities, the increased pressure to produce, and heavier workloads exacerbate the problem. So, as with any endeavor that suddenly seems easier than it used to, writers seeking information online must do so with caution, lest they become overconfident or otherwise careless. Here are seven tips for conducting online research: 1. Become familiar with established authoritative online sources pertinent to your profession or area of interest. 2. Research alternatives to Google that may be more specific to your needs. 3. Brainstorm and use multiple keywords to conduct a thorough search. 4. Bookmark and/or record helpful portals and sites. 5. Use Wikipedia, but only as a portal to other resources. 6. Be alert for subjective content, conflicts of interest, and propaganda when you’re seeking impartial information. 7. Be skeptical about poll and survey results and reader reviews. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†26 Feel-Good WordsIf I Was vs. If I Were

Yamamoto LED Leasing & Production Company Ltd Research Paper

Yamamoto LED Leasing & Production Company Ltd - Research Paper Example We use chips which are imported from Japan, Taiwan, and US to ensure that we deliver incredibly high video performance for our customer’s events and exhibitions.Production & ServicesAs your trusted partner and client, we ensure that all your videos are delivered to your target customers effectively and efficiently. Every LED module is assembled according to the customer’s screen size requirements. Our production team is always committed to delivering superior quality video effects, to ensure that all your promotional events and exhibitions are well received by your target customers. Our LED Screens are suited for:1. Indoor or Outdoor Shopping Arcades2. Concerts and performances3. Stadiums4. Outdoor wall sides on buildings5. Big screen display for digital signageWe are equipped with 6mm LED display modules with 27,778dots/m2. The display modules are assembled using SM3528 LED chips, which ensure that they display vivid color with high contrast. Screen sizes can be customized to suit the various events requirements. The maximum viewing distance can be up to 18m, with 1600 viewing angles, making it suitable for all kind of outdoor/indoor events.The 360 circular display is another Hi resolution LED display for outdoor display advertisements. It supports HDMI, DVI, and VGA connection with HD video signals. It can show online TV programs, VCD, DVD or display video when connected with live CAM.

English law. Annotation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English law. Annotation - Essay Example The exception to the rule that past consideration is not good consideration is subject to conditions discussed by the Privy Council in Pau On v Lau Yiu Long, wherein their Lordships held that this was admissible whenever: Whether, part payment of an existing debt is valid consideration for a promise has been decided in the Pinnel's case. In this case, Cole owed Pinnel 8-10s-0d (8.50) which was due on 11 November. At Pinnel's request, Cole paid 5-2s-2d (5.11) on 1 October, which Pinnel accepted in full settlement of the debt. Subsequently, Pinnel sued Cole for the amount owed. It was held that part payment in itself was not consideration. However, it was held that the agreement to accept part payment would be binding if the debtor, at the creditor's request, provided some fresh consideration (Pinnel's Case,1602). From the foregoing it can be concluded that, under certain circumstances, past consideration is held to be valid.

The building institute of training and developing Essay

The building institute of training and developing - Essay Example The process of demolishing and rebuilding is a process of perciceness, safety, professional surveying of the project so it is done correctly, and cost effectiveness. It is a basis process which from start to finish of making sure that all regulations are correctly handled, and that the process is done accurately.The process of removing as-pesos must be done with the windows shut so that it does not escape from the house. This then makes it so that you can remove the asbestos quickly from the front door and bring it in a proper disposal unit. Then the stench of asbestos does not remove. The employees removing the asbestos protect their health. Asbestos is a very dangerous problem when inhaled or gotten on the skin, so the overalls must cover every inch of the body, and protect the one that puts the asbestos in the proper dumping mechanism. It must be disposable so that it does not contaminate any area which the clothes may be. Washing the clothes may ruin a washer with putting the che mical in it, so it is policy that the clothes are disposable.Air conditioner sheets must be removed and not reused due to circulation within the air vents of asbestos. This way it prevents any asbestos that gets in the air ducts from contaminating the house. The air conditioner vents must be removed and replaced to ensure that none leaks from the air vent and gets any in the house once the project is finished. The air conditioner parts must be taken down and ready to be cleaned at the end of the project. ... then the overalls and masks used by the personnel are thrown away with the asbestos TASK 2 The type of loads are important. There are relevant loads that must be used. There are the basic parts of the home that must be loaded up along with the different parts of the gutted interior. This would include the basic framework of the innards of the house; which could probably just be brought out the front door. You may want to remove all of the old interiors, all of the floor boards, and correctly tear down the home; leaving loads for the construction. They may want to tear down the floor boards, the roof, and organize it in loads of efficiency. This can then be done problematically and automatically. This process then tears down the home and makes it cost efficient once all of the parts of the home are removed. TASK 3 There are several needed professionals which you must acquire to then commence with building. You must first consult an Architect, who will draw out the basic lay out off the home. You consult with him with how much space you want in the rooms, how many rooms it has, and what you want the basic layout of the house to be like. He will draw out a design trying to meet your specifications. The architect must then work with a residential designer, which scopes out the zoning procedures of the neighborhood in which the house is being built. This will make sure that the lay out the architect has drawn match the houses in the area, and meet zoning restrictions of how you are allowed to build a house in the area. A designer then designs the basic details of the house working with them and the residential designer makes sure the set up

National Cholesterol Education Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

National Cholesterol Education Program - Essay Example Additional factors include age, a family history of heart disease, and being male. The risk of heart disease is the main reason why cholesterol level alertness is required. Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary heart disease (CHD), is defined as any disorder, which impairs the normal functioning of the heart (Gandelman, 2006). Such disorders include arrhythmias, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and the various kinds of cardiomyopathy and angina. According to Barrett (2006), heart attack is ranked one among the most common causes of death in the United States and stroke is a close third. Epidemiological surveys demonstrated that there is a continuous correlation between CHD risk and serum total cholesterol levels over a broad range of cholesterol values (Grundy et al., 2004). High-risk and very high-risk people are individuals who have over 20% chance of heart attack within ten years (Barrett, 2006). The 2004 ATP III guideline regarding the said individuals state that drug therapy should be definite at 130 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) cholesterol levels and it should be optional between 100 to 129 mg/dL levels (Barrett, 2006). This was a major change from the 2001 recommendation. Now, the goal for LDL-lowering therapy for all high-risk patients is a LDL-C level of less than 100 mg/dL (Grundy et al., 2004). According ... The ATP reports identified low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as the main target of cholesterol-lowering therapy since "Many prospective studies have shown that the high serum concentrations of LDL-C is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)" (Grundy et al., 2004). Cholesterol-lowering therapy involves statins and some clinical trials that tested the efficiency and effectiveness of these drugs are as follows. In a Heart Protection Study (HPS) conducted in the United Kingdom involving 20 536 adults, aged 40 to 80 years and at high risk for a CVD event, the patients were randomly allocated to 40 mg simvastatin or placebo daily (Grundy et al., 2004). The results demonstrated that in patients treated with simvastatin, all-cause mortality was significantly reduced by 13%. Moreover, "Major vascular events were reduced by 24%, coronary death rate by 18%, nonfatal myocardial infarction + coronary death by 27%, nonfatal or fatal stroke by 25%, and cardiovascular revascularization by 24%" (Grundy et al., 2004). On the other hand, the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER) examined the efficacy of pravastatin treatment in older people with or at high risk of developing CVD and stroke. A total of 5804 subjects aged 70 to 82 years, with history of vascular disease or CVD risk factors, were randomly assigned pravastatin or placebo treatment. The follow-up averaged 3.2 years. Results showed that baseline total cholesterol ranged from 150 mg/dL to 350 mg/dL and prasvatatin reduced LDL-C levels by 34%. Major coronary events such as nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death fell by 19% whereas CHD mortality fell by 24%. The authors of PROSPER concluded that statin therapy can be extended to

Consumer behavior segmentation methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer behavior segmentation methods - Essay Example Geographic segmentation focuses on the characteristics of a population, the geographic region, and similar such characteristics tied to specific geographies. Segmentation is a natural offshoot of the insight that markets are complex, and that to be successful brand managers need to segment markets with specific needs, and responding to specific segmentation cues and messages of benefits. The four basic segmentation methods offer alternative ways of viewing and understanding such complex markets (TIS Consulting Group, 2012; Tynan and Drayton, 1987). Apple’s iPhone stands out from the competition in the way it is perceived by its customers as being premium, of offering a cool factor, of being the standard against which all other smart phones in the world are compared and measured to, and in offering an ecosystem of apps, music and other media content that both the providers of the content and apps as well as the purchasers of those content get unparalleled value in comparison to competing ecosystems and platforms, such as Android represented chiefly by Samsung smart phones. The ecosystem is not a trivial aspect of the phone, but lies at the heart of its appeal from a functional point of view. The phone serves as a gateway to the world of Apple services, and where customers become familiar to that world of services, they become entrenched and are unable to switch to other ecosystems without considerable adjustment. The ecosystem is an anchor for retaining customers as Apply churns out new models and iterations of its phone s. The ecosystem too adds to the appeal of the phone, in terms of the way the different services in themselves, and the different apps, work in ways that are optimal in iPhones, and not in other devices. For instance, Apple’s music and content services work only with the iPhone, while many apps, while also

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Textual Analysis - Essay Example However, Stone would be the first to insist the film is not a documentary. There are several places in the historical record that are unclear or that Stone obviously had a difficult time believing, which he has filled with conjecture, hearsay and sometimes flimsy evidence. Several key characters portrayed in the story never actually existed either, but Stone created them out of composite elements of a number of people who were a part of the historic record. By doing this, he also opens the film up for an exploration of a number of the major conspiracy theories regarding the assassination including examining time lines, actions, events and connections between characters. The consistent build up of evidentiary material creates a sense of sustained suspense that has qualified the film for placement in the political horror genre in some circles, especially when one considers the opening sequence in more detail. Despite his insistence that the film is not an attempt to portray a historica lly factual documentary regarding Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Stone employs several real-life players in the film to help depict his version of events. The most prominent character is the assassinated President himself as he appears in this opening montage sequence. By refusing to recast the president, Stone proves his talent working with limited available footage. He also immediately injects a sense of reality into the story because everyone knows the former President was killed on that day and therefore could not have been available to shoot the new scenes Stone might have wanted in the film. The most impactful video clip used in this montage is the significant portion of the Zapruder film in which President Kennedy goes from being a happy smiling President waving to the crowds through the horrifying few seconds it takes for him to be fatally wounded. With this film, Stone immediately creates a somber mood of reflection as audiences realize this is the actual event and not a staged recreation. The events seen in that small, grainy film, which Stone did nothing significant to improve, actually happened in real life and changed the course of a nation. As the open-topped limousine speeds off toward the hospital, the audience is aware that the President is already dead. The video montage of the first section of the film establishes its link with reality through its almost exclusive use of actual news footage taken of the President and his family throughout his term in office and family footage that has become a part of the national archives. Other footage provides other important information about events of the time such as Eisenhower’s farewell address to the nation, Kennedy’s narrow margin of victory in winning the election, details of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam situation. Mixed with this authentic footage are several created scenes such as the footage of Jerry Belknap. Within the later body of the film, Belknap is said to h ave been an unidentified man who suffered an epileptic seizure moments before the shooting and drew away some of the attention of the security officers on duty that day. These scenes are integrated so smoothly that they seem to be as authentic as the news footage scenes that have been shown to this point. When it

Consumer behavior segmentation methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer behavior segmentation methods - Essay Example Geographic segmentation focuses on the characteristics of a population, the geographic region, and similar such characteristics tied to specific geographies. Segmentation is a natural offshoot of the insight that markets are complex, and that to be successful brand managers need to segment markets with specific needs, and responding to specific segmentation cues and messages of benefits. The four basic segmentation methods offer alternative ways of viewing and understanding such complex markets (TIS Consulting Group, 2012; Tynan and Drayton, 1987). Apple’s iPhone stands out from the competition in the way it is perceived by its customers as being premium, of offering a cool factor, of being the standard against which all other smart phones in the world are compared and measured to, and in offering an ecosystem of apps, music and other media content that both the providers of the content and apps as well as the purchasers of those content get unparalleled value in comparison to competing ecosystems and platforms, such as Android represented chiefly by Samsung smart phones. The ecosystem is not a trivial aspect of the phone, but lies at the heart of its appeal from a functional point of view. The phone serves as a gateway to the world of Apple services, and where customers become familiar to that world of services, they become entrenched and are unable to switch to other ecosystems without considerable adjustment. The ecosystem is an anchor for retaining customers as Apply churns out new models and iterations of its phone s. The ecosystem too adds to the appeal of the phone, in terms of the way the different services in themselves, and the different apps, work in ways that are optimal in iPhones, and not in other devices. For instance, Apple’s music and content services work only with the iPhone, while many apps, while also

Michael Milken Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Michael Milken - Essay Example Immediately after paying this debt, he resumed his lifelong philanthropic activities. Milken has promised that he will someday write his side of the controversy; but for now he feels it's less productive to focus on the past than to be involved in supporting the effort to accelerate medical solutions. Interviewer: Michael, that paragraph quoted from your website seems to imply that you don't believe you did anything wrong, that it was all a vast conspiracy to bring you down. Since you don't believe what you did was wrong, could you tell us whether you would do it again provided you didn't get caught MM: Ohh, that's a loaded question. First off let me point out that I violated the law and I was fined and I was imprisoned for almost 2 years of my life. So yes, what I did violated the law. There is a wider question though, and that is, how do we define what is wrong And I think that's the point being made on the website. The fact is I'm the only person in the history of that legislation to be prosecuted under it. And though I know I'm a fairly unique guy, I don't for one minute believe that I'm the only person who has violated that legislation.

Is Race A Major Issue In US Today Politics Essay

Is Race A Major Issue In US Today Politics Essay Historically, the problem of racism persisted in the US. In fact, racism in the United States has existed since the founding of the state.  Society, founded by white men, differing in their national and religious grounds, was very different with their attitude towards other groups.  Victims of racism were non-white indigenous population Indians and black slaves. Significant progress in overcoming racism in the U.S. has been in the 1960s, when the success of the movement of the struggle for civil rights there were taken considerable political and socio-economic measures to ensure equality and overcoming age-old gulf that separates African American, Native American and other minority groups from  mainstream of American life.  However, racism still remains one of the hottest topics in American public life. Although the race problems take significant place in the life of the people in the United States, there are examples of the improvement of the situation. Imagined differences are built into the main quality and turn into a hostile psychological attitudes towards some ethnic group, the unit that separates people psychologically, and then theoretically justifies a policy of discrimination. Race is a major issue in the United States today but it is important to place emphasis on the fact that, today, race issues tend to change although the problem of racism has not been eliminated yet. Definition of racism In order to understand the current situation in the US concerning race issues, it is necessary to dwell upon the definition of the concept of racism. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the concept of racism is closely intertwined with the concept of discrimination because racism implies the discrimination on the ground of race of an individual. At the same time, the concept of racism can be defined as the violation of basic rights and liberties of individuals because of their race. In this regard, racism can have different manifestations, including the oppression of racial minorities and their discrimination. In the past, cases of racism occurred frequently and racial minorities suffered from the severe oppression from the part of the dominant white majority. As the matter of fact, racism can exist in any multiracial societies. Therefore, the emergence of racism in the US can be viewed as a natural effect of the domination of racial group over others. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning the fact that the concept of racism changed and evolved in the course of time. In the past, racism was taken for granted and the violation of rights of non-white Americans was a norm. For instance, it is possible to refer to numerous cases of lynching of African Americans in the beginning of the 20th century. By the mid-20th century, the attitude of Americans has changed under the impact of the growing Civil Rights movement and effective work of civil rights activists. The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s 1960s contributed to the consistent change in racial relations in the US but the Civil Rights movement still failed to solve the problem of racism in the US. In spite of consistent legislative and social changes, race issues and the problem of racism persisted in the US in the second half and late 20th century. Race issues still involved the problem of discrimination and unequal opportunities for white and non-white Americans. The problem persisted and, today, this problem needs the effective solution. Modern perception of racism In actuality, the modern perception of racism has changed consistently compared to the past. At this point, it is necessary to dwell upon the changes that have occurred in the society to understand the essence of the change of the perception of racism in the modern society. First of all, it has been already mentioned above that, in the past, racism was taken for granted, it was a sort of norm. Cases of violence and murders of representatives of minorities were frequent. Steadily, the attitude to racism changed. Today, the problem of racism is viewed from a bit different angle. To put it more precisely, today, racism refers to the field of the under-representation of certain racial groups in the political life of the US. In addition, many representatives of racial minorities suffer from discrimination in the workplace, when they fail to obtain equal job opportunities. At the same time, today, socioeconomic position of people and their job opportunities as well as their participation in the political life of the country depend on their educational background. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the access to education and opportunities to receive higher education are crucial in the modern society. As a result, education, being unavailable to certain racial groups, to minorities, becomes one of the most important issues provoking tension between representatives of different racial groups in the US. The role of education in the life of the modern society can hardly be underestimated because the modern technology keeps progressing and people should come prepared to use new technology to succeed in their professional life and to play an active part in the social, political and economic life of the country. For instance, the emergence of mass media and new telecommunication technologies contribute to the consistent growth of the speed of spreading information. In this regard, many specialists indicate to the fast spread of information The Boyfriends Death (Brunvand, 78) story by J.H. Brunvand. The information is spread nationwide fast that naturally affects consistently race issues. To put it more precisely, the fast spread of information can affect consistently the public opinion, including cases when information refers to race issues. In this respect, it is possible to refer to some cases of violence from the part of white police officers in regard to African Americans and other minorities. The information being spread fast nationwide evoke strong opposition within the society to cases of racial discrimination. Discrimination In actuality, the problem of racial discrimination persists and the President of the US, Barak Obama does recognize this problem. At the same time, he attempts to unite the nation and eliminate racial differences: We the people, in order to form a more perfect union. (Obama, 304). In actuality, race issues have changed consistently but the problem of racism persists in the American society: And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time. (Obama, 305). In fact, the US society still suffers from wide gaps between the dominant racial group, i.e. white Americans, and minorities, i.e. non-white Americans. In such a situation, the development of new, effective solutions to the problem of racism, racial inequality, racial discrimination and other race issues is essential. At this point, it is very important that the US policy makers, namely the US President, are conscious of the importance of solution of the problem of race issues: unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren. (Obama, 306). Hence, the union of the nation is the ultimate goal of current policies of the US government but it is still important to find effective tools, which can help to solve the problem of racism and other racial issues. Current issues and limitations In actuality, it is possible to single out new, emerging racial issues, which aggravate the problem of racism and make relations between different racial groups extremely complicated. At this point, it is possible to refer to the speech delivered by Barak Obama, who stated: At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either too black or not black enough. We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well. (Obama, 307). At this point, it is possible to raise the problem of the the growing racial diversity and emergence of new racial tensions, including tension between minorities. What is meant here is the fact that today racial issues refer not only to relations between the white majority and non-white minorities but also to relations between non-white minorities. In fact, the aforementioned problem can lead to the radicalization of the US society: expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam. (Obama, 308). The radicalization of the society will lead to the consistent deterioration of the socioeconomic and political situation in the US and it may undermine the existing social order. Hence, the solution of the problem of race issues is essential for the stability of the existing social order in the US. Future directions In such a context, the US authorities should define clearly the major priorities and strategies that can help the US to solve the problem of racism and race issues. In this regard, Barak Obama argues that: by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. (Obama, 310). In fact, Obama indicates to one of the possible ways to improve the current situation in the US society and to solve, at least partially, the problem of the tension between different racial groups. The President suggests the complex solution, which focuses on key areas, where race issues arise, including, education, justice system, civil rights protection, and others. In such a situation, Obama gives insight toward the ultimate goal of the suggested changes may be defined as follows: a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know what we have seen is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope the audacity to hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. (Obama, 309). Obviously, this is an optimistic forecast for the future elimination of existing problems related to race issues. Nevertheless, the strategy is defined clearly but still the US lacks effective tools with the help of which the problem of racism and race issues can be eliminated. Conclusion Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that the problem of racism and race-related issues persists. Although officially a race cannot be identified as a major issue problem in the United States, there are still many issues and details considering the race issue. All in all, the race still remains one of the major problems in the United States, which is still not solved. In fact, this means that the US still suffers from the discrimination and oppression of minorities. In this respect, the US authorities are conscious of the fact that race issues may pose a number of serious problems and, what is more, they may lead to the radicalization of the US society. Therefore, the solution of this problem becomes strategically important for the US authorities. In actuality, the US authorities, namely the President of the US, defined the major priorities in the development of their policies to tackle the problem of racial discrimination and other race issues. Obviously, the unity of the entire country is of the utmost importance and the unity of all Americans, regardless of their race, can unite the nation. However, it is still unclear how the President of the US is going to unite the nation and to eliminate wide gaps that persist between different racial groups. As long as these gaps exist, the US will deal with race issues.

What it Means to be a Thinking Reed :: Essays Papers

What it Means to be a Thinking Reed The quotation above, taken from Pascal’s Pensà ©es, seems disparaging of reason. Reason, the cornerstone of the Enlightenment and that which has traditionally been held as the central attribute that differentiates humans from beasts, is here said to be limited and restricted in its powers. Instead of being able to grasp the truth about the universe in its entirety, instead of having that Cartesian hope where one â€Å"firm and immovable† (Descartes, p.63) point is established and a systematic understanding of everything takes shape, reason is lowered and its powers are diminished. In many ways â€Å"the heart,† an ambiguous and mysterious concept that possesses knowledge that reason can never hope to possess, takes the place of reason. From this quotation one might be tempted to conclude that â€Å"the heart† is infinitely more important than reason. Such a conclusion is far from the mark. Pascal ultimately believes that when faced with the challenge of t rying to live in the best possible way, people desperately need both reason and â€Å"the heart.† Exploring how two quotations taken together define â€Å"the mind† and â€Å"the heart† and the relationship they have with one another shows that â€Å"the mind† and â€Å"the heart† must work together to guide human beings on their quest for how to live best. The two quotations that will commence the investigation are as follows: Principles are felt, propositions proved, and both with certainty though by different means. (p.28) The heart has its order, the mind has its own, which uses principles and demonstrations†¦. (p.94) Before seeing the relationship between â€Å"the heart† and â€Å"the mind† that is implicit in these two quotations, one must first understand what Pascal means by the order of â€Å"the mind.† According to the two quotations the mind’s order includes using â€Å"Principles and demonstrations† to prove propositions with certainty. The word â€Å"demonstration† denotes a rigorous, methodical procedure that procures certitude. Logical proofs are excellent examples of demonstrations since they utilize sound, truth-preserving laws to deductively move from premises to certain conclusions that follow from those premises. Demonstration, though, is only half of what Pascal believes comprises the order of the mind: â€Å"the mind has its own [order], which uses principles and demonstrations† (p.94). The mind needs both principles and demonstrations in order to function, and logical proofs show this to be true. The first requirement for a logical proof is an assumption; before the truth-preserving laws of logic can be executed, an assumption must first be stated.

The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabin

The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabin Crew TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 4 INTRODUCTION 5 Background 5 Purpose/Audience 5 Sources 5 Limitaions 5 Scope 5 COLLECTED DATA 5 Importance of Communication Among the Crew 5 Main Cause of Aircraft Accidents 6 Duties of the Crew Members 7 Expectations of the Crew 7 The Crew is a Team 8 Intimidatin in the Cockpit 8 Cabin Crew is a part of the Team 9 Trusting the Crew's Judgment 9 Crew Resource Management (CRM) 9 Outline of CRM Training 10 LOFT Training 10 Organizing Resources and Priorities 11 CONCLUSION 11 Summary of Findings 11 Interpretation of Findings 11 REFERENCES 13 ABSTRACT The majority of aircraft accidents are caused by human error, and an accident or incident is linked together by a chain of errors. Most of these accidents could have been avoided by the crew if they would have been communicating to each other better. Some common errors that occur among the crew are poor task delegation, assertiveness, and distractions. Crew training in communication and teamwork will increase the crews' performance level. Programs like Crew Resource Management (CRM) have been developed to try to help the crews work together and reduce the human factor in accidents. CRM includes training in leadership/followership, assertiveness, management, communication, teamwork, decision making, and task delegation. Through programs like CRM crews learn to work together as a team, and when they are working together it is less likely there'll be an accident. INTORDUCTION Background The cause for most aircraft accidents (65%) are by crew error (FAA News, 1996). When the Crews performance level is low due to poor teamwork and communication this is when accidents happen. How can crew error be reduced? Even though human error can't be reduced completely through constant training and effort by the crew performance will increase and accidents will be reduced. Purpose/Audience This report is intended for a general audience and will show how important it is for the flight and cabin crew to work together and communicate as a team. This report will also examine the CRM program. Sources Sources have been obtained for this report from the Internet and from the Waldo Library, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Mich... ...grams like CRM are very helpful in instilling these principles and breaking the bad habits. Poor attitiudes and habits can't be changed overnight. That's why there is a need for recurrent CRM training. Communicaiton and teamwork is the key to safe and effective operations. There's no "I" in CREW but there is "WE". REFERENCES Chute, R. D. & Wiener, E. L. "Cockpit/cabin communication: I. A tale of two cultures." [http://olias.arc.nasa.gov/personnel/people/RebeccaChute/JA1.htm.]. Oct 1996. Federal Aviation Administration. (1995) Crew resource management training (AFS- 210, AC no. 120-51B). Washington, D. C. Nader, R. & Smith, W. J. (1994). Collision course: The truth about airline safety. PA: TAB Books. FAA News. "Atlantic coast airlines first to use FAA crew performance program." [http://www.dot.gov/affairs/apa15596.htm]. Sept 1996. Helmreich, R. L. "The evolution of crew resource management." [http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/helmreich/iata96/htm]. Oct 1996. Chute, R. D. & Wiener, E. L. (1996). Cockpit-cabin communicaiton: II. shall we tell the pilot? The International Journal of Aviaiton Phychology, 6 (3), 211- -229

National High School Essay

Bulua National High School is a leader high school in legislative District 1, located at Barangay Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City which was governed and funded with the Barangay Officials spearheaded by Pedro P. Legaspi. It was in 1970 when the secondary education, Bulua Barrio High School came to an open with two sections in the First year level and the Second year level was opened on the following year until the 4-year high school level was completed. The school was temporarily located at the compound of Bulua Elementary School campus in which they called as squatters. They did not have their permanent classrooms to be used. Sometimes classes were being held under the shades of the Mango and Butterfly trees. They also conduct night classes just to accommodate working students from the neighboring Barangays. Each enrollee was still entitled to pay 10. 00 pesos for the freshmen, 15. 00 pesos for the sophomores, 20. 00 pesos for the juniors and 25. 00 pesos for the seniors every month. The fees were received by the hands of the Barangay treasurer. The school was facilitated with 10 teachers and 1 school in-charge only. It was then in 1985 that BBHS became the PILOT SCHOOL of the 1989 Secondary Education Curriculum headed by its school principal Mrs. Enriqueta C. Pabelic. Year after, BBHS became Bulua National High School (BNHS) which was funded already direct from the National Level under the late President Cory Aquino’s administration. Presently, BNHS is located in its owned 1. 4 hectare approximately lot donated by the late Congressman Pedro Oloy Roa through the joint effort of Barangay Chairman Pedro P. Legaspi and the late DECS – Division P. E Supervisor, Mr. Bernabe Pabellic for its lot acquisition. Introduction The Library Hub is a program by the Department of Education aiming to address the lack of public libraries across the countries by setting up the library hubs. Library Hub is a novel and unique structure in the Philippines educational system, whereby an infrastructure and new reading materials made possible through collaborative partnerships with stakeholders are provided to public school students for free. To date, DepEd has set up about 50 Library Hubs in a very short span of time throughout the country. These Hubs will be servicing thousands of public schools. Books were placed in plastics. The Library Hubs are housed in existing buildings with an area of at least 250 to 300 square meters. A Library Hub is run by a librarian, library clerk, and utility staff and functions as a book warehouse for public schools in a given district. Each Hub lends books to its designated schools, which in turn lend the books to their students. The provision of reading books for free in the hub is not only for public schools but ALS, SPED, barangay centers, etc. It also serves as a â€Å"wholesale† library exclusively servicing elementary/secondary schools within a division. The hubs operate warehouse style, compared to the traditional public library setup–instead of books being individually placed on shelves; they are stored in plastic bins for storage. These bins would then be checked out and brought by teachers and administrators of public schools to their respective public schools, to be returned after twenty-five days. While at the school, these books can be borrowed–or even brought home–by the students until the books are to be returned to the hub. Launched in 2003 by then undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz, the project has now set up library hubs in 32 school divisions all over the country, for a total of around 145 hubs built since 2004. The hubs are financed by both the public and private sector, with major donors having the option to name the hubs whichever way they like. 1. Background of the study The use of computers and various programs are being developed for that certain desire to be done in a short period of time. Manual System for a Library Hub is quite a difficult task to perform. It takes a long period of time in locating and monitoring the availability of the books and can have the tendencies of missing files. That’s why we created this Computerized Library Hub System in order to solve that problem. Our Computerized Library Hub System is a program that is use to update the information about a certain record of books. It allows adding book information immediately and it only takes minutes to search a specific book. It lessens the possibility of missing files unlike the manual system. This system can be able to monitor automatically where, when or who borrowed a book. It also gives more accuracy in processing any transactions. Besides of that, it can help a librarian to work much easier and faster than a manual system. 2. Statement of the Research Problem * A licensed librarian is one of the major concerned problem of Bulua National High School Library Hub. Since they have a what they called â€Å"Acting Librarian† who was also a full time teacher in the school. It takes a long period of time for her to organized the books especially in putting accession number in it and log it in her module. Another concerned is that  the books in the library hub has not been arranged in dewey decimal classification which is the main reason why the personnel in-charge and the students has the difficulty in locating the book and to check its availability. * There’s a possibility that the library hub may encounter following problems such loss of records, repetition of data entry and other important details about the books and the one who borrow the book. * How do they record the books? The students will fill a borrower’s card before they can get the book they want to borrow. Then afterwards the in-charge will log the list of the book that has been used or borrowed in the end of the day in the manual notebook. Unfortunately there are times that the in-charge can’t be able to log or record the borrowed books in the manual notebook. * How do the students know if the books are still available? Knowing that the school don’t have a Dewey Decimal Classification in their books, students have difficulties in searching the specific book and it takes too long for them to wait for the librarian to check unto the logbook whether the book is still available or being borrowed. 3. Statement of Objectives 3. 1General Objectives This project aims to propose and develop a well-structured and computerized library hub system to help the library hub’s transactions easier, more effective and efficient. 3. 2Specific Objectives * To lessen the burden of the user in handling the day by day transactions. * To lessen the possibility of missing files. * To make the process of updating the books efficient and can be done in a short period of time.

Cultural Imperialism in Ake Essay

In the advancement of European empires, the widespread approach to colonizing foreign lands was through violence. The Europeans would arrive in new territories with their sophisticated weapons and ideals, and would forcibly subjugate the indigenous people. However, in the instance of the English colonization of Nigeria’s town Ake, the English colonists implemented colonization through cultural imperialism. The English began implementing their process of cultural imperialism through converting the people of Ake into their religion, Christianity. The English, like most colonizing countries, understood that influencing the Nigerian people would come much easier once they were under religious control. The English utilized the brilliant ploy of employing Nigerians to spread Christianity to their own people. The Nigerians who compromised and promoted English concepts were rewarded for their deeds. For example Wole Soyinka’s family was rewarded by being given the security of a parsonage. However, this was actually given as a result of Essay’s contribution to the spread of English education, through his position as headmaster of the school. Education, therefore, became another aspect of English culture used to promote cultural imperialism in Ake. The Nigerians were made to assimilate many English ideals through the education process, which commenced at a young age. The English also required the Nigerians to study their language. By teaching the people of Ake English, the English colonists were able to engrave their ideals into them. The education system furthermore was able to be used to keep a watchful eye on the students, and to control the mindsets of the best and brightest of them. This use of cultural imperialism helped prevent Nigerian intellectuals from becoming political opponents. The English accomplished this by having a government school for advanced students. Although the English didn’t openly colonize the Nigerians through violence, there was a subtle form of violence often used to inscribe English beliefs through education and religion. For example Wole Soyinka had Christian beliefs beat into him by the frequent use of â€Å"the rod† at home, and English manners impressed upon him by principal Daodu’s use of â€Å"the rod† at school. Additionally, the English colonists imparted the technological cultural luxuries of electricity and the radio on Wole’s family. This made them even more dependent on English ways. The installation of the radio into the Soyinka household played an important role of cultural imperialism by introducing the English culture directly into their home. The media can have an incredible influence on a society. As mentioned in the The Years of Childhood, Essay and his friends became obsessed with listening to the news on the radio. Thus the English were now capable of distorting daily events by controlling the news. An important incentive for Europeans to colonize in Africa was taxation, so it too was used to implement cultural imperialism. The wealth accumulated through taxation was a main factor in the economic success of European nations. Taxation was particularly harsh on Ake’s women. This was so much so that the Nigerians started an uprising to abolish taxes on women. As the English knew, to keep the men of a country under control, they first had to satisfy the country’s women and ultimately agreed to abolish the taxation on women.

Analyse the Pricipal Causes of the Spanish Civil War

Analyse the principal causes of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) Many historians have said that the Spanish Civil war was fuelled by political, economical, international ambitions and social conditions. The combat which was happening between socialism and fascism that dominated Europe, around the time of the war, only made matters worse. Spain was a monarchy in 1920 when King Alphonso XIII was in reign. The monarchy collapsed during 1931 due to the fact that the Spanish people detested the King and the dictatorial regimes which he supported.The monarchy was overthrown by the republicans once the downfall of General Miguel Primo de Rivera’s government came on the 29th January 1930. The Wall Street Crash is what led Rivera and his dictatorial regime to downfall it was only normal for King Alphonso XIII and the monarchy, which were in support of Rivera’s regime, to be targeted and overthrown. Where Spain stood politically, economically and socially reveals the prime cause s of the Spanish Civil War.Throughout this essay I will be analysing the principal causes of the Spanish Civil War by looking at the political, economical and social causes which contributed towards the war. After the monarchy was overthrown, the 2nd republic was created. The 2nd republic consisted of liberals and communists, also known as the left wing. This caused tension between the left and right wing due to the fact that the right wing mostly consisted of fascists and conservatives. The left wing however, realised that they did not possess all the power by simply leading the 2nd republic.The right wing consisted of the army and the Catholic party CEDA. The army was used to being in power especially when they were under the reign of King Alphonso XIII (because of his dictatorial means) so when the new government (led by Manuel Azana) decreased the army’s political importance and their costs were cut it only angered the right wing even further causing more of a tension bet ween both wings. CEDA, the right wing party, dedicated to protecting the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and landlords, was led by Gil Robles and had the support of many Spaniards from the upper classes.The government started addressing and attacking churches and land owners claiming that they had too much privileges in the society, the government only did this once they realised the power CEDA possessed and the influence and support that it has. The attack was seen as a means to alter and redeem some of the power which CEDA possessed, however this was a fail. This is when the fight between fascism and socialism began to take place; building up, along with other causes, to the Spanish Civil War.Spain’s economy was very poor and the Wall Street Crash only made it worse for Spain. Spain had an underdeveloped industrial sector that made them suffer economically. Industrial workers could not get jobs and the threat of inflation only made matters worse. The government wasnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t in support of peasants or landlords and this widened the gap between the poor and the rich. It became evident to the poor that the government were not supporting them resulting in the government losing support. All these issues were making Spain more and unstable both socially and economically.Spain suffered from agricultural poverty, land was owned by the wealthy and the wealthy preferred to benefit from their own wealth rather than grant land to peasants. The government introduced the Agrarian law of 1932 which was the distribution of land among peasant, this process however was failure and the government then introduced the Cases Viejas revolt during 1933, this however led to the suppression of members of the right wing by the government and this suppression lost them a great deal of support.Due to the great deal of support which the government lost, over the accusations of government troops killing 25 people in search of anarchists, Azana resigned from Prime Minister an d the elections which were called in November 1933 were won by CEDA. The most vital issue which caused social unrest was the independence which Basque and the province Catalonia region were demanding. These regions were culturally and ethically different from the rest of the country hence why they wanted to separate themselves and constitute their own government.This did not go down well with the army, who were in the right wing, due to the fact that they preferred the idea of unity instead of the idea of autonomy. The army’s state of thinking almost reflects Spain’s old-fashion social structure where the rich had the â€Å"bread† and left the peasants with â€Å"crumbs†. Wealthy landlords and ‘aristocracy’ had extensive political influence and used it in favour of themselves.The right wing, specifically CEDA and the army were representing the upper class as well as defending the Roman Catholic Church; the army played more of a role in taking full advantage of its power rather than defending the Roman Catholic Church or representing the upper class. The left wing, however, were willing to give Basque and Catalonia their independence. They were following in the footsteps of the British government in the sense they wanted everyone to be equal in the eyes of the law.The right wing did not accept any changes made after the monarchy was abolished as they were clear representatives of the privileged and the rich; this difference in interest between the two parties caused some social instability. To make matters worse the radical left wing had carried out and displayed many acts of violence, weakening the already feeble country. Overall, the difference of interest within the left, right wing and the radical left contributed to the arrival of the Spanish Civil war.The society was unsure and had little faith in Spain due to its poor and failing economy. The social tension which arose from Basque and Catalonia’s demand for independence, only added to the many other problems that Spain was already struggling to handle. The social, economical and political causes of the Spanish Civil war has been analysed in the essay and it can be summed up that the main causes was the social instability and the difference of interest between the political parties. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://ibhistory. wikidot. com/4

United States of America cycling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States of America cycling - Essay Example The American cyclist team has been in existence for almost a hundred years. Set up in 1920, the initial group was to represent the country in the then Olympics.The group has grown to become a national cycling organization mandated with the talent identification and nurturing.Currently the group has a national outlook often soliciting for talented cyclists all over the country and providing them with the best apparatus thereby creating an enabling environment within which they develop their talents in cycling. To succeed in doing this, the group has scouts strewn all over the country searching for the talents and recruiting them into the group. The group capitalizes on the positive attributes of cycling as a sport to generate revenue with which it seeks to develop further and achieve some of its long-term goals. Just like any other, the organization therefore creates social events characterized by cycling competitions as a means of entertaining the society. Such events attract million s of visitors thereby earning the country foreign exchange. Cycling is a sport and a hobby to many within the American society; some people also use the sport a form of exercise. The country therefore has many untapped talents most of which exist idly especially among those who take the sports either as a hobby or an exercise tool. The organization therefore identifies such people and recruit them into the organization from where they do not only become a social group but a league within which they compete for titles and awards. Such competitions bring people together thereby resulting in a more cohesive society. The organization reserves a number of benefits to their recruits in an attempt to making them appreciate the sports and therefore nature their talents. Among the benefits are medical cover, given the understanding that the sport is precarious enough, the organization in partnership with some medical institution arranges for the participants to access subsidized medical pack ages for their insurance policies. This gives the athletes the peace of mind thereby coercing their intense participation in the sport. Additionally, the organization organizes numerous cycling events most of which it does in collaboration with other international groups. Such social events are effective platforms for exposing their talents thereby creating more opportunities for such people. The organization is actively involved in community oriented and therefore purchases and develops property thereby contributing to the national developments of not only the United States of America but also other international countries where its athletes take part in competition (Heijmans and Bill 23). The international cycling union is a profit generating organization and relies on the creativity of its activities to generate the funds for its operations and management. This implies that the organization must carry out effective SWOT analysis in order to make informed management decisions thro ugh which it earns revenues. SWOT analysis is a management tool that researches on the internal structures of the organization and the ability of such structures to earn the organization adequate profits. Additionally, the tool analyses the manner in which the external factors affect the operations of the business. The first two factors of the SWOT analysis are Strengths and weaknesses. The factors are internal implying that the organization can easily manipulate the factors to realize the desired results. The last two factors, which are opportunities and the threats to the business all, originate from the market. The organization cannot easily influence such but its reaction to the factors influences its profitability. Situational analysis-Strengths: The union has numerous strengths, which if managed effectively can secure increased funding for the union. One such strength is its national outlook. Began by the first group that represented the country in the Olympics, the union has a history of presenting a national outlook of the country. This implies that

Writing Analysis (Graphology) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Writing Analysis (Graphology) - Research Paper Example Handwriting involves coordination of the eyes and hand muscles. The muscles contract and release alternately, with an upstroke requiring a releasing movement, and a downstroke using a binding or contracting movement. If both motions are well balanced, the writing appears rhythmic and harmonious (Nevo 61). Predominantly contracted movements will produce writing that appears rigid and cramped, while completely expanded writing appears disintegrated and unclear. The essential concept of handwriting analysis theory is that the type of movement producing the handwriting projects the personality of the writer (Lewinson 321). Contemporary graphology dating back around 130 years is different from its ancient roots and long history. Michon’s laws of graphology formulated by Jean Hippolyte Michon, the founder of European graphology in 1875, continue to be valid today. His concept of the involvement of the brain and psychology in the process of handwriting forms the basis for the research conducted by modern graphologists. Michon believed that since the human being is a complex unit with a complete unity to the entire being, it was necessary to examine every minute element in detail. Thus, writing formed â€Å"the art of speaking to the eyes† (Bernard 4). Michon’s pupil Jamin emphasized the overall picture composed by the signes or elements in graphology. German scientists were forerunners in the field of graphology towards the end of the 19th century. Ludwig Klages who founded the first German graphologoical society in 1896, was the acknowledged leader in the field. He used his own philosophical theories as the basis for establishing laws and principles of graphology, characterology, and expressive behavior. He considered a rhythmic flow of handwriting to be most important. Klages introduced the term form niveau as an indicator of the writer’s intellectual level and cultural background. A high form of niveau indicated an

Mobile phone dependency Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Mobile phone dependency - Research Paper Example The evolution has occurred, and a series of changes have enabled the modern modes of communication, where technology is the aspect that is driving communication. In the presence, age gadgets are been used to pass messages instead of having to deliver the message to the intended parties. With this development, much have changed from the way people communicate to the language used to pass this messages. In the past, the mode of delivering information was essentially formal, and much respect was accorded to the communication, mostly when it came to face to face, among people of different ages. There are different means to communicate, where the variation is based on the method of sending, transmitting and receiving the message. Technology has far much affected the way of communication in the greatest means. In this age, people have adapted news means of transmission which allow messages to be encoded in the electronic devices and sent through the devices (Jin & Park 2010). Communication through digital devices is considered fast and time-saving, thus the reason the y- generation finds it preferable. Here, it takes a fraction of a minute to encode the information into the gadget, such as through text messages. Then, the message is instantly transferred to the recipient via the internet connection or GSM connection. On the other hand, Thulin and Vilhelson (2010) states that the messenger could take more than a day to deliver a message from one village to the other in the 1000 BC. Currently, it may take many hours to travel to the recipient, in order to deliver the message via face-to-face method. The digital communication is also considered cheap compared to voice to voice communication. In the text and social media communication, the cost of transport is cut to zero because the distance between the parties is not a factor that