Jackie Brown: One Worth Betting on

Isaac Rexford ENG 1102M Spenser Simrill Jackie Brown: One Worth Betting On The film Jackie Brown begins with a predominant focus on Jackie herself, one of the film's main characters by a panning shot following Jackie in the first scene. Jackie's initial focus is very much related to the film's plot. As the plot develops, Jackie finds herself in the center of a situation where a guns sells man (Ordell) refuses to let Jackie run her mouth to the authorities, while the authorities already know all about Ordell's business and simply want a name from Jackie due to the fact they have been unable to arrest Ordell due to his unknown identity.But getting just a name is not that simple; and, Jackie's no fool. She hatches an intricate plot of her own not only to protect herself from the authorities and prevent future incarceration, but in order to steal Ordell's $500 thousand fortune. In a surprising turn of events, Jackie's ability to negotiate and get what is in her favor really demonstrates the power Jackie has invested in herself to get what she wants. Jackie's Trouble From The Start From the start the audience is made aware that Jackie had it in with Ordell the first time she is confronted by two detectives, Nicolet and Dargus.They take her in for questioning like normal, already having some knowledge of Ordell, but all they want from Jackie is a name. The camera itself emphasizes the scene with an array of close-ups of Jackie and the two detectives as they carry on this conversation in this first scene. The two parties, Jackie and the detectives, are battling back and forth; Jackie resisting their every attempt to seize information from her. This unfortunate meeting leads Jackie to meet a fellow named Max, who assists her in her real goal: getting Ordell's fortune.But for now she is happy to get the detectives off her back and on to her next problem: Ordell. The time finally arrives and one evening after a meeting with Max Jackie comes into a confrontation with Orde ll. Like stated earlier, Jackie is no fool and picked up a pistol from Max, if my suspicion’s correct, in case the conversation between her and Ordell became a little heated. In the confrontation the lights are off and the audience is not able to see a single thing; but the conversation between the two continues loud and clear. Jackie's Power Jackie's first show of power is shown in the scene where Ordell comes to â€Å"visit. Jackie had caught on that Ordell was the one who murdered Beaumont so she steals a pistol from Max. Above, a closeup is shown of Max just realizing his pistol had been taken. It is confirmed he knew it was Jackie at the time as he shows up knocking on her door the next day. This screen shot shows the true power of Jackie, that she is willing to do anything to get what she wants. In the split image, Jackie is seen in the darkness with Ordell's hand around her throat. At that moment she presses a gun steadily against Ordell's penis, as he says â€Å"It feels like a gun pressed against my dick. Later in the scene Jackie essentially interrogates Ordell, with a gun pointed to his face the entire time. The image above displays the transition of power between Jackie and Ordell, in this case Jackie stripping Ordell of his. Jackie continues to keep the gun pointed to Ordell as she, by change of plan, questions him instead. As it plays out, Ordell is now the one with a gun pointed to his dome and his hands up high in defense. Jackie astonishingly creates a turn of events from this scene alone; she essentially takes the authority from Ordell and places it in her own hands to aid in her own plot: getting Ordell's money.Jackie's methods of achieving this, however were the most cunning and sneaky among the best. Jackie really lures Ordell into a trap and uses the element of surprise to sneak the gun on him; at the time speaking with a soft voice, alleviating Ordell of all his suspicion so that he would come close to Jackie thinking she wasn't a threat; as it is shown he was terribly mistaken! As shown in the image above, Jackie sits with her feet facing away from Ordell and closed, with the gun in her hand, resting on her knees and the gun pointed straight ahead at Ordell.In conclusion, Jackie's persona is demonstrated very well in the character. Jackie really does serve as an example of a hard working black woman who's just trying to live comfortably in society. Furthermore, the film itself really helps the audience notice these facts, with its use of closeups and panning during eventful scenes in the film. Regarding this one select scene as the most important, the movie itself shows a transition of power and authority from the main characters who first held the authority like Ordell and Lewis for example, to characters like Jackie who hold the power up towards the end.

Areas of knowledge

Adolescence, faced as a teenager, is a period of mental instability, wandering, and especially high interests on the opposite sex. Some argue that teenage dating is merely an activity which will negatively affect academic effort and achievements, thus it is not beneficial. However, teenage dating is not something that can be discouraged. In other words, teenage dating has to be perceived as a natural step within the adolescence period; although we cannot force teenage dating, it should definitely not be discouraged.Numerous Korean parents oppose teenage dating, in concern of its possible assistance upon academic achievement. They simply believe it will somehow negatively affect academic scores, rather than acknowledging it as a natural process within adolescence, and growing as a social being. However there are no significant proof of the correlation between dating and academic scores; and growing Into a social being is more than accomplishing academic demands, entering a famous univ ersity, or getting employed by a major company.It requires socializing with others, especially with the opposite sex; teenage dating can help this progress. By spending great amounts of time of deep communication while dating, teenagers will e able to learn how to Interact and respect the opposite sex as well; and this ability to communicate and respect the opposite sex Is extremely Important In growing Into a social being. Thus teenage dating Is clearly not something to be discouraged or negatively viewed.Let us consider that teenage dating Is actually harmful to teenagers; then will discouraging stop this phenomenon? No. Teenage dating derived from Increased Interest towards the opposite sex during adolescence Is an extremely natural process that should be respected as a method of relieving stress. For example, In the case of Genealogy Academy of Foreign Languages(GAFF), dating Is prohibited, and penalty points and other severe punishments are given when caught.However, dating Is not only a natural phenomenon, but Is also a method of relieving stress from having to live In a restricted school area for 5 days a week. Not only this applies to students of GAFF, this applies to every teenager In the period of adolescence, because dating allows teenagers to satisfy their desire to Interact with the opposite sex; this stress- relieving activity should not be discouraged, but rather respected as a natural hometown. Teenage dating should not be discouraged unless there Is a significant harm towards teenagers, such as underage smoking or drugs.It should be accepted as a natural process of growing mature, and a phenomenon derived from Increased Interests In the opposite sex during the adolescence period; especially as an essential requirement of social growth for young adults. Areas of knowledge By homeruns Ms. Lee proof of the correlation between dating and academic scores; and growing into a be able to learn how to interact and respect the opposite sex as well; and this ability o communicate and respect the opposite sex is extremely important in growing into a social being.Thus teenage dating is clearly not something to be discouraged or Let us consider that teenage dating is actually harmful to teenagers; then will discouraging stop this phenomenon? No. Teenage dating derived from increased interest towards the opposite sex during adolescence is an extremely natural process that should be respected as a method of relieving stress. For example, in the case of Gonging Academy of Foreign Languages(GAFF), dating is prohibited, and penalty points and other severe punishments are given when caught.However, dating is not only a natural phenomenon, but is also a method of relieving stress from having to live in a restricted school area for 5 days a week. Not only this applies to students of GAFF, this applies to every teenager in the period of adolescence, because dating allows teenagers to satisfy their desire to interact with the opposite sex; this stress- Teenage dating should not be discouraged unless there is a significant harm natural process of growing mature, and a phenomenon derived from increased interests in the opposite sex during the adolescence period; especially as an

Gwen Harwood Essay

Gwen Harwood’s poetry is very powerful for its ability to question the social conventions of its time, positioning the reader to see things in new ways. During the 1960’s, a wave of feminism swept across Australian society, challenging the dominant patriarchal ideologies of the time. Gwen Harwood’s poems ‘Burning Sappho’ and ‘Suburban Sonnet’ are two texts that challenge the dominant image of the happy, gentle, but ultimately subservient housewife.Instead, ‘Burning Sappho’ is powerful in constructing the mother as violent to reject the restraints placed on her by society, whilst Suburban Sonnet addresses the mental impact of the female gender’s confinement to the maternal and domestic sphere. Harwood employs a range of language and structural devices in order to criticise the stereotypical repressed roles of the female gender. Thus Harwood encourages the modern reader to perceive Australian social structures different ly and hence reject the inequitable role of women in modern society.Structure is used in many of Harwood’s poems to challenge the dominant perception of the happy, caring mother. In ‘Suburban sonnet,’ the structure is (obviously) the sonnet, two four line stanzas followed by a six-line stanza. This choice is deliberate as the traditional romanticised love poem jars against the reality presented in the poem. Similarly, ‘Burning Sappho’ challenges the dominant stereotypes of the time however, rather than a sonnet, the poem’s structure is also relevant to the poem’s criticisms, thus revealing a duality in the mother’s actions and inner thoughts.Throughout the day, the mother is constantly interrupted by her supposed ‘duties’ and ‘roles. ’ â€Å"Scandals and Pregnancies† mediates that the women (a kind friend) talk, however the subject of the conversation presents a typecast of stereotypical gossip, t herefore positioning the reader to perceive their conversation as lacking substance. In contrast to this stereotype however, the persona’s thoughts are deeply personal and challenging to the reader. Vivid imagery of a â€Å"monster grin(ning) and stick(ing) her child with pins conflicts with the stereotype of the loving mother.Instead, the alliteration of â€Å"pours prussic acid† presents sharp diction to emphasise the concept of violence in regards to the mother. As a result, the reader is positioned to reassess the image of the caring, gentle mother, instead seeing the resulting emotionally repressed women as a direct reaction to the constraints placed on her gender. Language and imagery plays a dramatic role in portraying relationships and feelings/thoughts of the persona.Whilst in ‘Burning Sappho,’ the mother’s attitude towards tasks is portrayed as emotionless (â€Å"the child is fed, the dishes are washed, the clothes are ironed and aired,à ¢â‚¬ ), language is utilised within ‘Suburban Sonnet’ to construct the mother’s mental state and situation as dire. â€Å"Zest and Love drain out with soapy water. † The use of two personal, passionate adjectives and the depiction of them being physically overcome by soapy water directly link the mother’s loss of feelings and fiery emotion to the household chores and duties.For example, she â€Å"scours crusted milk,† as a part of her role as mother and housewife as the reader is positioned to reject this requirement as a result of the huge impact to her quality of life (â€Å"Veins ache†). The literal image of a dead mouse symbolises the mother’s situation as the ‘soft corpse’ directly represents the mother, that is, emotionally dead as a result of the entrapment by society.The reader is positioned to fully sympathise with the mother in her repressed position and thus question the stereotypical contented mother fi gure that is compartmentalised to the domestic sphere of Patriarchal society. Both poems suggest that their forced social roles of women as mothers and housewives come at the cost of career opportunities and personal aspirations. Music and writing, in particular, are significant, as Harwood believed they played an integral part in emotions and peace of the mind. She practices a fugue though it can matter to no one not whether she plays well or not. † The fugue in musical terms is a piece of repetitive writing that is utilised by Harwood to suggest a form of monotony and recurrence. As well as this, the negative alliteration of the words, â€Å"No, not and now† can be linked to the repression of the mother’s ability to play the piano. The persona is depicted as a good pianist within the poem, reflecting Harwood’s own skills on the instrument.However, due to her femininity, the persona is unable to pursue her career. Similarly, in â€Å"Burning Sappho,† the repetition of the persona writing (â€Å"I pick up my pen and start to write†) across the four stanzas emphasises the mother’s need for creative and emotional release. The construction of the children in both poems is also instrumental in representing the social expectation of the home mother, rather than worker. In â€Å"Suburban Sonnet,† imagery collusive with the children such as â€Å"Chattering and then screaming† is very stressful and negative.In contrast, the diction and language in â€Å"Burning Sappho† is shocking to the reader as the poem not only depicts a very difficult child in contrast to the stereotypical innocent construction, but the mother’s relationship with her is fragmented – â€Å"Something like hatred forks between my child and me. † Clear negative diction is used to challenge these stereotypes of the mother/child relationship, therefore challenging the views of society, which dictate that women mu st look after their children rather than pursue a career.Through the use of poetic structure and language in â€Å"Burning Sappho† and â€Å"Suburban Sonnet,† Gwen Harwood challenges established patriarchal ideas in regards to the domestic sphere of women as housewives and mothers. Her powerful voice and rhetoric is key to her argument and consequently I am positioned to readdress my perception of these particular groups in society, sympathising with the restriction of gender roles and therefore challenging the further implementation of them on Australian Society.

Industrial Applications of Computers Case Study

Industrial Applications of Computers - Case Study Example Profitable papermaking means continuous production with minimal deviations from quality specifications. While steady-state control performance is essential, the elimination of waste during transitions such as changes of grades and break recoveries is where the greatest economic gains can be achieved. As production rates rise, often stretching the design capacity of the paper machine, Quality Control Systems (QCS) allow the company to improve the efficiency and quality of the production. This is evident from the significant new developments in quality measurement and control since the introduction of cross direction (CD) control seen in the past years since the 1970s.For paperboard manufacturing using the paper machines, it is necessary to establish the control system that provides a high-mix, low-volume product production. Control parameters are the key component of optimizing the operation, and so the paperboard company should consider an advanced performing QCS. In many cases, the control parameters of paperboard production facilities are normally fixed to the same value using a typical product. Many of these paper production facilities operates in a high mix, low-volume condition because the equipment are consolidated and diverse products are produced to satisfy the end user’s request. Moreover, the paperboard production equipment is often disturbed by the processes of feed preparation or by auxiliary systems. It is for this reason that the control parameters require optimization.... Control parameters are the key component of optimizing the operation, and so the paperboard company should consider an advanced performing QCS. In many cases, the control parameters of paperboard production facilities are normally fixed to the same value using a typical product. Many of these paper production facilities operates in a high mix, low-volume condition because the equipment are consolidated and diverse products are produced to satisfy the end user’s request. Moreover, the paperboard production equipment is often disturbed by the processes of feed preparation or by auxiliary systems. It is for this reason that the control parameters require optimization by deploying a plug-and-play quality control system. Plug-and-play Quality Control System Network Diagram The plug-and-play QCS is a cost effective tool that is used to monitor and control the processes of producing the paperboards. The QCS will consist of a scanner that is driven by a logic controller that is progra mmable, measurement sensors that are network-ready and a station for operations which is connected to a high speed Ethernet network. The architecture provides unlimited connectivity that helps in configuring the system as part of the mill wide distributed control system for full integration into the business network (Oloufa & Thomas, 1999). The configured system featured an off-the-shelf software suite that is configured for high resolution cross the profiles of the equipment, providing historical trends, statistics as well as the supervisory controls of MD/CD. The QCS system is built with components that meet the standard of the industry providing a generic installation designed give self maintenance to the

Military Uniforms and Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Military Uniforms and Standards - Essay Example A distinct uniform and corresponding heraldic sign was one of the most essential factors in the ancient warfare enabling soldiers immediately determine the belonging of combatant   and at the same time maintain the unity of their group on the battlefield (Martin and Ullrich, 1963).However, in the medieval times there was barely a single feudal lord rich enough to maintain a standing army and, therefore, uniforms were extremely diverse. It was not until the end of the 17th century that the growth of commercial trades and development of centralized states led to emergence of large standing armies and typical military uniforms in the modern sense of this word. Those days on the military uniform started to increasingly acquire the meaning of patriotism and pride going beyond its initial purpose of mere identification. As a famous historian of European military costumes wrote, â€Å"The esprit de corps of standing armies on the Continent owed much to the jealously preserved traditions linked with their uniforms† (Martin and Ullrich, 1963, p.139).Eventually, the color of uniforms worn be large national standing armies became traditional. Thus, the British army adopted their famous red uniforms that lasted for more than two centuries until the transformation of warfare methods and strategies required camouflage clothes; the Russian army stuck to green uniforms, the French and Austrian militaries were dressed in white colors, and the Prussian troops wore blue colors. These colors dominated uniforms of all national militaries.... Those days on the military uniform started to increasingly acquire the meaning of patriotism and pride going beyond its initial purpose of mere identification. As a famous historian of European military costumes wrote, "The esprit de corps of standing armies on the Continent owed much to the jealously preserved traditions linked with their uniforms" (Martin and Ullrich, 1963, p.139). Eventually, the color of uniforms worn be large national standing armies became traditional. Thus, the British army adopted their famous red uniforms that lasted for more than two centuries until the transformation of warfare methods and strategies required camouflage clothes; the Russian army stuck to green uniforms, the French and Austrian militaries were dressed in white colors, and the Prussian troops wore blue colors (Keegan, 1993). These colors dominated uniforms of all national militaries while the distinction between various regiments within the army was achieved either through use of different colors of trousers, buttons, cuffs or other accessories. For example, up to now the five regiments of the British Foot Guards differ from each other due to the particular grouping of their uniform buttons (Wright, 1965). However, despite these differences the function of military uniforms worn those days was similar: to demonstrate belonging of the person to the army of a state showing the difference between particular branches or regiments without going beyond one unique style. This remains one of the key functions of the military uniform used nowadays. The importance of military uniforms worn by modern armies also act as a symbol of order and discipline that have traditionally been considered the most essential feature of military organizations. A

Australian Law Protection for E-pBusiness Essay

Australian Law Protection for E-pBusiness - Essay Example Inventions are products that are 'novel' and different from other things that have already been made or that are known about. As with copyright, under patent law, an invention must be in some physical form: an idea in itself cannot be protected. As Australia moves from an industrial to an information society, it is clear that commerce will increasingly take place in an electronic or cyber world as opposed to a physical one. Accordingly, no firm today can ignore the issue of electronic commerce (e-commerce), and this realization has had a significant impact on Australian business, be it domestic or export. The most obvious development of e-commerce is the growth of business on the Internet where, according to an IBM advert, Every month 53,000 new servers connect to the Internet. That's 1.2 servers per minute going on-line. And the scary part is, this is only the beginning. In line with this, according to the Federal government's Australian Multimedia Enterprise, the number of business web sites in Australia is set to jump from 30,000 to over 250,000 in the next few years. The focus of this paper is e-business on the Internet (Clark & Hoyle) The Company which I have chosen for my study is Anime International with a wide range of internet and broadcast viewing. Anime International: Executive Summary: Anime International primary risk involves around the nature of its business, which is in the area of internet business; this leads to business risk exposure in the area of breaches of Intellectual property (IP) through the competitors accessing the IP through the employees and through inappropriate use of client IP by employees. A business needs to develop a more strategic, integrated approach to protect their IP and to better commercially exploit their IP portfolios. As well, they must make use of the information and knowledge which other firms and organizations have already generated. Australian businesses are 'wising up' to the real value of their IP portfolios. By developing and incorporating IP strategies into their business plans, they are protecting their competitive advantage for today, and ensuring their company's financial success well into the future! IP Australia is able to offer general advice on IP and protection strategies, but cannot provide advice specific to your bu siness. (IP Australia) Thus the law does not provide sufficient means to protect IP or individual invention. Introduction to Anime International Anime International Inc. has been operating since 2001. The main service provided by Anime International is an online retailer of Japanese Animation related products to customers worldwide from orders placed online at http://store.animeinternational.com. Anime International, Inc. has positioned itself as one of the largest Anime Suppliers Online. Anime International, Inc. is an authorized selling agent for licensed manufacturers and distributors of Japanese Animation merchandise around the world. They have been established globally for many years and have built up a strong reputation over time as industry leaders in the service they provide. Products distributed include: Dvds and Music; Manga and Books; Toys and Figures; Art Work; Cards and Games; and other merchandise such as accessories, jewelry, and even kitchenware. The company sells over 10,000 diverse products in the

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English - Essay Example The movement was caused by an unusual phenomenon, Synchronous Lateral Excitation (London Landmarks, 56). When people walk, they naturally sway a little, which in turn caused the bridge to sway with them. Given that the engineers had not installed any form of dampers, the swaying of the bridge was uncontrollable (BBC online, 2000). Synchronous lateral excitation is basically when the bridge moves laterally in conjunction with outside forces. In this case, pedestrians walking across the bridge. In order for the engineers to alleviate this movement, they needed to install a damping system. After discussion of either active or passive damping, they chose passive damping. This form of damping uses viscous dampers that are encased pistons, similar in action to the shocks of a vehicle, to absorb and transfer the movement of the bridge so that the swaying is no longer felt. These viscous dampers reduce the lateral motion. In order to reduce the vertical motion, the engineers employed tuned m ass dampers. These dampers are very simple in their technology, as they are tuned to the frequency of the inertia of the bridge, thus reducing lateral movement (Jones, 87). The engineers in this case should have taken a closer look at the mechanics of the bridge when they built it.

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian - Essay Example Each of them finds many things to blame, and they all, at times, also blame themselves. Two characters in particular highlight the struggle for a way to apportion blame, namely the soldier Norman Bowker and the author/narrator Tim O’Brien. This paper explains that the point of the book is to illustrate how soldiers should accept personal responsibility only for confessing the truth about what happened, and allocate all the blame and guilt to collective or impersonal agencies like chance, nature, god, or the human condition. The character of Norman Bowker represents a thinking soldier who goes through a fairly standard Vietnam War experience. His thoughtful nature is illustrated at the start of Speaking of Courage when his younger self is depicted â€Å"talking about urgent matters, worrying about the existence of God and theories of causation† (p. 132). These are quite normal preoccupations for a teenager, and it is stressed that this theoretical speculation takes place before there was any sign of the war, in the beautiful countryside of his youth. Even in this idealized, innocent state, Bowker notes that futile tragedy could occur. He reports â€Å"the lake had drowned his friend Max†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.132). After the war is over, Norman is haunted by what he sees as his own guilt in the death of his comrade in arms Kiowa. He thinks that if he had acted differently, maybe he could have done something, but he has difficulty expressing himself to the civilians around him. He thinks they will not understand, and, as his mother puts it he does not want to be a bother to them. Norman writes to the Tim O,Brien/narrator character asking for Tim, who is a writer, to tell the story of â€Å"the terrible killing power of that shit field† (p. 153). He is referring here to the stinking muddy field into which the noble character Kiowa’s dead body sank. On one level, then, Norman realises that that the natural

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Tutor Signature: Date: Table of Contents Introduction 4 Theoretical Background 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of E-commerce 6 E-business strategies 8 Implementation Challenges 12 Conclusion 13 References 15 Introduction With the evolution of technology and introduction of the Internet, there is great change in the business environment. Every organization whether it is large or small scale, is trying to adopt and incorporate in business models based on technology into their system. This adoption of web based technology in the business lead to the emergence of E-commerce. In the current business scenario, e-commerce playing a crucial role and changed the way business is conducted around the globe. E-commerce is forcing the companies to find the new ways of expanding their market in which they compete (Plant 2000). To compete and sustain in the new markets, it become more crucial for the organization to not only attract the customers, but also to retain by tailoring the products and ser vices according to their needs and demand. Apart from redefining the products and services, organizations are also forced to restructure their business processes in order to deliver the products and services more effectively and efficiently (Reynolds 2004). ... In this report two business models has been used- McCarthy’s four marketing mix model and Porter’s five forces model to identify the strategies for organizations which want to enter in the field of e-commerce. The overall goal of this study is provide significant insights onto the challenges and advantages of e-commerce and business strategies. Theoretical Background (a) McCarthy’s Four Marketing Mix Model As per the McCarthy, a firm defines its marketing strategies after identifying the target market for its products or services. On the basis of the target market, organization then develops a marketing mix is a combination of product, price, promotion, and place designed according to the target market with the aim of enhancing the sales (Blythe 2009). The unique marketing mix allows the organization to sustain and compete more effectively, thus ensures the profitability and sustainability. For example, by offering different products with an attractive sales prom otion and effective logistics, a firm can increase its sales and revenues. This concept is also applicable on the e-commerce, and organizations working in this field are required to develop strategies for their target market by taking the unique nature of online marketing into the consideration (Napier et al 2006). (b) Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Model This five competitive forces model of Porter’s says that every organization develop its business strategies with the aim of gaining competitive advantage over its competitors. Organization can develop its strategies by focusing on five primary forces: (a) threat of new entrants, (b) rivalry among existing firms within an industry, (c) the Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3 Strategic management - Essay Example (p. 96) They are pivotal in generating competitive advantage because they reinforce an organization’s functions such as marketing, production or research and development. For instance, in the marketing department, the strategy would work by featuring real-life customers in direct-response print and television advertisements that would steer them towards the company website. In the application of a functional management strategy, the functions as well as the roles assigned will be able to manage corporate level strategies and their activities in such a way that they optimize their functional performance resulting to positive results that contribute to the overall company performance. Ray maintained that there are two kinds of competitive management strategies: the offensive and defensive strategies. The first is concerned with the strategy that usually takes place in an established competitor’s market location, while the latter takes place in the organization’s own current market position as a defense against possible attacks by a rival. (p. 13) However, the case is, the goal is the same: to secure market share, acquire new customers, maintain current ones and cultivate customer loyalty. In the case of this company, a combination of these two strategies would be used, although with more emphasis on the offensive strategy, considering the fact that most of its products claim less than 3 percent of the market, with only one product dominating 40 percent in its own market location. In terms of offensive strategy, the competitive advantage that drives the attraction of new customers is fuelled by innovation and customer value. Currently, the focus of t he organization on innovation has been reaping rewards already. According to Pieper, corporate strategy is the setting of a company’s long-term goals, major policies and plans, and the

Columbus Day Essay Example for Free

Columbus Day Essay When asked should Columbus Day be celebrated? The answer we get is yes because we have a holiday on Monday of the second week of October. Columbus Day is the celebration of the day Christopher Columbus apparently discovered America. If I was asked that question I would say most definitely we shouldn’t celebrate Columbus Day. First, he brought disease that spread around the Americas killing 9off the Native Americans. Second, most people think that by celebrating Columbus Day we are celebrating the discovery of America, which is not true. Third, he destroyed Native Americans and their culture. Firstly, he brought a boat load of disease that spread around the Americas killing off the Native Americans. When Christopher Columbus came to America he brought many diseases that Native Americans weren’t immune to. Some of the diseases he brought were measles, mumps, smallpox, and many more. Smallpox was one of the most know disease he brought to America. The Native Americans had never been exposed to these types of diseases and millions of them died from it. The diseases would kill the entire families and villages and cause of that Native American tribes and cultures were damaged. By celebrating Columbus Day we are celebrating the damage he produced to Native Americans. Secondly, most people think that by celebrating Columbus Day we are celebrating the discovery of America, which is not true. How can America be ever discovered by him if there were people living there? America was already exiting and you can’t discover something that already exists. Christopher Columbus did not find North American on purpose and he was not the first to find it either. Leif Ericsson of the Viking found North America first. So technically Christopher Columbus didn’t discover America so why should we have a day just for him? It just doesn’t make sense to have a holiday for someone but there is no really reason behind it. Thirdly, he destroyed Native Americans and their culture. Christopher Columbus was an uncaring and a harsh person. He mistreated Native Americans when they tried to be welcoming to him and his crew. He killed many Native Americans and slaves, the killing led to culture and tribes damaging. The only thing he was after for were Gold and Slaves. He took so much from the helpless Native Americans and was selfish and heartless. He neglected them in every nasty way possible and gave them cruel and unusual punishments. Why should we celebrate a day for a person that has mistreated our people? That like saying you have used me many times but I will still go back to you. We shouldn’t celebrate a day for a person that was as careless, and heartless as him. In conclusion, in America every year we celebrate a day called Columbus Day. Many people believe we celebrate Columbus Day because he discovered America. It’s not possible for him to discover America if there were people living there already. If you look deep into what worthy and cruel things Columbus had done for us, most of them will be cruel things. I don’t think we would want to have a national holiday for the person who has done so much cruel things to us. Firstly, he brought lots of disease that spread around the Americas killing off the Native Americans. Secondly, most people think that by celebrating Columbus Day we are celebrating the discovery of America, which is not true. Thirdly, he destroyed Native Americans and their culture. In my opinion we should not Celebrate Columbus Day.

New Fitness Trends And Crazes Physical Education Essay

New Fitness Trends And Crazes Physical Education Essay The fitness industry is constantly diversifying with new fitness trends and crazes. The most recent trend is Zumba. Zumba is being marketed as a new exciting way to stay active and healthy. It boasts of its fun aspect and its ability to bring people together to get fit and have fun at the same time. Founder, Alberto Perez a Miami based dancer once forgot his traditional music to a fitness class he was leading and instead used some Latin music tapes. He delivered the session letting the music lead and guide him like in a club. The participants loved it and so Zumba was born. Now, more than 3 million DVDs have been sold in over 30 countries. In a recent poll, Zumba ranked 9th for international fitness trends in the year 2012 (Thompson, 2012). Zumba currently has well over 9,000 instructors worldwide and on October 15, 2007 Zumba was showcased on the Today Show. In October 2008, worldwide Virgin Active sport centres started proposing Zumba classes in their programs (Zumba Fitness, 2012). Today, Virgin Active in Norwich offers an exclusive range of fitness classes including; body pump, body combat and step classes. Zumba features in their aerobic classes, and is fast growing in popularity says the Norwich Virgin Active Fitness Manager in an interview (see appendices). However despite the ever-growing popularity and widespread of Zumba, there is still very little documented research highlighting the potential fitness and health benefits of the dancing phenomenon. The author, a volunteer at Virgin Active agreed with fitness managers that determining the average exercise intensity and energy expenditure during a Zumba class could provide valuable information about the classes Virgin has to offer and a unique selling point. This project set out to determine the average exercise intensity and energy expenditure during a Zumba fitness class at Virgin Active. Literature review Melissa Napier conducted a case study, investigating if and how, Zumba fitness has impacted womens participation in Doon Valley Leisure Centre. The objectives were to source out the reasons and factors that were impacting female participation levels within physical activity. The research found that for a fitness centre in Dalmellington, the majority of Zumba participants were aged between 40-59 years. However these results were obtained from both Zumba and Aqua Zumba participants which supports evidence in the secondary research that Aqua fitness is popular and recommended to the elderly population. Zumba participants said they attend classes because they think Zumba is an enjoyable exercise and allows them to socialize whilst increasing their fitness. Section 2 of the questionnaire asked the Zumba participants what they think makes Zumba different and more appealing than other forms of exercise, 44% answered Fun. Other activities that the Zumba participants said they enjoy include: Aqua Zumba and swimming. For the non Zumba participants they said they preferred gym, swim and fitness classes other than Zumba. This is not surprising as 80% of non Zumba participants are members and all these services are accessible to them as they are included in the membe rship prices. Evidence in Secondary research shows that interest in sport declines with age however the investigators primary research shows that 53% of Zumba/Aqua Zumba participants are 40-59 years old with only 7% aged 16-24 years old. Although Zumba may not appeal to all, it is 16-24yrs with latent demand for more physical activity options according to the Active People Survey carried out by the Womens Sport and Fitness Foundation. The only other literature which examined the exercise intensity of Zumba was conducted at Adelphi University (Otto et al., 2011). It reported caloric expenditure during Zumba to be between 6.6 and 7.4 Kcal ·min-1 depending on the particular dance style being performed. However there appears to be a wide range in the intensity of Zumba and other group fitness classes, depending upon the choreography and enthusiasm of the instructor. The enthusiasm of the instructor, as well as the experience of being in a group setting, often spills over to the participants, who then work harder. This cannot be captured when following video-taped workouts and the growing popularity of Zumba warrants additional research into this growing fitness trend. Methodology Twelve healthy female volunteers (20  ± 1.5 years, 1.57  ± 0.08 m, 61.9  ± 22.6 kg) were selected from the Virgin Active fitness club in Norwich. All participants were regular exercisers and were relatively experienced at participating in Zumba fitness classes. Prior to participating in the research project, all subjects were asked to complete a PAR-Q and provide written informed consent. Participants completed a health history questionnaire to check for any contra-indications which would prevent them from participating, and were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time, even after giving their written consent. The data produced from the study was kept confidential and the participants were able to access their particular data if requested. Prior to the Zumba class, each participant had to perform an incremental, maximal treadmill test in the Norwich City College sports laboratory. This test measured the participants heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO2). Test procedures can be found in appendices. From this test, an individual linear regression equation was developed for each subject to predict VO2 from HR. This equation was subsequently used to predict VO2 (ml ·kg-1 ·min-1) during the Zumba session for that subject. Measurements of steady state oxygen uptake by the participants were used as an indirect method to measure energy expenditure (calorimetry). Energy expenditure was calculated from the predicted VO2 data assuming a constant of 5 Kcal ·L-1 of O2 consumed. Similar studies had demonstrated that the HR-VO2 relationship during treadmill exercise accurately reflected the HR-VO2 relationship during Zumba. After treadmill testing, subjects were given a Zumba DVD and told to practice the routine at least three times prior to the class. Following the treadmill test, all participants took part in a Zumba session. The Zumba class was delivered by a fully qualified zumba instructor in a sports hall at Virgin Active. During the class, all participants wore a heart rate monitor which recorded all the data throughout the session. After the session, the data was inserted into the individuals HR-VO2 regression equation to estimate the VO2 and energy expenditure of the participant during the class. Sampling Participants were recruited from Virgin Active. Participants were found using a simple snowball sampling technique because of the social networks that existed between class members. Zumba enthusiasts were asked to recommend other appropriate people for the project. Data collection The research design relied heavily on numerical data, therefore the research project adopted a quantitative approach. Numerical data included heart rates, vO2 max data and Kcal data. The project used regression analysis to identify the relationship between exercise intensity and calorie expenditure. Data were analysed using the statistical package IBM SPSS, PC program, version 7.5 Data Analysis Physiological responses to the Zumba session can be found in Table 1. The average HR was 154  ± 14 bpm, which corresponded to 79  ± 7.0% of HRmax. The average estimated VO2 was 66  ± 10.5% of VO2 max. The average estimated energy expenditure of participating in a Zumba session was 9.5  ± 2.69 Kcal ·min-1, which corresponded to an average of 369  ± 108 Kcal per class. To improve cardiovascular fitness, ACSM recommends that apparently healthy adults should exercise between 64-94% of HRmax and 40-85% of VO2max (ACSM,  2010). In order to control body weight, it is recommended individuals expend an average of 1500 or more kcal per week, which is 300 kcal per exercise session when exercising five times a week (ACSM,2010). Based upon the above recommendations, the Zumba class met ACSM guidelines for both parameters. Exercise intensity averaged 79% of HRmax and 66% of VO2max, respectively, and every subject fell within the recommended guidelines. Conclusions and recommendations Zumba is likely best suited for those who are already comfortable with fitness routines and with dance, as it could offer a pleasant change and participants would already know that they could keep up with dance fitness routine. However Zumba is also suitable for participants of all age and fitness levels. The intensity of the workout is relatively subjective so this means the participants can make the workout however hard or easy they would like depending on their enthusiasm and inhibitions. ACSM recommends that individuals should burn atleast 300 Kcals per workout in order to promote weight loss and maintain a healthy body composition (ACSM, 2010). This study concluded that participating in a Zumba dance class used an average of 369 Kcal for an average length class. It should be pointed out that average class length in the current study was approximately 39 minutes in length. Longer classes would obviously result in greater energy expenditure. Thus, regular participation in Zumba sh ould positively affect body composition. Future studies may want to focus on the physiological benefits following an 8-12 week Zumba training period. 1475 WORDS

Benefits of Training Needs Analysis (TNA)

Benefits of Training Needs Analysis (TNA) Improve the process which results in spending less time to fix the employees mistake and the information cab be accessed faster than before Reduce the cost which is used to pay for staff turn over and recruitment. In addition, when the staffs work more efficient, it will increase the productivity as well as the money paid for maintenance. Enhance the profit by increasing the sales and improving customer satisfaction Increase staff satisfaction because when the staff knows that the employer is investing in them, they will be happier and stay longer in the organisation. Furthermore, during the training, the staff can develop their leadership and communication skills which can be applied in the job. According to Blanchard et al. (2010:para. 1), there are two approaches to TNA which are called: proactive and reactive. The proactive TNA focuses on foreseeing the performance problems which may occur in the future in the company. Therefore, the strategic plan can be created and applied to help the employees handle these changes (Blanchard et al. 2010: para. 2). For example Heinz, a food manufacturer, when they decided to use a higher technology to produce the ketchup, they did the training before the new machine was bought. In the proactive TNA, the manager will need to conduct three analysis (Blanchard et al. 2010: para 5), they include: The organisation analysis: the proactive begins with the plan in order to help the organisation adapt the expected changes and new objectives. Operational analysis: by collecting information on the current and future tasks to identify the KSAs required to perform effectively in different areas. Person analysis: the evaluation can be identical for the proactive and reactive, and the provided information must be applicable. The reactive TNA (leopard learning.com n.d : online) focuses on identifying the current problems in the job performance and determine if the training is needed. Example may include new technology, high staff turnover, high accident rate, increasing customer complaints, and poor management practices. In the reactive TNA, the organisation analysis, operational analysis, and person analysis are also conducted, however it only focuses on one particular department or the issue on a particular part of the job (Blanchard et al. 2010: para 16). Employers do not necessarily need well-trained employees. I know that may sound like heresy coming from someone employed in higher education, but what employers truly need is employees who perform well. Training is one way to attain desired performance, but its not the only way ( Stetar, 2005, online) The TNA can be conducted by the following steps (Flinders University, n.d.: online): Step 1: Analyse the job Before the TNA is conducted, it is important to understand the job by collecting the information which can be based on the job description. All these resources will provide information about the job responsibilities, knowledge and skill required to perform efficiently. Step 2: Identify the gap There are many methods which can be used to identify the gap. However, the managers have to choose which method will be used and how. Moreover, they need to ensure that the information is useful, correct and complete. Three main methods can be utilised by the managers in the organisation (Anthony et. lc 2002 p. 210-211); include: Observation: in this method, the managers will observe the employees performance to see if they are doing their jobs well. In order to ensure this method is productive, the check list should be used. Interviewing: by using this method, it allows the managers to meet their employees face to face, therefore they can have a chance to understand the companys situation as well as the employees themselves. Questionnaires: if this method is used, all possible tasks that are presently performed must be listed. The advantage of this method is that the managers can include everyone and does not need to travel or spend time with each of them. Each of the method has its usefulness; however the manager should never be dependent on one method. Therefore, they should be combined and use together. Step 3: Decide the training solutions Once the gap is identified, the training solutions should be undertaken to find the best way which can close the knowledge or skill gaps. The training can be done by using different options such as: On the job training, one on one training during the work time The managers or senior employees becoming a mentor to any employees Improve the skill and knowledge through college, university or technical school education Job rotation Complete online training The training can happen in a short term or long term course. However, the time and cost will always need to be considered. Step 4: Evaluating the result after training After training the result has to be checked to see if the gap has been closed and if it was accomplished by: Asking the staff member to perform on the task which they are trained on Looking at the product line to determine if there is still neglected skills or knowledge Conclusion and Recommendation In conclusion, the TNA is a process which can be used to identify the skills and knowledge gap in order to close it (Drummond 1991, p. 4). In addition, it can happen within a short term period or over a long term plan by using the proactive and reactive TNA on the level of organisation, operation and individual (Blanchard et al. 2010:para. 2). However, according to Bill Stetar (2005, para. 4), training is not always the only solution because the employers may need the employees who can perform competently. My goal is to become a hotel manager. Hotel managers (Baxter 2010, para 1) are people whom run the room rental businesses and manage staffs within the hotel. The duties can be varied depending on the size and type of the business. However, the following requirement is normally compulsory to be met. Know how to manage and maintain the facilities Ability to observe and supervise the employees performance Understand and work efficiently in different areas in the hotel Have a strong leadership skill to allocate the staff Be able to solve and anticipate the problems Have good communication skill which can be used to handle the customer as well as the employees Have four years experience in the hotel industry Graduate from a university with a recognised qualification Plan in advance to maximize the profit and monitor the expenses Deal with suppliers to get products with good quality Know how to deal with people who are from different backgrounds, race and belief. Good computer skill The skills and qualification which I currently possessed are: Certificate IV in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery), therefore I have a knowledge about food and services in the restaurant Higher Diploma in Accounting, which can be useful for budgeting and financial management Be able to monitor and maintain the facilities in the premises Computer skill Hence, the skill, knowledge and qualification that I need to achieve in order to become a hotel manager are: Complete a Bachelor in Hospitality Management course at university or college Good communication skill will be required Develop the leadership skill Have experience in the hotel industry Problem solving skills to help the business run smoothly and deal with customers Interaction skills to manage and deal with the staff Decision making and planning skills When the gap is identified, the solution must be carried out. To obtain the qualification for hospitality management, it can be done in The Hotel School Sydney which is located at 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000. They offer a new course in February, 2011 with a tuition fee of 18,000 Australian dollars (The Hotel School Sydney 2010: online). In the course, they provide the knowledge about food and beverage operation, tourism and hospitality management, problem solving, decision making, leadership skill, and room operation. In addition, during the course, the student will have a real life experience by studying and working in the hotel. As a result, it will be an opportunity for me to obtain the qualification as well as improve my communication, problem solving and leadership skill. Moreover, by undertaking the conflict management course at ACS Distance Education, they teach skills that deal with conflict which is very useful for a hotel manager. The fee is 726 Australian dollars for 100 hours (ACS Distance Education 2010: online) and I can study this course online. Furthermore, in order to gain more experience in hotel industry, I need to work for a small hotel first because in a small hotel I will learn how to operate a hotel and then move on to a bigger hotel.

Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Education Philosophy Papers

I believe that learning and teaching is an equal process between teachers and students. Teachers learn just as much from students as students learn from teachers. When I become a teacher, I will most likely adopt the philosophy of pragmatism. I believe that knowledge is an instrument for adapting to reality, and therefore is an essential part of life. I want to become an educator in order to motivate children to receive knowledge and use it to better their lives. I dream of helping young children learn to read and write and I anticipate the moment that they look up at me and smile because they understand. I want to be an educator because educators are the most important force in the working world today. Without educators, there would be no doctors to treat the ill, no lawyers to defend the innocent, and no policemen to protect us from harm. There would be no accountants, nurses, psychologists, there would be no one with professional educations and degrees without teachers. My classroom will be like a small community of learners. The students will sit at medium-sized tables. Each table will seat up to four students. This seating arrangement would allow group work and shared learning. I will establish and enforce a classroom management plan. On the first day of class, I plan to create a list of rules, with the students' help, which will be posted on the wall for reference. I will also type the rules up into a contract to be signed by both the student and the student's parent(s). If a student violates the rules I will review the contract with the student and give him/her a conduct cut, detention hall, send the child to the principal's office, or have a parent/teacher conference depending on the severity of the problem. I think... .... Available HTTP: http://www.aft.org/stand/previous/1994/051594.html [2001, December 11] Shanker, Albert (1996). Inclusion Can Hurt Everyone. Where We Stand [Online], 2 pgs. Available HTTP: http://www.aft.org/stand/previous/1996/042196.html [2001, December 11] Spencer, Diane L. (2001). [Personal interview with Diane Spencer, parent of a learning disabled child]. December 10, 2001. Including Students With Disabilities in General Education Classrooms (1993). ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC) [Online], 4 pgs. ERIC EC Digest #E521. Available HTTP: http://ldonline. com/ld_indepth/special_education/eric_e521.html. [2001, December 11] Will the Government Fund Its Commitment to Special Ed? (2000). Education World [Online], 3 pgs. Available HTTP: http://www.education-world.com/a_ issues/issues076/shtml [2001, December 11]

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome I Essay -- Crib Death SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a traumatic and tragic disease that affects thousands of babies throughout the world every year. There is no way of explaining the death of a child that has SIDS and there are no real ways of predicting if it could happen to any baby. What makes SIDS even worse is that the source of what exactly may be the cause of it is still unknown. Advanced research in the last 30 years has dramatically reduced the number of deaths. SIDS not only affects the infants but also the families of the infant and it proves to be a very tough and emotional experience for them. So what exactly is SIDS? The term SIDS was finally defined in 1969 as the sudden death of an infant or child, which is unexpected by history and in which a through post-mortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause of death (Culbertson 3). Basically this is another way of saying that it is not known why these babies die. SIDS is not a new disease contrary to what some people might believe, but it has been happening throughout time, unexplained deaths of babies are even recorded in the bible. SIDS was probably the most neglected disease ever recorded in history of man. It wasn't until recently that major steps were taken to figure out why babies were dying so unexpectedly and what could we do to prevent it from happening. So what exactly causes SIDS and is there anything we can do to prevent it? Well as of right now, the cause of SIDS is unknown. We do not know what causes SIDS and there are no consistent warning signs that might alert us to the risk of it. However, scientists and researchers have discovered many things that might attribute to the causes of SIDS. SIDS almost always occurs at night when the infant is sleeping. A higher incidence of SIDS is seen among premature and low birth weight children. Women who smoke and let their children be exposed to smoke give their children a higher risk of SIDS. Low birth rates among children have a higher chance of getting SIDS. Finally there is a much higher rate of SIDS when infants are placed on their stomach to sleep.(Culbertson, 8-10) One of the biggest recommendations physicians make to new parents today is to let their babies sleep on their back. Putting them on their back greatly decreases the risk of SIDS to their children. These are just some of the things that have been... ...2). Everything we know, all the information that is produced and published is all just a theory because we don't even know what happened and what caused the death. So where do we go from here? What can be done to stop this terrible disease? Who knows. All we can do is sit back and hope someone's 'theory'; is the right one and be thankful that this disease only affects 1-3 infants per thousand born. There are so many questions but not nearly enough answers and until that day we can only do what the experts tell us to do and hopefully the SIDS disease will almost become non-existent. Culbertson, Krous, Bendell, ed. 1988 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Medical Aspects and Psychological Management. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press Bergman, Abraham B. M.D. 1986 The 'Discovery'; of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Lessons in the Practice of Political Medicine. New York: Praeger Publishers Guntheroth, Warren G. M.D. 1989 CRIB DEATH : The Sudden Infant Syndrome Death Second Revised Edition Mount Kisco, New York Futura Publishing Company. Injury Prevention Committee, Canadian Pedrictric Society. Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death. Journal of Pedriactics and Child Death

Analysis Of Economic Performance Of Canada Economics Essay

Canada is among the top 10 trading states in the universe and its economic system is dominated by service sector. It is one of the wealthiest states and it ‘s a member of administration of economic cooperation and development ( OECD ) and G-8. The impressive growing of Canada ‘s fabrication, excavation and service sections have transformed the North American state from an agricultural economic system to a extremely industrial and modern economic system ( canada economic construction ) . Canada ‘s biggest trading spouse is USA, 80 % of its exports are to USA and imports 65 % from USA ( canada economic system ) . Canada has experienced a high economic growing, even when a planetary economic crisis was impacting most economic systems of universe ( canada economic study ) The purposes and aims of this study are to measure the economic public presentation of Canada. The study discusses about the macroeconomic indexs and balance of payments from 2006 boulder clay today. The study besides discusses about the future positions of Canada. Gross Domestic Product can be defined as â€Å" the sum of goods and services produced by a state over clip † . Canada ‘s economic system is really extremely developed. Foreign Trade is the foundation of Canadian economic system. Foreign Trade is responsible for approximately 45 % of Canada ‘s Gross Domestic Product. Canada is one of those states that are a major exporter of energy ( merchandising economic system 2010 ) . Canada ‘s existent GDP has grown by 0.8 % in the last one-fourth of 2010, led by exports. All major subdivisions increased their end product in the last one-fourth of 2010, except the fabrication industry. The largest sector lending to the GDP growing was the excavation and oil and gas sector. Canada has seen so many ups and downs during the recession period. But 2009 has been the worst twelvemonth for Canada in footings of economic growing as the GDP fell to -2.46 % . But Canada being a major exporter of so many merchandises has somehow gained back its place as GDP rose to 3.07 % . Canada is one state in the universe that has seen a budget excess when the recession was striking so many economic systems severely. But finally in 2009-2010, Canada ‘s excess started shriveling and the state for the first clip in last six old ages witnessed a shortage. Although, Canada was in excess for so many old ages still the % alteration in the figures as seen from the graph below was really less. The excess growing in 2009 was merely 0.15 % as compared to the old twelvemonth where the growing was 1.96 % .In 2010 the state faced a shortage and the growing rate went down to -0.03. Exchange rate is the monetary value of one national currency such as Canadian dollar expressed in footings of in another currency, illustration US dollar or basket of currencies ( Bank of canda ) . Canada has flexible exchange rate system this can be shown from the undermentioned line graph. In 2006 it was 0.88 which increased boulder clay 2008 and because of recession during 2009 it decreased. Motion in Canadian dollar shows how domestic and external factors co relate with each other. These factors play an of import function at different points of clip. The factors are economic public presentation, involvement rates, rising prices rates, Canada ‘s public debt, trade and current history balance etc ( Bank of canda ) . Canada Balance Of PaymentsCurrent HistoryThe balance of payments can be defined as â€Å" the economic dealing of the state ‘s occupants with the remainder of the universe â€Å" ( fxwords ) and the Trade is the â€Å" difference between the exports and imports ( fxwords ) . â€Å" Canada has been in a trade shortage since past few old ages ( 2005-2009 ) because it has imported more than it exported. But in 2010, state ‘s exports increased and finally it the trade balance started lifting ( from -27231 to -23309 ) . The above graphs are similar beacause there is a strong relationship between the trade balance and the current history balance. When the trade balance is diminishing the current balance is besides diminishing and vice-versa. This means they are straight relative to each other.2. Capital and Financial AccountCanada ‘s balance on capital and fiscal history has shown a uninterrupted betterment as the figures went up from -22768 in 2006 to 55546 in 2010. When a state has a positive capital and fiscal history, it has more debits than credits. It is said that a state should non hold any restraints on capital motion because it attracts more Foreign Direct Investment.In Canada stock exchange volumes and capital market deregulating are encouraged by Portfolio Foreign Investments and the investors diversify their portfolio hazard by puting in more than one market ( investopedia ) . Canada is a state full of natural resources, engineering and many other agencies of production. Even Bankss and other fiscal establishments are stable in this state. Canada has been a state of low involvement rate and low rising prices rate. This is the ground why the state has developed more than any other state even after go throughing a bad stage of fiscal crisis ( economic system ticker 2008 ) .Future GDP EstimatesThere has been an addition in the GDP growing in the first one-fourth of 2011.The state has overcome with the recession at a faster rate than any other state. At the terminal of 2009, Canada was in the figure 10 place for universe rankings. Forecasters expect that by the stopping point of 2015, Numberss will make $ 1,971.44 billion in US dollars. Because the economic system of Canada is a mixture of many things and with this state being one of the most critical of all providers of agricultural merchandises, it is expected that the economic system will stay strong ( econ omic system ticker 2008 ) .

Ethic Notions

DR. LINZIE SPRING 2013 MARLON RIGGS: ETHNIC NOTIONS 1. Which theoretical paradigm is presented in the film to study race relations? This video presents a symbolic integrationist perspective. It evaluates how people in the United States have used symbols to belittle a race of people. Society used certain symbols and caricatures to communicate ideas to the general public. 2. What is socialization? Socialization is the lifelong process by which people learn the ways of the society in which they live.The process by which humans acquire a sense of self or a social identity, develop their human capacities, learn culture, and learn about the expected behaviors. 3. What is culture? (What are the two main forms of culture? ) Sociologically, culture is the way of life of a people. The two main forms of culture are material culture ( all the physical objects that people have invented or borrowed from other cultures) and nonmaterial culture ( the intangible human creations that include beliefs, values, norms, and symbols). . What is social structure? Social structure is a system that coordinates human activities in broadly predictable ways, shaping relationships and opportunities to connect to others, gives people an identity, puts up barriers to accessing resources and people, and determines the relative ease or difficulty with which those barriers can be broken. 5. What is identity and how do culture and social structure construct identity and socialize new members in terms of these images?The way we live and the people we socialize on a daily basis made a difference on how we identify ourselves. Cultures gives us ideas of what is acceptable and what material objects we have to play, work, and develop. Meanwhile, social structure gives us an advantage, or disadvantage that helps us develop skills and connections that will identify us. 6. What are the names and images used in each socio-economic period? – Emancipation (pre/post) -Reconstruction (pre/post) -Civil Ri ghts (pre/post) NOTES:

Student Rights Case Analysis Paper

As Americans we have certain expectations to what our rights are, in fact we have a bill of rights to ensure the rights we deserve. In most cases we consider these rights undeniable but sometimes they are deniable when you are a student on campus. Sometimes the legal line is not quite clear on rights that are afforded to students; rather the moral line is clear or not. In day to day adult life we expect law enforcement and lawyers to enforce our rights properly but on school grounds staff members are expected to take the role of enforcer and judge. The 4th Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable search and seizure, but students are not afforded the same right on most occasions. It has been established that searching backpacks and items of the like is permissible on school campus but Safford Unified School District #1 v. Redding delves into the more complicated area of body searches. At the age of 13 Savana Redding was called into the office of her school because she had been implicated in distribution of over the counter pain killers and prescription pain pills that were the strength of two Advil. The assistant principal and secretary went through Savana’s book bag and pockets were searched. After no pills were found on Savana’s outer layer of clothing the assistant principal â€Å"then had [the secretary]take Savana to the school nurse’s office to search her clothes for pills. After [the secretary] and the nurse, had Savana remove her outer clothing, they told her to pull her bra out and shake it, and to pull out the elastic on her underpants, thus exposing her breasts and pelvic area to some degree. No pills were found. † (Cornell University Law School, 2010) It is important to also point out that Savana’s parents were not notified until after the search and the assistant principal had not gotten details of when Savana had been distributing pill or where she kept these pills. Soon after Savana was pulled out of school and the legal proceedings began. It was decided by the Ninth Circuit Court that Savana had indeed had her 4th Amendment right had been violated. The court found that the circumstances did not warrant such an invasive search â€Å"because the suspected facts pointing to Savana did not indicate that the drugs presented a danger to students or were concealed in her underwear, [the assistant principal] did not have sufficient suspicion to warrant extending the search to the point of making Savana pull out her underwear. [the secretary] and [the nurse] said that they did not see anything when Savana pulled out her underwear, but a strip search and its Fourth Amendment consequences are not defined by who was looking and how much was seen. †. Cornell University Law School, 2010) Savana had a clean disciplinary record and the assistant principal had not even found out when the supposed pills were in Savana’s possession or how many were in her possession. The main problem with this search was that, while the measures may have been considered appropriate, there was no reasonable explanation for the extremes that the searc h went to because there was no proof a student would be hiding a non-dangerous contraband in her underwear. The 4th Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable search and seizure, but the school system only allows that protection sometimes. Schools are allowed to search backpacks but not strip search students. Some things seem obvious to outside eyes, like the fact that you shouldn’t strip search 13 year old children, but when you are in charge of 100s of children sometimes certain things get distorted. The assistant principal in this case was trying to make an example of Savana by showing how strict the school was on their drug policy, but he went too far. Risking the emotional damage a child might face from something like a strip search is never worth proving a point. Strip searching may be warranted in a situation like a student seeing another student carrying a weapon in their under garments, but in a situation where there is no real danger to other students it is extreme. As adults we expect all of our rights to be given to us but unfortunately adults don’t always feel the need to extend those rights to children. The judgment in this case could not have been fairer. Hopefully right infringements like this won’t happen to others thanks to Savana stepping forward. References Cornell University Law School.  (2010).  Legal Information Institute.  Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/08-479.ZS.html

The Great Barrier Reef Environmental Sciences Essay

When one speaks of the Great Barrier Reef, they tell of the most celebrated and largest coral reef in the universe. This eye-popping universe of works and carnal life is difficult to grok and is fantastic to see. The wide and shallow Continental shelf of northeasterly Australia provides an ideal base for growing. This reef is a aggregation of 280 barrier reefs, 300 coral keies and stone islands stretching for 1,250 stat mis along the seashore of Queensland, Australia and 160 stat mis offshore. It covers 135,000 square stat mi or approximately merely a small larger than the size of New Mexico. It is inhabited by 1000000s of unusual animals. A individual coral wall holds a broader representation of life than an full continent. It has solid rock that grows upward like a palace or sideways like a Fringilla montifringilla coppice making crevasses that look like mini-grand canons. There are 2000 different types of fish in great battalions of vivacious tropical colourss and angle that do n' t even look like fish. The stone is really coral that comes in all colourss, signifier, and gestures – plume dust storm and Christmas tree coral in ruddy, navy, and pink ; domes of encephalon coral that truly look like encephalons, plate coral that look like elephantine battercakes and staghorn coral that look like they should be on top of a cervid ‘s caput. There is black, pink and ruddy coral that is used in jewellery devising. In fact, there are about 350 different coral types. Coral may look to be lovely workss but they are animate beings – bantam rapacious animate beings. Even though they can non travel, they reproduce, communicate and grow. They begin life as unattached pinpoints called planulae. This pinpoint finds a good foundation, go for good affiliated and develops into a mature polyp. This polyp is merely a heavy tubing with a oral cavity at the top with a circle of tentacles. Despite the simpleness of this design, the coral polyp has persisted for over 400 million old ages. The ground for this success is its place – expression closely and you will see bantam small pores. Each pore is home to a polyp. This place is nil more than limestone that they have created themselves. The polyp takes Ca and carbonate from the saltwater and deposits it about them until they have a snug place. This secreting of limestone continues throughout their life and is deposited at the base of the place so that that the polyp is ever on top. As their place grows, the polyp splits into two, so four, and so eight with uninterrupted dividing until one person has become a settlement. As the size of the settlement grows it becomes a reef that contains 100s of 1000s of settlements with one million millions of polyps, all bound together by their limestone. Corals are invariably looking for more room and finally one type of coral with overtake another type of coral. When this occurs, the also-ran dies and their limestone place becomes the foundation for extra places of the winning coral. This changeless growing, decay and re-growth repetition infinitely as it has for the past 400 million old ages and hopefully for the following 400 million old ages. The Great Barrier Reef appears to be a flower garden with â€Å" petals † blowing in the â€Å" zephyr † of the ocean ‘s currents. The petals are really the tentacles that sit atop the settlement like bantam flowers. This â€Å" flower garden † is lead oning ; it is a deathly web of hold oning fingers coated with glue-like mucous secretion that traps plankton. The fingers of the polyp have tiny un-seeable stinging cells that stupefying its quarry. Then the fingers pass their gimmick from one to another until making the polyp ‘s oral cavity. Some big polyps are so powerful that they can trap little fish. Through a web of nervousnesss, each polyp, communicates with other settlement members. Touch a coral polyp and it will abjure into its rock place. Tap it harder and the full settlement may retreat. Large lone corals can even work together to upright itself if turned upside down during a storm. The tentacles will delve a hole in the sand until the coral Begins to lean ; so go on delving until it uprights itself. How does the polyp know which side should delve and which side should non delve ; is an unbelievable enigma. In order to maintain it self clean and from being buried, the settlement will clean it self by traveling the bantam cilia that cover their organic structures in concert causation deposit and sand to be moved the borders of the settlement. The coral besides secretes a thick bed of mucous secretion that traps soil and so is sloughed off in big sheets. This cleansing maneuver is besides good to other reef occupants as an extra protein rich nutrient beginning. The coral polyps and their places are merely the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef. There are eccentric oddnesss at each crevice and nook. Lionfish with their â€Å" mane † , butterfly fish, clownfish, barracudas, pediculosis pubiss, runt, sharks ; the list can travel on and on. The reef attracts 100s of species of animate beings to feed, engender, and slumber. Sea urchins walk on the tips of their spinal columns beckoning their other spinal columns like a unsighted adult male walking down the street with a cane. In fact, urchins do non hold eyes. The rainbow parrotfish eats the coral reef and passes the limestone out as white sand, which becomes the environing beaches. These eatened countries become places for sponges, worms and molluscs and destructive forces such as bore bits and parasites. The destructive forces create more holes and shortly the reef has become a elephantine piece of Swiss cheese with spreads and tunnels supplying legion mini-ecosystems and concealing topographic points for fish, moray eels, lobsters and sea stars. Some of the more interesting animate beings are the immense, spiked, poison-tipped sea star called the crown-of-thorns sea star, which eats unrecorded coral polyps, the dunce shark, beams, the elephantine clam, sea serpents and sea polo-necks. Despite all attempts by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, there are legion species that are on the endangered list – which include sea polo-necks, kyphosis giants, Triton Trumpet Shell and the Banded Sea Snake. Marine polo-necks are the earliest seamans of the oceans. They foremost emerged during the dinosaur age and have been swimming in the sea of all time since. Female polo-necks still climb the sandy beaches to put their eggs as their female parent ‘s did more than 150 million old ages ago. Turtlenecks have changed small since that dinosaur age – they still live their full life in the H2O except to put their eggs. Six of the universe ‘s seven species of marine polo-neck live in the Waterss within the Great Barrier Reef. Some species such as the dunce and green polo-neck are seen often, while others such as the Olive Ridley and leathery turtle are rarely seen. The most endangered is the level back sea polo-neck. The causes for hazard are: they lay fewer eggs than other polo-necks, marauders of foxes, warrigals and the Australian Monitor Lizard and vanishing nesting sites. Humpback whales come from the South-polar Waterss to the Great Barrier Reef from May to September to break up and to construct up strength over the winter before they return to the Antarctic in summer. The Great Barrier Reef is the baby's room for the kyphosis giant. Female kyphosis giants give birth to a calf that is 10 to 15 pess long at birth and weigh around 2,000 lbs. The female is pregnant for 12 months and so nurses her calf for another twelvemonth. She can give birth to a babe calf about one time every three old ages. Merely between 30,000 and 40,000 kyphosis giants remain in the universe. This is about one-third the Numberss of kyphosis giants that originally roamed the oceans. Hunting is non the lone ground that the kyphosis giant is endangered. The devastation of their home ground has contributes to their disappearing. For illustration, the giants feed on krill and logging is killing krill. Loging creates overflow of deposit and nitrates into the ocean. The Triton Sea Shell snail is now a rare discovery in the Great Barrier Reef and the Pacific Ocean. They are found at the deepness of 15 – 60 pess in the coral home ground. This snail is really of import to the reef ; it preys on the Crown of Thorns sea star which eats the reef ‘s coral. After turn uping its quarry, the cornet snail paralyses the sea star with an injection of paralytic salivary juices, and so drills through the sea star ‘s skeleton with dentitions to feed on the soft tissue indoors. The Triton Sea Shell is really rare because of the beauty and size of its shell and it is wanted by serious shell aggregators everyplace. Sea serpents occur in the tropical Waterss of the Great Barrier Reef. They inhabit shallow Waterss along seashores and around islands, river oral cavities, and can go up into rivers up to more than 100 stat mis from the sea. This snake provenders on fish, fish eggs, and crustaceans and molluscs. The Banded Sea Snake is egg-laying and is highly deadly. The Banded Sea Snake still must come up to breath air and has smooth scaly organic structures like land serpents. What makes the sea snake an first-class swimmer and frogman is their vertically flattened paddle-like tail. Sea serpents are exploited for their tegument, variety meats, and meat. The impact of this development on the Banded Sea Snake is difficult to find due to the deficiency of monitoring of commercial piscaries. Why is the Great Barrier Reef of import to worlds? The reef is called the rain forest of the ocean due to its biologically diverse ecosystems. It is 2nd merely to tropical rain woods in the figure of species it harbors. Although the Great Barrier reef merely occupy 20 % of the oceans coral reefs ( an country approximately the size of North Carolina ) , it is home to about one one-fourth of the planet ‘s aquatic species. Coral reefs offer of import income beginnings for their human neighbours through touristry and fishing, which provide both subsistence and trade. Recently, scientists have begun to detect that coral communities may incorporate valuable medical specialties that may one twenty-four hours take to interventions for malignant neoplastic disease and HIV. For coastal communities, the reef besides plays an of import function in protecting their coastlines from storms. I have spoken of how fantastic and of import the Great Barrier Reef is ; but, the reef is among the most susceptible to human impacts and is being damaged and destroyed with dismaying easiness. Practices such as over-fishing, the usage of dynamite or toxicant to capture fish and dropping boat ground tackles on corals has produced tremendous harm. Even an inadvertent touch from frogmans and snorkelers can significantly damage the delicate coral polyps. Pollution, silting from land-based building, and fertiliser overflow have led to damage to coral reefs worldwide by barricading the sunlight corals require for photosynthesis by their symbiotic algae. Rising sea temperatures from planetary heating can besides destruct corals. However, when a coral reef has been damaged from human effects, it may hold a more hard clip retrieving from natural catastrophes. Due to the reef ‘s sensitiveness to really little temperature lifts and to alterations in ocean acidification, the Great Barrier Reef is watched to supervise clime alterations. Australia ‘s most well-known Marine and environmental scientists say to be able to deliver the Earth ‘s coral reefs from widespread harm caused by adult male, the industrialised states will necessitate to cut planetary heating, C emanations and ocean acidification by 25 per centum by 2020 and by 80 to 90 by 2050. Coral decease and decoloring due to thermic injuries involved over 50 per centum of the Great Barrier Reef in 1998 and 2002, when the summer maximal H2O temperatures were increased by merely one to two grades centigrade. Bleaching is a mark of emphasis. Corals appear bleached when they expel the bantam workss that normally live in their tissues. High H2O temperatures and other environmental conditions stress corals and can do them to decolor ; but, they can last if the H2O temperature does n't remain elevated for an drawn-out period of clip. The reef experienced bleaching in 1998 and had n't recovered before decoloring occurred once more in 2002. The 2002 bleaching is the worst episode on record with harm to both on-shore and off-shore reefs. Airplanes were used the position the Great Barrier Reef bleaching and they discovered that about 60 per centum of the Marine park reef was heat-stressed. Fortunately, the harm by decoloring has non caused widespread decease of the coral. We mere ly need to look at other reefs around the universe to acquire a clear warning as to what happens when the temperature spikes becomes more legion and acute. Ocean acidification is speed uping and has already earnestly affected the growing and strength of corals on the Great Barrier Reef. Ocean acidification will impact all marine beings and this will upset the ecology of the universe ‘s oceans making a socio-economic influence on piscaries and other pelagic concerns. What sort of impact will the diminution of the Great Barrier Reef hold? The Australian economic system benefits significantly from the Great Barrier Reef ; it generates about $ 5.4 billion dollars every twelvemonth. The touristry industry produces $ 5.1 billion, recreational involvements make $ 153 million and commercial fishing turns out $ 139 million. The coral reef has already seen better yearss despite good direction by the Marine park. Loss of coral protections reduces biodiversity, finally upseting touristry, fishing and coastal protection. â€Å" We ‘ve seen the grounds with our ain eyes. Climate alteration is already impacting the Great Barrier Reef, † says Professor Terry Hughes of the James Cook University located in Queensland. What is being done to protect and continue the Great Barrier Reef? Because of its alone national and international significance, the Great Barrier Reef is listed under the World Heritage Convention. It meets all four of the natural heritage standards: biological diverseness, aesthetics and natural beauty, ecological and biological procedures, and geological admiration. To guarantee that the biological diverseness and construction of the Great Barrier Reef are maintained, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has started a class that will enlarge the country and figure of â€Å" no-take † Marine safeties. The no-take zones will hold representation from all bioregions that are recognized in the park. Monitoring is important to track alterations, such as eruptions of crown-of-thorns sea star, locate coral bleaching, or diminutions in the position of inshore reefs. Keeping an oculus on H2O quality is done by supervising the H2O quality in the rivers that flow to the Great Barrier Ree f. Education is raising reef consciousness and taking to improved patterns in the agriculture – cane and banana husbandmans are modifying their usage of fertiliser to minimise run-off loss. The pattern of green cultivated land of harvests and rubbish blanketing ( go forthing the rubbish on the land as compost and non firing harvests ) is increasing, which reduces deposit and alimentary loss. The Great Barrier Reef is an astonishing portion of this universe and its disappearing would be a great loss to adult male and nature.

Free will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Free will - Essay Example determinism. Though both the sides bring evidence in support of their claims, yet the discussions endorse the very point that most of human actions, as well as man’s fate, are dependent of determinism though humans have been granted some powers to get involved into the activities of their choice to some extent in the wake of their whims and wishes. Hence, the topic under investigation observes great philosophic significance in its nature and scope. The Paper: Renowned theologian Jonathan Edwards (1754) has provided a detailed account of the concept of free will in his works, where he views the free will to be the desires prevailing in the human breast, and produce pleasure for man. Since it is mind that maintains the powers to direct the physical organs for the performance of an act or abstinence from the same, the mind issues commands whether some specific act in the wake of the desire should be performed or refrained from executing the same. Hence, there always appears some motive that results into the accomplishment of various tasks because of the desires that affect human mind. Nevertheless, man cannot perform every act out of his free will due to the prior knowledge of the Lord regarding all the things and incidents that would take place in man’s life. ... knowledge God maintains in respect of the future developments by alluding to the Scripture, where the predictions about the future developments have been made by God, which do not actually come under the definition of the uncertain guesses (393). In addition to this, since God is also already aware of the whims prevailing in the minds and hearts of the coming human generations, He has determined the actions the individuals belonging to these generations would perform and execute during their life span at large, which could be the products of the volitions of their moral (and immoral) agents (393). Hence, the actions and volitions appear to be the predetermined phenomena over which humans could have little or no power, according to Edwards’ doctrine (394). Hence, the foreknowledge of God about all events and actions that are actually the product of volitions provides an indirect pardon to the human actions due to the very reality that these steps had already been determined, ag ainst which humans could not be held responsible for. Another very important argument made by Edwards in support of his claim regarding the determinism includes the evident existence of the human actions that would occur in future years to come, to which he called the nature of Necessity (394). Furthermore, a thing existence of which is necessary in the universe, why it could be endorsed that the thing itself is not necessary. Hence, the action and event that has been preserved as the Foreknowledge in the possession of Nature would certainly occur one day in exactly the same manner as it has been preserved as the part of the Foreknowledge of the Providence. In other words, the argument indirectly refutes the possibility of free will due to the existence of actions and events as an essential

Two Cases briefs Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Two Cases briefs - Case Study Example In this regard, it is essential to state that there is similar size of the competing firms, which are giving the same service, thus undifferentiated business strategy or service by the companies increases the competition among them as well. Threat of new entrants is medium because if any general industry launches itself then there are low barriers but in terms of a target market there are large barriers. However, it can be said that a slow industry also means that there is less chance of new entrees to emerge. The capital requirement to launch such company is low, which makes new entrees to emerge more frequently. The presence of offline matchmakers makes the threat of substitute high. There are other social networking sites like Face Book, where people are able to find their compatible mates. As there are low switching costs so people may use these traditional methods of dating more than the online match making companies. Moreover, as the company is providing an undifferentiated product so the threat is high. As magnitude of substitute products are high and there are low switching costs so it can be said that the bargaining power of buyers is high. Moreover, mostly people are more prices sensitive which makes them more inclined towards bargaining. The buyer volume is high which makes the customers dictate prices of the services. e-Harmony uses a business framework in which the customers first need to make their profile on the site. Company limits the number of results per day so that the judgment errors are reduced. There is selective filtering of the customers according to their marital status and poor personality profile. Moreover, customer’s behavior is analyzed and there are recommendation systems that provide connections to people of their self-interest. The company continues to improve their services by using Five Factor psychological model, which

The Effects of Multimedia on Cultural Change in the Kingdom of Saudi Research Proposal

The Effects of Multimedia on Cultural Change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example The native language of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is Arabic, and is thus, the primary medium of oral and written communication. The Arabic language also â€Å"reflects and preserves the culture and customs of the desert society of Arabia that evolved long before the introduction of Islam† (Long, 2005, p. 82). Long (2005) maintained that Arabic is more than a liturgical language, but a living language echoing the culture of its people, then and now. Kendall (2011), however, believes that generally, cultures do not remain static. Forces are constantly at work which results either in gradual or abrupt cultural changes. There is reason to believe that like other cultures of the world, Saudi Arabia may not be immune to cultural changes. The computer and the Internet are believed to be responsible for the popularity of multimedia among people globally. Such popularity is believed to be a significant influence on how multimedia changes the lives of people in any society. Even Saudi Arabia, which according to Cordesman (2009) is generally regarded as a very conservative society then and now, did not remain unaffected by the changes brought about by multimedia. Based on a number of information technology statistics, Saudi Arabia posted 11.4 million Internet users from a population of 26,131,703, for an approximate Internet penetration of 43.6%. As of March, 2011, there are 4,092,600 Facebook accounts by Saudi Arabian nationals. Saudi Arabia posted higher Internet penetration rate than seven other Middle East nations, namely: Iran (42.6%); Kuwait (42.6%); Jordan (26.8%); Lebanon (26.4%); Syria (19.8%); Yemen (9.7%) and Iraq (1.1%) (Internet World Stats, 2011). Aims of the Proposed Study The study is being proposed to examine how multimedia has influenced cultural change in the Kingdom, aided by the computer and the Internet. Specifically, the aims of the study are: (1) describe the profile of the respondents in terms of gender, age, educational attainment, occupa tion and place of residence: (2) identify the types of multimedia equipment the respondents consider as indispensable for their activities at home in the office and in school: (3) measure the extent to which different forms of multimedia affect the people of Saudi Arabia as social beings; (4) explain how the culture of Saudi Arabia changed as a result of the introduction of various forms of multimedia and assess whether the respondents are amenable to these cultural changes; (5) describe how multimedia have an effect in the cultural changes which has occurred in Saudi Arabia in the last decade; (6) verify significant differences in the perspective of the respondents about the cultural changes when they are grouped according to the profile variables considered in the study. Methodology The study will involve 385 respondents selected using a web-based sample size calculator based on the following parameters: (1) a margin of error of 5%; (2) a confidence level of 95%; (3) a population size of 26,131,703; and (4) a response distribution of 50% (Raosoft, 2004). Respondents will be selected using purposive sampling. A survey questionnaire will serve as the main data gathering instrument. The questionnaire will be pilot tested among 20 respondents and the same will be subjected to content and face validation and reliability analysis. Data gathering will be carried out using a technology-mediated questionnaire

Financial Analysis for Managers II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Analysis for Managers II - Essay Example It is a fixed amount paid on annual basis (Myers & Allen, 2005). This amount might be constant for a certain period of time or may have a steady trend for some time and may fluctuate otherwise. The annuities and the time value of money are related and affected by certain factors. These are as follows; Interest rates are the prevailing charges of availing the facility of the capital that might have been invested in an interest generating instrument or a bank account. The interest rates of advancing loans and paying on the deposits are different and that the difference is actually the monetary reward of utilizing that capital. However, the actual value of money, even when the principal amount is added up with the total interest amount received as an annuity, is normally different from what it was at the time of blocking that money into the respective reserve under question. This may have a different affect on the compounded interest approach. Since the interest is compound, therefore it yields a higher amount at each step and thus even the actual value of the total of that amount might be more than the amount actually invested depending on the terms, policies and interest rates. This introduces the concept of the present value of future payments and/or income(s) that are expected to be received (Myers Allen, 2005). This means that the present value always differs from the future value. The idea is also related to the fact about the future value of any of the long term and/or even short term investments that were made. They will seldom be equal in real terms, even when they seem to be equal as an annuity. The most commonly applied model of the time value of money is our same old compounded interest model. An amount of money 'C' for 't' years at a rate of interest of 'I'% (where interest of 15 percent" is expressed also as 0.15) compounded on annual basis, the present value of the receipt of C, t years in the future, is: Ct = C(1+i)-t = C/(1+i)t The expression (1 + i)t is a generic form of calculating almost al sorts of present value. Where the interest rate is deemed to be something which is not constant figure over the period of the investment(s), different values for 'I' may respectively be used; an investment over a two year period would then have PV (Present Value) of: PV = C(1+i1)-1.(1+i2)-1 Present value is additive. This means that the present value of a bundle of cash flows is the sum of each individual's present value. If there are no risks involved in the project i.e. the project is deemed to be risk free, the expected/forecasted rate of return from the project must equal or exceed this rate of return or else it would be better to rather invest the capital investment in these (potentially) risk free assets. If there are risks involved in any such investments or a project ventures this can be reflected through the use of a 'risk premium'. The risk premium that is required can easily be found by comparing the investment with the rate of return required from other similar projects with similar risks (Ross & Westerfield, 2007). Thus it is possible for almost all investors to take account of any uncertainty or risk factor