Coke Financial Structure

[pic] Andrea R. Hart GB550: Financial Management August 24, 2011 The Abstract The topic of this research paper will be about the capital structure of Coca Cola, This paper serves as a comparison of debt and equity. It will help determine the true value of the company while also determining what their free cash flow is and the risk level for the organization. The question that this research will try to answer is if the 125 year old company is financially ready for another 125 years. The company needs to remain liquid and keep its operating costs low during times of inflation.The methodology that will be used will be multiple financial ratios to determine how the organization is operating and compare to times of exponential increases in profits. My expected findings will be that Coca Cola will have a minimal amount of free cash flow. There would be enough to remain liquid but also to remain flexible in starting new product lines or new investments. Coca Cola already operates in over 20 0 countries and should seek to expand advertising efforts in recently adopted countries. I anticipate that the company has endured over 125 years of economical, political and social upheavals.Financial StatementsI hope to conclude that although there could be unpredicted unprecedented environmental events that Coca Cola will be able to continue operate. Table of Contents A preview of capital structure issues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Business and financial risks related to capital structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Modigliani and Miller’s [MM] capital structure theory †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Criticisms of the MM model and assumptions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Capital structure evidence and implications†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7Estimating the firm’s optimal capital structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 A preview of capital structure issues Capital structures of companies are based on the amount of debt and equity a company holds. When a company begins to increase their debt the company becomes more of a risk to investors because the compa ny now has a higher chance that it may not be able to repay its debts. Although if there is more debt an organization taxes can be reduced because the organization is able to take out what it must pay as interest to investors and holders from being taxed.The higher cost of capital translates into a lower fair value estimate, and vice versa; furthermore, seemingly small changes in cost of capital can make a significant difference in a stock's fair value (Kathman, 2002). The giant beverage maker, that’s in a fairly stable environment does not have very much debt. The company in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, Coca Cola’s cost of equity of 8. 6% when the industry average is 11. 67% and is a large influence on the WACC of 8. 4%. Although the company incurs an 8. 6 % cost on the equity the company has averaged a return on equity for the past five years of 30. %. A Company with a high weighted average cost of capital could be considered a risky company or a company in a risky industry that mainly uses equity for funding. Coca Cola’s debt to equity ratio is 23% however the total debt to equity has been on average for the past five years at 51% showing that the company uses only half debt to finance growth within the company which is accurate for a company that is not quite so capital intensive. Although the company finds itself in a well established industry, it must still make investments and use 51% of debt to finance the new growth.WACC and Free Cash Flows impact a company’s value. FCF is what would come back to a company after the investment was made to enhance the company. FCF can determine if it is worth to take on an investment. Coca Cola’s current Free Cash Flow is -546. 8 (COCA COLA CO (NYSE:KO ), 2011). Business and financial risks related to capital structure There are many factors that could play into the financial risk of Coca Cola. The company itself, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensed distributers and bottlers ar e a risk factor to Coca Cola.Bottlers generate a significant portion of Coke’s net operating revenues by selling concentrates and syrups to independent bottling partners. In 2009, approximately 79 percent of our worldwide unit case volume was produced and distributed by bottling partners in which the Company did not have a controlling interest (ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, 2010). The company also operates internationally which is additional business and financial risk to the company. International economies and political environments become a risk to an American investor when considering purchasing securities.Some business risk of the company includes the availability in Coca Cola’s special ingredient of extracted coca leaf, the sustainment of a network that spans 200 countries, health concerns that cause a reduction in market demands. For the company to ensure that it has enough cash flows must be able to have the infrastructure to handle the large amount of demands. Being that Coca Cola is an international company it has opened its doors to many more financial risks. Risks with their international counterparts include fluctuations in foreign currency and exchange rates effecting financial results (ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS, 2010).If interest rates rise or new tax laws are set it would negatively impact net income. Increase in costsdue to shortages of supplies or materials to produce products or changes in accounting standards can all affect the risks of the company. Coca Cola monitors exposure to financial market risks using several objective measurement systems, including value-at-risk models. Value-at-risk calculations use a historical simulation model to estimate potential future losses in the fair value of our derivatives and other financial instruments that could occur as a result of adverse movements in foreign currency and interest rates (ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK, 2011). Modigliani and Miller’s [MM] capital structure theory The underlying and basic assumption of the Modigliani and Miller Capital Structure Theory is that there is no major difference if a company were to fund its operations with the use of debt or using equity. The 1958 Modigliani-Miller Theorem was initially designed to show that the corporation's capital structure decisions are not value increasing or decreasing; it has, however, become apparent that the theorem is far more general (MacMinn, 2011).The theory rests on assumptions that there are no brokers or bankruptcy costs, no taxes and that investors can borrow at the same rate as the corporations and that EBIT is not affected by the use of debt. In 1991 Miller explained that the theory any gain from using more of what might seem to be cheaper debt is offset by the higher cost of now riskier equity and given a fixed amount of total capital, the allocation of capital between debt and equity is irrelevant because the weighted average of the two costs of capita l to the firm is the same for all possible combinations of the two (Villamil, 2010).Criticisms of the MM model and assumptions The same assumptions that the Modigliani and Miller Capital Structure Theory is based on have been criticized. While the three Modigliani and Miller propositions make good sense and have become widely known there has been disagreement. Capital Structures that are designed to enhance value, the majority of the value is from the decisions that are made by financial managers. The value in the company is from the strategy that makes and it is the duty of the financial manager to make sure that the capital structure supports the strategy that the company is trying to pursue.Further, Coca Cola, initial strategy was to sell Ice cold Coca Cola’s to its customers. The company was able to successfully change its strategy to only produce the syrup, the process was able to be broken down and both are able to reap values and benefits. By leaving capital structures to be independently determined by the bottlers and distributors, the structure of Coca Cola Holland and Coca Cola Japan to be different. Other theories have been created in spite of the MM model such as the Trade-Off Theory which takes into consideration the costs of bankruptcy.Capital structure evidence and implications Because of the low debt that Coca Cola has it also carries a low rate for taxes. In the last 5 years, half of Coke’s worldwide investments include almost $20 billion dollars in capital expenditures and acquisitions in the U. S. In addition, each year, we invest over $10 billion dollars in our supply chain in the U. S. — including $208 million dollars that was spent this past year on supplies (Kent, 2010). In 2010, The Coca Cola Company acquired Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) assets and liabilities.Coca Cola by purchasing CCE, Coke will have a $100 million net pre-tax income benefit, however after adjusting to the impact of the full value of the stand alo ne debt Coke will have acquired a $200 million interest expense reduction. However Coke stands to benefit from the overall transaction with a pre tax benefit in 2011 of an estimated $300 million (Investors Information, 2010). CCE is still set to acquire bottlers in Germany, Sweden and Norway as part of the deal. With Coke becoming a producer and now a larger owner in bottling, this has changed the capital structure of the company.Estimating the firm’s optimal capital structure During the acquisition of Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) assets and liabilities, Coca Cola’s shares decreased while CCE increased. â€Å"With this transaction, we are converting passive capital into active capital, giving us direct control over our investment in North America to accelerate growth and drive long-term profitability Coke said, with the transactions that are expected to generate operational cost savings of approximately $350 million over four years for Coca-Cola and will add to earning s by 2012 (Gelsi & Spain, 2010).The current estimate of Coke’s cost of debt is 7% as well as the WACC. (Coca Cola (KO) Stock Research, Equity Ratings, News & Analysis , 2911). If this amount were to increase it is possible that it could also increase the risk to investors. Coke’s beta has been reported at . 59 and for the non-alcoholic beverage industry is average. With their current capital structure Coke has had a steady 6% in revenue growth. The company also recently acquired CCE their debts, liabilities as well as CCE’s acquisitions which is why Coke’s shares declined by 3. % (Gelsi & Spain, 2010). These changes were brought about due to economical conditions and felt the need to take over more operations. Although this acquisition effected their shares in the short term, the company has estimated that this change will save the company almost $350 million in operational costs in four years and will begin generating income by 2012. References Coca Cola (KO) Stock Research, Equity Ratings, News & Analysis . (2911). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from ValueInvesting 2. 0: http://www. wikiwealth. com/research:koCOCA COLA CO (NYSE:KO ). (2011, August). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from Forbes. Com: http://finapps. forbes. com/finapps/jsp/finance/compinfo/Ratios. jsp? tkr=KO Ehrhardt, M. C. , & Brigham, E. F. (2009). Financial Management: Theory and Practice. Mason: South-Western. Freeland, K. , Gabruk, B. , Laidlaw, K. , Levine, J. , Michaels, M. , & Schramm, G. (1998, May 4). The Beverage Industry: This One’s on the House! Retrieved August 23, 2011, from Stern NYU. Edu: http://people. stern. nyu. edu/adamodar/pdfiles/cfprojs/beverage. df Gelsi, S. , & Spain, W. (2010, Feb 25). Coca-Cola buying CCE North American bottling business. Retrieved Aug 23, 2011, from The Wall Street Journal: MarketWatch: http://www. marketwatch. com/story/coca-cola-buying-north-american-unit-of-cce-2010-02-25 Hines, J. J. (2007, March). Capital Structure w ith Risky Foreign Investment. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from Harvard Business School: http://www. people. hbs. edu/ffoley/riskycap. pdf Investors Information. (2010, Dec 14). Retrieved Aug 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company: ttp://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/pdfs/modeling_2010. pdf ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS. (2010). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company. Com: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2009/04_Coca-Cola_Item1A-1B. pdf ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK. (2011). Retrieved August 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company. Com: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2006/Coca-Cola_10-K_Item_07a. pdf Kale, J. R. , Noe, T. H. , & Ramirez, G. G. (Dec. , 1991).The Effect of Business Risk on Corporate Capital Structure: Theory and Evidence. The Journal of Finance , 1693-1715. Kathman, D. (2002, December 20). Why Discount Rates Matter. Retrieved August 23, 2011, from MorningStarNews. Com: h ttp://news. morningstar. com/articlenet/article. aspx? id=84699&_QSBPA=Y Kent, M. (2010, May 19). Enhancing our National Competitiveness. Retrieved August 23, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/dynamic/leadershipviewpoints/2010/05/enhancing-our-national-competitiveness-is-not-an-option. htmlMacMinn, R. (2011). Theorems in Corporate Finance . Retrieved August 23, 2011, from MacMinn. ORG: http://macminn. org/Fin374/theorems/theorems. html The Coca Cola Company. (2011). Financial Statements. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from The Coca Cola Company. Com: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/financial_statements. html Villamil, A. P. (2010, March 10). The Modigliani-Miller Theorem. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from Econometrics at the University of Illinois: http://www. econ. uiuc. edu/~avillami/course-files/PalgraveRev_ModiglianiMiller_

America (West Side Story) Essay

Introduction This document is the lyrics of the song America extracts from the movie West Side Story. This movie is a musical directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise in 1961. It sets in NY in the 50’s. It deals with a confrontation between two rival gangs : the Jets (american) and the Sharks (Portorican). It also deals with a love story between Tony and Maria. Their love story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as the two lovers belong to different groups. The song America was write by Stephen Sondheim and composed by Leonard Bernstein. During the scene, the portorican girls support the life in America whereas the portorican boys criticise it. To study this song, I’m going to present in a first part the life in Puerto Rico and then in a second part the life in the US. And to finish, in a third part, the boy’s intention. I – The life in Puerto Rico (l. 1 to l. 7) => The climate : There are a lot of hurricanes which destroy the houses and the plantations. It is also very hot, so hot that it must be difficult to work. => The working conditions : In Puerto Rico, they are waiting for jobs. A lot of people are unemployed or even if they have a job, they are low-paid and they have to borrow (emprunter) money from the banks. They are exploited and indebted. => The birth rate : The birth rate is very high. The portoricans are Catholic and they don’t know anything about the birth control or the means of contraception. There are more and more mouths to feed and more and more unemployment. Consequently, they have to emigrate, mainly to the US, in order to have a better life. It was easy for them to get the American citizenship because Puerto Rico depended on the USA. It is a negative image of Puerto Rico. Maria criticises it and yet she says â€Å"my heart’s devotion† (l. 1) but she is ironical. She prefers the life in the US and doesn’t care if P. Rico disappears because she says â€Å"let it sink back in the ocean†. II – The life in the US (l. 8 to l. 31) ? Girl’s opinion : The girls say that it’s a better life because there is more freedom (â€Å"free to be anything you choose†), you can become whoever you want. The life is more comfortable, you can have your own washing machine, and there is more space because you can have big and good apartments. There is no more unemployment because of the â€Å"industry boom† (l. 15) so there is more job opportunities, more chances to become someone socially. For the girls, the US are a land of freedom and pride. ? Boy’s opinion : For them, everywhere in America, they suffer from racial discrimination. At work because they can just access to low-paid jobs. In housing because their requests to have a house are refused. In the street and shops because of their skin colour and their accent. They have low-paid jobs and they can’t afford big apartments so they have to live in promiscuity (â€Å"twelve in a room in america†). Moreover they can’t afford clothes so the washing machine is useless (â€Å"what will you have, though, to keep clean†). The life in America isn’t as good as the girls say because it’s violent and dangerous (â€Å"organized crime in America†) and dirty (â€Å"everywhere grime in America†). The girls believe in the American dream whereas the boys are disillusioned and pessimistic. III – The boy’s intention (l. 32 to the end) The boys intends to (ont l’intention de) go back to San Juan in Puerto Rico because settling down in America didn’t bring any real changes. Moreover, they can’t stand the racial discrimination anymore. They expects to be cheerfully welcome in San Juan. Maria pretends not to care about it, she pretends not to be upset (contrariee). She has the last words with â€Å"Everyone there will have moved here† l35. She means that all the portoricans are sensible (senses) enough to understand that their future is in the US. Conclusion To conclude the life in the US and the life in Puerto Rico are confronted because of the situation. The girls support the America but the boys underline the fact that even if they found liberty and pride in the US, they are still confronted to poverty and they suffer from racism and violence. Maria conclude with the fact that all the portoricans in Puerto Rico would be in the US. However, I can understand that the boys don’t feel good in America and want go back to Puerto Rico because even if they will be poor, it’s their land. They should feel better with portoricans than with american. It’s up to them to make a choice but I think that their survival instinct will lead them to America because they will have more chance to succeed than in Puerto Rico.

A New Choice for Detecting Cervical Cancer by Deborah Levenson Article

A New Choice for Detecting Cervical Cancer by Deborah Levenson The paper "A New Choice for Detecting Cervical Cancer by Deborah Levenson" is a worthy example of an article review on health sciencesmedicine. A New Choice for Detecting Cervical Cancer, authored by Deborah Levenson, was published on November 1, 2014, by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. This article discusses new types of testing that can help women in order to prevent cervical cancer. While it is common for many women to find out she has cervical cancer is through a pap smear, there are now new technological and scientific advances that enable doctors to possibly detect cancer. HPV (human papillomavirus) testing became available in 2003 and it is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer. Liquid cytology has also been used often in combination with HPV testing. Cytology is recommended for women ages 30-65. However, in April of 2014, a third option may be available for women as based on a study of women 21 years and older. This tested women who were high-risk for HPV and had certain genotypes which, when combined, increase cervical cancer in these individuals. There is a specific algorithm to follow and i t helps to determine the probability based on the genotypes. This impacts the general population by mostly targeting women. Women are increasingly becoming more prone to have cervical cancer and at a younger age. If undetected and a woman does not go to her pap test regularly, it can continue to flourish unknown to the patient. This is a less invasive method by using genotype testing and can help predict cancer before it becomes a concern. This was interesting to read because it is a scientific breakthrough that could predict a type of cancer-based on a womans genetics. Though it is not completely going to predict everyones potential case, it can help women early on to be on the lookout for abnormal cancer cells in the cervix. This could help lower fatality rates.

What Were The Factors That Lead The Victory Of The Union What Changes Essay

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Reflective writing#2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflective writing#2 - Essay Example During that time, I knew that she wrote the name of her crush at the back of her Bible. It was also during that time that I did something unforgivable to her as her best friend. What I did was I went and opened my big, attention-deficient mouth and told our classmates that my best friend wrote the name of her crush at the back of her Bible. And since we were in elementary then, it was only natural that my classmates would be curious about the identity of that person. They all started borrowing her Bible just to see the name written at the back. At first, she didn't know why people started borrowing her Bible. Eventually, though, she did find out the reason. Needless to say, my best friend got very angry at me, then. It was the first time that a friend, a best friend, of mine got that angry at me. She didn't talk to me for a long time, even after I apologized, and I didn't know what to do since I knew I was the one at fault. But after some time, though, I think she forgave me. We were on speaking terms again, but our relationship was never the same. I had a harder time relating to her because I always thought that she was still mad at me. My guilt, even when I was that young, ate me alive. That memory is one of my most unforgettable ones and, until now, serves as the setting in which I learned two lessons which for me are very important. The first is being careful of what I allow to get out of my mouth and the second is the importance of a best friend. One who reads this might wonder how it is possible for an elementary kid to learn such seemingly grown-up truths. Actually, I would have to admit that I didn't really realize those two until the latter part of my high school years. I'm not saying that it is impossible for a 3rd grader to realize something like that, either. In contrast, I think it is young children that are most able to believe in friendship and its importance. But going back, the first lesson that I learned, which is being careful of the things I say, is something I realized recently that I have to take more seriously again. Sure, ever since that time, I have been careful to keep my mouth shut, especially with secrets. But recently, I noticed that I've been partially going back to my old ways, which is getting attention by giving information. You know, you say things that would interest people so that you can keep their attention. Also, I have started to say semi-mean things to people as a joke. It might not seem to affect them, but I know that such words do have an effect on them. Who knows, they might dismiss the words now, but in the future, when a time comes when they're feeling down or depressed, the words I uttered might come back to haunt them. The mind, after all, is one huge storage database. It is not just an issue of karma which people say goes around, nor is it a case of reaping what one sows, although, now that I think about it, it may be a bit of the latter. But being careful of what I say is one of the ways I can help, build up or destroy the people around me. As I heard somewhere, words are powerful. Actually, the mouth with its words is probably the one most capable of inflicting a wound that would take years to heal. I remember an instance years ago when my father left to go with my mom to her hometown. While he was gone, his brother went by our house to visit. I've already forgotten

Thomas sankara the upright man review Term Paper

Thomas sankara the upright man review - Term Paper Example Do not expect any change of heart from such powers; their circumstances might have changed and their position to defensive at present. Thomas Sankara’s mind must be thinking on similar lines when he thought of self-reliant economy and he was averse to receive loans from the World Bank. He did not want any traces of colonial empowerment in his land. His acts of promotion of local food and textile production are a precedent-shattering commercial move, which gave great fillip to rural employment and provided recognition and status to the local artisans. That was a leader who had confidence in himself and in the capacity of his people to build the nation. The scene in the movie when I saw the how local African textile designs was encouraged was great. Not only his country, but the entire African Continent had a leader worth the whole-hearted support. 2. What men and women in a country that owns newly tasted independence want is confidence—the feeling that they are being car ed for and their voice is being heard in the new set up. Sankara was a great psychologist, besides being a man with the practical vision. He hit the right spot when he addressed the poor peasantry of the Nation and outlawed compulsory payments and labor (a sort of a bonded labor) to village chiefs. Rural poll tax was done away with. His most daring step in the tradition-fearing and male dominated African Society was to promote gender equality by outlawing polygamy and female circumcision. He often appeared in media to announce his popular measures. How women must have felt elated when he instructed the men to do shopping so that women had enough time as home makers. Some of his progressive measures were, the extraordinary immunization program, building new railway lines and public housing building programs. Literacy initiatives got a strong push, he addressed the issue of river blindness seriously and his most important measure—hard steps against corruption in the administrat ion, was the master-stroke and this well-meaning initiative made him popular amongst the masses. To Sankara, reformation and rehabilitation was a way of life and not mere political propaganda. He cut short the luxuries that go with the bureaucracy and urged them to be simple in their lifestyles. He advised that his picture should not be displayed in public buildings and put a ban on chauffeur-driven Mercedes and first-class airline tickets to his ministers and top bureaucracy. 3. Where is the scope and honorable place for principled politicians? Sankara was a dynamic leader who was in a hurry to show the results. His politics was unconventional. He was a planner and creative man. A man who would decide and act start and finish. His socio- economic reforms have no precedent in any African country. Some undemocratic principles crept into his style of functioning. But what he did was not for self-interest but for the overall welfare of the Nation. He was the envy of the fellow military leaders; he challenged the former colonial masters and the French hegemony. By 1987, opposition to his leadership was both from local leaders and the fresh establishment. He had humiliated President Francois

Copyright and Student Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Copyright and Student Use - Essay Example Copyright protection can be availed for original work of authorship. It comes into existence from the time when the work of author takes a permanent authorized form. As per the copyright law it is only optional to register the work in the copyright office. Although when the work is registered, there are advantages. Normally literary works, musical works, works related to drama, works related to choreography, pictorial and sculpture works, films, sound recordings, softwares etc are copyrightable. However facts, words, symbols, lettering, ideas, scorecards, diaries etc does not come under the purview of the copyright act. The rights of the copyright owner can be divided into five categories, which are reproduction of the work, preparation of copied work, carrying out the work, exhibiting the work and the allocation of the work. One of the main aspects of the copyright law is called "fair use." The term "fair use" is often used as a justification for replication. This aspect has been widely exploited by people associated with education under the pretext that it is essential for teaching and schools which come under the non profit organization category to use copyright works. As per section 107 of the copyright act there are four ways to replicate a work legally. ... All these four criteria have to be met for shaping fair use. The term fair use does not come into reckoning if the reason for repetition does not come under the categories of criticism, remark, news coverage, learning, and research. Copying of news magazines is allowed but copying of a short story does not come under fair use. Copying a large segment of work is not fair use but is a case of infringement. It can never be associated with fair use. Copying an article even for educational use is prohibited under copyright act. If the copying is not prohibited specifically, copying can be allowable under fair use (South eastern Louisiana University COPYRIGHT POLICIES 1999). How can you use copyright materials for educational purposes' Various norms and laws on copyright are very important for the promotion of creativity. A very efficient as well as a balanced system is of utmost importance in the field of protection of culture. Moreover a suitable copyrighting structure is necessary for the cultural and economic cooperation in the international level (Ficsor. M.2005) One of the toughest challenges faced today is to safeguard children from the negative influence of internet without sacrificing the right to receive information. Nowadays more parents are worried about their children using internet for wrong purposes. There is also a feeling of insecurity because of the lack of technical knowledge possessed by them when compared with the younger generation. By using the filtering software technology, this problem can be solved up to a certain extent. For getting the full advantages of internet access, children should be guided by parents as well as adults. This would produce new accesses for internet which in turn will provide great

Discussing Julianne Moore's and Dennis Haysbert role in the movie Far Research Paper

Discussing Julianne Moore's and Dennis Haysbert role in the movie Far from heaven. Which Frame of Reference is most applicable t - Research Paper Example This is, then, a positive model. Were not certain facts about black existence in America so true and persistent, this model should help all resolve all consciousness of the responsibility of African Americans as citizens of the United States. But African Americans still remain at the bottom poll receiving American resources. Under the current economic crisis, black employment remains among the highest, and black education scores are still the lowest in the nation. Such evidence demonstrates that either something is not working or things are being done. One other solution, that nothing can be done, will be developed in the conclusion. The other three frames are not so hopeful. To an extent at least they are realistic, accepting the reality if there has been any advance in racial relations in the United States, it has indeed been very slow. They accept the view that elementary sticklers of racism remain. There is no advance for the black poor and there is continual racism for those who have obtained middle-class. The Colonial Model reflects the views of such as Frantz Fanon by seeing African Americans as forming an internal colony inside America that is ruled by 'colonialist' Americans (Hansen).This view is plausible since it reflects the ideal that the basic position of African Americans has not changed. It has only changed to the extent that Fanon's solution, that of revolution, is no longer tenable (Quellel). Blacks have integrated too much in the American social and economic system to support any kind of revolution. However this brings up another factor that is not acknowledged in any of the frames and which should be there. This is that the black cultural experience in American has become necessary for the heart of the country. And it stands and continues to be one of the major percolators of that heart, just as the cultural styles of black Americans have always been replicated in some form or other worldwide. The Pluralist Melting Pot frame offers the best positive thrust of this factor, and oddly the other frames may allow it but only in a negative way. The Dominant-Subordinate Group Model stands on the principle that black inferiority has been capsulated to always exist and never be removed (Doane Jr.). Hence African Americans will always be in power struggle with the dominant position of whites. This frame helps bring realism to the fact that we have never solved the problem of black poverty nor of low black education results. The model accepts the position that there will always be conflict. But what contradicts this model, or what it stands forth to look at is the immediate future. The fact is that the United States is becoming more diversified and that other ethnic groups will also obtain positions of power. Individuals may become experts in certain fields and secondarily they are members of ethnic groups. The belief to hold is that the experts will, instead of being appreciated as members of 'ethnic groups', will become appreci ated as expert members of a diversified America. The Colonial and Dominant-Subordinate Group Models then are based on conflict and upholding racial differences. Harris's Alternative Formulation also has this kind of racial or ethnic conflict tied in. To the extent that

MATCHING STRATEGY TO FOREIGN OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS Research Paper - 1

MATCHING STRATEGY TO FOREIGN OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS - Research Paper Example ness are facing, their use of the IR framework must based on managerial perceptions alongside the pressures placed by global integration and the pressures from local responsiveness. In applying international decision making it is essential to base on the capability of transferring and adapting the parent firm’s knowledge or capabilities of the foreign markets. A company planning on conducting its operations outside the borders of its local authority should have a good knowledge of the different trends prevailing in the different international markets. Companies applying international decision making should be able to apply international strategy to influence and control all decisions pertaining to strengths and weaknesses posed by companies operating in the markets they intend in venturing into. This will provide them with a leverage point as they will be able to determine and structure their products and services in such manners that reflect on the needs of foreign markets therefore being able to stand the competition posed by other companies. A good example is that Carrefour which is an international retailer is able to make good international decision making which entails the application of different standardized hypermarkets to venture into different countries where it carries out its activities or business. The best strategy to apply in such occasions where international decision making is required involves the use of International strategy (Cavusgil, Knight, & Riesenberger, 2011). This strategy can be described as a company’s ability to take its strength from the domestic market and use the same strategy in entering or venturing into international strategy. A good example of a company that uses this strategy is Wal-mart supermarket. This is because the company has taken the strategy which it uses on its country base to venture and introduce their goods in other countries yet still succeed in the international markets. Moreover, International strategy

International Culture and Ethics Research Paper

International Culture and Ethics - Research Paper Example There is need for individuals to develop intercultural cooperation skills that will enable them to cooperate with other people of different culture for is vital for survival. Business ethics refer to standards of moral behavior that relate to corporate as well as entrepreneurial situations while business culture refers to values, norms morals that are practiced by a group of people and they reflect their way of living or the way they do business. The two lead to expected behavior of people in an organization or as they do business. Since ethics suggest standard, it implies that they entail a legal aspect and violation of ethics can lead to legal ramification while violation of the business culture may not result to something so drastic. To individuals wanting to operate a business between different regions or countries there is need to compare the culture in your home country with that of the host country. In order to start an international business, individuals need to ask themselves some essential open ended questions and make a thorough research on the particular business and the countries to be involved. This is simply because it will require that the person functions in a foreign language. At first, it is quite in order to have a look at guides having articles on how to do business world wide and make deals on how to operate the business. This may require negotiating on the tactics to use, determining the value of connections required, use of business card and content, how to present oneself in meetings, language to use in promoting the business, adherence to company policy governing the type of business and get to know more of the business culture information. Secondly is to important to consider a prosperous entertainment which entails determining typical mealtimes for the day, best venues the business entertainment is to take place, acceptance or declination of invitations, gu idelines of hosting a social event and get to know more on business

Pricing Strategies Essay Example for Free

Pricing Strategies Essay Competition based pricing Setting the price based upon prices of the similar competitor products. Competitive pricing is based on three types of competitive products: * Products having lasting distinctiveness from competitor’s product. Here we can assume * The product has low price elasticity. * The product has low cross elasticity. * The demand for the product will rise. * Products have perishable distinctiveness from competitor’s product, assuming the product features are medium distinctiveness. * Products have little distinctiveness from competitor’s products. Assuming that: * The product has high price elasticity of demand. * The product has some cross elasticity of demand. * No expectation that the demand of the product will rise. Cost plus pricing Cost plus pricing is the simplest pricing method. The firm calculates the cost of producing the product and adds on a percentage (profit) to that price to give the selling price. This method although has two flaws; it takes no account of demand and there is no way of determining if potential customers will purchase the product at the calculated price. AC + Profit markup It is lower than profit maximizing level of pricing Price = Cost of production + Margin of profit Creaming or skimming Selling a product at a high price, sacrificing high sales to gain a high profit, therefore ‘skimming’ the market. Usually employed to reimburse the cost of investment of the original research into the product – commonly used in electronic markets when a new range, such as DVD players, are firstly dispatched into the market at a high price. This strategy is often used to target â€Å"early adopters† of a product or service. These early adopters are relatively less price sensitive because either their need for the product is  more than others or they understand the value of the product better than others. This strategy is employed only for a limited duration to recover most of investment made to build the product. To gain further market share, a seller must use other pricing tactics such as economy or penetration. This method can come with some setbacks as it could leave the product at a high price to competitors. Limit pricing To set a price low enough to ensure that new entrants are discouraged to enter the market. A limit price is the price set by a monopolist to discourage economic entry into a market, and is illegal in many countries. The limit price is the price that the entrant would face upon entering as long as the incumbent firm did not decrease the output. The limit price is often lower than the average cost of production or just low enough to make entering not profitable. The quantity produced by the incumbent firm to act as a deterrent to entry is usually larger than would be optimal for a monopolist, but might still produce higher economic profits than would be earned under perfect competition. The problem with limit pricing as strategic behavior is that once the entrant has entered the market, the quantity used as a threat to deter entry is no longer the incumbent firm’s best response. This means that for limit pricing to be an effective deterrent to entry, the threat must in some way be made credible. A way to achieve this is for the incumbent firm to constrain itself to produce a certain quantity whether entry occurs or not. An example of this would be if the firm signed a union contract to employ a certain (high) level of labour for a long period of time. Loss leader Loss leader: Basic concept in the majority of cases, this pricing strategy is illegal under EU and US Competition rules. No market leader would wish to sell below cost unless this is part of its overall strategy. The idea of selling at a loss may appear to be in the public interest and therefore often not challenged. Only when the leader pushes up prices, it then becomes suspicious. Loss leadership can be similar to predatory pricing or cross subsidization; both seen as anti-competitive practices. Market-orientated pricing Setting a price based upon analysis and research compiled from the targeted market. Also with the cost price. Penetration pricing This price is deliberately set at a low level to gain customer’s interest and establishing a foot-hold in the market. Price discrimination Setting a different price for the same product in different segments of the market. For example, this can be for different ages or for different opening times, such as cinema tickets. Such as market orientated pricing is also a very simple form of pricing used by very new businesses. What is involves is, setting a price of product/service according to research conducted on your target market. It holds good in case of: price sensitive consumers existence of large mass market intence competition in the market.

Argument For The Existence Of God

Argument For The Existence Of God Spinozas Ethics is organised into a deductive format that reveals the necessary connections between the propositions. The geometrical method contributes to a necessary and indubitable outcome that God necessarily exists and this will be an absolute truth. The Ethics geometrical method is based after Euclids work where the demonstration of every proposition uses definitions, axioms and only propositions that have been already established. I will be focusing on whether the definitions are real or nominal as this is the main source of controversy on what the geometrical method contributes to the existence of God. I will be arguing that the definitions are real and constructive therefore the geometrical method contributes to a logical argument for the existence of God. Proposition 11 is the first proposition where God is mentioned and this proposition contains three demonstrations for Gods existence. The first demonstration is the ontological argument which tries to deduce the existence of God from concepts. It states that it is impossible to conceive of God not existing. This is because God is defined as a substance consisting of an infinity of attributes (ID6) and it has already been proven that it pertains to the nature of a substance to exist (IP7). Therefore because of the geometrical method all Spinoza has to do is substitute God for substance to show that God necessarily exists. To say that God does not exist is to say that it is not in Gods essence to exist but this is absurd as we have seen the nature of a substance is to exist and God is a substance. Spinoza has already demonstrated that if things have nothing in common with one and other, one of them cannot be the cause of the other (IP3), in nature there cannot be two of the same substances of the same nature or attribute (IP5) and two substances with different attributes have nothing in common (IP2). Thus it logically follows that one substance cannot be produced by another substance (IP6). As a substance is prior to its affections, this means that they cannot produce a substance. Therefore it pertains to the nature of a substance to exist (IP7). By definition God is a substance which means it pertains to the nature of God to exist so God necessarily exists. As it is evident from this example, the geometrical method allows Spinoza to state Gods existence as an unquestionable matter of fact without room for reasonable disagreement with his logical conclusion. It contributes the ability to show persuasively how one proposition follows from another, leading to clear and distinct necessary truths which are not contingent but are absolute and objective. It shows a rigid mathematical necessity which doesnt rely on our experiences and eliminates human ignorance. Moreover nothing relies on unproven claims or assumptions that might make the argument for the existence of God incorrect. The geometrical method for the existence of God is undeniable only if we agree with the definitions and axioms. If we do then we will find it difficult (but not impossible) to not agree with Spinozas conclusion. I will focus on Spinozas definitions as they are the bedrock of his method. Whether the geometrical method contributes to a logical argument for the existence of God depends on whether Spinozas definitions are nominal or real. Nominal definitions are what is meant by a word or thought in a concept thus they can be nothing about reality. They are merely stipulative, have no truth value and can be arbitrary. Whereas real definitions explain a thing as it is outside of the understanding , they are actually defining something. They have truth values as they are accurate representations of a thing. If the definitions are nominal then the geometrical method for Gods existence is weak as the ontological argument relies on the definition of God yet this definition will not be saying anything about God in reality. But I believe that Spinozas definitions are real definition and define something that actually is. Therefore the geometrical method contributes to a logical argument for the existence of God. One claim by R. J. Delahunty is that the definitions must be nominal not real if they are to be intelligible. Delahunty argues that the definitions have to be nominal because of the form of the definitions, for example By I understand Another claim is mentioned in Spinozas letter to Simon De Vries, which states that the truth of the conclusion that one deduces from the definitions is not changed by the definitions being arbitrary or even false. This could mean that Spinoza is trying to deduce Gods existence from some basic but not certain truths. I will argue against these points as I believe we should not look at the geometrical method of the Ethics in this way as it does contribute to Gods existence. To refute the first claim about the definitions being nominal because of their phrasing I will turn to P. Basile who disputes Delahuntys argument. He believes that Spinoza has done this so that we think understand the definitions in the same way as he does. Basile refers to Spinozas second letter to Oldenburg where Spinoza explains that is possible to use real definitions and still phrase them in the way he does: The definition of God is true appears from the fact, that by God we mean a Being supremely perfect and absolutely infinite. Thus the definition of God as having infinite attributes is not in oppositions to our definition of God. Basile concludes that the second letter suggests Spinozas definitions would be an analysis of the ordinary conception of God as an infinite being. Therefore Spinozas definitions are real and give a clarified version of our idea of God, contributing to a strong argument for the existence of God. To refute the second claim I will refer to Steven Nadler. He believes that this is not the correct interpretation of the Ethics as Spinoza is demonstrating truth; the Ethics is about reality. The definitions are not nominal as the arguments are not that if you assume for the sake of the argument what the definitions mean then God necessarily exists. Rather he is saying that this is how the definitions should be understood, if defined truly therefore God necessarily exists. Spinoza in Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect states that mathematicians know the real definition of a figure when they are able to construct a figure; this is a constructive definition. Spinoza describes the notion of a sphere to a student by saying that a semicircle is rotated around a centre. While a sphere has not actually been constructed in this way, imagining it has can help us understand the mathematical definition of a sphere. If this is applied to the definition of God then it could be seen as constructive because it demonstrates which concepts we need to construct together to achieve a correct metaphysical notion of the Diety, one that is wholly purged of misleading association inherited from tradition, prejudices, or false metaphysics. This idea would account for phrases such as byI understand This would also be compatible with the idea that to understand God is to have clear concepts of a real thing. Thus a constructive definition leads us to understand what som ething is. Just as the semicircle helps us to understand the sphere, the definition helps us to understand God. As the geometrical method uses these constructive definitions, through proposition 11 and the definitions of substance and God, the reader is helped to understand that God necessarily exists. Moreover, Spinoza shows the difference between a nominal definition of a circle a figure in which the lines drawn from the centre to the circumference are equal and constructive as the figure that is described by any line of which one end is fixed and the other movable. The constructive definition not the nominal definition shows us how a circle can be constructed and because of this we can derive at its essential properties. Spinoza believes that this can be applied to reality and that we can have a real idea about something through its causes: Knowledge of the effect is nothing but acquiring a more perfect knowledge of its causes. Henry Allison states that either we find ourselves involved in an infinite regress, which would lead to hopeless scepticism, or the chain of reasoning must be grounded in a single principle. This principle is the causa-sui as everything must be explained by it and its essence must involve existence. Therefore the geometrical method contributes to the definition of God and this definition includes God necessarily existence. In conclusion, I believe that Nadler and Basile arguments for the definition of the Ethics to be real and constructive are correct. As they are real definition, the ontological argument in proposition 11 is based in reality therefore contributes to a logical argument for the existence of God. As the definitions are constructive, the geometrical method contributes to constructing the right concepts together to have a clear concept of a God who exists. Moreover, because the definitions are constructive the geometrical method contributes to us deriving at Gods essential properties of God, one of these being existence.

The Comedy Knocked Up Media Essay

The Comedy Knocked Up Media Essay The comedy knocked up was written, directed and produced by Judd Apatow, and was one of the highest grossing films in 2007. Released at the end of May in 2007, it succeeded as a summer blockbuster and won the people and teen choice awards for favorite movie comedy. Distributed by Universal, the film grossed over $148 million. Knocked up follows the unplanned conception of successful single woman Allison, with unlikely partner loser, pothead Ben. After a night of drinking and dancing with Ben at a bar, Allison invites Ben over to her place and, both drunk, they have sex and conceive a baby. When Allison finds out, she decides to keep the baby and tries to force a real relationship with Ben. Despite a rollercoaster of fights, emotions, and immature baby jokes, Allison and ben ride off together in the s last scene to the apartment Ben has prepared for Allison and her new born baby. This film is important because it reveals the disparity between social realities of pregnancy and the historical trajectory of pregnancy and how it relates to the current naturalization of pregnancy as a commodity. Allison is seen as deviant because she is unwed and was drink during the conception of the child. As well as having a one night stand. But she is seen as normal cause she tries to fix the situation a form a relationship with the father, and in the end she does. This movie reflects a particular cultural, political and social situation that informs our understanding of the discourse of pregnancy. Commodity pregnancy is working through the culture industry to portray pregnancy as glamorous and even trendy, while in popular film pregnancy is plotted as unintended and framed as a grave problem. The bump is not a blessing. Abortion has since been included in various television shows, and movies, has been a major topic of debate in politics, and is a known medical procedure- whether one is pro- choice or pro-life, people are conscious of the abortion. Yet, the word abortion was never mentioned in the movie and was instead referred to as a  ¿Ã‚ ½smushmortion. ¿Ã‚ ½ Or the mother told Allison to have it taken care of , insinuating an abortion, like her step sister did. While the word abortion was never in the movie for reasons unknown, the fact that female body parts, assumed duties of females, biological functions, and physical appearances are the punch lines of so many jokes proves the film makers were not afraid of offending anyone, they just had a view on what was to controversial. In the movie Allison and Ben intend to use a condom in their night of drunken sex, but due to a miscommunication, Ben does not put the condom on. The depiction of contraception either not being used by accident or by ch oice in this movie shows the characters as just accepting that pregnancy as an outcome of sex is just a risk women take- despite the fact that women fought for decades for the precautions that make this statement sound ridiculous. This movie revolves around Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s determination to force a relationship with her complete opposite, Ben, after she finds out he , ¿Ã‚ ½knocked her up ¿Ã‚ ½, seemingly for the sole purpose of maintaining the semblance of a traditional family. In the end this is exactly what happens; a drunken night of sex between a beautiful, successful career woman turns results in a baby, and an unattractive fool getting the woman of his dreams. Allison embraces motherhood wholeheartedly with Ben. Being single is the obvious second option and motherhood in the context of a man and woman together is still framed as the norm. Pregnancy complaints have been one of the fastest growing types of employments discrimination charges filed with the equal employment opportunity commission. In this movie Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s pregnancy is celebrated by her employer, even though she is an on-air celebrity host knee-deep the entertainment industry, where looks and everything and bodies only come in one size-slender. Throughout most of Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s pregnancy there is rarely any talk of her job, except that she decided not to tell her boss until she had to, so she wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t lose her job. When her boss actually brings her into the office to discuss the fact she is pregnant, Allison apologizes  ¿Ã‚ ½I wasn ¿Ã‚ ½t expecting it, I didn ¿Ã‚ ½t know how to handle it and I didn ¿Ã‚ ½t want to lose my job. I ¿Ã‚ ½m really sorry, ¿Ã‚ ½ stating all the fears of working women and becoming pregnant. Instead of being fired, she is praised for being pregnant, because as her boss puts it,  ¿Ã‚ ½ turns out people li ke pregnant; the bigger you are, the bigger ratings. ¿Ã‚ ½ The celebrity interview show even created special programing so Allison could talk to pregnant celebrities and  ¿Ã‚ ½being pregnant ¿Ã‚ ½ all month. These sets pregnancy up as something that only pregnant women can engage with and understand and even implies that there is a certain language that only pregnant women can communicate. Allison, because of her biological state, is considered to have an extra advantage when talking to pregnant celebrities just because she is pregnant as well. Also, the idea that  ¿Ã‚ ½people love pregnant ¿Ã‚ ½ helps build the ideology that people are generally happy when they see a pregnant woman, that there is something inherently good about pregnancy, especially when all the realities of the pregnancy are off screen. They only see her and her expanding belly, and nothing else, no father figure, no morning sickness, no swelling feet, nothing. In the context of post feminism they are telling cultural moments, especially when we women are still fighting for equality in the workplace and the home. There is still a gross pay gap. There is still an assumption that women are the default caretakers, homemakers, and emotional nutcases. Women are still the minority in corporate executive positions, political leadership roles, and in above-the-line positions in film and television. Storylines featuring women in the mass media are still rare; when women do get main roles, they are often hyper-sexualized, or limited to romantic comedies and plots with  ¿Ã‚ ½women ¿Ã‚ ½s issues. ¿Ã‚ ½ When something tied to womanhood, something men cannot attain, is taken in by the culture industry and churned out as a fad, a problem or a commodity to be glorified, we women need to pay attention. Pregnancy does not define womanhood and it is not even something all women can achieve, but it is certainly an important part of many women ¿Ã‚ ½s li ves and it is the reason all of us, men and women, are here today. Whether portrayals of pregnancy in media are good, bad, or silly, whether celebrities actually look like that post- baby or not, whether the term abortion is offensive or not, the commodification of pregnancy in the current postfeminist context is happening and will continue until the culture industry ceases to find a market for it. By becoming more conscious of this phenomenon and other phenomena like it. We can change the way we understand ourselves and others, pregnant or not.

How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry :: Essays Papers

How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry Global climate change has been the topic of discussion these days in New England, where spring thaw seems to come earlier each year, prematurely driving hundreds of sugar bush operators from their cabins and into the thickets to tap the sweet nectar of the sugar maple. Times and temperatures are changing for these laborers, and the effects of global climate change on the maple sugar industry have not gone unnoticed. Much of the New England sugar industry has suffered from profit and production decrease, and poor sugar bush health, posing the threat that the tradition of maple sugaring in this region may become obsolete if warming trends continue as they are. The economic, social and ecological effects of global climate change are a cause for concern in New England, compromising the livelihood of an entire culture of loyal maple syrup lovers. The sugar maple (Acer sacharum) has been an icon of New England for centuries, made sacred by the Native Americans who first extracted the sugary lifeblood from the tree. It ignites fall flames throughout the mountains and valleys of New England startling even the most avid â€Å"leaf peepers†, and is a trademark of the landscape, kept under close watch by its neighbors. Throughout the past decade the sugar maple has experienced significant stress from environmental pollution such as acid rain, smog and increased levels of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns have weakened the vitality and richness of the species in its native habitat (Rock, Barrett and Shannon Spencer, 2001). GRAPH The sugar maple is unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. Sugar maple occurs naturally throughout most of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada The vulnerability of the sugar maple to the effects of global climate change poses a risk not only for the trees, but also for many who make a living in the forest.

Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay example -- Poetry

Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem The short but inspirational poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes' views on deferred dreams. "Harlem" is an open form poem. The poem consists of three stanzas that do not have a regular meter. To catch the reader's attention, the writer made sure that specific words and questions stood out. As a result, the lengths of the lines vary and certain syllables are stressed in every line. The first line in the poem: is the longest line, it is separated from the rest of the poem, and it grabs the reader's attention. The last line in the poem: is separated from the rest of the poem, is italicized to show the importance of this particular question, enables the reader to envision the consequences of putting of a dream. The poem has a rhyme scheme of abcbc ded eff. The poet chose not to use a consistent rhythmic pattern. For example, sun and run (lines three and five), meat and sweet (lines six and eight), and load and explode (lines ten and eleven) were the only lines that contained exact rhyming. The assonances noted were the words: sun and run (lines three and five) and meat and sweet (lines six and eight). In addition, the words dream deferred (line one) and syrupy sweet (line eight) are the alliterations that were used. Concrete imagery and similes are utilized throughout the poem. The concrete imagery arouses the reader's fives senses--as a result they get a better insight of what the poem is conveying. Hug... ...tions to get them to this point. Hughes' expressed a feeling of intense disdain of deferring dreams. Through this poem he is trying to convey to the readers that postponing dreams is not a good idea. In addition, when you have the chance to acquire your dreams take advantage of it while the option is available. "Harlem" was published in 1951, during a time when there was racial inequality. The title of the poem, "Harlem" shares the same name of the city where Hughes was recognized for being one of the key figures during the Harlem Renaissance. Works Cited Rampersad, Arnold and Roessel, David The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Alfred A. Knopf Inc.: The Haddon Craftmen (1995): 3-20. Roberts, Edgar V and Jacobs, Henry E. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 6th ed. Upper Saddle: Prentice Hall (2000): 787.

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Children

Child abuse is the intentional omission of care by a parent or guardian that can cause a child to be hurt, maimed, or even killed. Child abuse can be either physical, mental, emotional or sexual. Because of child abuse, Caprice Ried will never do the things that a normal four-year old does. She will never play on a playground, or go to a sleepover, and never go to school. All of this was taken away from her at such a young age, when she died of child abuse. The foster parents, Patricia Coker, and her mother Betty Coker have been charged with second degree murder for Caprice’s death. Caprice went without food for days. She was also tied to a chair and beaten with a stick until she couldn’t walk. Several days later, she was found dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As horrible as this story seems, this scene happens way to often. In 1996, approximately 3,126,000 children were reported for child abuse. Currently, about 47 out of every 1,000 children are reported as victims of child abuse and maltreatment. Overall, child abuse reporting levels have increased 45% between 1987 and 1996.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1996, an estimated 1,046 child abuse and neglect related fatalities were confirmed by Child Protective Services, (CPS) agencies. Since 1985, the rate of child abuse fatalities has increased by 20%. Based on these numbers, more than three children die each day as a result of child abuse or neglect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1996, some states reported that almost 77% of these children that died were less than five years old at the time of their death, while 45% were under 1 year of age. The causes of death were 45% neglect, 52% physical abuse, 3% from a combination of neglect and physical abuse. Studies of the general population show that anywhere from 6% to 63% of women were sexually abused as children. A 1985 L.A. Times national survey found that 27% of women and 16% of men reported being sexually abused prior to age 18. The true extent of sexual abuse in unknown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The relationship between parental alcohol or other drug problems and child maltreatment is becoming increasingly evident. And the risk to the child increases in a single parent household where there is no supporting adult to diffuse parental stress and protect the child from the effects of the parents problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both alcohol and drug problems are widespread in this country. Almost 14 million adult Americans abu... ...ecial report to U.S. Congress on alcohol and health. 9) American Association for Protecting Children. (AAPC). (1988) Highlights of official Child Neglect and Abuse Reporting, 1986. Denver, CO. American Humane Association 10) Finkelhor, D. (1986) A Sourcebook on Child Sexual Abuse. California: Sage Publications 11) FInkelhor, D. and Williams, L. (1988) Nursery Crimes: Sexual Abuse in Day Care. California: Sage Publications. 12) Ogintz, E. The Littlest Victim. Chicago Tribune, Thursday, October 6, 1988 13) Sedlak, A. (1996) Early Findings from the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect:1988. Rockville, MD: Westat, Inc 14) Woodside, M. (1988) Research on Children of Alcoholics: Past and Future. British Journal of Addiction, 83: 785-792 15) Practical Approaches to Successful Healing Sexual Abuse; Helping Adult and Child Survivors. Presented by: Adena Bank Lees 16) Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center’s : Response To Family Violence: A Teaching Forum 17) Child Abuse Identification. The New York State Course. Prepared by St. Agnes Hospital white Plains, New York. 18) Child Abuse and Maltreatment. A guide for Mandated Reporters.

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Thirteen

â€Å"You think we're supposed to-look inside?† Matt said. â€Å"I don't know,† Elena said miserably. She didn't want to see what was inside that tomb now any more than she had when Tyler had suggested opening it to vandalize it. â€Å"Maybe we won't be able to get it open,† she added. â€Å"Tyler and Dick couldn't. It started to slide only when I leaned on it.† â€Å"Lean on it now; maybe there's some sort of hidden spring mechanism,† Alaric suggested, and when Elena did, with no results, he said, â€Å"All right, let's all get a grip, and brace ourselves-like this. Come on, now-â€Å" From his crouch, he looked up at Damon, who was standing motionless next to the tomb, looking faintly amused. â€Å"Excuse me,† Damon said, and Alaric stepped back, frowning. Damon and Stefan each gripped an end of the stone lid and lifted. The lid came away, making a grinding sound as Damon and Stefan slid it to the ground on one side of the tomb. Elena couldn't bring herself to move closer. Instead, fighting nausea, she concentrated on Stefan's expression. It would tell her what was to be found in there. Pictures crashed through her mind, of parchment-colored mummified bodies, of rotting corpses, of grinning skulls. If Stefan looked horrified or sickened, disgusted†¦ But as Stefan looked into the open tomb, his face registered only disconcerted surprise. Elena couldn't stand it any longer. â€Å"What is it?† He gave her a crooked smile and said with a glance at Bonnie, â€Å"Come and see.† Elena inched up to the tomb and looked down. Then her head flew up, and she regarded Stefan in astonishment. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"I don't know,† he replied. He turned to Meredith and Alaric. â€Å"Does either of you have a flashlight? Or some rope?† After a look inside the stone box, they both headed for their cars. Elena remained where she was, staring down, straining her night vision. She still couldn't believe it. The tomb was not a tomb, but a doorway. Now she understood why she had felt a cold wind blow from it when it had shifted beneath her hand that night. She was looking down into a kind of vault or cellar in the ground. She could see only one wall, the one that dropped straight down below her, and that one had iron rungs driven into the stone, like a ladder. â€Å"Here you go,† Meredith said to Stefan, returning. â€Å"Alaric's got a flashlight, and here's mine. And here's the rope Elena put in my car when we went looking for you.† The narrow beam of Meredith's flashlight swept the dark room below. â€Å"I can't see very far inside, but it looks empty,† Stefan said. â€Å"I'll go down first.† Bonnie hadn't moved. She was still standing there with that utterly abstracted expression on her face, as if she saw nothing around her. Without a word, she swung a leg over the edge of the tomb, twisted, and began to descend. â€Å"Whoa,† said Stefan. He tucked the flashlight in his jacket pocket, put a hand on the tomb's foot, and jumped. Elena had no time to enjoy Alaric's expression; she leaned down and shouted, â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Fine.† The flashlight winked at her from below. â€Å"Bonnie will be all right, too. The rungs go all the way down. Better bring the rope anyway.† Elena looked at Matt, who was closest. His blue eyes met hers with helplessness and a certain resignation, and he nodded. She took a deep breath and put a hand on the foot of the tomb as Stefan had. Another hand suddenly clamped on her wrist. â€Å"I've just thought of something,† Meredith said grimly. â€Å"What if Bonnie's entity is the Other Power?† â€Å"I thought of that a long time ago,† Elena said. She patted Meredith's hand, pried it off, and jumped. She stood up into Stefan's supporting arm and looked around. â€Å"My God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was a strange place. The walls were faced with stone. They were smooth and almost polished-looking. Driven into them at intervals were iron candelabra, some of which had the remains of wax candles in them. Elena could not see the other end of the room, but the flashlight showed a wrought-iron gate quite close, like the gate in some churches used to screen off an altar. Bonnie was just reaching the bottom of the rung ladder. She waited silently while the others descended, first Matt, then Meredith, then Alaric with the other flashlight. Elena looked up. â€Å"Damon?† She could see his silhouette against the lighter black rectangle that was the tomb's opening to the sky. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Are you with us?† she asked. Not â€Å"Are you coming with us?† She knew he would understand the difference. She waited five heartbeats in the silence that followed. Six, seven, eight†¦ There was a rush of air, and Damon landed neatly. But he didn't look at Elena. His eyes were oddly distant, and she could read nothing in his face. â€Å"It's a crypt,† Alaric was saying in wonder, as his flashlight scythed through the darkness. â€Å"An underground chamber beneath a church, used as a burial place. They're usually built under larger churches.† Bonnie walked straight up to the scrolled gate and placed one small white hand on it, opening it. It swung away from her. Bonnie walked straight up to the scrolled gate and placed one small white hand on it, opening it. It swung away from her. Bonnie stopped. This is it, thought Elena, her breath catching in her throat. Oh, my God, this is it; this is really it. She had the sudden intense sensation of being in the middle of a lucid dream, one where she knew she was dreaming but couldn't change anything or wake up. Her muscles deadlocked. She could smell fear from the others, and she could feel the sharp edge of it from Stefan beside her. His flashlight skimmed over objects beyond Bonnie, but at first Elena's eyes could make no sense of them. She saw angles, planes, contours, and then something leaped into focus. A dead-white face, hanging grotesquely sideways †¦ The scream never got out of her throat. It was only a statue, and the features were familiar. They were the same as on the lid of the tomb above. This tomb was the twin of the one they had come through. Except that this one had been ravaged, the stone lid broken in two and flung against the wall of the crypt. Something was scattered about the floor like fragile ivory sticks. Bits of marble, Elena told her brain desperately; it's only marble, bits of marble. They were human bones, splintered and crushed. Bonnie turned around. Her heart-shaped face swung as if those fixed blank eyes were surveying the group. She ended directly facing Elena. Then, with a shudder, she stumbled and pitched violently forward like a marionette whose strings have been cut. Elena barely caught her, half falling herself. â€Å"Bonnie? Bonnie?† The brown eyes that looked up at her, dilated and disoriented, were Bonnie's own frightened eyes. â€Å"But what happened?† Elena demanded. â€Å"Where did it go?† â€Å"I am here.† Above the plundered tomb, a hazy light was showing. No, not a light, Elena thought. She was sensing it with her eyes, but it was not light in the normal spectrum. This was something stranger than infrared or ultraviolet, something human senses had not been built to see. It was being revealed to her, forced on her brain, by some outside Power. â€Å"The Other Power,† she whispered, her blood freezing. â€Å"No, Elena.† The voice was not sound, in the same way that the vision was not light. It was quiet as star shine, and sad. It reminded her of something. â€Å"I've been waiting for you,† Honoria Fell's voice said softly. â€Å"Here I can speak to you at last in my own form, and not through Bonnie's lips. Listen to me. Your time is short, and the danger is very great.† Elena found her tongue. â€Å"But what is this room? Why did you bring us here?† â€Å"You asked me to. I couldn't show you until you asked. This is your battleground.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"This crypt was built for me by the people of Fell's Church. A resting place for my body. A secret place for one who had secret powers in life. Like Bonnie, I knew things no one else could know. I saw things no one else could see.† â€Å"You were psychic,† Bonnie whispered huskily. â€Å"In those days, they called it witchery. But I never used my powers for harm, and when I died they built me this monument so that my husband and I could lie in peace. But then, after many years, our peace was disturbed.† The eldritch light ebbed and flowed, Honoria's form wavering. â€Å"Another Power came to Fell's Church, full of hatred and destruction. It defiled my resting place and scattered my bones. It made its home here. It went out to work evil against my town. I woke. â€Å"I have tried to warn you against it from the beginning, Elena. It lives here below the graveyard. It has been waiting for you, watching you. Sometimes in the form of an owl-â€Å" An owl. Elena's mind raced ahead. An owl, like the owl she had seen nesting in the belfry of the church. Like the owl that had been in the barn, like the owl in the black locust tree by her house. White owl†¦ hunting bird†¦ flesh eater†¦ she thought. And then she remembered great white wings that seemed to stretch to the horizon on either side. A great bird made of mist or snow, coming after her, focused on her, full of bloodlust and animal hate†¦ â€Å"No!† she cried, memory engulfing her. She felt Stefan's hands on her shoulders, his fingers digging in almost painfully. It brought her back to reality. Honoria Fell was still speaking. â€Å"And you, Stefan, it has been watching you. It hated you before it hated Elena. It has been tormenting you and playing with you like a cat with a mouse. It hates those you love. It is full of poisoned love itself.† Elena looked involuntarily behind her. She saw Meredith, Alaric, and Matt standing frozen. Bonnie and Stefan were next to her. But Damon†¦ where was Damon? â€Å"The Snow Dance!† Meredith said sharply. â€Å"Yes. And this time they will kill until the last of them is killed.† â€Å"We have to warn those people,† Matt said. â€Å"Everyone at that dance-â€Å" â€Å"You will never be safe until the mind that controls them is destroyed. The killing will go on. You must destroy the Power that hates; that is why I have brought you here.† There was another flux in the light; it seemed to be receding. â€Å"You have the courage, if you can find it. Be strong. This is the only help I can give you.† â€Å"Wait-please-† Elena began. The voice continued relentlessly, taking no heed of her. â€Å"Bonnie, you have a choice. Your secret powers are a responsibility. They are also a gift, and one that can be taken away. Do you choose to relinquish them?† â€Å"I-† Bonnie shook her head, frightened. â€Å"I don't know. I need time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"There is no time. Choose.† The light was dwindling, caving in on itself. Bonnie's eyes were bewildered and uncertain as she searched Elena's face for help. â€Å"It's your choice,† Elena whispered. â€Å"You have to decide for yourself.† Slowly, the uncertainty left Bonnie's face, and she nodded. She stood away from Elena, without support, turning back to the light. â€Å"I'll keep them,† she said huskily. â€Å"I'll deal with them somehow. My grandmother did.† There was a flicker of something like amusement from the light. â€Å"You've chosen wisely. May you use them as well. This is the last time I will speak to you.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"I have earned my rest. The fight is yours.† And the glow faded, like the last embers of a dying fire. With it gone, Elena could feel the pressure all around her. Something was going to happen. Some crushing force was coming toward them, or hanging over them. â€Å"Stefan-â€Å" Stefan felt it too; she could tell. â€Å"Come on,† Bonnie said, her voice panicked. â€Å"We have to get out of here.† â€Å"We have to get to the dance,† Matt gasped. His face was white. â€Å"We have to help them-â€Å" â€Å"Fire,† cried Bonnie, looking startled, as if the thought had just come to her. â€Å"Fire won't kill them, but it will hold them off-â€Å" â€Å"Alaric.† Stefan spoke with the ring of command. â€Å"You go back. Take the others; do what you can. I'll stay-â€Å" â€Å"I think we all should leave!† Alaric shouted. He had to shout to be heard over the deafening noise surrounding them. His weaving flashlight showed Elena something she hadn't noticed before. In the wall next to her was a gaping hole, as if the stone facing had been ripped away. And beyond was a tunnel into the raw earth, black and endless. Where does it go? Elena wondered, but the thought was lost among the tumult of her fear. White owl†¦ hunting bird†¦ flesh eater†¦ crow, she thought, and suddenly she knew with blinding clarity what she was afraid of. â€Å"Where's Damon?† she screamed, dragging Stefan around as she turned, looking. â€Å"Where's Damon?† â€Å"Get out!† cried Bonnie, her voice shrill with terror. She threw herself toward the gate just as the sound split the darkness. It was a snarl, but not a dog's snarl. It could never be mistaken for that. It was so much deeper, heavier, more resonant. It was a huge sound, and it reeked of the jungle, of the hunting bloodlust. It reverberated in Elena's chest, jarred her bones. It paralyzed her. The sound came again, hungry and savage, but somehow almost lazy. That confident. And with it came heavy footfalls from the tunnel. Bonnie was trying to scream, making only a thin whistling sound. In the blackness of the tunnel, something was coming. A shape that moved with a rangy feline swing. Elena recognized the snarl now. It was the sound of the largest of the hunting cats, larger than a lion. The tiger's eyes showed yellow as it reached the end of the tunnel. And then everything happened at once. Elena felt Stefan try to pull her backward to get her out of the way. But her own petrified muscles were a hindrance to him, and she knew that it was too late. The tiger's leap was grace itself, powerful muscles launching it into the air. In that instant, she saw it as if caught in the light of a flashbulb, and her mind noted the lean shining flanks and the supple backbone. But her voice screamed out on its own. â€Å"Damon, no!† It was only as the black wolf sprang out of the darkness to meet it that she realized the tiger was white. The great cat's rush was thrown off by the wolf, and Elena felt Stefan wrench her out of the way, pulling her sideways to safety. Her muscles had melted like snowflakes, and she yielded numbly as he put her against the wall. The lid of the tomb was between her and the snarling white shape now, but the gate was on the other side of the fight. It was an impossible match. The black wolf, vicious and aggressive though it might be, didn't stand a chance. One swipe of the tiger's huge claws laid the wolf's shoulder open to the bone. Its jaws snarled open as it tried to get a bone-cracking grip on the wolf's neck. But then Stefan was there, training the blaze of the flashlight into the cat's eyes, thrusting the wounded wolf out of the way. Elena wished she could scream, wished she could do something to release this rushing ache inside her. She didn't understand; she didn't understand anything. Stefan was in danger. But she couldn't move. â€Å"Get out!† Stefan was shouting to the others. â€Å"Do it now; get out!† Faster than any human, he darted out of the way of a white paw, keeping the light in the tiger's eyes. Meredith was on the other side of the gate now. Matt was half carrying and half dragging Bonnie. Alaric was through. The tiger lunged and the gate crashed shut. Stefan fell to the side, slipping as he tried to scramble up again. â€Å"We won't leave you-† Alaric cried. â€Å"Go!† shouted Stefan. â€Å"Get to the dance; do what you can! Go!† The wolf was attacking again, despite the bleeding wounds in its head, and its shoulder where muscle and tendon lay exposed and shining. The tiger fought back. The animal sounds rose to a volume that Elena couldn't stand. Meredith and the others were gone; Alaric's flashlight had disappeared. â€Å"Stefan!† she screamed, seeing him poised to jump into the fight again. If he died, she would die, too. And if she had to die, she wanted it to be with him. The paralysis left her, and she stumbled toward him, sobbing, reaching out to clutch him tightly. She felt his arm around her as he held her with his body between her and the noise and violence. But she was stubborn, as stubborn as he was. She twisted, and then they faced it together. The wolf was down. It was lying on its back, and although its fur was too dark to show the blood, a red pool gathered beneath it. The white cat stood above it, jaws gaping inches from the vulnerable black throat. But the death-dealing bite to the neck didn't come. Instead the tiger raised its head to look at Stefan and Elena. But the death-dealing bite to the neck didn't come. Instead the tiger raised its head to look at Stefan and Elena. The whiskers were straight and slender, like silver wires. Its fur was pure white, striped with faint marks like unburnished gold. White and gold, she thought, remembering the owl in the barn. And that stirred another memory†¦ of something she'd seen†¦ or something she'd heard about†¦ With a heavy swipe, the cat sent the flashlight flying out of Stefan's hand. Elena heard him hiss in pain, but she could no longer see anything in the blackness. Where there was no light at all, even a hunter was blind. Clinging to him, she waited for the pain of the killing blow. But suddenly her head was reeling; it was full of gray and spinning fog and she couldn't hold on to Stefan. She couldn't think; she couldn't speak. The floor seemed to be dropping away from her. Dimly, she realized that Power was being used against her, that it was overwhelming her mind. She felt Stefan's body giving, slumping, falling away from her, and she could no longer resist the fog. She fell forever and never knew when she hit the ground.

Different Groups of Teachers

Teaching is an important profession. â€Å"We will always need teachers. † (Waln) This is why I am interested in the career of secondary education. To be there to teach the upcoming generations and those that will be following behind us. It is important that we continue to teach the children so that they will be able to take over as the leaders of our country. Teachers are divided into different groups. The first group is the Elementary Teachers. Elementary Teachers usually teach one class of children at a certain grade level. These teachers teach all of the subject areas. Therefore they need to be knowledgeable in all subject areas. The next group of teachers is the Secondary Education Teachers. Secondary Education Teachers usually teach five or six classes of students a day, however, they only teach one subject area. Having the teacher teach in one subject area and not many different areas allows the teacher to learn more about that area and this allows the students to learn more in depth about the subject. The last group of teachers is the Special Education Teachers. These teachers work with both Elementary and Secondary students. They help the students in all subject areas, but mainly in Math and Language Arts. Special Education Teachers also work with students that have disabilities ranging from mild to severe. The group of teachers that I would like to be in is the Secondary Education group. I am interested in teaching Business. The working conditions of teachers varies depending on where they are employed. Most districts have a schedule where the teachers teach for nine months and have three months off in the summer. In other districts, teachers teach all year around with a schedule of working eight weeks and then having a week off. They would also have a five week mid-winter break. In most states there is a Tenure Law. The Tenure Law prevents teachers from being fired without just cause and due process. Teachers normally have to teach in one district for three years before they gain tenure. Teachers usually put in more than forty hours a week. Along with the teaching time in the classroom, teachers put in many hours after class and at home doing correcting and lesson plans. Teachers also put in a lot of time with different committee meetings and staff meetings that they need to attend. Some teachers can feel isolated from their colleagues at work. This comes from being in a classroom of students all day and not really getting a chance to see anyone else in the building. There are some schools, however, where the environment is very informal. In these schools, teachers get a chance to see and talk to other teachers throughout the day. This helps to build the morale of the teachers. Teachers also work with students from many different backgrounds and cultures. Teachers need to be aware of these backgrounds and cultures so they can better help the students. A person needs to be licensed to certified to be a teacher unless he/she works for a private school. The license or certification is usually granted by the State Board of Instruction or the Office of Public Instruction. Certification for teachers is from K-8 for Elementary and 6-12 Secondary. Requirements for certification vary from state to state. The one requirement that all states require is that teachers have a Bachelor†s Degree and the completion of an approved teacher training program. The outlook for teachers varies by geographic area and subject specialty. The overall employment is expected to increase for all occupations through the year 2008. The funding of the school by the state is another factor on the teacher job growth. Teacher†s wages range from $19,710 to $70,030 a year. The average starting salary for a teacher with a Bachelor†s Degree and no experience is $25,700. The average wage for teachers is $39,300 a year. Private school teachers usually get paid less than public school teachers. In many schools, teachers receive extra pay for coaching sports or working with extra-curricular activities and clubs. Teachers earn extra money by working during the summer at other jobs. The teaching profession is an important profession. The world will always need teachers to teach it†s children. Teachers need to go through a training program which usually consists of four years in college and doing student teaching. Teachers need to be certified by the state in which they are teaching in. Teachers can make a lot money or not so much money depending on what geographic area they are in. Teachers, however, do not go into teaching for the money. Teacher become teachers because they like working with children and they like watching the children grow and learn.

Film review on the 3 idiots Essay

Farhan qureshi and raju rastogi want to re-unite with their fellow collegian, rancho, after faking a stroke aboard an air india plane, and excusing himself from his wife – trouser less – respectively. Enroute, they encounter another student, chatur ramalingam, now a successful businessman, who reminds them of a bet they had undertaken 10 years ago. The trio, while recollecting hilarious antics, including their run-ins with the dean of delhi’s imperial college of engineering, viru sahastrabudhe, race to locate rancho, at his last known address – little knowing the secret that was kept from them all this time. Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1187043/plotsummary F. Criticize on the following I. Story and theme It has a great story of different students; raju wants to uplift his family fortunes. Rancho is a wealthy genius who studies for the sheer joy of it. Farhan wants to become a wildlife photographer, but has joined engineering college to fulfil his father’s wish. They all lived their college years to the fullest even though there are a lot of troubles happening to them. They helped each other in their own lives as well as their other dreams in life. Ii. Screenplay It has a nice script, a typical college life mostly students experience. There are a lot of troubles that they need to solve and they are together as one. Through all their sorrows and happiness they stayed on each other’s side. All praises to the screenplay writer because it was a very hilarious movie that everyone will enjoy watching it.Iii. Direction The direction was good, because there a lot happening in one sequence and the director managed to do everything he can to direct everyone else who was part of the film. Especially the dance numbers done by the students, it takes lots of patience in doing such for a film. Iv. Cinematography The cinematography is good, they featured a lot of great sights and locations. Although, i’m not sure where those locations are. (probably in india) it featured some really great shots of buildings and landscapes. And from what i read, the set that they used for the engineering school is really small. The way they shot the movie made it big. That is a really great factor. V. Editing The editing had a few issues with continuity. The movie was two hours and forty minutes long. We are not sure if that is the director’s cut we watched or if the movie was really that long. According to people who have seen the movie, it is really long. Nevertheless, they managed to squeeze all the important elements of the movie well. One of our favorite parts is when the scene is set at raju’s family’s house. The screen would change into black and white since the narrator described their house to be a perfect setting for a family who is struggling in a drama movie. A father who is sick, a mother who has no job and a sister who cannot be wed- definitely black and white. Vi. Acting Very convincing indeed, especially during the scenes wherein they needed to cry. This movie is very wholesome, because there was not a lot of sexual things going on. The setting is in a university and from our past experiences whenever we watch movies like these, there would be a lot of sexy girls trying to seduce the guys. In this movie’s case, the only â€Å"sexual† instances that we saw was when chatur tried to disrupt the concentration of the students who were studying the night before their exams by slipping â€Å"erotic magazines† inside each dormitory. And another instance was when pia was drunk and she went to the â€Å"3 idiots† dormitory. But nothing happened, no one took advantage of her sexually. Overall, their acting is very believable and they portrayed their characters well. Vii. Dialogues Viii. Soundtrack Ix. Visual effects X. Costume and make-up G. Additional notes to consider I. Any interesting facts about the ‘making of the film’ The college and the hostel scenes were filmed at indian institute of management, bangalore, although the fictional â€Å"imperical college of engineering† depicted in the movie is situated in the city of delhi. The ragging scenes were shot in the girl’s dormitory and the resident girls saw the whole scene (not shown). The actors admitted feeling uncomfortable while getting undressed to their underwear in front of them and getting their buttocks stamped. Aamir khan’s character rancho says in the movie that people study engineering, then management, and then become bankers, so what is the whole point of studying engineering. This is exactly what chetan bhagat (the author of ‘five point someone’, the book from which the movie has been adapted) did. He studied engineering from iit, management from iim, and became a banker. While shooting the drunk scene, aamir suggested that they get really drunk and that happened on the shoot which resulted in numerous retakes and the stock of camera roll got over and the unit had to go to another shoot in bangalore (where the film was shot) to get roll. Ii. Budget and box-office performance Iii. Awards and honors Iv. Social, political, and/or historical context for the film, controversies and issues A controversy developed a few days after the release, however, over the fact that chetan’s credit, â€Å"based on the novel five point someone by chetan bhagat† appeared in the closing credits rather than in the opening ones. At that time, bhagat stated that he â€Å"was expecting an opening credit and i was quite surprised on not seeing it. They had bought the rights, made the payment and committed to a credit in the contract. It’s there, but it’s not about it being there, it’s about the placement and the prominence.† in a 31 december 2009 blog post on his personal website, bhagat stated that he was told the movie was only 2–5% based on the book, but when he saw it, he felt that it was 70% of the book. He also argued that he was misled by the makers of the film, though he noted, that â€Å"this has nothing to do with mr. Arpit godha i am a big fan of aamir and he has made my story reach people. However, he was told by the makers not to read the book, and he hasn’t. Thus, he cannot comment on the issue in a meaningful manner.† V. What others have said about the film? From http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1187043/reviews – aamir does it again. What a movie .from start to the end, hilarious moments.screenplay is fantastic. Full on comedy and yet it never looses its heart. Aamir pulls off a 22 year old character with brilliance. Never for once you feel you are watching aamir .it was rancho on screen. Sharman n madhavan – i bow down to them. Music looks ok on cd but during movie it worked as a plus point. Situational tracks works in the favour of film. Runtime may sound a bit too much but believe me, you wont know when the first half is over. Second half may seem a bit too hilarious but apart from that its a masterpiece. Gr8 aamir ,another brilliant movie. – rajkumar hirani†¦ The name is enough to create an excitement in any cinema-fan alive. Munnabhai series have been awesome films, and his latest offering ‘3 idiots’ is another masterstroke from this genius. I have no idea how 5-point-someone is, all i know is that ‘3 idiots’ is an amazing/awesome/inspiring film. A treat of a film! A film that is rich in emotions, a film that leaves behind a great moral. The youth are sure to worship this film, and that will make this film a blockbuster. Cancel anything you’re planning to do till the 31st, watch ‘3 idiots’, it’s worth your time and money. Hirani and joshi’s script is simply superb. Through humor how many rights and wrongs are said. I really loved the way hirani showed us sharman’s family. A typical 1950’s family, it’s hilarious as well as genius. The film has superb performances: aamir is fantastic as funsok wang do. He’s a delight every time he appears on screen and delivers his careers finest work. Maddy excels, he’s astounding in the sequence when he shares his heart with his father. Sharman joshi is good, yet again. Omi is a masterstroke. A surprise packet, his speech sequence is sure to be remembered forever! Kareena is weak. Boman irani is mind-blowing as the vicious head. He leaves you speechless in the scene when he awards aamir the pen. Mona is average. The music is decent, with ‘all izz well’ being a complete chart-buster. The cinematography is perfect. All other departments are satisfactory. – thankfully i drank coffee during the movie but ran out of m&m chocolates and was desperate to pass the time quickly. To me a movie is an escapism from reality. I want to be thrilled and entertained. But ‘3 idiots’ was reminding me of the reality and stating the obvious philosophies. It was predictable. Everything was so nice and cheesy. Oh hug me i hug you bullshits repeated over and over again. I love nice people and nice things happening but thats in reality. In the movie i wanted something different. End of the day, i had a sense of accomplishment for sitting through the entire movie. H. Values and relevance – never try to be successful, pursue excellence – freedom to life, life is beautiful – passion leads to excellence – learning is very simple, never stop – life is management of emotions & no optimization of intelligence I. Overall analysis: The movie is very hilarious that you don’t want to miss any single sequence of it. It was such a nice movie recommended especially to students because they will learn a lot. The movie is fit for college students. It only shows that no matter where you come from, as long as you love your craft. You will be able to finish what you started.