Viking Ruins Sites of the Ancient Norse

Imagine The First Day Of High School Classes. The Beginning

Imagine the first day of high school classes. The beginning of a new chapter, brimming with possibility and opportunity. One student looks at their schedule, created by their high school guidance staff with the help of the interest inventory collected on the last day of middle school. Success! Geology, Geometry - everything that student needs to move forward towards college. Another student, whose high school uses an automated scheduling software, looks with dismay. This student struggles with math. However, the schedule placed the student in college-preparatory math that lies beyond their* knowledge base. Because the counseling office appointments are full, they are not able to see their counselor until the drop date for classes has†¦show more content†¦Many students do not have access to mental health services outside of school, and thus they rely on these support services during their school day. Automation of these services would inhibit student access to these services, as digital scheduling and appointments would tightly bind counselors to schedules, limiting the amount of time for unscheduled appointments and student emergencies. Because guidance counselors also serve as class advisors, they need daytime access to students so they are better able to create an action plan for high school and college. Because college admissions are increasingly competitive, guidance counselors personally serve the students and parents of their community by providing personalized recommendations for each student. In El Segundo, CA, for example, the guidance counselors hold parent workshops so parents can better understand how to help their students as they apply to college. They also hold workshops for students to help tailor their life experience into a successful college application. Over their years of experience and personal relationships that have developed over the students’ years in high school, they can connect on a deeply personal level to create th e best possible opportunity for the student. Automating this opportunity removes the personalization from this experience, disconnecting students from their education. A computer or scheduling software cannot tailor schedules to best fitShow MoreRelatedWho Has Influenced Me?908 Words   |  4 Pagesthis career path, it has made me want to achieve this goal even more. Watching the successful people in my family has greatly impacted my views on school and how I will approach it. Its time to buckle down and start studying. 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Sengupta Fibres Ltd Case Study Solution on Business Plan

Question: Write a short note onSengupta Fibres Ltd. company. Answer: Sengupta Fibres Ltd. is an Indian company, which use to manufacture and supply nylon yarns to the various textile mills. Presently, it has been discovered that the company is running out of cash funds. Moreover, All-India Bank Trust Company, who used to provide funds to the company in terms of short-term loans, has also decline to provide further credits due to failing in timely repayments of the loans. The financial projection plan, prepared by the bookkeeper of the company, for further continuation of the credit facility is not up to mark. The management requires a proper justified planning, that can able to earn more profit for the company and help the company to satisfy the bank for credit extension. Current situation of the company:- In the recent times Sengupta Fibres Ltd. has faced several problems related to meet the timely demand by the customers. The tax inspector responsible for clearing of the trucks restricted the clearing of the trucks stationed at warehouse due to the nonpayment of the tax by the company. The company needed to make the full payment in cash, but the bookkeeper noticed that the company had already overdrawn its bank account. This problem was becoming very frequent and as the truck drivers were independent contractors, they refused to wait for the entire procedure to complete, which was made between the company and the government authorities. The rising problem relating to the availability of the liquid cash by the company raised further questions by All India Bank Trust company who requested Mrs. Sharma to have an appointment and discuss about regaining of the liquidity positioning of the firm. According to Mrs. Sharma, the cash problem was very usual to occur for a profit making company like Sengupta Fibres Ltd (DeYoung et al.,2015). Rationale for shortage of cash:- The main amount of the companys demand for the fibers is affected due to seasonal fluctuations. The main units of demand for the fiber products are caused in the diwali festival due to the rise in the demand of the nylon textiles in the late summer and early winter. The main fluctuation in the price of the company is observed mainly because of the competition among the suppliers mainly observed among the textile weaving mills to these merchants and various changes in then prices are observed by the credit that the mills grant to the various type of the merchants. The yarn manufacturers of the company responsive for the business of the mills through various type of service and credit. It was observed that the suppliers of the firm were provided with little credit to support their operations in the textile industry. It was also observed that the lean profit margin of the company led to the overproduction of the fiber material and this led to the overstocking of the fiber materials. Thi s led to increased carrying cost of the company especially in the slack selling season of the company. The company had further observed a seasonal production plan which meant that the it would be operational at the highest capacity of the firm for a period of three months, this decision by the company led to several layoffs and employee retrenchment by the company. In order to ensure eth prompt service by the company the company ensured to hire two distributional warehouses which would help the company in reaching to the yarn units at a quick pace. But the problem was prevalent due to the narrowing down of the roads and slowing down of the traffic. This in turn increased the waiting time of the company and led to higher holding costs in the warehouse area if the delivery zone. Base on the several, type of the financial, projection it was observed that the company had a steady collection of the sales with an increase by 40 percent. The value of the raw material by the company showed a total of 55 percent of the total value if the sales expectation which was to be made two months later. The cash balance observed by the company was observed to be Rs. 640000 and the company took credit support from All India Bank Trust company. Although company was known for maintaining an adequate amount of the cash balance at the bank but the company significantly lacked in the maintaining the finances with an increasing inflation and the interest rate was further predicted to increase in the coming year (Moro Fink, 2013). This led to the companys decision for clearing of the credit line which needed to be cleared for minimum of thirty days every year. It was further observed that the clean up month for the company was in the October but the company had failed to make the full payment on time. The company took several amount of credit from then bank in order to suffice its various requirements arising out of the overdrawing of the accounts (Zeidan et al., 2015). Consequence for the company:- The repercussion of the less availability of the liquid finance of the company has already showed its impact in making the payment to the tax inspector for the clearance of the trucks. Thus this situation of the company will further lead to labor unrest and the companys stability of the operational side will face lot of challenges from the external forces caused due to the labor. The lower amount of liquid cash with the company will further lead to issues in making of the payment to the vendors on time. It has been observed that the company has taken several financial help from the bank. Due to these debts of the company will keep on increasing and it starts to lose its financial edge gained from the previous years (Arping, 2014). The forecast plan has been prepared on the basis of general assumptions. As per the forecast, prepared by Mr.Ashok, the gross sale is expected to increase by 19.75% from the last year. The actual sales of 1989 had increased by 17.65% from 1988. Therefore, the forecasted growth rate is quite satisfactory. From deeper analysis, it has been observed that there are many flaws in the forecast plan of Mr.Ashok. The forecast plan includes many miscalculations and improper estimations. Along with that, the historical records are also showing inaccurate financial figures. The net profits of 1988 and 1989 are shown at higher value than the actual figures as the depreciation shown in the historical income statements are not deducted from the gross profits. The expected net profit for 1990 is also wrongly calculated. The corrected values are shown in the following table:- From the figures, shown in the table, it can be stated that the historical and forecasted income statements, prepared by Mr.Ashok, was exhibiting inflated profits. As per the table, the company had earned 31.04% lesser profit in 1989 in comparison to 1988 and expected to earn further 53.05% lesser profit in 1990 from 1989. The major costs, such as purchase, wages, operating e xpenses etc., are calculated and forecasted on the basis of the sales volume. But it has been noticed that the monthly sales projection, provided by Mr. Ashok, is not proper. The growth rate of the monthly projected sales volume in comparison to the actual monthly sales of the last year is given below:-Month Actual Sales 1989 Forecasted Sales 1990 Change in Sales The table depicts that Mr.Ashok has calculated the sales volume for the seasonal period at 15% growth rate, which is quite lower than the growth rates charged for the other periods. Generally, it is expected that the seasonal products will be sold at higher growth rates than the lean seasons. But, Mr.Ashok has projected that the increase in the sales volume on seasonal period will be lesser than that of at the lean seasons. If the projection would be made as per general norms, then the projection report will show higher sales volumes. In that case, the company will have some chance to represent a reasonable financial plan t o the lending officers. The growth rates of the incomes expenses are shown below by analyzing the revised statement horizontally in the following table:-Horizontal Analysis of Income Statement The real matter of concern for the company as per the forecast plan is the profit margins. The forecast plan shows that the company had increased its gross profit by 2.94% on 1989. But in the year 1990, the gross profit is forecasted to go down by 3.34% from the actual gross profit of the previous year. Last year, the net profit had reduced by 31.04%, whereas, in the coming year, it is expected to reduce by 53.05%. The vertical analysis of the income statement is shown below:-Vertical Analysis of Income Statement The above chart depicts that the current assets have increased by 40.62%, whereas, the current liabilities have increased by 219.68%, Such high increase in the current liabilities has caused the liquidity position to fall drastically. Moreover, the accounts receivable and inventory have increased significantly, but the cash balance has fallen down, which has led the company to suffer from shortage of cash funds. Moreover, the owners equity has also reduced as the company has to spent the capital funds more for the operating activities due to shortage of working capital. The above analysis shows that the proportion of cash fund has decreased, whereas the shares of accounts receivable and inventory have enhanced quite significantly. The most significant change has been occurred in terms of notes to bank, which has increased to 23.50% from 5.14%. To match with the high increase of notes to bank, the net plant, the owners equity has decreased almost by 20%, which is not desirable at all. It is quite evident from the forecast plan that the company has to decrease its costs and increase its sales volume significantly to repay its bank loans fully. It is only possible if the company give more focus on its working capital and cash flow structure. Alternatives for Action:- As discussed above, the main issue of Sengupta Fibres Ltd. is the shortage of liquid fund. In addition to that, the company is also suffering from lower profit margins and expected to maintain the downward trend in the coming year too. Therefore, Mrs. Sharma should to adopt some strategic plans that can help her to increase the profit margins and the cash fund of the company. The alternative actions, which can solve the issues of the company, are discussed below:-1) The management should revise its sales projections properly. Then the management will have an overview about how much cash inflow it can generate from its operational activities.2) The company should improve the rate of working capital circulation. For such actions, it has to make the credit collection period shorter and increase the inventory turnover ratio so that its other current assets will convert into cash faster. Then the company does not have to depend on the short-term debts too much for its operating activitie s. For the process, the management may provide discount to the customers or may re-structure the credit terms. It can also introduce new marketing strategies, which can increase the sales and rotate the working capital faster.3) The management should reduce the cash outflows as much as possible to increase the net cash funds. To reduce the cash outflows, the company should reduce its costs and negotiate with its suppliers for further discounts and also decrease the probability of accidental costs with better operational control.4) The company use to pay dividend quarterly. It can use some part of dividends for repayment of the short-term debts. Sengupta Fibres Ltd. is basically a family business. Therefore, due to lower payment of dividends, the company will not have to face any type of adverse reactions from its shareholders. Impacts of the Operating Proposals:- The management of Sengupta Fibres Ltd. may consider the four operating proposals for improving its current financial positions. The proposals may create some positive impact for the company, which are discussed below:-1) Pondicherry Textiles is one of the largest purchasers of the company. Therefore, the company should consider its proposal for increasing the credit terms to 80 days. Thus, the company will be able to earn good amount of sales revenue from the company on quarterly basis.2) The proposal for reducing the raw-material inventory requirement from 60 days to 30 days will be very effective to lower down carrying cost of the company. But it should be noted that the requirement for raw-material is greatly dependent on the sales volume. Moreover, it will increase the amount of monthly cash outflow also. Hence, before implementing the proposal, the company should evaluate the outcomes of the proposal in terms of sales volume and net cash flows.3) The proposal for pellets should also be evaluated in terms of sales volume. The new proposal will reduce the inventory of pellets and help to increase the production rate. But unless, the increase in production will cause increase in sales, the proposal will not be effective too much.4) The proposal from the operation manager regarding the stable workforce and level production can be proved very effective for the company. With the stable workforce, the company will have to incur lesser amount on training. Moreover, it will also increase the efficiency of the workers and increase both the quantity and quality of the production. Level production will reduce the rate of equipment breakdown and thus, it can provide uninterrupted production flow, especially, in the seasonal periods. In order to bring the companys credit position to a stable position the bank and various other financial institutions has a crucial role to play. As the business is mainly in a country like India the bank has several instruments to offer t o Sengupta Fibres Ltd (Ongena Schindele, 2016). Some of the low risk investment options for the company in the bank include: Provision for higher free cash flow (FCF): Free cash flow or FCF is the amount obtained after subtracting capital expenditures from the operating cash flow. Hence it is the amount of liquid money which the company has always available in the bank at any given time. Sengupta Fibres Ltd. needs to determine the availability of this amount on daily basis as it is required for proper running of the business activities. The company needs to rely on the bookkeeper to keep Mrs. Sharma informed about the availability of free cash. In other to maintain higher provision for free cash flow the company may restrict itself from future investment activities such as technology upgrades, buying of new office furniture, renting of additional warehouse etc (Park Jang, 2013) Maintaining higher Working Capital: The present problems faced by the company are most related to meetin g the short term obligations of financing and making payment for clearing of the goods from the warehouse. The company needs to allocate higher proportion of the funds into the working capital of the business. This will lead to having more amounts of liquid funds to meet the short term requirements of the business. This amount is the obtained after subtracting current liabilities from current assets. It can be further observed that at present the company is maintaining an average working capital of Rs. 2656276 in the month of January, Rs. 2585549 for the month of February, Rs. 1838780 for the month of March. It can be further said that the companies average working capital ratio is around 2.19, which is fairly good. There allocation of the liquid funds needs to done in accordance with the usage of funds to meet the daily requirements. If Sengupta fibres is able to increase its liquid funds then the working capital will significantly improve and it will be able to pay off its short t erm operational costs with ease. (Baos-Caballero et. al., 2014). Maintaining higher liquidity ratio- It is important for the company to maintain a higher level of the liquid assets in order meet the daily operational requirements and avoid delay in making payment of the clearing services. This will ensure that the company is able to achieve a greater financial stability and customer retention by making timely delivery of the products. The company needs to make sure that it has adequate amount of the funds available inform of cash and bank balance. It has been observed that the main cause of the present disputer is due to the labor unrest and non compliance of the clearance formalities with the tax inspector. In order to improve the present situation of the company need to make sure that it has adequate amount of the liquid fund available to meet the daily operational requirements (van den End Kruidhof, 2013). Debt/ Equity Ratio- The Company need to further ensure that it is able t o maintain a lower amount of the debt equity ratio for the purpose of improving its financial stability. The lower is the amount of the debt equity ratio the better it is for the company to regain the financial position. The company can do so by improving the shareholders value and paying off the credits financed by the bank in time, the various types of the aforementioned investment options will ensure that Sengupta Fibres Ltd. is able to achieve a better financial position and have more source of income to pay off its debts with the bank. This will ensure a higher credit rating and the company will able to take further financial assistance in future (Said, 2013). Maintaining higher amount of acid test ratio: The Company needs to make sure that it has adequate amount to use near cash to extinguish to pay off its current liabilities on an immediate basis. The company needs to maintain quick ratio amount more than 1 to ensure that it is fully able to pay off its existing liabilities. The ratio is similar to current ratio except the company needs to exclude the value of inventories. Higher is the acid test ratio, better it is for the company (Yu et al., 2014).Davies and Merin have discussed in details about the importance of working capital for the business organizations in their research work Uncovering Cash and insights from working capital. The report has incorporated their views and analysis to solve the current financial issues of Sengupta Fibres Ltd. In the report, it has been shown that the companies can earn high revenues and profits by circulating its working capital effectively. The report has described how a proper working capital structure can help the business firm to generate debt financing. Finally, it has suggested some methods through which the management of Sengupta Fibres Ltd. can improve their working capital structure and convince the bank for continuing the credit financing. Criteria for Securing Credit from Banks:- The banks use to provide loans on the basis of various financial aspects of a company. It has been noted that most of financial factors leads to a single perspective - the financial strength of the company to repay the loan along with the interest. Banks use to provide loan for generating income so that they can pay interest to the accountholders. Like the profit-seeking institutions, they also want to secure their future income. Therefore, they always check the financial capability of the borrowers (Schwaab et al., 2015). The financial capability of any firm is used to be measured from its financial statements and its future projection plans. The financial strength of a company can be evaluated by its net income over periods and the amount of assets and liabilities, used to be owned by the company. It should be noted that the financial statements can provide the financial strength of a company but do not ensure about the payment capability of the company (Agha, 2014). Along with the principal amount, the bank also wants that the borrowers should have the capacity to pay the interest on time. It can be ensured by the working capital structure of the company. A company may show high amount of sales and profits in the income statements, but if it cannot convert the credit sales into cash properly, then it cannot repay its other expenses timely. Therefore, the banks use to check the cash flows of the company also to evaluate its working capital (Figlewski et al.,2012). Working Capital:- Working capital is defined as the excess current assets over the current liabilities. In reality, working capital is the amount of liquid fund, required by the organizations to continue its daily operations and meet its operating expenses. It is very necessary for the organizations to circulate its working capital effectively. If the working capital is not rotated properly, then the organizations have to meet its operation expenses from its reserves and retained earnings, which is not desirable for any firm at all (Baos-Caballero et al., 2014). According to Davies and Merin (2014), it has been observed that effective rotation of the working capital can be very helpful to increase the profit margin of the organization without increasing the sales volume or reducing its expenses. It helps the firm to reduce the amount of debt financing and cost of debts. Moreover, proper rotation of working capital can also reduce many unwanted costs, such as, material damage, spoilage, bad debts etc. (Monto, 2013). Importance of Working Capital for Debt Financing:- Adequate amount of working capital can not only help the firms to generate more cash flows and net profits, it can also ensure short term debts from the banks through other means also (Michalski, 2014). The firm can obtain debt financing through the sound working capital structure in the following ways:-1) The companies with high accounts receivables balance can obtain short-term loan by accounts receivable credit line. The credit lines can be extended with the increase in the receivable amount due to enhanced sales volume (Hoskin et al., 2014). 2) The banks use to provide inventory loans. This type of short-term loan is very much helpful for the producers of fully or partly seasonal products. Generally before the peak season, the producers use invest most of their funds in production and require additional funds in the peak season to continue its operations. They can obtain inventory loan on the basis of the inventories before the peak season to meet the additional requirement of fu nd at the time of peak season and easily pay the debts at the end of the season by selling the products (Foley et al., 2012).Apart from that adequate amount of working capital can help the organizations by the following means also:-Sound working capital cycle maintains the solvency of the firm. Negative working capital may lead the firm to bankruptcy (Baos-Caballero et al.,2012).By maintaining the working capital structure properly, the firm can be able to encash its credit sales quickly and also get the regular return on short-term investment (Abuzayed, 2012).By sufficient working capital, the firm use to get regular supply of raw material. Thus, it can maintain uninterrupted production system and deliver the finished products to the customers on time (Vlaovi-Begovi et al., 2013).With adequate working capital, the firms can pay its creditors properly and earn cash discounts from them. The firms, which use to enjoy these advantages by following proper working capital structure, are able to maintain high goodwill in the market. All these factors indicates that the firms have steady revenue generating capacity and also pays the creditors on regular basis (Jagongo Makori, 2013). Moreover, the firms, with amount of adequate working capital, can pay off its debt in crisis period also. Therefore, the banks use to prefer such firms more providing short-term credits (Lorange Datson, 2014). Issues in Sengupta Fibres Ltd.:- Sengupta Fibres Ltd. has been suffering greatly by the shortage of cash funds. The case study reveals that the company has been earning handsome amount of profits over the years. But still for cash payments, it has to depend on the debt financing. From the analysis of Davies and Merin (2014), it is cleared that the company is totally unable to convert its revenues into liquid cash. Further, the owner of the company use to pay the excess funds as dividends to the shareholders instead of retaining in the business or utilizing it to pay off the debts. The situation has become worse as the bank has declared that it will not provide any further cash support to the company as the company has failed to repay the debts on time. The bank will provide finance support only if the company can provide proper financial projection plan (Enqvist et al., 2014). Recommendation for Proper Working Capital Structure:- From the above discussion, it can be stated that to satisfy the requirement of the bank, the company should not only exhibit higher profits but also has to show proper working capital structure, which can ensure the bank about the repayment of short-term debts. For that, the company has to improve its working capital structure. The company should look out for a proper solution to develop a proper working capital cycle (Jain et al., 2013).The working capital cycle along with the factors of working capital are shown in the following chart:- It should be noted that all the factors are closely related with each other. Therefore, if any one of the factors is not taken care of properly, then the total structure will lose its effectiveness (Uremandu et al., 2012). From the case study, it can be stated that Sengupta Fibres Ltd. should give more importance to the following aspects to improve its better working capital cycle:- Inventory Management:- As shown in the chart, inventory or stock is one of the major factors of working capital. For an effective working capital, it is very necessary to maintain exact and proper quantity of raw materials inventory. The company should fix the safety stock level and re-ordering level of raw material (Akoto et al., 2013). The management has to ensure that the levels are maintained properly. Moreover, for finished goods inventory, the level of ordering should be maintain as per the monthly sales projection and it has to be ensured by the warehouses that the finished goods are cleared properly. Receivables Management:- Every business firm wishes to sell its product on cash basis. But practically it is not possible due to the trade policies and market trends. Sometimes the firms use to provide credit terms for increasing its sales (Michalski, 2012). The normal credit period of Sengupta Fibres Ltd. is 45 days. Hence, the company should collect 50% of the total sales revenue of a given month within the next month and the balance 50% in the 3rd month. But as per records of Mr.Ashok, the company use to collect 40% of the sales in the next month and 60% on the 3rd month. Therefore, the management should give more focus on the cash collections. It should ensure that all the sales amount of a certain month should be collected within the first 15 days of the 3rd month of sales. Otherwise the funds requirement for the operating activities would be increased. As the aftermath, it may eventually lead to cash crisis (Napompech, 2012). Cash Management:- Cash is the most important asset for any business firm. It is the most liquid form of asset. As a matter of fact, it can be noticed in financial statements of most of the company that the proportion of cash and cash equivalent assets use to be smaller than other assets. But, it is very essential for the regular operational activities. Therefore, the companies should use the cash asset more efficiently. One of the major problem of Sengupta Fibres Ltd. is the shortage of cash. Therefore, the management should prepare the cash budgets properly and tally it with the actual cash flow statement on regular basis (Al-Mwalla, 2012). Moreover, the company has to pay the excise duty at the time of departure of the goods. Being a statutory payment, the excise duty cannot be withhold for longer period unlike other regular payments. Therefore, the company more cash funding than the limit, set by the management. To solve the issue, the company has to lower down the cash outflows related to dividend payments, as it is the only cost, which is under the direct control of the management (Michalski, 2014). Reference List:- Abuzayed, B. (2012). Working capital management and firms' performance in emerging markets: the case of Jordan. International Journal of Managerial Finance, 8(2), 155-179Agha, H. (2014). Impact of working capital management on profitability.European Scientific Journal, 10(1)Akoto, R. K., Awunyo-Vitor, D., Angmor, P. L. (2013). Working capital management and profitability: Evidence from Ghanaian listed manufacturing firms. Journal of economics and International Finance, 5(9), 373Al-Mwalla, M. (2012). The impact of Working Capital Management Policies on firm's Profitability and Value: the case of Jordan. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, 85(4), 1450-2887Arping, S. (2014). Credit protection and lending relationships. Journal of Financial Stability, 10, 7-19Baos-Caballero, S., Garca-Teruel, P. J., Martnez-Solano, P. (2014). Working capital management, corporate performance, and financial constraints. Journal of Business Research, 67(3), 332-338Chen, J., Hong, H., Jiang, W., Kubik, J. D. (2013). Outsourcing mutual fund management: firm boundaries, incentives, and performance. The Journal of Finance, 68(2), 523-558DeYoung, R., Gron, A., Torna, G., Winton, A. (2015). Risk overhang and loan portfolio decisions: small business loan supply before and during the financial crisis. The Journal of Finance, 70(6), 2451-2488.Enqvist, J., Graham, M., Nikkinen, J. (2014). The impact of working capital management on firm profitability in different business cycles: Evidence from Finland. Research in International Business and Finance, 32, 36-49Figlewski, S., Frydman, H., Liang, W. (2012). Modeling the effect of macroeconomic factors on corporate default and credit rating transitions.International Review of Economics Finance, 21(1), 87-105Foley, C. F., Raman, A., Craig, N. C. (2012). Inventory-based lending industry note. Harvard Business School, Industry and Background NoteHoskin, R. E., Fizzell, M. R., Cherry, D. C. (2014). Financial accounting: a user perspective. Wiley Global EducationJagongo, A. O., Makori, D. M. (2013). Working Capital Management and Firm Profitability: Empirical Evidence from Manufacturing and Construction Firms Listed on Nairobi S ecurities Exchange, KenyaJain, P. K., Singh, S., Yadav, S. S. (2013). Working Capital Management. 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International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 3(3), 227Ongena, S., Schindele, I. (2016). In lands of foreign currency credit, bank lending channels run through?. Lands of Foreign Currency Credit, Bank Lending Channels Run ThroughSaid, H. B. (2013). Impact of ownership structure on debt equity ratio: A static and a dynamic analytical framework. International Business Research,6(6), 162Schwaab, B., Koopman, S. J., Lucas, A. (2015). Credit risk around the world: Inference on world, country and industry factorsUremandu, S., Ben-Caleb, E., Enyi, P. E. (2012). Working capital management, liquidity and Corporate profitability among quoted firms in Nigeria: Evidence from the Productive sector. International journal of academic resear ch in accounting, finance and management sciences, 2(1)van den End, J. W., Kruidhof, M. (2013). Modelling the liquidity ratio as macroprudential instrument. Journal of Banking Regulation, 14(2), 91-106.

Isles Glaciers The Hearts of Lonely People free essay sample

Ive always been a fan of alternative and scene music, including bands like Pierce the Veil, Underminded, Chiodos, and Emarosa. So when I heard that members from each of these groups were teaming up to create Isles Glaciers, I was beyond excited. Over a year later, â€Å"The Hearts of Lonely People† was released, and its absolutely incredible. Isles Glaciers has three distinct singers. Jonny Craig (of Emarosa) has a ridiculous amount of natural talent, and could probably pull off singing the Dora the Explorer theme song. Craig Owens (of Chiodos) has a high but powerful voice. Vic Fuentes (lead singer of Pierce the Veil, and my favorite) is passionate and unique. The trio manages to overlap, support, and showcase each others voices in a way that sounds right. Isles Glaciers uses a little (and I mean very little) screaming, which should not scare off listeners. The CD is incredibly soothing, something I never expected. We will write a custom essay sample on Isles Glaciers The Hearts of Lonely People or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Cemetery Weather† and â€Å"Viola Lion† are powerful but still relaxing. Since purchasing the CD, Ive blasted it in the car, fallen asleep to it, done homework with it, and sang it in the shower. It fits all activities. I dont know how they managed to create this equilibrium. On top of the multifunctional sound, the songs all have amazing lyrics. Whether Fuentes is singing â€Å"She can make the salt taste like sugar on her hands,† by himself or joining Owens in â€Å"She said ‘I love you but youre difficult / Words Ive heard so many times before but those words dont mean a thing / They never meant a thing before you,† the lyrics contain great meaning. After listening to â€Å"The Hearts of Lonely People,† Ive realized why they call collaborations like this â€Å"super groups.† The styles, influences, and sounds of each weave together to create a dynamic, awesome debut album. Check it out. You will not regret it.

Cerebral Palsy Essays - Disability, Neurological Disorders

Cerebral Palsy Essays - Disability, Neurological Disorders Cerebral Palsy Katherine Dillon Child Psychology Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a term used to describe disorders of movement that result from injury to the brain. It is a problem of muscle coordination. The muscles themselves are not effected but the brain is unable to send the appropriate signals necessary to instruct the muscles when to contract or relax. Cerebral Palsy can be caused by numerous problems occurring in the prenatal period, prematurity, labor and delivery complication in the newborn period due to genetic or chromosomal abnormality to the brain may not develop in the typical way. Some environmental factors such as drugs metabolic problems, and placental dysfunction may also lead to CP. Previously it was thought that most infants with cerebral palsy had brain injury because of difficulties during labor and delivery. Today only, a small portion of children who are later diagnosed to have Cp. had birth injuries or oxygen deprivation during delivery. There are three types of Cerebral Palsy. Spastic Cp. is the most common among children. Children with Spasticity will have tight or sometimes rigid muscles and are unable to move included limbs well. The imbalance and increased muscle tone may be slight and may appear as clumsiness. However this imbalance can also appear very severe so that the child in unable to move voluntarily with good control. Choreothetoid Cerebral Palsy is a term used when children have abrupt involuntary movements of the arm and legs. For people with this type of Cp. controlling the extremities to carry out activities is extremely difficult. Then there is mixed Cp. in which a person suffers a mixture of spacitiy and choreathetoid movement. Most Children with Cerebral Palsy can be diagnosed by the time they reach the age of eighteen months. Any predictions for an infant under 6 months are little better then guesses, and even for children younger then one it is difficult to predict the pattern of involvement. By the time the child is two years of age the physician can determine whether the child with Cp, has hemiplegia, dipelgia, or quadriplegia. It is worth saying that a child with Cerebral palsy does not stop doing activities once they have begun them. Such a loss of skills is called regression and that is not a characteristic of Cp. If regression occurs it is necessary to look for a different cause of the child's problem. In order for a child to be able to walk, some major events in motor control have to occur. A child must be able to hold his head up before he can sit on his own, and must be able to sit independently before he can walk on his own. It is generally assumed that if a child is not sitting up by himself b y the age 4 or walking by age 8, he will never be an independent walker. But a child who starts to walk by age 3 will certainly continue to walk when he is 13 years old unless he has a disorder other then Cp. The first questions usually asked by parents after they are told there child has cerebral palsy are What will my child be like? and Will he walk? When it comes to expectations and questions of what the future holds for a child with Cerebral Palsy, it is important to maintain a combination of optimism and realism. About one, half of all children with Cp. have seizures. A seizure is an abnormal message that may cause someone to loose control of his or her body. Children may take special medication to reduce their seizures. About one Fourth to one, half of kids with Cp. have some type of learning problem. It may be a learning disability or it may be more severe learning problem like mental retardation. Many children with Cp. may need ongoing therapy and devices such as wheelchair. Generally, 90% of children will live up to there 20's and beyond. However children with quadriplegia (affecting all 4 extremities) and severe mental retardation have a lower survival rate. Services for the school age child may include continuing therapy, regular or special education, counseling, technical support, community integration opportunities, recreation and possible personal attendants. An essential factor seems to be a supportive family. People are extensively

The Integration Of Psychology And Theology Research Paper Example

The Integration Of Psychology And Theology Research Paper Example The Integration Of Psychology And Theology Paper The Integration Of Psychology And Theology Paper The Integration Of Psychology And Theology Psychology and Christianity have been at odds for as long as they as they have coexisted. This book tries to explain how the two can be integrated and be able to work together. The authors, John D. Carter and Bruce Narrmore, go through several ways of combining these two ideas that seem so far apart, but are actually, in theory, connected. The first chapter is about the possibilities of integrating psychology and theology, and some of the misconceptions that some Christians have toward psychology. Psychology has become such a big force in the past decades that there is no way that Christians can just ignore it. The two choices that they are, is to either integrate the basic principles of psychology with our theology, or completely throw it away. Christians cannot do the latter because psychology is a science that explains how we as humans take things and how they affect us. Christians sometimes tend to go with the choice of completely throwing it out, but what they don?t realize is that the basic principles of psychology and the basic principles of the Bible do not disagree. It is the theories of these psychology, model, pg, think, two, way, version, secular, basic, against, christianity, because, principles, christians, christian, ways, truth, out, integrate, go, different, between, authors, about, understand, theology, several, role, need, integration, first, book, believe, assumption

What brought about the destruction of the Berlin Wall Research Proposal

What brought about the destruction of the Berlin Wall - Research Proposal Example (Joan) Former U.S Presidents, Eisenhower and Kennedy had the U.S credibility as their agenda. For them a failure at Berlin would imply disruption in the NATO supplies and fragile American influence in the region in particular West Germany; America’s key to ensure a balance of power in the region. Thus the Berlin Wall as many say was the â€Å"flash point† of the entire crisis. (Harrison) Berlin was the foundation of power in Europe after World War II. Soviet Union which had isolated itself after the war continued to be active across the borders. Several events across the world, related or unrelated constituted to be the main casualties of the Cold War. There were a lot of battle grounds that were kept in secret and away from public eye for decades while some other epicenters like the Berlin Crisis were under considerable public scrutiny. The whole crisis began when Soviet ordered that Nikita Khrushchev the main route to Berlin Airlift of the West be blocked. Tensions continued to rise and mount for some forty years after Germany lost in the Second World War The Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 in an attempt to prevent the crà ¨me da crà ¨me of East Germany from going to West Germany. It was built post World War II and inaugurated on the 16th August of the same year. The eastern sector of Berlin was under the control of the Soviet Union and the western sector under United States, France and Great Britain. Technically and officially East Germany also known as German Democratic Republic (GDR) was a communist state. It existed for around forty one years under Soviet control spanning it through the 1949-1990 eras. Soviet sector constituted all the major hubs including Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, and Lichtenberg; it was also the biggest o the spot and the whole idea was to prevent an imminent brain drain, departure of well educated talented elite from east Germany. It also aimed at keeping at bay various spy

Cr(VI) reduction by natural product Research Proposal

Cr(VI) reduction by natural product - Research Proposal Example A new strategy to reducing hexavalent chromium, which is safer and more efficient, is therefore necessary and this study seeks to investigate potential use of ascorbic acid as a better reducing agent for toxic hexavalent chromium. Experiments will be used to collect data on reduction kinetics. Different concentrations of ascorbic acid will be reacted with a controlled solution of hexavalent chromium, at room temperature and changes in hexavalent chromium concentration observed, for each concentration of ascorbic acid, over time. The modified diphenylcarbanize colorimeter method will be used determine concentration of the hexavalent chromium and the project will be completed by June 2015. Regional and national forums will be used for immediate dissemination of research findings while peer reviewed journals will be used for dissemination in the future. The proposed research will improve scientific understanding of hexavalent chromium reduction and reduce environmental effects of the ch emical element besides supporting other research interests at GGG CCC science

War is Ethically Wrong Essay Example for Free

War is Ethically Wrong Essay My thesis is that war is ethically wrong. My main argument goes as follows: Any action that kills an innocent person without their direct consent is ethically wrong; war kills innocent people without their direct consent. Therefore war is ethically wrong. The first premise of my main argument states that any action that kills an innocent person without their direct consent is ethically wrong. On average, many people would agree with this statement. To kill an innocent person for whatever reason would hold up as murder in a court of law. Yet, one might object to the part of the premise that states, direct consent. This leaves room to debate the questionable subject of euthanasia. By one giving direct consent to someone else to terminate their life, would, according to the premise be acceptable. Though euthanasia is not the subject of this paper it is important to understand that direct consent of the individual is essential to establish the unethical grounds of war. If direct consent to die was given by all innocent people in times of war then there would be no moral issue to discuss. Accordingly, imposing ones will, though the intentions may be good, is second-rate to the right of the individual to give direct consent in matters concerning their life. My second premise states that war kills innocent people without their direct consent. History has been a great teacher in proving to us that innocent people die in times of war. Yet, one could even argue that the soldiers in the war are considered innocent people and do not necessarily give their direct consent to be killed. This may sound ludicrous since often times a soldier goes into the military on his or her own free will. Yet, when the soldier signs up he or she never sends a letter or calls the enemy and states that the enemy has their direct consent to kill them. This is absolute nonsense. It is only indirectly that death comes about. It is never by choice or desire. When a soldier enlists he or she signs up to fight for the cause of there country, they did not sign up to be voluntarily slaughtered. This is also helpful to show the innocent nature of a soldier. On average most soldiers join the military because they believe that the cause they are defending is right. This is important to understand seeing that war is hardly ever one sided. Upon examining one can see that when nations are battling rarely does one side feel that they are the big, bad evil enemy. Both sides feel justified in their cause and are willing to fight for their beliefs. Even during World War II, Nazi Germany felt justified to rise from their poverty state and lash out against the nations that had oppressed them. This helps set the stage to understand why war is ethically wrong. If both sides feel that they are right in their cause then it is also easy to state that both sides are wrong. One might give the objection, What if a country invades my homeland, dont I have the right to protect myself by killing them? The answer to this question is an unwavering no. Great men such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. have proven that one can throw off the shackles of tyranny without the shedding of blood. If you were to oppose your enemy by taking the life of an innocent person then you would be as guilty as your attacker. My first sub-premise is that everyone has the right to life. Simply by breathing you exercise your right to exist on the earth. From the beginning of civilizations there has always been rules or laws established to protect this right. Whether it has been the simple Mosaic law of thou shall not murder to the complex laws that we have today, the right to life has always been recognized as a universal principle for all people. My second sub-premise for my main argument is that killing an innocent person without their direct consent violates the right to life. A drunken husband comes home and savagely beats and kills his wife. With this example it is easy to see how the wifes right to life is being violated. Did the wife give her husband direct consent to beat and kill her, most likely not. Did the husband rationally think to ask his wife if he could brutally beat and kill her, again probably not. The act of killing an innocent person without their direct consent infringes on the right to life because the intrinsic  value of choice has been stolen away form the individual. This understanding leads to the finally sub-premise that it is ethically wrong to violate ones right to life. According to Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy the term ethical comes from the Greek word ethos, which means custom or usage. Plato used this term to mean a custom or usage to designate the right way of behaving. To violate ones right to life very easily falls under the wrong custom or usage of the right way of behaving or more simply put, it would be unethical. Whether a man beats and kills his innocent wife or nations war against each other there is no difference when it comes to the right to life. Without direct consent it is ethical wrong to violate ones right to life. Throughout this paper I have proven my thesis that war is ethically wrong by stating two main arguments, they were: Any action that kills an innocent person without their direct consent is ethically wrong; war kills innocent people without their direct consent. It is through these premises that one can see that the conclusion that war is ethically wrong, is valid and sound reasoning.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Essay examples -- Camel

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a story mixed with historical truths and exaggerated fiction. The legend of King Arthur, known as the Arthurian Legend, comes from the Middle Ages and is both fact and fiction. There really was a King Arthur who was king of the Britons. He was a type of military leader who fought Germanic invaders. Many of the Tudor monarchs claimed lineage to King Arthur to justify and prove their right to the throne. Most of the knowledge of Arthur is legend. There is no doubt, though, that stories about him have influenced literature, society, music, and art from the Middle Ages. (King Arthur 1) Arthur was the illegitimate son of King Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine, who was married to the Duke of Cornwall. After Arthur was born he was given to Merlin, a man believed to be a prophet, who cared for him and then gave him to Sir Ector. (Arthur 1) Merlin stayed in touch with Arthur as his tutor and also guided him throughout the rest of his life. (Arthurian 1-5) Arthur was raised alongside Ector's son, Sir Kay, but knew nothing of his royal ancestry. ( Ackerman, 757) One day there was a tournament for the knights. Sir Kay had forgotten his sword and sent Arthur back to get it. Arthur did not know where the sword was but he did remember where a sword in a stone was located. Arthur went and pulled the sword out of the stone. He took this sword back to Sir Kay. When he returned with this sword all the knights recognized the sword in the stone. The knights did not believe Arthur had pulled the sword from the stone so they all went back and made him do it again. Legend stated that whoever removed the sword from the stone was supposed to be crowned ... ...ing Arthur the group of men known as the Knights of the Round Table began to gradually get smaller until they were no more. This sad end to this group of men became known as the end of chivalry and the end of knighthood. (Ackerman. Round Table, 495) The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table may be just that-a legend. But there are some facts that may prove some of these men actually lived, though not exactly the way they are described in the legend. There is no doubt that the Arthurian Legend still lives in the stories, poetry, and literature of the English and British culture and in many children's books. The books and poems tell about the highest ideals of chivalry, bravery and honesty; romantic qualities that legends are made of. Perhaps there were, a long time ago, real men who took up these qualities and lived storybook lives.

Identify the Different Reasons People Communicate

I am of the opinion that as a child practitioner an essential part of our work role will involve actively seeking to evolve and where apt build relationships. Consequently having a significant impact on children and young people’s lives. As quoted, (Children and young peoples workforce, early and child care book 2010) there are a number of reasons why people communicate which are to:Build relationshipsThe ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of people is a vital factor in working towards building relationships that may flourish and enable the gaining of confidence and trust. For example in working with some young children who may have difficulty expressing themselves, an array of emotions could be displayed, i. e. Frustration, aggression, anxiety and withdrawal. As a practitioner, it would therefore be important to be patient, approachable, non judgmental and a good listener. It is also good to be creative in terms of engagement recognising the different needs of young people.Maintaining relationshipsI am of a view that open communication and a positive attitude can support the maintenance of relationships. I feel it is therefore important to assess your own attitudes and values to ensure this doesn’t impact on others, hence have a willingness to challenge any arising issues in a professional manner. Conflict may arise in a working relationship. It would be important to be sensitive and allow feelings to be aired, but actively seek where apt to resolve a situation instead of dwelling on the issue.Gain and share informationWorking in partnership with young people, families, work colleagues and professional bodies is the foundation for enabling effective service delivery. The gaining and sharing of information where appropriate enables the identification of need and appropriate support. I. e. Child protection issue, discussed on a need to know basis, the aim being to protect the safety and well being of the child.Gain reassurance and acknowledgementIt is important to have an awareness of others and the different ways you can provide support. I. e. praising a child or your colleague , being a listening ear, giving constructive feedback and being approachable. This stance can elevate confidence and vision. Express needs and feelings It is important for young people and colleagues feel that they can express their needs and feelings without being judged or discriminated against. Consequently I feel it is important for a practitioner where appropriate to put aside their personal judgements to facilitate others and provide them with an opportunity to be heard and supported. For example this stance can allow others to find their voice and raise self esteem.Share ideas and thoughtsI am of an opinion that sharing ideas and thoughts is an essential part of communication. It can foster a better understanding of each other and issues promoting respect, confidence and new approaches. In working in a team or with young people it can enable the forming of new relationships creating better working practices and pro change and more productive outcomes. 1. 2 Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting In order for communication to be effective within a work setting it is essential to establish and sustain good relationships with a diverse range of people and agencies. Within a work setting, poor communication can lead to a number of factors, i. . low moral, mistrust, anger, anxiety and isolation. If communication issues are not resolved outcomes can be absences, high staff turnover, and ineffective service delivery, which impacts on the service users. It is imperative to keep the lines of communication open to build strong relations. Awareness of your body language, tone of voice, proximity, cultural differences, individual needs and being non judgmental can foster good relationships. Accordingly in working with colleagues regular supervision/team meetings and training can promote understanding and better work ethics. In working with children and young people it is important to be able to engage with them (as outlined in unit 1. 2). During the settling in and transitioning period great consideration needs to be given to identify any barriers to communication and plan appropriate support for themselves and parents. I. e. key working, ESOL identifying any internal or external resources that may be applicable. I am of the belief that taking such steps to improve working practices can make children, young people and their parents feel that they have been heard and supported.

Filipino Mode of Thinking Essay

We, Filipinos, are considered hospitable and merry. It has been an attitude the majority enriches or embraces. For instance, looking into our hospitality, when a guest is present in our home, a treatment of respect and comfort will be provided for the person as if the guest is a member of the family. Whereas for being merry, when a problem emerges, a joke or two about the problem will be the response to make the atmosphere be calmer. All these qualities root from are â€Å"communal relationships†. Again we are known from these qualities. All of which are embedded in our culture that originated since pre-colonial times that we still carry today. A lot of things can still be considered to show our identity and uniqueness. It could either be present only in some areas or in the general public but all of these points to our Filipino mode of thinking. Our Filipino mode of thinking is considered as â€Å"oriental, non-dualistic, holistic and has unity between the subject and the object†. It is true on so many ways. Just observing the way our people act and build their houses are fitting cases. A Filipino identity is present even if one goes abroad; a habit that every Filipino will carry whenever he goes – the Filipino mode of thinking. A mode of thinking is a desirable element to have a rich culture and country; every country might as well have it but differs in their own notions or form. It may not apply to everyone due to the globalization, but a hint or two would still pass if there are people with that mode of thinking around that person. To give out examples of this Filipino mode of thinking, a lot can be stated. Two eminent cases are the tattooing art in the country and our â€Å"kamay-kamayan† eating or the buddlefeast. PhilippineTattoo Philippine tattooing has been an art since pre-colonial times which spreads to the three main islands of the country. The word â€Å"Pintados† (Painted Ones) was even dubbed for the Bisayans by the Spaniards. Tattooing is a phenomenon in the whole world nowadays that evolves since the early times. The so-called Pintados of the island of Visayas, Manobo of Mindanao and Kalinga of Luzon are the front runners of tattoo tradition and culture in the country. However, this tradition and art in the country has been partially diminishing in some of the tribes or areas. The few organizations and institutions are at times the only hope in trying to save this continuing crisis. PHILTAG, Mark of Four Waves Tribe and many others are the organizations that are reviving the tribal designs of our traditional tattooing tribes. These people advocate the start of a new revolution in Philippine Tattooing. It has been doing greatly for the past few years. At present, a lot of Filipinos here and abroad, and even those who are not Filipino, are having our tribal designs tattooed on them. Diversities and similarities are present for each country in terms of tattooing but it could still be identified through the processes or the designs themselves. Designs that depicts animals and nature which is one with the people that shows our mode of thinking is non-dualistic. Kamay-kamayan Filipinos are really fond in eating; it is seen in our fiestas, birthdays, wedding or just any party on that matter. These practices can also be the way one could show it hospitality and cheerfulness; for there are times when hosts give out carry-outs or take-outs for the guests or cases when even people the host does not know are invited or welcome. Eating has been essential to show one that he/she is high cultured using proper etiquette like the use of table knives, spoons and forks in different manners or activities. However, some Filipinos don’t practice such customs from time to time for they use their own hands to eat. It may look unhygienic or improper to others but it has been a practice that has been ongoing since before in our history; â€Å"Kamay-kamayan† or â€Å"kamayan† as they called it. I myself tried such a practice and discovered it is quite gratifying; and fitting for eating certain foods. It might as well be our bond to our ancestors which did not have those spoons and forks. It is still abundant in the country even in the urban areas. There are even restaurants that suggest people to eat with their bare hands. Also, â€Å"buddle feasts† are being a trend nowadays. It’s all about eating together, with a small or big number of people, having all the food on a same long tables sharing all these to everyone; another special thing about it is eating with your hands as well. This just shows that we live as a community and shows unity like that of the buddle feasts happening in the Philippine Military Academy and the annual event in Taguig that promotes unity and bonding. The sakop mentality and holistic concept also comes into play in this kind of practices. Eating with your hands may have its pros and cons but a culture correctly done will always be right and rich. Conclusion The Filipino mode of thinking is â€Å"oriental, non-dualistic, holistic and has unity between the subject and the object† as stated in first paragraph. The examples given show all these qualities. The Filipinos should also preserve and enrich these practices for the sake of the country’s culture. The country since before the coming of the Spaniards has a culture to be proud of. It is unique and shows the Filipino in its own way for â€Å"without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.†

Free Essays on Pornography

TITLE: THE HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PORNOGRAPHY Pornography gets people bothered as dependably as it gets them hot. There’s something philosophically itchy about text that is so intimately linked to action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Weatherfield,M.1998 ). Pornography inspires many diverse and strong debates even today in the 21st century despite this topic’s notorious history throughout the ages. Aside of the social and political arguments on pornography, the history of this particular subject- its beginnings and the societies from which it came- is of great worth and interest. The literature coming out of France in the 18th century, the prohibited literature that was censored and burnt by those in authority as well as the writers of pornography themselves, were catalysts in revolutionising societies definitions of sexual practise and social custom. Thus the historical and social repercussions of this literary movement, its establishment of a rich genre of sexual representations and the subsequent views on sexuality wit hin society, are seen to be heavily indebted to 18th century France. Pornography’s definition is as troubling as its political debates. â€Å"The written or visual presentation in a realistic form of any genital or sexual behaviour with a deliberate violation of existing and widely accepted moral and social taboos† ( Stewart,P.1997 ). Despite the somewhat vague terms used in this definition it suffices as the closest interpretation of pornography outside of art, personal opinion, erotic literature, and anything which arouses sexual feelings. The word itself first coming into existence in 1869, meaning the â€Å"literature or writing of prostitutes† ( Stewart,P.1997 ). However 18th century France’s definition of pornography was not the same as modern day man’s definition. Books at that time were separated into work of the Enlightenment and pornography. The latter half were illegal, the political satire that they... Free Essays on Pornography Free Essays on Pornography Pornography Degrades Women Porn is a cancer eating away at the souls of millions of men, women, and children at this very hour (Kennedy 1). Porn is also known as any material that combines sex and/or exposure of genitals with abuse or degradation in a manner that appears to endorse, condone, or encourage such behavior (Pornography 1). Porn is one of the most controversial forms of expression (Downs 1). Porn is not â€Å"just fantasy† for the women who are used in making it (Russell 6). Many people’s attitudes toward porn show how controversial it really is. The availability of porn and the effects it has on people shows just how degrading it truly is. Porn sends the message of men and women enjoying being beaten, abused, and raped. It also sends the message that women secretly enjoy the abuse which is untrue (Pornography 1). Porn is available on television and can easily be accessed on the internet (Wierzbicka 1). Video stores, adult video stores, variety stores, adult stores, and newspapers are other places where pornography can be accessed or advertised (Pornography 1-2). America is by far the world’s leading producer of porn, churning out hard-core videos at the astonishing rate of about 150 new titles per week. Today pornography brings in at least $8 million per year and potentially much more in hidden and illegal profits. The porn industry has surpassed total Hollywood revenues for all domestic box office receipts and earns more each year than all the revenues from the sale of rock or country music. A sociologist quoted in the U.S. News report says the sexual content of American culture has changed m ore in the last two decades than in the previous two centuries (Kennedy 1-2). The amount of profits that pornography brings in gives an example to how many people are using porn and how available it is. People do not understand how obscene porn is (Wierzbicka 1). Some scholars have... Free Essays on Pornography TITLE: THE HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PORNOGRAPHY Pornography gets people bothered as dependably as it gets them hot. There’s something philosophically itchy about text that is so intimately linked to action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Weatherfield,M.1998 ). Pornography inspires many diverse and strong debates even today in the 21st century despite this topic’s notorious history throughout the ages. Aside of the social and political arguments on pornography, the history of this particular subject- its beginnings and the societies from which it came- is of great worth and interest. The literature coming out of France in the 18th century, the prohibited literature that was censored and burnt by those in authority as well as the writers of pornography themselves, were catalysts in revolutionising societies definitions of sexual practise and social custom. Thus the historical and social repercussions of this literary movement, its establishment of a rich genre of sexual representations and the subsequent views on sexuality wit hin society, are seen to be heavily indebted to 18th century France. Pornography’s definition is as troubling as its political debates. â€Å"The written or visual presentation in a realistic form of any genital or sexual behaviour with a deliberate violation of existing and widely accepted moral and social taboos† ( Stewart,P.1997 ). Despite the somewhat vague terms used in this definition it suffices as the closest interpretation of pornography outside of art, personal opinion, erotic literature, and anything which arouses sexual feelings. The word itself first coming into existence in 1869, meaning the â€Å"literature or writing of prostitutes† ( Stewart,P.1997 ). However 18th century France’s definition of pornography was not the same as modern day man’s definition. Books at that time were separated into work of the Enlightenment and pornography. The latter half were illegal, the political satire that they... Free Essays on Pornography It started by way of messengers and scribes, evolved through the presentation of newspapers and radio, brought us together with television, and now serves us world-wide via the ever-popular Internet. It is the mass media, and even from the earliest days of its existence, it has contributed greatly in ways that both enlighten and enrich society, and ways that deteriorate and perplex it. It is not a surprise to learn, then, that the mass media is the most powerful source of information we have, and nothing else in today’s world influences public perception quite as heavily. Unfortunately, however, most of what is broadcast or transmitted in the news today is with reference to the chaotic condition of our planet, or something else that society as a whole sees as detrimental or damaging. But the news on television is not the only type of media taking the criticism of society. Other forms of mass media, specifically movies and television programs containing pornography and violence have been heavily criticized. The underlining concept to be debated here is that society is negatively influenced, specifically, by these images of pornography and the result is increased violence against women. This assumption, and it is indeed only an assumption, is completely fallacious, however, as no concrete and completely conclusive evidence has ever been formulated in support of the theory. The key premise here is that the mass media does not cause undesirable social behaviour and in actuality, the media people should not be dubbed as the â€Å"bad guys†. They sim ply use their power in the most constructive ways possible in order to promote their ratings and popularity. One way to do that is to concentrate on what sells: sex, violence and disaster. Having said this, why is it then, that many in society still believe otherwise; why do they continue to believe that pornography is â€Å"evil† and is a major cause for violence against women, specifical...

The History of Chemical Explosives

The History of Chemical Explosives An explosion can be defined as the rapid expansion of a material or device that exerts a sudden pressure on its surroundings. It can be caused by one of three things: a chemical reaction that occurs during conversion of elemental compounds, a mechanical or physical impact, or a nuclear reaction on the atomic/subatomic level. Gasoline exploding when ignited is a chemical explosion brought about by the sudden conversion of a hydrocarbon to carbon dioxide and water. The explosion that occurs when meteor strikes the earth is a mechanical explosion. And a nuclear warhead explosion is the result of the nucleus of a radioactive substance, like plutonium, suddenly splitting apart in an uncontrolled fashion. But it is chemical explosives that are the most common form of explosives in human history, used both for creative/commercial and destructive effect. The strength of a given explosive is measured that the rate of expansion it exhibits during detonation. Lets look briefly at some common chemical explosives. Black Powder It is unknown who invented the first explosive black powder. Black powder, also known as gunpowder, is a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal (carbon). It originated in China around in the ninth century and was in wide use throughout Asia and Europe by the end of the 13th century. It was commonly used in fireworks and signals, as well as in mining and building operations. Black powder is the oldest form of ballistic propellant and it was used with early muzzle-type firearms and other artillery uses. In 1831, William Bickford an English leather merchant invented the first safety fuse. Using a safety fuse made black powder explosives more practical and safer. But because black powder is messy explosive, by the end of the 18th century it was replaced by high explosives and by cleaner smokeless powder explosives, such as what is currently used in firearm ammunition. Black powder is categorized as a low explosive because it expands and subsonic speeds when it detonates. High explosives, by contract, expand as supersonic speeds, thereby creating much more force. Nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin is a chemical explosive that was discovered by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. It was the first explosive developed that was more powerful than black powder, Nitroglycerin is a mix of nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and glycerol, and it is highly volatile. Its inventor, Sobrero, warned against its potential dangers, but Alfred Nobel adopted it as a commercial explosive in 1864. Several serious accidents, however, caused pure liquid nitroglycerin to be widely banned, leading to Nobels eventual invention of dynamite. Nitrocellulose In 1846, Chemist Christian Schonbein discovered nitrocellulose, also called guncotton, when he accidentally spilled a mixture of potent nitric acid on a cotton apron and the apron exploded as it dried. Experiments by Schonbein and others quickly established a means of manufacturing guncotton safely, and because it had a clean, explosive power almost six times greater than black powder, it quickly was adopted for use as means for propelling projectiles in weapons.   TNT In 1863, TNT or Trinitrotoluene was invented by German chemist Joseph Wilbrand. Originally formulated as a yellow dye, its explosive properties were not immediately evident. Its stablity was such that it could be safely poured into shell casings, and in the early 20th century it came into standard usage for German and British military munitions. Considered a high explosive, TNT is still in common use by the U.S. military and by construction companies around the world.   Blasting Cap In 1865, Alfred Nobel invented the blasting cap. The blasting cap provided a safer and dependable means of detonating nitroglycerin. Dynamite In 1867, Alfred Nobel patented dynamite, a high explosive that consisted of a mixture of three parts nitroglycerine, one part diatomaceous earth (ground silica rock) as an absorbent, and a small amount of sodium carbonate antacid as a stabilizer. The resultant mixture was considerably safer than pure nitroglycerine, as well as being much more powerful than black powder. Other materials are now used as the absorbent and stabilizing agents, but dynamite remains the premier explosive for use in commercial mining and construction demolition. Smokeless Powders In 1888, Alfred Nobel invented a dense smokeless powder explosive called ballistite. In 1889, Sir James Dewar and Sir Frederick Abel invented another smokeless gunpowder called cordite. Cordite was made of  nitroglycerin, guncotton, and a petroleum substance gelatinized by addition of acetone. Later variations of these smokeless powders form the propellant for most modern firearms and artillery. Modern Explosives Since 1955, a variety of additional high explosives has been developed. Created mostly for military use, they also have commercial applications, such as in deep drilling operations.  Explosives such as nitrate-fuel oil mixtures or ANFO and ammonium nitrate-base water gels now account for seventy percent of the explosives market. These explosives come in various types including: HMXRDXHNIWONC

Why is the church a functionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why is the church a functionalism - Essay Example This contention is the reason why I chose functionalism to analyze the church as among the institution which plays a very crucial role in the society. I believe that in employing functionalism, the function of the church would be fully understood beyond being a house of worship alone. Included is the contribution of functionalism to the understanding of human behavior. The church is considered a functionalism because it plays a function in the society which is the core essence of functionalism. Proponents of functionalism view society as a network cooperating to work together towards a common goal. As one of the essential structures of the society, the church has its own function to execute. Functionalists compare society with human body with parts and functions to perform. In the event that one part becomes diseased or dysfunctional, other parts are affected and the person may suffer from illness. The same thing would happen with the society because parts are interdependent with eac h other (Encyclopedia, 2010).

Writing assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Writing assignment 2 - Essay Example ferent", Apple has been able to convince its present and potential consumers of its product superiority in the technological industry through advertising. Basing primarily on television and internet advertising apple has been able to persuade a majority of personal electronics consumers of the need, simplicity and product superiority in their products (Dooley, 2007). Apple’s television advertising kick-started in 1984 towards the launch of the Macintosh computer, and it was dubbed ‘1984’. The advertisement hyped the Macintosh computer while promising 1984 not to be the same again after using the Macintosh computer. With 85% of the European population being active Television users, the use of televised commercial advertising was very effective until late 2000’s. The use of celebrities in their advertising has been so instrumental in creating brand awareness. In the European, as well as other markets different local celebrities, were used with the same original theme and music. The latest in television advertising was â€Å"I am a PC, and I am a Mac† that started off in 2006 and ended towards 2010 (Forker& Ward, 1993). After the end of television advertising, Apple shifted its focus to internet advertising through videos uploaded online to its website, YouTube plus other captivating slogans on social media. This was as a result of the digital migration where more than 50% of the world population became active internet users by 2009.With the increase in social media uses over the past few years; Apple has gone social too by creating dynamic pages and setting sales promotions and brand awareness whilst actively engaging its customers. Their internet advertising move has received some criticism over unethical interruptions, but this cannot be equalled to the increased sales revenue both online and in vendor shops. The internet has enabled it to provide an active customer support globally as well as create potential customers (Moriety et al., 2012). The latest

Feminism in the Light of Feminist Narratives Essay

Feminism in the Light of Feminist Narratives - Essay Example Barbara Findlen’s Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation is able to provide me a new way of understanding women’s struggle in the third wave. My previous understanding of feminism resolves in the surge of women’s situation from their old tradition as mere caretakers of the household, denied of education and employment, and had a limited right to suffrage. Feminism had been a political idea, had always been, and still is. When women earned their right to education and employment, bid goodbye to being merely relegated to the sidelines as a mother and wife, and finally being able to vote, I thought that the woman is then free and all she has to do is to ensure that this freedom is not taken from her. However, the third wave feminism proves that the feminist struggle continues on and the issues that every female must resolve are reflected on language, gestures, and movements of people and society in everyday living. My perceptions about the third wave feminist struggle made a shift or would I say, an improved turn over the course of the semester as aided by the authors of Listen Up. Not being a racist, but my previous consciousness on feminism has always been directed towards Europe, the proponent of feminism, neglecting or putting into sidelines the other female experiences in other parts of the world. The feminist struggle is not limited to a certain race, social class, or ethnicity, but encompasses all these and Findlen’s Listen Up was able to reiterate this point.

History of Kites Essay Example for Free

History of Kites Essay History of Kites The kites have been around the world for at least 2000 years, or even longer. Some people think the Chinese flew them around 1000 BC, but other than that, the exact time, date, inventor, and place that the kite was invented is unknown. We believe that the kites might have been invented in China or even in Malaysia. Documentary has been found proving that the kites have been around since 200 BC. The documentary was a general in the Han dynasty is recorded as having used a kite as an instrument of war. This was a method to determine the correct distance to dig a tunnel to enter a palace and end a siege. Also there were other stories about kites being used to lift up fireworks to scare the opposing army. The kite was very useful at that time. The kite was introduced to Europe by explores coming from Asia. One of the explores was Marco Polo, who wrote very good notes on constructing a kite and how they were flown. As the 18th Century came up, the kite in Europe it was used as a scientific instrument. In 1749, Alexander Wilson, a Scottish meteorologist used the kite to lift thermometers at a height of 3000 feet to measure temperature variations at altitude. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin used the kite to demonstrate that lightning was similar to the static electricity that scientists were experimenting with at the time. Without the kite none of these experiments and inventions of our past inventors would have never happened. There are many different types of kites: sled kite, diamond kite, barn door kite, sode kite, rokkaku kite, delta kite, roller kite, dopero kite, box kite, and a lot more. Would you like to build your own kite? Try this! Build a sled kite. Here is how to do it. Step ! : Create a template for your kite by folding a piece of 9 X 12 inch construction or other stiff paper in half. Draw the design onto the template as shown in the image. Dont worry; it doesnt have to be perfect! It will be symmetrical when opened. Cut out your template, but do not cut along the fold. Step 2: Open your template up, and place it on the paper, plastic or newspaper. Trace the shape, and cut it out. Leave flat after cutting. Step 3: Use a couple layers of scotch tape to reinforce the corners F and C with a couple of layers of tape. Then, punch holes for string at corners F and C. Step 4: Tape the skewers or sticks to the kite. Once stick should stretch from corner A to E, and the other should go from corner B to D. Step 5: If you are using blank paper, this is the time to color your kite! Step 6: To make the Bridle: Cut two strings the same length. Twelve inches long usually works for most kites, but it is better to make it too long than too short. Tie one string to corner F and one to corner C. Bring the corners of the kite together then tie the strings together with the very easy Overhand Knot. The knot should be directly in the middle of corners F and C. Step 7: Create a tail, and go fly your kite!

Use of Tone to Create Mood in D.H. Lawrences The Rocking-Horse Winner

D. H. Lawrence uses tone to create a mood in his short story "The Rocking-Horse Winner." His ability to create tone allows us to understand the characters of the story, and enables us to actually feel as if we are in the story by creating such a vivid mood. Lawrence uses the eyes of the main character, Paul, to show how he feels about the events taking place, and this in turn helps the reader empathize with the boy and understand the story. Lawrence also establishes a theme by allowing the audience to feel his story. He creates a mood that is conducive to the story and allows the reader to experience what is going on inside the house. Through the use of tone and mood Lawrence creates the theme, allowing the reader to realize that there are much more important things in life than money. Lawrence uses the emotions of the main character of the story, Paul, to help the reader understand the child's mood. He uses Paul's eyes to help give the reader a feel for his disposition when different events in the story take place. The story begins with Paul receiving a rocking-horse for Christmas. The child becomes interested in horse races, and the gardener helps him to place a bet on one of the races. The child wins the bet and becomes very focused on betting at every race. When Paul realizes how much money that he is making with these bets, he soon becomes obsessed with not just horse racing, but the money that he brings in. The reason for this obsession stems from the feeling that there is never enough money in the house. Paul soon turns ill from the stress that he places on himself to win more money for his mother. A few days before Derby, a very important race that Paul has bet on, he is found rocking violen... ...ster, you're eighty thousand to the good, and a poor devil of a son to the bad. But, poor devil, poor devil, he's best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse to find a winner" (Lawrence, 980). In this final sentence Lawrence conveys the idea that the mother has gained much money, but has lost her son. Within this sentence he also states that the son is better off dead than in this household where money is of greater importance than the ideals a family should display. Works Cited Juan, Jr., E. San. "Theme Versus Imitation: D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner"." The D.H. Lawrence Review. 136-140. Lawrence, D. H. "The Rocking-Horse Winner." The Tales of D.H. Lawrence. London: Martin Secker, 1934. 967-980. Martin, W.R. "Fancy or Imagination? "The Rocking Horse-Winner"." College English. 64-65.

Reflective Paper Organisational Dialogue

Huhtamaki – Reflective Paper During the interview, the Chief Executive Officer (Brad) and plant manager (Simon) devoted a considerable amount of time to our communication analysis of their plant. I hadn’t expected two executives to become so involved with a University case study, and to discuss their credo, mission statements, strategies, and—of critical importance to me—internal communication strategy, in so much detail. Gerard & Ellinor (2001) stress that authentic leaders need to practise and execute dialogue, and to me, this was what Brad and Simon were doing: showing their authentic leadership through dialogue.I thought this may have been purely for our benefit, but after four hours, beginning with introductory meetings and followed by interviews and a shop floor tour, it became apparent that management was striving to develop a learning culture. I began to understand that management is about creating an environment to communicate through different me diums: verbal and visual in varying forums; formal meetings, face-to-face meetings, and graphical representations of key messages on the shop floor and around the offices.This essay will reflect my case study experience of the role of dialogue as a tool within Huhtamaki for fostering dialogic communication and developing a learning culture within the organisation. Furthermore, I will highlight the limitations associated with dialogue and with resistive employees who refuse to engage. I had a preconceived idea that management would have a top-down hierarchal structure, with a ‘closed door’ communication policy based on research from Swink & Way (1995), Downs & Adrian (2004) and Clarke (2006).On the contrary, I found management offered an ‘open door’ policy. For example, Brad and Simon understand that organisational effectiveness is dependent upon communication across subcultural boundaries. Therefore, they offer an open door policy, where any employee could approach them to discuss any issues without consequences. Given the traditional hierarchal structure of a typical manufacturing plant with leading hands, supervisors and union delegates, I thought allowing shop floor employees to communicate directly with management an unconventional approach.Schein (1993) states that dialogue begins with creating a sense of equality, and this is what Brad and Simon are striving to achieve within their organisation. According to my understanding, they are creating an environment where employees feel comfortable in communicating, and moving away from the erstwhile problems associated with communication via union delegates, which has often caused industrial disputes and created subcultural differences between management and shop floor employees. Amy (2008) states in her research study that management needs to adopt an informal and approachable communication style.I found it interesting that this is the strategy that Brad and Simon have adopted to aid in changing the organisational culture. In order to move away from a ‘them and us’ attitude, they focused on creating an open, trusting environment which fosters learning. Simon in particular encourages employees to be upfront, and to discuss problems or issues. However, he does not merely provide solutions: he fosters dialogic communication by engaging the employees with questions until they come to realise the answers themselves. I thought this might create awkward situations if the employees could not find answers.But my concern was dismissed; Simon coaches and mentors employees to think about issues or mistakes, and ensures they develop a solution for themselves, thus creating a learning environment. Management’s ‘open door’ policy was not the only means for communication. Management scheduled a daily team meeting, weekly production meetings, and monthly ‘tool box’ meetings, where organisational issues were discussed in more detail. My first impression was that there were too many meetings. When would employees have time to get any work done, if they were continually involved in meetings with colleagues from different departments?I soon learned that this was a necessary step, as not all employees have access to email. Management has to rely on face-to-face verbal communication to ensure that messages are communicated, received, and most importantly, understood. Furthermore, to communicate with employees with no access to email, management used the hallway between the cafeteria and shop floor as a ‘communication corridor,’ posting organisational information alongside safety, quality, production efficacy and operational information.I recall seeing very detailed graphs, charts and statistics, and wondered whether the average shop floor employee would be able to interpret and analyse this data. Simon stated that it was necessary to communicate the same messages continuously in order to engage employees , both verbally in meetings and visually around the work place. I discovered that during most meetings, unless an employee was directly involved in the conversation, he or she would not engage in dialogue. This concerned me; as Schein (1993) states, leaders need to motivate to engage, as employees may not volunteer to engage in dialogue.I now struggled to understand why was it so difficult to engage the employees in dialogue. They would not engage in dialogue during formal meetings and relied on informal face-to-face meetings, where quite often, they needed to be coached to engage in a two-way conversation to find solutions. I felt that management was providing every possible opportunity for employees to be able to communicate with employees, but nonetheless, a communication culture had not successfully been created.Gerard & Ellinor (2001) state that dialogue is not something that can be forced upon employees; they need to participate willingly, and if dialogue is introduced into a hostile environment, it can fail. I could see that management was creating a safe environment in which to communicate, but soon realised that other parts of the workplace provided a different type of ambience. Part of our communication analysis was a tour around the shop floor, and one of the first things I noticed was the difference in body language between various employees.It was very evident as we walked past their workstations that some employees were open and approached management, while others ignored our presence, creating a feeling of tension. It was obvious that although management was trying to dilute the ‘them and us’ attitude, some employees were still bitter from past experiences of management. I now started to fully comprehend the views put forward by Gerard & Ellinor (2001): that dialogue is a tool that requires time and knowledge of the working process. It needs to grow within the organisation.Although Brad and Simon have created a safe environment, the y now need to focus on educating their employees in the process of dialogue and the benefits of dialogue in order to create a learning culture. Furthermore, I support the recommendations of Dixon (1998) for management to engage employees and involve them in the decision-making process. I would expect the employees to thereby see their input as valid and valued; consequently, they would have a personal interest in creating a greater understanding of issues and solutions.In consideration of the fact that Simon has had some success with the ‘open door’ policy, and that Brown & Isaacs (1997) propose that learning is not happening during scheduled meetings or organised forums, but in less formal places, I still recommend developing dialogue during formal scheduled meetings. Management needs to focus on encouraging honest dialogue and transparency within formal meetings, as per Mazutis & Slawski (2009). I feel this is a valid point, as face-to-face meetings are limited to cer tain employees with whom management has good rapport.Employees who are resistive to change and still foster a ‘them and us’ attitude will simply not approach management. I came to believe that Brad and Simon are authentic leaders, and have the capabilities to shape the culture of their organisation through dialogic communication. Reference List Amy H. Amy, 2008, ‘Leaders as facilitators of individual and organizational learning', Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 212? 234. Brown, J. & Isaacs, D. 1997, ‘Conversation as a core business process', The Systems Thinker, vol. , no. 10, pp. 1? 6. Clarke, S. 2006, ‘Safety climate in an automobile manufacturing plant: the effects of work environment, job communication and safety attitudes on accidents and unsafe behaviour’, Personnel Review, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 413? 430. Dixon, N. M. 1998, Dialogue at Work. Making Talk Developmental for People and Organizations, Center for Creative Leadership, London. Downs, C. W. & Adrian, A. D. 2004, Assessing organizational communication audits, Guilford Press, New York. Gerard, G. & Ellinor, L. 001, Dialogue at Work: Skills for Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Mazutis, D. & Slawinski, N. 2008, ‘Leading organisational learning through authentic dialogue', Management Learning, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 437? 456. Schein, E. 1993, ‘On Dialogue, Culture and organizational learning', Organizational Dynamics, vol. 22, pp. 40? 51. Swink, M. & Way, W. 1995, ‘Manufacturing strategy: propositions, current research, renewed directions’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 4? 26.