John Donne’s Poetic Philosophy of Love

John Donne's Poetic Philosophy of Love For the enormously complex and vexed John Donne (1572-1631), the one in whom all â€Å"contraries meet,† (Holy Sonnet 18), life was love—the love of women in his early life, then the love of his wife (Ann More), and finally the love of God. All other aspects of his experience apart from love, it seems, were just details. Love was the supreme concern of his mind, the preoccupation of his heart, the focus of his experience, and the subject of his poetry.The centrality and omnipresence of love in Donne’s life launched him on a journey of exploration and discovery. He sought to comprehend and to experience love in every respect, both theoretically and practically. As a self appointed investigator, he examined love from every conceivable angle, tested its hypotheses, experienced its joys, and embraced its sorrows. As Joan Bennett said, Donne’s poetry is â€Å"the work of one who has tasted every fruit in love’s orc hard. . . † Combining his love for love and his love for ideas, Donne became love’s philosopher/poet or poet/philosopher.In the context of his poetry, both profane and sacred, Donne presents his experience and experiments, his machinations and imaginations, about love. Some believe that Donne was indeed â€Å"an accomplished philosopher of erotic ecstasy† (Perry 2), but such a judgment seems to be too much. Louis Martz notes that â€Å"Donne’s love-poems take for their basic theme the problem of the place of love in a physical world dominated by change and death. The problem is broached in dozens of different ways, sometimes implicitly, sometimes explicitly, sometimes by asserting the immortality of love, sometimes by declaring the futility of love†.Donne was not an accomplished philosopher of eroticism per se, but rather a psychological poet who philosophized about love, sometimes playfully, sometimes seriously. The question, thus, arises as to the nature and content of Donne’s philosophy of love serendipitously expressed in his sacred and profane poetry. I will also argue that this particular philosophical perspective in Donne established the basis for the intimate connection between his profane and sacred poetry in which religious and sexual themes are closely linked and intermeshed.After briefly touching on the intellectual atmosphere in which Donne worked, I will proceed to examine the Ovidian and Petrarchan traditions in Donne’s amatory lyrics, and their respective contributions to his philosophy of love. The subject of Petrarchism was â€Å"love,† of course, emotional and spiritual love â€Å"conceived as a noble way of life, and the lover as an aristocrat of feeling† (Guss 49). Donne’s development in his profane poetry of the nobility and aristocracy of Petrarchan love was by means of these essential themes including, . . . he proem, the initiation of love [â€Å"The Good Morrow†] , the complaint against the lady’s obduracy [â€Å"Twickenham Garden†], the expression of sorrow at parting [â€Å"The Expiration†], the remonstrance against the god Love [Love’s Exchange†], the elegy on the lady’s death [â€Å"A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy’s Day, being the shortest day†], and the renunciation of love [â€Å"Farewell to Love†]. Other common themes are the lady’s eyes, her hair, her illness [â€Å"The Fever†], the dream [â€Å"The Dream†], the token [â€Å"A Jet Ring Sent†], the anniversary of love [â€Å"The Anniversary†], and the definition of love [â€Å"Negative Love†].How can a man and a woman achieve a love which is not based on rank sensuality, and yet which recognizes human physicality and ascribes a proper role and function to the body? How can a man and woman love one another with deep spiritual intensity and soulful devotion, and yet at the same time sto p short of romantic or emotional idolatry? How can both components of humanity—body and soul—be brought together into a happy synthesis to create a love that eschews the problems of Ovidian immorality and Petrarchan idolatry, but is rather ordinate and rightly ordered?The answers to these questions and the resolution of these tensions are found in Donne’s concept of idealized love generated largely under the influence of a Christian Platonism which establishes the sine qua non of his philosophy of love. It is a philosophy of love that seeks to balance the roles and establish right relations between both body and soul. Donne’s perspective is an attempt at integration, at wholeness, a striving at the reconciliation of opposing, dialectical forces.It seems that ever since the fall of humanity, life has been characterized by division and fragmentation: God vs. man, heaven vs. earth, man vs. woman, body vs. soul, action vs. contemplation, theory vs. practice, and so on. Donne seeks to heal and harmonize at least one aspect of a divided world: his view is body and soul, not body or soul. He defines and describes the component parts of love in light of the comprehensive nature of humanity. His position would seem to answer the questions and resolve the tensions created by the Ovidian and Petrarchan traditions in his love poetry.It would avoid the Ovidian problem of sexual immorality, and Petrarchan problem of romantic idolatry. Love is powerful, and it may very well abuse the body or the soul in its quest for satisfaction. But it can be rightly ordered as well. Donne’s outlook finds an appropriate place for both the body and the soul in a rightly ordered love. When coupled with his devotional poetry, the pattern indeed becomes complete, for it is in the love of God, which is the highest of all love, that human love itself finds its meaning and final reference point.If it is true that all human love has as its source and meaning in t he very love of God, then there must be a reciprocal relationship between these two forms of love, the infinite and the finite. God’s love validates human love, and human love reflects and images God’s. There is an intimate connection between love both human and divine. This would certainly be true in Donne’s Christian Platonism in which all things on earth, including human love, are a reflection of and point to things in heaven.

Periodic Table of Visualization Methods Essay

                  From 1899, the juvenile court has always handle three types of juvenile cases. These cases include: child neglect, abuse and other status offences. Juvenile delinquency cases   are unlawful action that is performed by the minors which would therein be crimes if they were partaken by adults. Status offences are on the other hand noncriminal offences which are deemed offences if they are committed by the minors. The common examples of these status offences include running away and truancy. Till 1960s, both noncriminal and criminal behaviors were all considered to be forms of delinquents. Hence the law did not differentiate between delinquents and status offenders. In neglect and child abuse cases, the court will always provide protection for children who are abuse or neglected. In the year 1994, delinquency cases made up to 64% of the total juvenile cases in these courts, with status offences making 15% and neglect and abuse cases making 16% of the total national juvenile court cases.                   I have discussed all these types of these cases below with the description of these court processes that are involved in the handling of these cases along with the current policy issues which are involved. It is worth noting that though these cases seem to be different from each other, there are some common themes and values which are applied in handling these cases. The most obvious of these is the judges which are handling these cases to note that these children need to be taken care of for their development in making legal decisions making much attention to the legal needs of children along with their families. Secondly, even if the court is one of the institutions that work to the betterment of the families and children, it is posed with a unique and awesome power in delinquency, child abuse cases and the status offences cases. Juvenile court has powers to separate the children from their parents, can also order these minors to live in confined place s, also they can end the biological right of relationship between a child and the parent and create for them other new parental rights.                   As these decisions are deemed to be very serious and fundamental to the well being of children, ensuring these courts possesses adequate resources is very vital as it handles every type of cases. Judges require information, workable facilities and adequate training so that it can be able to handle these cases in the most appropriate manner. Adequate representation of all the involved parties should always be in the court proceedings. All the communities need to have safe, effective program and placements which are available for children coming before the court. As it would be very clear from the subsequent discussion, these courts handle very difficult workloads and involves the most emotion laden and very controversial issues in most parts of the society. Because of this, these decisions have in many cases faced disagreements. The extent to which these cases should be equipped and expanded to equip them with the resources that are required for them to a dequately perform their roles has formed basis of many discussions and debates.                   Lastly, as these courts make decisions which are very vital in the societal development, they are most often the subject of the social media and in most cases form the basis for political platform. So judges should always have the urge to play leadership roles, both in the agencies which serve children and the broader community so as to encourage thoughtful and deliberative approaches to all these problems, instead of other approaches which are reached hastily. Delinquency                   The juvenile handling of the delinquent case is the one which is always handled by these courts in the general public perception. When unlawful deeds are committed by the minors, these cases are usually brought under these courts as delinquent cases. These cases in most cases include petty theft, misdemeanors, vandalism and also some kind of felonies like robbery and other aggravated assaults. The maximum age handled by these courts are typically determined by the state laws. In the District of Columbia and other 37 states, the maximum age for this is 17 years of age, in other 10 states it is 16 and in the rest 3 this is set to a maximum of 15 years.                  Currently these courts have become the centre stage for public concern due to the increasing number of crimes and the high rate of juvenile related crimes. Recently these courts have been criticized for their perceived leniency towards their decision on these juvenile delinquents. One of the best examples of this is the inability of these courts failure to impose sentences that go beyond 21 years of age. High visibility and serious violent crimes that are committed by minors have always captured the public interests and attention drawing juvenile offenders’ treatment to get tougher on crimes that have been popular politically for the past twenty years.             This public fear of the juvenile court jurisdiction has resulted into some changes in the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts. Since 1992, the executive and the legislative branch in 41 states has hence limited the jurisdiction of the cases that involve chronic offenders, violent and shifted these court cases from their rehabilitative tradition which have involved addressing offenders rather than the offences which has been committed toward a more punitive system which is focused on the offence itself. For instance, 14 states in the year 1990 had to amend their codes to clearly list public safety as the sole purpose of the juvenile justice system; the punishment is listed as either primary or one of the several purposes of the court system in 28 states. The most significant thing that has happened since 1992 is that all but 10 states have structured adult courts in a manner that they can be able to handle juvenile cases. In most of the instances when the minors ar e convicted in the adult courts, it really posses a possibility that the minor may be sentenced to the prisons instead of being placed in juvenile facilities that offers rehabilitative programs.                   Even though the violent juvenile cases grab most of the interest and headlines from the media and tend to have the highest influence on the justice system, most of the juvenile courts handle less serious crimes. Mostly, the highest numbers of cases that are handled by most of the juvenile courts involve cases like vandalism, motor vehicle theft in which they mostly belong to their parents and larceny cases. In 1992, police made a lot of juvenile arrests and contrary to the perception of the public; the most serious charge was a property offence charge in the 57% of the total cases. Offences against persons like assault and robberies comprised of 215 of the total cases, disorder conduct which is a form of public order offence showed to be like 17% of the cases with the 155 being taken by the drug law violation.                   In spite of the young people being not disproportionately responsible for the most violent crimes, they always commit more than their share of property criminal offences. For instance in the year 1992, the youth aged between 10 to 17 years of age comprised 13 % of the US population and they were responsible for like the same percentage of their population of all the violent crimes which were committed in this year and they were responsible for more than 23% of the property crimes which is more than their proportion portion of their population. Purpose of the research                   Currently it has been more than 100th anniversary of these juvenile court approaches. This paper will provide an insight for the explanation of the cases that are handled by these courts along with the current trends and issues that have cropped up in these juvenile courts. The main goal of this research paper is to present an apparent description of these courts today and hence address the future challenges along with the recommendations to be adopted. This paper majorly addresses the court’s status and their ability to handle these cases along with the improvements that should be adopted for these courts to be able to partake their roles in the most appropriate manner. The research methodology In my data collection, I will employ both primary and secondary data methods of data collection. Primary methods                   Census- I will carry out census where I will talk to the many stakeholders and other involved associations and institutions although this method is somehow expensive because of the cost involved. Samples- I will sample out some of the involved people and stakeholders Observation- I will visit some of the juvenile courts to get the real state on the ground. The secondary sources of data collection                  Questionnaires- I will develop many questionnaires which I will use to get the information required to carry out my research.                  Surveys- through the questionnaires, I will sample out and send some surveys to the stakeholders and these specialized institutions.                     Books, web, magazines, journals and other online sources- I will use the already available written materials to get complete insights on this topic. In my data analysis, I will include the following methods of data analysis Content analyzes                   This is the most simple and widely employed method of data analysis. It can be defined as the systematic description of behavior which asks, who? Where and how? And what questions within a formulated set of rules so as to limit the effects of bias in analysis. It could be the most preferred technique which is employed to analyze semi-structured interviews and cognitive interview testing.                      Narrative analysis- I will employ narrative analysis to analyze data where I will focus on the people’s stories and how they think about the issue in question. Although I will not treat these stories as the true facts I highly employ them to get how people think and feel about these juvenile courts. 3. Grounded Theory                   This is the most standard and classical technique that is employed in analyzing social data. It uses hierarchical and systematic data set. It develops a set of inductively derived hypothesis that is grounded on the data. Triangulation                In this method of data analysis I will combine both the quantitative and qualitative data analysis to come up with a precise data interpretation. Data presentation In my data presentation, I will employ many methods which would be very appropriate for this data. Frequency distribution table                   In this method I shall be focusing on the occurrence of a certain variable like a certain facility in the juvenile courts according to each state court system. Graphical methods Here I will try to focus on the relationship of variables in the court system. Charts These will be used to show the extent to which a certain variable has been employed in the courts. References Julian Mack, The Chancery Procedure in the Juvenile Court, in The Child, The Clinic, and the Court (19’25), p. 310. Julian Mack, The Juvenile Court, 23 Harv.L.Rev. 104, 119-120 (1909).Shears, Legal Problems Peculiar to Children’s Courts, 48 A.B.A.J. 719, 720 (1962) January 2007 publication, California’s Criminal Justice system.Vitaly Friedman (2008) â€Å"Data Visualization and Infographics† in: Graphics, Monday Inspiration, January 14th, 2008. Lengler, Ralph; Lengler, Ralph. â€Å"Periodic Table of Visualization Methods† Source document

Public Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Law - Assignment Example However, this must be done with due regard to the fundamental human rights. Therefore, an Act enacted to provide a regulatory framework must entail forward thinking approaches that incorporate holistic mechanics to safeguard infringement of individual entitlements enshrined in the bill of rights and championed by the international law. Case 1 Understandably, the fictitious Airport Security Act 2009 apparently gives the UK minister of security a free hand in devising and imposing bans on persons deemed to be security threats within the vicinity of the UK airports. As a matter of first principle, the legality of the Security Act 2009 should be operationalized within the guiding framework of the public laws as well as approved international laws. Due to a Ministerial policy of an always imposition of restrictive orders on persons considered threats to the Airport safety, Roger found himself dismissed unfit to serve as a security personnel in the Airports on grounds of assault allegation s on Alexa, his former girlfriend. According to the law, discretionary powers must be exercised within reasonable limits. Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) prohibits inhuman treatment or punishment. Further, article 3(2) of the same Acts put limitations on imposed restriction orders by requiring precise and clear definition in situations where curtailment of rights are involved. The minister’s directive is no doubt a preservative measure to safeguard â€Å"Human security,† which requires absence of violent conflicts.1 However, minister discretion baring Roger from access to all airports amounts to unreasonable use of powers. In Secretary of State for Education v Tameside M.B.C. case involving the use of discretionary powers, the Secretary of State power to reject applications authorizing the running of grammar school system was under review. Accordingly, the court found the Secretary of State for Education discretion to rejec t the system unreasonable stating that the grammar school system had a proven track record and was therefore a reasonable system of education.2 The basis of the directive in Roger case cannot be ascertained with finality as there is no evidence of criminal record to warrant a label of security threat to all airports. Thus, Roger has legal standing to seek redress in a court of law provided his testimony satisfy the "victim test" stipulated under Article 34 of the Human Rights Act of 1998. According to Section 4 of the Security Act 2009, the Minister of Security has power to issue a restriction order in circumstances he thinks fit. This process regardless of whether the such decisions are ‘right’ or ‘correct’ decision, falls far short of the procedural legal basis in reaching a conclusive decision as set forth under the law. The Act is in contravention of the constitutional right of access to the courts at common law,3 which also involves the right to be hea rd and unimpeded access to a legal expert to offer legal advice and assistance.4 Case 2 One of the fundamental principles of the Geneva Convention Asylum agreements provides for surrogate protection to those failed by their home countries.5 Filling the void of a â€Å"factual breach of bond† between the citizen and the motherland, the law affords protection to the

The Controversial Classic of Huckleberry Finn Essay

The Controversial Classic of Huckleberry Finn - Essay Example The book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has always been a controversial topic of discussion, due to its content. Its content includes a story of a young boy, Huck, which helps his slave friend, Jim, to escape to the North to gain his freedom during the 1830s in the United States. Although Huck is very young, he grew up to that age in a slave society, which consequently leads him to be racist towards other slaves. His racism is seen throughout the novel and is also the main reason the book is so controversial. The racism in the book to some extent encourages a motivation to use the n-word. Many articles about this book suggest that the book should be taught for several reasons. They suggest the book should be taught due to the viewpoint it gives on slavery or the fact that this book was purely a recitation of the radical and unjust events which took place in the South during the period of slavery and therefore, is historically accurate. These arguments do come off as logical, ye t they are insufficient. The damage this book inflicts to black students being taught Huck Finn is very crucial. Black students will experience the pain of the word "nigger" throughout this unit even if it is not applied to them directly. Huck Finn should not be taught due to a multitude of reasons such as its excessive use of derogatory terms, teachers' inability to teach Huck Finn in a multiracial classroom without creating an unjust situation for black students, and due to the better alternative books about this time era.

Comparison between training day and adjustment buerau Essay

Comparison between training day and adjustment buerau - Essay Example Crime refers to an unlawful activity that is done in law violation, where moral inclusiveness is used in ensuring criminal justice. Criminal justice system is a composition of a group of professionals, who exercise power and authority bestowed to them over other parties, to use force and physical coercion against them. Application of ethical values in rational decisions made in the criminal justice is also critical so that right decisions are made after serious critical thinking is employed to address the important issues of ethics, and the code of conduct within the law (Ethics in Criminal Justice Administration, 2012). When ethical values are effectively applied or incorporated when making serious and critical decisions, the decisions made are bound to be correct and very appropriate to the situation under consideration. Ethics are very critical when making critical decisions, because they help in guiding the decision which in most cases, if not well guided, may be wrong or inappro priate. Each field has its own ethics to be followed, though there are various ethical standards which are common in almost all the disciplines or which are universal. These universal standards of ethics or ethical standards guide a lot in decision making. In criminal justice just like any other field, proper decisions are critical because they aid in facilitating success. Adjustment bureau and the training day film critically analyzing the various issues of the ethics, crime and criminal justice where various decisions are made by significant actors in the movie. Here, the adjustment bureau does everything to stop David and Elise from being together using their considerable power. David in the destiny of all manners of fate is presented with a scenario where he has to do all that he can to ensure that he fulfills his desires regardless of the adjustment bureau (School of Criminal Justice, 2008). David as depicted in this scenarios is a go getter, who won’t let anything stop him from achieving what he wants or intents to achieve in life. His determination to achieve is clearly demonstatated in this scenario where he works so hard to ensure that none of his desires go unsatisfied in the end. The kind of determination exhibited here by this character is overwhelming, and is of great encouragement to those people who easily give up before achieving their targets or before satisfying their desires. In the idea of criminal justice, The Adjustment Bureau and The Training Day present the process of claims that dramatizations in media are so often misrepresent, and distort concepts of criminal justice. They also present the various legal systems leveled in various fictional bureau, such as the police officers implementing criminal justice in the movies, Adjusting Bureau and Training Day. In understanding all the connections in terms of decision making and critical and rational decision making, it’s very critical for one to be very considerate. According to the film and the instruments of criminal justice in line with ethical codes of conduct, the following discussion exemplifies the issues ironed out (United NationsOffice on Drugs and Crime, 2009). Justifying beliefs and decisions In validating the ways of life and decisions made in the criminal justice system, explaining what such decisions and who

Engineering Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Ethics - Assignment Example An example would be concrete hardens slower as the temperature drops. The logical support is water freezes 0Â °C. Since concrete is mixed with water, the water temperature will affect how the concrete sets. The empirical support is the actual observations show at 21Â °C concrete will set within 6 hours. At 16Â °C concrete will set within 8 hours. It takes 11 hours at 10Â °C for concrete to set. It takes 19 hours at -1Â °C for concrete to set. At -7Â °C concrete will freeze. Actual observation and empirical support have proved how concrete sets during different temperatures. Social science theory is about what can be proven, not how society should function. An example would be 18 year old males in the United States can be drafted into the military in the case of war. This is an example of what is. An example of what should be is the draft should not exist, or women should also be drafted in order for equality to be achieved. In Israel all individuals, except mothers and Hasidic Jews, are made to serve two years in the military upon turning 18 years old. This can be proven. It is a law of Israeli society. What can be proven in society does not necessarily have to be a law. An example is the literacy rate in the United States is in the high 90% range. This can be proven through research and the national census. Basically social science theory can be proven, and is not based on opinion. Etic is the external researcher’s interpretation of what things mean to a member/members of society. Emic is the native’s or citizen’s interpretation for the basis of their beliefs. The etic and emic perspectives of the accident Three Mile Island were diametrically opposite. The emic view of what was going on in the population around Three Mile Island was panic generated by the release of The China Syndrome, misinformation, confusion, flawed formulas, an invincibility concept of nuclear reactors, and general mismanagement on the part of the staff of Three Mile

Strategic analysis of a company located in UAE Essay

Strategic analysis of a company located in UAE - Essay Example Furthermore, the aviation industry of the Middle East will also be evaluated. Based on the findings, the study will underline the key strategic issues faced by Etihad Airways. A conclusion will be drawn regarding the most important strategic issue faced by the company. Once the issue is identified the report will offer some suggestions by which the issues can be either controlled or fully curbed. Finally the implementation process of the strategy will be portrayed. Etihad Airways, the national airlines of the United Arab Emirates was established in the year 2003, by Royal decree. The operation of the company started in the month of November, 2003 (Abed, Vine, Hellyer and Vine, 2006, p.207). Nevertheless, the journey began with a ceremonial flight from the Abu Dhabi airport to Al Ain. It is presently headquartered at the Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Etihadairways, n.d.). The company operates with around 1300 flights in a week. Etihad Airways has its operation in 55 countries of the world. The company has a total fleet size of 67 airbuses and some Boeing aircrafts. According to the recent reports, the company has carried 8.3 million passengers in the year 2011. The data also reveals that the company has been able to achieve a staggering 17 % growth regarding the total number of passenger carries. The net revenue of the company was US$ 4.1 billion and the profit was US$ 14 million. It is also considered as one of the fastest g rowing airlines company in the history of aviation industry. The primary business of the company is to provide transportation services to the customers. However it also offers packaged holiday tours and tender international delivery services for its customers. In the passenger transportation service, the company has three products namely Pearl business class, diamond first class and coral economy class. The

The growth performance of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The growth performance of China - Essay Example Although, Globalization and liberalization policies were the brain child of the capitalist countries like U.S and UK, China seems to be the number one exploiter of globalization which helped them immensely in achieving tremendous economic growth. This paper analyses the economic growth performances of China. â€Å"During 1997–2005, the PRC’s average annual growth rate in real GDP was 8.9%. During the forecast period of 2005–2010, it was assumed that the PRC continued its historical growth trend of 8.9% per year† (Mai et al, 2010, p.5) (See appendix for more details). China is able to continue or sustain their economic growth even with the help of some unbelievable polices. In fact China has rewritten some of the established economic principles. For example, BACK,(2010) mentioned that â€Å"in any other major economy where growth had accelerated as quickly as China's, higher interest rates would seem inevitable. But in China, authorities have been reluctan t to raise rates† (Back, 2010). In other words, according to traditional economic principles, a country should increase the interest rates when they feel that that their economy is overheated because of over economic exercises. But China did nothing to cool down the over activities in economic sector and kept the interest rates at a lower level until now. Even though economists have some concerns about the over activities in Chinese economic sector and the low interest rates, no big problems were reported so far from China. â€Å"Still, the government isn't dramatically cutting state-supplied credit. This year's loan target, although down considerably from last year, is still more than 50% higher than that of 2008† (Roberts, 2010). Another interesting tactics which helped the economic progress of China is the mass production of consumer goods. When most of the other nations tried to increase the profit by increasing the prices of their products, China did entirely the o pposite thing. They reduced the prices of their commodities and succeeded in selling more goods in international markets than any other countries. Thus they were able to counter the negative effects of price reduction with the help of bulk production and selling. Mai et al (2010) have pointed out that â€Å"the PRC’s exports increase by about 46%and imports by about 45% relative to their respective baseline levels in 2010. Imports and exports of all commodities and services rise relative to their baseline levels† (Mai et al, 2010, p.7) Another important step taken by China for boosting their economic progress was the welcoming of FDI. Even though China is communist country, they have realized that without private capital it is impossible for them to advance further. Foreign investment helped China to polish their production technologies and management skills further. â€Å"The key benefit of foreign investment is improvement in productivity as other players in the hos t industry catch up with the performance standards set by foreign investors† (Mai et al, 2010, p.14) The economic reformation processes undertaken by China under the leadership of Deng in the 80’s and 90’s helped them to speed up their economic progress. Deng succeeded in relieving the industry sector from the complete dominance of the government and lot of small scale industries

Vectren Corporation Audit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vectren Corporation Audit - Assignment Example Based on reported results, the dividend payout ratio and the return on average shareholders’ equity for 2013 were 86% and 8.9%, respectively. Under the Vectren At-Risk compensation plan, the company may prefer to acquire more shares on the open market during the fiscal periods when there are no limitations on the internal transactions to fulfill these obligations. The effective January 1, in the year 2015, the Compensation and Benefits Committee of the solemn Board of Directors issued approximately 169030 performance-based units to the management. Moreover, the Vectren Company is expecting to grant an absolute additional 172,069 performance awards measured at the time of the three-year performance period that will end as at December 31, the year 2014, which do not vest with the inadequate exceptions up to December 31, 2015. Unfortunately, these facts are not included in the table structured with the issues on the fiscal year. The footnote generally plays various fundamental roles in documents that will be analyzed further to acquire some information or rather to guide in a particular research. A footnote is always a tool that is used for referencing in documents (Pierce, Sarah, and Julie, 88). Some of the major purposes of the footnote include the following: Provision of additional information on an element or subject that has been mentioned in the main text or document but the elaboration of the element or subject is a little bit shallow in the main text. The footnote will, therefore, create a broad explanation on the subject in order to facilitate proper understanding thus accurate interpretation for anyone who will access the document. Footnotes also provide references used in the text or document in order to enable the readers to acquire more information from the journals or books quoted in the document in order to avoid cases of plagiarism.

Inc Narrative Report Essay Example for Free

Inc Narrative Report Essay For our group, the INCredibles, we are assigned to organize an event which has something to do with a group and its cooperation. The two most important thing when we say â€Å"LEADERSHIP†. As described, â€Å"LEADERSHIP† is the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to achieve a specific goal. Leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership cannot be taught, although it may be learned and enhanced through coaching or mentoring. Through this as a student, we are after a good and responsible leader that could really lead us for the best. Through teambuilding activities, different strategies and different leadership is being standout. Teambuilding is defined as the ability to identify and motivate individual employees to form a team that stays together, works together, and achieves together. For our event, entitled â€Å"Many Paths, One Spirit, A legacy of Leadership† we are after for a good leader and especially this event is after for a true and a strong bond. Our event took place at Ouans worth farm, Kanlurang Mayao, Lucena City. The call time of the organizers is at 7:00 in the morning. And for our participants which are the DSC Officers, their call time is at 9:00 in the morning at Manuel S. Enverga CTHRM Study Area. When we got at the venue, everyone is busy designating and planning the last minute petty things to be solved. Then after that, we started putting thing into place. We started cutting papers for the souvenirs and started blowing up the balloons, while other members of the group is still at Zharina’s House and busy preparing the food for our event. We also decorated and started arranging the tables at the conference room and putting some finishing touches. Then after that everyone is settled and other members already know their designated stations for the Amazing Race, and we are only waiting for the arrival of our participants but the DSC Chairman arrived as early as 8:00 in the morning. Then our participants arrived at 10:00 in the morning and it also started the registration, the assigned for the registration is Lindsey Hidalgo, Vera Javier and Karen Tagon. After the participants finished the registration, the program officially begins. The event started with a prayer hoping the event would be successful and also at the same time to attain our main goal that is to have unity, cooperation and a strong bond among the DSC Officers. As the participants log their names at our registration forms, they were at the same time given their IDs and they are also to choose a balloon that indicates which group they would belong. After that Czarina Miranda the emcee of that day’s event, she welcomes whole heartedly the participants and calls on immpediately Nadine Almozara for her to start the day with a prayer. After the Opening Prayer, the Opening Remarks was given by Nina Lumenario. Then the emcee immediately instructed the participants on how the Amazing Race would work and what are the rules. The stations includes the following: Calamansi relay, bilangan ng monggo, spell me DSC, kadena, obstacle, pulot ng basura, harina, and eat all you can (includes ampalaya, banana, calamansi and tomsto). Then after that, the emcee instructed the participants that its time for them to know their respective groups. The first group includes Alexis, Meco and Nino. The second group includes Crio, Hazel, Tyrone, and Chesca. And the last group includes Paul, Alvin and Janica. After that the groups where formed and they need to make a name for their group and to present a yell. Paul’s group is named as the â€Å"TAMARights† inspired by the FEU Tamaraws, they performed their yell first. Alexis’ group is named as â€Å"Orange and Lemons† inspired by a Filipino Local Band. And the last group, Crio’s group is named as â€Å"BLUEtooth† inspired by a cellphone specs. Crio, Paul and Meco added spice whenever they throw jokes to each opther that makes also the event fun. And its now time for the groups to start the Amazing Race. The process is that they where given a clue that would took them to their destination and in that way they would be starting in dif ferent stations. In every stations that they’ll be accomplishing the Station Manager would give them a letter that is a key for a keyword â€Å"CTHRM DSC† and the first to complete this letters, they are the winner. So the game started it’s a thrill. We could really see the cooperation and the hardworks of our participants and we are really thankful because they really supported our event. The first group to arrived at the conference room and completed the letters is Paul’s Group and the are the TAMARights. Second who arrived is Alexis’ Group, the Orange and Lemons. And last is Crio’s Group, the BLUEtooth. So because Crio’s group finish last Meco started throwing jokes at Crio. And once4 again everyone laugh and enjoyed. Then after the picture taking. We started distributing lunch for our participants, our lunch is extraordinary because it’s in a banana leaf and we need to eat together but its really fun. We enjoyed eating like it’s all back to basic. After we finish our lunch, the second game begins and it is to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Alexis’ Group won the challenge, next is Crio’s group and lastly it’s Paul’s group. The next activity is to make their flags that would be symbolizing their group and everyone really made a good job. The event was tiring but it was really worth it, it’s fun and it really bonded the relationships of the participants and also the organizers. Alvin, the DSC Chairman, gave some message that really made us realize and also touches us. Immediately after that Donna, our Event Manager gave a Closing Remarks and after the program everyone was having a free time to sit and jam with the participants and to distribute their snacks and at the same time Paul gave us some intermission number and he does some impersonations. That ends our event and we really think that our event achieves our goals. And as we finish this event we are hoping that this would give our participants a more clearer and more deeper understanding about leadership.

Finance in an SME Context

Finance in an SME Context In this vast realm of corporate entanglement across the world, people all over the world are getting their various ways to earn their livelihood (Berk, DeMarzo, 2017). This entanglement to the corporate world takes different forms of which the SME (Small Medium Enterprise) is one. Alike the other forms of business organizations, SMEs have their own types of accounting finance analyses. Through different investment appraisal techniques, an SME firm can evaluate choose investment projects. The financing of the projects is done generally by the internal financial sources. SMEs encompass the whole business world. They are the largest economic sector in the UK. Because of the SMEs popularity, more people are coming up with newer ideas to start an SME. When it comes to analyzing the performance of any business for a specific accounting period, the ratios or the accounting ratios are the most widely used tools (Cassedy, 2014). Among the various ratios, the most common ones are those that are used to figure out liquidity, profitability, efficiency etc. From the given data of the concerned company Trainline, the following six ratios have been used to analyze the performance of the company: Net Profit Margin: Profitability of a firm shows, to some extent, the firms performance position throughout any particular period (Cassedy, 2014). To figure out profitability, there can be many ratios, out of which Net Profit Margin (NPM) is a reliable one, since the NPM takes into account all the operating expenses all the operating income thus resulting in the net profit figure the firm has at the end of any period. Trainline company enjoyed the highest profit in 2014. NPM can be calculated through dividing the net profit of any period by the net sales of that period. Following is the position of Trainline as calculated using NPM formula: Date March 03, 2012 March 02, 2013 March 01, 2014 February 28, 2015 March 05, 2016 Net Profit Margin 0.13 0.10 0.18 0.15 0.12 Gross Profit Margin: The Gross Profit Margin (GPM) is also a ratio for calculating the profitability of any firm. The difference between the NPM the GPM is that the latter one does not consider operating expenses (Cassedy, 2014). Gross profit margin shows the performance of the firm based on the firms capacity of first level activity or the main way through which Trainline earns profit. Though not that much reliable as net profit margin, it is easy to calculate. Trainline experienced similar percentage of gross profit over the years. The formula to figure out gross profit of Trainline is given below: Date March 03, 2012 March 02, 2013 March 01, 2014 February 28, 2015 March 05, 2016 Gross Profit Margin 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% Inventory Turnover: According to Clark, Baker, (2011), There are several accounting ratios that help investors, creditors or any other stakeholders to figure out how much a company is efficient in selling its products in stock or inventory, i.e. inventory turnover period shows the companys ability to use the inventory perfectly. The fact of multiplying the ratio with 365 is that it shows in how many days the firm is able to go on a cycle of inventory management (Clark, Baker, 2011). Through this measure, stakeholders are also able to find out the return on assets. Trainline company shows consistent performance in the years 2012, 2013, in 2014, but the company faced declining results in 2015 2016. Date March 03, 2012 March 02, 2013 March 01, 2014 February 28, 2015 March 05, 2016 Inventory Turnover Period 0.598039216 0.591800494 0.561754521 0.329632384 0.24692301 Return on Capital Employed: The Return on Capital Employed is measure that shows a companys productivity in making appropriate use of the assets net of long term liabilities or the capital employed. The ratio provides information of the firms ability to use the invested amount (Clark, Baker, 2011). ROCE, often times, is the most popular tool to see potential in any company. It is calculated through dividing net profit of the company by capital employed. Here, for the calculation of Trainlines ROCE, the intangible assets have been deducted. The following table graph show the results of Trainline over the years in terms of ROCE along with the formula: Date March 03, 2012 March 02, 2013 March 01, 2014 February 28, 2015 March 05, 2016 Return on Capital Employed 0.169982548 0.422774021 1.141914376 1.092703315 1.518949954 Current Ratio: When it comes to finding out the liquidity of any business organization, the Current ratio is one of the prominent ones (Clark, Baker, 2011). It shows how much capable Trainline company is in paying back its current liabilities using its current assets. Suppliers are the most frequent users of this ratio. Current ratio is calculated through dividing current assets of any accounting period by the current liabilities of that particular period. Current ratio is calculated by dividing the current assets by the current liabilities. The standard benchmark for current ratio is 1. If the current ratio is above 1, then its good, but if the ratio falls below 1, then its not good the firm should focus on dealing with this. Trainline was consistent performed well over the years in paying back its short-term liabilities using its current assets. Date March 03, 2012 March 02, 2013 March 01, 2014 February 28, 2015 March 05, 2016 Current Ratio 1.59 1.86 1.18 1.41 1.21 Acid Test Ratio: The Acid Test Ratio is also a measure to figure out the liquidity of any firm. It is more reliable than the current ratio, since it deducts stock or inventories from the current assets. Since inventories cannot be converted into liquid asset, they are deducted in acid test ratio. The ratio is calculated through dividing current assets net of inventories or stock by current liabilities (Shields, 2011). The ratio is also known as the quick ratio. Trainline company was performing good in 2012 in 2013 faced a decline in 2014, but was able to increase the ratio (Shields, 2011). The standard benchmark for acid test ratio is 1.5. Date March 03, 2012 March 02, 2013 March 01, 2014 February 28, 2015 March 05, 2016 Acid Test Ratio 1.59 1.86 1.18 1.41 1.21 Assuming a sales growth rate of 10.05% an expense growth rate of 5.02% (one-half of the earnings growth rate), the following cash budget is forecasted: Trainline.com Cash Budget For the Years from March-2016 to March-2019 March 05, 2016 March 05, 2017 March 05, 2018 March 05, 2019 Opening Cash Balance 44408 2040477 4254439 Share Capital 1131 1245 1370 1507 Ticket Sales 1938116 2132883 2347222 2583101 Collection from receivables 153121 153121 Total Cash Available 2092368 2331656 4389069 6839047 Cost of Sales 45824 48126 50545 53084 Administrative Expense 61375 64459 67698 71099 Interest Payable Similar Charges 9994 10496 11024 11577 Tax on Profit 4863 5107 5364 5633 Payment to Creditors 162990 162990 Total Disbursement 285046 291179 134630 141395 ClosingCash Balance 1807322 2040477 4254439 6697653 Analysis on Sources of Cash: Issuance of Shares: Trainline collects cash from issuing different kinds of shares such as primary, preferred shares etc. Foer the purpose of issuing shares, Trainline.com must enlist in the regulatory body controlling issuance of shares, the London Stock Exchange. The company decided to float shares through London Stock Exchange with a prospective figure amounting  £500. It had a capital amount of  £1131000 in 2016 (Shields, 2011). Issuance of shares is most often a common source for collecting cash in short-term period. Sale of Tickets: Since the company stands for it, i.e. selling tickets is the main source of income of Trainline.com, it is the most important source through which the company collects cash. Trainline.com deals in train tickets. This facilitates the clients through booking seats in train. The company reported a sales figure of  £1938116000 in 2016 from selling tickets the websites (Shields, 2011). Receivables: Collection from receivables is not actually a different source than that of the main source, that is, selling tickets, it is the due amount that the company owes to customers.   Trainline provides services on credit as well. By Shields, (2011), in 2016, the company recorded an amount of  £15312100 for receivables. Retained Earnings: Companies dont pay all of the profit earned in any particular accounting period to their shareholders. The portion of net profit held by the company management is called retained earnings (Shields, 2011). The general thought behind this notion is that company management wants to keep cautious measure in order to prevent future uncertain issues. Trainline also retains part of its net profit every year in order to raise cash when needed. In 2016, the company reported  £55027000 as retained earnings (Vence-Deza, Metcalfe, 2012). Retained earnings is a part of trainline.coms equity a good source of collecting cash. These sources are primarily seen on trainline.com. these help trainline.com to continue the business operation. Besides these there is the need of the proper management of the business operation on the basis of the accurate financial information. These sources of collecting cash helps trainline.com run its day to day operations. The management of the company emphasizes on these sources in order to ensure solution to future uncertain issues as well. Critical analysis of anything is done through evaluating the advantages disadvantages of that particular thing (Siegel, Shim, 2010). There are different sources available for trainline.com. The company prefers does use the sources of finance based on their advantages. Followings are some of the common sources identified for trainline.com: Capital through Issuing Shares Debentures: For a company like trainline.com, the issuance of shares or debentures is a better easy source, since this source ensures short-term quick financing (Siegel, Shim, 2010). Trainline is an airline ticket selling company the base income source is ticket-sales. The company needs to ensure short-term financing to run its daily operations. Besides, there are not that much regulatory requirements for secondary share issuance as a result lesser costs to incur. Sale of Tickets: The main source of finance for trainline.com is the sale of airline as mentioned in its charter (Siegel, Shim, 2010). The company earns its basic income from selling tickets. Whether short-term or long-term, the company is ought to carry on going with this source of finance. The costs associated with this source is the collective costs of operating expenses. Receivables: Trainline sells air tickets to its customers on credit as well (Rosenberg, 2013). Even though, this is not a different source than sale of tickets, the management of the company thinks in other way round, since this source ensures financing for future operations. This source doesnt have any cost unless there is issue of granting discount on timely payment. Retained Earnings: Retained earnings is the that portion of net profit which is retained or withheld by the management of the company in order to prepare for future uncertainties (Rosenberg, 2013). Retained earnings is the most popular source of finance for companies like trainline.com, since this source makes sure of short-term quick financing. Bank Loans: Different term loans granted by the banks are also a very common source of finance used by companies (Rosenberg, 2013). Trainline have affiliation with several banks, since the customers pay for the tickets through bank accounts. The company can ensure financing through borrowing loans from banks. There are costs such as interest, borrowing costs etc. There are also some regulatory requirements as well. The above-mentioned sources are some of the most common sources of finance. Trainline is suggested to understand the relative advantages of each source then choose the best one considering given situation opportunities. Evaluation of Investment Techniques: Trainline can think of undertaking investment project through evaluating the benefits of the projects. For the evaluation purposes, there are several investment appraisal techniques. Among the various, the very common techniques are payback period (PBP), accounting rate of return (ARR), net present value (NPV). The payback period shows how many years or periods an investment project will take to recover the invested money. It doesnt consider the time value of money. Accounting rate of return how much accounting profit trainline.com would earn from the average assets invested (Rosenberg, 2013). This technique doesnt consider cash flows. Net present value is the most popular significant investment appraisal technique, since it considers all the related cash flows time value of money. This approach discounts the future cash flows from any project under consideration. Trainline is suggested to choose the best investment technique, the NPV to choose the investment project that shows th e highest positive net present value. Entrepreneurial ecosystem is the lead frontier for the development of any kind of business organization (Rosenberg, 2013). There are some basic constituents that collectively form the entrepreneurial ecosystem which, in turn, is responsible for developing businesses. This rule works across the whole world, but very little that we are aware of this enormous fact. The fundamental elements that contribute to the development of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem are Market Situation, Cultural Traits, Policies, Capital, Financial Position different supporting elements. The general constitutional framework for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is shown through the following figure: Capital: Without capital, no one can think of going for business (Rosenberg, 2013). It is called the life blood of businesses. Capital can be of, in general, two types such as the financial capital the human capital. Both of these are significant. Human capital or resource is the most important constituent of an organizational setting. Human resource is the precondition for any organization stand by. Trainline needs to ensure proper management of its human resource. Market Situation: Market situation generally means the current position of the demand supply altogether of any market the interrelation of the driving forces that create the situation (Hussain,   Scott, 2010). Train line must comply with the market situation provide service accordingly to gain sustainable competitive advantage to ensure goal achievement through making sure of consistent growth. The company needs to conduct researches make analysis to have a thorough understanding of the current market situation. Policies: Throughout the globe, due to several human organizational needs, policies have been being developed renovated across generations (Hussain,   Scott, 2010). These policies are developed to deal with the situations associated with different human needs. There are policies for businesses as well. Since trainline.com is a business organization that bases its operations through internet, the policies so enactedby the government of the UK are ought to be complied with by trainline.com. Financial Position: Since finance is the base for capital, it is also referred to as the life blood of businesses. Firms need to look for different sources to finance. Trainline needs to cope up with the basic management of financing for any project (Hussain,   Scott, 2010). The company needs to figure out where to get the funds from, where to invest the collected funds, how to deal with interest settlements in order to develop the business situation. Cultural Traits: Cultural traits, norms, beliefs, values add greatly to the entrepreneurial ecosystem (Hussain,   Scott, 2010). The organization setting highly depends on the way people around the organization behave, perceive interact with each other. Trainline needs to understand the cultural traits of the customers to get along with sustainable development. Entrepreneurial ecosystem through its culture component influences the business environment both in terms of emergence development. Supporting Elements: According to Rosenberg, (2013), Different supporting elements such as legal infrastructure, reporting (bookkeeping accounting) systems, corporate social responsibilities, social marketing etc. are also responsible for the development of entrepreneurial ecosystem surrounding a business. These elements may be favourable or unfavourable. Trainline needs to make appropriate analysis derive meaningful conclusions to deal with these elements to ensure improvement. The above discussed elements or constituents are responsible for entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through these collectively structured constituents, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is responsible for the development of businesses across the world. When a company has the scope abilities to go from private limited to publiclimited, it has to go through making Initial Public Offering (IPO), i.e. issuing primary shares through enlisting registration into the regulatory authority of that particular country or region (Fardon, Cox, 2014). For trainline.com to go for IPO, it must enlist into the London Stock Exchange, UK. Along with the scope abilities, there are some ethical considerations as well to go for IPO. The ethical considerations are as follows: Ensured Forecast Result: If trainline.com can ensure that the forecast so made by the accountants or the professionals associated will be feasible in the long run for the development of the company will not bring about any severe challenges for the stake of all the shareholders, the company may wish to go for making initial public offering (Fardon, Cox, 2014). It can be said that this is the first foremost stage where any firm can think of going public limited. Reported Income Financial Position: Even though reported income figure financial position as shown in the financial statements are not completely an ethical requirement for a company to go for IPO, the relative values associated with these requirements sometimes add greatly to the ethical considerations for going public. An expression of this fact is the need for full disclosure principle of accounting. Trainline must provide information of reported income, financial position to the stakeholders full extent. In 2016, trainline.com reported equity value of  £56158000 liability amounting  £162990000 (Dean, Schwindt, 2015). The amount of accounts receivables is  £153121000 that gives the notion of income in that accounting period amounting  £32931000 (Dean, Schwindt, 2015). Shareholders Consent: Before going for IPO, the trainline.com needs to arrange statutory meeting with the shareholders (Dalton, 2013). It will be considered unethical, if the company goes for IPO without letting the shareholders know about the issue. Not only does trainline.com have to let the shareholders know the issue of going for IPO, but also the company has to have strong agreement from all of the members. Employment of Independent Auditor: To ensure bias free situation, trainline.com needs to appoint independent auditors who would check analyze the financial situation of the company through auditing financial statements (Dalton, 2013). If the auditors provide positive opinion about the reliability of the financial information so provided through the financial statements, then only then trainline.com is allowed to go for IPO. Even though this requirement is a legal one, contributes to the ethical consideration in the sense that the fulfilment of this requirement reduces legal obligations of both shareholders the government. The company should not disrespect the rights of shareholders or stakeholders as a whole before going public. These are the some of the core ethical considerations that the concerned firm is suggested to comply with in order to go for IPO (Dalton, 2013). After making analysis of the situation so brought up here by the given information of Trainline, it can be said that the company is able to go for Initial Public Offering. The effort to evaluate a firms performance based on ratios with the objective to make investment decisions is appreciable. There are several key factors that collectively ensure the success of the business. The Trainline company has been able to cope up with the drastically changing business environment. The company had its different sources of finance. The company evaluated, analyzed different investment appraisal techniques to get along with projects with opportunities which, in turn, ensure growth. By getting through the business line with consistent constant growth, the Trainline can obtain sustainable competitive advantage. The certain ethical issues that have the full privy to influence the decision to go for IPO. Accounting financial analysis is necessary, since right decision comes out of right information. These analyses provide decisionmakers with the right information. Berk, J., DeMarzo, P. (2017). Corporate finance. Harlow, England: Pearson. Cassedy, P. (2014). Finance. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books. Clark, R., Baker, D. (2011). Finance. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dalton, H. (2013). Principles of Public Finance. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Dean, J., Schwindt, R. (2015). FinanceI. Durham: Eno River Press. Fardon, M., Cox, D. (2014). Finance. Worcester: Osborne. Hussain, J., Scott, J. (2010) Research handbook on entrepreneurial finance. Rosenberg, S. (2013). Finance. New York, N.Y.: Facts on File Publications. Shields, D. (2011). Finance. Oxford: ISIS Large Print. Siegel, J., Shim, J. (2010). Finance. New York: Barrons. Vence-Deza, X., Metcalfe, J. (2012). Wealth from Diversity. Boston, MA: Springer US.

Critical Thinking and Computer Logic :: Case Study, solution

With the PCLM solution came another set of problems, the largest being that of what to do with the existing personal computers. We had just assumed we could dispose of the outdated computers as you would any other item, by placing it in the trash. That turned out to not be the case, we had to obey all local, State, and Federal regulations regarding the proper disposal of personal computers and CRT monitors. The other unforeseen circumstance was compiling with Federal laws associated to properly destroying all sensitive customer information off the PC hard drives. HIPAA physical safeguard contain the following regulation; disposal, implement policies and procedures to address the final disposition of electronic protected health information, and or the hardware or electronic media on which it is stored; media re-use, implement procedures for removal of electronic protected health information from electronic media before the media are made available for re-use; accountab ility, maintain a record of the movements of hardware and electronic media and any person responsible therefore. (Phoenix Health Systems, 2006) With regards to disposing or recycling of old computer equipment there are very many key things that need to be considered. What are the fees for disposing or recycling of computer and other electronic equipment? Is disposing of electronic equipment equally as environmentally safe compared to recycling? What are the long-term effects of disposing this kind of materials? Can anyone benefit from the recycling of computers or other electronic devices? These are some of the things that should be considered when deciding to dispose of old or unwanted computer materials. Each company must see which option is best for them and their ideals. Usually there are nominal fees for companies to pick up and dispose of computers, monitors, and printers, the same can be said for recycling. There are even free options that are sometimes offered by non-profit or government agencies in order to help ease the land filling of this type of materials. Just last year the Michigan Department of Information Technology and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality teamed up with Dell, Inc. to host free computer recycling collections at three locations across Michigan to provide citizens with a better alternative for disposing of their electronic computer equipment (State of Michigan To Hold Computer Recycling Events, http://www.

Lessons Learned at Summer Camp :: Memoir Essays

Lessons Learned at Summer Camp       Gazing up at the clouds, I thought of all the great times I had been a part of. The whole week had been full of excitement. Every day was a payoff of all of the work put into this experience. "Did it have to end so quickly?" I wondered to myself. "Just think of next year", I said to comfort my disbelief, "Its going to be ten times the fun. I'll make sure of that." After what seemed like years of waiting, the day of camp finally arrived. I hastily packed my bags and threw them in my car. My sister on the other hand, was late. She took forever putting her bags together and she walked out of the house as slow as a snail. "Hurry up!" I yelled at her. "I'm sorry." She replied. The only thing I could say was "Sure, whatever." But, I wasn't going to let this get in the way of my excitement. I was so charged with a "rush" as I pulled out of the driveway. I arrived at the guest ranch that we would be staying at around the same time as everyone else. It was later in the evening so the first item on our agenda was to eat supper. After we ate, the seventeen of us students and the six counselors all had a short chapel meeting. Following the meeting, we all played a game of capture the flag out in the trees by the ranch and then hit the sack. The next day I woke up and went through my usual morning strategy of preparing myself for the exciting day to come. I had breakfast with the rest of the group followed by an intense game of horseshoes. Then we had what is called "Quiet Time." It is a time that each of us went off somewhere by ourselves and read our bible or reflected on events that have happened. I went and sat in the shade of one of the trees. It was an incredible half-hour. I took a look at nature and realized how awesome God really is. I saw all kinds of insects and different pieces of life. It was a neat feeling that I had that morning. The rest of the day the group and I played games and had some time to go where we wanted to. During a game of horseshoes, Nathan carelessly threw a horseshoe out of control towards me.

Chinese-American Culture

What culture they had was to be forgotten – a difficult and practically impossible feat. The Chinese-Americans faced a wall of cultural difference that could only be scaled with the support of their parents and local community. The book review of Bone by Nhi Le stated clearly how † †¦ the first generations† struggle to survive and the second generations† efforts to thrive †¦ † made the transition into American culture possible. Overcoming barriers such as language, education, work ethic, and sex roles was just a beginning to the problems that all Asian – Americans faced. The most obvious and one of the most difficult walls to climb was the language. First generation immigrants rarely became fluent in English and more often than not learned so little that they were entrapped in a society of working in very menial jobs and job conditions. Jobs ranging from sweatshops, dirty factories, shipyards, and railroads are prime examples of the conditions they were forced to live and work in. Fae Ng described the difficulty very well by taking a look at her mother†s job in the clothing factory and Leon†s Job on the ships. They had very little advancement in the work force because they couldn†t communicate well enough that they actually had skills. Trials in the work place helped the immigrants impress upon their children the importance of education. Education in Asia was and is completely different from western civilization. Asian teachers bear all the responsibility without any help from the home. Ng†s portrayal of Leila as a school teacher and how difficult it was to connect with the Asian children†s parents is a situation relating back to the separation of education and the home in Asia. Another difficult barrier in education was the role of the student. In Asia the student learns what material is given to them and interaction with the teacher is uncommon. The parent – teacher – student interaction was a brand new idea to Asian families. Adapting to this new system could take generations of work by devoted teachers. Money. A word that captures all peoples attention was scarce among the Asian – American community. The low wages drove both parents into the work force and changed the roles of women in the family. The Asian way of the wife being submissive in all activities and only working at home with the children changed with the move to America. The wife†s working made a more equal standing in the household but also deprived the children of a quality home life. The importance of women in Asia is non-existent. For example: women had to walk behind their husbands in Asian culture but in American culture they rose to equal standing because of their work status. Understanding the Cultural differences can lead one to understand Bone from a new perspective. Expectations of difficulty for the women in the book are much more prevalent and the children†s unstable home environment can be understood. Views of hopelessness and defeat in a new culture are expectations that the reader of Bone could not overlook. Fae Mynne Ng, the Author of Bone, will try to illustrate the difficulties of the cultural barriers throughout her book. Relating experiences of her characters to her own experiences in the Chinese subculture of San Francisco will be understood. Ng will create parallel experiences of her life to Leila†s with education, family life, and work environment. The hard life of the first generation will be paralleled to the lives of Leila†s mother and father. Ng will describe the tasks of adapting from old culture to new culture and the fight Asian – Americans had to win to get rights in America. Bone will help Americans to accept other cultures and understand how to deal with some of the problems that arise in the culture-clash of immigrants. A vast knowledge in relating to immigrants and accepting their differences will make the world a better place. Americans tolerance level and understanding of the immigrants is raised due to authors such as Fae Ng.

Women in the Odyssey

Women in The Odyssey After following an epic that revolved so completely around men, The Odyssey has quite a lot of female roles. True, the ancient Greeks had a better androgynous balance than other civilizations, and this is reflected very clearly in The Odyssey. Femininity has not only a bigger role in this epic, but it seems as though it is honored with its own unique power. This is shown in characters like Circe and Athena, but also subtextually in the many female weavers throughout the story. Overall, women and feminine power have a very influential role in the plot of the Odyssey.Let us begin with the obvious female powers in the immortal goddesses and nymphs. As far as the Olympian Gods, Athena is by far the most involved, regardless of gender. This is made very clear, for example, we see Telemachus preparing for his journey, â€Å"When they had made fast the running gear all along the black ship, then they set up the mixing bowls, filling them brimful with wine, and poured t o the gods immortal and everlasting, but beyond all other gods they poured to Zeus’ gray-eyed daughter. † (2. 430-433) Also, Calypso and Circe play the role of â€Å"Women as Temptress† which greatly hinders Odysseus’ journey.Circe especially has those powerful witch qualities that the uses specifically against the male gender. Luckily, however, she learns compassion for Odysseus and the crew in general. Thus she becomes not only kind but actually a very helpful component in the overall voyage. Calypso needed more convincing about releasing Odysseus, but afterwards she also became somewhat helpful. Other helpful supernatural women appear such as the water nymph, Ino, who saves Odysseus from drowning on his way to the Phaecians. Already we see a huge increase in female importance and their affect on the plot.One of the biggest reflections of ancient Greek culture is the amount of weaving done by the women. However, I think that the images of weaving in the Odyssey have little to do with making a cultural point. In Greek mythology, everyone’s destiny was weaved by the Fates. I think that because of that, weaving has many connections to destiny. This even transfers into the literal sense, from baby blankets to death shrouds. Thus, the women in the epic who are seen weaving are technically weaving the destinies of the characters of the story.Let’s start with Penelope, for her image of weaving is very specific. She weaves by day and â€Å"by night, with torches lit beside her, she would unravel all she’d done. † (2. 106-107) This represents the fact that she keeps her life monotonously the same, and refuses to allow her life/destiny/weaving to progress. We see another very interesting image of weaving with Helen. She is making her yarn, which the preparation work before the actual weaving. To me this means that she was the one who informed the destinies before anything even took place in the Odyssey.Her decisio ns before and during the Iliad were her major contributions, as she set the stage for the female weavers of the Odyssey. These weavers also include Calypso and Circe, who we have already decided are major parts in the book. There are a few more women in this epic who really deserve to be mentioned. Two of them are Phaecians, Princess Nausicaa and Queen Arete. Nausicaa, inspired by our goddess Athena, really helped Odysseus. In her curiosity and level-headedness, she helped Odysseus return to her palace and find the help and support he needed to return home.Once he arrived there, he met with Arete, and it was she who Odysseus chose to plead hospitality, â€Å"flung his arms around her knees,† (7. 167) instead of her husband (the king). From the moment I read this, I thought that Arete must be a very powerful and respected woman, especially if she has power over decisions like that. Another woman I found very influential was Eurycleia. She practically raised both Odysseus and T elemachus, making that bond/parallel between father and son even clearer. She is also the only person to recognize Odysseus before he meant to reveal himself to her.However, when she saw his unmistakeable scar, she â€Å"let his foot fall, down it dropped in the basin-the bronze clanged, tipping over, tipping water across the floor. † (19. 530-533). This uninherently shows her wisdom and compassion at an old age. Another (somewhat graphic) image of women in the Odyssey is the maidens that were hung across the rope by their faces at the end of the battle. This shows the flipside of feminine power, as these are the women who didn’t advocate for themselves or their masters in the least, but decided to live a lazy life of gluttony and pleasure instead.The last woman I would like to mention is Odysseus’ mother, Anticleia. We only get to see her as a shadow, which is the least powerful state of any woman throughout the epic. However, she still stirs a deep emotional r esponse out of Odysseus, which, in turn, most definitely affects the actions he takes and thus the plot as a hole. Overall, I think that women play a very inspiring role in this epic. The show us time and time again that each of us is powerful enough to help write or own destinies, and to be cooperative components in the lives of others.We see again that compassion trumps hatred, and that being helpful is better than being selfish. Setting someone you love free can not only just turn out for the best, but it also might just be what needs to happen in the fate of their life. How different would the story be if Odysseus wasn’t eventually allowed to leave Aeaea or Ogygia? So in conclusion, the women of the Odyssey show us to be present and compassionate in our lives, because who knows? You may just have a lasting effect on the life of another.

Mission and Vision Paper Essay

The organization and mission and vision statements that will be discussed are from SGT (Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies), Inc. which is an aerospace services company that was founded in 1994 by Harold Stinger and Dr. Kam Ghaffarian. They are headquartered in Greenbelt, Maryland with locations throughout the country and I had the pleasure to work for them for a year before my contract was bought out by a competitor. SGT states that they are dedicated to customer satisfaction and providing high quality support in the areas of Engineering, Science, Project Management and Information Technology. What is a mission statement? According to our textbook a mission statement answers the question â€Å"What is our business?†(David, 2011, p.45) A mission statement is meant for the employees and leaders of the organization. A Mission statement helps to clarify the purpose and primary, measurable objectives of the organization. â€Å"A good mission statement allows for the generation and consideration of a range of feasible alternative objectives and strategies without unduly stifling management creativity† (David, 2011 p.49) Mission statements should also have nine key components: â€Å"Customers, products or services, Markets, Technology, Concern for Survival, growth and profitability, Philosophy, self-concept, concern for public image, concern for employees†(David, 2011, p. 51) SGT Mission statement is as follows â€Å"To contribute to the success of our partnerships with government and industry through disciplined, reliable, evolutionary Systems Engineering, Technical Management, and Engineering Analysis Processes and Capabilities.† (SGT, 2012) I believe that this is a good mission statement. SGT hits many of the nine key components. They talk about their customers (government) and the products (Evolutionary Systems Engineering, Technical Management, and Engineering Analysis Processes) which are also their market. They leave open the potential for growth within the major fields by not being too specific which leaves growth possibilities. They are displaying their self-concept in the industry by being â€Å"disciplined† in their fields of Systems engineering, technical management, and engineering analysis processes and capabilities. By SGT saying â€Å"success of our partnerships† and â€Å"reliable† they are giving mention to th eir philosophy, self-concept, and public image of being able to be a dependable entity that can be relied upon by their customers the government because SGT is willing to work together to achieve the governments goals. The general attitude of SGT’s mission statement is that are very serious about providing exemplary service to the government industry through the services that they offer. Vision statements are somewhat like mission statements, a vision statement helps to describe the organization’s purpose and also include the organization values. Vision statements should give direction for employee behavior and helps provide inspiration for an organization. But the main question a Vision statement should answer is the question â€Å"what do we want to become?† (David, 2011, p.43) SGT’s vision statement is â€Å"To be the premier partner of the federal government providing high value technical solutions that advance the state of humanity and human knowledge.† (SGT, 2012). I feel SGT’s vision statement does answer the question of what they want to become. They want to become a premier partner of the federal government. I do also feel however that SGT’s vision statement does not include organizational values, which are more clearly stated in the mission statement. They do state that they want to enhance technical solutions to advance humanity and human knowledge and that does give me an idea that their company does care about the wellbeing of mankind but it leaves me feeling vague of their values to help inspire the employees. I feel SGT’s vision statement is more catered to inspire loyalty from their shareholders instead of their employees. SGT does have a section on their page about corporate responsibility and their philosophy which goes into detail about the companies integrity, and there commitment to the success of their customers and the how highly their value their employees. In conclusion both mission and vision statements are important starting points to an organizations strategic management. They both help to organize the company’s goal and future endeavors as well as to inspire their employees when implemented properly. SGT’s mission statement displays all the components a good mission statement should, their vision statement however is lacking in employee inspiration. SGT should have incorporated some of their philosophies within the vision for the company for it to be more in alignment of what a good vision should inspire. References: David, F. R. (2011). Strategic management. (13th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. (2012). Sgt mission and vision. SGT. Retrieved from http://www.sgt-inc.com/gen.php?pageid=10

What Is a Good Salesperson

A good salesperson is someone that can think on its feet (respond quickly with satisfying answers) and has the skills to deliver a message that is just right (not too elaborate and not too shallow). Basically, a good salesperson should be able to baffle someone with information; it should be able to knock someone of its feet leaving that person to wonder about his current ways. In the extent of what has been proposed by Dixon and Toman (2012) good salespeople should be able to create instability in the customers mind, removing it from its comfort zone and creating a state of confusion.If a sales person can create a state of confusion and provide the tools to alleviate this mind state of the consumer, it becomes quite possible for the salesperson to convince the consumer into buying the product offered by the sales rep. Therefore a good sales rep is able to contrive consciousness about prospective problems and with that lead the customer to an epiphany about how to solve these problem s on mutually beneficial grounds.In order to achieve these things it is a prerequisite for a sales rep to have a set amount of skills amongst which for example: sagacity (acumen), distinctness, relationship management and needs assessment. However, there are three (not two) skills in particular that are most essential for salespeople to succeed in any sales environment: Uniqueness in perspective, debate and tangibilization.Uniqueness in perspective: Salespeople should be able to offer new perspectives that were unexpected which makes it far more difficult for the customer to debate on the subject and far easier for the sales rep to radiate expertise. Furthermore, these new perspectives help in destabilizing the customer’s position making him subjective to education for new solutions. Debate: Debate entails the ability to fine tune your argumentation rather than to overpower someone with arguments. In other words, debate is about challenging the consumer rather than overruling it.As soon as the customer is destabilized it is necessary for the sales rep to create awareness and conviction which means that the sales rep should try to instigate the customer to really believe that he has a problem and the salesperson’s product is the only solution. It is important that the consumer is not overpowered by arguments but naturally finds its way to the proposed solution. Therefore the sales rep does not tell the consumer what to do it just pushes it in the right direction so that it will eventually make its wn decision. Tangibilization: Salespeople often subject themselves to ill-designed efforts to communicate the intangible benefits of their service offerings, making the service benefits less rather than more apparent. A good sales rep should have the ability to make any concept understandable and â€Å"tangible† without using any tangible props, this is the key in educating the customer. In the end all these traits have one thing in common: the ab ility to read and anticipate the customer and its point of view. .

Home vs Apartment Essay

Ever had to wonder if either to own a house or rent an apartment? These two materialistic items that give us shelter have there comparisons and differences. Many people decide to rent an apartment because they do not have money to buy a home. On the contrary, people sometimes do not like to live in apartments because of the lifestyle it has. Whether a house or an apartment, what’s the difference and what’s similar? A house and an apartment both have similarities. One of the similarities is that they both require rent. Rent depends on where the area the apartment or home is at and how big it is. The cost of living is often high under any shelter because it protects you from the outside weather and gives you a place to sleep. In addition, the monthly rent amount is sometimes the same at a home as well. Another comparison that these two have are they both have variable amount of rooms and baths. They vary to a one bedroom and a one bath to a 5 bedroom and 3 bath apartment, in which this also applies also to a home. Although, a home has a better chance on having more than an apartment. Depending on how many rooms and bath a person would like, there is a way to get that. The most important similarity is that they both provide shelter. Shelter is important because it provides a sense of security and a place of belonging. Everyone would like to live under a roof and, a home and an apartment, both successfully accomplish this. whether it be small or big, they both provide shelter. Besides the comparisons, these two have differences. One of the most obvious differences between these two is that living in an apartment allows easy mobility to move. In order to move from a home, there is more difficulty due to signing a loan out in order to buy the house. In an apartment, the person leases for a certain amount of time and then can either renew it or move. With a home it is more difficult because it requires to sell the home and also the loan that was taken out to be paid off. Another difference is that in an apartment you do not have the option to remodel the inside. In a home, since it is the homeowners property, they can remodel all they want. For example they can knock down walls, paint and add additional rooms. Another difference are how close the neighbors are. In an apartment, the neighbors are door to door. Sometimes the people on the bottom half of the apartment hear everything you do if you are on the top floor. There also a low tolerance of loud noises. For example, turning up the radio and listening to it loud can make the neighbors mad and make a  complaint about you. In the contrary, living in a home, the neighbors are more distant. The noise level does not really matter because many people do not complain. After comparing and contrasting both an apartment and a home, they both have their pros and cons. Apartments are easy to move from but do not have more to offer. On the other hand, a house gives more options to do anything but it also limits mobility to move. An apartment and a home have their similarities along with their differences.

Analyze a science news article on microbes Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyze a science news on microbes - Article Example It is also used in the evaluation process of different brands of food. The program is primarily based on excel sheet which makes it easier for the user to manage and maintain. It also helps an individual in the process of quick cost analysis and has tools in it to help evaluate the existing formulas of the items used in the food product. The program can communicate with other software and helps in creating the perfect formula for the food item. Major food companies are using the computer software TechWizard for the process of food analysis and making cost effective decisions. The labeling of food ingredients is easy and helps in identifying the quality of the product. The software has made the job of food labeling easier and helps maintain standard quality product. It is manageable and easy to use, making it one of the best food processing software in the market (Owl Software

Natural Disaster and Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Natural Disaster and Economic Growth - Essay Example This essay provides an comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of earthquakes on the performance of the country`s economy, both in the long and in the short run. Natural disasters are detrimental to the economic growth of the countries that face the disaster. The extent and severity of the effect of natural disasters vary across countries, but, the basic impact is not heterogeneous. The great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake hit Japan and it had brought tremendous damage to the country in terms of economic growth of the economy and the social structure. The city of Kobe was the worst sufferer in this disaster. Japan was already a developed nation when the disaster had stricken the country. Research by scholars acknowledges that the disaster had caused â€Å"devastating damage to the economic landscape of southern-central Japan† But, at the same time the results of investigation show that the earthquake made people realize the fact that capital formation is an important element of economic growth in the country. In the long run, level of well being of the survivors of the disaster depends on the rate at which capital is accumulated in the economy. Research results show that the impact of the disaster fades with time and the rate of development of the economy plays a major role in the standard of living of its people Although natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and are creating potentially devastating impact on the economies that face it, the economic cause of the disaster has not yet been accurately deciphered. ... Victims show the tendency to adapt with the new circumstances with the passage of time. A subsequent research shows the result of investigation into â€Å"the extent to which the earthquake enhanced the investment in social capital through participation in community activity† (Yamamura, 2013, p. 1). After facing the huge loss to life and property as a result of the earthquake, the people of Japan expressed greater consciousness regarding the importance of social capital. Comparing the data collected between the years 1991 and 1996, it has been found that people were more inclined to make investment in social capital in 1996 than they were in 1991 (Skidmore and Toya, 2002). This significantly increased the rate of investment in social capital by the residents of Kobe. However, rate of investment by the people living in the cities near Kobe did not show any noteworthy change. From this phenomenon the author has inferred that the impact of the disaster decreases with distance; th e effect of the disaster is lesser in the minds of the people that stay far away from the origin of disaster (Yamamura, 2010). Although natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and are creating potentially devastating impact on the economies that face it, the economic cause of the disaster has not yet been accurately deciphered. There have been several studies on the medium and long term impact of the disasters on the prospects of development of the countries. According to the works by Cavallo, Powell and Becerra (2010) long term effects of natural disasters from the economic point of view are not understood well. In general, literature existing in this sphere of research shows lack of theory and empirical evaluation of the mechanisms that

Portfolio report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio report - Research Paper Example In the period between 2007 and 2008, the price of oil increased from 60 dollars to 100 dollars. The price went up to an all times highest of 115 dollars in July 2008. The cycle was the same around April and august 2009. Oil prices behave much as any other commodity with wide price swings ill times of shortage or oversupply. The domestic industrys price has been regulated though the production or price controls throughout the twentieth century.   Crude oil prices ranged between $2.50 and $3.00 from 1948 through the end of the 1960s. Throughout the post war period, exporting countries found an increasing demand for their crude oil and a 40ul (, decline in the purchasing power of a barrel of crude. In March 1971, the balance of power shifted. This happened as a result of the Texas Railroad Commission setting a proration at 100%, for the first time. This meant that Texas producers were no longer limited in the amount of oil that they could produce. More importantly, it meant that the power to control crude oil prices shifted from the US (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana) to OPEC.   In 1972, the price of crude oil was about $3.00 and by the end of 1974, the price of oil had quadrupled to $12.00. The Yom Kippur War started with an attack on Israel by Syria and Egypt on October 5, 1973. The US and many western countries supported Israel. As a result of this support, Arab oil exporting nations imposed an embargo on the nations supporting Israel. Arab nations curtailed production by 5 million barrels per day (MBPD). About I MBPD was made up by increased production by other countries. The net loss of 4 MBPD extended through March 1974 and represented 7 percent of the free world production. Prices increased 400% in six short months!   Events in Iran and Iraq led to another round of crude oil price increases from 1979-80. The Iranian revolution resulted in the loss of 2.5 MBPD between 1978 and 1979. In 1980, Iraqs oil production fell 2.7 MBPD and Irans production

UK and American Educational Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

UK and American Educational Systems - Essay Example Therefore, it is not possible for education sector to escape from the effects of globalisation. A close examination of educational system of America proves that the impact of globalisation on the trends and developments of education sector is more evident here than in any other country. Even though the impact is more apparent in the United States, Latin America and Canada also have not escaped from the consequences. A comparison of American educational system with that of England will help to analyse the uniformity in the rate globalisation affecting the values, culture, politics and economic situation of world nations. Public education plays a vital role in societies that respect democratic values and social equality. For those people who try to make their country more democratic and equitable, supporting public education is an essential part of their programme. Many social scientists in American states believe that globalisation, in its current form, is a threat to the public education system which supports and tries to reflect the democratic values and social equality. The chief feature of neo-liberal policies is commoditisation and mercerisation of all the activities. (Kuehn 1999). So, when this neo-liberal policies peep into public services, the activities that are previously associated with the benefit of the public are moved into the market. On the application level, the services that are once given free of cost began to be charged. A remarkable change happened in the area of free education. Free education served the purpose of maintaining equality in the society. Free public education ensured that all children are educated without considering their socio-economic status. When the Universal Public education is lost, it will affect the equality. The globalisation policies not only reduced the expenditure for the public, it also mercerised the areas that were previously managed and supported by the government. The effects of globalisation is still worse when it comes to a situation where any one can determine how education is delivered, what is the content of education, and who has the access to education. The new words like 'modernisation', 'efficiency', 'total quality', 'free market' etc., has changed the focus of educational system in the country. The education tried to form new kind of citizens with new perspectives. The above parameters are no longer applied to the workforce of the country, but it comprises the entire individuals of the society. The educational aims are made to fit to the new needs. International agencies like The World Bank, the IMF, and the IDB are trying to identify the different categories of workforce that are needed in the future job market, and the education is designed with this market demand. They aim at creating a "global policy community, constituted by an overlapping membership of globalising bureaucratssenior public servants, policy-makers and advisers" ( Lingard & Rizvi 1998, P. 262). Now, the aim of education has contracted to limit human capacity to the possibilities of the market, instead of ensuring the all-round development of individuals. In other words, the training and preparation of the citizens will be based on the rules of the market. This will lead to exploitation