International Trade and Starbucks Essay

The original idea for Starbucks came from Howard Schultz after he took a trip to Italy. He was inspired by the coffee house experience and wanted to bring it to America. The lesson that can be drawn from this situation is that business formats in other countries can be translated successfully in other parts of the world. New opportunities can be taken advantage of internationally wherever there is a need for it. 2) What drove Starbucks to start expanding internationally? How is the company creating value for its shareholders by pursuing an international expansion strategy? The success that Starbucks was having in America drove the company to expand to other countries. In 1995 Starbucks had over 700 profitable stores across the U. S. and began exploring the international market in Japan. By entering the international market Starbucks is becoming a part of the global market. This brings value to shareholders because the world is moving towards globalization and it is necessary for companies to change their market strategy to meet the conditions of the global market. An international expansion strategy allows Starbucks to compete in the market more effectively and create more value for shareholders. 3) Why do you think Starbucks decided to enter the Japanese market via a joint venture with a Japanese company? What lesson can you draw from this? I believe Starbucks did a Japanese joint venture to help reduce the risk. Since the Japanese company Sazaby Inc. also had a 50% stake in the company it benefits Starbucks to have a partner who knows that Japanese market and who also has economical interest in seeing the company succeed. This shows that entering into joint ventures in international territories can help facilitate growth and lessen the financial burden if international ventures happen to fail. 4) Is Starbucks a force for globalization? Explain your answer. Yes, I believe Starbucks is a force for globalization. Starbucks is a multinational enterprise that has operations in countries all over the world like Canada, Japan, Britain, Thailand, and New Zealand. Starbucks empowers workers and farmers around the world and contributes to the economic growth of the global economy. 5) When it comes to purchasing coffee beans, Starbucks adheres to a â€Å"fair trade† program. What do you think is the difference between fair trade and free trade? How might a fair trade policy benefit Starbucks? Fair trade is a system that ensures that workers and exporters get a fair profit from the goods that the sell. Free trade is strictly based on the markets supply and demand for goods and services without regulation or moral implications. The fair trade policy that Starbucks adheres too will make consumers feel better about purchasing goods from their store. Many people are conscious about unfair wages and treatment of workers around the world and are more attracted to companies that do not follow the cheap labour trend.

OOPS Assignment

The second is a list of operations. For each class, select the operations that make sense for object in class. Discuss the behavior of each operation listed for each class Classes variable length array-ordered collection of objects, indexed by integer , whose size an vary at run time Symbol Table- a table that maps text keywords into description Set-unordered collection of objects with no duplicates Operations Append—add an object to the end of collection Copy—make a copy of a collection Count—return the no. F elements in collection Delete—remove a member from collection Index—retrieve an object from a collection at a given position Intersect—determine the common members of two collections Insert—place an object into a collection at a given position Update—add a member to a collection, writing over whatever is already there Variable length array-ordered collection of objects, indexed by integer , whose size can vary at run time 1. Insert: To insert an object in ordered collection. 2. Index: Indexed by integer to retrieve an object from a collection. . Count: Return no. Of elements whose size can vary at runtime. 2 Set-unordered collection of objects with no duplicates: 1. Insert: To insert an object into a collection. 2. Intersect: To determine the duplicates in a collection. 3. Delete: To delete any object or a duplicate member from a collection. 4. Update: To update a collection by including new member. Symbol Table- a table that maps text keywords into description. 1 . Insert: To map text keywords into description. 2. Count: For Symbol Table. SQ.If you were designing a protocol for transferring computer files from one computer to another over telephone lines, which of the following details would you select as relevant? Explain how your selected details are relevant a. Electrical noise on the communication lines b. The speed at which serial data is transmitted, typically 300, 1200, 2400, 4800 , or 9600 b its per second c. Availability of a relational database d. Availability of good full screen editor e. Number of tracks/sector on the hard drive 1. The speed at which serial data is transmitted.To transfer serial data as a computer files from one computer to another speed is required according to the amount of data. Some files use high transfer rates so above 300 or 1200 BSP speed is required. 2. Availability of a relational database. At a time of transferring data through telephone lines a relational database is required as a medium or path to connect different computers with catheter. 3. Number of tracks/sector on the hard drive. Number of tracks/sector on the hard drive is also required as a source or destination at a time of attracting files between computers.SQ. Define Math Class and which associated functions can be used for the following task To get absolute value To get ceil of number To get floor of number To get natural logarithm (base e) To get Max of two values To get min of two values To generate random number To calculate power for a number To calculate square root of number Proper function syntax and description should be given MATH CLASS: Math class contains methods for performing basic numeric operations such as the elementary exponential, logarithm, square root, and trigonometric functions.FUNCTIONS: To get absolute value: Math. Abs() To get ceil of number: Math. Ceil() To get floor of number: Math. Floor() To get natural logarithm (base e): Math. Log() To get Max of two values: Math. Max() To get min of two values: Math. Min() To generate random number: Math. Random() To calculate power for a number: Math. Expo(double a) To calculate square root of number: Math. Sort(double a). SQ. Write a Java application called Summing. Java that takes exactly four integers ND determines and prints the smallest, the largest and the sum of these four integers.The program's output should look like the following: The first integer: 4 The second integer: 6 The third integer: 2 The fourth integer: 7 The smallest integer was 2 and largest integer was 7. The sum of these four integers is 19 SOURCE CODE: package summing; import Java. ITIL. Scanner; * @author Monsoon public class Summing { public static void main(String[] rags) { Scanner surprises=new Scanner(System. In); into a[]=new into[4]; into System. Out. Print(â€Å"Enter Four integers: â€Å");

A Universal Definition Of Terrorism Essay -- Terrorism, Definition of te

The U.N description of terrorism as â€Å"any action, in addition to actions already specified by the existing conventions on aspects of terrorism, the Geneva Conventions and Security Council resolution 1566 (2004), that is intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants, when the purpose of such an act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a Government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act† (U.N). The U.K recommendation for the definition in 1996 by Lord Lloyd of Berwick states â€Å"The use of serious of violence against persons or property, or threat to use such violence, to intimidate or coerce a government, the public or any section of the public, in order to promote political, social or ideological objectives†(). It is important to point that the starting point of the definition of terrorism was created in 1989, reviewed in 1996, 2000 and 2006. The current definition of terrorism would be found in Section 1, Terrorism Act 2000, and it’s the least broad and vague definition of terrorism. To indicate and justify the components for a strodefine terrorism. 80% of countries worldwide have a broad definition of terrorism and the ones that do have a solid definition of terrorism like U.K could be identified as almost borderline invading human rights. MY DEFINITION OF TERRORISM WOULD BE ANY ACT OF VIOLENCE BY A GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL VIOLATING DOMESTIC OR INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT LAWS, TO IMPOSE ITS WILL ON ANY PERSON, COMMUNITY OR ANY DOMESTIC OR INTERNANTIONAL GOVERNMENT FOR POLITICAL, PERSONAL OR RELIGIONS GAIN. My opinions on this matter are that of mine and mine only, and have no connection to that of the U.S Government. Wish everyone had a good week and Happy Fathers Day to every dad out there. This week been a different week, spent whole week PCSing back to the states. I totally forgot how much work and planning goes into moving. Hope to be able to post on time from now, have a great day everyone.

The Portfolio of Current Issues in Risk Management Assignment

The Portfolio of Current Issues in Risk Management - Assignment Example Warren Buffett is a respected billionaire investor in the United States and major shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate financials and investment company. According to Buffett, â€Å"it takes 20 years to build a positive reputation and only five minutes to destroy it† (Rushe 2011, p.1). The article describes a black eye incident that has potentially damaged the credibility and reputation of Berkshire Hathaway amid a resignation scandal occurring on the back of questionable securities sales by an insider manager. The article insinuates that conversations between Buffett and David Sokol, an executive leader, provided insider trading knowledge to Sokol, leading to public and governmental scrutiny and investigation. Adding more enquiry to this situation is the fact that Sokol suddenly resigned from his position, which could indicate there is something to hide in the securities transactions in question. Personal Commentary Why is this relevant for risk man agement and ensuring reputational risk management for the organisation? For some organisations, the brand and its reputation in key target markets is one of the most fundamental competitive advantages sustained by the organisation. Especially true in saturated markets where public and private investments are traded in highly-publicised media, businesses require a differentiated brand name that is considered credible and adheres to the principles defined by corporate social responsibility. It is only when consumers become attached and loyal to a brand that they will begin expelling personal and social resources to supporting and defending the brand against negative criticism (Aron, Aron and Smollan 1992; Muniz and O’Guinn 2001). The situation involving Berkshire Hathaway reminds the risk management professional to carefully monitor and control the activities of internal staff members. Since this is an organisation that has much scrutiny by a variety of stakeholders and importa nt shareholders, the organisation cannot afford for representatives of the business to damage brand reputation. According to the lectures, the brand reputation of a business should be considered just as paramount as traditional risk management activities. Farris et al. (2010) reminds us that the use of a customer satisfaction metric is a vital tool in monitoring business reputation and securing brand reputation. This article seems to reinforce the importance of showing transparency and accountability as part of corporate social responsibility especially when the internal activities and investment selections of a major holdings company can be observed by a global mass market audience. Under Kantian deontology, the highest good comes from duty. For example, a merchant attempts to build a good reputation simply to ensure profitability. However, this is not a moral good since it does not stem from social duty toward others (Bowie 1999). When assessing risks or establishing a risk evalua tion tool, it is necessary to consider how the stakeholder and customer will view business actions. They will either attribute actions to moral and ethical behaviour or witness trust reduced in the corporate integrity of the business. Corporate social responsibility must be a major factor in setting up a risk management model to keep a positive reputation and avoid public scrutiny. Student’s Name: Review No.: 1 Source of article: Is your culture a risk factor? Business and Society Review 111(3) Author’

Acid Mine Drainage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Acid Mine Drainage - Essay Example In such it discusses all the possible avenues with which AMD can emerge and gives in depth analysis with regard to the chemical composition, reaction and eventual production of the AMD. This paper also strives to give in summary different sources of the AMD and the appropriate remedies that can be put into practice to quench the lethal problems associated with AMD. In the same breadth, it discusses the health related problems associated with AMD as well as those of ecological. This paper can be of meaningful help to those who work in the mines and risk contracting the problems linked with the site. When the precautionary measures that are discussed in this paper are stringently followed by the concerned individuals with the appropriate technology and man power, there is no doubt the problem of the AMD will be a thing of the past. 2.0 Introduction Acid mines drainage (AMD) is one of the major environmental threats that comes as a result of extraction of minerals for economic purposes. If these mines are not properly managed, then the exercise of extraction results into a serious environmental menace. Essentially acid mines drainage is a peculiar kind of a wastewater that that results from the continuous processes of weathering as well as leaching of coal and metalliferrous compounds that contain sulphur as an element in them. The various activities of mining for example, strip and underground mining exposes the sulfide (pyrite) and other metallic compounds that incorporate sulphur to a level of oxidation given the availability of oxygen and water. The oxidation process will increase the acidity level i.e. low P.H value, as the value of the P.H decreases, the oxidation process of the metals equally increases increases and this significantly reduces the water quality and culminate into water pollution (Drever 133). The formatio n of the acid mines drainage process can also be facilitated by through biological processes. The microorganism thiobaccillus ferroxidants is an acid tolerant microbe and is known to be associated with acid mines drainage sites as it enhances the oxidation of the compounds that contain sulphur compounds (Drever 147). . The resultant water in the acid mines drainages are very hazardous to health, in that the acidity and the components of water from the mines contain lethal chemicals. As stated above, without the buffering processes of the process, the acidity level will exponentially increase accelerating weathering process and subsequent development and continuation of the acid mines drainages (Drever 151). 3.0 Origin of Acid Mine Drainage Several factors can bring about development of the acid mines drainages, coming into contact between the surface water (oxygenated) with the pyritic ores is one of the ways that largely contribute to the formation of the acid mines drainage. This interaction takes place in three different ways; when the mining processes change the direction of flow of the water pattern to areas endowed with rocks that have been in constant touch with the ground water that is anoxically stagnant (Berner and Berner 98). The other possibility is when the spoils form the pyritic mining is disposed in an area of percolating oxygenated water, and when the pyritic minerals waste materials are directly discharged into the aquatic environment. 4.0 Results The formation of the acid mines drainages results into several environmental degradative processes that are vey detrimental to the survival biological life, in such, measures are always put into place as precautionary obligation to ensure

Pedagory assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pedagory assignment - Essay Example This is unlike the white people who stand a higher chance of getting jobs and social positions. The white people are considered to be trustworthy as compared to the Asians. They also have a good reputation. Although the United States Congress formulated and established laws for prohibiting inequalities and racial discrimination, the mindset of the people still deeply influences their judgments and way of thinking. Unlike other races, the Caucasians do better in the society. They are considered to be the host of the land, though this cannot be historically proven. Their achievements in various fields are wider as compared to those of the other races. They are the majority occupiers of many of the major industries in the United States. This is despite the existence of other immigrants like the Asians and the Africans. Immigrants and minority groups are treated unfairly from the whites (William, 2005). They do not have the same access and convenience to some educational levels and job opportunities. People born in the United States, especially the whites have the advantage of getting the best educational levels and job opportunities in comparison with the others. The international students do not have equal opportunities to top-level colleges and job offers as the American students have. Many opportunities are only open for the American citizens in the employment fairs. The Asians and Jews are the two most highly educated groups in the United States. Despite their high levels of education, they do not get privileges when it comes to the real workplace. An employer in the United States would prefer an American student for employment as opposed to a Jew or an Asian. It would not matter that the Asian/Jew is highly learned and has wide experience as compared to the American student. This is a clear manifestation of how racial discrimination plays a significant role in the job

Philadelphia Primate Head Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philadelphia Primate Head Study - Essay Example Some decades ago, the federal government had to suspend the funding of the University’s Head Injury Clinical Research Laboratory. The reigning president back then, Sheldon Hackney, further issued a directive to stop the institution’s use of animal experiments aimed at discovering the best treatment for victims of trauma-related brain damage. The directive served as a timely response to a preliminary report by the National Institute of Health (NIH) aimed at halting a particular baboon research project (Meyer 1). In my honest opinion, the use of primates in studies should be abolished because it is disrespectful to anatomy, unjust and goes against the ethics of beneficence and non-maleficence. In May 1984, Animal Liberation Front (ALF) activists intruded the deserted Philadelphia campus of The University of Pennsylvania and took several videos of animals suffering during various head tests (Orlans 71). The videos captured more than 60 hours of enforced baboon-suffering through bombarding of the primates’ heads using pistons in order to induce brain injuries. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) made claims that the videotapes showed actions of repeated violations of federal policies that govern the humane use of animals in research laboratories (Orlans 71). In the experiments, scientists disregarded the use of surgical asepsis and employed a very insignificant amount of anesthesia to the primates’ bodies. Beneficence refers to an action done for the benefit of others through prevention/removal of harm ("Beneficence vs. Nonmaleficence" par.1). The principle demands that all physicians should refrain from harming their patients. The researchers i n Philadelphia, therefore, through causing the baboons tremendous levels of pain, disregarded the need to observe the principle of beneficence. The painful act also illustrates a significant deal of injustice to the animal. I am of the opinion that, even if an animal has to die,

Stock market competition Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stock market competition - Assignment Example Only common stocks of operating companies are included in the index. This means limited partnerships, preferred shares, and exchangeable shares are excluded (Martin, 2009). From early February 2015, the S&P/TSX Composite Index has been experiencing a decline in growth. This is an indication that the market activities of securities listed on the Toronto Stocks Exchange have not been performing satisfactorily (Adu & Tsiyon, 1982). On Tuesday, 10th Match 2015, the Toronto Stocks market dropped further by an S&P/TSX composite index of 130.2 points to a value of 15,133.85 nearly across every major sector. Despite the decline in Toronto Stock Market activity, the Canadian economy has been experiencing growth at a yearly trend of 2.4 percent as revealed in the fourth quarter report for the year 2014. This was a higher figure than that forecasted by Thomson Reuters of 2 percent growth (Jeddi, 2005). This paper is a report of the six weeks’ simulation trading activities of the group. The trading activities started on 2nd February 2015 and ended on 13th March 2015. In order to give a detailed report, this paper considers the securities selected for trading, brief company synopsis, charts and technical analysis. The paper presents the investment strategy employed by the group and how the plan evolved and changed over the six weeks trading period. A critique of the employed strategy is also explained, and the lessons learned about speculative stock trading. The paper also gives a valuation of the portfolio’s performance indicating the dollar gain/loss and the percentage gain/loss. The group’s portfolio mainly focused on three primary sectors of the economy. The sectors include manufacturing, Information technology, and the financial sector. During the six weeks trading period, the group invested in ten publicly listed companies in the Toronto Stocks Exchange and New York Stocks Exchange. The ten

Can country risk analysis be quantifiedShould CRA be quantified Essay

Can country risk analysis be quantifiedShould CRA be quantified - Essay Example These samples of observations help analysts to develop a statistical function which is open to probability analysis. Most of the events which are individually investigated by country risk analysis will come down closer to doubts rather than clear statistical risks. This drives the analysts to build risk channels from judgmental or theoretical foundations and may not be probabilistic. Country risk analysis depends upon the basic principle that increasing instabilities in social, political or economic components augment the risk of a deficit in the anticipated payoff on an investment. Imbalances in a particular risk factor represent one or more risk classes. Mapping all the elements at proper level of control produces a general assessment of venture risk. The structure of mapping varies with the type of investment giving rise to an imbalance in a given factor creating different risks for different investments. Unfortunately there is no all-inclusive theory which can guide the procedure of mapping the process in a country risk analysis (Sabal J., 2002). Country risk services build their risk measures with the help of an assorted mix of socio-political or economic indicants established on the choice of standards. These standards are developed out of analysts’ knowledge, experience and judgment. The services generally merge a range of factors indicating real and possible imbalances into a complete risk assessment which applies to a wide range of investment classes. Analysts have separated country risk into 6 major categories. But many of these categories overlap each other. Although most of the risk analysts do not agree with this list; these 6 constructs can be seen in risk ratings of virtually every service as seen below. Yes, country risk has to be quantified. The quantification of a country risk will help the investors to calculate the cash flow out of their investments. Investments can be based on

Schools as Organisations Essay Example for Free

Schools as Organisations Essay Schools have policies and procedures so that the governors, staff, parents and others who are involved with the running of the school, are able to work from a set of guidelines which are followed by all, which gives clear comprehensive consistency. There are a lot of different policies relating to all different aspects of procedures and should be accessible should they need to be referred to. Although each school will have there own set of policies with varying titles or a slightly different list, each will need to outline its purpose and aims and also the responsibilities of staff. Below is a summery of the policies and procedures schools may have relating to different aspects of the running of the school; Staff Performance management policy (appendices 26) Pay policy Grievance policy Public welfare Safeguarding policy (appendices 11) Health and safety policy Drugs awareness policy Behaviour management policy Personal, social, health and economic education policy Anti bullying policy Teaching and learning Curriculum policy (appendices 15) Early years policy Teaching and learning policy Planning and assessment policy Marking policy Equality, diversity and inclusion Equal opportunities policy Race equality and cultural diversity policy Special educational needs policy Gifted and talented policy Disability and access policy Parental engagement Attendance policy (appendices) Homework policy Home-school agreement All policies within the school should be revised and updated. It is most likely that all policies will be dated and also have a further date to be revised. To help to aid schools there are draft policies available on the internet as this can be a very time consuming process to draw up a policy. It would be dependant on the school policy itself to who would draft the policy up depending on the schools senior management team or person responsible for a curriculum area (eg such as literacy co-ordinator). This would then be checked by other staff during a staff meeting. It would also need to be agreed by the governing body before it can take effect. Below is a table to show the roles of other organisations working with children and how these may impact on the work of schools; OrganisationDescription Social ServicesSocial services will link with schools in cases where it is necessary to share information or prepare for possible court hearings or applications. They may also liaise with schools family worker or have meetings with teachers. Children’s ServicesThese are linked to the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters, but may be from a range of providers including education, health, social services, early years and childcare. Youth ServicesThese will have more impact on secondary schools but will be concerned with training and provision post-14, the Youth Matters programme and targeted youth support. National Health ServiceMany professionals who come into and work in schools may be employed by the National Health Service and Primary Care Trust, including speech therapists, physiotherapists and  occupational therapists. It is everyone’s responsibility to be mindful of themselves and others. E. g. Not leaving coats and bags where they can tripped over, No trailing wires, if something is spilled clean it up to avoid hazards and if something can be seen that it a potential health and safety risk, either do something about it if it’s within our control or report it to the appropriate contact if it is not and make sure the situation is safe in the meantime.

The Impact Of Gothic Revival Architecture History Essay

The Impact Of Gothic Revival Architecture History Essay Term Gothic is used to describe a style of European Architecture which began in France in the late twelfth century. It dominated building design in Europe until the sixteenth. The wealth and power of the church at that time provided the money and the inspiration to build great churches and these are most common, though not the only, kind of Gothic building which also includes civic buildings, university buildings, hospitals and town houses. The Gothic style uses certain architectural design patterns to enable the creation of soaring spaces lit by numerous large windows. Romanesque architecture before the Gothic age had used thick walls to bear the structural load of a building. An important characteristic of Gothic building was to treat only narrow portions of the walls as load-bearers, enabling the rest of the wall to be punctured by windows. Buttresses (Fig.1) were also widely used, further reducing the need for thick walls and allowing spaces of great height to be achieved. Windows were normally pointed which enabled them to be larger and higher than curved-arch windows, thus giving more light and, with the use of stained glass, colour to the interior (Fig.2). The major characteristic of a Gothic church is its height, both real and proportional and the main body of a Gothic church will most often show the main central part of the church(called the nave(Fig.3)), as considerably taller than it is wide. It is important to note that in addition to providing a greater flexibility to architectural form that the pointed arch also directed ones gaze to heaven. Religion was the major driving force for the masons and carvers who created these great buildings they exercised their talents in the service of God . Great example of Gothic feature is The South Rose Window installed in 1260 at the Notre-Dame Cathedral which was laid in 1163 in Paris, France. Its transept depict Triumph of Christ surrounded by apostles, martyrs, the wise and foolish virgins and the story of Matthew from 12th century. It was designed by Jean de Chelles, and is dedicated to New Testament. The South Rose Window which is the largest one reached 12.90 metres in diameter and, if you include its bay, a total height of nearly 19 metres. This window has been damaged several times. It is complete replica of the original. (Fig.4). This south rose window is dominated by strong hues of purple and the jambs have a definite vertical and horizontal thrust. Cathedrals, abbeys and churches made the style popular and its main features which include the pointed arch (Fig.5), the ribbed vault (Fig.6) are also evident in many palaces, castles and universities, with the style seeing something of a revival during the 18th-19th centuries when many more structures in the above categories were built in the Gothic style. The Gothic revival was a reaction to the classical revival and has had significant influence  as well as on the continent of Europe, in  Australia  and  the Americas. Re-awakening was led by John Ruskin and Augustus Pugin. This continued throughout the 19th century gradually replacing classical styles which were then prevalent. Both of these men who put forward the idea of the gothic revival saw the movement not simply in structural terms, but also in religious and spiritual terms. Those who supported the Gothic Revival held the view that religions had produced their own supreme architectural that best expressed their ethos and spirit. They believed that Renaissance architecture was pagan because it sought its influences from the heathen temples of Rome. Only Gothic architecture was accepted to represent the Christian Faith by Ruskin and Pugin. Ruskin, Pugin, and the others who backed the revival of the Gothic style were revolting against the mechanization of the industrial revolution. The ideas they had ultimately led to the Arts and Crafts movement with its roots firmly in the Gothic style. The greatest example of authentic Gothic Revival is the Palace of Westminster (The Houses of Parliament) which was rebuilt by Sir Charles Barry and A.W. Pugin. In 1836-37, he wrote The Poetry of Architecture, serialised in Loudons Architectural Magazine. This was a study of cottages, villas, and other dwellings which centred around a Wordsworthian argument that buildings should be sympathetic to local environments, and should use local materials. For Ruskin, Gothic was the architecture of free craftsmen, he was against classical architecture because of its aim for perfection and for its demands upon the men who were required, as slaves to build it. Their work being a natural and noble activity where the result might not have a perfect machine finish but it was an honest creation. This notion of natural and honest imperfection was called Savageness and was very influential in the Arts and Crafts movement. Ruskin believed also that rather than follow rigid style human should dictate how buildings were designed and craftsmen should be free to adapt and to change. This principal of Changefulness was also an important influence on Arts and Craft s thinking. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was the most influential English ecclesiastical architect of his day and the principal theoretician of the Gothic revival Pugin Gods Architect (1812-1852) Born in London, propagandist, and Gothic designer, A. W. N. Pugin father of of  E. W. Pugin  and  Peter Paul Pugin, and early assistant to, Augustus Charles Pugin the producer of pattern books of Gothic building, such as  Examples of Gothic Architecture  (1831). His vision was not only applied on one field of design. From Pugins architectural practice who led him to produce stained glass, metalwork, textiles and jewellery. . After his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1835 Pugins propaganda campaign began with the publication, of his  intemperate  Contrasts  (1836) Pugin gave it architectural expression through comparison medieval with modern, classically inspired buildings of contrast between the unity and goodness of the middle Ages. He argued that since gothic was an expression of a Roman Catholic society, only such a society could produce true gothic and he continued that in Pugins  The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Ar chitecture  (1841) explained the Gothic as a rational he announced there the two great rules for design defined the real nature of Gothic that there should be no features about a building which are not necessary for propriety, construction or convenience. Second rule that all ornaments should consist of enrichment of the essential construction of the building. Buildings Designed by AWN Pugin in the South-east of Ireland include; St Aidans Cathedral (pic.), Enniscorthy; St Peters College, Wexford; St Michael the Archangel, Gorey and the Parish churches of Tagoat and Barntown, all in County Wexford Charleville Forest Castle (pic8) is considered as a one of the finest Gothic Revival buildings. It was built in 1798 by Charles William Bury and is Located in County Offaly, in the Midlands of Ireland. Charleville Castle grew from paper doodles in early 1798, and was designed by Francis Johnston and he was one of the leading architects of the day. The construction of the castle took fourteen years. In main rooms of this Castle you can see spectacular ceilings (pic9), Great Stairs, the Great Room the Morning Room, the Red Room, the Library, and other rooms now open to visitors which can see also gardens around the grounds.  Rooms feature original architecture, impressive stucco and plaster work, stained glass windows, hand turned woodwork and more. Within the dining room, the ceiling owes its look to the talented  William Morris, who stencilled it in the late 1860s. Charleville Castle can be described as a quite compact building (unlike many gothic rambling castles built by the Vi ctorians) with castellations and towers. There is also small Gothic Chapel in the main part.   In 1971, Michael McMullen came into possession of the castle and began restoration works, now the Castle is owned by American Bridget Vance. It is known for generations as one of the worlds most haunted Castles and which was abandoned in 1912 and through the War for Independence. Legends say the castle was built  on the site of an ancient druid burial ground. Conclusion From my research, Gothic architecture of the past and Gothic Revival of Irish Architecture, are inter-linked and yet distinctive. Architecture has always been about design and enhancing the beauty, shape and style of the buildings around us. Even as far back as the twelfth century the Gothic movement was aimed at enhancing buildings egg. Churches which were possibly the most important types of Gothic revival architecture in Ireland. This was achieved by using large stained glass windows which were fascinating in their ability to carry a story of Religious significance. The Gothic era of that time insured that these windows were to be made bigger which in turn would have made more inviting to not on locals but to visitors to the area as well. On a local level it would be very hard not to refer to.

The Statue of Liberty Lending Credence to the Word Freedom in America E

The Statue of Liberty Lending Credence to the Word Freedom in America The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized artifacts of freedom in the world. It has the ability to create emotions that range from happiness to anger all at one time. The best way to analyze such a powerful image is to use Kenneth Burke’s idea of pentadic analysis. By using this method of the analysis, we will be able to answer the rhetorical question: How does the Statue of Liberty lend credence to the word â€Å"freedom† in America? To begin with, it is necessary to obtain some background on the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States in 1886 as a gift from France and dedicated as a national monument in 1924 (1). Standing at approximately 46.50 meters and weighing 225 tons it was the largest structure, at the time, to have entered the United States via Ellis Island, New York (1). Before the entrance of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island was used as a border for immigrants who wanted to be a part of â€Å"the land of the free and the home of the brave (2).† With the coming of the Statue, there was something tangible for new Americans to see when they entered the country. With its newfound fame as the first visual representation of the immigrants, the Statue also soon became a link to the idea of freedom and a brighter future. In 1976, a renovation project began to fix some mistakes made in its initial transport to the United States. Lee Iacocca, CEO of the Chrysler Motor Corporation at the time (3), led this renovation. Iacocca began calling the Statue of Liberty, â€Å"Lady Liberty†, as he was fixing the crown, torch and replacing the copper with bronze (3). This new title also shed some light on the significance of the Statue because now liberty and justice had taken over the form of a woman, tasked to watch over the United States like a mother does her children (3). With the background of the Statue of Liberty, we can move on to the importance of the application of Burke’s pentad model in this artifact. Burke’s initial idea of pentadic analysis stems from his view of dramatism (4). According to Burke, dramatism is a way of analyzing material with the desire to form a direct link between human motives and clusters of terminology (4). Foss (1996) points out that dramatism has two fundamental assumptions. The first assumption is t... ...-act, agency-agent, agency-purpose, purpose-scene, purpose-act, purpose-agent, and purpose-agency (4). For the purposes of this analysis, the ratio of act-purpose will be used. By ordering the ratio in this manner, we are stressing the fact that the act and the purpose have the most influential effects on the pentad. However the dominant factor in all of this is the act – the representation of the American Dream and freedom. The significance of the act is defined by the historical struggle of creating a nation of independence and freedom, also referred to as the scene. The statue itself, the agency, communicates this message to the world and at the same time aims to carry out the underlined purpose, by persuading people to remember the ideals that our nation was founded upon. This is where the element attitude can enter the picture. As mentioned earlier, attitude deals with the manner in which the purpose is portrayed. The Statue of Liberty is an object and therefore does not have the ability to verbalize, however, the attitude seen in her towering presence and the stern look on her face reinforce the purpose and allow the message to be effective. The Statue of Liberty Lending Credence to the Word Freedom in America E The Statue of Liberty Lending Credence to the Word Freedom in America The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized artifacts of freedom in the world. It has the ability to create emotions that range from happiness to anger all at one time. The best way to analyze such a powerful image is to use Kenneth Burke’s idea of pentadic analysis. By using this method of the analysis, we will be able to answer the rhetorical question: How does the Statue of Liberty lend credence to the word â€Å"freedom† in America? To begin with, it is necessary to obtain some background on the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States in 1886 as a gift from France and dedicated as a national monument in 1924 (1). Standing at approximately 46.50 meters and weighing 225 tons it was the largest structure, at the time, to have entered the United States via Ellis Island, New York (1). Before the entrance of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island was used as a border for immigrants who wanted to be a part of â€Å"the land of the free and the home of the brave (2).† With the coming of the Statue, there was something tangible for new Americans to see when they entered the country. With its newfound fame as the first visual representation of the immigrants, the Statue also soon became a link to the idea of freedom and a brighter future. In 1976, a renovation project began to fix some mistakes made in its initial transport to the United States. Lee Iacocca, CEO of the Chrysler Motor Corporation at the time (3), led this renovation. Iacocca began calling the Statue of Liberty, â€Å"Lady Liberty†, as he was fixing the crown, torch and replacing the copper with bronze (3). This new title also shed some light on the significance of the Statue because now liberty and justice had taken over the form of a woman, tasked to watch over the United States like a mother does her children (3). With the background of the Statue of Liberty, we can move on to the importance of the application of Burke’s pentad model in this artifact. Burke’s initial idea of pentadic analysis stems from his view of dramatism (4). According to Burke, dramatism is a way of analyzing material with the desire to form a direct link between human motives and clusters of terminology (4). Foss (1996) points out that dramatism has two fundamental assumptions. The first assumption is t... ...-act, agency-agent, agency-purpose, purpose-scene, purpose-act, purpose-agent, and purpose-agency (4). For the purposes of this analysis, the ratio of act-purpose will be used. By ordering the ratio in this manner, we are stressing the fact that the act and the purpose have the most influential effects on the pentad. However the dominant factor in all of this is the act – the representation of the American Dream and freedom. The significance of the act is defined by the historical struggle of creating a nation of independence and freedom, also referred to as the scene. The statue itself, the agency, communicates this message to the world and at the same time aims to carry out the underlined purpose, by persuading people to remember the ideals that our nation was founded upon. This is where the element attitude can enter the picture. As mentioned earlier, attitude deals with the manner in which the purpose is portrayed. The Statue of Liberty is an object and therefore does not have the ability to verbalize, however, the attitude seen in her towering presence and the stern look on her face reinforce the purpose and allow the message to be effective.

The Causes of the Persian Gulf War Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Causes of the Persian Gulf War â€Å"Two dozen U.S. and British aircrafts bombed five radar and other anti-aircraft sites around Baghdad with guided missiles yesterday in the first major military action of the Bush administration. It was the largest airstrike against Iraq in two years and hit sites near the Iraqi capital, a significant departure from the low-key enforcement of no-fly zones in the country’s south and north. The U.S.-led alliance declared the zones off-limits to Iraqi aircrafts after the Persian Gulf War. President Bush, speaking at a new conference in Mexico alongside the Mexican President, Vicente Fox, called the raid ‘routine.’ But it was widely interperted in Washington and other world capitals as presaging a get-tough attitude by the new administration toward a country that has vexed U.S. policymakers for more than a decade. ‘Saddam Hussein has got to understand we expect him to comform to the agreement that he signed after The Desert Storm,’ Bush said...† (Ricks A1) Saddam Hussein’s continuing failure to cooperate is one of many results of the Persian Gulf War. Between January 17 and February 28, 1991, an international military coalition sanctioned by the United Nations and led by the United States defeated the large, well-equipped Iraqi army and forced it to withdraw from occupied Kuwait. The allied offense, whose military code name was Operation Desert Storm, involved ground troops from 19 countries joining together from virtually every region on the globe: North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia (Yant 18). In essence, from the Iraqi position, there were three, main, inter-state causes of the Persian Gulf War: 1) To aquire a major port on the Persian Gulf, 2) To eliminate the $13 billion debt that Iraq owed Kuwait, 3) To gain vast oil reserves. In order to better understand the Iraqi position, it is necessary to look at some of the historical factors. The discovery of oil by the the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC; later renamed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and still later British Petroleum) in Iran in 1908 stimulated a great interest in potential Iraqi oil resources. Financial groups from several major nations engaged in protracted negotiations with ... ...; Works Cited Bennis, Phyllis and Moushabeck, Michel. Beyond the Storm. New York: Olive Branch Press, 1991. Saddam Hussein - His Rise to Power. Ed. Gerald Butt. Nov 17. 1998. BBC News. 24 Feb. 2001. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/events/crisis_in_the_gulf/decision_ makers _and_diplomacy/newsid_216000/216328.stm>. Freedman, Lawrence and Karsh, Efraim. The Gulf Conflict: 1990 -1991. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993. "Inside the Storm" Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX). 12 Jan. 1992: 1A+. Ricks, Thomas E. â€Å"Allied Jets Blast Iraq, Largest Strike in 2 Years, Seen as Signal of Get-Tough U.S. Attitude.† San Francisco Chronicle. 17 Feb. 2001: A-1. Schwartz, Richard Alan. Encyclopedia of the Persian Gulf War. North Carolina: McFarland & Co, 1998. Yant, Martin. Desert Mirage: The True Story of the Gulf War. New York: Prometheus Books, 1991.

My Life, My Emotions Essay -- Essay About Myself

We are who we pretend to be, so we must be careful of who we pretend to be – Kurt Vonnegut â€Å"Theme- a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic (Dictionary.com).† A theme is something that makes up a huge, important part of a story: it gives the story an identity. A theme holds the story all together, and the theme that holds my story together is Whirlwind of Emotions. My life is full of ups and downs, so there is no one emotion that rules my life. These emotions come at unpredictable times, and I affect everyone around me in a negative or a positive way as a result. There are five major emotions that affect me randomly at times: Contemplative, Stressed Out, Ambitious, Maniacal, and Hopefulness, and there are five different sources that represent each of the emotions in my life and theme. â€Å"I am a completely different person when I am contemplative. I feel more enlightened (Couldridge 2014).† According to Dictionary.com, contemplative means, â€Å"thoughtful observation.† When I am contemplative, I am more aware of the events going on around me, in a positive way. I feel like I can accomplish anything if I really try my best. I usually feel this way when I am at religious services, when I can look inward and feel enlightened. â€Å"I am at pure peace (Couldridge 2014).† I act like a completely different person when I’m contemplative; I’m calmer and able to do a lot more things than if I was stressed out. I get a whole lot of things done quicker, easier, and better when I am contemplative. â€Å"I notice things that I would never see in a rage (Couldridge 2014).† I feel, at those points in my life, like I am in control, and not a ticking time bomb that everyone needs to watch their step around. At these mome... ...gs driving me to do dangerous or safe things. My Whirlwind of Emotions theme describes my life, and the five sources also give anyone a better understanding of what they are and how they affect me. Works Cited 1. Couldridge, Lily. Personal Interview. 20 April 2014 2. Dictionary.com.Dictionary.com Team, 2014. Web. 4 May 2014. 3. Dunbar, Brian. â€Å"July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap for Mankind†. NASA. NASA,19 July 2013. Web. 20 April 2014. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11_40th.html#.U2a7bDdOUdU 4. Frost, Robert. â€Å"The Road Not Yet Taken†. Bartleby.com. N.D. Web. 20 April 2014. http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html 5. Park, Linkin. â€Å"Breaking the Habit†. Meteora. N.D. Song 6. Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Raleigh, NC: Alex Catalogue, 1886. Print 7. The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. 4 May 2014.

How is childhood presented in Games at Twilight Essay

There are many similarities between the ways that childhood is presented in these two short stories. When acting as a group, the children are frequently portrayed as cruel and aggressive. In ‘The Red Ball’ the young boy is given a variety of cruel names by other children due to his thin frame, for example ‘Thinny Boney’ and ‘Match-stick foot’. This shows the brutal honesty of children of a young age. In ‘Games at Twilight’ the children are rough and belligerent, shown by ‘the shoves became harder’ and the frequent quarrelling of the children over who will be It in their game of hide and seek. In ‘Games at Twilight’ the children are frequently shown in an animalistic light. The author’s use of vocabulary reveals this, for example ‘wild’, ‘maniacal’, and ‘snarling’. Words such as ‘prey’, ‘stalked’ and ‘pounded’ relate to hunting in the animal kingdom, and therefore reinforce the author’s portrayal of children as animalistic. In ‘The Red Ball’ Bolan is said to have ‘waited like a small animal’, so children are again compared to animals. The fact that the children in both stories play their games in large groups could represent the packs that animals exist in in the wild. By using animalistic images the authors are able to reinforce their portrayal of children as cruel and aggressive. Childish games seem to hold great significance to the children in both stories. In ‘Games at Twilight’ the author says that the children are desperate to start their business – ‘the business of the children’s day which is – play’. By making the children in the story so dependent on games the author suggests that the children have basic, immature values, since play is not an adult business. In ‘The Red Ball’ games also hold a great significance for the children – it is Bolan’s ability to play cricket well that gains him acceptance amongst the other children. It is obvious that friendships are built when games are participated in, as Bolan steals money from his parents to buy a red cricket ball in order to be more highly thought of by his friends. It is interesting to see that the games in both of the stories are carried out outdoors. In ‘The Red Ball’ the author writes ‘the boys played cricket until the fireflies came out’. In ‘Games at Twilight’ Raghu is described as ‘crashing and storming in the hedge wilder’. Thus the children in both stories are more closely linked to nature, reinforcing the authors’ portrayal of them as animals. In both stories the main characters are portrayed as outcasts. In ‘The Red Ball’ the young boy watches other children play cricket from the outskirts of the park, and in ‘Games at Twilight’ young Ravi hides alone, only to find that the other children have ‘quite forgotten him’. The difference between the stories is that the young boy in ‘The Red Ball’ is eventually accepted by his peers and revered by them – he becomes their ‘star’ bowler and therefore essential for their game. In ‘Games at Twilight’ we are led to believe that Ravi will eventually be accepted by the other children for winning the game of hide and seek – ‘he †¦ smiled to himself †¦ at the thought of so much victory’. However Ravi never achieves such victory as the other children forget about him – ‘having disappeared from the scene, he had disappeared from their minds. Clean.’ By using such a short sentence, ‘clean’, the author is stressing the fact that Ravi was forgotten by his peers, and therefore emphasises his insignificance to the other children; he is bottom of the pecking order. In ‘Games at Twilight’ young Ravi is portrayed as rather unintelligent and cowardly. He is frequently described as fearful – ‘Ravi shook †¦ with fear’. His desperation to be accepted by his siblings shows that he is not highly thought of, and is also somewhat pathetic. Thinking that he will win the childish game of hide and seek he thinks that ‘nothing more wonderful had ever happened to him’. His unimportance is confirmed in the final sentence of the story – ‘he lay down full length on the damp grass †¦ silenced by a terrible sense of his insignificance’. In ‘The Red Ball’ Bolan is portrayed as a somewhat more intelligent, wise individual. He is capable enough to understand that by replying when he is called offensive names by the other children, he will be labelled with those names. He is also able to comprehend more difficult family situations, and shows perception and intelligence when the author writes – ‘it was one of those moments when he felt as if he had held his mother in front of him as a sort of shield to save himself from a rain of blows’. In conclusion, the presentation of childhood in the two short stories, ‘Games at Twilight’ and ‘The Red Ball’ varies. The main characters, when alone, are portrayed as more innocent individuals, whereas when in larger groups, the children seem to be more cruel and hostile. ‘Games at Twilight’ offers the less favourable impression of children overall, frequently incorporating animalistic images into the story to describe the children.

Animal Farm Essay

I believe that the animals’ lives have not changed significantly from the beginning Animal Farm to the end of it. Life for the farm animals in the novel Animal Farm, by George Orwell, started out dreary, short, and somewhat hopeless. By the end of the book, the humans have been chased out of their farm, but the animals are now led by the pigs. However, the pigs have slowly progressed to become just like the humans, so the living conditions of the animals have not changed. Their leaders remain the same kind of creatures through the book, whether pig or human, because their behavior is so similar. The lives of the animals are harsh and unforgiving from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. The farm animals were oppressed by the parasitical humans, who beat and starved them, but also profited from them. The humans (Mr. Owens specifically) have superintendence over the animals and force them to work long hours with little sustenance, despite the fact that the animals are far from indefatigable. Mr. Owens is an inebriate, and sometimes to forgets to feed them at all. After they are too old to work (such as in the case of horses), or reach a certain age (in the case of the pigs), the animals are sent to be slaughtered. Through all his cruelty, Mr. Owens benefits from the animals’ hard work. The animals rebel against the humans after the pigs (led by Snowball) canvas support for the revolution, and the animals’ living conditions improve for a short while. After Snowball is chased out, Napoleon takes over and slowly increases their working hours and decreases their food. He maintains the illusion that the animals will be offered retirement after they have reached a certain age. However, Boxer is sent to be made into glue after he is hurt and unable to work anymore, rather than being sent to a hospital like Napoleon claims. The pigs also have whips which they carry around. In this way, the animals are still being beaten, starved, and slaughtered in a contemptible way. Their daily lives have not changed significantly. The similarities between the pigs and humans also support my opinion that the animals’ lives do not change much from the beginning of the book to the end. The pigs and humans both are important to the animals, since they control every aspect of their lives. Mr. Owens, the owner of the farm at the beginning of the book, was a greedy, cruel farmer. He beat and starved the animals and worked them extremely hard. Compared to their work, he did almost nothing, drinking in his home instead. After Mr. and Mrs. Owens and all the other humans are chased off the farm, the animals take over the farm, with the pigs in charge. Although Snowball is a fair leader at first, he is chased off by Napoleon. Napoleon was already planning his machinations quite early on, and his plan to get complete power works. He works the animals harder than ever, and their rations are quite low. While the animals are toiling, the pigs are free to gambol about and do as they please. By the end of the book, the pigs have begun walking on two legs, sleeping in beds, wearing clothes, carrying whips, and drinking alcohol. These are all human characteristics. Therefore, the beings with control over the animals’ lives have changed little. Both Napoleon and Mr. Owens are selfish, ruthless beings who care only for their own profit. From the beginning to the end of Animal Farm, the farm animals are (excluding the pigs) treated badly. Their lives are work-filled, tough, and short. Although the farm changes hands from the humans to their fellow farm animals (pigs), their lives do not improve significantly for the better. In the end, they are actually worse off. The pigs and humans are similar in their behavior, attire, and selfish wishes. I do not think their lives overall have changed significantly over the course of the novel, because their treatment and leaders are roughly the same. Their lives stay mostly the same, because those two things almost completely control their lives.

Acquiring and Using Funds to Maximize Value Essay

Review Questions 1. What is the key goal that guides the decisions of financial managers? What challenges do financial managers face when they try to find the best sources and uses of funds to meet this goal? The financial mangers goal is acquisition, financing, and management of assets. The challenges are investment, financing, and asset management decisions. 2. List the four basic types of financial ratios used to measure a company’s performance, give an example of each type of ratio and explain its significance. Liquidity, Solvency, Profitability, and Efficiency are the basic types of financial ratios. The liquidity ratio is the ratio of current assets to current liabilities. Profitability ratios indicate management’s ability to convert sales dollars into profits and cash flow. Solvency ratios indicate financial stability because they measure a company’s debt relative to its assets and equity. Two common efficiency ratios are inventory turnover and receivables turnover. Business manager needs to determine what the financial health of the firm, he would use liquidity ratio. A business needs to figure out how to pay off the debt to the bank, they would use solvency ratio. A company makes paper plates; they need to know how much profit they can make. They would use profitability ratio. For example, if the bank cost totaled $5,000,000 and its revenues totaled $10,000,000, then using the formula above, we can calculate that bank’s efficiency ratio is $5,000,000 / $10,000,000 = 50%. This means that it costs the bank $0.50 to generate $1 of revenue. This is an example of efficiency ratio. 3. What are the key questions financial planning must answer? What role does the budgeted income statement and budgeted balance sheet play in finding answers to these questions? What are your long term goals for the business? What are the most significant risks you are facing? How have you mitigated these risks? How do you expect your market to evolve over the years to come? Those are the four questions. They provide the answers to these questions. It is a plan to predict and show what can happen in time, it is a prediction for theses questions. 4. What is the purpose of a cash budget? How can this tool help firms with rapidly increasing sales? Cash budgets are often used to assess whether the entity has sufficient cash to fulfill regular operations. They can use it to figure out where money needs to go or where they need to gain money. It helps financial managers determine when the firm is likely to need additional funds to meet short term cash shortages, and when surpluses of cash will be available to pay off loans or to invest in other assets. 5. Name and describe 4 commonly used sources of short-term financing. Trade credit, advances from customers, commercial banks loans, and financial institutions are types of short-term financing. Trade credit is a loan in the form of goods. An advance from customers is the reputed business houses receive a part of the price or payment from the buyers before the supply of goods. The finance institutions can help the business by providing short term funds. 6. What is equity financing and what are its major sources? What advantages and disadvantages of are associated with equity financing? Equity financing is the sale of an ownership interest to raise funds for business purposes. Personal savings, life insurance policies, home equity loans, and venture capital are major sources of equity financing. The advantages are it doesn’t have to be repaid. They share the liabilities of company with the investors. The disadvantages are you have to share some of the ownership, and you have to also share your profits. 7. What is financial leverage? How, and under what conditions, can financial leverage benefit a company? How, and under what conditions, can it harm a  company? Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money to increase production volume, and sales and earnings. The use of financial leverage also has value when the assets that are purchased with the debt capital earn more than the cost of the debt that was used to finance them. If a company’s variable costs are higher than its fixed costs, the company is said to be using less operating leverage. 8. Is it possible for a firm to have too much money? Explain. What role does cash equivalents play in a financial manager’s strategy to manage cash balances? Yes because it means there can be problems in the future. They get taxed more and they don’t know what to invest the money in. They use it to show the company’s strengths and weakness. The can use it to make balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement. 9. Why is the $1,000 you receive today worth more than $1,000 you receive next year? What concept does this illustrate? Why is this concept particularly important when firms evaluate capital budgeting proposals? It is worth more this year rather than next year because if you receive it this year and you decide to invest in it you will gain interest on the thousand dollars you received this year. It illustrates the concept of interest. It is important for firms because it benefits them in terms of long term investment. 10. What is the net present value (NPV) of a long-term investment project? Describe how managers use NPVs when evaluating capital budget proposals. The NPV of an investment proposal is found by adding the present values of all of its estimated future cash flows and subtracting the initial cost of the investment from the sum. The managers use NVP’s when evaluating capital budgeting by most likely approving a positive NPV because this means the present value of the expected cash flows from the project is greater than the cost of the project. And a negative NPV means that the present value of  the expected future cash flows from the project is less than the cost of the investment. Application Questions 1. Your company has been struggling financially for quite some time now. You have a chance of making a profit this quarter, which is sure to bolster your stock’s sagging price. But it depends on your using a low cost waste disposal practice. The disposal practice is legal but you’ve also seen some studies indicating that it is likely to harm the environment. What would you decide to do and why? 2. Choose a company and obtain a copy of its most recent annual report. (In most cases, you can access annual reports simply by clicking on the link for investors, usually found on the company’s home page. You can also try the IRIN Annual Report Resource Center at www.irin.com, or Annual Reports.com at http://www.annualreports.com.) Using the financial statements, calculate three of the ratios described in this chapter. What conclusions can you draw from these ratios about the company’s financial strengths and weaknesses? 3. Your small company has $25,000 in surplus cash right now. You don’t want to commit these funds to any long-term investments because you know of some expenses coming up in about 8 months that will require the use of this cash. But you would like to find some safe, liquid interest-earning investments where you could park your cash until it is needed. You’ve decided that T-bills and money market mutual funds are your best options, but you want to find out more about both. Use the Internet to do some research about these cash equivalents, and then answer the questions below. How do you purchase T-bills? If you want to invest in T-bills, what is the minimum amount you can invest? Can you sell these bills before they mature? How do you receive the interest on T-bills? What is the interest rate earned on the most recent T-bills? How do you purchase money market mutual funds? How do these funds differ from money market accounts? What are the different types of money funds? Are  there any drawbacks to investing in these funds? Investigate two specific money market mutual funds. What interest rate does each currently offer is the minimum required investment for each? Based on your research, how much of the $25,000 would you invest in T-bills and how much in money market mutual funds? Why? 4. Suppose that soon after earning your bachelor’s degree you are accepted into an MBA program at a prestigious university. It is an intensive program that would require you to be a full-time student for about eighteen months. What are the major financial costs and benefits of enrolling in this program? (Hint: be sure to consider not just the out-of-pocket costs, but also any other financial sacrifices you might have to make if you became a full- time student.) Describe how you could evaluate whether enrolling in this program is a good financial decision. (Hint: Keep in mind that the benefits of your education will be in the form of higher cash flows over your entire career.) 5. Visit the sites of at LendingClub.com and Prosper.com to find out more about peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. How do these sites match small lenders and borrowers? How are the sites similar, and how do they differ? Do some additional research to find out what others are saying about the pros and cons of these sites. Would you be willing to participate in this type of arrangement as a borrower? Would you participate as a lender? Why or why not? Team Project Select 4 or 5 companies in the same basic market or industry, and print their most recent financial statements before class. Break the class into small groups, give each group the financial statements for one of the firms and have them work together to compute basic financial ratios for that firm. (The formulas for several common ratios are given in Exhibit 9.1. If you have a large class you can assign the same company to more than one group  and have the groups compute different ratios.) Then have each group report their results. Compare the ratios reported by each group. In cases where ratios differ significantly among the firms, discuss the implications of these differences. Case Connections Avoiding a Cash Crash Your company’s sales are strong and have been growing rapidly, and your recent income statements show that you’ve earned a solid profit each of the past three years. But despite this good news your firm has faced a series of cash flow problems in recent years. On several occasions you’ve had to scramble to find cash to pay your bills. You feel like you’ve been pushing your luck and you realize unless you make some changes in how you manage your cash and other current assets your problems are likely to continue. In fact, you’ve already identified three major concerns. You believe that once these concerns are addressed you will have gone a long way to reducing the possibility of a real cash crisis. Your first challenge is to find some way to get a better handle on how your cash flows are likely to vary over the year. In the past you’ve just made â€Å"seat of the pants† estimates about the amount of cash you’ll receive each month and the payments you’ll have to make. These estimates haven’t always been accurate, which is a key reason you’ve had to scramble for funds. You want to develop a more rigorous way to predict when you’ll have shortages of cash so that you’ll have more time to make adjustments or find additional sources of funds. A second problem you have concerns your credit customers. You know that offering credit to customers is a necessity; a â€Å"cash only† policy would likely cause many of your customers to take their business elsewhere. But during the recent recession many of your customers began paying late—and some didn’t pay at all. The slow payments clearly contributed to your cash flow problems. You wonder if there are some ways you could still offer credit while doing a better job of collecting payments in a timely fashion. Finally, even though cash is tight in some months, you know that there are other months when your business generates substantial cash surpluses. You’ve been reluctant to invest these surpluses in the past because, with all of the cash flow problems and uncertainties you’ve faced, you didn’t want to tie up funds. But now you are beginning to realize that such a policy has an â€Å"opportunity cost.† You wonder whether there are some safe, liquid assets where you could temporarily invest your excess cash. You Decide: How is it possible for a profitable and rapidly growing company like yours to experience cash flow problems? What can you do to improve its forecast of cash shortages and surpluses? How can your firm deal with its credit customers? What trade-offs are involved if you make changes in your credit policies? Is there any other way you could turn your credit sales into cash more rapidly? What is the â€Å"opportunity cost† of holding cash? What are some short-term investments that would be good choices when your firm has temporary surpluses of cash? Describe these investments and explain why they are good places to temporarily â€Å"park† your cash. Source: â€Å"What Are Cash Equivalents?† Wise Geek website: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-cash-equivalents.htm; â€Å"Cash and Cash Equivalents,† Wikinvest website: http://www.wikinvest.com/metric/Cash_And_Cash_Equivalents; â€Å"Cash Budget,† Investopedia website: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cashbudget.asp#axzz1VEzc8Z9U; Cash Budgets/Cash Budgeting,† Accounting for Management website: http://www.accountingformanagement.com/cash_budget.htm; â€Å"Credit Policy,† Entrepreneur.com website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82124.html; â€Å"How to Create a Smart Credit Policy,† Inc. magazine website: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20090301/how-to-create-a-smart-credit-policy.html

Alternative Fuels

This assessment will focus primarily on the use of alternative fuel vehicles at Lotus Rental Car’s, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of alternative fuels and the impact it will have on the American public. With gas prices increasing daily, renting a vehicle is becoming a fast growing decision for families going on vacation and people who make their living traveling from place to place. Families can no longer afford to rent large RVs and pay outrageous prices for fuel. Salespersons and businessmen cannot either. Big companies are no longer willing to cover the whole cost of fuel, but rather a percentage which digs in the profit for these businessmen. Alternative Fuel Vehicles AFV,(alternative fuel vehicles), by design are intended to improve air quality by lowering ozone-depleting emissions and makes us less dependent on foreign oil products. The various types of AFVs, include hybrid and flexible fuel designs. Powered by electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid petroleum gas (LPG), propane, hydrogen, alcohol (in the form of methanol and denatured alcohol), and gasohol (which includes up to 85% alcohol), are the most common. Currently, only three types are readily available to the public; which are natural gas; flex fuel, and battery electric. Natural gas powers about 112,000 vehicles already in the United States and is a good choice for centrally fueled fleets that operate within a limited area. The domestic availability and widespread distribution infrastructure is a great advantage. Most NG vehicles use diesel for ignition and then natural gas for the rest. Hybrid vehicles use electricity which is drawn from an off board power source and then stored in batteries. There is also plug in vehicles that can be plugged directly into an electrical outlet when not in use. Flex fuel uses ethanol which is made from biomass material. It also requires no special fueling equipment and can be used in gasoline burning engines. Reasons to Incorporate AFVs Each vehicle emits more than 600 lbs. of pollutants per year, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide; which contributes to smog. This leads to many health issues. The inability for blood to carry oxygen to vital organs, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory tract problems has been reported. These pollutants also affect our eye sight. Bacteria and other chemicals get into our eye tissue; causing damage to our retina and the eye pressure, which can lead to cataracts even blindness. The use of alternate fuels will not see an end to pollutants but will certainly have an impact on the amount of pollutants which is emitted from our vehicles.

Leaman brother Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leaman brother - Research Paper Example ublish its financial statement so when the financial statements were released to the public, the financial statements may depict that the bank had money and was paying its debtors (Hallman 1). Once a period of seven or less days had passed and the account statements were published, the bank repurchased sold assets. Anton Valukas was assigned the duty of look into the matter of Lehman Brother and unearth the reasons for its fall down. Valukas states that the Repo 105 transaction was first reported by Mathew Lee who was an employee of Lehman. Lee started by reporting the transactions to the management of Lehman and later reported the findings to the organization’s auditing firm, Ernst & Young and no actions were taken (Hallman 1). Once the firm could no longer indulge in Repo 105, it had to start depicting that it was highly leveraged and did not have money to pay off its debt and ultimately the bank filed for bankruptcy. Due to this several stakeholders had to experience material as well as emotional losses. The main stakeholders who were negatively impacted included the companies that had lent money to the bank, the shareholders of the bank and its employees. When the company went bankrupt there were more than 25000 employees working for them and a major percentage of them had to experience unemployment and social and psychological associated with it (Corelli 326). Furthermore, the shareholders had to lose their money since the company was not performing well and it has been recorded that due to the fall down of the company around $10 trillion funds were injected out of the equity markets (Corelli 326). It is believed but not yet proven that the CPA firm called Ernst & Young (E&Y) was involved in the financial fraud conducted by Lehman Brother. They are said to have been involved in the cover-up of this fraud. Due to these allegations against the CPA firm several civil lawsuits were filed against the firm after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. These lawsuits

Invention of printing press Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Invention of printing press - Essay Example The most common form of printing technology is offset lithography that consists of separate towers for every color of ink for printing. Others are gravure printing dependent on the small depressions on the printing plate surface, pad printing, screen printing, and relief printing. The invention of the printing press depended on already available printing technologies that were in use in various regions, such as ink, paper, and block printing invention that was quite common in China, before moving out to revolutionize Europe through Gutenberg works. Industrial Printing Presses Printing presses have evolved enormously over time, shifting from manual to mechanical structures which are less tedious, easier to produce, and with much reduced chances of injuries. Since ancient times, the transformations from wooden to metal built devices are evident, changing the face of printing from Egyptian wooden block printing, all the way to lithography, offset printing, 19th century hot stamping type setting, phototypesetting, to modern 3D printing and digital press. Stanhope printing press invented the first book press using cast iron, followed by Columbian press, which was a drift from Gutenberg print press, even if they employed most of the features and operation procedures from previous Gutenberg’s work (utexas.edu, n.d). All these former industrial press have been serving as the foundations of the succeeding printing presses in the modern society. Mechanized printing press. The difference that arises between the press and Gutenberg’s are the speed of press to make an impression on the paper. While Gutenberg print press compositors put type together by hand to assemble about 2000 characters per... The increase in print works allowed the spread of Christianity across the globe, which was one major practice that preceded European settlement in different continents. Bible translation into native languages was possible, enhancing spread of the gospel to different communities in their backyards. According to Eisenstein, â€Å"between the invention of the printing press and 1520, one hundred and fifty six Latin edition of the Bible had been published, together with seventeen German translation† (1979, p. 330). People had to learn to read and write, to read the word been spread, and acquire timely information and knowledge for their benefit. The number of people who attended church teachings reduced, since the word was more available to everyone, and as the result many could criticize some religious doctrines, creating conflicts among Christian religious denominations.How Printing Press Changed CommunicationCommunication comes differently to convey a message to the society. To day you find people using signs languages, either in body or pictorial forms to mean something. No longer is the human presence important as the agent of message delivery, but the message could be printed out and authorized to clarify and assure its origin to the sender. The culture of public communication has been influenced by the changing printing press technologies, such that it goes beyond providing learning, reasoning, and meaning of the message, to ensure people easier and reliable access of information, and its control when need be.

Colombia's International Trade Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Colombia's International Trade - Research Paper Example Additionally, there are other factors responsible for the growth of the economic conditions, which include reduction of public debt, rigid government budgets, increased export activities and increased commodity prices. Contextually, improvements relating to security of business affairs and trade policies have been accountable for attracting greater Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) within its national markets, which is further expected to yield greater benefits to the economy in the long run through enriched international collaborations (Beittel, â€Å"Colombia: Background, U.S. Relations, and Congressional Interest†). Contextually, trade operations are determined to play an effective role in developing the economy on the continuous basis over the long run rather than focusing merely on short-run benefits. In this regard, the government has adopted important measures of performing international trade activities with other countries. Moreover, the government has also entered into free trade agreements with the US. Subsequently, the growth of trade operations is quite likely to facilitate in enhancing import along with export operations to a considerable extent. The country is also identified to acquire energy along with mineral resources in abundance to support its developmental needs in the near future (LTBS, â€Å"Focus on Colombia†). Prior to assessing Colombia’s economic indicators, it is essential to note that the country has been engaged in conflicts and dispute situations for a period of five decades in the recent past till the present scenario between Colombian government, the ‘National Liberation Army’ (ELN) and the ‘Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’ (FARC) during the 1950s (Lopez 6-20).

Team discution 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team discution 5 - Assignment Example They are comparing this to the equity ratio which is easy to measure given that they received similar scales at entry level. 2. Distributive Justice- This is delineated as the perceived fairness of various outcome of the taken decisions and is judged through measuring whether the stated rewards are proportional to the presented costs, input outcome ratios compares to others and whether outcomes match and stick to the expectations. Procedural justice- This is defined as the perceived fairness within the steps followed in making decisions. It is evaluated by gauging whether the steps are unbiased, consistent, correctable and accurate. It should also be open to scrutiny and inputs from other staff members. 3. As the chair of the committee, I will apply the principle of goal setting theory, which applies challenging but clear goals to help in the advancing of team’s motivation within the committee. As the chair, I will ensure that the goal is clear and measurable besides being succinct to the point. I will ensure that we set the timeline within which the fundraising must be cleared. The goal set must be challenging to the committee members to ensure that they are motivated besides ensuring that all team members are committed towards meeting the goals. I will also set up a feedback mechanism that will help in receiving information on the progress towards achieving a goal. Finally, as this will be a complex task, I will give the committee members enough time to easily overcome the learning curves. (Linke, 42) 4. Intrinsic rewards –These are the rewards that fulfills employees intrinsic motivators. Example includes; giving an employee a complex task, inclusion in making decisions, and giving a staff member a higher rank among others. These factors do not require increased fees but still an employee will be motivated. Intrinsic factors are qualitative in nature. Extrinsic rewards- These are those

Report question about AMR-US Airways Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Report question about AMR-US Airways - Assignment Example Fuel volatility is bad for the airlines because it reduces airline revenues, trust fund revenues, and access of passengers to the national aviation system. The domestic passenger traffic, reduces by 9% overall. Some airlines in the US decrease of 25%. These decreases declined the revenue of airports, prompting the airports to cut their operating costs, and hold the capital improvement projects. Price fluctuation also led to airports to reduce their airline capacity causing some of the passengers to lose access to the services of commercial air. This is due to increased fares in the passenger market. Smaller airports with fewer flight options, has the largest percentage decrease in their nonstop destinations as well as their reduction in capacity. Therefore, when the price of fuel fluctuates, Trust Fund revenues will fall, thereby contributing to a decrease in the funds non-committed balance (Lehman, 67). The Cost per ASM is computed by calculating the operating cost by the available Seat Miles that an online provides each year, this will vary with capacity. A quick analysis of the ASM from the company shows that the overall capacity has increased since. This explains the reducing Cost of ASM. On the other hand, the operating expenses have increased sharply since. Therefore, CASM for the 3month ending 2013/06/30 The Revenue Seat Miles is the distance an airplane flies times the passenger’s seat available for the passengers (Ones, 76). RSM is normally referred as the available seat miles. Therefore, the operating Cost per Mile is calculated as The difference between the two numbers is calculated as 926 The US Airways: The total operating cost in the 2nd quarter was recorded in $3.4m, this was a one percent increase compared to the previous year. The operating Cost per available seat mile was recorded are 12.88 cents. This was down 2 % on a 4.2% rise in the airlines ASM. When special items like profit and fuel sharing are excluded, the airline’s CASM becomes 8.21 cents. The 8.21 cents is a 0.4% decrease in CASM compared to the previous year. The merger will benefit the firms because it would generate it would raise more than half a billion dollars to the consumers and firms as well. Additionally, the merger will provide an effective competitor to some of the leading companies in the industry (Ones, 76). This will reduce competition by sidelining the market from creating competitive and new flight options for the passengers (Nutriment, 88). Consequently, the merger would result in cutting of services and raises the domestic fares. Also, the merger would be beneficial to the firm because it would result to a more competitive airline industry thereby giving the passengers more choices (Lehman, 67). Also, the merger would bring about the most competitive development in the airline industry. It is in the same dimension that FTC allowed UA-CO merger. However, the FTC is discouraging AA-US merger because the merger would reduce the le gacy carrier number from 4 to 3. This would increase the chances of coordinated professionalism among the airlines. This will lead to higher fees, fare, and diminished services. Therefore, blocking the merging of the two airlines will loosen the competition. This will prolong the cycle of the crisis to the passenger’s detriment, to the US airways, and also to the employees

School Systems Helping Prevent Childhood Obesity Essay

School Systems Helping Prevent Childhood Obesity - Essay Example This essay "School Systems Helping Prevent Childhood Obesity" outlines the importance of the school and society participation in the fight against obesity among kids. The major contributing factor to obesity in children is lack of physical exercise and high caloric intake (CDC, 2014). It is common practice that after school children in many homes just watches television or play computer games. In school, the children do not get much play time as they have to cover the specified school curriculum within the specified period. This leaves out any time that children engage in physical activities. This leads to accumulation of calories from their diet leading to increased deposition of fat tissue and eventually, obesity sets in (CDC, 2013). Lack of exercise is aggravated from unsupervised diet. Children are more attracted to junk foods rather than healthy meals. Increased access to junk food results from decreased supervision or ignorant parent and guardians. The increased calories and la ck of exercise are predisposing factors to obesity. Obesity has many negative physical and mental effects and this threatens proper development of the children. Immediate health problem for children and adolescents who are obese include joint pain, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Joint pain result from the increased body weight compared to the surface area of the child. The excess weight due to excess body fat impacts extra weight on the joints increasing the pressure and thus, the pain (CDC, 2014).

Segregation of Church and State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Segregation of Church and State - Essay Example r, p. 2-6).At present the separation of church and state1 is a predominant rule of United State's government and some other democracies. It tries to defend religious liberty and to avert unfairness or elimination on the basis of religion. In the United States, the partition of church and state has roots in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Additionally,The amendment maintains that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. " Courts have ruled that this amendment prohibits government from assisting an official or favored religion, or hindering with the practice of belief. (Hamburger, p. 21-89) Furthermore, various other countries, counting Australia, France, with Japan, also back division of church and state. Several countries, for instance the United Kingdom, continue separation in some regions but distinguish particular religions as reputable (national) churches.

Business modelling for decision makers Coursework

Business modelling for decision makers - Coursework Example This is dependent on the arrival time of each of the vehicles as well as the wait time that is expected with each one. It was assumed that each of the cars would take an average of 3 minutes in wait time to fill up the tank. The RN1 and RN2 were created with the average time which each vehicle would arrive. Since these were based on the arrival time according to random intervals, this helped to give average times of the main time when each vehicle would arrive. To determine the wait time and the average time at the pump, there was a basis of seeing when the first vehicle would arrive at the pump filling station. It was expected that no other car would be at the filling station at that time. If a car was at the station before the other, then the duration of waiting time was calculated with the outcome being a 3 minute time at the station and the remainder of the time being based on the amount of wait time that each vehicle had to take. This gave an average wait time for each of the ve hicles and provided insight into the vehicles that were seeking fuel at random times. The vehicles which arrived first determined the wait time for the vehicles that arrived later. For instance, if a vehicle arrived 2 minutes after a car before, then it was expected that there would be a wait time before the vehicle would fill up the gas. The advantage of the gas filling station comes with the expectations from the owner, which is that 65% arrive 4-5 minutes after the previous vehicle. This lowers the amount of wait time and allows the vehicle to be free. However, if a vehicle arrives within the 1-3 minute time frame, then there is an expected wait. If this occurs continuously then it is expected that the wait time will increase according to the number of vehicles, time spent at the pump and the wait in which the vehicle had from the previous vehicle that was filling up at the pump. This caused some of the vehicles to wait for up to 9 minutes before having the opportunity to fill up their vehicle. However, this balanced out because of the five minute intervals that were between vehicles which caused some portions of the pump to not service vehicles at a given time. The assumptions made with this particular chart were based on several factors. The first was that it would take an average of 3 minutes for each vehicle to complete what is needed. However, it was also stated that this was the average of all vehicles as stated by the owner. This fluctuation would change the wait time of all vehicles and would alter the results. It was also assumed that the vehicles arrived at the random intervals provided and would have to wait for the previous vehicles to finish filling. However, this would alter according to the speed of the last vehicle and the lining that was taking place with the vehicles. The system used within the gas station would

Background to the drama Essay Example for Free

Background to the drama Essay A View from a Bridge is a play inspired by Millers own background, in terms of plot and context. Miller grew up in America and was the son of two immigrants. In the late 1940s he became interested in the work and lives of the communities and Longshoremen of New Yorks Brooklyn Harbour, a place where he had in fact previously worked. Many of the workers were exploited by their bosses, underpaid and had only recently immigrated to the United States. It was during this time that a young lawyer friend of Millers mentioned a story hed recently heard of a longshoreman who had ratted to the Immigration Bureau on two brothers, his own relatives, who were living illegally in his very own home, in order to break up an engagement between one of them and his niece. Miller took this story combined with his upbringing and experiences on a recent trip to Sicily and provided the background to the drama A View from a Bridge. The play takes place in Brooklyn around 1950s. Catherine is an orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, Beatrice and Eddie Carbone. Eddie agrees to Beatrices two relatives, Marco and Rodolpho, both of whom are illegal immigrants. Eddie, the plays protagonist, has a very particular view of the qualities of a man. When other characters dont conform to these masculine expectations it leads to hostility and aggression resulting in death. Our first impression of Eddie is that of a simple, average man. He comes across as a hardworking, friendly, kind and generous husband and uncle: especially as he is prepared to accept and welcome his wife Beatrices illegal immigrant cousins into his own home. However Eddie has a very strong point of view of the qualities of manliness, believing that a real man should be strong, tough and mean. The appearance of a man should be with dark features and big size. He thinks that a real man should be like him, the breadwinner who works hard, doing work that uses muscle and not much brain: I worked like a dog. He perhaps also thinks that a man would always look at a pretty woman in a sexual way rather than just another person; this is shown when he says there are bad men at Catherines workplace. Another quality which Eddie considers to manly is power. Eddies views on manliness are also based around the ideas of protecting your family and loved ones, providing for your family and keeping your pride and dignity. Eddie tries his very best to keep to these things as he feels very strongly of being a man. He shows this by showing concern when Catherine buys a new skirt. He says, Where you going all dressed up? and, Its too short aint it? He is concerned because he doesnt want her attracting too much attention from other men, like when he says, I dont like the looks theyre giving you in the candy store. This overprotectiveness leads to conflict on a small scale between him and Catherine as she says Eddie, I wish there was one guy you couldnt tell me things about! This dialogue shows that Eddie has been overprotective before and Catherine has realized it. She does not say it seriously but rather, a joke; however she is actually trying to express that hes being too overprotective. This power that Eddie considers to be manly also creates many other incidents on small scales and Eddie starts to show open hostility towards the other characters. Firstly when Rodolfo, Marco and Eddie are talking about oranges and lemons Eddie becomes very hostile when Rodolfo corrects him, Lemons are green. Eddie lashes out at Rodolfo when he corrects him about the colour of the lemon and becomes slightly aggressive I know lemons are green for Christs sake. Eddie becomes hostile and aggressive because he believes knowledge and being right, amongst other things, is where the power lies. Miller uses this to show how something as insignificant as a lemon can create hostility and aggression all because of a manly characteristic of wanting power and respect. Another example of Eddies pettiness is during a conversation about Marcos family back home in Italy. Eddie tries to suggest an affair with Marcos wife but Rodolfo again corrects him saying its more strict in our town We are able to see how Eddie is becoming aggressive through Millers stage directions. Eddie goes from being hostile and sarcastic (laughing) to aggressive (rises, pacing up and down) as a direct reaction to the immigrants differing culture. The stage directions often say a lot more about the characters then the actual script itself and also greatly contribute to the heightening of tension throughout. Not only do they describe the positions of the characters on set; they help the audience to identify with their feelings. Miller begins a scene with a simple conversation about a recent trip to Africa which Marco and Rodolfo had undergone through work. However, tension is still created, regardless of the triviality of the conversational subject, by Eddie, who, from a simple glance at Catherine, appears to be sceptical about whether the trip took place They went to Africa once. On a fishing boat. (Eddie glances at her. ) Its true, Eddie. Eddie then retreats to his rocker, a prop which Miller makes significant throughout the play as it acts as Eddies position of authority, as his throne when in his rocker, he feels very much at the helm of the household and Miller uses this in order to show how Eddie feels he has power yet a rocker is slightly unsuitable as it does not assume a fixed position The conversation then continues further, though it is clear from Millers use of stage directions that Eddie is disregarding anything Rodolfo says to him, and talking to Marco exclusively, creating an uneasy atmosphere and increasing the tension further.