Thursday, October 31, 2019

AED Wk 8 DQ 1 Replies Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AED Wk 8 DQ 1 Replies - Coursework Example John smith: exceptionalities addressed include john’s outstanding intelligence, his ability to learn things fast with little help from instructors especially if they are hands on. in addition, John thrives on organization, structure and procedures as they provide him with balance. This is revealed by the fact that any change in school program leaves him confused and emotional. The teacher should incorporate instructive technology to keep John’s attention considering he enjoys working with electronics. Few, short and doable assignments should be given enabling him to complete tasks. Organization and structure should also be emphasized in the classroom environment and dealing with behavior (Rosenberg, Westling & Mcleaskey, 2007). Ethan Andrew: exceptionalities addressed include his academic excellence especially in mathematics and reading. He is also good at sports including basketball and swimming. His lack of attention is caused by lack of proper rest, as he is not sleeping well. This could be because of watching TV after bed as he does after eating. The classroom environment should be organized with everything placed in its designated location to ease finding things. At home, the mother should provide procedures of things to do while getting ready for school. The teacher should also eliminate distractions in class (Rosenberg, Westling & Mcleaskey, 2007). Sumer smith: exceptionalities addressed involve her capability to work one-on-one with the teacher and other students. Additional information is that she is a below average student hence will need attention and adaptation from the teacher to ensure she catches up with the other students. This is indicated by her inability to process information, as she should at her age and grade. The teacher should make use of instructional technology that converts texts to sound, has images and colorful illustrations. One-on-one and peer

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Information About the Great Depression, New Deal, the Great Society, and the War on Poverty Essay Example for Free

Information About the Great Depression, New Deal, the Great Society, and the War on Poverty Essay The Great Depression was a time of great suffering in American history. Remarkably it was a time that marked the American people and the country was able to emerge shining and stronger than ever. The Great Depression began in 1929 when in the month of October the stock market crashed and fourteen billion dollars were lost. In just one week, thirty billion dollars were gone. This loss was so monumental because it was ten times the average annual budget of the United States. The depression struck hard at all the industries in the United States. This left thousands and thousands of people jobless and even homeless. The first industries to be affected were construction and production. Soon after, the agricultural industry was hit hard. Over 750,000 farms were lost due to how the price of crops dropped drastically which ended up bankrupting the farmers. The unemployment rate was at 25%, the highest ever in American history. The population took yet another devastating blow with lack of food and illness due to inability to pay for medical care. President Hoover lost the election to Franklin D. Roosevelt because the American public considered Hoover to be incapable of handling the crisis. The Great Depression ended up carrying on until the second world war. Recently the United States faced something very close to the Great Depression. The stock market crashed again and millions of jobs were lost. Prices rose and Americans were headed for a slump that would take a long time to recover from. Ever so slowly the economy began to move forward again. But to this day the economy is still crippled and the American people are still paying for it. The New Deal was a series of economic programs that were implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. The man responsible for the New Deal was none other than Franklin D. Roosevelt. The New Deal was a response to the Great Depression and mainly focused on Relief for the unemployment and the poor, Recovery of the economy, and Reform of the financial system to prevent another depression. These three R’s were what drove it to be approved by Congress. The New Deal managed to decrease unemployment greatly by the 1940’s and put out many different programs and organizations that are still present today that help move the United States forward. The main focus of President Kennedy’s administration was to confront poverty. Kennedy began by putting 2 billion dollars to urban renewal and gave federal rewards to companies who moved to the newly renewed areas. The War on Poverty was a governmental effort to stop the problem of persistent poverty in the U.S. the poverty rate in the U.S. was at 24%. In 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson declared a metaphorical war on poverty and new plans and programs were put out to help the poverty rate. The Great Society began when Johnson defeated the Republicans in 1964. His agenda consisted of taking care of the matters of discrimination, poverty, education, healthcare, housing, and consumer and environmental protections. The â€Å"Great Society† was a set of domestic programs promoted by Johnson and the Democrats. The Elementary Secondary Schools Act passed in 1965 was the first time the federal government was involved in public education. It gave government funds to high risk schools. The Higher Education Act put forth new buildings, programs, scholarships, and grants. The National Housing Act if 1968 increased low income housing by 1.7 million. The Civil Rights movement was an important time during American history. It was a time where American minorities conducted protested that won them rights and put a stop to racism in the United States. monumental individuals like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X helped a lot in spreading the word about racial equality. The African American communities all around the country protested for equality. Some whites went to extremes and resorted to violence that led to many murders of the African American people and even the assassination of Martin Luther King. The Native Americans also had an influential movement where they seized Alcatraz and occupied it. Their motive was to protest the first discovery of America and to establish a native American identity. Meanwhile the fastest growing minority in the United States, the Latinos, were also trying to establish equality.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Wyeth Pakistan Limited Business and Financial Analysis

Wyeth Pakistan Limited Business and Financial Analysis 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC Business and financial analysis has been my area of interest during ACCA. I have already studied the models that I require to answer the research questions of this research project, namely Ratio analysis, PESTEL analysis, and SWOT analysis, RATIO analysis. This project came as a golden opportunity to demonstrate the practical application of my knowledge. It has always aroused my curiosity why some businesses outperform and why some underperform financially. This topic will utilize the financial and business analytical skills I have acquired so far and prove my skills once I get the degree in applied accountancy to prospective employers. The research will give me an opportunity to brush up skills that require searching internet for information. It will also brush up my spreadsheet capabilities. 1.2 REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE ORGANIZATION I want to work in my uncle’s pharmacy in future. Knowing the pharmaceutical sector will give me an edge in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of suppliers of medicines. Most of the medicines I have seen in my uncle’s pharmacy are by Wyeth, therefore it aroused my curiosity. 1.3 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS: The aim of this report is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency with which Wyeth Pakistan Limited has been performing over the past 3 years in business and financial matters. The report will include the business analysis in terms of: Assessment of the macro environment of Wyeth using PESTEL analysis. Typical PESTEL factors to consider include: Factor Political Could include: e.g. EU enlargement, the euro, international trade, taxation policy Economic Social Technological Environmental Legal e.g. interest rates, exchange rates, national income, inflation, unemployment, Stock Market e.g. ageing population, attitudes to work, income distribution e.g. innovation, new product development, rate of technological obsolescence e.g. global warming, environmental issues e.g. competition law, health and safety, employment law (PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment) Assessment of the strategic capabilities of Wyeth using SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a basic, straightforward model that provides direction and serves as a basis for the development of marketing plans. It accomplishes this by assessing an organizations strengths (what an organization can do) and weaknesses (what an organization cannot do) in addition to opportunities (potential favorable conditions for an organization) and threats (potential unfavorable conditions for an organization). (DANCA, Anthony C.) Assessment of Wyeth’s future prospects The financial analysis will include: Sales analysis: Sales analysis helps the company know it is meeting its sales objectives in a given timeframe. (MANDA, Gilbert) The analysis will include sales revenue and growth. Profitability Analysis: Every firm is most concerned with its profitability. One of the most frequently used tools of financial ratio analysis is profitability ratios which are used to determine the companys bottom line. Profitability ratios show a companys overall efficiency and performance. (PEAVLER, Rosemary) The analysis will include Gross Profit (G.P) ratio, Net Profit (N.P) ratio and Return on Equity (ROE). Liquidity ratios: A class of financial metrics that is used to determine a companys ability to pay off its short-terms debts obligations. Generally, the higher the value of the ratio, the larger the margin of safety that the company possesses to cover short-term debts. (Liquidity Ratios) The analysis will include Current ratio, quick ratio, debtor turnover ratio and inventory turnover ratio. Investor ratios: The holders of the ordinary shares of a company (its equity) are interested in the return on their investment and the value of their shares. (Advanced Level Accounting, 1996) The analysis will include Earnings per share, Price Earning ratio, Dividend per share and dividend yield ratio. The research questions for my research report are: The growth in sales between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009? What is the effect of Governments price freeze policy on profits of Wyeth? What is the effect of the economic crisis of Pakistan on the financial performance of Wyeth? What was the effect of changing the policy of selling on credit to selling on advance on the working capital of Wyeth and hence its liquidity position? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Wyeth? How well did Wyeth perform compared to its major competitor GSK? How well is Wyeth utilizing its strategic capabilities? 1.4 OVERALL RESEARCH APPROACH I started my research by carrying out a financial analysis using ratios as the tool for my analysis. Most ratios can be calculated from information provided by the financial statements. Financial ratios can be used to analyze trends and to compare the firms financials to those of other firms. (Financial Ratios) Then I carried out an analysis of the environment of Wyeth using PESTEL analysis. This was followed by SWOT analysis to assess its strategic capabilities. 2. INFORMATION GATHERING 2.1 SOURCES OF INFORMATION PRIMARY DATA Information that has been collected at first hand. It involves measurement of some sort, whether by taking readings off instruments, sketching, counting, or conducting interviews (using questionnaires). (Primary Data) To gather primary data I tried reaching Mr. Khwaja Bakhtiar Ahmed, the company secretary, through his assistant. After persistent efforts I finally got an appointment. He was a charismatic person with a lot of knowledge. He enlightened me about Wyeth policies and answered many of my questions. He also handed me the annual reports of Wyeth and management accounts. For the purpose of collecting data I also emailed a questionnaire to a sample of employees of the organisation. The response was good. SECONDARY DATA Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of secondary data for social science include censuses, surveys, organizational records and data collected through qualitative methodologies or qualitative research. (Secondary data, 2011) My secondary sources of information included the following: The annual reports of Wyeth and GSK. News papers such as Business recorder, pharmaceutical literatures. ACCA text books especially for Paper F1, F3, F7, P3 and P5. News websites such as â€Å"The news† and â€Å"Jang†. Books that I found in the library of Superior college. Internet 2.2 METHODS USED TO COLLECT INFORMATION 2.2.1 Visiting stock Exchange: I visited the stock exchange to get the hard copy of the annual reports of Wyeth and GSK. 2.2.2 Interview: My interviews with Mr. Khwaja Bakhtiar Ahmed, the company secretary and Mr. Imran Baig, my mentor proved to be a good source of information. 2.2.3 E-Mail survey: I conducted an e-mail survey. The questionnaire was sent to different employees of the organization as a word attachment and asked them to fill up the word file and send it back as attachment 2.2.4 On-line Access: Various websites were visited for the purpose of research. The most important ones were the website of Wyeth, Karachi stock exchange, and Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. I also visited ACCA website for archives of student accountant articles. 2.3 QUESTIONNAIRE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES USED The questionnaire was emailed after having it reviewed by the different department heads. The population I used was the one that was using an email. I had taken the email addresses from the records maintained by the company. The method I used for sampling was haphazard sampling. I chose the email addresses at random 2.4 LIMITATIONS OF INFORMATION GATHERED Some information was collected from Wyeth website which may be favourably biased towards the organization. It is possible that in spite of all the efforts some information sources may not have been identified which could have lead to a different conclusion. The sample chosen for the email questionnaire might not be representative of the population The views of the company secretary about future prospects might be biased or over optimistic The information present on internet can be subject to the authors own judgements instead of presenting facts. 2.5 ETHICAL ISSUES DURING INFORMATION GATHERING As per the guidelines of Oxford Brookes university I was supposed to disclose the full details of the information sources that I used, but it was in the best interest of the employees of the organization to have their names kept anonymous so they do not face problems with their employer. I put special care into making sure the questionnaire kept the identity anonymous. During the interview with Mr. Khwaja Bakhtiar Ahmed, the company secretary I asked some questions about the new product launch of ENBREL and ORISTIQ. He was hesitant in answering at first but then I assured him that this information was publicly available, after knowing this he co-operated. 2.6 ACCOUNTING / BUSINESS TECHNIQUES USED AND THEIR LIMITATION The accounting/business techniques used for the project were as follows: 2.6.1 Ratio Analysis The term accounting ratios is used to describe significant relationship between figures shown on a balance sheet, in a profit and loss account, in a budgetary control system or in any other part of accounting organization. Accounting ratios thus shows the relationship between accounting data. The ratios analysis is one of the most powerful tools of financial management. Though ratios are simple to calculate and easy to understand, they suffer from serious limitations. Limitations of financial statements: Ratios are based only on the information which has been recorded in the financial statements. Financial statements themselves are subject to several limitations. Thus ratios derived, there from, are also subject to those limitations. For example, non-financial changes though important for the business are not relevant by the financial statements. Financial statements are affected to a very great extent by accounting conventions and concepts. Personal judgment plays a great part in determining the figures for financial statements. Comparative study required: Ratios are useful in judging the efficiency of the business only when they are compared with past results of the business. However, such a comparison only provide glimpse of the past performance and forecasts for future may not prove correct since several other factors like market conditions, management policies, etc. may affect the future operations. Ratios alone are not adequate: Ratios are only indicators, they cannot be taken as final regarding good or bad financial position of the business. Other things have also to be seen. Problems of price level changes: A change in price level can affect the validity of ratios calculated for different time periods. In such a case the ratio analysis may not clearly indicate the trend in solvency and profitability of the company. The financial statements, therefore, be adjusted keeping in view the price level changes if a meaningful comparison is to be made through accounting ratios. Lack of adequate standard: No fixed standard can be laid down for ideal ratios. There are no well accepted standards or rule of thumb for all ratios which can be accepted as norm. It renders interpretation of the ratios difficult. Limited use of single ratios: A single ratio, usually, does not convey much of a sense. To make a better interpretation, a number of ratios have to be calculated which is likely to confuse the analyst than help him in making any good decision. Personal bias: Ratios are only means of financial analysis and not an end in itself. Ratios have to interpreted and different people may interpret the same ratio in different way. Incomparable: Not only industries differ in their nature, but also the firms of the similar business widely differ in their size and accounting procedures etc. It makes comparison of ratios difficult and misleading. (Accounting Ratios | Financial Ratios) 2.6.2 SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a tool that is used to evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of an organization and the external Opportunities and Threats faced by the organization in the external environment. Limitations of SWOT: The way SWOT analysis is often conducted does not allow for proper communication, discussion, and verification of all external and internal factors proposed by all involved. On such occasions, SWOT results prove less reliable an input to the strategy generation process than they are capable of being. Still worse, as documented later, the results of SWOT analysis are sometimes never meant to be used as an input to the strategy generation process. If that is known, or anticipated, by those involved in SWOT analysis, the quality of their inputs will most likely suffer and be lower than otherwise possible, and desirable.(KOCH, Adam J.) 2.6.3 Porter’s five forces analysis Porter looked at the structure of industries. In particular, he was interested in assessing industryattractiveness, by which he meant how easy it would be to make above average profits (forshareholders and to fund adequate investment). He concluded that industry attractivenessdepends on five factors or forces: Competitive rivalry between existing firms Threats of new entrants Threats of substitute products Power of suppliers Power of customers (Paper P3 Business Analysis Essential Text) Limitations of five forces model: Porter’s 5 forces of competition have a few weaknesses and limitations. The modelunderestimates the influence of a company’s core competencies on its ability to achieve profit.It, instead, assumes the industry structure is the sole determining factor. Porters 5 forcesdefinition is difficult to apply to large multinational corporations with synergies andinterdependencies achieved from a portfolio of businesses. Additionally, the five forcesframework assumes there is no collusion in the industry. Finally, Porter’s analysis doesn’tconsider the possibility of creating a new market. (Porter’s Five Forces of Competition , 2010) 3. ANALYSIS 3.1 PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR 2009 was a challenging year and witnessed modest growth in Pakistan’s economy due to uncertain law and order situation and global economic recession. The economy continues to witness double digit inflation; low economic growth and continued depreciation of the rupee against major currencies. During this period the pharmaceutical industry has been adversely impacted by both inflationary trends as well as Rupee depreciation. The government has not allowed any across the board price adjustment to pharmaceutical industry for nine years. Growth in pharmaceutical markets is mainly volume growth. (BENGALI, Iqbal, 2010) Pharmaceutical Industry is one of the major manufacturing industries in Pakistan providing employment to thousands of people directly and indirectly. The industry, however, is facing many challenges, which are hindering its growth. The major challenge faced by the industry is the complete freezing of price of pharmaceutical products since 2001. Pakistan is the only cou ntry in the entire Asian region that has not given its pharma and biotech industry tax-breaks and R D incentives. Government’s requirement that drug production lines should be separate is raising cost and reducing the ability of local manufacturers to compete not only in the global market but even at home. (JAVED, Aamar, 2009) Pakistan has a very vibrant and forward looking Pharma Industry. At the time of independence in 1947, there was hardly any pharma industry in the country. Today Pakistan has about 400 pharmaceutical manufacturing units including those operated by 25 multinationals present in the country. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry meets around 70% of the countrys demand of Finished Medicine. The domestic pharma market, in term of share market is almost evenly divided between the Nationals and the Multinationals.(Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry) Pakistan’s $1.61 billion pharmaceutical market is now expected to post a five-year compound annual growth of 8.95 per cent, down from 9.39 per cent forecast in the previous quarter, according to Business Monitor Internationa l, a global business intelligence firm. (Pharmaceutical sector growth slowing down: BMI , 2010) 3.2 THE COMPANY As a result of the global acquisition of Wyeth by Pfizer Inc.,on October 15, 2009, Wyeth has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.. Pfizer Inc has become the ultimate parent company of Wyeth Pakistan Limited. Wyeth however continues to be the principal shareholder of Wyeth Pakistan Limited. (AHMED, Khawaja Bakhtiar, 2010) Wyeth, with its pharmaceutical and over-the-counter divisions, is a leader in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of a broad range of health care products. (WYETH PAKISTAN LIMITED ) 3.3 RATIO ANALYSIS The following ratio analysis is based on the Annual Reports of WYETH and GSK Pakistan. Comparison has been made with the results of GSK for FY2009 since these were the latest financials available. Ratios 3.3.1 SALES Analysis GSK 2009 Sales Revenue (Rs. in million) Growth in revenue (%) Cost of sales. (Rs. In million) Growth in cost of sales.(%) 14,719 9.8% 11,173 17% FY2010 2,310 0.17% 1,830 1.4% FY2009 2,306 3.3% 1,805 8% FY2008 2,384 13% 1,699 22% 3.3.2 Profitability Ratios GSK 2009 24.1% FY2010 FY2009 FY2008 G.P Margin N.P Margin ROE 20.82% 1.13% 2.58% 21.73% -3.77% 8.86% 29.87% 6.04% 12.73% 6.3% 11.5% 12 3.3.3 Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio Quick Ratio Debtors’ Days Inventory Days 3.3.4 Investor’s Analysis GSK 2009 3.2 1.6 25 67 FY2010 2.56 1.01 26 163 FY2009 2.71 0.98 38 144 FY2008 3.43 1.38 29 143 Ratios GSK 2009 5.5 20 5 4.6% FY2010 FY2009 FY2008 Earnings per Share (EPS) (Rs.) PE Ratio (Times) Dividend Per Share (Rs.) Dividend Yield 18.61 49.08 10 0.92% -61.09 _ _ _ 101.50 25.62 250 10.55% Comments on Ratios The operating results of currents year are for a 12 months period ended November 30, 2010 compared to the previous year which for an 11 months period ended November 30, 2009. Sales analysis. The growth in company’s net sales for the period ending 30 November 2009 reduced by 3.3% as sales were Rs. 2,384 million in year ending 31, December 2008 and in 2009 period it was Rs. 2,306 million which is due to challenging conditions of external environment in 2009. On the other hand cost of sales for year ending 2008 was Rs. 1,699 million which increased to Rs. 1,805 million in period ending 2009. It was an increase of 8% which shows that company does not have efficient policies to control its operational expenditure. In year ending 2010 overall sales increased by 0.17% but as we mentioned above that this period comprises 12 months comparing last 11 month period and if we compare like with likes then sales reduced by 8%. This is due to due to uncertain law and order conditions of Pakistan. But this year company showed efficiency in controlling its costs as this year cost of sales increased by just 1.4%. This could be due to training and development of employees as training on six- sigma was conducted after the losses incurred by company in 2009. This training was to increase efficiencies of employees to control the cost. GSK: Sales of GSK are in year ending 2009 were Rs. 14,719 million as compared to Rs. 2,310 million of Wyeth which is due to major market share of GSK. Out of to 20 products 9 are manufactured and sold by GSK. Profitability analysis GP Margin: In year ending 2010 gross profit margin reduced as it was 21.73% in year ending 2009 and it was 20.82% in year ending 2010. This decrease was mainly due to adverse economical conditions of country as inflation increased and cost of resources and operations increased accordingly. In period ending 30 November 2009 the GP margin decreased from 29.87% in 2008 and 21.73% in 2009. In year 2009 the profit also reduced as compared to sales which is also mainly to due to increase in cost of operations. On the other hand the government has not allowed an increase in price since year 2001. The GP margin of GSK is 24.1% for year ending 2009 as Wyeth has GP margin 20.82% in year ending 2010 which shows that GSK has more ability to control its cost and transfer it to its customers. NP Margin: In period ending 30 November 2009 the net profit margin reduced from 6.04% in 2008 to 3.77%. The major cause of this reduction in profitability was the economical condition of Pakistan. Costs of operations increased due to inflation and at the same time the devaluation of currency. However, company maintained control on expenses as their advertising and promotion costs were in line with last year. Administrative cost increased due to cost of Voluntary Separation Scheme. Other operating expenses were lower than last year. NP margin for year ending 2010 increased to 1.13% from -3.77% in the last year. This improvement was due to increase in efficiency of employees and efficiently controlling the operational cost of company as the operating expenses reduced by 10% in year ending. There has been a long stand price freeze by the government since 2001 due to which company was not able to earn abnormal profits. The net profit of GSK was 6.3% in year ending 2009 which also reduced as it was 14.6% in 2008. This shows that the industry was adversely affected by increase in operational costs and long standing price freeze by government due to which companies cannot pass their cost to customers. ROE: Return on equity increased for year ending 2010 to 2.58% as it was -8.86% in year ending 2009 this increased was due to increased operational efficiency of organization. While in period ending 2009 the ROE reduced significantly from 12.73% to -8.86%. . ROE of GSK is 11.5% in year ending 2009 as compared to % of Wyeth. Liquidity analysis. Current ratio: Current ratio indicates how many times the company’s current assents can meet company’s current liabilities. A ratio of 2 is considered sufficient for current ratio generally. In the period ending 30, November 2009 the current ratio reduced from 3.43 times to 2.71 times. This shows that the company can meet its current liabilities 2.71 times by its current assets. This decreasing trend could cause an alarming situation for Wyeth because a company can survive without profits for some years but without cash it can’t survive more than one year. So worsening condition of Wyeth needs effective and efficient policies for fund management. Current ratio for year ending 2010 reduced to 2.56 times as it was 2.71 times in year ending 2009. This shows that now company can meet its current liabilities by 2.56 times. A ratio of 2 is a standard for current ratio. Company improved its working capital condition this year as they changed their sales and distribution model from credit to advance cash. Current ratio of GSK for year ending 2009 is 3.2 times which shows strong policies of funding are in place. Quick ratio: Quick ratio indicates how many times company’s current assets can fulfill its current liabilities but it ignores inventory from current assets because in some organizations inventory takes times before it can convert to sales. Quick ratio of Wyeth is reducing quicker than current ratio for years ending 2009Quick ratio for period ending 2009 also reduced from 1.38 to 0.98 times which was an alarming situation for Wyeth. It indicates that major part of current assets consist inventory and company’s inventory increased from last year due to increase in cost of materials. . Ratio of 1 is considered a standard for quick ratio so company’s liquidity is worsening. Quick ratio improved in year ending 2010 which is 1.01 times as it was 0.98 times in 2009. This is due to improved working capital management policies as company received cash in advance instead of credit. Due to which company earned interest on deposits too. Quick ratio of GSK for year ending 2009 was 1.6 whi ch shows a healthy liquidity position. Debtors Days: Debtors turnover period indicates how many days debtors take to pay their debt to company. Debtors are part of working capital and for the successful operations of company good debtor management strategies need to be in place. In period ending 2009 the debtor’s turnover period increased by 9 days as these were 29 days in 2008 and 38 days in 2009. During this year due to inflation and devaluation of currency the company had to extend debtors turnover period as company made loss after tax this year. In year ending 2010 company’s debtor days reduced to 26 days as compared to 38 days in 2009 this also shows the improvement in fund management policies as this year company received advance cash from sales and distribution instead of credit. Debtor’s days of GSK for year ending 2009 were 25. This shows that debtor collection policies of GSK are more efficient than Wyeth. Inventory days: Inventory days indicate the period during which inventory of a company remains in its warehouse or in work in progress before it is finally converted into sales. Inventory holding initiates many expenses like warehouse, damages etc. which can be mitigated by good inventory management policies in place. Inventory turnover period in 2009 increased by 1 day as it was 143 days in 2008 and became 144 days in 2009. This increase was nominal but instead improvement this increase was due to decreasing in underlying sales. Inventory days increased this year too from 144 days in 2009 to 163 days in 2010. This increase was mainly due to increase in inflation and instability of prices in material. Sales for this year was lower than last year. Inventory turnover period of GSK in year ending 2009 was 67 days which is less than half of Wyeth. This shows that GSK has more efficient working capital policies and sales of GSK were more than Wyeth which is due to the higher market share of GSK. Investor’s analysis. EPS Earning per share can be used to indicate the profitability of a company. It shows the earning allocated to each common share. In period ending 2009 the EPS reduced badly by Rs.162 per share. In this year company’s EPS was -61.09. This major decrease was due to consistent inflation and devaluation of currency of Pakistan. These factors became the reason for increase in operational cost. And due to the price freeze by government the company was not able to transfer the cost to customers. In year ending 2010 EPS increased from Rs. -61.09 last year to Rs. 18.61 this year. This year company made a net profit margin of 1.13% which was loss of (3.77) % in last year. This improvement is due to controlling the operational expenses of the company this year. The EPS of GSK for year ending 2009 was Rs. 5.5 which is consistent with previous years. PE ratio: The PE ratio of Wyeth moved adversely during last years. In year ending 2008 the PE ratio was 25.62 times while In year ending 2009 the company’s made a loss. Which was due to increase in cost which company was not able to pass to customers. In year ending 2010 PE ratio improved to 49.08 times which was nil in last year this improvement also due to improvement in operational efficiency of company during 2010 as the company improved its cash position as well as its productivity. The PE ratio of GSK was 20 which show good performance of GSK compared to Wyeth. Dividend per share Dividend per share ratio indicates the dividend earned by an investor by holding one share of company. There was no dividend per share in year ending 2009 as company was in loss. This loss was mainly due to adverse environmental, economical, and political situations. In year ending 2010 company announced the dividend of Rs. 10 per share which shows the attractive position of company in this year. Company improve its profitability as well as its operational efficiency during year ending 2010 as retrospective measures taken in 2010 like training on six-sigma plan. The dividend per share of GSK for year ending 2009 was Rs.5 which also indicates that company performed well in such crises. Dividend yield This ratio represents the cash flows earned by the investor by investing each rupee in form of shares. In year ending 2010 earning yield improved to 0.92% as it was nil in year ending 2009. This improvement was due to improvement in operational efficiencies during year ending 2010 while economical and political instability remained consistent in year ending 2010. In the period ending 2009 company made a loss. While GSK’s dividend yield in this year was 4.6% which shows the good governance of GSK as compare to Wyeth. 3.4 PESTEL ANALYSIS PESTEL analysis is a tool which is used to understand external environment. It deals with external environmental factors like political, economical, social and demographical, technological, environmental and legal. By considering these factors we can judge the influence of all above factors on the operations and profitability of any company. Political factors. In political factors we consider the government policies like tax policies, their stability, political environment and institutions. In 2008 there was instability in political conditions of Pakistan which adversely affected the pharmaceutical industry. Policies of government about electricity price raises also contributed adversely to pharmaceutical industry. Government’s price freeze policy since 2001 also reduced the profitability because firms were not able to transfer their increasing operational cost to the customers. In the last quarter of 2008 government gave some relaxation on price increase but that was for some products that did not contribute too much to improve the conditions of profitability. Economical factors: Inflation (too much money chasing too few goods) remained the major problem of Pakistan in the last few years. Due to consistent rise in cost of electricity, labor, and fuel the profitability of pharmaceutical industry reduced as firms could not increase prices according to cost due to limitation by government policies. But demand in the public remained unchanged. Devaluation of Pakistan currency also adversely affected the industry as value of rupees consistently reduced against major currencies of world especially against US$. Due to which many firms had

Friday, October 25, 2019

Terrorism †Wake Up America! :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Terrorism – Wake Up America! America, wake up! That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 and maybe it was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then. It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign US embassy set the stage for the events to follow for the next 23 years. America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Viet Nam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then President Carter had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism. America's military had been decimated and downsized / right sized since the end of the Viet Nam war. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission doomed from the start. Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued. In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more. Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut. 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more. Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber. The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gates of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Autism a Communication and Social Disorder

Autism is a brain disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and delayed communication skills. (Segal, 1996) Children with Autism show signs of delay in the first two years of life. Many times parents notice that their child demonstrates repetitive behaviors, or likes to spin objects, line things up or has an affinity for sameness. Some children with Autism have difficulty with transitions from one activity to another and are not able to regulate their senses. The range of these behaviors varies and that is why Autism is called a spectrum disorder. Many times, children will exhibit one or several of the symptoms. Children who exhibit fewer symptoms are diagnosed with PDD or Pervasive Developmental Delay, while children who have many of the symptoms are termed Autistic. There is recent research that shows that autism may be caused by genetics which are related to how the brain develops in early childhood. In the article, Autism and Brain development, Nancy Shute reports that some kind of mutations of genes that are important to language development may be the cause of autism in some children. Daniel Geschwind is researching the fact that these genes are sometimes turned on or off depending on the brains experiences. † (Shute). There is also a chance that â€Å"structural damage will be found, and this damage could be anything from microscopic to the grossly visible, from faults inside nerve cells to faulty development of whole cell systems. † (Frith) The causes of Autism are still being explored, but the more important thing is how people are diagnosed and treated for it. The symptoms of Autism are variable, and usually different in each child. Delay of language development, lack of social skills and lack of eye contact are a few of the symptoms. Because there is a range in the severity of the symptoms the diagnosis and treatment of autism varies and is an interesting process. The diagnosis of autism is based on a behavioral check list. â€Å"Because a diagnosis is a label or shorthand for treatment, it needs to correspond to the services to the child needs in the immediate future. † (Siegel) The parents, teachers, developmental pediatrician and sometimes other therapists all contribute to the assessment. The CHAT, Checklist of Autism in Toddlers is one way that pediatricians screen children under 2 years old for Autism. For children 4 years and older, a Social Communication Questionnaire is often used. These screenings rely on parent report and the observation of a diagnostic team. Then the child will be referred to a developmental pediatrician or a psychologist who is trained in diagnosis of Autism. There are several diagnostic tools, usually developmental checklists, and parent report along with a team of professionals who look at the behavioral symptoms that are characteristic of this disorder. The team of professionals who diagnosis autism typically include the parent, speech therapist, teacher, pediatrician and occupational therapist. The most widely used diagnostic tool for Autism is the ADOS, (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule). The North Bay Regional Center uses this to diagnose children with autism in this area. There are also other centers, the Mind Institute with is part of the University of Davis medical Center, where they focus only on diagnosis of Autism spectrum disorders. Bryna Siegel is a Psychologist who works at UCSF and has her own diagnostic clinic. Each case of autism has its own individual characteristics ranging between its cause, its diagnosis and the life long treatment. After being diagnosed, different therapy options are presented; PECS, play therapy and discrete trial are the three more commonly used treatments. What is best for children with Autism is an early diagnosis, and intensive speech and language therapy which includes the family. Dr. Stanly Greenspan has developed the â€Å"Floortime† approach to helping families learn to interact with their children. â€Å"Autism and ASD’s involve difficulties in relating forming relationships, communicating, and thinking. (Greenspan) Play therapy also gives parents a chance to learn to communicate nonverbally with their autistic child. One of the most effective styles of play therapy is called floor time. â€Å"In playing with their child, parents can help her develop her social skills and also connect with their child through this nonverbal style of communication. The floor time/play therapy that a speech therapist directs is used to â€Å"harness the child’s natural interests. † (Greenspan) in doing so they are able to â€Å"get a picture of what she finds enjoyable, what motivates her. (Greenspan) and is considered as the best method for supporting the language and social communication development of the child with autism. Speech therapy is one of the most important pieces of the team approach to help children with Autism develop social and communication skills. The goal of speech therapy in working with children with autism is to help the child communicate her needs and wants. A specific therapy program is individualized for each child. There are as many programs as there are children. There are a wide range of therapies that facilitate language development in children with Autism. Normally language and play go off one another when both are impaired; they are likely to mutually inhibit the development of the other. † (Siegel) While there are other therapies, play therapy is considered one of the most effective ways to understand nonverbal communication in autism. Children with Autism can benefit from play therapy. The therapy is based on the child’s own interests. Children with autism do not play with toys in a functional way. â€Å"One thing that is often different about the sensory development of autistic children is its repetitiveness. This is also referred to as perseveration. Instead of pulling a string or handle on a â€Å"speak and say† five or six times, the autistic of PDD child may engage in such an activity for 20 minutes without stopping. † (Siegle) Play therapy teaches the child to play with toys in ways that use imagination and are symbolic. And since imagination is obscured in autistic minds this is very important. Even though it may not be clear in a young child it can be observed in some situations such as a â€Å"Two year old autistic children (who) ‘play telephone’. They pick up the receiver and punch the buttons on the toy phone. Then they put the receiver down, less often will you see the autistic two year yammering, as if talking to someone. What is really never seen in the successive ‘calls’ – say to grandma, big bird, or the family dog. That type of elaboration on a toy thing is beyond the slope of imagination of most autistic children instead, the physical actions copied strictly from what has been observed in the past is playlalia. † (Siegle) Play and speech therapy, paired with pictures is one of the ways that speech therapists and parents encourage language. Often the child with Autism uses a picture to exchange for a desired item this is called PECS. This picture exchange system is important and can be used after observing and playing with the child to determine what toys the child is interested in. It is used as a stepping stone for communication with the outside world. The picture exchange system is a way for children with Autism to communicate using pictures. This is a good way for them to make their needs and wants met. Many children with autism have tantrums or do not want to cooperate with their teacher or parents. The best way to find out what a child with autism wants is to use this simple system. Since many people on the autism spectrum tend to learn visually, it makes good sense to communicate with images. Just as important, images are a universal means of communication – and they are just as understandable by strangers or young peers by parents or therapists. † (Rudy) When the parent knows what the child wants, they can use the picture of the desired item as a reinforcer to help the child cooperate with the parents directions. Sometimes the parent will offer the child two pictures as choices. Other times the parent can use the picture of an activity that needs to be accomplished and a picture of a desired item. Then the parent can say, first wash hands and then you can have bubbles. The child learns this routine and is able to communicate, and follow the parent’s directions. There is a more complex style of picture exchange system where the speech therapist starts with one item paired with an object. The speech therapist then asks the child â€Å"want cookie†, showing the child a picture of a cookie and the cookie. When the child understands that the picture represents the cookie then the child is ready to use the pictures for other choices. Later the child is using pictures to help form sentences. There are many ways that speech therapists use pictures to encourage language. Often the speech therapist works with the behaviorist to develop a system that will provide reinforcers for the child. These reinforcers help the child to stay motivated during therapy. The behavioral therapy or Discrete Trials therapy is often used along with speech therapy. â€Å"Discrete trial training is conducted using intensive drills of selected materials. A specific behavior is prompted or guided, and children receive reinforcement for proper responses. † (What is Discrete Trial Training? This is a program that teaches a child with autism specific information in small units which are less distracting for the child. Because children with autism are so distractible or may want to obsess on spinning or other behaviors, the discrete trial helps them to focus on learning vocabulary, names of animals, math and pre reading skills. The occupational therapist is also important to the treatment of children with Autism. This therapist often uses sensory integration techniques to help the child with Autism develop self regulation. Many of the children with autism have self stimulatory behaviors with are sometimes their way to regulate, their senses. These self stimulatory behaviors may not be as effective as the specific movement, vestibular, or deep pressure, proprioceptive, or sensory, touch and brushing that the occupational therapist uses. The parents of the child with autism are invited to observe what the therapist recommends, and then they can use many of the recommendations at home to help calm their child. Many children with autism are sensitive to loud noises, and are sometimes very sensitive to tags in the back of their shirts, or the seams on their socks. The book, â€Å"The Out of Sync Child† by Carol Stock Kranowitz, has many suggestions for children who are sensitive to noise, light, and touch. The research is clear that the first step is early intervention using a team approach early diagnosis and treatment specific to the individual child is the most helpful thing you can do. Although it takes patience and understanding (with the trial and error); with the numerous treatments available every child can be helped. The diagnosis is the first step, and when treatment is started early, the team approach is the beginning of optimal treatment for the child.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Dead

As we saw in the movie The Dead, the main element of the plot centers on the connection between life and Death, the living and the Dead, and the connection between the past and present. Throughout the film, this connection is made apparent either directly through the reminiscing of characters, young and old, or by external factors within the story. One major factor that hasnt been mentioned, is the importance of music throughout this film. It intertwines its essence amongst practically ever major character, linking one small story to the next, hinting towards a great mystery to be revealed at the end of the movie. As you yourself wrote, Prof. Roman, in your article about Joyces written short story, He constructed his tale almost as if it were a musical piece: the notes, the melodies, the pauses (spaces) and rhythms evolving from his words coming from description, dialogue, the intellectual connections to the reader, the fine details of character, object and occurrence.(Roman, Irish Echo, 12/26/87) I hope to show you how from the beginning to end, music exists, not just in the background, but as a basis for character development throughout the film as well as embodying the climax of this movie by Huston, and story by James Joyce. Three areas of focus within the house, as far as music is concerned, are the scenes within the Parlor (living room), Dinning Room, and of course on the Stairs. The first major connection of music with characters exists when the niece of the Morkan Sisters, Mary Jane, is asked to play a piece of music on the piano. Huston gives us a quick glance at somewhat shady emotional connection between Molly Ivers and Gabriel when she gives him a wink. Later on during some dancing through conversation we see that they know one another and are at opposite ends, politically, with regards to the Irish Question. It becomes clear that there maybe at o...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The White Heron

The short story â€Å"A White Heron† written by Sarah Orne Jewett is the story of a young girl and how she becomes her own person in a time when women were supposed to be loyal like dogs toward men. The current views and the beginning of change in those views that some of society held towards the independence of women in the late 1800s can be seen through the character portrayals in â€Å"A White Heron.† In the opening of the story, Sylvia is alone in the woods driving home her cow when she runs into a young man. As the man approaches she refers to him as the enemy, and in a way he is. In the story Sylvia, her grandmother, and even the female cow are living a life that is free of males, yet happy. Suddenly, in comes this hunter to throw off the balance of the independent and female dominant life Sylvia knows. When Sylvia and the hunter return to Sylvia’s grandmother, Mrs. Tilley’s house Sylvia believed Mrs. Tilley had misunderstood the situation and made a mistake in allowing him to stay. The story also showed change when it mentioned the awakening of Mrs. Tilley’s â€Å"long slumbering hospitality,† reminding the reader of how secluded the women were (Charters, 391). Jewett shows men as being proud and always in search of a prize, rather than companionship. When the hunter began to converse with Mrs. Tilley he claimed a love for birds and that he had a great collection of them, in this way he wanted the birds as a prize he could display rather than a companion or friend. With this character and his display of stuffed dead birds, it relates how women were also viewed in this time. In this time women could be considered prizes, part of a man’s belongings to be displayed and admired. It can also be said that women were not expected to really live their life, but instead to become dead inside like the birds were dead. Love for men was similar to ownership. In the story Mrs. Tilley is an older woman who is easily able to rever... Free Essays on The White Heron Free Essays on The White Heron The short story â€Å"A White Heron† written by Sarah Orne Jewett is the story of a young girl and how she becomes her own person in a time when women were supposed to be loyal like dogs toward men. The current views and the beginning of change in those views that some of society held towards the independence of women in the late 1800s can be seen through the character portrayals in â€Å"A White Heron.† In the opening of the story, Sylvia is alone in the woods driving home her cow when she runs into a young man. As the man approaches she refers to him as the enemy, and in a way he is. In the story Sylvia, her grandmother, and even the female cow are living a life that is free of males, yet happy. Suddenly, in comes this hunter to throw off the balance of the independent and female dominant life Sylvia knows. When Sylvia and the hunter return to Sylvia’s grandmother, Mrs. Tilley’s house Sylvia believed Mrs. Tilley had misunderstood the situation and made a mistake in allowing him to stay. The story also showed change when it mentioned the awakening of Mrs. Tilley’s â€Å"long slumbering hospitality,† reminding the reader of how secluded the women were (Charters, 391). Jewett shows men as being proud and always in search of a prize, rather than companionship. When the hunter began to converse with Mrs. Tilley he claimed a love for birds and that he had a great collection of them, in this way he wanted the birds as a prize he could display rather than a companion or friend. With this character and his display of stuffed dead birds, it relates how women were also viewed in this time. In this time women could be considered prizes, part of a man’s belongings to be displayed and admired. It can also be said that women were not expected to really live their life, but instead to become dead inside like the birds were dead. Love for men was similar to ownership. In the story Mrs. Tilley is an older woman who is easily able to rever...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Do You Need a High School Diploma

Do You Need a High School Diploma SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you didn't graduate from high school, going back and finishing it so you can finally get your high school diploma is a practical step. But if you’re an adult well past your teenage years, the prospect of going back to high school can be pretty intimidating.Fortunately, there are alternative ways adults can earn a high school diploma. Read on to learn more about what the general steps are for getting a high school diploma, how important having the physical diploma is, whether you can attend college without a high school diploma, and what your options are for legitimate adult high school diploma programs. Do You Need to Graduate to Get a High School Diploma? In general, to earn a high school diploma in the US, you need to have completed 12th grade and graduated high school. More specifically, you need to have met all of your state’s graduation requirements and taken all required courses. This is the most common path for getting a high school diploma. But what if you left high school before you had the chance to graduate? In this case, you can get a high school diploma by taking the classes you need to fulfill your state’s high school graduation and credit requirements. For example, if you were one English course short of graduating, you could enroll in an adult high school diploma program, through which you'd take the English class you need to get the diploma. If you need a lot of credits to finish high school (for instance, maybe you missed a whole grade of high school), another option is to take a high school equivalency test, such as the GED, HiSET, or TASC tests. By passing one of these tests, you’ll receive a diploma or certificate that's similar to a high school diploma and indicates that you’ve achieved US high school educational standards. This is called a high school equivalency diploma. In most cases, a high school equivalency diploma is equivalent to a high school diploma; however, some universities and employers prefer a traditional high school diploma over one of these equivalents and, as a result, might look down on it. Ifyou're younger than your state's age for enrolling in high school, I strongly recommend going back to high school to earn your regular high school diploma instead of opting for one of these equivalents. This age limit varies by state but is usually around 21 years. Unfortunately, your elementary school diploma won't help you on the job hunt. How Important Is Having a Physical High School Diploma? It’s critical tokeep your original high school diploma in a safe place.This is because potential employers and colleges might ask to see a copy of your diploma as proof that you completed high school and have the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for a particular job or educational program. Online schools are especially likely to request or require a copy of your high school diploma for enrollment purposes. Though it’s possible you’ll never have to show anyone your high school diploma (other than your proud parents), you should always have a copy of it on hand, just in case. If you lost your high school diploma or don’t remember getting a physical diploma, you can easily request a copy of yours by contacting your old high school(or, if your high school is no longer in operation, your former education department or school district). Refer toour step-by-step guide to learn more about securing a copy of your high school diploma. Can You Attend College Without a High School Diploma? The short answer is no, not usually. If you want to attend a four-year college or university with the goal of getting a bachelor’s degree, you will not be able to unless you have a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma, such as the GED. (Note that not all colleges accept a GED in lieu of a traditional diploma.) That said, most community colleges allow students to enroll without a high school diploma. You usually just need to be at least 18 years old to enroll- that’s it! If you think you’ll eventually want to transfer to a four-year college/university from a community college, know that you’ll likely need to take the GED or an equivalent test before you can do so. How to Get a High School Diploma as an Adult: 2 Methods If you’re older than your state’s maximum age limit for enrolling in high school or would prefer an alternative way of earning a high school diploma, you have the option of doing an in-person adult high school diploma program orattendingan online high school. Method 1: In-Person Adult High School Diploma Program One way to get your high school diploma is to enroll in an adult high school diploma program. These in-person classes are specifically geared toward adults looking to return to high school and get their diplomas(instead of, say, a GED). With these programs, you'll take only the courses you need to graduate. For instance, if you’re short a math and an English class, you’d take these two classes in your adult high school diploma program, allowing you to fulfill your state's graduation requirements and thus earn a high school diploma. Most adult high school diploma programs are free or pretty cheap,and are offered on weekdays and weeknights. The best way to find a legitimate adult high school diploma program near you is to contact a public university or community college in your area. These institutions should be able to tell you whom to contact about adult education programs. You can also see what information your state's official website provides regarding adult education programs. Just search on Google for "[Your State] adult education site:.gov."For example, the Michigan state website offers a bunch of helpful information on free and low-cost adult education programs in counties all around Michigan. Always beware of online scams that claim to give out high school diplomas. These "diploma mills," as they’re called, will often charge you a high fee to take unaccredited courses, earning you afake credential that’s not recognized anywhere! If you’re not sure whether a program is legitimate, check with your state department of education. Method 2: Online High School The second way adults can earn a high school diploma is to enroll in an online high school. This option is considered more convenient than Method 1 asyou can attend class and study from the comfort of your own home, allowing you to get your high school diploma online. Many online private high schools require a fee to attend, which can be really high sometimes, especially if the program is offered through a prestigious college or university. In addition, some online high schools have an age limit, so check that you’re eligible to attend before you decide on a school. Make sure that the school you’re considering is legitimate. Many online high schools aren’t accredited (even if they claim to be) and can’t award you an authentic high school diploma. If you’re unsure whether an online high school is legitimate, contact your state's department of education. You can also get in touch with a local community college or public college/university, which will helpyou find online high schools thatare accredited and accept adult learners. Here are some well-known schools that allow you to get your high school diploma online: Stanford Online High School (no adult learners) BYU Independent Study High School(offers program for adult learners) UT Austin High School (no age restrictions) Texas Success Academy (offers program for adult learners) University of Nebraska High School (no age restrictions) Recap: Do You Need a High School Diploma? Most people earn their high school diplomas by completing 12th grade and meeting their state's high school graduation requirements. Even if you left school before you got a diploma, there are ways you can get one as an adult. Your two main options are to enroll in an in-person adult high school diploma program or attend an accredited online high school. Many prefer the latter because it’s more convenient and allows you to get your high school diploma online without having to go anywhere. As with anything you pay for, besure to vet any adult high school diploma programs (both in-person and online) you're considering attending. You don’t want to lose money to a scam that awards you with a fake credential! Reach out toyour state’s department of education to get more information about legitimate (online) schools and programs for adult learners. If you'd rather notgo back and get your high school diploma, you can insteadtake a high school equivalency test, such as the GED. While you don’t need a high school diploma to apply for jobs or enroll at a community college, having one will allow you to go to a four-year college or university. A high school diploma also means you’ll be making more money on average than if you didn’t have one! Don't feel as though there are no options available to you- you'llnever be too old to go back and get that high school diploma! What’s Next? Considering attending an online high school? Learn about how to avoid unaccredited schools and how an online education differs from a traditional one. We also maintaina list of 100+ free online high schools! For a full review of a top-notch online high school, check out our in-depth guide to Stanford Online High School. Not interested in getting a traditional high school diploma? Then considergetting a high school equivalency diploma.Our guide goes over what this diploma is and how to get one.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Describe Operant conditioning, its key concepts, and how it works Essay

Describe Operant conditioning, its key concepts, and how it works - Essay Example The drive to the hospital, the telephone call reminding the patient that chemotherapy is scheduled for tomorrow, can stimulate nausea before the actual physiological trigger, the chemotherapy. The remainder of this discussion will outline the key concepts in operant conditioning. This portion of the discussion will be based on a brief historical outline of the development of operant conditioning. The final section of the paper will focus on the dynamics – the whys and hows – of operant conditioning. It will also expand the discussion from psychological experimentation to real-life situations and examples. The foundational demonstration of operant conditioning is Thorndikes cat puzzle box. Unlike an involuntary stimuli (a bell) Thorndikes cat was placed in a box which it could only get out of by triggering a door opening device, and it could only get food if it was out of the box. The cat had to learn the stimuli (batting the door latch) to earn the reward of food. This is a critical difference from classical conditioning. The subject, the cat, must learn, the stimuli, opening the latch. In classical conditioning the stimuli (Pavlovs ringing bell) is imposed on the dog it is not learned and salivating is an automatic response. In Thorndikes experiments the cat must learn to open the door by stepping on a pedal to open the door, to attain the reward of food. (See illustration on following page.) Websters Online Dictionary defines operant conditioning as, â€Å"conditioning in which an operant response is brought under stimulus control by virtue of presenting reinforcement contingent upon the occurrence of the operant response.† (Websters Online Dictionary, â€Å"Operant Conditioning†) Prior to analyzing how operant conditioning works and discussing the variations and developments that have occurred in operant conditioning a selection of key concepts must be understood. First, what is now referred to as operant

Friday, October 18, 2019

40 questions about corporate finance Coursework

40 questions about corporate finance - Coursework Example What was his annual rate of return on this sculpture? 4. You expect to receive $17,000 at graduation in two years. You plan on investing it at 9 percent until you have $94,000. How long will you wait from now? (Do not round your intermediate calculations.) 8. Teder Corporation stock currently sells for $55 per share. The market requires a 13 percent return on the firms stock.Required : If the company maintains a constant 6 percent growth rate in dividends, what was the most recent dividend per share paid on the stock? 10 Suppose you know a companys stock currently sells for $70 per share and the required return on the stock is 16 percent. You also know that the total return on the stock is evenly divided between a capital gains yield and a dividend yield. Required: If its the companys policy to always maintain a constant growth rate in its dividends, what is the current dividend per share? 14. Imprudential, Inc., has an unfunded pension liability of $500 million that must be paid in 18 years. To assess the value of the firms stock, financial analysts want to discount this liability back to the present. If the relevant discount rate is 8.5 percent, what is the present value of this liability? 23You own a portfolio equally invested in a risk free asset and two stocks. If one of the stocks has a beta of 1.6 and the total portfolio is equally as risky as the market, what must the beta be for the other stock in your portfolio? 25. Your coin collection contains 59 1943 silver dollars. If your grandparents purchased them for their face value when they were new, how much will your collection be worth when you retire in 2033, assuming they appreciate at a 7 percent annual rate? 26. You own a portfolio that has $2,500 invested in Stock A and $3,750 invested in Stock B. If the expected returns on these stocks are 9 percent and 14 percent, respectively, what is the expected return on the portfolio?(Do not round your intermediate calculations.) 34. You own a

Management and Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Management and Gender - Essay Example That the world is critical and reflective in thinking is a matter that is underscored by the many theories which try to explain gender relations. Many theoretical standpoints and postulations abound to divulge on gender relations, by analysing the dynamics of male-female relationships within the auspices of the society. As opposed to the 19th century developments which mainly delved on gender parity at the domestic level, the 1950s opened a new era which was characterised by the quest to have gender equality entrenched even in the corporate sector. This is the case with the UK, the US, the West and the rest of the developed world (Maleta, 2011, 75). The importance of theoretical standpoints that explain gender relations is that they help inculcate understanding on the history, nature and dynamics of gender relations, with the main goal being, providing directly or indirectly, the panacea to the problem of gender imbalance at the workplace, or any other sphere of the human society. Likewise, according to Moore (2012, 620), the need to relook the issue of gender and corporate life is underscored by the fact that in spite of women having been incorporated in the corporate life of developed countries, yet female presence is yet inadequately represented at the managerial level of corporate life. Theoretical Explanation on Gender Imbalance in Management One of the most moving theories on gender is that of Julia Kristeva. Kristeva’s theory has been applicable in the field of semiotics. Kristeva’s theory in explaining gender disparity and relations at the managerial level of the corporate life has a topical theme of abjec tion. Particularly, Kristeva structures subjectivity on abjection of the mother, arguing that a society is constructed just as an individual abjects or excludes his mother as a way of curving out an identity. Kristeva continues that just as individuals, patriarchal cultures exclude the feminine to either come into being, or consolidate its position (Cousineau and Roth, 2012, 430). Beyer (2011, 307) contends that the implication of Kristeva’s postulation is that the inability to perpetuate gender parity in organisational management is not so much occasioned by characteristics inherent in women, as is by unequal sexist relations, structures and policies which have been entrenched by a male-dominated society. This discourse will thus look into the issue of gender and management, in light of Kristeva’s theoretical postulations. Indicators of un/Equal Gender Representation in Management A critical examination of the corporate, entrepreneurial and public sectors shows the in ordinate concentration of men in management. One of the indicators of the gender gap in the British business sector is the stunted rise in

Reflective Journal M02 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective Journal M02 - Essay Example Entrepreneurs and investors embark on business ventures because they wish to make money, and a business that does not make money on a regular basis deserves to be terminated. All the tools and techniques for decision making that are taught in the MBA or any other business management course will always have the profit maximizing criterion as a major consideration. At least, that is the common perception, and one that I had entertained prior to my studies about business ethics and corporate social responsibility. In my readings, I was struck by the observation of Pride, Hughes and Kapoor (2009), that the profit maximization goal is impossible to define, and therefore impossible to achieve, because there is never a satisfactory answer to the question, ‘How much profit is enough?’ Exactly, businessmen are depicted as greedy and heartless, loving money for money’s sake, and much like Charles Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge, the profit a business accumulates never appears to be enough. Such a goal is thus never attainable, and therefore the profit maximizing aim is a senseless one for business, as there is no maximum. After all, a goal that could not be defined could not be attained, and success becomes elusive and illusory. What I have learned about ethical decision making is that it is the core of ethical business, the thing that makes business a noble undertaking that seeks to provide for the needs of people. It has the humane goal of satisfying people, of bringing goods and services to match human wants and needs. Business creates value, and offers this value up for human consumption, and the resulting profit is but a just reward commensurate to the value that was created. Ethical decision making is what guides a businessman to do the right thing at the right time, and because of this his business becomes a tool to making peoples’ lives better. I believe that this is the social responsibility of

Thursday, October 17, 2019

THE ROLE OF LETTERS OF CREDIT IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES Essay

THE ROLE OF LETTERS OF CREDIT IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES - Essay Example Secondly, when there is the case of clear-cut fraud or forgery on the part of the buyer (Seyoum, 2009). Thus the letter of credit acts as some form of international collateral for international business transactions unless these two fundamental breeches occur (Craig, 1999 p360). In Wood Hall Ltd V Pipeline Authority [1979] 141 CLR 443 457 the landmark ruling by the Judge was â€Å"The Letter of Credit ... is as good as cash in the eyes of those whom it is issued and that is essentially its function† (Dixon, 2004 p392). This paper therefore examines the use of letters of credit in international business. It begins by critically assessing whether or not it is the cornerstone of international business around the globe. It goes further to examine the evolution of the concept and use of letters of credit in modern business. The assessment of alternatives to letters of credit follows. The paper ends by critically examining the advantages and disadvantages of letters of credits in in ternational business. Letters of Credit as the Lifeline in International Business In a landmark ruling, Lord Justice Kerr stated that Letters of credit are the â€Å"lifeblood to international commerce† (Harbottle (Mercantile) Ltd V National Westminster Bank Ltd [1978] QB 14 6 155). In this ruling, he emphasises the importance of the use of letters of credit in international business. This is reemphasised by Lord Justice Griffith two years later in the case of Power Garber International Ltd V National Bank of Kuwait SAK [1981] 2 Lloyd Rp. Once again, the Judge stated that letters of credit are important and need to be honoured and preserved to enhance international trade (Schmitthoff, 1988). Basically, the use of letters of credit is very important because it enables...In this ruling, he emphasises the importance of the use of letters of credit in international business. This is reemphasised by Lord Justice Griffith two years later in the case of Power Garber International Lt d V National Bank of Kuwait SAK [1981] 2 Lloyd Rp. Once again, the Judge stated that letters of credit are important and need to be honoured and preserved to enhance international trade (Schmitthoff, 1988). Basically, the use of letters of credit is very important because it enables businesses to move about freely in other nations and communities with a collateral that is as good as cash. This therefore presents a positive insight into business across borders and enhances positive business traits and builds partnerships across borders. Also, there have been attempts by the international community to unify the system for the use of letters of credit using the Uniform Customs & Practices for Documentary Credits in 175 states across the world (Schmitthoff, 1988 p573). These nations have Central Banks that monitor and control the issue and cashing of letters of credits. However, in spite of the assurances that letters of credit give, it has â€Å"a failure rate of 50%† (Schmitthoff, 1988). This therefore implies that one out of every two transactions based on letters of credits fail around the globe. This is a piece of alarming statistics that makes it wiser to consider the use of alternative methods of transacting business international or at least a high level of professional scepticism in the field of international payments for business owners.

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Response paper - Essay Example And so will I be. In the matrix, I am able to invoke self-awareness within me. I am able to separate my thoughts of the moment from who I actually am. These thoughts will enslave me in the real world. Not only my thoughts, but others’ thoughts will also enslave me. There is no red pill that will make me a hero that frees the humanity. I can only change myself. I can only free myself. And this is the harsh reality. I am myself in the Matrix. I get what I want. I can learn kung-fu like Neo. I can fly, stop a speeding bullet, and leap a mountain in one leap, in the Matrix. I do not want to keep finding for Oracles in the real world, who guide us which direction we should go. The Matrix means to me because it tells me that the constraints to my abilities and potential lies only in my mind, and not in reality; whereas, the real world is full of real constraints that are hard to combat. I am not forcing things to change for me in the Matrix, but am becoming self-aware of my inner se lf and talent without any limitations. Why would I like to go in the real world to face the same hardships again which Thomas Anderson faced? I cannot change the humanity and its problems. I can only change my own self and my own circumstances. There is no point going back to the real world after seeing how much powerful I was in the Matrix. I do not have control over the world and its people. I only have control on whatever is in my dominion. My hands contain my future only, and not of the whole world. Well, that may sound self-centeredness to the reader at first stance, but it is not selfishness, it is only the reality. My perception, or my decision, tells that I value my own world, which is in my command. I value myself, and will not give up the beauty of my life to indulge in something I cannot obtain. In short, I will refuse Neo that he can keep the pill to himself; rather, I would convince him to stay in the Matrix and be what he wants than going into the real

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Reflective Journal M02 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective Journal M02 - Essay Example Entrepreneurs and investors embark on business ventures because they wish to make money, and a business that does not make money on a regular basis deserves to be terminated. All the tools and techniques for decision making that are taught in the MBA or any other business management course will always have the profit maximizing criterion as a major consideration. At least, that is the common perception, and one that I had entertained prior to my studies about business ethics and corporate social responsibility. In my readings, I was struck by the observation of Pride, Hughes and Kapoor (2009), that the profit maximization goal is impossible to define, and therefore impossible to achieve, because there is never a satisfactory answer to the question, ‘How much profit is enough?’ Exactly, businessmen are depicted as greedy and heartless, loving money for money’s sake, and much like Charles Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge, the profit a business accumulates never appears to be enough. Such a goal is thus never attainable, and therefore the profit maximizing aim is a senseless one for business, as there is no maximum. After all, a goal that could not be defined could not be attained, and success becomes elusive and illusory. What I have learned about ethical decision making is that it is the core of ethical business, the thing that makes business a noble undertaking that seeks to provide for the needs of people. It has the humane goal of satisfying people, of bringing goods and services to match human wants and needs. Business creates value, and offers this value up for human consumption, and the resulting profit is but a just reward commensurate to the value that was created. Ethical decision making is what guides a businessman to do the right thing at the right time, and because of this his business becomes a tool to making peoples’ lives better. I believe that this is the social responsibility of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Response paper - Essay Example And so will I be. In the matrix, I am able to invoke self-awareness within me. I am able to separate my thoughts of the moment from who I actually am. These thoughts will enslave me in the real world. Not only my thoughts, but others’ thoughts will also enslave me. There is no red pill that will make me a hero that frees the humanity. I can only change myself. I can only free myself. And this is the harsh reality. I am myself in the Matrix. I get what I want. I can learn kung-fu like Neo. I can fly, stop a speeding bullet, and leap a mountain in one leap, in the Matrix. I do not want to keep finding for Oracles in the real world, who guide us which direction we should go. The Matrix means to me because it tells me that the constraints to my abilities and potential lies only in my mind, and not in reality; whereas, the real world is full of real constraints that are hard to combat. I am not forcing things to change for me in the Matrix, but am becoming self-aware of my inner se lf and talent without any limitations. Why would I like to go in the real world to face the same hardships again which Thomas Anderson faced? I cannot change the humanity and its problems. I can only change my own self and my own circumstances. There is no point going back to the real world after seeing how much powerful I was in the Matrix. I do not have control over the world and its people. I only have control on whatever is in my dominion. My hands contain my future only, and not of the whole world. Well, that may sound self-centeredness to the reader at first stance, but it is not selfishness, it is only the reality. My perception, or my decision, tells that I value my own world, which is in my command. I value myself, and will not give up the beauty of my life to indulge in something I cannot obtain. In short, I will refuse Neo that he can keep the pill to himself; rather, I would convince him to stay in the Matrix and be what he wants than going into the real

Performance - Dance Essay Example for Free

Performance Dance Essay Content: the performance we saw was a very simple setting with surprising contemporary dancing. It was a group of 6 dancers but 7 including the choreographer. Some very impressionable moments were when they would do the lifts and floor work all together I felt it was very strong and interesting. Interpretation\connection: three important things I feel the audience should know about the performance is that the piece was a very different modern type of dance, it was based on animal instinct, and there was no specific genre of dance used for the performance to be based on. The most impressionable moment or me was when the dancers were each lined up separately with their backs towards the audience in between the pillars on the back wall up stage, I like this moment because I thought the lighting and spacing really caught everyone in the audiences eye. I felt the modern aspect, the theme of animal instinct and there being no exact genre of dance made me more open to the performance as art because I didnt try to compare it to anything else I just watched it for what it was. For example at first I felt it was very weird but as it went it went on I grew to be more open to it. Elements of dance: shape- The use of shape in the performance was unlike anything I have ever seen, they used every shape humanly possible but still made it look effortless and keep the audience watching. Space- The performance was well spaced at many times they were perfectly spaced between the large lines on the floor which was very cool looking. Time- There was no specific time ever really used because they has music that had no set beat or time. Dynamic- they used a large amount of emotion for this performance it was unique and really brought the piece to life through there dancing. Overall impression: My impression of the performance is I thought it was a very unique and strong piece of dancing. I liked the use of shape and spacing I thought they were done very well, but I didnt like the music I didnt really think it was the best for the dancing and they could have chosen much better music since the dancing was so strong. Overall I thought it was a strong and well done performance.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Shifting Marketing Communications Model Marketing Essay

The Shifting Marketing Communications Model Marketing Essay Integrated marketing communication is a conceptual tool which aim for a marketing campaign, by a carefully coordinated apply to various communication disciplines. The combination of theses disciplines provide a clear, consistent and compelling message for the organisation and its product. Integration has always been an important successful attempt for the early organisation to bring a consistent message of all executable promotional tools during mid 20th century. The change in marketing communication landscape may result IMC become more and more difficult to achieve, owing to the various change in consumers, marketing strategies and communication technology. In this digital and wireless age, consumers are better informed and communicated ; The marketers realized the dramatic shifting from mass marketing to segmented marketing. The new program are developed for a closer customer relationship; New innovative technology gives more media channels that companies interact with the target audience. Meanwhile, customers are better in control of messages that they choose to send or receive. Over the past decades, the development of information technology has facilitated how people communicate. And the internet has played an important role in social media communication. Based on research, theres an increasing number of internet users. About 569million online users of 9.1% of the world population (2012). The number has increased to 2.27 billion by 2012, which is 33% of the world population. The expenditures rates over performance is under expectation compare to the past. Marketers are mostly challenged by the new digital media. They have to design a better strategy to build a marketing communicators with stronger effectiveness and higher efficiency. More narrowcasting is necessary to achieve the interactive IMC, which allows them keep track on their current and future customers for use of long- term interactive relationships. The internet environment joint the connection between consumer and the media. For instance, specialty magazines, cable television channels, video ga mes, e-mail and social internet. A study stated theres an increasing time spent (63%) on mobile websites and mobile devices compare to 2011. In addition, 43 % of people get access to the social media by smartphones, 16% of people interact using tablet. Among all the promotional profile from traditional advertising, mass media, direct marketing, internet marketing, social media to mobile marketing. thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an increasing marketing trend towards à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“more electronic and digitalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Traditional media possibilities for billabong: Television, explores the brand image through vision, sound and motion. It has a wide coverage over mass-marketing. Television commercial is relatively low cost per exposure but high in absolute cost. It also limits audience selectivity. Billabong is a worldwide brand and it keep expanding the business into other country. Television commercial will be an efficient and effective strategy of market penetration where a company has low client base but strong financial base. Newspapers and magazines are practically flexible; timeliness; good local market coverage; brand credibility; costless. While it is limited by its short life; poor reproduction quality. Its still concern as an effective media for Billabong, as the company keep innovating new products to the market. Posted on a printed media is a cheaper way to deliver their product information to the customer regularly. Outdoor medium such as billboard and poster are advanced in its flexibility; repeatable exposure will help billabong to deliver a strong brand image; wide range of positional selectivity. But it also limited the creativity. Emergent media possibilities for billabong. emergent media is refers to Email, podcasts , digital audio/ media player, mobile communication device (e.g., smart phone) ,instant messaging, interactive web pages , and blogs. By research, the brand Billabong has its majority target audience aged from 12 to 35 years old. And it is a fact that this aging groups are spending more of their leisure time on internet surfing over interacting with traditional media. Hence theres more opportunities that the new media transmit the company image to its potential consumer. At the same time, company has more channels to collect their customer information or feedback instead of only relying on Public Relations Agency. A large company with several brands like Billabong could position itself after analyzing the data. And generate a more suitable promotional strategy to beat the competitors. Billabongs Facebook page was set up with assistance of maintaining a closer relationship with their royalty customer. Billabong get their free advertising spread through the social media at each time their post get linked. Youtube is a possible platform for Billabong to post their video or insert it as an ad to other video. The strate gy is costless and have a efficient spread. Statistics is calculated by Youtube for each individual video for further analysis. Billabongs website is also a profitable platform for advertising, it helps to engage with their email subscribers, so as to build a profitable relationship. Which has proven by a sales of $1.67 billion profit from its website in 2008-2009. Marketers need to ensure the advertising is highly relevant and targeted to their consumer. As people has different attitudes toward social ads. Recent surveyed found 33% people get annoyed when seeing ad on social media if there is no relevant to them, may concern as a waste of time. While 26% of people will have a positive attitude to see the ads posted by friends. Generally, a positive attitude(26%) will follow by an action of share at 15% and product purchasing at 14%. In consequence, advertising is generally aiming for inform, persuade and remind. Both traditional media and emergent media have possibilities for Billabongs advertising. The proper mix using of media would have a higher opportunities in success compare to single focused media. Markers still need to re-examine the media mix regularly as it appears to be shifting. For instance, mass-media costs are rising, audiences are shrinking due to the new electronic media appear. The best solution for them is to supplement the broadcasting traditional media with narrowcasting emergent media. In this case, Billabong will not only introduce their company world-wide, but also engage consumers more fully. Image corporation is important to a companys branding and identity. To achieve the brand uniqueness, company need to be carefully treat on its visual image, product consistency in market place and its identity in social media. Importance of visual image After the completely acquisition of Swedish brand Volvo by Chinese unknown brand Geely (2010). Volvo still keep the production line in Sweden and its original brand logo to maintain the image of Swedish made. They concern the brand image as core value of its company. Maintaining the image also hold the companys labor relations in this scenario. Coca- cola works hard to keep its corporate identity consistent. Its not only about keeping red logo and bottle form but also controlling its product quality at a consistent level. This works in many mind that the drink is from coca-cola not an individual brand product even it is labeling in a foreign language. In April 2009, Telstra launched a 3Rs social-media policy, in regard to Responsibility, Respect and Representation. Telstras employees are encouraged to use the social media as a part of work. They are also required to represent themselves as Telstra employees when introducing new service or products on their personal blog site. The strategy helps the company to achieve direct interaction with its current or future clients. Telstra is building up a brand image that they are well communicated to support the brand profile of leading global communication company.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Graduate School Versus Work: A Post College Decision in America Essay

Education stimulates and develops human thoughts and wisdom. In many developed countries, people are responsible to receive fundamental education to secondary school by law. Students attending university after high school became a social trend in North America for decades. Universities develop and train student with advance professional skills and knowledge. Graduate school and work are ultimate options university graduated students consider after achieving their bachelor diploma. Although comparable high expectations are anticipated from work and graduate study, graduate school is a more advantage option for university students after graduation. At work and in graduate schools, university graduates are expected with high standard thinking and skill qualities. Critical reasoning is the main study component at the university level. University students scrutinize rudiment theories strategically, and correlate concepts together making extensive understanding of the studied subject. Practice in researches, experiments, and case studies formulate students’ independence to learn and anal...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Similar Plot of Muder Mysteries :: Papers

Similar Plot of Muder Mysteries The structures of the two stories are very different, with The Speckled Band story unfolding in chronological order, finding out the murderer right at the end, however in the Lamb to the Slaughter, the murderer is known at the beginning of the story. The two stories are seen from two different points of view, first-person narratorinTheSpeckled Band as Dr Watson acharacter within the story and therefore limited in understanding and the all-knowingthird-person narratoror omniscient in Lamb to the Slaughter as the narrator stands outside the story itself and guide the reader's understanding of characters and the significance of their story. Most murder mysteries have the typical victims, murderers, and detectives, this is especially true in the older murder mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Speckled Band has a typical detective, the famous detective being Sherlock Holmes with his deer stalker hat and pipe always deep in thought about the investigation "his arms folded, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and his chin sunk upon his breast, buried in the deepest thought". But in the Lamb to the Slaughter the detectives are so foolish and naives, a complete contrast to Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes comes across as a typical fictional detective. In addition Miss Stoner, in The Speckled Band is a typical victim, vulnerable, anxious, weak and scared. She say's " It is not cold which makes me shiver", she was worried for her life. This line grips the reader and we can sense that something sinister is about to happen. Also in The Speckled Band, Dr Roylott, is the evil, plotting, devious, fictional murderer, this character was portrayed in most murder mysteries stories written in the late 19 century. The Speckled Band was written in 1892. In the Lamb to the Slaughter we had no idea who the murderer and victim were going to be until the murder had been committed, in fact you might of thought the roles would have been reversed once reading the first few pages. The detectives in the story are portrayed as

Friday, October 11, 2019

Landmine Research Paper

Abstract My research topic was landmines. At first I thought that the topic was too broad but came to find that there is so much about the topic that can be discovered. This brought on so many possible research questions. A few were: are they the most dangerous, should they be banned, how long have they been used etc. However, I found that researching the dangers of landmines would be the most appropriate topic for me. My method was to search through the databases and find information that could help formulate a thesis; once that was created I continued my research to help me discover topics for body paragraphs.My research brought me to a lot of conclusions and made me realize that landmines are in fact the most dangerous weapon that can be used it war. A Geographer Explores a Path of Destruction â€Å"Since 1975, landmines have killed or maimed more than 1-million people [across the world]† (Bonsor, 2001). Landmines are becoming increasingly more dangerous as they are constan tly being used in wars. At the time, they seem like the best choice of weaponry but in reality, there are so many more efficient and safer choices that can be made.As I am human geographer, I am concerned with the study of people and places. Therefore, studying how landmines affect the people and their country is a huge part of what I do. It is said that the earliest forms of landmines were used over 2,500 years ago but that Americans were the first to use operational landmines in the war against the Indians in Florida in 1840 (Croll, 1998). Landmines have been used for so long and are becoming more and more dangerous. They used to be manually operated but quickly were developed to blow up when a certain amount of pressure was put on them.However, it was not until 1918 that landmines started being used on a large scale level; this began because assault tanks were now used in wars as well (Croll, 1998). If it were not for landmines, a lot of damage to citizens, animals, and resources would not occur. There are also two categories of landmines; Anti-personnel (AP) mines and Anti-Tank (AT) mines. AT mines are usually larger and contain more explosive materials. These mines are used to disable tanks, trucks, and the people in the surrounding area. They also require more pressure on the rigger plate for it to explode (Bonsor, 2001). However, no matter what type of mine it is, they can all do equal damage on a human being. The damage can be life threatening or even deadly. Mines cannot detect when the war is over or who is stepping on them; they are so dangerous to everyone around them. Sadly, some countries are a lot more affected by landmines than others (Croll, 1998). There are 26 countries in Africa, 9 countries in America, 17 countries in Asia, 25 countries in Europe, and 16 countries in the Middle East all being seriously affected by landmines.These are said to be the countries most affect by this deadly weapon of defense. Landmines are the most dangerous weap on to use in war because they are so deadly, they exists after the war ends, people forget where they placed them, they are cheap to make yet effective, and they kill civilians as well as the enemy. â€Å"Currently, there are more than 100-million landmines located in 70 countries around the world† (Bonsor, 2001). This number is outrageous seeing as many of these countries no longer have war raging through their country. Almost every war uses landmines because they are effective. The purpose of mines when used by armed forces is to disable any person or vehicle that comes into contact with it by an explosion or fragments released at high speeds† (Bonsor, 2001). We know that they are effective and that is why we use them. Nonetheless, we know that they are deadly and can kill in a matter of seconds. If you look at the map on page 8, you can see the large number of casualties throughout the world in 2008. The areas that are blue have high casualty rates; there is too much blue on that map for anyone to accept the horrors that landmines bring to war.Hopefully, one day, we will see white on every country proving that mines are no longer killing people across the world. Another scary thought is that in many instances, the mines do not kill the victim. Loss of arms and legs are very common in these injuries. These injuries do not only physically damage you but according to Shah, 2009, they leave a mental scar on the victim as well. Many people never recover from these traumatic injuries. It is difficult to imagine ever dealing with what these citizens must go through on a daily basis.How many people can actually say they would not fear leaving their own homes after such a terrible experience? Even when the war is over, the mines are not removed. They sit in the ground for years and years to come until some unfortunate soul is unlucky enough to be the one to detonate it. â€Å"Anti-personnel landmines continue to have tragic, unintended consequences yea rs after a battle and even the entire war has ended† (Bonsor, 2001). The process it would take to remove these landmines is a lot more intricate than it is to install them in the first place.You would have to disable it from above ground or detonate it and that would become very difficult and dangerous for the workers. Doing this is not worth it for them, especially if they are not fighting on their own soil. Fighting for your own country is a lot more inconvenient. You may know that land a lot better which gives you an advantage, like in the Vietnam War. Yet, we also have to think about how they are depleting their own resources, destroying their land, and harming their own people.They have to deal with more tragedy once the war is over. We would reason that they would want to avoid using landmines on their own land, but it has yet to stop any country in any war. Landmines are also making globalization a lot harder because it is causing boundaries between countries; that†™s what war does. Having landmines deepens the hate between countries because they cause so much pain. It is hard to trust a country that wants to help you become a core country when they have already destroyed so much of what you love. Thermal infrared (IR) technique has been applied to the detection of shallowly buried landmines for more than a decade and has been found to be promising for non-metallic mines. Its aim is to detect and distinguish landmines from other buried objects (false alarms) using diurnal IR measurements of the air-soil interface† (Thanh, 2011). Although this is very convenient, it does not always work. Many landmines are in fact metallic so if it can only detect non-metallic mines, then it is missing a large amount of deadly weapons. The technique is an amazing start but it is not enough to say that the use of landmines should be allowed.Until a machine is invented that can detect any landmine, none should be used. However, if something like this is i nvented, it defeats the purpose of the mines all together. Either way, with advancements in this day and age, it will not be long before something this magnificent is created and the use of mines is unnecessary; therefore saving hundreds of lives every year. The more they use landmines, the more innocent lives are going to be taken once the conflict has been concluded. Not only do the landmines remain in the ground years after conflict has ended, but often soldiers forget where they have been placed. As time passes, the location of landmines is often forgotten, even by those who planted them† (Bonsor, 2001). This makes these mines even more dangerous. We know that they can kill someone in an instant, but knowing that we do not even know there location is terrifying. Anyone could visit a foreign country and potentially be affected by these killing machines. There is nothing we can even do at this point, especially when it is not on our on soil. When one country invades another, it makes sense that they forget about the location, but when it is your own country, the circumstances are completely different.They are now killing their own people and that is wrong on every possible level. â€Å"Furthermore, in the midst of a conflict or in preparation, records are rarely kept on exact locations for any or all landmines† (Shah, 2009). Therefore, they either do not have a record at all or completely forget about them. These conditions are daunting to imagine. We would hope that if war ever struck in the United States that we would be willing to remove the mines or detonate them before we forgot exactly where we put them. It is scary to think of the possibility of death in your own country post-war due to the effects of war.Since the death toll of landmines is so high we know that they are effective, however many people do not know that they are cheap to make as well. â€Å"Landmines are easy-to-make, cheap and effective weapons that can be deployed easily over large areas to prevent enemy movements† (Bonsor, 2001). The fact that they are cheap makes it a lot easier and more convenient to use them in wars. We could predict that if they were not so cheap then less countries would want to use them as a weapon. However, at this point in time, it seems that the only thing that could possibly stop the use of landmines is a law.It would be great if everyone just stopped using them because the causality rate is so high but they are more worried about killing soldiers and do not worry about what is going to happen to the civilians decades later. The more wars they are used in, the easier and cheaper it gets to produce them (Thanh, 2011). This should be reason enough to stop all use of the mines. This needs to end before it is too late. Too many people are getting maimed by these mines. It is clear that they are beneficial during the war but the affects after the war are far from worth a potential victory.It is not fair to the rest of t he world to use these when we are the ones getting caught in the crossfire. Once the war had ended, the only people left to be effected by the landmines are the citizens. â€Å"Horrific stories and pictures from all around the world often showed that civilians were the main landmine casualties in large numbers — and continued to be so years after the warring factions have left the battlefield† (Shah, 2009). This is alarming to hear. They did nothing to deserve this terrible fate therefore they should not be the ones whose lives are destroyed because of them.One of the worst parts of the situation is that the ones affected are often children. You may see the physical damages on the outside, but there are so many mental scars on the inside. â€Å"Education rates among child survivors are lower than average while school drop-outs are more frequent, diminishing employment prospects later on† (Shah, 2009). It is not fair that children have to suffer so much for a war they may not have even been alive to experience. Even if they had been alive it is unlikely that they had been a part of the war; they were most likely just a citizen in a village or town nearby.There futures are ruined due to factors that are not their fault; it is a miserable start to a child’s life leading to an even more miserable ending. They do not deserve to live under these horrible conditions. We should be able to do more to help, but at this point, there is nothing we can do but hope that innocent people stop getting injured. Landmines are becoming more dangerous as the number of casualties increase. Many civilians may have to resort to voluntary migration to avoid the dangers that the area may bring.Something needs to be done to stop these terrifying mines from being used during war. The five themes of geography can be applied because the layout and production of landmines relates to it. The first theme is location. Landmines are everywhere. In the map on page 8, we can see just how common they really are and just how many people are affected by them. They were not put into the Earth so that people would never set them off, they were meant to destroy. The second theme is human-environment interaction; the relationship between human and the physical world.The mines could be around any corner of the world and these causes a relationship of fear for the people living with these dangers. The third theme is region. This relates to landmines because more often than not, landmines are placed in regions that soldiers would be crossing. They are strategically placed by the enemy. â€Å"[We as geographers] use fieldwork, quantitative, and qualitative methods to develop insightful descriptions of different regions of the world† (Fouberg, 2009). The fourth theme is place. Each landmine has a unique location depending on who planted it and who their target is.Each landmine has its own distinctive mission. Finally, the fifth theme is movement. Civi lians must relocate during and after war to avoid the tragedies brought on by landmines and even other war effects. This is not fair to them but it is something that should be done to ensure their safety and the safety of their families. My conclusions is that landmines are the most dangerous weapon to use in war because they are so deadly, they exists after the war ends, people forget where they placed them, they are cheap to make yet effective, and they kill civilians.All these reasons are enough to show that landmines should not be used in wars. â€Å"These landmines are perhaps amongst the most awful weapons on the battlefield today, they are inanimate victim-activated explosive devices recognizing neither friend nor foe, making no distinctions between soldiers or civilians they continue maiming and killing long after war is over†(Shaun, 2011). None of the achievements seem worth all the pain and suffering. It may seem that they are helping in war efforts but in the long run, they are doing more damage than good. These mines continue to be functional for many decades, causing further damage, injury and death† (Bonsor, 2001). It is unfathomable to understand the fear that goes through the minds of civilians in many countries when they walk out the door. Could I fall victim to a landmine today? Do they have any idea what is coming? They may even think that nothing will happen to them or that all the mines have been detonated. Little do they know, there are still hundreds, maybe even thousands still lurking in the soil of a place they call home. http://www. he-monitor. org/index. php/publications/display? url=lm/2009/maps/casualties. html This is a map of the world that shows the number of casualties, in 2008, that mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) have caused. Works Cited Bonsor, Kevin. (19 June 2001). How Landmines Work. How Stuff Works. Retrieved from http://science. howstuffworks. com/landmine7. htm Croll, Mike. (November 1998). Histo ry of Landmines. Pen and Sword Books. Retrieved from http://members. iinet. net. au/~pictim/mines/history/history. html Fouberg, Erin H. (2009).Human Geography: People, Place, and Culture. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Shah, Anup. (27 November 2009). Landmines. Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www. globalissues. org/article/79/landmines Shaun, Allan. (2011). Call of Duty – Modern Warfare: The Effects of Landmines and IEDs on British Troops in Afghanistan. Baltic Security and Defense Review, Vol. 13, 6-20. Thanh, Nguyen Trung. (April 2011). Detection and characterization of buried landmines using infrared thermography. Inverse Problems in Science & Engineering, Vol. 19, 281-301.