Mohandes Ghandi essays

Mohandes Ghandi essays Gandis legend began in 1888, when he traveled to England. There were several important influences that he encountered here: the Western material style of life, which he decided not to follow, and in the simple Russian way of living he found. It was here that he developed a sense of the presence of God in his life and the lives of men. Gandhi then returned to India and studied law in Bombay, but he quickly denounced it, feeling that it was immoral and could not satisfy one's conscience. Despite this, he used his schooling to help plead for Indian settlers in South Africa that were being oppressed by the white population. His personal experiences, including being ejected from a train, of not being allowed the same rights as others lead him to begin a movement to help his people. While in South Africa, Gandhi made himself poor so that he could identify with his the peasants. He then proceeded to start a colony that consisted of abused laborers. The colony became very large and many cities were crippled by the lack of laborers. The government reacted to this by jailing Gandhi several times along with many other of his followers. The war he fought was one without weapons, already Gandhi was on his way to starting his career of non-violent campaigns. The main idea behind Gandhi's teachings was non-violence. He believed that the killing of man or beast is an unforgivable sin. Many who promoted these teachings of Gandhi simply believed that it was their only option for resisting imperialism rather than having a moral conviction towards his teachings. He taught that the weapon that could be used was the conscience of the aggressor. In addition, he taught that one should act rather be held under subservience. Also, Gandhi strongly believed in upholding the caste system, believing that a person of one caste should stay a part of that caste. He also upheld the old Hindu tradition of se ...

Why Everyone Should Read Neil deGrasse Tyson’s New Book

Why Everyone Should Read Neil deGrasse Tyson’s New Book Science is intimidating. Despite the fact that we live our lives constantly interacting with and relying on technology and the science that forms the foundation of our modern lives, the vast majority of people regard science as a discipline and general body of knowledge that is beyond their ability to understand, control, or use. Not everyone was born to be a scientist, of course, and we all have areas that interest us more (or less) and in which we demonstrate more (or less) aptitude. That makes it easy to imagine that science is both unnecessary for our daily lives as well as impenetrable - after all, a subject like astrophysics doesnt seem like something youre going to need for the Monday morning scrum meeting, and it also seems like an unimaginably vast subject that relies on math far more than most people are prepared for. And those things are both true - if you are discussing necessity and mastery. But theres a middle ground between being, say, Neil deGrasse Tyson and simply being curious about the universe we exist in. The fact is, a book like Astrophysics for People in a Hurry offers more than dry, stiff scientific knowledge - and there are plenty of reasons everyone should read it. Perspective There’s a reason that the stars have fascinated us for pretty much the entirety of human existence. No matter what your philosophy, religion, or political slant, the stars and planets in the night sky represent obvious proof that we are just a small part of a much, much larger whole - and that means the possibilities are endless. Is there life out there? Other habitable planets? Will it all end in a â€Å"Big Crunch† or Heat Death or will it go on forever? You may not realize it, but every time you look up at the night sky - or check your horoscope  - these questions flash through some level of your consciousness. That can be disturbing, because those questions are huge, and we don’t have a lot of answers for them. What Tyson aims to accomplish with this short book is to give you an anchor of knowledge to demystify the universe a little. That kind of perspective is crucial, because those huge, universal-scale questions also inform and affect our small-scale interactions and decisions here on Earth. The more you know about how the universe works, the less susceptible to fake news, fake science, and scaremongering you’ll be. Knowledge, after all, is power. Entertainment That being said, Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the most accomplished and charming writers and speakers in our modern world. If you’ve ever seen him interviewed or read any of his articles, you know that the man knows how to write. He manages to make these complicated scientific concepts not only seem comprehensible, but downright entertaining. He’s just that guy you enjoy listening to, and his writing style often evokes the chummy sense that you’re sitting down and having drinks with him as he talks about his day at work. The writing in Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is peppered with anecdotes about famous scientists, interesting little asides about a whole range of things, and plain old jokes. It’s one of those books that will fuel your cocktail party chatter for months to come as you dole out some of the fascinating facts you glean from its pages. Format If you’re still feeling intimidated by the word astrophysics, relax. The chapters in this book were originally separate essays and articles Tyson has published over the years, which means the book comes at you in bite-size, easily digestible chunks - and there’s no test at the end. This is the sort of science book you can read in easygoing bits and pieces, because Tyson’s goal isn’t to turn you into a scientist overnight. His goal is to leave you familiar with the fundamentals. The chapters aren’t overly long, and there’s no math. Let’s repeat that: There is no math. There’s also no jargon or scary scientist lingo - Tyson knows who his intended audience is, and he writes in a chatty, open style. Jargon is designed to close off a conversation to only people in the know, and Tyson avoids it like the plague, opting instead for a vocabulary that everyone, no matter their personal scientific background, will be comfortable with. The end result? No, you won’t be a Ph.D. in astrophysics when you finish the book, but you will have a clear understanding of the forces that control our universe. Knowledge is power, and this is some of the most important knowledge you can learn. Bottom line: This is a fun, fascinating, and informative book that requires no prep work to read, and might just leave you smarter than when you came in. There’s no reason not to read it.

Classical Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Classical Liberalism - Essay Example Locke attempted to protect some areas of personal life from governmental action. People should not be deprived of their property rights by the state. The acceptance of the government authority over people is to ensure that the latter protects their property and liberty. In ancient times, people enjoyed full-fledged freedom and liberty; and the state should endeavor to provide these rights (Stein 21). The Lockean perception states that the fundamental duty of the state is to protect private property. However, this theory has been discounted because the state has extended protection to only property that it creates and to the extent to which it deems to be sufficient. The state is the bestower as well as the depriver of property. Consequently, the restrictions imposed by the state on land use become an intrinsic part of the land (Epstein 129). A state that controls private property is akin to a dictatorship. Moreover, a state that strictly protects the right to private property, cannot address crises effectively. For instance, during times of war, natural disasters and economic depressions the state is empowered to control private property. However, classical liberalism requires the state to operate under certain limitations, while seizing private property. Therefore, a classical liberal society cannot survive in a real time environment and it cannot build gigantic projects like the Tennessee Valley Authority. Such classical liberal societies cannot deal with the Texas farmers in drought situations. There will be no technological advancement in a classical liberal society. It cannot launch expedition to outer space, and there would be no scientific experiments (Rockwell). The sole ruler of a society is its legislation, therefore, it is irrelevant as to who wins in the elections or who emerges as the president. Communities develop by themselves, and the future of the people is determined by their actions.

Sikh Gurus, Sacred Scripture, Sacred Institutions Research Paper

Sikh Gurus, Sacred Scripture, Sacred Institutions - Research Paper Example All Sikhs are deeply connected to the Guru Granth, and it is considered to be the Guru, and thus to be the immediate revelation and manifestation of God (Mann 41). How scripture became the Guru and how each Guru participated in scripture, and the institutions that resulted from this process, is a very interesting story. The way God spoke to the Sikhs was through their Gurus. The Gurus wrote songs and recitations of devotion and supplication, in poetic form, and these were passed on to subsequent Gurus of the lineage. The Guru Granth is comprised of the collection of poetry and songs, dating all the way back to the respected Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhs (Mann). The scripture is an active part of daily living, for the Sikhs, and is the center for rites of passage in Sikh family celebrations (Mann 42) Guru Nanak taught an emancipator path of liberation from the cycle of rebirth, based upon the humble and joyous adoration of God. God was macrocosm and microcosm, and could not be fully known nor manipulated, but might freely bestow his grace. Guru Nanak, glimpsing the transcendent, sang poetry to God: I would still not be able to measure your greatness, nor signify the glory of your name. Another example is: To you belong my breath, to you my flesh. You the True One are my Beloved (Singh 34). Guru Nanak’s 500 devotional songs (Mann 44) address the problem of Indian society’s brokenness and fragmentation into the many pieces of caste, class, religion, language, social structure and cultural paradigms (Muthumohan 8). In the 1500’s, the Punjab was ruled by Muslims, using the Q’uran, and society also under the influence of Brahman priests who excluded women and all lower castes from much of the religious worship experience, and who kept an oral tradition of scripture, so that accessibility was controlled (Mann 43). The Jains responded to India’s fragmentation by honoring multiplicity. Vedanta reduced everything into OM, outs ide of which everything else is illusion. Buddhism constructed relationality. Sikh musical devotion mediates between the dilemma of one and many through â€Å"musical cementing and construction of consent† (Muthumohan 8). Music is a fluid signifier, to Guru Nanak’s way of thinking, and very unlike the rigid deity signifiers of other religious approaches, which created division, not unity (Muthumohan 8). Guru Nanak’s God is nameless, formless and eternal, cannot be precisely known, so this God does not divide into inflexible social and philosophical segments, but unites what is broken. The universality of God was reflected in the teachings and practice of caste and gender equality (Grewel 15). This view of equality is reflected now in the way every Sikh, irrespective of caste, class, gender, age, or status is equally welcome to handle the Guru Granth, to read it and listen to it and sing it and respond to it (Mann 44). There is no priest in charge but each person can access the scripture, and therefore God, directly. This view of equality is reflected in Guru Nanak’s institution of congregational worship. He sat with his followers, who were not distinguished from each other in practice, and sang praises to God together, at the same time, in the same place, with the same status, all having in common their loyalty to the Guru. This became known as â€Å"

Manpower Issues Essay Example for Free

Manpower Issues Essay The fast food industry is a labor driven sector. It has an extensive requirement of manpower to serve the increasing flow of consumer traffic at the outlets. Skilled labor with fast pace of work is the basic requirement for this job. It is mostly youngsters who are eligible for this job but it can be stressful and at times hazardous. This industry requirement for long hours of duty, on the toe at all times and attentive to the needs of the customer is quite an uphill task. There is no doubt that the emergence and growth of this industry sector has solved the unemployment problem to a great extent. Many youngsters have found a living in this industry but the pay packages earlier were not very attractive. The pay scales have no doubt improved now but the work conditions remain almost the same. The Back Yard Burgers currently employ over 10,000 people throughout their chain of restaurants. Each restaurant employs around 25 employees, of which some are part timers. A company-operated restaurant has a unit supervisor and two co-unit supervisors. Each unit supervisor reports to the district manager. A district manager has about five to eight restaurants in their supervision. Their role constitutes of keeping tabs on all aspects of operations and management of the restaurants in their jurisdiction. Each of these district managers’ report to the Director of Operations. The company endorses strict training and personnel development strategy. All personnel have to go through a personnel-training program on fast friendly and efficient customer service, restaurant cleanliness, and proper management of day-to-day operations. The employees have to go through classroom sessions that brief them about aspects of food safety, sanitation, laws, and regulations related to the food industry and operational aspects of restaurant. The company envisages labor to be a critical factor in the coming years since the opportunities have increased manifolds. The demand for skilled labor is rising and this will lead to higher wages and compensation packages. Managing and retaining quality workforce in this industry will be a little difficult task and the key to effective manpower management is to keep the employees happy and satisfied with their jobs.

Malcolm X :: essays research papers fc

The year was 1925, and someone special was born. His birth name was Malcolm Little, however there were big things in store for this child. Born in Omaha, Nebraska. The seventh of eleven children born to Earl Little, an organizer for Marcus Garvey’s "back-to-Africa" movement (Compton’s encyclopedia online). At age six Malcolm’s father was murdered. As a result his mother later suffered a nervous breakdown, and the family was separated by welfare agencies (Compton’s encyclopedia online). Later in life he would blame these same agencies for destroying his family. He was bounced around from boardinghouses and schools, and dreamed of becoming a lawyer only to be discouraged by his teachers. After leaving school, in the eighth grade, he lived with a relative in Boston, Mass. He shined shoes, worked in a restaurant and on a railroad kitchen crew. In 1942 he moved to a section in New York called Harlem. Where he lived as a hustler, cheating people to mak e money for himself. He also sold drugs and became a drug addict himself. A rival drug dealer named "West Indian Archie" ran him out of New York. And he ended up back in Boston. Where he started a burglary ring, which consisted of friend named Shorty, a pretty boy type of fellow named Rudy, a woman that Malcolm dealt with named Sophia and one of her friends (Alex Haley 168). He soon found out that crime does not pay, when he soon got arrested and stolen items were found in his possession. The Negroes of that group was sentenced to eight years, while the whites of the group were sentenced to only two. This put an image in Malcolm’s head on how the justice system was ran. While in prison. Malcolm was well known to the guards. One time he was asked to state his number, but instead he said he forgot his number. The guards beat him and sent him to the "darkroom". In the darkroom he met Brother Bains. Bains was a man everyone respected including guards. He was k nown as a real man and gave speeches about Islam. Malcolm did not listen at first; however it didn’t take him long to listen to the words of black empowerment, spoken by brother Bains. The black Muslims prediction that in the near future a great war would take place in which whites would be destroyed and black people would rule the world through the power of Allah, their creator.

Marketing and Aesop Essay

 Introduction Aesop is an Australian based super premium cosmetic company that has significant presence in Asia-Pacific, Australia and North America with the capability of generating A$49 million revenue in 2012. Aesop has an active track record in expanding into new markets and is planning to introduce its products into Italy. Being the seventh largest economy in the world, Italy is widely popular for its huge and sophisticated consumer market that provides significant potential opportunities for Aesop to succeed. Moreover, Italy has an established cosmetic market that is approximately 9 billion Euros in size and has potential for growth in a few product sectors. The report aims to incorporate marketing theory with in-depth research that makes up a strategic marketing plan to provide relevant and sufficient information about doing business in Italy. A situational analysis is first  performed in order to investigate the company’s performance, the macro environment, industry environment and customers base in Italy. Pertinent marketing frameworks such as PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, customer analysis and market segmentation are used in the investigation of the macro environment, industry environment and customer base. Based on the vast amount of information collected from the situation analysis, various strategies were identified and formulated by using marketing framework such as SWOT and VRIO analysis, possibility statements, Ansoff Matrix, product life cycle concept (PLC), Porter’s generic competitive strategies and SMART marketing objectives. After selecting the strategies that Aesop are well-positioned to deploy, its market entry mode and marketing mix strategies for Italy are further developed and elaborated with the support of previous established strategies and findings. The appropriate marketing theories or frameworks used throughout this marketing plan will be described and their objective, strengths and weaknesses, if applicable, will also be discussed in their respective sections prior implementation.  Situation Analysis The foundation of a good marketing plan should have a focus on the four elements of the overall environment that might influence the success of the outcome, which is widely referred as the 4Cs and also widely known as the situation analysis (Walker 2009). The 4Cs represent company, context, competitors, customers and collaborators. An analysis on the company is first conducted and the findings will form the strengths and weaknesses of the SWOT analysis performed in the next stage. Company analysis Aesop David Paphitis established Aesop in 1987 in Melbourne, Australia. Aesop operates in the manufacturing, retailing and marketing of premium beauty and skin care segment (Euromonitor 2013). Earlier this year,  Aesop was acquired by Natura, a publicly listed Brazil cosmetic company, and retained only 35% of its stakes. Corporate mission Aesop’s mission is to provide customers with superlative skin, hair and body products with integrity, simplicity, authenticity, attention to detail and the best ingredients (Cosmetics International 2011, About Aesop 2013). Corporate vision Aesop philosophy is to focus on a holistic perspective on beauty that combines skincare with an emphasis on exercise and diet (Euromonitor 2013, Manan 2004). Product Line Aesop product portfolio consists of skincare, body care, hair care and other kits and domestic items (Motta 2013). Regional structure and operations Aesop operates more than 50 signature stores globally while owning 355 wholesales stores in more than 10 countries. It is found that Aesop’s signature and department stores provides most of the revenue for Aesop. Separately, they contributed 48% and 40% of the total revenue respectively (Motta 2013). Aesop’s global head office is in Melbourne, Australia. Aesop also positioned regional hubs in Americas, Europe and APAC-excluding Australia (Motta 2013). 3.1.6. Brand Image in the Market Aesop creates its luxury and exclusive experience for consumers based on word-of-mouth and its one-of-a-kind design only. This is contrary to most brands that rely on media and agencies for advertising and promotion (Turner 2011). Aesop uses design as a channel to communicate its core values and its customers, who demand high quality products from Aesop (Turner 2011). Aesop has undoubtedly successfully created a cult by utlitising its unique brand images created by minimalist retail stores and product design (Euromonitor 2013). Alternatively, Aesop also gains popularity through sponsorships of cultural and fashion events (Euromonitor 2013). Research and Development (R&D) Aesop situates its own R&D team in laboratory in Melbourne in the heart of its corporate headquarters (Motta 2013). The team is responsible for all the quality assurance, innovation, research and prototyping of all its products. Aesop spends a significantly higher proportion of its costs on R&D than its competitors (Burns 2002). Market share Aesop’s market share in the domestic Australian cosmetic industry is 0.1% (Lev 2013), whereas its market share in the super premium skin care within Australia is 11% (see Appendix 1). Profit Margin Aesop’s forecasted profit margin for 2013 would dip due to higher than historical depreciation and operation costs (see Appendix 2). Nevertheless, the operation costs will see of a smaller percentage of the net sales attributable to the support of strong sales. Aesop is on course to post a higher margin in the future. Management and Leadership The founder and creative director of Aesop is David Paphitis. He possesses significant experience in the beauty, skincare and hair products industry. His philosophy of nature and health is deeply entwined within Aesop’s operations. His refusal to sell Aesop to private funds is an act of never compromising quality for profit (Safe 2008). It is to avoid compromising his ideology and beliefs over Aesop’s operations and products. Context Analysis Business environment can greatly affect the business directly and indirectly.  PESTEL framework is used to identify the influences of political, economical, social, technological, environmental, and legal on the organizations. Analyzing these factors in term of current and possible future situations can imply the proper ways for the organizations in order to invest or survive in the particular business environment (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008). The PESTEL factors along with its associated trends and explanations are provided below: †¢ Italian male consumers have very strong image-consciousness †¢ Many Italian men buy skin care and anti-ageing products. †¢ Some â‚ ¬250 million spent per year on beauty products and 21% of Italian men use skin products (Euromonitor 2012) Increasing shopping places for goods Increasing commerce eluxurious †¢ Most of luxurious outlets are located around Italy’s key fashion destinations of Florence, Milan and Rome (Euromonitor 2011) †¢ The retail value of internet retailing in 2011 was â‚ ¬3.1 billion, an increase of 142% compared to 2006 Competitors and Industry Analysis Porter’s five forces analysis provides insight on the degree of competitive in firm specific industry. There are five factors that affect the level of competitiveness and they show how the industry affects its players (Baines et al. 2008). Companies can use Porter five forces analysis to examine their competitors. Therefore, they will understand the opportunities and threats existing in the industry when they enter new countries and devise strategies to exploit the opportunities and minimize the threats (Peng 2014). 1.Intensity of rivalry: High This examines the number of cosmetics brands in Italy. If there are many firms in this country, the probability that Aesop can make a profit will diminish. According to Euromonitor (2012), there are a few leading cosmetics companies in Italy such as L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Beiersdorf AG and Shiseido. This shows that the degree of intensity of cosmetics industry in Italy is high. 2. Risk of entry: High Potential competitors will enter market which is attracted them but they can be obstructed by entry barriers such as brand loyalty, economies of scales and increasing in distribution. According to Reportlink (2013), an increasing in sale of global skincare market will reach to 21 percent from 2010 to 2015. In addition, the economy will recover. This will attract other competitors joining in this market because customers do not concern about a brand or brand loyalty. They will penetrate a brand that sell product in low price and good quality. In Italy, many brands from other countries try to dominate cosmetics industry especially in skin care such as L’Orà ©al, Beiersdorf, Clarins, Està ©e Lauder, Shiseido and Johnson & Johnson (Euromonitor 2012). This shows that the risk of new entry is high because competitors have to spend a lot of money in research and development to produce new product or try to differentiate their product. 3.Bargaining power of buyers: High Italian customers have high bargaining power because they have many brands of cosmetics in Italy that offer them a good quality and price that they can afford. Moreover, Italian people spend their money carefully when they purchase these stuffs because of recess economy. Buyers who are retailers can have backward integration by providing their own  brand. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers: Low Bargaining power of suppliers in cosmetics industry is low because there are a high number of market players and large suppliers. Moreover, Italian consumers prefer cosmetics that made from nature and there are many suppliers around the world who can offer the low price material such as Asian countries to cosmetics manufacturers. 5. Threat of substitutes: High There is a high threat of substitute product in cosmetics industry because there are many brands that offer same product line such as eye cream and anti aging product. Moreover, people can change their preference and counsel with dermatologist to take care of their skin health. 3.3.1. Key Competitors According to Marketline (2012), the three leading cosmetics companies in Italy are Beiersdorf AG, L’Oreal and Shiseido. However, these three cosmetics brands have different market group from Aesop. Thus, their product offerings will not be in same range even within the same product line (see Appendix 3). L’Oreal L’Oreal wants to increase their market share to another country. They need to doubling their sales and their market strategy is penetration and they call themselves is â€Å"multi channel†. L’Oreal shows and sell their product to massmarket channel such as Wal-Mart’s and Targets. Moreover, they sell cosmetics in luxury department store such as Macy’s and Nordstrom (see Appendix 4). Therefore, L’Oreal’s price will not be as high as Aesop and Shiseido because L’Oreal ‘s strategy is to cover all customers. Shiseido Shiseido categorize their customer in five age groups, so their stores are ranked according to age group. The shops that sell to high-class customers will offer better promotion to their customers such as greater rebate, good beauty consultant and many samples. Their products are luxury and anti aging which are developed through innovative scientific discoveries (Girvin 2013). According to Shiseido annual report (2012), when Shiseido operate their business in other countries, they will sell high price premium with good service from personal sellers. They use â€Å"Masstige† word to describe their brand image. This word comes from Mass and prestige, meaning that Shiseido’s products are more expensive than mass product but price is not high like prestige products.  Beiersdorf Beiersdorf is a brand that focuses on skincare: NIVEA, Eucerin and La Prairie. Beiersdorf try to continually create and produce new product to market and develop new product categories such as Nivea for men. In addition, they expand to new market to get new market share, and they offer the price that all customers can afford. Three leading cosmetics brands in Italy have different strategies to do a business (see Appendix 5). It can be seen that leading cosmetics companies in Italy such as L’Oreal and Beiersdorf AG use cost leadership strategy to gain market share. Customer Analysis In order to identify and gather relevant information on the potential customers in Italy, a customer analysis is performed to break down the customer base into groups and segments. According to Kotler (2012), the customer analysis focuses on identifying the group of customers who share similar needs and wants. It shows the nature of segmentation by socio-demographic, behavioral, psychographic and benefit sought. This variables and findings are shown below: Segmentation variables Age Details Socio-demographic Between tweens and adult is the majority aged group of Italian (Chan, Tufte, Cappello & Russell 2011). The over-50 age group possesses high buying power (Walker 2013). Gender Geography Female but male sales emerging in cosmetic product sales (Austrade 2010). Urban cities of Italy provide the convenience to access to retail store and department store (Global Insight 2007) Lifecycle state Italian bought skin care products at 72.5% of all cosmetic products (Research and Markets 2010) Income Net average annual household adjusted disposable income is US$24,216 (OECD  Better Life Index 2013). Distribution Occupation Southern Italy is 50% poorer than Northern Italy (Marketline 2012). Working population between 15  and 64 because of their ability to purchase the skin care product (OECD Better Life Index 2013). Education Ethnic group and Nationality Religion Social class Literate and highly educated (OECD Better Life Index 2013.) Italian (CIA 2013). Insignificant The majority group is middle and upper class that have high power of purchasing (Kerschner & Huq 2011). Family and acquaintances Italian customers not only buy product of themselves but also for others (Schiffman, Kanuk & Wisenblit 2010). Behavioral Readiness Occasions Loyalty Usage rate Innovativeness Aware and knowledgeable about skin care product (CIA 2013) For everyday used and special occasions. High loyalty if product can perform as claimed (Cecchi et al. 2011). Routine use Italian customers prefer to pay extra in the high quality and performance stuffs (Cecchi et al. 2011). Psychographic Personality Italians order Life Style have to strongly attitude about building and maintaining self-images in have good appearance (Sanderson 2010). Metro-sexual and self-loving.

Finance: Free Cash Flow

inance COOPERATE FINANCE| Miss Afifa| | Assignment# 4| | UMAIR ASIF11 March 2013| You submitted this Assignment on Sun 10 Mar 2013 7:21 PM PDT. You got a score of 85. 00 out of 100. 00. You can attempt again, if you'd like. Top of Form Please read all questions and instructions carefully. Note that you only need to enter answers in terms of numbers and without any symbols (including $, %, commas, etc. ). Enter all dollars without decimals and all interest rates in percentage with up to two decimals. Read the syllabus for examples.The points for each question are listed in parentheses at the start of the question, and the total points for the entire assignment adds up to 100. You are strongly encouraged to use spreadsheets. Refer to Note on Sample Cash Flow Template. Question 1 (5 points) The project with the highest IRR is always the project with the highest NPV. Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| True| | | | False| ? | 5. 00| Correct. Try now to sort this out in different contexts,| Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This is all about the fundamental difference between IRR and NPV. Question 2 10 points) Ann Arbor is considering offering public bus service for free. Setting up the service will cost the city $0. 6M (where M stands for million). The useful life of the buses is 25 years. Annual maintenance of the buses would cost $50,000 per year and they would need a major overhaul in year 15 that will cost a total of $350,000. This overhaul is in addition to the annual maintenance. Annual operating costs will begin at $90,000 in year 1 and grow at 2% per year thereafter. By using the buses as advertisement space, the city will generate a revenue of $75,000 in year 1 and it will grow at 4% per year thereafter.Reduced parking requirements and other benefits generated by the project will save the city $100,000/year. The salvage value (price city can get in the future after maintenance) of the used buses in year 25 is expected to be $150,000. What is the NPV of the bus proposal? Ann Arbor does not pay taxes and the discount rate is 5%. (Again, all cash flows except initial investments happen at the end of the year. ) (You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| -10223| | | | 29847| ? | 10. 00| Correct. You apparently have thought through issues. 31222| | | | 19323| | | | Total| | 10. 00 / 10. 00| | Question Explanation A real world problem with some simplifications in cash flows. Question 3 (5 points) Alpha Inc. has the following two projects that it is considering, and it wants to choose one. Project A has an investment outlay/expense today of $1,000, and its cash flows over the next three years are $500, $600, $700. Project B has an outlay of $2,000, and cash flows of $1,000, $1,200, and $1,400. Which project should Alpha choose? (You can assume no taxes. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| Project A| | | |Does not matter; both are essentially the same| | | | Cannot make a choice based on information| ? | 5. 00| Correct. What information is missing? | Project B| | | | Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This question is probing your comfort level and understanding of decision making; and the most common pitfall we confront all the time. Question 4 (10 points) Mango Technology has the following three projects that it is considering; it can choose only one. Project A has an investment outlay/expense today of $100M, and its cash flows over the next three years are $20M, $40M, $70M.Project B has an outlay of $110M, and cash flows of $40M, $80M, $20M; Project C has an outlay of $120M and cash flows of $0M, $20M, and $142M. Which project should the company choose if the cost of capital for similar projects is 6%? Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| Project B| | | | Project C| | | | Do not have enough information| ? | 0. 00| You do have enough information. Try again. | Project A| | | | Total| | 0. 00 / 10. 00| | Question Explanation This is an exercise in testi ng your knowledge pitted against our tendency to choose the incorrect criterion for making decisions.Question 5 (5 points) To get from net operating profits after tax (NOPAT) to free cash flows (FCF), you need to ADD back depreciation, SUBTRACT capital expenditures and ADD net working capital (i. e. , current operating assets – current operating liabilities). (Free cash flow is another name for cash flows. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| False. | ? | 5. 00| Correct. You understand the nature of â€Å"capital. â€Å"| True. | | | | Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This is an important issue that makes you focus on differences between stocks and flows. Question 6 5 points) Last year your firm had revenue of $20 million, cost of goods sold (COGS) of $12 million, Selling, General, ; Administration costs (SG;A) of $2 million, Account Receivables (AR) of $6 million, Account Payables (AP) of $4 million and Inventory of $4 million. What will be the free cash flow next/this year if you boost revenue 6% and AR 12%, while holding COGS growth to 3% and everything else remains the same as last year? (Assume no taxes and no new capital expenditures. ) (You are encouraged to use a spreadsheet even for this specific type of question. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 4170000| ? 0. 00| Review the basics; see template and references. | 6120000| | | | 7240000| | | | 5250000| | | | Total| | 0. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation Cash flow estimation for a specific year. Question 7 (15 points) Rain in Spain (RiS) is a manufacturer of high quality raincoats. Currently, the retail price of each raincoat is $70 and is produced at a cost of $45. This past year, they sold 50,000 raincoats and they expect this number to grow each year by 6% each year for the next 10 years. The operations team at RiS recently brought to your attention a new technology that could lower the cost of production.This technology requires an upfront fixed investment of $2,000,000 a nd has the capacity to produce up to 90,000 raincoats per year at a 12% lower cost per unit. There is no increased working capital need due to this new technology, and no value of the machine/technology after 10 years. What is the NPV of investing in the new technology? Ignore taxes and assume a discount rate of 14%. (Hint: Think incrementally; the difference between the world without and with this new technology! Also, ignoring taxes will be a big help if you think right. ) (Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. (You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 7 You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| -150683| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You exhibit a clear understanding of how to conduct incremental analysis. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation A probing question that is all about the creation of value; incremental value. Question 8 (15 points) Fresh off the excitement of the 2012 London Olympic Games, you decide that you want your firm to take advantage of the profits to be made for the 2016 games in Rio de Jeneiro. To do so you plan to open a factory in Brazil.After examining the idea, your CFO projects revenues next year (2013) to be $15 million and costs to be $9 million. Both of these are expected to grow at a rate of 25% per year as the excitement for the games builds. Your firms faces a 35% tax rate, a 14% discount rate and you can depreciate your new investment using the straight line method over the four years leading up to the games, at which point the value of the venture moving forward will be $5 million. (This $5 million is the terminal value that is in year 4 (that is, 2016) dollars and is the PV of all cash flows year 5 and beyond. The capital expenditure of this project is $12M. What is the NPV of the project? Assume that you have no significant working capital costs. (Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) (You are strongly encourag ed to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 8 You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 9815100| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You know how to set up and execute a valuation exercise, albeit a simplified one. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation A valuation exercise that includes most of the elements of a real world situation. Question 9 15 points) Starbuck's is considering opening another store in Chicago. A store is expected to have a long economic life, but the valuation horizon is 7 years. The store in Chicago is expected to create revenues of $3M in the first year and they are likely to grow at 2% per year thereafter. The cost of goods sold are $1. 2M in year 1 and they are also expected to grow at 2% per year thereafter. Selling and administration costs are likely to be $0. 5M in the first year and then grow at 5%. The tax rate is 35%. Starbucks is so good at managing its stores that working capital increases can be assumed to be negligible.But Starbucks will hav e to invest $3. 5M in purchasing a store (with land). The good news is that this outlay can be depreciated straight line over 7 years. Also, Starbucks has estimated that the terminal value in year 7 dollars will be $10M. This value is the value of all cash flows in year 8 and beyond. What is the NPV of opening this new store if the appropriate discount rate is 7. 75%? (Again, all cash flows except initial investments happen at the end of the year. Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. )(You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 9You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 7879584| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You are now building spreadsheet models. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation It is time to do a more complete project analysis. Strongly encourage use of spreadsheets to build cashflows, though remember that you can do it step by step as well. Question 10 (15 points) Big Blue Granite (BBG) needs to purc hase a new saw for creating their top quality countertops. Saw A costs $250,000 with $4,000 of annual maintenance costs for the first year that will increase by 5% each year for the 7-year life of the saw.Saw B costs $150,000 with $10,000 of annual maintenance costs for the first year that will increase by 15% each year for the 4-year life of the saw. Which saw should BBG choose? What is the annualized cost of this choice? Assume a discount rate of 12%, and ignore all taxes. Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| (B, 46794)| | | | (B, 49983)| | | | (A, 59331)| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You know how to figure out the true annualized cost. | (A, 40367)| | | | (A, 38682)| | | | (B, 61624)| | | | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| |

Understanding Environmental Problems through Poetry

Understanding Environmental Problems through Poetry Environmental issues are burning ones in modernity; however, they are not new for the 20th and 21st centuries, since they were raised much earlier, at the outbreak of the Industrial Revolution. It is also true that the environmental problems have been frequently raised in poetry – the works of Wordsworth, Bishop, and Yeats may serve as evidence for this fact. All these authors have repeatedly raised the issues connected with the pace of progress and its impact on the surrounding nature, and have devoted some lyrics to these questions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Environmental Problems through Poetry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the remarkable pieces of poetry dedicated to the impact of man on nature is Sonnet; the poet voices his regrets about the Industrial Revolution and its effect on the connection between people and nature. He stresses the fact that with the emergence of machin es people have lost their unity with nature they used to have before: â€Å"Little we see in Nature that is ours† (Wordsworth 3). This is the reason for which the author disapproves of the progress and longs back to the time when no pollution, plants, manufacture, and industry existed, and wants to become a wild pagan on the untouched Earth: â€Å"Id rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn† (Wordsworth 9-10). The topic of regretting the progress and missing the genuine nature are also visible in the work of Yeats called The Lake Isle of Innisfree written at the end of the 19th century. The beginning of the poem takes the reader to the beautiful, untouched world of charming nature. All the author wants to have is a hut â€Å"of clay and wattles made† (Yeats 2), and â€Å"a hive for the honeybee† (Yeats 3). The dream of the poet is to â€Å"live alone in the bee-loud glade† (Yeats 4). The pictures that the poet draws with the following lines of the verse are romantic, attractive, and naturally charming for all people who know what natural, simple beauty is. However, the author then shows the setting of his dreams, thus juxtaposing his dream and the surrounding reality: â€Å"I hear the water lapping with low sounds by the shore/ While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray† (Yeats 10-11) The motives of nature are also present in the verse titled The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop, and the author’s intent is to show both the dominance of people over the nature, and the respect they should have towards it. First of all, she shows that the way fish live is much better because of the pollution people have created â€Å"his gills were breathing in/the terrible oxygen† (Bishop 22-23). By these words the author shows that her habitat is worse than the fish’s is, but still she is the winner in the race as she has caught the fish that is in her power. Only seeing that the fish is an old fighter, and he has got into her hands only because he is tired of fighting, she provides an artistic comparison of the fish to people. She compares the hooks in the fish’s lip with the medals of an old soldier, and gives a metaphor of an old, wise man with a beard:Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Like medals with their ribbons frayed and wavering, a five-haired beard of wisdom trailing from his aching jaw (Bishop 61-64) Thus, as one can see from the present works, there is much on the issue of environment and nature in poetry; the poets have been not only worshipping the beauty of nature in their verses, but have managed to show how tragic the disconnection of people with nature is, and how drastic the role of industrial development is in this process. Poets show themselves as tied to the modernity, but longing back to the untouched, virgin nature that is lost foreve r for contemporary material and technologically advanced people. Their nostalgia about the foregone times of unity with nature serves as a good guide for people forgetting about the nature, its place in human lives, and its truly dominant position compared to mechanics and human impact. Therefore, such readings and analysis may deepen the human understanding of what environment is, and what it should be for us – not only the subject of preservation, but of admiration, attention, and appeal in its genuine simplicity and charm.

Essay on Sports Management

Essay on Sports Management Essay on Sports Management Example essay on Sports Management: Gymnastics is a sporting event that does involve various performances that require a lot of physical strength, agility, coordination, balance and flexibility. There are various forms of gymnastics and these include the following; artistic gymnastics which is the best known form of gymnastics and is practiced by both men and women. It is divided into both the men’s categories that involve activities such as floor exercise, sill rings, vault, parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse and the vault and the women’s categories involve competition in vault, balance beam and uneven bars although women have been known to adequately compete in all the men’s categories in countries such as Russia early in the 1950’s. Another type of gymnastic is the rhythmic gymnastic which is mainly for women and does involve a combination of various elements such as ballet, dance, gymnastics and even apparatus manipulation. The performers are usually allowed the use of five apparatus of their choice and these apparatus may constitute a ball, hoop, clubs, rope and even the floor. It is currently not available for women but plans are underway to ensure that even men will have their own form of artistic gymnastics. Acrobatic gymnastics on the other hand is a discipline that is carried out by both men and women and it involves a group of three to four individuals that may be mixed in terms of gender performing various routines using their head, feet and even the hands of their various partners. Other forms of gymnastics include the tramp lining and tumbling that may be individualistic, double mini, power tumbling and even synchronized. There are also the team, aerobics and display gymnastics that actually mean exactly what the name spells. Gymnastics has its origins in the exercises that were performed by the ancient Greeks that entailed skills such as mounting and dismounting a horse, circuses and even ski ll display. As of today gymnastics can be performed by children as young as five years old who mainly participate in what is called kinder gym to even world class athletes. All sports of gymnastics have a body that governs them and this body is called the Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) which was formed in 1881. All the other sub bodies that govern gymnastic practices in various countries are governed by the FIG. The competition for which I have been selected for involves rhythmic gymnastic that is to take place on the 18th of December 2011 and it is called the Annual Illinois Gymnastic Challenge. This will be a competition for young athletes who are of the age bracket of fifteen to twenty that is to take place in the Illinois auditorium from around 8.00am to 6.00pm. There will be five schools that have confirmed their teams’ participation in this event. The other three have not submitted their confirmation just yet and the possibilities of them confirming their attendance and participation is not known. This means that there will be about twenty five ladies participating in the tournament as each team is expected to have at least 4 team members and substitutes. The major reason for my interest in this opportunity is because first and foremost gymnastics is a very rare sport and apart from a need to learn more about the sport and be able to attend to any casualty that may occur during the tournament; I would also love to have make sure that the participants in this event have assured healthcare provision during the whole event. Secondly; this is my chance to display my skill, ability and prowess and this opportunity has presented itself and the reason why I have been selected is because they believe that I am able and suitable for the job and thus I will not let it pass. It is a huge opportunity that will go a very long way in defining my career as this is a very major sporting event and I decide to take it up. According to statistics, at least 100 000 gymnastic injuries are normally treated in hospitals, clinics, healthcare facilities and emergency rooms in the United States of America. In do not want any major injuries to occur in this event that would lead to constitute this statistics and that is the reason why I decided to take up the chance to be able to help whenever I can. My team will ensure that by all means all the casualties that will occur will be ad dressed immediately. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that has been coherent in Illinois for about 3 years and thus it is not new to them. Most of the population here has a lot of knowledge about the sport and they allow their children to indulge in it as a hobby as well as for professional reasons. The number of ladies that participate in this sport each year is about fifty. Different age groups from five years normally compete in various gymnastic events at different times of the year. There have been occasional casualties reported over the year, with the most serious being in the year 2009 when of the lady participants lost balance during her acrobatic performance and fell on the ground and broke her ankle. Apart from this major injury; the rest have just been minor such as a twisted ankle, an injured arm, a bruise and a cut here and there. These are very minor casualties that have always been treated and there has never been a need to rush any participant to the hospital. Most of the schools that have their teams participating in this competition have very professional coaches who have trained in rhythmic gymnastics over the years and they have trained their team members very well on the safety measures that should be taken before and after the vent. Secondly, this auditorium has been used over the last three years that this sport has been held here. But we did not just assume that since it has always been used; it is safe. Safety measures have been put into place to ensure that all the participants are safe before, during and even after the tournament. All the equipments have been duly inspected and so far we have ensured that they are all safe and none at all is a health hazard. Replacement of the old equipments may have cost us more than we had anticipated spending in this event but it is all aimed at the benefit of all. We do not want to report any injuries and thus we have to take very tight health measures and also be on stand by just incase our help will be needed. The schools that have their teams participating in the tournament have ensured that they have renewed their health cover insurance with the various hospitals for each and every participant. This basically means that in case of a very major casualty that we really don’t anticipate does happen, all the cost at the hospital will be covered by the insurance parties in business with the school. My team will consist of six members. They are four gentlemen and two ladies. The reason why I chose four men is because I will definitely need the muscle power incase of any emergency. I think all of them will be on call because I will really need them. We will get our equipment and supplies from the Illinois Community Hospital which is about 100 meters from the auditorium. The reason why we chose this hospital is because it is very close to the auditorium and secondly it is where we contracted to take any of our emergency cases. The other necessities we will get from the various chemists and pharmacies nearby. After considering all the equipments, supplies and even the labor cost that would be used in the whole project; our approximate budget was 190 000 US Dollars. This is because each of my team members expects to take home an amount of US Dollars 20, 000. For all the equipments, supplies, casual laborers will be about US Dollars 40, 000 and then I would pay myself an amount of US Dollars 30, 000. The reason why I have stated such a large amount for my team members and It is because this may just be a single day’s work but it is going to be very demanding, tiring and consuming and after a long tiring day’s work, we will need a reward. So we practically have about one and a half weeks to put everything in order, ensure that all my team members will be available and fit for the job and basically to put my house in order. I am very positive that by the end of this week everything will have been put into place as we have done already dealt with the huger problems and challenges. The rest are just minor that we can cover within days considering I have very efficient and reliable team players. My dream is to make this event a great success and my gut tells me that I will achieve that. Feel free to purchase essay on Sports topics at professional custom essay writing service. 24/7 support. Highly qualified academic writers.

Paper on The Collapse of the Soviet Union and Its Impact on Eurasia Essay

Paper on The Collapse of the Soviet Union and Its Impact on Eurasia - Essay Example The states themselves had also to grapple with the realities of being on their own, and stitching new alliances with their neighbors and the rest of the world. Many of them saw internal revolutions, while others were content to let the status quo continue for sometime. Today, many of them have vibrant democracies and thriving economies, but this cannot be said of them all. The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR, was the world’s largest socialist state. When it was created in 1922, it comprised of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. By 1956, it comprised of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Russia was the most powerful of these, and the one that controlled the union. Before the union was dissolved in 1991, it extended from the Arctic ocean to the Afghan border with a population of roughly 293 million. The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics or the USSR comprised of fifteen republics that were made up of people of varied ethnicities and divergent nationalities. On the 25th. December 1991, the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics was formally dissolved and the fifteen states that comprised the USSR became independent. This also marked the end of the cold war. Alth ough on the face of it, the downfall of the Soviet Union looked sudden, inexplicable and startling, some long term factors provided a slow and gradual decline in its power, while other short term factors provided the trigger that precipitated its collapse. By the 1980s the communist ideology was on the decline, and the idea of the state being "the leading and guiding force of Soviet life the nucleus of its political system, of all state organs and public organs," (Lewin, 1991) was being questioned. Vladimir Lenin’s revolutionary vision of a system