Monday, November 25, 2019

Aids and the Media essays

Aids and the Media essays AIDS and the Psychological Disorders Caused By Illicit Drug Use and the Media It is pretty easy to understand how people diagnosed with AIDS would be willing to do and/or try anything to help themselves; as well as being more susceptible to not only opportunistic diseases, but also diseases of the mind. The pressures and stress that AIDS patients must face is incomprehensible to those of us who do not face death everyday, waiting for the next illness to take over, waiting to die; their minds must go numb with black thoughts. The media too is at fault for helping to make AIDS sufferers deadened with their hyped up miracle drugs and advertisements of greater life; then the disappointment that comes when the drugs dont do and fix all they say they will. That is so much stress on your brain, your mind, and your physical self. There are so many psychological aspects to the AIDS virus that it is almost impossible to say that victims of it would not be psychologically affected in some way. I have decided to use two different articles in this paper to describe the ways in which AIDS patients are psychologically affected by the media and the pressures of the disease itself. The first article is from The Archives of General Psychiatry called Psychiatric Disorders and Drug Use Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Adults in the United States. The second is written by Jayson Blair and is called Healthy Skepticism and the Marketing of AIDS. I think that by putting these two articles together we can get a really good idea of how psychologically impaired AIDS patients can become with the of AIDS propaganda put forth by the media in addition to and combined with the use of illegal and illicit drugs. Nearly half of the sample used in the first study screened positive for a psychiatric disorder, 40% reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana, and more than 12% screened positive for drug dependence during the previo...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Understanding Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Understanding Religion - Essay Example Religion largely concerns an individual’s faith; whether he or she is a believer or not. Faith is the key pillar of all religions, and it is evident in all religions of the world. Without faith, in the existence of a supreme being or a higher mode of living, there would be no religions to talk about (Van, 2007). Religions all over the world strive to encourage a state of better coexistence between individuals and their environment. The earliest known religions have similarities with today’s religion because they still preach the same principles of living a pure life without sin. However, there exists a difference in how sin is defined, in the different religions of the world. Different religions have different teachings and ideas that are deemed necessary to be able to attain the set goal of religion, which varies depending on the type of an individual’s religious background (Van, 2007). Religion is seen as the greatest unifier for all mankind, and it forges a ve ry strong bond between believers. Traditions of a given community have contributed to the type of religion that develops around them, and the influence it has on their daily lives (Van, 2007). For instance, Asian countries have different religious practices from those of the Western world as evidenced by predominant Buddhism, in Asia, and Christianity, in Western countries. Their religions were entrenched early at the beginning of their cultures and traditions. This made it easier for their type of religious beliefs to be accepted earlier, in the life of each individual as the normal way of life and existence (Van, 2007). Religious scriptures have played a key role in shaping and spreading different religions around the globe. Scriptures are written documents like the Bible or the Quran that the believers of these religions believe contain sacred messages.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Currency Exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Currency Exchange - Essay Example Around 1967 the GBP was devalued by 14 per cent, a major economic policy decision. Since then, the Sterling, on average has either depreciated or appreciated by 14 per cent every two years. The figure below shows how the exchange rate between the Sterling and the United States dollar has performed over a 5 year period. Around the mid 2008 shows a sharp drop in the exchange rate from around 2.0 to a low of 1.4. The significant change in the movement is attributed to the financial recession of the 2008. Sterling/US dollar exchange rate over the last one year For the past one year, the Sterling has been weak against the USD making the USD an expensive and valuable asset. This means that the clients needing to buys the currency are paying more and more. The reason for this slide may be due to the steps forward by Europe and the US. For instance the situation in Italy may be the key factor for the change in exchange rates which could go on for the next couple of weeks. Also, with a furthe r round of Quantitative Easing expected in the UK, the Sterling has been losing ground against the USD. Rates have dropped and whilst many expect this trend to continue should QE be confirmed, this in my view is being priced by the investors. Notably, the pound is not only losing ground against the USD but against other major currencies and the recent drop against the Euro and the Australian Dollar are no coincidence. It is floating around 1.50 against the USD and at an all-time low against the AUD. The following figures give the performance of the Sterling against the USD for a the last 12 months, narrowing down to 6 months and 3 months respectively. Key factors affecting the Sterling Being the sixth largest economy in the world and the third largest economy in Europe, the United Kingdom has a lot to boast about. For instance, the United Kingdom is able to produce over 60 per cent of its food with less than 2 per cent of the labour force. The United Kingdom also has numerous resour ces at its disposal, for instance oil, natural gas and coal. However the country was hit hard the financial crisis with growths rates going down to 0.3 per cent in Quarter 1 of 2010 and 0.4 per cent growth in Quarter 4 of 2009. The UK has a capitalist economy that is highly productive with a strong financial services industry. On a global basis the British Sterling Pound is undervalue. For instance, the purchase price parity shows that the Sterling should fall in value over time, but high investment flow potential means the opposite is what will happen, that is the Sterling will increase in value. According the United Kingdom’s Value Investor Survey, which reflects short term investment, the economic environment is very favourable for long term economic growth because of high scores on the government transparency, economic diversity and economic freedom. An undervalued currency, a favourable business environment and a moderate investment flow potential leads to a positive out look for the United Kingdom investments. Factors that have positively affected the British Sterling Pound are lower rates of unemployment and the foreign students. The UK, the US and Australia are the leading centres in attracting foreign students to study in their countries. These students obviously provide many social and monetary benefits that propel the economic activities of the host countries. Some factors that have negatively affected th

Monday, November 18, 2019

Statement of Purpose for UCLA art major Personal

Of Purpose for UCLA art major - Personal Statement Example Since an early age, my parents instilled in me a love for art and a respect for various artistic disciplines. I attended painting and drawing classes every week since 7 years of age until 15 years of age. I came to the U.S. from Taiwan at a young age. I fully credit my parents with having given me the tools to succeed in the art world in the U.S. My parents passed on to me their interest in collecting paintings of a wide variety. Therefore, we have an art gallery at home full of famous paintings from both Taiwan and China. My parents consistently took myself and my siblings to art galleries, and is still one of our favorite family activities when we get together. Regarding my own personal interest in art, I’ve participated in numerous painting and drawing contests. When I moved to the United States for high school, I attended a creative and performing arts school in San Diego and continued working on my artistic talent. After high school, I developed my other interests in desi gn. I chose to work on fashion design. Fashion is art to me. I wanted to pursue art on a different level, however. After graduating from college, I wanted to have more formal higher education experience focused not just on art as it is studied in traditional schools, but also study art at another level at UCLA. My purpose in pursuing this graduate degree in art at UCLA is undergirded by the fact that I know UCLA is an excellent school with a stellar reputation in this field. UCLA also has respect for diversity in its student body, which was important to me in selecting a grad school program. The UCLA faculty is very experienced and knowledgeable in several aspects of the art world, which was also another key factor in deciding to apply here. I sincerely feel that attending UCLA will help me become a better artist. My ultimate goals in obtaining a graduate degree in art are to: 1) own my own gallery; 2) share my art with the public at large; and 3) work with art museums and/or galler ies in order to restore and preserve masterpieces for posterity, so our children and grandchildren will still be able to appreciate creative pieces from master artists. Obtaining a graduate degree in art at UCLA would not only serve to bolster my experience and interest in art, but would also help provide a schema for how to realize my dreams. Wanting to become well-known in the art world, I believe this degree would give me instant credibility that would signify my expertise in not only dealing with art but creating it. I thank you for reading and for your thoughtful consideration of my application in light of the above-stated comments. Personal Accomplishments, Community Pride: A Response to Prompt #2 I have accomplished many personal achievements in my lifetime, but I consider many of these achievements as exemplars for my community (including my family). Having grown up as an immigrant, I realize the incredible opportunities that coming to America gave me and my family. I will b e forever grateful for those. Undertaking this graduate degree in art from UCLA, therefore, is not only a source of personal accomplishment but a symbol of community pride for everyone I know and love that contributes to my culture—both in the U.S. and in Taiwan. While in Taiwan, I won the first-place award for the Taiwan Shei-Pa National Park’s official drawing contest when I was only an 11-year-old elementary school student—chosen from all the student contestants in all of Taiwan. When I came to attend high

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Product Feature For Whittakers Products

Product Feature For Whittakers Products Whittakers the major chocolate manufacturer and the only fully owned New Zealand Company. It is the second biggest chocolate brand in New Zealand. It has dark peanuts slab, processing of beans includes human involvement. There is no solid milk in this chocolate. Whittaker forwards its quality using pure cocoa butter and cocoa milk. Product feature for Whittakers products:- Dark chocolate has always been best seller for company by setting a trend or a saga of taste. Its high quality cocoa beans and it is family sized blocks of chocolate having 72% dark Ghana chocolate. It is popular in KIWI people of New Zealand because Whittaker is KIWI owned company and has been one of the good competitors. Its vegan preparation add features in this chocolates Product Support for Whittakers products:- The product support for the Whittaker chocolates are, contact centre details, other elements like phone number, email communication and customer support details. Also, retailers always have taken Whittakers as the most appreciable manufacturer of market for its quality and long term appreciation of customers. Internet is also play a crucial for product support because it is ultra-modern and technology. It has the pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, @twitter, web pages and other blogs. Product differentiation for Whittakers products:- If compared with other big market players like Nestle, Ferro and Cadbury the range of products at Whittakers is unmatchable. If we talk about differentiation, as we know there are 33% cocoa in this chocolate and only 21% cocoa in Cadbury chocolate. All the cocoa for Whittaker comes from Ghana and Madagascar. All are gluten free as comparison to other companies. 4 recommendations to make improvement in marketing mix:- 1):- The cost factor should be sized on the bases of customer purchasing capacity in addition to quality of product. It seems rich chocolate for riches. 2):-Company should take steps to raise their market in Asian countries for their certain development towards international marketing. 3):-Quality no doubt is the prime factor for any product of a company to survive long in the market however availability of the sale is rather more important. For an example if a person sitting in foreign country wishes to taste the product of Whittakers needs to shell out extra cents to purchase it via internet. 4):-Local existence in different markets is very important for company as the positivity of its being a Kiwi company is turning towards negativity as a large mass of consumers is still unaware of this brand name. Answer to Question No. 2: Below is the detailed study of 4 different pricing strategies at Whittakers namely: Value Based Pricing Competition based Pricing Differential Pricing Bundle Pricing Value-Based Pricing:-The strategies to put price first as a primary factor and not the exclusive is Value-based pricing. Whittakers set its pricing lesser as a tag of profitability and more as a cost to quality. The price for Whittakers seems higher if compared with any foreign brand. The Creamy Milk product of Whittakers has a direct competitor in global market i.e. Dairy Milk form Cadbury. KIWI mostly people prefer to go for Whittaker for its purity and vegan .So it goes with Whittakers also, they set the price as not to earn the profit only but to keep the clientele attached with brand furthermore. Competition-based Pricing: Whittaker follow the steps to stay longer in the market via setting the price of goods in accordance with the price of similar products (already existing or newly launched).As we know very well, Whittaker chocolates are liked by KIWI people not only of its pricing but also their quality in chocolates. According to marketing manager of Whittaker, cocoa butter is more expensive but still they are selling chocolates on normal price which is beneficial for company output as comparison to other company cocoa like Cadbury. Differential Pricing: On the basis of differential pricing, Whittaker chocolates can promote and sell their products through coupons, mega sales, price rebates and distribution outlet. Also its depending on demographics or customer distinctions like age, lifestyles, status, and income. Moreover, on the basis of competitors and market research and pricing of others companies is beneficial. Bundle Pricing: Company can sell their product by increasing the volume of products in bucket and sale their product on normal prices. Everyone like the bundle products near to festivals like Christmas and for gift to anyone. They can down their prices near to festivals for customer attractions and for some profit. it differentiate the competition by providing a surplus to the range of customers through offering the bundle of products in a package. 4 other basis of pricing to improve the mix of marketing:- Whittakers should expand their business on global strategies maintain their price and strategies to compete other chocolates company like NESTLE, Hershey and Cadbury etc. Offering the cost effectiveness delivery to customers with good quality is required to improvement. In bundle pricing, the company should start with services like appreciation to customers or provide token and coupons that will boost the sales. Company can include the references of all social contributions to the society because customers will earn the references and raise the emotional factor in the heart of purchaser. Answer to Question No. 3: Advertisement: on the basis of advertisement effectiveness, Whittakers scored on the prospect of advertising can be scored 10/ 10. They motivates the customers by advertisement on Social sites like Facebook, linked, @twitter helping a lot to promote the products of Whittaker chocolates. Even the other ways like television, print media and radio are also been adopted by this company to grab more attentions. Public Relation: the word of mouth is also known as variant of marketing. Same as doing by Whittaker Company. They give first preference to public relations because majority of companies taken activity into action for its customers.it is called jargoned word of mouth, technical or tailored to a product. It becomes very important to entertain that Whittaker is doing well in. Consumer Promotions: Customers loyalty is preferred by company in consumer promotion in which consumers having long term relations with company. The other way to promote are sampling, contests, money Refunds, packaging, loyalty schemes and exhibitions to attract the customers attentions. 4 promotional tools for attracting customers to purchase Whittakers products instead of other brands: As a thumb rule of business promotion i.e. the advertisement like television promos at a grand level to explore the potential company should increase the diameters from country basis to global basis and should go for the television promos at a grand level to explore the potential market or customers across the world. Whittakers should design promotional campaigns in other countries according to their regional language at the world level. We can promote the product on you tube videos and on created pages of Facebook, twitter so that everyone who liked the paged on Facebook or on twitter can see the new flavour or existing product of chocolate. As Whittakers have justified that its a brand of the KIWI and for the KIWI; should similarly impact the people by interacting their eating, living, purchasing and spending habits with the companys product range. It will convey a message that this brand has a product to treat every sector of people Answer to Question No. 4: Exclusive: Hereby the company has taken much of the exclusiveness of distribution in its own hands. The example for this can be drawn through the website of Whittakers. A wide ranged catalogue covering the entire range of existing products, their descriptions is mentioned along with pictorial representation of product packaging. Selective: Whittakers is a company that explores more of strategy of selective distribution as the products and distributions of the company are for limited area or people. Though it is opposite to an open distribution system but a depicting one for the business nature of the company. This strategy has its own charm as because the area of competition decreases the margin of profit earning increases. Henceforth if a global market player like Cadbury or Nestle which has an open distributions system will not be successful to earn the clientele in business territories of Whittakers as because the impact of Whittakers on KIWIs is century long. A foreign brand cannot afford such a high cost of production by paying international taxes. In case if they try launching a product or product line by compromising slightly with the quality even, the newly customer will built rather more strong interest in their previous brand of chocolate. Intensive: Whitaker though has not it available for entire world through all different means of distribution however it is intensive approach of distribution for the areas where it is popular. Other methods for distributions: Direct Method: the company should start the company should seek for franchisees or their own branch outlets at continental level. Indirect method: by adopting this method the company can reach put to the areas where it already is not having trade currently without losing the authority of decision making. Channel distribution: by adopting this method the company can open its outlets by sharing the business compulsion with local potential natives of foreign lands. Answer to Question No. 5: Product: product quality plays a crucial role in selling of product. If there is good quality .then, everyone likes to buy the product. For example Audi car, people like to buy the Audi because of its high performance and also good looking. Price: Price should be according to the market and the service/product. For BIC the manufacturers of lighters, razors and pens should provide the services of the product at the affordable price to attract more customers. Place: Placement is also play an equal role for company. For example Amway Company sells their product through independent business owners of worldwide. In the India, mostly like to sell their second hand through car agents or dealers. Promotion: companies doing advertisement on radio, television, on social sites like Facebook, yahoo and Other ways like sampling, packaging, branding and coupons for the promotion of product. If we talk about Whittakers chocolate all these things are important. For products, they are using 33% cocoa butter as comparison to Cadbury and affordable price, good placement and promotion. REFRENCES:- New Zealand (2012). New Zealand profile in 2012, retrieved in www.wikipedia.com www.whittaker.co.nz www.wikipedia.com www.answer.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Left Behind Book Series :: essays research papers

Feeling left behind? You might be if you have looked in the religion section of a bookstore recently. Since 1995, over fifty million books bearing the banner of the Left Behind series have showed up not only in Protestant bookstores but also in mainstream, secular bookstores. In 1998 the original four books of the series simultaneously occupied the top four slots in the New York Times bestseller list—which does not count sales figures from Protestant bookstores. The tenth volume of the series debuted at number one on the list. The books of the Left Behind series offer a fictionalized account of the end of the world, based on the authors’ understanding of the book of Revelation and other Bible prophecies. But Left Behind is much more than a series of books. It is a multi-media franchise that includes not only the original novels (which should total twelve to fourteen) but also two motion pictures, over twenty children’s books, study guides, dramatized and unabridged audio books, and graphic novels—with more on the way! Also attached to the franchise are a number of non-fiction works in which the authors explain their views of Bible prophecy in a straightforward manner rather than using the form of a novel. Evangelical publishing has never seen a phenomenon like this. It dwarfs even The Late Great Planet Earth, which was the best-selling book of the 1970s. Left Behind leaves many Catholics scratching their heads. They may know that it has something to do with the end of the world. Some Catholics have even had Evangelical friends try to get them to read the books as a subtle (or not so subtle) attempt to evangelize them. But few have a clear idea of what the books are about, who is behind them, and how they relate to the Catholic faith. This is a problem. There is nothing wrong with having a successful publishing franchise, but when that franchise contains anti-Catholic prejudice and bad theology, that is a problem. Matters are worse when the franchise is so profit-driven that it puts making a buck over the spiritual and psychological well-being of children. As we will see, Left Behind does all of that. The Man Behind Left Behind The Left Behind books carry the bylines of two men, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The latter is a prolific freelance author and ghostwriter who has published several dozen books. He is the actual author of the Left Behind books, but his is the less important role, because he does not generate the ideas for them.

Monday, November 11, 2019

B321 Tma 02

Question 1 (a) Simons (1999, pg 768) describes intrinsic motivation as â€Å"desire to engage in behaviours or actions in anticipation of internally- generated rewards such as personal feelings of accomplishment† and extrinsic motivation Simons describes as (1999, pg 766) â€Å"desire to engage in behaviours or actions in anticipation of tangible rewards, such as money or promotion†. Extrinsic motivation is created by financial incentives. An incentive as Simons (1999, 767) describes as being â€Å"a reward or payment that is used to motivate performance.The two types of motivation mentioned above can be used to design a rewards package for the product centre managers. First I will discuss intrinsic motivation; this type of motivation is â€Å"from within† (as Simon states (1999, pg 245)) rather than external. Managers can improve intrinsic motivation, Simon’s (1999, pg 245) states â€Å"they can make people proud of where they work† and also †Å"they can involve subordinates in the goal setting process to increase the likelihood that subordinates will see the goals as legitimate.If subordinates are included in the process of setting goals-asked to provide input and information –they are more likely to feel that the goals are legitimate and work more diligently to achieve them†. The motivation is aligned to Air Tex Aviation’s performance goals, which are, the granting of credit but managers have performance goals set by Ted, monthly charges against their departmental profits, managers are more likely to stick to the rules set by Ted because they are in control of credit.Also, the purchasing of capital equipment and operating supplies but having predetermined limits this gives the managers a sense of control and able to make decisions without having to ask permission whenever a purchase was to be made. Moreover product managers are allowed to set policies such as pricing for products or services. They al so have the power to hire, fire and administer the salary. Product centre managers can rewarded because they have the responsibility to do the above and are free to make choices within set boundaries. Other rewards can be meaningfulness managers may feel they are doing something important.Also another reward is having the competence, managers can feel satisfied. Lastly, another reward is having the sense of progress, product centre managers will feel they have gained something. I will now discuss the extrinsic incentives, Simons (1999 pg 245-246) states â€Å"financial performance awards-typically in the form of bonuses-can be linked explicitly to the achievement of goals and targets. Since incentives are to motivate performance Ted has allocated 10% bonus to managers. (b) Simon’s four levers of control can be used in the implementation of strategy for Air Tex Aviation.Simon’s states â€Å"Strategic control is not achieved through new and unique performance measureme nt and control system, but through belief systems, boundary systems, diagnostic control systems and interactive control systems working together to control both the implementation of intended strategies and the formation of emergent strategies†. Simon’s (1999, pg 763) describes belief systems as â€Å"explicit set of organisational definitions that senior managers communicate formally and reinforce systematically to provide basic values, purpose, and direction for the organisation†.Figure 14-2 Levers of control (Simon’s pg, 305) shows belief systems as â€Å"strategy as Perspective† and â€Å"Obtaining Commitment to the Grand Purpose, this in the context of Airtex Aviation are firstly Ted and Frank have taken control of the business, Ted is President and chief operating officer and Frank is chairmanship. They also have a vision to grow at a rate of 20% per year for the first five years. To implement strategy Ted and Frank decentralised authority an d made each operating activity a profit centre and grouped them by departments.Departments were given authority over his operations. This creates shared beliefs and missions within the business. Employees will be more motivated because of the more control they have and they will have the sense of belonging to the business. Simon’s (1999, pg 764) describes boundary systems as â€Å"explicit statements embedded in formal information systems that define and communicate specific risks to be avoided†. Boundary Systems in the situation of Air Tex Aviation are, Simon’s (1999, pg 297) described as â€Å"rules, limits and proscriptions†.Rules in Airtex Aviation are decentralising the business, installing a control system. Limits introduced are profit centre’s having the authority to buy operating supplies and capital equipment with purchase order limits. A reason for limits is described by Simon’s (1999, pg 297) as â€Å"to allow individual creativi ty within defined limits of freedom†. Proscriptions include removing Sarah Arthur and her accounting system as it was not working and introduce a control system that support’s the management and provides information needed in order to make decisions.The accounting system before gave employees a lack of motivation because they were not involved in the decision making process. Also Simon’s (1999, pg 279) states â€Å"communicate standards of business conduct for all employees†, that’s what the new control system does, involves all employees. My recommendations to AirTex Aviation would be use all four levers of control together as one can’t work without the others. Also I would recommend the company when financially able to perhaps train managers, as most employees have only studied up to high school.Another recommendation would be for the department managers to set out goals for their own departments, use a balance scorecard or something simila r. Moreover, I would also recommend the business owners to draw up perhaps a mission statement or a statement of purpose and distribute it to each manager, so they know the objective and purpose of the business. Overall, the owners have turned the business around and should carry on as they have done so. Question 2 (a) In the article by Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994), most of the interviewees agreed, net present value is superior to payback.I will summarise the views of the five interviewees below. Adam a lecturer was one those that thought that NPV is better than PB. Adam does however think that payback, in Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994) â€Å"works fine for simple, straightforward projects†, but does say how useless it is and NPV gives the right answer and considers time value for money. He also thinks that NPV has no disadvantage whatsoever. He also goes on to say that calculating NPV is easy because of the use of computers. His academic group also agree with him that NPV is superior.Frank chief accountant was one of those interviewed who was against NPV and suspicious of it, describing it as â€Å"dangerous† Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994). He has been using PB for many years and says it is simple to use and NPV is complicated, time consuming and â€Å"conveys spurious accuracy† Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994). He also says that NPV is hard for managers to understand they prefer PB. Simon a senior finance manager thought no appraisal method has â€Å"importance† but believes â€Å"NPV only relevant with high interest rates & long time periods†, Jones, T.C. and Dugdale, D. (1994). He believes that information given to managers should be what they want and accountants should help in making investment decisions not decide which appraisal method to use. Judy a junior finance manager prefers to use NPV rather than PB because it considers time value for money which is important in her view. She also says †Å"NPV gives ability to alter assumptions & identify different outcomes† Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994). She has very strong views for NPV and thinks managers should use this technique only.Managers have studied MBA’s so thinks it will be easy for them to understand. But â€Å"She fears that she may be ‘a victim of my training’ which might have been academic ‘brainwashing’†, Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994). Len a finance officer also says net present value is superior to payback. He doesn’t agree with Adam’s suggestion that â€Å"PB figures might be adjusted to reflect more clearly the results of NPV analysis† Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D, because of ethical rules. (1994).He too like Adam finds calculating NBV easy because of the use of computers. The interviewee’s which I mostly agree with are Len, Judy and Adam this is because, they believe that NPV is superior to PB. Also NPV considers time value of money and is easy to calculate because of the use of computers. I also agree with Judy that managers should be taught NPV because PB is simple and as Adam said NPV should be used for minor projects. (b) Pure reasoning in my view would be coming up with answers which would be the norm and what most people would agree to.An example in B321 case studies would have to be that of Classic Pen Company: Developing an ABC Model. Jane Dempsey came up with information by using methods such as activity based costing used by accountants. Overall, I think pure reasoning would have the most influence on someone’s decision making process this is because most people adhere to the norm they don’t want to be seen as deviant. Also most people would be scared to do otherwise just in case the decision doesn’t turn out to be as expected, which may get them into a lot of trouble. (c)My views have changed since reading the article because, before I thought that calculating net present v alue for investment appraisal was complex and very complicated but both Adam and Len find it easy because of the use of computers. Also before reading the article I thought payback was completely useless and unreliable for investment appraisal but as Adam points out it is fine to use on simple projects. Also another benefit for NPV is that it â€Å"gives ability to alter assumptions & identify different outcomes†, Jones, T. C. and Dugdale, D. (1994) as Judy points out.Both appraisal methods have their benefits, net present value has more benefits overall. Question 3 (a) Total machine hours: 880,000 ? 44,000 = 20 Game Pies: 20 ? 4,000 = 80,000 ? 2000 = ? 40 per batch Pork Pies: 20 ? 40,000 = 800,000 ? 20,000 = ? 40 per batch (b) Set up related: 420,000 ? 200 = 2,100 Pork Pies: 2,100 ? 120 = 252,000 ? 20,000 = ? 12. 60 Game Pies: 2,100 ? 80 = 168,000 ? 2,000 = ? 84 Purchasing related: 240,000 ? 480 = 500 Pork Pies: 500 ? 320 = 160,000 ? 20,000 = ? 8 Game Pies: 500? 160 = 80,000 ? 2,000 = ? 40 Volume related: 44,000 + 88,000 = 132,000 220,000 ? 32,000 = 1. 67 Pork Pies: 1. 67 ? 120,000 = ? 200,400 ? 20,000 = ? 10. 02 Game Pies: 1. 67 ? 12,000 = ? 20,040 ? 2000 = ? 10. 02 Cost centre costs for pork pies per batch: ? 12. 60 + ? 8 + ? 10. 02 = ? 30. 62 Cost centre costs for game pies per batch: ? 84 + ? 40 + ? 10. 02 = ? 134. 02 (c) The difference with activity based costing and traditional costing is, firstly traditional costing only assigns overhead cost: machine hours or direct labour hours to products. Whereas activity based costing uses activities â€Å"for accumulating costs† as described by Atkinson (2004, pg 127).

Friday, November 8, 2019

Hemingways Paris And The American Exodus Essays - Ernest Hemingway

Hemingways Paris And The American Exodus Essays - Ernest Hemingway Hemingway's Paris and the american exodus You are the lost generation, said Gertrude Stein, the woman that knew them well. You could see them sitting in the cafes all day long, busy drinking and socializing, or boxing in the gym, playing tennis. Ernest Hemingway was one of them, one of the many american expatriots that came to Paris in the 1920's. They were mostly writers, some artists, all reunited on the left bank, all in search of happiness and inspiration. Hemingway put his sejour in Paris into words and wrote The Sun also Rises, the book that made him famous and launched hisd career as a prominent novelist. This essay is about Hemingway's Paris and about the city he painted in his books; it is a look at the way he incorporated his own feelings for the place into his litterature and made a great city even greater. America has no souvereign, no personnal loyalty, no aristocracy, no country gentlmen, no palaces, no manors, nor ivied ruins, nor cathedrals, nor little Normand churches ...Paris was a magical millieu that appreciated my stories . After the first world war, the young generation was highly depressed, the war wasn't the heroic quest every youngster dreamt about, but killings and suffering and savagery. America has turned their backs on them and became much more orthodox, with the return of traditional bourgois values. Ans so they decided to exile, artists like Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, John Fitzgerald, maxdor Ford, Sylvia Beach, Robert McAlmon, etc. They were after the discovery of the Europeean culture and Paris was the most international, open, cultural city of them all, where the imagination could roam free and where the writers were appreciated. Paris welcomed them with open hands and a cheap lifestyle. The writers embraced the French culture, the french took it even for granted and with their lifestyle made out of Paris a very lighted place. They didn't mix with the French lot a lot, prefering the stay in the American club and the multicultural left bank. ...when they [Ernest with his wife] arrived in Paris the city was cold, damp, crowded, jolly and beautifull. ... But Paris was a very old city and we were young and nothing was simple there... Ernest arrived in december of 1921, as a young novelist for the Toronto Star, and moved into an appartment, rue Jacob. His wife, Hardly Richardson, was known to him since his childhood and incarnated his best teenage years. He came with an open heart, ready to absorb new experiences, totally in love and very, very happy. He was greeted with a city that welcomed all artists, living together in deep, sometimes nonchalent friendship and a dynamic way of life. The love between him and Paris was complete and everlasting. In that city he spend the best years of his life, in love head over feet, living a bohemic way of life in the gaiest city on earth and crearting books that launched his carreer. It is no coincidence that Hemingway, 40 years after living in the city, wrote A Moving Feast, piece of writing that elevates Paris to quasi spiritual location. Despite that, people that knew him well say that he didn't lead such a bohemic life that legend made, but was seen much more in li! braries reading or in cafes writing then socializing. We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other. Ernest wrote The Sun Also Rises in 1926, it became an instant classic and launched his carrer. The book is in large part autobiography, characters in The Sun ressemble closely Hemingway and his friends. It was written about one year after the events described in the book passed and some critics say that this short interval gives the book the much appreciated freshness. However, Samuel Putnam says that the book "marks the point of clevage between the earlier and latter bath of exiles". The thing is that befor the middle of the 20's, expatriots in Paris, having seen the suffering of the war, came to Paris as rebels, seeking artistic and spiritual freedom. After The Sun Also Rises, Americans coming to Paris came for the Party, for

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Honest Abe (Abe Lincoln) Essays - Bleeding Kansas, Free Essays

Honest Abe (Abe Lincoln) Essays - Bleeding Kansas, Free Essays Honest Abe (Abe Lincoln) INTRODUCTION Abraham Lincoln, Honest Abe, is one of the greatest American Presidents. He is known today for his Presidency in which he fought the Confederacy during the Civil War and abolished slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation and later the Thirteenth Amendment. He was an intelligent, honest, and just leader who governed at a critical time in American history. PRE-PRESIDENCY Lincoln was born on the twelfth of February 1809 in a cabin three miles outside of Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was later forced to move to Indiana. As a child Lincoln worked on his familys farm clearing fields and tending crops. He liked to read but unfortunately received hardly any formal education. In fact, his entire schooling only amounted to about one year of attendance. (Brit. 23) In 1830 Lincolns family moved to Illinois. Lincoln didnt want to be a farmer, so he tried other professions: rail-splitter, flatboat man, storekeeper, postmaster, surveyor, an army man, and a profession in Law. In 1932 Lincoln, at twenty-three years old, decided to run for the Illinois State legislature. Lincoln was to campaign for local improvements such as better roads and canals. However, a war with the Indians broke out before Lincolns campaign could get going. In response, he joined the Army. After his short wartime, Lincoln returned to politics and lost the race of Illinois Legislature. In 1834 he ran again and was elected- second of thirteen. At the age of 25 Lincoln was a member of the Illinois Legislature. After his term in the legislature, Lincoln found he needed more money. So, he started studying law on his own. He accepted a job in Springfield at John Todd Stuarts practice. In the late 1830s Lincoln found the love of his life, Mary Ann Todd, the daughter of a rich banker. She got engaged to Abe in 1840 and the two were married in 1842. They had thee children together, Willie and Tad Lincoln. In 1946 Lincoln won the Whig nomination for a seat in the House of Representatives for Illinois and sat in Congress in 1847. The major issues of the time were the Mexican-American war, which Lincoln opposed, and slavery. Lincoln was not an anti-slavery crusader. However, he did vote in Congress to stop it from spreading. Morally, Lincoln hated slavery and said slaver was founded on both injustice and bad policy. He wanted to abolish slavery over time because he thought dramatic actions to end slavery would lead to violence. Lincoln felt that Congress should not interfere with slavery in states in which it already existed. After his term in Congress, Lincoln left politics again for a full time law practice. In the early 1850s Senator Stephen Douglas opened the issue of slavery in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. In 1854, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska act, allowing the issue of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska to be decided by popular sovereignty. Lincoln was thunderstruck and stunned. This act brought him back into politics. He felt obligated to speak out against the Kansas-Nebraska act. So, after Lincoln left law he traveled across Illinois campaigning for anti-slavery Whigs. In his campaigning Lincoln called slavery a cancer and a monstrous injustice. He said he believed in the Declaration of Independence, which states all men are created equal. However, he wasnt sure of what to do with slavery in the states where it already existed in. In 1856, Lincoln switched from the Whig Party to the Republican Party because the Whigs were weak and could never unite against slavery. Lincoln felt that if he wanted to make a point he would have to be with a strong party. In 1858, Lincoln won the Republican Nomination for the Illinois Senate seat. He wanted the seat of his long time rival, Senator Stephen Douglas. In Lincolns first speech for his Senate campaign Lincoln said, I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. Lincoln warned his opponents that the spread of slavery must be stopped or else it would become lawful in all the states; old as well as new- north as well as south. In July of 1958, Lincoln challenged Senator Douglas to a series of seven three-hour, public debates. Thousands of people showed up to

Monday, November 4, 2019

Marketing report based on industrial analysis Essay

Marketing report based on industrial analysis - Essay Example wing issue that needs to be addressed: due to the high competition in local market managers in Burger King should have alternative marketing tools available. This means that if the positioning of the firm’s products/ services in India is not successful then the re-positioning of the firm should be attempted by emphasizing on different market segments, as explained analytically below. Marketing, as a process, is rather complex. In the literature, emphasis is given to three elements of this process: ‘a) the marketing mix; these are the elements of each firm’s marketing plan; b) the market forces and c) the matching process’ (Payne & Frow 2013, p.12). The above elements of the marketing process interact in the following way: in the context of the marketing mix each organization identifies the criteria that its marketing plan has to meet. Then, the marketing plan is structured accordingly, i.e. it is designed in such way that these criteria can be met. At the next level, the forces that the organization has to face in each market are identified; emphasis is given to those forces that can affect the organization’s marketing plan. Finally, using the matching process the managers of the organization are able to align the marketing plan with the market forces, so that the success of the plan is secured, as possible. Marketing orientation is a term used for showing the alignment of ‘all the activities of each organization with the needs of its customers’ (McCabe 2010, p.117). According to Palmer (2012) in order for a business to promote marketing orientation the following term needs to be met: the business should be fully aware of the needs of its customers, of the performance of its competitors and of the capabilities of its employees. By focusing on marketing orientation Burger King would be able to attract many customers and to set the basis for significant growth in the Indian market. Moreover, the costs of marketing orientation for Burger King could be

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Social Commentators and Modern American Society Research Paper

Social Commentators and Modern American Society - Research Paper Example This is done in light of the fictitious characters and plots that may either be based on fact, or on fiction. In fact, there are many who have successfully pointed out that change emanates from literary works. As literary works are read and analyzed, life in the society gets revisited, with benevolent values being strengthened and malevolent ones being abrogated; and hence the exaction of reforms. Summary On one hand, Gilman’s novel Herland was published in 1915 by the Forerunner and depicts a utopia of a female-only society which reproduces through pathogenesis. The culmination of this development is the realization of an ideal fully functioning social order which is devoid of war, oppression and subservience. On the other hand, there is playwright Arthur’s Miller Death of a Salesman was first premiered on February 10th, 1949. The play is about a father who has a lot of expectations on his sons, especially Biff. Later on, he comes to the harsh reality that he has not b een perfect himself, and commits suicide as an artifice to help Biff start a business. He kills himself in a traffic accident so that his insurer can indemnify Biff and Happy. He assumes that with the indemnity, Biff can start off a business. Interpretive analysis students on key themes: Who were Charlotte Perkins Gilmore and Arthur Miller Arthur A. Miller (1915- 2005) was an American essayist and playwright. Not only did Miller leave a lasting impact in American theatre industry, but he also remained a public figure in the Interwar and the Cold War periods. Miller’s dexterity in literary works is underscored by the Prince of Asturias and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama Awards. Miller’s consciousness for American politics is well underscored by several instances in which he castigated the unjust racist systems in America, even before civil rights movement made an advent. Charlotte Perkins Gilmore (July 3rd, 1860- August 17th, 1935) was an American writer, novelist, poet, short storyteller, sociologist, a nonfiction writer, social reformer, a lecturer and a feminist. As a matter of fact, many scholars and analysts have grouped Gilman as a utopian feminist, since her works were exceptionally suited for women. The veracity of this standpoint is well exemplified by the novel Herland, where she envisions a world that is strictly populated by women and as such, is totally perfect. The Literary Devices Gilmore and Miller Used to Write Their Works there are many literary devices that Miller and Gilmore used to communicate their message. Miller in the play, The Death of a Salesman strongly uses flashbacks to weave his plotline together and into a complex whole. This is seen in the instance where Willy, an old salesperson remembers an instance where he overstated his earnings, and only got to admit this folly when his wife Linda calculated his commission and found an anomaly. It is in this same instance where Willy remembers his conversation with his wife whe re he complained about feeling inadequate about his looks. His wife Linda reassures him that he is good looking. At this point, the playwright lets the audience and analysts into Willy’s insecurity. It is insecurity that leads him into overstating his earnings, and