Cooper Case

Executive Summary In the Case study, Cooper Industries is trying to acquire Nicholson File Company. However, there are two other companies that are interested in Nicholson as well: VLN Corporation and H. K. Porter Company. In 1971, VLN together with Nicholson management constructed a deal that, however, didn’t get the support from the majority of common stockholders. After having done a discounted cash flow analysis, I determined that Nicholson stock is undervalued. Also, Nicholson seems to be a good strategic fit for Cooper. Therefore, Cooper could acquire Nicholson on friendly terms with a relatively large premium to attract the majority of the shares needed. The problem for Cooper is to determine how best to acquire Nicholson and the adequate price to pay. 1. ) and 2. ) In my opinion, Mr. Cizik should make an attempt to gain control of the Nicholson File Company. Cooper Industries has been pursuing a policy of expansion through the acquisition of other companies and this strategy appears to be working well for them. They have acquired a number of companies and have been successful in integrating them into Cooper Industries. They have established three criteria that potential companies for acquisition must meet and Nicholson meets all three criteria. Nicholson holds 50% of the market share in files and rasps, its main products, therefore implying that Cooper could be a â€Å"major factor† in this industry. Nicholson is also a leading company in their markets and it is a stable company in terms of not being dependent on a few major customers. Nicholson has a great deal of potential for greater sales growth as it is only growing sales at 2% compared with the industry average of 7%. Due to the strengths of its products and distribution system they should be capable of raising growth rates to the industry average. The company is further desirable to Cooper as the two companies sales forces could be combined leading to cost savings. Nicholson’s European distribution system could also be very helpful in expanding Cooper’s sales in Europe. As Cooper Industries sells more of their product to industry and Nicholson to the consumer market by combining the companies they may be able to increase sales of both product lines to the market segment they are weaker in. All in all, Mr. Cizik should try to gain control on Nicholson File company as it seems to be a good strategic fit. 3. Nicholson’s firm value derived by the means of DCF analysis amounts to $ 39. 86 mio. After subtracting net debt, the value of Nicholson’s equity amounts to $ 28. 86 mio. meaning an equity value per share of $ 49. 42 (undervalued). This should also be the maximum price that Cooper should afford to pay for Nicholson. 4. Cooper analyzed the benefits of the merger with Nicholson. Cooper estimated that the cost of goods sold after acquiring Nicholson could be reduced from 69% of sales to 65% meaning a dollar value of this synergy of $ 11. 7 Mio. Also, SG&A could be reduced from 22% of sales to 19% of sales resulting in a dollar value of this synergy of $ 8. 45 Mio. These numbers are based on the combined net sales for 1972 using a 7% growth rate in sales from previous net sales (growth of industry level). The opposite distribution of business activity in business and consume r market is likely to result in revenue growth. The numerical effect of this revenue pulling, however, is highly vague at this point in time. 5. The exchange value Cooper could afford to pay out without causing any dilution according to my calculation is $ 37. 2 per share meaning an Exchange Ratio of 1. 55. Thus, we could offer 1. 55 Cooper shares for every Nicholson share they need. This amounts to 133,013 of Coopers shares for 86,000 Nicholson shares. If they wanted to pay cash for the remaining stocks it would then be $37. 12 * 86000 = $ 3. 19 mio. for the remaining stocks needed to gain control via 50. 1% of all shares. Despite the threat of EPS dilution, Cooper might be willing to pay a price higher than $ 37. 12, if the negative short-term effect will be outweighed by positive ones in the ong-run. In general, it is crucial to consider the effect of acquisitions on EPS as a significant, or enduring dilution of EPS will harm the corporation’s performance significantly. 6. I do recommend a loan as capital preferred financing structure. This use of debt rather than equity financing for the acquisition of Nicholson causes a higher return on equity, as well as an increase in the efficiency of existing capital structure. Also, there are tax advantages to be realized through debt financing (tax shield). The ultimate goal would be to maximize shareholder value and this can be supported through a lower WACC resulting from a higher leverage (as effect outweighs increase of risk). The interest on debt is tax deductible resulting in a higher Net Income and, thus, EPS. Nicholson management had accepted an offer from VLN Corporation using convertible stock but rejected a cash offer from H. K Porter. Nicholson may not want cash for their company. If that was the case, Cooper would need to offer cumulative convertible stock. 7. With an exchange ratio of 2, about 78% of the new firm would be owned by Cooper. The relatively high exchange ratio would result in a severe reduction of control to Nicholson’s shareholder (22%). Under the given circumstances with an exchange ratio of 2, the acquisition premium for paid would be $ 14 per share. The minimum synergies required that this offer makes sense would be $ 8. 18 Mio. Given my synergy valuation from task 4, this would definitely be a realistic achievement. 8. Porter bought Nicholson’s shares with the intention to take over the company themselves. However, as they weren’t able to acquire enough shares required to buy the company, they are now looking to tender their shares. Obviously, they’d like to do this profitably and, thus, their primary concerns are the price- and liquidity-level. They try to get the most value out of their stocks, so price is of primary importance in a bargaining process with them. Nevertheless, they want to be able to quickly liquidate their stocks meaning a preference for cash payments. They expressed that convertible preferred stock was acceptable as they assume Cooper stock to be stable and easily tradable on the NYE. The speculators/ unaccounted for shareholders would also be primarily concerned with price. These shareholders may be tempted to buy or not to buy based on what Nicholson family and its management suggests they do. Thus, one possible way to reach these group of shareholders may be through management. Due to this influence, the family Nicholson and its management have a greater bargaining position as implied by their shares. They are interested in more than just the price. The management is not highly attracted to a takeover, but they know they no longer have a choice. So, at least, they wish to see Nicholson remain autonomous within any acquiring company. Nicholson’s management and family is most likely not willing to sell the majority of their shares for cash; They wish to maintain a stake in the company. As a result, Cooper would need to offer a stock exchange. VLN, as Coopers bidding competitor, is unlikely to be willing to sell their shares to Cooper for a reasonable price. Ex-Post: In 1972 Cooper industries acquired Nicolson File Company Two Cooper Industries Inc. Based on the given information in the case study regarding the acquisition of Nicholson File Company by Cooper Industries, there is no question that Cooper should try to gain control of Nicholson. This decision is based on an analysis of the bargaining positions of each group of Nicholson stockholders which have disparate goals and needs that need to be met. In addition, an appropriate payment method and specific dollar value based on a competitoraâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer and Cooper financial data was decided. The remainder of this paper will provide the analysis and rationale for this determination. Should Cooper Industries Acquire Nicholson File Company? Cooper Industries has been expanding through diversification since 1996. Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s requirements to acquire a company has three major components. The target company must be: 1. In an industry in which Cooper could become a major player 2. In an industry that is fairly stable, with a broad market for the products and a product line of aâ‚ ¬? small ticketaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ items; and 3. A leader in its market segment. When looking at the criteria that Cizikaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s company (Cooper Industries), set forth relative to acquisitions, the acquisition of Nicholson meets all three objectives plus has significant potential short and long-term potential. Cooper management feels that by eliminating redundancy and streamlining Nicholsonaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s operations this potential can be realized. Currently, Nicholsonaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial history boasts a 2% increase in profit annually but this percentage is way below the industry average of 6%. Cooper management proposed that if Nicholson stops selling to every market, increased efficiencies would result and cut cost of goods sold from 69% of sales to 65%. It was also suggested that the acquisition could lower selling, general, and administrative expenses from 22% of sales to 19%. Nicholsonaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s position in the file and rasp market where it holds a 50% market share of a $50 million dollar market meets all three of Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s objectives. Furthermore, Nicholsonaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s brand name within the hand saw and saw blade industry is strong and Nicholson holds a 9% market share in the $200 million dollar aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" their only major competitor was Sears and Diston who held a larger market share. Shareholder Standings At the time of the proposed merger between Nicholson File and VLN, there were a total of approximately 584,000 Nicholson shares outstanding. H. K. Porter had not purchased enough shares to hold majority control, and this situation provided Cooper with yet another opportunity to acquire Nicholson. Nicholson and Porter stockholders had their own concerns, as well as bargaining positions, and if Cooper was to acquire Nicholson they had to address all of their concerns and convince them that the merger was a mutually beneficial proposition. The table below, Exhibit 7 in the case study, shows the estimated disposition of shares in early 1972: Estimated Distribution of Nicholson File Company Stock_______________ Shares supporting Cooper H. K. Porter 177,000 Cooper Industries 29,000206,000 Shares supporting VLN Nicholson family and management117,000 Owned by VLN 14,000 131,000 Shares owned by speculators 50,000 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 100,000 Shares unaccounted for 197,000 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 147,000 Total Nicholson shares outstanding 584,000 Shareholder Concerns There are three major groups of shareholders that Cooper must consider when putting together their offer to acquire Nicholson. These groups are Nicholson, H. K. Porter, and the group of Unaccounted for Shares and Spectator Shares. Nicholson File Company Loss of control – Nicholson managementaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s greatest fear was loss of operating control. The company had been in the Nicholson family for years, and if Cooper expected to gain support for the offer by Nicholson and gain at least 86,000 shares to tip them over the majority (206,000 + 86,000 = 292,000; 584,000/2 = 292,000) they would need to guarantee them that they would work with the current management to maintain the identity and image of Nicholson. Additionally, Wall Street investors would view the maintenance of Nicholson management as a stabilizing factor in the merger. Loss of product lines aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Whichever company acquired Nicholson, there was no doubt that aggressive cost cutting measures would be pursued; this would undoubtedly mean marginal product lines would cease to exist. Although Cooper could not emphatically guarantee that nothing would change, they could guarantee that they would work with Nicholson to determine if improvements could be made to product lines at risk and thereby maintain their existence, or at the least–include Nicholson management in the decision making alternatives. H. K. Porter Stock valuation – If the merger with VPN were successful, Porter would receive VLN preferred stock for their 177,000 Nicholson shares. VLN stock performance had been dreary, and did not show any signs of growth in the short-term. This would make it difficult for them to sell the shares of VLN on the American Stock Exchange which does not trade in large blocks. Additionally, from the years 1968 to 1971, VLN net sales had grown only 3% from $97 million to $100 million. Net income actually decreased by almost 7% for the same time period from $3. 2 million to $2. 98 million. Quick Sale aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Porter will most likely sell their shares immediately after the deal is closed. They will do this because they no longer will have an interest in acquiring Nicholson, and history has shown many times over that share prices will fall rather quickly as mergers do not create synergies through added value or earnings growth. Unaccounted For Shares and Spectator Shares Valuation and Sustainability aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" This voting bloc has the same concerns as Porter relative to share pricing, but is more concerned with sustainability unlike Porter who is concerned with making a quick dollar. They own a lot more shares, estimated between 150,000-200,000 shares, and are not certain that VLN Corporation projected figures are truthful. VLN Corporation has not paid consistent dividends for many quarters, and has not shown any real growth, yet is still offering to match Nicholsonaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s $1. 60 dividend rate as part of the merger deal. Shareholder Negotiations Both Nicholson and Porter had strong postures regarding the merger, and Cooper needed both companies to bless the merger to get it approved by a majority of the stockholders. Cooper only owned 29,000 shares and needed a total of 292,000 shares to gain a majority. Nicholson and Unaccounted Shares The Nicholson family and management owned 117,000 shares. However, the speculation was that 150,000-200,000 of the unaccounted for shares would vote with the Nicholson family. This amount of shares would give Nicholson immense bargaining power. Cooper knew that their offer would have to be as good, if not better than VLNaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer, as Nicholson management wholeheartedly supported the merger with VLN. H. K. Porter Porter owned 177,000 shares. This was a major voting bloc and gaining their support was essential. Luckily, Porter was eager to work with Cooper because they believed their VLN preferred stock would only be worth $23. 12 in the first year (essentially worthless). Therefore, their support would be mutually beneficial and easier to garner. Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Offer to Acquire Nicholson As has been detailed above, each group of shareholders has their own concerns and bargaining power. Cooper has to induce both Nicholson and Porter that their offer is more than fair, and as a result, all three companies and shareholders will profit. Since Nicholson has an offer pending from VLN, it is imperative that Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer is better than VLNaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s proffer. The VLN offer includes that (1) the exchange would be a tax-free transaction, (2) the $1. 60 preferred dividend equaled the current rate on the Nicholson stock, (3) a preferred share was worth a minimum of $53. 10. At the time of the proposed offer, the closing price of Cooper stock was $24 per share. In order to match the bid by VLN, Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer would have to be greater than two-for-one for each Nicholson share. The offer would need to be in the range of 2. 5/2. 50:1 to be greater than the $53. 10 offer pending. It is of extreme importance to Nicholson that they maintain control. In mergers, culture clashes are often the aâ‚ ¬? kiss-of-death. aâ‚ ¬? Cooper has a sincere offer to maintain the integrity of the company and Nicholson would be wise to consider Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer as their goals and interests for the long-term are mutual. Cooper has a history of successful mergers and acquisitions, which should be of some comfort to Nicholson as they will be acquired by some company or group of investors. H. K. Porter Requirements Since Porter was not able to gain a majority vote, they are willing to side with Cooper over VLN. Porter realizes that a merger between Cooper and Nicholson will give them the opportunity to convert shares of Nicholson into Cooper stock aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a much more enticing proposition than that of VLN. Cooper needs to guarantee Porter that the exchange will be tax-free, and that the Nicholson stock he converts will be worth at least $50 each. Unaccounted for Shares and Spectator Shares The offer to this voting alliance will need to be greater than the $53. 10 per share offer by VLN. They will also want the exchange to be tax-free to avoid capital gains taxes. As has been mentioned above, this group will most likely side with the Nicholson family so if the Nicholson family is satisfied, then this group will be also. Payment Considerations There are several considerations that Cooper management must take into account prior to deciding the specifics of the offer they will give Nicholson File Company in terms of dollar value and the form of payment. The form of payment may include an offer of cash, stock, debt or some combination of the payment options. Furthermore, Cooper not only has to consider Nicholson shareholders when determining what to offer, but it also needs to take into account the other 80% of the shares publicly held, including a substantial percentage of shares held by competitor H. K. Porter. As previously described, one of the challenges Cooper is facing in this acquisition is to ensure a satisfactory offer that appeals to a sufficiently broad range of shareholders with different interests. This includes H. K. Porter which currently holds about 25% of the total outstanding shares and which recently failed in its attempted acquisition of Nicholson. Also, the Nicholson family that founded Nicholson File Company currently owns approximately 20% of its own shares. The Nicholson family had also rejected Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s acquisition overtures three years earlier so Cooper management is aware of how precise the offer has to be to get Nicholson ownership to sign off on the deal. Another 50% of Nicholson shares are held by speculators and by other unknown parties. Form of Payment & Dollar Value The form of payment and the parameters for the dollar value offer that may be accepted by Nicholson management is exhibited in the described failed and accepted acquisition offer in the case study of Cooper (see Chart #1 below). The acquisition offers by both H. K. Porter, $42 per share in cash and VLN Corporation, $53. 10 in convertible stock, help provide at least a range within which Cooper may tailor its offer. Based on these two offers, it appears that the appropriate form of payment should be Cooper cumulative convertible stock. The primary basis for this recommendation is that Nicholson management had already accepted an offer from VLN Corporation using convertible stock but rejected a cash offer from H. K Porter. This is consistent with Chang and Suk (1998) research which found that aâ‚ ¬? cash offers are more likely than stock offers to have termination initiated by the target firm. aâ‚ ¬? It is also believed that if Nicholson management signs off on any merger, speculators and the unknown portion of shareholders will go along with the merger. However, one negative aspect of using stock is that aâ‚ ¬? cquisitions of public targets result in insignificant bidder returns to the acquirer when stock is offeredaâ‚ ¬?. (Chang & Suk, 1998) is this a direct quote, if so we need the reference) Cooper management believes strongly that the Nicholson acquisition will not result in negative returns due to the potential improvements that can be made through simple reorganization of some Nicholson operating businesses. Also, it appears an exchange of stock is appropriate because Cooper currently only has $9 million in cash on hand and would need to incur significant debt in order to offer a decent cash offer. It already has $5 million in long-term debt due and $34 million in long-term debt outstanding, levels significant enough that may prevent Cooper management from considering a cash offer for Nicholson. Competitor Acquisition Offer Details Type of offerOffer price per shareDividendsTax FreeOffer Accepted/Rejected H. K. CooperCash$42NoNoNo VLN CorporationConvertible stock$53. 10YesYesYes VLN and Porter Offer Details Since Nicholson management has already accepted VLN Corporationaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer, it is clear that the terms Cooper needs to offer would have to exceed those already offered by VLN. VLNaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer included one share of VLN cumulative convertible stock for each individual share of Nicholson stock, preferred shares value at a minimum of $53. 10, $1. 60 preferred dividend equaling the current rate of Nicholson common stock, and convertible into five shares the first three years and four the fourth year. In addition, the offer was desirable since the exchange of stock would be tax-free as opposed to a cash offer. According to Dhaliwal et al (2005), to qualify as a aâ‚ ¬? tax-free acquisitionaâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦tax laws require that the acquirer use its own stock as payment. aâ‚ ¬? However, Cooper also has to consider the demands of H. K. Porter in order to get approval for the merger. H. K. Porter has indicated that it will not part with its shares (25% of total shares) and support the merger unless it receives aâ‚ ¬? Cooper common or convertible securities in a tax-free exchange worth at least $50 for each Nicholson share it holds. aâ‚ ¬? This demand is below the current book value of $51. 25 for Nicholson common stock, but above the $44 per share on the open market. The final consideration that assists with setting up the range for an appropriate offer that may be accepted by a simple majority of shareholders is the total value of Nicholson stock. With 584,000 shares of Nicholson File Company Stock and at $44 per share, this amounts to a total market value of $25,696,000. Therefore, in order to make the offer attractive, Cooper will have to make an offer that exceeds the market value of all of the stock but will have to ensure that the offer is not too high that it affects Cooperaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s long-term plans to continue to pursue acquisitions. A basic rule for Cooper acquisitions is that they bring significant long-term returns on the acquisitions as well as steady growth in earnings per share. Recommended Offer The number of convertible shares of Cooper stock at $24, the last closing price, for each Nicholson share would have to be just above 2:1 in order to match VLNaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s $53. 10 offer. So, Cooper should offer convertible stock fixed at 2-1/2:1 within the first five years after the offering. This amounts to an offer of $60 per Nicholson share. This would not only exceed VLNaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer per share but would also help make up the deficit in dividends, $1. 40 by Cooper and $1. 60 by VLN, and make the offer more attractive to Nicholson shareholders. Overall, this offer would not only exceed VLNaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer currently approved by Nicholson management, but would also likely gain the approval of the shares held by speculators and unknown investors. In addition, this offer meets the payment method required by H. K. Porter for its Nicholson shares, and actually exceeds the $50 minimum offer per share it had requested. As a result, it appears that Cooper should be successful persuading Nicholson shareholders and unaccounted for shareholders to accept the offer, and in return acquire at least 80% of the outstanding Nicholson shares of stock

Advertisment

Whether we find advertisements on radio, television, Internet, newspapers, or roads, they have become a part of our daily life. Basically, wherever we look, we will certainly find an advertisement that Is somewhere. Advertisements are a tool to promote a certain product in various ways so it can reach potential customers or just to inform people of what product they produce. Frank (2005) illustrates that advertisements seek to convince costumers to buy products. Advertisers use it publish advertisements Just to manipulate the people without taking in consideration if it is ethical or not.So, advertisers manipulate people by the use of weasel word, and pathos. Words have the power that can Inspire and attract humans. Advertisers use words to convince customers to buy their product, but they can't advertise words that break the law in their country. So advertisers found a way that will prevent them from a facing legal action which is weasel words. Weasel words â€Å"appear to say one thing when in fact they say the opposite or nothing at all,† (Lutz, 2012, p. 248). This means that weasel words imply something, but in reality nothing has been said or eel Information has been delivered.Let's take the phrase â€Å"Up to 50% or whatever percentage off' as an example. First when we read this, we think and look only on the number 50% because it means it is half of the original price and we ignore the phrase â€Å"up to† which is the most important part. â€Å"Up to† is a misleading statement that does not mean exactly the number that comes after it, but it means that, for example, the discount can either be 30, 20 percent or no discount at all. This statement is technically correct, but it tricks and misleads people by the number that allows.Advertising can effectively manipulate people by weasel words through many ways as people Just pay attention the words that come after the weasel word. Though weasel words perhaps the most common way of manipu lating people, there is another technique used in the advertising manipulation, which is the use of pathos. Pathos is considered as one of the most powerful tool that can easily change one's emotions toward something. Armstrong (2010) explained that advertisement can achieve the satisfaction of consumers when they use the product by using emotional element In advertising.Manipulate people through emotions Is an effective way to mislead people because people can't refuse or Ignore emotions. Let's take the example of women being concerned about their appearance. Not just that, but also what they are required to do in order to be perfect. Advertisers use this weakness to promote cream products in which they show women how they are going to look after using the product. They promote the ads in many places, especially In fashion magazines, as they know that women like to read this type of magazines. As a result, omen go ahead and buy the product beveling that It will benefit them.After u sing it, they realize that they have been fooled by the advertisement. The problem here is that they know that the cream wont change anything, but the emotional appeal they face forces and convinces them to buy it. Another example is the use of celebrities to promote a certain product. Advertisers use celebrities to try and play with their emotions. When a female, especially a teenage girl, sees her lovely celebrity wearing something new or anything related to the new fashion, she Is very likely to try to liberty ‘look and are given tips on how to ‘get her look† (2012, p 92).Moreover, they did not only find a way to manipulate females, but also they are targeting males. Even though men are less emotional, but when it comes to women portraying a product in a certain way, their emotions start to emerge. â€Å"In advertising, the use of highly attractive models is believed to be effective in increasing sales† (TTS & Change, 2007, p. 1). For example, my friend w anted to buy an off-road light from eBay. When he searched, many products appeared to him and all of them were at the same price. One of the advertisements was a woman carrying the light.Once he saw this, he was attracted to the advertisement, which made him buy this particular product and not any of the rests. Hence, advertisers know exactly where they can trick people, especially by targeting their emotions. However, though advertisements are known to manipulate people, it is important to know that it has a positive side. Advertisements can be informative somehow. For instance, there are many advertisements about health, government services, and new products. Advertisements create awareness about useful events and donation aiming.For example, as people know, donating blood is very important because it can save a life. So, through advertisements, we can know when and where we can donate. Also, it keeps us updated with the latest technology. For example, when Mercedes-Benz released the new S-Class model, they informed us about the new functions are included in the new model. After all, advertisements are here Just to inform us and tell us about the products and services that are available. Also it is a consumer's decision to buy or not because it is their responsibility to distinguish teen harmful and beneficial advertisements.But in reality, some people do not want to think before buying. They rush quickly after they see the ad without even thinking for a second. In addition to that, it does not make the advertisement innocents because they are really manipulating us to buy their products. They have to recognize that it is not ethical, and the government should censor the content of advertisements, which will prevent them from using the techniques that I mentioned above and also other hidden ways they use to manipulate us. In conclusion, advertisements have a negative impact on people.

Channeling My Energy

At nine years old, I wouldn’t walk into supermarkets; I would fly. I would grip the cool metal handles of the towering shopping carts with my childishly hot hands and push off with one foot, propelling myself into infinity. The only thing that could bring me back to earth were my mother’s disapproving looks and barely successful attempts to make me â€Å"Slow down!† or â€Å"Come back here† since I might â€Å"plow into someone.† At school, the poster-plastered walls seemed to close in after long days, edging closer and closer until I felt energy-induced claustrophobia creeping up my spine. The blue and green and yellow of the carpet and walls and finger paintings tumbled and blurred as I turned myself upside down and shifted my weight onto my surprisingly steady palms. â€Å"No handstands in the classroom!† my teacher would admonish, kneeling beside me and gently lowering me to the floor, afraid my precarious center of gravity would soon destabilize. â€Å"You have to learn to stay seated.† To little me, this seemed just too much to ask; sitting down for such long periods seemed a feat only someone as grown up as she could accomplish. It wasn’t long before my teachers started making other comments. Soon it wasn’t just â€Å"You need to learn to stay seated,† but things like â€Å"Paige is slightly immature and behind the other children socially† and â€Å"Maybe you should consider keeping Paige back a grade so she has time to mature and settle down.† My mother knew she had to do something. Suddenly I was sitting in an over-air-conditioned room with a smiling lady who showed me flashcards of dogs and fire trucks and houses, and prompted me to repeat as many as I could remember. She gave me different samples of sounds, testing how long I could remain focused on the voice crackling through the recorder. I was too young to know that she was testing my attention span and mannerisms for ADHD. After I was positively diagnosed, my mother enrolled me in gymnastics to address my overabundant energy. I was mesmerized by the many ways I could contort my body and the countless flips I could execute in midair. The possibility of moving into the advanced group with the older girls motivated me to spend my boundless energy tumbling and balancing in the gym, instead of sprinting and rolling in the supermarket. I soon realized that this solution could be applied to other areas of my life – even those that weren’t physical. After all, I didn’t merely have an excess of physical energy, but mental energy as well. The world seemed to me an incredibly complicated tapestry, and I wanted to unravel its mysteries thread by thread. When I was 10 years old, my brother introduced me to the wonderful world of the fiction novel. From that day on, I was hooked. Stories of vampires and werewolves and witches and warlocks from other worlds swirled in my mind; I constantly had my head in a book. To this day, I continue burning my mental energy on novels, although my tastes have transitioned from teen fiction to classics like Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. But merely reading words on a page wasn’t enough. Somewhere inside me, I had created my own worlds, unbeknownst to my conscious mind. The day that my hand picked up a pen and put it to paper remains blurry in my memory; it is almost as though it happened of its own volition. I soon became addicted to the beauty of the English language, to the way hard consonants could be combined to elicit a sense of urgency and anger in a reader, and the way liquid consonants could be melded to coax out a sense of calm and happiness. High school came speeding toward me like a freight train, and instead of fully embracing the four years to come, I felt my excess energy – whether it be physical, creative, or inquisitive – made me different from everyone else. I was that teenager who pored over classic literature and wrote poetry for fun. The summer of eleventh grade, fate brought me to the moment when I discovered I was not alone in these pursuits. It was the first hot summer night of the Iowa Young Writer’s Workshop, and listening and observing the other teens around me, I felt the sense that I’d arrived at my intellectual home. Here were peers whose minds were always buzzing and whose hearts were always open. They were propelled by the same abounding energy that I was. They too understood the law of physics stating that energy could neither be created nor destroyed, only changed. And they, like me, had chosen to channel it into something positive.

Art in the Stone Age Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Art in the Stone Age - Research Paper Example The essay "Art in the Stone Age" discovers Stone Age's art. Despite the fact that there is no ‘written’ record of these people and their beliefs, the artwork they produced reveals much about the way they thought, what they believed and the technologies they had developed for the easing of everyday concerns or needs. Although both the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods are named for the dependence upon stone as the primary material for everything from tools to shelters, these two eras are distinctly different in the ideas expressed and the technologies mastered evidenced in their artwork as these objects were created. Although it is traditionally thought these two eras are easily marked by a profound shift in social development, this study will show that Paleolithic cave paintings are a highly innovative technology reveling a society far more advanced that previously thought. According to Phillip Myers (1904), early Paleolithic art is essentially non-existent. Based upon t hose items that have been found, the early Paleolithic period is marked by a concentration on the production of chipped flint tools with an occasional use of bones, horns, tusks or other material to assist in cutting, scraping and other survival needs. â€Å"What we know of Paleolithic man may be summed up as follows: he was a hunter and fisher; his habitation was a cave or rock shelter; his implements were in the main roughly shaped flints; he had no domestic animals save possibly the dog and the reindeer; he was ignorant.

Management Accounting - World Class Manufacturing Essay

Management Accounting - World Class Manufacturing - Essay Example Current trends emphasize world class manufacturing (WCM) which highlights maximum manufacturing efficiency in businesses, and customer and workforce satisfaction. WCM is regarded as "manufacturing systems which demonstrates best industry practice( World Class Manufacturing)." Accordingly, a world class manufacturer is a firm which displays excellence in key competitive points like quality, price, delivery speed, delivery reliability, flexibility and innovation. Its main features is the utilization of a total quality management (TQM) approach, highly flexible and motivated workforce, Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing philosophy, and the pursuit of satisfying customers at a global level. Consistent with the goal of a world class manufacturer, TQM denotes a set of management practices within the organization which are implemented to ensure the quality of products and services offered. The primary goal of TQM is the production of commodities which consistently meets or even exceeds customer requirements. This feature of world class manufacturing emphasizes process measurement and controls to pursue continuous improvement (John Stark Associates 2000). However, TQM does not just involve the production system or processes of the company but embraces the whole operation of a manufacturing business. Implementing TQM involves modifying the whole organization as it has strong bearing on the culture, attitude, and organization of the company. TQM culture requires the unmatched quality in all aspects of the company's operations "with things being done right first time, and defects and waste eradicated from operations (John Stark Associates 2000)." Important aspects of TQM incl ude customer-driven quality, top management leadership and commitment, continuous improvement, fast response, actions based on facts, employee participation, and a TQM culture (John Stark Associates 2000). A flexible and highly motivated workforce is another essential feature of WCM. As discussed above, WCM as opposed to the traditional manufacturing implements a totally innovative approach in operations which has a huge impact on employees. WCM needs a flexible workforce as these employees will not handle production in the traditional assembly line. WCM often requires teams which work together to finish an output. Specialization of jobs is often displaced in WCM replaced by "job enrichment." This new approach is intended to eliminate boredom and lessen employee dissatisfaction. Job enrichment is geared to "expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency (Mione 2005)." Thus, in WCM it is imperative that employees are flexible to take on a more responsibilities. Motivation is also increased as jobs are "enriched" and employees become are empowered. Motivation, in turn is a great factor in the success of WCM. In this new manu facturing approach, employees need to be motivated to excel in their job to produce the best job results. A highly flexible and motivated workforce results into a high quality product which is the main goal of WCM. JIT is a manufacturing philosophy which aims to

Smart phones Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Smart phones - Research Paper Example enhancements in technical specifications such as battery life screen size, storage ability, and connectivity of broadband increases the sustainability of smart phones (Berkman, 2012). Cell phones history is both interesting and mysterious. The beginning of cell phones, just as the computers, was with humungous cell phones which first diminished in size from small to smaller to smallest as the years passed by. The pioneer of screen resolution focused was iPhone as it marked the beginning of growth of size of cell phones again. Mobile revolution started in 1973 when Martin Cooper first invented the cell phone. At that time, this cell phone was a colossal machine which was capable of making and receiving calls. The History of smart phones is a lengthy one. It al first began in 1946 when AT&T fist established the first ever mobile phone network. June 17. 1946 was the first time a truck driver made the first ever cell phone call (Berkman, 2012). With improvements in technology and mass media in the entire world, mobile phones were also positively affected by these activities. They also went through a process of innovation and development where their electronic functions abilities enhanced, better functionality of antennas, and other features allowed them to travel forward to this new dimension of the smart phone world (Zheng, 2006). Smart phone concept was then institutionalized in 1974 when Theodore George Paraskevakos patented the fundamental concept of smart phone. The paperwork was filed in U.S Patent office in 1972 for the mechanism for making and transferring digital information. Subsequently, IBM followed the suet and combined the PDA making the Simon personal Communicator and cell phone in 1994 with combination of text messaging, emailing, and faxing. Additionally making calls was added to this list. This device was sold for $1099 but again only for $899 if a two year contract was signed up by the retailer (Berkman, 2012). This decade that is called the 90s

Competitive Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competitive Strategy - Essay Example The offshoot is that film companies or online retail sites such as Amazon.com can afford to analyze each consumer data and provide specific services and product characteristics that meet his profile requirements. The processes involved take a few seconds to finish due to the sheer speed of today's broadband technology. The data generated by Internet technology allows movie distributors to tailor their offerings according to several variables such as the demand, the availability, popularity, and other factors that are revealed in the individual client data. It has become easier, hence, for film companies to introduce price formation, price differentiation and price bundling (Meier and Stormer 2009, 21). The efficacy of the Internet as a film-selling platform is underscored by the research that found about 121 million Internet users per month streamed or downloaded video in the United States back in 2007 and that this was expected to swell to 165 million by 2011 (Plunkett 2009). Anothe r important dimension to e-commerce is the benefit brought about by the digitalization of films. As films are compressed into digital files, Internet users can download them easily besides buying hard copies such as those in DVD and Blu-ray formats. As a result film distributors can now offer different products and could package films either for sale, for rent or for subscription (OPEC 2009, 45).

Correlation of how many student took the LSATs and how many students Essay

Correlation of how many student took the LSATs and how many students actually got accepted into law school - Essay Example In essence, Law Schools will try to place higher LSAT requirements for students so that they are protrayed as having higher standards and so that they compete effectively. LSAC implemented the requirement to ensure uniformity in the criteria that member schools used to admit students to their law programs. However, the validity of LSAT has come under controversy considering that there is a possibility that students who might be proficient could be left out by LSAT requirement. A study conducted by Domino & Domino established that 54% of those students who passed the LSAT actually proved that the test was valid. The study was conducted on first year students using their average scores in various Law Schools and involved 726 students (12). However, Domino & Domino also explain that the values were very different across schools. Controversies have also recently arisen over cheating where some students hire other people to take the tests for them. The general realization from these findings is that there are other factors that influence the LSAT other than the standardization requirement by the schools. For instance, Law Schools might make the tests extremely difficult so that they appear as having high quality students and therefore influence the admission of their graduates to the mainstream practising of the Law. The essence of tests is not to lock out candidates but to ensure that only those candidates with the correct qualifications are admitted. The following paper seeks to establish the nature of correlation between the number of students who take LSAT and the ones who actually get admitted in Law schools so as to determine whether most students who take the exams fail or pass. According to Burdette, â€Å"LSAT is usually administered by the Law School Admissions Council a non-profit organization†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (4) and the general realization is that Law Schools realized that they needed

Legislative and Executive Powers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legislative and Executive Powers - Coursework Example ess the emotionally-fueled anger of the people because of the impending threats by extremists groups allowed Congress to pass a bill that was not well-planned in a relatively short time. The Patriot Act was passed only 45 days after the 9/11 attacks to provide a solution to the breach in national security. Many regard this law as a legal means for the government to spy on virtually any person. The wide reach of the law allows surveillance of private individuals that extends to their phone conversations, internet communications and even bank transactions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is granted the power to National Security Letters known as NSLs without judicial intervention which allows them access to the mentioned personal information. Those issued with NSLs have ‘gag orders’ prohibiting them to disclose (American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU], 2011). Several courts have declared this provision to be unlawful. A San Francisco federal district court judge st ruck down as unconstitutional the provisions of the law in this regard last year on an action brought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (Sledge, 2013). Sledge, C. (2013, Mar. 15). National security letter gag orders struck down as unconstitutional (Update). The Huffington Post. Retrieved from

Money and Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Money and Happiness - Essay Example Material wealth influences happiness. This depends on the ability of such materials to satisfy the needs of an individual. The fact that more money gives one the freedom of acquiring material property implies that it can directly make one happier. Motivation psychologically helps define individuals. People have varied motivations in life, which in turn influences their definition of happiness. This explains the misconception that there is a relationship between earning more money and being happier in life. Happiness and satisfaction arise from achieving personal goals and ambitions. Money is most often a motivation in many people’s lives; people work hard in order to earn more money, thus making their lives comfortable. Money contributes to happiness but only as a motivation since people achieve some of their life aspirations through money earned. Whenever an individual achieves his or her objectives in life by earning more money or by setting up a successful business, the suc cess contributes to their happiness. However, the process of earning more money is likely to present more challenges and possibly lead to conflicts. This is the situation which affirms that money will not necessarily lead to happiness. Happiness is an emotional or mental state of feeling good about one’s self. This is normally characterized by joy, contentment, and pleasant emotions, among other similar psychological states. It is, therefore, a fundamental human attribute that influences physical and psychological well-being. The definition of happiness and the factors that lead to it are varied. This leads to the social discussion of the relationship between money and happiness.

Settling the Northern Colonies Vocabulary Essay Example for Free

Settling the Northern Colonies Vocabulary Essay 1. John Calvin: 1. Protestant leader 2. Created dominant religion of American settlers 3. Wrote theories in Institutes of the Christian Religion 2. Anne Hutchinson: 1. Lived in Massachusetts Bay Colony 2. Promoted antinomianism 3. Banished and forced to walk and settle on Rhode Island 3. Roger Williams: 1. Wanted to break from the Church of England 2. Though Massachusetts Bay Colony was unfair to the Indians; banished 3. Built Baptist Church in Rhode Island; complete freedom of religion and shelter for Jews, Catholics, and Quakers 4. Henry Hudson: 1. English explorer 2. Filed a Dutch claim to what he thought was a shortcut through the continent 3. Employed by the Dutch East India Company 5. William Bradford: 1. Lived in Plymouth 2. Elected Governor 3. Feared the non-puritan settlers 6. Peter Stuyvesant: 1. Led a small Dutch military expedition 2. Called the Swedish Settlement that he took New Amsterdam 3. Forced to surrender without firing a single shot by an English squadron 7. Thomas Hooker: 1. Prominent Puritan colonial leader 2. Founded the Colony of Connecticut 3. Outstanding speaker and a leader of universal Christian suffrage 8. William Penn: Founded the Colony of Pennsylvania King Charles II handed over a piece of his American land to satisfy a debt Improved relations between whites and Indians 9. John Winthrop: First governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served for 19 years Successful attorney and manor lord in England Eagerly accepted offer to become a governor because he believed he had a â€Å"calling† from God to lead the new religious experiment 10. King Philip (Metacom): Massasoit’s son Forged an intertribal unity Mounted a series of coordinated assaults on English villages 11. John Cotton: Massachusetts Bay minister who was prominent among the early clergy Puritan who immigrated to Massachusetts to avoid persecution for his criticism of the Church of England Devoted his education to defending the governments duty to enforce religious rules in the Bay Colony 12. Sir Edmond Andros English military man Generated much hostility because of his open affiliation with the Church of England Taxed the people without consent and strove to enforce the Navigation Laws 13. William and Mary: English rulers Kicked James II out of England (exiled into France), and allowed more power to legislatures Ended the Dominion of New   England, giving power back to the colonists 14. Massasoit: Wampanoag chieftain Signed a treaty with the Plymouth Pilgrims Helped the Pilgrims celebrate their first Thanksgiving 15. Fernando Gorges: Attempted to colonize Plymouth Plymouth was absorbed by Massachusetts Bay after a purchase by the Gorges heirs Was called the Father of English Colonization in North America 16. Myles Standish: Soldier of fortune Indispensible as an Indian fighter and negotiator One of the nonbelongers 17. Martin Luther: German Friar who ignited a fire of religious reform, the Protestant Reformation Nailed his protests against Catholic doctrines to the door of Wittenberg’s cathedral in 1597 Denouncing the authority of priests and popes, he declared that the Bible alone was the source of God’s word 18. Squanto: Taught English by a ship’s captain Befriended the settlers Facilitated Cultural Accommodation 19. Franchise: An authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities The right to vote The territory over which such a license extends 20. Predestination: The doctrine that God has foreordained all things, especially that God has elected certain souls to eternal salvation The divine decree foreordaining all souls to either salvation or damnation The act of God foreordaining all things gone before and to come 21. Freemen: A person who is entitled to full political and civil rights A person who is not a slave or serf A person who enjoys political and civil liberties 22. â€Å"Visible saints† People who appeared to be godly Christian people who would go to heaven when they died Strict Puritans in colonial days only allowed visible saints to worship with them. They were revered because they were open about their beliefs 23. Conversion: Spiritual change from sinfulness to righteousness change from one religion, political belief, viewpoint, etc., to another The act or process of converting; state of being converted 24. Doctrine of a Calling: A doctrine believed by John Winthrop instructing him to do Gods work Sent from God Many Puritans believed it also told them to do Gods work 25. Covenant: An agreement A formal written agreement between two or more people, businesses, countries, etc a usually formal, solemn, and binding Agreement 26. Antinomianism: The theological doctrine that by faith and Gods grace a Christian is freed  from all laws one who holds that under the gospel dispensation of grace The moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation one who rejects A socially established morality 27. Sumptuary Laws: Laws intended to restrain or limit the expenditure of citizens in apparel, food, furniture, etc. Laws which regulate the prices of commodities and the wages of labor Laws which forbid or restrict the use of certain articles, as of luxurious apparel 28. Salutary Neglect: An unofficial and long-lasting British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary Laws meant to keep the American colonies obedient to England A period of time in which Britain left the Colonies alone 29. Passive resistance: Nonviolent opposition to authority, esp. a refusal to cooperate with legal requirements. resistance especially to a government or an occupying power characterized mainly by noncooperation A way of opposing the government without using violence especially by refusing to obey laws 30. â€Å"city upon a hill† religious utopia that would be acclaimed and imitated across the Old World initially invoked by English-born Puritan leader John Winthrop A City upon a Hill is a phrase from the parable of Salt and Light in Jesuss Sermon on the Mount 31. Protestant Ethic: The view that a persons duty is to achieve success through hard work and thrift, such success being a sign that one is saved. an ethic that stresses the virtue of hard work, thrift, and self-discipline important factor in the economic success of Protestant groups in the early stages of European capitalism 32. Dutchification: to make Dutch in quality or traits the process of turning things Dutch To render more Dutch 33. Protestant Reformation Inspires many new religions as it made its way through Europe. Inspires Calvinism in Geneva, migrates to England and inspires Puritans. Started by Martin Luther after he posts his complaints about Catholics on a church door 34. Great Migration 70,000 refugees flee England in the 1630s. Groups of Puritans and many others leave for religious freedom. Charles I and Archbishop Laud calls Protestants swine rooted from Gods vineyard 35. Glorious Revolution Dethrones unpopular Catholic James II, enthrones Protestant ruler of Netherlands William III and Mary II Dominion of New England collapses in the colonies; Andros tries to escape in womans clothing but is caught and sent to England. Puritans lose control of Massachusetts, English James II supporters hold American governing positions are corrupt and stopped the rise of local American leaders. 36. Pequot War Between Pequot Tribe and colonists in the Connecticut River Valley. Colonists slaughter the tribe and establish four decades of uneasy peace between Native Americans and colonists. English critics call out the Puritans. 37. Dutch golden age Dutch West and East Companies thrive. Takes an aristocratic tinted government and controls majority of New York and Caribbean. Leads to invasion from English and Swedish. 38. Pilgrims Make a religious journey like Old Testament with Moses. Protestants from England and Amsterdam that separated from the Church of England that were called Separatists, wanted Calvinism Create Mayflower Compact as their self-government since they did not go to charted land so were not controlled by the King, only members of church can vote (religious intolerance) 39. New England Confederation Defense against Native Americans, Dutch, and French. First time colonies and colonists work together. Had to fight without British support in the English Civil War. 40. Calvinism Starts in Geneva and makes it way to England during Protestant Reformation. Protestants like Calvinists ideas and want the Reformation to move at a faster pace so that Calvinist ideas can be put in place. Seek signs of conversion- receipt of Gods free gift of saving grace 41. Massachusetts Bay Colony Settlers are educated and mainly Puritan, come from the Great Migration. Protestant work ethic- delayed gratification, if they work hard now they will be rewarded later Elected government but only male church members can vote. 42. Dominion of New England Imposed from London in New England, New York, East and West Jersey, Sir Edmund Andros is in charge. Promoted efficiency in the administration of the English, places heavy restrictions on courts, press, and schools. Revokes all land titles and collects taxes without consent. Glorious Revolution ends the Dominion; Andros tries to escape in womens clothes. 43. The Elect Select that are predestine to go to heaven didn’t know if they were or werent sought signs of conversion Anne Hutchinson claims that they don’t have to follow laws or work. Calvinism religion 44. Puritans: Formed during Protestant Reformation in England. Adopt Calvinist views, share extreme views and interpretation of Bible. Extreme Puritans become Separatists and come to New World and start new colonies. 45. General Court: Puritan controlled court in Massachusetts Early form of Puritan democracy Elected by Freemen 46. Dutch West India Company: Located in West Indies Captures Spanish ship with $15 million worth of loot aboard. Establishes New Netherlands off the Hudson for fur trading and buys Manhattan. 47. Seperatists: Extreme Puritans who threaten to leave Church of England. Get kicked out of England and sent to Amsterdam then migrate to New World, Set up Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony. 48. Bible Commonwealth: Name for Bay Colony, Quakers cause religious indifferences they are punished and hung Anne Hutchinson preaches antinomianism and is banished. Roger Williams speaks out against Puritanism is banned but escapes and starts Baptism in Rhode Island 49. Quakers (Religious Society of Friends): Escape from Massachusetts Bay Colony where they are being punished. Start colonizing in Pennsylvania under William Penns rule Welcome any type of people hand out flyers in England looking for people to come to Pennsylvania. 50. Mayflower: Boat that brought over first Pilgrims, poor quality boat. Mayflower Compact is written on it. Sixty five day trip with 102 passengers. 51. French Huguenots: Dissent from French Protestant adopts Calvinism, not allowed in New World. Had little toleration in Europe, fled to colonies after Protestantism was outlawed in 1685. Over 10,000 killed in Europe 52. Scottish Presbyterians: Dissent of Scottish Protestants No religious tolerance Werent allowed to come to New World 53. Church of England: Ruled by King until Pope is placed in charge but King controls the Pope Those against the Church of England were hung, they fled to New World Catholic Church. 54. Congregational Church: No ties with England purely ran by Puritan colonists Self- governing Puritan church with no connection to Anglican Church Started in New England along with democratic government 55. Institutes of the Christian Religion: Written by John Calvin in Latin in 1536 Introductory to the Protestant religion Attacks certain Catholic beliefs 56. Navigation Laws: Limits colonies from trading with other countries beside England Increases smuggling and upsets many colonists Salutary Neglect- weakly enforces the Navigation Laws 57. Mayflower Compact: Drafted by Puritans coming to the New World that wanted self- government 40 something white males sign it (members of the church) First real drafted form of government in the colonies 58. Fundamental Orders: Established in New England Sets up a regime democratically controlled by the citizens Made to make New England the best and biggest colony 59. Plymouth Bay: Set up by Separatists from Amsterdam, originally kicked out of England Democratic government but only male members of the church can vote Less successful than Massachusetts Bay Colony 60. New Netherland: Set up by Dutch West India Company in the West Indies after they get $15 million from Spanish ship they captured Set up for fur trading on the Hudson River Led to the purchase of Manhattan 61. New Amsterdam: Run by Dutch company interested in stocks Settles first Jews in its aristocratic tinted civilization Gets in disputes and wars with English, Swedish, and Native Americans 62. New Sweden: Swedish invade Dutch land and take it Dutch rebel and regain land New Sweden fades away along with Swedish rule in colonies 63. Penns Woodland: Literal meaning for Pennsylvania name given by the King who wrote the charter for William Penn For Quakers or any other people wanting to go the colonies but not interested or accepted in what the other colonies were offering Best advertised colony in Europe 64. Reconciliation: Restoration of friendly relations The action of making one view or belief compatible with another. Returning to faith or harmony after conflict

Mercedes M class Essay Example for Free

Mercedes M class Essay This year Mercedes-Benz Company announcing the new M Class SUVs for their middle aged costumers. The M Class offers a stylish alternative to box-on-box SUVs, and can be equipped with as much off-road capability as most drivers would ever need. It doesn’t go light on luxury or amenities, either, and its cabin feels more like a Mercedes sedan than a premium sport-use. In fact, Mercedes has made an effort to step up its materials, fit and finish game on the inside of third-generation M Class models, and its efforts show. Market segmentation strategy The purpose for segmenting a market is to allow your marketing/sales program to focus on the subset of prospects that are most likely to purchase your offering. There are four different dimensions used to describe a product’s market segmentation. These four things are demographic, behavioral, psychographic, and geographic. The most popular marketing segmentation used by researchers is the demographic segmentation. Demographic segmentation: Mercedes Benz M class demographic includes adults, both male and female, mostly middle-aged people. They are not very popular with youngsters since the brand is very expensive. Yes there is college kids and in some cases even high school kids with Mercedes Benz cars, but they were still purchased by their parents. Due to their relative expense, * 2013 Mercedes-Benz M class /http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-mercedes-benz-gl-class-photos-and-info-news The M class is targeted to people of middle to high incomes. Unlike Chrysler or GMC, for instance, Mercedes doesn’t offer prices ranging from high to low so the products don’t resemble consumers with a low income. Behavioral segmentation: is the most powerful approach because it uses actual consumer behavior or product usage to make distinctions among market segments. When referring to the M class behavioral segmentation, it is purchased among heavy users, it’s a car you can use on a day-to-day basis, whether going to work or to the grocery store. Most of the people that purchase the M class do it for different reasons; quality, beauty, speed, etc. Psychographic segmentation: the M class is commonly purchased among  people who have a family, since it’s a SUV. Some of the reasons its customers prefer the M class is for its safety, and by being a luxury car it gives you a certain status among society. When referring to the geographic segmentation of the M class, it is mainly targeted toward somewhat wealthy countries. The M class is sold worldwide m even though its biggest market is in the United States. Other target markets for the M class may include single males, females, single parents with or without children or teenagers, married couples, and males and females who are divorced. There are many different target markets for the M class and the ones mentioned before are its main target markets. Positioning: Mercedes Benz has always been known for delivering quality, reliability and its safety. Delivering Mercedes-brand qualities and features at a more moderate price is a luxury marketing strategy conceived with a long range vision. Their goal is to build lifetime brand loyalty by meeting the automobile consumer at nearly every price point throughout their progress through different life stages. In line with the Mercedes-Benz brand philosophy, the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class represents the embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz holistic safety concept of Real Life Safety, which is derived from what happens in a real accident situation. In combination with the front and rear deformation zones, the high-strength passenger cell of the M-Class provides a highly effective foundation for the occupant protection systems. Both active safety and driver-fitness safety in the new M-Class are further improved by assistance systems that will already be familiar, primarily from the S-Class and E-Class. Reference: 1. Benz says its like a three-row S-class, but theres also a heck of a lot of M-class. / http://www.leftlanenews.com/new-car-buying/mercedes-benz/m-class/review/ 2. Mercedes Benz M class /http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-mercedes-benz-gl-class-photos-and-info-news/ 3. On Mercedes Benz’ luxury /http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/small-business-articles/on-mercedes-benz-luxury-1111/

Domestic Violence in Kenya

Domestic Violence in Kenya Domestic violence is a problem that is rampant in most parts of the world especially in Africa. There is no standard definition of domestic violence in Kenya maybe because there are no express laws on the same. However several scholars have attempted to define domestic violence. The term violence against women means any act of gender based violence that results in or is likely to result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life  [1]. FIDA (K) in the 1998 annual report on the legal status of women in Kenya states, physical abuse or battery consists of a wide range of activities. It can involve pushing, grabbing, scratching, slapping, hitting, punching, chocking, kicking, kneeing, sitting and standing on, burning, drowning, hair-pulling, arm-twisting, hanging by neck and arms or feet, handcuffing, biting or throwing, tying up with rope, clawing or scratching, locking one out of the home, driving recklessly while one is in the car, throwing objects, threatening to hurt with weapons such as knife or a gun, abandoning in dangerous places, refusing to help when one is pregnant , injured, or sick.  [2]  There is no clear definition of the crime and the present laws need to be amended to provide for the crime. For purposes of this project domestic violence against women includes any act to any woman or girl by an intimate partner that is physical in nature and likely to cause her physical injury and harm and this includes hitting, battering ,shoving and pushing, kicking, chocking among others. Background The problem of domestic violence can be traced in the Kenyan traditional system which is patriarchal in nature. In the Kenyan traditional setting a man was recognized as the head of the house hold and subsequently had powers to chastise the wife and children. A woman was seen as a lesser being and was therefore submissive to the husband and in some cultures it was even any man. Some scholars have done extensive research on domestic violence and their works have established that domestic violence is so rampant and is affecting many peoples lives and therefore laws needs to be amended and new laws made. Violence against women is both a historical and cultural phenomenon and a reality which has permeated all sectors of Kenyan society as a result of unequal treatment of women and men.  [3]  This shows that the historic and cultural aspects are the major pioneers of this problem. Wife beating is fairly prevalent in Kenya. The continuation of this practice maybe attributable to the fac t that every regime of customary law in Kenya, grants husbands the right to chastise their wives for misconduct. Under Kenyan customary laws only unjustified or excessive beating by the husband would be sufficient ground for divorce or for the wife to return to her family.  [4]  The only reason that would cause a wife to return would be excessive beating; there is no provision as to what would amount to excessive chastise. Violence against women is a manifestation of the historically unequal power relations between men and women which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of womens full advancement. Violence against women throughout the lifecycle derives essentially from cultural patterns in particular the harmful effects s of certain traditional or customary practices and all acts of extremism linked to race sex language or religion that perpetuate the lower status accorded to women in the family, the workplace, the community and society. Violence against women is exacerbated by social pressures, notably the shame of denouncing certain acts that have been perpetrated against women, failure to reform existing laws, inadequate efforts on the part of public authorities to promote awareness of and enforce existing laws and the absence of educational and other means to address the causes and consequences of violence.  [5]   Domestic violence is a widespread problem in the whole country and affects women from all classes and age. Violence cuts across all classes of women in this country: rich and poor, educated and illiterate, employed and unemployed, in urban and rural areas and in all ethnic communities.  [6]  It does not therefore mean that its a problem of a section of women but it affects all. This increases the magnitude since women are more than the men in this country. From the scholars we can appreciate that the problem of domestic violence against women is prevalent and it has its roots from cultural practice and would perhaps explain why its so common. The government made an attempt to address some of this problem in 1966 by setting up a commission to work on the law of marriage and divorce whose terms of reference included among other things the status of women in the society the commission found out that wife battery was pertinent to the issue of status of women in the society. After examining it the commission proposed a bill to criminalize wife battery but due to the dominated male parliament the bill was rejected and the parliament justified the practice of wife chastise as an inherent traditional right of an African man. A woman who has been battered can only seek redress for assault provided for in section 250-253 of the penal code.  [7]  In worse cases which result in death the perpetrator of the crime is charged with murder and mostly reduced to manslaughter which has a lighter sentence. From then, women in human rights organizations and in parliament have tried making several bills but none has succeeded so far. The two major bills on domestic violence against women were: national council for gender development bill 1999 and domestic violence (family protection) bill 1999. Here is a summary of what they entailed; National Council for Gender Development Bill 1999 This bill sought to establish a council to ensure gender mainstreaming in national development policies, initiate legal reforms on issues affecting women , and formulate programs on gender development and to prepare reports on Kenyas international obligations regarding women among other things. With regard to violence against women it could have pushed for Kenyas adherence to its international obligations to eliminate both discrimination and domestic violence against women. Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Bill 1999 This bill sought to provide for the grant, enforcement and variation of court orders for protection from domestic violence. In this bill the definition of a spouse encompasses persons living together who may not necessarily be legally married ensuring that women in cohabitation situation are protected from violence. The bill also provides for issuance of protection orders for victims of domestic violence. From this we can see that Kenya has gone a long way to ensure domestic violence is reduced but still the parliament is dominated by male members who are not ready to make the necessary reforms. Several statistics have been conducted by organizations and individuals to show the seriousness of the problem. According to Kenya demographic and health survey (KDHS) 2003, one out of every four women experience violence from husbands with 40% experiencing physical violence and 16% sexual violence.  [8]  From this statistics its clear that physical violence against women is more prevalent than any other type. In the innocenti digest no. 6 of 2000 by UNICEF 20 TO 50% of women are battered in every country worldwide 46% 0f 612 women surveyed in one district in Kenya reported of having been beaten by a partner of those 58%reported that they were beaten often or sometimes.  [9]  This statistics also show the explicitness of the problem and shows that it needs urgent attention. Research questions A big question to consider would be why is domestic violence so prevalent? It is clear that domestic violence is so rampant. This research will endeavor to establish why domestic violence against women is so prevalent Is it because there is a lacuna in law that leads to continued domestic violence against women? The research will seek to establish whether the lacuna in law is the cause of domestic violence against women. What can be done to benefit victims of domestic violence as well as curb its use in the future? The research will have conclusive findings and will make recommendations on the laws that need amends and new laws that need to be established to curb domestic violence against women. Presumptions Domestic violence against women is prevalent because of the lacuna in law. The male dominated parliament is the main cause of the lacuna in law since the men still acknowledge customary law which allows for chastisement of women. The constitution, to which all laws are subject to allows for use of customary law in civil cases. Limitations in the study I am limited only to tackle the legal part yet this problem has both legal and social aspects. I am limited in research since am supposed to handle mainly the Kenyan situation. Since there is inadequacy in law my research will be limited only to the few provisions in Kenyan laws which provide for the crime impliedly. Research methodology I will use both primary and secondary data. Primary data will include issuing of questionnaires to the affected members of the society; I will make observations especially to the affected women. I intend to conduct interviews in various institutes like federation for women lawyers (FIDA), coalition on violence against women among others and individuals who may have authority on domestic violence against women in Kenya especially the human rights activists. Further I will conduct interviews on the victims of domestic violence Secondary sources include textbooks and journals which have specialized on domestic violence against women, declarations, treaties, and the various statutes on substantive and procedural law, judicial authorities which cover for the crime of domestic violence as assault, bills of parliament which were not passed into law and the ones which are being debated on. The internet will also be a major source of my research. Literature review Although various organizations and individuals have focused considerable attention and effort on the subject of domestic violence against women, an in-depth study on the issue particularly dealing with the situation in Kenya need to be done, this is mainly so because most scholars seem to dwell more on the social aspect of the problem rather than the legal aspect of it. Empathy and sympathy cannot solve the problem alone, legal mechanisms have to be put in place to eliminate this problem. There are also no clear ways on which the perpetrators of the crime are to be punished. In its annual reports of 1997 and 1998 FIDA (K) observed the current situation of women in Kenya in terms of family issues. According to them women in the privacy of their homes are subjected to shockingly savage acts of violence which need to be addressed urgently. They have however not provided for the specific laws to be amended and the new law to be enacted. They have mostly dwelled on the social aspects and recommendations probably leaving out the most important aspect which is the legal aspect. Dr. Jacinta Muteshi in her book mapping best practices promoting gender equality and the advancement of Kenyan women highlights the problem of domestic violence however she has failed to bring out what constitutes to the crime of domestic violence against women. Without defining a crime it would be very hard or even impossible to come up with the perpetrators and the punishment for the same. In the book Kenyan country gender profile domestic violence against women has been highlighted as a problem that is both historical and cultural. The author tries to show the seriousness of the problem yet its being taken too lightly. The author has dwelled so much on the social aspects and has not mentioned anywhere what could be done to amend the laws or to draft others. He has not highlighted the legal status of the crime which is very important if this problem of domestic violence against women is to be addressed. In the Beijing declaration and the platform for action.  [10]  This journal provides mostly for the consequences of violence against women in a broader sense including situations of armed conflict. The journal dwells so much on the groups of women who are vulnerable who include refugee women, women migrants, destitute women, the elderly, women with disabilities etc. the author did not put into consideration the welfare of women in normal intimate relationships who suffer silently. However the journal has many recommendations which can help reduce or curb the problem of domestic violence against women. The recommendations can only be helpful if they are incorporated to Kenyan laws. In the book women of the world: laws and policies affecting their reproductive lives the author portrays the problem to be customary based and thats why it has strived mostly because the constitution of Kenya allow for use of customary laws. The author does not seek to address the problem in fact she just mentions the problem and leaves it at that. The convention on the elimination of all forms of violence against women (COVAW) which is the most extensive instrument dealing exclusively with the rights of women is an international instrument that Kenya is subject to. Although Kenya has ratified this instrument, its provisions are not applied in Kenyan courts in practice. The provisions are therefore not helpful in anyway unless the judiciary would apply its provision in our courts in practice. Kenyan statutes which provide for the crime of domestic violence against women provides for use of customary law in Kenyan courts so long as they are not repugnant to justice and morality gives room for broad interpretation which could lead to tolerating the crime to some extent. The penal code cap 63 laws of Kenya, provides for the crime of assault that shoulders domestic violence against women. This act should provide expressly for the crime this is because many perpetrators get a light sentence or worse go free which makes it hard to curb the crime. The criminal procedure code cap 75 laws of Kenya which provides for the procedure of arrest, search and sentencing of a suspect. The procedure is complex and complicated and has a lot of loopholes that lead to perpetrators to go free. The civil procedure act cap21 of the laws of Kenya which provides for rules in seeking legal redress in civil court for compensation for acts of domestic violence against women. The rules provide for comp lex procedures that delay justice and cause many cases to be struck out on technical grounds. The evidence Ac  [11]  t in sections 107-109 provide that the burden of proof is borne by the prosecution most of who are incompetent and its male dominated leading to acquittal of perpetrators for lack of evidence beyond reasonable doubt. I however agree with the annual FIDA(K) reports on the family issues affecting the lives of women. Their recommendations can only be useful only if they are put into law. The various international agreements have good provisions but can only be useful if they are incorporated in the Kenyan laws to be used by the domestic courts. Chapter breakdown My research project will have four chapters which include; Chapter 1: introduction This will include the sneak preview of the topic of domestic violence, the background, the hypothesis and objectives of the study Chapter 2: international standards that are set on the problem of domestic violence This will include analyzing the various laws especially the international standards present that provide for domestic violence against women. Take a case study on a state where domestic violence has been provided for in the laws and done away with successfully. Use and quote works of philosophers who have shunned domestic violence against women. Chapter 3: Kenyan situation Here I will critically analyze the situation of domestic violence against women in Kenya, the magnitude of the problem and what has been done or what is being done to eliminate this problem. Chapter 4: Recommendations This will include various suggestions of amendments that need to be made to eliminate the problem of domestic violence against women. The recommendations will be strictly legal based.

The Horror of The Tell-Tale Heart Essay -- Tell-Tale Heart Essays

The Horror of The Tell-Tale Heart    Writers can use many tricks to make a story seem more interesting to the reader. From the words they pick to the setting to the time of the day... the possibilities are endless. In the story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe, the use of light and darkness, the description of the mans eye and the time frame make the story more scary than anything else. Poe also uses suspense at the end to make the readers heart beat faster. The speaker starts the story out by explaining that he doe not hate the old man that he is about to kill. In fact he even says that he loves him and that he has always been nice to him. The reason he must kill him however is because of what he calls his evil eye. When he describes it one can only have the feel of disgust just imaging it. "One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture-a pale blue eye, with a film over it" (Poe, 1). In the way that the reader describes the eye one gets the impression that the eyes looks as if it dead, maybe making the speaker feel that he has the right to kill the man. The next trick that Poe uses and probably the most interesting is the use of lightness and darkness. Every time the speaker goes into the room to look at the man he always describes the room as being pitch black. Even he takes extra precautions so as not to give off any light into the room. When he goes into the room, he takes a lantern with him but keeps it covered. The only time the lantern gets to shine is when the speaker wants to look at the mans face. Even with this he only shines "...a single thin ray...upon the vulture eye" (Poe, 2). It seems interesting that all of the reader's deeds must be performed in the dark almost as if he is ashamed of what he ... ...r night and just watch the man. Not only does the waiting let the reader know about the killer's seriousness but it also questions his sanity. From the begging of the story the speaker is trying to convince the reader that he has justification in wanting this man to die because of his dead eye. The way that he waits up night after night and watches this man reflects that of a stalker. And at the end when he pulls the boards from the floor to reveal the old man's hacked body, he says he did it because the old mans heart kept on beating and the sound was getting to him. One cannot help but think is this the story of a killer or a mad man? This reading leaves many unanswered questions about the speaker and what his real intentions behind killing the old man might have been. However, what it does not leave to the imagination is much room for any more horror.

The Odyssey :: essays research papers

PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'Why shouldn't art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in this world'; This is one of many quotes that came from Pierre- Auguste Renoir. This famous French impressionist was born on February 25, 1841 in Limoges, France Renoir grew up in a poor family and was always considered the 'working class';. This is what inspired Renoir to leave school and seek work in Paris. His hopes came alive in 1854 when he began to work in a porcelain factory as a painter. During this job, not only did he learn the importance of good craftsmanship, but also gained knowledge of bright and fresh colors, which would later trademark his impressionist work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After studying works at the Louvre, in 1862, Renoir entered the studio of Gleyre and formed a promising friendship with Claude Monet (1840- 1924), Alfred Sisley (1839- 1899) and Frederic Bazille (1841- 1870). While working in this studio Renoir painted with them in the Barbizon district and became a leading member of the impressionists. In 1869 Renoir found himself becoming very close with Monet because their paintings showed similarities in technique and style. Like Monet, Renoir had a very rough and bumpy start in the early stages of his career, but by the 1870's Renoir had already received success as a portraitist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1881 he was freed from his financial problems as an art dealer named Paul Durand- Ruel began buying his work on a regular basis. By this time Renoir's style had changed dramatically. He used a crisper and drier style with duller coloring, opposed to his earlier works using light and fresh colors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the mid 1880's Renoir thought that he should take his art more seriously. In this time period he concentrated on nudes and sometimes young girls in unknown settings. As time went on Renoir's paintings became more plain and simple, and he soon became interested in mythological objects, such as fairies and cupid- like objects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By 1890 Renoir was suffering from rheumatism a problem where your muscles and joints stiffen and is similar to arthritis. The disease eventually crippled him in 1912, and he was confined to a wheelchair. Despite his handicap he continued to paint until the end of his life. He did this by, setting up a canvas, then tying paintbrushes to his wrists, dipping them in paint and then he painted.

The Elusiveness of War and the Tenuousness of Morality in Tim O?Brien?s

The Elusiveness of War and the Tenuousness of Morality in Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried,† â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† and â€Å"Style†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien demonstrates how exposure to the atrocities of nations at war leads to the soldiers having skewed perspectives on what is right and wrong, predominantly at times when the purpose of the war itself appears elusive. The ambiguity that consumes the stories of â€Å"The Things They Carried† and â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† is displayed with irony, for the ‘moral’ of such war stories is that there is no moral at all. O’Brien portrays the character Mitchell Sanders as an observer who seeks the morals to be found through the war fatalities; however, he depicts these morals in a manner that actually stresses the impiety of the situations above all else. The characters in this novel are at the forefront of the Vietnam War, thus blinded by carnage that soon begins to obscure any prior notions held about what is moralistic and what is not. The death of Ted Lavender in â€Å"The Things They Carried† leads to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ moral blunder which is brought about by his guilt over the horror of the incident: Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself [†¦] He pictured Martha’s smooth young face [†¦] and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her. When the dustoff arrived, they carried Lavender aboard. Afterward they...

Microeconomics Research Paper

Nicholas Benyola Professor Mansourian Econ 201- 25 17 May 2012 Microeconomics Research Paper Minimum Wage In the United States, minimum wage has remained at a low number for several years. Minimum wage is defined as the lowest possible income that an employer can legally pay an employee. This ensures that all people are fairly paid and not defrauded by companies or businesses. Minimum wage is considered a price floor and the minimum wage laws determine the lowest price possible that any employer must pay for labor.In an economic model, the quantity of supplied is greater than the quantity demanded and the minimum wage is above equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage prevents labor supplied and labor demanded from moving toward equilibrium price and quantity. Although the government is trying to maintain a good balance of income distribution, there are is a high amount of people that work year round and still fall under the national poverty level. The government tries to stop the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer, so they make sure that everyone is earning the same amount of money.Even if our balanced income distribution is at a good number, an increase of the minimum wage price would help our country in a lot of ways. Raising the current minimum wage is one way to reduce poverty, will help businesses grow, and could help a lot of communities as well. The first advantage of increasing the minimum wage is that it will help poor people to earn a higher income. For many workers, minimum wage is simply not enough money for them to be able to support their families. A higher minimum wage would guarantee a higher quality of life for the people who work in basic jobs such as cleaning and preparing fast food.These workers' economic situations are usually a result of their lack of education and training, and it is often difficult for them to get more education or training because of their economic situation. For many working Americans, an in crease in the minimum wage will make the difference between living in poverty and not. An increase has the potential to help the standard of living for the poorest of people. This is a true statement, but opposition says that this only drives up the standard of living and inflation rate in the world. Inflation is defined as the overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy.Although some people who earn the minimum wage are teenagers, almost two-thirds are adults. The average minimum wage worker brings home about half of his family's earnings. Increasing the minimum wage will help these workers to make up for lost ground due to inflation and it will help make work pay. Though inflation is one of the main problems in our economy and even though inflation and minimum wage are directly related, increasing minimum wage will give opportunity for a lot of lower class families to make enough to afford important things, such as insurance.If someone takes a trip to the doctor, with no insurance, they will most likely have to pay around eight- hundred dollars out of pocket. This would take anyone at least three months on minimum wage with two incomes to pay off these medical bills. Barak Obama’s plan to institute a health care plan for everyone will relieve a huge burden on people and also allow them to stay above the poverty line. Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute says, â€Å"Jacking the federal minimum wage from $7. 25 to $8. 25 would give a raise to 10 million workers, including many currently earning their state minimum wage† (Shierholz).This research supports that a minimum wage increase would help millions of people who work not only at the minimum wage but below it and just above it as well. While an increase of a few thousand dollars per year would rarely lift a person or a family out of poverty, it could ease the struggle to pay for groceries, child care or rent, and it adds meaning and digni ty to labor. A higher minimum wage is not enough, but it is very essential for the working poor. Minimum wage was created to keep businesses from taking advantage of their employees.Most of the workforce making minimum wage is young adults because companies feel that they can take advantage of them. Of the total affected workers, women suffer the most which is evidence that companies still have gender discrimination in the workplace. Companies are not only paying people small amounts of money but are also treating the women of America unfairly. If discrimination ended in the workplace then businesses would grow because they would have a more diverse workplace. Employees who are earned a higher wage would take their job more seriously.They would call in sick less often and would be more productive on the days they are at work. An employee working for a lower wage may spend a great deal of time job hunting, looking for a position that pays more but if employees are already earning a h igher wage, they would not have to be searching for a higher paying job. This would reduce employee turnover for companies. John Montgomery, economic analyst for ABC states that, â€Å"From the business perspective, wages come in as one of the most expensive running costs, and have to be paid whether you are taking money that day or not.However, if there were no minimum wage, there is no doubt that many unscrupulous businesses would exploit staff wherever they could† (Montgomery). Of these adult workers, over half work full time and another third work between twenty and thirty hours per week. This statistic shows that a big majority of adults on minimum wage are working at least twenty hours a week. So, if minimum wage increases, it could be a huge benefit because it could add a ten increase to a final salary and this would affect millions of people in our workforce in a positive way.For most small companies there is a major upside to a minimum wage increase because it can st imulate the economy. Usually when people make more money, sometimes they make lifestyle changes and they buy more which generates more revenue in the economy. Raising the minimum wage would be beneficial not only to business but to communities as well. Many poor families rely upon economic aid from social services to survive and these organizations not only cost the community tax payer but they also take away from services provided by local businesses.With an increased minimum wage, low wage workers would be less reliant on social services and more willing to spend their money in the local economy. Over time people would be making more money and then would be able to afford more things in their community. The lower class is dependent upon dollar stores because their low income does not support flexible spending. This creates unequal revenue to producers, so an increase of minimum wage would help communities as a whole because more business would have the chance to grow.Kai Filion, P olicy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, notes that â€Å"A recent study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago examined 23 years of household spending data and found that an increase in the minimum wage lead households with a minimum wage to significantly increase their spending. † This research supports that even a slight increase of minimum wage would increase spending throughout communities which would be beneficial for the entire country because it would increase the local tax base.Many government programs that try to help people with low income place a tax burden directly on others. Raising taxes is not a necessary step in establishing a higher minimum wage because government should not be taxing companies, but asking them to pay more to their employees. An increase in payment to employees would increase business expenses which would help companies pay less in taxes. Therefore, an increased minimum wage has potential to aid in the growth of communit ies around the world.For Americans, we must support an increase of minimum wage to further promote a healthy economy and a decrease in poverty. Minimum wage is one program that promotes active participation in the labor market and if the amount of citizens on welfare is going to decline, they should be offered more jobs that can pay a livable wage. If minimum wage workers were paid a living wage, they would spend it in the local economy which would turn in to a powerful economic stimulus and the government would save money on a lot of expenses.Raising the current minimum wage is one way to reduce poverty, will help businesses grow, and could help many suffering communities throughout the nation. This step toward economic equality may be essential for workers of all classes to have opportunity for a better standard of living. Works Cited * â€Å"Minimum Wage Increase Would Help Sluggish Economy, Say Experts. † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 07 June 2011. Web. 16 May 2012. . * â€Å"Http://www. abc. net. au/news/2012-05-16/unions-push-to-increase-state-min

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Life in the Great Gatsby

Through his classic refreshing, The immense Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald in eachows many a(prenominal) boldnesss of his personal look to bottom into the story, characters, and ideologies. Without having any rachisground into the invigoration of Fitzgerald, the clean reader would conclude that the story was no less than a figment of Fitzgeralds imagination. This is not the case however, as F. Scott funnels many of his thoughts and ideas into the characters in the word of honor. Thither atomic number 18 preferably a few stunning similarities betwixt his character Daisy, and his own wife Zelda.He incorporates his everyday attitudes toward money as he displays the monetary conducts of his characters to model his own. closely importantly, he bases lots of the plot and characterizations on his time vitality in Great distinguish, impudently York a very wealthy section of recollective Island. It is these facial expressions that give the reader a great understanding of Fitzgeralds bread and butter, and gives the novel itself a more profound meaning. The Great Gatsby was a book written in France, besides born at 6 admission Drive in Great manage, in the buff York.Gatsby feeld there for two years, and though the communities of eastmost and West Egg argon technically fictional, they are quite clearly base off of Kings Point and Manhasset Bay. As bloody shame Jo Murphy of the New York Times states in her recent article Fitzgerald himself knew it well He turn aroundded his masterpiece there, dra net profitg on his own experiences on that slender dissolute island (Murphy). The setting of The Great Gatsby was identical to that of his fellowship of two years, and this couldnt be a more black and white compare of his life to the book.Fitzgerald lived in a wealthy, focal ratio berth class community in which accessible status was based upon wealth. Fitzgerald was constantly surrounded by social leaches, ever-trying to crawl up the social ladd er people whose resole concern was in partying, not a gondola care for the mysterious Gatsby. We see this when notch states, I believe that on the jump night I went to Gatsbys accommodate I was one of the few node who had actually been invited I was promptly enamored by the number of young Englishmen flecked about all well dressed, all looking a little hungry, and all talking in low, earnest voices to solidity and preposterous Americans (41).These inhabitant of Great Neck were surely represented by the attendees of Gatsbys social gatherings every Saturday night. The shallow demeanors and hollow out intentions of Fitzgeralds friends on Great Neck contributed ofttimes to his criticism of American culture, curiously of the upper class. Another major aspect of Fitzgeralds life that was represented in The Great Gatsby is his wife, Zelda. She can easily be compared to Tom Buchanans wife, Daisy, as much of the feelings and events shared in their relationship are very similar to those in F. Scott and Zeldas relationship.When Francis Scott first met Zelda succession writing in New York City, still seeking fame and fortune, they could not be wed. Unwilling to wait while Fitzgerald succeeded in the advertisement business and loth to live on his small salary, Zelda Sayre bust their engagement (Bruccoli). This changed once he say to write for The Saturday Evening Post in St. Paul, as he was paid handsomely for his articles. He returned to Zelda, with his new fortune and they were outright wed. This is eerily similar to how Gatsby could not be with Daisy prior to going off to war, for Daisy was of upper class blue-blood wealth and Gatsby was quite poor.Once Gatsby deliver the goods his wealth, by any means possible, Daisy was immediately enthralled by his possessions and she was temporarily won away from Tom Buchanan. The epitome if her inconsiderate materialism is displayed when Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to battle cry stormily. Theyr e such charming shirts It makes me piteous because Ive never seen such- such beautiful shirts before (92). These similarities prove Daisy to be a direct reflection of Zelda and more of Fitzgeralds personal life revealing itself in the pages of The Great Gatsby.The final major aspect of F. Scott Fitzgeralds personal life that is depicted in his novel is his behavior and attitudes toward money. This attitude, in short, would be Money can bargain happiness, and theres no agreement not to show it off. When F. Scott Fitzgerald was declined by Zelda Sayre, instead of moving on he pick out to do the opposite. He quit his telephone circuit in New York City, moved back to St. Paul where he could make a good breathing, and returned to Zelda hoping now he would live up to her standards. This is the same behavior we see in Jay Gatsby.When Daisy will not be with him because of his lack of wealth and social standing, Jay devotes his lifes work to attaining wealth to win Daisy back. Also Mr. Fitzgerald had a tendency to conk money just as quick as he earned it living above his means, and showing off his wealth whenever he could. The same is shown of Gatsby when Nick describes Gatsbys car, Id seen it. Everyone had seen it. It was a privileged cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous space with triumphant hat-boxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, nd terraced with a snarl of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns (64). He spends luxuriously, buying the most expensive car and only wearing brightly blue expensive suits. This reckless and attention seeking spending of money is one behavior of F. Scott Fitzgerald that is prominent in his character Gatsby. trance The Great Gatsby was written surely to be a critique and disapproving display of the upper class in America, it is in like manner a deeper revelation of F. Scott Fitzgeralds life. Most would not recognize this, but his book is saturated with aspects of his own life.Allowing h is own life to be present in his novel is surely something that gives the book some material emotion and deeper meaning. The people, events, and attitudes displayed in the book are not just fiction theyre based off of the real life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bibliography Bruccoli, Matthew J. A Brief Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. SC. edu. The University of sulphur Carolina, 4 Dec. 2003. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York City Charles Scribners Sons, 1925. Print. Murphy, Mary Jo. Eyeing the futile Estate of Gatsby Esq. NYTimes. com. The New York Times ,1 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. .