Nigeria and Canada are two places I have lived in, they are however so Essay

Nigeria and Canada are two places I have lived in, they are however so different in a lot of ways - Essay Example Some provinces have both Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST), some have just Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and yet some have the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). The bottom line is that goods and services are taxable in Canada. Taxes are not paid on items purchased or on services utilized in Nigeria. It is only the actual price of the good or service that is paid for at any point in time. Nigeria operates a non-tax method of payment on goods and services. Canada and Nigeria are two countries that are so different in their methods of operation. One appears to be one extreme from the other in the way things are done. I have lived in both of them and have observed the clear differences. I think the differences have to do with the fact that Nigeria is a Third world country, while Canada is a developed country. I don't wholly accept the way Canada operates as compared to Nigeria and Vice Versa, I however, appreciate some policies of Canada and those of Nigeria. They are unique in themselves and prove to be very interesting places to

Japanese Folk and Myth in Anime Essay Example for Free

Japanese Folk and Myth in Anime Essay In order to answer the above question, we’ll need to set a line between myth and folklore. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Myth is defined as â€Å"a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone; especially: one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of a society†. According to the same dictionary, folklore is defined as â€Å"traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people† and â€Å"an often unsupported notion, story, or saying that is widely circulated†. What does this say exactly? It basically explains that a myth is the idea of a society and that folklore is the medium for expressing the idea. Another notion that I’d like to present is that myths, in general, are used to explain indescribable occurrences and supernatural events, like creation, animals, gods, rain, death, bugs, creatures, and everything else that goes bump in the night. Within most Japanese myths, there is a creature or being that unintentionally causes a major event or does some significant action, and the vast majority of Japanese mythology deals with a great deal of gods, goddesses, spirits, and creatures (so many that the list literally goes from A to Z). Branching off of myth, folklore tells the tales of people and creatures, and how they overcome or succumb to a crisis or conflict. Most of these tales are about how the world came into being, and why things are the way they are. Some are as complex as to why the sun rises and sets and why death happens, to demons that haunt bathrooms (Aka Manto and Akaname). A lot of the legends told in mythology are deeply rooted in nature and intricately describe the coming of the varying lands and elements; earth, wind, water, fire, and lightning. Some deal with customs and traditions, while others are about legendary animals and even specific locations like a cave or an island. As stated above, there are many different categories in Japanese myth and folklore: Creation, landscape, seasons, life and death, spirits, and other lesser categories like animals and traditions. The concept of the creation myth is very simple and is greatly represented within the anime series Naruto and Pokemon. Naruto As the reader may or may not know is that Naruto is an ongoing Japanese manga comic drawn and written by Masashi Kishimoto. This series has become widely known throughout Japan, and since its inception has quickly claimed number one on many official and unofficial charts. The story of Naruto tells the take of a young boy of the same name. He is a ninja of the â€Å"Village Hidden in the Leaves†, also known as â€Å"Konohgakure (KOH-NO-HAH-GAH-KUR-REH). Approximately twelve years prior to the beginning of the series, a Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit attacked the village. The Hokage (literally shadow of fire), person/leader revered for being the wisest and most powerful, sealed the demon inside a newborn child, Naruto Uzumaki. Because the demon destroyed the village and took many lives, many people shunned Naruto and treated him as if he were the demon fox itself. This, however, drove Naruto to become the Hokage in order to gain the respect of the village. During the series he gets stronger and trains with his friends/teammates Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and the team captain Kakashi Hatake, along with countless other strong ninja, such as Jiraiya and, Orochimaru (main antagonist). Character: Naruto Uzumaki ?As stated above Naruto Uzumaki is the main protagonist of the series and a very adept ninja. As a child he was shunned by almost everyone in his village, and treated with hate and distain. This caused him to misbehave and act out in order to get the attention he wanted. Because of the prejudice and isolation he suffered, Naruto began to yearn for attention and acknowledgement, he also strove to become the Hokage. Since he became a ninja, however, he’s had to prove himself time and time again, showing that despite being a troublemaker, he is also a devoted and kind hearted person. In addition, over time his reasons for gaining the title Hokage have changed; being from wanting attention to wanting to protect his friends, loved ones, and his home. At times he can be childish, having a chubby green frog shaped wallet named â€Å"Gama-Chan†, being a picky eater, even mischievous, yet when someone or something is in danger he can become serious and will always help his friends, being loyal to a fault. Folklore: Naruto Uzumaki The first thing that I’d like you to notice are the whisker marks on both of his cheeks. This is from the Nine-tailed Fox spirit that resides within him. The demon fox is known as Kurama, and he is a Kitsune. Within the world of Japanese Myth and folklore, the kitsune are a popular subject for Japanese stories. According to legend they are a powerful, intelligent, and ancient race with many magical abilities, such as shape shifting and utilizing their wisdom and superior intelligence to cause either misfortune or joy. The way that they relate to the anime Naruto is that, like Naruto, kitsune are known to be mischievous and playful, yet can also be loyal and very powerful, like the title character himself. They are portrayed, more often than not, as tricksters that play pranks for either entertainment or vengeance, and being either kind or malevolent. Similar to the character, once a kitsune is convinced to complete an action it will put all of its effort and focus on it, even if it costs it its life. Character: Sasuke Uchiha Contrary to his current persona, Sasuke was a very kind and cheerful child. This changed, however, when his entire clan, including his parents, were killed in a massacre by his older brother, Itachi, leaving the two as the only surviving clan members and instantly orphaned. Since then, he’s become very cynical and even sadistic. Even at the age of seven, Sasuke was extremely talented, mastering techniques many years ahead of his time. He later joined forces with his childhood rival, Naruto along with Sakura Haruno, and the team captain Kakashi Hatake. At first, he was indifferent and felt superiority over his teammates, but opens up over time, seeing them as family and friends. His main goal was to kill his brother for the murder of their entire clan, which entailed his defection from his village. Prior to this, though, he is attacked and inflicted with Orochimru’s â€Å"Cursed Seal of Heaven† mark, giving him immense strength, and a reason to go after his brother. Three years pass since is defection and he has grown greatly, growing strong enough to defeat Orochimaru. Folklore: Sasuke Uchiha ?Before I begin I must say that this character in particular has a lot of allusions to Japanese myth and lore. In any well written story, the name is a key part of how the character may be perceived. This is true for many characters, but perhaps even more so for the character Sasuke. His name is derived from the character Sarutobi Sasuke, and when inspected the name can be broken up into saru (monkey) and tobi (jump). The famous shinobi (ninja) was known for his monkey like agility and acrobatic prowess. Even at a young age, Sasuke of Naruto was seen as a child prodigy, being skilled in weaponry and physically superior to his class mates. Artist’s rendition of imperial regalia An avid Naruto fan may also take notice of Sasuke’s ocular ability known as the Sharingan. The sharingan, also called the mirror wheel eye, is a genetic ability shared only by people within the Uchiha clan. The name itself and the symbols within it are allusions to the imperial regalia of Japan; the Yata Mirror, the sword known as Kusanagi, and the Magatama jewel. In myth the mirror was used to lure the sun goddess Amaterasu out of a cave, bringing sunlight back to the world, and represents the truth as it can only reflects what is truly in front of it. Upon closer inspection, one may notice that within the eye are up to three marks surrounding the pupil. The comma -like marks are known as Tomoe. The Tomoe represent a multitude of ideas and objects. The most prominent of them are that they represent the second of the imperial regalia, the Magatama jewel. Along with the mirror, the jewel was employed to lure Amaterasu out Tomoe highlighted in red f the cave where she hid. The jewels were also sacred gifts given to her by the god of jewels, Ame-no-Futodama-no-mikoto. The Tomoe also represents the war deity Hachiman. Ancient samurai would adorn their armor with this crest to bring good fortune on the battlefield. Susanoo Along with the mirror and the jewel, there is the Kusanagi Sword, or â€Å"Grass Cutting Sword† (? ) In the story, Susanoo earns a sword from vanquishing an eight headed snake (Yamata-no-Orochimaru) and pulls it from its body. He then presents it to her to settle an old rivalry between them. The sword then was called â€Å"Sword of Gathering Clouds of Heaven†, and it was in the possession of a skilled warrior, Yamato Takeru. In his battles he discovers that the sword is able to control the air in the direction in which it is cast. According to legend he was in tall grass field. An emperor then sent flaming arrows at him, trying to ignite the grass and burn him alive. In one foul swoop, Yamato cut down the entire field and sent the arrows back with the swords burst of air. In the anime, Sasuke wields a sword by the same name and it is able to â€Å"cut air†, levitate the sword, and transmit the user’s ability to control lightning. Furthermore, the original sword that Sasuke wielded was taken from his former master Orochimaru, a ninja who’s theme and transformation-or true self- was an eight headed snake. Aside from the mere appearance of the Sharingan, the ocular magnificence holds other powers. To understand this, we must go back and learn a little about Japanese Creation Myth. In the beginning there were two gods Izanami (first woman) and Izanagi (first man). They created the eight islands of Japan and brought fire to the world, but in doing so, Izanami lost her life while giving birth to the god of fire. Stricken with depression, Izanagi went into Yomi (Hell) to retrieve his beloved. In the darkness, he found Izanami. She told him not to look at her, whish confused him, but he agreed. He begged her to return with him, but she had already eaten the food of the underworld, and could no longer leave. She agreed, though, and told him that she needed to rest. After waiting for Izanami, Izanagi grew worried, so he ventured back into Yomi. He lit a torch this time and what he saw disgusted him; Izanami’s once beautiful and elegant body was ruined by decay and foul creatures. He let out a cry and ran to the entrance to the world of the living. She sent creatures after him, but he managed to escape. She exclaimed that if he left, she would take 1,000 people every day, as he escaped he replied to create 1,500 people, thus starting the cycle of life and death. After escaping from Yomi, Izanagi wished to cleanse himself. He discarded his clothing, which formed gods, and went into the river. As he washed his face, three major gods were created; Amaterasu from the left eye, Tsukuyomi from the right eye, and Suasanoo from his nose. These three controlled the sun, moon, and sea and storms respectively. In the anime the Sharingan has many abilities, yet the most feared of them are the techniques Amaterasu: the Heavenly Illumination, Tsukuyomi: the moon reader, and Susanoo: Tempestuous God of Valor. The Sharingan allows the user to cast inextinguishable flames that never cease until its target is incinerated and are described as the flames of hell, burning as hot as the sun itself. Sasuke is able to summon these flames out of his left eye, and from his right is the illusionary weapon Tsukuyomi. This is the ability to trap an enemy in a dream, or rather nightmare, and torture them through their mind by controlling senses. Along with Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, there is Susanoo a summoned warrior that’s made of the user’s spiritual energy. The demon warrior is usually portrayed in cloth garments and wielding the sword of Kusanagi and the Yata mirror as a shield.

Hughes Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate

Hughes' Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate In the Hughes’ text, Women in World History: Volume 1, the chapter on Middle Eastern women focuses on how Islam affected their lives. Almost immediately, the authors wisely observe that â€Å"Muslim women’s rights have varied significantly with time, by region, and by class† (152). They continue with the warning that â€Å"there is far too much diversity to be adequately described in a few pages.† However, I argue that there is essential information and insight on said topic that the authors have failed to include, as well as areas of discussion with incomplete analyses. I will use Leila Ahmed’s book, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate, as well as her essay entitled â€Å"Early Islam and the Position of Women: The Problem of Interpretation,† to cite the shortcomings of the text. After the first part of the Hughes chapter on Middle Eastern Muslim women, the emphasis shifts, from Quranic doctrine regarding women to how Muslim law and scholarship have interpreted the Quran’s direct admonitions to women. However, this shift is unfortunately subtle. The authors fail to make a clear distinction between the Quran, a sacred text believed to be the verbatim word of God; and Muslim law, which was formulated by (male) Muslim jurists who consulted the Quran and whose consensus was later declared infallible (Ahmed 58). Such a distinction is necessary because the Quran itself is vastly different from a legal document; Ahmed observes in â€Å"Early Islam and the Position of Women† that â€Å"Quranic precepts consist mainly of broad, general propositions chiefly of an ethical nature, rather than specific legalistic formulations† (59). Indeed, the Qura... ...areas of emphasis. In contrast, Leila Ahmed analyzes representations and mores of Muslim women in different social and religious contexts in order to draw conclusions about their effect on women’s--and men’s in relation to women’s--status, in earlier periods of Islam, as well as the further-reaching implications they have had for modern Muslim societies. Works Cited Ahmed, Leila. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1992. Ahmed, Leila. â€Å"Early Islam and the Position of Women: The Problem of Interpretation.† In Women in Middle Eastern History: Shifting Boundaries in Sex and Gender, ed. Nikki R. Keddie and Beth Baron. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1991. Hughes, Sarah Shaver, and Brady Hughes. Women in World History. Vol. 1. Armonk, N.Y., and London: M.E. Sharpe, 1995.

Joseph Stalin :: essays research papers

Joseph Stalin became leader of the USSR after Lenin’s death in 1924. Lenin had a government of abstemious communist government. When Stalin came into government he moved to a radical communist society. He moved away from the somewhat capitalist/communist economy of Lenin time to â€Å"modernize† the USSR. He wanted to industrialize and modernize USSR. He had overworked his workers, his people were dying, and most of them in slave labor camps. In fact by doing this Stalin had hindered the USSR and put them even farther back in time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a dictator Stalin was very strict about his policies, especially working. For instance. Stalin had set quotas very high , as they were very unrealistic. The workers had very long days, and under the rule of Stalin most people worked many hours in overtime, and resulting in no pay. Stalin treated workers very, very harshly. Those who did not work were exiled to Siberia or killed. Some may say you got what you deserved in Stalin’s time. Those who worked very hard for Stalin sometimes got bonuses such as trips, or goods likes televisions and refrigerators. The workers had to conform to Stalin’s policies . Stalin’s harsh treatment of workers received a very unwelcoming response, but in fact the liberal amount of goods that the workers had made, had in fact boosted the USSR’s economy. Therefore Stalin had created a country which seemed corrupt at the time, but later on it improved by the hard work Stalin had forced upon them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Stalin became leader of the USSR the quality of life and standard of living dropped considerably. For instance the people had no personal freedom. Meaning that they had to worship Stalin as all other religions had been abolished and most churches had been demolished. The people who went into those churches that were left standing were arrested or punished otherwise. Soon there were food shortages. Somewhere between 1932 and 1933 over 6 million people died of starvation. This was the greatest man made famine in history. The famine came as a result of Stalin’s unrealistic goals . Also, people had poor family lives. Abortions came a dime a dozen as did divorces. Wedding rings were banned. There was insufficient housing, as some people had to live in tents. This may be because of workers not working hard enough. Maybe if the workers worked harder they could have received better housing.

Behaviors of Domestic Cats

Cats have been kept as domestic pets since ancient times. They are known as loyal, finicky and independent creatures. Their behaviors can tell us whether they have a physical ailment, are upset or worried or are happy and contented. (Catsinfo. com) When a cat rubs up against someone, they are showing ownership of that person and marking them as such. Cats can be quite finicky as to who they like and can even choose to ignore someone if they decide they do not like them. (Budiansky, 2002) A cat is naturally inclined to claw things such as furniture, drapes or rugs.Many people have their cats declawed to prevent damage to these objects. While this was commonplace for many years, it is now becoming something of a controversy. Animal rights activists and many cat owners are comparing the procedure to amputation and vehemently oppose the practice. With time and effort, cats can be trained to use a scratching post. One problem for cat owners is the hazard that most house plants present to the cats. In the wild, cats eat grass to help with fur in their stomach. Many common house plants can be poisonous to cats if ingested.Hanging plants are not always safe since cats will climb furniture to reach them. Some owners have found that growning a small patch of grass in a container will keep the cats happy enough to leave the other plants alone. Many indoor cats use a litter box instead of the outdoors. In the wild, cats bury their feces to keep predators from scenting them. This behavior continues indoors as well. Cats are naturally clean animals and like the litter box to be clean as well. One of the main issues for cat owners is urination in an area other than the litter box.There can be many causes for this behavior and it is trial and error until the problem is resolved. Finding the right litter box and type of litter can also be trial and error as some cats prefer one thing, some another. One reason for a cat to refuse to use the litter box is that it is not clean. If the litter box is clean, it may be a physical ailment such as a bladder infection or urinary tract infection. Any ailments should be treated by a veterinarian. A cat may show it is upset by urination outside the litter box as well.Cats can be upset by any number of things such as changes in habitat, additions of new pets to the family or other changes. Watching a cat’s tail can be a good indication of the cat’s mood. A tail that is erect and held high indicates a friendly mood. A tail that is laying down and twitching usually indicates the cat is pensive or irritable. A tail held high and fluffed out is a good indicator that the cat will attack if provoked. (xmission, 2007) Cats show affection in several ways. Purring is the most commonly recognized behavior of a friendly, content cat.A cat will purr when happy, many times while being petted. Cats will also rub against a person to show friendliness and also to mark the person as their. Cats have scent glands all over their bodies that enable them to mark their territory. property This is another behavior taken from the wild where they mark their territory against other animals invading it. Butting their heads against a person is another way of showing affection. Urinary spray is also a way for them to mark their territory but having them spayed or neutered at around six months of age will stop this behavior.Cats are natural hunters and will stalk birds, small animals and toys. It is their instinct to hunt that causes them to pounce on toys and bat them around. Cats are good hunters and quite fast at times. Many farms keep cats as mousers in the barn and home. Cats will chase small toys or laser lights. This is the hunting instinct in them causing this behavior as cats are attracted by movement. Cats have a tendency to show attention to people who do not care for cats when they visit. This is due to a behavior in the wild that indicates submissivness.Cats will look directly at another cat and sho w aggression if protecting territory or young. A cat who refuses to look directly at another cat or seems to ignore it is showing submission to the other cat. It is the same behavior in people who do not care for cats, they tend to look away or try to ignore the cat. This is an invitation to the cat to show dominance. A cat that is injured or in pain will tend to hide itself in a dark area. This is a behavior that often saves their lives in the wild. Injured or weak animals often become food for predators so hiding is a natural instinct.Cats will often do the same thing indoors when hurt. It is important to remember that any injured or pained animal will strike out if frightened and extra care should be taken when attempting to extricate the cat from its hiding place. (xmission, 2007) Cats make wonderful pets and are relatively low maintantence due to their independent nature. They do not require constant attention or reassurance. They can be trained to overcome inappropriate behavi or and are extremely affectionate when it suits them. Whether the cat is an indoor cat or an outdoor cat, the behaviors tend to be the same.Instinct plays a large part in cat behavior and knowing these behaviors can lead to a satisfactory cat and owner relationship. Works Cited Budiansky, Stephen. â€Å"The Character of Cats: The Mystery Is Not Why They're So Antisocial but Why They're Social at All. † The Atlantic Monthly June 2002: 75+. Questia. 26 Sept. 2007 . http://www. catsinfo. com Moore, Glenda. â€Å"Catstuff† Retrieved September 24, 2007 from http://www. xmission. com/emailbox/whycat. htm

Unit 10 Lab Essay

Unit 10 Lab Essay Unit 10 Lab Essay NT 1310 Unit 10 Lab Max Haney 11/18/2014 Building a New Structure- Problem Analysis Errors are common in communication systems due to various reasons like noise, interference, inter-modulation, echoes, signal fading, equipment limitations, etc. Though optical fiber medium is considered to be the best medium, we know that practical media cannot be hundred percent error-free. Here is a list of standard problems in most fiber solutions: Bit-Error-Ratio is defined as the ratio of the number of bits received in error to the total number of bits transmitted in a specified time interval. Degraded Minutes (DM) - Degraded Minutes is a group of 60 consecutive seconds after excluding SES, with a BER of 10^-6 or worse. Hence a DM will have at least 5 errors, assuming a data rate of 64 kbit/s. Available Seconds (AS) The measure of percentage of time for which the circuit is available for use in an error free condition is called Available Seconds. Unavailable Seconds (US) - If the error activity continues at an excessive level for a significant period of time (say 10 seconds or more) then the circuit is considered to be unavailable. Unavailable Seconds is a measure of percentage of time the circuit is not available for use. Error Seconds (ES) - A second with at least one anomaly or defect is called Error Second. List of testers and tools: Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) - OTDR provides various applications such as normal (point-to-point) fiber cable construction testing and fault location, splice

Comparing To his Coy Mistress and Sonnet 130 Essay Example

Comparing To his Coy Mistress and Sonnet 130 Essay Example Comparing To his Coy Mistress and Sonnet 130 Paper Comparing To his Coy Mistress and Sonnet 130 Paper Essay Topic: Literature Sonnet 130 is a love poem in sonnet form by William Shakespeare that controversially goes against the standard love clichi s of a traditional love poem by describing his love honestly and very realistically. The tone of the poem appears negative but in fact he is actually showing his realisation that love has imperfections but his love is enough to overcome any of them and the beauty of love is a fake sugar-coating of physical beauty. His love is expressed as the love that what lies beneath; the innermost feelings of each person. The poem (though controversial in its context) is traditionally structured in sonnet form with fourteen lines and ten syllables per line. The ABAB rhyming structure is carried out throughout the poem until the last two lines which are rhyming couplets. This typical structure, along with the obvious iambic pentameter, creates an easy-flowing read with a pleasant rhythm. At first glance, the context appears to be very insulting and even the very title my mistresss eyes are nothing like the sun imply an offence. Unlike the majority of the love poems of the period where the poets lovers were all described as goddesses that glide and having beautiful golden hair, Shakespeare describes his love as having black wires grow on her head and specifically mentions that he never saw a goddess go and when she walks, treads on the ground. This is quite a comparison to the dazzling goddess that one would expect to be described and seems as if Shakespeare is trying to offend his mistress. However, with a little thought, Shakespeare actually appears to be aiming to be realistic about his love though it may also be proven to simply be a mockery of the conservative love songs of the day. While traditional poets would use specific imagery to paint beautiful and attractive images of their love, Shakespeare takes these ideas and revises them, so that they portray unattractive, unpleasant but more honest depictions of his mistress. For example, where poets would describe their loves as having lips as red as coral, Shakespeare describes his mistresss lips as coral [being] far more red than her lips red. In addition, instead of describing her rosy cheeks as commonly read elsewhere, he says no such roses have I seen in her cheeks. The last two lines are different from the rest of the poem being rhyming couplets and consequently they stand out, giving an opportune chance to emphasize a point. Shakespeare uses this to emphasize his love for his mistress and therefore also to emphasize the positive aspect of the poem (genuine nature of his love) enough to balance out and even cancel out the negativity of the poem. Sonnet 130 appears to be a rather unkind description of Shakespeares mistress, however it could also be thought of as him describing her positive traits using negativity. He may not be describing her as unattractive, but simply not describing her as stunning, so to speak. He does in fact say that he love to hear her speak and it is only that it is undeniable that one would find more pleasure in listening to music than the sound of her voice. Shakespeare is merely being honest and realistic with his love, showing us that love is still beautiful, even when its honest. In contrast His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell uses more the conventional language of a love poem yet by challenging the thinking of the time (sex before marriage) also sets out to be controversial. His Coy Mistress is a persuasive poem in which a controlling and dominating Marvell attempts to convince his mistress to sleep with him. Unlike Shakespeares sonnet where language rather than structure (this remains in traditional sonnet form) is used to emphasis a point in the case of Marvells poem it is the other way round. Structure is very important in his poem. There are no stanzas but there are three very clear sections. Each section endeavours to persuade his Mistress using different manners and methods. Marvell also uses time in his quest of persuasion. The poems rhythm, stressing every other syllable, primarily creates the convincing sense of urgency but actually, each section portrays time in a different manner, enforcing his argument even more. In fact, the rhythm is the same as Shakespeares sonnet but each poet has used the rhythm to convey different atmospheres. The first section of the poem describes ideal time. Marvell appears to have unconditional love for his mistress and uses exaggerated times to express his love: thirty thousand to the rest [of her body parts]. He says he will love her till the conversion of the Jews even if she refuses. This line suggests his undying love for her as the conversion will never happen. Marvells first argument uses flattery. In contrast to Shakespeares sonnet where honest but unflattering descriptions are used, Marvell exaggerates his mistresss beauty in his attempt to sweet-talk her for example by describing the many years it would take to love and appreciate fully each part of her: two hundred [years] to adore each breast. The second section is created using fear as the main argument. Beginning with the word but, the reader is prepared for the following to be filled with negativity. Marvell talks of real time and what little there is. He creates striking images of a loveless death where she is in a grave where none [he] think do there embrace. He particularly emphasizes deserts of vast eternity by changing the rhythm so it stands out, making the reader pause to think about it. These are prime examples of the imagery created in this metaphysical poem. Time is rushing towards them as is suggested in the second line of this section: times winged chariot hurrying near. Another idea used to frighten her into sleeping with him, is the idea of worms taking her virginity and creates a mocking tone to the poem by describing her quaint honour which shed fought so long to preserve. Passion is his last attempt in this third and final section. It begins with now (also repeated four lines later for emphasis) enhancing the feeling of passion and urgency. The first four lines of this section enforce ideas of life and energy; youthful; willing soul; instant fires. He describes optimum time and finishes the poem with Thus, though we cannot make our sun// Stand still, yet we will make him run, as the poem reaches its conclusion, that of persuading her that they have no time to lose and should sleep together straight away. Whereas before he had centred the subject of the poem on him [I] or her [you], he now uses us (Now lets us sport us while we may) and we (in the final lines as previously quoted) creating a bond between them and putting the idea of them together into the readers head generating yet another argument: they would be good together. The endings of the two poems reveal important differences. For example, Marvells ending makes no apologies for the way he has expressed his love and his structure remains true to the poem right to the end. On the other hand Shakespeares last two lines stand out. They are not in sonnet form which could support the argument that he is mocking the traditional sonnet as well or that he feels the need to expel any doubts (which the reader may have! ) that he genuinely loves this woman. In each poem, the language is quite coarse and extreme but both use that effect in illustrating positive images of their love. For example, Shakespeare describes his mistress as the complete opposite of a goddess with breath that reeks and Marvell describes his mistress death but somehow, though the poets language throughout the poems is similar to this, the overall message depicted is good and not negative. Marvell and Shakespeares poems are both successful in what they aimed to achieve convincing their mistresses of their love in innovative manners. Both use their poems to escape conventional thinking; Shakespeare escapes the use of exaggerated and goddess-like depictions of women in love poems; while Marvell escapes the thinking that sex before marriage is a bad thing. Though both poems are centred on love, Shakespeares is more emotional whereas Marvells is more physical and sexual though both of them describe their love as being rare as quoted by Shakespeare and similarly, Marvells unique vegetable love. Both poems make enjoyable reading because of their irony and the challenge they make to conventional thinking of the time though Sonnet 130 probably more so because of the more humorous side Shakespeare brings to it.

What Is the History of Easter Essays

What Is the History of Easter Essays What Is the History of Easter Essay What Is the History of Easter Essay If Easter is a holiday that was created because of Jesus, then where did all the eggs and bunnies come from? Well, as I have said many, many times before, Christianity is based on much older religious texts. (Many of which were destroyed to keep the origins of Christianity a secret. Hence why theyve burned so many libraries throughout history) If you want to know the long, drawn out history of Easter, then I shall share it below. Easter History : Christian and Pagan Traditions Interwoven The history of Easter reveals rich associations between the Christian faith and the seemingly unrelated practices of the early pagan religions. Easter history and traditions that we practice today evolved from pagan symbols, from the ancient goddess Ishtar to Easter eggs and the Easter bunny. Easter, perhaps the most important of the Christian holidays, celebrates the Christs resurrection from the dead following his death on Good Friday. . . a rebirth that is commemorated around the vernal equinox, historically a time of pagan celebration that coincides with the arrival of spring and symbolizes the arrival of light and the awakening of life around us. Ostara, Goddess of Spring and the Dawn (Oestre / Eastre) Easter is named for a Saxon goddess who was known by the names of Oestre or Eastre, and in Germany by the name of Ostara. She is a goddess of the dawn and the spring, and her name derives from words for dawn, the shining light arising from the east. Our words for the female hormone estrogen derives from her name. Ostara was, of course, a fertility goddess. Bringing in the end of winter, with the days brighter and growing longer after the vernal equinox, Ostara had a passion for new life. Her presence was felt in the flowering of plants and the birth of babies, both animal and human. The rabbit (well known for its propensity for rapid reproduction) was her sacred animal. Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny both featured in the spring festivals of Ostara, which were initially held during the feasts of the goddess Ishtar | Inanna. Eggs are an obvious symbol of fertility, and the newborn chicks an adorable representation of new growth. Brightly colored eggs, chicks, and bunnies were all used at festival time to express appreciation for Ostaras gift of abundance. History of Easter Eggs and Easter Candy The history of Easter Eggs as a symbol of new life should come as no surprise. The notion that the Earth itself was hatched from an egg was once widespread and appears in creation stories ranging from Asian to Ireland. Eggs, in ancient times in Northern Europe, were a potent symbol of fertility and often used in rituals to guarantee a womans ability to bear children. To this day rural grannywomen (lay midwives/healers in the Appalachian mountains) still use eggs to predict, with uncanny accuracy, the sex of an unborn child by watching the rotation of an egg as it is suspended by a string over the abdomen of a pregnant woman. Dyed eggs are given as gifts in many cultures. Decorated eggs bring with them a wish for the prosperity of the abundance during the coming year. Folklore suggests that Easter egg hunts arose in Europe during the Burning Times, when the rise of Christianity led to the shunning (and persecution) of the followers of the Old Religion. Instead of giving the eggs as gifts the adults made a game of hiding them, gathering the children together and encouraging them to find the eggs. Some believe that the authorities seeking to find the heathens would follow or bribe the children to reveal where they found the eggs so that the property owner could be brought to justice. Green Eggs . . . . . . and Ham The meat that is traditionally associated with Easter is ham. Though some might argue that ham is served at Easter since it is a Christian meat, (prohibited for others by the religious laws of Judaism and Islam) the origin probably lies in the early practices of the pagans of Northern Europe. Having slaughtered and preserved the meat of their agricultural animals during the Blood Moon celebrations the previous autumn so they would have food throughout the winter months, they would celebrate the occasion by using up the last of the remaining cured meats. In anticipation that the arrival of spring with its emerging plants and wildlife would provide them with fresh food in abundance, it was customary for many pagans to begin fasting at the time of the vernal equinox, clearing the poisons (and excess weight) produced by the heavier winter meals that had been stored in their bodies over the winter. Some have suggested that the purpose of this fasting may have been to create a sought-after state of altered consciousness in time for the spring festivals. One cannot but wonder if this practice of fasting might have been a forerunner of giving up foods during the Lenten season. Chocolate Easter bunnies and eggs, marshmallow chicks in pastel colors, and candy of all sorts, most of which are given out as personalized gifts during Easter . . . these have pagan origins as well! To understand their association with religion we need to examine the meaning of food as a symbol. The ancient belief that, by eating something we take on its characteristics formed the basis for the earliest blessings before meals (a way to honor the life that had been sacrificed so that we as humans could enjoy life) and, presumably, for the more recent Christian sacrament of communion as well. Shaping candy Easter eggs and bunnies to celebrate the spring festival was, simply put, a way to celebrate the symbols of the goddess and the season, while laying claim to their strengths (vitality, growth, and fertility) for ourselves. The Goddess Ostara and the Easter Bunny Feeling guilty about arriving late one spring, the Goddess Ostara saved the life of a poor bird whose wings had been frozen by the snow. She made him her pet or, as some versions have it, her lover. Filled with compassion for him since he could no longer fly (in some versions, it was because she wished to amuse a group of young children), Ostara turned him into a snow hare and gave him the gift of being able to run with incredible speed so he could protect himself from hunters. In remembrance of his earlier form as a bird, she also gave him the ability to lay eggs (in all the colors of the rainbow, no less), but only on one day out of each year. Eventually the hare managed to anger the goddess Ostara, and she cast him into the skies where he would remain as the constellation Lepus (The Hare) forever positioned under the feet of the constellation Orion (the Hunter). He was allowed to return to earth once each year, but only to give away his eggs to the children attending the Ostara festivals that were held each spring. The tradition of the Easter Bunny had begun. The Hare was sacred in many ancient traditions and was associated with the moon goddesses and the various deities of the hunt. In ancient times eating the Hare was prohibited except at Beltane (Celts) and the festival of Ostara (Anglo-Saxons), when a ritual hare-hunt would take place. In many cultures rabbits, like eggs, were considered to be potent remedies for fertility problems. The ancient philosopher-physician Pliny the Elder prescribed rabbit meat as a cure for female sterility, and in some cultures the genitals of a hare were carried to avert barrenness. Medieval Christians considered the hare to bring bad fortune, saying witches changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry. It was claimed that a witch could only be killed by a silver crucifix or a bullet when she appeared as a hare. Given their mad leaping and boxing displays during mating season as well as their ability to produce up to 42 offspring each spring, it is understandable that they came to represent lust, sexuality, and excess in general. Medieval Christians considered the hare to be an evil omen, believing that witches changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry. It was claimed that a witch could only be killed by a silver crucifix or a bullet when she appeared as a hare. In later Christian tradition the white Hare, when depicted at the Virgin Marys feet, represents triumph over lust or the flesh. The rabbits vigilance and speed came to represent the need to flee from sin and temptation and a reminder of the swift passage of life. And, finally, there is a sweet Christian legend about a young rabbit who, for three days, waited anxiously for his friend, Jesus, to return to the Garden of Gethsemane, not knowing what had become of him. Early on Easter morning, Jesus returned to His favorite garden and was welcomed the little rabbit. That evening when the disciples came into the garden to pray, still unaware of the resurrection, they found a clump of beautiful larkspurs, each blossom bearing the image of a rabbit in its center as a remembrance of the little creatures hope and faith. Ishtar, Goddess of Love, and the First Resurrection (also known as Inanna) Ishtar, goddess of romance, procreation, and war in ancient Babylon, was also worshipped as the Sumerian goddess Inanna. One of the great goddesses, or mother goddesses, the stories of her descent to the Underworld and the resurrection that follows are contained in the oldest writings that have ever been discovered. . . the Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish and the story of Gilgamesh. Scholars believed that they were based on the oral mythology of the region and were recorded about 2,100 B. C. E. The most famous of the myths of Ishtar tell of her descent into the realm of the dead to rescue her young lover, Tammuz, a Vegetation god forced to live half the year in the Underworld. Ishtar approached the gates of the Underworld, which was ruled by her twin sister Eresh-kigel, the goddess of death and infertility. She was refused admission. Similar to the Greek myths of Demeter and Persephone that came later, during Ishtars absence the earth grew barren since all acts of procreation ceased while she was away. Ishtar screamed and ranted that she would break down the gates and release all of the dead to overwhelm the world and compete with the living for the remaining food unless she was allowed to enter and plead her case with her twin. Needless to say, she won admission. But the guard, following standard protocol, refused to let her pass through the first gate unless she removed her crown. At the next gate, she had to remove her earrings, then her necklace at the next, removing her garments and proud finery until she stood humbled and naked after passing through the seventh (and last) gate. In one version, she was held captive and died but was brought back to life when her servant sprinkled her with the water of life. In the more widely known version of the myth, Ishtars request was granted and she regained all of her attire and possessions as she slowly re-emerged through the gates of darkness. Upon her return, Tammuz and the earth returned to life. Annual celebrations of this Day of Joy, were held each year around the time of the vernal equinox. These celebrations became the forerunners of the Ostara festivals that welcomed Oestre and the arrival of spring. A section on the Goddess Inanna (the Sumerian version of the Goddess Ishtar), her myths and symbols, is included with the myths of the goddesses at this website. Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny, the dawn that arrives with resurrection of life, and the celebration of spring all serve to remind us of the cycle of rebirth and the need for renewal in our lives. In the history of Easter, Christian and pagan traditions are gracefully interwoven.

A Memorable Christmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Memorable Christmas - Essay Example Few people had high expectations for the day as most suspected it would be the usual routine of Christian rituals and some little partying to last until slightly beyond sunset. The previous Christmas and many other preceding ones had little merry to remember. Like it happens for many people, Christmas rituals seem to engage the interest of children more than the adults do. On this occasion though, word had gone round that a famed guest would deliver a special package for the adults. Other rumors doing the rounds suggested that the package had been delivered already although nobody knew the nature of the contents. Guests began filing in shortly after ten in the morning. One would not actually refer to them as guests given the fact that most of them had always been in constant touch due to the simple reason that they shared a literature course in the same university. It was a close-knit group that enjoyed mutual interests and shared many idiosyncratic habits just like any lovers of lit erature do. Choosing to meet over Christmas was rather unusual for literature comrades. The host’s silverware in varying shapes and sizes was on full display. It would take only a little while before the guests got the opportunity to savor the dietary delights of the occasion. Food came in varieties of Indian, Chinese, and Malaysian cuisine, which made a real spectacle that Jeremy fondly referred to as Christmas made in Asia. It all appeared like grafting the sum of Asian culinary traditions over a uniquely Christian ritual. Of course, nobody would expect Helen, our host and one of the most controversial students in our class to follow conventions in anything. Nearly all of us had the inaugural experience with a range of Chinese foods including sour pork, sweet pork, Peking duck, ma po tofu, spring rolls, wontons, chow mein, gong bao chicken, and dumplings. At first, most of the guests had considered the culinary set-up rather outlandish but with time, all got accustomed to t he taste and had their fill from the buffet. What confounded us was the manner in which Helen managed to flawlessly come up with the meals without expert assistance. Helen had never shown enthusiasm in matters of the kitchen, and on this occasion, she would not yield to any question on the mystery. Apart from the Chinese professor in the neighborhood, we did not know of any other Chinese friend with who she had some acquaintance. It would not be long before our concerns were addressed. The Chinese professor in full chef’s attire with a range of other culinary delights that got all of us utterly confused. It would never occur to any of us that the man we have never seen in any different place other than the literature class could roll himself into something very different. As Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie would say, we had bought into a single story about the professor (Adichie). We could never imagine him as anything other than a professor. None of the guests except Hele n had ever bothered to probe into the professor’s life beyond the classroom. It turned out that he was the surprise guest we had been waiting for and that it was he who prepared all the meals we had eaten. When the surprise wore off and after we were done with the meals, we had the opportunity of getting up, close and personal with the professor regarding the Chinese perspectives on Christmas. It all seemed like a cultural exchange program and a revelation into Chinese

Human Factors in Cockpit Design Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Factors in Cockpit Design - Term Paper Example They get involved in behavioral/cognitive task-analysis, time analysis for assessment of various task demands, computer modeling for reach analysis and assessing the complexities of the task involved. It stems from the color selection to environmental considerations for the error free operations by pilot. It is essential that critical information is presented in the pilots field of view so that his potential energies are focused on the critical task. Information presented should be easy to interpret and presented in the way to avoid cluttering. The Head-Down-Display (HDD) and the Head-Up-Display (HUD) are the systems, which are capable of satisfying these needs. Advanced technological research tools like simulators are capable of giving a great insight in studying man-machine interaction to make travel safe and less burdensome for pilots. The journey is endless and it will continue to pose new challenges depending upon the complexities that will come on the way. Cockpit designing wil l also be impacted from the other technologies too and may culminate into totally a different shape and style not imagined by anybody so far. The purpose of any designers task while addressing Human Factor issue is to see the aspects of safety, ease of operation, and which is easy to learn. Good design promotes efficiency and consistency in task performance. That is the underlying principle on which cockpit designing is done. Cockpit is a compartment from where pilot controls the aircraft whether it is in air or on ground. The term is used to denote a place where pilot along with copilots are stationed with myriad of controls to navigate the aircraft. The cockpit contains various flight instruments and the controls to facilitate pilot navigation. The term is also sometimes used for the driver’s place in racing cars. Cockpit has a window which can be opened while the airplane is on the ground. Glass windows

Writing profile on foster parent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing profile on foster parent - Essay Example In the statistics provided by the Children Uniting Nations, citing the source of information from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), it was disclosed that â€Å"more than 463,000 children live in foster care. In California, which has the largest foster care population than any other state, the number of foster youth has tripled in the last 20 years† (par. 1). Locating competent and highly qualified foster parents who could genuinely meet and support varied needs of children in need is therefore challenging. As one tried to locate potential foster parents, it was convenient to go directly to one of the established foster homes in Southern California and interview professional members of the organization’s team with regards to parents who signified intentions to become foster or adoptive parents. The Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency (SCFFAA) has been serving the needs of homeless children since 1994. It was deemed com mitted to â€Å"helping abused, abandoned and neglected children find secure, stable and nurturing homes. The agency provides for the well-being of children in its care and helps them become independent and successful adults† (Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency 1).

Julius Caesar Biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Julius Caesar Biography - Essay Example Whatever he achieved in his life were rightly deserved. Amidst all this, it can be safely said, that geniuses at times have a flaw in them, which leads to their downfall and doom. Julius Caesar lived to this category and matched it to perfection. During his life, he managed to attain those heights which many others together could not manage doing so. His life was full of events. He made his way out of trouble and tough times and earned himself the name of being one of the best rulers of his time. Marcus Tullius Cicero the great orator who lived in the same era quite rightly defined Julius Caesar â€Å"A realist by his fingertips, not led astray by ideals or ideologies. He was not afraid to temporarily grovel†. (BookRags). ... 360) Julius Caesar was born in a family representing a humble background .His childhood days were mostly spent in the neighborhood of Rome .It would not be wrong to say that the political events of unrest taking place in the background of his childhood, left an impact on his mind and guided him taking an inspiration from the unrest and followed the ways in same manner later in his life .Childhood was spent in rough pattern and the entire family found it difficult making both ends meet. This was brought up by various reasons, one of them being the civil war in those days that was going on in the surroundings. Teenage life was one of the toughest times in his life where he was totally broke. While he was still in his teen age, things took turn for the better when he joined the Army and spent some time there. He started showing his abilities soon after and in the battle against Rome he performed above his abilities and saved number of his companions in the battle field. From here on, hi s life kept taking turns and events kept occurring during his life. In 80 B.C he earned himself the civil crown during the capture of Mytilene (Caesar and Kennedy) .Later on he went on to achieve the distinction of becoming the military tribune. The journey of success continued in various forms of promotion through the ranks till he became the all superior and top ranked. His personal life was never stable and from the beginning kept shifting between dark and light color. Got married at early age yet things were not smooth on this front .The wife was from a rich background and she by chance happened to belong to the family that was in opposition to the then rules, hence his personal peace and marriage landed in the hands of political intrigues and personal enmities and he had to take

Compare and Contrast HIPPA and PSQLA federal laws Research Paper

Compare and Contrast HIPPA and PSQLA federal laws - Research Paper Example To support discussions and reporting of dangerous conditions and adverse events, the act also advocates for confidentiality shielding for Patient Safety Work (HHS, 2012). Similarities between HIPAA and PSQIA Federal Laws Some of the similarities between these two laws are that, firstly, they deal with matters regarding the health care field. Looking deeper into the two acts, they also advocate for patient privacy and safety. The effective compliance date of the Privacy Act of the two laws was 14th April, 2003 and 16th May, 2006, for HIPAA and PSQIA laws respectively (Hiltzik, 2012). Both HIPAA and PSQIA Privacy Rule regulates the disclosure and use of Protected Health Information held by health care clearinghouses, health insurers, employer sponsored health plans and medical service providers, who engage in various transactions. PHI refers to any information held by covered entities that concern the provision of health care, health care status and payment for health care, which can b e associated to an individual (HHS, 2012). According to the two health acts, PHI comprises of any element of a person’s health record and payment history. The laws, therefore, urge cover entities to disclose PHI to the person being protected within a month or 30 days upon request (Hiltzik, 2012). The two laws urge PHI to facilitate payment, treatment or health care operations even when lacking a patient’s express written authorization (Clancy, 2008). Also, according to the two laws, any disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) needs the covered entity to acquire written authorization from the individual for the disclosure. Nevertheless, in case a covered entity reveals Protected Health Information, it should make a logical effort to just the minimum vital information needed to achieve its purpose (HHS, 2012). The Privacy Rule, with regards to the two acts, offers people the right to request that a covered entity to correct any incorrect information. The rule al so, according to the two principles, urges covered entities to incorporate reasonable steps in ensuring that confidentiality of their individuals is met with regards to communications (Hiltzik, 2012). For instance, a person can ask to be called from his or her home or cell phones instead of the work number. It is the duty of the covered entity to grant this to the individual. Differences between HIPAA and PSQIA Federal Laws Some of the main differences that could be draw out of the two laws are with regards to their security regulations. The HIPAA Federal Law incorporates administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure that their individuals are protected (Clancy, 2008). The PSQIA, on the other hand, incorporates a Patient Safety Organization (PSO), which certifies that the list of requirements, according to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, are met. Patient Safety, with regards to PSQIA Federal Law, includes any reports, data, records, analyses, memoranda o r written statements, which can improve patient health care quality, safety and health care outcomes. However, in the HIPAA Federal Law, the security rule compliments the privacy rule such that it incorporates the three types of security safeguards, administrative, physical and technical safeguards (HHS, 2012). Administrative safeguards refer to the procedure and policies created to show how the

Julius Caesar Biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Julius Caesar Biography - Essay Example Whatever he achieved in his life were rightly deserved. Amidst all this, it can be safely said, that geniuses at times have a flaw in them, which leads to their downfall and doom. Julius Caesar lived to this category and matched it to perfection. During his life, he managed to attain those heights which many others together could not manage doing so. His life was full of events. He made his way out of trouble and tough times and earned himself the name of being one of the best rulers of his time. Marcus Tullius Cicero the great orator who lived in the same era quite rightly defined Julius Caesar â€Å"A realist by his fingertips, not led astray by ideals or ideologies. He was not afraid to temporarily grovel†. (BookRags). ... 360) Julius Caesar was born in a family representing a humble background .His childhood days were mostly spent in the neighborhood of Rome .It would not be wrong to say that the political events of unrest taking place in the background of his childhood, left an impact on his mind and guided him taking an inspiration from the unrest and followed the ways in same manner later in his life .Childhood was spent in rough pattern and the entire family found it difficult making both ends meet. This was brought up by various reasons, one of them being the civil war in those days that was going on in the surroundings. Teenage life was one of the toughest times in his life where he was totally broke. While he was still in his teen age, things took turn for the better when he joined the Army and spent some time there. He started showing his abilities soon after and in the battle against Rome he performed above his abilities and saved number of his companions in the battle field. From here on, hi s life kept taking turns and events kept occurring during his life. In 80 B.C he earned himself the civil crown during the capture of Mytilene (Caesar and Kennedy) .Later on he went on to achieve the distinction of becoming the military tribune. The journey of success continued in various forms of promotion through the ranks till he became the all superior and top ranked. His personal life was never stable and from the beginning kept shifting between dark and light color. Got married at early age yet things were not smooth on this front .The wife was from a rich background and she by chance happened to belong to the family that was in opposition to the then rules, hence his personal peace and marriage landed in the hands of political intrigues and personal enmities and he had to take

Airline Deregulation as it relates to Competion and Unions Essay

Airline Deregulation as it relates to Competion and Unions - Essay Example The airline deregulation provides significant benefits to an average traveler. This Act removed many of the airline restrictions and thus totally altered the concept of civil aviation in the US. Subsequent to the integration of jets into the market, the air travel industry experienced incredible growth rate. As a result of steady increase in air travel, the federal regulators were forced to deregulate the industry to meet the increasing needs of the air travelers. The airline deregulation process augmented market competition once the marketers got the freedom to determine their own prices. It also persuaded the airline providers to enter in price competition in order to dominate the air travel market. Reports point out the notable effects of deregulation; â€Å"the inflation adjusted 1982 constant dollar yield for airlines has fallen from 12.3 cents in 1978 to 7.9 cents in 1997. This means that airline ticket prices are almost 40% lower today than they were in 1978 when the airlines were deregulated† (Thierer, 1998). Since this trend offered fruitful economic benefits to passengers, the passenger miles flown tremendously grew. For instance, in 2005, there were 750 million passenger miles whereas this figure was only 250 million in 1978. The magnitude of market competition was more in Europe as compared to US.

Importance of Time in Chinese Culture Essay Example for Free

Importance of Time in Chinese Culture Essay The importance of time is always dependent on the different perspectives of people’s origin, particularly culture. â€Å"Time is one of the most important bases by which culture rests and all other activities revolve† (Riggs et al 31). Different cultures handle time differently. In the past, time was measured in daylight, darkness, or in seasons; however, nowadays, time has become more important and more complicated. Yet, no matter how complicated it has become, it always boils down to the influence of culture, just like China, one of the countries with a very rich culture. The impact of modernization in China on the changes of Chinese’ behavior is significant. However, these changes in their behavior have had a more significant impact on their values. Indeed, Chinese seem to have never given up one of their most important cultural characteristics, Guanxi, which up until now, remains as an important Chinese business element. In the advent of globalization, Chinese has kept and reinforced this unique characteristic even in the most important socio-cultural changes. Yes, China has indeed undergone substantial cultural changes; nonetheless, with regards to the thinking and dealing process, modern China remains rooted to its traditional Yin Yang approach, and this is reflected on their shrewd use of time to keep their relationship intact. Because Chinese people value relationship more than anything else, as they believe that this could lead them to success, it is logical to expect that the Chinese society concentrates on fluid/multi-focus time value. Chinese people are both famous and infamous in different negotiations for their wise use of time as their bargaining tool. Chinese are known to have adept ability to run down the clock because they prioritize their relationships with their associates or business partners first. This way, they know that the value of relationship or guanxi continues. Moreover, Chinese can afford or stand to play the waiting game, provided that there is always someone left to invest and spend for them. Cultures around the world have developed their own way of responding to time. The dimension for time orientation is based on two aspects; the relative significance the culture gives to its past, present, and future, and its way of approaching the time. China has indeed embraced globalization since the last three decades. Despite this, its stronghold to its culture is still very evident. This is because China is considered as a past-oriented culture country. Countries that fall under this category have a culture that is largely leaned towards the past; they see their future as a repetition of their past experiences. Moreover, they have high respect and regard for their collective historical experiences and their ancestors. As per David Thomas’ description of the country, China embraces its tradition and culture of ancestor worship and has strong pride of its customary and cultural persistence for over thousands of years (73). The Chinese society holds the perspective that their past is their guide on how to live their lives in the present. According to an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"Consider the past and you will know the present† (Quotations). Work Cited Riggs, James, et al. Industrial Organization and Management. Manila, Philippines: McGraw-Hill, Inc. , 1980. Lo, Vincent. Chinese Business Culture: Guanxi, An Important Chinese Business Element. 17 March 2005. 01 May 2009 http://chinese-school. netfirms. com/guanxi. html Thomas, David. Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts Second Ed. California: Sage Publications. 2008. Quotations. 14 February 2008. 01 May 2009. http://www1. bbiq. jp/quotations/past. htm

Negative Effects Of Peer Rejection Psychology Essay

Negative Effects Of Peer Rejection Psychology Essay This paper researches the effects of peer rejection on children, from the beginning of elementary school and transitioning into middle school, and the adverse effects that peer rejection can have. The paper also examines if there are certain factors, such as race, sex, parental care, or societal deviance, that correlate to or can be used as predictors of peer rejection. Looking at peer rejection shows multiple adverse effects, varying from psychological damage, increase in aggression, disinterest in academic life, increase in risk taking behavior, and negative academic performance, with all being related in turn to the duration and intensity of the rejection. This paper examines how peer rejection is correlated to these factors and outcomes, and if they can be used to predict adjustment in adult life. Peer Rejection: An Examination of the Negative Effects of Peer Rejection on Multiple Aspects of a Childs Life Merriam-Webster defines reject as to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use, and peer as one that is of equal standing with another : especially : one belonging to the same societal group especially based on age, grade, or status. From these two definitions we get peer rejection, which can be stated as refusal to accept someone of a similar age, grade or status into a social group. Anyone who has ever been part of a social group in their life, from a school associated club, to a sports team, to a playground group, has dealt with not fitting in. Whether it be due to their race, age, sex, or play preferences, children of all types deal with not being accepted by their classmates. Asking anyone will get you a tale of a time in which they experienced rejection by friends or fellow students, and how they felt when it occurred. But what many people never think about is how this rejection can affect a child, if it continues for a long amount of time, or is more intense then merely an exclusion from one days worth of activity. If this occurs there can be a risk for problems to begin developing. First, we will be discussing the immediately recognizable effects of peer rejection on a child, such as disinterest in school work, drop in grade point average, increase in aggression and overall lack of interest in education. Secondly, we will discuss the long term effects of peer rejection, like increase in risk taking behavior, likelihood of continued low scores in GPA and continued lack of interest in school. Lastly, we will discuss how peer rejection can also be a predictor of other negative things in a childs life, such as deviance, whether it be physical, mental, or social, or even maltreatment by their parents. In 2008, Ladd, Herald-Brown Reiser conducted a study on whether chronic peer rejection would affect and predict a childs class room participation during grade school. It was hypothesized that (a) peer rejection creates constraints that inhibit childrens classroom participation and (b) the cessation of rejection enables children to become more active and cooperative participants in classroom activities. To test the hypothesis, Ladd et al. (2008) took a sample of 398 children, 199 girls and 199 boys, with a largely Caucasian sample, 77.5%, and followed them from age 5 through age 12. The largely Caucasian sample makes the group seem somewhat biased, due to its lack of representing any other race, however, it can be said that it is representative of the population of the United States. According to the 2011 Census, Caucasians make up 78.1% of the United States population, so while it may appear biased, it would seem that instead the sampling is quite accurate if we want to apply the sa mples results to the population. The results of the study, which are shown through a slope format, found that the early chronic rejected (ECR) group of children, or kids who were rejected from kindergarten to third or fourth grade showed little or no increase in participation of class, as well as this downward or stable trajectory continuing well into the other grades. It also found that children who experienced late chronic rejection (LCR), which was from grades four to six, experienced an immediate decline in participation and a continued decline in what was otherwise a normal upward growth of participation. What this show is that the effects of peer rejection are fast in being detrimental to a child, as well as being able to build up to the point that it lasts for periods of time longer then the original period in which peer rejection was experienced. Of note is that fact that, for the ECR group, once rejection ceased in fourth grade, if peer acceptance begins, then an immediate growth of participation, as would be expected in a non-chronic rejected child, will also begin(Ladd et al., 2008). Following this connection between peer rejection and decrease in classroom participation, we can look at a study by VÃ ©ronneau, Vitaro, Brendgen, Dishion Tremblay, 2010, which attempted to find out whether there was a link between peer rejection and academic achievement from middle age children into teenaged children. They hypothesized that academic achievement would decrease with peer rejection, due to an inability to integrate with the other children. VÃ ©ronneau et al. used a sample of 198 girls and 254 boys, almost all of European descent, that were selected from French speaking schools in Quebec. This reveals a bias in the sample, meaning the majority of the children chosen were Caucasians, as well as them being from Canada, which in turn means that the studies results cannot be generalized for all children, which could cause some serious problems if generalized. The lack of knowledge as to whether Hispanics, Asians or African Americans would show similar connections between their academic achievement and peer rejection would be something that a similar study could identify. The study found that academic achievement was a predictor in whether children were accepted by peers or rejected by them. This connection was shown by negative correlations ranging from -.12to a -.20, with the scores gradually decreasing towards middle school and adolescence. This not only shows that peer rejection decreases academic achievement, but that it affects it less as children grow older. An explanation could be seen in that as a child grows older, he will not be influenced by teachers and parents negative opinions of children who do badly in school, or that as children reach middle school, student bodies tend to increase in size, meaning they are less likely to know about fellow classmates academic scores and achievements. Now to tie those two studies together we can examine a study done Amy Bellmore in 2011, that looked at associations of Grade Point Average (GPA) and peer rejection and unpopularity. The study chose 901 students, 477 boys and 424 girls, from a school system in a middle sized town in the northeastern United States, with an ethnicity similar to that of the united states, with 65% being Caucasian, 20% African American, 12% Latino, and 3% Asian or other, and followed them from grades four to eighth(Bellmore, 2011). The study found that as peer rejection increased in a semester, GPA would decrease, and that peer rejection in a semester would also predict GPA decrease in the following semester. Bellmore also found that peer rejection and unpopularity function differently from each other, with unpopularity not affecting GPA at all during elementary years, but instead, increasing GPA during middle school! This distinction between actual rejection by peers and a lack of acceptance by peers bri ngs up an interesting thought. While being refused by friends and classmates in elementary school makes a child less likely to participate in class, and less likely to achieve academically, by middle school a general sense of difference and lack of acceptance seems to almost fuel a childs need to prove himself in a purely academic way. While this in no means says that being an outcast from the social norm makes a student better academically, it does seem to validate VÃ ©ronneau et al.s (2010) findings that peer acceptance increases with academic achievement. It also seems to suggest that Ladd et al.s 2008 findings of peer rejection hindering classroom participation could possibly be correlated with a drop in GPA as well. When a child feels like they cannot participate in class, they may learn less due to not asking questions due to fear of classmates reactions, perform less then normal in class projects that require group participation in which they could experience rejection, and overall experience a drop in GPA and academic achievement because of their lack of group work finished and class participation points earned. While the studies seem to have a firm amount of findings from children in elementary and middle school, the lack of research into high school peer rejection and its detriments on academic life, shows that peer rejection still has many opportunities for research. This lack of research leads to another study which examined the effects of peer rejection and its influence on girls risk taking behavior. Conducted in 2004 by Prinstein and La Greca, it aimed to find out if there was a link between peer rejection and aggression and if they could be used as predictors of risk taking behaviors, such as marijuana use and risky sexual behaviors. Prinstein La Greca took a sample of 148 girls from fourth to sixth grade, and then examined them again when the girls had reached tenth to twelfth grade. The samples ethnicity consisted of over half being Caucasian, two sixths being Hispanic one sixth being African American and the remainder of the sample being Asian or other. Also of note is the fact that the sample was composed of mainly girls from middle class families. The conclusions drawn from the sample cannot then be applied to general population, and leave open the question of whether socioeconomic status could predispose girls to peer rejection, or if their socioeconomic status itself leaves predisposition to risk taking behavior. In recent studies, such as that by Shields, Ryan and Cicchetti (2001) and Juvonen (1991), peer rejection was found to be linked to maltreatment by parents and shown to be related to deviance from norms. Beginning with maltreatment by caregivers, Shields et al. 2001 hypothesized that: Maltreated children would evidence maladaptive representations, maladaptive representations would be associated with emotion dysregulation and peer rejection on entry into new social groups, maladaptive representations would foster emotion dysregulation among maltreated children, such that they would be more likely to be rejected by peers. This was done by using a narrative representation by 76 maltreated and 45 non-maltreated girls and boys at a summer camp, of varying race and ethnicity, from ages eight to twelve, all from an inner city environment. While the sample size isnt large enough to accurately predict for the entire population, it is still diverse enough to give us a clear enough picture of ho w maltreatment can affect all types of children, and show up in social groups through peer rejection. The determination of maltreatment versus non-maltreatment was found using Child Protective and Preventative Services records, ensuring that maltreated children came from homes where maltreatment had occurred and would most likely continue due to dysfunctional family, which guards against any bias that could have come from using opinions alone to determine maltreatment. In an effort to keep the samples unbiased, even the types of maltreatment varied from child to child, with sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect all being types of maltreatment included. After choosing the children, an exercise in which each child was asked to elaborate upon a series of story stems, representing emotional and physical situations involving either a mother or father, was recorded and then transcribed for comparison. After comparing the findings, it was shown that

Euthanasia is Moral Essay -- Argument for Euthanasia

Recent debates over active euthanasia, "killing" a terminally ill patient, in Holland, has raised the question whether euthanasia is immoral or a simple human right. Doctors seem to have no doubt. They made an oath. The definition of Euthanasia depends on whether it is active or passive. Active Euthanasia I only allowed in Holland, and it means that the doctor takes direct measures to put a patient to sleep, whereas passive Euthanasia only involves stopping pill consumption, or stopping treatment. In England, only passive Euthanasia is allowed. Euthanasia touches some of the deepest feelings in human beings. It is the power over life and death, and responsibilities no one wishes to take, have to be taken. This, of cause, leads to the ultimatum, that it is the patient's own choice. But can we allow some one to take their own lives? Doesn't this mean that everyone else around the patient has failed, that more could have been done? From the patient's point of view, a lot of arguments talk in favour of euthanasia. For one, no body wants to be a burden. If a person has had a car accident, which paralyses him from neck and down, and is doomed to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he knows that he will be 100% dependant on the ones that care for him, his lived ones, forever. It can also be mentioned that the life quality of a terminally ill patient, gets reduced a lot. Never being able to walk again, never being able to talk to your children again, never being able to go shopping, swimming, playing, driving etc. must be terrible for anyone. The whole situation only gets worse, if the patient himself can see that his condition is worsening, and only time keeps his thoughts clear. A third very importa... ... disease by killing the patient, as he believes. It allows the patient to die in peace with no suffering. Steve Forbes calls euthanasia barbaric (31). Isn't it far more barbaric to force someone to suffer rather than helping them to end their misery? Euthanasia is ethical, and physicians should be allowed to assist in it legally. My great-grandfather was terminally ill with cancer. He couldn't eat or sleep, he just laid there, constantly in pain. There was nothing they could do as far as cancer treatment, because his body was too old and weak. So, he suffered for almost 2 months, while we all watched him suffer more and more everyday as he lay there dying. He stated many times how he just wanted to die and didn't want to live anymore. But, we (society) forced him to suffer. This is something that should have never happened and should never happen again.

Who Moved My Cheese? Essay -- Book Reviews Spencer Johnson

Change is one of those unique subjects that can be perceived differently by any one individual. You might ask three people what their personal definition of change is and receive three different answers. Some people offer very little resistance to change, they consider it the spice of life; it prevents stagnancy and maintains excitement through diversity. Some people view change like the U.S. viewed Russia during the cold war, as an inevitable threat that we must constantly monitor and prepare for. Other people react to change like an ostrich reacts to danger. They just stick their head in a hole and pretend it doesn't exist. Change is constantly happening all the time to everyone in someway or another. Whether or not change is accepted does not alter the fact that it exists however the way you accept change can alter the way you exist. The book titled, Who Moved My Cheese?, written by Spencer Johnson, M.D. is a parable that reveals how change is dealt with differently by individuals. In this story there are four characters, two mice named Sniff and Scurry and two "little people", named Hem and Haw, who are about the size of mice but act and think much like humans. These four characters are in a maze searching for cheese. The cheese is a metaphor for the things that make you happy in life like a successful career, happy marriage, financial security, materialistic possessions etc. The maze represents where you might be looking for these things for example your company, home, or town. Change plays a key element in this parable. Change happens when the four characters run out of cheese, which was once abundant at their location in the maze. Each of the characters reacts a little differently to this change, some reactions ... ... than not people much like Haw find that their fears are of lesser threat than they have imagined them to be. Many times fear is only a self-contrived obstacle that prevents personal progress. Whether or not change is accepted does not alter the fact that it exists however the way you accept change can alter the way you exist. Hem's existence was obviously negatively affected by his inability to accept change. The mice quickly moved on to a better existence after accepting change without hesitation. Haw learned that his hesitation to acceptance of change caused him precious time without cheese. As Haw learned in the parable, accepting change, anticipating change, being aware of change and enjoying change can lead to living a happier and more prosperous life. Works Cited Johnson M.D., Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? New York: G.P. Putman's Sons, 1998,2002

Chantale and Clinton’s Service Expectations Essay

In general, for their past experience Chantale and Clinton’s service expectations to The Canadian are that they provide very customer-oriented service, that is not only the frontline representatives but also every role within the company and its distributors cares for the customers and always think of the best interests of customers. To be more specific, as what we have seen in this case, Chantale and Clinton coupon expected the following: 1) a quick and courteous response and follow up on their request or phone calls instead of keeps transferring their requests from one party to another; 2) Always stay in touch with the customer and provide recent updates and feedback for important changes (e.g., repair could not come on the day); 3) Reliable service, e.g., if you make a promise then you need to keep your promise 4) On time delivery and repair service as well as timely communication to save customer time; 5) Has department to bridge the gaps or escalation the issue in a timely manner 6) Flexibility, e.g., provide a temporary solution that can help the customer while waiting for the appliance to be fixed (delivery a small fridge for temporary use). 7) Care for the customer needs especially monetary needs, e.g., reimbursement Culture factors that influence the development of these expectations are the couple is middle class and they can afford decent brands of products. Their entire family is well-educated and the couple values achievement and success, environment, material comfort and external comfort. Because of their subculture that they are Canadians, fully bilingual and live in Montreal, they give preferences to products delivered by the Canadian based product supplier â€Å"The Canadian†. Social factors are the reference group, e.g., client service team that the couple kept calling to did provide some courteous and polite response, however they had to repeat the same case over and over again which eventually made the couple feel frustrated and angry. From the family factors perspective, Chantele’s brother failed to enjoy a good meal made her feel even more frustrated with the delay of the repair which she expected it should be done on time. Personal factors are that they are well educated and care about the environment, thus they decided to purchase an energy efficient fridge to save energy. In addition, they prefer fresh foods as well as food that meet the dietary needs of youngest child which can be found when they threw away non-fresh foods and require immediate repair of the fridge. Because they are advisors and accounts who can occasionally work from home, they have the luxury to spend hours of their day time calling and waiting for customer service. From the personality and self-concept perspective, Chantale worked at The Canadian during the past as department manager and he considered himself very customer oriented. Therefore, he would think the others in the firm would be like him or his department. From the lifestyle and value perspective, they are more money constrained than time constrained, therefore, they asked for reimbursement for the loss of foods.

Finanacial Evaluation of Unilever

Table of Contents Table of Content3 List of Tables4 Table 1 6 1. Introduction2 2. Main Body2 3. Management Structure4 4. Ability to Earn Income 5 5. Size of Inventory Held5 6. Relience on Debt Financing5 7. Key Indicators for 2011 and 20126 8. Profitability of var. Product Lines and Geographic Regions 6 Table 28 9. FINANCIAL RATIOS FOR UNILEVER10 9. 1 Operations Analysis10 9. 2 Liquidity Analysis12 9. 3 Debt and Solvency Analysis 14 9. 4 Profitability Analysis15 5. CONCLUSION16 LIST OF REFERENCES17 IntroductionWhen evaluating a company important is to know company’s history, operations and the nature of the business in which it operates. On other hand by reviewing company’s financial statements, operational practices we can evaluate its performance and compare it with the previous years or with the key competitors. By analyzing its financial indicators we can assess how profitable and sound the company is. This research paper will give brief description Unilever, its ma in divisions and products, its managements structure and the financial performance evaluation, with an aim to highlight the best practices and the growth drivers.Main Body 2. 1 Profile of the company, its divisions, products and supply chain Unilever is multinational corporation and is one of the worlds fast moving consumer goods companies with a host of well known brands. The company operates through four segments: Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment, and Home Care. Unilever is a joint venture of two companies that date back from the late nineteen century. It was formed by two Dutch families, Jurgens and Van den Bergh, butter merchants who later started producing margarine and by the British soap producer William Hesketh Lever.Since the early nineteen century the two companies were concentrated on acquisitions and in the early 1929 they signed an agreement to create Unilever (Unilever, 1929 p. 2). Unilever over the last two decades acquired the meat business Zwanenberg's at Oss, Lipt on International, Brooke Bond, Naarden, Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Arden/Faberge, Brayers ice cream, Kibon ice cream, Bestfoods, Slim Fast Foods, Ben & Jerry's and the Amora-Maille. In 1992 Unilever entered the Czech Republic and Hungary, and established UniRus in Russia, also enters in India and other parts of the world. (Unilever, 1995 p. 3) Unilever N.V. operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, Europe, and the Americas Unilever possesses a portfolio of more than 400 brands, from nutritionally balanced foods to indulgent ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos and everyday household care products. Their products are sold in more than 190 countries, generating sales of â‚ ¬51 billion in 2012. In the 21st century they launched growth strategies, in order to transform the business, leading to more acquisitions, rationalization of manufacturing and production sites to form centers of excellence.Unilever is responding quickl y to rapid shifts in consumer behavior by investing in Research and Development and changing market conditions. Unilever's sells its product across 170 countries and their procurement teams are purchasing from a network of around 160,000 suppliers worldwide. For the same reason its suppliers' materials and services are an integral part of their commercial operations. Unilever has integrated supply management informational system that helps their local, regional and global supply managers to make appropriate sourcing decisions, allowing them to analyze information quickly and easily.Through this system they can negotiate with their suppliers in a more transparent and efficient way. Unilever's largest international competitors are Procter & Gamble and Nestle. While the competition in local markets or specific product ranges from numerous companies, including Beiersdorf, ConAgra, Danone, Henkel, Mars, Pepsico, and others (Unilever) Management Structure Maintaining good governance is on e of the essentials factors for the long-term success of the company. For the same reason Unilever is engaged in conducting its operations in accordance with internationally accepted principles of good corporate governance.The success of Unilever is due to a combination of structural formality and managerial flexibility. Being a company that is present for more than a century, that operated in changing and transitional environment, is evidence of a flexible management structure that made Unilever successful (Floris 1992,p. 6). Learning through a trial and error Unilever has focused on two reliable and related practices to strengthen all structural changes: recruitment and training of high-quality managers, and the importance of linking decentralized units through a common corporate culture (Annual report 2012 p. 5) Unilever’s companies maintain formal processes to inform, consult and involve employees. They recognize collective bargaining on a number of sites and engage with employees. Their usage of sites tools such as Total Productive Maintenance rely heavily on employee involvement, contribution and commitment (Annual Report 2012 p. 28). The profitable growth that Unilever accomplishes is mainly due and is achieved through the right people working in an organization that is fit to win and with a culture in which performance is aligned with values.Unilever has built an employer brand development tool which leverages best practice, and adapts recruitment models to reach the best people worldwide. The better recruitment, family-friendly working conditions, a culture of accountability, initiatives, and remuneration represent one of the crucial factors for the success which it achieves (Annual Report 2012, p. 66). Ability to earn income Unilever’s ability to earn income has increased due to the increase in revenue. In 2012 their ability to earn income has increased by 8. % compared with 2011, and with no changes from 2010 to 2011 (Annual Report 201 2/11, p. 32 p. 24). Size of inventory held millionsmillionsmillions Inventories 201220112010 Raw materials and consumables1. 5171. 5381. 554 Finished goods and goods for resale2. 9193. 0172. 753 4. 4364. 6014. 307 Source: www. unilever. com The size of inventory during the last three years was moving closely. The raw materials and consumables from 2010 to 2011 decreased by 1% and in 2012 by 1. 3%. On the other hand the finished goods and goods for resale increased by 8. 5 in 2011 and a decrease of 3. 35% in 2012. This change in the finished goods and goods for resale was charged to the income statement for damaged, obsolete and lost inventories (Annual Report 2012/11, p. 113). Reliance on debt financing The net debt position in 2011 was 8. 781 billion or â‚ ¬2. 1 billion higher than the last year, in part due to the acquisition of Alberto Culver (Annual Report 2011, p. 28). In 2012 the net debt was 7. 355 billion, or 1. 4 billion lower than 2011.The cash outflow from acquisitions , dividends, tax, net capital expenditure and interest, and the negative impact of foreign exchange rates exceeded the cash inflow from operating activities and business disposals. The leverage ratio reveals that 32% of the financing its covered by debt (Annual Report 2012, p. 36). Key indicators for 2011 and 2012 The sales growth of Unilever in 2011 increased by 6. 5% and volume growth by 1. 6%. Emerging markets delivered 11. 5% underlying sales growth and turnover of 5% compared to 2010 (Annual Report 2011, p. 9). In 2012 the sale growth increased by 6. % and volume growth increase of 3. 4%. Emerging markets represented 55% of the turnover or 11. 6% of sales and turnover of 10. 5% compared to 2011 (Annual Report 2012, p. 9). Profitability of various product lines and geographical regions The region with the highest turnover, sales and volume growth in 2011 and 2012 is Asia, Africa and Central & Eastern Europe with over â‚ ¬20. 5 billion of turnover in 2012 and â‚ ¬18. 9 in 2 011. Followed by Americas â‚ ¬17. 1 billion in 2012 and â‚ ¬15. 3 in 2011. the last is Western Europe with turnover of â‚ ¬ 13. 9 in 2012 and â‚ ¬12. in 2011 (Annual Report 2012/11, p. 10) Table 2 Formulas for Financial Ratios (Methodology) FormulasNumber 1. Activities (Operating) ratios Inventory Turnover = COGS/average inventory1. 1 Average number days in stock =365 days/inventory turnover1. 1. 1 Receivables Turnover = Net Sales/average receivables 1. 2 Av. Number of days receivables outstanding =365days/receivables turnover 1. 2. 1 Account Payable Turnover =Cost of Sale/Average Acc. Payable 1. 3 Av. N. of days payables outstanding =365days/payable turnover1. 3. 1 Working Capital Turnover =Sales/Average Working Capital . 4 Fixed asset turnover =net sales/av. Net fixed assets1. 5 Asset Turnover Ratio= Net Sales/Average Total Asset1. 6 Liquidity ratios Current Ratio= Current Assets/Current Liabilities2. 1. Quick Ratio= ((Cash + Marketable Securities)+ Acc. Receivables)/C urrent Liabilities2. 2 Cash Ratio =(Cash + Marketable Securities)/Current Liabilities2. 3 Cash Flow From Operations Ratio = CFO/Current Liabilities2. 4 Solvency ratios Debt to Capital Ratio= Total Debt/Total Capital3. 1 Times Interest Earned Ratio= EBIT/Interest Expense3. 2 CFO to Debt Ratio=CFO/Total Debt3. 3Total Debt Ratio=Total Liabilities/Total Assets3. 4 Leverage Ratio= Long term debt/ (Long term debt+ Shareholders equity)3. 5 Profitability ratios Gross Profit Margin= Gross Profit/Net Sales4. 1 Operating Profit Margin = Operating Income/Net Sales4. 2 Pre Tax Margin = EBT/Sales4. 3 Return on Assets= EBIT/Average Total Assets4. 4 Return on Total Capital= (Net Income + Interest Expense)/(Long-Term debt +Equity)4. 5 Return On Total Equity = Net Income/Average Total Equity 4. 6 Authors own sources FINANCIAL RATIOS FOR UNILEVER 9. 1. Operational analysis Formula 1. 1 Formula 1. 1. Average inventory2010 =3942. 5 Average inventory2011 =4454 Average inventory2012=4518. 5 Inventory turn over ratio2010 =6. 57 Average number days in stock2010 =55. 6 days Inventory turnover ratio2011 = 6. 27 Average number days in stock2011 = 58. 2 days Inventory turnover ratio2012 = 6. 53 Average number days in stock2012 = 55days Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has performed better. Higher the ratio, better it is. Which means that in 2012 it required 55 days to turnover(renew its inventory) Formula 1. 2 Formula 1. 2. 1 Average receivebles2010 =2424. 5 Average receivebles2011 = 2719Average receivebles2012 =3666. 5 Receivables Turnover 2010 = 18. 23 Av. Number of days receivables outstanding2010 =20days Receivables Turnover 2011 =17. 09 Av. Number of days receivables outstanding2011 =21. 3days Receivables Turnover 2012 =14 Av. Number of days receivables outstanding2012 =26days Conclusion: In year 2010 UN has performed better. Higher the ratio, better it is. Which means that in 2010 it required 20 days to collect its receivables from customers. Formula 1. 3 Formula 1. 3. 1 Average payables2 010 = 5006 Average payables2011 = 6398. 5 Average payables2012 = 9217Account Payable Turnover 2010 = 5. 1 Av. N. of days payables outstanding 2010 =71. 56days Account Payable Turnover 2011 = 4. 36 Av. N. of days payables outstanding 2011 = 83. 6days Account Payable Turnover 2012 = 3. 2 Av. N. of days payables outstanding 2012 =114days Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has performed better. Lower the ratio, better it is. Which means that in 2012 it required 114 days do pay its liabilities. By extending the period the company enables financing of its operation activities. Formula 1. 4 Average working capital2010 = -931 Average working capital2011 = -2356Average working capital2012 = -3653 Working Capital Turnover2010 = -47. 54 Working Capital Turnover2011 = -19. 72 Working Capital Turnover2012 = -14 Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has performed better. Higher the ratio, better it is. Which means that in 2012 UN had more efficient utilization of the working capital, needed for maintaining certai n level of sales, and even though it is negative we can see sharp decrease during the precedent years. Formula 1. 5 Average fix assets2010 = 6218 Average fix assets2011 =7033 Average fix assets2012 =8404 Fixed asset Turnover2010= 7. 11Fixed asset Turnover2011= 6. 6 Fixed asset Turnover2012= 6. 1 Conclusion: In year 2010 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2010 UN had more efficient utilization of the long-term capital investments. Formula 1. 6 Average total assets2010 =39094 Average total assets2011 =44342 Average total assets2012 =46839 Asset Turnover Ratio 2010 = 1. 13 Asset Turnover Ratio 2011 = 1. 048 Asset Turnover Ratio 2012 = 1. 1 Conclusion: In year 2010 and 2012 UN has higher ratio. This means that had higher and more efficient performance of the company. 9. 2 Liquidity analysis Formula 2. 1Current Ratio2010 = 0. 92 Current Ratio2011 = 0. 79 Current Ratio2012 = 0. 76 Conclusion: In year 2010 UN has higher ratio. A commonly acceptable current ratio is 1. 5-2. This level of ratio may show than UN cannot meet its short-term financial obligations. Formula 2. 2 Quick Ratio2010 = 0. 36 Quick Ratio2011 =0. 37 Quick Ratio2012 =0. 46 Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2012 UN was more financially secure to meet its short-term financial obligations. Commonly acceptable current ratio is 1, but may vary from industry to industry. Formula 2. 3Cash Ratio2010 =0. 179 Cash Ratio2011 = 0. 21 Cash Ratio2012 = 0. 182 Conclusion: In year 2011 UN has higher ratio. This indicates that in 2011 UN has good level of liquid assets which can be easily used to pay its current obligations. Formula 2. 4 CFO Ratio2010 = 0. 4034 CFO Ratio2011 =0. 3 CFO Ratio2012 =0. 432 Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has higher ratio. This indicates that in 2012 UN current liabilities were covered by the cash flow generated from operations. 9. 3 Debt and solvency analysis Formula 3. 1 Debt to Capital Ratio2010 = 1. 18 Debt to Capital Ratio2011 = 1. 44Debt to Capital Ra tio2012 = 1. 308 Conclusion: In year 2011 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2011 UN has low level of capital that is financed through debt. Formula 3. 2 Times interest earned2010 = 6. 46 Times interest earned2011 = 11. 66 Times interest earned2012 = 12. 87 Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2012 UN can 13 times make the interest payments on its debt with its EBIT, or this means that it easily can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. Formula 3. 3 CFO to Debt Ratio 2010 = 0. 21 CFO to Debt Ratio 2011 =0. 16 CFO to Debt Ratio 2012 =0. 25 Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2012 UN has higher ability to cover the total debt from the cash flow from operations Formula 3. 4 Total Debt Ratio 2010 =0. 63 Total Debt Ratio 2011 =0. 68 Total Debt Ratio 2012 =0. 66 Conclusion: In year 2010 UN has lower ratio. This means that in 2010 UN risk is lower and the company relies less on debt to finance its assets. Formula 3. 5 Lever age Ratio 2011 =0. 38=38% Leverage Ratio 2012 =0. 32=32% Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has lower ratio. This means that in 2012 Unilever had 32% of its financing covered by debt. . 4 Profitability Analysis Formula 4. 1 Gross Profit Margin 2010 = 0. 41 Gross Profit Margin 2011 = 0. 39 Gross Profit Margin 2012 = 0. 45 Conclusion: In year 2012 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2012 UN has higher earnings taking into consideration the costs that it incurs for producing its products. Formula 4. 2 Operating Profit Margin 2010 = 0. 144 Operating Profit Margin 2011 = 0. 142 Operating Profit Margin 2012 = 0. 137 Conclusion: In year 2010 UN has higher ratio. This means that in 2010 UN profit left after paying its variable costs was higher.Formula 4. 3 Pre-tax Margin 2010 = 0. 06 Pre-tax Margin 2011 = 0. 123 Pre-tax Margin 2012 = 0. 122 Conclusion: In 2011 and 2012 UN has high ratio. This indicates that in 2011 and 2012 UN had greater profitability, comparing it with 2010 when it was two t imes lower. Formula 4. 4 Average Total assets2010 = 39094 Average Total assets2011 =44342 Average Total assets2012 =46839 ROA 2010 = 10. 8% ROA 2011 = 9. 58% ROA 2012 = 9. 56% Conclusion: : In year 2010 UN has higher ratio which suggest that it has earned more money and invested less in assets. Formula 4. 5ROC2010 = 11. 36% ROC2011 = 21. 14% ROC2012 = 22. 3% Conclusion:In 2012 UN has higher ratio which indicates the return that UN is achieving from the capital employed and this return has doubled from 2010 to 2011/12. Formula 4. 6 ROE2010 = 28. 14% ROE2011 = 28. 49% ROE2012 = 29. 25% Conclusion: In 2012 UN has higher ratio which indicates a high level of profit UN earned in comparison to the total amount of shareholder equity. This ratio measures how profitable Unilever is for the owners of the investment, and how profitably the company employs its equity. ConclusionThe purpose of this paper was to reveal the financial performance of Unilever and to make an evaluation and assessment of the firm’s management structure and what contributes to the success they achieve and key figures and ratios. The financial position of Unilever for 2012 was admirable, due to the fact that had increased revenues, sales and volume growth of its divisions worldwide and decreased net debt. The compared data for 2010,2011, and 2012 show continuous improvement and increase of their financial position. List of references Unilever site www. unilever. comAnnual Report 2012, Available at: http://www. unilever. com/images/ir_Unilever_AR12_tcm13-348376. pdf [Accessed date 05/03/2012] Annual Report 2011, Available at: http://www. unilever. com/images/Unilever_AR11_tcm13-282960_tcm13-348380. pdf [Accessed date 07/03/2012} Floris M. (1992), Inside Unilever: The Evolving Transnational Company, Harvard Business Review; Vol. 70 Issue 5, p46-52, EBSCO Host http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/detail? vid=4=8aace911-769a-43f3-9949-b4364f9185cf%40sessionmgr111=124=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db =bth=9301105365 [Accessed date 09/03/2012]