Role Of Airplanes In World War II Essays - Airplane, Model Aircraft

Role of Airplanes in World War II Role of Airplanes in World War II Chapter 1: War itself Flying started when the first people on earth saw a bird flying in the sky, we were amazed of seeing how freely they could move and to know that you could reach any place on earth with this ability, since then our dream had been follow them. People then tried to make this dream possible, the result in all cases was serious pain and failure after failure. A lot of time passed since the first time we dreamed of being able to fly, but we finally achived this goal. Two brothers were able to do the first flight on history, this brothers were the Wrights brothers who achived the goal of all the humankind, even know when someone thinks of airplanes they think on the Wrights brothers, because thanks to them in 1903 the world had his first flying machine. But the plane's status changed because of time. The porpuse of this flying machines was to achive our goal, to fly and see the world, to imitate wonderful animals such as birds, but people had never thought that they could use airplanes as a war machine. After it was invented we were so eager to seek destruction that we saw the potential of using it to kill ourselves. It all started when we saw that people on the ground were indefencseless with this new war toy. They found a lot of new uses for it for example: they used them to spy on their enemys, to know where they were heading, to make maps and startegies on what will be the most useful way of attacking them, and this was its use during the first World War. This war was fought on land not on the air as the second war. People didnt knew that their dream could be their mourder. After the war ended countries started to look how to improve their new war toys, they put factories to try to make airplanes reach a higher velocity, altitutde, range etc... There was a war between wars to see who was better, Americans made their airplanes, English tried to make their Royal Air Force the best one, Japanese wanted to make their airplanes lighter and faster, but the real winner in this war were the Germans, their airplanes could travel long range, they were easy to maniubrate and ofcourse they were able to use them for massive destruction against other countries. Thanks to airplanes the Germans were the powerful nation they were during the war. But why did Germans built better airplanes, well there were some reasons like : Germans live in a country with many mountains, people liked to fly model airplanes and make contests to see which were the best ones, from this models a lot of airplanes were constructed. Another reason was that their scientists were very ingenious, people wanted revenge from all the other countries. Their curiosity and their intelligence lead them to make the best war toys in hisotory of war. After World War I Germans were humiliated, they burned their own money for fuel. They had nothing left, they just seeked for revenge, war has always been part of German's culture. But another thing German's have is that they are really smart, they dream of making things but they have a difference over all other nations, they dreams do become true, but they become true because of their intelligence and because they never give up. The versailled treatment was just like a tentation to make they come to life again, they realized to late that this treatment was not peace, it was just an intermission for the worst war ever in history, the first in where land, air and sea were involved. Logic happened the Germans broke the Versailles trateament and started to build a strong army, they used all their money for warfare, between this machines was the airplane. Airplanes were considered the most valuable arm the Germans had, with this machines they could bomb entire cities in just questions of days and then send their soldiers to finish the work making war very fast and easy to win, this concept was know as the Blitz Krieg. Some of this airplanes were the U2 bomber and his brother, they were a two engine plane that could carry a larg number of bombs and soldiers for attack.. Countries as Poland and Austria saw how easily their armys were defeated because of this new war machines that Germans were using. They didn't realized that

The Turn-A-Card Behavior Management Plan

The Turn-A-Card Behavior Management Plan A popular behavior management plan most elementary teachers use is called the Turn-A-Card system. This strategy is used to help monitor each childs behavior and encourage students to do their best. In addition to helping students display good behavior, this system allows students to take responsibility for their actions. There are numerous variations of the Turn-A-Card method, the most popular being the Traffic Light behavior system. This strategy uses the three colors of the traffic light with each color representing a specific meaning. This method is usually used in preschool and primary grades. The following Turn-A-Card plan is similar to the traffic light method but can be used throughout all elementary grades. How it Works Each student has an envelope containing four cards: Green, Yellow, Orange,  and Red. If a child displays good behavior throughout the day, he/she remains on the green card. If a child disrupts the class he/she will be asked to Turn-A-Card and this would reveal the yellow card. If a child disrupts the classroom a second time in the same day he/she will be asked to turn a second card, which would reveal the orange card. If the child disrupts the class a third time he/she will be asked to turn their final card to reveal the red card. What it Means Green Great job! Working well throughout the day, following rules, demonstrating appropriate behavior, etc.Yellow Warning Card (breaking rules, not following directions, disrupting the classroomOrange Second Warning Card (still not following directions) This card means that the student loses free time and takes a ten minute time out.Red A Note and/or Phone Call Home A Clean Slate Each student starts off the school day with a clean slate. This means that if they had to Turn-A-Card the previous day, it will not affect the current day. Each child starts the day with the green card. Parent Communication/Report Student Status Each Day Parent-communication is an essential part of this behavior management system. At the end of each day, have students record their progress in their take-home folders for their parents to view. If the student did not have to turn any cards that day then have them place a green star on the calendar. If they had to turn a card, then they place the appropriate colored star on their calendar. At the end of the week have parents sign the calendar so you know they had a chance to review their childs progress. Additional Tips It is expected that each student stays on green throughout the day. If a child does have to turn a card, then kindly remind them they get to start fresh the next day.If you see that a particular student is getting a lot of warning cards then it may be time to re-think the consequences.When a child has to turn a card, use this as an opportunity to teach the child the correct behavior that should have been displayed.Reward the students that stay on green all week. Have Free-Time Friday and allow students to choose fun activities and games. For the students that flipped over an orange or red card during the week, they will not be able to participate.

Education of Physically Disabled Child Coursework

Education of Physically Disabled Child - Coursework Example This education consists of six or seven years. The children enrolled in primary education are of the age of five or six years. According to UNESCO (UNESCO, 1994) almost 70 % of children enroll for primary education. This report also suggests that most governments in all parts of the world are ready to achieve a full universal enrollment of all children in primary schools by the year 2015. Disability is defined as an impairment, which can be either physical or mental that limits a human being from performing activities performed by an ordinary person. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, 2005) defines disability as a mental or physical limitation that has a substantial long term negative effect on the person and limits his/her ability to perform day to day duties. With respect to this definition, 'substantial' indicates that the disability can be minor or major. 'Long term' means that its effects can last for one year minimum. The activities that the disabled person is unable to perform include, but not limited to, speech, hearing, sight, manual work, movement and reasoning power. According to research conducted by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, 2001), the areas affected by disability include, performance of general task, communication impairment, limited or no mobility, lack of self care, limited learning ability, inability to carry out domestic function, inability to have relationships with other people and the community as a whole. Some of the most common disabilities among human beings include, deafness, which is the inability to hear, blindness which is the inability to see, lameness which is the inability to walk or perform other physical tasks and mental retardation or cognitive disability which is the inability to reason or solve problems normally. According to a report by UNESCO (UNESCO, 1994), the implementation of inclusive education would be more advantageous to the disabled children in the long run. The report highlights that the inclusion of disabled children will lead to the enhancement of a cooperative spirit between the disabled children and the other able bodied children. This will help the other children to accept the disabled children as part of the society. The other children will also help them in adapting to the ordinary system of learning. Implementation of inclusive education is considered to be beneficial to all the children in the long run. Initially the disabled children may feel a little different from other children, but with time the children accept their differences. The children with disabilities will also learn how to tolerate and accept each others differences. SPECIAL SCHOOLS These are schools, specially designed and staffed with specially trained and experienced tutors in order to cater for the educational needs of disabled children. In these schools the children are given more attention by the teacher. The student/ teacher ratio is less than 6:1. In addition, these children have special facilities e.g. sensory

Establishment of a Public Relations Department within a Holiday Resort Essay - 2

Establishment of a Public Relations Department within a Holiday Resort in the Flinders Ranges Promoting Eco-Tourism - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the goal of PR by a corporation is to persuade the investors, public, employees, partners, and stakeholders to uphold a point of view about public relations, its products, leadership or political decisions. Â  Activities involving public relation include speaking at conferences, working with the press, employee communication and winning industry awards. According to Danish Public Relations Association, PR is a management function that tabulates public attitudes; define the interests, procedures, and policies of a company followed by implementing a program of action to win public acceptance and understanding. An establishment of PR department is critical in building the relationship that advance, benefit and promotes the reputation of the Holiday Resort. Being an eco-tourism sector, gaining the confidence of its clients is key, and this is facilitated through marketing the company’s services and product. Improving reputation is a fundamental objecti ve of most organizations. As such, a PR department creates an industrial partnership and strong community translating to increased productivity. The public relation will be vital in maintaining the Holiday Resort’s image and conveying its information to the general public, investors, and customers. A positive perception of Holiday Resort is likely to increase the number of tourists both locally and internationally as it improves its bottom line. The public Relation professionals will work closely with the CEO to craft an overview of how the Holiday Resort will be perceived and assist in planning to design a positive image. Unlike in marketing, the public relation professionals aim at organizing interviews with clients, writing the press release and providing information on the company’s achievements.

The Meaning of Lives Essay Example for Free

The Meaning of Lives Essay In her article The Meaning of Lives, Susan Wolf, a moral philosopher and philosopher of action, investigates whether meaning can exist in lives without postulating the existance of God. Wolf establishes her position on this philosophical question from an agnostic perspective and rationally argues that such a question can in fact â€Å"fit within a negative or agnostic view about the meaning of life† (Wolf 63). With this paper, I will first summarize the prominent points of Wolf’s article then highlight and expound upon areas of her argument that contradict her line of reason. Lastly, I will introduce the theistic perspective on meaningful lives along with presenting Wolf’s reason and argument as supporting evidence for the theistic view. In the Meaning of Lives, Susan Wolf opens briefly with an evaluation of the philosophically ambiguous question, â€Å"What is the meaning of life? † She argues this particular question is impossible to rationalize because it dependents upon a postulation for the existence of God. Wolf claims it is necessary to postulate the existence of God in order to argue this original question because if God does exist, then He â€Å"may have created us for a reason, with a plan in mind†(Wolf 63). Thus, if God exists then there would be purpose and meaning to human existence dependent upon the creator God. Wolf does not deny the existence of God; she simply suggests that a divine existence is improvable. Therefore the question of a grand purpose and meaning in life is an unnecessary and an improvable argument to find an answer to, due to the improvable nature of God. However, she does believe that meaning in lives is not contingent upon the existence of God stating, â€Å"Meaningfulness is an intelligible feature to be sought in life† and that â€Å"a positive view about the possibility of meaning in lives can fit with a negative or agnostic view about the meaning of life†(Wolf 63). She expounds on this argument in three distinct sections. The first part of Wolf’s argument observes three different examples of meaningless lifestyle. Wolf articulates that learning from three paradigms of meaningless lives, one can construct an understanding for meaningfulness. She begins with a lifestyle she labeled the Blob. The Blob is defined by a lifestyle that â€Å"is lived in hazy passivity†¦ unconnected to anyone or anything, going nowhere, achieving nothing† (Wolf 64). Wolf deduces from the Blobs meaningless lifestyle, that in order to attain a meaningful life one must be engaged in a project, which can include relationships. The second meaningless lifestyle, in contrast to the Blob’s lifestyle of passivity, is regarded as the Useless life; â€Å"a life whose dominant activities seem pointless, useless or empty† (Wolf 65). After reviewing the lifestyle of the Useless life, a life void of worth, to achieve meaning â€Å"one must be engaged in a project or projects that have some positive value† (Wolf 65). The final category of a meaningless life would be the lifestyle of the Bankrupt, â€Å"someone who is engaged or even dedicated, to a project that is ultimately revealed as bankrupt, not because the person’s values are shallow or misguided, but because the project fails†(Wolf 65). Ultimately, Wolf concludes that in order to achieve meaningfulness one must not only be engaged in a project of positive value but that project must be in some way successful. After providing a working definition for a meaningful life, Wolf raises the question as to what constitutes â€Å"positive value† and who has the right to objectively determine value. Similarly to Wolf’s construction of meaningfulness, she argues reasons for why an individual is incapable of objectively determining positive value. This incapability for determining objective value is due to the individual’s subjectivity and â€Å"interest in living a life that feels or seems meaningful†(Wolf 66). Therefore, because an individual is incapable of distinguishing objective positive value from interest, it is unlikely that the individual can distinguish what is required for a meaningful life. She argues that objective value is determined and achieved through observing value in other people’s lives. Wolf clarifies that the objective good she is referring to is not compared to moral goodness, â€Å"benefiting or honoring humanity† (Wolf 67). Wolf claims that meaningfulness is not contingent upon moral value. Instead, Wolf suggests that while there are examples of lives exhibiting great moral value, such as Mother Teresa and Gandhi, that are full of meaning; there are also examples of other lives, such as â€Å"artists, scholars, musicians and athletes†, that possess great meaning, not based upon their moral value. These lives are considered valuable and meaningful due to their ability to â€Å"develop our skills and our understanding of the world† which â€Å"give meaning to our lives- but they do not give moral value to them †(Wolf 67). A greater understanding of our own worth and the Universe is what Wolf constitutes for lives to have meaning. The final stage in Wolf’s argument poses the question â€Å"what is the good, after all, of living a meaningful life†(Wolf 67)? Wolf does not wish to define goodness, but rather discusses the advantages for living a life full of meaning. Wolf makes the final stand, that in order to grasp meaningfulness and understand how one can achieve it in their life; an individual must become enlightened to their status in the world as â€Å"a tiny speck in a vast universe† (Wolf 69). This description of where an individual lies in relation to the vastness of the Universe, provides the reality that meaning in lives cannot logically be contingent upon the desires and benefits for the individual, due to humanities insignificance. It seems illogical to Wolf, that a person who seeks to find meaning in their life could conclude that is dependent upon their independent happiness claiming, â€Å"to devote oneself wholly to one’s own satisfaction seems to me to fly in the face of truth, to act as if one is the only thing that matters, or perhaps, more, that one’s own psychology is the only source of (determining) what matters† (Wolf 70). The truth, to which Wolf refers, is the reality that individuals have very little significance in relation to the value of the vast Universe. It is because of this truth that a self-center and egocentric life goes against of logic after such a truth is realized. Wolf argues that instead of egocentric priorities to achieve meaning, an individual should alternatively be focused on the needs of the Universe and others. She understands that â€Å"you are just one person among others, equally real- is the source of practical reason-in this case, it gives you reason to take the pains of others to constitute reasons for action†¦reason to care about the pain of others that is grounded, not in our own psychologies, but a fact about the world†(Wolf 70). In this section, I will address three areas of Wolf’s reasoning I find to be inconsistent with her argument as a whole. A concern that I have regarding Wolf’s argument is her use of the word â€Å"meaning†, in regards to the meaning of lives. A very different connotation of the word â€Å"meaning† suggested by the philosophical question, â€Å"What is the meaning of life? † Wolf states that the question, â€Å"What is the meaning of life? † requires an individual to postulate the existence of God because it implies their ultimate aim â€Å"to find a purpose or a point to human existence†(Wolf 63). However, Wolf also argues, â€Å"whether or not God exists, the fact remains that some objects, activities and ideas are better than others. Whether or not God exists some ways of living are more worthwhile than others†(Wolf 72). At the beginning of Wolf’s argument about the meaning of lives, suggests that she neither denies nor rejects the existence of God. She argues this as true because she believes the question behind the meaning in lives can be answered as â€Å"an intelligible feature to be sought in life and that it is at least sometimes attainable but not everywhere assured†(Wolf 63). Wolf reduces the meaning of lives to that which can be determined by human reasoning a finite measurement of this transitory world. Thus Wolf, who has neither denied nor rejected the existence of God has unreasonably eliminated the question of origin of lives, as irrelevant to meaning in lives. She focuses how certain types of lives merit significance in existence and consequently refers to the word â€Å"meaning† as synonymous with value. Finally, Wolf argues that there is value in human lives that â€Å"can fit with a negative or agnostic view about the meaning of life†(Wolf 66). This statement is far less controversial than her attempts to argue that meaning in lives is achievable without the postulation of God. Logically, to explore meaning in lives, one must consider the beginning of life, which must have been constructed either by accident or by a creator. Meaning cannot be cited as more or less significant at a particular point in an individual’s life. Thus, the point that one comes into existence must be regarded for defining meaning within an individual’s life. The second problem in Wolf’s argument comes in her evaluation of what is considered a project of positive value. An individual who is engaged in a project of positive value is central to Wolf’s definition of a meaningful life. Although, projects of positive value can add to meaning in an individual’s life, Wolf’s reasoning as to â€Å"who is to decide which projects have positive value† is vague and inconsistent with her earlier positions (Wolf 66). Wolf concludes that individuals are incapable of objectively deciding what has positive value, due to subjective interests, which skew their understanding of objective value. Wolf deduces that in order for an individual to understand projects of positive value, which will eventually adds meaning to heir lives, they must experience an â€Å"epiphany†¦ to the recognition that our life to date has been meaningless† (Wolf 66). This comment is completely inconsistent with Wolf’s fundamental goal to acquire an understanding of meaning in lives from an intelligible process of reason. The understanding for projects of positive value through an epiphany is inconsistent with her pervious arguments because it depends she suggests that understanding meaning comes from an unintelligible source of knowledge. Who is to say that that epiphany is not guided by a supreme higher being? The irony of Wolf’s conclusion about the necessary epiphany, is that her statement â€Å"It is the sort of experience that one might describe in terms of scales falling from ones eyes†, compares closely to the allusion found in Acts 9:18 (Wolf 66). The verse reads â€Å"And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized† (NIV 1000). The language of scales falling from the eyes in order to gain true understanding is regarded in both versions as an act depended upon a supernatural entity enabling the change. This very interesting comment by Wolf, suggests that understanding how an individual recognizes truth through epiphany is beyond the capabilities of human control and intellect. Her attempted arguments about how a meaningful life is realized are sound up until the point about epiphany. Lastly, Wolf’s argument for meaning in lives lacks any discussion of immortality as a necessary property for meaning. Wolf reasons that there are certain lifestyles that are more meaningful than others. This argument for certain lifestyle having greater meaning has limited relevance because as she rationalizes, lives are finite and temporary as are the lives of others whom we must focus in our acknowledgement of the truth that we are just a â€Å"speck in the vast Universe†(Wolf 69). Wolf does a fine job at articulating the insignificance and temporary state of human life. However, she fails to recognize that in her attempts to construct a logical framework for meaning in finite lives she disregards the possibility for immortality to give further meaning to lives. Thus, she reduces the idea of meaning as an avoidance of an egocentric lifestyle and recognizes insignificance and meaning within an individuals’ life alone. Wolf’s claim that meaning is attainable through certain actions only satisfies temporary lives for a finite amount of time. This argument surrounding meaning as dependent upon an inward realization of insignificance manifesting into outward actions, is simply a cycle of meaningless people helping other meaningless people, and causes only a temporary impact. In an argument for the importance of immortality to meaning in lives, Gianluca Di Muzio states, â€Å"If a human being dies and her actions have no lasting effect, because the world itself perished, then her life was meaningless. If, in the end, all comes to nothing, then it does not matter in the first place whether a particular person existed or not† (Di Muzio 2). In order for actions and lives to be meaningful, they must have a lasting impact or something to gain, and provide for others in a way that is not reducible to the finite and temporary world. Thus, achievable immortality must exist for meaning to be possible. Although she attempts to determine the meaning in lives for an agnostic world, I would argue that Wolf’s argument actually supports many theistic views regarding the meaning of lives. Though many of Wolf’s arguments do not adequately provide understanding for meaning in lives from an agnostic perspective, many of her points parallel to the theistic view of â€Å"purpose theory. † Before I expound on these similarities, an understanding of the theistic view regarding the meaning of must be addressed. According to Borchert, the theistic view argues that, â€Å"life is meaningful insofar as one fulfills a purpose that God has assigned† (Borchert 295). In â€Å"Confession†, Leo Tolstoy discusses meaning in life from the theistic perspective and claims â€Å"now I see clearly that my faith-my only real faith-that which apart from my animal instincts gave impulse to my life- was a belief in perfecting myself† (Klemke 2). Tolstoy sought such perfection in artistic achievements and loving his family. In trying to find meaning in family and people, Tolstoy ultimately realizes that â€Å"My family — wife and children — are also human. They are placed just as I am: they must either live in a lie or see the terrible truth† (Klemke 10). In other words, Tolstoy realizes that if meaning resides in the finite and temporary nature of humanity, meaning too will die along with the life. Tolstoy further suggests that meaning cannot reside within artistic modes when he writes Art, poetry? Under the influence of success and the praise of men, I had long assured myself that this was a thing one could do though death was drawing near — death which destroys all things, including my work and its remembrance; but soon I saw that that too was a fraud† (Klemke 10). This declaration further supports Tolstoy’s theistic belief that everything of and in this world cannot be the ultimate source of meaning in lives. Although, the substance of this world may increase value within life, it cannot supply ultimate, enduring meaning. Tolstoy finally declares, â€Å"To know God and to live is one and the same thing. God is life- Live seeking God, and then you will not live without God† (Klemke 11). This passage concludes with his theistic assertion that without a â€Å"divine plan for the world, then all efforts come to nothing, because everything comes to nothing. Hence our lives are meaningless without God† (Metz 293). Though Wolf attempts to support an agnostic view for the question, â€Å"is there meaning in lives? † her central points mirror those of the theistic view and supports many of its claims. This final section will concentrate on central points within Wolf’s argument that support a theistic view for understanding meaning in lives. To begin, she claims that a life has meaning insofar as it is â€Å"engaged in a project or projects that have some positive value† (Wolf 65). Although this statements seems logical, Wolf fails to provide an intelligible source for acquiring knowledge about whether or not a project has positive value and which projects do not. She betrays the agnostic attempt to provide an understanding of meaning in lives through reason, by suggesting that realization of projects with positive value relies upon an epiphany. The concept of an epiphany for realization is inconsistent with her attempts to rationalize. However, when Wolf’s definition is placed against the theistic view, it is logically consistent with theological beliefs. Theists believe that an individual must be actively engaged in positively affecting peoples lives with in the world, while ultimately contributing to God’s divine plan in order for their lives to have meaning. This concept is articulated beautifully in Gianluca Di Muzio’s argument: Theism and the Meaning of Life, in which he states, â€Å"In order to have meaning, our lives must make a difference to a higher scheme. And theism sees human action as doing a sort of double duty. On one hand, they affect other people and events in this world, on the other, they further or hinder God’s ultimate plan† (Di Muzio 2). This statement suggests that humanities actions in projects have the ability to have two different forms of significance, both relative and ultimate. Relative significance refers to the theistic perspective that, â€Å"actions and events have relative significance when they only influence other actions and events†(Di Muzio 3). Ultimate significance is when our actions and events â€Å"contribute to God’s plan† (Di Muzio 3). Both of these forms contribute to theistic view, however Wolf’s argument focuses solely on relative significance. The theistic understanding of relative significance is paralleled to Wolf’s understanding of meaning in lives. She believes that when individuals realize their insignificance and begin to seek beyond themselves for meaning by actively engaging in projects of positive value, they can acquire meaning. Though this insignificance is transient, it supports the theistic belief that, â€Å"human beings have access to value† without having to postulate the existence of God, because â€Å"existence affords the opportunity to attain the kinds of goods that make a human life worthwhile and fulfilling† (Di Muzio 5-6). Wolf’s profound point that human life is just a â€Å"speck in a vast universe† lays the foundation for the theistic belief in ultimate significance (Wolf 71). Theists believe that there is A fundamental disproportion between aspirations and reality is a powerful source of the idea that our lives are absurd and meaningless. We think we matter, and yet we don’t. The world is not intoned with our hope, desires and projects. The possibility of out destruction looms everywhere; and human suffering, however enormous, seems to be nothing but a passing accident, a byproduct of the presence of sentient creatures in a world that merely tolerates them for a short time. (Di Muzio 9) This understanding of human insignificance plays a vital role in the theistic belief that despite human fragility, purpose and significance are achievable within the most tragic circumstances. Wolf’s recognition of our insignificance implies our need to look beyond our own lives for meaning. If a life of meaning depends upon recognizing the truth about our insignificance and continuing to be â€Å"actively engaged in a project of positive value†, and one cannot perform these projects due to tragic circumstances, then within Wolf’s reasoning their life can not have meaning. Wolf’s understanding of meaning depends upon individual human performance. In trying times of suffering, whether great or small, this concept of looking outside of ones own circumstances is hard to accomplish and in some circumstances impossible, thus in such cases meaning cannot be unachieved. The theistic view of ultimate significance provides a hope that a life of suffering can have meaning and purpose too in that, â€Å"the idea of God and hope for immortality can help us look again at the world and our fragile lives as meaningful†(Di Muzio 9). The project of participating in God’s divine plan is the only project that has lasting and unwavering value for meaning in lives. Wolf’s central argument concerning meaning in lives provides many logically convincing and sound points. However, Wolf’s definition of a life of meaning is both disconnected from her original argument and lacks a consistent, authoritative source and process for achieving meaning. She attempts to suggest that meaning is an â€Å"intelligible feature to be sought in life†, then provides the solution for achieving this insight of through the unintelligible source of epiphany. Secondly, Wolf’s argument for the realization of insignificance as the truth, unlocks the need for an individual to look beyond serving his or her own self-centered desires for meaning. However, though her point about insignificance seems valid, Wolf fails to provide examples or an understanding of how an individual can objectively determine how to look outside of themselves. In total, Wolf produces an understanding of meaning that depends upon an individuals abilities to undergo an epiphany and properly manifest their understanding of the need to look outside one’s self and recognize Universal needs. The problem with this stance is that focusing on the Universe provides no lasting impact, or meaning to a particular life because the things of this Universe are finite and temporary. The individual’s life will eventually end along with the actions and events they affected. Though existence can provide an opportunity for value, as understood in Wolf’s argument and the theistic view, meaning is dependent upon a infinite being whose performance can not be temporary. An individual must not be reliant on their personal performances and finite experiences to obtain meaning, but rather is actively engaged in an eternal project of positive value, determined by an infinite and constant authority, God. Works Cited Borchert, Donald M. Theism. Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2nd ed. 10. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Web. 25 Apr 2012. Di Muzio, Gianluca. Theism and the Meaning of Life life’s meaning? Ars Disputandi . 6. (2006): 1-12. Print. Klemke, E. D. â€Å"The Meaning of Life†. 2nd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print. Metz, Thaddeus. â€Å"Could God’s purpose be the source of life’s meaning? † Cambridge Journals. (2000): 293-311. Print. Wolf, Susan. The Meaning Of Lives. 62-73. Print.

PESTLE analysis of the pharmaceutical industry

PESTLE analysis of the pharmaceutical industry The pharmaceutical industry not only develops but also produces and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies deals in generic and brand medications. They are subject to a variety of laws and regulations regarding the patenting, testing and marketing of drugs. Initially, The Indian pharmaceutical industry grew at a very slowly from 1947 to 1970, all due to the lack of incentives and the failure of the government which was unable to set-up a concrete regulatory framework. Now, the Industry is characterized by numerous governmental regulations and policy changes, stiff price controls, rigorous controls on formulations, and absence of international patent protection. During 1970, the Indian Patents Act (IPA) and the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) were passed. Though DPCO acted as buffer against pharmaceutical companies making free pricing illegal, it fulfilled the goal of providing quality drugs to the public at reasonable rates. The Introduction of the IPA, which did not recognize product patents but only process patents provided a major thrust to the industry and companies which through the process of reverse-engineering, began to produce bulk drugs and formulations at lower costs. This led to high fragmentation in the industry, due to the emergence of a number of small firms. India Manufactures over 400 bulk drugs and around 60,000 formulations, which are distributed by 5,000,000 chemists all over the country. Indian pharmaceutical Industry is passing through a wave of consolidation, with the objective to strengthen their brand equity and distribution in what is essentially a branded-generics market. In the present, the growth of a domestic pharmaceutical company is critically dependent on its therapeutic presence. The old and mature categories like anti-infective, vitamins, and analgesics are de-growing while; new lifestyle categories like Cardiovascular, Central Nervous System (CNS), Anti-AIDS, Anti-Cancer and Anti Diabetic are expanding at double-digit growth rates. Various Pharmaceutical companies in India Ranbaxy Laboratories It is Indias largest pharmaceutical firm with the returns of Rs 4,198.96 Crore (Rs 41.989 billion) in 2007 Dr. Reddys Laboratories With a turnover of Rs 4,162.25 Crore (Rs 41.622 billion) in 2007, it is second largest drug firm in India by sales. Cipla it generated an annual revenue of Rs 3,763.72 Crore (Rs 37.637 billion) in 2007 and made it the third among largest pharmaceutical firms. Sun Pharmaceuticals Sun pharmaceutical Industries had an overall earnings of Rs 2,463.59 Crore (Rs 24.635 billion) in 2007. Lupin Labs Its total profit of Rs 2,215.52 Crore (Rs 22.155 billion) was in 2007. Aurobindo pharmaceutical Indias sixth largest pharmaceutical company by sales, Aurobindo posted Rs 2,080.19 Crore (Rs 20.801 billion) annual returns in 2007. GlaxoSmithKlineg With 2007 turnover touching Rs 1,773.41 Crore (Rs 17.734 billion, GSK is Indias seventh largest pharmaceutical firm. Cadila Healthcare Cadilas earnings was Rs 1,613.00 Crore (Rs 16.13 billion) in the fiscal year 2007, establishing itself as Indias eight largest drug company. Aventis pharmaceutical With an annual revenue of Rs 983.80 Crore (Rs 9.838 billion) in 2007, Aventis pharmaceutical has made a place for itself in the top ten pharmaceutical companies in India Ipca Laboratories Ipca is Indias 10th largest pharmaceutical company by sales and in 2007 it had a turnover of Rs 980.44 Crore (Rs 9.804 billion PEST ANALYSIS Political Factors There is political uncertainty, Combination of diverse political thoughts have got together to cobble together a rag-tag coalition. Hence any consistent political or economic policy cannot be expected. This muddies the investment field. The Minister in charge of the industry had been threatening to impose even more stringent Price Control on the industry than before. Thus it is throwing many investment plans into the doldrums. DPCO, which is the bible for the industry has in effect worked contrary to the stated objectives. DPCO nullifies the market forces from encouraging competitive pricing of goods dictated by the market. Now the pricing is done by the Government, based on the approved costs irrespective of the real costs. The country goes in for the IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) regime which is popularly known as the Patent Act. This Act impacts the Pharmaceutical Industry the most. Thus an Indian company could not escape paying a patent fee to the inventor of a drug by manufacturing it using a different chemical route. Indian companies went against this law and used the reverse-engineering route to invent alternate manufacturing methods. A lot of money was saved this way. This also encouraged competing company to market their versions of the same drug. This means that the impurities and trace elements that were found in different brands of the same substance were different both in qualification as well as in quantum. Therefore many brands of the same medicine were truly different. Here Branding actually meant quality and purer brand actually had pure active ingredients and lesser or less toxic impurities. Product patent regime will now eliminate all this. Patented drug would be manufactured using the same chemical routes and would be manufactured by the inventors or licentiates using the chemicals with same specifications. Hence all the brands with the same active ingredient will not have any difference in purity and impurities. The different brands will have to compete on the basis of non input-related innovations such as packaging, colour, flavours etc. Economic Factors Indians spends a very small proportion of their income on healthcare. This has stunted the demand and therefore the growth of the industry. Per capita income of avg. Indian as low as Rs. 12,890, therefore, spending on the healthcare takes a low priority. An Indian visits a doctor only when there is an emergency. This has led to a flourishing of unqualified doctors and spread of non-standardized medication. The Incidences of Taxes are high. Excise Duty (State Central), Custom Duty, Service Tax, Profession Tax, License Fees, Royalty, Pollution Clearance Tax, Hazardous substance (Storage Handling) license, income tax, Stamp Duty and a host of other levies and charges have to be paid. On an average it amounts to no less than 40-45% of the costs. The number of Registered Medical practitioners is low because of this. Due to which the reach of Pharmaceuticals is affected adversely. There are nearly 5million Medical shops. Also this affects adversely the distribution of medicines and also adds to the distribution costs. India is a high interest rate regime. Therefore the cost of funds is double that in America which adds to the cost of goods. Adequate storage and transportation facilities for special drugs are lacking. Studies had indicated that nearly 60% of the Retail Chemists do not have adequate refrigeration facilities and stored drugs under sub-optimal conditions. Thus affecting the quality of the drugs administered and of course adds to the costs. India has poor roads and railway network. Therefore, the time of transportation is higher. This calls for higher inventory carrying costs and longer delivery time. All this adds to the uncalculated costs. Its only during the last couple of years that good quality highways have been constructed. Socio-cultural Factors Poverty and associated malnutrition dramatically affected the incidence of Malaria and TB, preventable diseases continued to play havoc in India for decades even after they were eradicated in other countries. Poor Sanitation and polluted water sources ended the life of about 1 million children who were under the age of five. In India people preferred using household treatments which handed down for generations for common ailments. The use of magic/ tantrics/ hakims is still prevalent in India. Increasing pollution has added to the healthcare problem. Smoking, drinking and poor oral hygiene is still adding to the healthcare problem. Large joint families transmit communicable disease among the members. Cattle-rearing encourage diseases that are communicated by animals. Early child bearing affects the health standards of women and children. Ignorance of inoculation and vaccination has prevented the eradication of diseases like polio, chicken-pox, small-pox, mumps and measles. Technological Factors Advanced machines have dramatically increased the output and reduced the cost. Computerization has boosted the efficiency of the Pharma Industry. Newer medication, active ingredients are being discovered. In January 2005, the Government of India had more than 10,000 substances for patenting. Ayurveda is now a well recognized science and hence is providing the industry with a cutting edge. Advances in Bio-technology, Stem-cell research have given India a step forward. Humano-Insulin, Hepatitis B vaccines, AIDS drugs and many such molecules have given the industry a pioneering status. Newer drug delivery systems are the innovations of the day. The huge unemployment in India prevents industries from going fully automatic as the Government as well as the Labour Unions voice complains against such establishments. Legal Environment The pharmaceutical industry is now a highly regulated and compliance enforcing industry. As a result of which there are immense legal, regulatory and compliance overheads for the industry to absorb. This tends to restrict its dynamism but in recent years, government has begun to request industry proposals on regulatory overheads to encourage innovation in the face of mounting global challenges from external markets. In Pharmaceutical industry, there is huge PSU segment which is highly inefficient. The Government puts the surpluses generated by efficient units into the price equalization account of inefficient units thus unduly subsidizing them. On a long term basis this has made practically everybody inefficient. Effective the January, 2005 the Government has shifted from charging the Excise Duty on the cost of manufacturing to the MRP thereby making the finished products more costly. Just for a few extra bucks the current government has made many a life saving drugs unaffordable to the poor. The Government provides extra drawbacks to some units located in specified area, providing them with subsidies that are unfair to the rest of the industry, bringing in a skewed development of the industry. As a result , Pharmaceutical units have come up at place unsuitable for a best cost manufacturing activity. S.W.O.T. Analysis of Pharmaceutical Industry Strengths Cost of production is low. Large pool of installed capacities Efficient technologies are present for large number of Generics. Huge amount of skilled technical manpower. Increase in liberalization of government policies. Opportunities Aging of the world population. Increasing incomes. Growing attention towards health. New diagnoses and new social diseases. Spreading prophylactic approaches. Saturation point of market is far away. Better therapy approaches. Better delivery systems. Spreading attitude for soft medication (OTC drugs). Spreading use of Generic Drugs. Globalization Easier international trading. New markets are opening. Weakness Fragmentation of installed capacities. Low technology level of Capital Goods of this section. Non-availability of major intermediaries for bulk drugs. Lack of experience to exploit efficiently the new patent regime. Very low key RD. Low share of India in World Pharmaceutical Production (1.2% of world production but having 16.1% of worlds population). Very low level of Biotechnology in India and also for New Drug Discovery Systems. Lack of experience in International Trade. Low level of strategic planning for future and also for technology forecasting. Threats Containment of rising health-care cost. High Cost of discovering new products and fewer discoveries. Stricter registration procedures. High entry cost in newer markets. High cost of sales and marketing. Competition, particularly from generic products. More potential new drugs and more efficient therapies. Switching over form process patent to product patent. To make India a potentially strong pharmaceutical hub following weakness has to be overcome with: Low investments in innovative RD and lack of resources in order to compete with MNCs for New Drug Discovery and to commercialize molecules on a worldwide basis. Lack of strong linkages between industry and academia. Low medical expenditure and healthcare spend in the country Production of spurious and low quality drugs tarnishes the image of industry at home and abroad. RD efforts of Indian pharmaceutical companies hampered by lack of enabling regulatory requirement. Despite of unique strengths like expertise in process chemistry, availability of abundant and high quality talent, and growing hospital infrastructure, the country still accounts for less than 1 percent of the US$ 130 billion in worldwide spending in pharmaceutical research and development. Remedies: CRAMS: Inherent competitive advantages and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities has now become one of the most preferred destinations for Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS). India has huge potential to tap the $20 billion CRAMS business that is expected to reach $31 billion by 2010. India has opportunity to grab this business. Pharma multinationals are also exploiting Indias competencies in the field of information technology and its strong and low cost IT skill sets by setting up centres for their global clinical data management functions in India. CRO: Contract able researches also offer significant opportunity to the Indian pharmaceutical industry that is becoming a global RD hot-spot for innovative pharmaceutical companies. The global contract research opportunity was $14 billion in 2006 and was expected to reach $24 billion by 2010. Identifying opportunities enablers. To Map Indian pharmaceutical industry to realize its full potential and to become globally competitive. Addressing global challenges that impact India pharma industry. Global alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions. Government should provide infrastructures for talent research. Providing regulatory protection. Giving financial incentives to encourage innovations research. Encouraging public -private partnership in infrastructure development. Example of overcoming threats and grabbing new opportunities 1. The lack of research and development (RD) productivity, expiring patents, generic competition and high profile product recalls are driving the mergers and acquisition (MA) activity in the sector. The Lots of mergers and acquisitions in the past shows that the Indian pharma industry is all set to take on the global markets. Nicholas Piramal has acquired 17 per cent in Biosyntech, a Canadian pharma packaging company in July 2005. While in June 2005, Torrent acquired Heumann Pharma, a generic drug company that was earlier a part of Pfizer. Matrixs acquisition of the Belgian firm Docpharma was the largest acquisition deal. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has announced its plan for acquisitions in the US. Indian generic companies are increasingly fighting patent cases on these secondary patents and Resulting in earlier generic entry hence contributing to affordability of drugs in developed countries Indian companies still continues to market and export generic drugs which are off patent. US is the ideal destination for Indian companies. In US alone, major blockbuster drugs are going off patent in next few years. Further it is estimated that generic market can reach US $ 80 billion in coming few years in value terms and Indian companies stand a good chance of tapping a major chunk of this pie. 2. Lupin being among the top three Indian pharmaceutical companies by 2007 and aimed at achieving the US$ 1 billion mark. In order to compete with the foreign players, Indian pharma companies have started strengthening RD activities, entering the global generics market, venturing into contract research and started exploring segments like herbals and ayurveda; while have already established foreign pharma companies established RD centres and clinical trial centres in India to cut drug delivery costs. Lupin too made significant investments in RD, infrastructure, exports, herbal markets and other therapeutic segments to compete effectively with domestic and global pharma majors. According to Lupins top management, As the country switches on to the product regime, radical changes are expected to affect the pharmaceutical sector. A deep-rooted shift in business policy has taken place within the company by placing a strong emphasis on RD to create proprietary intellectual property. The bud get for this activity was stepped up substantially during the year to ensure that the company has a complete portfolio of products to take on the patent regime. 3. The downfall of many companies is due to not changing with the style of marketing. The analysis of Indian companies revealed that their progress is basically from the new products. Cipla has shown a tremendous growth in the market only due to focus on the new product hence they became No. 1 in 2004. Similarly, the Sun Pharmaceuticals have shown a phenomenal growth by adopting same strategy. This has resulted in their occupying 5th position in 2004. The new product success rate is going down because the companies are more interested in introducing new products and generating volume sales and not brand building. There are very few products which could have registered more than 1 Crore sales. The current scenario in the pharmaceutical industry is to launch new product then get some market share and if the response is good, pick up the brand and build the same in subsequent years.This has given dividend to companies like Ranbaxy, Cadila, Cipla, Sun Pharmaceuticals.

Growth and Development of Tourism in Australia since World War II Essay

This is a short but informative discourse on the growth and development of tourism in Australia since World War II. The first few segments will focus on the history of Australia as a nation in order to provide a solid background for the inherent factors which contribute to the growth and development of tourism in Australia. The second segment will briefly highlight the Australian economy to show the benefits that have been derived from the tourism boom in Australia. Finally, the last segment shall carefully identify and explain the major factors that have contributed to this tourism surge in Australia since World War II. Brief History of Australia Australia mainly known for its picturesque surroundings is more than meets the eye. Australia boasts of a rich history under the rule of the British and enviable living conditions for its citizens (Pike, 2002). However, Australia was not always like this. Before the arrival of Western influences, Indigenous Australians inhabited the mainland but eventually European explorers set foot on Australia. The most notable explorer, James Cook mapped out the east coast of Australia and claimed this piece of Australia as a British Colony. The contributions of James Cook were integral in the establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales. The British territories grew larger with more and more discoveries of Australia’s mainland. The influx of the British caused the decline in the population of the Indigenous Australians (Pike, 2002). Slowly, the British colonies in Australia governed themselves while remaining under the British Empire. The British Empire only controlled foreign affairs, international shipping, and defense. A decade of planning, consultation, and voting gave rise to the Commonwealth of Australia on January 1, 1905 (Mason, 2003). The new country took advantage of all its natural resources to rapidly develop into an agricultural and manufacturing country taking into consideration its strategic location. World War I started to brew across the Europe and Australia was willing to take part in the war (Pike 2002). Enlistments were abundant which caused the industries and trade agreements of Australia were disrupted because of the war. Trade agreements with Germany were put to a halt thus Australia had to find other means to address their needs of steel. Like in any war, profiteering occurred and the ordinary people could not even purchase the basic utilities (Mason, 2003). However, at the end of the War, Australia managed to produce more products than ever before, which contributed to the growth of the nation. Effect of World War II on Australia World War II made Australia purchase products which could have easily been produced thus the war was a huge boon to Australia. The restrictions of rationing imposed by the government allowed personal savings to increase. There was also full employment during the war since manpower was being utilized for essential industries. Australia was more prepared for World War II than it was for World War I. World War II did affect Australia. â€Å"Migration revolution† began which led to multiculturalism instead of â€Å"White Australia†. The government was so afraid to be invaded that it encouraged the influx of refugees and displaced families from Europe. Consequently, Australia evolved into a country of mixed races and mixed cultures (Pike, 2002). Ties between Australia and the British Empire were officially severed with the passing of Australia Act 1986. This act severed any rule of the British Empire in the Australian states. Australia now rules itself and is developed country surrounded by the developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region (Mason, 2003). The Australian Economy Australia is a very prosperous nation. It boasts of ranking third in the UN Human Development Index 2006, which indicates that Australia is a developed country. It beat the United States and even the United Kingdom. Australia was only surpassed by Norway and Iceland. Australia developed from a country with an industry focusing on wool to a country that has numerous industries in sectors ranging from trade to agriculture (Macfarlane, 1998). In 1850, Australia focused on the wool industry but with the discovery of gold in 1850-1860, the government passed a bill that encouraged the manufacturing and construction. Since the gold resources were being stressed by the immigration, wool resumed its position as the economic power in 1860. The decade between 1880 and 1890 saw a great rise in foreign investment but foreign investors grew concerned about the returns that Australia could supply thus, Australia experienced a great depression by 1890. The world wars encouraged Australia to produce more products thus sectors like agriculture increases (Parham, 2002). Now, wool was not the only contributor in the economic strength of Australia. An injection of foreign investment allowed the development of Australia also contributing to the economic growth of the country. The beginning of World War II marked the period of increased productivity or the â€Å"long boom† (Parham, 2002). Manufacturing became a huge part of the economy. Import restrictions allowed the manufacturing sector to grow. However, foreign investors noticed the manufacturing sector could not increase productivity and investment declined in this sector. This did not affect the growth of the economy since the mining industry to exploit the natural resources of the country was being established and encouraged an increase in foreign investment. The Australian Stock Exchange was established in 1987. Government run industries like Commonwealth Serum Laboratories and Quantas were privatized. The Labor markets were deregulated and reforms like the Goods and Services Tax were implemented. All these contribute to a solid economic status that Australia enjoys (Burns, 2006). Tourism in Australia As shown in the graph presented below (See GRAPH 1), the revenues that Australia earns from tourism accounts for a significant portion of its GDP. In line with this, the Australian government has slowly developed the growth of the Tourism industry in the country. Some of these plans include the development of infrastructure to foster sustainable tourism and the shift to more ecotourism which accounts for a major part of Australian tourism (Edgel, 2006). Since World War II, the Australian government has been trying to encourage the growth of the tourism industry by taking advantage of the vast natural resources and exotic scenery. At the present, the tourism industry accounts for 4. 7% of Australia’s GDP. It is also the reason for 11. 2% of Australia’s export earnings and the employment 6% of the workforce in Australia (Elliot, 1997). The vast expanse that is home to a significant number of unique flora and fauna also accounts for the growth of the tourism industry in Australia. Major Factors Contributing to Tourism Surge in Australia Perhaps the greatest factor contributing to the growth of the Australian Tourism industry since the World War II was a work ethic that was long in place, even before the occurrence of World War II. In the early 1900’s, the Australian Urban Trade Unions adopted an eight (8) hour work day accompanied by eight (8) hours of rest and most importantly, eight (8) hours of recreation (Burns, 2006). This was an important development in the growth of local tourism and even international tourism because it emphasized the relevance of leisure and recreation and made travel and tourism an integral part of Australian culture. This type of culture and thinking prompted the creation of new tourist destinations for the local residents. This led to the development of railroads which in turn led to greater access to most of Australia’s national parks (Herremanns, 2006). The developed that ensued not only made tourism accessible to the urban dwellers but eventually opened up tourism to all sectors of society. The development of coastal parks began soon after this. Inland and outland tourist destinations also soon flourished because of the development of the infrastructure in Australia (Chon, 2000). Nina Mistilis, in her work entitled Public Infrastructure Development for Tourism in Australia A Critical Issue (2004), is of the opinion that the past and present growth of the tourism industry in Australia is largely dependent on the infrastructure projects undertaken by the Australian government. For tourism to continue its growth, public infrastructure projects such as roads and rails, ports and airports must be developed to accommodate more traffic and also allow better access to other areas in Australia. Another major factor in the growth and development of tourism in Australia was the amount of leisure time and greater disposable income as a result of the Second World War (Elliot, 1997). The first change was the gradual institution of three (3) weeks holiday as a standard. This allowed more of the domestic tourists to enjoy their vacations in Australia and visit places that were farther away from their hometowns thus expanding the tourist sites (Herremanns, 2006). Aside from the increased holiday and leisure period after the war, more and more Australians owned motor vehicles due to the greater disposable income that was available. This meant that the three (3) weeks holidays could be enjoyed more as the availability of alternative modes of transportation permitted tourists to explore other tourist destinations all throughout the continent (Mason, 2003). International tourism, which accounts for a significant portion of the tourism industry of Australia, also contributed to the development of tourism after the Second World War as it made Australia a viable place to travel to (Burns, 2006). In the early 1980’s and 1990’s when Japan and America had turned into powerhouse economies that possessed strong currencies, particularly against the Australian dollar, international tourism skyrocketed (Herremanns, 2006). The profitable short package tours, which accounted for majority of the tourism packages sold, featured trips to the iconic symbols of Australia such as the Koala Bear, Ayer’s rock and the Great Barrier Reef (Herremanns, 2006). These short package tours were particularly significant however as they increased the marketability of Australian tourism and also strengthened the association of those symbols with Australia and thus increasing visibility and identity on a global scale (Mason, 2003). The local economy invariably profited from these also as the short package tours generated a lot of income and also increased souvenir item sales. This economic growth increased the per capita earnings of the population in these local attractions and also improved the overall condition of the tourist attractions as the added source of funding and income allowed improvements to be made to the local infrastructure (Mistilis, 2004). Another important phase in the growth and development of tourism in Australia since World War II was the development of ecotourism (Edgel, 2006). The vast natural resources and natural land attractions of Australia, not to mention the rich and unique flora and fauna that abound in the national parks, make it an ideal place for ecotourism (Pike, 2002). Backpaking soon became a major source of revenue for the local tourist destinations. Because ecotourism promotes the overall growth of the community, long term benefits were provided to the local populace to achieve what is known as â€Å"sustainable tourism† (Edgel, 2006). This also allowed for the preservation of the local cultures that make Australia and unique and enjoyable tourist experience, be if as part of a group or alone.

Analyzing Pro Forma Statements Essay

XYZ Inc. In order to create an initiative for growth, an analysis of the company’s short term and long term financing needs are assessed to determine strategies for the company to manage working capital. The suggested initiative to increase XYZ Company, Inc. revenue over the next five years is by acquiring assets through a merger with UVW Company to produce more of product X. Companies must be able to manage growth either through the acquisition of assets or through the capital budgeting process. Through the acquisition of assets, external financing will be required. Growing quickly will allow XYZ Company to gain a larger market share and reinforce its viable position in the marketplace. Expanding too rapidly can have consequences. If the company has too much debt-financing and cash flows are reduced the company will risk being unable to repay its debts. Management must ensure the business can grow, what funding may be needed, and determine the sustainable growth rate. Pro Forma A pro forma statement is a method of calculating financial results to emphasize projected figures for a company. A pro forma is intended to give investors a clear view of company operations. For XYZ Company, the pro forma statements will reflect the merger with UVW to produce more of their best-selling products and adding a list of new ones. Management expects sales and costs to increase by 20 percent for the coming year. Forty-one percent of total liabilities for the company are loans payable to stockholders; therefore management is reluctant to create additional financing through debt. The company will finance the merger through sale of stocks, and liquidation of excess equipment because cash on hand is relatively small. The merger will allow unnecessary extra equipment and inventory to also be sold to finance the new, united company. Though the merger will increase sales, operating costs are also expected to rise to  meet the demand for the next five years. A substantial financial reason for a merger is economies of scale. The operating economies will be lower in the combined business firm. Benefits to a merger would include the ability to buy raw materials in bulk at lower prices, the possibility of better interest rates on loans for being a larger company, and better quality goods through a more efficient company. Though fixed costs may increase slightly, overall efficiency is expected to occur. XYZ’s current net sales are $1,747,698 and expected to grow 20% a year to reach $4,352,628 in five years. â€Å"Growth may also improve the effectiveness of the organization. Larger companies have a number of advantages over smaller firms operating in more limited markets† (Thomas, 2014). Additional funding post-merger will not be needed due to the liquidation of excess assets, and the sale of stock. Based upon the financial statements of the XYZ Company, management has decided that acquiring another business in the same industry will create a more efficient and effective company. The revenues earned from the combined business will continue to increase in the next five years. The company’s short term and long term financing needs have been addressed. Meeting payroll obligations, inventory purchases, and expansion are all included in the pro forma statement for XYZ. References Dileep, R. (2010). Forbes: The 12 Best Sources of Business Financing. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/06/best-funding-sources-for-small-business-entrepreneurs-finance-dileep-rao.htmlThomas, J. (n.d). Diversification Strategy. Retrieved October 19, 2014 from http://Reference for Business; Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/De-Ele/Diversification-Strategy.html

Armenian Genocide essays

Armenian Genocide essays The Armenian genocide was perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish government against its defenseless and law-abiding citizens, who were a Christian minority in a Muslim state. This was a campaign instigated and carried out by a regimental government against its loyal subjects. The rationale behind this horrendous massacre is political, but its aim was to loot, destroy and seize Armenian properties and businesses, and to perform the complete annihilation of a culture and civilization. Although the Turkish government currently denies that an Armenian genocide occurred and claims instead that Armenians were being removed from the eastern war zone, the systematic fashion and widespread organization of the genocide proves that it was directed by the Young Turkish government. The political atmosphere of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was tempestuous; when the Ottoman government entered the European War in 1914 it had ruled Armenia for only four hundred years, and a majority of its population was comprised of the Armenian people (Houannisian 24). The Armenian citizens were scattered throughout the Ottoman Empire; the whole Empire was their heritage, and it was a heritage that they were required to share with the Turks, who held the reins of political power. The alternative to an Ottoman State was not an Armenian State, but a partition among the Powers, which would have ended the ambitions of Turk and Armenian alike. The Powers concerned were prepared for a partition, but an agreement on division was not within reach. The problem the Armenians faced was not how to overthrow the Ottoman Empire but how to preserve it, and their interest in its preservation was even greater than that of their Turkish neighbors and co-heirs. Therefore, a national entente with the Turks was imperative, and seemed attainable in the middle of the nineteenth century. The efforts of Sultan Mahmoud and the influences from France and ...

Free Essays on The Stereotyping Of Witches

â€Å"The Devil’s little helpers† What does Broomsticks, black cats, and spell books remind you of? Witches, of course. Do you think that these unusual people actually exist? The art of witchcraft has been around for hundreds of years. Even now many people believe in witches and their supposedly horrible works. Witchcraft is the practice of magic, predominately evil magic, often referred to as black magic or sorcery. What is a witch? The most common concept of a witch is that of an old, ugly, woman. She is said to have been dressed in black, with dirty hair, and warts. Witches are also supposedly able to exercise their supernatural powers through the aide of the devil or evil spirits. Witches are believed to have the ability to fly, cast harmful spells, disclose future or hidden matters and produce anything she wishes. But does this hold true to everyone's idea of what witchcraft is? All of these beliefs are typical stereotypes of witches. In this paper I am going to discuss in more detail these stereotypes.! One common stereotype of witches is the ever-popular broomstick, along with the pointy black hat and ominous black cat. In the short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the witch Goody Cloyse, is recorded saying that her broomstick â€Å"hath strangely disappeared†. However, this stereotype is very untrue. â€Å"The information about witchlike stereotypes such as brooms, pointy hats, etc. is referred to as being 18th century or perhaps a little earlier.† (New Standard Encyclopedia) â€Å"As far as the pointy hats, they are derived from English 16th and 17th century representations. The hats were actually just an article of dress, in which some people wore. The hats were not actually pointed though. The hats came into artistic use depicting witches in English pamphlets. In these pamphlets, witches were sometimes shown wearing one.† (Yoder, Carolyn) The black cat stereotype is also incorrect. During... Free Essays on The Stereotyping Of Witches Free Essays on The Stereotyping Of Witches â€Å"The Devil’s little helpers† What does Broomsticks, black cats, and spell books remind you of? Witches, of course. Do you think that these unusual people actually exist? The art of witchcraft has been around for hundreds of years. Even now many people believe in witches and their supposedly horrible works. Witchcraft is the practice of magic, predominately evil magic, often referred to as black magic or sorcery. What is a witch? The most common concept of a witch is that of an old, ugly, woman. She is said to have been dressed in black, with dirty hair, and warts. Witches are also supposedly able to exercise their supernatural powers through the aide of the devil or evil spirits. Witches are believed to have the ability to fly, cast harmful spells, disclose future or hidden matters and produce anything she wishes. But does this hold true to everyone's idea of what witchcraft is? All of these beliefs are typical stereotypes of witches. In this paper I am going to discuss in more detail these stereotypes.! One common stereotype of witches is the ever-popular broomstick, along with the pointy black hat and ominous black cat. In the short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the witch Goody Cloyse, is recorded saying that her broomstick â€Å"hath strangely disappeared†. However, this stereotype is very untrue. â€Å"The information about witchlike stereotypes such as brooms, pointy hats, etc. is referred to as being 18th century or perhaps a little earlier.† (New Standard Encyclopedia) â€Å"As far as the pointy hats, they are derived from English 16th and 17th century representations. The hats were actually just an article of dress, in which some people wore. The hats were not actually pointed though. The hats came into artistic use depicting witches in English pamphlets. In these pamphlets, witches were sometimes shown wearing one.† (Yoder, Carolyn) The black cat stereotype is also incorrect. During...

Sex violence and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sex violence and crime - Essay Example Furthermore, popular magazines form a part of the communication of language as seen through the Freud/Marxist theories which â€Å"reproduces sexuality as the male gaze toward a woman/object† (Keddie 1996). Carrette, in a critique of Foucault, however, believes that he has left the female perspective out of the discussion of sex, his history on the topic male centered without the feminine point of view. In examining the concept of what is true, discovering how truth is defined provides some substance to the topic. Truth is a concept that suggests that there is a sense of the absolute somewhere within the greater historical perspective. However, according to Foucault, it is all perspective and indefinable through a notion of reality versus illusion. What is presented to the readership of popular magazines is a perception of truth that can neither be confirmed nor denied as the possibility exists that it is someone’s truth (Taylor 2008). The plausible deniability of compl ete falsehood makes the representations have validity. Despite the desire to rail against the overwhelmingly illusionary editorial elements of the imagery and rhetoric within popular magazines, the reality of the world that is created has the prospect of reflecting the truth somewhere, thus they can be said to be true. The Discourse of Sex within Magazines Sex is a rudimentary element of life which has a biological function of procreation, but sexuality is an extended element of culture, complicated and confusing as it has become a focus that extends far beyond its founding purpose. Sex is mediated by culture, described, commented upon, and distorted in a never ending search for identification, classification, and perfection. According to Paris (2011), sexual behaviors are a learned process in which the ways in which sexual identity is displayed in order to find a mate is defined by the norms of a culture. In observing each other, the members of a society discover how to behave in o rder to become a part of the social groups that are divided by gender. Gender ideals are defined by mimicking the feminine or masculine of older generations, children looking to their role models in order to find their position in the sexual framework of their culture. In this age of communication, however, the focus has shifted from members of familial groups and their communities towards the images and discourse that is provided through the popular media, magazines providing a great deal of the images that affect the perception of female and male sexual roles. Little girls no longer focus their attention upward towards their mothers as much as downward into their hands a they peruse the magazine and forward to the screen of the television or their computer, these images impressing upon them an unattainable perfection through which they seek their own position within the framework of their gender. The hegemony of culture infected by the conceptualization of truth that is brought fo rth through a discourse of untruths that are presented as realistic reflections of a cultural script that is imposed rather than developed through social interaction (Norris 1996). In other words, rather than the dialogue happening through interactions with others within a community, interactions are now constructed between a person and the power of the magazine in dispersing ‘truths’ and designing dominant knowledge. The pressure on little boys is just as profound, their mandate to

Skill Plan - Management Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Skill Plan - Management Skills - Assignment Example Nonetheless, I have understanding that these goals are highly achievable, though not without required level of skills and competencies. Moreover, in order to facilitate achievement of these objectives there is need to develop a plan that can facilitate acquisition of complementary skills. Therefore, this paper will focus on discussing an outline of five-year skills development plan that can assist in fulfillment of my vision for my career or professional life. 2. Skills and Competencies Required to Fulfill this Vision Some of the skills and competencies that are required in order to fulfill this vision are determined through realization and identification of objectives involved Furthermore, I should focus on creasing self-awareness, which will serve as a pertinent element in good management and leadership in the future. In this case, I have to spend significant amount of time in acquiring experience in the field of business and fashion design. Most significant way of acquiring requir ed competence concern developing of substantial foundation of knowledge by understanding of basics from my degree program. Therefore, this competence will facilitate increase of ability to cope with rapidly changing business environment. Conversely, I will consider increased need for integration of business and advanced technology in order to increase efficiency in decision-making. Apparently, I find it necessary to have increased competence in application of technology in order to form a basis of developing competitive advantage in my future business. On the other hand, in order to achieve set objectives, there is need to develop significant understanding of required interpersonal skills (Johnson, 1999). In this case, interpersonal skills will assist in with dealing business associates and employees in order to facilitate successes. In fact, I have understanding that interpersonal skills that I will require as a manager include effective communication, listening, non-verbal skills (Eunson, 2008). Besides, these skills have a significant contribution to management of business in order to facilitate its success. I will also seek to develop other interpersonal skills that will enable formation and management of teams and groups that can facilitate effective implementation of business strategies (Honey, 2001). Moreover, some of the other relevant skills that will require for succeed include; time management, setting of objectives, decision-making, conflict management and effective negotiating (Thompson, 2001). For instance, after acquiring these interpersonal skills, I will have ability to resolve conflicts that would occur within the organization or with other business partners (Bolton, 1998). In addition, negotiation skills can also assist sealing significant deal with business associated that will improve performance of my business (Thompson, 2001). 3. Evaluation of Proficiency in these other skills and competences at the present time, and summary of progress made on your nominated skill this semester My interpersonal skills and individual’s awareness are the starting points required for management and leadership in a team. In order to realize the effort made towards achievement of set objectives, there is need for an evaluation of proficiency concerning the skills and competencies now, thereby giving summary of progress. Now, I have realized the significance of ensuring that I am up to date with relevant information regarding my field of study. I have been