Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay - 1367 Words

Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird In the early twentieth century, the United States was undergoing a dramatic social change. Slavery had been abolished decades before, but the southern states were still attempting to restrict social interaction among people of different races. In particular, blacks were subject to special Jim Crow laws which restricted their rights and attempted to keep the race inferior to whites. Even beyond these laws, however, blacks were feeling the pressure of prejudice. In the legal system, blacks were not judged by a group of their peers; rather, they were judged by a group of twelve white men. In serious court cases involving capital offenses, the outcome always proved to be a guilty verdict. In Harper†¦show more content†¦It develops in their mind as they witness it from the adults that form their support structure. This irrational hatred of black people is the basis for which the novel is set against. In the novel, Tom Robinson was sent away while being held in prison to protect him from any mobs. Shortly before his trial, he was sent back to Maycomb County. During his first night back, Atticus was warned of a possible mob visiting the jail. He proceeded to the jail and stayed on watch for his client. Then, four cars approached and stopped in front of the jail. When the men emptied from their vehicles, they approached Atticus and one said, â€Å"You know what we want†¦ get aside from the door† (Lee 151). The mob was at the jail to take Tom Robinson into their custody and punish him for his accused crime. Their intent was most likely to be hanging, since it was a common practice. Even before trial, Tom was presumed guilty and not innocent. In noticing a decline of hangings from 1927 to 1937, W.E.B Du bois points out some statistics: â€Å"the number of lynchings was reduced to 136† (32). Even though lynching had been on the decline, the numbers are still historical proof of a predisposition to believe that the black individual was guilty before any legal proceedings. Whites would often perform hangings in large groups of people. These mobs would be above the law, since the town’s ability to handle large crowds would be limited. Moreover, the town authoritiesShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird1210 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom who and what surrounds us, things that help to form our identity. Prejudice is an integral theme in Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird. Prejudice is evident throughout the novel, not just in the appalling racism but also through, prejudice against different sexual orientations, gender constructs and feminism. Society had certain constructs that had to be met. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee breaks the bounds to overcome barriers, and challenge social constructs. This feature article delvesRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay567 Words   |  3 Pagesexample in Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, the small town of Maycomb struggles with these aspects. Each character of the novel has a strong personality. Scout Finch is tough, always has an opinion, and is a tomboy. On the other hand Boo Radley stays hidden most of the time, but we all know he is actually a friend to Jem and Scout. Then there is Tom Robinson, a hardworking, strong, and innocent man. But what do all these characters have in common? They can all be analyzed as mockingbirds. ThroughoutRead More Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird In the novel by Harper Lee named, To Kill a Mockingbird, there is one main tragic event that occurs. The feelings and expressions dealt with in the novel are seen through the eyes of the main character, named Scout. In the novel Tom Robinson is a black male accused of rape in Maycomb County. During the same time period as the novel there were many historical events that were almost identical in setting and conclusion. There were many things that happenedRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird816 Words   |  3 PagesThe novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee focuses on many themes but courage is mostly shown in the novel. In the novel, there are many examples where the characters have shown courage even when he/she knows that he/she is going to lose it. Atticus Finch is a great example of showing courage in the novel. He shows great courage because he defends a black man even though he knows he is going to lose the case. Another example of showing courage is Mrs. Dubose. S he shows courage because she wantsRead MoreEssay on Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird1054 Words   |  5 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Courage is the quality of mind that enables one to face danger with confidence, resolution, and gain a firm control of oneself. Many of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird showed courage in their own way. Courage can come in many different forms: physical, mental, emotional and moral. Courage is not the only main theme displayed in To Kill a Mockingbird; prejudice and education are also very important themes exhibited throughout the progression of theRead More Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird The United States has been dealing with the issue of racism ever since Columbus landed on Plymouth Rock. The Indians were the first to endure harsh racism in this country. Pilgrims moving west ran them off their land wiping out many tribes and destroying many resources in their path. However, when many think of racism today, the issue of blacks and whites is the first to come to mind. African Americans have come a long way in today’s society as comparedRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay1073 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is novel set in a three year period through the ‘great depression’. Atticus Finch (Jem and scouts father) is originally portrayed as a friendly and understanding person, though when he attends court defending a ‘black man’ as his job, suddenly he and his family begin to suffer racial hatred from their community. The story features on the themes of racism, community morals and the r ealisation of certain truths whilst growing up. It is a fascinating novelRead MoreEssay on Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird2478 Words   |  10 PagesHarper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird During the 1930s, during the time when the novel was set, society was very different to what it is now. To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lees story about life in a small town in Southern America during the 1930s. The story is based in the state of Texas, Alabama, in this state slavery was very common and because of this it became to be known as the Slave State. The story involves Atticus Finch a lawyer who must defendRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay3848 Words   |  16 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird The story of To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during the 1930s in a small town in Alabama in the southern United States - much like the town where the author Harper Lee herself grew up. To understand what the book is saying about racism, you need to know something of the history of race relations in the southern USA. Plot ---- The novel is about three years in the life of the Finch family: Atticus and his son JemRead MoreEssay about Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird991 Words   |  4 Pagesbe a lady, don’t you?’ I said not particularly† (Lee). Jean Louise Finch is a tomboy growing up in a world where a girl is expected to become a lady. Submissive housewives and proper ladies were the expectations set for women in the time To Kill A Mockingbird took place. Scout Finch lived in a household that had a strong male influence; aside from Calpurnia, she had no real present example of what she was supposed to become. Because of this, Scout refused to conform to the ways of the rest of the

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Essay On Renal Failure - 801 Words

The high prevalence may be expected when there is no homogeneity of RBC antigens between the blood donors and recipients didn’t use leucodepleted red blood cell, didn’t do antigens phenotype (Rh and Kell). Chronic renal failure The patients of chronic renal failure who have received blood transfusions are also at risk of alloimmunization. Although, recombinant human erythropoietin (RHuEpo) has revolutionized the treatment of patients with anemia of chronic renal failure but the blood transfusion still final treatment of anemia in chronic renal failure. We observed of alloimmunization prevalence was 15.4 % detected in 6 out of 39 CRF patients, this finding is higher than the frequency of previous studies have done in Sudan country that†¦show more content†¦The high prevalence because most of patients old, heterogeneity of patients with donors and previous pregnancy. Mother negative blood group Through literature review all previous studies conformed of mother having negative blood group more prone to antibody formation specific if her fetes was positive blood group. In our study, we collected from 8 mothers having negative blood group and we found 2 women had immunized (25%). Note that the previous studies that found higher and lower immunization rates. Meena Sidhu et al. 2016 50 found about 2 % (21 % in D-negative and 0.45 % in D-positive), Jophy Varghese et al. 201332 observed that, allosensitization with clinically significant antibodies was found in 9.43 % Rh (D) negative and in 0.08 % Rh (D) positive women. While Jalada Patel et al. 2009(20) reported that bad obstetric history cases had significantly higher incidence of alloimmunization. Leukemia Most of leukemia disease associated with anemia, the blood transfusion requeir to treatment anemia additional to compensate of leukocyte cells. In present study, we collected from 8 patients and found only one immunized patient (12.5%) lower than reported by (Sanz C et al. 2013)34 worked on â€Å"Red blood cell alloimmunization in transfused patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia†. They found that 42 immunized patients, alloimmunization rate was (15%), formed 81 alloantibodies andShow MoreRelatedEssay On Renal Failure913 Words   |  4 PagesMr. Armstrong has a history of renal insufficiency and uncontrolled hypertension, along with symptoms of fatigue, pedal edema, and occasional shortness of breath. He does not have a history of trauma or obstruction to his kidneys, but his creatinine and BUN levels are currently at 3.5 mg/dl and 40 mg/dl. Normal creatinine concentration values are 0.7 to 1.2 mg/dl and normal BUN values are 10 to 20 mg/dl; this reveals that Mr. Armstrong’s kidneys are not removing wastes properly (McCance, HuetherRead MoreEssay on Chronic Renal Failure830 Words   |  4 Pagesand affect their functioning. One of these diseases is renal failure (kidney failure), a dangerous disorder. Stein (2002) defines renal failure as a condition in which the kidneys are less able than normal to do their usual function. There are two classes of kidney failure: acute renal failure (ARF) and chronic renal failure (CRF). This essay will focus on CRF and explain its two major causes. Chronic Renal Failure Chronic renal failure is progressive destruction of kidney tissue by disease;Read MoreEssay on Renal Failure1218 Words   |  5 Pagesof acute renal failure, and finally the short and long term goals a nurse should make for their client. There are three causes of acute renal failure; prerenal causes, renal causes, and post renal causes. Prerenal causes are due to such factors as dehydration i.e... vomiting diarrhea, or sweating, or poor fluid intake. Other factors could also include weak or irregular blood flow to and from the kidneys because of an obstruction in the renal artery or vein. Intrarenal kidney failure is damageRead MoreChronic Renal Failure Essay1256 Words   |  6 PagesChronic renal failure is a worldwide public health problem. Millions of Americans are affected by this disease each year. It is a common condition in which there is progressive loss of kidney functioning. The loss of function usually takes months or years to occur, sometime not appearing until kidney function is less than one-tenth of normal. The kidneys have the important job of filtering, wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then excreted in the urine (Huether, 2012). When the kidneysRead MoreAcute Renal Failure Ess ay2110 Words   |  9 PagesAcute renal failure is the sudden loss of the kidneys ability to function; affecting more than 100,000 people in the United States alone each year (NIDDK, 2008). This paper will discuss the basic pathophysiology of acute renal failure, including its cause, disease mechanisms, symptoms, some of the treatments and pharmacological therapies. Pathophysiology Acute renal failure (ARF) is the rapid loss of kidney function occurring when high levels of uremic toxins accumulate in the bloodRead MoreEssay on Acute Renal Failure 1307 Words   |  6 PagesAcute Renal Failure is when the kidneys abruptly stop functioning by excreting wastes of the body. Abnormal functions that can cause acute renal failure are that the body cannot regulate acid-base balance of bodily fluids, regulation of one’s blood pressure which affects waste products not being filtered from the body, and irregularities of red blood cell production. There are many factors that can cause a person’s kidneys to stop working properly. A prerenal cause is something that occurs inRead MoreWhat is Renal Failure? Essay619 Words   |  3 PagesTo understand what renal failure is, it is important to know how the kidneys work and what the main functions are. The body has two kidneys on either side of the spine and the kidneys work to remove toxic waste and excess water by producing urine. The kidneys also help with controlling blood pressure and produce erythropoietin as well as aiding in keeping bones strong by producing calcetrol hormones. When the kidneys are unable to perform these functions it causes the kidneys to fail. There are differentRead MoreAcute Renal Failure Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesAcute renal failure (ARF) is a common syndrome which causes a rapid decline in glomerular filtration, homeostasis, disturbance of fluid volume, and accumulation of nitrogenous waste which the kidneys are unable to excrete. Acute renal failure is usually asymptomatic and normally diagnosed when standard laboratory tests show a sudden rise in blood creatinine and urea. A patient who develops acute renal failure will recover in most cases. When the nephron is compromised, it is unable to perform theRead MoreEssay on Acute Renal Failure 970 Words   |  4 Pagesacute renal failure. Including perenal,intraernal and posternal causes. Acute renal failure is when the kidneys have suddenly stopped working this disease disables the body’s mechanism of excreting waste products and maintaining fluid electrolyte balance. According to WebMD, the causes are characterized as a sudden decrease of blood flow to the kidneys, damage from some medications, poisons, or infections, a sudden blockage that stops urine from flowing out of the kidney. Prerenal failure isRead MoreAcute Renal Failure Essay example1093 Words   |  5 Pages Acute renal failure, also known as acute kidney injury is described to be a rapid loss of kidney function, or a rapid decline in renal filtration function. The first signs of acute renal failure can be found by a rise in serum creatinine concentration or azotemia, which is a rise in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration. Symptoms of acute renal failure may include, little or no urine when urinating, swelling in the legs and feet, not feeling like eating, nausea and vomiting

Monday, December 9, 2019

Informative Sleep free essay sample

To inform the audience about what sleep is and how it helps the body. Central Idea: That sleep is good for you and you should get your eight hours of it! Introduction: I’m sure everyone likes sleep. Everyone needs sleep to keep the least bit active through out there day. Sleep is an important factor for your body to restore energy. Sleeping is a time to rest your body from all the hard work you have done. It is relaxing so deeply that you lose consciousness of your surroundings. Preview Statement: Today I’d like to discuss and inform the audience about sleep. The first thing I want to tell you about is what sleep really is. The next thing I will explain is how sleep helps your body. Finally, I will talk about different sleeping disorders people are living with. I. By definition, medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com states that sleep is a natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. a. This site also mentioned that during sleep the brain in humans and other mammals undergo a characteristic cycle of brain-wave activity that includes intervals of dreaming. These intervals of dreaming can be divided into two categories. i. NREM sleep and REM sleep. There are five stages of sleep. 1. The first four stages of sleep are NREM sleep. NREM sleep is the non-rapid eye movement sleep; during the first stage of this type of sleep, you are in a battle of going to sleep but staying awake. In like the fourth stage, you really notice how NREM sleep is. NREM is the deep, dreamless period of sleep during which the brain waves are slow and of high voltage, and autonomic activities, such as heart rate and blood pressure, are low and regular. REM sleep is the fifth stage or the last stage and is exactly opposite of NREM. This type of sleep is associated with dreaming, mild involuntary muscle jerks, and rapid eye movements. It usually occurs three to four times each night at intervals of 80 to 120 minutes, each occurrence lasting from 5 minutes to more than an hour. b. Most people tend to want to go to sleep when they are bored for example i. Reading a 1462 history book or listening for hours to a mono-tone old man talk about how he and his dog are best friends. ii. Or they tend to go to sleep when they’re real worn out or haven’t had enough sleep. Transition: Now that you sort of understand why, when and what sleeping actually is, I can now explain How sleeping effects your body and how it helps it in a good way! II. There are so many things in sleeping that are beneficial to the body. When someone tells you that you should get your 8 hours of sleep, don’t be stubborn and get your 8 hours of sleep!! About. com lists a few of these things. a. One thing that it mentions is how a good nights sleep makes you feel energized and alert the next day. i. Being engaged and active not only feels great, it increases your chances for another good nights sleep. . Another thing that it mentions is that sleep helps your memory. A process called memory consolidation occurs during sleep. While your body may be resting, your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings and memories. ii. Getting more sleep will help you remember and process things better. c. A third thing is that sleep may help you loose weight. i. Researchers have found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night have impact on the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite and are more likely to be overweight or obese. So if you are interested in controlling or losing weight, dont forget to pay attention to getting a good nights sleep! d. This site also listed that napping during the day is not only an effective and refreshing alternative to caffeine, it can also protect your health and make you more productive. i. A study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk for dying from heart disease. ii. Napping also improves memory and mood. The last thing on the list is how sleep helps the body make repairs to damages caused by different things like stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. . Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage. 1. This is why you see the really sick people sleep a lot, because it helps them repair their bodies and helps them built up a strong immune system. ii. On serendip. brynmawr. edu, they talk about how sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, preventing the body from being able to ward off infections and viruses. They also mention signs of sleep deprivation which include B. reduced energy, like in work performance C. reater difficulty concentrating, for example if your studying for a test, staying up all night is not going to help you the next day because that information, instead of being stored in temporary memory, it can be stored in long-term memory D. The way your moods change frequently E. And greater risks of accidents including fall-asleep car crashes. 2. So if you don’t have a good nights sleep, sleep deprivation can happen. Transition: All of these things mentioned, sometimes get so bad that if you don’t get a good nights rest, they end up leading into a sleeping disorder. III. Last of all I will be naming and explaining a couple of these disorders associating with sleep. a. According to dictionary. com, anything dealing with a disturbance of the normal sleep pattern is considered a sleeping disorder. b. Many of us have experienced different things that may have got you thinking if you are dealing with a sleeping disorder. I will now ask you some questions that Helpguide. org provided me with that can help you decide if you might have a sleeping disorder. i. Do you feel irritable or sleepy during the day? ii. Do you have difficulty staying awake when sitting still, watching television or reading? iii. Do you fall asleep or feel very tired while driving? iv. Do you often get told by others that you look tired? v. Do you react slowly? Do you require caffeinated beverages to keep yourself going? c. If you answer yes to any of the questions I asked, you might have a sleeping disorder. d. One of the most common types of sleeping disorder we hear of is Insomnia. i. Insomnia is when you have difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep. 1. Waking up frequently during the night is one symptom of insomnia. 2. Other common symptoms include when you need to take something (like sleeping pills, nightcap, and supplements) in order to get to sleep 3. And when you have sleepiness and low energy during the day. 4. Many people have this for many different cases and luckily you can cure this with out the help of sleep specialists and without any prescriptions. Just a couple life style changes for example, relaxing more instead of stressing can cure this. e. Another common sleeping disorder is Sleep Apnea, i. In which your breathing temporarily stops during sleep due to blockage of the upper airways. Helpguide. org mentions that this is a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder. ii. Symptoms of Sleep Apnea include: . Loud, chronic snoring 2. Frequent pauses in breathing during sleep. 3. Gasping, snorting, or choking during sleep. Feeling unrefreshed after waking and sleepy during the day, no matter how much time you spent in bed; 5. Waking up with shortness of breath, chest pains, headaches, nasal congestion, or a dry throat. 6. Losing weight, elevating the head of the bed, and sleeping on your side are some ways that can help for mild sleep apnea. f. Final disorder I’ll mention is Narcolepsy. i. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that involves a lot of uncontrollable random sleeping. i. It is a neurological disorder caused by a dysfunction of the brain mechanism that controls sleeping and waking. While in the middle of talking, working, or even driving, people with narcolepsy usually have â€Å"sleep attacks†. iii. Some common symptoms that I find scary are, 1. Seeing or hearing things when you’re drowsy (like hallucinating) or starting to dream before you’re even fully asleep. 2. Another symptom is when you’re suddenly feeling week or when you feel like you have no muscle control during a strong emotion like when you’re angry or laughing. 3. When you’re feeling paralyzed and unable to move when you’re waking up or dozing off is another symptom. Some disorders can be worse than this and involve getting checked by a sleeping specialist and some can be cured on your own. Transition: Besides all of these sleeping disorders IV. Everyone has problems sleeping at time to time, so here are some tips provided by pamf. org that may help you get a good night’s sleep. a. Try to eliminate caffeine or foods that have caffeine. b. Avoid exercising after dinner. c. Wear comfortable clothes or pajamas to bed. Make sure your room is not too hot or too cold. . Avoid stimulating TV, music or computer time before bed. f. Use meditation or relaxation techniques. g. Or even try counting sheep! Conclusion: In conclusion, I hope you haven’t fallen asleep through my presentation because if you did, you missed out on what sleeping really is and the stages we have to go through, how sleeping helps your body and why you should get your 8 hours, and finally some different sleeping disorders and how to get a good night’s sleep. Now if you did fall asleep during my presentation, just blame it on a sleeping disorder and then I won’t be mad at you!

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Who I Was, Who I Am, Who Will I Be free essay sample

Will I Be I dropped out in my Junior year of high school and never thought about how It was going to affect my life. I dont believe I thought It would have an effect on my life In any way. I was young and I was arrogant for no reason and thought I knew It all. I managed to scrap by begging, borrowing, and stealing, to eat and have a place to sleep at night. I hate to say It but I have to attribute the majority of my decision to the Influences that were In my life at the time.I was taught that being a drop out and living below the poverty level was acceptable so I stopped caring and eventually dropped out. You have so much potential is a phrase I heard a lot while I was growing up and the rest of that phrase should be and it will take a life time to live up to because we all start out with opportunities and potential. We will write a custom essay sample on Who I Was, Who I Am, Who Will I Be or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every person ever born is going to have to make their own new path to the same old place. I am doing that very thing right now while I am writing this paper and I was making that path when I dropped out of high school.I was guided toward that decision early on in my Journey as we are all guided toward are respective decisions in the beginnings of our lives. The problem is that we think our decisions are our own and that is why it takes an entire life time because we actually have to live part of someone elses life before we start to live our own. As a child I was always aware of how big all of the adults seemed to me especially the men. They all had deep voices and big arms covered in tattoos and I thought that I wanted to be Just like them. I hung on every word and craved their attention more Han anything before or since that time in my life. I can still smell the smoke In the air and taste the dont tell anybody sips of beer they gave me. I was so awed and enthralled with the way everyone acted that I was determined to live my life just Like them. So between what my mother tried to gulled me toward and what I thought I wanted I actually started out trying to live two different lives at once. I think all parents try to keep their kids from repeating the mistakes they made growing up. And all kids think they are doing things differently or their own way.No one can do wings their own way until they become their own person. I had to see beyond the surface of what I thought I wanted and when I did I found out how little there really was. Gaining that insight is a big part of becoming your own person and starting to live your own life. I heard how I was making a terrible mistake and how I was throwing my life away: I was told that Ill never amount to anything. Now the word is that it is a good thing about consequences and long term decision making. I have caused people that I do not know to change their perspective of my decisions Just by time passing.Not letting hose regrets, beliefs, worries and hopes of other people determine who you are is the end of living for anyone else. This part can be hard because it is new and you have to sort through what your life was and figure out what you think you want your life to be. Now instead of influences I have the experiences that will start to determine who I might become. I know I am no longer awed or inspired by people that have no drive or character. I was who I thought they wanted me to be and then I decided to Just stop listening and then I was who I thought I wanted to be and now I am trying to be who I think I want to be.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

s Hazards

Society’s Hazards Why is it that we wish for better times? Do you remember your parents saying, â€Å"Back in the good ol days...†? Have you caught yourself saying, â€Å"Man, I remember when...†? The truth is that we all have asked this of ourselves. Today’s society is stressful and dangerous. Children are forced to learn faster, they are pushed to succeed, and taught they are survival of the fittest. Adults are stressed because they didn’t get there bonus, promotion, or there home situation is deteriorating. In today’s racing society, elementary students are being taught things we didn’t learn until junior high. I remember my psychology professor telling us a story about his english teacher in seventh grade and what assignments they had to do. We laughed and told him that we did those type of assignments in fourth grade. His response was, â€Å"Really? Geesh!† Teenagers are told school is most important. The importance is stressed so much that when they get unacceptable grades, they sometimes can’t cope with the stress. Teenage suicides have sky rocketed because they see themselves as failures and useless. They are taught to be the best in all situations, whether it be academics, popularity, or wealth. As we move towards a less religiuos society, morals have left. The children have been taught evolution and have reduced humanity to a pile of goo. Life is an accident and holds no meaning. As we have seen, kids are become less troubled by taking another persons life. Adults, also, have a problem with this exhausting society. We, as a society, are very materialistic. Material things are not necessarily bad, but when they become our goal there is never enough. We strive for that next promotion, that better car, that bigger house. When we don’t reach these goals, we see ourselves as failures. The result is we work harder and in doing so, neglect other responsibilities such as family. You would be s... 's Hazards Free Essays on Society\'s Hazards Society’s Hazards Why is it that we wish for better times? Do you remember your parents saying, â€Å"Back in the good ol days...†? Have you caught yourself saying, â€Å"Man, I remember when...†? The truth is that we all have asked this of ourselves. Today’s society is stressful and dangerous. Children are forced to learn faster, they are pushed to succeed, and taught they are survival of the fittest. Adults are stressed because they didn’t get there bonus, promotion, or there home situation is deteriorating. In today’s racing society, elementary students are being taught things we didn’t learn until junior high. I remember my psychology professor telling us a story about his english teacher in seventh grade and what assignments they had to do. We laughed and told him that we did those type of assignments in fourth grade. His response was, â€Å"Really? Geesh!† Teenagers are told school is most important. The importance is stressed so much that when they get unacceptable grades, they sometimes can’t cope with the stress. Teenage suicides have sky rocketed because they see themselves as failures and useless. They are taught to be the best in all situations, whether it be academics, popularity, or wealth. As we move towards a less religiuos society, morals have left. The children have been taught evolution and have reduced humanity to a pile of goo. Life is an accident and holds no meaning. As we have seen, kids are become less troubled by taking another persons life. Adults, also, have a problem with this exhausting society. We, as a society, are very materialistic. Material things are not necessarily bad, but when they become our goal there is never enough. We strive for that next promotion, that better car, that bigger house. When we don’t reach these goals, we see ourselves as failures. The result is we work harder and in doing so, neglect other responsibilities such as family. You would be s...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Teaching Social Skills in Special Education

Teaching Social Skills in Special Education Social skills are critical for long-term success. Sometimes referred to as Emotional Intelligence, it is a combination of the ability to understand and manage ones own emotional state (Intra-personal Intelligence in Howard Gardners Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences) and the ability to understand and respond to other people. Although social skills include understanding and using social conventions, it also includes the ability to understand the Hidden Curriculum, the ways in which peers communicate and interact reciprocity, and the ability to build interpersonal relationships. Social Conventions Difficulty with social skills and deficits in social skills are found to different degrees across abilities as well as disabilities. Both children with disabilities and children from low socio-economic groups may not have an extensive understanding of social conventions and may need instruction in conventions such as: Appropriate greetings depending on relationships: i.e. peer to peer or child to adultAppropriate and polite ways to make requests (please) and express gratitude (thank you)Addressing adultsShaking handsTaking turnsSharingGiving positive feedback (praise) to peers, no put-downsCooperation Intra-Personal Social Skills, or Managing Ones Self Difficulty managing ones own emotional state, especially tantrums or aggression in response to frustration, is common in children with disabilities. Children for whom this is the primary disabling condition are often diagnosed with an emotional or behavioral disorder,  which may be designated as emotional support, severely emotionally challenged, or conduct disorder. Many children with disabilities may be less mature than their typical peers and may reflect less understanding of how to manage their own emotions. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders commonly have difficulty with emotional self-regulation and understanding emotion. Difficulty  with social situations is a component of the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders, which reflects deficits in understanding and expression of their own emotional states. Emotional Literacy needs to be explicitly taught to students, especially students with emotional and behavioral disorders and children with autism spectrum disorders. This requires teaching the ability to identify emotions by looking at faces, the ability to identify cause and effect for emotions and scenarios, and learning appropriate ways to deal with personal emotional states. Behavioral contracts are often useful tools for students with poor self-regulation skills, both to teach and self-monitor difficulty with self-regulation as well as teach and reward appropriate or replacement behavior. Inter-Personal Social Skills The ability to understand others emotional states, wants, and needs are critical not only for success in school but also success in life. It is also a quality of life issue, which will help students with and without disabilities to build relationships, find happiness, and succeed economically. It can also contribute to a positive classroom environment. Appropriate interactions: Children with disabilities, especially Autism Spectrum Disorders, often need to be taught appropriate social interactions, such as making requests, initiating interactions, sharing, exercising reciprocity (give and take), and turn taking. Teaching appropriate interactions can involve modeling, role-playing, scripting, and social narratives. Successfully learning and generalizing of appropriate interactions requires lots of practice.Understanding and building relationships: Children with disabilities often do not have the skills to initiate and sustain mutual relationships. In cases with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, they need to be explicitly taught the components of friendship or relationships. Building and Generalizing Skills Students with disabilities have problems both with acquiring and applying social skills. They need lots of practice. Successful ways to learn and generalize social skills include: Modeling: The teacher and an aide or another teacher enact the social interactions you want students to learn.Video self-modeling: You videotape the student performing the social skill with lots of prompting, and edit out the prompting to create a more seamless digital recording. This video, paired with rehearsal, will support the students effort to generalize the social skill.Cartoon strip social interactions: Introduced by Carol Gray as Comic Strip Conversations, these cartoons let your students fill in the thought and speech bubbles before they role-play a conversation. Research has shown that these are effective ways to help students build social interaction skills.Role-playing: Practice is essential for maintaining social skills. Role-playing is a great way to give students an opportunity not only to practice the skills they are learning but also to teach students to evaluate each others or their own performance of skills.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ergonomics and Human Factors Design Personal Statement

Ergonomics and Human Factors Design - Personal Statement Example While psychology is one of the areas covered by ergonomics, I want to study other subjects that have a close relation to the human body, mind and the cognitive system. Accordingly, I want to gain knowledge in areas such as human biology, anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and related subjects. After acquiring such knowledge, I will be confident enough to understand the mysteries behind the relation of human beings with each other.  Once I have acquired the knowledge of understanding the importance of such interaction, I wish to utilize such knowledge in the development of better and result oriented systems so that they become most user-friendly for the maximum benefit of humankind. The knowledge shall be applied to areas like tackling bigger challenges faced by the world currently. Ergonomics provides a platform to enhance the human experience through the use of available technology and other materials in modern times. This enables the researchers and designers in augmenting everyda y environments and objects intelligently with an aim of improving the quality of life in a significant manner.  My education curriculum includes attending a course in Public Relations of the Chinese Society Program at the University of Bristol. Currently, I am pursuing the International Foundation Program at the University of Bristol, with an aim to gain sufficient exposure to arts and humanities subjects. The course content involves highlighting the areas like psychosocial and socio-cultural issues, which can help me in understanding the desired human factors design course under the Ergonomics program. In addition, the course provides a better understanding of interpersonal communication skills, required to run any kind of business in the current global competitive scenario.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

UK Corporate Governance Code Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UK Corporate Governance Code - Essay Example As a result, the board of directors of a company, which is the ultimate decision making authority of a company, has been forced to become more accountable to the shareholders. However, the present Combined Code on Corporate Governance has been more of a reaction to worldwide business scandals rather than being a pro-active measure that ensures business legitimacy (Porter, 2009). Notwithstanding this fact, there has been a considerable amount of progress made in the direction of ensuring accountability and transparency, especially in Britain. It started with the formation of the Corporate Governance Code in the early 1990s. Hence, in the below sections we study the Code and the legislative framework in its present form and determine its effectiveness in the face of modern scandals and financial debacles. UK Corporate Governance Code Since the 1970s, there has been an increased amount of focus on corporate governance. This may largely be attributed to the development of big multi-natio nal companies; however, the process is still in motion. As a consequence, some of the board of directors of listed companies, who form the most powerful body in the company, of the US and UK are required to be non-executive. The CEO is no longer the sole head of the company and shares responsibilities with the non-executive directors. The idea of creating an independent atmosphere where all perspectives can be included has been extended through a number of measures as a "force for good" in the economy. The "comply or explain" principle which is one of the main features of the Code has its roots in the Cadbury Committee or the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance report of 1992. Originally setup to come up with recommendations for financial auditing and other financial matters due to the scandals involving the Polly Peck and Robert Maxwell companies, the Cadbury Committee headed by Sir Adrian Cadbury made four important recommendations. These were with respect t o the board of directors, non - executive directors, executive directors and reporting and control mechanisms. However, these were not mandatory and the companies were free to follow their own course since it was determined that a legalistic approach would result in compliance only to a minimum basic level that negated the main aims of the Code. It was also felt that a "one size fits all" formula must not be adopted and that companies must be allowed the option to choose their own course that satisfies their unique requirements. Subsequently there was the Greenbury Report of 1998 that dealt with the remuneration of directors issue (Barker, 2008). The Code underwent a significant review in 1998 when Sir Ronnie Hampel was charged with the duty of validating the effectiveness of the existent Code. It was recommended that there was no need for radical or revolutionary changes, instead the principles needed to be extended to detailed measures for the listed companies to implement. This w as called the Combined Code on Corporate Governance which contained two levels of prescriptive practices, one of which was a set of detailed provisions and the other was a set of open - ended principles. The companies were similarly required to present a two level declaration of the compliance of the above measures in their annual report. The Code underwent another review in 2003 following the Higgs and Smith report which added another layer of compliance norms to the existing Code. It was made up of high – level main principles, mid –

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Essay of william Essay Example for Free

Essay of william Essay Scepticism about technological determinism emerged alongside increased pessimism about techno-science in the mid-20th century, in particular around the use of nuclear energy in the production of nuclear weapons, Nazi human experimentation during World War II, and the problems of economic development in the third world. As a direct consequence, desire for greater control of the course of development of technology gave rise to disenchantment with the model of technological determinism in academia. Modern theorists of technology and society no longer consider technological determinism to be a very accurate view of the way in which we interact with technology, even though determinist assumptions and language fairly saturate the writings of many boosters of technology, the business pages of many popular magazines, and much reporting on technology. Instead, research in science and technology studies, social construction of technology and related fields have emphasised more nuanced views that resist easy causal formulations. They emphasise that The relationship between technology and society cannot be reduced to a simplistic cause-and-effect formula. It is, rather, an intertwining', whereby technology does not determine but operates, and are operated upon in a complex social field (Murphie and Potts). In his article Subversive Rationalization: Technology, Power and Democracy with Technology, Andrew Feenberg argues that technological determinism is not a very well founded concept by illustrating that two of the founding theses of determinism are easily questionable and in doing so calls for what he calls democratic rationalization (Feenberg 210–212). Prominent opposition to technologically determinist thinking has emerged within work on the social construction of technology (SCOT). SCOT research, such as that of Mackenzie and Wajcman (1997) argues that the path of innovation and its social consequences are strongly, if not entirely shaped by society itself through the influence of culture, politics, economic arrangements, regulatory mechanisms and the like. In its strongest form, verging on social determinism, What matters is not the technology itself, but the social or economic system in which it is embedded (Langdon Winner). In his influential but contested (see Woolgar and Cooper, 1999) article Do Artifacts Have Politics?, Langdon Winner illustrates a form of technological determinism by elaborating instances in which artifacts can have politics. Although The deterministic model of technology is widely propagated in society (Sarah Miller), it has also been widely questioned by scholars. Lelia Green explains that, When technology was perceived as being outside society, it made sense to talk about technology as neutral. Yet, this idea fails to take into account that culture is not fixed and society is dynamic. When Technology is implicated in social processes, there is nothing neutral about society (Lelia Green). This confirms one of the major problems with technological determinism and the resulting denial of human responsibility for change. There is a loss of human involvement that shape technology and society (Sarah Miller). Another conflicting idea is that of technological somnambulism, a term coined by Winner in his essay Technology as Forms of Life. Winner wonders whether or not we are simply sleepwalking through our existence with little concern or knowledge as to how we truly interact with technology. In this view it is still possible for us to wake up and once again take control of the direction in which we are traveling (Winner 104). However, it requires society to adopt Ralph Schroeders claim that, users don’t just passively consume technology, but actively transform it. In opposition to technological determinism are those who subscribe to the belief of social determinism and postmodernism. Social determinists believe that social circumstances alone select which technologies are adopted, with the result that no technology can be considered inevitable solely on its own merits. Technology and culture are not neutral and when knowledge comes into the equation, technology becomes implicated in social processes. The knowledge of how to create and enhance technology, and of how to use technology is socially bound knowledge. Postmodernists take another view, suggesting that what is right or wrong is dependent on circumstance. They believe technological change can have implications on the past, present and future.[6] While they believe technological change is influenced by changes in government policy, society and culture, they consider the notion of change to be a paradox, since change is constant. Media and cultural studies theorist Brian Winston, in response to technological determinism, developed a model for the emergence of new technologies which is centered on the Law of the suppression of radical potential. In two of his books – Technologies of Seeing: Photography, Cinematography and Television (1997) and Media Technology and Society (1998) – Winston applied this model to show how technologies evolve over time, and how their invention is mediated and controlled by society and societal factors which suppress the radical potential of a given technology.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Im Not Alone :: Personal Narrative Writing

I'm Not Alone The path to solitude at Charlie's Corner Bar. Along the way, I pass the party store where I'll find the beer and cigarettes I've been instructed to purchase. It can wait. As I approach the bar, blaring neon beer slogans light up the darkened windows. A couple leaves the bar, and through the open door seeps the sound of laughter meant to impress. As I walk into the bar I see the laughter stems from the mass of hairy chests, tight dresses and bleached hair surrounding the jukebox in the corner. I make my way to a seat at the end of the bar and raise my hand slightly to get Charlie's attention. "What'll it be tonight?" I lay my money down, "Ah, the usual Charlie" -- double Vodka on the rocks (harder to trace on the breath). Taking a sip, I briefly scan for an interesting life among a room scattered with rhinestone diamond earrings, quaffed brunette curls over Mayboline eyes, and fermented grain vapors pushed past lipstick and chapstick. I have an almost psychotic habit of staring at strangers and wondering if they could be anything like me. Occasionally, I spot what I think could be a kindred spirit and find some comfort in the fact I'm not alone. I skim over the tight dresses in the corner, "Nothing like me," and catch sight of an interesting specimen, partially hidden by shadows, sitting adjacent to the pool table in the back of the room -- "Huh, he's new." There's an obviously intoxicated man playing pool, and while aiming for a phantom ball on the table, a swift and drunken move of his cue stick causes his beer, sitting on the table behind him, to fall in to the lap of the stranger. The debouchered fool attempts an apology as the man slowly rises from his seat. "Looks like the beginnings of a brawl," I tell Charlie, pointing towards the table. "Huh, brawl. I always wanted to say that at a bar, but I never actually wanted to witness one." The stranger blots himself dry with the towel Charlie has brought to him, and he turns to the drunk in an effort to accept the apology. Other than minor frustration, the man seems unaffected by the act. I wonder if his dry-cleaning bill will be received with the same response. His composure intrigues me. Most of the men I've known would have pounded the drunk for his carelessness, but the expensive suit he adorns is my first clue that this guy is definitely not like most men I've known.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny? Essay

How come no one could take over the government. The Constitution (document-based question – DBQ)  was written in 1787 in Philadelphia. A Constitution tells how the government is going to work. How did the writers of the Constitution keep person or a group of people from getting too much power? A tyranny is a power held by I person or group of people. The Constitution guarded against tyranny in several ways which were federalism, separation of power, check and balances, and small and large states. How Does Federalism Guard Against Tyranny The ï ¬ rst guard against tyranny was Federalism which means the central and state government examples. Both government has the power to tax and laws or enforce laws. The central government can provide an army, but the state government can establish school. Federalism protects against tyranny because the state and national governments have powers so no one become too powerful. It helps them work together. A second guard against tyranny was separation of power which means divided the government in to three branches. In order to not have a tyranny, you must separate the department of power. Each branch is need to make a decision Judicial Power is vetted in the supreme court goose to the president. Separation of Power protects tyranny because they could over power the president. The third guard against tyranny was check and balances which means that each branch is able to check up on the other branches. They want to keep the central government branches working together because they need each other. The 3 branches working cycle they all can do things they must all agree. Check and balances protects against tyranny because by having each branch check up on each other no one branch can over power the other. The fourth guard against tyranny was the issue of small and large state which means making everything fair for all states. The large state favor the H, of rep because they have a large population and small state has a favor the senate. The House of Representatives is based on population and each has 2 senators. The issue of small and large state protects against tyranny because the congress is far for both large and small states because they need each other to make a decision. In conclusion, federalism, separation of powers, check and balances, and issue of small and large states helped to guard against tyranny in the U.S. government. For example, the government is divided into 3 branches which are fair and equal. It is important to understand, to know that our constitution protect us from somebody taking over states. I think that is important today because in my future IÊ ¼ll be able to achieve my goals. Works Cited Brady, Charles, and Philip Roden. Mini-Qs in American History. Evanston, IL, The DBQ Project, 2009. â€Å"Selected Works on Tyranny.† Constitution Society Home Page, www.constitution.org/tyranny.htm. Seppa, Nathan. â€Å"Meeting Notes: Multivitamins Don’t Guard against Heart Attack.† Science News, vol. 182, no. 12, 2012, pp. 9–9.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Jaguar Manufacturer

Explain the advantages and disadvantages for jaguar of using just in time production rather than the more traditional just in case stock system. Just in time is a manufacturing method based on pull system which means the raw materials are only delivered only when needed which reduces waste due to overproduction and lowers the storage rent e. g. warehouse storage. Advantages: * Reducing set up times * Goods from warehouse to the production line flow much smoother which saves time. * Increases supplier quality * Consistently supplying the plant with the raw material for production * Workers are used more efficiently Scheduling and planning is improved * Reduces space requirements for raw materials Disadvantages: * Relying on a limited amount of stock so there is a chance of running out and interrupting production * Change in the culture of production can take time to get used to so it could be less control in the beginning * Need trustful and reliable suppliers who can deliver on time * The suppliers have to be very flexible because the demand for raw material could come up at any time. * The machinery is at risk to breaking down and slowing down the production.Using appropriate motivation theory, analyse how jaguar has managed to increase the pride and commitment of its employees. Jaguar has managed to increase the pride and commitment of its employees by implying continuous improvement. This type of motivation required entrustment and empowerment from the workforce. The fresh start to this new implication meant that the workforce had to be trained in order to perform and improve. Team work has to be implemented because this way everyone is involved and the ideas can be shared for enhancement of the production.Also because the work is in teams no one is left out and each member feels more valuable in the workplace which then motivates them further. Once more the team working leads the workforce to a new level on Maslow’s hierarchy where the employees are social and esteemed. Being valued and cared for is a great motivator especially in a big workforce such as Jaguar. Targets and objectives are set for the employees and it is something to strive for, this will give them a some sort of a bonus or a pay rise.Once there is a target and a bonus at the end it will motivate the worker to reach that target as Taylor said money is a motivator in a workplace. The bonuses don’t just have to be set for individual employees they could be set for the whole team and if a target is met the whole team will enjoy a reward at the end, again this will motivate not only individuals but the whole group of workers. Evaluate methods for achieving a total quality culture in large organisations like Jaguar.Total quality culture is based on the involvement of all employees in the organization in improving processes, products, services and the mores in which they work and it is also based on meeting the customer’s requirements with the right stan dard of quality. It is essential to work in teams to share ideas and to advance the quality by setting objectives such as zero defects. Every member of the organisation can take action if a certain product is not up to a set standard. Quality circles or kaizen can be a part of team work where employees can share their skills and ideas to improve the quality of their products.If the skills are not at a fine quality then certain training regimes can be set also in the training the employees can be taught to have prevention rather than cure which would aim at zero defects. Kaizen cannot be relied up one because it doesn’t cover all aspects of improving so things like identifying the consumer needs and having cell production will certainly be covering more of the objective such as the zero defects. If the manager takes up the total quality management and seeks the best quality not only out of the products but the employees who make these products.The workforce has to always be co mmitted to what the manager has set as an aim or an objective and be ready to reach and fulfil that aim. The high motivational skills of the manager will definitely make reaching the target much easier than if the employees are not motivated. Describe the organisational culture of Microsoft as identified by Steve Ballmer. The recent culture in the Microsoft organisation can be described as an innovative culture where Microsoft are trying to develop something brand new and something that no other organisation has.Explain the meaning of business aims, and use in managing large organisations such as Microsoft. An aim in an organisation can be seen as a direction in which the business can move on this path certain objectives and targets can be set to further improve the organisations structure. The objective and targets that may be set can aspire and motivate the workforce. Aims could look at the company’s weaknesses and strengths, the weaknesses can be reduced in the future by c hoosing appropriate objectives and the strengths can be further strengthened by setting targets which once again will motivate the workers.Having an aim will set order in the work place which will lead to sharing among staff and more accountability cooperation. An aim is like a mission which the business is striving to achieve and complete as many objectives along the way as possible. Microsoft has four aims and they are building industry trust, building customer loyalty, altering structure of the company and devolving power from the top. Analyse four practical strategies Microsoft could implement to help it achieve its aims. First of all Microsoft needs to build its trust with the industries based around them.One way could be to merge or to have joint ventures with other computing companies but this is not the best way to recover trust because Microsoft are very competitive and they will prefer to be a single organisation with control. Other ways can be to provide employment in the company because Microsoft is a large organisation and it needs skilled workers to continue improving. It can also provide income for local communities for example universities where better ICT training courses can be implemented. Another strategy is to build customer loyalty which will give strong ideas on what the customers want.Primary research methods such as focus groups where direct opinions can be gained from the customers even though it is only a very limited number of people surveyed. Secondary data can definitely give more of a bigger picture of what the customer wants even though sometimes it may not be as honest as having focus groups. This way of researching will show new trends in the customers taste and choice. This can be improved by creating departments which will concentrate only on the customer relationships this way online help can be more supportive towards the customers.Changing or altering the way the organisation is structured is another aim for Microsoft. Te am working is very important in this type of organisation and the teams in the company should often be rewarded for their efforts. Individuals shall not be rewarded because this will tend to break the team up into individuals and this means there would be some sort of competition between the workers. Matrix structure is very appropriate for Microsoft especially when a company tends to have many different departments.This would team working on another level, the teams will be very flexible and will cooperate with workers from other departments. This way a culture of team working and collaboration is created in the organization and the ability to work on different projects gives a huge variety to the work which will increase staff motivation. Microsoft are always looking to find the best way to improve their products by keeping up to date from the customer surveys but when you have the experts from each department the product will tend to be much more improved and up to date.Making de cisions is often very difficult especially when you are in control of a huge organisation such Microsoft. Devolving the power or decision making from the top will certainly take a lot of pressure off the top management team. Creating another layer in between of the hierarchical orders of company’s structure will involve and motivate other workers who will be motivated because they get to make important decision in certain areas of the organisation. Another motivator in this is that whoever makes the decision a team or an individual will always think that the top managerial team is relying on his/hers or their decisions.This not only motivates workers but it makes them communicate and improve communication skills in the procedure of this. This would be a great way of splitting important decisions in the company because the pressure is taken off the managers and shared with the rest of the workforce, of course the more important decisions like putting the company as stake or so me sort of risk will always be down to the highest ranked people but this is an effective way to motivate and at the same time take pressure off the main people in the company.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Importance of Exercise Essays

Importance of Exercise Essays Importance of Exercise Essay Importance of Exercise Essay Most of us know by now that we should be exercising on a regular basis. But do you really know why exercise is so important? Not only does working out help you shed a few pounds, but there are also many other compelling reasons to include some regular activity in your routine. To begin with, Exercise has many benefits that will help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Not only is exercise healthful, it also has an effect on our overall appearance and body composition, which can directly influence self-esteem, self-worth, and level of confidence. It reduces depression and instantly lifts mood due to the production of endorphins, the feel-good hormones. No matter how down you are feeling before you exercise, you will definitely feel a lot more upbeat by the end of your session. The reason I chose exercise as my topic is because I think it plays a very big role in our lives. If you take care of your body, your body is going to take care of you. I feel that everybody should have some sort of exercise in their life, it’s not only good for you but it can have positive effects internally and externally. Next, I am all for exercising and playing sports. Exercise improves focus and mental clarity. Research has shown that those who participate in regular exercise have less chance of suffering from Alzheimer’s and senility. It promotes better energy levels. It may sound unlikely, but the more you exercise, the more energy you will have. Improved strength and stamina are common with regular exercise. Those bothersome chores will feel much easier, and you will be able to do more for longer. Exercise increases muscle tone, leaving you looking more defined. The extra muscle mass will also help to increase your resting metabolism. It can improve self-esteem and self-confidence. Once you start toning up, you will look better and feel better. The extra energy, stamina, and endorphins will spill over into other areas of your life. You will feel more in control of yourself and your life. Thirty minutes every day is ideal. If 30 minutes is too big a call, try to break it up into smaller intervals. Go for a walk at lunchtime, or use the stairs at the office instead of the elevator. Use your car less and make an  effort to ride a bike or walk. It all adds up. Types of beneficial exercise include brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming, tennis, skating and rollerblading, skiing, yard work, walking the dog, dancing, resistance work, fitness classes, sports, cycling, jump rope, and just running around and playing with the kids. Try to find activities that you are good at and enjoy. If you have fun while you are working out, you will want to keep going, and your sense of well-being will be heightened. If you don’t enjoy your workout, swap to something else. Once you have incorporated a regular workout into you daily routine, you will quickly notice the difference when you skip a session. Having less energy and feeling more stressed and anxious are some of the most obvious symptoms that quickly return. Once you have started exercising regularly, you will wonder how you ever managed without it. Your body and health will reward you as well. Last, Aerobic activity will improve both the health and efficiency of your heart and lungs. The improved circulation results in a good complexion and improved transportation of oxygen around the body. With regular exercise, there is a decreased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Exercise increases bone strength, helping to alleviate the painful condition known as osteoporosis (loss of calcium in bones). Regular exercise also promotes a healthy immune system. Exercise can improve balance and coordination, as well as cardiovascular fitness, helping reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. Exercise also helps you sleep better. The actual physical activity will ensure that your body and mind are ready for a great night’s sleep. Another benefit is decreasing stress levels. Worries tend to diminish in size while you are concentrating on working out. Combined with the production of endorphins, stress and anxiety will decrease. References 1.) Nutrition for Sport and Exercise Author: Dunford, Marie, Doyle, Andy 2.) http://sciencenetlinks. com/collections/exercise-and-nutrition/ 3. ) Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance By William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay The college application essay is an essential part of the admissions process. However, when Prompt.com reviewed thousands of application essays, the company noticed that the average essay was rated C.  A report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that grades in college prep courses were the most important factor, followed by admission test scores. However, the application essay was ranked much higher than recommendations from counselors and teachers, class rank, the interview, extracurricular activities and many other factors. Since the college application essay is so important, ThoughtCo spoke with several experts to discover the best ways to write one that will win over college admissions officers. Why the College Application Essay is So Important So many elements are included in the application process that students may wonder why they need to worry about the essay. Brad Schiller, co-founder and CEO of Prompt.com, tells ThoughtCo that many applicants to the same schools may have comparable grades and test scores. â€Å"However, the essay is the differentiator; its one of the few pieces of an application over which a student has direct control, and it provides readers with a sense of who the student is, how the student will fit in at the school, and how successful the student will be both in college  and upon graduation.† And for students with an uneven profile, the college application essay may provide a chance to shine. Christina DeCario, the associate director of Admissions at the College of Charleston, tells ThoughtCo that the essay provides clues about a student’s writing skills, personality and preparedness for college. She advises students to view the essay as an opportunity. â€Å"If your profile is a little uneven, like you’re successful outside the classroom but your grades aren’t quite there, or you’re the valedictorian but you’re not a good test taker, the essay can push you from a maybe to a yes,† DeCario explains. How to Choose a Topic According to Schiller, such topics as the student’s goals, passions, personality, or periods of personal growth are all good areas in which to start brainstorming. However, he says that students rarely select topics in these areas. Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs at Kaplan Test Prep agrees, and says the aim of the essay is to present the student as thoughtful and mature. â€Å"The key is to inspire using a personal story that captures this quality.† Papszycki believes that transformational experiences are great topics. â€Å"For example, did you overcome extreme shyness by shining in the school musical production? Did a family crisis change your outlook on life and make you a better child or sibling?† When students can tell a sincere and persuasive story, Papszycki says colleges believe they can bring distinct experiences to the college environment. Creativity is also a good tool to employ when writing the essay. Merrilyn Dunlap, interim director of Admissions at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"I still remember reading an essay about why the orange flavored tic tac is the best tic tac to eat.† She also recalls an essay that was written when the MasterCard â€Å"priceless† ads were popular. â€Å"The student opened the essay with something like: Cost to visit five college campuses $200. Application fees for five colleges $300 Moving away from home for the first time priceless In addition, Dunlap says she likes to see essays on why a student chose a particular field of study because these types of essays tend to bring out the student’s emotions. â€Å"When they write about something that they are passionate about, it is in their favor; they become real to us.† So, what types of topics should be avoided? Schiller cautions against any subject that could portray the student negatively. â€Å"Some common poor choices of topics we see are getting poor grades due to lack of effort, depression or anxiety that you have not overcome, conflicts with other people that went unresolved, or poor personal decisions,† he warns. Do’s and Don’ts to Writing a College Application Essay After choosing a compelling topic, our panel of experts offer the following advice. Create an outline.  Schiller believes that it’s important for students to organize their thoughts, and an outline can help them structure their thoughts. â€Å"First, always start with the end in mind – what do you want your  reader  to think after reading your essay?† And, he recommends using the thesis statement to quickly get to the essay’s main point. Don’t write a narrative. While Schiller admits that the college essay should provide information about the student, he warns against a long, rambling account. â€Å"Stories and anecdotes are an integral part of showing your reader who you are, but a good rule of thumb is to make these no more than 40% of your word count and leave the rest of your words for reflection and analysis.† Have a conclusion. â€Å"So many essays start off well, the second and third paragraphs are solid, and then they just end,† laments DeCario. â€Å"You need to explain why you told me all the things you wrote about earlier in the essay; relate it to yourself and the essay question.† Revise early and often. Don’t just write one draft and think you’re done. Papszycki says the essay will need to undergo several revisions – and not just to catch grammatical errors. â€Å"Ask your parents, teachers, high school counselors or friends for their eyes and edits.† She recommends these individuals because they know the student better than anyone else, and they also want the student to succeed. â€Å"Take their constructive criticism in the spirit for which they intend - your benefit.† Proofread to the max. DeCario recommends having someone else proofread it. And then, she says the student should read it out loud. â€Å"When you proofread, you should check for grammar and sentence structure; when someone else proofreads, they will be looking for clarity in the essay; when you read it out loud, you’ll catch errors or even entire missing words like ‘a’ or ‘and’ that you didn’t catch when you read it in your head.† Don’t cram for the essay. Start early so there will be plenty of time. â€Å"The summer before senior year can be a great time to start work on your essay,† Papszycki explains. Use humor judiciously. â€Å"It’s fine to use wit and imagination, but dont try to be humorous if thats not your personality,† Papszycki advises. She also warns against forcing humor because it can have an unintended effect.  Ã‚   Additional Tips For students who want more information on ways to write a stellar college application essay, Schiller recommends a persona.prompt.com quiz that helps students identify their personas, and also an essay outlining tool.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Global cooperation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global cooperation - Essay Example Issues like the ravaging HIV/AIDS that has seen so many persons wiped out from the face of the earth is only possible to tackle with the window of international cooperation. Economic issues like the 2007 global depression would only be tackled when there exists some cooperation amongst the nations of the world. It is in such scenarios that technocrats from all over the world meet and deliberate on how to save the world economy while taking care of individual states interest. (Frieden 2012) Sporting actions like the Olympics and the FIFA Football World Cup can only take place when there is global cooperation and the benefits of such events have all been there for all to see hence it cannot be disputed in any way. Finally it is only through global cooperation that peace could be maintained amongst the nations of the world. The occurrence of the world wars was partly due to a lack of a clear roadmap to achieve this objective of international

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Chinese tea art from the Tang dynasty until recent times Essay

Chinese tea art from the Tang dynasty until recent times - Essay Example The essay "Chinese tea art from the Tang dynasty until recent times" discovers The development of Chinese tea art from the Tang dynasty until recent times in China or overseas. In China, tea came to be developed in a very funny manner. It started from the initial perception that the forefathers had about tea. Their understanding about tea was very different from the way that it is understood today. This perception originated from the agricultural god who was also known as Shannon. He was the inventor of Chinese medicine. He is also the foundation upon which the five cereals were discovered as well as the variety of herbals that are able to cure a broad range of human diseases. This god was able to do this through the engagement in tasting the varied range of herbal substances in order to master the different characteristics of the herbal medicines. As a result, he was poisoned more than seventy times on every day. However, he was able to be detoxified through the accidental eating of tea leaves. The different ways with which tea was taken were closely related to the way through which it was discovered. Tea leaves were later developed into a famous beverage subsequent to the long application process. This was during the period within which it was used as a food, medicine as well as a sacrificial offering. The Tang Dynasty is a very important period in the history of China due to its function in the expansion of the feudal society in China. This provided social conditions that were excellent for making tea.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Financial market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial market - Essay Example In many economic set-ups or regional corporations that have a central bank, the main task of the bank is to ensure that each member’s rate has a considerable level of stability in the pricing of basic commodities by reducing interest rates. Other tasks include the ability of the central bank to act as a central reserve for the currency of the jurisdiction or country and to produce the legal tender used by the same country. Central banks perform several functions. They provide settlement services to large-value payments, act as lenders for the last resort, play a role to oversee banks for the sake of financial stability and monetary policy implementation. These jobs and their operations mode have repeatedly been redefined in order to decide on one specific financial and monetary crisis. In fact, all main stages in central bank functions shaping have been responses to financial and monetary crises. The Composition interpretation and the analysis of these crises are necessary to understand the functions that central banks need to implement and incarnate for a monetary economy to flourish. The origin of central banks as bankers’ banks was in 19th century England. Two conflicting theoretical conceptions of money, the banking principle and the currency principle, implied totally different roles of central banks. The central banks function is to put into effect convertibility of its bills into gold and to be flexible. Such flexibility is more consistent with the principle of banking, whereby money is a debt that financial intermediaries issue as the counterpart to their credit operations. Thus, it is the way of payments of debts issued by competing banks, payment between banks call for a superior bank to settle interbank transactions. This is mainly the role of the money given out by the central bank, money that is designed as legal tender for all debts. Nevertheless, the law cannot impose the trust of the economic agents in central bank money. It is

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Financial Statement Analysis Of Marks And Spencers

Financial Statement Analysis Of Marks And Spencers This report will analyze Marks and Spencers financial statements for 2008 and 2009 using ratio analysis. Findings show that Marks and Spencer have not had a very good profitable year in comparison with 2008. The purpose of this report is to analyze the figures and to point out some of the reasons for the deprived performance. Table of Contents Aim of report 1 Ratio Analysis 1 Profitability ratios 1 Liquidity ratio 2 Performance ratio 3 Evaluation on profitability 5 Evaluation of the liquidity position 6 Information provided for the user groups 7 Conclusion 11 Recommendations 12 Bibliography 13 Evaluation of the assignment 14 Aim of Report This report will analyze Marks and Spencers financial statements for 2008 and 2009 using ratio analysis, explanations will be given on why the changes have occurred in the companies profitability, liquidity and what impact the changes have caused on the company. The companies annual report will be examined from the point of view of each set of its potential users. Ratio analysis An accounting ratio as suggested by Melville (1999) is the evaluation of a relationship which exists between two figures shown in a set of financial statements. In the following report mainly the profitability, liquidity and performance ratio will be discussed. Profitability Ratios The profitability ratios are used to evaluate whether the business was able to produce an acceptable level of profit. Gross profit % ratio This ratio shows the gross profit in comparison to sales. The higher the ratio percentage the better it is for the company. Gross profit/ sales x 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £1,211.3/ £9,022.0100 =13.43%  £870.7/ £9,062.1100 =9.61% The gross profit margin has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 3.82%. Pretax profit % ratio This ratio shows the net profit before tax in comparison to sales. The higher the ratio percentage the better it is for the company. Profit before taxation/ sales x 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £1,129.1/ £9,022.0100 =12.51%  £706.2/ £9,062.1100 =7.79% The net profit before tax margin has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 4.72%. After tax profit % ratio This ratio shows the net profit after tax in comparison to sales. The higher the ratio percentage the better it is for the company. Profit after tax/ sales x 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £821.0/ £9,022.0100 =9.10%  £506.8/ £9,062.1100 =5.59% The net profit after tax margin has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 3.51%. Liquidity ratios The liquidity ratios are an assessment so as to ensure whether the business is able to pay of its debts as they fall due. Current ratio This ratio shows how well the company can meet its short-term financial obligations from its current assets. Usually the optimum result is 1:1 or more, but this will vary with each company. Current assets/current liabilities 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £1,181.7/ £1,988.9=0.594:1  £1,389.8/ £2,306.9=0.602:1 The current ratio has increased from 2008 to 2009 by 0.008. Quick ratio This ratio shows how well the company can meet its short-term financial obligations from its current assets, removing stock from the calculation. The ratio removes stock because it is the least liquid current asset. Usually the optimum result is 1:1 or more, but this will vary with each company. Quick Ratio = (Current assets- inventory)/current liabilities 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M) ( £1,181.7  £488.9)/  £1,988.9=0.348:1 ( £1,389.8  £536.0)/  £2,306.9=0.370:1 The quick ratio has increased from 2008 to 2009 by 0.022. Gearing ratio This ratio shows how much of the companys long-term funds are supported by lenders. Below 50% is seen as low geared and good. Above 50% is seen as a cause of concern. Gearing ratio = Total borrowings / equity * 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £2815.1/ £1964.0 * 100 =143%  £3060.7/ £2,100.6 * 100 =146% The gearing ratio has increased from 143% to 146%. Debt ratio (Ward, 2010) This ratio shows how much the company is in debt. Usually the optimum result is 1:1 or less, but this will vary with each company. Debt ratio = Total liabilities / total assets 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £5,197.0/ £7,161.0=0.726:1  £5,157.5/ £7,258.1=0.711:1 The debt ratio has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 0.015. Performance Ratio This ratio helps in calculating the efficiency in the operation of the business through effective utilisation of its resources. After Tax Profit as % of Noncurrent Assets This ratio helps as to analyze the percentage of profit the business has made by utilising its noncurrent assets. After Tax Profit as % of Noncurrent Assets = Profit after tax / Noncurrent Assets 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M)  £506.8 /  £5868.3 = 8.63%  £821.0 /  £5979.3 = 13.73% From this ratio it is clear that M and S was not able to make much profit in 2009 as compared to 2008. In 2008 M and S was able to produce a profit of 13.73% by the utilization of its fixed assets but by reaching 2009 the profit made has decreased to 8.63% thus there was a decline in the profit by 5.1%. After Tax Profit as a % of shareholders Fund This ratio helps to analyze the amount of profit which the business was able to generate from the utilization of the shareholders fund. After Tax Profit as a % of shareholders Fund = Profit after tax / Total Equity 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M)  £506.8 / £ 2100.6 = 24.10%  £821.0 /  £1964.0 = 41.8% From the ratio it is again clear that the utilization of the shareholders fund so as to generate profit has also decreased in 2009 by 17.7%, i.e., in 2008 M and S was able to generate a profit of 41.8% which has reduced to 24.10% in 2009. Even though the company was not able to generate adequate profit from the shareholders fund, the company was able to increase the dividend of the shareholders from 20.3p to 22.5p (Pg: 78). Earnings per Share As suggested by McLaney and Atrill (1999), earnings per share is the amount of profit that has been earned from each ordinary share. 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M) 32.3 (Pg: 78) 49.2 (Pg: 78) From the figures listed above it is clear that the shares for 2009 where only providing an earning of 32.3p as compared to last year which was 49.2p thereby creating a difference of 16.9p. Dividend per Share As suggested by Melville (1999), dividend per share is the amount of dividend allotted for each share for the stock held by the shareholder. 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M) 22.5p (Pg: 90) 20.3p (Pg: 90) Even though the earnings per share and the after tax profit as a percentage of shareholders fund where all less M and S was able to provide a decent standard of dividend 22.5p to its shareholders as compared to 2008 which was only 20.3p. This shows that M and S are taking proper steps so as to keep their shareholders happy. Return on Capital Employed As suggested by Weaver and Lunt (2003), this ratio helps those who have invested in the business to analyze the amount of profit the business is making from the utilization of this capital. Return on capital employed = Profit after Tax/ (Total Assets Current Liabilities) * 100 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M) [ £506.8 / ( £7258.1  £2306.9)] * 100 [ £821 / ( £7161-  £1988.9)] * 100 = 10.24% =15.87% From this ratio it is obvious that M and S was not able to utilize its capital to the maximum level. In 2008 the company was able to provide a return on capital of 15.87% which reduced to 10.24% as it reached 2009. Evaluation of the profitability of Marks and Spencers Examining the results from the ratio results show each ratio has decreased in 2009 in comparison with 2008. The reasons behind the gross profit ratio decreasing were because the gross profit had decreased by  £340.6m in 2009 (p78). The gross profit had decreased because of the increase of the cost of sales by  £155m (p87). The increase in cost of sales maybe due to the increase in purchases over the year as MS increased their buying by 10 times a year (p28). The reasons behind the pretax profit ratio decreasing were because the pretax profit had decreased by  £422.9m in 2009 (p78). The pretax profit had decreased because of the increase in finance costs by  £67.9m (p78). The increase in the finance costs is due to the increase in interest payable and the increase in the unwinding on the discount of partnership liability to the MS UK pension scheme (p89). The reasons behind the after tax profit ratio decreasing were because the after tax profit had decreased by  £314.2m in 2009 (p78). The after tax profit had decreased because of the exceptional costs being stated (p78). The exceptional costs have occurred were not regular running costs and were due to property related costs, rationalisation of IT and logistic networks and redundancy costs (p88). Income tax was not a problem has it had decreased in 2009 (p78). Internal factors which had an impact on the profitability of MS were: Despite the economic recession sales revenue figures had gone up from the previous year (p78), giving a positive impact on the profitability. The finance costs of interest payable had increased to the previous year (p89), giving a negative impact on profitability. Exceptional costs and the exceptional pension credit during 2009 gave a negative impact on the profitability, as the Group had decided to make changes to the pension scheme (p88). Selling and marketing expenses had been decreased in 2009 (p87) to keep up with a tight budget (p14), this gave a positive impact on the profitability. Income tax paid this year was less compared to last year (p78), but as this was due to a lower pretax profit (p78), it still played a positive impact on the profitability. Finance income had decreased in comparison to 2008 (p78), this was due to the exceptional costs of  £135.9m and the decrease in franchised stores (p86). Profit before property disposals and exceptional items had decreased over the year (p78) and this created a negative impact on the profitability. External factors which had an impact on the profitability of MS were: The economic recession which MS along with other high street retailers had to face (p14), impacted the profitability of MS. Customers were not spending as freely as they would normally, resulting in lower sales figures in some areas and therefore lower profit levels. The pace of growth of MS and its services was slow due to the recession (p5). Due to the recession costs had to be lowered to lure customers (p14) this in result had a negative result on the profitability. The sterling currency rate had decreased in 2009 compared to 2008 (p104). Therefore any foreign business would have been affected by this change, resulting in a negative impact on the profitability. Evaluation of the liquidity position of Marks and Spencers Liquidity ratios are used to show the ability of the company to turn its assets into cash as quickly as possible and to measure the ability of the company to pay of its short-term debts and expenses within the expected time. One of the two main liquidity ratios are Current ratio and Quick ratio. It is always good to have a high liquidity ratio as it show the ability of the business to pay of its debt within the expected time. However if these ratios are too high this means that the business is having too much of current assets which are not used nor utilized as efficiently as required in order to deal with the day to day activities. Retail sector of M and S involves purchasing goods and trading cash on credit from its suppliers and for this reason cash flow statements are included. A cash flow statement is used in order to show the cash inflows and outflows of the business thereby providing a better liquidity assessment for M and S. This in fact helps outsiders to analyze the whether M and S is able to generate adequate cash from its day to day operations. The closing net cash has increased to a great extend from  £117.9m in 2008 to  £298.3m in 2009. Even though during these recession period M and S was able to show a good closing cash figure this in fact shows their ability to manage cash. Decrease in net cash outflow from operating activities from  £966.2m in 2008 to  £596.9m in 2009. (p80) This cash generated from the operating activities enabled them to spent on financial activities. Increase in net cash inflow from operation activities from  £1069.8m in 2008 to  £1290.6m in 2009. (p80) The main reason for such a good cash flow in 2009 as compared to 2008 is because of the cost reduction where ever possible(p1). By analyzing the liquidity ratios of M and S the following findings were found out: The current ratio of M and S operating in retail sector was 0.59: 1 in 2008 and 0.60:1 in 2009. This shows that M and S had 59p in current assets so as to pay of every  £1 worth of current liabilities in 2008 and 60p of current assets so as to pay of every  £1 current liability in 2009 The quick ratio in fact showed that the company had 37p worth of current assets to pay off every  £1 worth of current liability after deducting closing stock for 2009 and 35p for 2008. This in fact shows that the firm is under liquidity due to the fact that the company has fewer assets than liabilities. As already explained above the debt ratio shows how much the company is in liability over its assets. By looking at debt ratio for M and S it has decreased from 0.73:1 in 2008 to 71:1 in 2009 which is good as it suggests that the company was able to pay of its debts within the due date. The gearing ratio in fact measures the proportion of M and Ss long term funds provided by the lenders. By comparing the gearing ratio in 2009 which was 146% to the gearing ratio in 2008 which was 143%, it shows that M and S was able to increase their credit worthiness. Thus by increasing their credit worthiness they are able to gain further loans in ease. Information provided in the report for its users (Nyarko, 2009) Employees Employees provide labor for the company; they need financial information to ensure they have a secure job and are being made correctly. The report has the following information useful for employees: Closure of 26 mostly Simply food stores (p6) Reduce roles across head office by 15% (p15) Cap level of pay increase (p6) Early retirement reductions given (p6) Legal and safety performance improved from 80% to 92% (p14) Opened 75 stores (p15) Plan to open 10-15 stores within two years in the Indian subcontinent (p39) Introduced new development programs tailor made for growing tomorrows leaders (p46) Reinforced lines of communication between management and colleagues at every level (p46) One of the lowest UK turnover rates (p46) Training given across each field (p44) Communication improved using tools like In store listening groups (p47) 44 employees celebrated 40 years working for MS (p47) 40,000 great service awards for staff who have excelled in their role (p47) Over 3,500 elected employee representatives from every part of the business in the MS business involvement groups (BIG) (p47) Decrease of 83.3% on bonuses (p48) Pay for performance to be central for decisions (p62) Employees with disabilities given a full and fair consideration for all vacancies (p75) Increase in wage and salary cost by  £48m (p91) Shareholders Shareholders provide equity for the company; they need financial information to make economic decisions. The report has the following information useful for shareholders: Dividends cut by 20.9% (p1) Adjusted profits down 40% (p2) Largest clothes market share (p2) Clothes value market share decreased by 0.3% (p2) M S direct sales up 19.0% (p19) International growth up by 25.9% (p38) Growth by 15% of the Italian range in the food sector (p7) Kids wear increased market share by 0.6%pts and putting MS fourth in the market (p8) Earnings per share 28.0p down by 35.8% (p14) UK gross margin down 1.7% pts (p14) UK market share clothing and footwear down by 0.5% (p18) Carbon emission down by 18% (p19) Reduction in dividends payout by 33.3% (p49) After tax profit down by 314.2m (p78) Increase in retained earnings by  £20.2m (p79) Management The management is the executive and non executive directors of the company, they need financial information to determine if the company is making good progress or not and to make claims for performance related bonus issues. The report has the following information useful for management: Adjusted group profit before tax down by 40% (p2) 39 out of 100 rigorous commitments as part of plan A achieved (p9) New and old members in management team (p10) Group revenue up by 0.4% (p14) Group capital expenditure down by 38.2% (p15) UK sales down by 1.7% (p14) Operating cost up by 4.9% (p14) Adjusted operating profit down by 29.4% (p14) Profit before tax down by 40.0% (p14) 80% of portfolio into modernized format (p15) UK footfall down from  £21.8m to  £21.6m (p18) UKs fourth largest coffee shop chain (p25) Womens wear value market share down by 0.6%pts (p26) Womens wear volume market share down by 0.8%pts (p26) Lingerie value market share up by 0.4%pts (p29) Lingerie volume market share up by 1.2%pts (p29) Menswear value market share down by 0.4%pts (p30) Menswear volume marker share down by 0.2%pts (p30) Kids wear value market share up by 0.6%pts (p31) Kids wear volume market share up by 0.7%pts (p31) Food value market share down by 0.4%pts (p32) UK home sales up by 1.1% (p35) Customers Customers are those who buy from the company, they need financial information to compare financial information and product quality with other companies. The report has the following information useful for customers: New products and services introduced (p1) Building international portfolio (p1) Improve value without compromising quality (p57) Enticed an additional 200,000 under 35s into store for womens wear (p3) Four menswear brands ranging from  £4 to  £499 (p4) New promotions introduced e.g. dress for less (p6) Marketing cost 8.6% lower (p15) Opened 75 stores (p15) Womens wear and menswear divided up into different brands aimed at different customers (p26-30) Style magazines best shop for lingerie 2008 (p29) Top quality food by watchdog survey (p32) Added new products and ranges to home products (p35) Best new skincare product award (p35) Food to order catering service launched (p36) Remodeled 24 stores (p40) Leeds and Liverpool stores modernized upcoming year (p40) Reduced food carrier bag use by 83% (p43) Meet over 67% of the FSAs salt targets for 2010 (p44) The board supported by different committees to help its governance accountabilities (p50) MS core focus on quality, value, service, innovation and trust (p32-34) Suppliers Suppliers are those who sell to the company, they need financial information to check for credit worthiness of the company against others. The report has the following information useful for suppliers: Net debt down to  £2.5bn from  £3.1bn (p16) Increased buying from suppliers to 10 times a year (p28) Trained 1000 suppliers on ethical standards (p34) 2008 compassion in world farming compassionate supermarket of the year award (p34) Paying farmers a fixed and industry leading price for their milk (p34) Engaged in profitable partnerships (p51) Increase in cash flow levels by  £180.4m (p80) Improved net debt by  £586.9m (p80) Increase in current liabilities of trade by  £96.9m (p79) Continue as going concern (p76) Banks and other lenders Usually banks (or other lenders) provide financial help to businesses by providing money. The main concern of these banks and lenders when deciding to provide money to a business is to make sure the business is capable to keep up interest payments during the course of the loan and eventually repay the loan at the due date. Thus the banks require this financial information so as to analyze the financial position and prospects of the business in order to provide them their loans. The bankers and other lenders require the following information from the report: M and S creditors payment policies. (p75) The profit which has decreased by  £314.2m by comparing 2008 an 2009. This might increase the pressure among the lenders to make the company to return their money. (p78) Decreased noncurrent assets by  £111m, so as to seize the assets in case of non return of the loans. (p79) Current assets and Current liability which have both increased by  £208.1m and  £318m respectively. This would enable the lenders and banks to determine liquidity position of the company. (p79) Consolidated cash flow information, repayment of syndicate banks which has reduced to  £108.1m in 2009. This shows the company was able to deal in 2009 with fewer loans. (p80) The Governments The main reason for the governments to use the financial information of the company is to ensure whether the business is keeping up with their tax payments. The other reasons are to regulate the business and to provide national economic statistics. They are also responsible for preventing the business from any fraudulent acts. The report has the following information important for the government. External auditors report (p77) this enables the government to look at the fairness in the operation of M and S. Deferred tax decreased from  £372.1m to  £225.5m.(p79) Tax Authorities The taxation authorities are responsible for calculating the taxation liability from the accounting report provided by the company. Competitors Competitors may use the accounting information provided by their rivals so as to find ways to improve their own financial position. Due to this reason, usually businesses are keen in keeping their accounting information as private as possible. The General Public The businesses which are big and powerful are of interest to the general public. They usually require the policies of the organization so as to know how these policies would impact the community. The public would also want to know whether the business is running in profit or not. The general public would use the accounting information for the following reasons: Old people would like to know about the pension schemes. (p102) Whether the business operations are affecting climate change. (42) Conclusion Concluding the report the findings show Marks and Spencer have not had very good profitable year in comparison with 2008, with a deduction of after tax profit by 3.51%. This is vastly due to the economic recession which has been an external negative factor for all the High Street shops. Another reason for the deduction in profit levels was due to exceptional costs which incurred during the year. However MS have managed to increase their sales by  £40.1M by investing in their costs. They were able to gain growth in certain market sectors and make 80% of its portfolio into a modernized format. MS achieved several awards for their products and the services they provided during the year, which improved their brand image. MS were able to achieve 39 out of 100 of its commitments made to Plan A, which is a long term project to create an eco-friendly business. Examples of these are the reduction of carbon emissions by 18% and reducing food carrier bag usage by 83%.While MS closed down 26 u nderperforming stores, they managed to open 75 new stores. MS has one of UKs lowest turnover rates, as they were able to celebrate 40 years of working for MS by 44 of its employees. The employees wage and salary costs had been raised by  £48M in comparison with 2008, this shows MS was employing more people and paying their employees fairly. Although there had been a dividends cut of 20.9%, there had been an increase of retained earnings by  £20.2M; this maybe to due to MS retaining income for a rainy day, in the present times of the economic recession, or for further future investment. Recommendations To improve Marks and Spencers overall performance and to create a sustainable going concern business, it should: Continue to treat its employees well and award them for their performance to avoid losing any trained staff and maintain its good employer record. Increase its costs on selling and marketing to make customers aware of new products and services MS has to offer. This is return should compensate for the decrease in this years market share decreases. Research past data along with any future investment plans, to try to predict any exceptional costs which may occur. These can then be prepared for so the profit levels are not damaged to vastly. Continue to create innovative products and services which help to win awards for MS, as they will improve the brand image of the company as well as generate more sales. Think of ways to compensate the losses the shareholders have incurred this say year otherwise they may decide to sell them back. Continue to achieve more of Plan A commitments to try to help the society MS operates in, this in return will also create a stronger brand image for the company. Continue to improve on their cash flow levels, so they always have enough to counter any recession associated problems and do not run into liquidation. Look for niches in each of the market sectors by carrying out market research and create products and services in tune with the market needs, to attract more customers, generate more sales and improve the companys overall profit levels.