Money Can Buy Happiness

Can money buy you happiness? It is a classical debate, sparked by the left-wing communists and religious leaders who suggest that a person can live a full life without the pursuit of money, and instead one must look to a more spiritual existence above the material desires. It is perhaps conceivable in a century gone by where people grew all their food and believed in witches, that a human could forge a fulfilling existence without the need of money to satisfy our desires. However in today’s society money can not only buy happiness, but is a major factor for happiness.Findings by the Institute of Economic Affairs show that happiness levels correlate with the amount of wealth a person accumulates. And, in contrast to popular belief, it does not level off when the assets reach a certain threshold. Money enables us to buy goods and services that we want. When we satisfy these wants we feel fulfilled, happy and pleased because we as humans love getting what we want. Money can give us experiences and opportunities that we would otherwise never be able to have. It can open doors to elite schooling, worldwide trips and making a difference in the world via charity.Money allows us to live a carefree, happy life because we don’t have financial strain. Money makes the world go round because it buys happiness, that’s why we spend hours a day slaving away to earn it. It is the key that unlocks the door to happiness. Humans have material needs and money provides the ability to satisfy these tangible needs and wants. Satisfying the want for a new dress or the need for medicine brings on the psychological state of happiness because we have satisfied those desires.The dress you bought from that exclusive store helps you to be confident and happy and the medicine helps cure a loved one. Have you ever felt left out because you see something you want, but can’t afford it? Perhaps all of your friends have the latest iPhone and you’re stuck with you r parents old embarrassing Nokia brick from 2001 because you can’t afford an iPhone. Money can buy that iPhone and can help you feel included consequently bringing on joy and happiness. Ever gone without the basic necessities, electricity, clothing or water? Money buys them too.It helps improve your standard of living. From luxury items to everyday basics money permits us to experience happiness through consumerism and the act of satisfying our needs and wants. It is the experiences and opportunities that come with money that make you happy. Money pays for the trip that lets you experience a new culture, a new cuisine or helps establish lifelong friendships. It is sometimes the memories in life that you find more happiness in than material goods. The happy memories that money buys. Perhaps you find happiness in charity work.Why devote a few hours of your time when you can enrich someone with the power of money? They then have the opportunity to rebuild their lives from the mo ney you give them and increase their living standards and happiness. Making a donation to charity not only helps others, it can make the giver mentally tougher, physically stronger and more popular, researchers from Harvard University have found out. Elite schooling and university offer endless opportunities for an individual to become an educated, well rounded and valued member of the community.It opens doors to exclusive jobs and bigger bank accounts. Success brings satisfaction and contributes to your overall happiness as life’s doors are always open to you. You are not closed off from potential opportunities that may arise. As we all know elite schooling and university doesn’t come for free, money pays for the education and opportunities that come with it. Without travel, charity and education life would be boring, bland and unfulfilling, money gives us those experiences and prospects that we all look forward to. Money offers a carefree lifestyle.With big banks acc ounts you don’t have to worry about paying rent, mortgages, school fees, health care and life’s other expenses. For someone who does not have a moderate amount of money these are stressful issues they have to deal every time they go to their letterbox. Stress can affect both your body and your mind, people can become exhausted, sick and unable to focus. It is the complete reverse of happiness. For someone who is better off financially bills occupy much less of their time and thus stress is eliminated from their lives.Home life can be miserable and tense when money is scarce. Couples bicker on average 2,455 times a year and of that number issues of money equate to 315 arguments. Money buys security and an un-troubled existence, money relieves financial stress and thus helps increase happiness. If someone was to offer you a million dollars, no strings attached, would you accept it? Chances are you would, and you would be happy about it because money can buy happiness. In life we have the option to live how we want, no one forces us to live a consumerist lifestyle.We choose to. You know there must be a connection to money and happiness. If there weren’t, no one would work for that lucrative promotion, perhaps no one work at all. Why would we spend all our lives pursuing it? For those living in third world countries that may be happy, it is unfortunately because it’s a case of they can’t miss what they’ve never had. Our society has made money a factor of happiness and I don’t hear anyone complaining. If money can’t buy you happiness then you are not spending it right.

Why Fast Food is Unhealthy

In todays age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a two year old to a sixty year old seems to be enjoying it. Why not? It's delicious, it's filling, it's affordable, and available Just any time of the day. What more can you ask for when you are living life in the fast lane? Well fast food all good tastes, except that it is not nutritionally balanced and, therefore, unhealthy in the long run if consumed on a regular basis.Even though some people say that eating fast food is healthy because hey get certain types of fast food like salads or chicken, it not the real stuff. They make it seem like it is but its not. They also choose fast foods because it is inexpensive than most other food choices. Fast foods contain lots of calories, sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats substances that increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Increased health risks are directly associated with increased consumption of fast foods.Yet, as prices for fast foods increase the consumption and health risks decrease. Eating healthier foods may reduce your health risks and your costs. (Roizman) On the McDonalds website if you get 1 Big Mac, 1 Double Cheeseburger, 1 Large Fries, and 1 Large Coke you would get 1,770 Calories, 77 grams of fat, 1,430 milligrams of sodium, and 219 grams of Carbs for all about $9 which is not healthy if consumed on the daily basis. (McDonalds) In the short reading by Eric Schlosser Why the Fries Taste Good Fast food increases your weight.Body Mass Index(BMl) is an indicator of body fat that is measured according to your weight and height. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk of obesity and chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, gallstones and cancer. Research by the Department of Economics and Institute for Health Research and Policy in 2009 found the price of fast food is statistically associated with BMI of teenagers, particularly among fami lies in low to middle socioeconomic status. The low cost of fast food influenced weight gain, the report showed.Consuming fast food may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. Scientists estimate the popularity of type 2 diabetes will increase 300 percent in the United States in the next 40 years, from 10 percent to 33 percent of the population. Research by scientists at the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 2010 discovered that increasing the price of fast food items by $1, reduced the amount of calorie intake from these foods, decreased weight gain and lowered insulin resistance, risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes.The research suggests the US government should consider policies aimed t altering the price of fast foods to steer Americans toward eating healthier foods and reducing the risks of chronic diseases. The total annual health care cost to treat diabetes is estimated at $174 billion. Fast food restaurants use processed foods with high amounts of sodium to flavor your meals. Sodium is a risk factor for high blood pressure and stroke, the third leading cause of death in the United States. Scientists at the University of Michigan predict that the treatment of strokes will cost the UnitedStates $2 2 trillion by 2050 unless Americans change their eating habits and maintain normal blood pressure. Fast food restaurants predominantly serve meals in big portion sizes with higher amounts of calories than you need and contain additive ingredients such as preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners, sodium and colors. Many restaurants are increasing the costs for fast foods with prices as high as $10 per person and over $30 or $40 for a family of four in some locations. Purchasing healthy food ingredients and preparing meals at home can save you money.

Analysis of the Film American Beauty Filmed in 1999 Essay

Analysis of the Film American Beauty Filmed in 1999 - Essay Example â€Å"American Beauty† is a remarkable achievement in several ways. Despite having somewhat traditional cinematography, the artistic accomplishments of this movie in other aspects of film making and its following critical acclaim (including all of the awards that it won upon its release) led directly to widespread commercial success. Many aspects of the cinematography of â€Å"American Beauty† are somewhat traditional while avoiding cliche – at very least they are very far from experimental in any real way. The film, for instance, follows the rule of thirds nearly dogmatically, always maintaining action along the imaginary lines that would divide the screen vertically and horizontally. It tends to avoid extreme close-ups and distant medium shots while focusing on close ups and long shots, which all conspire to give this film something of a classical Hollywood look. This traditional Hollywood look that pervades the movie is useful, however, in differentiating the ‘produced’ aspects of the movie which has a generally negative tone, focusing on emotions and ideas such as despair, and ugliness, from other aspects of the film which focus on the polar opposite of these ideas, namely hope and beauty. Hope, one of this films major themes, is consistently connected a certain kind of shot: aerial shots of the suburbia in which the central family of the show lives. These aerial shots, frequently featuring excellent narration by Kevin Spacey, usually focus on the chances of life to expand beyond the mundane and reach into the ethereal. These shots are especially effective because they invoke an otherworldly quality, almost of a being in an afterlife looking down benevolently onto the town. By evoking the afterlife these shots give an underlying feeling of hope and possibility in the crowd. These shots, by departing so drastically from more traditional Hollywood cinematography, draw attention to themselves and their departure from the darke r themes of the rest of the movie. This departure from the traditional Hollywood style for the purpose of aerial shots has one other major parallel in the film, the classic and oft referenced (and mocked) handheld shots of a bag blowing through the breeze. These shots focus on beauty that can be found anywhere in the world, even in the most basic events throughout life. The shots are not only of bags blowing in the wind, but also show one of the main characters, Jane Burnham, portrayed by Thora Birch, disrobing and exposing her breasts to another person for the first time. This openness and beauty juxtaposes her general shyness and awkwardness, showing that even in her somewhat un-perfect packaging beauty can be found. The use of a grainy and unsteady handy-cam to display these signs of beauty, contrasting the high quality shots of ugliness not only draws attention to the shots, but also highlights a final of the film’s major themes: conflict and juxtaposition. One of the ess ential aspects of â€Å"American Beauty† is that there are incredible amounts of contrast within everything from characters (such as a homophobic gay man) to the world itself, which is both ugly and beautiful. Beauty displayed by an ugly handycam video contrasts with ugliness from a high quality video camera to show the essential conflict between opposing

Marketing Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marketing Plan - Coursework Example ice is essential for everyone and this means that with a diverse menu, the right place and innovation the restaurant can be a success in the face of tough competition. Restaurants exist to meet the needs of customers and this is the only way in which they can make a profit. Although habits and social construction influence culinary taste and preferences, the price charged for a culinary experience has an impact on demand (Sloan, 2000, Chapter 1). In addition, it is important to decide about the requirements of customers who will patronize a restaurant, depending on its location. Thus, if a restaurant is within a locality that will attract busy business executives during their lunch hour, it is only proper to try to entice these with the proper cuisine and marketing. Business executives are unlikely to want relaxed gourmet meals in a business district at lunchtime, although they may want to bring in their business guests. Thus, the healthy eating restaurant must provide a wholesome, nourishing, healthy and fulfilling culinary experience at the right price to attract a maximum number of customers to maximize profits. The following presents a discussion about the needs of the customers within the locality in which the restaurant is situated. Other restaurant marketing plans provide insights into expectations from a marketing plan for a restaurant (Palo Alto Software, 2008, â€Å"Sandwich Restaurant Franchise Marketing Plan† and â€Å"Sigmund’s Gourmet Pasta Restaurant†). The Lighthouse restaurant situated near busy office complexes that are at their busiest during the day, while operating at reduced capacity during night, is likely to attract those who must eat out but who want healthy meals. Customers can pay slightly more than the price for junk foods, but want something equally exotic, fulfilling and healthy. Sky rise office blocks near Lighthouse restaurant guarantee customers, but the competition is tough because a large number of other restaurants also

Environmental report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental report - Essay Example The engineer is required to come up with various solutions to prevent or minimise environmental pollution during the construction. Without this plan, the engineered work will not only lead to the production of quality buildings or structures but will also bring a burden that other organisms have to pay. Respecting the environment is therefore a very important thing for any engineer. They have to understand that every organism, both mobile and immobile have the right to live and at the same time, the environment has to be left in a way that it can be able to provide food for both animals and plants. Without this consideration, global warming would be on the increase and within years, the earth’s population would be no more. Choosing the right building materials for any construction site is vital to environmental protection. In most cases, building materials accounts o more than 70% of all environmental pollution cases. This starts from the exploration of these materials where t he earth’s crust is disfigured and the building materials are removed. By doing this, the fertile top soil is sunk deep down while the inner part of the earth’s crust that does not need to be exposed is exposed to the surface. This causes an ecological imbalance a very crucial factor to environmental protection. ... he introduction of building materials such as metals to the environment may cause various organisms to react in various ways to the new materials that they are not used to. Other building materials such as lead produce poisonous solutions with water that is very dangerous and has been seen to cause a lot of effects especially on marine life. The best building material therefore needs to contain less or no poisonous content to the environment and should be able to allow the initial inhabitants of the environment to live peacefully with the new building without the destruction of the living organisms. During the building process, it is important to always consider the ways that waste would be disposed off. Poor Waste management result in the disposal of waste materials from the building site into various places and this waste is a major environmental pollutant. Every engineer should therefore consider proper waste management strategies (Steadman, 1975). Selecting the building site is v ery critical to environmental protection. There are a lot of factors to be considered during this process. The first thing that the engineer should consider when selecting the site is the contribution of the site to the environment. Every site has benefits that it brings to the environment. The engineer should weigh the advantages that this building would bring to the environment and compare it with the advantages that the site gives to the environment. For example destroying trees that act as water catchment in order to place a personal house that would only benefit one person is not wise. The engineer should also look at the long term effect of erecting the building in this site as compared to the long term effects that the site would naturally have on the environment. Water catchment

Global plan strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global plan strategy - Research Paper Example Strategizing is always considered to be the most appropriate way for new businesses to go about daily operation, hence the need for this paper. Introduction It is estimated that about 83% of adults in the United States of America take coffee. According to this figure, U.S remains the world major consumer of coffee. According to a New York-based group, 63% of adults consume coffee on a daily basis compared to 65% annually. Daily intake of gourmet-coffee remains stiff with about 31% of the total users as compared to other brands whose intake fell drastically; this is according a New York based research company. Arabica-coffee prices have dropped in New York with a margin of 5.8% recently, while in London, Robusta prices have gained almost 12% (FAO p64). Arabica is mainly found in Latin America and manufactured by giant companies such as Starbucks and McDonald. Robusta Beans, majorly used in instant coffee are widely cultivated in Asia and some parts of Africa. Brazil has posed to be th e second largest consumer after U.S.A, trailed by Germany as per the International Coffee Organization which is based in London. These are some of facts and figures that lured Dorato partners to initiate the business. With these challenging financial periods, it is appropriate for the company to strategize to avoid flopping in the event of their operations. Firm Analysis Company overview: Dorato was founded in the year 2012 after top investors who are the main financers agreed to partner in order to come up with the coffee business. Dorato is meant to provide coffee beverages in and outside U.S. The firm has received it funds through major donations from friends, at the same time the partners have used their assets to acquire loans from various financial institutions in the United States. Management philosophy: Quality in products and services to customers and staff members is Dorato’s top priority. Dorato believes that increased quality production and services gained from th e staff members is expedited by a conducive working environment. An environment that appreciates good work performance, flexible, prize fairness encourages free communication and respecting the views of individuals. This optimizes Dorato staff’s performance and health. Self-esteem to attain excellence maximizes especially when the staff members are handled with trust, decency and respect. Quality in Performance: - Dorato has an interest for tracking its mission to improve coffee selling as a business and profession and as a way of promoting farming, uptake of coffee, good business practices and culture. This passion is shown by workers’ perseverance, patience and dedication to advancing coffee uptake. Dorato managers are always available to provide assistance to staff; this is achieved by setting achievable goals, schedules and timetables for its goods and services and inspires staff members to be responsible as a result of its products and services integrity. Excellen t Customer Services: - Dorato strongly believes in its customers and value of relationships, both internally and externally. To satisfy customers, Dorato management

Computer technology and the networked organization (Case) Essay

Computer technology and the networked organization (Case) - Essay Example Geographical area coverage of the business has a strong impact on the choice of network selection. Moreover, the computer networking structure classification depends on its physical topology (Bonaventure, 2011). In this paper, the focus has been rendered on the networking structure and the technologies suitable for a medium sized food store to run its business facing minimum communication hurdles. The choice of network structure and its link with the technology used plays a vital role to keep a track of the business progress, without much human intervention and distortion. Discussion Networking Architecture In today’s world, computer network system is not just an interconnected device. It is widely used to bridge the gap between the two ends of a communication channel, i.e. the communicator and the receiver. The choice of the network design depends on the business structure and its underlying intention. The network configurations used by organizations commonly include peer-to- peer or the client/server frameworks (Bakardjieva, n.d.). The peer-to-peer network is used when there are less than ten computers connected with each other in a workplace to share the files, word documents, printers, and access to internet within a small geographical area i.e. in a same floor. It has no server; hence, the computers connect with each other in the form of a workgroup to share files (Bakardjieva, n.d.).

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Insource And Outsource Essay

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Insource And Outsource - Essay Example As a small insurance company, there are pertinent functions that the business needs which are not core to either its growth or for gaining competitive advantage. These functions include human resource, payroll, IT and partly financed. Outsourcing here would offer a better choice than insourcing because the company would be able to save on employee compensation, office expenses, and other associated costs. Outsourcing essentially converts fixed costs into variable costs, which will enable the small business to use these resources for investment elsewhere in the business (AllBusiness.com 3). On the flip side, small companies must be very careful when negotiating the terms of service with an outsourcing firm. Knowing the challenge that small businesses face with regards to weighing their cost options, an outsourcing company could trap the small company in terms of service that have numerous hidden charges. However, unless the outsourced services provider has numerous ridiculous charges when it comes to managing costs for a small insurance company, outsourcing offers a better solution than insourcing. On the outset, insourcing does seem like a cost-effective strategy for a company to use because it will simply rely on resources that it already has. This may be true for large organizations that have numerous departments and employees. Small companies are already constrained in terms of staffing, and to manage costs they tend to have employees with flexible role profiles.  

Change Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change Theory - Assignment Example Some of those steps include; unfreezing, refreezing and changing. Based on the nature of change that needs implementation, I believe it is an ideal theory, which can enable the changes to be effectively implemented. Thus, to ensure that the new technique of reporting is effectively implemented with positive results, I settled for a participative leadership style to steer the team to embrace the change in question efficiently. The reason why this leadership style stood out from the rest in ensuring the said changes are implemented is because it is involves the whole team thus denoting a democratic notion whereby each member feels his/her opinions are respected. This style requires all the team members to participate actively in decision making by airing out their views, before the final decision is communicate by the participative leader (Burke, 2010). Therefore, this will tend to boost the morale of the team members in ensuring the new changes are successfully fully implemented since they will be part of the decision-making body. In addition, the participants will develop a sense of contentment since they will view the democratic nature of this leadership style being ideal as each and every opinion that they propose will be considered hence forming a portion of the final decision that will be implemented. That notwithstanding the participative leadership style will ensure a positive response to changes by the team members as they will not reject those changes since they are part of the team that came up with the decisions thus it will be their obligation to embrace them since it is their own making. Thus, this having been said it is prudent to say that the changes will be positively implemented successfully since it will be a common initiative of the whole team rather than an individual’s making (Burke, 2010). The Kurt Lewin theory of change is ideal in implementing this

Summary and reaction Essay Example for Free

Summary and reaction Essay The writer started his article by describing a group of people called Tuvans, who lives in a remote area in the Republic of Tuva, in Russian Federation. The importance of this group came from the fact that they are speaking Tuvan, a language consider by linguists to be among a group of languages that are considered to be on the edge of extinction because of the low numbers of people that speak it. The earth population speak approximately 7000 languages. Tuvan is among the 3500 small languages that are spoken only by 8. 25 million people in the entire world, which is a very low fraction of the seven billion people who inhabit the earth. On the other hand, seventy eight percent of the earth population are speaking only 85 languages, Mandarin, Spanish, and English are among the top spoken languages on the globe. Linguist predicted that in the next century almost half of the spoken languages may vanish, and at this point more than 1000 languages are considered on the extinction. The writer mentioned the reasons that lead to this languages dilemma. He mentioned the effect of the dominant languages, that controls communications and commerce, on the small one that do not have any defense mechanism, like television or currency, to protect its existence. Because of that the people of Tuva must speak Russian or Chinese if they want to stay in contact with the outside world. The writer then mentioned another endangered languages known as AKA, the native language of AKA people in Plaizi a small village in India. The writer describe its people as a very self-dependent people that produce everything they need in their daily life. The AKA language was protected from outside influence because of the location of the village that makes it very difficult for outsiders to reach it. The authors then described two trends in the field of linguistics. The first one is based on the theory of Noam Chomsky who mentioned that all languages came from one single origin which is fixed in the human genes. The second trend is the increase interest in small endangered languages around the world, and how the field linguists are interested in idiosyncrasies that distinguish each language from the others and the cultural effects on it. There are 85 percent of the needs to be documented in order to understand it, and the main reason for this documentation comes from the fact that each language contains unique human experiences that reveals many aspects of life . The writer declared very important point regarding the loss of any language. His main idea was based on the fact that every language contains a valuable information about the culture and the knowledge that accumulated from generation to generation in this culture. The author gave us another example of vanishing languages which is the Cmiique Itiom, a language used by the Seri in Mexico and how their language contains the knowledge that is important for all humans. Cmiique Itiom managed to preserved its original form without any outside interference . The Seri managed to keep their language untouched mainly because their hostility to the outsiders. Even the modern commodities likes cars the Seri managed to bring it to their culture but they used for it a unique names that merged from their own language so they never used there Spanish names. The writer mentioned a way to preserved the vanishing languages which is to: â€Å"†¦ enshrine it in writing and compile a dictionary. †. He gave an examples for linguists that worked in those kind of projects like David Harrison and Greg Anderson who compiled the first Tuvan- English dictionary. Also, Steve and Cathay Marlett who worked to finish Cmiique Itiom dictionary, but the writer mentioned very important point which is stated in page 86 : â€Å"But saving a language is not something linguists can accomplish, because salvation must come from within. †. The salvation must come from the people who are using this language by teaching it to the next generation, and also by using dictionaries and books to preserve it and keeping it active as long there is something to speak about it. Writer Choices The writer starts his article by using a story as a hook for the readers, to grab their attention for the rest of the article, and he kept telling the readers different stories about the people he met during his travel. The writer also used creative language ,like figurative language which includes metaphor in many places in the article, and he also used compare and contrast in many other places . Numbers was used by the writers to support his main idea, he mentioned a specific numbers related to the languages in the first page. Visuals aid had been used by the writer to illustrate the subject of his article in a very professional way, yet it was very simple and effective, we can see that from the beautiful pictures for all the people that he met during his trip. Reflection on the Reading Process I found the article hard to read at the beginning, but after using SQ4R and reading the article in class for many times it became much easier for me to understand, and this make the whole process of reading very interesting. The language used not always clear, with difficult word as shown below: Nomadic: roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement. Proselytize: to try to persuade people to join a religion, cause, or group. Dwindle: to gradually become smaller. Thatch: to make (a roof) with dried plant material (called thatch). Supplant: to supersede (another) especially by force or treachery. Atelier: a room where an artist works. Propitious: likely to have or produce good results. Reading process included: Skimming and Skamming ,summarize the article and annotate the key points in it, and SQ4R. Reaction Languages is the soul of human civilizations. The connection between the two of them is very similar to the relationship between human soul and body because without the sole the body will surely collapse because humans need their soul to drive the physical body and to keep him from perishing. In contrast, language plays the same role in people collective awareness about their on existence in the society and culture. Language is the invisible glue that hold the culture pieces together, and without this glue everything will collapse. It’s the strong foundation that up hold the society structures and grant it the strength to resist any outside threats. Why the language is so important? Because it’s the memory of the society. This memory is the experiences and knowledge that transferred from generation to generation until it reached this point in time, and no it will very hard to live without our memories. Losing any language would be similar to someone who lost his own memory. The only thing he can do is to embrace a new experiences and knowledge, and to start accumulating new memories about his new life. Unfortunately, it is the same thing for languages, when the people abandon their own language in favor for new ones they will lose their cultural experiences and knowledge. They will eventually lose their own identity that distinguished them from the rest of humans. Finally, losing any language on earth would be a lost for humanity in general because we will lose our diversity that make life on earth interesting . I think life with one color would be very tedious, and for life to be interesting it should contain whole spectrum of color. Spinoff Topics One of the spinoff topics would be a to study the individuals that abandon their own language and how they adopt with their new languages and cultures.

The Iron Lady Movie Analysis

The Iron Lady Movie Analysis In this paper, the writer is going to analyze a character named Margareth Thatcher in The Iron Lady movie. The Iron Lady movie is a biopic film which tells the journey of Margaret Thatchers life. Margaret Thatcher is a woman politician who has strong influence in the world. She was successful in trace the history as the first woman Prime Minister in England whom occupied that position for more than one decade. This movie shows many fluctuations in politic, economy, and social field in the arrangement of the government and society which happened in that time. Thus, it can be said that movie, one example of popular culture, is actually a cultural product which represents the societys beliefs, values, and norms. (Nachbar Lause, 1992). Williams (2010) says that there are some examples of popular culture which give a huge effect and become popular in over the world such as fashion, television, music, and movie. It can affect both positively or negatively. The writer choose Margareth Thatcher as the object of the writers study because the writer wants to reveal that in the past time even in recent days women are oppressed in a political field, they have not been given chances to show their ability to lead the society. However, Margareth Thatcher shows her ability to carry out the Britains government. Margareth Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England. She is the daughter of a local businessman who was introduced to conservative politics by her father, a member of the towns council. When she was in university, she served as a president of the Conservative Association. Two years after she graduated from her college, she accepted to work for public office. She ran as the conservative candidate for a Dart ford parliamentary seat in the 1950 elections. She was elected to be a leader of the Conservative Party in 1975. She served as the prime minister of England from 1979 to 1990. As a prime minister, she battled the countrys recession by initially raising interest rates to control inflation. She can run the country quite well marked with some progression that has been occurred in that time. Moreover, she shows her valor when she accepted to be the first female Prime Minister in England by a lot of contradiction come from the government and the society. Besides, she i s an inspiring leader for the writer. She exemplifies how a woman leader in reality ought to behave. The writer will discuss this character using the perspectives of women stereotype, oppression, and movement in accordance to Marxist feminism theory. The theory separates men and womens power in social and economic field. It also talks about power inequality between men and women in a society. From the film, Margareth Thatcher shows her desire to have the same right, chance, and position in the society where in that time women were usually been oppressed by the men. Therefore, the writer chooses to use this theory. Having considered the above facts, therefore the writer proposes a study entitled Feminism Analysis in Phyllida Lloyd (2011) Iron Lady Movie: A Study of Women Stereotype, Oppression, and Movement. Field of the Study This study belongs to both Literature and Film Studies. Scope of the Study This study will put limitations on what is going to be analyzed as follows: The writer will analyze the feminism side of a character in The Iron Lady movie, Margareth Thatcher, using Marxist feminism theory. The writer will analyze the cinematographic visualization in the film which confirms women stereotype, oppression, and movement towards the character. Problem Formulation / Research Questions This research aims to answer the following question: What are women stereotype, oppression, and movement which are defined in the film? What are the perspectives of women stereotype, oppression, and movement according to Marxist feminism theory? How does the cinematographic visualization in the film confirm women stereotype, oppression, and movement from the perspective of Marxist feminism? Objectives of the Study This research is conducted to achieve this objective: To reveal the women stereotype, oppression, and movement in the film. To define the perspective of women stereotype, oppression, and movement according to Marxist feminism theory. To show the cinematographic visualization in the film which confirms women stereotype, oppression, and movement from the perspective of Marxist feminism. Significance of the Study The writer conducts this research to inform the readers about what was going on in the past time toward women in England who were been oppressed by the men. Moreover, the writer also wants to give her assumptions and criticism concerning to the gender stereotype which happens in the society nowadays. Definitions of Terms To prevent misunderstandings towards this study, the writer will give some definition of terms which are related to this study. Film: Film is another word that means different things in different contexts: roll film, stock, a film, to film. We were all exposed to some kind of film before we saw our first example of classic moviemaking. It may have been something we saw on television: a cartoon, a Three Stooges short, a Lassie rerun. Or perhaps it was an educational film we saw in school or a theatrical film (a film intended to be shown in movie theaters). (Anatomy of Film, Bernard Dick, 1978, pp.1-2) Marxist feminism: Marxist feminism is organized around the basic conflicts between capitalism versus patriarchy and class versus gender oppression. Marxist feminism combines the study of class with the analysis of gender. (Feminist Theory and Literary Practice, Deborah L. Madsen, 2000, p.65) Stereotype: Stereotype is fixed ideas about individuals, groups or objects. Stereotypic thinking about sex-role related personality features is pervasive. Desirable features assign men to form a competence cluster, while womens features form a warmth-expressive cluster. (Broverman, 1972, as cited in The Dictionary of Feminist Theory, Maggie Humm, 1995, pp.277-278) Oppression: The experience of oppressed people is that the living of ones life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasional and hence avoidable, but are sys ­tematically related to each other in such a way as to catch one between and among them and restrict or penalize motion in any direction. (Oppression and the Use of Definition, Marilyn Frye, p.3) Political movement: The activities about someone during a particular period of time or a group of people who works together to advance their shared political ideas. (Oxford Dictionaries Online) Cinematographic visualization: The essential techniques, methods, and elements people use to tell the story. (Cinematography Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Director, Blain Brown, 2011, p.3) Review of Literature There are some theories that can support the writers research, they are: Feminism in European Politics The difference between struggling classes and the ruling classes in Marxist teaching has clearly led each class to do social struggle. However, when we are speaking about gender roles in such a stratified society, the class struggle is simply a cause to gender stereotypes and exploitation. (Madsen, 2000) Gender stereotypes is actually a set of values of being proper and improper to be done by a woman which is functioned as a limitation These values often create an unfriendly environment or even such condition for women to take part in legal and social functions. Furthermore, it supports a condition that womens rights are susceptible to violation. There are many kinds of stereotypes and several reasons of stereotypes. According to Cook Cusack (2010, pp.25-28), there are three kinds of stereotypes, they are sex stereotypes, sexual stereotypes, and sex role stereotypes. Sex stereotypes, are supposedly based on the physical or biological differences. Sexual stereotypes are those based on the perceived characteristics that play a role in sexuality, including, for example, sexual initiation, intimacy, possession, and objectification while sex role stereotypes describes a normative or statistical view regarding appropriate roles or behavior for men and women. Josephson (2005) in her book Gender and American Politics: Women, Men, and the Political Process: Tolleson-Rinehart explains the examples of discrimination among women and men government workers in western legal system. She says that among others, women usually suffer in terms of peoples trust, media coverage, and self-inconfidence from their male counterparts. Based on Gelbs theory of feminism and politics: a comparative perspective (1989), there are two kinds of feminist movement in power-seizing political fields, they are the reformists and radicals. Both of them move based on their own ideology of how women should be participating in such conditions. According to Jonasdottir (1994), oppression based on gender stratification is similar to Marxist class division where the gender woman has been named as the second gender. Thus it makes women are vulnerable to discriminate based on what Marxism defines as materialistic and economic value. The conceptual tools of cinematography Blain Brown (2011, p.3) in his book Cinematography Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Director says that the tools of cinematography and filmmaking actually discuss the essential techniques, methods, and elements that we can use to tell the story. Some elements in cinematography visualization which can be used to support this study are camera angles, shot sizes, and techniques of framing. According to Bernard Dick, a shot is simply what is recorded by a single operation of the camera. He also states that it can also be defined in terms of distance. (1998, pp.36-37). In other words, shot is a matter of subjects size or amount in the frame. It embodies five types; they are close up (CU), extreme close up (ECU), long shot (LS), extreme long shot (ELS), and medium shot (MS). He also says that shots are also defined by the position of the camera in relation to the subject or what do we known as angle. It is determined by where the camera is placed. There are four types of angle; they are birds eye view, high-angle (h/a), low-angle (l/a), and oblique-angle. In framing techniques, there is a rule called rule of thirds. Rule of thirds is a guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images such as paintings, photographs, and designs. It proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. When we are photographing or filming people, it is common to line the body up with a vertical line, and having the persons eyes in line with a horizontal one. (2012, Rule of Thirds,  ¶.1). Method of Data Collection Analysis Method of Data Collection The writer uses film as the instrument of this study, documentary research as the technique to conduct this research and qualitative approach to analyze the object. The writer chooses such technique and approach because the writer wants to analyze the object in depth. Method of Data Analysis Thus far, the writer has done watching the movie and collecting the data. The writer has used library and internet resource to assist completing this research.

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Well, seniors, here we are. It is time for us to "take on the world" as the popular Christian song states. Not only are we going to be responsible for taking on the world in the near future, but we will also be responsible for many, many other things. Just what we need, right? Well, think about it. New college classes, new jobs, new friends, possibly new spouses in the slightly distant future, new rug-rats in the more distant future. I don't know about you, but the idea of the world giving that much responsibility to someone like -- you fill in the blank -- scares me severely. Are we going to make it? If so, how? To help answer these questions, we needn't look any further than one of the greatest of our new obligations: the encouragement of one another. Now before you write me off as a lunatic or a "softy" (or both), think on the word I just used. Encouragement. Webster says that to encourage is "to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope;" but these are just mere words, right? How can a dictionary express the meaning of something that can change a person's life in a moment or lift someone from the abyss of despair to that wonderful feeling of being loved and needed? I can tell you truthfully that without the daily encouragement that I get from those around me, I would not be standing before you this evening. These people include my parents, my friends, my teachers, anyone who is able to say a nice world to me to inspire me to do my best and keep going. All of you must have experienced some form of encouragement in your lives or else you wouldn't be joining me on this football field to celebrate our completion of high school. My point is this: Encouragement is one of the most powerful forces that can be unleashed on this planet. Here's a little list of things that can be accomplished without encouragement ... Fairly short list, isn't it? I do not have a list of the things that are possible with encouragement because the use of that much paper would be environmentally devastating. You get the picture. We need encouragement and we need it as often as possible. Just like the air we breathe, if we lack encouragement in our lives we often feel suffocated. Are you getting enough of it in your life, or are you suffocating?

Understanding French Opposition :: Economics Diplomats War in Iraq France Essays

Understanding French Opposition This essay examines the nature of French opposition to the US-led war in Iraq. In recent months this opposition has reinforced many of the negative stereotypes Americans associate with Frenchmen, and boycotts of French wines and â€Å"French† fries are now commonplace in the United States. However, writing the French off as â€Å"cowards† or â€Å"appeasers† is not only misguided but also fails to consider the complex nature of French opposition. Although inextricably linked, the opposition put forth by the French people is not the same as the opposition directed by the French government. Nonetheless, French President Jacques Chirac and other Gaullist politicians have used the popular opposition to further and justify their own agenda. While the apprehensions of the French people are largely understandable—as their attitudes are a reflection of their tumultuous and bloody past, the motivations behind France’s political actors are not so obvious and are founded in the economic realities and diplomatic-power struggles of the twenty-first century. Despite what some Americans may argue, the French are not fundamentally opposed to war. In fact France’s readiness to use ground support in both Kosovo and Bosnia outweighed that of the United States. Consequently, in October of 2001, nearly a month after September 11th, France’s popular backing of the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan was seventy-three percent in favor—the highest among Europe’s largest states. The French recognized the security threat posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban and clearly saw the connection between September 11th and the al Qaeda masterminds. Their support ran afoul only when the US tried connecting the dots between September 11th and Iraq. To say the French are opposed to war or are against fighting terrorism is both inaccurate and inflammatory. The French know first hand the implications of Islamic jihad-driven terrorism, as they have been the target of more terrorist attacks than any other European nation during t he last century. The scars of French colonialism in North Africa—particularly in Algeria—are still raw in the minds of many Muslims, and it is this resentment and antipathy that the French fear as the US wages a war in Iraq. The French worry that the short-term military and strategic victories made in Iraq will only breed more contempt and mistrust toward the US—the very â€Å"terrorist roots† that the US is aiming to destroy.

Jane Austen Essay

MAHA DOSTMOHAMED Maha Dostmohamed Ms. Jalaluddin ENG3U1 September 16th, 2011 Behind the Success of Jane Austen â€Å"In my stars I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. † (William Shakespeare). In this quote, William Shakespeare is talking about the different ways that one becomes great. To be born great, for example, is comparable to someone born into a royal family, one who did not have to do anything to become great. To achieve greatness, one must do something great, such as winning a Nobel Prize. For one to have greatness thrust upon oneself occurs when one does not pursue greatness; however, it is greatness that comes to find them. Some of the greatest people in the world did not take or receive credit or achieve fame for their greatness. Jane Austen is an example of this. Although Jane Austen’s books are widely known and loved, they initially failed to make her name world renown since they were originally published anonymously. Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice was the biggest contributing factor in Jane’s journey to success since the book has enjoyed endless amounts of adoration from fans and is what gave Jane Austen the recognition she receives today as an established author. Jane Austen was a literary phenomenon due to her interesting portrayals of families of various classes, her comical renditions of the mercenary of people in the 18th century, and her original and refreshing take on romance. MAHA DOSTMOHAMED It is arguable that a large percentage of Jane Austen’s success comes from her relatable, entertaining, and insightful portrayals of families of various classes. Firstly, Jane’s portrayals of families in Pride and Prejudice are relatable because they put emphasis on family aspects that occur in many different kinds of families and cultures. In her the book, Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the five Bennet sisters, is eager to have all of her daughters marry wealthy, suitable men. In modern day, this is comparable to an arranged marriage, a tradition that takes place in many families of different cultures and classes. Furthermore, Jane Austen’s portrayal of families also keeps her novels entertaining. The character of Mr. Bennet, for example, from Pride and Prejudice, adds comic relief to the novel because of the entertaining way he reacts to the actions of his wife and daughters. When the news of Mr. Bingley’s arrival to town comes, for instance, Mrs. Bennet is over-excited with the high hopes of marrying off one of her daughters, while Mr. Bennet finds that his wife is being silly, but agrees to meet with Mr. Bingley for the sake of his daughters anyway. Moreover, Jane Austen’s creations are insightful because she doesn’t take the usual, too-familiar path of writing, but instead takes readers for a walk down a brand new, unfamiliar, yet interesting road. This is seen through the character Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, and the way that this character fits into her family. Elizabeth is a charming, witty girl whose character in most stories would be the most loved in her family; but in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen shows the upsetting but realistic truth of how many a time in families, the more attractive child is loved over the child with the better personality. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth’s sister Jane is loved by the family more than Elizabeth, and it is arguable that this strong adoration for Jane comes from the fact that Jane is the most beautiful of all the sisters. Finally, it is for MAHA DOSTMOHAMED all of these reasons that Jane Austen’s portrayals of families in Pride and Prejudice brought her success. Secondly, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice brought her success because her comical renditions of the mercenary and ignorance of people in the 18th century were exhibited thoroughly in the book. One of the comical aspects of Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s audacity with exhibiting the greed and mercenary of people in the 18th century, which was clearly seen through the characters of Mrs. Bennet and her neighbor, Lady Lucas. The way Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas are obsessed with the idea of having their daughters marry into wealthy families clearly shows the mercenary of people in the 18th century. Jane Austen exposed the morals of people in the 18th century as she displayed their ability to make important decisions such as finding a suitor for their daughters. She showed how they make marriage decisions based on how much money a possible suitor has to his name versus more personal and redeeming qualities. Furthermore, this money-based life in the 18th century is further exhibited through the character of Mr. Darcy, who along with his sister, is known to be very proud of his wealth. Furthermore, their pride revolving around their money made the book more popular because it was relatable since everyone knows of someone whose arrogance about their material items or money overpowers their more appealing qualities. In addition to that, the role money played in the lives of the characters also had an effect on their ignorance, another relatable subject. Mrs. Bennet is ignorant of the fact that instead of allowing her daughters to fall in love, she is only interested in finding husbands for her girls who have a lot of money, which can not only be related to the idea of an arranged MAHA DOSTMOHAMED marriage, but also how parents pressure their children when making career choices. Parents want their kids to pursue careers in which they will make a lot of money, rather than doing something with their life that they enjoy. This can be related to the way Mrs. Bennet wants her daughters to marry into wealthy families, although she believes she is doing what is in best interest of her girls, the girls may or may not see it the same way. Finally, Jane Austen’s renditions of 18th century people made Pride and Prejudice successful. Thirdly, Pride and Prejudice brought success to Jane Austen because of the original, refreshing perspective she had on romance, which was shown through the relationship between the novel’s two main characters, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Firstly, the originality of this romance can be seen from the start of their relationship, from their first impressions. The first impressions these two characters develop of each other are so important to the themes of this novel that Jane Austen’s original title for the book was â€Å"First Impressions†. What is original about their first impressions is the fact that the romantic story that Jane Austen is telling is not the usual, too-familiar story of â€Å"love at first sight†, but rather the story of how two people who at first loathed each other, could fall in love. This brought popularity to the novel and to Jane Austen because readers loved the way that Elizabeth and Darcy went from hating to loving each other. In addition to that, the fact that a man like Mr. Darcy, a wealthy man with a vast amount of pride had the ability to fall in love with a girl like Elizabeth, rather than a girl more like her sister, Jane Bennet made readers fall in love with the story. In the novel, Elizabeth, although witty and lovable, is not the most beautiful of girls. In fact, when Mr. Darcy initially sees MAHA DOSTMOHAMED Elizabeth, he says that her appearance is nothing but â€Å"tolerable†, making it obvious that he sees her beauty miniscule when compared to that of her sister, Jane. The fact that Mr. Darcy acknowledges that Elizabeth is not the most beautiful of her sisters, knowing that if he had her he would not have the â€Å"best†, yet falls in love with her, is what readers fell in love with. Finally, Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice was a big factor regarding Jane Austen’s success because it highlighted Jane’s unique, original, and refreshing take on romance, which is a big part of what made readers love her. In conclusion, Jane Austen was a phenomenon and her success in writing is owed to her novel Pride and Prejudice which made readers fall in love with her interesting portrayals of families of various classes, her comical renditions of the mercenary and ignorance of people in the 18th century, and her original and refreshing take on romance. Jane Austen’s writings were comic, relatable, realistic, tasteful, refreshing, and original, all things that contributed to the rise in her success. Last of all, Jane Austen was a worldrenowned author whose creations have always been, and always will be, treasured and loved by many and most parts of the world for their excellence.

Coca Cola Vending Machines Case Study

Coca Cola a Vending Machine Case Study Problem Statement: Coca Cola Co. , the world’s largest beverage company is facing a public relation nightmare which can ultimately put their brand image at stake. Their Chairman and CEO, Ivan Ivester, abruptly announced the introduction of interactive vending technology which will lower the price of coke during off-peak buying time and increase the price during very hot weather conditions, Ivester virtually confirmed the vending machines will be introduced to the market soon.The core problem is not if the vending machine should be brought to market but WHEN and what the public relations/marketing strategy should be in the midst of the current media scrutiny to rebuild loyalty with avid coke drinkers and Coke’s image. Critical Factors: Increasing the vending machine profit, which has been the main profit resource for the company, serves the purpose of the new technology. Sales of soft drinks are on the rise. Last year, about 11. 9 % of soft drinks world- wide derived from vending machines. Intelligent vending has already begun in Japan using the same technology.Taking full advantage of the law of supply and demand, price fluctuations occur all the time in several industries such as the airline and movie industries and are not new to the general public. It often occurs when the supply for any product is high and the demand is low; basic economics. Price discrimination also can occur demographically or geographically and is hard to eliminate from a customer’s mind once disclosed in a negative light ultimately setting the stage to lose customers to Coke’s #1 competitor, PepsiCo. Additionally, their brand image is at stake.Ivester's statements regarding the new technology was disclosed too soon and the response from the public relations team was not sufficient to the loyal coke drinkers and the media, spurring several negative articles and backlash from their customers. Strategic Alternatives: Option A. Eliminate any option of introducing the interactive vending machines to the public in the near future and create a new public relations and marketing strategy focusing on Coke's loyalty to its customers to include re-establishing the value of drinking coke during extreme hot and cold temperatures.Option B. Proceed with a plan to implement the intelligent vending machines at a later date than plan originally plan, while working to develop a new public relations and marketing strategy to curtail the current media damage, focusing on Coke's loyalty to its customers and re-establish the value of drinking coke during any weather conditions. Evaluation of Alternatives: Option A: ?Pros: Build trust with consumers; on same level with competitors regarding technology. Cons: This strategy does not coincide with the company’s marking plan to pump more sales of the flagship coke into the market, most likely utilizing the heat sensitive vending machine as one of the core tactics to in crease revenues. Option B: ?Pros: Technology availability and costs to implement the new vending machines is inexpensive due to falling prices of the temperature sensors and computer chips; ? Internet connectivity associated with the technology makes it very easy to track daily and hourly demand based on fluctuations thus making it easy to determine the price point offered in any region; ?The new public relations and marketing campaign will slowly educate the consumer of the inevitable; ? Increase profitability during the peak season due to lower costs compared to competitors. ?Cons: Run the risk of losing loyal customers due to the price gaps urging many consumers to search for lower price from the competitor’s vending machine; ? Largest competitor, PepsiCo announced they have did not have any plans to introduce the new technology Recommendation: Option B Corrective measures must take place to implement a strategy of price changes.Coke must improve their public image with a well executed public relations and marketing strategy. Justification: As a consumer, I am not sure why corporations continue to insult our intelligence. If a product is in the testing stage, then it is just a matter of time before the new technology, (if worthy) is introduced to the market. R in this case, serves the sole purpose of creating new technology in order to maximize efficiency and costs, thus increasing profits. And, quite frankly there is nothing wrong with a company trying to maximize profits.Vending machines have remained largely untouched by discounting and although the machines can automatically raise prices for its drinks in hot weather, in my opinion not too many consumers would notice. Coca Cola Co. can also be the first in the SDC market to introduce new innovation that will be able to effectively gauge the buying interests of their customer by the touch of a button. This technology will help to predict sale revenues and take the guesswork out of customersâ€℠¢ wants and needs.It will also allow Coca Cola Co, to always stay ahead of the competition and remained the leader in the industry. Additionally, price discrimination exists everywhere, across all industries and the new technology will connote increased efficiency for the entire SDC market. The public relations and marketing campaign will help to educate and prepare the average consumer of the inevitable introduction of heat sensitive vending machines. The goal in mind for the campaign is to continue to establish Coke as the number one thirst quencher regardless of the weather.

Neural Tube Defects

Human birth defects, today, continues to be a highly investigated research. There remain many convoluted combination of genetic and environmental factors that can cause birth defects. While some conditions are easily repaired through surgery, neural tube defects (NTDs) present problems even after surgery. Many steps can be taken for the pregnant mother to prevent any chances of birth defects. There are two major ways of preventing NTD. First, a daily dose of folic acid is known to prevent NTD and other birth defects during pregnancy. Second, surgical in utero, or â€Å"in the uterus†, repair of NTD improves the chances of patient mortality (Finnel et. al, 2013). Despite of medical and technological advances, we know very little about how folic acid acts on NTDs. And as previously mentioned, even after surgical repair, the chances of a successful or normal birth are unknown. This research paper investigates the role of folic acid and its role in neural tube defects. We discuss recent research to find our answers. Overview of embryology and NTDs. Neural tube defects are often developed during early embryonic development. During embryogenesis, the defects arise when the flat sheet of cells that rolls up but does not close shut to form a hollow central nervous system. There are two common conditions: NTDs that are restricted to the cranial region are referred to as anencephaly. It is characterized by failure of the rostral (head) portion of the neural tube to close. This result in an absence of thee brain, skull, and scalp. Defects that occur along the audal, or tail end, of the neural tube are called spinal bifida. More commonly occurring than anencephaly, spinal bifida affects structures through which the minenges and the spinal cord protrude. When both the cranial and the caudal portions fail to close, this extremely rare and lethal NTD is called craniorachischisis (Aldoori et. al, 2008; Finnel et. al, 2013). Epidemiology Annually in the United States, there are approximately 3000 pregnancies affected by spinal bifida or anencephaly. This number can easily be reduced by half by a folic acid supplement. The highest rate occurs in Hispanic populations because they have low folic acid levels in their diet. The current prevalence of NTDs as a collective is approximately 1 in every 2000 births. Although the prevalence rates vary from country to country, it is clear that there are three aspects that control the development of such conditions: genetic, environmental, and nutrition. The most common and difficult to account for are the affects of environment and nutrition on the growing embryo, specifically diabetes, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption (CDC, 2011). The biology of NTDs The complex nature and the process of neural tube closure have temporarily halted our understanding of folic acid and its interactions during NTDs. As a collection of many autonomous and region-specific cells, many researchers suggest that along with the lengthening of the neural tissues, the epidermis also provides a guiding force to help fold and close the neural tube. This fusion links two neural folds into a sheet covering the outer portion hollow neural tube. Furthermore, the closing process of the neural tube occurs at multiple sites along the rostrocaudal axis, or head to tail axis, instead of progressing from one end to the other in a continuous motion (Finnel et. al, 2013). Another complication occurs when the cells that help close the neural tube differ regionally along the neural tube. This causes irreversible and incurable conditions like spinal bifida and anencephaly. What we know now is collectively from amphibians and chick embryos. These studies provide a deeper understanding of how an embryo morphs, the cells involved, and the mechanism through which the regional cells cause NTDs and other conditions (Finnel et. al, 2013). Folic acid and NTDs According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is recommended that a daily dose of 400 microgram of folic acid be prescribed to females at least one month planning for pregnancy. The question of how folic acid acts on the NTDs is still very unclear. However, the research conducted helps to clarify that some cellular activity may be involved. Research studies using mice suggest that this may start from the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, and other structural proteins and lipids. â€Å"Therefore, deficits in folic acid metabolism could affect cell proliferation, cell survival, transcriptional regulation, or a host of other cellular reactions; defects in any of these processes could disrupt neural tube closure† (Finnel et. al, 2013). Mutations in mice were studied using genetics and environment. In these experiments, several mutations of mice were compared using various biomarkers. The genetic approach sought for alterations in the pathway of mutations when there was a deficiency of folic acid. The environmental study researched the responsiveness, of genes and its environment and the external environment (predominantly nutrition), to folic acid in hopes of surfacing mechanisms through which folic acid promotes neural tube closure (Finnel et. al, 2013). To summarize, there is a very poor understanding of how folic acid promotes neural tube closure and very little insight into distinctly clarifying the specific pathways that folic acid prevents the aforementioned NTDs, regardless of the three factors. The continuation of research using mice (because they have a very similar neural development as humans) provides hope to find the various â€Å"developmental processes and molecular pathways can be related in terms of folic acid responsiveness and to gain molecular insights into optimal interventions to prevent NTDs† (Finnel et. al, 2013). Nutrition and supplements As mention before, the recommended daily dose of folic acid is 400 micrograms (or 0. 4 milligrams). This can be easily achieved by eating breakfast cereals (serving sizes may vary), flour (breads and pastas), white rice, and cornmeal. It is also strongly recommended that women who are breastfeeding or are on birth control continue to take their daily dose of folic acid unless directed by their physician (Women’s Health, 2010). Many supplements today contain a blend of vitamins and minerals to help sustain the body and many have a 100 percent of the recommended daily dose, including folic acid. As one passes the child-bearing age, the dosage is maintained along with sufficient amount of vitamin B12 for overall good health (Women’s Health, 2010). NTDs are most common in women who don’t have adequate amounts of folic acid, including the Hispanic population and those without adequate medical aid. The mechanism through which folic acid reacts with the embryo is unclear. A deficit of folic acid, initially, results in spinal bifida and anencephaly and could cause other defects, including stillbirths. An excess of folic acid causes nerve damage to the parent, which could potentially translate to the embryo. Although much research has already been done, the animal studies provide a bright outlook to solving this dilemma.

Racism, Human Nature, Love and Hatred “Mother Savage”

Mother Savage by Guy de Maupassant and Shakespeare’s Othello are two literary pieces which have several aspects in common. They may be from two different authors of two different times, but they both have certain characteristics which are somewhat similar. One of this is that both Mother Savage and The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice has a concept of racism, wherein people from different countries and different cultures are involved. Another is that these two literary works both touch on the human nature, how man reacts to various factors in his surroundings, and even the people around him. And lastly, Mother Savage and The Tragedy of Othello are both stories filled with love and hatred, as shown by the main characters of these literary works.The two stories both have a take on the aspect of racism. In Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"Mother Savage,† racism is seen at the time of war, where the story revolved when a group of Prussian army settled in a localâ€⠄¢s house; an old widow who has a son who went to war against these Prussians (Maupassant). Basically, the old woman, Mother Savage, has let in her house the Prussian army whom his son was fighting against. On the other story, Shakespeare’s Othello also showed racism as a main focus in the story (Shakespeare). Othello is a noble black General of Arabic descent, a Moor. He fell in love and married a young white daughter of a politician, Desdemonda. The story showed two people from a different race falling for each other, but because of certain reasons, their relationship ends up tragically.The next similarity between the two stories is aspect of Human Nature. This is where the main characters is affected by his surroundings, and he responds to this by following his urges, his human nature.   In the story â€Å"Mother Savage,† the old woman showed her human nature when she learned about the death of her son. At first, when she didn’t know that her son was dead, she accepted willingly the Prussian force composed of four soldiers to stay in her house.But when she found out that her son died, she couldn’t help but exact revenge on these unknowing â€Å"enemies.† She burned her house along while the soldiers were fast asleep, and because of that, she was killed by the other soldiers who responded upon knowing the incident. In The Tragedy of Othello, human nature was seen with the main character himself, the Moor, Othello (Al-Amin). When his mind was clouded by jealousy about his wife having an affair with another man, he resorted to murderous means and has committed his own life in the end.Lastly, both of the stories have tackled about love and hatred. This was manifested in both of the stories’ main characters. In â€Å"Mother Savage,† it was the mother’s love that kept her hoping for his son’s return, and keeping the Prussian soldiers in her house. She thought that these soldiers also have their moth ers worrying for them. But hatred has filled her emotions when she found out that her son died. And because of this hatred, she has resorted to murdering the enemy soldiers while they were sleeping. In â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello,† it was love that made two different people is together, in the case of Othello and Desdemonda, and it was hatred and jealousy that separated them, and has eventually led to their deaths.William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello and Mother Savage by Guy de Maupassant are stories which have similarities in their content. Even though they are many differently, these similarities show that they are both tragic in nature. The concepts they are similar in makes these stories interesting, even though they are shown at different angles. Moreover, these stories may have similar concepts, but still stand out individually, very different from each other.References:Al-Amin, Zakia. â€Å"Othello: The Tragedy of Human Nature†.   1999. July 29 2007. .Maupassant, Guy de. â€Å"Mother Sauvage†.   2001.   ClassicReader.com. July 29 2007. .Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello, Moor of Venice†.   1604. July 29 2007. .

Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, â€Å"owns 1.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent (tcfe) of proved oil and gas reserves, one of the largest inventories of onshore U.S. natural gas† {Chesapeake Annual Report, 1998, p. 1}. Recently, Chesapeake finished the transformation from an aggressive exploration company focused on developing short-reserve life, to a lower-risk, longer reserve life natural gas producer. Chesapeake†s operations are focused on â€Å"developmental drilling and producing property acquisitions.† These operations are â€Å"concentrated in three major areas: the Mid-continent, the onshore Gulf of Mexico and far northeastern British Columbia, Canada† [Chesapeake Annual Report, 1998, p. 1]. Aubrey K. McClendon is Chesapeake†s Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director. Tom L. Ward is the President, Chief Operating Officer and Director. â€Å"McClendon met cofounder Tom Ward in the 1980†³s. Both were independent oil producers; they teamed up in 1983† [Morgenson, p. 2]. They each have more than 16 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. All other members of the management team have multiple years of experience in the industry. Chesapeake has concentrated on expanding its holdings in natural gas since the company†s incorporation in 1989. Chesapeake thinks that natural gas will be the fuel choice of the 21st century. The company has been highly competitive in both its exploration activities and efforts to increase its inventory of undeveloped leasehold land. This combination should enable Chesapeake to remain a competitive force in the energy producing industry. New technology in the oil and gas industry has made exploration and production more profitable. This is key for the survival of American businesses that compete with OPEC and other foreign cartels that have very low production costs. New technology, including three-dimensional imaging, which has greater resolution than the previously existing technology, will enable Chesapeake to detect reserves more accurately. Also, horizontal drilling has enabled companies to drain more than one reserve at a time. With profits continuing to be squeezed within this industry, new technology is necessary to help American businesses compete on a global scale. The oil and gas industry is truly a global market. The industry boosted gains in 1999 from increased production efficiency and a decrease in the current supply. U.S. firms, along with OPEC, have voluntarily reduced their total production, which has increased the price. OPEC currently supplies approximately 40% of the world oil production. If OPEC chooses to produce at a lower output, Chesapeake could easily increase production with its low production costs and huge reserves. Many other nations are emerging as competitors, such as the former Soviet Union and Latin American countries. The continuing increase in supply from other nations would potentially saturate the market, causing lower prices and lower profits. Demand is expected to rise only slightly more than two percent through the year 2005. The outlook for this industry is for increased competition domestically (from smaller companies) and internationally from emerging nations. The U.S. has superior technology, which will help keep profits up as supply increases and demand remains relatively constant. Natural gas makes up 72% of Chesapeake†s revenue. They usually sell the product to third parties and are not dependent on any one buyer. Less than 10% of their revenues are generated from two buyers. Governmental Regulations – Operational and Labor Relations The oil and gas industries are subject to considerable government regulation. These laws and regulations are primarily directed toward â€Å"the handling and disposal of drilling and production waste products and waste created by water and air pollution control devices† [Chesapeake 10-K, 1998, p. 10]. The oil and gas industry is accountable to numerous government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the State Department and the Department of Commerce. Virtually every aspect of operations is subject to complex and ever changing regulations. The oil and gas industry is tightly regulated in regard to labor relations by government department and agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Some states have their own state sponsored occupational safety plans, while the remainder must comply with federal OSHA regulations. Some of the topics covered under OSHA include personal protective equipment, hazardous communication (HAZCOM) and safety process training. Chesapeake had 453 employees as of March 15, 1999. None of these employees were represented by organized labor unions. The company considers its employee relations to be good [Chesapeake 10-K, 1998, p. 13]. Unocal (NYSE: UCL) employed 7,880 people as of December 31, 1998, of which 575 were represented by various U.S. labor unions [Unocal 10-K, 1998, p. 12]. Both companies are subject to new laws and regulations regarding the environment and labor. Chesapeake and Unocal cannot predict what adverse financial conditions the new laws and regulations will bring. However, short-term and long-term costs will increase as companies improve existing operations to become and remain compliant with government regulations. As a result, all companies in petro-chemical industries are experiencing tremendous difficulty operating profitable businesses. Several businesses have ceased operations as a result of increased regulation coupled with poor profit margins. Chesapeake is at a higher risk regarding this scenario since most of its operations are domestic. Unocal, although a U.S. based company, operations are concentrated primarily overseas, and therefore experience increased leniency regarding environmental and labor regulations. During the last two years, Chesapeake Corporation took a significant hit in terms of earnings, stock price and credit ratings. Positive 1996 earnings turned to a loss in 1997 and tumbled to a bigger loss of $10 per share in 1998. This earnings decline caused the stock price and credit rating to plummet. The company also faces a class action lawsuit stemming from alleged violations of federal securities laws. Top management and directors are accused of using insider information to sell personal holdings in the company at artificially inflated prices. Chesapeake had very disappointing years in 1997 and 1998 as evidenced by the fall in the stock price. The company underwent a substantial repositioning to increase natural gas holdings and reduce risk. As a result of this repositioning, Chesapeake incurred considerable debt and is dependent on the market prices of oil and natural gas to increase, and in effect, improve profit margins. Additionally, in 1997, Chesapeake changed their fiscal year end from June 30th to December 31st. As part of the repositioning, Chesapeake increased long term debt over $400 million to a total of $920 million, coupled with a short-term indebtedness of $25 million. This increased borrowing drastically reduced the company†s ability to obtain additional financing. Standard & Poor†s and Moody†s placed Chesapeake on review with a negative outlook. The ability to meet obligations for this additional debt will depend on the production and financial performance of the company, market prices of oil and natural gas, and general economic conditions. Common Size Income Statement Analysis Chesapeake had an extremely large write-down of assets (impairment) as a result of reduced oil and gas prices during the past few years. This charge increased operating costs by over $1.2 billion during 1997-98 with 72% of that cost coming in 1998. The asset write-down, combined with expense increases in production, marketing and interest, were the main contributors of total operating costs to be over three times total revenue. The result was 1998 EBIT of ($920) million, and a non-existent ROE, since the company had a net loss approaching $1 billion. Unocal†s ROE was 5.9% in 1998 and 25.1% in 1997. The impairment cost reported by Chesapeake is questionable because of the very large amount that was charged. In perspective, Unocal with over $5 billion in property assets recorded an impairment charge of $97 million during 1998. If oil and gas prices rise in the near future, the impairment costs may be reversed giving the impression that the company is doing very well. Future investors of Chesapeake equities should consider this fact prior to making any investment decisions. Chesapeake had a $140 million reduction to both sides of the balance sheet. The repositioning of the firm focused on increasing inventory of natural gas reserves, â€Å"the fuel of choice for the 21st century† [1998 Annual Report, pg. 18]. Oil and gas properties nearly doubled from 1997 to 1998, totaling $2.2 billion. However, nearly $1.6 billion was depreciated, depleted and amortized. Additionally, cash decreased nearly $100 million, short-term investments were liquidated, and paid-in capital exceeded $1.1 billion over the past two years to provide additional cash for purchases of gas reserves. As a result, total property, plant and equipment was 85% of total assets in 1998 compared to 77% in 1997. In comparison, Unocal†s PP&E was 66% and 64% of total assets respectively. Long-term debt increased over $400 million in 1998, totaling $920 million compared to $510 million in 1997. The $920 million was 113% in relation to total liabilities and owners equity of $813 million. In 1998, current liabilities were $131 million compared to current assets of $118 million. This resulted in a reduced current ratio of .90 from a 1997 ratio of 1.42. The Unocal current ratios during 1998 and 1997 were 1.01 and 1.29 respectively. Chesapeake has relied primarily on cash flow through financing activities during the past few years. Cash flow from operations was approximately $95 million in 1998 and $180 million in 1997, while cash flow from financing was $365 million and $278 million respectively. Sales accounted for $378 million in 1998 and appear to be rising approximately 35% annually from 1996 and 1997. However, an accurate comparison is unavailable because of the change in the company†s fiscal year end. Low oil and gas prices forced Chesapeake to borrow, sell equity, and liquidate short-term investments in order to continue operations and invest in oil and gas properties. The company is dependent on the rise of prices during 1999 to continue operations and provide shareholder wealth. The company has several restrictions from being able to borrow additional funds. Additionally, the price of stock has dropped from a high of $34 in 1996 to a low of $.63 in 1998. This has further reduced the company†s ability to generate cash. The current ratios for Chesapeake Energy are as follows: 1.00 (June 96), 2.03 (June 97), 1.42 (December 97), and .90 (December 98). Current liabilities remained constant over this period, ranging from a high of 19% (June 96) to a low of 15% (June 97), with the current level at 16% of total assets. Extreme levels of change in current assets caused the current ratio to fluctuate drastically. Current assets declined from a high of $297 million (31% of total assets) to a current low of $117 million (15% of total assets). This decline in current assets caused the deterioration of the current ratio. The acid test ratios are as follows: .94 (June 96), 2.00 (June 97), 1.37 (December 97), and .81 (December 98). As previously mentioned, current liabilities remained constant. Net accounts receivable remained flat as a percentage of total assets: 9% in 1996, 7% in 1997 (Both June & December), and 9% in 1998. Marketable securities were sold off during the past three years, decreasing from 11% ($104 million) of total assets to zero. Cash decreased from 13% ($124 million) of total assets in 1997 (both June & December) to 4% in 1998. The combination of severe decreases in both cash and marketable securities are the reasons that the acid test ratio decreased so dramatically. The quick ratios are as follows: .96 (June 96), 2.00 (June 97), 1.38 (December 97), and .86 (December 98). As mentioned previously, current liabilities remained constant and current assets declined. As with the current ratio, the main reason for the deterioration of the quick ratio is the continued loss of current assets. The above ratios and the reasons for their poor trends indicate Chesapeake is currently in a liquidity crisis. This, in combination with the increased debt liabilities, is an extreme warning to both investors and management. This condition also adds to the suspicion that assets are being sold off to fund current debt obligations. The firm†s ability to meet its obligations with cash, as they come due, is approximated by the cash flow liquidity ratio. As previously mentioned, solvency improved and then deteriorated as indicated by the current and quick ratios. The trends are confirmed when looking at cash flow. From 1995 to 1997, Chesapeake†s cash flow liquidity improved from 1.47 to 1.8. 1997 to 1998 showed a large drop in liquidity from 1.8 to 0.95. The company†s financial statement data gives an indication as to why. From 1995 to 1997, short-term solvency improved from 1.47 to 1.8. When looking at the data, cash from operations rose from $55 million in 1995, to $139 million in 1997. The 1997 rise was due to a change in the accounting period. During this same period, cash on hand rose from $56 million to $123 million and marketable securities rose from zero to $13 million. While cash was increasing, current liabilities rose from $75 million to $153 million. Current liabilities doubled during this period, while cash flow increased 150%. The larger increase in cash flow, relative to short-term obligations, accounts for the improvement in solvency during the 1995 to 1997 period. During the 1997 and 1998 periods, liquidity deteriorated as shown by the decrease in the cash flow liquidity ratio from 1.8 to 0.95. The data indicates that cash from operations dropped approximately 32% to $95 million. When looking at the Cash Flow Statement, the large decrease in operating cash is mainly due to the large net loss incurred during the period. At the same time, cash dropped 76% to $30 million while marketable securities fell to zero. Much of the cash appears to have gone to fund the company†s payables and accrued liabilities. Current liabilities were reduced 15% to $131 million. The larger reduction in cash flow relative to current obligations accounts for the deterioration in short-term solvency. The cash flow data confirms that Chesapeake†s liquidity suffered severe deterioration. A reduction in current liabilities is a good sign, but the little amount of cash generated and being used to fund current obligations is not enough. Cash assets are being used to fund these obligations as well. In comparison to the industry debt ratio of .31, Chesapeake ended with a debt ratio of 1.31 in 1998 compared to .71 in 1997. The long-term debt to total capitalization ratio increased from .64 in 1997 to 1.37 in 1998, while the industry average was .44. The tremendous increase in debt was attributable to significantly lower oil and gas prices during the past three years, and a failed drilling venture known as the Louisiana Trend. The company was forced to liquidate assets and take on a substantial amount of debt to meet operational expenses and increase oil and gas field reserves. Chesapeake was added to the Standard & Poor†s â€Å"CreditWatch with negative implications† [Yahoo Finance, Nov. 14, 1999] in December of 1998. The low price of fuel during fiscal years 1996 through 1998 was the primary reason for Chesapeake†s troubles. The debt incurred has covenants restricting the company from seeking additional debt and from paying dividends to preferred stock holders. Principal on a large portion of the outstanding debt is not due until 2004 allowing the company time to improve operations. This will also give fuel prices a chance to rise, which is determinant to the company†s survival. The industry average for times interest earned is 5.2, while Chesapeake†s operating profit was ($856) million. The ratio equated to well below zero in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, interest payments were more than $68 million. The financial leverage index could not be computed since there was not a return on equity. Chesapeake overextended their credit by substantially financing with debt and has jeopardized their ability to make obligated payments for their debt and fixed costs.

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