Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 516 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/09/15 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Paragraph Number| What it says| What it does| #1| Students based on their class of society are treated and taught differently in class rooms. | This first paragraph explains the problem that the author is writing about. | #2| Before the author starts to explain the problem, she’s going to define the social classes. | This is a paragraph describing what’s going to be explained next. | #3| There are 3 factors to decide who goes into which social class. | This explains that relations define which social class you are in. #4| A person who has relation to ownership of capital is considered to be more upper class. | This explains the first relationship to determine your social class. | #5| To be in an upper class, one must own stocks or capital. | It shows some important data that the wealthy has possession of the majority of stock. | #6| The worker class usually doesn’t own physical capital and usually labors in order to gain profits for others. | It gives an explanation to the working class. | #7| The middle class is a mixture of the working class and upper class. This gives an explanation of the middle class. | #8| The upper class has a position of power over the middle and working class when it comes to employment. | This explains the relationship between classes. | #9| The working class majority of the time has labor that requires routine and mechanical with no layout. Middle class has jobs that require some labor and some planning out. | This explains the labor of the separate social classes. | #10| The social class can change for a person at anytime so it isn’t set in stone. The conclusion for explaining the separation of social classes. | #11| The author has decided to study 5 different schools each with different social classes. | It was an introduction previewing readers what they’re going to read on later. | #12| The first and second school are working-class schools where majority of the parents of students here h ave blue-collar jobs. | It shows the situation of the elementary schools to provide readers with the information on how much the working class’s salaries are. #13| The third school is a middle class school where it’s still split up into 3 different groups: low-middle class, middle class, and upper-middle class. | This paragraph explains some careers of the elementary student’s parents. | #14| The fourth school is an upper class. Majority of the students here are white. | This explains the upper class parent jobs. | #15| The last school is an â€Å"Executive Elite School† because the majority of fathers of students are top executives. No minority students attend this school. | It talks about the upper of the upper class and describes how less than 1% of families. #16| The author talks about how each school work will be different. | This is the conclusion to how the schools are separated between classes. | #17| Different classes have different ways for stud ents to learn and how every teacher teaches different. | This is the introduction paragraph to describe the teaching styles of each different class. | #18| The students will have different relations to the authorities throughout the schools. | It explains the relationship between students and staff members of the school. | Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work" essay for you Create order

Summary Of The Heights By Lin Manuel Miranda - 1935 Words

Lin-Manuel Miranda won his first Tony Award in 2008 for Best Original Score for his work on In the Heights, a musical with it’s foundation of music being rap and salsa. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights carefully infuses his latin and hip hop/rap roots into the lyrics and music to create one of the first hip-hop musicals that thoroughly tells a story. In the Heights jumps into three days in the life of the New York City latino neighborhood, Washington Heights and focuses on the dreams and aspirations for latino immigrants. It focuses specifically the story of the two main characters: Usnavi de la Vega and Nina Rosario. Nina is the â€Å"one who made it out† and went to college but is now back in Washington Heights after dropping out of Stanford University due to losing her scholarship. Nina also runs into one of her parent’s employees, Benny, and begins rekindling their love. Usnavi is the owner of the local bodega and dreams of flying back to the Domini can Republic, where his parents are from. Usnavi is in love with Vanessa, a worker at the salon next door, but is too awkward and intimidated to say anything. In the Heights was the first full-length show that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote. It was written his sophomore year of college at Wesleyan College in 1999. At this time, the latin-pop boom was just occurring with artists like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez were becoming popular and featured on the radio. â€Å"We had this shared dual culture of American culture andShow MoreRelatedCultural Diversity in the Neighborhood1951 Words   |  8 Pagesaudience is transported from a simple theatre to the lively street-side of the neighborhood of Washington Heights, New York. This production is the 2008 Tony-winning â€Å"Best Musical† In the Heights. Written and composed by Lin Manuel Miranda, the show combines hip-hop and rap music with a variety of dancing styles to portray the life in the barrio of the immigrant fil led neighborhood of Washington Heights in Manhattan, New York. By watching the show, the audience experiences the struggles of life, which

Land and Ocean Sources of Marine Litter †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Land and Ocean Sources of Marine Litter. Answer: Land and Ocean Sources of Marine Litter The increase in human activity is considered to be one of the primary sources of the marine litter. However, greater contribution to this Litter comes specifically from Land and Oceans sources as outline below. Land Sources of Marine Litter According to Kiessling (2003), local as well as Northern Territory governments based in Australia bear the responsibility for the activities which take place in the given region as a result of which the marine life is negatively impacted upon. This source of waste primarily comes from municipal waste and the storm water management ((Kiessling, 2003). The municipal waste is generated from Littering and inadequate waste management arrangements can be described as a major cause behind land-sourced marine debris (Kiessling, 2003). Around 75-80% shoreline items come under litter are land related sources. This enters the marine ecology through winds and drains (Kiessling, 2003).Furthermore, the article states down other relevant sources of litter caused by various land resources to the marine life such as domestic waste. Ocean Sources of Marine Litter Around 25% sources of marine litter is a result of various ocean activities (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Date, 2009). In the Australian marine environment, the debris combines of the waste left behind various ocean activities which include fishing and recreational boating. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Date (as cited in Background paper for the threat abatement plan for the impacts of marine life debris on vertebrate marine life, 2009), in states that activities which require use of passenger cruise ships, cargo ships, patrolling vessels and research vessels leave behind huge amount of wastes in the ocean which affects the marine life. Furthermore, offshore rigs and oil platforms also contribute to Marine Litter. According to Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Date (as cited in Background paper for the threat abatement plan for the impacts of marine life debris on vertebrate marine life, 2009), aro und 120,000 turtles and marine animals like seals, dolphins and whales are affected by the marine litter globally in an year. References Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Date (2009). Background paper for the threat abatement plan for the impacts of marine life debris on vertebrate marine life. Page 10-15 Kiessling, I. (2003).Environment.gov.au. Retrieved 24 March 2018, from https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/.../marine-debris-report.pdf by I Kiessling - 2003 Page 3-5.

Multinational Strategies, Structures, and Learning of Pearl River Piano

Executive summary The case study is of Pearl River Piano, a company, based in China. The company is seeking to enter into US market. The move is steered by the desire or the company’s CEO to improve quality of the company’s product and secure a Global market. The company’s CEO, Mr. Tong is convinced that the company’s big goal is achievable only if the company secures US market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Multinational Strategies, Structures, and Learning of Pearl River Piano specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since the US market is mature and piano brands in it are of high quality, the company senses the possibility of failing to achieving its major goal. The company made some efforts to enter the market to no avail. There exist various alternatives for foreign market entry. Among them are strategic alliance, assembling, joint venture, licensing and contract manufacturing. It is re commended for the company to use strategic alliance to make the entry. The experts say that considering the company’s financial position and US market perception of products from China, strategic alliance is the best way. Background Pearl Rivers Piano Group (PRPG) was established in 1956, in the southern city of Guangzhou. It emerged from a state owned enterprise with less than 100 employees. During that time, the company recorded low yearly production units of 13 pianos. The company’s production process involved the use of manual skills (Anne Lau, 2002). Later on, the annual production units grew but were still below 1000 pieces annually. The company was located in a strategic place next to a river. It borrowed the name of the river for naming its product. The name of the river was Pearl and from there emerged the company’s name â€Å"Pearl River Piano† (Peng, 2011). In the early 1980s after the Chinese had began the total economic reform process, Pearl River Piano was granted autonomy to import and export. It became the first piano builder in China to import foreign technologies and expatriate experts. In 1996, after merging with few musical instrument companies, Pearl River Piano Group Corporation was formed (Corallo, 2007). Problem statement Pearl River Piano made a great progress in dominating the China market with its products. With Tong as CEO, the progress was not enough. He made relentless efforts to diversify the company’s market. He was particularly interested in the US market.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Tong was encouraged by the level of success the company had attained. However, he was not contented with situation and thought about something bigger. With his undying zeal for success, he was motivated to expand the company’s target market. He proposed for an entrance into the US market. This strategy would have made his dream of building a brand name for the company’s product, a reality. Entrance in the US market would position the company’s product on a Global market spot and built a desired customer perception (Anne Lau, 2002). Analysis of the problem Pearl River Piano started from a humble background as a state owned Enterprise with less than 100 employees and a capacity to build only 13 pianos annually. The development stages of the company are characterized by uniqueness in terms of resources and skills (Neely Pearl, 2009). Its unique location in its country of origin is a resource that cannot be duplicated by any other company. A skilled and innovative CEO, a Mr. Tong, heads the company. With his innovative ideas and experience, he settled for importation of foreign technology and expertise to execute the company’s plans (Corallo, 2007).  The company managed to grow very fast in a short span due to availability of resources such as informa tion and skilled employees. The company had access to updated information about strategies used by his competitors and therefore, managed to formulate counter-strategies for sustainable competition. Mr. Tong made a great input in the company’s success history. He introduced a number of key pillar strategies that guided the company’s performance toward growth and success (International directory of company histories, 1988). The pillars focused on innovation and quality. The innovation strategy ensured the availability of necessary technology, through importation of expertise, to produce high standard and quality products. Innovation also ensured of variety production to meet customer needs by offering a range of products to choose from, for example they developed eight families of pianos. The second pillar was for quality enhancement. The company, through this pillar introduced a total quality management process by ensuring that there manufacturing processes were certif ied (Peng, 2011).  The music industry was another advantageous platform for fast growth. The level of competition was fair. The company successfully conquered a larger portion of the market thus; its market share was stable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Multinational Strategies, Structures, and Learning of Pearl River Piano specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mr. Tong’s relationship with employees was motivational. Employees’ time and efforts were focused on achieving the company’s goals (Yoshihara, 2007). Mr. Tong’s rational target-market selection strategy boosted the company’s performance. The company targeted medium and lower-end customers as opposed to its competitor’s upper-end customers. The promotional activities formulated by Mr. Tong, were influential because they directly spoke to the customers (Peng, 2011). Mr. Tong was so inclined to attempt exploiting the international market. He was interested in the US market. He had information about the US market situation. The market was mature and stiffly competitive. The maturity of the US market was a limiting factor to there entry because, they were still new and changing consumer loyalty in a mature market like US would take a lot of resources time and quality. Another limiting factor to their entry was the perception that US consumers held on China products (Peng, 2011). They perceived products from China as cheap and of inferior quality. Customers who seek for quality would not bend their rights for cheap and low quality products. Therefore, Pearl River Piano still does not stand a chance of succeeding in the US market. Labor costs in the US market were so high and manual labor force was rare as opposed to the situation in China (Peng, 2009).In spite of all these limiting factors to the company’s effort to enter into the US market, Mr. Tong’s ambition to make Pearl River Pi ano a world- class piano producing company was not swayed. In his bid to expand the company’s market coverage and build a global market for the company’s products, he made futile attempts to enter the US market through traditional direct export and partnerships (Peng, 2011). Pearl River Piano is a local company. The Company still relies heavily on its local structure. A local structure is suitable for local operations. Tong needs to understand that US market is an international platform. International trading cannot be successful without an international structure and strategies. Structures and strategies have two-way relationship. That is strategies drive structures and structures drive strategies. Therefore, it is important for the company to consider formulating international structures and strategies, in order to, successfully penetrate into the US market (Peng, 2011). Alternatives and criteria selection A part from the foreign market entry methods tried by the com pany, below are some alternative methods. The company can access which method is best based on there advantages and disadvantages and how effective and efficient they are.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Contract manufacturing: in this method, a local producer will produce the company’s product in the US. The method is formalized by a contract between the local producer and the company. The contract only covers manufacturing thus; marketing activities will be handled by a sales subsidiary of the company (Nickel, 2000). This method obviates the need to invest in a plant, cost of transportation and custom tariff. The company entirely controls the marketing activities. It also enables the company to avoid labor and other problems that may arise from unfamiliarity with the local economy and culture. The company will only lose profit on production activities, particularly if labor costs are lower in the foreign market. There is also a risk of transferring technological skills to potential competitor (Lüthje, Schumm Sproll, 2002). Licensing: the company can also enter the US market through licensing. The method involves a contract between a local producer and the company. The local producer will be licensed with the patents, trademarks and copyrights by international licensing firm. The local producer will produce the company’s product using the licensed skills, market the pianos in the market assigned to him and pay the company royalties based on the sales volume of the product (Tielmann, 2010). The method is beneficial because it is involved with low initial investment costs, it enables the company avoid trade barriers and it is easier to respond to customer needs. Major drawbacks of the method include lack of control on the local producer (licensee); it presents difficulties in transferring of tacit knowledge and has potential for creating a competitor (Root, 1998). Joint venture: in this method, Pearl piano will form a partnership with a local producer. The local producer owns equity share and possess management voice. The partnership results onto creation of a third firm with a different name. This partnership is for a short period as agreed between the parties. This method gives the local producer a better control over the operations (Gilligan Hird, 1986). It is beneficial because it permits the avoidance of and control problems that other entry strategies present. It leads to creation of synergy, allows sharing of resources and improves contact with local suppliers and government officials. It present the following disadvantages, it could results into lack of trust between Pearl Piano and the local producer and conflicts over matters such as strategies, resource allocation, transfer pricing ,ownership of critical assets like technology and brand names (Lymbersky, 2008). Assembly: in this method, Pearl Company will domestically produce all the components or parts of its product and ship them into US to be put together into finished product (Bach, 2007). The company will be saving a lot of money on transport costs and custom tariffs, which are generally lower on unassembled equipment than on finished products. It also uses the local employment, which facilitates the integration of the firm into the foreign market (John Allen, 1998). Strategic alliance: is the process where two or more companies unite to pursue a common goal, while in some way remaining independence. The companies join resources and pursue a goal. In this strategy, the companies must be of different financial strengths (Benjamin, 2006). It helps in the reduction of tax related costs and eliminates culture related issues (Blythe Zimmerman, 2005). Recommendation After a complete analysis of various foreign market entry strategies, it is advisable for Pearl River Piano Company to use strategic alliance to penetrate into the US market. Strategic alliance is an alliance between companies of unequal strength (Neelankavil Rai, 2009). In the US market, Pearl River Piano is considered as one of the weak companies. If pearl unite with one of the strong companies based in the United States to pursue a common goal, while at the same time r emaining independent, the company could succeed in making an entry into the US market. Action plan The company should set up a team of experts to conduct a market research in the US. A detailed report should be prepared on the following areas: annual piano sales levels for existing companies, available market segments, tastes and preferences of the customers, factors that affect taste and preferences, top performing companies in the US market and the strategies they use. With all these details, the management board of Pearl River Piano should target a particular section of the market since it is impractical to focus on the entire market. For example, the company should decide whether it would produce Pianos for church choir use. The company should thereafter, formulate international trading strategies and formulate a company structure that has provisions for handling international business issues. The management should look for an established foreign company that is will agree to th e strategic alliance idea. The companies should thereafter, converge on a drawing table to agree on how they will handle the strategic alliance. After all that is done, the alliance is good to kick off. References Anne, S. T., Lau, C.M. (2002). The management of enterprises in the People’s Republic of China. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers Group. Bach, B. (2007). International marketing entry strategy for the Red//Green Company: The market attractiveness determination strategic implications. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Benjamin, L. K. J. (2006). Market entry strategies of foreign Telecom companies in India. Wiesbaden: Dt. Univ.-Verl. Blythe, J., Zimmerman, A. S. (2005). Business-to-business marketing management: A global perspective. London: Thomson Learning. Corallo, A. (2007). The digital business ecosystem. Cheltenham u.a.: Elgar. Gilligan, C., Hird, M. (1986). International marketing: Strategy and management. London: Croom Helm. International directory of com pany histories. (1988). Chicago, Ill: St. James Press. John, R., Allen, M. (1998). Global business strategy. London [u.a.: Thomson. Lüthje, B., Schumm, W., Sproll, M. (2002). Contract manufacturing: Transnational Production and Industries are in the IT-Branch. Frankfurt/Main [u.a.: Campus-Verl. Lymbersky, C. (2008). Market entry strategies: Text, cases and readings in market entry management. Hamburg: Management Laboratory Press. Neelankavil, J. P., Rai, A. (2009). Basics of international business. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Neely, B., Pearl, D. (2009). Piano for dummies. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Nickel, R. (2000). Contract manufacturing – foreign market entry via contract manufacturing – conceptualization and implementation in industrial goods markets: Diploma thesis. Norderstedt: GRIN. Peng, M. W. (2009). Global strategy. Mason, Ohio: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Peng, M. W. (2011). Global business. Mason, OH: South Western Cengage Learning. Root, F. R. (1998). Entry strategies for international markets. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Tielmann, V. (2010). Market Entry Strategies: International Marketing Management. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Yoshihara, M. (2007). Musicians from a different shore: Asians and Asian Americans in classical music. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Appendices Table: Research budget Items Units Cost/Unit ($) Total ($) Air plane tickets 10 tickets 700 7000 Hotel expense 50 days 50 2500 Transportation 50 days 100 5000 Report compilation – 10,000 10,000 Total – – 24500 This essay on Multinational Strategies, Structures, and Learning of Pearl River Piano was written and submitted by user Bobby B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Child Development Example

Child Development Example Child Development – Article Example Duncan GJ, Magnuson KA. Low income (poverty) during prenatal and early postnatal periods and its impact on psychosocial child development. In: Tremblay RE, Barr RG, Peters RDeV, eds. Montreal, Quebec: Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development; 2002:1-6. Available at: child-encyclopedia.com/documents/Duncan-MagnusonANGxp.pdf Accessed [December 8th 2010]. 1. The main idea of the article is that children on mothers with low overall family incomes tend to display more behavioral problems. This article sought to determine whether or not postnatal family income affects children’s psychological outcomes and if this is the case what causes these effects. The article/study determined there are substantial causal linkages between low incomes and psychological development and provided some implications for policy and services.2. What theoretical perspective discussed in class is evident in the article? Summarize the theoretical perspective and then relate this information to t he article. It is the case that this article focused on school aged children and therefore any findings would not be able to answer whether or not poverty had any effect on infants or toddlers. NeverthelessAs we learned in class the ages between four and eleven will cover both the Purpose (Initiative vs. Guilt) and Competence (Industry vs. Inferiority elements of Erikson’s Stages of Psychological Development. This means that if children simply are unfortunate enough to have this family environment will likely have better outcomes in terms of prototypes/roles as well as their sense of self worth.3. Why is this information important to child development? This information is pertinent to child development because of the implications that this article has on policy as well as services provided by the government. The findings concluded that simply increasing the amount of money that low income families would have would not (All by itself) improve a child’s psychological dev elopment. Moreover this study determined that income transfers may improve a child’s cognitive development but there may not be any effect on social adjustment and as such psychological treatments may prove to be a better alternative.

A List of Arguments For and Against Zoos

A List of Arguments For and Against Zoos Not all animal rights activists love animals. Some respect them because they understand animals have a place in the world. Zoos, especially the ones that are doing everything right, present a special challenge to the animal-loving advocates because they would like to see and interact with the animals. Zoos and Animal Rights Zoo advocates argue that they save endangered species and educate the public, but many  animal rights activists believe the costs outweigh the benefits, and the violation of the rights of the individual animals is unjustifiable. Roadside zoos, petting zoos, and smaller animal exhibitors tend to offer inadequate space for the animals, keeping them in pens or cages. Sometimes, barren concrete and metal bars are all a tiger or bear will know for their entire lives. Larger, accredited zoos try to distance themselves from these operations by touting how well the animals are treated, but to animal rights activists, the issue not how well the animals are treated, but whether we have a right to confine them for our amusement or education. grass-lifeisgood / Getty Images Arguments For Zoos By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of the animals. This exposure and education motivate people to protect the animals.Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators.Many zoos also have breeding programs for endangered species. In the wild, these individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding.Reputable zoos are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and are held to high standards for the treatment of the animals. According to the AZA, accreditation means, official recognition and approval of a zoo or aquarium by a group of experts.A good zoo provides an enriched habitat in which the animals are never bored, are well cared for, and have plenty of space.Zoos are a tradition, and a visit to a zoo is a wholesome, family activity.Seeing an animal in person is a much more personal and more memorable experienc e than seeing that animal in a nature documentary. Some would argue that humans have little, if any duty to non-human animals because humans are more important, and if keeping animals in zoos serves any educational or entertainment purposes, it serves a purpose to the humans, even if that purpose is not beneficial for the animals.Some zoos help rehabilitate wildlife and take in exotic pets that people no longer want or are no longer able to care for.Both accredited and unaccredited animal exhibitors are regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which establishes standards for care. Long Zhiyong / Getty Images Arguments Against Zoos From an animal rights standpoint, we do not have a right to breed, capture and confine other animals, even if they are endangered. Being a member of an endangered species doesnt mean the individual animals have fewer rights.Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom, and confinement. Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals get sold or traded to other zoos, and no pen or even drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild.Baby animals bring in visitors and money, but this incentive to breed new baby animals leads to overpopulation. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos, but also to circuses, canned hunting facilities, and even for slaughter.Some zoos just kill their surplus animal outright.The vast majority of captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild. The offspring are forever part of the chain of zoos, circuses, petting zoos, and exotic pet trade that buy, sell and barter animals among themselves and exploit animals. Ned the Asian elephant was born at an accredited zoo, but later confiscated from an abusive circus trainer and finally sent to a sanctuary. Removing individuals from the wild will further endanger the wild population because the remaining individuals will be less genetically diverse and will have more difficulty finding mates.If people want to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary. A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.If zoos are teaching children anything, its that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable.The argument that children will have more compassion animals they can see life does not hold water. Not one of todays children has ever seen a dinosaur, yet kids are crazy about them.At least one study has shown that elephants kept in zoos do not live as long as elephants in the wild.The federal Animal Welfare Act establishes only the most minimal standards for cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing , food, and water. For example, enclosures must provide sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns. Violations often result in a slap on the wrist and the exhibitor is given a deadline to correct the violation. Even a long history of inadequate care and AWA violations, such as the history of Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, will not free the animals. Sanctuaries also rehabilitate wildlife and take in unwanted exotic pets, without breeding, buying and selling animals like zoos do.Animals sometimes escape their enclosures, endangering themselves as well as people. There have even been incidents of zoo animals eating other zoo animals. In the case of zoos, both sides will argue that their side saves animals. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal community, they certainly do make money. As long as there is demand for zoos, they will continue to exist. We can start by making sure that zoo conditions are the best possible for the animals who are confined to them.

Gillette€™s Energy Drain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gilletteâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Energy Drain - Essay Example Gillette can also use its goodwill in the market to increase brand saliency. It can also show the bigness of the brand by telling people that it is a part of Gillette Family.. It should inform people that the raw-materials used by Duracell are better than those used by competitors. Using the VRIO framework, the firm can exploit its brand to help with the brand positioning. However, since competition threat is high, due to lack of barriers to entry, more competition is going enter the industry and will threat Duracell’s position in the market. This will further drain the resources. However, looking from the SCP model, the firm cannot change much about the structure, it can improve its own conduct and start acting like a market leader. It can also improve the product’s appeal to make it look better than competing brands of batteries. Duracell can also join hands with one of its competitor to share knowledge and technology to operate in the market as a bigger brand. This would also help the new bigger firm to exploit all the benefits of economies of scale and to lower its costs to compete with the cheaper brands of batteries. It will really helpful in improve the financial statements of the company and to tackle declining stock prices and deteriorating income statement. The company should try not to divest the brand as it would decrease the product line and hence the firm will then have all eggs in one basket. It will be harmful for the company because any volatility in the razor’s division is going to have a bad effect on the overall liquidity position of the firm. Hence, the firm should consider merging with another firm in order to increase market share and reduce the intensity of competition in the

Alternative Energy Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Alternative Energy Sources - Essay Example export or import based on competitive pricing and expertise, Bauman (2004, p. 13-15). A free market determines how the global economy functions based on comparative advantage. States are able to specialize on what one does best. Such scenarios would yield into timely production and supply due to the competitive nature of the operation. A free market would provide good incentives for producers to supply and respond to consumer demand. Extraction of renewable energy sources would be done at an increased competitive level of cleaner, cheaper and adequate energy. Private equity investment, free markets attract private equity, which is reasonably important for investment in exploration and exploitation of renewable energy. Private investment injected into projects is crucial towards the creation of employment in the private sector to professionals who may not be fortunate enough to gain meaningful employment in the government. Investors in the energy sector may enjoy various incentives from the government which aims at encouraging investment in renewable energy sources. Such incentives may include tax exemptions, tax credits and infrastructure development in extraction fields. However, allowing the free market can also be catastrophic to the economy, this argument presents a case for argument in favor of government intervention. According to Katrin Jordan (2011, p. 19-25), free-market approach encourages existence of natural monopolies and cartels. Liberalization of the sector would leave cleaner energy needs at the hands of a few with capital resources, thus holding state and industries functionalities at ransom especially when supply costs are low. Monopolies and cartels create an artificial shortage thus increasing the cost of energy. Cartels have in the past been used to cripple crucial government operations thus it becomes necessary for the state to be involvement in

The Spirit and Personality of Man Essay Example for Free

The Spirit and Personality of Man Essay The Spirit and Personality of Man In your opinion, how is the spirit and personality linked? Where does the idea of a spirit fit within your own theory of personality? What is the spirit of a man? Where did our personalities come from? What influences our personality? We know that our environment which includes our family, culture and communities’ influence us but what is behind our personalities? Should we think of the self as a complex chemical substance or as a spirit? We find ourselves identified with God in Genesis 1:26 (New International Version) in this book the Lord God is found speaking to other members of the Godhead and says, â€Å"Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule†, in Genesis 2:7 (NIV), he continues to tell us about our creation in the next chapter by saying, â€Å"the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. This tells us that our personality comes from God and that it is he that has made us and not we ourselves† Psalms 100: 3 (NIV). From a biblical standpoint of view it tells us that we come from God and that our personality is mostly spiritual since Adam had no life until God breathed into him and we likewise. When people die the body is lifeless and is returned to the ground. The Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities believe in the God of heaven (who is a Spirit, John 4:24) and that we took our personalities from him. On the flip side of that Satan worshipers believe that Satan (who is a spirit) is greater than God and they devoutly worship him and are lead by his Principalities, Power and Rulers in their everyday life. That seems to be about or close to half of the world’s population which believes that a spirit being controls their mind, will, and emotions. This informs us of where (I believe) we come from and where our personalities come from. No one, or no thing, is an island unto itself (Hoffman, 1993). Many people believe that we are sovereign unto ourselves, and that there is God’s ways (personality), my ways, and the Devils ways and that is not true. When Adam sinned against God, he gave authority over to Satan which allowed the kingdom of darkness a legal obligation to oppress, and possess me when they sin. Although we did not see happen physically nor do we see it reoccurring physically today, we see the result of the relationship between sin, personality and evil spirit. Every week or two I log on to scoan. org to watch Christian services by Prophet T. B. Joshua. Prophet T. B. Joshua is a Christian, minister, televangelist and faith healer. He is leader and founder of the ministry organization The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) located in Lagos, Nigeria. Most of time during his services before he begins to pray he says, â€Å"Whatever your situation is, whatever your problem is, it might be sickness, disease, cancer, bad luck; whatever your problem, a Demon is behind it†. Then when he begins to lead his congregation in prayer people who are possessed or oppressed by demons began to crawl, slither, gag, spit, and sometimes even want to fight him. What about these people’s personality causes them to behave inhumanly? I would say they are faking but I grew up around the same church environment, plus it is common to read about Demons reacting to Jesus the same way in Mark 9:14 – 20 (New International Version), the man with a deaf and dumb spirit, Mark 1:23-24, King James Version, a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue, and the man with a legion of demons (Mark 5:15 NIV). When the man with the legion of demon had them cast out he was instantly changed from being a savage, into a man of solitude, a sound mind and peace. I do not understand how our spirit and personality actually connected but I do understand that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of darkness are in a war to save or destroy the spirit and personality of man. The bible says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Essay --

Differences and Similarities in The Odyssey and Inferno When going through the stories The Odyssey by Homer and Inferno by Dante, you get the feeling of how diverse, yet similar the two stories are. When reading The Odyssey, you find Ulysses trying to get home to his love, Penelope. He has been gone for twenty years, and through those years, he has struggled with good and evil, just like Dante in Inferno. Ulysses finds himself time after time fighting off gods and their children. Dante, struggling with good and evil, works his way through the nine levels of hell. He is struggling to find where his faithfulness lies. He also is trying to find his way to his love, Beatrice. When reading The Odyssey and Inferno, we find many similarities and differences, from the main characters characteristics, to the experiences within religion during Dante and Homer’s times. Ulysses, in The Odyssey, is the hero who has been trying to get home to his love, Penelope, and also his beloved country. He has found himself at war with many different gods and people, including Neptune, who is not yet ...

Strategic Alliance Between Nokia and Microsoft

Business Administration knowledge assists the implementation of the strategic alliance between Nokia and Microsoft from several aspects. To begin with, decisions about leadership are one of the most disturbing problems in the strategic alliance; interim leaders are appropriate solutions to the issue (Werther, 1998). Interim leaders are those haired from a third party, not belonging to the alliance partners. Compared to selecting a leader from one of the partners, interim leaders have their advantages.It eliminates the assumption from both the public and the employees that one party has the domination, which assists to build a neutral image of the alliance (Werther, 1998). Therefore, Nokia and Microsoft are in a fairly equivalent position in the alliance. Moreover, their focus is the success of the alliance rather than the benefits of one of the alliance parties (either Nokia or Microsoft). Compared to outside consultants, interim leaders also have more merits.Werther (1998) suggests that interim leaders have operational or practical authority instead of advising authority owned by consultants, and they are suitable in the start-up stage of the alliance. As the alliance between Nokia and Microsoft has just begun, interim leaders can be helpful. Interim leaders contribute to distinguishing between â€Å"actual values that are ‘in use’ from stated or ‘espoused’ values that are merely touted for internal or external consumption† (Argyriset al, 1985; cited in Werther, 1998, p. 342). Thus, Nokia and Microsoft should select an interim leader from the third party rather from themselves.In addition, information flow management including intellectual property protection is crucial to the success of the alliance. Microsoft is the leading software company in the world, and Nokia has been the leading phone manufacturer all over the world. Thus, the value of intangible information can be even greater than tangible assets companies own. Howeve r, partners are often in a dilemmatic situation where they want to balance the outflow of information to successfully achieve the task and the protection of intellectual asset (Osborn et al, 2001).The careful management of information is of great importance. Firstly, alliance managers need to have a clear understanding of partner’s intention of learning and the extent to which partners are willing to learn from cooperators (Ireland et al, 2002). Then, suitable organizational control like â€Å"integrating mechanisms and use of interest-aligning incentive plans† (Geringer& Herbert, 1989; Kumar & Seth, 1998; cited in Ireland et al, 2002, p. 437) can be used to manage information flow.When it comes to intellectual property protection, both Microsoft and Nokia should think about the value of the company’s intellectual asset and decide the key components that belong to inadvertent transfer. In this case, Microsoft may need to have a consideration of the safety of cor e techniques involved in providing the operating system. Moreover, Gadieshet al (2002) emphasize the necessity to have an intellectual property audit internally before alliance, with companies whose central capital consist of intellectual property.Lastly, building trust between partners also contributes to the success of strategic alliance. Trust means that the partner’s behaviours will meet expectations, and it leads partners to bear risks and produces a positive effect on the alliance (Ireland et al, 2002). Continuing to show the company’s goals for strategic alliance while partners do the same and demonstrate patience are important actions in building trust (Cullen et al, 2000; cited in Ireland et al, 2002, p. 38). As the problems are usually clearer to middle managers and engineers who experience every day alliance activities (Osborn et al, 2001), thus, the trust and communication building between these people from Microsoft and Nokia cannot be ignored. All in all, experts and managers with sophisticated business administration knowledge are required to implement these tasks. The successes of these aspects contribute to the success of the strategic alliance.

Chapter 01 Gitman

Part One Preparing to Invest Part One Includes Chapter 1Investment Environment Chapter 2Markets and Transactions Chapter 3Online Information and Investing Chapter 1 Investment Environment Outline Learning Goals I. Investments and the Investment Process A)Types of Investments 1. Securities or Property 2. Direct or Indirect 3. Debt, Equity, or Derivative Securities 4. Low or High Risk 5. Short or Long Term 6. Domestic or Foreign B)The Structure of the Investment Process 1. Participants in the Investment Process 2. Government 3. Business 4. Individuals 5.Types of Investors Concepts in Review II. Investment Vehicles A)Short Term Vehicles B)Common Stock C)Fixed Income Securities 1. Bonds 2. Preferred Stock 3. Convertible Securities D)Mutual Funds E)Derivative Securities 1. Options 2. Futures F)Other Popular Investment Vehicles Concepts in Review III. Making Investment Plans A)Steps in Investing 1. Meeting Investment Prerequisites 2. Establishing Investment Goals 3. Adopting an Investment Plan 4. Evaluating Investment Vehicles 5. Selecting Suitable Investments 6. Constructing a Diversified Portfolio 7. Managing the PortfolioB)Considering Personal Taxes 1. Basic Sources of Taxation 2. Types of Income a. Ordinary Income b. Capital Gains and Losses 3. Investments and Taxes 4. Tax-advantaged Retirement Vehicles C)Investing Over the Life Cycle D)Investing in Different Economic Environments 1. Stocks and the Business Cycle 2. Bonds and Interest Rates Concepts in Review IV. Meeting Liquidity Needs: Investing in Short-Term Securities A)Role of Short Term Securities 1. Interest on Short Term Securities 2. Risk Characteristics 3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Short Term InvestmentsB)Popular Short Term Investment Vehicles 1. Deposit Accounts 2. Federal Government Issues 3. Nongovernment Issues C)Investment Suitability Concepts in Review Summary Putting Your Investment Know-How to the Test Discussion Questions Problems Case Problems 1. 1Investments or Golf? 1. 2Preparing Caro lyn Bowen’s Investment Plan Excel with Spreadsheets OTIS—Online Trading and Investment Simulator Key Concepts 1. The meaning of the term investment and the implications it has for individual investors. 2. Review the factors used to differentiate between different types of investments. . The importance of and basic steps involved in the investment process. 4. Popular types of investment vehicles, including short term vehicles, common stock, and fixed income securities such as bonds, preferred stock, and convertibles. 5. Derivative securities such as options and futures, and mutual funds. 6. Other popular investment vehicles such as real estate, tangibles and tax advantaged investments. 7. Investment goals including income, major expenditures, retirement, and sheltering income from taxes. The latter includes analysis of tax-advantaged retirement vehicles. . Building a diversified portfolio consistent with investment goals. 9. Sources of taxation, types of taxable income , and the effect of taxes on the investor. 10. Developing an investment program that considers differing economic environments and life cycle stages. 11. The use of short term securities in meeting liquidity needs. 12. The merits and suitability of various popular short term investment vehicles including deposit accounts and money market securities. Overview This chapter provides an overview of the scope and content of the text. 1.The term investment is defined, and the alternative investment opportunities available to investors are classified by types. 2. An examination of the structure of the investment process is presented. This section explains how suppliers and demanders of investment funds are brought together in the marketplace. 3. The key participants in the investment process—government, business, and individuals—are described, as are institutional and individual investors. 4. Returns are defined as rewards for investing. Returns to an investor take two forms —current income and increased value of the investment over time.In this section the instructor need only define return, since there will be another opportunity to develop the concept of return in Chapter 4, however providing information about recent investment returns is always well-received by students. 5. Next, the following investment vehicles available to individual investors are discussed: short term vehicles, common stock, fixed income securities, mutual funds, real estate, tangibles, tax-advantaged investments, and options and futures. The text describes their risk return characteristics in a general way.The instructor may want to expand on the advantages and disadvantages of investing in each, although they will be treated in greater detail in subsequent chapters. It is vital for any investor to establish investment goals that are consistent with his or her overall financial objectives. 6. Once the investment goals have been well specified, the investor can adopt an i nvestment plan consistent with these goals, select suitable investments, build a diversified portfolio and manage it. 7. Personal taxes are discussed in terms of types of income and tax rates. The investment process is affected by current tax laws.Examples of tax shelters, especially tax-advantaged retirement vehicles, and tax planning are provided. 8. Once investment goals are established, it is important to understand how the investment process is affected by different economic environments. The chapter talks about types of investments—stocks, bonds, and tangibles—as they are affected by business cycles, interest rates, and inflation. 9. Liquidity is defined and short term securities that can be used to meet liquidity requirements are described. The discussion includes a look at short term interest rates and the risk characteristics of various short term securities. 0. The next section covers the various types of short term vehicles available to today’s invest or. There is enough detail about everything from passbook accounts to money market funds to commercial paper that the students should get a good grasp of the differences between the vehicles. Producing information on current rates helps bring realism into the classroom and enhances student perception of the lecturer as a knowledgeable instructor. Answers to Concepts in Review 1. An investment is any vehicle into which funds can be placed with the expectation of preserving or increasing value and earning a positive rate of return.An investment can be a security or a property. Individuals invest because an investment has the potential to preserve or increase value and to earn income. It is important to stress that this does not imply that an investment will in fact preserve value or earn income. Bad investments do exist. 2. (a)Securities and property are simply two classes of investments. Securities are investments, commonly evidenced by certificates, that represent a legal claim. Fo r example, a bond represents a legal claim on debt, and a stock represents a proportionate ownership in the firm.An option, on the other hand, represents the legal right to either buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price within a specified time period. Property constitutes investments in either real property (land and buildings) or tangible personal property (Rembrandt paintings, Ming vases, or antique cars). (b)With a direct investment, an individual acquires a direct claim on a security or property. For example, an investment in one share of IBM stock directly provides the stockholder a proportionate ownership in IBM. An indirect investment provides an indirect claim on a security or property.For example, if you bought one share of Fidelity Growth Fund (a mutual fund), you are in effect buying a portion of a portfolio of securities owned by the fund. Thus, you will have a claim on a fraction of an entire portfolio of securities. (c)An investment in debt represents funds loane d in exchange for the receipt of interest income and repayment of the loan at a given future date. The bond, a common debt instrument, pays specified interest over a specified time period, then repays the face value of the loan (Chapters 8 and 9 cover bonds in detail).An equity investment provides an investor an ongoing fractional ownership interest in a firm. The most common example is an investment in a company’s common stock. We will study equity instruments in greater detail in Chapters 5 through 7. Derivative securities are securities derived from debt or equity securities and structured to exhibit characteristics different from the underlying securities. Options are derivative securities that allow an investor to sell or buy another security or asset at a specific price over a given time period. For example, an investor might purchase an option to buy Company X stock for $50 within nine months. d)Short-term investments typically mature within one year while long-term in vestments have longer maturities, like common stock, which has no maturity at all. However, long-term investments can be used to satisfy short-term financial goals. 3. In finance, risk refers to the chance that the return from an investment will differ from its expected value. The broader the range of possible values (dispersion), the greater the risk of the investment. Low risk investments are those considered safe with respect to the return of funds invested and the receipt of a positive rate of return.High risk investments are those which have more uncertain future values and levels of earnings. 4. Foreign investments are investments in the debt, equity, derivative securities of foreign based companies and property in a foreign country. Both direct and indirect foreign investments provide investors more attractive returns or lower-risk investments compared to purely domestic investments. They are useful instruments to diversify a pure domestic portfolio. 5. The investment process brings together suppliers and demanders of funds. This may occur directly (as with property investments).Most often the investment process is aided by a financial institution (such as a bank, savings and loan, savings bank, credit union, insurance company, or pension fund) that channels funds to investments and/or a financial market (either the money market or the capital market) where transactions occur between suppliers and demanders of funds. 6. (a)The various levels of government (federal, state, and local) require more funds for projects and debt repayment than they receive in revenues. Thus, governments are net demanders of funds. Governments also demand funds when the timing of their revenues do not match their expenditure.The term net refers to the fact that, while governments both supply and demand funds in the investment process, on balance they demand more than they supply. (b)Businesses also are net demanders, requiring funds to cover short and long term operating needs . While business firms often supply funds, on balance they also demand more than they supply. (c)Individuals are the net suppliers of funds to the investment process. They put more funds into the investment process than they take out. Individuals play an important role in the investment process—supplying the funds needed to finance economic growth and development. 7.Institutional investors are investment professionals who are paid to manage other people’s money. They are employed by financial institutions like banks and insurance companies, by nonfinancial businesses, and by individuals. Individual investors manage their own personal funds in order to meet their financial goals. Generally, institutional investors tend to be more sophisticated because they handle much larger amounts of money and they tend to have a broader knowledge of the investment process and available investment techniques and vehicles. 8. Short term investment vehicles are those which usually have lives of less than one year.These vehicles may be used to â€Å"warehouse† temporarily idle funds while suitable long term vehicles are evaluated. Due to their safety and convenience, they are popular with those wishing to earn a return on temporarily idle funds or with the very conservative investor who may use these short term vehicles as a primary investment outlet. In addition to their â€Å"warehousing† function, short-term vehicles provide liquidity- they can be converted into cash quickly and with little or no loss in value. This characteristic is very useful when investors need to meet unexpected expenses or take advantage of attractive opportunities. . Common stock is an equity investment that represents a fractional ownership interest in a corporation. The return on a common stock investment derives from two sources: dividends, which are periodic payments made by the firm to its shareholders from current and past earnings, and capital gains, which result from selling the stock at a price above the original purchase price. Because common stock offers a broad range of return-risk combinations, it is one of the most popular investment vehicles. Two sources of potential return are dividends and capital gain. 10. a)Bonds are debt obligations of corporations or governments. A bondholder receives a known interest return, typically semiannually, plus the face value at maturity. Bonds are usually issued in $1,000 denominations, pay semiannual interest, and have twenty to forty year maturities. Bonds offer fixed/certain returns, if held till maturity. (b)Preferred stock is very much like common stock in that it represents an ownership interest in a corporation. But preferred stock pays only a fixed stated dividend, which has precedence over common stock dividends, and does not share in other earnings of the firm. c)A convertible security is a fixed income security, either a bond or preferred stock, that has a conversion feature. Typically, it can be converted into a specified number of shares of common stock. Convertible securities are quasi-derivative securities as their market value would depend on the price of the common stock and the conversion ratio. (d)A mutual fund is a company that invests in a large portfolio of securities; whereas a money market mutual fund is a mutual fund which solely invests in other short-term vehicles.Investors might find mutual funds appealing because a large portfolio may be more consistent with their investment goals in terms of risk and return. As we will see later, a mutual fund offers the investor the benefits of diversification and professional management. Mutual funds do not offer fixed/certain returns. Mutual funds are quasi-derivative securities as their market value would depend on the price of the assets that make up the fund’s portfolio. (e)Options are derivative securities that provides holders the right to buy or sell another security (typically stock) or property at a s pecified price over a given time period.Factors like the time until expiration, the underlying stock price behavior, and supply and demand conditions affect the returns. (f)Futures represent contractual arrangements in which a seller will deliver or a buyer will take delivery of a specified quantity of a commodity at a given price by a certain date. Unlike an option, which gives the investor the right to purchase or sell another security, futures contracts obligate the investor to deliver or take delivery. Factors affecting returns on commodity contracts include changes in government policy, unpredictable weather, trade embargoes, and so on. 1. Before developing and executing an investment program, an investor must ensure the following: (1)Necessities of life such as funds for housing, food, transportation, taxes etc are fully provided for. (2)Investor is adequately insured against the losses resulting from death, illness or disability, property etc. (3)Establish Retirement Goals Th e seven steps in investing are as follows: (1)Meeting Investment Prerequisites: Providing for Necessities of life, adequate protection against losses, and Setting retirement Goals as iscussed above (2)Establishing Investment Goals: Investment goals are the financial objectives that one wishes to achieve by investing. Common investment goals are: †¢Accumulating retirement funds †¢Enhancing current income through interest income and dividends †¢Savings for major expenditure like home, education etc. †¢Sheltering income from taxes (3)Adopting an Investment Plan: A written document describing how funds will be invested is an investment plan. The more specific the investment goal, the easier it will be to establish an investment plan consistent with your goals. 4)Evaluating Investment Vehicles: In this step, the measures of risk and return are used to estimate the perceived worth of an investment vehicle. This process is called valuation. (5)Selecting Suitable Investm ents: This step involves careful selection of investment vehicles that are consistent with established goals and offer acceptable levels of return, risk, and value. (6)Constructing a Diversified Portfolio: Diversification is the concept of forming a portfolio using different investment vehicles to reduce risk and increase return. This concept is central to constructing an effective portfolio. 7)Managing the Portfolio: Portfolio management involves monitoring the portfolio and restructuring it as dictated by the actual behavior of the investments. 12. Investment goals are the financial objectives you wish to achieve by investing in any of a wide range of investment vehicles. Common investment goals are: (a)Enhancing current income means choosing investment vehicles that regularly pay dividends and interest that can provide all or some of the money needed to meet living expenses. This is a common goal of retired persons and sometimes an important part of a normal family budget. b)Savi ng for major expenditures includes money set aside for such things as the down payment on a home, college tuition, and even an expensive vacation. The amount of money needed and the time period over which one can save will determine the amount set aside and, frequently, the investment vehicle employed. (c)The single most important reason for investing is to accumulate retirement funds. The amount that must be set aside is determined by the level of expected expenditures, expected income from social security and other sources, and the amount of interest expected to be earned on savings. d)Sheltering income from taxes involves taking advantage of certain tax provisions that permit reduction of the income reported to the government or direct reductions in taxes. Investments in certain assets, such as real estate, may be attractive due to their tax advantages. 13. Federal income taxes are charged against all income individuals receive from all sources (with the exception of interest rec eived on some bonds issued by state and local governments). (a)Active (ordinary â€Å"earned†) income is the broadest category and includes income from wages, salaries, bonuses, tips, pension income, and alimony.It is made up of income earned on the job as well as most other forms of non-investment income. (b)Portfolio (investment) income is earnings generated from various types of investment holdings. For the most part, it consists of interest, dividends, and capital gains earned on most types of investments. Passive income is a special category that consists of income derived chiefly from real estate, limited partnerships, and other forms of tax shelters. (c)Capital gains are the profits earned on the sale of capital assets—pleasure, or investment.They are measured by the amount by which the proceeds from the sale of the capital asset exceed its original purchase price. Currently capital gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. Capital gains are appealing to investors because they are not taxed until they are actually realized. (d)A capital loss is the amount by which the proceeds from the sale of a capital asset are less than its original purchase price. Up to $3,000 of net losses can be applied against ordinary income in any one year, with the unused portion carried forward to offset future income. e)Due to the opportunities and challenges created by the tax laws, tax planning is an important part of the investment process. Tax planning involves looking at an individual’s current and projected earnings and developing strategies that will defer or minimize the level of his or her taxes. Tax plans involve current income, capital gains, or tax-sheltered investments. For example, one strategy is to take losses as they occur and to delay taking profits. One deducts the losses and delays inclusion of profits in order to minimize current taxable income. f)In general, tax-advantaged retirement plans allow individuals to defer taxes on the contribution and/or portfolio earnings until some future date when retirement withdrawals take place. There are employer-sponsored plans, such as 401(k) accounts and individual-created plans, such as Keogh plans, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). 14. (a)Young investors, ages 20 to 45, tend to prefer growth-oriented investments that stress capital gains rather than income. These investors have little investable funds, and capital gains are seen as the quickest way to build up investment capital. b)By middle-age, ages 45 to 60, there is a consolidation taking place as family demands and responsibilities change. While growth-oriented securities are still used, investing becomes less speculative. Quality-growth vehicles are employed, and more attention is given to current income. The foundation is being set for retirement. (c)As the investor moves into the retirement years, age 60 on, preservation of capital and current income become the principal concerns. High-quality stocks and bonds and money market instruments are used as the investor’s objective is to live as comfortably as possible from the investment income.During retirement one tries to reap the rewards of a lifetime of saving and investing. 15. The four stages of the economic/market cycle are recovery, expansion, decline, and recession. Recovery is the strengthening of the economy after a recession. Expansion reflects continued strength and optimism about economic growth. Decline involves a slowing-down of the economy after an expansion which may have been moving too fast. Then the cycle moves into recession, the economy contracts and pessimism reigns. Just as things look the worst, the recovery cycle begins again. a)Stocks and equity-related securities (such as mutual funds and convertibles) are highly responsive to the economic cycle. During recovery and expansion stock prices are up. As the decline approaches, stock prices begin to decline as well. Growth-oriented and speculati ve stocks tend to do especially well in an expanding economy. (b)Bonds and other fixed-income securities are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Bond prices also move in the opposite direction of interest rate changes. This means that if interest rates are expected to rise, bond prices would fall, and bonds would not be a good place to hold investment funds.Interest rates generally shift with the economic cycle. Rates rise during normal recovery and fall during economic declines. 16. An asset is liquid if it can be converted to cash (sold) easily and quickly, with little or no loss in value. You would want to hold liquid assets as emergency funds or to accumulate funds for some specific purpose. IBM stock is not considered a liquid investment even though it can be easily sold. As with stocks in general, you can never be sure that, when funds are needed, you can quickly sell the stock without taking a loss. 17.Purchasing power risk for short-term investments occurs when the rat e of return on these investments falls short of the inflation rate. This generally happens to fixed-rate investments such as passbook savings accounts. Most other short-term investments have managed to provide rates of return about equal to the inflation rate when one looks at these short-term rates over long periods of time. Default (nonpayment) risk is very small with most short-term investments. The deposits in banks and other federally-insured savings institutions are protected up to $100,000 per account by agencies of the federal government. U. S.Treasury Bills are perfectly safe and sometimes called a risk-free investment. Commercial paper and repurchase agreements are extremely safe, based upon past experience, even though there have been rare instances of problems. These latter two instruments are also not insured. Money market mutual funds have also had an exceptionally safe history. Of course, the safest money market funds are those which invest solely in government securi ties and are virtually default-risk free. 18. Passbook savings accounts and NOW accounts (a checking account), offered by banks, generally pay a low rate of interest and have no minimum balance.Passbook savings and NOW accounts are primarily used by investors as savings accounts, providing the investor with a highly liquid pool of funds. MMDA’s are bank deposit accounts with limited check-writing privileges. Central asset accounts are comprehensive deposit accounts and combine checking, investing and borrowing activities. MMDAs and asset management accounts are more likely used by investors to earn a competitive short-term return while maintaining liquidity. Each type of account, except for asset management accounts, is insured. All but the passbook account typically require a minimum balance which varies. 19. a)Series EE savings bonds are accrual-type securities, which means that interest is paid when the bond is cashed, on or before maturity, rather than periodically over t he life of the bond. The purchase price of all denominations is 50% of the face value. The interest rate paid is variable. The higher the rate of interest being paid, the shorter the period of time it takes for the bond to accrue from its discounted purchase price to its face value (b)U. S. Treasury bills are short-term (less than one year) debt obligations of the federal government. T-bills are exempt from state and local income taxes, and federal taxes are deferred.They are regarded as the safest, but generally lowest-yielding of all investments, and, the secondary market for T-bills is highly liquid. (c)Certificates of deposits (CDs) are savings vehicles in which funds must remain on deposit for a specified period. Premature withdrawals incur interest penalties. Because of the requirement that they remain on deposit, CDs are less liquid than T-bills, but they are convenient to buy and hold, offer highly competitive returns, and have federal insurance protection. (d)Commercial pap er is unsecured short-term debt issued by corporations with very high credit standings.The secondary market for commercial paper is very limited and yields are comparable to yields on large-denomination CDs. Typically only larger institutions deal directly in this market because the denominations range from $25,000 to the more commonly issued $100,000. Commercial paper is not federally insured. (e)Banker’s acceptances are short-term credit arrangements between business firms and banks. Firms use banker’s acceptances to finance transactions, most often involving firms in foreign countries or firms with unknown credit capacities.Banker’s acceptances typically are denominated in $100,000 units, are low-risk securities, and have active secondary markets. Yields are slightly below CD yields and commercial paper, and above T-bills. (f)Money market mutual funds (MMMF) pool capital of many investors and invest it exclusively in high-yielding, short-term securities, such as T-bills, large CDs, commercial paper, and other similar securities. Because these high-yielding securities are in denominations of $10,000 to $1 million, the MMMF makes them available to individual investors.MMMFs are convenient, offer check writing privileges, and yields are based on the ability of the fund manager to invest in various short-term securities. Although they are not federally insured funds, their default risk is nearly zero because the securities they invest in are very low risk and the fund is relatively diversified. Suggested Answers to Investing in Action Questions Test Your Investment IQ (p. 4) How high is your Investment IQ as measured by the quiz? Answer: The average score was only 37 %, or well less than half. Remember that this is just one of many instruments that could be used to measure Investment IQ.For example, another assessment tool would be essay-oriented explanations of a specified investment’s strengths and weaknesses. Lessons For Investme nt Success (p. 15) (a)Why is it important to start investing now? Answer: One should start investing now in order to take advantage of compounding. A $1,000 amount invested for ten years at 7. 2 percent will double. The same amount invested at the same rate for twenty years will quadruple. Instead of just adding another $1000, you earn an extra $1000 from interest being earned on interest. Furthermore, there will never be an â€Å"ideal time† to invest.Terrorist threats, economic concerns, and alternative uses for the money are always with us. Studies have shown it is more important to invest than to pick the right security. Money not invested is likely to be spent and not provide future benefits. (b)Why is it a good idea to diversify? Answer: Diversifying allows you to spread out the risk that a unique firm or industry event will have a devastating impact on your investment. It is important to diversify across types of assets and nations. Suggested Answers to Discussion Que stions 1. a)Since you fall into the category of a young investor, your key investment goals should be to purchase a house and save for the education of your children. Appropriate investments should focus on the education of your children. (b)You should consider the effects of taxes when investing, especially the tax relative treatment of capital gains and dividends. Your focus should be on maximizing the after-tax return on your investments. (c)Since you have a relatively long investment horizon, it is appropriate to focus on higher-risk investments such as common stocks in your portfolio. . Short-term vehicles play an important part in your investment program. Most importantly they will provide a pool of reserves that can be used for emergencies such as replacing cars, appliances and clothing that wear out over time. Savings or Investment VehicleMinimum BalanceYieldFederal InsuranceMethod and Ease of Withdrawing Funds (a)Passbook savings accountNone0. 5% to $4. 0%, depending on eco nomyYes, up to $100,000 per depositIn person or through teller machines; very easy (b)NOW accountNo legal minimum, but often set at $500 or $1,000At or near passbook ratesYes, up to 100,000 per depositUnlimited check- writing privileges (c)Money market deposit account (MMDA)No legal minimum, but often set at $2,500Slightly above passbook ratesYes, up to $100,000 per depositLimited check- writing privileges (d)Asset management accountTypically $5,000 to $20,000Similar to MMDAsYes, up to $100,000 in banks, varies elsewhereLimited check- writing privileges (e)Series EE savings bondInitial deposit is 50% of face valueAbout two percent above passbook savings accountNo, but Federal government issuePenalty of 3 months interest for early withdrawal (f)U. S. Treasury ill$25Slightly above passbook and NOW accounts No, but Federal government issueSecondary market exists (g)Certificate of depositTailored to investor needsSlightly above asset management accountNo, but as secure as most bank savi ngs and checking accountsPenalty for early withdrawal (h)Money market mutual fundNo legal minimumSlightly below passbook savings accountNo, but has invested in a variety of government and bank issuesMay take a few days to receive check from fund Solutions to Problems 1. (a)Goal$250,000 $31,500 at 8% for 15 yrs. 100,000 Additional requirement$150,000 b)Annual deposit: ? ? $5,524. 50 2. (a)Tax on Allens’ income of $130,000. Looking at the joint tax return rate, we find ? (10% ? $14,000) ? [15% ? ($56,800 – $14,000] ? [25% ? ($114,650 – 56,800] ? [28% (130,000 – 114,650)] ? $1,400 ? [15% ? $42,800] ? [25% ? $57,850] ? [28% ? 15,350] ? $1,400 ? $6,420 ? $14,462. 50 ? $4,298 ? $ 26,580. 50 Tax on Zell’s income of $65,000. Looking at the joint tax return rate, we find ? ($10% ? $14,000) ? [$15% ? ($56,800 – $14,000)] ? [25% ? ($65,000 – $56,800)] ? $1,400 ? [15% ? $42,800] ? [25% ? $8,200] ? $1,400 ? $6,420 ? $2,050 ? 9,870. (b)Allan makes twice as much as Zell. Ratio of Allen’s total tax to income is ($26,580. 50/130,000) ? 20. 45% Ratio of Zell’s total tax to income is ($9,870450/65,000) $ ? 15. 18% Hence higher income earners pay a higher proportional of their income as tax. 3. (a)$50,000. 00/$50. 00 ? 1,000 shares of stock. (b)1,000 shares ? $2. 00 ? $2,000. 00 per year before tax. $2,000. 00 ? 0. 85 ? $1,700. 00 after tax. (c)($1,700. 00 ? 10) ? $50,000. 00 ? $67,000. 00. (d)$50,000. 00 ? 0. 05 ? $2,500. 00 per year before tax. $2,500. 00 ? 0. 67 ? $1,675. 00 after tax. (e)($1,675. 0 ? 10) ? $50,000. 00 ? $66,750. 00. (f)They should purchase the stock. Even though the annual interest from the bonds is more than the dividend income from the stock, after taxes the Pangs will have more money from the dividend income than from the interest income. 4. Cash FlowAmountRateTax (a)Interest$1,00028%$280 (b)Dividends$3,00015%$450 (c)LT Cap Gains$2,00015%$300 (d)ST Cap Gains$2,00028%$560 Solutions to Case Pro blems Case 1. 1? Investments or Golf? This case illustrates the many facets of the investment process; it involves much more than common stock.The authors recognize the value of physical education and emphasize the importance of sports, but a course in investments offers the student a lifetime of financial benefits. Thus, our arguments for selecting the investments course should not be interpreted as a negative statement on physical education, but rather as a positive discussion of the merits of investments. (a)The term investments refers to the process of identifying, evaluating, selecting, and monitoring the placement of funds with a view of preserving or increasing value and/or earning a positive return. Judd has simply identified one investment vehicle stock). He will not know how to evaluate other vehicles, select investments, or monitor them without a course in investments. In addition to looking at his own investments, a course in investing will give Judd a new perspective on the role of investments in the economy. He will learn that as an investor, he is actually supplying funds to government and business which will enable the continued strength and growth of the general economy. (b)Clearly, Judd has ignored short term securities, bonds, options, commodities and financial futures, mutual funds, real estate, tangibles, tax shelters, and limited partnerships.Each one of these vehicles offers another risk reward relationship that may meet certain unique investment requirements that cannot be met by common stock alone. (c)Judd does not have the knowledge needed to carry out the investment process described in question 2. Knowing about common stocks is not the same as understanding investments. There is no reason whatsoever to assume that common stock is the best investment available to Judd. Besides, the investment decision has to be compatible with his goals. Since Judd is just starting his career, in all probability he will not want to choose risky inves tments.Stocks are far riskier than, say, an investment in CDs. There are other considerations too. Does Judd have plans for the future when he will need the money? If so, is it a short term or a long term need? Answers to these questions will help determine whether he should make short term or long term investments. In summary, to gain an understanding of the investment decision and management process, Judd should pass up the golf course in favor of the investments course. Case 1. 2? Preparing Carolyn Bowen’s Investment Plan This case allows students to evaluate a proposed investment plan aimed at achieving certain retirement goals. a)The amount currently available to Carolyn includes $60,000 from the proceeds of the life insurance and $37,500 from her savings account, or a total of $97,500. At 6 percent compounded annually, her money will be worth: If she retires at age 62 (7-year investment): $97,500 1. 504 $146,640 ? $112,500 (house) ? $259,140 If she retires at age 65 ( 10-year investment): $97,500 ? 1. 791 $174,622. 50 ? $127,500 (house) ? $302,122. 50 (The future-value interest factors can be found in Appendix B, Table B. 1. ) (b)Value of Carolyn’s assets at 62 ? value of savings account ? alue of house: $146,640 ? $112,500 ? $259,140 Similarly, value of assets at 65 ? $174,622. 50 ? $127,500 ? $302,122. 50 Carolyn’s annual income at age 62 would be $259,140/12. 659 ? $20,470. 81 Carolyn’s annual income at age 65 would be $302,122. 50/11. 118 ? $27,174. 17 (c) Annual Retirement Income Age 62 RetirementAge 65 Retirement Annual S. S. & Pension Fund Benefits$16,308. 00$20,256. 00 ?Annuity Income20,470. 8127,174. 17 Total Annual Retirement Income$36,778. 81$47,430. 17 (d)Carolyn needs $45,000 per year (before taxes) of retirement income.Without considering the change in her tax status upon retirement, she will not satisfy this goal if she retires at age 62. At age 65 she meets her requirement. The nature of tax legislation and t he reduction in Carolyn’s tax liability upon retirement may make retirement at age 65 viable. (e)Carolyn’s plan is extremely conservative and low risk. The returns from the plan are very secure and probably assured. Carolyn can be confident that the accumulated worth of her investments will be available to her at retirement. Her plan to retire at age 65 meets her retirement -income goal. Carolyn’s plan offers low risk and low return..Through only a slight increase in risk, she might improve her return on investment and have more â€Å"cushion† to allow for inflation and unexpected expenditures. Carolyn could purchase highly rated bond, CDs, and other blue chip security investments. In this manner, her risk aversion would be satisfied, and she would earn a higher return on her investments. This should permit more likely achievement of her retirement-income objectives. Therefore, with very little increase in risk, Carolyn could invest her funds in vehicles that will increase the probability that she will meet or surpass her requirement of an annual retirement income of $45,000.

buy custom Flat Feet essay

buy custom Flat Feet essay The foot is an automatic structure divided into three parts which comprose of the forefoot, the mid foot and the hind foot respectively. The heel is part of the hind foot. The mid foot forms the foot arches, which absorb vibration in the foot. The midfoot is joining the forefoot and the hind-foot. The forefoot contains five toes at the front of the foot. The mid-foot has a transverse arch and two longitudinal arches called the medial longitudinal arch and the lateral transverse arch. The arches of the foot are connected to the forefoot and the heel bone of the hind-foot. The medial longitudinal arch forms a curve with the ground and rises a little from the ground. The foots lateral longitudinal arch is placed at a much lower position than the lateral longitudinal; therefore, the longitudinal is closer to the ground. The arches move aiding walking and running as the movement makes the arches absorb shock (France, Diane 1). The divisions of the feet are the normal feet and the flat fee t. The aim of this paper is to give the comparison of the flat feet and the normal foot. Normal feet are the kind of feet that has a gap under the feet when one is staning, that is, arch of the foot is forms a curve with the ground. Flat foot is a medical condition where the arch of the foot falls and is nearly in contact with the ground or is actually in contact with the ground. Flat feet are extremely common in children due to the fat covering the developing arches. Flat foot can be either a flexible flat foot or a rigid flat foot. Flexible flat foot is the condition where the foot seems flat when one is standing but an arch is present when one stands on heels. In the case of flexible flat feet, the medial longitudinal arch is intact and the arch has not fallen entirely. The condition of a flexible flat foot can be easily be rectified through exercises. In the case of a rigid flat foot, the medial longitudinal arch is entirely absent (Aetna 14). Flat foot is associated with pain in the ankle, the general leg, the knee, the arch and the calf. In contrast, people with the normal foot don not experience pain in areas where their counterparts with the flat feet experience pain. Flat feet may also cause swelling of the ankle. People with flat foot also tend to walk oddly and clumsily and fatigue much faster than those with the normal foot. Other problem aassociated with the flat foot is the shoes of those with the flat teeth tend to wear faster than the shoes of their counterparts with the normal foot. Flat foot is associated with over-pronation. Pronation is the mechanism of absorbing shock when one is walking or running. The mechanism involves the foot rolling inwardly when a person walks or runs. Over-pronation involves too much of the inward rolling which causes the shock absorbed from running to be distributed unevenly in the foot. Pronation involves most of the toes while over-pronation involves involved two toes. People with the normal feet experience normal pronation, which is helpful in absorbing shock. People with flat foot experience over-pronation, which brings other complications. Complications of over-pronation include the knee injury and the foot. Conclusion People have either normal feet or the flat feet. Normal foot has the raised arch and the flat foot is where the arch is in close contact with the ground. The flat feet can be either flexible or rigid where the flexible flat foot is reversible by performing basic foot exercises. Buy custom Flat Feet essay

7 Great Websites for Writers

7 Great Websites for Writers 7 Great Websites for Writers 7 Great Websites for Writers By Mark Nichol From usual suspects to obscure gems, from grammar guides to usage resources, here are some websites of great value to writers: 1. Amazon.com You may have heard of this website a good place, I understand, to find books (or anything else manufactured). But what I appreciate even more is the â€Å"Search inside this book† link under the image of the book cover on most pages in the Books section. No longer does one need to own a book or go to a bookstore or a library to thumb through it in search of that name or bon mot or expression you can’t quite remember. And even if you do have access to the book in question, it’s easier to search online (assuming you have a keyword in mind that’s proximal in location or locution to your evasive prey) than to try to remember on what part of what page in what part of the book you remember seeing something last week or last month or years ago. And then, of course, there are the site’s â€Å"Frequently Bought Together† and â€Å"Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought† features but the book search can be a writer’s salvation. 2. Banned for Life Newspaper editor Tom Mangan’s site lists reader contributions of clichà ©s and redundancies. 3. The Chicago Manual of Style Online My review on this site of The Chicago Manual of Style notes that buying the bulky book, despite its abundance of useful information, is overkill for writers (but not editors), but editorial professionals of all kinds will benefit from the CMOS website’s Style QA feature, which responds authoritatively, sensibly, and often humorously to visitors’ queries. 4. GrammarBook.com The late Jane Straus, author of The Blue Book on Grammar and Punctuation, created this site to promote her book, but it also features many simple grammar lessons (with quizzes), as well as video lessons, an e-newsletter, and blog entries that discuss various grammar topics. 5. The Phrase Finder A useful key to proverbs, phrases from the Bible and Shakespeare, nautical expressions, and American idiom (the site originates in the United Kingdom), plus a feature called â€Å"Famous Last Words† and, for about $50 a year, subscription to a phrase thesaurus. (Subscribers include many well-known media companies and other businesses as well as universities.) 6. The Vocabula Review The Principal Web Destination for Anyone Interested in Words and Language Essays about language and usage; $25 per year by email, $35 for the print version. 7. The Word Detective Words and Language in a Humorous Vein on the Web Since 1995 This online version of Evan Morris’s newspaper column of the same name (some were also published in the book The Word Detective) features humorous QA entries about word origins. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingShow, Don't Tell

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Research Proposal Example The major aim of this design of research is establishment of truth by conceptualization of what is happening by the use of empirical research. This approach, somehow, looks like what most researchers do when they are retrospectively in an attempt to formulate some new postulations that can fit the data (Levering, 1983). Just like in the other methods, my objective here is the creation of concepts that describe how the teenage should deal with their major concerns regardless of place and time. In this case, just like behavioral research activities, parents, teenagers, and community are the units of analysis. There has been a rise in the rate of teenage pregnancy rates and this tends to be a matter of public concern. Teenage behavior has gradually changed with time due to activities and the current perception of sex in the contemporary world (Suri, 1994). In the United sates, the teenage pregnancy graph rises steadily and this has led to the establishment of various research centers aimed at finding the roots and possible solutions to teenage pregnancies. Currently, the United States has initiated an ongoing debate on whether sex education should be included in the school curriculum. If so, what kind of information is to be transmitted to teenagers about sex through the school course? The parents and community have a huge role to play in the lives of teenagers. This is because of the contact that exists between them and teenagers. According to my perception, sex or teenage pregnancy education is the role left for both the parents and community. Teenagers spend much time in near their parents and in the community leaving school teachers with little time contact with them. Actually, teachers are supposed to treat sex education as biological activity in line with the given school curriculum. Both the community and parental actions mold teenage behavior meaning that they have great influence over teenage life (Suri,

Lautreamonts Sewing Machine and Umbrella Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lautreamonts Sewing Machine and Umbrella - Essay Example Descriptions of Lautreamont’s work echo the same type of influences identified in Dali’s work nearly a century after Lautreamont’s death. Working with literature rather than paint, Lautreamont painted pictures in the mind of his readers that were vividly graphic and altogether disturbing in their character. â€Å"One of the earliest and most astonishing examples of surrealist writing, Lautreamont’s fantasy unveils a world – half vision, half-nightmare – of angels and gravediggers, hermaphrodites and pederasts, lunatics and strange children. The writing is drenched with an unrestrained savagery and menace, and the grandiose by turns – possesses a remarkable hallucinatory quality† (Siquiera, n.d.). Lautreamont’s effectiveness is translated particularly in his ability to accurately present a vivid description of an everyday object or creature with such attention to detail and such precise selection of language that his image s leap off the pages to become real before the eyes of the reader, such as in his various uses of animals to more fully represent his intentions. â€Å"These creatures are presented with the sharp eye of the biologist. By likening humanity to animals, Lautreamont achieves a double effect: man comes off as debased and at the same time, elevated: to be like an animal man must be rid of all his pretensions and vanities. It is this pretense to culture and civilized behavior that sicken Lautreamont/Maldoror†.

Nursing In Critical Care Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing In Critical Care - Case Study Example Patients benefit from such practices and procedures; however, there are instances when these processes and procedures are not adequately carried out during the practice. In the emergency department, critically ill patients are often encountered and they often end up being referred to the intensive care unit. Assessments in the emergency unit are carried out on these patients. Such processes yield essential information pertinent to the patient’s care. After such data is gathered and the patient is referred to the ICU staff, information is then handed over to the ICU staff. In some instances, however, the information handed over is incomplete or is not adequately explained to the nurses in the ICU. Such a situation represents a failure of communication between the two nursing teams. In some instances, essential information is not turned over to the critical care nurses because the focus seems to be on the critical condition of the patient. Aside from incomplete information relay ed, there also seems to be a lack of clarity on the data transmitted during the handover process. The handover has been highlighted in the emergency unit I am currently working with as an important process. I have been taught that it can influence the quality and continuity of patient care. Even with these instructions, however, there are still many instances when there are issues and incomplete data transmitted during the handover process. Based on these considerations, it is safe to assume that there are gaps in our current knowledge and practice, especially in terms of patient handover to intensive care nurses. This paper shall seek to establish the possible factors affecting an effective handover process and the different gaps and issues seen in the practice and the application of this procedure.  

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay Dear incoming freshmen, coming into 9th grade is the scariest experience one will have. Unless you have an older sibling, you do not know what to expect. These will be some of the best of times, and some of the worst of times. you will meet people you will like, and people you just can not avoid. You will form relationships with people and become really close to them. You will have to overcome many obstacles during these years of high school. There will be subjects you like, and some that you will dislike. The same goes with the teachers. There will be some you will want to have again next year, and others you wish you never had. My advice to you is to stay strong during these four years, so you can move on to bigger and better things. You should focus on getting ready for college starting now, so senior year can be a breeze. Make sure you do not procrastinate and stay ahead of the tasks thrown at you. Do not make little mistakes like not turning in easy daily work. These daily work grades add up and can get you into lots of trouble. Make sure you hang out with the right crowd, because if you do not do so the wrong crowd can take you down with them fairly easily. Do not take any advice you get for granted. Every advice you get will end up helping you in the long run. So enjoy the next four years of your life, they will surely be memorable.