Global Warming And Its Effects - 948 Words

Global Warming has been devastating the earth and economy for the last twenty-five years. Greenhouse gases developed from the production of chemicals such as R-22, oil, and factories have been destroying o-zone and ecosystems. Carbon dioxide is developed naturally and absorbed by plants and animals, but, too much, and it good be deadly. With the increase in automobiles and production, the world government has begun to address the issue of greenhouse gases with limits and requirements for larger nations, with higher impacts of production and driving. The effects of greenhouse gases and global warming should be a major concern for society because the increased temperatures have caused degradation of permafrost, ozone to deplete, ocean levels and temperatures to rise, and promotes uncontrolled growth of plants and species causing some to become extinct. In the nineties, scientist discovered the largest abundance of greenhouse gases in earth’s atmosphere than ever before. With the high amounts of greenhouse gases, science has drawn a direct relation to ozone depletion (Baltzer). With high amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, the ozone has depleted at an alarming rate. Scientist have discovered that the ozone protects earth’s atmosphere from deadly sun rays and prevents other things inside earth’s atmosphere from exiting out to space, such as heat, that plants and animals could use to stay alive. The ozone has started depleting over the northern hemisphere causing ofShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And Its Effects985 Words   |  4 PagesEnvironmental Science Professor Mahoney 11/11/14 Global Warming Over the last few decades global warming has become one of the biggest environmental issues of all times. Every year, global warming gets worse and it’s affecting the way people live, it is affecting the atmosphere in general, and other living organisms in our planet. Global warming is the gradual and increasing rise of the overall temperature of the Earth caused by the greenhouse effect due to the increased levels of carbon dioxide andRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal warming is directly causing the rise in temperature of the Earth. The melting of the polar ice caps causes some of the most pressing issues including the endangerment of species indigenous to this region and the rise of ocean levels. Global Warming Global warming is the steady rise of temperature of the Earth’s surface. What exactly causes global warming? Numerous sources fuel global warming, such as deforestation, permafrost, and even sunspots. Obviously, many factors contribute to thisRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1331 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Warming Global warming is the causation of the Glaciers melting, sea levels rising, cloud forests drying, and wildlife struggles today. Humans are making this possible because of their release of heat-trapping gasses known as greenhouse gasses by their modern devices. Global warming is the abnormal speedy increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature. It is believed that this is due to the greenhouse gasses that people release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.The greenhouseRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects976 Words   |  4 PagesAs global warming, we understand that is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. It has been an immense concerning all over the world for the past decades since the current cycle of global warming is changing the rhythms of climate that humans, animals and plants rely on. Scientists have studied the natural cycles and events that are known to influence the change in climate to discover what i s originating the current global warming. However, the amount and pattern ofRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1571 Words   |  7 PagesAs global issues today become increasingly controversial, many people are inclined to believe that Global Warming is an issue that can take a backseat to more significant issues that plague today’s society. The information presented throughout my research in regards to the rising sea levels and the melting of glaciers and ice shelves, highly indicates that it cannot. What many Americans fail to realize is that if sea levels continue to rise due to Global Warming, then more than half of LouisianaRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1544 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal warming is one of the vigorously discussed topic on Earth today. According to a TechMedia Network, â€Å"Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to b e permanently changing the Earth’s climate.† (â€Å"Global Warming †¦ Effects†). We have been witnessing the change in Earth’s climate since past few years, and we are well aware of the consequences of climate change as well. Global warmingRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1432 Words   |  6 Pageshas an effect on climate change and contributes to global warming. Yet people tend to turn a blind eye to global warming and label it as a myth, whether they do not believe in it or it is not in their best financial interest to believe in it. Let us take a closer look at global warming and the effects it has on our people, homes and environments. Global Warming has become a rising problem in our world’s climate. It’s time we show the initiative to understand the concept of global warming and showRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects928 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal-Warming Mother Earth is burning as we speak; humanity has killed our precious Earth. Global-warming is a vicious killer that was created by the humans on this Earth, and there s no way to cure it. We, as humans, have the power to cleanse the Earth, but instead we destroy it. Heat is absorbed by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. A greenhouse gas absorb thermal radiation emitted by the Earth s surface. As the sun s energy reaches the Earth’s surface some of it goes back out into spaceRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1416 Words   |  6 Pages Global Warming The earth is getting warmer, animals and their habitats are declining, human health is at risk and the cause of all this terror is Global Warming. Global warming will cause many parts of the world to change. In the next 50 years climate change could be the cause of more than a million terrestrial species becoming extinct. Sea levels will raise which means more flooding and is not good for the plants. With too much water the plants will die and herbivores will lose theirRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1312 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal warming is presenting a lot of environmental and health problems to many countries. A lot of heat gets trapped on earth due to formation of a non-porous layer gases below the atmosphere. The worst effect is felt by developing countries, which are also geographically disadvantaged. The establishment of such countries is on low altitude areas. This position makes developing countries to be direct victims of floods from the melting snow at high altit ude areas. A lot of scientific research associates

Tourism Has Increased Quickly Since 1950 Free Essays

There are a variety of reasons for the increase in tourism levels. First and foremost, things have changed over time, socially and economically. In the 1950’s, very few families had a car, now almost every family have at least one car, if not multiple vehicles. We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Has Increased Quickly Since 1950 or any similar topic only for you Order Now This means that people can drive to airports, to ferry ports, etc. Another reason is due to employment laws; there has been a huge increase in leisure time. This is down to more people receiving paid annual leave (4 weeks on average), people are working less hours for more money so have a higher disposable income and also lots of families have two ‘wage-earners’. Lots of people are now taking early retirement and have generous pensions so can spend their savings on holidays. Another massive factor responsible for the increase in tourism is change in technology. There have been huge advances in aircraft development and additionally, motorways. The Euro tunnel also provides a link between England and France, giving tourists the option of driving to their destination instead of flying or by boat. All this is furthered by the alternative of book holidays and tours online, instead of going into a travel agent. This also gives people the opportunity to research locations before booking their holiday. Finally, and maybe most importantly, there is the actual growth and expansion of the holidays and tours offered. Because of the demand for different holidays, travel companies have created many ‘tailor-made’ and budget friendly holidays, such as package tours and adventure breaks that cater for a wide variety of tourists such as families, couples and students. Package holidays particularly attract families on a tight budget who are looking for a holiday that is both enjoyable and affordable. With lots of travel businesses now offering eco-tourism, tourists are being attracted to the idea of embracing local culture and lifestyle without damaging the environment. Overall, the increase in tourism since the 1950’s is due to multiple factors that, when combined, have made national and international travel much more accessible to a wider range of people. How to cite Tourism Has Increased Quickly Since 1950, Essay examples

Religious Challenges to Constructing a Democratic Iraq Essay Sample free essay sample

Islam has been Iraq’s dominant faith for centuries. The faith plays an of import portion in every facet of Iraq’s society. to include its authorities. A democracy gives freedom to a nation’s people. encompassing the many features of Christianity. It can be argued that Islam is. and will go on to be a basis of any authorities in Iraq. Likewise. Christianity will be a basis of many democratic states. The challenge is to research the relationship of a democracy in Iraq. and whether the relationship will work sing the prevalent Islam faith. The Challenge of Establishing a Democracy in Iraq It has been seven old ages since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. and the remotion of Saddam Hussein’s government. One clear aim since the start of the war was to transfuse a authorities where all citizens could bask the same freedoms of other democratic states. However. transfusing democracy in a Muslim society can be immense hurdle to get the better of. The representative characteristics of a democratic authorities may non needfully aline with the spiritual. norms of a Muslim society. To derive an apprehension of the footing of a democracy in Iraq. the history and prevailing faith must be carefully dissected. The history and associated faith. along with the dogmas of democracy. must be carefully unraveled to pull a comparing between the two. Merely so can one determine whether a democracy can boom in Iraq. History of Iraq Normally known as the place of birth of the universe. or Mesopotamia. to be exact. the country between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is regarded as the possible location of the Garden of Eden. Iraq has been a state of struggle and invasion all the manner back to the 4th century BC. when the vanquisher. Alexander the Great. devastated the country ( Boyd. 2003. p. 4 ) . The Sumerians were the first important swayers. shortly to be followed by Sargon I. the Akkadians. and eventually. the Emmalites ( Boyd. 2003. p. 4 ) . Muhammad’s clip in 610 AD. marked a really of import point in Iraq’s history. During this clip. Islam would come into being. The debut of Islam would convey peace and competition. preponderantly displayed amongst Muslims and Abbasid calif. Centuries subsequently. and the beginning of WW I. British military personnels would occupy the part and enforce their power. Shortly after the war. the League of Nations gave Britain. Syria. and France authorization over the state. Although the state would go independent in 1932. it would once more fall under British control to forestall a pro-Nazi overthrow ( Boyd. 2003. p. 4 ) . In 1947. Iraq eventually gained its independency. Independence would convey about several decennaries of military leaders rule in an effort to form the authorities. These efforts would finally neglect. until 1968. This would be the twelvemonth. the Ba’ath party would take power ( William. 2000. p. 91 ) . One adult male would rapidly mount to the top. due to much quarrelling amongst party ranks. This adult male. Saddam Hussein. would finally emerge as president and leader of the party until April of 2003. Iraq’s history saw much struggle and adversity throughout. but there was one high spot – the debut of Islam. To better understand the primary faith of Iraq. it’s best to take a expression at its histor y. History of Islam Harmonizing to writer. Spencer William ( 2000 ) . in his book. Irak: Old Land. New Nation in Conflict. he notes that Iraq is the â€Å"world centre for Islam† ( S. William. 2000. p. 31 ) To derive a better understanding about the people of Iraq. it is of import to take a expression at the history of its chief faith. Islam traces its roots back to the prophesier. Muhammad ibn Abdallah ( 570-632 AD ) . Muslims believe that Muhammad followed God’s instructions through disclosures from the Archangel Gabriel. Muhammad called on the people to admit a religion in Allah ( Gregorian. 2003. p. 5 ) . Allah was the Arabic word for God. and believed to be the God of Abraham. Moses. Jesus. and Muhammad ( Gregorian. 2003. p. 5 ) . Revelations came to Muhammad. get downing in 610 during the 9th lunar month. or Ramadan. until his decease in 632. These disclosures were transcribed in the Qur’an. Author Gregorian ( 2003 ) notes the words of the Qur’an: â€Å"It is cult of y our male parent. Abraham. He was the 1 who named you Muslims† ( Gregorian. V. 2003. p. 6 ) . â€Å"Muslims† would go the name for those who follow the Islam religion. Islam is similar to Judaism and Christianity in that it is a prophetic faith. This means the reception of God’s messages to humanity through Prophetss. The nucleus maxims of Islam are Towhid. the integrity of God ; Nowbowat. belief in the prophetic mission of Muhammad ; and Ma’ad. belief in the twenty-four hours of judgement and Resurrection ( Gregorian. 2003. p. 7 ) . Additionally. there are five dogmas called the Pillars of Faith that every Muslim must detect as follows: bear true religion in God. and that belief in Muhammad as his prophesier ; to pray five times a twenty-four hours towards Mecca. give a part of his or her income as a revenue enhancement. and one fifth of their income to the hapless ; fast during the twenty-four hours. the whole month of Ramadan ; and do at least one pilgrims journey to Mecca. if able. The early spread of Islam was rather singular. About all the folks of Arabia had converted to Islam in 632. upon Muhammad’s decease. Almost a century after the faiths birth. the Muslim community would turn into one of the largest in the universe ( Gregorian. 2003. p. 11 ) . The Qur’an notes coexiststance with Jews and Christians. and identifies them as â€Å"People of the Book† ( Gregorian. 2003. p. 9 ) . Muslims believe it was Abraham and his boy Ishmael who rebuilt the Kaaba in Mecca. which is believed to be the oldest monotheistic temple. Along with Abraham. Muslims consider Moses and Jesus to be great Prophetss. Like Christians. Muslims accept the New Testament. However ; unlike Christians. Islam did non prolong a centralised organisation. ( Gregorian. 2003. p. 14 ) . The decentalisation of Islam would ensue into two chief religious orders ; the Sunni and Shia. Through the disclosures received by Muhammad. and divisions of the faith there is still common dogmas. To understand the faith wholly. an reading of the rules and features is in order. Dogmas of Islam Islam is a faith based on pluralism. It is believed that the absence of spiritual professionals in the faith led to emergence of several different religious orders. which practiced the religion otherwise. This historically. and common twenty-four hours. has led to challenge and competition among these different religious orders ( Omer. 2003. p. 122 ) . It seems the loan Islam demand is that every bookman construe the Qur’an in conformity with his or her historical background. This will take to a practical apprehension of the faith. One of import observation about the faith and its relationship with authorities is stated by the taking bookman. Omer ( 2003 ) . â€Å"Islamic divinity does non incorporate a comprehensive list of injunctions about the theory of political administration. The Qur’an lone references a figure of moral rules. which are relevant to political administration. and non about its cardinal rules and organisational structure† ( Omer. 2003. p. 108 ) . It has been noted that the Qur’an alludes to past societies and swayers. but focuses chiefly on how these swayers provided justness instead how they formatted the construction of political relations. Slightly similar to beliefs of Christianity and Judaism. parts of the Qur’an identify Acts of the Apostless of evildoing committed by former societies/rulers as evidences for devastation by God. Those who were merely swayers and obeyed God’s orders. were favored. Harmonizing to Omer ( 2003 ) . â€Å"Prophets like David and Solomon. who besides served as male monarchs. were the type of swayers who are praised in the Qur’an for moving rightly and pityingly towards their people† ( Omer. 2003 p. 108 ) . As celebrated above. the Qur’an is focused on the moral behaviour of societies instead the format of political relations. With this being said how would it associate to a democracy? To find any relation. the history of democracy should be examined for compatibility. History of Democracy Democracy comes from the Grecian word demokratia. intending â€Å"the people. † and kratein. intending â€Å"to rule† ( Strauss. 1994. p. 32 ) . The Grecian system of authorities was really near to being a true democracy. or regulation by the people. than any other state in history. Every male Athenian citizen was given a opportunity to play at least a little portion in self-determination ( Strauss. 1994. p. 33 ) . Roman democracy was similar to that of Greece. but non to same extent. The Roman authorities was a representative democracy. which had elected functionaries ( magistrates ) such as tribunes. the pretors. the consuls. the pro-consuls. etc. These persons acted for Rome. but did so on the advice of the Senate ( North. 1994. p. 39 ) . In 1215 AD. the Magna Carta opened the door to a more democratic system in England. Although its development wasn’t needfully intended to be a theoretical account for a democratic authorities. it had the interior workings to make a democratic authorities by. Created through an act of rebellion. the papers was solution to feudal administration. The Magna Carta contained some brawny clauses that in wining centuries evolved into anchor rules of democratic authorities and human rights ( Sharp. 2006. p. 28 ) . In 1628. England’s Petition of Rights stipulated that the King could no longer revenue enhancement without parliament’s permission and the 1689 Bill of Rights provided freedom of address and banned cruel or unusual penalty. These measures would hold an impact on Parliament by giving the people more right to show themselves. These old reforms may non hold made England a true democracy at the clip. but they did integrate democratic ideals that would be finally used to organize the authorities of the United States. With an apprehension of the beginnings of democracy. it’s of import to look at how the predominate faith in America relates to it. Christianity and Democracy Democracy development matched that of Christianity. dating back to the 3rd century to Aurelius Augustinus. who was really of import for conveying Grecian thought into Christianity. Augustinus. or Augustine of Hippo is a saint and well-renowned expert in the church. He’s besides known by Protestants as ascendant of Protestantism. Augustine purposes were to acquire Christians to acknowledge the differentiation between church and province. His work supported the thought of a incorporate Christian commonwealth organisation ( Maddox. 2002 p. 91 ) . A ulterior theologist. Jean Calvin. would construct upon what Augustine started. Jean Calvin would go a dominant spiritual figure through his widespread Protestant influence and Restoration of the church’s institutional construction ( Graham. 2002. p. 121 ) . Calvin influenced the authorities of Geneva to incorporate the official maps of church and restatement of natural jurisprudence. intending to function the involvements of God ’s kingdom ( Graham. 2002. p. 123 ) . His insisting on the separation of church and province led to the tem â€Å"Calvinism. † Calvinism referred to the opposition against the province to put down Torahs for faith. Calvinism would subsequently distribute to America. with a publicity of spiritual freedom -true dogmas of a democracy. Within the Christian tradition there are differences between Catholicism. Orthodox Christianity. and Protestantism. but all portion a common subject when it comes to Christianity and democracy. Minkenberg ( 2007 ) makes the remark that. â€Å"recent informations and cross-time comparings confirm that democracy’s roots are in states which are culturally shaped by Christianity† ( Minkenberg. 2007. p. 887 ) . Furthermore. it can be argued that Western civilisation offprints faith and the province as in conformity with the dogmas of a democracy. The separation is major subscriber to the freedom enjoyed by the Western Civilization ( Minkenberg. 2007. p. 893 ) . It’s hard to state whether faith should blend with the province. but understanding the steering rules of democracy may assist in replying this inquiry. Dogmas of Democracy Before comparing the relationship between Islam and democracy. a elucidation of democracy is in order. Democracy is accepted by political idea pupils as a agency of administration. prevailing in both traditional and modern societies ( Omer. 2003. p. 107 ) . The construct of democracy good known for its laterality in Western civilisation ( Giovani. 1987. p. 3 ) . Harmonizing to Giovani ( 1987 ) . democracy literally means â€Å"power of the people. † and that the power belongs to the people ( Giovani. 1987. p. 7 ) . The ill-famed values of democracy are human rights and autonomies. and authorities representatives chosen by the people. The basiss of a democracy are characterized by the procedure of election. the constitution of answerability systems and the execution of the regulation of jurisprudence ( Spicker. 2008. p. 252 ) . Principles. such as human rights and autonomies. must be in topographic point in order for a authorities to be genuinely labeled a democracy. This is includes periodic elections. constitutional authorities. bulk regulation. and handiness of the media ( Omer. 2003. p. 107 ) . Two major signifiers of democracy are direct or indirect. In a authorities based on direct democracy. determinations are taken by the whole organic structure of citizens. Indirect democracy is normally represented by a little group of citizens. who make determinations on behalf of the whole organic structure. Indirect democracy is normally more common. These dogmas are merely some of the demands for a authorities or society to earn the â€Å"democracy† label. Understanding the background of Islam and democracy is merely a start. To find whether they can coexist. a comparing is in order. Islamic Thought vs. the Keystones of a DemocracyCaliphate. emperorship and kingship types of authorities had a long history for Muslim societies. but were non built-in with Muslim beliefs. However. this was non needfully a urgent issue for Islam ( Omer. 2003. p. 106 ) . Harmonizing to Omer ( 2003 ) . the five major spiritual beliefs in the universe ( Christianity. Confucianism. Buddhism. Judaism and Islam ) . Islam has been furthest from democracy ( Omer. 2003. p. 106 ) . Loyalty to the household and to the folk does non aline with the rules of democratic authorities. where as the bulk regulation ( Ben-Meir. 2006. p. 84 ) . Even today. most Muslim states are governed by non-democratic governments. Some of these governments have constructed autocratic constructions under the absolute regulation of a cult leader. a party leader. or a male monarch. These types of authoritiess do non set peoples’ rights as a precedence to running the state. Whereas. The most cardinal values of democracy are human rights and autonomies. Omer ( 2003 ) states that â€Å"it has been apparent that democracy. among its options. is the alone signifier of authorities that strives to vouch the rights of all minorities and persons on the footing of the regulation of law† ( Omer. 2003. p. 107 ) . Even though there are differences between Islamic and democratic idea. there is hope. India’s success at set uping democracy in respects to its nation’s faiths. is testament that Islam and democracy can blend. This leads to the really of import inquiry: can a democracy return clasp in Iraq. sing the Islamic beliefs of the state? Can Democracy Take Hold in an Islamic Iraq? On one manus ; extremist Islamic attacks or reactive motions. seem to reject everything that comes from the West. This attitude can belie the societal footing of seeking to do democracy in a Muslim state work ( Omer. 2003. p. 132 ) . Another issue for the Iraqi people is the political orientation of political Islamism. The faith is non needfully open to the nucleus values and patterns of democracy. viz. pluralism and power-sharing ( Tibi. 2009. p. 136 ) . On the other manus ; it seems after the remotion of Saddam. faith has become a new credo for opposition against foreign presence. Islam is one time once more being promoted as an across-the-board facet of life for the Iraqi people. Harmonizing to Milton-Edwards ( 2006 ) . â€Å"there is now an attempt to procure the individuality of the society – including the province – on the footing of faith† ( Milton-Edwards. 2006. p. 473 ) . Some intellectuals have concentrated on the rebuttal inherent in Muslim fundamental ist statements against democracy. One of the writers of this discourse. Abdel Karim Soroush. proclaimed that rules of democracy remain compatible with Islam ( as cited in Milton-Edwards. 2006 ) . It seems that the Iraq Muslims need to understand the dogmas of a democratic civilisation in order for it to be successful. Clearly. democratic ideals are most in melody with the dogmas of Islam. non the autocratic political constructions predominating in some states environing Iraq. The system of rights and autonomies under a democracy may non stand a opportunity without the support of the Islam faithful. This is supported by professor Milton-Edward’s mention. † because of this there is a widespread belief that in Iraq Islam is an inhibitor to the development of democracy in a post-authoritarian. post-war. post-occupation province. My statement here. nevertheless. is that without Islam the development of the Iraqi civil order in footings of both province and state will be stunted. unreal and limited in footings of the development of democratic governance† ( Milton-Edward. 2006 ) . Iraq can change over to a democracy. but Islam needs to play an of import portion in this transition. Decision Instilling democracy in a Muslim society can be a immense hurdle to get the better of. The representative characteristics of a democratic authorities may non needfully aline with the spiritual. norms of a Muslim society. Looking at the history of Iraq and Islam and comparing it to the history of a democracy. it seems the comparing is black and white. Further comparing of the dogmas of Islam and democracy reveal few similarities. This diffence was highlighted by the many beginnings researching the relationship of a democracy in a Muslim society. Islam contains moral rules refering values that determine the way of societal life. With this being said. it can be argued that these moral rules are more compatible with a democratic than a nondemocratic government. Democracy and its dogmas did non happen quickly and the same can be said for Islam. This means the freeze of a democratic signifier of authorities in Iraq is traveling to take clip. However. in my sentiment. I believe it could be rather plausible. The footing of Islam is on moral behaviour of societies instead than the format of political relations. as noted above by Dr. Omer. I agree with this impression. as it implies a separation of the province and the faith. Democracy’s publicity of human rights and autonomies and its alliance with Christianity. portions similar nucleus beliefs as Islam. In stoping. we can merely trust there is credence of democracy in an Islamic Iraq. and that one twenty-four hours all Iraqi citizens will bask the same freedoms as other democratic states. Mentions Ben-Meir. A. ( 2006 ) . Challenges to democracy in the Arab and Muslim universe. Options:Turkish Journal to International Relations. 5. ( 1 A ; 2 ) . 82-91. Boyd. H. ( 2003 ) . Iraq’s troubled history. The New York Amsterdam News. 94 ( 13 ) . 4. Giovinni. S. ( 1987 ) . The theory of democracy revisited. [ Part 1 ] . [ The Contemporary Argument ] . Chatham House. Chatham. N. J. 8.Gregorian. V. ( 2003 ) . Muslimism: A mosaic. non a monolith. Brookings Institution Press.Washington. D. C. 5-14.Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. netlibrary. com. Yosemite. wbu. edu/Reader/ Maddox. G. ( 2002 ) . Religion and the rise of democracy. Ebsco Publishing. London ; New YorkRoutledge. 91. 121-123.Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. netlibrary. com. Yosemite. wbu. edu/Reader/ Milton-Edwards. B. ( 2006 ) Faith in Democracy: Islamization of the Iraqi Polity after Saddam Hussein. Democratization. 13. ( 3 ) . 472–489. Milton-Edwards. B. ( 2006 ) â€Å"Conversation with Abdol Karim Soroush. † Intellectuals: The Powerless Wielders of Power. Minkenberg. M. ( 2007 ) . Democracy and Religion: Theoretical and Empirical Observations on the Relationship between Christianity. Islam and Liberal Democracy. Journal ofCultural and Migration Studies. 33. ( 6 ) . 887. North. J. ( 1994 ) . Democracy in Rom e. History Today. 44. ( 3 ) . 39. Omer. C. ( 2003 ) . Islam and Democracy: A Theoretical Discussion on the Compatibility of Islam and Democracy. Options: Turkish Journal to International Relations. 2. ( 3 A ; 4 ) . 108. 122.Sharp. C. ( 2006 ) . Magna Carta. British Heritage. 27. ( 3 ) . 28. Spicker. P. ( 2008 ) . Government for the people: the substantial elements of democracy.International Journal of Social Welfare. 17. 252.Strauss. B. ( 1994 ) . American democracy through ancient Grecian eyes. History Today. 44. ( 4 ) . 32. Tibi. B. ( 2009 ) Islamism and Democracy: On the Compatibility of Institutional Islamism and thePolitical Culture of Democracy. Totalitarian Motions and Political Religions. 10. ( 2 ) .135–164.William. S. ( 2000 ) . Irak: Old Land. New Nation in Conflict. Twenty-first Century Books.Brookfield. Conn. 39-40. 91.Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. netlibrary. com. Yosemite. wbu. edu/Reader/

Pressures of society on celebrities free essay sample

My topic focuses on societal pressures on celebrities and people. While research may confirm that both celebrities and people have the same problems, you can’t help but notice that celebrities are more judged. This is a highly controversial topic because we are so quick to judge someone based on their actions without really knowing them. While some people think celebrities are a bad influence some still think they can also have some benefits to the community. People and celebrities go through some of the same problems, the only difference is celebrities have no privacy in their personal lives and they are put on a higher pedestal. However, we may never know if the high pressures of society will ever change and be more open minded before judging people based on their outside appearance and mistakes. Jack Marshall’s article, â€Å"The Sexualization of Teen Celebrities Is Ethically Questionable,† discusses young teens that idolize stars and want to be just like them so they dress and act the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Pressures of society on celebrities or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Similarly, Julie Mehta article, â€Å"Celebrity Culture Promotes Unrealistic Body Images,† discusses how the younger generations want to look like celebrities and view that their bodies are not as fit or thin enough. Despite the fact that the articles bring up different questions about how we look up celebrities too much, the authors both argue celebrities are idolized too much. Marshall does this by stating, â€Å"The early sexualization of TV actresses whose fans are young teens and pre-teens has a strong rippling effect across the culture, encouraging girls to go where their idols appear to be going†. This statement points out that the younger generation wants to be their idols so much that they start mocking what they do. Mehta begin her argument by saying, â€Å"Perfect images of perfect celebrities are everywhere, and it’s enough to make anyone feel insecure or envious. † (Mehta. ) The article describes the flawless images of celebrities in the media can disturb one’s thought about body image and self-esteem.. She goes on to state, â€Å"Seeing all those artificially perfected images can hurt your body image- the way you see and feel about your body and the way you think others see you. I feel like that will get us closer to the glitz and glamor of their life. Another source that talks about the pressures of society is Chris Hedges’s article, â€Å"Celebrity Culture is Harmful. † He discusses how celebrity culture only results to self absorption and materialism. This also connects to the main point of Emily Stimson’s article, â€Å"Celebrity Culture Harms Teens. † Their article sheds light on the obsession of celebrities and how dangerous their influence really has on the younger generation. Both articles talks about celebrities’ fame disturbing our society. Hedges and Stimson both talk about star’s lives as only the matter about wealth, fame and don’t have a touch of reality. He states that, â€Å"gossip and chatter dominate what really matters in the nation † (Hedges. ) With this statement one could say he is right, people are more bound to watch television talking about the latest sandal with down spiraling celebrities than watching Fox 4 news talk about the war in Iraq. Stimpson states that, â€Å"American teenagers are obsessed with celebrities and becoming famous, which has negative emotional and social consequences† . The authors go on to fully detail what is wrong with our community and their reasons they think that celebrity culture has ruin our society. In conclusion, this research may be used to support that celebrities are idolized too much and once they make a mistake, we throw it out of proportions, and we criticize them for it. While some of the articles focus more on celebrity obsession, the other articles take into consideration that maybe it isn’t their fault that they are so corrupted, but because of the pressure of being perfect that corrupts them. When will we realize that we put too much pressure of stars? How will they be able to make a mistake, when to them it feels like they are walking on eggshells? And once they make a mistake we are there to judge them and talk down on them, because they got caught. No one is perfect, so why do we have such high standards for them to be? We yearn to be center of attention, to be noticed and admired. We build social media sites only for the sole purpose to present our image in the world. Why are willing to give up our privacy to become famous? We have become so infatuated with celebrities and their fame that we watch everything they do so we can do our best to be just like them. Has our society become so obsessed with money and power that we have lost track on what is really important in the world? That is a better question.

Forensic Accounting Essay

Forensic Accounting Essay Forensic Accounting Essay THE EVOLUTION OF THE ACCOUNTING QUALITY MODEL Sam Ferguson Regis University Innovation in the Era of â€Å"Big Data† provided a standardized Computer Readable Language & eXtensible Business Reporting Language Oversight & The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission’s â€Å"RoboCop† Introducing... XBRL ïÆ'Ëœ In 1998, Charlie Hoffman, the â€Å"father of XBRL,† combined XML with HTML for user-defined data tagging ïÆ'Ëœ Each tagged element offers currency, balance type, and period. ïÆ'Ëœ Layer in taxonomies linking the data to accounting principles. ïÆ'Ëœ Offers standardized financial report format. ïÆ'Ëœ XBRL becomes a â€Å"Twitter hashtag for the financially savvy† THE ACCOUNTING QUALITY MODEL THE SEC†S â€Å"ROBOCOP† ANALYZES DISCLOSURES WITHIN 24-HOURS POSTED TO EDGAR Provides quantitative analytics to degree of anomalies in filing GENERATES RISK SCORE AS TO LEVEL OF POSSIBLE FRAUD RISK SCORE USED TO COBORRATES/INVALIDATES FRAUD TIPS SEC EXAMINERS FURTHER REVIEW FLAGGED FINANCIALS SEC RESPONDS WTIH COMMENT LETTER, INFORMAL INQUIRY, OR AUDIT â€Å"RoboCop’s† Profiling Techniques Earnings Management Analysis Revenue Earned but not Received DISCRETIONARY & NON-OBLIGATORY Add Expenses incurred but not Paid Accrued Revenue Accrued Expense s ACCRUALS Deferred Revenue Transfer to a Liability Revenue but not Earned Risk Indicators: ïÆ'Ëœ Earnings Quality Management ïÆ'Ëœ Quality & Quantity of Discretionary Accruals Comparative to Peer Industry Group NON-DISCRETIONARY & OBLIGATORY Deferred Expense Transfer to an Asset Unused Expense Amount Risk Inducers: ïÆ'Ëœ Decrease of Market Share ïÆ'Ëœ Lower Profitability Margins FALSE POSITIVES* *†RoboCop† analysis produces risk score for benign anomalies PROS CONS âÅ"Å¡ Customizable factor-based analysis to specific needs âÅ"Å¡ Includes discretionary accruals factors in its regression analysis - Costly disruptions of sec inquiries damaging effects to reputation EVOLUTION OF THE â€Å"ROBOCOP† ïÆ'Ëœ Creation of Financial Reporting & Audit Task Force and Microcap Fraud Task Force ï‚ ² Provides accounting & legal oversight to â€Å"RoboCop† ï‚ ² Expands policing to securities issued by microcap companies ïÆ'Ëœ New analytical tool to review supporting written documentation to disclosures ï‚ ² Parses the word & phrases common in past fraudulent activity ï‚ « Seek out overuse of words & â€Å"under-disclosure of risk† Recommendations for compliance  File Accurate XBRL Reports  Implement Conservative Accounting Policies  Conform to Peer Industry Group Practices  Adequately Document Policies  Stay Current on SEC Regulatory Activity  Be Prepared for an SEC Inquiry Bibliography ACFE. (2013, August). The Fraud Examiner. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from ACFE: acfe.com/fraudexaminer.aspx?id=4294979300&terms=(check) Anderson, G. (2014, August 15). Retail Wire. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from Forbes: forbes.com/sites/retailwire/2014/08/15/will-amazon-be-using-merchants-who-use-amazon-localregister/ Brands, C. K. (2012, December). The SEC and Interactive Data. Strategic Finance , pp. 56-57. Brands, CMA., K. (2013, September). XBRL SEC Filings Are Hampered By Errors. Strategic Finance , pp. 56-57. Brands, K. (2014, June 28). Discussions. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from Regis University World Class: https ://connect.regis.edu/p66ymuyj580/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal Brands, K. (2014, June 27). Discussions. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from Regis University World

Analysis of the Authors Satire on the Presentation of Products to Consumers in The Onion

Analysis of the Author's Satire on the Presentation of Products to Consumers in The Onion In the mock press release from, The Onion, the author satirizes how products are marketed to their consumers and how people are gullible enough to believe all that marketers say about their product. By describing MagnaSoles, a fake product, the author brings about humor and realization in that most marketing campaigns are bogus. To achieve their purpose, the author uses his diction, appeals to ethos, and includes imagery to satire marketing. By using his diction, the author’s connotation behind his words satirizes marketers and the ridiculous claims that they place on their products. Through describing MagnaSoles as a, â€Å"total-foot rejuvenation system†, the reader can hear the sarcasm dripping from these words. Usually, these specific types of words are used in overplayed infomercials which overhype the product in attempt to sell. When a fake consumer describes their â€Å"intelligent† decision to buy MagnaSoles, they comment on how the product is â€Å"clearly endorsed† by doctors. Using these words, along with fake scientific-sounding jargon, reveals the connotation that people are gullible for believing that these doctors are real, just as many consumers of actual products for sale believe these products are endorsed by â€Å"doctors†. These doctors’ endorsements are used to make the product seem better and the gullible consumers believe what is put in front of them. With the phrase, â€Å"healing power of crystals†, the connotation is implied that anyone should see how this is clearly fake, satirizing how many customers believe anything a products’ website says. Through using diction, the author pokes fun at marketers and those dumb enough to fall for their bogus products. The author also appeals to ethos to satire marketers and their consumers by showing how those who are interested in buying a product, will believe anything they hear. By using customers testimonies, the product seems to actually works, and creates so called proof that the product does what it claims. This account creates a liaison between the customer and the marketer as people will believe â€Å"real† people. By using Helen Kuhn’s testimony of her saying, â€Å"Just try to prove that MagnaSoles didnt heal me†, the product seems to have proof that it works just as many real ads do. Using customer reviews on the MagnaSole, just as infomercials do, pokes fun at those who purchase certain products after hearing good reviews, whether it be from a friend or the TV. By using quotes from Dr. Arthur Bluhe, â€Å"the pseudoscientist who developed the products†, the audience becomes susceptible to being manipulated by the company as this man is posing as a doctor an d seems to know what he is talking about. Companies who create bogus products like MagnaSoles are being satirized through this as many use â€Å"doctors† to promote their products too. By appealing to ethos, just as many infomercials do, the author shows how people believe anything they hear and pokes fun at companies for the way they market to consumers. Through using imagery, the author describes the product and its’ effect in such detail as to be sarcastic about the benefits of MagnaSoles. By painting the image of â€Å"healing crystals used to stimulate dead foot cells with vibrational biofeedback†, the reader is able to see and understand how ridiculous this marketing campaign sounds. This makes fun of ads that try to in depth describe their product, but over exaggerate it and make it sound ridiculous. To continue with imagery, the author describes that foot problems come from when â€Å"the frequency of one’s foot is out of alignment with the Earth†. Anyone who reads this will instantly see how fake this sounds, yet people continue to purchase idiotic products like this. Through using imagery, The Onion describes the product and its’ effects so vividly as to satirize the product and its’ consumer. The Onion’s mock press release on MagnaSoles was meant to satirize marketers and the action they take to get consumers to purchase their product. By using diction, appealing to ethos, and adding imagery, the author shows how ridiculous most ads are.

Explain the N.J. state court system entirely be sure to state and Essay

Explain the N.J. state court system entirely be sure to state and explain each court that comprises the sytem especially the 2 s - Essay Example They also hear decisions made by the State Division of taxation on matters of income tax, sales tax and business tax. The Superior court is the trial court where cases involving criminal, civil and family law are heard and decided. They decide all other cases that are not within the jurisdiction of the Municipal and Tax courts. The Appeals Court are divided into two, the Appellate Division of Superior Court and the New Jersey Supreme Court. In the Appellate Division, reviews and decides cases in division of at least two to three judges without trial or further evidence. It reviews and make sure that there were no mistakes or errors in the judgment and decisions of the Trial Courts, Tax Courts and State administrative agencies. The N.J. Supreme Court is the highest court in New Jersey and is the state’s court of last resort, ruling from the Appellate Division may be appealed here. The New Jersey Constitution limits its jurisdiction in cases involving a constitutional question, if a judge in the Appellate Division dissented, if capital punishment is used, or the court granted "certification," or if the case involves redistricting (Art VI). Its jurisdiction is limited in hearing appeals for legal issues and just like the Appellate Division, does not include trial of facts. 2000). Citation Van Dervort, T. R.

Theory of Strength and Conditioning and Vertical Jump Essay

Theory of Strength and Conditioning and Vertical Jump - Essay Example Young (2006, p. 74) reported that exercises involving bilateral contractions of leg muscles for vertical movements, like squats and jump squats, are not effective in improving performance. In contrast, according to Young (2006, p. 74), plyometric training can lead to â€Å"significant increases in sprint acceleration performance, thus highlighting the importance of movement pattern and contraction velocity specificity.† Further, Harris et al. (2008, p. 691) reported that based on an experiment they conducted among thirty elite rugby athletes, the correlation between sprint ability and jumping ability is generally positive and of moderate to strong magnitude. Adopting the definitions reported by earlier works, Ploeg et al. (2010, p. 39) explained that plyometric exercises or plyometrics are exercises in phases that begins with intense eccentric muscular contractions followed by rapid concentric muscular contraction. Drawing on various works, Ploeg et al. (2010, p. 39) explained that when muscle is stretched, the muscle stores elastic energy briefly and plyometric exercises use the stored energy to assist the concentric contraction to produce more force than what can be provided by a plain concentric action or a concentric contraction.... (2010, p. 40) clarified that alpha motor neurons transmit signals to the muscle group in a ploymetric exercise. The amortization phase in the plyometric activity is crucial in developing the production of power (Ploeg et al. 2010, p. 40). Craig and Judge (2009, p. 75) explained that several studies have shown consistently that overloading the body with a progressive training program will increase muscle size and strengthen the bone. Based on the results of their experiments, Villareal et al. (2008) concluded that moderate plyometrics training programs are more efficient than higher plyometrics training volume but the although their study was limited to short-term or 7-weeks of training and may be applicable for that class of training programs, particularly short-period training programs. In contrast, the evidence reviewed by Craig and Judge (2009, p. 75) covered l training programs with longer time periods. 2.0. Training and Conditioning Appropriate and Physiological Adaptation In de signing training programs, Craig and Judge identifed three important aspects of designing a training program: periodization, resistance training, and training sets (2009, p. 75-76). Turner (2011, p. 34) emphasized on the importance of periodization as an â€Å"optimal strategy for organizing strength and conditioning programs.† Periodization involves the variation of training methods and volume loads for the purpose of â€Å"potentiation of biomotors and the management of fatigue and accommodation† (Turner 2011, p. 34). Turner pointed out that periodization manipulate volume loads and progresses from general to sport-specific training (2011, p. 34). For Turner, although scientific studies are required to establish the use and

Electoral College System Essay Example for Free

Electoral College System Essay The President and the Vice President of the United States are elected indirectly by an institution known as the Electoral College. The U. S. Constitution provides the broad framework through which electors are appointed and by which they cast votes for the President and Vice President. In evaluating the contingent election process, some commentators have suggested that any threshold inquiry requires assessing how often contingent election occurs. If the results of a general election are frequently inconclusive, they increase the likelihood of contingent election. The democratic criteria require implementing reforms that bring the people into the contingency process. Critics of the Electoral College system argue that the presence of viable and well-funded third-party or independent presidential candidates, who may be able to garner electoral votes by carrying a plurality of the votes in statewide elections, increases the likelihood of contingent election. Analysis of criticism of the Electoral College system There are several shortcomings of the Electoral College as cited by the proponents of the presidential election reform. These shortcomings have raised justifications for reform or abolition of the current system. One of the criticism is on the Electoral College is the Electoral College deadlock of the contingent election. In this one, the 12th amendment provide that the House of Representatives should choose a president and the senate chooses the vice president by contingent election if the presidential and the vice presidential candidates votes have not reached a simple majority of the Electoral College votes. The election of the president by the House of Representatives happened only once on the February 9th, 1825 where John Quincy Adams was elected as President over Andrew Jackson. This election was criticized by some commentators saying that it brought about a constitutional crisis since the president was selected as part of a political corrupt bargain because some of the presidential candidates were disqualified from the contingent election. Critics claim that this election removes the choice of president and vice president voters (Whitaker Neale, 2004). Another criticism is on the minority president which was expressed in the Electoral College misfire. In this one, the current electoral college system can result in the election of a minority president which states that the president can be one who wins the majority of the electoral votes even though he has lost the popular votes. This was experienced in the 1800s where three minority presidents namely, John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and Benjamin Harrison in1888. The other criticisms are on the current methods of allocating electoral votes, the decennial census problem, and the faithless elector, presidential succession between nomination and inauguration, independent and the third party versus major party candidates. These criticisms have caused so many controversies that have made many people believe that the current Electoral College system is not a good system and therefore it needs amendment (Whitaker Neale, 2004). Advantages of various reform proposals. The electoral college reform proposals include (1)the district plan, awarding each state two at large electoral votes to the state-wide popular vote winners, and one electoral vote to the winning candidate in each congressional district; (2) the proportional plan, awarding electoral votes in states in direct proportion to the popular vote gained in the state by each candidate; and (3) the automatic plan, awarding each state’s electoral votes directly on a winner-take- all basis to the statewide vote winners (Amar, 1995). The advantages to the electoral-vote system include its tendency to produce a clear winner. The constitution is however subject to change, allowing for the second vote in case of depressed voter turnout. Great leverage is also given to third party candidates by requiring the winner to have a majority and by this it calls for fair and just elections. A National Election Agency is incorporated in the system to run the vote. However, the government also comes in to help, where the National Election Agency has fewer powers under the government (Amar, 1995). Despite the fact that the president alone is elected by the people, doesn’t mean he can legitimately defy the law. It is good to know that the elections are fair in that a presidential candidate who stands in his campaign and wins with a substantial majority of votes from the American people does of course gain the mandate. The candidate who emerges with the most electoral votes has a fully legitimate claim to the office for the next four years (Amar, 1995). Disadvantages of various reform proposals. In the U. S there is a rule that, a candidate chosen on the Election Day may not be the president. Therefore if it happens that a candidate has failed to win the national popular vote, he might be sworn in as the president by the virtue of claiming more electoral votes on than his opponents. Therefore the main disadvantage of such kind of proposal, is that if the sitting president who lost in the popular vote is returned again to power after his rejection, then there will be a wide condemnation on the Electoral college as a wacky anachronism which will lead to extensive demands for the amendments of the constitution in order for the replacement of the electoral vote with popular election (Longley, 2008). Due to this kind of proposals, there is a possibility of not telling the exact winner since the constitution is the main source of authenticity. The main disadvantage here is that there might be a possibility of both candidates having different fundamental campaigns which give different issues of emphasis and making frequent appearances in different states. Another disadvantage for this proposal is the argument on which candidate to take office and who was chosen by an archaic and wholly irrational system. If the electoral system is replaced, by the popular vote election, since it is not irrational there is a possibility of embarrassment on the president opting to be chosen by this process (Dellinger, 2004). Another greatest disadvantage of the present system of voting in U. S is that there is a possibility that the candidate who receives the most votes from the nation (people) may not take office. Therefore the present president in office may face many challenges and offsetting values since he or she was not put in by the majority. The disadvantage of the constitutional system for choosing a president in the U. S is not perfect and needs to be changed and therefore the candidate who emerges with most electoral votes has full justified claim to the office for four years (Dellinger, 2004). Conclusion It is clear that once the candidate chosen by the people of the United States on the Election Day may not become president. The candidate must choose the constitutional rules currently in place. In the voting parties, the party that receives more total votes nationally wins the parliament while the one with fewer total votes chooses the Nation’s prime minister. The constitution however, is subject to change (Longley Dana, 1992). Amending the Constitution to alter it would present a series of difficult questions: Will we give great leverage to third party candidates by requiring the winner to have a majority? Will we have a runoff, which might lead to depressed turnout for the second vote? Will we create a National Election Agency to run the vote and or leave it with the 51 governments who now run it? If those states report raw votes, will they somehow artificially increase the number of voters in the state or pad the totals—a temptation now avoided by having a set number of electoral votes for each state? These are not insurmountable objections to constitutional change, but they should certainly give pause (Longley Dana, 1992). References Amar, A. R. (1995). Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Death: Closing the Constitution’s Succession Gap Dellinger, W. (2004). Popularity contest in defense of the Electoral College, Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC. Retrieved October 26th, 2008, from http://www. slate. com/id/2108991/ Longley R. (2008). The Electoral College System, who really elects the president of the united states, About . com Longley, L. D. Dana, J. D. , Jr. (1992). The Biases of the Electoral College in the 1990s Whitaker, L. P. Neale, T. H. (2004, November 5). The Electoral College: An Overview and Analysis of Reform Proposals. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved October 26th, 2008, from http://italy. usembassy. gov/pdf/other/RL30804. pdf.

Analysis of The Most Dangerous Game :: Most Dangerous Game Essays

Analysis of The Most Dangerous Game  Ã‚   Many people look at themselves in the mirror and say, " I know who I am."   But how many of them have done so after analyzing themselves through a story?   And if they have done that, how many of them were being honest with themselves? A Lacanian analysis can bring out sides of us that we didn't know existed. I found this to be true after reading "The Most Dangerous Game." By looking at the events in the story and the characters that play them out, I found that there is a part of me that has an insatiable curiosity and a love of danger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To begin with, by looking closely at the main characters and their actions, I found a small part of myself in each of them. When Rainsford heard gunshots from the yacht, he jumped up onto the ship's railing. My initial response was, "Why would you do such a thing when no one is there to help if you fall?" I believe that this was my logical, sensible reaction. However, if I look at the situation with a sense of curiosity I find that I would have done the same thing. I think this is because, even though I've always tried to be a responsible, reasoning person, I have always had a desire to be carefree and daring. I think that want comes from movies I've seen in the past and books I've read in which the female characters were adventurous and lived for danger. I can remember times when I would finish reading a book, perhaps, and try to be just like the adventuring character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I can also look at General Zaroff, too, and see a hidden facet to my person. What I first thought of the General was that he was disgusting, evil, and had no respect for human life. I thought, "Oh my gosh, what if there really are people like this in the world?" However, when General Zaroff laid all the cards on the table and stated his purpose, hunting people, specifically Rainsford, I was oddly intrigued. I was frustrated with myself for being interested in such an inhumane game. But upon further examination of my reaction, I found that it wasn't the game that literally that fascinated me, but the concept of it; the danger. I feel that this interested me because the very few tastes of danger that I've had in the past have appeared to me as fun, actually living life to the fullest extent.

Mining Group Gold Process Essay

Mining Group Gold Process Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the present, organizational success is based on participative and collaborative team building among the engaged individuals. The ostensible continuous impulsion is the driver of success and ensures the establishment of team works within a group as well as adoption of strategies that are in line with a projects goals, objectives, mission and vision. In fact, teams of individuals in an organization have something that acts as the success motivator and the desire to achieve is instilled into them through the creation of significant meetings within the departments. Some of the individuals for the very first time join as new group members while others joined earlier into high performance groups. All this happen along with the issues of proper planning and effective management is the issue of improvised work assemblages that indeed are placed together to accomplish some of the specific activities in the shortest way possible. Essentially, for the success of an organizational group, regular departmental meetings are normally called on for frequently on regular basis, either weekly or monthly (Whyte, 1997). The set expectations and perceptions that lead to the taking up and initiation of these meetings are that for success to be realized a common reached consensus must be undertaken. In this case, the Mining Group Gold method plays the most important role in facilitation of such meetings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Mining Group Gold is a group process as well as a meeting management method that is build upon a sole purpose. That is, the process is based on influencing the collective wisdom, ideas and experience of each individual in a group in order to build on their abilities and improve on the overall meeting process as well as improving on the process of creating general organizational decisions (Cassidy & American Society for Training and Development, 1999). The method was developed in the year 1995. Nevertheless, the method was developed to assist individual teams and groups to maximize and capitalize on their joint effort in a decision-making event. The method is based on several steps that were developed in the 1995 by Kayser. Kaysers’ Steps to Mining Group Gold   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his creation of the Mining Group Gold an endeavor to facilitate effective meeting management, Kayser suggested that every meeting should start with a clear purpose or agenda for discussion. Kayser argued that every meeting has a purpose of either sharing some information or discussing an agenda. In other words, at this step entails the process of outlining the basic objectives and laying down the aims of the meeting prior to the allocation of responsibilities t be observed during the meetings course. The first step creates a foundation for the establishment of the second step. Most importantly, the second step is concerned with the predictable results of the meeting by the stakeholders in the meeting. Essentially, the desirable results are written down and serve as the guiding principles as well as the framework under which the meeting is controlled. Moreover, the third step is concerned with the allocation of responsibilities; that is the facilitator, the timekeeper, the overseer and the scribe. The individuals quoted above serve as the controllers of the meeting and are responsible with keeping the meeting’s agenda rolling (Whyte, 1997). In Mining Group Gold process, the fourth step is the step of setting of the agenda, which is a wide-ranging statement of the chief objectives of the meeting, and it is the step that connects the objectives of the meeting with the anticipatable results. The last and the most significant step is the step concerned with the organization and allotment of time for each agenda. Inherently, the Mining Group Gold is a process that is very effective for all and in all types of proceedings of a meeting. In fact, the process encourages efficient facilitation and management of meetings (Cassidy & ASTD, 1999). Steps for dealing with emotions during meetings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the course of a meeting, there are well set steps that assist in dealing with emotions when meetings are in progress. The first step that plays a vital role is concerned with the creation of a moment of silence to create room for relaxation. During the moments of silence, individuals are given a chance to reflect on the probable consequences of letting such emotions control them hence cooling down to the positive extreme. The second step involves writing down the emotions in form of objectives because they can be used later to create teams empowerment foundation. The third step involves the facilitator whereby he or she asks every member to read out what they have written. The fourth and the last step is the step of mining of the supplementary information that arises from what has been written (Xerox Corporation, 1985). Lastly, the way forward is established to significantly improve teamwork hence empowering the group members alongside nurturing an effective communication. My opinion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my own opinion, if the Mining group gold is effectively implemented, it will critically improve the welfare of the team members promoting team work as well as fostering empowerment and effective communication. This is because of the process’s ability to create like-mindedness and its nature of encouraging unity of direction. Finally, because the Mining Group Gold upholds objectivity by eliminating subjectivity it creates a collective purpose for any meeting session hence determining the outcomes. In conclusion, the Mining Group Gold is an effective method because it deals with expressive astuteness. References Cassidy, M. F., & American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). (1999). Group decision-making. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training & Development. Whyte, W. F. (1997). Creative problem solving in the field: Reflections on a career. Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press. Xerox Corporation., & Xerox Corporation. (1985). Mining group gold: A guide providing facilitation techniques, tips, checklists and guidesheets. Rochester, NY: Multinational Customer and Service Education. Source document

Architecture in the Middle Ages: Chartres Cathedral Essay

The cathedral was the most important building in the town of Chartres. It was the centre of the economy, the most famous landmark and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by civic buildings in towns today. Chartres cathedral has upheld its importance in the life of the people within the community, and has lived up to its labour and expectations. The cathedral was important in the everyday life of all, whether it was used as a church, a marketplace, or just a marvel for all to view. Because of its diversity, it brought a lot of attention and prosperity to the city of Chartres, which helped it grow more, which then created a magnificent cycle to be lived up to. Chartres cathedral was an important structure in Medieval Europe because of its religious aspects, socio-economic impact and architectural styles that it brought forward. Religion plays a key role in many lives today, and has been for many years—Chartres cathedral fed this appetite with the stories behind the windows, the history behind the sacred tunic and the uses behind the labyrinth. For the longest time, the stained glass in Chartres were one of the main sources of religious knowledge. The windows have been supplying all around it with the stories of the Old Testament, the Virgin Mary and the life of Christ—many of the windows were used as â€Å"a ready source of instruction for the illiterate population† because education was not as valued in these times. These windows, through their extreme importance, proved to be a huge benefactor in the lives of the inhabitants of Chartres. In addition, the cathedral was said to have housed a tunic that supposedly belonged to Blessed Virgin Mary. This tunic was thought to be lost when the first cathedral burned down, but â€Å"after three days of cooling, priests who had taken shelter in the underground vaults emerged from the ruins, amongst many witnesses, with the relic intact. † This in itself had proven to the people of Chartres to be a miracle, and it was believed to be a sign from Mary herself, therefore the construction was begun again. It was also believed that this tunic provided the community and the church with a protection, and when the townspeople believed they had been deserted by their protector in the fire, they thought that â€Å"the rebuilding was futile. The labyrinth also provided to the religion aspect of Chartres cathedral. This labyrinth was used as a pilgrimage or for repentance, though â€Å"as a pilgrimage it was a questing, searching journey with the hope of becoming closer to God. † The labyrinth was considered to be a religious, protected part of the church because it survived the fire, and once you get to the middle, you are greeted by a cross, a symbol of enlightenment. Although the religion makes up a good portion of the history of Chartres, the socio-economic aspects have to be considered when judging its importance. Chartres cathedral gained its importance socially and economically by its mysteries, its uses as a market and its uses as a social club. The mysteries of Chartres cathedral, such as the tunic and the windows, attract much attention to the community, which helps increase population as well as the money created from tourists. It is the fact that â€Å"Chartres’ windows are unique in the sense that a stained glass window became the object of devotion† that makes people keep coming back for more. Also, Chartres cathedral was used socio-economically in the ways that it had been used as a marketplace within the community; â€Å"The cathedral was the most important building in the town of Chartres. It was the centre of the economy, the most famous landmark and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by civic buildings in towns today. † As well as there being merchants within the doors of the cathedral, there were also the odd workers who were â€Å"gathered in the cathedral seeking jobs, such as carpenters and masons. † To add to that, Chartres cathedral was used as a social club during World War II. While the windows were removed from it, the Germans would use the cathedral as a social club during their occupation in France. This cathedral is first seen as †¦a place of worship and reverence, sacred to God. But crossing that threshold in the Middle Ages took you into many places at once: a town hall, a social club, even a marketplace, and yet also a temple, a place of authority, and indeed nothing less than a kind of heaven itself. Although Chartres is known for its socio-economic success, its architecture is also a renowned subject pertaining to this cathedral. This cathedral is important because it has changed the way that many people look at architecture by looking at new architectural features, structural defeats and architect’s modesty. â€Å"In 1194, the master-builder of Chartres outlined new principles which would inspire all the great architects of the 13th century†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â€Chartres cathedral had â€Å"established several new architectural features never seen before (flying buttresses and the arches used) and pioneered new techniques for construction at high elevations above ground (†¦war machines†¦ into hoisting cranes). This would later change some of the techniques used to build and create other Gothic styled cathedrals. Also, this cathedral had overcome a couple structural defeats to add to its list of greatness. Chartres had to succumb to many different fires over its span, and it had to keep on getting rebuilt time after time. Also, with towers standing at around 115 metres tall, this cathedral had been the tallest of its kind around—â€Å"before this, nothing had ever been built at such heights. †Another aspect adding to the importance of this building architecturally is the modesty and selflessness of the architects that planned its building. Many of the architects involved in the creation of this cathedral have went on nameless because it doesn’t matter who made it, but what was made—â€Å" To make something as exquisite as this without wanting to smash your†¦ name all over it. All you hear about nowadays is people making names, not things. † The religious aspects, socio-economic impacts and architectural styles of the Chartres cathedral are the reason it deserves to be known as an important structure. Chartres was built and rebuilt based on its religious hopes and beliefs, and it served to be an occupant to the people while the other problems of the time were occurring. This building was also beneficial for the townsfolk because they had a way to get together, trade, and communicate in a safe and forgiving place, under the eyes of God. The architecture in itself is enough to consider this building important: it provided architects with ways of getting around their problems and it bettered things to use and do to improve what I being done. Chartres has been a very helpful and important building in helping us study past beliefs, life and helping us to acquire the knowledge we need for innovations and the construction of future great buildings, much like this one.

Dance - Lyon Opera Ballet essays

Dance - Lyon Opera Ballet essays Un Ballo is a dance piece that expresses a relationship between men and women. For the most part, the women in the piece come across as being peaceful, gentle and eloquent. The men touch the women with tenderness throughout most of the dance. However, at times the audience feels the sexual tension between the male and female partners. Un Ballo is a dance that portrays love and the complications that come alone with it. The romance that is depicted in this dance is dominated by the women in the dance. They come across as having more power than the men in the relationship, yet, at the same time they are still vulnerable which makes the performance entertaining. The form of Un Ballo is how I came up with the content conclusions that were just described. While watching the dance, the first thing that the audience notices is the fact that there are five couples on the stage. They began the dance with the five women standing in front of the five men. The women were wearing fancy black dresses. The dresses were tight like a bustier on top and eloquently flowed out once it reached the bellybutton. The length of their dresses were below the knee, revealing the lower part of the female dancers legs. The men were wearing semi-tight shirts and black pants, which were also relatively fancy to fit with the womens image. As the dance started, the classical music began. The music was soft, slow, sad, and romantic. In the beginning, the dancers moved to the music gracefully. The men traditionally presented the women and led her through the dance while lifting the women from time to time. Towards the middle of the dance, the music stopped and the women stopped dancing and started to bang on the floor. This happened a couple of times throughout the dance. The banging on the floor made the women appear and sound strong for a moment. The banging t ...

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example o work towards the fulfilment of its own interests in total disregard of the individuals whom it is representing, and in such a situation it is possible that the principal is the one most likely to suffer (Crane & Matten, 2003, p.42). In this way, it is possible for the principal–agent problem to take place, leading to the ruining of relationships which were meant to be mutually beneficial. The fact that the agent works towards the achievement of its own goals to the total detriment of the entity represented by it creates a situation where it is impossible for such entities to trust agents to handle their affairs. In this way, the agent is given the power to represent the interests of the principal, and instead of doing so, it chooses to undertake activities which not only ensure that it gains a lot from the activities, but that the interests of the principal suffer as a result. Corporate social responsibility comes about mainly because of the instances of conflict that are a part of the inconsistencies that occur between the profitability and social goals. The result is that many companies have to work towards the attainment of profits while at the same time ensuring that they act responsibly towards their employees as well as the societies that are affected by their activities. A case study conducted on Levi Strauss shows that this company makes sure that the working conditions and wages among the workers throughout its supply chain is reasonable (McWilliams & Siegel, 2001). In this way, the company is able not only to achieve the legal requirements of the countries within which it works, but it also ensures that it takes ethical responsibility over its actions as well as its employees. While this may be the case, there have been instances where because of the massive profit margins within these companies, many of their chief executives have gone out of t heir way to ensure that they gain huge salary increments. In such cases, these executive officers are often

Web-Based Travel Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Web-Based Travel Program - Essay Example Throughout the document, the purpose of the writing has clearly been shown. This is evident when the writer starts by discussing the various problems facing the company travel system e.g. increased travel expenditures, issues of transaction fees and customer services. After making us understand the problems facing the company, the writer then goes ahead and presents the possible solutions for solving these problems. The research is supposed to be about the benefits of a web based system. By first showing the problems, then followed by the solutions the purpose of the writing can be seen. The solutions for the problems are well presented. This is because the author has systematically presented the solutions for each of the problems stated earlier in the paper. The solutions are also well elaborated and discussed. Several sources of literature have also been integrated into the paper. The first source was effective since it made us aware that indeed company expenditure are increasing a nd something has to be done to reduce this spending. There are other sources cited in the paper that were also effective in strengthening the main points of discussion. One of the sources by Campbell emphasized on the use of management information sytem in successful management travel programs. The sources used in the paper therefore, are related to the topic and have been used to reinforce on the purpose of the paper.The author could improve the paper by adding the fact that online travel agencies provide more options for people to choose.

Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Film analysis - Essay Example Plan 9 from Outer Space operates as almost a compendium of what not to do in film-making, and should be viewed by any film maker to see how disastrous horrific film-making decisions can truly become. One of the biggest issues with Plan 9 was simply the fact that it did not have the budget to realize the film-maker’s vision to actually look†¦ tolerable. Sets in this film were terrible. Many of them simply consisted of a blank background lit differently: in one scene with a soldier it is lit brightly to supposedly look like sky, in another with detectives it is lit very little to make it look like a black night. At other times a set simply consists of a series of curtains put up around a room. Either way, however, the effect is the same: it looks like a set, it looks like a backdrop, and it completely breaks any suspension of disbelief the audience had been able to muster. At other times the sets are clearly blank walls with fake ladders made of small rungs of wood installe d on them to make them look more â€Å"space-like† Makeup was also overdone, and costumes were often incongruous and re-used from other films. At other points the lighting is completely mis-used, casting multiple shadows on a set (which would indicate artificial lighting when it should not be present in the world of the movie) or in another case accidentally casting a shadow of a boom mic onto the wall of the set. Overall, there was no cohesion, and the film looked supremely amateurish. All of this might have been bearable if the acting and dialogue could do anything to save the film. Unfortunately, however, the acting and dialogue were, if possible, weaker than the set design and lighting. At best everything was incredibly corny, at worst it made absolutely no sense and had many continuity problems. The issues with the dialogue might be best expressed from actual snippets from the film. The opening sequence, for instance, which should intrigue and audience, get them into the world of the movie and make them want to see more, fails horribly, making the audience mostly remark on the poor quality of the film rather than acquire any interest in what the film might eventually be like. These opening lines constantly refer to the audience as â€Å"my friends,† which is vaguely creepy (unintentionally) and incredibly jarring for an audience, especially given that the actor does not seem warm, but rather somewhat disconnected. He then goes on to remind the audience that they should pay close attention to the film, because it depicts things that happen in the future, and â€Å"future events such as these will affect you in the future,† which would have been humorous if not for the fact that it was completely devoid of recognition of how humorous it was. The acting and dialogue served only to drag this already awful movie further into the depths of its own failure. Finally, we come to what might be the worst offenders of all, special affects and pos t-processing. The special effects were bad, even for the era. They seemed like what they were: cheap models and roto-scoping that was done without enough time to actually do them well. The worst aspect of the post production, however, was the director’s choice to integrate clips from a completely different film about a vampire into the movie. While any clip from a film other than this would undoubtedly be expected to raise the overall quality of the film, given that nothing could be as bad as Plan 9, the jarring inclusion of this

Business Research and Analysis- design an experiment on starbucks Paper

Business and Analysis- design an experiment on starbucks - Research Paper Example Company managers with this orientation strive to make their products the best and for continuous improvement. An experiment, specifically a blind two-group experimental taste test, will be conducted to find out whose latte has superior taste. The research questions are: 1. Does a Starbucks latte taste better than a McDonald latte? 2. Does a Starbucks latte taste better than a Dunkin Donuts latte? The taste test is an example of a sensory test, in which the instruments for investigation are the senses themselves (Liedtke, et al., 2005). Many such tests have been conducted. Some examples are: 1. Gunnarsdottir and Thorsdittor’s (2010) study on the effect of food packaging on the perceived taste of healthy food by children; 2. Urdan and Urdan’s (2001) experimental analysis on the effect of brand name and taste on consumers’ buying intentions; 3. Studies that assess the taste and off-taste in drinking water by using quantitative taste and odor measurements compared wi th threshold numbers to evaluate compliance with government regulations (DWI, 2002); and 4. A comparison of taste test ratings after repeated consumption of different strengths of iced tea (Vickers and Holton, 1998). The experiment will involve a blind two-group experimental design, like those used for clinical drug trials. ... Ha: A Starbucks latte tastes better than a Dunkin Donuts latte. Method Participants Though Starbucks has long insisted that it does not market to children, the young population is often seen drinking their beverages (Linn, 2007). Stratified, quota sampling will be employed. There will be six sets of sixty participants each, totaling 360 participants, stratified by age (11-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60 and up), where each set will have 30 males and 30 females, to control for age and sex, factors for which taste norms have not been determined (Moretz, 2006). Participants will be randomly assigned to a control group or intervention group by computer-generated randomization schedule, where each group will equal thirty participants, with equal numbers of male and female participants and stratified by age. This process is blinded, so that participants will not know their group assignment. Participants will be recruited through advertisements in the newspapers. They will be informed of their full rights and compensation and will be asked to sign consent forms. Research ethics shall be strictly followed. Interventions The control group will be given three cups (fifteen ounces each) of Starbucks latte. The intervention group will be given one cup (fifteen ounces) each of a Starbucks, McDonalds, and Dunkin Donuts latte. Administration of cups will be rotated. Both groups will be asked to rate each cup on a five-point scale (very good, good, neutral, bad, very bad). Both descriptive and inferential statistics will be employed upon analysis of results. Variables and Controls The dependent variable is the perception/measurement of taste of the lattes. The independent variable is the brand of latte, i.e. Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Dunkin

Ratio Analysis for Building Company

Ratio Analysis for Building Company Title: Ratio analysis for Bellway Company About Bellway plc The Bellway Group is one of the largest housebuilders in the U.K. It was established in 1946 by John T.Bells and his two sons[1].The Group’s operations are spread throughout the country. The key activities of the Group include: land acquisition, finance, planning, architecture, design, build management, marketing and customer service. Bellway builds low-cost homes and apartment blocks on disused or abandoned sites. Position and Strategy Bellway sells around 6,000 houses every year and has till date provided more than 100,000 homes. The houses are designed, built and marketed by local teams operating from regional offices. These offices are managed and staffed by local people. The company employs about 2,000 people with varying expertise. Corporate Social Responsibility The Group has adopted five principles in their day-to-day operations to minimise the environmental effects of the building process and create sustainable communities: â€Å"Protection of the environment Prudent use of natural resources Creating environments that have the potential to add to economic growth and employment opportunities Social considerations that recognise the needs for a changing and advancing population The creation of communities that will endure and where people will aspire to live† Source: Bellway p.l.c. Annual Report Accounts 2007 The Group reports on these five principles in its Annual Report. Performance Overview of Bellway Group The housing industry has been facing challenging market conditions since the last few months. However the Chairman of the Group has made the following statement in the Annual Report of the Group for the year ended 31 July 2007. â€Å"Bellway has, yet again, produced a very good set of results for the year ended 31 July. The Group continues to deliver organic growth in volumes and earnings despite the challenging market conditions experienced by the housing industry over the last twelve months.† The present paper attempts to examine the reality of the statement by doing a ratio analysis to assess the financial health of the Group based on its Annual Reports for the year ended 31 July 2007. Performance Overview The key highlights of performance in the year ended July 2007 over the previous year are given in the table[2] below: In the next section a detailed analysis of the financial performance and health of the Group has been examined on the basis of: Performance Ratios Working Capital Efficiency Ratios Investment Ratios Financial Status Ratios PERFORMANCE RATIOS Return on capital employed (ROCE) Profit before Tax and Interest Payable = x 100 Total Assets less Current Liabilities * This is taken as equal to operating profit plus interest income The ROCE of the Group is around 22% in the year ended 2007. Despite a 6.5% increase in the Profit before Tax and Interest Payable in 2007, the ROCE stands at the same figure as in 2006. This only indicates that the net assets have also increased in the same proportion as profits. However, there has been no improvement in the efficiency in employing theses net assets to generate profits. Moreover, ROCE for the Group is lower than five year average ROCE achieved by builders over UK which stands at 25–30%[3]. Thus, the efficiency in employing net assets to generate profits for the Group is lower than the Industry average. Asset turnover Sales Turnover = Total Assets less Current Liabilities The asset turnover ratio of 1.165 indicates that a sale of  £1.165 is generated from each  £ invested in assets by the Group. This ratio has increased by around 3.6% in 2007 over 2006 which is a good sign. The increase is primarily due to an increase in total assets and also a corresponding increase in the sales turnover. Net profit margin Profit before Tax and Interest Payable = x 100 Sales turnover *This is taken as equal to operating profit plus interest income Despite the increase in profit before interest and taxes and also sales turnover, there is a slight decline in the net profit margin from 19.5% in the year ended 2006 to 19.1% in the year ended 2007. The decline indicates that proportionate increase in cost of operations has been higher than the increase in sales. Thus, there has been a decline in the efficiency of sales to generate profits. Gross profit margin Gross Profit = x 100 Sales turnover There has been a decrease in the gross profit margin of the Group by 0.6% despite the increase in sales revenue. The decline in the gross profit margin has been due to a larger increase in cost of sales as compared to corresponding increase in sales. Sales revenue has increased by 9.2% over 2006. The corresponding increase in cost of sales has been 9.9%. The decline in the gross profit margin also explains to certain extent the decline in net profit margin. WORKING CAPITAL EFFICIENCY RATIOS Inventories (or stock) turnover Stocks and Work in Progress = x 365 Purchases (or Cost of Sales) The housebuilding industry by its very nature has slow moving stock / inventory. In 2007, as compared to 2006, there has been a decline in the number of days the stock takes to be converted into sales. The stock is getting converted into sales in 538.65 days in 2007 as compared to 552.16 days. This is an improvement of around 2.4% over 2006. Trade receivables (or trade debtors) turnover Trade Debtors = x 365 Sales Turnover * All sales are assumed to be on credit Though it takes less than 1 week to collect receivables, the increase in the time taken to receive payments from customers must be examined carefully before it gets out of hands. An increasing ratio also indicates that the company is taking more time for collecting its payments. Thus, each  £1 of its sales revenue stays tied up in trade receivables for a longer period. Trade payables (or trade creditors) turnover Trade Creditors = x 365 Cost of Sales ** All purchases are assumed to be on credit There has been a decline in the average settlement period for trade creditors by almost 17%. This is not a good sign as trade credit is a type of free finance available to a company. A declining ratio indicates that suppliers in the year ended 2007 gave a lower credit period to the Group as compared to the previous year. This becomes a bigger cause of concern as the Stock Turnover ratio for the Group stands at a high figure. It may also have adverse implications for the Group’s liquidity position. INVESTMENT RATIOS Earnings per share (EPS) Profit before Ordinary Dividend = No. of Ordinary Shares in issue EPS reflects upon share performance. Thus EPS trend of the Group highlights the investment potential of its shares. It also highlights the possibility that the company will pay a dividend[8]. There has been a 6.2% growth in the diluted EPS of the Group in the year ended 2007 as compared to 2006. This indicates that the potential of the shares of the Group is growing. This increase in EPS is primarily due to an increase in the profits with no corresponding increase in tax rates. Price earnings ratio(PE) Market Value per Share = Earning per share In general, if the PE ratio of a company is high it implies that investors are optimistic about the company’s future and are expectinghigher earningsgrowthin the future compared to companies with alower PE. However, the ratio can only be interpreted appropriately when compared to historical PE ratio or industry benchmarks. Group’s historical PE ratio The PE ratio for the Group has been constant over the previous two years. The ratio needs to be examined in light of the deteriorating industry scenario over the last two months. The PE ratio calculated above may not hold true today and would have declined substantially. This is because housebuilding is a cyclical business where earnings fall exponentially as sales prices decline. Recent times have seen a substantial decline in sale prices. If the PE is calculated at the share price of 713.5p[9] as on 25 April 2008, assuming earnings to be constant at 31 July 2007 level, it will be only 4.9. Thus, actual PE will be lower. Industry average The following diagram[10] highlights the PE ratios of 8 leading housebuilders in UK as on 21 July 2007. The diagram clearly indicates that Bellway is towards the lower end of the selected companies in the industry UK with regard to its PE ratio Dividend yield Latest Annual Dividends = x 100 Current market share price The dividend yield at the current price as on 25 April 2008 = (43.125 / 713.5) % = 6% However, the market price of shares for the Group is much lower than it was a year ago. Historically, the dividend yield has been as indicated in the table below: Dividend cover Profit on ordinary activities after taxation = Ordinary Dividend The dividend cover has fallen despite the fact that the profits have increased. A declining trend makes dividend less secure. However it is not a cause of concern for the Group as the dividend cover is much better than many other companies in the industry. For example, housebuilder Persimmon has cover of 2.69[11]. Thus, if the Group has a cover of more than 3, it could maintain its payout more than thrice over. Return on equity (ROE) Profit on ordinary activities after taxation = x 100 Equity shareholders’ funds The Group shows a decline in this ratio in 2007 over 2006. The decline may be primarily due to increase in equity shareholders’ funds. FINANCIAL STATUS RATIOS Working capital ratio (WCR) Current Assets = Current liabilities The accepted norm for the WCR ratio is that current assets should be double the current liabilities. However, the norm varies with industry. In the case of the Group the ratio has declined but it is higher than the accepted norm. However, a closer analysis indicates that the Group faces a liquidity crisis. A close examination of the current assets indicates that inventories constitute more than 95% of the current assets. This, added to a high stock turnover ratio, will not let the Group meet its current obligations. A clearer picture of the liquidity is provided by the Quick Asset ratio. Quick assets ratio (QAR) Current Assets Stocks = Current liabilities The norm for this ratio is 1: 1. However, it again varies from business to business. The ratio is far below the norm. In other words, the Group has no way of covering up its current obligations. This is a cause of concern and can lead to survival problems also if the condition persists. Gearing Long-term Debt + Preference Shares = Total Assets less Current Liabilities *These include preference shares of  £20,000,000 in both the years The gearing or dependence on debt has decreased by about 7% for the Group. Thus, there has been a decline in the Group’s risk as lesser amount is committed for periodic interest and repayment commitments. This is especially welcome in the time of deteriorating housing market conditions. Interest cover Profit before Tax and Interest Payable = Interest payable Despite the decline in gearing, the Group’s interest cover for the year ended 31 July 2007 also shows a slight decline. The decrease in interest cover from last year is due to a higher increase in net interest payable than increase in profit before tax and interest. Conclusion: To conclude it can be said that Bellway has performed well in the year ended July 2007 over 2006 in terms of profitability as well as increased sales. However, it faces a major short-term liquidity crisis. This is a cause of concern as the UKs housebuilding industry, in general, is expected to be facing more difficult times ahead due to credit crunch and declining consumer demand. References: Atrill Peter McLaney Eddie, Financial Accounting for Decision Makers, 5th ed. 2008 , FT Prentice Hall Barker Review Interim Report, The Housebuilding Industry, accessed from http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/2/9/barkerreview_interim_chapters4to6.pdf Bellway p.l.c. Annual Report Accounts 2007 Elliott B. and J. Elliott, Financial Accounting and Reporting, 11th ed. 2007, FT Prentice Hall HIFIC Barnard Report, Future Trends in Timber Construction and Implications for HIE Region, accessed from www.forestryscotland.com/pages/download2.asp?file=attachments/HIFIC_Forres%2007_Barnard.pdf Steed, Alison, Five ‘safe’ shares for hard times, The Sunday Times 20 April, 2008 Team Limited, The Cartel- Like Industry, accessed from http://www.teamlimited.co.uk/Assets/pdf/Building-Barriers.pdf Yahoo finance, accessed from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=BWY.L Hemscott website accessed from www.hemscott.com Brief: 209439Page 1 of 13 [1] Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=BWY.L [2] Source: Bellway p.l.c. Annual Report Accounts 2007 [3] HIFIC Barnard Report, Future Trends in Timber Construction and Implications for HIE Region, accessed from www.forestryscotland.com/pages/download2.asp?file=attachments/HIFIC_Forres 07_Barnard.pdf [4] Ideally average stock and work in progress figures should be taken for calculating the ratio as they give more accurate ratios as average inventory accounts for any seasonality effects on the ratio. However, in the case of house building industry seasonality effect is not there. Moreover due to non-availability of 2005 figures, end of the year figures are used. . [5] Ideally average trade debtors figures should be taken for calculating the ratio as they give more accurate ratios. However, due to non-availability of 2005 figures, end of the year figures are used.. Trade receivables do not include other receivables not arising from sales (Refer Note 13 of Bellway Annual Report pp 68) [6] Ideally average trade creditors’ figures should be taken for calculating the ratio as they give more accurate ratios. However, due to non-availability of 2005 figures, end of the year figures are used. Trade payables do not include other payables not arising from purchases (Refer Note 15 of Bellway Annual Report pp 69) [7] Diluted EPS is based on the total outstanding shares after all Options and awards have been exercised. [8] EPS only indicates the possibility of a dividend. However, dividend decision is a corporate decision and there is no rule of thumb regarding its size and frequency. [9] http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=BWY.L [10] Based on PE ratios published on 21 July 2007 by www.hemscott.com [11] Steed, Alison, The Sunday Times, 20 April 2008