Macbeth Essays (820 words) - Characters In Macbeth,

Macbeth I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often (and with different meanings), and that it is a symbol that is developed until it is the dominating theme of the play towards the end of it. To begin with, I found the word "blood", or different forms of it forty-two times (ironically, the word fear is used forty-two times), with several other passages dealing with the symbol. Perhaps the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play, is to follow the character changes in Macbeth. First he is a brave honoured soldier, but as the play progresses, he becomes a treacherous person who has become identified with death and bloodshed and shows his guilt in different forms. The first reference of blood is one of honour, and occurs when Duncan sees the injured sergeant and says "What bloody man is that?". This is symbolic of the brave fighter who been injured in a valiant battle for his country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd with bloody execution", he is referring to Macbeth's braveness in which his sword is covered in the hot blood of the enemy. After these few references to honour, the symbol of blood now changes to show a theme of treachery and treason. Lady Macbeth starts this off when she asks the spirits to "make thick my blood,". What she is saying by this, is that she wants to make herself insensitive and remorseless for the deeds which she is about to commit. Lady Macbeth knows that the evidence of blood is a treacherous symbol, and knows it will deflect the guilt from her and Macbeth to the servants when she says "smear the sleepy grooms with blood.", and "If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt." When Banquo states "and question this most bloody piece of work," and Ross says "is't known who did this more than bloody deed?", they are both inquiring as to who performed the treacherous acts upon Duncan. When Macbeth is speaking about Malcolm and Donalbain, he refers to them as "bloody cousins" A final way, and perhaps the most vivid use of the symbol blood, is of the theme of guilt. First Macbeth hints at his guilt when he says "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?", meaning that he wondered if he would ever be able to forget the dastardly deed that he had committed. Then the ghost of Banquo, all gory, and bloody comes to haunt Macbeth at the banquet. The sight of apparitions represents his guilt for the murder of Banquo which he planned. Macbeth shows a bit of his guilt when he says "It is the bloody business which informs thus," he could not get the courage to say murder after he had killed Duncan, so he says this instead. Lady Macbeth shows the most vivid example of guilt using the symbol of blood in the scene in which she walks in her sleep. She says "Out damned spot! Out I say! One: two: why then 'tis time to do't: hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can call out power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?". This speech represents the fact that she cannot wipe the blood stains of Duncan off of her hands. It is ironic, that she says this, because right after the murder, when Macbeth was feeling guilty, she said "A little water clears us of this deed." When the doctor of the castle finds out about this sleepwalking, he tells Macbeth "As she is troubled with thick-coming fantasies,". What this means, is that Lady Macbeth is having fantasies or dreams that deal with blood. Macbeth knows in his mind that she is having troubles with her guilt, but does not say anything about it. Just before the ending of the play, Macbeth has Macduff at his mercy, and lets him go, because of his guilt. He shows that he is guilty, when he says "But get thee back, my soul is too much charg'd with blood of thine already.". Of which, Macduff replies, "I have no words, my voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out." After the death of Macbeth at the

Nobel Peace Prize winners essays

Nobel Peace Prize winners essays The theories of these five men: John C. Harsanyi, John Nash, Reinhard Selten, Robert W. Fogel, and Douglass C. North, made an abundant progress in the Economic Sciences in America and the economy. For these great accomplishments, these five were awarded the Noble Peace Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994(Harsanyi, Nash, Selten), and 1993(Forgel, North). The three economists who was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1994 for their excellent work and progress in game theory was know as pioneers in using games like chess and poker as the foundation for understanding complex economic issues. This was precisely half a century after John Von Neumann and Osar Morgenstern launched the field with the publication of The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. John F. Nash of Princeton University(a American economists), John C. Harsanyi of the University of California at Berkeley(a Hungarian economist), and Reinhard Selten of the Rheinische Friedrich- Wilhelms-Universitat in Bonn(a German economists), shared the award, and the $930,000 cash award for their achievements in economics.1 The trios accomplishment portrayed the significance of Von Neumann and Morgenstern's contribution to game theory, which was recognized by economists and others almost immediately. The lessons they drew from homely games like chess and poker had exemplified universal application to economic situations in which the participants had the power to anticipate and affect other participants' actions. Harsanyi stated it is a theory of strategic interactions...of rational behavior in social situations in which each player has to choose his moves on the basis of what he thinks the other players counter moves are likely to be2 Economists did not have an immediate success in applying their insights to a field whose preoccupation with the idea of free competition required that the...

Case Brief

The Superior Court of Philadelphia County affirmed and Plaintiffs Appealed. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania affirmed. Issue: Did Defendant owe Plaintiff, at the time of the accident, a duty of care when Plaintiff was one mile away from the scene of the accident? Holding: Where a close relative is not present at the scene of the accident and instead learns of the accident from a third party, the prior knowledge learned of the accident serves as a buffer against the full-fledged impact of observing the accident scene. Disposition: Order affirmed. Legal Rationale: Plaintiffs argues recovery under the â€Å"reasonably Foreseeability† test, which would allow a Plaintiff outside the â€Å"Zone of Danger† to recover, which was adopted in Sinn v. Burd, 486 Pa. 146 (1979). The Court stated in response that the Plaintiff’s flexible interpretation of the â€Å"jurisprudential concept †¦which require[s] that the defendant’s breach of a duty of care proximately causes plaintiff’s injury,† was flawed. Moreover, that â€Å"at some point along the causal chain, the passage of time and the span of distance mandate a cut-off point for liability. † Id. Justice Nix, quoting Justice Andrew’s dissent in Palsgraf v. Long Island R. R. , 248 N. Y. ,352 argued public policy cannot allow the Defendant to be responsible for every unforeseeable proximate cause that consequently results from of the Defendant’s negligent conduct. Justice Nix admittedly quotes Sinn v. Burd, 486 Pa. , that â€Å"the defendant did owe a duty of care to the bystander†¦Ã¢â‚¬  However, he also notes â€Å"[f]oreseeability enters into the determination of liability in determining whether the emotional injuries sustained by the plaintiff were reasonably foreseeable to the defendant. † Mazzagati at. 75. Justice Nix asserts that the Court has adopted the Dillon v. Legg, 68 Cal. 2d 728 () parameters in determining whether the claim for Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress was reasonably foreseeable. Justice Nix, moreover, quotes that the progression of the law and public policy reveals that: ‘[O]nly a few jurisdictions recognize th e right of the plaintiff witness who did not suffer an impact, was not in fear of his own safety, and those jurisdictions require that the severe emotional distress to the plaintiff result from the direct and contemporaneous observance of the accident. Mazzagati at. 276. Nix favors an obligation definition of â€Å"duty† as opposed to a â€Å"causal sequence of events. † Mazzagati at. 278. In summation, Justice Nix held that the Defendant’s conduct was not negligent because it did not involve an invasion of the Plaintiff’s legal right, therefore making the claim unactionable. [ 1 ]. In Dillon, it was held that a cause of action is stated when the following criteria are met: (1) Whether the plaintiff was located near the scene of the accident as contrasted with one who was a distance away from it; (2) Whether the shock resulted from a direct emotional impact upon the plaintiff from the sensory and contemporaneous observances of the accident, as contrasted with learning of the accident from others after its occurrence; and (3) Whether plaintiff and the victim were closely related as contrasted with an absence of any relationship or the presence of only a distant relationship.

Film analysis of Easy Rider Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film analysis of Easy Rider - Movie Review Example The worth of a spiritual journey is emphasized throughout the movie, something that is closely associated with the idea of freedom in the movie. This is important in the context of an increasingly repressive America in which the movie was set in and released. The space of the carnival is invoked here and this makes one aware of the need for freedom in the everyday lives of men and women. This then becomes an important motif in the movie. This paper shall look at different aspects of the movie and also of its production. It shall do so through an examination of the conditions of its production and the people who were involved in the production of the movie. Dennis Hopper is considered to be one of the first of the directors in Hollywood to have broken from tradition and to imbibe in his methods of filmmaking the rebellious air of the 1960s and 1970s (Dennis Hopper, n.d.). This made him a very popular figure, even though the success of Easy Rider could not be replicated until much late r. The movie in that sense depicts his style of filmmaking and his ideology regarding the process of filmmaking very well. Hopper’s ideas of filmmaking were inspired by the counterculture of the United States of America which was at its heights when the movie was released. The movie remains one of the most important contributions to the development of the agency of the youth of America. After this wave of the counterculture, there was hardly any understanding of the need to revolt for a while in America, something that was recovered in the decades to follow. In terms of the genre of the movie, one may say that Easy Rider falls within the genre of a road movie. A road movie provides certain set patterns of moviemaking to the filmmaker and Hopper abided by this during the making of the movie. The angles that were used during the shots were almost always that which enabled a realistic portrait of the main characters. This involved shots that were taken from a close angle that al lowed the illusion of movement to the audience. This is one of the most important aspects of a road movie. The illusion of movement and pace is provided to the audience which is then gripped with suspense as to the next movement of the characters on screen. The importance of this lies in the fact that the pace of the movie is something that led the audience to identify with it and also to turn it into a cult classic. The fact that Peter Fonda was a part of the cast was a very important step in establishing for the audience the genre of the movie. It also established the nature of the movie as one that was opposed to the hegemonic culture of the times. Fonda had acted in a movie called The Wild Angels in 1966. This was a road movie as well and was a path breaking achievement in its own right (The Easy Rider, n.d.). This opposition to the hegemonic culture earned the movie great success despite the lack of a great deal of technical innovation in the body of the movie as such. The genr e of a road movie was something that was popular even before the release of this movie and it incorporated many of the motifs of the road movie. This included a generous dose of machismo that played a great part even in the final denouement of the movie. The plot, in a great way, is driven by these ideas of machismo that also was a large reason

Cuban Missle Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cuban Missle Crisis - Essay Example The role of Khrushchev in the Cuban Missile Crisis provides insights to the success or failures of him as a leader of the Soviet Union. However a lot of research on his role in the event has focused primarily on explaining the reasons of his decisions to place the missiles in Cuba. Taubman, points out that placing of the missiles in Cuba are viewed by Khrushchev as a cure for the entire world thus alleviating the domestic troubles and showing to his colleagues that he was a worthy leader. Khrushchev in his memoirs explains his decision of placing the missile and crisis as; â€Å"We shipped our weapons to Cuba precisely for the prevention of aggression against her! That is why the Soviet government reaffirmed its agreement to the removal of the ballistic rockets from Cuba† (Khrushchev). The reasoning behind placing of the missiles as given by Khrushchev was logical and can be considered as a justifiable personal reaction. According to White, it was noted that Khrushchev as a pe rson was ‘innovative and conciliatory,’ but also ‘erratic and dangerous’ (White, Missiles in Cuba, Kennedy, Khrushchev, Castro and the 1962 Crisis), thus such decision coming from him can be attributed to his incongruous personality mix. However the decision of Khrushchev was in view of the Soviet Union’s â€Å"Caribbean Crisis† and in an attempt to counter the increasing global power of US and the hostile stance it had taken in Latin America. In the last month of year 1962, Khrushchev stated that he could see â€Å"a possibility of defending the freedom-loving people of Cuba by stationing missiles there.† (White, Missiles in Cuba, Kennedy, Khrushchev, Castro and the 1962 Crisis). For Khrushchev, Cuba was a ray of hope in the iron curtain, through which he could see the opportunity to bolster the image and power of Soviet Communism and to reject the Beijing accusation. Through this he had the opportunity to address the most critical iss ues concerning the Soviet Union, like: settlement over Berlin, military strategic parity with US and to attain communist prestige in the eyes of Beijing. Although the decision of Khrushchev for placing the missile can be seen as a serious tactical blunder, but his actions during the crisis along with response from Kennedy helped in preventing an atomic war. Although another medium could have been adopted by Khrushchev to strike a better deal for Soviet Union, however he deserves respect for risking his careers, setting aside his pride and withdrawing the missiles. Since the 1962, the unbroken state of Cuba is attributed to the Cuban-Soviet relations serve as a victory for the Soviet Union (Roeschley) Also, as a result of the Soviet-American pact on not invading Cuba was a success for the Soviet in securing victory for Latin American states thus protecting Cuba from another attack like that of the Bay of pigs. In his memoirs, Khrushchev recalls it as, â€Å"if Cuba fell, other Latin American countries would reject us, claiming that for all our might the Soviet Union hadn’t been able to do anything for Cuba except to make empty protests to the United Nations, we had to think of some way of confronting America with

Rome and Milan During the Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Rome and Milan During the Renaissance Essay The Renaissance is a period in the history of Europe beginning in about 1400. The word Renaissance in French means rebirth. During the Renaissance, there were many famous artists, many writers and many philosophers. Many people studied mathematics and different sciences. A person who is knowledgeable in many different things is sometimes called a Renaissance man. Leonardo da Vinci, who was a painter, a scientist, a musician and a philosopher, is the most famous Renaissance Man. The Renaissance started in Italy but soon spread across the whole of Europe. People † The time of Ancient Greece and Rome, when there were many philosophers, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and mathematicians was seen by people as a Golden Age, a time when things were beautiful, well-organized and well-run. This time had lasted from about 400 BC to about 400 AD. In the year 1400, in the city of Rome, people could wander around looking up at the ruins of a city that had once been great. Inside the broken walls that had been smashed in 410 AD were the remains of huge temples, sports arenas, public baths, apartment blocks and palaces. Nearly all of them were ruined and could not be used. Nearly all of them were half-buried in dirt. A lot of them were pulled down to use as building stone. But they showed people what great things could be done. Among the ruins of this once-great city, the people of Rome lived in cottages. They still went to church in the huge churches (basilicas) built by the first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, in the 4th century. They still held market day in the Ancient Roman market place of Campo dei Fiori (Field of Flowers). One day in 1402, into the middle of Rome, came a young man called Filippo Brunelleschi and a teenage boy called Donatello. They were fascinated by everything that they saw. They measured ancient ruined buildings, they drew things and they dug around for weeks looking for bits of broken statues and painted pottery that they could stick together. They were probably the worlds first archaeologists. By the time they went back home to Florence, they knew more about Ancient Roman architecture and sculpture than anyone had known for about a thousand years. Brunelleschi became a very famous architect and Donatello became a very famous sculptor. They both used the ideas that they had, when they were studying the remains of ancient Rome†. [1] During the renaissance there was great economic growth. †In the 13th century, much of Europe experienced strong economic growth. The trade routes of the Italian states linked with those of established Mediterranean ports and eventually the Hanseatic League of the Baltic and northern regions of Europe to create a network economy in Europe for the first time since the 4th century. The city-states of Italy expanded greatly during this period and grew in power to become de facto fully independent of the Holy Roman Empire; apart from the Kingdom of Naples, outside powers kept their armies out of Italy. During this period, the modern commercial infrastructure developed, with double-entry book-keeping, joint stock companies, an international banking system, a systematized foreign exchange market, insurance, and government debt. [2] Florence became the centre of this financial industry and the gold florin became the main currency of international trade. The new mercantile governing class, who gained their position through financial skill, adapted to their purposes the feudal aristocratic model that had dominated Europe in the Middle Ages. A feature of the High Middle Ages in Northern Italy was the rise of the urban communes which had broken from the control by bishops and local counts. In much of the region, the landed nobility was poorer than the urban patriarchs in the High Medieval money economy whose inflationary rise left land-holding aristocrats impoverished. The increase in trade during the early Renaissance enhanced these characteristics. The decline of feudalism and the rise of cities influenced each other; for example, the demand for luxury goods led to an increase in trade, which led to greater numbers of tradesmen becoming wealthy, who, in turn, demanded more luxury goods. This change also gave the merchants almost complete control of the governments of the Italian city-states, again enhancing trade. One of the most important effects of this political control was security. Those that grew extremely wealthy in a feudal state ran constant risk of running afoul of the monarchy and having their lands confiscated, as famously occurred to Jacques Coeur in France. The northern states also kept many medieval laws that severely hampered commerce, such as those against usury, and prohibitions on trading with non-Christians. In the city-states of Italy, these laws were repealed or rewritten†. [2] Romans architecture was also something developed during the renaissance. â€Å"The obvious distinguishing features of Classical Roman architecture were adopted by Renaissance architects. However, the forms and purposes of buildings had changed over time, as had the structure of cities. Among the earliest buildings of the reborn Classicism were churches of a type that the Romans had never constructed. Neither were there models for the type of large city dwellings required by wealthy merchants of the 15th century. Conversely, there was no call for enormous sporting fixtures and public bath houses such as the Romans had built. The ancient orders were analysed and reconstructed to serve new purposes†. [3] â€Å"The Roman orders of columns are used:- Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. The orders can either be structural, supporting an arcade or architrave, or purely decorative, set against a wall in the form of pilasters. During the Renaissance, architects aimed to use columns, pilasters, and entablatures as an integrated system. One of the first buildings to use pilasters as an integrated system was in the Old Sacristy (1421–1440) by Brunelleschi†. [4] There were some people in Rome who weren’t Christian and even opposed it. â€Å"There are thousands of instances of this kind, where nothing will prevail,not even the majesty of the Christian name nor reverence for Christ himself (whom the angels fall down and worship, though weak and depraved mortals may insult him), nor yet the fear of punishment or the armed inquisitors of heresy. The prison and stake are alike impotent to restrain the impudence of ignorance or the audacity of heresy†. [5] The Roman renaissance was the greatest renaissance. â€Å"They left Florence for a city that was greater than Florence ever dreamed of being, They left for the imperial city they left for rome†. [6] Milan was also very important in the renaissance. â€Å"When we think of the Renaissance we automatically think of Italy, but we must not fall into thinking of the Italian peninsula during this time as a nation. Far from it he southern half of the Italian boot was the Kingdom of Naples. In the North was the most powerful of the city-statesthe Duchy of Milan†. [7] â€Å"Central to the city of Milan were the Dominicans. Church and state were not separate but two legs of a single civic being, neither of which could have survived long without the other. The home of the Dominicans, the church of Santa Maria della Grazie went from being a modest oratory in the middle ages to a major cathedral with its own elaborate monastery complex in the fifteenth century, becoming the centre of all learning in the city. It was here, in the refectory (dining hall) that Leonardo staged his Last Supper. It was here Bramante learned his trade, laying the foundation for the new St. Peters Cathedral in Rome. Unlike Venice or Florence, or Rome, Milan (aside from the Last Supper) is not known for its painting but for its robust power and pursuit of scientific knowledge. Architecture and engineering, science and religion were the key elements in its strong, towering presence as it cast a ponderous shadow over all of Italy during this time. †[8] References http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=gp=aa=iID=423 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_architecture#cite_ref-10 http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance

Thomas Edison :: essays research papers

Thomas Alva Edison Thomas Edison could probably be properly called Mr. Electricity because of the many inventions and millions of dollars that he used and invested with electricity. From the invention of the light bulb, to the invention of the phonograph Thomas Edison made electricity a reality for the masses. And one of his greatest influences was from his Father a very positive man. A long with the great influence he had upon Americans and the world. He sparked the movement of today’s computer ran world. Thomas Edison was born February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He was the seventh and last child of Samuel Edison, Jr. and Nancy Elliot Edison. His parents had no special mechanical background. His mother was a former schoolteacher; his father was a jack-of-all-trades - from running a grocery store to real estate. When Thomas was seven years old, his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. He was a very curious child who asked a lot of questions. "Edison began school in Por t Huron, Michigan when he was seven. His teacher, the Reverend G. B. Engle considered Thomas to be a dull student."(Allen pg. 22) Thomas especially did not like math. And he asked too many questions. The story goes that the teacher whipped students who asked questions. After three months of school, the teacher called Thomas, "addled". Thomas was pissed. The next day, Nancy Edison brought Thomas back to school to talk with Reverend Engle. The teacher told his mother that Thomas couldn't learn. Nancy also became angry at the teacher's strict ways. "She took Thomas out of school and decided to home-school him."(Allen pg. 34) It appears he briefly attended two more schools. However, his school attendance was not very good. So nearly all his childhood learning took place at home. Edison's parents loved to read. They read to him works of good literature and history. They had many books that young Tom eagerly devoured. Before he was 12, he had read work s by Dickens and Shakespeare, Edward Gibbon's Fall of the Roman Empire and Decline, and more. Nancy Edison encouraged her curious son to learn things for himself. His parents were dedicated to teaching their children. They did not force him to learn about things he didn't enjoy. So he learned about things that interested him the most. When Thomas was nine Nancy Edison gave him an elementary science book. It explained how to do chemistry experiments at home.

Economics. Exchange rate to the larger country’s currency Essay

†¢A managed floating exchange rate refers to (an exchange rate that is not pegged, but does not float freely) †¢A small country with strong economic ties to a larger country should (PEG ((HARD OR SOFT)) THEIR EXCHANGE RATE TO THE LARGER COUNTRY’S CURRENCY) †¢An increase in the real exchange rate (real depreciation of domestic currency) will result in (AN INCREASE IN NET EXPORTS) †¢China has pegged its currency against the U.S. dollar. If demand for dollars decreases (THERE IS PRESSURE FOR THE U.S. DOLLAR TO DEPRECIATE. IN THIS SETTING, CHINA HAS TO PURCHASE DOLLARS TO MAINTAIN ITS PEG) †¢Consider Figure 10.4, â€Å"Supply and Demand in the Foreign Exchange Market.† If U.S. demand for the British pound decreases, in the long run (THE DEMAND CURVE WILL SHIFT IN TO THE LEFT, AND THE DOLLAR WILL APPRECIATE) †¢If the U.S. dollar depreciates in terms of the Euro (American goods would be cheaper for Europeans) †¢In a fixed exchange rate system, how do countries address the problem of currency market pressures that threaten to lower or raise the value of their currency (a & b only: if demand rises, countries must fill the excess demand for foreign currency by selling their reserves, if demand falls, then countries must increase demand by buying up the excess supply with domestic currency) †¢In the debate on fixed versus floating exchange rates, the strongest argument for a floating rate is that it frees macroeconomic policy from taking care of the exchange rate. Why is this also the weakest argument (the freeing of monetary policy from the task of maintaining an exchange rate creates a lack of external discipline on monetary policy and leads to an over reliance on inflationary policies to satisfy domestic economic needs) †¢Suppose a bond issued by the European Central Bank and denominated in euros pays 2% per year. Today the exchange rate is 1.87 dollars per euro. It is expected that the exchange rate in one year will be 2.06 dollars per euro. What is the annual dollar return on this bond (12 percent) †¢The price of a currency that will be delivered in the future is called (THE FORWARD EXCHANGE RATE) †¢Under a Gold Standard (THE EXCHANGE RATE IS FIXED) †¢Which is true (SOME COUNTRIES PEG TO A BASKET OF CURRENCIES) †¢Which of the  effects is not considered when choosing an exchange rate system (THE FISCAL ((SPENDING)) POLICY THAT THE CHOOSING COUNTRY WILL MAINTAIN) †¢Which of the following would be interested in holding foreign currency to engage in transactions (a & d only: a tourist, a manufacturing firm) †¢Which of the following would be interested in holding foreign currency to take advantage of investment opportunities (a portfolio manager) †¢SUPPOSE THE DOLLAR-YEN EXCHANGE RATE IS 0.013 DOLLARS PER YEN. SINCE THE BASE YEAR, INFLATION HAS BEEN 1 PERCENT IN JAPAN AND 9 PERCENT IN THE UNITED STATES. WHAT IS THE REAL EXCHANGE RATE (.0120) WORK: REAL EXCHANGE RATE = (NOMINAL EXCHANGE RATE) X ((FOREIGN PRICES) / (DOMESTIC PRICES)) THE FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC PRICES ARE FOUND BY TAKING 100 + THE INFLATION PERCENT. THEREFORE, THE REAL EXCHANGE RATE = 0.013 X ((101) / (109)) = 0.0120 IN REAL TERMS, THE DOLLAR HAS APPRECIATED AGAINST THE YEN (TRUE) †¢DUE TO THIS CHANGE, THE U.S. DOLLAR WILL (APPRECIATE), THE CANADIAN DOLLAR WILL (DEPRECIATE), AND THE LENGTH OF THE EFFECT WILL BE (MEDIUM RUN) †¢Exports represent about ___ percent of Israel’s economy (40) †¢One of the reasons Israel’s currency has appreciated recently is due to (low interest rates in other major economies) †¢Israel’s benchmark interest rate is now (1.25%) †¢Market determined currency exchange rates are also known as (floating exchange rates) †¢What is the impact of currency depreciation on the country experiencing the decline in currency value (exports will increase) †¢When a country allows their currency to depreciate it will (increase exports) †¢When a foreign currency becomes more expensive in terms of another currency it is said to have; (appreciated) †¢How will lowering the interest rates impact the value of the currency (it will devalue the currency) †¢How does the appreciation of the British pound versus the euro impact the British economy? Goods priced in pounds are now (more expensive to consumers in Europe that use the euro, resulting in a further decline in British exports) †¢Why is the British pound appreciating versus the euro (because investors and savers that hold their wealth in euros are looking for â€Å"safe haven† currencies to place their money) †¢How does the Bank of England’s quantitative easing impact the pound’s strength (normally  quantitative easing would cause a currency to depreciate, so the fact that the pound is appreciating provides a strong indicator of investors’ fear of the euro)

Penn Foster Principles of Management Final Exam Essay

1. In order to implement an organizations commitment to social responsibility it is necessary to identify what social problem the organization intends to address, develop policies on what the organization plans to do to successfully fulfill its obligation and ensure stakeholder buy-in. The main obstacles an organization faces when implementing socially responsible policies is pressure from stockholders and business analysis who want steady increase in earnings. Without steady increase in profits, it becomes difficult to reinvest money in these areas. The following actions can be taken toward increased social responsibility: 1. Examine expectations and past responses 2. Set objectives and prioritize 3. Plan and implement strategies 4. Set budgets for resources needed for social action 5. Monitor progress 2. Departmentalization is the practice in which grouping or combining jobs that are related to form a specialized area that is distinct from other areas in an organization. Work or functional departmentalization is a method of separating the activities performed within an organization into groups by the nature or function of the work they perform. For example, functional departmentalization would tend to group together staff members that perform a specialized function in an organization, like accounting. Product departmentalization is the grouping of business activities that are necessary to produce a particular product and/or market a product or service line under the direction of one manager. An example of product departmentalization would be a large multiproduct organization like an automotive distributor. Geographic departmentalization is when organizations are physically isolated to geographical regions. An example of geographical departmentalization is a manufacturing company that has locations in Northern and Southern locations that deal with consumers within their region. Customer departmentalization is when an organization is divided into units that handle specific customer needs. Examples of customer departmentalization in a manufacturing plant are: Assembly, shipping, billing, etc. 3. The acronym SWOT stands for an organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is strategic planning method that evaluates the internal and external performance of an organization to see if it’s favorable or unfavorable to achieve whatever objective you are set out to accomplish. Strengths and weaknesses usually arise from the internal aspect of an organization, whereas opportunities and threats evolve from external components. By performing a SWOT analysis it provides information to managers to help formulate a successful strategy to achieve goals. PART B 1. Six Sigma is a management philosophy that sets objectives, collects data and analyzes results as a way to remove wasted expenses from its processes and help reduce the number of defective products produced. Six Sigma uses quality measures to strive for near perfection by eliminating errors and variables. 2. The balance of trade is the point where the difference between exports and imports is favorable for the country. When the country imports more than it exports, it results in a trade deficit and when the country exports more than it imports, the country runs into a trade surplus. The balance of trade for a countries economy is a very fine balance. The economic condition can change and a deficit or surplus may be an ideal situation. 3. In the context of communication, perception is based on the individual that is on the receiving end of the information. Perception is a process in which stimulation of the senses, whether written, verbal or non-verbal, is translated into a meaningf ul experience. Each person perceives the same information differently and they tend to only listens to part of the message before perception distorts the intended message. 4. The term organizational decentralization refers to the increased amount of authority given to lower level management by upper level management. By allowing lower level management to be involved in decision making, it enables actions to happen in a timelier manner and promotes higher employee morale, as well as relieves upper management from time consuming projects. 5. Simon’s theory, principle of bounded rationality as it applies to satisficing can be summarized as a decision making strategy that selects the best alternative rather than continuing to search for the optimal solution to any given situation. 6. In relations to leadership, consideration and initiating structure both contribute positively to staff motivation and satisfaction, as well as, effectiveness. 7. Positive reinforcement is to add a positive outcome as a result of a desired behavior. Negative reinforcement is to give the person the opportunity to avoid a negative consequence by increasing the likelihood that the desired behavior will reoccur. Both are used to increase the frequency of the desired behavior. 8. Planning – The manager sets objectives and decided what needs to be done to meet those goals. Organizing – The manager divides work into manageable activities and selects people to accomplish the task that need to be done. Staffing – The manager determines how many and what kind of staff is needed to meet the organizations goals and then recruits and trains the appropriate people. Leading – The manager motivates and communicates with staff and also directs them towards meeting the organizational goals. Controlling – The manager measures and analyzes the organizations performance, and makes changes if financial standards are not being m et. 9. A manager would use the critical-incident appraisal method for assessing employees’ written record of both satisfactory and unsatisfactory work performances. Performance is documented as it occurs and can aid in preparing performance evaluations to identify strengths and areas that need improvement. 10. Group norm is an informal set of rules a group takes on to regulate group behavior, whereas group cohesiveness is the overall attraction each member has for the group. Group norm example: Employees that work on assembly line #1 at the local factory always sit at the same lunch table and don’t interact with others. Group cohesiveness example: Employees on assembly line #2 have beaten the monthly production record for the 10th month in a row.

Financial Analysis of Google Research Paper Example

Financial Analysis of Google Research Paper Example Financial Analysis of Google Paper Financial Analysis of Google Paper An Analysis of Google It is rather difficult to think about web browsing without thinking about Google. Many people rely on Google to search and find any information they may be looking for. It is quite frequent you hear people say Just Google it to help find solutions. Many people rely on Google for many different aspects of learning and information. Google is a convenient and has many attributes that they offer to their users. One Googles many attributes that is helpful for college students like us, is their scholarly browser. This browser has come in handy in the many papers we have prepared for lasses over the years. With more and more professors asking for scholarly sources, Google makes it a hassle free to provide those sources. Some of Googles other attributes that it offers its users are maps, image searches, web searches, email, shopping, and much more. Another reason we like Google is that they are a growing company. In a world full of information and data that vastly growing, we are in need of a speedy and up to date search engine to keep people informed and content. Google, who recently did a 2-for-l split in 2014, has stock symbols of AGOG and GOOGOL, which are classified as A shares. They two stocks are currently trading for $525. 5 (Google A Shares) and $534. 14 (Google Inc. ) on May 5, 2014. In the last four years Googles business conditions have continued to become better, showing consistent increase in stock prices each year. On May 6, 2010 the stock price was $249. 09 compared to one year later on May 6, 2011 the stock was $267. 38. Over the next year the stock price increased $30. 81 to $298. 19 on May 6, 2012. From the year 2012 to May 6, 2013 the stock price Jumped a shocking amount of $132. 15 to $430. 34. The stock price has recently increased by $103. 80 from the year 013 to May 6, 2014 to a current price of $534. 5 (Google Inc. NASDAQ). Google takes into much consideration its users satisfaction of its services and products. Google does this by having an easy to run customer service page. This page offers its users direct help with their Google accounts, Gamma, Docs or any other Google product. Also listed on this helpful support page is all of Googles policies and principles, privacy and security tips, Google Headquarters, and telephone numbers to customer service help lines. Google frequently uses this information and feedback to analyze their products and services (Contact). : Googles Business Operation and Corporate Development teams work on global, cross-functional projects that help the companies global business strategy. The teams at Google deliver insights to leaders that drive decision-making, execution and investments for some of Googles most critical initiatives (Business). Google is currently available in 144 countries and holds 60% of the market share in worlds search engines. Google reaches a global business strategy by having twenty American based offices, thirteen Asia Pacific Region based offices, and five Middle East based offices, and many complex global partnerships (International). Google has recently Just made a $2. 25 billion investment on data center and infrastructure spending, which is a huge area of costs for the company. Google is the most aggressive in advancing a clean energy agenda, and has mage fifteen wind and solar investments totaling more than $1 billion. Google and many other large companies like Apple, Backbone, and Microsoft are all gigantic consumers of energy, and is the reason that top companies such as Silicon Valley are in a race to be the leader of clean and renewable energies (Google makes). One of the most important strengths of Google is its brand equity. Google is one of he most well-known and well-respected search engines. Another key strength for Google would be their customer responsiveness. Their customer responsiveness is a key element that will help increase their user base. One of Googles biggest weaknesses is that you need a device and Internet to access Googles features. Google wants to be mobile and easy to use, but still cannot be accessible to everyone, everywhere. They could solve this by making some features downloaded, but it is hard to make a search engine accessible without Internet. A huge opportunity for Google is its overseas markets and advertising. Google can increase their capital by advertising in overseas markets to increase their user base. Google is also in a market that is constantly technologically growing. A great threat Google may face is other search engines. With a variety of search engines to choose from on the Internet, Google has to stay ahead of their competitors and offer as much as they can to their users. Another threat for Google recently has been social media. With Backbone and Twitter surpassing Google with Internet usage it has become an aspect that threatens Googles future. Backbone and Twitter are one of the main leaders in Internet advertisement (The Makes). Financial Analysis In this section, we will be taking a look at Googles financial performance in recent years. All figures will be given in billions of dollars, with the exception of figures given on a per share basis. Given the recent uncertainty within the business community due to the economy, Google has done exceptionally well over they past four years. Their business continues to grow each year, and there is not much information that indicates a change in this trend anytime soon. You do not need to look any farther than Googles balance sheet to see what direction the company is moving in. In 2010, Google had total assets of $41. 6. By 2013, this figure had risen by $31. 33, to $72. 89. It may be surprising to know that Googles long-term debt has not substantially grown over the past four years compared to most other large companies. Google had no long-tern debt in 2009, maintained debt at $2. 99 till 2013 when it had decreased by $. 75 to a current $2. 24 in long-term debt (Google Inc. CLC). By looking at Googles income statement, their financial performance becomes even more impressive. Moving forward, Google appears to have solid financial positioning. The above figures are very helpful in getting an idea of where the company sits, but in order to get an even better picture, it may also be worth taking a look at a few of the common financial ratios. One ratio that is especially telling about Googles operations is its net profit margin. In 2010 Google had a net profit margin of 29% and decreased 8. 6% to a final net profit margin of 20. 4% Another important ratio used to determine a companys ability to generate income is return on equity. Google has recently seen roughly a one percent decrease in this regard. During the 2010 to 2014 period, their returns on equity were 18. 4%, 16. 7%, 15%, and 14% respectively. Another relevant measure to consider in the financial analysis of Google is the firms price to earnings ratio. Their price to earnings ratio has relatively remained the name during the four year time period. Googles price to earnings ratios was 20. 3% starting in 2010 and 24. 6% ending in 2010 (Google Value Line). Googles price to book ratio went from 72. 03 in 2010 to 130. 12 in 2013. This is a 58. 09 increase in their price to book ratio (10 Year). Once again, Google does not issue dividends, so there are no dividend payout ratios or dividend yields for us to report on. Our figures are summarized below. Net Profit Margin 29% 25. 7% 21. 5% 20. 4% Return On Equity 18. 4% 16. 7% Price to Earning Ratio 20. 3 19. 1 19. 8 24. 6 Price to Book Ratio* 72. 03 89. 57 108. 7 130. 12 Figures given by Googles Value Line Report Figures with * given by: Gracious. Com/financial/AGOG These figures show a positive trend for Google. With a relatively stable net profit margin, it is a promising indicator for Googles future performance. A higher profit margin indicates that a greater percentage of their sales are being turned into income. This information, along with other data listed, suggests that Google is seeing consistent improvements in operating efficiency. With the information above, it is certainly possible to evaluate the financial position of a company. However, if we take the figures and ratios from Google and compare to their competition, we will more than likely find ourselves with an even greater idea of the companies performance. In order to reach this goal, we decided to compare Googles performance to one of their key competitors: Yahoo! Although Yahoo! May seem to have the advantage over Google in some areas, the recent trends tend to suggest that Google is making great progress in closing the gap. Although Yahoos net profit margin ends slightly higher than Googles, it is safe to say that Googles has been higher and more consistent over the four-year span from 2010-2014. While Googles net profit margin went from 29% to 20. 4% in 2010 to 2014, Yahoos increased from 19. 5% in 2010 to a current margin of 27% in 2013 (Google Value Line). We also noticed that Googles return on investment decreased from 18. 4% in 2010 to 14% by the year 2013. On the other hand, Yahoos return on investment increased from 9. 8% in 2010 to 10% in 2013. Although Googles return on investment decreased over the four-year span, their ending percentage was still four percent higher than Yahoo! (Google Value Line). Google saw a huge increase in their earning per share starting at $26. 31 in 2010 and ending at $36. 5 in 2013. On the other hand Yahoos earnings per share increased by $. 36 starting at $. 90 in 2010 and ending at $1. 26 in 2013. The last two financial ratios that will help to compare the two companies are price to earnings ratio and the price to book ratio. The price to earnings ratio for Google had a 4. 3 increase from 2010 to 2014, while Yahoo had a . 8 decrease over the same four-year time span. Google shows a remarkable increase in their price to book ratio from 2010 to 2013 with a 58. 09 increase starting at 72. 03 and ending at 130. 12(Google Price). Yahoo did not show such a huge Jump, unlike Google, with only a . 88 increase over four years starting at 1. 839 in 2010 and ending at 1. 927 in 2013. A summary of our comparison, along with two graphs depicting the net profit margins and earnings per share of Google and Yahoo, are below Wahoo! Price). Based on Googles figures, we determined their internal growth rate by calculating their retained earnings, which are $61. 26, divided by their total assets of $72. 89 for an internal growth rate of 84. 04% as of 2013 (Google Inc. CLC). Yahoos internal growth rate was calculated the same with retained earning of $4. 27 divided by their total assets of $16. 8 for a rate of 24. 2% (Google Inc. NASDAQ:GOOGOL). In calculating both Google and Yahoos sustainable growth rate, both companies do not offer dividends leaving them with no dividend payout ratio. With this information the companys sustainable growth rate is equal to their return on equity. Googles return on equity is 14% compared to Yahoos return on equity of 10% (Google Value Line). Based on the internal growth rate and the sustainable growth rate, Googles rates are both higher than Yahoos, which leads us to conclude that Google is on a good trend for the future compared to their major competitors. Investment Analysis Over the past four years, Google stock has seen a considerable increase in value. Just recently in 2014 Google had issued a 2 for 1 stock. One main investment risks for Google is the secular shift to mobile from desktop. With more and more people choosing to invest their money in cell phones and tablets instead of desktop computers, more ads are being displayed on mobile devices. With this being said, Google does not earn as much money with advertising on mobile devices compared to desktop computers. This is because of the ad size being significantly smaller. Although Google is still the leader of the web search engines, it is a risk that investors should consider. Another one of the investments risks for Google is the Motorola Division. This division is a threat to Google because it is a motivational $12. 5 billion Motorola acquisition for the intellectual property and the build-out of a better mobile computing platform on Android. This is an investment risk because Motorola offers features that Google does that could potentially take over their place (Google Investment). Using the market multiple approach, we can see that now is a great time to buy into Google stock. Given Googles current PEPS of $18. 35, along with a PIE ratio of 28. 48, the projected stock price for Googles turns out to be $522. 61. Since Googles current price per hare is $522. 7, it looks to be that Google stock is currently undervalued by 4 cents. If this strategy was to be implemented, and Googles stock was to reach $522. 57, the expected rate of return would be a minimum of . 01%. A great time to invest in Google stock would be if the stock price per share were under $522. 57. An advisable time to sell stock would be if it above $522. 57 per share. Risk is always going to be a huge part of the stock market. With Google, however, our analysis has shown us to conclude that they are a strong and growing company that has the ability to provide retreat returns on investment. They are innovative, in a great financial position, and are one of the worlds most known web search engines. We foresee Google being a dominant force within their industry for many years to come. 10 Year Financial Data of Google Inc (AGOG) Gracious. Com. 10 Year Financial Data of Google Inc (AGOG) Gracious. Com. N. P. , n. D. Web. 6 May 2014.. Business Strategy Google Careers. Business Strategy Google Careers. N. P. , n. D. Web. 6 May 2014. Google (A Shares) Stock Quote. . NASDAQ, n. D. Web. 5 May 2014.

Memoir Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memoir - Research Paper Example Life did not exactly go as I planned it, but deep inside of me I believed that the perfect guy was out there for me. I looked after my daughter all by myself for a few more years. Times were tough, but I always had my daughter to look after. Her beautiful smile was like a sign telling me that I should not give up. Then back in 2011 I met a man who seemed to be perfect in more ways than one. He came from an upstanding family and held a well-paying job. Because of a tough time financially that I was in, I quickly fell for him because I saw him as a means to help me and my daughter live a better life. During the courting stage, which only lasted a few short months, I felt like a princess. My then-boyfriend would randomly turn up at my work with flowers and chocolates, and many of my workmates commented how lovely we were together. I tended to agree, but I did not see it coming when he proposed to me just a few short weeks later. Although I was naturally a cautious person, I felt a sense of joy that I had finally found someone who I could grow old with. My dream was live side-by-side with my husband until we were both very old. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse not long after we were married. The day of the wedding provided lots of sunshine, with many flowers marking the occasion in a way that I could only have dreamed of. I was a little nervous, as every young woman should be, but I could not say that I was totally in love at that time. It seemed like that was just the next step to take. My daughter was growing up, and I did not want to have to raise her alone. It was my utmost desire to have a loving partner to be with, not so much for myself but for the sake of my daughter too. For the first few months of my marriage not a lot seemed to change. My husband had received a promotion at work, so he was doing longer hours than before. Because my daughter had just started going to school, I had many more responsibilities on my plate. It would have been n ice to get some help from my new husband, but he did not seem to care about my situation. Whenever he would come home from work he always seemed to be in an agitated state. I knew that his work gave him a lot of stress, but this was no reason to take it out on me. I had never seen my husband get violent when we were still dating, so this was a new experience for me. The alarm bells should have been ringing for me back then, but I was still holding onto my dream of living happily ever after with my prince charming. After more than a year of marriage, I was beginning to see less and less of my husband. His job required him to travel frequently, so he was not around the house on a daily basis. Whenever he was home, he seemed to be a different person than the one I first married. I carried on for a few more months before I could take it no longer. In January of 2013, I asked my husband to move out as I wanted a divorce. Surprisingly he was not too upset with this request, and he complie d with it almost immediately. I wanted to move on from him as soon as possible, so we got a quick divorce through the help of an experienced lawyer. Although I am now a divorced woman, I still have hope that my true prince charming is out there for me. Times have been tough lately, but I always wish for a better future. Right now

Knowledge of water-only systems may influence the incident commanders Essay

Knowledge of water-only systems may influence the incident commanders incident action plan - Essay Example In case of a fire emergency, the knowledge of when and where the water is available will influence significantly which strategy the incident commander will adopt depending on whether or not the water will be available. The relevance and conciseness of the plan will depend on the knowledge of water-only systems. The commander will be able to create a plan that suits the emergency by assessing the availability of water in a particular area. When laying out a strategy to curb fire in a deserted area, the plan needs to include the sources of water to stop the fire or other sources to stop the situation such as fire extinguishers. Lastly, the knowledge on water systems will be essential to make timely and complete plans. The information on water systems will be critical to the execution of the project to avoid hindering efficiency and compromising safety (Haraway, 2010). For example, with the knowledge of where and when water will be available, a fire extinguishing company will be able to lay out a complete and timely plan of what shall be needed in the event. In conclusion, knowledge of water-only systems plays a crucial role in determining the objectives to be set, the strategies to be laid and the tactics to be applied in the case of emergencies. The knowledge enables the plan to be timely, accurate and