What is an asset Essays - Asset, Financial Ratios, Free Essays

What is an asset Essays - Asset, Financial Ratios, Free Essays oWhat is an asset? What is a liability? What is the difference between them? Can an organization operate without current liabilities? Explain your answer. An asset is an item that adds value to a company or an individual. A liability is the opposite of an asset and is something that a company or individual is obligated to contribute assets to resolve. The most common example of a liability is a loan. The main difference between assets and liabilities is that assets add value and liabilities take away value. It is possible for a company to operate without any liabilities but it is unlikely. Most of the time companies invest their cash flow from their assets back into the company to either expand or develop some other kind of technology that will later benefit the company in the future. What are current assets? What are current liabilities? How do you calculate the Current Ratio? For example, what is the current ratio for Wal-Mart for the most recent quarter? http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=WMT Current Assets are assets such as cash and other assets that the company are expected to convert to cash within a year from the date shown in a companys balance sheet. Accounts receivable, inventory, and prepaid expenses are considered current assets. Current liabilities are a companys debts or obligations that are due within the year from the date shown in a companys balance sheet. The current ratio is a liquidity ratio calculated as current assets divided by the current liabilities. This determines whether a company has the ability to pay off its current liabilities within that year. For Wal-Mart its current ratio made an improvement from 2013 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2015. For the actual amount in July 2015 the total current ratio would be 58132000/65262000 which is 1.12. This means that the current liabilities are greater than the current assets for the month of July of this year. oClass, What is an aggressive financing strategy? What are components of aggressive finance strategies? What is the difference between the aggressive and conservative financing models? Under what circumstances would you use either model? I like to watch the show Income Properties on HGTV. For those of you not familiar with the show, a couple has a part of their house they want to convert to an apartment that they will rent out to tenants. The host of the show presents them with two options. For example, if they invest $30,000 in Option 1, they will be able to charge $800 in rent. However, if they invest $40,000 in Option 2 (nicer apartment), they will be able to charge $1,000 in rent. I often see homeowners discussing if they have the additional $10,000. But think this is the wrong way to make the decision. What variables should they be considering when choosing? What is zero working capital? How would you define zero working capital? Net working capital is the amount by which a firms current assets exceed its current liabilities (Gitman, 2015). Zero working capital would be zero difference by which the firms current assets exceeds its current liabilities. When would this methodology be used? Zero working capital methodology would be used when a firm elects to reinvest its working capital rather than retaining it. Financial institutions prefer high levels of working capital, whereas firms prefer low levels. Would this model be applicable to all organizations? Explain. No, zero working capital methodology is not applicable to all organizations. Some firms may need excess cash or inventories to fulfill obligations, therefore reserving working capital. The zero working capital methodology applies best to demand based firms. A demand based firm fills customer orders, manufactures product, etc. as needed. Reference Gitman, L. (2015). Principles of Managerial Finance (14th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson, Addison Wesley. What is their Net Working Capital? Remember, Net Working Capital is calculated as Current Assets - Current Liabilities. Net Working Capital is the current assets minus the current liabilities of a company. It is used to measure the short-term liquidity of a business and can also be used to obtain a general idea or estimate of the ability of company management to utilize assets in an effective manner. The current assets are calculated by adding up cash and cash equivalents, marketable investments, trade

Othello Act 2 Summary

'Othello' Act 2 Summary Iagos evil plan begins to take shape in Othello Act 2. Our summary works through Act 2 scene-by-scene to guide you through the complex plot that drives Shakespeare’s Othello. Act 2 Scene 1 Montano the Governor of Cyprus and two gentlemen discuss the tempestuous weather which has defeated most of the Turkish fleet. A Third gentleman enters to decry the end of the war; â€Å"News lads! Our wars are done. The desperate tempest hath so banged the Turks that their designment halts.† He explains that a noble Venetian ship weathered the storm and Michael Cassio, Othello’s Lieutenant has arrived on shore. Cassio is said to be concerned about Othello’s ship which was caught up in the storm. Cassio enters concerned about Othello â€Å"O let the heavens give him defence against the elements, For I have lost him on a dangerous sea†. A sail is spotted at sea, the hope is that it is Othello’s ship; however, Cassio identifies the ship as Iago’s. On the ship are Roderigo, Desdemona and Emilia among others. Cassio explains to Montano about the marriage between Othello and Desdemona and his arrangement for Iago to provide for her shelter and protection. Desdemona enters asking about her husband, Cassio says; â€Å"The great contention of the sea and skies parted our fellowship†. Cassio introduces himself to Emilia, Iago puts his wife down by telling him that she talks too much he then goes on to say of women in general: â€Å"You are pictures at the door, bells in your parlours; wildcats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries; devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and hussies in your beds.† Iago is encouraged by the women to further develop his cutting and satirical use of ‘praise’ for their amusement. Cassio and the ladies go off as Iago ruminates on his plot to make Cassio appear to be having an affair with Desdemona. Othello’s trumpet sounds, he has arrived. Desdemona and Othello have a loving exchange of words and Iago says in an aside that despite their obvious love now, he will ruin their union. Othello confirms that the Turks are defeated. The group leave Iago and Roderigo alone on stage. Iago tells Roderigo that Desdemona is clearly in love with Othello, Roderigo refuses to believe it. Iago believes that Cassio does love Desdemona but that she loves Othello and acknowledges that Othello would prove to be a good husband to her. Iago admits to loving Desdemona too but not out of lust more out of revenge that because Othello ‘slept with his wife’ then he should sleep with his; â€Å"For that I do suspect the lusty Moor hath leapt into my seat, †¦And nothing can or shall content my soul Til I am evened with him, wife for wife.† Failing this, Iago wants to put Othello in to a jealousy so strong that he will not be able to trust his wife again. Iago will use Michael Cassio as Desdemona’s supposed suitor in order to get closer to Othello and to put Cassio’s character in to disrepute. Act 2 Scene 2 Othello’s Herald enters to read a proclamation; he invites the victorious soldiers to come and celebrate his nuptials with him. He encourages them to dance and feast and enjoy themselves. He blesses the isle of Cyprus and Othello. Continue reading by visiting our contents page  of scene guides to Shakespeare’s Othello.

An Analysis of Japan and China Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Analysis of Japan and China - Assignment Example China is the world’s second largest market for consumer goods after the US (Martinsons, 2002). On average, consumers spent an annual average of US$61 on FMCG online an increase of 9.8% from 2010. In 2011, on average, shoppers for FMCG products made three trips while shopping online against 97 offline shopping trips over the same period. The average online transaction amount per trip was US$21, 80% greater than an offline transaction that averaged US$11.50. Attitudes related to e commerce showed that 29.9% of people doing online shopping are comfortable while 17.9% felt it is safe to purchase online. This indicates that there is large potential in China’s e-commerce markets (Ke, 2010). Japan has been innovative in technology with shopping lists growing significantly due to lower costs of setting up businesses online. Japanese consumers who previously were reluctant to do online shopping have grown the online retailing business to a multi-billion dollar market (Fitzsimmon s &Okada, 2002). According to Hamburg market research, the Japans B2C e commerce revenues are forecasted to grog annually by a low double digit percentage between 2012 and 2016 due to high average spending and growth in online shoppers (Herbig & Milam, 1994). Environmental analysis China’s environment has suffered degradation as the country reform its economy because of urbanization and industrial development. The environmental damage costs up to 8% of China’s GDP thus the development of China’s environment protection industry to respond to the environment degrading over the past two decades (Takao, 2012). China focuses its investment to environmentally friendly projects a shift form infrastructure. Energy... This essay stresses that Japan’s legal structures to foreign investors are bureaucratic and present legal hurdles. The main business structures that foreign companies open in Japan are representative office, branch office, and subsidiary company and limited liability partnerships. Representative offices are not allowed to engage in sales activities. Branch offices do not have independent decision-making abilities since they do not have legal corporate statuses. However, foreign investors can invest in Japan through joint ventures with Japanese companies. Corporate enterprise tax is the local tax levied on foreign companies conducting business in Japan. Corporate taxes levied on taxable income. This paper makes a conclusion that the researcher recommends interested Australian companies wishing to go international to invest in China. China is the world most populated nation with over 1.3 billion people compared to Japan, which has a population of approximately 128 million people. As such, China presents more chances of cheap labor and a ready market for the produced products and services. Growth in ecommerce is high in China than in Japan presenting an opportunity for investment. Both Japan and China have stringent environmental regulations. However, Japan being the most affected in emissions is more likely to pass stringent rules regarding pollution than China. China is well adapted for globalization by enacting laws that are in line with WTO guidelines. This puts it in a better position to attract foreign investment than Japan.

Strategic Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Strategic Management - Coursework Example The authors of the articles are Matthias kipping and Ludovic Cailluet are reputable authors who have written numerous other articles. Mathias has a background in the faculty of economics and business science from university of pompeu fabra while Lodovic on the other hand, studied in university of Toulouse. After the analysis, the author arrived at the following conclusion, the company strategy evolved along deliberate emergent continuum as proposed by Mintzberg. In the case of ALCAN, the direction was from emergent toward deliberate strategies. The second conclusion was that there was some correlation between the firm strategy and its organization. This means that the evolution of the firms from emergent to deliberate was parallel to its evolution of the firm organization. This long run historical analysis confirms that using a framework that looks at continuum of deliberate and emergent strategies eliminate the notion of top down process. This suggests that Mintzenberg ideal applies in carrying out historical studies of company strategy. At the same time the study, add a crucial insight to the existing frame wok by highlighting the role of emergent imposed strategies. These strategies according to Mintenzberg represent extreme cases. Design school is one of the schools of thought on strategy formation. The design proposes a simple model that views the process as one design to achieve a balance between external threats and opportunity and internal competence. The paper discusses and later criticizes the model focusing on the concept of conscious assessment of strengths and weakness, of the need to make strategies explicit and separation between formulation and implementation (Potter, 2001). In doing so, it question the beliefs in the strategic management. The critique is not intended to dismiss the design school model; lather, it opposes the assumption of its universality. The author of the paper has vast experience in

Indigenous Perspective Essay Example for Free

Indigenous Perspective Essay I agree with Professor Acuna and his historical statement. Along with Linda Tuhiwai Smith, their interpretations of the colonization of the Americas has long since been scene as the rape of a country for it’s riches, resourced and land is evident. The impact of the Catholic Church (I am catholic) at this time in history was one of the most devastating blows to the indigenous peoples of America, and the beginning an effort to wipe their cultures and history form the global historical record. The pillage of gold and the exploitation of the indigenous people clearly funded the beginning of Europe’s rapid expansion leading up to the Industrial Revolution. Without the vast amount of gold and wealth taken from the continent, Europe would have taken much more time to amass its wealth and the economical ability to pursue colonization around the globe. It is the perspective of the authors from both readings that our history from the perspective of currently accepted research is flawed. They claim, from an ethnocentric focus, any research conducted by a non-indigenous researcher is to re-inscribe a Western view. I agree that to legitimate and be considered â€Å"real† knowledge as they term it, such research should be from the perspective of an indigenous author. In addition, my perspective is that any non-indigenous researcher has to immerse themselves into the culture being studied. Smith especially argues that western research and critiques’ are but the cultural assumptions by a dominant culture, namely non-indigenous Americans. I think that Acunas adamant declarations asserting his self professed socialist views; that there is â€Å"insidious ethnic prejudice woven into the fabric of American culture†, and that minorities with an emphasis on Chicano and African culture are in fact victims of American society seems to be eccentric, but it does have the indication of validity to it. It was interesting to note that Professor Acuna actually had to go to court, in order to in order to obtain a position at an Institute of American Higher Education. Perhaps this is one of the best examples of his view on ethnic prejudice. I does seem to me that our current views on the history of the Americas should be expressed from the view of the ethnic culture that experienced it. What we read in grade school history books, does not tell us the perspective of the people who actually experienced colonization and its effects. The Mesoamerican’s were nearly wiped out and their cultures were devastated. These interpretations are clearly lacking. We are taught our history through rose-colored glasses that obstruct our vision of the destruction, enslavement, and rape of the early Americas through colonization of South and Central America. We are not taught that the cultures were largely wiped out by disease spread be their conquerors, or that the entire history of their culture was put to torch by catholic priests. Very few of the documents written by scribes of those cultures survived and exist today. What does exist is an enigma.

Genetically Modified Salmon Essay -- Genetic Engineering

What if the food you were eating right now was not what you thought it was? Instead of being grown like that rest of your food, taking a certain length of time or only growing during certain seasons, it was genetically modified to grow faster and with no consideration to season at all. This concept as farfetched as it may sound is not so farfetched after all with the production of genetically modified GM salmon trying to make its way into our fishers markets and grocery stores today. This process has been going on for almost 20 years, being done to crops and animals alike, however, GM salmon will be the first commercial GM food animal to hit the American market. However, with first come questions such as â€Å"what is the difference between salmon on the market currently and the genetically altered ones and is it harmful or harmless?† Most of the foods that we consume from grocery stores are products of artificial selection in which humans breed select animals or plants together because of their desirable traits that we see as useful and beneficial. However, genetically modifying a food is a process that is completely different. For GM salmon, scientists are inserting the growth gene from the Pacific Chinook salmon and a switch-on gene from the Ocean Pout into the fertilized eggs of Atlantic salmon ("Clarified: What does," 2010). The Pacific Chinooks growth genes will allow the genetically altered salmon to grow to its full adult size in half the time, while the Ocean Pout switch-on gene will allow it to grow during the winter and summer months ("Clarified: What does," 2010). Ultimately, instead of waiting approximately 36 months to reach their eight-pound market ready weight, we would only be waiting 18 months, allowing the GM salmo... ...010/09/20/genetically-modified-salmon/ Dispatch: Fda weighs in. (2010, September 7). Retrieved from http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.1828/news_detail.asp Zajac, A. (2010, August 14). Genetically engineered salmon under fda consideration. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/14/business/la-fi-super-salmon-20100814 Zajac, A. (2010, September 22). No agreement imminent on salmon labeling. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/22/nation/la-na-salmon-fda-20100922 Zhu, J. (2010, March 4). Countries differ on gm food laws. Retrieved from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2010-03/04/content_9534295.htm Zohar, Y. (2010, September 22). Genetically modified salmon is fit for the table. Retrieved from articles.cnn.com/2010-09-22/opinion/zohar.genetically.engineered.salmon_1_fish-and-seafood-wild-stocks-wild-atlantic-salmon/2?_s=PM:OPINION6

Of Mice And Men Pee On Crooks Essay

P: Crooks is the one on the ranch who is by himself and is unable to mix in with the others at all because of his colour. E: This is proven through the phrase , Crooks, on a black man’s loneliness: â€Å"S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. A: Through the repetition of the conjunction â€Å"s’pose,† a lexical field of isolation is created which further emphasises the sheer hardship he faces being the only black man, which simultaneously provokes the reader to feel empathetic towards him. Another reason that the reader will feel empathetic towards Crooks at this point is because of the fact that he his openly confiding in Lennie which gives the impression that he isn’t able to do this on a normal basis. P: Crooks is aware that not only is his weakness his crooked spine but also his colour. E: â€Å"This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?† A: The use of alliteration with â€Å"busted-back† suggests how Crooks is emphasizing the fact that he is not only black but is also significantly weak compared to the others because of his back. Through this the double marginalism Crooks faces is emphasised which creates sympathy towards him. This further gives the impression that he is almost purposely trying to devalue himself which implies how he is vulnerable and is almost trying to use this as a privilege as the weak are not listened to and taken account of. P: Even though Crooks is the only Negro at the ranch, Steinbeck displays him as an extremely independent worker. E: This is evident from, â€Å"This room was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that others kept theirs. A: From the description of his room which Crooks insists on keeping neat implies that fact that even though he has been degraded to the levels of animals because of his colour, he has come to the realisation that he does not need to live like one. This displays that dignity is an important matter to him. Also the use of the verb â€Å"demanded† suggests that Crooks is determined to have a say in which he talks to if that’s the only thing he can do. This emphasises the fact that he purposely isolates himself, as he is a victim of prejudice. P: Steinbeck deeply describes Crooks facial features, which provide us an insight to Crooks emotions and experiences. E: For example, â€Å"his eyes†¦.. because of their depth seemed to glitter with intensity†¦ he had pain-tightened lips†¦Ã¢â‚¬  implies this. A: The use of the metaphor, â€Å"glitter with intensity† implies that Crooks has many hidden emotions yet he is unable to share them with anyone, as he is not close to anyone due to his colour. Also the use of the pre-modifier, â€Å"pain tightened lips† suggests that Crooks has almost represses his emotions and painful experiences away inside him, as he is unable to find someone to confide in. P: Many other people use his colour as an excuse to overpower him. E: For example Curley’s wife says, â€Å"I can have you canned for this,† A: The fact that Crooks immediately pipes down tells us that even Curley’s wife can use her status as a white woman to get her own way despite it her in the wrong of being in Crooks room. This displays the predatory nature of human existence displayed through all the character on the ranch. P: Crooks lack of dominance in the ranch life is clearly evident through his  description and personality. E: ‘The door opened quietly†¦ a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eye patient’ (Pg. 77) A: As he ‘opened quietly’, can be symbolic of his natural quiet life, which shows that he is in an isolated world with no dreams. The explicit commentary of crooks ‘head’ being black as shown by the word ‘negro’, expresses that being a black person means that you are powerless and segregated in the ranch life. ‘Eye patient’, confirms to the audience that Crooks is awaiting for recognition, and as he is ‘lean’, could possibly mean that he is looking up at the ranch workers as he has no authority over them. P: Crooks craves for some human contact vastly through uttering his feelings. E: ‘a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody†¦books ain’t no good†¦guy gets too lonely an’ sick’ A: Use of hyperbole, ‘nuts’ stresses Crooks abhorrence of his seclusion and that being socially excluded has made him change negatively, by being ‘sick’. The adverbial quantifier intensifier points out that his need for social interaction is literally killing him. Through the use of the words, ‘nuts†¦lonely†¦sick’, creates a semantic field of dehumanisation, as Crooks has no typical lifestyle or feelings in association to the other workers in the ranch. A lexical field of knowledge is made due to the repetition of ‘books’, showing that ‘books’ is his only source of entertainment to fulfil his need to mingle with others in society. P: Crooks despondent state makes him urge to take advantage of the weakest in the ranch, Lennie. E: ‘S’pose George don’t come back no more’ A: Crooks, plays with Lennie’s mind, to torment him, which was deliberately done to make Crook feel better as he doesn’t feel remorseful for himself no  more (schadenfreude). He treats Lennie in this manner, by eradicating the thought of George returning which is significant to Lennie, as they are fraternal bonds. P: Crooks poor physical and emotional injuries are displayed when he is described. E: ‘Pain-tightened lips†¦face lined with pain’ A: Here a semantic field of agony is evident through the words ‘pain†¦ tightened†¦pain’, which suggests that Crooks ranch life underprivileged and too challenging for someone of his figure. The use of pre-modifier ‘pain-tightened’, illustrates the depth of ache within crook, which makes him unable to speak up for himself, due to having no greater dominance in contrast to other ranch workers including Curley’s wife.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 5

â€Å"Everyone knows that old-timey vampires had to stay in coffins during the day,† I went on. â€Å"To keep out of the sun. That's common knowledge, Diego.† â€Å"You're right. Al the stories do say that.† â€Å"And what would Riley gain by locking us up in a lightproof basement – one big group coffin – al day, anyway? We just demolish the place, and he has to deal with al the fighting, and it's constant turmoil. You can't tel me he enjoys it.† Something I'd said surprised him. He sat with his mouth open for a second, then closed it. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Common knowledge,† he repeated. â€Å"What do vampires do in coffins al day?† â€Å"Er – oh yeah, they're supposed to sleep, right? But I guess they're probably just lying there bored, 'cause we don't†¦ Okay, so that part's wrong.† â€Å"Yeah. In the stories they're not just asleep, though. They're total y unconscious. They can't wake up. A human can walk right up and stake them, no problem. And that's another thing – stakes. You real y think someone could shove a piece of wood through you?† I shrugged. â€Å"I haven't real y thought about it. I mean, not a normal piece of wood, obviously. Maybe sharpened wood has some kind of†¦ I don't know. Magical properties or something.† Diego snorted. â€Å"Please.† â€Å"Wel, I don't know. I wouldn't just hold stil while some human ran at me with a filed broom handle, anyway.† Diego – stil with a sort of disgusted look on his face, as if magic were real y such a reach when you're a vampire – rol ed to his knees and started clawing into the limestone above his head. Tiny stone shards fil ed his hair, but he ignored them. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Experimenting.† He dug with both hands until he could stand upright, and then kept going. â€Å"Diego, you get to the surface, you explode. Stop it.† â€Å"I'm not trying to – ah, here we go.† There was a loud crack, and then another crack, but no light. He ducked back down to where I could see his face, with a piece of tree root in his hand, white, dead, and dry under the clumps of dirt. The edge where he'd broken it was a sharp, uneven point. He tossed it to me. â€Å"Stake me.† I tossed it back. â€Å"Whatever.† â€Å"Seriously. You know it can't hurt me.† He lobbed the wood to me; instead of catching it, I batted it back. He snagged it out of the air and groaned. â€Å"You are so†¦ superstitious!† â€Å"I am a vampire. If that doesn't prove that superstitious people are right, I don't know what does.† â€Å"Fine, I'l do it.† He held the branch away from himself dramatical y, arm extended, like it was a sword and he was about to impale himself. â€Å"C'mon,† I said uneasily. â€Å"This is sil y.† â€Å"That's my point. Here goes nothing.† He crushed the wood into his chest, right where his heart used to beat, with enough force to punch through a granite slab. I was total y frozen with panic until he laughed. â€Å"You should see your face, Bree.† He sifted the splinters of broken wood through his fingers; the shattered root fel to the floor in mangled pieces. Diego brushed at his shirt, though it was too trashed from al the swimming and digging for the attempt to do any good. We'd both have to steal more clothes the next time we got a chance. â€Å"Maybe it's different when a human does it.† â€Å"Because you felt so magical when you were human?† â€Å"I don't know, Diego,† I said, exasperated. â€Å"I didn't make up al those stories.† He nodded, suddenly more serious. â€Å"What if the stories are exactly that? Made up.† I sighed. â€Å"What difference does it make?† â€Å"Not sure. But if we're going to be smart about why we're here – why Riley brought us to her, why she's making more of us – then we have to understand as much as we possibly can.† He frowned, every trace of laughter total y gone from his face now. I just stared back at him. I didn't have any answers. His face softened just a little. â€Å"This helps a lot, you know. Talking about it. Helps me focus.† â€Å"Me, too,† I said. â€Å"I don't know why I never thought about any of this before. It seems so obvious. But working on it together†¦ I don't know. I can stay on track better.† â€Å"Exactly.† Diego smiled at me. â€Å"I'm real y glad you came out tonight.† â€Å"Don't get al gooey on me now.† â€Å"What? You don't want to be† – he widened his eyes and his voice went up an octave – â€Å"BFFs?† He laughed at the goofy expression. I rol ed my eyes, not total y sure if he was making fun of the expression or of me. â€Å"C'mon, Bree. Be my bestest bud forever. Please?† Stil teasing, but his wide smile was natural and†¦ hopeful. He held out his hand. This time I went for a real high five, not realizing until he caught my hand and held it that he'd intended anything else. It was shockingly weird to touch another person after a whole life – because the last three months were my whole life – of avoiding any kind of contact. Like touching a sparking downed power line, only to find out that it felt nice. The smile on my face felt a little lopsided. â€Å"Count me in.† â€Å"Excel ent. Our own private club.† â€Å"Very exclusive,† I agreed. He stil had my hand. Not shaking it, but not exactly holding it, either. â€Å"We need a secret handshake.† â€Å"You can be in charge of that one.† â€Å"So the super-secret best friends club is cal ed to order, al present, secret handshake to be devised at a later date,† he said. â€Å"First order of business: Riley. Clueless? Misinformed? Or lying?† His eyes were on mine as he spoke, wide and sincere. There was no change as he said Riley's name. In that instant, I was sure there was nothing to the stories about Diego and Riley. Diego had just been around more than the others, nothing more. I could trust him. â€Å"Add this to the list,† I said. â€Å"Agenda. As in, what is his?† â€Å"Bul ‘s-eye. That's exactly what we've got to find out. But first, another experiment.† â€Å"That word makes me nervous.† â€Å"Trust is an essential part of the whole secret club gig.† He stood up into the extra ceiling space he'd just carved out and started digging again. In a second, his feet were dangling while he held himself up with one hand and excavated with the other. â€Å"You better be digging for garlic,† I warned him, and backed up toward the tunnel that led to the sea. â€Å"The stories aren't real, Bree,† he cal ed to me. He pul ed himself higher into the hole he was making, and the dirt continued to rain down. He was going to fil in his hidey-hole at this rate. Or flood it with light, which would make it even more useless. I slid most of the way into the escape channel, just my fingertips and eyes above the edge. The water only came up to my hips. It would take me just the smal est fraction of a second to disappear into the darkness below. I could spend a day not breathing. I'd never been a fan of fire. This might have been because of some buried childhood memory, or maybe it was more recent. Becoming a vampire was enough fire to last me. Diego had to be close to the surface. Once again, I struggled with the idea of losing my new and only friend. â€Å"Please stop, Diego,† I whispered, knowing he would probably laugh, knowing he wouldn't listen. â€Å"Trust, Bree.† I waited, unmoving. â€Å"Almost†¦,† he muttered. â€Å"Okay.† I tensed for the light, or the spark, or the explosion, but Diego dropped back down while it was stil dark. In his hand he had a longer root, a thick snaky thing that was almost as tal as me. He gave me an I-told-you-so kind of look. â€Å"I'm not a completely reckless person,† he said. He gestured to the root with his free hand. â€Å"See – precautions.† With that, he stabbed the root upward into his new hole. There was a final avalanche of pebbles and sand as Diego dropped back onto his knees, getting out of the way. And then a beam of bril iant light – a ray about the thickness of one of Diego's arms – pierced the darkness of the cave. The light made a pil ar from the ceiling to the floor, shimmering as the drifting dirt sifted through it. I was icy-stil, gripping the ledge, ready to drop. Diego didn't jerk away or cry out in pain. There was no smel of smoke. The cave was a hundred times lighter than it had been, but it didn't seem to affect him. So maybe his story about shade trees was true. I watched him careful y as he knelt beside the pil ar of sunlight, motionless, staring. He seemed fine, but there was a slight change to his skin. A kind of movement, maybe from the settling dust, that reflected the gleam. It looked almost like he was glowing a little. Maybe it wasn't the dust, maybe it was the burning. Maybe it didn't hurt, and he'd realize it too late†¦. Seconds passed as we stared at the daylight, motionless. Then, in a move that seemed both absolutely expected and also completely unthinkable, he held out his hand, palm up, and stretched his arm toward the beam. I moved faster than I could think, which was pretty dang fast. Faster than I'd ever moved before. I tackled Diego into the back wal of the dirt-fil ed little cave before he could reach that one last inch to put his skin in the light.

Business Analysis (England) Essay

Business Analysis (England) Essay Business Analysis (England) Essay BETTER BIKES INC. Company Reflection Prepared for: BetterBikes Inc. Board of Directors Prepared by: (CEO’s and Co-founders) April 4, 2014 Proposal number: 123-4567 ! !1 of 18 ! BETTER BIKES INC. Executive Summary ! ! To The Board of Directors: ! I proudly present this analysis of BetterBikes inc. For the past 3 years; encompassing marketing, operations and ï ¬ nance. Contained within this report are our various decisions as a company and what we can do going forward to ensure success. Currently we hold a Shareholder Value of $15.22 which is substantially less than that of our competitors and although we have suffered a great lay-off period with some of our essential members I believe the tactics we have employed stand true and with some revision we can pull ahead. An industrial shift is on the rise and this is the perfect chance for us as a company to drive moral and make a stronger impression on the market. Our greatest competitor is LifeBikes Inc. which hold an SHV of $91.04, our present goal is to emulate some of the decisions they have made while improving on them. Speaking with my operations managers I have assessed our strategy so far to be focused on the quality of products with a low supply. Considering this strategy I insist that we maintain our level of quality but also increase supply, this will undoubtedly be costly but it is a sacriï ¬ ce worth making as we have seen this sort of success in our competition. A key measure to keep in mind is the fact that we are targeting retailers and retailers respond well to quality but !2 of 18 ! BETTER BIKES INC. they require quantity as well. Our focus should be aimed towards a certain market, namely youth bikes. I suggest youth bikes because this is an area where our competitors are particularly dormant and if we can command this market it will bring the attention of a niche market. We have proved to be a force to be reckoned with but now we need to ascend to our proverbial throne as captains of industry. With a more customer focused approach our SHV will double within the coming year. As CEO I undoubtedly state that with our resources and talented team can achieve greatness within the market. ! Regards, ! ! President & CEO ! !3 of 18 ! Affirmation Statement ! 1. intellectual property from sources, other than the data provided in the multi- player version of Mike's Bikes, used in the completion of this assignment. 2. A proper bibliography has been included, which includes acknowledgement of all sources used to complete this assignment other than data provided in the multi- player version of Mike's Bikes. 3. This is the ï ¬ rst time that any member of the team has submitted this assignment (either partially or entirely) for academic evaluation. 4. Each member of the team has read the full content of the submission and is assured that the content is free of violations of academic integrity. Team discussions regarding the importance of academic integrity have taken place. 5. Each student has identiï ¬ ed his or her individual contribution to the work submitted such that if a violation of academic integrity is suspected, then the student primarily responsible for the violations may be identiï ¬ ed. Note that in this case the remainder of the team may also be subject to disciplinary action. All team members have referenced and footnoted all ideas, words or other The team members listed below have participated in the preparation of this assignment and no other individuals have contributed to this assignment, except as acknowledged. ! Name: Peda Ristic Thomas Edward Mcneely ! Due Date: April 04 2014 Section 003, Group 3, Team 1 TA: Mobeen Ul Haq Malik !4 of 18 ! Table of Contents ! Page 01 - Title page Pages 02-03 - Executive Summary Page 04 - Afï ¬ rmation Statement Pages 06-09 - 2013-2014 Review

How the McCormick Reaper Revolutionized Farming

How the McCormick Reaper Revolutionized Farming Cyrus McCormick, a blacksmith in Virginia, developed the first practical mechanical reaper to harvest grain in 1831 when he was only 22 years old. His machine, at first a local curiosity, proved to be enormously important. In the decades following McCormicks first attempts to bring mechanical aid to farm work, his invention would revolutionize farming in the United States and around the world. Early Experiments McCormicks father had earlier tried to invent a mechanical device for harvesting but gave up on it. But in the summer of 1831 the son took up the job and labored for about six weeks in the family blacksmith shop.   Confident he had worked out the tricky mechanics of the device, McCormick demonstrated it at a local gathering place, Steeles Tavern. The machine had some innovative features that would make it possible for a farmer to harvest grain faster than could ever be done by hand. As the demonstration was later described, local farmers were at first puzzled by the peculiar contraption that looked like a sled with some machinery on top of it. There was a cutting blade and spinning parts which would hold grain heads while the stalks were being cut. As McCormick began the demonstration, the machine was pulled through a wheat field behind a horse. The machinery began to move, and it was suddenly apparent that the horse pulling the device was doing all the physical work. McCormick only had to walk beside the machine and rake the wheat stalks into piles which could be bound as usual. The machine worked perfectly and McCormick was able to use it that year in the fall harvest. Business Success McCormick produced more of the machines, and at first, he only sold them to local farmers. But as word of the machines amazing functionality spread, he began selling more. He ultimately started a factory in Chicago. The McCormick Reaper revolutionized agriculture, making it possible to harvest large areas of grain much faster than could have been done by men wielding scythes. Because farmers could harvest more, they could plant more. So McCormicks invention of the reaper made the possibility of food shortages, or even famine, less likely. It was said that before McCormicks machinery changed farming forever, families would have to struggle to cut enough grain during the fall to last them until the next harvest. One farmer, highly skilled at swinging at scythe, might only be able to harvest two acres of grain in a day. With a reaper, one man with a horse could harvest large fields in a day. It was thus possible to have much larger farms, with hundreds or even thousands of acres. The earliest horse-drawn reapers made by McCormick cut the grain, which fell onto a platform so it could be raked up by a man walking alongside the machine. Later models consistently added practical features, and McCormicks farm machinery business grew steadily. By the end of the 19th century, McCormick reapers did not just cut wheat, they could also thresh it and put it into sacks, ready for storage or shipment. At the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, McCormick exhibited his latest model. The American machine was the source of much curiosity. McCormicks reaper, during a competition held at an English farm in July 1851, outperformed a British-made reaper. When the McCormick reaper was returned to the Crystal Palace, the site of the Great Exhibition, word had spread. In the crowds attending the exhibition, the machine from America became a must-see attraction. In the 1850s McCormicks business grew as Chicago became the center of the railroads in the Midwest, and his machinery could be shipped to all parts of the country. The spread of the reapers meant that American grain production also increased. It has been noted that McCormicks farming machines may have had an impact on the Civil War, as they were more common in the North. And that meant farmhands going off to war had less impact on grain production. In the South, where hand tools were more common, the loss of farm hands to the military had much more impact. In the years following the Civil War the company founded by McCormick continued to grow. When workers at McCormicks factory struck in 1886, events surrounding the strike led to the Haymarket Riot, a watershed event in American labor history.

Compare and Contrast three separate and distinct linux vendors of Essay

Compare and Contrast three separate and distinct linux vendors of workstation and server - Essay Example The cost of availability and after-sales support of the three vendors will also be analyzed. Most importantly, any hidden charges or licensing fees as required for subscription of Microsoft applications will also be reviewed. Finally, a recommendation in choosing Linux and the reasons behind preferring Linux over Microsoft will also be provided. Moreover, the feasibility in using Linux workstation and servers will be analyzed which will provide the key benefits that can be experienced by the enterprises. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 3 Introduction 4 Thesis Statement 5 Red Hat Enterprise Workstation 5 Red Hat Enterprise Server 9 SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation 11 SUSE Enterprise Server 15 Oracle Linux Workstation/Server 18 Conclusion 21 References 22 25 Introduction Organizations around the world are looking for better alternatives to Microsoft due to the introduction of one of the most controversial licensing agreements in May, 2001. The licensing progr am was introduced to promote the rights and to ensure maintenance of software which was named Software Assurance (SA). The experience Microsoft had after the development of this licensing program made them stall the releases of other licensing programs subsequently. The variance nature of modern day industries did not accept the new program thereby, making the company to modify the program (BetaNews Inc, 2012). Business organizations typically are different from consumers which brought software without signing any contract. However, organizations required to enter into a multi-year volume licensing contracts. Prior to the release of this agreement, existing customers were provided a discount while upgrading their software based on their contract. However, new customers had to pay full price for the software intended to buy. With the introduction of SA, the customers had to pay Microsoft 29% of the full license price each year for upgrading desktop software and 25% for server softwar e. Furthermore, customers were required to buy the upgrade rights at the same time while purchasing the new software, before they actually needed it (BetaNews Inc, 2012). Thus, business organizations were facing lots of hardships with the new licensing agreement and therefore, started looking for better alternatives. In this regards, Linux is one of the most preferred options due to certain advantages possessed over Microsoft. For instance, Linux is an open source and free software which provided customers the opportunity to develop the visualization mechanisms to enhance the performances. Furthermore, Microsoft consumers who did not posses volume licensing agreement were not allowed to install software in virtual machines running on the same organizations. However, with Linux, users can deploy purchased software to multiple machines with no additional cost (Gabriel Consulting Group Inc, 2009). Thesis Statement The study will provide a contrasting analysis of Linux vendors, namely, Red Hat, SUSE and Oracle software on the basis of reliability, performance, application, support and training, availability and cost of ownership. Moreover, the study will define the best distribution of workstation and server of Linux among its vendors. Red Hat Enterprise Workstation Reliability Red Hat Enterprise assures users to provide the best in class applications

Making my own art exhibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Making my own art exhibition - Essay Example . The work of the abstract expressionist will be displayed in the gallery. For a painting of 5 a 15*20 hall is sufficient. It must be a simple room which much less patterns on the wall. Dark colored paints will be the best to display the paintings as the paintings have a light color base. A dark background will highlight the paintings. There should not be any designs or patterns on the wall and it can have windows which help in natural illumination. There must be five focus lights in the hall along with two normal lights. The highlighters will help in illuminating the paintings better giving them a clear and a neat look. The paintings should to be framed and displayed. The colors of the frames have to highlight the paintings. They have to be displayed at the eye level. There must be boards to display the names of the artists and for writing brief descriptions of the paintings. The positioning of the paintings has to be done according to the similarities in the shades of the paintings for giving a visual treat to the visitors. The paintings have to be arranged in the way that provides enough space for visitors to stand and view them. A television can be set at the exhibition to present audio visuals about the paintings and the artists which can include a brief history of the art during the century and the artists who were involved bringing new dimensions for art. There must be a minimal entrance fee which will attract more visitors and it would also make sales sense. A share of the profit must be donated for charity The concept of the exhibition: The concept of the exhibition is to bring to the limelight the magnificence of the abstract art. The theme of the exhibition will be Conceptual expressionists' art exhibition. Reason for choosing the paintings: All these paintings are the works of the abstract expressionists who had a common belief of freedom and brought a new dimension to art. There were beliefs in freedom of expression during the post second world war era. The paintings have life in them and paved way for modern paintings. The painting of Egon Schiele is more a drawing than a painting and every stroke in the painting is well done. The use of colors and their combination brings over all completeness to the picture. The painting by Henry Moore is just the pencil work and his distinguished strokes; it is an articulation of the emotions. Jackson Pollock's work is of free strokes that emphasizes survival of human kind. Georgia's work major consists of floral designs and animal bones. Through her technical style she always transformed her paintings into the influential abstract figures. Ellsworth Kelly always uses intense colors to his paintings to highlight the minimalism of forms. The pictures chosen for the exhibition have s tylish advancements with vast combining ideas. The artists have used stylish and dramatic colors. The paintings are impressive in their own ways. They visually converse the freedom for expressions. They symbolize human existence. "It addresses personal psychological battles, the external struggle between man and nature, and the hunt for spiritual comfort. All of these concepts were expressed through abstraction, finding meaning in relating the act of painting with a release of subconscious feelings and desires". (Art History, 2006) Similarities of the paintings: The similarity amongst these pictures would be that