Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Management - Essay Example s paper outlines the activities that can be involved when building a new house. This initiative has been underscored after realizing that it is wise to build a personal house than rely on rented accommodation. There are various factors such as financial issues that are involved in this work. It is also important for the individual involved to procure the place to build a house first before undertaking any construction work. The paper is divided into different categories that outline the different phases that can be involved in building a house. Business case: Financial and other considerations The business case involves building a house and the set budget for completing this project is ?25Â  000. However, a supplementary budget of ?5Â  000 has been set aside for this particular project. In order to complete this project there are different considerations that ought to be taken into account. There is need to procure raw materials that can be used in carrying out this project. There is also need to hire contractors who can execute this particular task. Planning assumptions and external constraints As is often the case when a project needs to be completed, proactive steps such as research, planning, communication, and review are often seen as basic tenets of project success (Josler & Burger, 2005). Basically, the term project is used to describe a set of activities that are linked and they are directed towards the attainment of a certain goal (Hellriegel 2001). A project can also be described as a onetime activity with a definite start and finish. As such, through utilization of project management methodology, a project can be completed within the expected time frame, on budget as well meeting the expected standards that satisfy all the stakeholders who may be involved. In this case, the baseline of the project is to carry out a feasibility study to establish if the project can be manageable. This is followed by outlining the cost and benefit analysis of the pro ject where the objectives are also set. When planning a project, the steps needed to obtain the goals of a project need to be outlined since this gives the team members direction to follow. A risk assessment ought to be carried out. In this case where a project involving the construction of a house is being undertaken, there are external constraints that can be encountered. As discussed in detail below, it can be noted that some of the external constraints may include the unprecedented changes in the price of raw materials used for building the house. Fluctuating labour costs can also affect the project hence the need to put contingency plans in place in order to deal with such a scenario. Options considered There are various external constraints that are likely to be encountered when carrying out a project. However, certain measures ought to be implemented in such a scenario. The last part of the paper outlines some of the contingent measures that can be implemented in case of chal lenges that can derail the progress being encountered. Benefits of building own house There are many

Life Cycle Essay Example for Free

Life Cycle Essay In this paper I will be writing about the life cycle and the understanding of what impacts an individual. I will be explaining three major concepts such as how self-determination impacts an individual’s ability to successfully negotiate challenges in each life cycle. Also how autonomy impacts an individual’s ability to successfully negotiate challenges in each life cycle and how policies and legislation could impact the family during each life cycle. When it comes to the life cycle there are stages individuals will pass through in their entire life cycle. When it comes to self-determination it starts from birth to about 18months old. During these first 18 months the child is developing optimism, trust, confidence, and security by their mother and father if they are properly cared for by them. If by change there is no trust from the parents to the child they could grow into insecurity, unimportance, and most likely be wary of trust in themselves and in the world. Later in life if the individuals were properly cared for he or she will be able to make things happen in their lives for themselves. This all comes with feeling confidence and being able to trust and make their own decision in their lives. Individuals learn how to be self-determination in early elementary by learning how to make their own choices, promote early problem solving skills by thinking aloud as they address simple problems. This stage is called autonomy vs. shame this is from 18 months to about 5years old. This is when individuals will have the chance to assemble self-esteem and autonomy as they learn new skills and right from wrong. If the individual is cared for the correct way they will learn how to carry them self with pride rather than shame and very sure of themselves. This is about the time individuals will start to wonder and explore the word why and start to experiment of what to believe to be an adult. Playing with Barbie’s and ken’s, also toys such has cars plays a role with wanting to know things and why. If you don’t have involvement with your child in this stage they ca n resolve problems such as struggles through social role identification. With this it can bring an individual frustrated over goals in life and also  may feel guilt. Industry vs. inferiority stage is during age 6 to 12 years old. This is when learning new skills and understanding with developing sense of industry. This is too a stage of social development that you learn plus need throughout the stage of everybody’s life cycle. If an individual experience unanswered thoughts of failure and weakness amongst their peers, they are known to have very serious troubles in conditions of capability and self-esteem during their entire life cycle. As individuals will expand their relationship with school and neighbors during this time of their life cycle parents are still important in their life. In the stage of 12 to 18 years old self-determination and autonomy plays a role in an individual’s life cycle. This is where development is found of what has been done with that person. At this point it has to do with the primarily upon what a person dose with their life. If this means an individual’s has to struggle to be able to discover and find out who they are when having to be deal with negotiating and struggling with social interaction this will bring in their sense of morality and right from wrong skills they have learned. From some reason or another there is a delay in adulthood this can cause a person to become very withdrawn from having responsibilities in life to more in the right direction. Policies and legislation has enter into people life cycle from stage one from learning right from wrong. It really kicks in about the time 18 to 65 years old with dealing with finding love in your life and some are ready before other to settle down and to start a family. If a person does not find them self in at least finding some companies with one another that individual could come to be isolated and that is not good for a person. During this time phrase people are also getting their career in order along with their family this is to be called taking control of all responsibilities in life. When it comes to the stage of 65 to death with an individual this is when it involves reflection. This could be feeling of integrity, contentment feeling you have led a meaningful life. If for some reason a person can not feel like they have lived a happy meaningful life they could be feeling the fear of death. When feeling this way they are struggling to find out what the purpose of their own live was about here in the world. Having the thoughts going through their mind of was everything worth it, what was the point of life this is when they will have start to feel failure and it be a stressful and happy time with individuals life  cycle. In this paper this explains the three major concepts in the family life cycle. Self-determination how it impacts the ability to successfully negotiates challenges in the life cycle. How autonomy impacts individuals ability to successfully negotiate in the life cycle and also the policies and legislation ability could impact an individual’s life cycle. The life cycle is something everyone has to go through and to know it starts from birth to death. Reference The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives, Fourth Edition. Chapter 2: Self in context: Human Development and Individual Life Cycle in Systemic Perspective. Monica McGoldrick, Betty Carter, Nydia Garcia Preto (2011).

Stock Essay -- Economy

An active investor invests his all resources to determine the fair value of a stock. However, most of the times, he is unable to acquire a piece of information that is not available in the public domain and that information may alter the probability distribution of his investment decision (James Lorie, 1980). In this phenomenon, an active investor may infer the non-public information by considering corporate insiders’ action in their own stock. Many previous studies (e.g., Jaffe, 1974; Finnerty, 1976a, b; Seyhun, 1986, 1988a, b; Rozeff and Zaman, 1988; Lin and Howe, 1990) document that corporate insiders pursue special information and on that special information, not only insiders are able to earn abnormal profits through trading stocks of own firms but also outsiders also able to earn abnormally by merely mimicking their actions. In financial economies literature, these findings have been considered as a violation of market efficiency. The main objective of this study is to determine market reactions around the day of insider trading and the day of announcements on Indian stock market. We are curious to perform our analysis on Indian data because a major chunk of studies on insider trading are concentrated on the U.S data. Therefore, the analysis of India insider trading data provides an independent outcome to compare with previous studies’ results. Besides, there are enough differences between the US and India market, which indicate that the results of these studies may not be robust in Asia or emerging markets. First difference, the ownership structure of emerging markets’ firms is more concentrated than developed markets’ firms (La Porta et al, 1999). For example, La Porta et al (1998) find that in the Indian firm, the top th... ... to price ratio and size effects of approximately 9% per annum in market model error term. Moreover, Finnerty (1976) finds that insiders most likely to buy their own stock when a firm is a small size and having low BM ratio compared to other firms whose stocks the average insiders are selling. If insiders’ buy tend to be concentrated in small size and low BM firms, the abnormal returns of insider trading information that are calculated by the market model may be significantly differ from zero in the absence of special information. In this paper, we calculate adjusted abnormal returns of insider trading that take into account the size and BM ratio effects. In this methodology, we argue that when we match the firm of insider trading with similar size and BM ratio portfolio, and then adjusted abnormal returns will be originated because of the special information.

Differences Between Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Lo

At the mention of the name Alice, one tends to usually think of the children’s stories by Lewis Carroll. Namely, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are two classic works of children’s literature that for over a century have been read by children and adults alike. These two stories tell the tale of a young girl named Alice who finds herself in peculiar surroundings, where she encounters many different and unusual characters. Although Alice is at the centre of both stories, each tale is uniquely different in its purpose, characters and style.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carroll first published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, three years after he had first told the story to the young girl Alice Liddell and her sisters, following her request for a story full of nonsense. The creation of this story began on a river picnic as Carroll began telling the tale of Alice in Wonderland to entertain the girls. Unlike the spontaneity in the creation of the first story, Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass was published six years after the first, when Alice was a teenager. This latter story was more logical than the first and clearly differed from it in both its style and direction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The introduction of Alice and how she finds herself in the â€Å"other† world is very different in each of the stories. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice’s curiosity and boredom leads her to follow the White Rabbit as he rushes passed her. She ends up falling down the rabbit hole which takes both her and the reader into a world of magic and disorder. Carroll’s Wonderland is a place where Alice finds many of the characters difficult and odd. She encounters various characters along her journey, many of whom likely represented real people known to the real Alice Liddell. Throughout the first story, Alice also finds herself growing and shrinking at various stages, something that Carroll does not repeat in Through the Looking Glass.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alice’s curiosity also leads her into the â€Å"other† world in Through the Looking Glass. Unlike Carroll’s first story, this world is one that is logical and in that loses some of its magic. As Alice enters through the glass mirror, her surroundings become reversed and Carroll repeats this image of reversal throughout the story in the poem of the Jabberwocky, the mirror images of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, as well as when the White... ...e is shaking her cat. Carroll ends the story with a question to the reader- who had really dreamed the dream, Alice or the Red King? This ending is open to the reader to conclude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There exists several differences between Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. These differences may be due to the disparity in time between the writing of both stories and the circumstances that surrounded Carroll’s writing, as well as the intention that Carroll possessed when he began to tell the tale. However, these differences are essential to the distinctive nature of each story and convey to the reader a different portrayal of the view that Carroll had of the relationship between child and adult. Whether it was the difference between characters in the stories, or the style in which the story was written, they play an important role in the development of Alice and in the depiction that Carroll intended. Works Cited Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Illus. Arthur Rackham. Poem by Austin Dobson. New York: Sea Star Books, 2002. Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass. From Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.net Etext91/glass18.txt

Company Law Tutorial

Company law tutorial question year 3 Semester1. 1. â€Å"Under the ordinary rules of law, a present company and a subsidiary company, even a 100 per cent subsidiary company, are distinct legal entities and in the absence of an agency contract between the two companies, one cannot be said to be the agent of the other. This seems to be clearly established by the rule in Salomon v. A. Salomon & Co. Ltd. † Critically discuss. 2. â€Å"The principle laid down in Foss v. Harbottle continues to create a significant obstacle to minority shareholder action. Discuss. 3. Layton Co. Ltd. , private company with Articles in the form of Table A, has in its memorandum, the following clauses: â€Å"The objects for which the company is established are: (i) to manufacture, process and distribute computer software and CD Roms; (ii) to purchase and hold property, to borrow or to lend money, and to dispose of funds or property owned by the company; and (iii) to do anything that is in the opinion of the directors necessary to make profits from the use of the assets of the company. † Geoff and Marcia, two of the directors of Layton Co.Ltd. , own approximately 20 percent of the shares in Layton Co. Ltd. Stacy, a director, unbeknown to the board of directors, purports to enter into a contract with High State Developers Ltd. , â€Å"on behalf of Layton Co. Ltd. ,† for the construction of a health spa for stressed executives. In order to secure machinery, Stacy writes to Health Fanatic Inc. , on Layton Co. Ltd. ‘s stationery, offering Health Fanatic Inc. the contract to provide technical training for any staff employed by the spa. Health Fanatic Inc. accepts the offer. Layton Co. Ltd. , now refuses to build he health spa due to a depression in the market and is consequently not in need of Health Fanatic Inc. ‘s services. Discuss. 4. Tamara and Kathy have been conducting business as artefact restorers for several years. In January, 1999, Tamara and Kathy d ecided to incorporate their business. In order to facilitate the building of the registered head office of the company, Tamara purchased land from her grandfather for$50,000. Meanwhile, Kathy executed a contract on behalf of Heritage Ltd. , engaging the services of Sherry, a geology expert, to carry out a geological survey.Sherry submitted a report headed â€Å"subject to confirmation† which stated that the land was suitable for building a multistoried complex and that there was evidence of mineral deposits. In June 2004, Heritage Ltd. was incorporated as a public company with Tamara, Kathy and Bill as its directors. Tamara promptly sold the parcel of land to Heritage Ltd. for $2. 2 million and submitted an invoice for $70,000 for services rendered prior to the incorporation of Heritage Ltd. In April 2005, Tamara, unbeknown to the board, enters into an agreement with Jump Up Inc. or the acquisition of a fleet of trucks. It is customary for Heritage Ltd. to lease trucks as acq uisition is extremely costly. Advise. The capital of Bush Tea Co. Ltd. consists of fully paid up ordinary and preference shares. The governing regulations of Bush Tea Co Ltd. provide as follows: â€Å"17(a) Preference shareholders shall receive a cumulative preference dividend of 5% half yearly; and (b)Two votes shall be attached to each preference share issued. † Due to an outbreak of the Pink Mealy bug disease, the production of bush tea has dramatically declined.The board of directors of Bush Tea Co. Ltd. proposes to alter clause 17(a) of the governing regulations to reduce the preference dividend from 5% to 2% and to move a resolution to increase the voting rights of ordinary shareholders. Advise the preference shareholders. 5. In 2001, Mr. Ingenious decided to build condominiums on a parcel of beach front property which he had purchased in 1996 for $40,000. On March 26th, 2001, Mr. Ingenious instructed Mr. Safe Guard, an attorney-at-law, to incorporate a company to be ca lled Beach Haven Ltd. to manage the condominiums. Immediately after leaving Mr.Safe Guard's office, Mr. Ingenious entered into an oral agreement on behalf of Beach Haven Ltd. with Fast Seal Cement Ltd. for the supply of building blocks for the construction of the condominiums. The company, Beach Haven Ltd. , was eventually incorporated, in January, 2002. Its board of directors consists of Mr. Ingenious, Mr. Deke, Ms. Peta-Gaye and Ms. Jayanti. At the directors' meeting of February, 2002, the board of directors resolved to purchase the beach front property from Mr. Ingenious for $1million. Unfortunately, due to a slump in the real estate market Beach Haven Ltd. s profits declined significantly. It has been discovered that, prior to incorporation, Mr. Ingenious contracted with Wire Steel Inc. , signing on behalf of Beach Haven Ltd. , for the supply of 12 tons of high-tension steel at a price well above the market price. Mr. Deke, in March, 2003, hired his girlfriend, as a consultant, for $10,000 per month without board approval. The cement blocks purportedly purchased on Beach Haven Ltd. ‘s behalf are discovered to be of inferior quality. Advise Beach Haven Ltd. 6. Sashawa Enterprises Ltd. (SE Ltd. ) is a public company incorporated in Jambah.The Articles of Association of SE Ltd. are in the form of Table A. The objects clause of the Memorandum of Association contain the following provisions: (a)To carry on the business of the manufacture of textiles and clothing apparel; (b)To borrow money; (c)To do all such things which in the opinion of the directors may be conveniently carried out by the company. In January, 2001, Michael and Midge, two directors of SE Ltd. , contracted with Caribbean Construction Ltd. to build a coffee shop on premises adjacent to the corporate headquarters of SE Ltd. To finance this project SE Ltd. orrowed $5 million from Careless Bank Ltd. This loan was approved quickly, since Careless Bank Ltd. was a long standing customer of SE Lt d. and Careless Bank Ltd. was satisfied of Caribbean Construction Ltd. ‘s credit worthiness. After the events of September 11th, 2001, the profits of SE Ltd. declined considerably. SE Ltd. is no longer interested in constructing the coffee shop and is refusing to pay both Caribbean Construction Ltd. and Careless Bank Ltd. Nevertheless SE Ltd. is desirous of donating $12 million dollars to the International War Relief Fund. Discuss.

9 Professional Lessons from Donald Trump

9 Professional Lessons from Donald Trump Hate him or love him, Donald Trump has proved to be an†¦ummm, colorful addition to the 2016 presidential race. But long before he was wearing those Make Donald Trump Again hats, he was a go-to resource for flashy business entrepreneurtainment. Now, we’re not recommending a full on Trump-ification of your professional life, but here are some things we’ve learned from him (even if it’s what not to do) that could be applied to our own careers.1. Never let them forget your name.via Richard Bravo2. How ’bout a little flash?via Wikipedia3. Try new things.4. Be ready for the unexpected.5. Don’t take your job for granted.6. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.(Unless you do hate the player- in which case don’t go on a Twitter tirade against said player.)via BoardGameGeek7. Sometimes you just need a break.8. You’re not here to make friends.9. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.via AmazonOh, and this goes without sayin g. Don’t sell steaks at sharper image. You will fail. Period.

Managing a Retailers Finances

Managing a Retailers Finances The merchandise budget The merchandise budget is a clear plan of the sales anticipated by a retailer over a given period in the future. The merchandise budget influences the amount of commodities to be purchased by the retailing company. It also highlights the possible reductions and markups that the company might have to embrace.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing a Retailer’s Finances specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The merchandising budget should be prepared after considering the anticipated sales, the stock on hand, and the required gross margins for the company to attain higher profits. The language of the budget should be clear, and the budget must be based on a specific timeline. For instance, most retail firms create a six-month merchandising budget. The variables contained in a merchandise budget include the planned sales, planned BOM and EOM inventories, and the retail reductions. The budget m ust also contain the purchases at retail and cost, as well as the planned gross margins of the buyer. Retail accounting statements There are three retail accounting statements. These include the income statement, balance sheet, and the statement of cash flow. The income statement highlights the profit or loss made by the company over a given period. The balance sheet is a financial statement that highlights the company’s liabilities, assets, and shareholder’s equity at a given time. The assets must balance with the liabilities and the equity held by the shareholders. The cash flow statement breaks down the effects of different financial activities on the cash available for the retail company. Inventory valuation Inventory valuation entails calculating all the costs involved in the process of placing the items in the inventory in place. There are two methods of accounting inventory systems, and these include the cost method and the retail method. Inventory valuation als o includes inventory pricing systems, which may follow the first-in-first-out (FIFO) procedure or the last-in-first-out (LIFO) strategy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Merchandise buying and handling Steps in Merchandise buying and handling The first step is identifying the most viable sources of supply. This involves identifying the best manufacturers. The second step involves contacting the suppliers. The third step entails conducting an evaluation of the prospective suppliers. This process results in the identification of the best supplier. The fourth step entails negotiations on prices and services associated with delivery. The last step is the purchasing process, which entails making payments and receiving the merchandise on the part of the retailer (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Dollar-merchandise planning Dollar merchandise planning influences the allocation of cash in the company because it determines the best way to balance the stock and sales. The plan highlights the desirable rate of spending for the company (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Dollar-merchandise control The retailer must control the dollar plan by limiting the commitments on merchandise that would exceed the dollar amount that the buyer can safely spend. Dollar-merchandise control ensures that the retailer sticks to the merchandise budget prepared at the beginning of a given period of business (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Inventory planning Inventory planning is a vital process in retailing because it involves the alignment of the quantity, timing, sales, and production capacity of the inventory. This process facilitates effective control of the profit margins of the company and the cash flow system (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Selection of merchandise source The selection of a merchandise source determines the cost of the inventory, and the profit margins for the reta iler. It is important to select a merchandise source based on affordability and reliability of the source (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Retailers can acquire their merchandise from different manufacturers; hence, there must be a comprehensive system to manage the supply chain.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing a Retailer’s Finances specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vendor negotiations Vendor negotiations entail discussions on the price of the merchandise and delivery information between the retailer and the potential suppliers. This process facilitates a ground for bargaining between the involved suppliers and the retailer. Item creation and location Item creation involves the development of a unique tag on the items in the inventory that can be used to identify the items. Retailers must create items and feed the data to the inventory database for reference. The items should also indicate their specific location in the stores for easy access during the process of taking the inventory. Replenishment and in-store handling If the retailer is selling perishable goods with short expiry dates, it is important to prevent the LIFO effect on the consumers by limiting the number of batches of the products displayed on the shelves. This ensures that the retailer achieves the FIFO strategy in selling and reduces losses caused by the expiration of products on the shelves. This process also helps in handling the storage constraints in the store (Broekmeulen Bakx, 2010). Merchandise-line reviews This process involves the evaluation of the identified opportunities and challenges associated with the merchandise in the past. It also involves the formulation of solutions to the problems associated with the merchandise by looking at the solution derived in the past (What are the Key Elements of a Merchandise Planning System? 2015). Markdowns Markdowns are the levels of price reduction that the retai ler is forced to apply to the merchandise to respond to various constraints in the market. These constraints could be the availability of cheaper alternative products or bad assortment planning of the merchandise (Sayner, 2011). Retail Pricing Pricing objectives and policies Pricing objectives and policies influence the pricing of the products in a retail company. The pricing objective should be aligned with the strategic financial objectives of the retail company. The elasticity of consumer prices should be considered while setting the price objectives and policies (Varley, 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Target return objective This is an investment tool that is used to determine the rate of financial returns that a retailer is looking to achieve from the merchandise. Profit Maximization Profit maximization is a technique used by retail companies to influence the attainment of the greatest profit on investments. It entails the manipulation of the prices of the products in the inventory to attain the highest profit margins (Varley, 2006). Skimming Skimming is a pricing strategy used by companies whereby they place the highest possible price for a commodity. As soon as the first client purchases the commodity at the set price, the company lowers the price to attract other customers (Varley, 2006). Pricing Strategies Pricing strategies are crucial in profit maximization because they determine the position of the products in a competitive retail industry. Companies must develop pricing strategies that foster the attainment of the greatest profit margins (Varley, 2006). Pricing below the market Pricing below the market is a strategy that entails offering products at prices that are below the standard market prices with the objective of enhancing the competitive power of the associated product. Pricing at market levels Pricing at market levels entails the development of a pricing strategy that matches set by other retailers in the industry. This pricing method is common for companies operating in a perfectly competitive market. Pricing above the market Pricing above the market entails developing a pricing strategy that places higher than normal prices of the products offered by a retailer. This technique is associated with the maximization of profits. Using Markups Markups are strategic tools used to raise the price of commodities when the demand increases. Markups entail adding specified rates for different commodities sold by a retailer. Markdown Management Markdown management entails the development of a control system to determine the minimum level of profit mar gins that the retail company is willing to obtain. Markdown management is essential in the development of pricing objective and policies because it entails the reduction of the prices of different products offered by a retailing company (Varley, 2006). Advertising and Promotion Advertising and promotion are indispensable factors in the management of retail operations. Advertising and promotion help retail companies to increase their market share by enhancing the awareness of the presence of their respective brands in the market (Belch Belch, 2011). Types of promotions Advertising Advertising in the retail industry is a viable strategy to communicate to potential clients and to create awareness of the existence of different products. Advertising helps companies to maintain and increase their market share. Advertising should be conducted in a persuasive manner to appeal to the target market (Belch Belch, 2011). Sales promotion Sales promotion is a strategy applied to increase the ra te of sales in a retail company. There are different methods of sales promotions, and their main aim is to entice consumers to increase the demand for a specific commodity (Belch Belch, 2011). Publicity Publicity involves the development of awareness of the existence of products. Publicity is a marketing strategy that increases the sales of specific products in a company, and it is widely used by retailers to introduce new products to the consumers. Personal selling Personal selling entails the use of a salesperson to sell products to potential customers. Personal selling is an effective strategy in marketing because it creates awareness of the existence of new products, and it also provides a platform for the retailer to persuade the target customers to purchase products. There are many strategies used in retail selling, but they follow specific steps. These steps include approaching the customer, determining the problem to solve for the customer, and presenting the merchandise to solve the problem. Making the sale and developing a relationship to open grounds for future sales are also important steps in the process (Belch Belch, 2011). Customer Service Customer service is a concept that encompasses all the services that a retailer provides to the customers in the retail store and other business platforms. Customer loyalty to companies is a function of the quality of services that the company offers. Customer services are normally provided to the consumers before they make a purchase, during the purchasing process and after the purchase is made. This provides a comprehensive coverage of services to keep the customer happy and satisfied. Customer care is a tool for adding value to the products offered by a retailer. Harnessing market share in a competitive market is difficult; hence, most retailers add value to their products by improving the quality of their customer services. This quality is facilitated by investing in training and development programs for the employees, and providing some extra free services to the customers. This may include free delivery of products (Belch Belch, 2011). Retail Selling Retail selling is the essence of doing business in the retail industry. It entails the development of a relationship with the customer and persuading the customer to assume a purchasing behavior that is beneficial to the company. Retail selling focuses on selling merchandise at the most profitable prices and quantity. Retail selling is associated with the sale of small quantities of merchandise to individual customers. The trick is to maintain a loyal market share that can help in the attainment of the objective of the company. Most retailers increase their selling rates by reducing the prices of their merchandise, and providing services that add value to the merchandise. The quality of the merchandise also plays a major role in retaining market share (Belch Belch, 2011). Store layout and design The layout and design of a retail st ore determine the number of sales and the type of products that consumers purchase. A good retailer must develop a store layout that facilitates the arrangement of products in different related categories. The layout should also aim at maximizing the available space. The merchandise should fit on the shelves available; hence space management is a crucial requirement. The design of the store determines the accessibility of the merchandise on display (Belch Belch, 2011). One of the best strategies used by retailers is the placement of enticing and new products near the entry of the store to attract customers. The design of the store should ensure that all the merchandise is clearly displayed. References Belch, G., Belch, M. (2011). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Broekmeulen, R. A. C. M., Bakx, C. H. M. (2010). In-store replenishment procedures for perishable inventory in a retail environment with handl ing costs and storage constraints. Web. Dunne, P., Lusch, R., Carver, J. (2013). Retailing. Boston: Cengage Learning. Sayner, R. (2011). Markups Markdowns. Web. Varley, R. (2006). Retail Product Management: Buying and Merchandising. London: Psychology Press. What are the Key Elements of a Merchandise Planning System? (2015). Web.

Differences of the New England and Chesapeake Regions essays

Differences of the New England and Chesapeake Regions essays What was life like for the American colonist at the end of the seventeenth century? Well, if someone were to ask the residents of Chesapeake and New England they would almost certainly get an analysis of two very distinct societies. Due to geographical, climatic, economic, and moral differences, New England and Chesapeake developed into completely dissimilar regions. The effects of climate and geography had an extremely opposite reaction in reference to New England and Chesapeake. A harsh climate in Chesapeake allowed diseases such as malaria, dysentery, and typhoid run ramped. Half the people born in early Virginia and Maryland did not live to see their twentieth birthdays. In addition families were both few and fragile in this fierce environment. But while Chesapeake was dealing with a harsh climate, New England was reaping the benefits of cleaner water and cooler temperatures that prevented the spread of killer diseases. In contrast to the fate of the Chesapeake residents, new Englanders added ten years to their life by moving there. One settler even claimed, a sip of new Englands air is better than a whole draft of old Englands ale. The healthy environment of New England contributed to a more family centered life compared to the Chesapeakes. Along with different climates came different economic practices. Although unhealthy for the Chesapeake residents, tobacco cultivation proved to be perfectly suited for the region. Almost 40 million pounds of tobacco a year was exported out of Chesapeake by 1700. This increase in tobacco meant more labor in the form of indentured servants. Both Virginia and Maryland engaged in a headright system. Under this method whoever paid for the passage of the worker, were rewarded with fifty acres of land. By 1700 Chesapeake planters brought some 100,000 servants to the region. Eventually these free white slaves grew restless...

Harriette Walters - BACKGROUND Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harriette Walters - BACKGROUND - Essay Example Year Money Position 1989 $31735 Accounting technician in the real property division of department of finance and revenue D.C. 1990 $ 47,017 Accounting technician 1991 $ 160,153 Accounting technician 1992 $ 4,711 Accounting technician 1993 $ 246,301 Accounting technician 1994 $ 1,237,425 Accounting technician 1995 $ 1,423,238 Accounting technician 1996 $ 243,425 Accounting technician 1997 $ 543,423 Accounting technician 1998 $275894 Accounting technician 1999 $ 1,244,52 Accounting technician 2000 $ 2,587,831 Accounting technician 2001 $ 3,970,987 Manager of the Adjustment Unit in the Assessment Services Division 2002 $ 3,661,748 Manager 2003 $ 4,771,787 Manager 2004 $ 8,641,720 Manager 2005 $ 6,727,130 Manager 2006 $ 7,697,097 Manager 2007 $ 5,744,497 Manager Timeline for Harriette Walters’ Fraudulent Schemes (Gray & Evans 2011) Working Background   Ms. Harriette Walters started her carrier in 1981 as an accounting technician in the real property department of the D.C office of Tax and revenue. At that time the office of tax and revenue was department of tax and revenue. In the beginning Walters noticed the system and made fake documents like checks and other such document in collaboration with a coworker. Shortly thereafter, she realized that, she can work in a much safer manner. She made the checks refund to her friends and family members. She made fake residential addresses of her friends and family member and made the property tax refund checks. All this work was done with great care, to ensure that the refund checks and fake residential addresses would look normal. These checks ranged from 800 to 3000 dollars but it is nearly impossible to determine the exact amount of checks by the investigators during 1980’s (Jacoby, Lorigo & McCallum 24). Why It Last That Long? The fraud cases were prepared with great care and Walters even checked minor errors and tried to make as less mistakes as possible. The document should look genuine. The fake copie s were made as real as possible. Sometimes the documents were copied many times to produce real looking document (Jacoby, Lorigo & McCallum 24). The official requirements like official letter heads and signatures from different officials were there to go with the refund check requests (Jacoby, Lorigo & McCallum 24). She then prepared the documents which had the fake name and address and rather than mailed, she checked the option of â€Å"held for pickup†. The refund checks were sent to the revenue department from where Walters picked the checks up and cashed them (Jacoby, Lorigo & McCallum 24). Starting the Scheme In 1989, Ms. Harriette Walters processed the first fake documented refund check. The checked is payable to Alethia Grooms having worth of $4060. The next three years, Harriette Walters processed 13 more such fraudulent checks which have the worth of over $65000 which were paid to Alethia Grooms and some other person (Jacoby, Lorigo & McCallum 24). Walter then increa sed the amount of fraudulent refund and focused her attention on the processing of fraudulent refund checks for commercial checks instead of residential property. To achieve her goals, she involved her family members and close friends in her scheme (Jacoby, Lorigo & McCallum 24). She made fraud companies with her family members and other accomplices that never existed and claimed the refund check for the fake companies. She developed a power strategy to

Designing a balance scorecard for the american university in the Essay - 1

Designing a balance scorecard for the american university in the emirates - Essay Example An American University aims to open an affiliate in the United Arab Emirates. However, in order to ensure effective establishment and development of this University, the management needs to develop a comprehensive strategic framework such as Balanced Scorecard. However, there is limited knowledge and understanding of how to apply this framework to educational sector as Balanced scorecard model is mainly applied in commercial sector (Karathanos & Karathanos, 2005). The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of how the framework of a balanced scorecard can be applied to the education sector. Based on the research findings it will be possible to design a balanced scorecard for educational institutions at University level. Furthermore, this paper aims to develop some recommendations in relation to the American University in the United Arab Emirates. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a framework used for tracking and measuring performance. Robert Kaplan and David Norton have introduced the BSC in the early 1990s as a new way for organisations to measure their performance in a comprehensive and integral way. Before, organisations relied only on financial indicators in order to monitor their achievements (Bakhtiari, et al. 2012). However, Kaplan and Norton have expanded this approach, offering a more balanced system. This system is comprised of four major perspectives: financial perspective, customer perspective, internal processes perspective, and learning and growth perspective (Bakhtiari, et al. 2014). All these perspectives have causal relationship among performance indicators and performance measures should be linked to the results (Sudirmann, 2012). The financial perspective is viewed to be the primary perspective of any commercial activity. The primary goal of any commercial activity is to generate revenue and create wealth for its shareholders. The companies set financial goals and develop strategies how to achieve

Practical Life Activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Practical Life Activities - Essay Example The same rules stand for child development. Practical life activities provide an integrated approach towards intelligence and movement while depending on logic and will (Montessori, 108a). The very feeling of love and care becomes the guiding path in motivating the will. The result has a very fascinating with children found to be helpful while participating in lunch and snacks preparation; and also keeping themselves busy on the dining table; spreading bread and also adding a bouquet of flowers. The other type of learning that must get into the part of practical activity is that of good manners along with the movement that suits the culture and proper behavior which includes closing the doors quietly, greeting others with smile and not interrupting in a conversation. Practical activities help in developing these etiquettes in a sequence of steps thereby keeping the child aware of orderly living laced with logical activity (Montessori, 201a). The basic Reference Mo

Politics International Security Why did North Korea aquire Nuclear Essay

Politics International Security Why did North Korea aquire Nuclear Weapns - Essay Example From the start, a state that would become a nuclear-armed state would begin with a nuclear-energy program. Then on and on, after acquiring the capability and material to produce energy, that state would proceed, secretly or clandestinely, to produce other materials to produce nuclear weapons. A question maybe asked here: is there a precise reason why states want to acquire nuclear weapons Or is it the ambition of non-nuclear power states to acquire nuclear weapons or become nuclear-powered states Erich Marquardt (2003) in his Asia Times on-line article - Why states want nuclear weapons - has this intriguing thesis: When a state acquires nuclear weapons, the cost of invading that state increases, making it more difficult and expensive for the invader to gain a military edge. There are a number of examples to connect with this statement. ... Since Iraq did not yet have nuclear weapons in 1981, Israel was able to launch a successful military strike on the Iraqi nuclear reactor without the fear of a powerful retaliation. (Marquardt, 2003) Iraq then hastened to develop nuclear weapons to increase its leverage with their rivals Iran and Israel. Acquiring nuclear weapons would make it much more difficult for rival states to threaten or attack Iraq. This could be the reason why, according to Marquardt, the Ba'ath Party leadership was unwilling to allow United Nations weapons inspectors complete access to every part of Iraq. The ambiguity surrounding its weapons program could have theoretically increased Baghdad's foreign-policy negotiating power. (Marquardt, 2007) In the same manner, Marquardt relates, North Korea is sending confusing signals regarding its nuclear program to the U.S. or the outside world regarding its nuclear program, the purpose of which is "likely to create the perception that North Korea is possibly a nuclear-armed state" because US President George Bush is opt for a "regime change" in Pyongyang. As long as powerful rival states, such as the United States and Japan, are unclear about North Korea's nuclear program, they will have to be careful before deciding to take military action against that country (Marquardt, 2007). In this case Bush and his military would have second thoughts of attacking North Korea. Siegfried S. Hecker, researcher at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University says that the October 9, 2006 nuclear test and the subsequent DPRK's Feb. 10, 2005 announcement of having manufactured nuclear weapons, make it much more difficult to convince the DPRK to give up its nuclear weapons. Nuclear-armed states work to

TELEVISION STUDIES Library Research Project Paper

TELEVISION STUDIES Library Project - Research Paper Example They therefore designed some fieldwork involving 20 under-two year olds, ten male and ten female, who watched the same episode of Teletubbies in their usual home or playgroup environment while being video-recorded. The tapes were then synchronised with the actual Teletubby recording, in such a way that the child’s movements, verbalizations and expressions can be seen as they relate frame by frame with the program. The tapes were analysed according to criteria of attention level, parasocial responses, TV literacy response, verbal echoing, cognitive response, pleasure, action around the TV set, and sharing with a companion. The study made various conclusions regarding the impressive attention spans that were demonstrated in particular sections of the program and the good basis that this data delivered for further â€Å"theorizing the interactivity of our young respondents with media texts† (p. 334). This article provides an excellent methodological model, based on observa tion and simple technology, which could be very useful for those wishing to explore issues around media designed for the under two age group or any other group who may not be able to verbalize their responses effectively. This chapter from an academic book was written by a Professor from Amsterdam in the Netherlands who leads a research center for research on children, adolescents and the media. It traces in detail the way that a child’s early development levels relate to the way that the child interacts with various media. What is interesting about this chapter is that it shows things from the child’s point of view, and warns against an adult, or parent, perception of what the child is doing or what the program is trying to do. So, for example, programs like Teletubbies which appear boring, repetitive and monotone to an adult, are in fact very sophisticated media texts which use carefully chosen stimuli like

Politics International Security Why did North Korea aquire Nuclear Essay

Politics International Security Why did North Korea aquire Nuclear Weapns - Essay Example From the start, a state that would become a nuclear-armed state would begin with a nuclear-energy program. Then on and on, after acquiring the capability and material to produce energy, that state would proceed, secretly or clandestinely, to produce other materials to produce nuclear weapons. A question maybe asked here: is there a precise reason why states want to acquire nuclear weapons Or is it the ambition of non-nuclear power states to acquire nuclear weapons or become nuclear-powered states Erich Marquardt (2003) in his Asia Times on-line article - Why states want nuclear weapons - has this intriguing thesis: When a state acquires nuclear weapons, the cost of invading that state increases, making it more difficult and expensive for the invader to gain a military edge. There are a number of examples to connect with this statement. ... Since Iraq did not yet have nuclear weapons in 1981, Israel was able to launch a successful military strike on the Iraqi nuclear reactor without the fear of a powerful retaliation. (Marquardt, 2003) Iraq then hastened to develop nuclear weapons to increase its leverage with their rivals Iran and Israel. Acquiring nuclear weapons would make it much more difficult for rival states to threaten or attack Iraq. This could be the reason why, according to Marquardt, the Ba'ath Party leadership was unwilling to allow United Nations weapons inspectors complete access to every part of Iraq. The ambiguity surrounding its weapons program could have theoretically increased Baghdad's foreign-policy negotiating power. (Marquardt, 2007) In the same manner, Marquardt relates, North Korea is sending confusing signals regarding its nuclear program to the U.S. or the outside world regarding its nuclear program, the purpose of which is "likely to create the perception that North Korea is possibly a nuclear-armed state" because US President George Bush is opt for a "regime change" in Pyongyang. As long as powerful rival states, such as the United States and Japan, are unclear about North Korea's nuclear program, they will have to be careful before deciding to take military action against that country (Marquardt, 2007). In this case Bush and his military would have second thoughts of attacking North Korea. Siegfried S. Hecker, researcher at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University says that the October 9, 2006 nuclear test and the subsequent DPRK's Feb. 10, 2005 announcement of having manufactured nuclear weapons, make it much more difficult to convince the DPRK to give up its nuclear weapons. Nuclear-armed states work to

What Industry did to Develop Japan to be a strong nation Research Paper

What Industry did to Develop Japan to be a strong nation - Research Paper Example Several politicians and political scientists have a diverging opinion and consider that the progress of Japan under this system is just a mere example of exception (Sakoh, 521-548). In this report a discussion will be presented based on the industrial contributions which led to the development of Japan. The development within the society relies heavily on the understanding of scope and goals set by the economy to be achieved. This requires contribution and raising the standards of learning. Other than this offering employment to all and reducing the elements of obesity are essential measures for improving the overall economy. Adapting to various technological advancements and inventions leads to the progress and development of the overall economy. For the economic development the countries need to form strategies which promote knowledge sharing, technological advancement and growth within the economic realm. The economies must emphasize on the strategies which are based on the selection of long term goals and trends. Other than this the industries must also rely heavily on implementing innovative ideas. Development strategies and global recognition are the forms using which the economy can lay its foundation towards the path of economic growth. Creation, acquisition and use of knowledge are the tools using which the countries can develop and progress. The methods of competition within the economy and globally have changed and hence require continuous improvement of all the aspects which lead to the development of the society (Dahlman, 29-63). The Japanese society promotes education and learning as an essential component of the culture. Developing the human resource and providing the skill which nominate growth and development are essential for the progress of the society. The collective survival mechanism based on co-operation between the human workforce leads to the collective growth (OECD, 137-152). The key factors

The theatre works of Orson Welles Essay Example for Free

The theatre works of Orson Welles Essay George Orson Welles became known as an American actor who is also into radio, motion picture and theatrical producer. He was born Kenosha, Wisconsin on May 6, 1915. He finished his high school in Woodstock, Illinois and began his acting career with the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, in 1931. Two years later he toured the United States with Katherine Cornell and in 1937 founded the Mercury Theatre, the same year producing actors in modern-dressed version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Among his other stage production were Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus (1937) in which he played the title role and Thomas Dekker’s â€Å"The Shoemaker’s Holiday†. Welles made Mercury text recording of Shakespeare’s plays, at the same time producing radio broadcasts. The War of the Worlds, broadcast in 1938, a fictionalized narrative of the invasion of earth by creatures from other planets, is said to have created panic in the New York Metropolitan area because of its realism, although there has been some misgivings recently on the account of write-ups that there was real panic leading people to vacate the area. In 1940, Welles began his motion picture career as producer, writer, director, and actor. His most notable motion picture, which has received current acclaim as the Hollywood’s most important work to have produced, was Welles’s Citizen Kane, released in 1941. Other more prominent works includes The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Journey into Fear (1942), Macbeth (1947), Moby Dick (1956), and Compulsion (1959). He made a documentary film in Latin America. II. Discussion A. The Issue of Politics on Welles’ Life and Works During the early years of Mercury Wonder Show, Welles took to the task of bringing travelling shows, performing before military troops during the war years. His initial performances were relegated to performing comedy shows and showcasing his abilities for magic tricks. As the broadcasting of this show became regularly heard by troops at camps while being deployed abroad, and as the war dragged on, Welles started to incorporate political issues by using war themes. The show however, had to be dropped because of its unpopularity, failing miserably on public ratings. The New York Post took Welles as one of its writers where he began to take political issues to the fore. He often considered subjects that were bordering on the controversial that had come to illustrate Welles’ works whether it be in print, radio broadcast or films. The chief problem however, for Welles and for those who employ his talent, the focus would end up in politics instead of strictly adhering to the project’s original format. The New York Post work for instance, had wanted to cash in on the saleability of Hollywood gossips to boost sales for its newspaper. The character and presence of Welles was to bring a different flavour to the columns’ set-up. This brought him constantly at odds with producers who would not gamble their financial investments on his works that catered more on his personal political passions that went for most of his lifetime unappreciated by co-workers in Hollywood. He later lost his writing space at the New York Post. Undaunted, Welles continued to take up serious political issues on air through his radio broadcast Commentaries. He would often pick up relevant issues of the time, usually speaking up to question (or ‘attack’) the validity and morality of actions and decisions done by a single individual, company, or political government. Political matters taken up in this program includes: †¢ Bikini Atomic Test – was on his radio program that questioned the validity of the government’s action of test explosions. His opinion was supposed to mirror the fears and anxieties of the public towards its safety for such undertakings. †¢ Affidavit of Isaac Woodward – the case concerning Isaac Woodard was not readily revealed, but Orson Welles made extensive efforts to expose the injustice done against Woodard. His was a case of police brutality and prejudice against blacks. South Carolina’s authorities were indicated to have grossly violated the rights of Woodard, who had been severely beaten by a police officer that left him blind for the rest of his life along with partial amnesia. The plight of this former bemedalled Naval war veteran of the 2nd World War, created a national outrage, owing largely to the works of Welles. (â€Å"1946 Orson Welles Commentaries†) B. Film The films of Orson Welles, finished or unfinished, is gaining considerable attention. This was not so during his time, wherein his unrelenting manner of insisting his way of doing his project alienated him from the major players of the studio by which he worked for, who happen to gain much control of Hollywood’s world (â€Å"Orson Welles†). Welles however, gave Hollywood two major innovative films: †¢ Touch of Evil Welles was keenly involved in upholding other Civil Rights issues. But twelve years after the outcome of Woodard issue, Welles worked on the film ‘Touch of Evil’. Its story was heavily motivated out from the Woodard case. Chiefly because of his active support for the Woodard case, Welles formed and later revealed his unconventional perspective towards the police work in general. Welles recognized the difficulty of a policeman’s predicament in fulfilling his profession. However, he redirected the focus and common view of the public, by saying that the main task of a police officer is to defend the law abiding citizen, and not to be fixated with pursuing criminals. This became the very basis in Welles’ Touch of Evil. †¢ Citizen Kane (1941) Now considered by many new filmmakers with great respect, Citizen Kane both established and destabilized Welles’ reputation. By creating citizen Kane, he also recreated Hollywood’s system of presenting its movies. Whereas, main actors and actresses commonly cause the stir among films projects, Welles was the first to put the director, Welles’ himself, into the limelight. Moreover, he had been given much freedom and control over the making and editing of the film (McAbee, â€Å"Orson Welles: Martyr of the Underground†). The story revolves on solving the meaning of the word â€Å"Rosebud† uttered by a newspaper tycoon, Charles Foster Kane before his death. Kane’s life was initially impassioned with idealism upon his entrance into the publishing business, but gradually waned off and replaced by a lifetime callous pursuit of power. The manner of unfolding the story is done by going backwards, as the reporters tries to solve the mystery of the dying man’s last words. The theme is heavily derived from the life of real newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, although Welles’ own life is also incorporated in the story. It was widely believed to be intended to deride of Hearst’s ruthless exploitation. Hosting lavish parties in one of his many luxurious homes, Hollywood celebrities were welcomed, for as long as they were said to divulge juicy information that could be printed in his newspaper and help keep boosting sales. This kind of abuse of power and influence was the sorts of thing that an Orson Welles would not let pass, unscathed. Known for condemning any forms of oppression or unfairness, Citizen Kane was Welles’ medium to hit upon a ruthless system of greed that has eaten up the idealistic spirit of Americans in general. The movie expectedly earned the ire of Hearst, who used his every clout to bring Welles down, and could partially be held responsible for Welles downfall. The release of Citizen Kane made Welles’ a sensation in ‘moviedom’, but Welles’ unstable directorial career was no match for a man of status such as Hearst’s whose influence and wealth blocked every progress of Welles in the field of filmmaking (Epstein Lennon, 1997). III. Conclusion Some strongly believed, along with Welles himself, of him being of outstanding ability. But there are those who debate upon the validity of Welles’ genius. Although he became well-known, his career and works were far from being fulfilling. In truth, he failed to see his efforts of being truly appreciated. While it is common and vogue to see today’s celebrities standing up for political, social or environmental cause, Welles was already way ahead of his time fighting mainly for civil rights for most of his adult life. He recognized the power wielded by the media and used it to advance the issues which he sought to find justice. He did succeed in getting public attention. Some of those attentions though, were naturally hostile to his cause mainly because they were the object of his complaints. He was not also lacking of people within his own field of work, wherein he had a run-in which had dearly hurt his career. The many works which he left unfinished were alleged to be indications of having a lack of focus towards his career or worse, of being undisciplined. But one cannot say that Orson Welles lacked a focus in his life, for he was truly zealous about going against any forms of oppression. Whether it is social injustice towards women, racial prejudice against men of colour, or expression of personal faith, Welles was sure to take it up personally, not even minding if it would cost him financially. It is within in this context in which sets him apart. The number of projects which he left unfinished may have earned him ill-refute and tainted his brilliance. But many geniuses were left un-applauded by their generation. Besides the social and political relevance of his objections, Welles talent for his craft could not be forever hidden in the vaults of movie history. His major works, Citizen Kane is now being hailed as besting all other works of all time (â€Å"Critics’ Top Ten Poll†). Another work, Touch of Evil, is not far from the number one list. There may had been some considerable projects that he failed to deliver, a sorry state to have missed what could have been another significant contribution to the field of filmmaking. But a more sorry state is the public’s failing miserably to deliver during Welles’ time, the recognition and applause that was due him. Man, has sorely lost another opportunity to give a reward on time for one of its own geniuses. References: â€Å"Orson Welles†. Reel Classics. 2008. December 21, 2008, p. 1 http://www. reelclassics. com/Actors/Welles/welles. htm â€Å"1946 Orson Welles Commentaries†. Internet Archive. 2001. December 21, 2008 http://www. archive. org/details/1946OrsonWellesCommentaries McAbee, Sam. â€Å"Orson Welles: Martyr of the Underground†. December 21, 2008 http://5mtl. com/ft/orson%20welles2. htm Epstein, Michael and Thomas Lennon. â€Å"The Battle Over Citizen Kane†. The American Experience. 1997. December 21, 2008 http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/amex/kane2/kane2ts. html â€Å"Director’s Top Ten Poll†. British Film Institute. 2007. December 21, 2008 http://www. bfi. org. uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/critics. html

Simulation Of Scheduling Algorithms

Simulation Of Scheduling Algorithms Abstract- In this term paper we have discuss simulation of scheduling algorithm. We have discuss various type of scheduling algorithm such as robin round, first comes first served, shortest job first, and etc. We also discuss its advantages and disadvantages. In this term paper we take some c programme based on this scheduling algorithm to understand properly. We also include some graphical representatiion of each scheduling. From which we can differentiate between each algorithm. Keywords- In this term paper we use some keyword Round Robin(RR), First Come First Serve (FCFS), Shortest Job First(SJF), Process Control Block (PCB), Shortest Time Remaining (SRT). INTRODUCTION Scheduling is a fundamental operating-system function. Whenever the CPU becomes idle, the operating system must select one of the processes in the ready queue to be executed. The selection process is carried out by the short-term scheduler. The scheduler selects from among the processes in memory that are ready to execute, and allocates the CPU to one of them. All processes in the ready queue are lined up waiting for a chance to run on the CPU. The records are generally the PCBs (Process Control Block) of the processes. Another important component involved in the CPU scheduling function is the dispatcher. The dispatcher is the module that gives control of the CPU to the processes selected by the short-term scheduler. This function involves: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Switching context à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Jumping to the proper location in the user program to restart that program. Our goal is to simulate the process scheduling algorithms to get a more accurate evaluation on how choice of a particular scheduling algorithm can effect CPU utilization and how a scheduler decides when processors should be assigned, and to which processes. Different CPU scheduling algorithms have different properties and may favour one class of processes over another. We have programmed a model of the computer system and implemented scheduling algorithms using Software data structures which represent the major components of the system which we have discussed in this section. 2. PROPOSAL When system has a choice of processes to execute, it must have a strategy -called a Process Scheduling Policy-for deciding which process to run at a given time .A scheduling policy should attempt to satisfy certain performance criteria, such as maximizing: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Throughput à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Latency à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Preventing Indefinite postponement of Process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maximizing Process Utilization It is the job of the scheduler or dispatcher to assign a processor to the selected process. In our project various Process Scheduling Algorithms that determine at runtime which process runs next .These algorithms decide when and for how long each process runs; they make choices about à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Preemptibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Priorities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Running time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time-to-Completion à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fairness We will be simulating these Scheduling Algorithms and comparing them against various parameters mentioned above. BACKGROUND What is Process :-A process is the locus of control of a procedure in execution that is manifested by the existence of a data structure called Process Control Block. Each process has its own address space, which typically consists of Text region, Data region and Stack region. The Text region stores the code that the processor executes. The Data region stores the variables and dynamically allocated memory that the process uses during execution. The Stack region stores instructions and local variables for active procedure calls. The contents of the Stack grow as the process issues nested procedure calls and shrink as procedures return. 4.WHAT IS PROCESSOR SCHEDULING? -When a system as a choice of processes to execute, it must have a strategy for deciding which process to run at a given time. This strategy is known as Processor Scheduling Policy. Different process scheduling algorithms have different properties and may favor one class of processes over another. In choosing which algorithm to use in a particular situation, we compare the following characteristics to compare the algorithms. CPU Utilization -We want to keep the CPU as busy as possible. It ranges from 0 to 100%. In real systems it ranges from 40% to 90%. For the purpose of this simulation we have assumed that CPU utilization is 100%. Throughput -The work done by the CPU is directly proportional to the CPU utilization. The number of processes completed per unit time, called throughput, is the measure of work done by the CPU. Algorithms should try to maximize the throughput. Turnaround time- The time interval from submission of job to the completion of job is termed as the turnaround time. It includes waiting time of the process and the service time of the process. Waiting time -The amount of time process spent waiting in the ready queue is termed as Waiting time. Any algorithm does not affect the service time of the process but does affect the waiting time of the process. Waiting time should be kept to the minimum. Response time The time interval from the submission of the process to the ready queue until the process receives the first response is known as Response time. Response time should always be kept minimum. Besides the above features, a scheduling algorithm must also have the following properties: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fairness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Predictability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scalability 5. SIMULATION- In our simulation the ready queue has been programmed to serve the processes in the First in First out, Round Robin, Shortest Process first, Highest Response Ration Next and also Shortest Remaining time. The simulator has a variable representing a clock; as this variables value is increased, the simulator modifies the system state to reflect the activities of the devices, the processes, and the scheduler. Our system has a function called Process Ready which checks which processes are ready to enter the system depending on the current clock. Preemption is performed based on the current clock. If the next process in the ready queue should get the CPU the current process is pushed into the queue and the next process, based on how the priority of the processes is calculated in ready queue, is taken and given the CPU time. We call this in real systems as context switch .We will be providing this overhead a simple variable which we fill add to a process when it is preempted. The scheduler is an abstract class in which we have defined the basic components which are needed by the scheduler like ready queue .FIFO, RR, SPF, SRT and HRRN are the classes which extend this scheduler class and implement the ready queue based on specific scheduler. The data that we are using to drive the simulation is generated using a random-number generator. The generator is programmed to generate processes, CPU-burst times, Arrivals and Finish time. The process PCB in our simulation consists of following attributes: Process Id Process ServiceTime Process ArrivalTime Process FinishTime Process ResponseTime The same set of processes is feed into the scheduling algorithm to evaluate the algorithms effect on the processes and CPU. These are initialized for all the processes that we randomly generate .Once the process gets the CPU its service time gets updated and if the simulation performs a context switch which preempts the current running process and puts it at the back of the ready queue i.e. we save the PCB of the process. After this the first process in the ready queue is given the block .In the end the system outputs the Arrival Time, Service Time, Turn around Time, Waiting Time and Response Time for each process executed by the system. The output formats, the input and the Analysis using this simulation model are shown in the sections that follow: A simple Class Diagrame :- 6. SCHEDULING ALGORITHM A scheduling algorithm is the method by which threads, processes or data flows are given access to system resources (e.g. processor time, communications bandwidth). This is usually done to load balance a system effectively or achieve a target quality of service. The need for a scheduling algorithm arises from the requirement for most modern systems to perform multitasking (execute more than one process at a time) and multiplexing (transmit multiple flows simultaneously) Type of Scheduling algorithm Scheduling algorithm :- First Come First Serve (FCFS) Round Robin Shortest Job First Shortest Remaining Time Highest Response Ratio Next (HRRN) Fixed priority pre-emptive scheduling FIRST COME FIRST SERVE (FCFS) :- CPU scheduling deals with the problem of deciding which of the processes in the ready queue is to be allocated the CPU. There are many different CPU scheduling algorithms. By far the simplest CPU-scheduling algorithm is the first-come, first-served (FCFS) scheduling algorithm. With this scheme, the process that requests the CPU first is allocated the CPU first. The implementation of the FCFS policy is easily managed with a FIFO queue. When a process enters the ready queue, its PCB is linked onto the tail of the queue. When the CPU is free, it is allocated to the process at the head of the queue. The running process is then removed from the queue. The code for FCFS scheduling is simple to write and understand. The average waiting time under the FCFS policy, however, is often quite long. C- programming for this scheduling algorithm is given below. I only present the main part of the programme. /* Programme for FCFS*/ #include #include //Library for clearing the screen using namespace std; int cont, ctr; class FCFS{ //Class used for the simulation public: //public elements of the class void input(); void gantt(); protected: //protected elements of the class float wt, bt, arr, bt2; float awt; }; int main(){ //main function FCFS IT2B; cout cin>>ctr; if(ctr>=3ctr system(cls); IT2B.input(); //invocation }else{ cout cout cin>>cont; system(cls); main(); } return 0; } void FCFS::input() //input() function of class FCFS { wt=0; bt2=0; cout for(arr=1;arr cout>bt; cout bt2=bt+bt2; wt=bt2+wt; } awt=(wt-bt2)/ctr; cout cout cin>>cont; } /*void FCFS::gantt() { */ Limitations: In FCFS, average waiting time is quite longer. If we have a processor bound job (generally with longer service time) and other I/O bound jobs. And if, processor bound job is allocated the processor time, then it will hold the CPU. As a result, other I/O bound jobs will keep waiting in the ready queue and the I/O devices will remain idle. Like in the test cases we observed, process P3 despite having a very short service time had to wait for long till all the processes ahead of it ran to completion. Average Turn around Time: 12 Average Waiting Time: 7.2 Average Response Time: 7.2 6.2. ROUND ROBIN The round-robin (RR) scheduling algorithm is designed especially for time-sharing systems. It is similar to FCFS scheduling, but preemption is added to switch between processes. A small unit of time, called a time quantum or time slice, is defined. A time quantum is generally from 10 to 100 milliseconds. The ready queue is treated as a circular queue. The CPU scheduler goes around the ready queue, allocating the CPU to each process for a time interval of up to l time quantum. To implement RR scheduling, we keep the ready queue as a FIFO queue of processes. New processes are added to the tail of the ready queue. The CPU scheduler picks the first process from the ready queue, sets a timer to interrupt after l time quantum, and dispatches the process . C- programming for this scheduling algorithm is given below. I only present the main part of the programme. /* Programme for ROUND ROBIN*/ for(i=0;j { if(r[i]>0sp>=a[i]) { f=true; if(r[i] time=r[i]; else time=q; //schedule the process t[i]+=time,r[i]=time,order.push_back(i+1); if(r[i]==0) j++; for(k=0;k if(r[k]!=0k!=ia[k] if(!(a[k] w[k]+=sp+time-a[k],t[i]+=sp+timea[k]; else w[k]+=time,t[k]+=time; sp+=time; continue; } if(i==n-1) { if(!f) { int it; int diff=0; for(it=0;it if(sp { if(diff==0) diff=a[it]-sp; else if(diff>a[it]-sp) diff=a[it]sp; } sp+=diff; } f=false; } } OUTPUT:- Advantages:-Round Robin algorithm exhibits fairness. All the processes are treated equally and are given equal processor time. As compared to FCFS, the average waiting time is considerably reduced in Round Robin algorithm. Limitations: The performance of the system implementing Round Robin mainly depends upon the value of the quantum. If we set the quantum to very high value, then it will proceed as the FCFS. As a result the system performance will be sluggish. If we keep the quantum value low, more overhead will be produced because of frequent context switch .Round Robin with low quantum is generally suitable for the interactive system. However, to determine the optimal quantum time is a tedious task 6.3.SHORTEST JOB FIRST A different approach to CPU scheduling is the shortest-job-first (SJF) scheduling algorithm. This algorithm associates with each process the length of the processs next CPU burst. When the CPU is available, it is assigned to the process that has the smallest next CPU burst. If the next CPU bursts of two processes are the same, FCFS scheduling is used to break the tie. Note that a more appropriate term for this scheduling method would be the shortest-next-CPU-burst algorithm, because scheduling depends on the length of the next CPU burst of a process, rather than its total length. The SJF algorithm is a special case of the general priority scheduling algorithm. A priority is associated with each process, and the CPU is allocated to the process with the highest priority. Equal-priority processes are scheduled in FCFS order. An SJF algorithm is simply a priority algorithm where the priority (p) is the inverse of the (predicted) next CPU burst. The larger the CPU burst, the lower the pri ority, and vice versa. C- programming for this scheduling algorithm is given below. I only present the main part of the programme. /* Programme for SJF*/ #include #include #include void main() { char p[10][5],temp[5]; int tot=0,wt[10],pt[10],i,j,n,temp1; float avg=0; clrscr(); printf(enter no of processes:); scanf(%d,n); for(i=0;i { printf(enter process%d name:n,i+1); scanf(%s,p[i]); printf(enter process time); scanf(%d,pt[i]); } for(i=0;i { for(j=i+1;j { if(pt[i]>pt[j]) { temp1=pt[i]; pt[i]=pt[j]; pt[j]=temp1; strcpy(temp,p[i]); strcpy(p[i],p[j]); strcpy(p[j],temp); } } } wt[0]=0; for(i=1;i { wt[i]=wt[i-1]+et[i-1]; tot=tot+wt[i]; } avg=(float)tot/n; printf(p_namet P_timet w_timen); for(i=0;i printf(%st%dt%dn,p[i],et[i],wt[i]); printf(total waiting time=%dn avg waiting time=%f,tot,avg); getch(); } Output : Advantages: Shorter processes are given preference. If the ready queue contains Processor bound processes and some I/O bound processes, then the I/O bound will be given more preference. As a result the system throughput increases. Average waiting time of the processes decreases. Like in the test case, the process P3 waited for only 6 seconds compared to 10 seconds in RR and 16 seconds in FCFS. 6.4 .SHORTEST REMAINING TIME (SRT) This is the preemptive algorithm which acts on the principles of SPF. It gives preference to the processes with the smaller service time. If a process is using the process and in the mean time a new process arrives whose service time is less than the currently running, then it preempts the currently running process and gives processor control to the new process. This algorithm is no longer useful in todays operating systems. Advantages: It offers the minimum waiting time for the processes. Like the process P3, waited for 6 seconds before getting the processor time. Though this waiting time is equal to that in SPF. But being a preemptive algorithm, SRT scores over SPF by providing even lesser waiting time than the former. Average Turn around Time: 11 Average Waiting Time: 6.4 Average Response Time: 6 6.5 HIGHEST RESPONSE RATIO NEXT This algorithm corrects some of the weakness of the SPF. The SPF algorithm is biased towards the processes with short service time. This keeps the longer processes waiting in the ready queue for the longer time, despite of arriving in the ready queue before the short jobs. It is a non-preemptive scheduling algorithm in which the priority is the function of not only the service time but also of the time spent by the process waiting in the ready queue. Once the process obtains the control of the processor, it completes to completion. The priority is calculated by the formula Priority = (Waiting Time + Service Time)/Service Time In this algorithm too, short processes receive preference. But longer processes that have been waiting in the ready queue are also given the favorable treatment. 7.GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION Turnaround Time Comparison Waiting time comparison Responce time comparison 8.CONCLUSION From the analysis of the algorithms, we have come up with the conclusion that RR has the best average response time and being the preemptive algorithm, it exhibits fairness. But however, performance of the RR algorithm depends heavily on the size of the quantum. On the one extreme is the time quantum is very large, RR algorithm is same as FCFS policy. But if the time quantum is fairly small, the RR will exhibit fairness but a considerable overhead gets added to the turnaround time due frequent context switch. This fact becomes clear from the RR average turnaround time reading is highest as compared to other algorithms. Hence we observed if majority of the processes are less then the time quantum, the RR will give better response time. Further, SPF has the least average turnaround time and average waiting time as compared to other algorithms. This shows that SPF is provably optimal, in that it gives the minimum average time in the set of processes by moving the short process before a long one. The waiting time of short process decreases more than the waiting time of the long process. Consequently the waiting time decreases. But this algorithm can only be used for systems which are interactive and thereby is biased to short processes and unfavorable to longer ones which may lead to indefinite postponement of longer processes. HRRN has approximately same average turnaround, waiting and response time. It overcomes the limitation of the SPF by giving favorable treatment to the processes waiting for a longer time, and thereby prevents indefinite postponement. SRT exhibits approximately same average response time, waiting time and turnaround time, and may seem to be an effective algorithm for interactive processes if the tasks performed before issuing I/O are short in duration. However, SRT determines priority based on the run time to completion, not the run time to I/O. Some interactive processes such as shell executes for the life time of the session, which would place the shell at the lowest priority level.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle :: Biographies Bio Biography

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was more than just an author. He was a knight, a soldier, a spiritualist, a whaler, a doctor, a journalist, and most of all, he was an adventurer. He was not the quiet type of person, and he thoroughly enjoyed expressing himself. Arthur Conan Doyle was born on the 22nd of May 1859 in Picardy Place, Edinburgh. The second child of Charles Altamont and Mary Foley, he was thought to have been named after the legendary medieval king, Arthur of the Round Table. Doyle was also named after his granduncle, Michael Edward Conan. He was of Irish descent, and was of the Roman Catholic religion. Doyle had a grandfather, John Doyle. He was political cartoonist who financially supported the family. Doyle had a pretty rough home life because his father was an alcoholic. As he grew up, Doyle had to take more of the responsibilities around the house into his own hands, because his father was either too sick or drunk to fulfill his daily work at home. Doyle's mother, Mary Foley, was a homemaker who took care of her son Arthur and his brothers and sisters, and also worked and cleaned the house everyday. Doyle's early education started when he was about seven years old. His mother spent lots of time reading with him and tutoring him, because this is what she thought he needed to become a cultured gentleman. When Doyle was ten years old he left home and went to the Jesuit Preparatory school named Hodder House. This was a boarding school for young boys. Arthur hated this school. Doyle once stated that Hodder House "was a little more pleasant than being confined in a prison." While attending Hodder House, he studied chemistry, poetry, geometry, arithmetic, and grammar. After his experiences at Jesuit Preparatory school, he left and applied for Stonyhurst Academy. Doyle was accepted for enrollment into Stonyhurst and remained there for about five more years. While at Stonyhurst, Doyle, who excelled in cricket, demonstrated some very early signs of literary talent. At the academy, he became quite good at telling stories and reading aloud. His favorite childhood writer was Mayne Reid, who wrote The Scalp Hunters. This was his favorite book while he was progressing through life. During his last year before attending medical school, Doyle went to Feldkirch, a school in Austria. While attending Feldkirch, he began to question his faith in the Roman Catholic religion.

When Books were Burned Fahrenheit 451 Essay -- Government Literature C

The Time Books were Burned Fahrenheit 451 The novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a science fiction novel that introduces a world controlled by the government. Humans are not accepted in this new world. Television has replaced family. The people live the present through television. The firemen are seen as flamethrowers, the destroyers of books. The people living in this society have no reminders or memories of history or the past. In Fahrenheit 451, the society has a strict set of values and beliefs. The government has constructed its own matrix for the people in the society to abide by. It is forbidden for books to be read or seen. Books are not to be read; they are to be destroyed without a question. Since the government has such a tight hold on society, the citizens have no clue as to what is happening in their world. In Fahrenheit 451, the government has demanded that the harshest measures be put on books, which in this case is the burning of the books. Books are considered to be evil because they make people ques tion and think. In this world people believe that when books and new ideas are available to society, conflict and unhappiness take place. I believe that the government feels that by eliminating the world of conflict and controversy, that it will put an end to dispute and allows people to stay happy all the time. In Part One, The Hearth and the Salamander, Guy Montag is introduced as a thirty-year-old fireman in the twenty-fourth century. Montags role as a fireman is destroying all the books he finds along with the homes he finds them in. At first it was pleasurable for Montag to burn up books. At this point he believes he is happy. He is a smiling fireman. The smile, just like his burnt-corked face, is a m... ... are model citizens, in our own special way; we walk the old tracks, we lie in the hills at night, and the city people let us be. This group of people, instead of carrying books with them, they each just memorize as many books as they can. The purpose is to one day, when the world is changed, to be able to re-copy the books once again into written form. Montag has changed dramatically throughout the novel. He is now able to think for himself, make his own decisions, and even tell people what to do, such as Faber. This is major change from the beginning of the book when Montag was nothing more then nave. He was only a timid machine of society. Bradbury promotes the idea in the novel that man should think for themselves, not let the government or television do their thinking for them. Work Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine Books, 1953.

In Jesus’ Name: Taking Up Serpents

â€Å"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. † (Psalm 137:9)Read more at /list/top-20-bible-passages-to-use-against-fundamentalists/ivana-wynn? page=3#X63UZMIZkY7ETEaQ. 99 â€Å"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. † (Psalm 137:9)Read more at /list/top-20-bible-passages-to-use-against-fundamentalists/ivana-wynn? page=3#X63UZMIZkY7ETEaQ. 99 Megan Gowler Cultural Anthropology MWF 10 a. m. IN JESUS' NAME: TAKING UP SERPENTS I've took cocaine, I've smoked marijuana, drunk whiskey, and been high on all that, but this high you get on Jesus, it's nothin', nothin' compared to that†¦ † The video was filmed in two churches in Alabama and Georgia in what looks like the 60's, but in reality was the late 80's or very early 90's, I believe the copyright date is 1991. In Jesus' Name: Taking Up Serpents heavily documents the practice of snake handling in this religious sect, but mentions the co nsumption of strychnine very minimally.The people seem happy, but not particularly affluent. They are presumably in the Appalachian region of the states, where coal mining, poverty and a hard life are all too common. The whole thing is presented without commentary or criticism allowing the viewer to experience the culture and apply their own opinions. Taking Up Serpents shows us how literal interpretations of biblical texts are executed with fervor in the name of God. The filmmakers do not appear biased or like they have any hidden agenda.It seems to be a straight-forward documentation of a church service. The filmmakers did not go out of their way to make these people seem simple or poor, which I am sure would have been easy to do with selective editing. Men are featured prominently in this video. They seem to be ‘called upon by the holy ghost' to ‘take up serpents' more readily than the women are. The women are not left untouched by the ‘spirit' as was made obvio us by the shaking, sobbing and speaking in tongues that is also demonstrated in the video.The women who do handle the snakes seemed to do so for a much shorter length of time and with greater caution then the men, who shake them and rub them around their faces and necks, almost as a challenge to the snake. Children are not permitted to handle any of the snakes in these churches. I found out online that usually (and for legal reasons) you must be 18 to begin taking part in this part of the ritual. Apparently, the Holy Spirit discriminates by not just gender, but age as well.They do not go into any detail regarding the consumption of strychnine in this video, it only gets a brief mention and is hardly shown. Interestingly, when you look at the side effects of the consumption of strychnine, one of the less grievous effects is euphoria. Also, it should be noted that it acts as a stimulant and can cause muscle spasms and convulsions, which are exacerbated by bright light and loud noises (I assume that includes raucous religious music and bright overhead lights).I wonder why they have chosen that verse specifically to focus all their energy on. Why aren't they burning male flock animals (sheep, goats) on altars in their yard or beating their children for self satisfaction (Leviticus 1:9 and Psalm 137:9, respectively). Why snake handling and poison consumption, I have a theory, but I will save it for now. Everything about this practice is bizarre, but is it only bizarre because of our distance from it?Religious ceremonies of EVERY nature have incredibly odd practices, but they only seem bizarre to outsiders. The whole video made me sad, but I can't say exactly why. The filmmakers intention was to document the practice and according to the note on Youtube, help preserve their right to practice their religion, their way. I don't know how to explain how I feel without writing another 5 pages. Religion and religious freedom is and always has been a minefield of controver sy.Islam has the prophet Mohammed who took a six year old bride when he was in his late 50's, Christianity has a virgin birth and coming back to life (insert inappropriate zombie Jesus joke here), Scientology teaches us that we are all immortal aliens trapped in physical bodies, dinosaurs are a hoax put forth by Satan to fool us all, Mormons are in their ‘magic underwear' prepping for the return on God in Missouri, putting a dirty milk glass and a plate from a roast beef sandwich in the same dishwasher can contaminate your soul, or most famously and least disputed the idea that when certain rites are performed bread and wine turn into human flesh and blood once in your stomach. I mean, there are plenty of genuinely weird ideas and practices in the United States, I mean, these are just off the top of my head. So even though this very specific sect of Evangelical Christians has the odd little habit of swinging snakes around and drinking poison really, who can judge them? I would like to mention that I did a little digging regarding this film, partly because I am fascinated by religion and partly because I wanted to know more about it and I found out that two of the men in the film have died, possibly a third, but without names, I cannot say for sure.Also, the pastor in the film, whose name is Glenn Summerford was convicted of attempted murder for stuffing his wife Danielle's hand into a box of rattlesnakes when he was in a ‘drunken rage' in 1991. Glenn was sentenced to 99 years in prison. There is a book about this titled, The Serpent and the Spirit and I now intend to read it as well. After some of the additional information I have uncovered and a lot of the stereotypes we have all heard regarding people living in this area, I wonder if these people live their lives in a more rowdy fashion than you would imagine given the scenes we are shown in the film, which is why I placed the quote I did under the title at the top.The skeptic cynic in me says th at the snake handling has less to do with God or the Holy Spirit and more to do with each individual using this fate tempting to make themselves feel better, maybe about indiscretions, financial hardships, poor decisions, who knows? Do something wrong, feel guilt, handle the snake, live through it, decide God isn't that mad at you after all because he is a forgiving God and you made a mistake, feel better†¦ now repeat. I suppose that is what every religion is supposed to do for its followers, make you feel better, help you find peace, give you a sense of place, let you know that ‘it' is gonna be okay. So as a non-judgmental observer with no plans of attending service or joining the Church of Jesus with Signs I say, ladies and gentlemen, turn up your amps, raise your cups of strychnine and shake those snakes!

Public Pension Replacement Rates

A social security is a program funded through the taxation of individuals pay. The taxes are deposited into various trust funds depending on the contract. Social security can not sustain all the promised benefits in future if it entirely relies on the current tax rates. This therefore implies that reforms are indispensible. This is due to the calamities that may follow the raising of taxes or a cut on benefits. Replacement income for prior earningsIncome replacement is a pledge by the employer to continue paying an employee’s salary for a given period of time incase he becomes disabled or till the employee becomes eligible to coverage from the social security. The employee in this case is faced with the peril of the employer not honoring the pledge whereas in the agreement the employer is saved the expenses that cold be incurred through the purchase of insurance policies (FirstEnergy Corp, 2010). The salary coverage goes on for a few months but the limit is six months.Causes o f Variance-Between Us and Greece Replacement Income Greece operates various schemes that have a rate of 105% on its gross replacement and 115%on its net replacement. The schemes in operations constitute of main and auxiliary social security programs. The different professions operate varying schemes and the biggest is the Insurance Institute (IKA). Most of the schemes in operation in Greece are absent in the USA. Greece adapted the euro as a national currency in 2001 as its national currency.Due to this, Greece was at liberty to borrow money at a lower interest rate. This money was also made available to its citizens and corporations, whom they borrowed at very low interest rates. The money obtained by the Greek government was use to repay debts and finance its budget. This expenditure made it possible to have a high supply of money in the economy. The US and Greece differ in terms on how their political institution are run. This is in terms of electoral levels and the government.In the US there is the issue of the majority rules while in Greece there is proportional representation. This therefore means that the people involved in making decisions do vary both in number and power. This has an impact on how the income replacement is structured and the guidelines in operations. The structure, size and redistribution of US and Greece differ greatly. Role of Greece’s Public Pension Replacement Rates on Its Debt Burden Currently Greece is being faced with a debt crisis (IMF, 2002).It is understood that very high amounts of debts were accumulated by the Greek government before the crisis struck of liquidity in the capital market. In the recent past these capital markets have become more illiquid thus making Greece to be faced with the possibility of defaulting (FirstEnergy Corp, 2010)). In responding to this problem, the Greece prime minister has emphasized repeatedly on the importance of long term reforms on the structure of Greece economy. Among these refor ms is the reform on the pension scheme.The pension scheme in operation in Greece is one of the most generous schemes in known in Europe. Evasion of contribution to the social security program is a rampant thing and the government has promised to take tremendous actions against the evaders. This will ensure that the contribution rises thus providing the government with money at its disposal to pay some of the debts it owes. The government is also contemplating on the issue of increasing the retirement age of persons from the age of 61years to 63 years.Opposing some of the mode used to calculate the pension scheme in application of five years of worked by some civil service schemes, the calculations will entirely rely on a lifetime. This will in return provide some cash to be used in offsetting debts owed by the government. A crack down on the social security programs and carrying out reforms will prevent misappropriation of funds by corrupt officials (IMF, 2002). References FirstEner gy Corp (2010). Declares Unchanged Common Stock Dividend. Mergers & Acquisitions Business pg. 271. IMF. (2002). Greece, selected issues. International Monetary Fund. 58