Americas Fallen PastimeHow Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution essays

Americas Fallen PastimeHow Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution essays How Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution Baseball fans are easy to please. Give them a warm summer day, a cold drink, and their favorite team in the thick of the pennant race and they feel like kings. Watch them second guess the manager as he pulls the teams ace pitcher in favor of the young fireballer. Listen to them cheer as he strikes out the opponents slugger with the bases loaded, securing the win. Watch them do it all over again the very next day. Who is the best player of all time? Ty Cobb? Babe Ruth? Ted Williams? Mickey Mantle? Ken Griffey Jr.? Should the designated hitter be abolished? Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? Ask them for their favorite baseball moment of the past and prepare to have your ear talked off. Older fans might choose Bobby Thompsons Shot Heard Round the World, which captured the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers, or Willie Mays over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-plate catch to rob Clevelands Vic Wertz of an extra-base hit in the 1954 World Series. Somewhat younger fans might take Carlton Fisks frantic waving as his game-winning homer in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series clanged off of Fenway Parks left field foul pole or the dominance of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and the rest of the Big Red Machine during the mid-1970s. The youngest might call up Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jrs victory lap around Camden Yards after eclipsing Lou Gehrigs seemingly unbreakable consecutive games streak or the excitement of St. Louis Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa as they relentlessly pursued Roger Maris single season home run record. Take baseball at its simplest, its purist, and it can be almost religious. Baseball fans only ask for one thing in return. As Braves fan William Correa pleads, I know baseball ha...

What to expect from your book cover designer

What to expect from your book cover designer What to expect from your book cover designer You’ve written a brief and commissioned a designer. What’s next? In this guest post, bestselling book cover designer Simon Avery explains the process of working with a cover designer, from the first concepts up to the final payment.  Professional cover design is part of what makes a bestselling title. So it’s no wonder that successful indie authors are serious about the process. Once you’ve tracked down a cover designer you like, the first thing you’ll need is a good brief (which you can learn how to do with this guide). But after you've come to an agreement to work together, what comes next? Round One – The concept stageThe first and longest part of the process is the concept stage. In a nutshell, your book cover designer will take your brief and produce several potential ideas for a cover.Behind the scenesFor me, the concept stage takes between 1-2 weeks. In this time I create 10 or so designs, many of which will never see the light of day. The best 3-5 will be sent as concepts to the author to give a feel for how the final cover could look.In the concept stage I’m also doing a  number of things:Consulting image librariesA good designer will subscribe to a big selection of image libraries. This ranges from well-known libraries like iStock and Shutterstock to smaller specialist outlets. For example, I might consult a library that stocks edgy urban images. This also means my clients get pictures that are not in wide circulation. Image libraries charge for picture downloads. Some designers charge extra for this but I personally include it as part of my fee. The final concept stageArmed with the favourite concept, I then tidy up and polish. This is my favourite part of the process. I add any suggested changes. For example, an author might ask to change the eye colour of a character or make some element more or less prominent. For the most part, however, I’m just finalising the chosen concept ready to publish.The big finish!The cover is done and the author might use it to Tweet and gain social media prior to publication. When authors are happy with their cover they ‘sign it off’, meaning I forward them all the artwork and they pay me.Check out Simon Avery’s profile on Reedsy:  https://reedsy.com/simon-averyWant to learn more about Reedsy's book cover design professionals and how to work with them? Click here!

Should returning veterans be given preference on police hiring lists Term Paper

Should returning veterans be given preference on police hiring lists - Term Paper Example Nonetheless, in these circumstances, many of the returning veterans try to join other jobs again in order to bring back normalcy in their life. In relation to this context, there are a number of federal laws that been enacted for these s veterans. These federal laws have acted as an important protection for veterans with disabilities who are searching for new jobs or are already in the workplace. Consequently, these federal laws have been differentiated into two parts under title I. These two parts of federal laws under title I include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which is applied by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in order to protect private, state along with local government employees from being discriminated on the subject of disability. On the other hand, the other law is Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) which is acting as a protection for reemploying veterans with and without services2. THESIS STATEMENT This stu dy intends to provide valid justifications with regard to the context that returning army veterans should be given preference on police hiring lists. The validity of the opinion would be ascertained with the aid of practical instances of the present provisions in place for re-hiring veterans in the nation. JUSTIFICATION Arguments in Favor. It can be argued that returning army veterans ought to be given preference on police hiring lists primarily because of their prior experience in dealing with the challenges that might have to be faced while serving in the police force. Ex-army servicemen can be a perfect entrant into a police hiring list. While army, police and security forces may possess the most directly applicable skill set, service members from a variety of occupational specialists are also well suited to police service. Moreover, the army veterans are more disciplined about their duty for the nation and they possess an in-depth understanding regarding the intricacies associat ed with the services. They are generally extremely committed about their assigned roles and responsibilities as during their tenure in army they need to deal with major challenges along with taking prompt decisions that might be quite beneficial in police services as well. Furthermore, army veterans are generally extremely physically fit and get toughened up while serving the armed forces. Army veterans also become quite matured psychologically and they can easily handle their emotion, which might be a key factor while executing an assortment of activities in police force. In this regard, it can be further evaluated that returning veterans possess vast amount of technical knowledge and valuable skills as well as they have the ability to lead others. Army veterans have always given attention to details and they are able to deal with war time scenarios efficiently that may benefit the police services. On the other hand, if the police forces are hiring students or any other persons for the police services then they might have to face certain problems because these individuals living at home at time possess little life experiences. These young people generally have no experiences and no skills with arms. Moreover, they at times lack in terms of depicting required leadership skills

Gout as a Metabolic Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gout as a Metabolic Disorder - Research Paper Example When urates in the blood reach the physiological saturation levels, they crystallize to form monosodium urate (MSU) and gradually accumulate in tissues. This leads to development of asymptomatic hyperuricemia which results into gout (Luk & Simkin, 2005). The clinical manifestations of gout include acute gouty arthritis, deposition of MSU crystals in soft tissues leading to formation of ‘tophi’, urate urolithiasis along with rare incidences of nephropathy. The disease develops in four stages; an asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute gout with intermittent flares, the intercritical period, and chronic gout (Sundram, 2010). The prevalence of gout have been on a rise during the last few decades chiefly due to changes in life style patterns and increased longevity. In US prevalence has been estimated to be 5.1 million during the period spanning 1988-1994 by the third national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES III). 5.2 cases per 1000 have been reported by the US man aged care database during the year 1999 compared to 2.9 cases in 1990. The disease prevalence rates reportedly are higher in older men than those of rheumatoid arthritis. Incidences of gout have also escalated during the last two decades with annual levels reported by Rochester Epidemiology Project to be twice as high as those reported two decades earlier for primary gout. Higher incidences of disease are reported in men than in women with increased incidences reported with advancing age in both sexes (Weaver, 2008). Despite high prevalence and severe burden of the disease, frequent mismanagement of the disease leads to avoidable incidences of morbidities and mortality (Luk & Simkin, 2005). The current report aims to present an in depth exploration of the risk factors, pathogenesis and treatment modalities of gout. RISK FACTORS Sex Men have a higher level of serum urate rendering them significantly more vulnerable to gout with higher probability of development of gout in men below t he age of 30 compared to women of comparable age. The risk of gout development in men peaks in the age range of 75-84 years, while in women the risks are higher during post menopausal phase. After the age of 60, both men and women are equally vulnerable to the disease (Rott & Agudelo, 2003). Diuretics Diuretic intake is a major cause of hyperuricemia since it causes significant enhancement of reabsorption of uric acid in kidney (Rott & Agudelo, 2003). Several other medications such as low dose aspirin, cyclosporine (increases tubular reabsorption of urate), pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and niacin also lead to hyperuricemia (Weaver, 2008). Comorbidities Individuals with hypertension, insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, neuropathy, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney diseases and metabolic syndrome are highly vulnerable to gout (Rott & Agudelo, 2003). Lead exposure has also been found to be associated with gout (Sundram, 2010). Poor urate clearance may render a hemodialysis patient v ulnerable to urate deposition and gout. Obesity Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 21-22 have been reported to be at much lower risk of developing gout compared to individuals with higher BMI. Alevel of 35 raise the risk three fold. Obesity has been found to be associated with enhance urate synthesis and lower excretion of urate from the kidneys; thereby leading to raised serum urate levels (Weaver, 2008). Dietary Habits A diet rich in meat such as red meat, organ meat; and sea food has been associated with higher vulnerabilities to gout. The same has also been reported for alcohol consumption; especially beer (Choi et al. 2004). On the contrary, purine rich vegetables exhibit no correlation with gout development and dairy products lower the risk marginally (Weaver,

Inclusive Education Essay Example for Free

Inclusive Education Essay This report details the role of educational inclusion, individual and general perspectives on inclusion and how the medical and social models have played a great part in the conception and in its application in regards to inclusion in the past and in recent times. Inclusion has different conception and used in certain terminology that relates to inclusion. It is used in different settings such as in social care and in the educational setting in the society today. In this report I will be focusing on the educational part. The Encarta English Dictionary defines inclusion as the addition of somebody or something to the rest of a whole. This definition has not specified who is to be included but a person or group being part and accepted by the rest of a whole. Inclusion have been defined and interpreted by many as just the integration of children with special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream school. According to (Rigby 2000) these kinds of misconception and viewpoints often lead to the misunderstanding and maltreatment in such a way that it creates room for continuous labelling, bulling and rejection by others without SEN. The term Inclusion according to (The Warnock 1978 Report) was initially used as integration, whereby children with SEN who have been educated in special schools where integrated into mainstream school provided they did not have any effect on adequate use of resources. The definition of inclusion is actually changing and moving, in the sense that, its concept and dynamism is now broader, people are now beginning to fully understand what it means and what it evolve in the society today. It is not just about people with special needs integrating or having the same capabilities to perform but having equal choices on where is more conducive they choose to live, having equal opportunity to engage in whatever they choose to do and being accepted the way they are (Giangreco 1997). Social Inclusion/ Social Exclusion There are no definite definitions for social inclusion and social exclusion, both of them has multiply definitions, it all depends on the context which it is used for and is still being developed. Exclusion can be defined as the act of excluding, or of shutting out, whether by thrusting out or by preventing admission; a debarring; rejection; prohibition; the state of being excluded (Inc Icon Group International 2008). According to the definition above, it indicates that social exclusion is multidimensional; people are not only excluded in the society because of their age, sex, religion, colour, disabilities, race and gender it can also be due to unemployment, homelessness, low income, poor mental health, locality, dysfunctional family, educational achievement, status in the society etc (SEU 2004). This group of people are said to be in a Cycle of Disadvantage ( Pope, Pratt and Hoyle, 1986). Article (136 and 137) of The (1997) Amsterdam Treaty was enacted in order to eliminate exclusion and promote economic and social cohesion. Social inclusion promotes integration and community cohesion, it builds the communities, promotes understanding and unity. Inclusive Education and Government Legislation According to (The 1944 Educational Act) it initially stated that, children’s education should be based on their age, aptitude and ability. During the Act establishment, there was a philosophy that children with special need were to be able fit in the school rather than the school making provision to accommodate them before gaining admission into the mainstream school. The (1944 Act) was in use until 1974, when the Warnock Committee was set up to review the provision that was available for children with Special Educational Need. This committee which was headed by Mary Warnock lead to the publication of the 1978 Warnock Report. The Report concluded that, they were about 20% of children in school population that might have Special Education Need and only 2% of which may require support in the mainstream school. The Warnock Report suggested that there should be a proper provision in place for children with Special Educational Need, which then will ensure that the 2% in mainstream school received the adequate provision. The 1978 Warnock Report had since lead to the enactment and development of various educations Act such as, (1981Education Act), (1993 Education Act), (1996 education Act) and the (2001 Special Educational Needs Disability Act) All these Acts listed above reinforces government’s dedication and commitment to the fully inclusion of children with Special Education Needs into mainstream school and the society as a whole. Inclusive Education and Autism  Abraham Maslow formed a theory on ones personality that has a great influence on education. In his theory of human need, he emphasized that, the student with education need that has a wish or desire to belong to a normal group, that desire creates the motivation to acquire new skills, which the student can only achieve in a learning environment that is void of segregation. He further argued that the sense of belonging is the foundational need that that needs to be met in order to achieve the higher level self actualization. According to (Article 28) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it stated that every child has a right to education. No child should be discriminated, excluded or deprived on the basis of belonging to a particular group. Therefore Inclusive education can be defined as the integration of adults or children into mainstream school regardless their gender, age, disabilities, ethnicity, colour or impairment (Daniels and Garner 2000). Children with hidden disabilities like autism, which is a life time disability that affects the way a child communicates and interact within the society, are faced with difficulties of being fully included into mainstream school. Prior to the development of the Special Need Education, children with autistic spectrum were viewed under two models of disabilities, Medical or Social Model. These are ways how people viewed and acted towards people with disabilities. The Medical Model of Disability sees the illness in the person first and the individual second, this notion creates a bad and negative conception of disability (Cigman 2007). The Social Model of Disability sees the disable person first before their illness. This model sees the person as an individual, different and unique, who has an equal rights and opportunities to education and other essentials of life. The model recognises the fact that a disable person’s impairment does not regard him or her less than anyone else in the society.

The Unexpected Deaths :: essays research papers

Too much time on your hands can be self-destructing. It happens everyday, a woman with seemingly little to do with herself is able to sit and ponder her future; she is able to take a step back and examine where she has been and what could possibly lie ahead. Chilling to some who can’t even remember what they had for breakfast this morning and more disturbing to those who are not happy with the direction they are headed. But does it really matter in the end whether or not your toast had butter or jam on it or whether the things you have done in your time made you rich? The play Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard examines the universal truth of the end of your days and the notion that what is in between really won’t count when it is all over.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guildenstern, the more seemingly wiser of the duo, makes a comment in the first act to Rosencrantz, saying, â€Å"The only beginning is birth and the only end is death- if you can’t count on that, what can you count on?† (39). With this said, don’t you think that our two characters would do all they can to try and change the fate before them, to try to defy the laws of finality and probability, just as it happened in the flipping of the coins? However, it does not seem that these two men are capable of such higher thought. And, as said in class, the script has already been written, so wouldn’t any change you feel you were making already be in the script?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, in this play, whether you want to call it a tragic comedy or a comic tragedy, two men have basically seen the fate of all man and know that the end will come. There is nothing anyone can do about it. Moving along in the play though, they seem more and more naà ¯ve to the fact that they too will come to an end. They have refused to see deeper into the play acted out before them, the story that tells of their ending.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What does bring depth to these characters is the fact that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do try to make sense of their existence and go through the play blissfully unaware of where it will all end. Ironic as that may sound, especially since Guildenstern did make a point to say that birth and death are the two things in life you can count on, the two men seem to think that just as the coin ended up on heads for ninety times, they too will defy the odds.

Nando’s SWOT analysis Essay

1. SWOT analysis of Nadon a) Strength 1. Renowned Global chain with over 750 restaurants in over 40 countries 2. Nandos’ Flame Grilled Peri Peri Chicken is believed to be unique and the best in the world. Can choose spicy level. 3. Nando’s chicken are considered as healthy along with the superior taste as well 4. Franchisee model has allowed Nando’s to expand rapidly in global markets 5. Reasonable pricing for quality product b) Weakness 1. Lack of marketing activities and since that a low local recognition. Low brand visibility 2. Absolute focus on Chicken reduces the inflow of old customer. Weak R&D. 3. Parent company IRL’s financial trouble reduces the expansion plans of Nando’s across Indian Market c) Opportunity 1. Innovate with new items and market them as well along with Chicken 2. Hotel Industry is forecasted to grow in double digit figures, which presents a significant opportunity to Nandos 3. Online Market d) Threat 1. Intense competition from other international player in Singapore market. 2. Growth in number of players is more than the growth of the demand itself and it will lead to further competition and reduce overall profitability of the industry Speaking of best grilled chicken in the world, Nando’s Peri-Peri chicken must be one of the strongest competitors. After the company was founded in 1987, Nando’s has already operated 1000 outlets in 24 countries across 5 continents and contributed US$650 million of profit in 2012. With its global reputation and experience operating franchise in overseas, the company can easily copy and introduce their idea into Singapore market. To be believed the world’s best and unique grilled chicken dish, Nando’s signature dish  Peri-Peri chicken is well recognized by its special variety of chili sauce including lemon and herb, Mango and Lime, medium, hot and extra hot. All Nando’s chicken is Red Tractor assured, having met high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. This means the chicken is not only tasty, but also safe and healthy. Not only chicken dishes are popular in Nando’s, a variety of new food will be also frequently updated with burgers, pitas, salads, wings and wraps (espetada as example). Famous â€Å"Corn on the cob† is not only naturally tasty but also satisfied with a surprised low pricing. In a nutshell, Nando’s product is considered as healthy along with the superior taste and the reasonable pricing, which usually costs S$20-30 per meal per person, makes their product very much affordable to median-low income customer who contributes to the majority of the society. Comparing the company’s scale of international network, however, the marketing activities are seemed not as strong as it should be in Singapore local market. According to a survey conducted by NUS students in 2013, the local recognition of branding of Nando’s is much lower than its general competitors including Aston Catering, TCC cafà ©. Some of the surveyor even thought Nando’s was a Mexico food brand that sells tacos. Also talking about Nando’s dishes, focusing on chicken as its only signature and lacking of innovation in production line will finally result in loss of interest from customer. Even though efforts were put in for new product development, the outcome still remains doubtful in whether new signature can reach the current level where the chicken dishes are holding. Besides making chicken as the main course in only 4 choices – quarter, half, whole chicken and chicken breast, the Research and Development Department – R&D has surprisingly not contributed any new signature dishes among so many choices that are available – beef, fish or pork. The wear R&D performance will in the end lead to out-dated production line and customer’s expectation will not be satisfied which in terms of loss in business. Nevertheless, it is never too late to change and get into the right direction. Innovation can be made among several of meat and fish; even the vegetable could be a great choice and turn into â€Å"Must-order† items for  vegi-lovers. Make sure the menu is updated with new items in certain period and elimination of unsuccessful dishes which can help in saving unnecessary costs. As a result, the company will be able to attract new customer as well as maintain return business. What’s more, with the booming of online business and more advance technology, online booking will be definitely a new opportunity to step in. According to a new study from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, global consumers’ intent to buy food and beverages online increased 44 percent in two years, with more than one-quarter (26%) of global respondents reporting they planned to purchase food and beverage products by way of a devic e with Internet access, such as a computer, mobile phone or tablet, in the next three to six months. Hence, Online Delivery benefits both customer’s convenient experience and the online market share as well. At the same time though, a lot of fast diners has already stepped into online markets like Pizza Hut, KFC, PastaMania and YOSHINOYA. Working years with local online food delivery platform, the competitors seem to have a stronger coverage and connectivity to the local online shoppers. Moreover, the growth in number of players in Singapore is more than the growth of the demand itself and it will lead to further competition and reduce overall profitability of the industry. In a nutshell, Nando’s has a very strong branding and product value which will lead to profits only once the correct marketing approaches is proceeded. And the company must understand the importance of keeping their product innovated in order to keep up the new as well as return business. With the booming of online business, Nando’s now is able to channel their product to customer in a more convenient and favorable way. At the same time, the company needs to realize that the competition has never been easier to outrun those existed company that provided online delivery service since years ago.

Haefren-Baum Case

Name of the business: Haefren Baum GmgH Nature of the business: Haefren Baum is a retailer of high quality home furniture located in Cologne, Germany. They have also added three outlet stores in Rhineland, a nearby suburban area. Marketing Analysis: Haefren retails high quality furniture manufactured by Wiegandt has advertised aggressively in order to build and maintain a strong brand image. Haefren benefited tremendously from the successful marketing provided by Wiegandt. Wiegandt has However, because the nature of the product is high-end and durable, sales are subject to fluctuations of the business cycle.During the economic boom leading up to 1993 Haefren, as well as the industry in general, enjoyed strong sales. However, the economic bust in 1993 has slowed sales growth. Decreased consumer confidence caused industry sales growth to decrease from 42. 9% in 1992 to 9% in 1993. Haefren experienced negative sales growth during this period. Haefren has a strong competitive position; h owever, it is quickly deteriorating. The addition of 3 outlets give Haefren an opportunity to capture a wider market than it currently has. However, new competitors entering the market are all competing for stagnant demand.European retailers are also entering the German furniture market which makes it even harder for Haefren to maintain its competitive advantage. Operations Analysis: Haefren obtains its merchandise directly from the manufacturer, Weigandt. Weigandt has provided â€Å"fairly liberal† credit terms which include a discount for early payment (2% 10, net 30). However, they have jeopardized their lose credit terms because of inefficiencies with their receivables, inventories, and fixed assets. A major issue that Haefren needs to address is the delinquency of their customers accounts.From 1993 to 1995, days sales outstanding have increased to 77 days, which is dramatically higher than the 30-day monthly installment terms. This delay in collection is creating cash fl ow problems for Haefren. It is causing them to fall behind on their payments to Weigandt and miss out on significant savings from the early payment discount. The increase in its collection period was expected in 1993 due to the worsening economy. However, the economy is now improving and Haefren’s collection period is still increasing. This signals to inefficiencies within the company’s collection department.Perhaps, they should even consider increasing the down payment required to establish credit. The sluggish sales in the furniture industry can account for the increase in inventory days. Haefren inventory in 1994-1995 stayed on the floor for around 129 days before it was sold. The longer period that they are holding inventory is increasing their cost of goods sold. Not only are they holding inventory for a longer period of time, but they are also underutilizing their fixed assets. Fixed asset turnover decreased for Haefren from 1993-1994. They constructed three new outlet stores which should have helped them with sales.However, due to the sluggish demand, these new fixed assets are not returning the sales they were supposed to. Haefren needs to consider whether these outlets are worth the investments. They could potentially benefit from sending inventory from their retail store to the outlet sooner. Even if they have to sell it at a discount, if they do not lose money on it, the lower revenue would be more beneficial. It appears that Haefren might be experiencing problems with human resources as well. They carry a debt account for notes payables for employees.This account reflects loans that have been made from the employees, or their relatives, to the company. Why are they borrowing from employees? This could potentially come from accrued wages, which would be an even greater issue. Financial Analysis: Haefren’s funding has come from bank loans and utilizing credit from its vendors. Funding needs increased due to the addition of 3 new outlet stores. These outlet stores have increased Haefren’s debt over the three years in questions. Along with this new debt, two of the original partners sold their shares to the other two partners.It seems like there are too many changes going on at Haefren all at once. In regards to cash flows, Haefren is performing poorly. Cash flows from operations are unhealthy and the total cash on hand has declined over the three years in question. Total cash flow from operations is positive, however, they appear to be driven by depreciation. Their negative net income (net loss), is not driving operations cash flow in a positive direction. They are also carrying a great deal of inventory which is consuming their cash. In order for them to drive up net income they need to find a way to decrease their inventories.Accounts receivables are also impacting cash flows in a negative way. A/R have increased each year, which can be attributed to the weak economy. This drag in A/R is causing the m to receive cash-in after cash goes out. Their cash flow problems are evident when analyzing their account payable days. Wiegdant has given them competitive terms (2% 10, net 30), however, Haefren cannot meet those terms. Their account payable days have increased to 66 days. It is taking them twice as long to repay their current liabilities. All of these cash flow problems are having a negative impact on their liquidity.Their quick ratio is increasing from year to year, but it is being driven by inventories. Their Current ratio also appears to be ok; however, it is being driven by accounts receivables. Although they appear to going in the right direction, it is not a good sign for Haefren. Inventories and receivables are also driving down operating margin. The positive cash flow from investments reflects the addition of the three new outlets. Investing in long term assets is a good thing. Ideally, the addition of these assets (outlets) should have led to higher revenues for Haefren . However, they invested in those assets at the wrong time.Their sales growth (revenues) cannot support the addition of the outlets. Weak sales led to a negative return on equity and the addition of the three outlets led to a negative net profit margin. The interest being paid on the current debt in 1995 was 3. 08% of their net sales. Haefren cannot handle any more debt without first making significant changes to their operations. Summary: A weak economy has led to Haefren poor financial conditions. They expanded at the wrong time, right when the economy went sour. They also need to handle their inventories and accounts receivable in order to avoid further cash flow problems.

Free Essays on Daughter

My life started well in the backwoods of eastern Tennessee. My father was a farmer and loved the smell of his land. He loved to talk all day about the war, â€Å"Theys ain’t gonna when nothen fight’n like a buncha chickens† he’d most often say. He also loved my mother, brother and me. I barely remember my mother now for she died when I was very young. All I remember is her dressing me in little pretty dresses for church ad I would try my best not to let her because I was a bit of a tom boy with dirty little fingernails, mest up hair and the bottoms of my feet were as black as coal. Nevertheless my mother would try her very best to make me look pretty for Sunday morning church. The day was April 17,1921. I remember this day well for this was the day that me and my mother had our last struggle for that Sunday morning dress. â€Å"Jenny Fraiser you’d better be still, you’s gotta were this here dress for church,† my mother yelled as she struggled with the little dress on my head. â€Å"NO! I ain’t wear’n no pretty girl close!† I screamed as my mom struggled with the dress around my Straight little arms on the kitchen floor. â€Å"You’d better be put’n this dress on before I get outside and get your Pa!† she said walking towards the door. Realizing that she was the victor in this little argument I put on the dress with tears rolling down my cheek. I was so angry over the fact that she had won that I yelled â€Å"I hate you momma! I hate you real bad!† My mother then cried but I had never seen her cry like this before. No matter how much I apologized she still just kept on crying with her face buried in her trembling hands. Finally she took me in her arms, kissed me on the cheek with her tear soaked lips and said â€Å"It’ll all be alright Maxine, I love you. There’s thing that you ain’t gonna be able to understand just yet, but life’l be good to ya Maxine, I love you.†... Free Essays on Daughter Free Essays on Daughter My life started well in the backwoods of eastern Tennessee. My father was a farmer and loved the smell of his land. He loved to talk all day about the war, â€Å"Theys ain’t gonna when nothen fight’n like a buncha chickens† he’d most often say. He also loved my mother, brother and me. I barely remember my mother now for she died when I was very young. All I remember is her dressing me in little pretty dresses for church ad I would try my best not to let her because I was a bit of a tom boy with dirty little fingernails, mest up hair and the bottoms of my feet were as black as coal. Nevertheless my mother would try her very best to make me look pretty for Sunday morning church. The day was April 17,1921. I remember this day well for this was the day that me and my mother had our last struggle for that Sunday morning dress. â€Å"Jenny Fraiser you’d better be still, you’s gotta were this here dress for church,† my mother yelled as she struggled with the little dress on my head. â€Å"NO! I ain’t wear’n no pretty girl close!† I screamed as my mom struggled with the dress around my Straight little arms on the kitchen floor. â€Å"You’d better be put’n this dress on before I get outside and get your Pa!† she said walking towards the door. Realizing that she was the victor in this little argument I put on the dress with tears rolling down my cheek. I was so angry over the fact that she had won that I yelled â€Å"I hate you momma! I hate you real bad!† My mother then cried but I had never seen her cry like this before. No matter how much I apologized she still just kept on crying with her face buried in her trembling hands. Finally she took me in her arms, kissed me on the cheek with her tear soaked lips and said â€Å"It’ll all be alright Maxine, I love you. There’s thing that you ain’t gonna be able to understand just yet, but life’l be good to ya Maxine, I love you.†...

Biography of Stokely Carmichael, Civil Rights Activist

Biography of Stokely Carmichael, Civil Rights Activist Stokely Carmichael was an important activist in the Civil Rights Movement who attained prominence (and generated enormous controversy) when he issued a call for Black Power during a speech in 1966. The phrase quickly spread, sparking a fierce national debate. Carmichaels words became popular among younger African Americans who were frustrated with the slow pace of progress in the field of civil rights. His magnetic oratory, which would typically contain flashes of passionate anger mixed with playful wit, helped make him nationally famous. Fast Facts: Stokely Carmichael Full Name: Stokely CarmichaelAlso Known As: Kwame TureOccupation: Organizer and civil rights activistBorn: June 29, 1941 in Port-of-Spain, TrinidadDied: November 15, 1998 in Conakry, GuineaKey Accomplishments: Originator of the term Black Power and a leader of the Black Power movement Early Life Stokely Carmichael was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, on June 29, 1941. His parents emigrated to New York City when Stokely was two, leaving him in the care of grandparents. The family was eventually reunited when Stokely was 11 and came to live with his parents. The family lived in Harlem and eventually in the Bronx. A gifted student, Carmichael was accepted to the Bronx High School of Science, a prestigious institution where he came into contact with students from diverse backgrounds. He later recalled going to parties with classmates who lived on Park Avenue and feeling uncomfortable in the presence of their maids - given the fact that his own mother worked as a maid. He was offered several scholarships to elite colleges and ultimately chose to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C.. By the time he began college in 1960, he was greatly inspired by the growing Civil Rights Movement. He had seen television reports of sit-ins and other protests in the South and felt a need to get involved. While a student at Howard, he came into contact with members of SNCC, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (popularly known as Snick). Carmichael began participating in SNCC actions, traveling to the South and joining Freedom Riders as they sought to integrate interstate bus travel. Following graduation from Howard in 1964, he began working full-time with SNCC and soon became a traveling organizer in the South. It was a dangerous time. The Freedom Summer project was trying to register black voters across the South, and resistance was fierce. In June 1964 three civil rights workers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, disappeared in Mississippi. Carmichael and some SNCC associates participated in the search for the missing activists. The bodies of the three murdered activists were eventually found by the FBI in August 1964. Other activists who were personal friends of Carmichael were killed in the following two years. The August 1965 shotgun murder of Jonathan Daniels, a white seminarian who had been working with SNCC in the South, affected Carmichael deeply. Black Power From 1964 to 1966 Carmichael was constantly in motion, helping to register voters and fight against the Jim Crow system of the South. With his quick wit and oratorical skills, Carmichael became a rising star in the movement. He was jailed numerous times, and was known to tell stories about how he and fellow inmates would sing to both pass the time and annoy the guards. He later said his patience for peaceful resistance broke down when, from a hotel room window, he saw police savagely beat civil rights protesters in the street below. In June 1966, James Meredith, who had integrated the University of Mississippi in 1962, began a one-man march across Mississippi. On the second day, he was shot and injured. Many other activists, including Carmichael and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., vowed to finish his march. Marchers began crossing the state, with some joining in and some dropping out. According to a New York Times report, there were usually about 100 marchers at any one time, while volunteers fanned out along the route to register voters. On June 16, 1966, the march reached Greenwood, Mississippi. White residents turned out to heckle and hurl racial slurs, and local police harassed the marchers. When marchers tried to pitch tents to spend the night in a local park, they were arrested. Carmichael was taken to jail, and a photograph of him in handcuffs would appear on the front page of the next mornings New York Times. Carmichael spent five hours in custody before supporters bailed him out. He appeared at a park in Greenwood that night, and spoke to about 600 supporters. The words he used would change the course of the Civil Rights Movement, and the 1960s. With his dynamic delivery, Carmichael called for Black Power. The crowd chanted the words. Reporters covering the march took notice. Up until that point, the marches in the South tended to be portrayed as dignified groups of people singing hymns. Now there seemed to be an angry chant electrifying the crowd. The New York Times reported on how quickly Carmichaels words were adopted: Many marchers and local Negroes were chanting Black power, black power, a cry taught them by Mr. Carmichael at a rally last night when he said, Every courthouse in Mississippi ought to be burned down to get rid of the dirt. But on the courthouse steps, Mr. Carmichael was less angry and said: The only way we can change things in Mississippi is with the ballot. Thats black power. Carmichael gave his first Black Power speech on a Thursday night. Three days later, he appeared, in a suit and tie, on the CBS News program Face the Nation, where he was questioned by prominent political journalists. He challenged his white interviewers, at one point contrasting the American effort to deliver democracy in Vietnam with its apparent failure to do the same in the American South. Over the next few months the concept of Black Power was hotly debated in America. The speech Carmichael gave to hundreds in the park in Mississippi rippled through society, and opinion columns, magazine articles, and television reports sought to explain what it meant and what it said about the direction of the country. Within weeks of his speech to hundreds of marchers in Mississippi, Carmichael was the subject of a lengthy profile in the New York Times. The headline referred to him as Black Power Prophet Stokely Carmichael. Fame and Controversy In May 1967 LIFE magazine published an essay by the noted photographer and journalist Gordon Parks, who had spent four months following Carmichael. The article presented Carmichael to mainstream America as an intelligent activist with a skeptical, though nuanced, view of race relations. At one point Carmichael said to Parks that he was tired of explaining what Black Power meant, as his words kept getting twisted. Parks prodded him and Carmichael responded: For the last time, he said. Black Power means black people coming together to form a political force and either electing representatives or forcing their representatives to speak their needs. Its an economic and physical bloc that can exercise its strength in the black community instead of letting the job go to the Democratic or Republican parties or a white-controlled black man set up as a puppet to represent black people. We pick the brother and make sure he fulfills The article in LIFE may have made Carmichael relatable to mainstream America. But within months, his fiery rhetoric and wide-ranging travels made him an intensely controversial figure. In the summer of 1967, President Lyndon Johnson, alarmed at Carmichaels comments against the Vietnam War, personally instructed the FBI to conduct surveillance on him. In mid-July 1967, Carmichael embarked on what turned into a world tour. In London, he spoke at a Dialectics of Liberation conference, which featured scholars, activists, and even American poet Allen Ginsberg. While in England, Carmichael spoke at various local gatherings, which drew the attention of the British government. There were rumors that he was pressured to leave the country. In late July 1967, Carmichael flew to Havana, Cuba. He had been invited by the government of Fidel Castro. His visit immediately made news, including a report in the New York Times on July 26, 1967 with the headline: Carmichael Is Quoted As Saying Negroes Form Guerrilla Bands. The article quoted Carmichael as saying the deadly riots occurring in Detroit and Newark that summer had used the war tactics of guerrillas. On the same day that the New York Times article appeared, Fidel Castro introduced Carmichael at a speech in Santiago, Cuba. Castro referred to Carmichael as a leading American civil rights activist. The two men became friendly, and in the following days Castro personally drove Carmichael around in a jeep, pointing out landmarks related to battles in the Cuban revolution. Carmichaels time in Cuba was widely denounced in the United States. Following the controversial stay in Cuba, Carmichael planned to visit North Vietnam, the enemy of the United States. He boarded a Cuban airlines plane to fly to Spain, but Cuban intelligence called the flight back when it was tipped off that American authorities were planning to intercept Carmichael in Madrid and lift his passport. The Cuban government put Carmichael on a plane to the Soviet Union, and from there he traveled onward to China and eventually to North Vietnam. In Hanoi, he met with the nations leader, Ho Chi Minh. According to some accounts, Ho told Carmichael of when he lived in Harlem and had heard speeches by Marcus Garvey. At a rally in Hanoi, Carmichael spoke out against American involvement in Vietnam, using a chant he had previously used in America: Hell no, we wont go! Back in America, former allies distanced themselves from Carmichaels rhetoric and foreign connections and politicians spoke of charging him with sedition. In the fall of 1967, Carmichael kept traveling, visiting Algeria, Syria, and the African West African nation of Guinea. He began a relationship with the South African singer Miriam Makeba, whom he would eventually marry. At various stops on his travels he would speak out against Americas role in Vietnam, and denounce what he considered American imperialism. When he arrived back in New York, on December 11, 1967, federal agents, along with a crowd of supporters, were waiting to greet him. U.S. marshals confiscated his passport because he had visited communist countries without authorization. Post-American Life In 1968, Carmichael resumed his role as an activist in America. He published a book, Black Power, with a co-author, and he continued to speak out on his political vision. When Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, Carmichael was in Washington, D.C. He spoke publicly in the following days, saying white America had killed King. His rhetoric was denounced in the press, and political figures accused Carmichael of helping to spur on the riots that followed Kings killing. Later that year, Carmichael became affiliated with the Black Panther Party, and appeared with prominent Panthers at events in California. Wherever he went, controversy seemed to follow. Carmichael had married Miriam Makeba, and they made plans to live in Africa. Carmichael and Makeba left the United States in early 1969 (the federal government had returned his passport after he agreed not to visit banned countries). He would settle permanently in Guinea. During his time living in Africa, Carmichael changed his name to Kwame Ture. He claimed to be a revolutionary, and supported a Pan-African movement, the goal of which was to form African nations into a unified political entity. As Kwame Ture, his political moves were generally frustrated. He was criticized at times for being too friendly with Africa dictators, including Idi Amin. Ture would occasionally visit the United States, giving lectures, appearing in various public forums, and even appearing for an interview on C-Span. After years under surveillance, he had become intensely suspicious of the United States government. When he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the mid-1990s, he said to friends that the CIA may have made him contract it. Kwame Ture, who Americans remembered as Stokely Carmichael, died in Guinea on November 15, 1998. Sources Stokely Carmichael. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2004, pp. 305-308. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Glickman, Simon, and David G. Oblender. Carmichael, Stokely 1941–1998. Contemporary Black Biography, edited by David G. Oblender, vol. 26, Gale, 2001, pp. 25-28. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Joseph, Peniel E., Stokely: A Life, Basic Civitas, New York City, 2014.

Affirmative action at the work place Research Paper

Affirmative action at the work place - Research Paper Example It is pertinent to note that there is several affirmative actions’s named reverse discrimination by the critics. Here, the critics argue that it enforces barriers between individuals instead of its down breakage. A general scenario of affirmative action in the United State is outlined as follows. With affirmative action, several issues are designed for address. First, it is pertinent to address the history of discrimination (Roach, 1997, p.52). Importantly, according to the law it is evident that many people have been excluded historically from schools, social endeavors, and jobs just to mention but a few and so in many cases there is creation of advantages from such historic pattern of exclusion. Policies are set to address the issue of current discrimination in a fight to create a more diverse and fully integrated society. In America, it is clear that there is a continued dialogue on gender, race, and inequity therefore the affirmative action needs a distinctive place in the talks. Of late, the experts affirm that the debate on affirmative action has its focus on the government-sponsored actions of affirmatives as well as university admission. It follows that due to submergence in the government-sponsored actions of affirmatives, the cooperate affirmatives actions are left unattended. The above is significant in the manners that it leaves uncertainty on the future of the affirmative action. According to research, it is argued that republican revolution of the year 1994 did weaken the affirmative action advocacy in political power. Sadly, the above decreased Capital Hill political support. Further, it is discussed that several court cases that are pending can initiate the of the voters to eliminate many forms of action of affirmative potentially. Unfortunately government sponsored affirmative actions are literally distinct from the corporate programs in a manner that it is hard to substantially multiply survival chances. It is unfortunate to realize tha t in United State the key corporate on affirmative action and attempts made voluntarily in the fight to improve diversity at the work place. Experts puts it that, affirmative actions are generally unaffected by the issue of constitutional that are preferred to us thorny. Some of the thorny constitutional issues are those raised by Michigan University and lawsuits, which plague programs like university admission. It is evident that race is one of the affirmative actions in the United States; here it is true by one of the confessions, G. Jennifer who was allegedly denied admission in one of the universities based on race despite of her qualifications. Considering the issue by Christopher M, with the continual dialogue on the pertinence of affirmative actions in terms of gender race and inequality, it is wise for the affirmative action to have a distinct place (In Defence of Affirmative Action, 1996, p. 25). Here, he also state that it is unpleasant to realize that government-sponsored affirmative actions are concentrated than the corporate affirmative. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that a number of benefits that a company can report from programs on affirmative actions are as follows; a greater innovation and opening the possibilities of perspectives in different manner as well as creativity comes in from more diverse team. Another notable benefit is the forging of customer relations that are comfortable. Therefore, it is pertinent to have a more diverse workforce so that the above goal can be achieved. Serious implementation of affirmative

Summary Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary - Article Example This is best done when they understand the company’s value creation process and have analytical tools such as a discounted cash valuation model that helps in forecasting revenues, expenditures and other performance measures. DCF (discounted cash flow) models have been used in the past to record and track company performance and would especially be used during crises (Slogan Management Review, n.d). Out of them, finance experts would be able to determine whether the information presented by directors is grossly incomplete or misleading. It is however a fact that the model is subject to manipulation and may not reflect the true state of events. According to the Slogan Management Review (n.d), an effective DCF model will always delineate the operating performance level that is necessary to achieve preset valuation targets. However, company directors must be able to distinguish temporary and permanent events for the successful use of DCF models. DCF models by nature are known to give directors the ability to maximize the value of shareholders in a manner that can be monitored. They also are capable of highlighting the differences between cash flows and accounting accruals. Yet again, DCF models require the explicit accounting of resources for future growth while also providing an additional tool for executive compensation. Such models, in spite of their numerous advantages may not be able to detect false revenues among other accounting tricks (Slogan Management Review, n.d) such as was in the case of Enron. With an aim of solving problems related to the incompetence of governing boards, some organizations have opted to redefine the role of their directors. Such measures are taken to ensure that board members act in the best interest of shareholders in all their activities. Some critics have also suggested that a separate staff should be