FAMILY LAW - [Debate] This house believes that English law should be Essay

FAMILY LAW - [Debate] This house believes that English law should be amended to permit same-sex couples to - Essay Example Therefore, this means that the state or county is liable for the successful implementation of the rights that are required by the common citizens so that the people can conduct these marriages and register their marriages through proper law. With the introduction of the act of defense of marriage, the people found it easy somehow and got a way clear on how to go about and encounter various problems and issues because this act was clear in its order that marriage by definition was the union of a man with a woman. So the people were aware that what type of struggle was coming their way for getting their points transferred successfully in the upper houses of the United Kingdom. Moreover, at the present time there is no dedicated agency that has recognition on government level for this same sex marriage that people have forced for legalization. Those people who agree to the point that the law of United Kingdom should be amended to permit the same sex marriage present various reasons in t heir favor. The very first point that they put forward is that if at any moment of time, any place in the country, if two people are having a relationship, then it is not the job of the government to know about and furthermore intervene into their relationship and label it illegal. These people should have their own rights equal as other citizens, and therefore there is need to have a definition of the nature and the extent of relationship that these couples can have legally. The same sex marriage advocates are of the view that their points and issues should be addressed and therefore the government should include the interests and recognition of the appropriate and committed people in their relationship and thus their rights to be respected by everyone. Therefore, if the laws of the UK are amended for stabilizing and legalizing the same sex marriage then simultaneously there would result in reduction in the need of the society to support these people and to treat them artificially. The people in the society mainly ensure that each of the spouses of the couple has got appropriate safety and thus an argument presented by the supporters of the same sex marriage there is practically no difference in the abilities possessed by the same sex and the opposite sex in fulfilling their commitments about anything they are suppose to do. An argument that arises due to the belief of the government to be involved in the marriage is that the issues that usually come forth due to the sexual acts between men and women and these people are of the view that the education of the children is well carried about if they live among their biological parents but at the same time there is much less chances of conflicts in same sex marriage as compared to opposite sex marriage. With all the points put forward by the advocates of the same sex marriage, the other point of view that goes against this type of marriage are also there. These people argue that the society of the United Kingdom that we live in encourages the legal marriages that is they prefer the monogamy type of marriage as they are of

Investment Ethics Essay Example for Free

Investment Ethics Essay The contemporary world of today functions on investment. There are many types of investment such as investment in property, shares, mutual funds, sugar, gold, oil, rice etcetera (Theodore , 1992). The list goes on and on with some forms of investment so inanely mundane like investment in over priced paintings by unknown artists that one is forced to shake their heads at the inanes of how far the concept of investment has come since its inception. Investment is described in dictionary as: â€Å"In finance, investment is the purchase of a financial product or other item of value with an expectation of favorable future returns. In general terms, investment means the use money in the hope of making more money. In business it is the purchase by a producer of a physical good, such as durable equipment or inventory, in the hope of improving future business. † Gambling on the other hand is almost as old as investment itself and its exact origins are unknown. Scientists believe that the ancient Romans would bet on the outcomes of chariot races and gladiator fights. It could be defined as: â€Å"†¦the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period (Linda , 2006). † Now, a raging debate in the world today is whether investment is or is not just another form of gambling. I am an opponent of this statement but will first give an argument in favor of the statement. The purpose of me including the definitions above was to prove that even the meaning of the words investment and gambling themselves are similar. Any kind of investment be it financial or physical, is done to gain money or to increase the investors’ wealth. Gambling also serves the same purpose which is to gain financially from an act (though some people gamble for the thrill of winning etc). Also, in money investment, finance managers everyday gamble outrageous amounts of other peoples’ money on chance. Such transactions entail high risks and if this is not a form of gambling then what is? In fact, in some religions like Islam, most forms of investment except investment in property and currency, is forbidden because they proclaim it to be gambling which is also forbidden in the religion. In that way, if for people of some faiths it is forbidden completely, then it is wrong from an ethical perspective because you are risking not only your own earnings but the money of those who have entrusted you with their wealth (like shareholders to security companies). In addition, it is wrong from a moral point of view. This is because gambling gives rise to selfishness in the human heart. Greed is a natural emotion for almost all people and investing money in the form of higher returns gives birth to insatiability for more money which is why we often see people at casinos squander all their gambling winnings in hope of winning more and more. It is selfish because gamblers profit on the wealth of others and do not care about the next person or what big a loss he suffers. Another way that gambling can be wrong is that it may make people idle and complacent. They may be happy to earn their money through gambling only. They may not work hard because of this for a living because of this and continue to live off gambling without caring that it is not a permanent or very stable source of income (Elizabeth , 2007). But even though their definitions may be partly similar, the two words are not common in their truest sense. I agree that investment puts peoples’ money at risk for chance of a higher return but it is done by professionals like investment managers and financial accountants instead of novices or any Tom, Dick and Harry trying out their luck like in gambling. It is a whole structured business activity with companies spending months deciding how to spend their customer’s capital and hedging (or insulating) the investment against any negative exchange rate or interest movement. Gambling on the other hand requires no such months of planning and development and can be done on the spot. Secondly, gambling involves one party losing and the other winning. The winning of one depends on the other’s loss. In investment, there is no such tradeoff and all investors can benefit at the same time. Another very valid point here is that gamblers often don’t have the same intensive information that investors have. In the long term, gamblers are always paid less in winnings then they have invested. That is not the case with investment. So the debate between whether gambling and investment continues unresolved with both sides vehemently arguing their point. Works Cited Theodore, V. Ethics in Investment Profession. Research Foundation of the Institute of Chart. (May 1992). Linda, K. T. Managing Business Ethics. Wiley. (Aug 2006). Elizabeth, A. C. The Psychology of Ethics In finance and Investment. Research Foundation of CFA Institute. (June 2007).

The Medias Influence on Eating Disorders Essay -- Essays Papers

The Media's Influence on Eating Disorders The National Eating Disorders Association states that eating disorders are conditions that arise from factors including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues. Media images help define cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and are often acknowledged as one of the factors that contribute to the rise of eating disorders (NEDA). The National Eating Disorders Associations website, "The Effect of the Media on Body Satisfaction in Adolescent Girls", "The Media's Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders", and "Dieting Behaviors, Weight Perceptions, and Life Satisfaction Among Public High School Adolescents" are all articles that evaluate how the media may cause adolescent girls to develop eating disorders. In order to understand how the media?s portrayal of body image has an influence on adolescent girls developing eating disorders one must understand the attitudes young girls have about their body images, the emphasis on female thinness de picted in magazines and on television, and the way young women are influenced by the media. Body dissatisfaction has become the norm for female adolescents in America (Valois et al. 271). Body dissatisfaction is a result of the difference between the ideal self versus the perceived self (Champion and Furnham 214). Thompson and Heinberg found that girls who watch 8 hours or more of TV in a week will have greater body image dissatisfaction than girls who watch less than 8 hours of TV per week (342). This shows how girls who are exposed to television will develop negative feelings towards their body?s image. Negative feelings towards body image can often lead one to try various ways to lose weight. ... ...the media, it could reduce body dissatisfaction, and as a result it would decrease potential eating disorders (?NEDA?). Works Cited Champion, Helen, and Adrian Furnham. ?The Effect of the Media on Body Satisfaction in Adolescent Girls.? European Eating Disorders Review 7.3 (1999): 213-228. National Eating Disorders Association. 2002. 5 Apr. 2005 <http:// www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337>. Thompson, Kevin J., and Leslie J. Heinberg. ?The Media?s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We?ve Reviled Them, Now Can We Rehabilitate Them?? Journal of Social Issues 55.2 (1999): 339-353. Valois, Robert F., Keith J. Zullig, E. Scott Huebner, and J. Wanzer Drane. ?Dieting Behaviors, Weight Perceptions, and Life Satisfaction Among Public High School Adolescents.? Eating Disorders 11.4 (2003): 271-288.

Astro Monopoly Essay

Watching television has become a basic necessity among the people from all walks of life in today’s affluent society. In globalize era by today, the amount of satellite television provider has increase vigorously in the world. But Astro is still the one and only satellite television provider available in our country, Malaysia. (Wikipedia)The definition of Astro is an acronym for All-Asian Satellite Television and Radio Operator. Astro is Malaysia’s leading integrated cross-media group with operations in 4 key businesses: Pay TV, Radio, Content and Digital. It also transmits digital satellite television and radio to household in Malaysia and Brunei. (Astro)They launched in 1996, and today they have 50% penetration of TV homes in Malaysia, making it a key pay TV operator in Southeast Asia. Astro has also appreciated customer input and feedback and they can continuously strive to provide quality service and products to customers. (Astro)The People’s Choice, Astro was also awarded the â€Å"Brand of the Year† award at Malaysia’s Putra Brand Awards 2012. This award is in recognition of Astro’s efforts to exemplify innovation, quality, and strong corporate social responsibilities. Now Astro has nearly increased in a base of 3.1 million. Therefore, it is fairly obvious that viewer in our country has no chance to choose the other satellite television provider. (Lim)What is the reason that makes Astro able to monopolize Malaysian’s satellite television industry? This is due to the reason that they are the only company that get the permission and license to broadcast by the government of Malaysia. To further illustrate this point, they have the ability to set the price of their service because they are the price maker in the industry. As they are the price maker, sometimes the customers are not satisfied about the high price they set with the limited choice of package to choose from. In some package that subscribers purchased, there are always some channels that they are not interested in but are made to pay for it. (Times)According to the recent article published in ‘New Straits Times’ in 2011 in George Town, The Consumers Association of Penang has questioned the monopoly enjoyed by Astro and wants the government to explain why the pay television operator had been given an exclusive licence for 20 years. (Times)CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the monopoly enjoyed by Astro had snuffed out the chances of other satellite channel operators from entering the market and providing better service to consumers. He said in other countries, viewers had several operators offering programmes at lower rates than Astro. He also said the combination of channels in the family package offered by Astro was too rigid and few channels were likely to be of interest to any particular demography of society. He said the government should encourage new pay-TV operators and allow TV accessories to be sold in the free market like in other countries. Meanwhile, in an immediate response, an Astro public relations department spokesperson said the company would refer CAP’s concern to its management for further deliberation. (Lim) (Astro)Another point that related to Astro’s monopoly is the barriers to entry. It is very hard to stop Astro’s monopoly in the satellite television industry. Many new firms fail to enter the industry as the investment is too high for them. The new firm would need to pay for their own satellite which costly for them. Even if there is a firm that has sufficient capital for their investment, they still failed to enter the industry due to the directive of government. As a conclusion, Astro is still remaining customer’s top choice nowadays. It is because no other satellite television provider can substitute Astro. The people around the country have also accepted Astro as part and parcel in their lives. For my experience with Astro, my family have subscribed to Astro since I am six. Astro brought many advantage that as I can watch many variety of show and it also help to reduce my boredom. But now, we are using Astro B.yond PVR. It is convenient as it is a personal video recorder. We can record the videos that we want to watch while we are away. However, Astro have satisfied customer’s needs and wants to prolong the lifespan of the company. It is very difficult to stop Astro’s monopoly in the satellite television industry as it is the only satellite television in our country and no other firms can substitute it so far.

Medicine and business: a practitioner’s guide Essay

The retail sector is one of the major contributors in the economy of the United Kingdom. The sector constitutes a major percentage of the country’s GDP. Sainsbury’s and Tesco companies are among the major contributors of the country’s GDP in the retail industry (Lewis 1990, p.386). This paper seeks to examine in a detailed analysis the performance, efficiency and ability of the two companies to meet the immediate obligations when due over the last three financial periods. The report shows a comparison of the two companies in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The analysis is based on the use of financial ratios where profitability, liquidity, working capital and investment ratios. Profitability ratios will be used to compare the performance of the two companies, in the light of return on equity (ROE), return on capital employed (ROCE), net profit margin and gross profit margin. The liquidity ratios that will be utilized include; acid test and the current ratio. The ratio will be geared at examining the ease at which the companies effectively convert assets into cash while the working capital ratios will assess the rate at which the current assets such as stock circulate in the companies (Richards 1980, p. 35). Objectives             This paper targets to present a detailed analysis over the performance of the two companies and routine operations; therefore the main objectives of this paper are: To compare the performance of the two companies over the last three years To detail recommendations for both companies on the basis of the ratios computed and their implications to the companies and the economy as a whole. Research methodology             The paper will explore the performances of both companies by utilizing ratio analysis. In order to be in a position to undertake this examination, financial statements of both companies over the last three years will be extracted and ratios computed using the information. The results of this report will be expressed in terms of pounds. Financial extracts Tesco Company Income statement For the years 2014, 2013 & 2012 (pounds) 22/02/2014 23/02/2013 25/02/2012 (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) Revenue: 63,557.00 63,406.00 63,916.00 Operating Profit / (Loss): 2,631.00 2,382.00 4,182.00 Net Interest: (432.00) (397.00) (235.00) PBT: 2,259.00 2,057.00 4,038.00 PAT from continuing operations: 1,912.00 1,528.00 3,164.00 Discontinued Operations: PAT from discontinuing operations: (942.00) (1,504.00) (350.00) Profit for the period: 970.00 24.00 2,814.00 Attributable to: Equity holders of parent company: 974.00 28.00 2,806.00 Minority Interests / Other Equity: (4.00) (4.00) 8.00 Total Dividend Paid: c 14.76 c 14.76 c 14.76 Tesco Company Statement of financial position As at 2014, 2013 & 2012 (pounds) 22/02/2014 23/02/2013 25/02/2012 (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) Assets Non-Current Assets Property, Plant & Equipment: 24,490.00 24,870.00 25,710.00 Intangible Assets: 3,795.00 4,362.00 4,618.00 Investment Properties: 227.00 2,001.00 1,991.00 Investments: 1,301.00 1,312.00 1,949.00 Other Financial Assets: 4,706.00 4,430.00 3,627.00 Other Non-Current Assets: 73.00 58.00 23.00 Current Assets Inventories: 3,576.00 3,744.00 3,598.00 Trade and Other Receivables: 2,190.00 2,525.00 2,657.00 Cash at Bank & In Hand: 2,506.00 2,512.00 2,305.00 Current Asset Investments: 1,016.00 522.00 1,243.00 Other Current Assets: 3,797.00 3,162.00 2,550.00 Other Assets: 2,487.00 631.00 510.00 Total Assets: 50,164.00 50,129.00 50,781.00 Liabilities Current Liabilities Borrowings: 1,910.00 766.00 1,838.00 Other Current Liabilities: 18,296.00 17,937.00 17,342.00 Non-Current Liabilities Borrowings: 9,303.00 10,068.00 9,911.00 Provisions: 777.00 1,278.00 1,260.00 Other Non-Current Liabilities: 3,963.00 3,137.00 2,560.00 Other Liabilities: 1,193.00 282.00 69.00 Total Liabilities: 35,442.00 33,468.00 32,980.00 Net Assets: 14,722.00 16,661.00 17,801.00 Capital & reserves Share Capital: 405.00 403.00 402.00 Share Premium Account: 5,080.00 5,020.00 4,964.00 Other Reserves: (498.00) 685.00 245.00 Retained Earnings: 9,728.00 10,535.00 12,164.00 Shareholders’ Funds: 14,715.00 16,643.00 17,775.00 Minority Interests / Other Equity: 7.00 18.00 26.00 Total Equity: 14,722.00 16,661.00 17,801.00 Retrieved from; Hargreaves Lansdown. ‘Tesco Plc | Financial Statements & Reports’. N.P., 2014. Web. 31 Dec. 2014. Sainsbury’s plc.Income statement For the years ended 2014, 2013 & 2012 15/03/2014 16/03/2013 17/03/2012 (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) Revenue: 23,949.00 23,303.00 22,294.00 Operating Profit / (Loss): 1,009.00 882.00 874.00 Net Interest: (139.00) (134.00) (103.00) PBT: 898.00 772.00 799.00 PAT from continuing operations: 716.00 602.00 598.00 Profit for the period: 716.00 602.00 598.00 Attributable to: Equity holders of parent company: 716.00 602.00 59.00 Total Dividend Paid: c 17.30 c 16.70 c 16.00 Sainsbury’s plc.Statement of financial position As at 2014, 2013 & 2012 15/03/2014 16/03/2013 17/03/2012 (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) Assets Non-Current Assets Property, Plant & Equipment: 9,880.00 9,804.00 9,329.00 Intangible Assets: 286.00 171.00 160.00 Investments: 404.00 532.00 566.00 Other Financial Assets: 283.00 236.00 215.00 Other Non-Current Assets: 1,318.00 38.00 38.00 12,171.00 10,781.00 10,308.00 Current Assets Inventories: 1,005.00 987.00 938.00 Trade and Other Receivables: 433.00 306.00 286.00 Cash at Bank & In Hand: 1,592.00 517.00 739.00 Other Current Assets: 1,332.00 91.00 69.00 Other Assets: 7.00 13.00 N/A Total Assets: 16,540.00 12,695.00 12,340.00 Liabilities Current Liabilities Borrowings: 534.00 165.00 150.00 Other Current Liabilities: 6,231.00 2,950.00 2,986.00 Non-Current Liabilities Borrowings: 2,250.00 2,617.00 2,617.00 Provisions: 256.00 316.00 349.00 Other Non-Current Liabilities: 1,264.00 809.00 609.00 Total Liabilities: 10,535.00 6,857.00 6,711.00 Net Assets: 6,005.00 5,838.00 5,629.00 Capital & reserves Share Capital: 545.00 541.00 538.00 Share Premium Account: 1,091.00 1,075.00 1,061.00 Other Reserves: 807.00 820.00 315.00 Retained Earnings: 3,560.00 3,401.00 3,715.00 Shareholders’ Funds: 6,003.00 5,837.00 5,629.00 Minority Interests / Other Equity:2.00 1.00 N/A Total Equity: 6,005.00 5,838.00 5,629.0 Retrieved from; Hargreaves Lansdown. ‘Sainsbury (J) Plc | Financial Statements & Reports’. N.P., 2014. Web. 31 Dec. 2014. Ratio Analysis Profitability ratios             These ratios indicate company’s profitability status. They determine the capacity of a company to generate returns to compensate the providers of capital. Using the data extracted, return on capital employed, gross profit margin and net profit margin are computed below; Return on equity This ratio is an indicator of the returns that a company generates out of the owners’ equity. Return on equity (ROE) = (Net income/equity capital) * 100 (ALBRECHT 2007, p. 234) Return on capital employed             Return on capital employed is used to indicate how a company is able to generate income to service the providers of capital employed. The ratio can be used to compare profitability of a firm within successive periods to evaluate profitability and predict future failure.The ratio is computed as follows; Return on capital employed = (profit before interest and tax/ capital employed) * 100 (COLES 1997, p. 32) Net profit margin This ratio measures the return per pound of sales a company earns. It is computed through the following formula; Net profit margin = (Net income / sales revenue)* 100 (GITMAN 2008, p. 492) Where, net income is obtained by Lessing total operating expenses from the sales revenue. Gross profit margin This ratio indicates the returns of the company after taking into consideration the costs of production incurred. It is calculated as follows; Gross profit margin = (Gross profit/ sales revenue) * 100(KHAN 2007, p.10) Below is a summary of the ratios; Ratio TESCO SAINSBURY’S 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 ROE 23.5% 14.3% 17.9% 15.5% 15.1% 16.8% ROCE 12.8% 6.5% 7.5% 8.7% 8.1% 9.2% Net profit margin 6.5% 3.8% 4.1% 3.9% 3.8% 4.2% GP margin 8.4% 6.6% 6.3% 5.4% 5.5% 5.8% Liquidity ratios These are ratios that measure the speed at which a company is able to convert its assets into cash or its equivalents (BUCCI 2014, p.71). They explain how fast a company can turn its current assets into cash so as to meet the current obligations. There are two types of liquidity ratios namely; current ratio and acid test ratio. Current ratio It indicates the ability of the company to convert its assets into cash or cash equivalents. The ratio is computed as follows; Current ratio = current assets/ current liabilities (times) Acid test ratio Acid test ratio also known as quick ratio is a measure that examines the capacity of a company to settle its immediate obligations from own current assets without selling stock. It is computed through the following formula; Acid test ratio = (current assets- inventories)/ current liabilities (TRACY 2011, p.287) The table below is a summary of the ratios computed using the financial data extracted; Ratio TESCO SAINSBURY’ Liquidity ratio 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 Current ratio 0.64 0.67 0.65 0.65 0.58 0.64 Acid test ratio 0.46 0.47 0.47 0.35 0.26 0.50 Working capital ratios             These are ratios that indicate the efficiency of a company to utilize its assets. They are also referred to as asset management ratios or asset turn over ratios. The commonly used ratios are; receivables turnover, payables turn over and inventory turnover (TALEKAR 2005, p.85). Receivables turnover This is a measure of how fast a company collects its funds from the debtors. It is calculated on the basis of the following formula; Receivables turnover = annual credit sales/accounts receivables It is reported in terms of number of days that sales made on credit remain with debtors before collection. Therefore; Average collection period = (accounts receivables/annual credit sales) * 365 days The ratio can also be expressed as; average collection period = 365 days / Receivables turnover (BOOKER 2006, p. 4). Inventory turnover             This is a ratio of the cost of goods sold to the average inventory. Cost of goods sold comprises of opening stock add purchases less closing stock while average inventory is the mean of opening and closing inventory. It is expressed in terms of days. Inventory turnover= cost of goods sold (COS) / Average inventory Therefore; Inventory period = 365/ inventory turnover Payables turnover This ratio indicates the period that the company takes to pay its creditors. It is defined by; Payables turnover = annual credit purchases/ accounts payables It is also expressed in terms of day. Therefore; Average payment period = 365 days / payables turnover. The table below is a summary of the asset ratios of the two companies; Ratio TESCO SAINSBURY’S 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 Receivables turnover 15.2 14.5 12.6 4.7 4.8 6.7 Inventory turnover 11.2 11.5 11.0 8.1 8.2 8.1 Payables turnover 10.8 11.0 11.2 5.2 4.9 10.1 Investment ratios These are ratios that help investors to evaluate the returns of their investments. Common investment ratios include; Earnings per share (EPS) Dividend payout ratio Dividend yield ratio Dividend payout ratio This ratio measures the part of earning that a company gives out to shareholders as dividends. It is computed as follows: Dividend payout ratio = (total dividends declared for the year/ earnings available for dividends) * 100 (GEDDES 2002, p. 14). Where; earning available for dividends is the profit after tax and preference dividends. Dividend yield This relates the returns from a share to its market value. It assists investors to assess the returns from their investments. It is worked out as follows: Dividend yield = (dividend per share/ market value per share) * 100 Earnings per share             EPS indicates the proportion of the company’s earnings that are attributable to the ordinary shareholders that have been generated during the period. The earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders are denoted by the profit after tax. EPS = Earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders/ Number of ordinary shareholders. It is an important indicator of company’s performance in terms of the earning power of the shares. However, comparing performance of companies based on EPS is inefficient since some companies may choose to issue more shares. Companies can also choose to increase or decrease the number of issued shares leading to an automatic alteration of the EPS. Ratio TESCO SAINSBURY’S 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 EPS 38.25 18.04 22.56 32.10 33.00 35.37 39.20 19.05 22.70 30.40 31.22 36.67 40.41 33.67 31.67 26.18 29.45 31.56 Dividend payout ratio 0.5 61.5 1.5 27.1 2.8 2.4 Uses of ratios             Various groups of individuals are interested with the analysis of financials of companies. They use ratios to work out specific financial features of a company that they are interested in. they help individuals in the following ways; To determine profitability: profitability ratios indicate the capacity of companies to generate profits. Ratios help the management to estimate the earning power of the company’s assets. To assess solvency: gearing ratios are used to assess company’s ability to service its debts. They show the relationship between assets and liabilities. A high gearing ratio is an indicator that the company is likely to land into financial problems in the future. They assist in the analysis of financials: Ratios assist stakeholders such as banks, shareholders and creditors to assess the profitability, liquidity and the capacity of companies to pay dividends. Forecasting purposes: financial ratios reflect the trend of the company. Such trends are important for forecasting the future of the company. Past years ratios are used to estimate the future therefore ratios are an important tool of preparing budgets and forecast statements. Limitations of ratio analysis             Despite the overwhelming usefulness of financial ratios, they are characterized by many drawbacks. To begin with, ratios are based on historical data. They are computed using historical financials but not pro forma statement. This poses a great challenge since the financials reflect the past financial position not the current situation. Ratios can thus lead to wrong decision making since what is true now may not be reflected by the past data. Decision making that is based on financial ratios may thus be misleading especially for material items and transactions. Ratios are also computed using financial statements that are normally prepared under accounting principles and policies. Different companies embrace varying policies and principles. The policies also vary with time within the same company. Owing to these variations, it becomes challenging to compare performance of different companies or even the performance of the same company over successive periods. Inflation and seasonal factors also threaten the validity and reliability of ratio analysis. Inflation impacts greatly on the financial statements just like seasonal factors such as economic cycles. Ratios are computed on the basis of historical financial statements which do not take into account the effects of price level changes and seasonal variations. Making decisions on the basis of financial ratios can thus be misleading. Conclusion and recommendation             Over the three years covered by this analysis, it can be seen that Tesco performed better than Sainsbury’s in terms of profitability, working capital ratios and investment ratios. The two companies are however characterized by falling liquidity ratios. To improve this trend, they should liquidate their cash efficiently through the capacity to convert current assets into cash quickly without necessarily selling their inventory. The profitability ratios of Tesco also observed to be declining over the period examined. The company thus should consider ways of improving its profitability such as cutting major costs of production or through increasing sales volume. References Albrecht, w. S., stice, e. K., & stice, j. D. (2007). Financial accounting. Mason, oh, thomson/south-western. Booker, j. (2006). Financial planning fundamentals. Toronto, cch canadian limited. Bucci, r. V. (2014). Medicine and business: a practitioner’s guide. Http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1697730. Coles, m. (1997). Financial management for higher awards. Oxford, heinemann.Geddes, r. (2002). Valuation and investment appraisal. Canterbury, financial world publ.Gitman, l. J., & mcdaniel, c. D. (2008). The future of business: the essentials. Mason, oh, thomson south-western. Hargreaves lansdown,. ‘Sainsbury (j) plc | financial statements & reports’. N.p., 2014. Web. 31 dec. 2014.Hargreaves lansdown,. ‘Tesco plc | financial statements & reports’. N.p., 2014. Web. 31 dec. 2014.Khan, m. Y., & jain, p. K. (2007). Financial management. New delhi, tata mcgraw-hill. Talekar, s. D. (2005). Management of working capital. New delhi, discovery pub. House.Tracy, j. A. (2011). Accounting for dummies. New york, ny, john wiley & sons. Http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-201410263287. Source document

Comparing the Peace Brought on by Asoka and Augustus essays

Comparing the Peace Brought on by Asoka and Augustus essays Both Asoka in India and Augusta in Rome brought a period of peace through their rule as emperors. These periods of peace were both implicated after military victory. Asoka, conquered new lands for ancient India, but unlike Augustus saw the horror and destruction his war brought. After seeing what his actions had caused, Asoka converted to Buddhism and instituted a series of religious edicts which were to ensure the peace and prosperity of his nation. Augustus, on the other hand, believed that peace was a natural part of military victory. Unlike Asoka, who saw his military conquests as a corruption of peace, Augustus believed that peace could only be achieved and sustained through military might. Asoka was the son of the famous Bindusara and ruled over India from 269 to 232 B.C.E. The beginning of his reign followed suit with his predecessors. He set out to conquer neighboring kingdoms at the expense of the peace and prosperity of his own people. After ruling violently over India and seeing the destruction his conquests caused, Asoka converted to Buddhism. The conquest of Kalinga changed Asokas bloodthirsty ways. There, he personally witnessed how his warfare was making the common people utterly miserable. Part of his conversion was to ensure peace within his Kingdom in remembrance of the foul deeds he had done which caused so much pain and suffering (Noss 189). He instituted a series of religious edicts, called the Rock and Pillar Edicts, which were Buddhist teachings that he now used as mandates for the rule of the people, To this end I have issued proclamations on Dharma, and I have instituted various kinds of moral and religious instruction, (Rock and Pillar Edic ts 153). Asoka believed that his people should be united, and should practice piety and common law; let them store up merit toward rebirth in a paradise hereafter, (Noss 190). Asoka used his government to implement his new found rel...

Human Suffering essays

Human Suffering essays Human suffering happens every day, everywhere, in many types and ways all around us. We do not always see it, but that does not mean it does not exist. When we do see it exist we commonly ask ourselves, "Does human suffering have meaning?" I can answer this question easily. Yes, it does have meaning. I can answer this because of the four readings we read. However, as I examine this question deeper I see that the four readings have different ideas on "meaning" or the reason for suffering. Looking at the definition of the verb (to) suffer, "feel or undergo pain; sustain damage or loss," we see that suffering is something that can happen because of more than one action. Each of the readings explained a different way of suffering. In their basics, some described mental suffering and others described physical suffering. But, more deeply than that each reading contains a certain kind of suffering. The Epic of Gilgamesh describes that suffering is caused by death. The Book of Job des! cribes how suffering is caused by sickness, loss of possessions, or loved ones. Buddhist explains suffering caused by our mental anguish. Night describes suffering caused by others. These readings give us meaning to suffering so that in the future we can avoid suffering, and if we can not avoid it we can at least explain it. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells us that suffering happens because of love. Gilgamesh suffered only because he loved Enkidu. After Enkidu was killed by the serpent Gilgamesh suffered tremendously. This was an example mental suffering. Gilgamesh did not bring on Enkidu's death. It was his desire for Enkidu to die. It just happened fighting the serpent. He deeply mourned his brother's death. This drove him to find that special root to make him immortal. Although this was just a story, in its day it was thought to be a book of teachings. Suffering was a direct result of death and love, but it was suffering that drove Gilgamesh ...

How to Teach English Using Newspapers

How to Teach English Using Newspapers Newspapers or magazines are a must-have in every classroom, even beginner classrooms. There are a number of ways to use newspapers in the classroom, ranging from simple reading exercises to more complex writing and response assignments. Here are suggestions on how to use newspapers in class arranged by linguistic objective.   Reading Straight forward reading: Have students read an article and discuss.Ask students to find articles from different nations on a global topic. Students should compare and contrast how different nations cover the news story. Vocabulary Focus on word forms using colored pens. Ask students to circle different forms of a word such as worth, worthy, worthless, etc. in an article.  Ask students to find various parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs.Make a mind-map of an article relating ideas through vocabulary.Focus on words related to certain ideas. For example, ask students to circle verbs that are related to finance. Have students explore the differences between these words in groups. Grammar Discuss the use of present perfect for recent events that have an effect on the current moment by focusing on truncated newspaper  headlines that use the past participle such as  XYZ Merger Done Deal, Law Approved In SenateUse colored pens to focus on grammar points. For example, if you are studying verbs that take the gerund or the infinitive, have students highlight these combinations using one color for gerunds and another color for infinitives. Another option is to have students highlight different tenses in different colors.Photocopy an article from a newspaper. White out key grammar items that you are focusing on and have students fill in the blank. For example, white out all the helping verbs and ask students to fill them in. Speaking Break students up into groups and read a short article. Students should then write questions based on this article, and then exchange articles with another group providing questions. Once groups have answered the questions, get students into pairs, one from each group, and have them discuss their answers.Focus on ads. How are the ads pitching their products? What messages are they trying to send? Listening / Pronunciation Ask students to prepare two paragraphs from a newspaper article. First, students should all the content words in the passage. Next, have students practice reading the sentences focusing on using correct intonation of the sentence by focusing on content words. Finally, students read to each other asking simple questions for comprehension.Focus on an IPA symbol or two through the use of minimal pairs. Ask students to underline example of each phoneme practiced. For example, have students compare and contrast the phonemes for the short /I/ sound and the longer ee of /i/ by looking for representative words with each phoneme.Use a news story that has a transcript (NPR often does provides these on their website). First, have students listen to a  news story. Next, ask questions about the main points of the story. Finally, ask students to listen while reading the transcript. Follow up with a  discussion. Writing Have students write short summaries of news stories they have read.Ask students to write a newspaper article of their own for a school or class newspaper. Some students can do interviews, others take photos. Alternately, use the same idea to create a class blog.Lower level students can use photos, charts, pictures, etc. to begin writing descriptive sentences. These can be simple sentences describing what someone is wearing to practice related vocabulary. More advanced students can write about the back story of photos such as why the person was in a certain situation shown in a photograph.

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Operations Management - Essay Example They make every endeavor to guarantee that their products are both secure for delicate use and do not exceedingly tax the upbringing. Nokia is a trusted name and they take that trust very gravely. In the end, a firm pledge to the setting makes good business sagacity. By behind sustainable development, they diminish risk, guarantee lawful fulfillment and endorse long-term monetary escalation. Of course it is our operation to scuttle a profitable and mounting business, but that doesn't mean business at any cost (Barney,J. 2001, 99-120). Globalization And Trans Four issues have been operation through much of Nokia's environmental exertion in the past few years and will prolong to do so over the pending years. They are the limits on the use of definite substances, the provision for the take-back and recycling of end-of-life products, and energy and textile effectiveness (Basevi,G. 2000, 330-337). As a foremost company in its industry, Nokia desires to participate its full part in the management of these issues in a liable approach in teamwork with all pertinent stakeholders. Nokia has also continued to make ecological issues as part of every Nokia employee's daily work by growing their environmental alertness. Nokia's constant long-term plan is to recover the ecological presentation of its products in a life cycle viewpoint. In product formation, as well as in its own behavior, the key areas for incessant enhancement are vigor and equipment effectiveness. Goals And Current Mission According to the assessment report published in 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) affirmed that the earth's ambiance system has evidently tainted on both global and district balance since the pre-industrial era and that some of these... This paper stress that the straight groups are Customer and Marketing Operations and Technology Platforms. The Nokia mobiles are intended to tender a wide variety of business users elastic access to Oracle Collaboration Suite, via text message, browser, or over-the-air harmonization of calendar and speak to in rank. The effect is endeavor mobility that is both influential and reasonable, enabling IT departments to offer omnipresent admittance to in sequence athwart their organization. This report makes a conclusion that the IPCC notes that while small climate changes can assistance some regions, the larger the changes and the rate of change, the more the difficult ecological and socio-economic belongings outweigh. These include improved threats to human health, hazard of annihilation of some exposed species, diminish in crop yields, exacerbated water shortages, and harsh social and financial injure to small islands and low-lying coastal areas. According to the IPCC, emissions of CO2 due to fossil fuel ablaze are practically definite to be the foremost sway on the tendency of atmospheric CO2 absorption during the 21st century. Stabilization of CO2 emissions at near-current level will not escort to stabilization of CO2 impressive focus. To attain that, global CO2 net emissions require to be totally abridged from the current level. The main objective for diminution is the use of fossil fuels.

The argument in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith depends on the Essay

The argument in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith depends on the possibility of failure. Why is this so What implications does this have - Essay Example The wealth of nations forms the second branch of Smith's science, and its historical sweep contains part, but only a diminutive part, of such an account. Possibly a manuscript was among the objects consigned to the flames by his literary executors. We do, nevertheless, have two sets of notes recording Smith's early Lectures on Jurisprudence; these notes provide an inadequately early and imperfect indication of what his missing branch of the science might have contained. In spite of their mistakes, these notes have significantly increased our awareness of Smith's intention to communicate an integrated science. Several problems like probability of failure have been deliberated to reside in the interstices between the three branches of Smith's science. Clearly it was at one time likely to refer to the Adam Smith problem of failure as the (challenging) relationship between the wealth of nations and the Theory of Moral Sentiments. I desire to see the limitations of his branches as giving rise to interpretive uncertainties rather than problems. As far as the state goes, the fundamental uncertainty arises from the fact that parts of the wealth of nations seem to take nations for granted (especially the introduction and plan of the work), yet national boundaries form a very strong threat to social progress throughout Smith's intellectual system: to the development of material welfare at different points in the wealth of nations and to the progress of benevolence in the Theory of Moral Sentiments. The jurisprudential constituent of Smith's science was never concluded, but his early lectures on th e subject also propose that he regarded the nation state as a transitional form: one that already needed replacement in his day. Modern preoccupations with certain matters of policy have given Smith's economic analysis and associated prescriptions renewed prominence. The psychological judgments on which The Wealth of Nations is apparently based have also attracted attention and made familiar Smith's classic statement that: It is not from the generosity of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we look forward to our dinner, but from the view to their own interest. Nobody except a beggar chooses to rely mainly upon the munificence of his fellow citizens. Even a beggar does not depend upon it completely. (Wealth Of Nations I. ii. 2) Economists have interpreted this statement to mean that Smith was dealing with a restricted range of human experience in The Wealth of Nations-- what Alfred Marshall was later to describe as the study of mankind 'in the ordinary business life' ( 1956, p. 12). Looked at in this way, the suggestion that men act in a self interested manner can be seen as a hypothesis which makes the task of economic analysis more manageable. Exactly this point was made by Smith's contemporary, Sir James Steuart, when be observed: 'The principle of self-interest will serve as a general key to this enquiry; and it may, in one sense, be considered as the ruling principle of

Giving economic circumstances over the last five years of how Tesco, Essay

Giving economic circumstances over the last five years of how Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrisons have coped - Essay Example 1, the economy is contracting. The situation affects retailers because of the low purchasing power of consumers. BBC said that the rise in sales will be slower than expected, with a rise predicted at only 1%. Analysts blamed rising prices are the cause of the slow growth of retail sales. Economic outlook of UK for 2013 as raised by the Confederation of British Industry will stagnate and the Bank of England will refrain from a stimulus expanding. Their forecast is that the recession economy will stay until 2014. Purpose of the study is to analyze steps taken by the giant superstores to cushion the effect of recession, and strategies they plan to stay in competition. Since recession is not over yet, the study will benefit smaller retail stores in designing strategies that will reduce impact of recession in its operations. 4. Methodology . This study will make an analysis of performance of the three retail giants in UK during recession period using comparative analysis of its financial performance as an indicator. Review of its annual reports will show strategies implemented to survive the economic recession challenge. Government policies to stimulate economy will also be inspected TESCO is one of the world’s largest retailers with operations in 14 countries, employing over 500,000 and serving tens of millions of customers every week. Diversified businesses: retailing of books, clothing, electronics, furniture, petrol and software, financial services, telecoms and internet services, DVD rentals and downloads. It has repositioned itself from a cheap retailer to finest ranges of higher quality merchandise. SAINSBURY was founded in 1869 and operates over 1000 stores including 440 convenience stores. It operates joint ventures with Land Securities Group plc and the British Land Company PLC. It has on-line ordering system and a roll-out delivery system. Sainsbury Finance provides credit cards, insurances, and savings and loans, and an

Marketing Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Environment - Essay Example Marketing environment on the other hand can be viewed through analysis of factors and forces that influence and/or affects firm’s ability to build and maintain a long lasting relationship with its clients that later necessitate application of the marketing management strategies (Sheehan, 2011, 6). Marketing environment can be analysed in three broad categories to include micro environment analysis that calls for evaluation of factors and forces within the business and unearthing the ways in which they affect business’ ability to serve its clients (Luck & Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2010, 13). Instruments of evaluation in this kind of analysis include the company itself to include all its operational departments, firm’s suppliers, marketing intermediaries, publics and analysis of customer market. Macro environment analysis calls for evaluation of forces that are outside the firm’s direct involvement and influence which in the long run affects the micr o environment factors and thus affecting the firm’s operations. Instruments of evaluation in this analysis include demography, culture, natural calamities such as earthquakes, droughts and storms; analysis of the economy, politics and technology. Meso- environment analysis seek to evaluate the impacts of market intermediaries and their contribution to selling, promotions and distribution of goods and services in relation to the competitive aspect of the market and the firm’s competitive advantage. In this paper we shall evaluate the marketing environment of Walt Disney Holidays in relation to its market share/ leadership and the competitive advantage it possesses in the industry; evaluate importance of market research, market mix and service innovation for the firm, and later recommend marketing techniques to increase competitiveness and sustainability. Market Share Being in the tourism industry, analysis of pricing signals and measures to improve client satisfaction s uch as service innovations are prerequisite for market leadership. Service innovations such as â€Å"see dreams come true† whereby they have taken technology and consumer satisfaction to the next level necessitates their competitive advantage (Greenblatt, 2013, 11) over the other tour/ holiday firms by giving clients a new experience of living on ice as compared to other firms which may choose to let their clients experience the ice on visual aspects only. Their pricing signal evaluation; adoption of technology in majority of holiday segments and the coupon promotion strategies to various destination has enabled establish a significant market share in tourism industry. Micro environment analysis With outlets in Florida and a wide network of resorts in the United Kingdom, effective management of its internal departments such as finance, research and development, marketing and supplies, and the overall customer satisfaction segment will be essential to the sustainability of the ir operations (Fayolle & Kyro, 2008, 2). For instance the research and development section needs to come up with features of a product or service in the resorts segments that holistically attracts more customers by giving the firm competitive advantage over other holiday firms while the accounting department will approve the financial side of the marketing plan and budget on the customer satisfaction strategies. Suppliers and Supply analysis Supply of basis services in the resorts business is changing with time

Infinite Reality - the Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives Assignment - 5

Infinite Reality - the Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives - Assignment Example Most of them are shocked to find out that the person they were talking to the whole time was a different gender or perhaps used a different persona, usually one that easily fits into the world’s idea of beauty. Relating this concept of the show to the author’s view in â€Å"Infinite Reality†, where he says â€Å"appearance and behavior is up for grabs, such that a person could be effortlessly transformed into another sex, race, age, even a different species of animal,† I would say that though it is easy to make up a make believe virtual reality because there is not really any sort of way to check online whether a certain person is really who he or she says they are, behavior is apparently not one for grabs. Just like how a real person who is made up of a physical, mental and emotional dimension, virtual accounts pretty much operate the same way except the fact that the physical aspect can be easily altered based on the limitation of a non-personal interaction. One can easily use someone else’s picture and create a new persona online. However, while this works for the physical aspect, the mental and emotional aspects which is part of the â€Å"everything† of a being is really telling of a person’s virtual blueprint even without a personal encounter. One can stop looking like a nerd by just the act of changing a profile picture but one does not stop being a nerd. This is because the moment one creates messages, comments and shares one’s life to another through chat, no matter how one avoids the reality he or she wants to run away from, the virtual blueprint easily seeps in exposing bits of the reality behind a certain virtual persona. Let us take a look at our virtual encounters. I am sure all of us have had an experience creating a profile and interacting with other people online.

The Financial benefits of employee training and development Essay

The Financial benefits of employee training and development - Essay Example Additionally, the turnover also affects the profit maximization tendencies in the organization. The labor turnover can be reduced by ensuring employee stability and decreasing the entry and exit of employees. Training and development of the employees decreases the labor turnover rates. It will make sure that human resource department has a constant rate of hiring and firing. Training the employees will reduce the chances of firing since they will be competent in their jobs. Additionally, the development process will prevent employee productivity. Investing in the present employees will cause the firm to reduce the turnover. It will include hiring professionals who ensure perfection in their work. As a result, providing practical and theoretical training to professionals is advantageous to the firm in terms of cost and employee comprehension levels. For example, when an organization hires professional, the knowledge provided to them during training will be used to firms advantage. The vetting processes should be strict to ensure the division of labor. Additionally, the specialization helps in the training processes because experts can be hired based on the various divisions of labor (Saks, Robert and Jack 51). Training and development will ensure the employees are coached and equipped with current market trends. The employees can socialize and form groups at the workplace; hence, increasing the productivity and reducing labor turnover. Training emphasizes on extra skills in specific job descriptions. The expertise, on the other hand, will increase self-confidence in the employees helping them in handling the allocated roles. As a result, the human resource department will be satisfied with the current labor and eliminate cases of employee exits that may cause a firm extra resource. Development will have an impact on the professionalism of

Infinite Reality - the Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives Assignment - 5

Infinite Reality - the Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives - Assignment Example Most of them are shocked to find out that the person they were talking to the whole time was a different gender or perhaps used a different persona, usually one that easily fits into the world’s idea of beauty. Relating this concept of the show to the author’s view in â€Å"Infinite Reality†, where he says â€Å"appearance and behavior is up for grabs, such that a person could be effortlessly transformed into another sex, race, age, even a different species of animal,† I would say that though it is easy to make up a make believe virtual reality because there is not really any sort of way to check online whether a certain person is really who he or she says they are, behavior is apparently not one for grabs. Just like how a real person who is made up of a physical, mental and emotional dimension, virtual accounts pretty much operate the same way except the fact that the physical aspect can be easily altered based on the limitation of a non-personal interaction. One can easily use someone else’s picture and create a new persona online. However, while this works for the physical aspect, the mental and emotional aspects which is part of the â€Å"everything† of a being is really telling of a person’s virtual blueprint even without a personal encounter. One can stop looking like a nerd by just the act of changing a profile picture but one does not stop being a nerd. This is because the moment one creates messages, comments and shares one’s life to another through chat, no matter how one avoids the reality he or she wants to run away from, the virtual blueprint easily seeps in exposing bits of the reality behind a certain virtual persona. Let us take a look at our virtual encounters. I am sure all of us have had an experience creating a profile and interacting with other people online.

Creating Apps - Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creating Apps - Ethics - Essay Example Software fall in two categories: system software that include operating systems and all utilities that that enable the computer/electronic device to function ;application system that do the real work for us i.e. word processors.BCS is a regulatory body that sets out the professional standards required and governs the conduct of individuals in the field of I.T in Britain. This paper examines the ethical and privacy issues based on the BSC ethical framework involved in the development of apps (an application system); a project that I am going to undertake. The project that I’m going to undertake will involve designing and developing an app for domestic remote control. In this case I will be involved in the design and development of an app to be stored in a digital device/remote controller that will be used to control the actions of refrigerators/freezers while in the house or even miles away. In the current technological era most refrigerators are controlled manually. Technological inventions in the current generation have improved the quality of life and made life easier and enjoyable. Research is still on to enhance the quality of life even more and each day scientists are coming up with inventions that continue to add quality to life. This project is not an exceptional as I’m going to design an app to be used in form of a remote control device that will enhance the operation of refrigerators. Currently most refrigerators in our houses are operated manually thus inconveniencing persons using them and at times posing ri sks of electric shock. The remote controller that I’m going to develop is going to make it easier and convenient for individuals to use refrigerators and get the most out of them. The app will be used to regulate temperature in the fridge digitally. Temperature is an important parameter that in part determines the performance of refrigerators. Since the main purpose of the fridge is to preserve foodstuff, this remote control will be used

Moral Dilemas Essay Example for Free

Moral Dilemas Essay This situation is a moral dilemma because Captain Ericson has to make a very hard decision, to either destroy the u-boat whilst killing the men in the water or to save the stranded men but risk future trouble and destruction by letting the u-boat go ie it is a situation to which his everyday morality cannot identify a solution. The ethical principles in this situation are very simple but it is very hard to determine what is best for everyone. If you sink the u-boat and kill the men you may have saved the lives of thousands of people in the future but at the same time you have slaughtered 40 hundreds of your own men who have done nothing but fight for their country. Having said this if you leave the u-boat and save your comrades from the water you have saved the lives of a few men but risked the lives of tens of thousands in the future. By destroying the u-boat he is obeying the principle of the military duty of an officer to his superiors and his country by destroying the enemy, and I quote attacking at all costs. On top of performing his military duty by getting rid of the u-boat he is likely to save the lives of the men on convoys that would be threatened by the same u-boat if it were not destroyed. Ericson shut and battened down his mind because it is human nature to doubt a decision directly after having made it; this is done because of our need for perfection. And so Ericson did this because he did not want nor could he allow doubt to enter his mind for even a second for fear of inaccuracy in judgement and failure to carryout his decision with precision. Also in order to be at ease with his decision he constantly needs to reassure himself that it was the right choice and this would be extremely hard to do if he constantly had doubt creeping into his head. Also he needs to block out all human emotions and pity for those men in order to make the correct decision. Some would argue that Ericsons actions were completely irrational because instead of avoiding violence and death which would have spared many lives he went ahead with his military instinct, as a result killing many men both English and foreign. Some would argue that he had the chance to come out of the situation without a slaughter on his hands, which according to the religious man would have been the moral thing to do. However we must ask ourselves what we are doing in a war if we are not prepared to make a decision based in military procedure and ethics for the greater good. Therefore from my point of view I feel that Ericson made a responsible decision taking into account the factor of the safety of other men in an extremely pressured situation, a situation which thankfully I will probably never have to make nor do I feel I would have the strength nor the character to make a well balanced decision and stand for the consequences. His decision may not have been the right one but there are always going to be people with different points of view on things but whether it was the right one or not is not really relevant nor should it be dwelt upon as everyone makes mistakes at some point in their lives. In this case it was his decision to make because his superiors obviously thought he was the right man for the job, not without reason and so he made the decision under extreme pressure and in a situation which did not have many alternatives which he had been appointed to make following not moral procedure but military procedure as is the custom during. And so taking all of this into consideration I personally feel he did the right thing. As always with a question like this we must consider both arguments. To be honest we cannot establish whether Ericson is a good person or not, as the case may be simply by examining one event as people make mistakes, that is what makes us human. Having said this there is no real reason to assume that his actions were a mistake and that he acted wrongly. On the contrary I feel that Ericson did exactly what a man in his position should do. He acted only after he was sure and only after taking into account the consequences of his actions and in this case he clearly felt that he would be acting for the greater good. In war it is the norm to sacrifice one man for the safety of hundreds of others and I feel that even thought his theory is not religiously moral it is still correct because in a time of war we have no time for things like moral issues, its either kill or be killed, the enemy will shoe no mercy so why should we. Therefore I do think that he is a good person as I simply think that he is a very stressed out man in a very difficult situation with the lives of hundreds at his mercy trying to do the right thing which is military procedure which he would have been taught; kill for the greater good. Having said this a religious man would say not necessarily that he is a bad man but that he made the wrong decision in this case because instead of avoiding murder which although is lisenced in war is morally wrong. He would look much deeper into the emotions of those men in the water which is exactly what military school trains you not to do, mixing emotions with actions can get you confused and in a military situation this can make you weak and vulnerable. Therefore in conclusion I think it is fair to say that we cannot really establish whether he is a good man or not but that according to some peoples views he made the wrong decision.

Camila And Traditional Argentine Patriarchal Culture Film Studies Essay

Camila And Traditional Argentine Patriarchal Culture Film Studies Essay Camila (Bemberg, 1984) is primarily an assault on traditional Argentine patriarchal culture rather than an allegory of the military dictatorship of 1976-1983. Do you agree with this assessment of Bembergs film? In my personal opinion, the statement that Maria Luisa Bembergs 1984 film Camila is mainly an assault on traditional Argentine patriarchal culture, rather than an allegory of the states military dictatorship, is not correct. Actually, this film truly is an attack against the patriarchal family values that dominated the states society during the 19th Century but along with that, it is a reflection of the tyrannical government that ruled the land of silver from 1976 to 1983. This allegory is not easy to find and to the common viewer, this statement will look as undoubtedly true. Nevertheless, if the spectator looks at the historical factors that contributed to the films creation, as well as with the plot, i.e. how it breaks out, they will find lots of relationships between the patriarchal views of the father of the main character in the 19th century and the principles of Jorge Rafael Vidala, the person responsible for establishing military dictatorship in Argentina in 1976. Camilas fat her is a dictator at home just like Vidala, as then-president of Argentina, rules the state society with iron fists. On the other hand, Camilas rebellion against her father can easily be linked to the civil war in Argentina that started as a revolt against the authoritarian regime that ruled the state through force and fear until it was abolished. The reason why director Maria Luisa Bemberg chose to use allegory instead of direct reflection is quite conspicuous. The film was released in 1984 but it obviously took her a few years to complete and disseminate her piece of art nation- and respectfully worldwide. The authorities could have charged Bemberg for breaking the state censorship regarding media and cinema. As a result, the director and her crew could have been arrested and deported to camps or in the least severe case, they could be banned from working in the film and media industry. To begin with, as I implied in the introduction of this essay, Argentina is a country with history in which events happened in parallel in the late nineteenth century under the rule of Juan Manuel de Rosas and during the military dictatorship alike. For instance, during the authoritarian regime in the mid-1970s and the early 1980s, women were isolated from society and treated like second class citizens just like they were oppressed under the grip of the 19th Century patriarchal society. Inequality of genders and the opposition to it by certain people was one of the key traits of these two particular historical periods. Knowing that well, Maria Luisa Bemberg gains advantage of the conditions under which women lived in the 19th Century Argentina to allegorically reflect the characteristics of the authoritarian government in the late 20th Century. This is how the film Camila (1984) came to existence. In the book South American Cinema: A Critical Filmography, editor and critic, Timothy B ernard assesses Bembergs movie as possibly inspired by one of her earlier works, a motion picture called Seà ±ora de nadie (1982). The movie tells the story of a young woman who leaves her family, in order to achieve happiness, sexual and emotional alike. Because of this film, director Bemberg has had numerous disputes with the government due to the presence of the issue of homosexuality which is shown in the womans friendship with a gay man. In Camila, the protagonist Camila OGorman also seeks happiness wanting to get rid of the patriarchal oppression of her father and her fiancà ©, a wealthy man named Ignacio whom she loves not. In addition, she challenges the ideas of the 19th Century Argentine society under the iron grip of President Juan Manuel de Rosas. In my opinion, there is a great portion of truth in Bernards assessment. The woman in Seà ±ora de nadie shares many similarities with Camila OGorman. They both want the same thing. Those wishes are simply shown in diverse as pects. The wife of nobody has a friendship with a homosexual guy, something which was unacceptable in the 19th century Argentine culture and during the 1970s military dictatorship as well. In contrast, Camila falls in love and tries to escape with a priest, a deed which was then considered equally sinful from religious and from social point of view. Nevertheless, despite the many similarities between the two characters, in Camila, there is one thing that makes the protagonist different from the main personality in Seà ±ora de nadie. A clear illustration of this statement is the scene where during a family meal, Camila openly criticizes de Rosas ways of governing a state, something which is unacceptable in her fathers eyes due to the inequality of men and women in favor of the strong gender. His reaction is obvious rage engendered by the fact that his daughter who, he thinks, is meant to be obedient to his will, dares talking about politics. Through his prism, such behaviour is not considered for someone who is thought of by society as a second class citizen. During the 20th Century military junta from 1976 to 1983, anyone, especially a woman, who is open-minded enough to castigate the regime, will be viewed as a criminal, an enemy of the state and certainly jailed or possibly executed. This is also another parallel between events in the history of Argentina which proves that Camila is not an assault on traditional culture rather than allegory of the 1976-1983 authoritarian government. It is an equal portion of both an attack on patriarchal and military oppression, respectively during the 19th and 20th Centuries. Furthermore, the fact that the film was released in 1984, less than a year after the fall of the authoritarian regime, says a lot about its hidden characteristics. In the above mentioned critical essay regarding Bembergs work, the author Timothy Bernard annotates Camila OGormans desire and endeavor to gain identity and break the chains of the patriarchal traditions under which she was brought up. In the context of the film which is based on a real historical event, this assessment is true. Correspondingly, from 1976 to 1983, many Argentineans were also struggling to get rid of the grip of the authorities, be it by escaping the country or by secretly and illegally forming groups that were plotting to remove the ruling regimentation from power. Another famous film critic also talks about historical parallelism with reference to the context of Bembergs motion picture and a hundred and fifty years later. This is what David William Foster says in his book Contemporary Argentine Cinema, Ch apter 1, entitled Camila: Beauty and Bestiality: A film like Maria Luisa Bembergs Camila (1984) is an interesting example of sustained narrative overdeterminations and at the same time, it introduces significant punctuative ruptures for the purpose of encouraging a revised reading of the evoked historical text. In this quote, I assume that the key words are revised reading. What does Foster mean by saying revised reading though? In the presence of historical equivalence, the response will come out quickly. To do a revised reading means not just to literally interpret Camila and its 19th Century background. Paying attention to the actual world circumstances is a must for us as film analysts, if we are to fortify our understanding of what Bemberg really wants to tell the spectator. To supplement, David Fosters elucidations also focus on that if a texts meaning can be deciphered too easily, the text receives a manipulative complexion and forces the understanding in the mind of the view er that this text can only be close read or expounded in one single way. As an illustration serves the statement that the film Camila is rather an assault on Argentine patriarchal values rather than allegoric reflection of the oppressive government that ruled the country in the late 20th Century. In my opinion, this definition of the movie sort of forcefully attempts to coerce the film examiner to interpret it only as a challenger of events that occurred hundred and fifty years ago. In modern film criticism and in film criticism as a form of proofreading, there is no place for one-sidedness. If Bemberg had wanted only to remind the viewer of a juncture that came into being a whole century and a half ago, she would have probably started making the movie some couple of years after the end of the military tyranny. Provided the films shooting began during the last years of the authoritarian militaristic regime, one could assume that the famous film director wanted to achieve something m ore than just a recreation of a past occurrence. As David Foster clarifies, Rosas rule is based on violence, terror and abyss of human rights, specifically violence against women. In parallel, a century and a half later, Jorge Vidala and his successor were brutally dealing with any political opponents, real or imaginary alike. The Dirty War from the 1970s and the early 1980s, as Foster states are happenings that, in spite of having emerged in different periods, can be given identical attributes such as bloody oppression, tortures, executions etc. This annotation of the renowned film critic can as well serve as a justification of the statement that it is not correct to interpret Camila only as an attack on the patriarchal family doctrine typical for the 1800s Argentina. As a result, the analogue between the background of Camila and the situation in the land of silver in the 1970s and the early 1980s is well visible. Taking advantage of this parallelism, Maria Luisa Bemberg uses one p ast event to reflect another and meanwhile, she manages to avoid arrest, jail, beating or possibly even a death penalty. Finally, my assumption that Camila (Bemberg, 1984) is equally a rejection of the Argentine patriarchal society and an allegory of the military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983 cannot be fully argumented without a comparison between Maria Luisa Bembergs film and another motion picture that is directly reflecting the hard life of prisoners during Vidalas junta. One such film is Israel Adrian Caetanos 2006 historical drama called Cronica de una fuga (Chronicle of an Escape). It is about four men who are fortunate enough to escape a prison camp after being tortured for some definite period of time. When looking at Caetanos film and Bembergs masterpiece, one can see lots of similarities between the main characters of both films. To illustrate, both Camila OGorman and the four men want freedom, even though this freedom desire is shown in different aspects. Camila wants to escape her pro-Rosas fathers clutches and seek her happiness the way she wants. She finds herself in love with a Catholic priest with whom she tries to flee and live a happy love life. In Cronica de una fuga, our heroes, Claudio, Guillermo, Vasco and Gallego want to get rid of the constraints that life in military jail has put them through. As a result, one can infer that the motif of escaping is present in both these jewels of Argentine cinema. Specifically about Chronicle of an Escape, director Caetano annotates in an interview for Netscape Cinematical at the Movies at the Toronto Film Festival, that the traces of a dictatorship that ended almost thirty years ago are still visible today. Obviously, Caetano wants to remind the viewers of a historical period that cannot be forgotten easily. He adds that some people see violence, torture, political oppression, fear of force as the only way to build a just society which conspicuously is not true through his prism. It is therefore evident for us as common film critics to conclude that through Cronica de una fuga, Caetano aims to also show his point of vi ew that violence and oppression only make things worse in a certain society instead of improving its condition. Analogically, in Maria Luisa Bembergs film Camila, her father firmly believes in the preservation of the 19th Century patriarchal order. He shares the same point of view as Dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas. From the final scene of Camila and Ladislaos execution, his vision becomes clear. For him, there is nothing more important than keeping his aristocratic and male-controlled family order and this should be achieved by all means, even if his own child is to be shot. Moreover, Camila is pregnant at the time of her death. According to Rosas constitution, it is against the law to kill a pregnant woman, even if she is a political opponent or has committed a very heavy crime. Consequently, in Camila OGormans case, her pro-Rosas father is even ready to break the law only because his sort of holy mission is to preserve the aristocratic honor of his family. In correlation, during Vi dalas rule in 1976 until its overthrow, nothing was more essential than the preservation of the order which he established. This means the regime was supposed to survive at all cost, be it through deportations of political opponents, or with the means of torture, imprisonment and even capital punishment. Along with that, the book Magical Reels by John King supplements my understanding of both the incorrect interpretation of Bembergs photoplay primarily as rejection of traditional family praxis. Apparently, John King also sees this film as a fifty-fifty. He looks at it as a film in which the spectator can perceive the contrast between the traditional patriarchal and the utopic family. In other words, this is a clash between old and new, conservativism and progressivism. Camila OGorman and her lover, Ladislao belong to a new world, new way of thinking that has broken the chains of old-fashioned conservative conventions of the 19th Century Argentine society. In equivalence, people who were victims of Vidalas authoritarianism, along with those who were lucky enough to get away from its grasp, view militaristic monocracy as immature form of governing a country with ruptured economy and values. For instance, as it is in Chronicle of an Escape, knowing that they alone are not strong enough to end the reigning tyranny, the four prisoners come up with the idea of undertaking another risky move escaping the jail and leave Argentina as soon as possible. They are fully aware of the fact that on their way to searching freedom, they could be shot or possibly caught and jailed under even more severe conditions but at the same time, they cognize that this is their only chance to run away from hell. It is now or never. And as the spectators know, the captives goal of escaping gets accomplished in the end and they go respectively to Spain, France, Italy and other parts of the free world. In the same way, in Camila, Ladislao and his lover realize that only if they run away, can they achieve the romantic happiness they both have been longing for, since they fell in love. And if this jewel of Argentine film industry had been made and respectively released, a decade after the dictatorships end, I assume, it would possibly have been not about the Camila OGorman, who opposed her fathers conservative concepts of a womans role in the family. Instead, M. L. Bemberg would have possibly been more direct in her view and would make her female character a fighter for womens right of being noticed with good by society in circumstances of a tyrannical misogynist government that obliged women to cover their hair and treated them as second class citizens. All this explains exactly why it is not correct to look at Maria Luisa Bembergs film Camila with the above mentioned one-sidedness as follows from the title. To summarize, with her motion picture, Bemberg not only shows her feminist point of view by rejecting the 19th Century culture of her native land. Through her protagonist, Camila OGorman, who is based on a real 1800s personality with the same name, the renowned film director metaphorically reflects and opposes the harsh reality and the difficult life during maybe the hardest and bloodiest period in the history of Argentina. This was a period of political repression, executions, prosecutions and even a civil war that fortunately ended with the overthrow of Jorge Vidalas regime. Nevertheless, during its reign, over thirty thousand people disappeared. Disappear can mean anything either fortunate enough to escape, or murdered, or put in a top secret state jail, etc. Correlatively, in Camila, the oppressed victim of patriarchal order attempts to escape but is executed. Therefore Argentina during the 1800s was a state of oppression and tyranny as well. This parallelism ultimately disprove s the false statement that Bembergs work is predominantly challenging the 19th Century Argentine society. WORDS: 3000 (Without footnotes, bibliography/filmography and title) Bibliography Bernard, Timothy, South American Cinema: A Critical Filmography (1996, University of Texas Press, Austin, TX, USA) Caetano, Israel Adrian, Interview about Chronicle of an Escape, Host: James Rocchi, video by Alexia Prichard Netscape and Cinematical at the Movies, 2006, Toronto Film Festival, online at: http://blog.moviefone.com/2006/09/11/tiff-video-interview-chronicle-of-an-escape-director-israel-adr/ in Moviefone.com, created and owned by AOL Inc.  © (2011) Foster, David William, Contemporary Argentine Cinema (1992, Columbia: University of Missouri Press, Missouri, USA) King, John, Magical Reels, (1990, Verso, London/New York, UK/USA)

Genocide in Rwanda Essay -- Rwanda History Historical Race Essays

Genocide in Rwanda   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, this inhumane act, known as Genocide, is briefly defined as follows, ?...acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group...? (Journal of Peace). Unfortunately, throughout history, such acts seem to be intervened upon when it is merely too late. In the country of Rwanda, over a period of one hundred days, over 800,000 people were murdered over their ascribed race. A similar situation is currently taking place at this moment in time in Sudan, where 30,000 people have recently been killed and the numbers are still rising. However, the international community has not yet responded to prevent further killings. These two countries seem to share similar histories which may have lead to the horrifying, ethnically grounded acts of genocide and racial cleansing. In this paper, we will compare and contrast the similar historica l and social-political conditions of these two countries. We will also evaluate the international community's response to the current situation in Sudan and the likelihood of a resolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1994, genocide lasted in Rwanda for merely 100 days, killing over 800,000 people. ?This was the fastest, most thoroughly ruthless programme of ?racial killing? yet implemented in the world? (Journal of Peace). The victims were those who had the ascribed identity of a Tutsi. Those who belonged to Rwanda?s military or were of the Hutu identity, carried out these inhumane acts of racial purification. There has been conflict between these two identity groups of Rwanda dating back to pre-colonial times. Many blame the act of genocide on Rwanda?s past history between these two identity groups. Let us now take a brief look at Rwanda?s history and examine the accuracy of this argument.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pre-colonial era of Rwanda consisted of expansion of the country into neighboring areas, belonging to both Hutu and Tutsi kingdoms. Class stratification of these two groups was unclear and based largely upon social status. As Rwanda began to develop, the term Hutu and Tutsi became status terminology rather then an ethnic identity. The Tutsi resembled those of the higher status, and within this class stratification you could even belong to bother the Hutu and the Tutsi, namely the Twa... ... and do not provide enough proof for the international community to stop this obvious case of genocide. There has been absolutely no meaningful international forces deployed that could have any affect on stopping the massacre.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The little response of the international community is disheartening. Because many feel there is no other way to categorize these acts, of no other then, civil conflict is outrageous. Genocide is a act that is extremely difficult to prove. Since there are multiple groups of ethnicity?s and religions affected by these acts, it is nearly impossible to prove genocide, because in order to do so, it must affect one specific group. This is why, many believe this to be an act of ethnic cleansing, a civil conflict, one the international law can not stop.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout our history there have been numerous accusations of genocide, namely the Nazi Holocaust and the Rwanda situation in 1994. It is very insignificant that we have not learned from our past, that these acts must be stopped and prevented. Apparently, what must be done is a change in international law. Allowing such acts as the one presently occurring to be stopped before it is too late.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Summary Creating Shared Value

Creating Shared Value Michael E. Porter, Mark R. Kramer; Harvard Business Review Summary The article â€Å"Creating Shared Valueâ€Å", written by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer and published in the â€Å"Harvard Business Reviewâ€Å" in January 2011 deals with the idea of innovating the purpose of a corporation and their relationship to the government and social environment in order to identify unknown customer needs and expand the total pool of economic and social value.In the introduction the authors explain that the problem of the contemporary, narrowed capitalistic conception is the reduced trust that people have in business, which is seen as the reason for all kinds of environmental, societal and economic problems. In this neoclassical view, social responsibility is seen by businesses as a constraint in economic success which arises costs; conducting business as usual was seen as spending enough social benefit. Many companies tried to increase their profits by means o f restructuring and personnel reductions; at the same time, communities only perceived little benefit.But according to Kramer and Porter, the competitiveness of a company and the wealth of a community is closely interrelated. On the one hand, Firms need a strong social environment to have enough demand and to be able to benefit from public assets, on the other hand communities gain workplaces by having strong businesses. Firms set corporate responsibility programs only to improve their image and as cheap as possible, not because they regarded it as a productivity driver.Further more, they define themselves as â€Å"globalâ€Å" and often do not have a home base which the authors declare as â€Å"something profoundly importantâ€Å" in strategy theory in order to create value. Companies neglected the interrelation between a distinctive value creation and societal needs and focused more on the industry. For this reason the government had to arise laws restricting the success and c ompetitiveness of the companies, disregarding that nowadays firms in the global economy can easily move elsewhere.Porter and Kramer criticize the business models of most of the companies which focus on short-term profit maximization in contrast to long-term optimization, partially because the market forces them to do that, and did not pay attention to the most important customer needs and broader influences. It seemed that society and economy for a long time worked against each other. In the same time they request the companies to take the initiative in bringing business and society back together by focusing more on societal issues.This idea is not about charity but about understanding the markets and competition. The authors call this model the â€Å"principle of creating shared valueâ€Å". Increasing the shared value in this context is a self-interested concept to set policies and practices advancing the competitiveness of a company by means of enhancing the connection between economic as well as social conditions in their home community with the final goal to increase the total economic as well as societal value.A necessary condition for managers is to develop new skills and knowledge about social affairs, but the government also has to adapt in a way that gives companies the opportunity to act profitable under these circumstances. The authors go a step further and describe the three distinct ways every company has to create societal as well as economic value. They also interact in a way that improving in one of them means rising opportunities in the other. The first issue is reconceiving products and markets.It means that companies have to find out current unmet societal needs their products embody and try to fulfill them because innovations are nowadays the best business opportunities both in advanced and developing economies. An important point is that demand in this case is not static but very dynamic so that those opportunities arise frequently. Fir ms can reposition themselves quite often in order to absorb the grown potential. Especially in disadvantaged communities the demand is so high that firms can profit substantially by selling a large quantity to low prices; but sometimes new or redesigned roducts made for developing communities can also have applications to traditional markets. As a second way to create shared value the authors mention redefining and reexaminating productivity in the value chain which is largely influenced by societal issues. Misuse in those issues and externalities are costly both to the environment and the business. Firms can use synergies between economic and societal issues to raise satisfaction and create shared value.Previously, a change in environmental performance was avoided because it arose too many short-time expenses, but nowadays it is clear that it can even increase product quality and aviod costs. This new thinking is also enabled by renewals in technology and may unlock new, unexplored economic value. In a following step, Porter and Kramer mention parts of the value chain where changes can be made and were already observed, for example the reexamination of energy use or logistics, especially shipping routes. Besides, heightened environmental awareness ensures new methods of resource use and advantages all parts of the value chain.In the procurement area the traditional thinking of commoditization and price competition by only purchasing from small businesses in low wages countries changes into accessing to inputs and taking part in product production to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction. New distribution methods are developed to create shared value and lower environmental costs, e. g. iTunes or Kindle. Instead of holding down wage levels and diminishing health costs, many companies have learned that increasing the satisfaction and the welfare of their workers have a more positive impact on their results then called savings.Because of high transport ation and energy costs, a firm's location gains more and more in importance and now all steps of the value chain tend to be closer together. The third way to create shared value, after Kramer and Porter, is enabling the local cluster development. A cluster, a geographic concentration of businesses and institutions, is seen as a necessary condition to maintain productivity and competitiveness because no company can be self-contained. So business is dependent on their environment, e. g. consisting of nfrastructure and supporting companies, and has to work on it. A lack of framework conditions arise internal costs, such as costs of logistics or the possible pool of workers, and has to be identified and mended by the company. Another key condition is the formation of open and transparent markets. As mentioned before, the company's success is closely interrelated to their community; consequently a functioning cluster in their home base and further investments on it have multiplier effect s such as increasing demand and job creation.Their theory recognizes that societal needs define markets. Besides, social harms creating internal costs for firms can be prevented through increasing in technology and operations management. As a result, firms can even act more productive and expand their market environment. An important note is that the main goal is not to increase personal value but the total economic and social value, so this is not an issue about restructuring but developing shared value. While this article focuses more on the perspective of the companies, it also affects government and civil society.Considering all the facts creating shared value is a meaningful concept to influence simultaneously societal and economic progress in order to raise total benefits. But not all profits are equal. The authors claim profits involving a social purpose because to their opinion these profits endure; they call it â€Å"right kind of profitâ€Å". As result, Kramer and Porte r expect the next wave of global growth. The opportunities to create shared value are given, but perceiving the chance is up to the companies themselves and can be part of nearly every decision.

Influences of Visual Media Paper Essay

There are many forms of visual entertainment readily accessible to us; it has become the primary source of entertainment. Visual entertainment only has not helped shape American culture but also its values. Visual entertainment comes in many forms; whether it is reading a newspaper, magazines, or just watching television. Visual media has many numerous advantages as well as some disadvantages. Advisements are used to target individuals that find their product appealing. This compels viewers to buy the latest technology gadget or to wear the latest fashion clothes. Media has also changed the way we communicate and this has improved our culture in many ways. For example, in the recent years it has been possible to connect on real time with someone across the world through a computer. Now we are able to connect with people through a simple device like the IPhone 4S. The IPhone 4S lets a person talk through face time and allows them to see each other. Visual media has also made a huge impact on young children and teenagers. With all the new artists coming out changing the music and media culture the younger generation is looking up to them more each day. The younger generations view these artists as role models and want to be exactly like them. The music industry has changed media forever. Artists have introduced us to many different cultures and their music as well. Artist like Lady gaga have paved the road for young adults not to be afraid to speak up or reach high for their dreams. Beyoncà © has also paved the road for woman all over the world to feel empowered by their femininity and stand strong. Centuries ago women could not freely express themselves the way they do now. In addition, this has helped shaped a new lifestyle for many of us. The media provides full coverage of the lavish life styles of the many celebrities we have in this generation. People have lost the value of simple things in life and try grasp for the lavish life. In Addition, visual media also informs us of the news around the world. The news teaches us about the different cultures and that has impacted our culture tremendously. Visual media  continues to change every day; there is always something new and updated coming out. Visual entertainment has had many positive and negative social influences. One way that visual media influenced our culture in a negative way is by blind imitation. The media portrays an image for the viewers on how a rich and glamorous life is the way to live. Several people are so blinded by this that they try their best to live lavishing lives without having means to. For example, Heidi Montag is a celebrity who became popular after completing her first real life show called Laguna Hills. She became caught up in glamorous life that she eventually wanted more fame. She then decided she wanted to look like Barbie and had 10 plastic surgeries in just one day! Fox news wrote an article about Heidi Montag and what appeared to be her addiction to plastic surgery. In an Internet video, Fox News (2010) states that â€Å"When reality TV show star Heidi Montag announced last week that she had undergone 10 plastic surgeries, all in one day, the news was met with some (naturally) raised eyebrows. But she’s not alone in her obsession to look perfect by enduring multiple cosmetic enhancements, a phenomenon that has the makings of an addiction, or at least a binge behavior, experts say.† The media often sends messages to their viewers that skinny, resembling a celebrity, and living a luxurious lifestyle is the way to live. The media also promotes unhealthy lifestyles such changing you’re eating habits to become thinner. Another negative social influence caused by social media is media addiction. Several people become addicted to visual media. Many people are now glued to their television, reading celebrity gossip, or just surfing for hours. This influences especially teenagers who might come across information that they are not able to understand in that age. Visual media also overwhelms its viewers with information that might now possibly be truthful. Not too many people spend the necessary time to find out if that information is authentic. This is how many of us become influence by visual media. We believe everything that is shown on television or put on the Internet. However, visual media does have its positive social influences. Mass media can help you reach many people across the world. We are now able to face time chat online with a family member in New York while  you are in California. Visual media keeps us informed of global news as well as local news. Visual media has also made it possible for some individuals to work from home. For example, people that work from home are now able to have conference face time calls online. Visual media has also made it possible for people like me to go to school online and obtain a degree. In conclusion, visual media reflects and influences social behavior and attitudes. People become influenced by what the media’s message is and it influences their behavior and attitudes. Visual media sometimes influence violence as well as kindness. We see on television many tragic stories that broadcast uncensored for the viewers to see. However, the media also broadcasts the help people volunteer when there is a tragedy. The media influences people behaviors and attitudes by portraying different images. For example, if you are watching a love story on television you will automatically think that people do act like that in real life. Whether it is Twilight or True blood the media gathers people watching these series and that influences people’s behaviors at that moment. Visual media has helped us understand the various cultures as well as religions around the world. This helps us understand and respect others, we are all not the same, but we are equal. Reference Fox News (2010). Heidi Montag’s Plastic Surgery: Obsession or Addiction? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583626,00.html