Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry s Speech At The...

â€Å"Give me liberty, or give me death!† is a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry, which he used to close his speech to Virginia Convention. During this time period, the 1770s, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson all made arguments in favor of separation of the American colonies from Great Britain; many of these appeals were persuasive for different reasons, whether that be logical, emotional, or pertaining to credibility and trust, which is to say logos, pathos, and ethos. First of all, we will examine Henry’s arguments during his speech at the Virginia Convention. Then, we will identify Paine’s appeals in a part of his essay, The Crisis n1. Lastly, we will evaluate Jefferson’s myriad of arguments in a part of his Autobiography. Patrick Henry, born in Virginia in 1736, was a lawyer and great orator, as well as public officer for nearly 30 years, who believed strongly in citizens’ right to bear arms, especially in face of Great Britain’s injustice towards the colonists, and whose speech to the Virginia Convention lead to the persuasion of his delegation and, therefore, participated in the start of the Revolutionary War. (Probst 100) (Colonial Williamsburg Patrick Henry). In his speech, Henry, whose patriotism had lead him to represent his region since 1765, addressed those who did not want to organize a militia for Virginia. (Probst 100) (Henry 102). One of the first and most important arguments Henry makes is that the question of whether or not to organize aShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry s Speech1341 Words   |  6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention (Brainstormed with Caroline Schwanawede, written independently) Amid the early conflicts between the American colonists and the British government, in addition to their supporters, these two groups experienced the difficult reality of colliding with an opposing set of values and lifestyles to their own, leading to mutual feelings of hostility and resentment and establishing a widespread want for a revolution in the colonialRead MorePatrick Henry s Give Me Liberty1784 Words   |  8 PagesPatrick Henry’s â€Å"Give me Liberty, or Give me Death:† A Rhetorical Analysis On March 23, 1775, in the meeting hall of St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, a group of important statesmen, merchants, plantation owners, military leaders, and various others met to determine the fate of their beloved colony. The colony of Virginia, under the governorship of Lord Dunmore, was tearing at its seams between monarchists, who remained loyal to the British Crown, and patriots in support of independence. Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry s Speech1375 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish 1101 November 11, 2016 Rhetorical Analysis: Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death! Many men were pivotal to the American cause in the War for Independence, and one of the most influential was Patrick Henry. In his famous speech â€Å"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death† Patrick Henry delivered a powerful speech through the manipulative use of language and word choice. On March 23, 1775, the third Virginia convention was held in St. John s Church in Richmond. The convention was held to discuss relationsRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pageslamentable. Taken together, the key themes and processes that have been selected as the focus for each of the eight essays provide a way to conceptualize the twentieth century as a coherent unit for teaching, as well as for written narrative and analysis. Though they do not exhaust the crucial strands of historical development that tie the century together—one could add, for example, nationalism and decolonization—they cover in depth the defining phenomena of that epoch, which, as the essays demonstrateRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore

Decision Making Case Study Essay - 893 Words

Decision Making Case Study Stefanie Parker HCS/514 June 24, 2011 Kendra Slatton Decision Making Case Study The standard definition of decision making is; the process of mapping the likely consequences of decisions, working out the importance of individual factors and choosing the best course of action to take (Definition of decision,). In this case study effective decision making tools will be used to choose the best course of action to take in the scenario. The scenario is; as a manager in a county clinic that provides care to Medicaid clients, your department budget was recently cut by 15%. From a statewide health policy standpoint, given a defined budget constraint what clinical services should be eliminated or†¦show more content†¦Using this tool, I would be able to find evidence of past successes or failures in similar healthcare budget cuts. Research could determine the priorities of the Medicaid community and the care that is the most important to them. Collecting data on efficiency statistics may allow the organization to keep important services by improving process flo ws and reducing waste. Some of the research tools include interviews, academic journals, data warehouses, and the Internet (Rundall et al., 2007). The steps following the research collection, which include evaluating the data and taking action are also very important but are only as valuable as the data used for those steps and tools. Based upon the surveys, interviews, and research done the clinical services that would be eliminated during the budget constraints would be; the community-based weekend and after hour’s clinic for Medicaid patients who do not have a primary care provider as well as putting a cap on the number of Medicaid patients that the clinic will see. The clinic generally is losing money and has been subsidized by other services. The recommendation would be to eliminate the weekend hours, which would reduce our spending at the clinic because of a reduction in staffing. Putting a cap on the number of Medicaid patients that the clinic will see will help with expenses as Medicaid has low reimbursement rates, and the clinic is not receiving enough money back on these patients toShow MoreRelatedDecision Making Case Study1281 Words   |  6 PagesDecision-Making Case Study HCS/514 Decision-Making Case Study The current state of the economy has had a significant impact on health care across the country. Recipients of Medicaid services have especially been hit hard in the health care arena with budget cuts and reduced services. The Maricopa County Clinic is not different when it comes to budget cuts. The department providing outpatient services to Medicaid clients has received a 15% budget cut. The current budget constraintRead MoreDecision Making Case Study Essay1189 Words   |  5 PagesDecision Making Case Study Nadine Ranger Week 3 HCS/514 August 23, 2010 Sara Brown Decision-Making Case Study Effective decision-making is a major component in managing an organization, resources, and staff members.    Managers make important decisions daily that affect the operations, quality, and success of their organization.   Instituting evidence informed decision-making is a growing concept among health care organizations, but managers faceRead MoreGroup Decision Making : A Case Study1032 Words   |  5 Pages Group Decision Making: A case study Kashyap Pd. Marahatta BUS 540 Organizational Behavior Professor: Shirley Chuo Westcliff University 11/10/2016 â€Æ' Abstract This paper will be analysing the case of ‘the outstanding faculty award’, which is adapted from a case by David J. Cherrington of Brigham Young University. It will try to show what problems in team likely cause the team in taking a wrong or ineffective decision taking the case of Brigham Young University as a base. This paper would also tryRead MoreDecision Making Case Study Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesDecision Making Case Study HCS/514 Managing in Todays Health Care Organizations Instructor: Darlene Cantu Camille F. Fuller Decision Making Case Study Health care is one of the largest growing industries in the country. Technology and medical advancements attribute to the constant changes in the health care industry. The economy also continues to change, and with the changing economy health care cost continue to rise. Companies across the nation have either closed or moved to other countriesRead MoreCase Study : Ethical Decision Making2110 Words   |  9 Pages Module 1 Assignment 3: Case Study: Ethical Decision Making April Culberson Argosy University Module 1 Assignment 3 Summarized the behavior you consider unethical and unprofessional in the case study. Substantiated the analysis with reasons After reading the case study, it becomes apparent the many questionable behaviors Joe commits while counseling Jill. First is his reaction towards Jill’s confession concerning sexual confusion about being attracted to other women. Joe’s expression (shockedRead MoreManagement: Decision Making and Case Study3581 Words   |  15 PagesFaculty of Business, Economics Accounting Department of Business Studies HELP Bachelor of Business Year 1 (HONS) – HUBBU CASE STUDIES Semester 1, 2011 Subject: MGT 101 Principles of Management Subject Lecturer/ Tutor(s): Puan Norzan Abdullah ANALYZING A CASE STUDY STAGE 1: QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE GENERAL SCENARIO PRESENTED TO GAIN A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION. ï‚ · Underline/highlight information which may indicate problems exist STAGE 2: EXAMINE THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY ï‚ · Read theRead MoreEthical Decision-Making: Case Studies648 Words   |  3 PagesDecision point: What would you do? In Scenario 1, I would return the iPod to the schools lost and found or post a notice advertising a found iPod in the school newspaper (it would be easy enough to identify the legitimate owner, as I would merely ask the respondent to identify the songs on the playlist). The fact that I liked some of the songs and that no one saw me find the iPod is no relevance. On a deontological moral level, it is wrong to take something valuable I know is not mine, and ifRead MoreCase Study : Contingency Behavior : Decision Making1095 Words   |  5 PagesWeekly paper 7: Contingency-behavior: Decision Making: Viren Kheni Decision-making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker. Making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered, and in such a case we want not only to identify as many of these alternatives as possible but to choose the one that best fits with our goals, objectives, desires, values, and so on. *(Harris (1980)) In the last session we discussedRead MoreReflective Case Study : The Decision Making Process Essay1869 Words   |  8 PagesReflective Case Study Essay In everyday work practice, nurses make clinical decisions, which need to be appropriate every time for quality of nursing care and patient safety. Such unflawed decisions can be taken following the clinical reasoning cycle or the CR cycle, utilizing critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills (Levett-Jones, 2012). The aim of the essay is to describe the decision-making process, which relates to a patient during the BN clinical placement. The essay would evaluate allRead MoreCase Study : Ethical Decision Making Process Essay2104 Words   |  9 PagesSection 4- Ethical decision making process: 1. Explain the ethical decision making process: To make an ethical decision, it is necessary to perceive and eliminate immoral options and select the best and ethical alternative. It is a process of choosing the best ethical option among the alternatives. For moral decision making process, some requirements should be followed: Commitment: Make commitment to do the right thing regardless any cost. Consciousness: Awareness about the action takes place

Child Sex Trafficking Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Sex trafficking. Answer: Public participation in safeguarding against violations perpetrated against children worldwide, such as child trafficking for sexual purposes, is essential Public participation is very important for protecting children from violations, for example child trafficking, it is required to protect the childrens basic human rights as well as necessary (Rafferty, 2007). According to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, children possess the right to safeguard from mistreatment by forcefulness, destruction and misuse (Conte Burchill, 2016). The effect of child mistreatment is disturbing, not just for the person but also for the whole society (Steven, 2016). Depend on these outcomes, it is projected that participation of the public in children protection through these practices it has become necessary as well as responsibility of all the people of the society. This essay is projected to provide the information about child trafficking how and why it is a major issue and why the participation of the society is important and in which way society participation can fight against child sex trafficking. Child trafficking is the violation of the rights of human and it is known as the biggest reason of children misuse and ill-treatment. Act of recruiting by transporting, coercion, fraud, taking the advantage through sexual misuse of the child and forced labor is included in children trafficking (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2014). Children who are involved in trafficking are repeatedly being forced to live in those conditions that are unsafe, at that place their basic needs are also not fulfilled, they are not protected, education is not provided to those childrens and even they are ways from proper food and sanitation facilities. Children who are trafficked are also seen in the place where dangerous machinery, chemicals, violence and diseases are present. Children trafficking has huge impact on the children. Taking the child away from his/her social, community and family supports has huge impact of their health, survival even on their emotional and social development which results in high rates of disorder stress, depression and anxiety in those children (Kilham Grant Mherekumombe, 2015). This is also seen in the huge rage in community and society as a whole. Child trafficking can be reduced or protected and society can fight against it through some strategies such as changes in the legal/government, education and by spreading the awareness of child trafficking in the society. In the direction of preventing trafficking of the children, it is very necessary to know about how and why child trafficking happens. According to the research conducted, human trafficking is very dominant in countries where socioeconomic status is low, such as Region of Pacific and Asia. Unhappily, Human trafficking involve children at the highest range are at the greatest risk of human trafficking about 22% of children are misused through trafficking of sex and are forced to do labor all over the world every year (Todres, 2012). Children belongs from the region which is poor and are counted in ethnic minorities, surviving with low law administration, less protection of child sex are the region with high risk. Additionally, children who face emotional negligence, physical or sexual misuse are at the height of risk of mistreatment. According to the research children who suffer from trafficking effects they get involved in this by culprits through fraud, internet, catalogues and adver tisements where they offer to provide good life by doing false promise through marriage, work or school (Burn, 2013). Many times family who are poor and living with insufficient facilities sell their children to the person whom they trust. Individuals and groups of individuals who are the culprits and are involved in these crimes involve groups of crime, owners of brothel, owners of business, even the legal officials who are corrupt. Even though, there are less cases in which women culprits are also involved and according to the research the number of male culprits involved in this crime are more as compared to the female culprits. Unluckily, travelers from foreign mostly from western nations make the demand services of child sex alive. For example, Philippines and the Thailand are mostly at the target of tourist from Australia who are in search of services of child sex (Fraley, 2005). Depend upon the information, it can be said that to help people who are suffering from trafficking and are at risk should be provided proper education so that they can recognize the signs of the warning, the affect and from where they can take the help, as the first step in fighting child mistreatment. Related to the education, due to the complication of the problem, it has been said that a complete action plan is necessary to fight against the children exploitation. Precisely, it has been projected that children who are in search of the help government and public organizations are responsible for helping and preventing those childrens. Appropriate staff with expertise skills with training and support is necessary for these organizations to receive prevention and support. It is also seen that to fight against children trafficking private and public sector both should cooperate with each other. Public sector should prevent child trafficking by applying legal processes such as protective laws for the population at risk and punishing the offenders. Presently, the rate of punishment to the culprits is very low globally. This shows that cooperation should implement legal, cultural and social changes. In the private sector, it has been projected that using the exclusive benefits of celeb status may be of specific significance to fighting trafficking of children. Many private sector foundation help the victims of child trafficking and aware them by using the celebrity status. Even it has been achieved by providing advice, advertisement and campaigns for educating children about the internet safety. The Global Fund for Children (GFC) is the one who invest in undercapitalized organizations that deliver serious facilities to helpless children. This fund search for the grassroots organizations to help the children of the society- child laborers, refugees and trafficked children and also help in receiving their rights and living their dreams (Funds for NGOs. 2014). The main goal of the fund is to help the organizations in increasing their capacity and make them stronger than before. Management assistance is also provided by this fund to the organizations in grasping opportunities, stren gthening their services and building their capacity. Till now, 9 million children has been supported by the Global Fund for Children. In the conclusion it can be said that, public participation in protection against abuses done against children worldwide, such as trafficking of children for sexual drives, is vital for human rights in keeping our responsibilities in agreement with the UNCRC as well as checking the disturbing effect and cost to society and individual (Swan Coppock, 2016). Totally, many strategies have been projected, including the strategies implemented in the public and private sectors. Co-operation between the organizations of public and private sector is very important as well as with the international communities for the effective implementation of all these strategies. The Global Fund for Children is a good example which provide help to the children suffering from trafficking and are at the risk of trafficking by investing in the undercapitalized organizations. References Burn, J. (2013). Cracking down on slavery and human trafficking in NSW. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/cracking-down-on-slavery-and-human-trafficking-in-nsw-21116 Conte, A., Burchill, R. (2016). Defining civil and political rights: The jurisprudence of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Routledge. Fraley, A. (2005). Child Sex Tourism Legislation under the Protect Act: does it really protect. . John's L. Rev., 79, 445. Funds for NGOs. (2014). The Global Fund for Children. Retrieved from: https://www.fundsforngos.org/foundation-funds-for-ngos/list-20-foundations-supporting-projects-children/ Kilham, H. A., Grant, M., Mherekumombe, M. (2015). Morphine and children: An Australian perspective. Journal of paediatrics and child health, 51(5), 482-485. Rafferty, Y. (2007). Children for Sale: Child Trafficking in Southeast Asia, Wiley international science, vol. 16, doi. 10.1002/car.1009. Steven, D. (2016). A Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/7th_milestones_meeting/Steven_Global_Partnership_to_End_Violence_aganist_Children.pdf?ua=1 Swan, J., Coppock, V. (2016). Childrens Rights, Educational Research and the UNCRC. Symposium Books Ltd. Todres, J. (2012). Assessing public health strategies for advancing child protection: Human trafficking as a case study, Journal of Law and policy, pp. 93-112. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2014). Global report on Trafficking in persons. New York: United Nations publication.

Race and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Essay Example

Race and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Essay After a grueling battle against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama emerged victorious and had come one step closer to the White House.   His nomination in itself is a historic moment.   It presents the possibility of the first ever African American man to become the president of the Free World.   If Obama wins, his victory will mark a period of social and political change.   However, people are questioning if his victory is even possible.   It was said that his race may be a hindrance to his political aspirations, as his being African-American may work against him.   Will race have an impact on the 2008 U.S. presidential election?   This research paper aims to discuss the possible role that race will play in the election in the light of the racism in American politics in general.   This paper will also delve into the media and how they handle the Obama candidacy.Racism seems to be prevalent in the history of American politics.   One example was the 2000 Republican nomination of George W. Bush, who eventually won as president (Bhanot, 2007).   His opponent then was John McCain.   Those who campaigned for Bush questioned the voting public in South Carolina if they would back McCain â€Å"if he had an illegitimate child with a black woman† (Bhanot, 2007, para. 5).   This question was an inappropriate attack on McCains adopted daughter Bridget, who was from Bangladesh. Nonetheless, McCain was no passive victim.   He was also guilty of racism.   He once referred to those who captured him during the Vietnam War as â€Å"gooks† (Bhanot, 2007, para. 6).   He then claimed that that was the nicest term he could use to describe them (Bhanot, 2007).Two years after, the racist references continue.   Mississippi Senator and Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott was in a festive mood in celebration of the 100th birthday of South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond (Bhanot, 2007).   In 1948, Thurmond ran for president, in which he supported separation of the blacks and whites.   Lott insinuated that the United States would be much better if the country supported Thurmond and his stand on racism. Lotts indirect support of racial segregation was met with opposition, forcing him to resign (Bhanot, 2007).All the aforementioned offenders have been from the Republican Party (Bhanot, 2007).  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, this does not mean racism is only practiced by a certain group of people. West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd is a Democrat.   He was part of the Ku Klux Klan and was the head of a local chapter.   Despite this, he still is the longest serving senator, with nine terms to his name (Bhanot, 2007).This brief history showed how racism played a role in American politics in the past. The U.S. election is still months away, so the campaign is a good place to start in determining whether race would really have an impact in the coming elections.   Michael Barone, in his article for the U.S. News and World Report entitled The Race Factor in the 2008 Presidential Election, stated that race was not the reason why people reject Obama; they simply do not like him as a person.   He argued that race is not the reason why people would hesitate to vote for a black candidate (Barone, 2008).   He stated that there is only a small percentage of voters who would not vote for an African American candidate.   In his article, he also cited Colin Powell as an example, since he ran for office in 1996.   Barone argues that Powell and Obama are â€Å"not typical of Americans of African descent† (Barone, 2008, para. 10).   Even if Powell had Jamaican blood while Obama had Caucasian blood, they still are of African descent (Barone, 2008).   Regardless of the small the percentage of non-black voters, they still have an impact in the electoral process.   Race will still play a role in the outcome of the elections.The campaign period for the Democratic nomination is proof that racism still exists. In an article in Insight Magazine, it was reported that the campaign of Hillary Clinton found out about the supposed childhood of Obama (as cited in Bhanot, 2007).   It was said that as a child, Obama attended a seminary for Islamic radicals called madrassa (Bhanot, 2007).   In turn, it was indicated that he was concealing the fact that he was a Muslim.   Both accounts are false.   These are but racial attacks, as if to insinuate that Obama is linked with terrorism. This may be attributed to the fact that the middle name of Obama is Hussein (Bhanot, 2007).Another instance in the campaign in which racism became evident involved Obama rival Hillary Clinton.   When she was in West Virginia, Clinton claimed that the support of Caucasian Americans for Obama was on the decline (Navarrette, 2008).   The statements of Clinton hinted that the reason why people should vote for her or why she will win is because of her skin color.   She supposes th at her victory is assured by the color of her skin (Navarrette, 2008).   This assumption is clearly racist.According to columnist Ruben Navarrette, some Caucasians are struggling for a reason why they are not backing Obama (Navarrette, 2008).   He insisted that racism still exists; this is the reason why people cannot fully grasp the idea of an African-American running for president and winning it.   He acknowledges that there are those who still believe in the inferiority of the black race.   That is why it is such a difficult thing to comprehend how an African-American like Obama could achieve so much.   They simply never realized that having an African-American president was possible (Navarrette, 2008).From the above examples, it already shows that race have played a part and made an impact on the campaign trail.   From the aforementioned examples, it can be said that if race already influenced the campaign, it would surely influence the election itself.   Another t hing that shows how race may impact the election is through the interest of media towards the Obamas actions.Race may play a crucial part in the treatment of the media to Obama and his candidacy.   This is because the media had exhibited great interest in some of Obamas distinct mannerisms.   For instance, there was the influx of media coverage and commentary regarding the bumping of the fists between Obama and his wife Michelle before he officially announced that he was the Democratic nominee (Deggans, 2008).   The gesture had long been done, but it never really gained that much attention until this incident.   Suddenly the media bombarded the public with pieces regarding the gesture, in an attempt to explain its origins and meaning. The interest of the gesture is caused by one thing: Obamas race.In the Washington Post, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote that for his introduction of black mannerisms to politics, â€Å"Barack is like Black Folks 2.0† (as cited in Deggans, 2008).à ‚   The gesture called the attention of the media because of its racial nature.   However, the gesture also brought about a racist response.   E.D. Hill, an anchor for the Fox News Channel insinuated that the gesture was a â€Å"terrorist fist jab† (as cited in Deggans, 2008).   Afterwards, she apologized.   The fascination results from his race, and Eric Deggans analyzed the media frenzy in an article whose title says it all: â€Å"Media treat Obama like an artifact of a foreign culture† (Deggans, 2008).While it is obvious that race attracts much media attention, the media was found to have handled the Obama candidacy with much consideration.   In fact, Obama has consistently have been receiving good press.   Early on in the campaign, Obama has received positive coverage compared to the other potential candidates (Cost, 2007).   Soon, he was receiving the best press among all presidential candidates (Center for Media and Public Affairs [CMPA], 2008).   Between December 16, 2007 to January 27, 2008, 84% of the media coverage for Obama had been approving (CMPA, 2008).   These statistics can be attributed to what Obama represents.   It was said that compared to other candidates, he is the epitome of the new direction of American politics.   He shows what the future of America can be like; he can be an agent for change (CMPA, 2008).Though racism may still exist, the medias treatment to Obama clearly does not show it.   In fact, the media is considered as one of Obamas greatest advantages.   The media had always been â€Å"enthusiastic† about Obama and his presidential campaign (Friedman, 2007).   It cannot be denied that the affirmative response of the media towards Obama had contributed in his present success.   It was the medias relentless coverage of Obama which brought him closer to the public.   Race may be an issue, but it does not hinder the reception of the media to Obama.   Some of the qualities that have endeared him to the press include his â€Å"intellect, vitality and charisma† (Friedman, 2007).   Indeed, these three work for Obama, as these qualities set him apart from his fellow candidates.   In fact, the Washington Post also indicated in a review that Obama was next to Kennedy in terms of becoming such a political superstar and a potential Chief Executive (as cited in Friedman, 2007).The preferential response of the media to Obama has attracted the attention of his rivals.   Compared to the medias treatment of Obama, the response to Clinton is not as favorable.   This is the reason why she and her supporters have been complaining about the unequal and unfair media coverage (Harris ; Vandehei, 2008).   Clintons side pointed out the the press had been â€Å"soft† on Obama (Saul, 2008).   Her complaints are quite valid.   While Obama has been receiving the best press coverage, Clinton has the worst press among the presidential candidates (CMPA, 2 008).   Obama has surely benefited from the media advantage that he has.In the history of American politics, racism had always existed.   It still exists today, as evident in the presidential campaign.   It can be derived that race will indeed have an impact on the presidential elections, when Barack Obama attempts to become the countrys first African-American president.   While race may be factor for people to not vote for him, there are still other factors that could bring Obama to the White House.   The warm reception of the media to Obama is due to his other qualities, qualities that may prove powerful enough to win him the presidency.   Therefore, while race may prove to be a disadvantage to his political ambitions, Obama still has the traits that could make people vote for him.ReferencesBarone, M. (2008). The race factor in the 2008 presidential election. U.S. News ; World Report. Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/17/usnews/whispe rs/main4186563.shtmlBhanot, S. (2007). Barack Obama and the culture of racism in American politics.   American Chronicle.   Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/19499Center for Media and Public Affairs. (2008).   Media Boost Obama, Bash â€Å"Billary.† Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://www.cmpa.com/election%20news%202_1_08.htmCost, J. (2007).   Monitoring the media. Realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/horseraceblog/media/Deggans, E. (2008).   Media treat Obama like an artifact of a foreign culture. St. Petersburg Times.   Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/article623435.eceFriedman, J. (2007). Barack Obama has nothing to complain about. MarketWatch.com.   Retrieved June 25, 2008, from http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/barack-obama-has-nothing-complain/story.aspx?guid=%7B5FDE92C8-460E-4F6F-80B8-3E9A40E51B40%7DHarris, J.F., ; Vandehei, J. ( 2008). Obamas secret weapon: The media. Politico.   Retrieved June 25, 2008, from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9718.htmlNavarrette, R., Jr. (2008).   No racism in presidential election? CNN.   Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/navarrette/Saul, M. (2008).   Angry Barack Obama bombarded by media. NYDailyNews.com.   Retrieved June 25, 2008, from https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/03/04/2008-03-04_angry_barack_obama_bombarded_by_media.html

Financial Analysis †Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi

Financial Analysis – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi Introduction Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) are two leading banking institutions based in the capital city of United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Financial Analysis – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This report comprises of a financial analysis of both banks while taking into consideration financial information in the past three financial years, i.e. 2009, 2010 and 2011. The financial analysis presented in this report includes, profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, leverage ratio and solvency ratios of the two banks. Overview of the Banks Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank was founded back in the year 1997 with the mission of conducting its operations in accordance with the Islamic principles as laid down under â€Å"Shariah Law† (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Bloomberg, 2013). Nationa l Bank of Abu Dhabi was founded in the year 1968, and since then it has earned a great reputation not only in the region, but also in other parts of the world. Today, National Bank of Abu Dhabi is regarded as the largest financial institution in Abu Dhabi as far as its lending operations are concerned (National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; Bloomberg, 2013). Financial Analysis Following is a comprehensive analysis of the financial position and performance of the companies selected in this report: Profitability Ratios Profitability ratios are determined in order to evaluate profitability of a business concern. Profitability ratios generally include, gross margin, operating margin, return on equity, return on investments, return on capital employed, etc. (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Following profitability ratios have been dete rmined for the banks selected for analysis in this report: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Return on Equity 1.51 % 12.62 % 13.48 % 14.77 % 15.27 % 14.05 % Return on Investment 0.12 % 1.36 % 1.55 % 1.53 % 1.74 % 1.45 % Net Profit Margin 7.26 % 43.68 % 44.31 % 60.72 % 61.16 % 56.96 % Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013). The return on equity has increased significantly from 2009 to 2010 for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. The reason behind this substantial increase is the improvement in the bank’s earnings in 2010 and onwards. Moreover, since there is comparatively lower increase noted in total equity of the bank, and therefore, resulted in higher return on equity in 2010 and 2011. Similarly, for National Bank of Abu Dhabi the ratio has shown improvement from 2009 to 2010, but declined in 2011. The reason be hind these fluctuating trends noted in return on equity for National Bank of Abu Dhabi is fluctuations in net income during the past three years. Similar to the trends noted in return on equity for the two banks in the past three years the return on investment for the two banks showed similar trends. Also, net profit margin also followed similar patterns for both banks. Due to significant increase in revenues of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the net income increased considerably, the impact of which has been ultimately depicted in the net profit margin during 2010 and 2011.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Financial Analysis – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Liquidity Ratios The liquidity ratios determine the ability of a company to meet its short term borrowing obligations through its internal current sources. Liquidity ratios generally include current ratio, quick ratio, cash ratio and net working capital ratio (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006). Following are the current and cash ratios determined for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi for the past three financial years, i.e. 2009, 2010 and 2011. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Current Ratio 0.25 0.30 0.33 0.28 0.32 0.33 Cash Ratio 0.17 0.21 0.23 0.13 0.09 0.11 Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013) As can be observed in the table above, there is no major difference noted in the current ratios of the two banks over the period of past three years. The current ratios of both banks have improved from 2009 onwards due to significant improvements noted in the current assets of both banks and a comparatively lower increase in the current liabilities, particularly short term borrowings by the ba nks. On the other hand, cash ratio for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has shown a similar trend in the past three years, whereas for National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the ratio has been observed as fluctuating during the past three years. In 2010, the cash ratio of the bank reached at its lowest point in the past three years, due to fall in cash and cash equivalent reserves.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leverage Ratio The leverage ratio, such as debt to equity ratio, determines the extent to which a business entity’s operations and activities are reliant on debt financing as compared to equity financing. In other words, it also shows the extent of debt over equity in a business’ balance sheet (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006). The gearing ratios for the two selected banks in this report are determined as follows for financial periods 2009, 2010 and 2011: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Gearing Ratio 1.44 0.58 0.79 0.58 0.94 0.74 Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013) The gearing position of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has shown consistent fluctuations over the past three financial years. As for instance, in 2009, the gearing level of the bank is seen at its highest level due to increased preference for debt financing of banks operations rather than opting for equity financing. This situation changed significantly in 2010 due to a comparatively higher increase in equity of the bank as compared to increase in debt. However, the situation changed once again in 2011 due to significantly higher increase in debts of the bank in contrast to the increase in equity. On the other hand, gearing situation for National Bank of Abu Dhabi is completely opposite. The gearing level of National Bank of Abu Dhabi increased from 2009 to 2010 and then declined in 2011; the reason being about a 100 percent increase in debts of the bank and a low increase in equity level. In 2011, total debts slightly declined due to which gearing ratio also came down in comparison with the previous year. Solvency Ratios Solvency ratios determine the ability of a business enterprise to survive in future (Helfert, 2001; Siddiqui, 2006). Following are the solvency ratios determined for two banks for the past three financi al years: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank National Bank of Abu Dhabi 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 Debt to Assets Ratio 0.92 0.89 0.88 0.90 0.89 0.90 Cash Flow to Debt Ratio 0.40 0.76 0.42 17.72 7.21 8.38 Source: (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2011; Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2010; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2011; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, 2010; Bloomberg, 2013) The debt to assets ratio for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank can be observed as declining during the past three years, but with small differences. The primary reason behind this decline is that the bank’s assets have increased, not in proportion to the increase in debt, which shows that there is less increase in assets due to debt. Similarly, for National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the ratio declined from 2009 to 2010, but improved in 2011. The reason for the decline is same as has been noted in case of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. On the other hand, cash flow to debt ratio for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank increased in 2010, but came to the same level in 2011 as it was in 2009. The primary factor, which has resulted in fluctuation in this ratio, has been operating cash flows of the bank. On the other hand, cash flow to debt ratio for National Bank of Abu Dhabi has been noted as significantly lower than that of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Moreover, the ratio has declined from 2009 to 2010, but slightly improved in 2011. The sharp decline in 2010 is due to significant increase in total debts of the bank. Conclusion From the financial ratio analysis of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s financial statements for the financial years 2009, 2010 and 2011, it has been observed that there are varying trends and patterns in the past three years for both banks as far as their financial performance is concerned. The profitability ratios for the two banks have revealed that Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has performed much better, as indicated by significant improvement in net income, as compared to National Bank of Abu Dhabi. On the other hand, the liquidity positions of the two banks have remained more or less similar in the three years period under consideration. As far as leverage positions of the two banks are concerned, it is concluded from the analysis that both have shown volatility in this respect. As has been noted, there is no particular pattern is followed in maintaining a certain gearing level by both banks. Moreover, the overall gearing level for both banks remained at high levels from 2009 to 2011, due to high levels of debt financing. Lastly, the review of solvency position of both banks concluded that the debt to assets ratio for both banks remained at the same level in the past three financial years, primarily due to the fact that the increase in debt and increase in assets for both banks remained proportionately similar. However, significant differences have been noted in cash flow to debt ratios as there have been significant differences in the operating cash flows of the two ba nks. Reference List Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. (2010). Annual Report 2010. Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. (2011). Annual Report 2011. Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Bloomberg. (2013). Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB:Abu Dhabi). Bloomberg. Web. Bloomberg. (2013). National Bank Of Abu Dhabi (NBAD:Abu Dhabi). Bloomberg. Web. Helfert, E. A. (2001). Financial Analysis Tools and Techniques: A Guide for Managers. New York: McGraw-Hill. National Bank of Abu Dhabi. (2010). Annual Report 2010. Abu Dhabi: National Bank of Abu Dhabi. National Bank of Abu Dhabi. (2011). Annual Report 2011. Abu Dhabi: National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Siddiqui, S. A. (2006). Managerial Economics And Financial Analysis. New Delhi: New Age International Publishers.

Quotes for Remembrance Day

Quotes for Remembrance Day In 1915, Punch magazine published a John McCrae poem titled, In Flanders Fields. McCrae, a Canadian soldier, had served in the Second Battle of Ypres in Flanders, Belgium. He wrote, In Flanders Fields after a friend died in battle and was buried with a simple wooden cross as a marker. The poem described similar mass graveyards on the fields of Flanders, fields that were alive with red poppies but now filled with the corpses of dead soldiers. The poem highlights the irony of war, where a soldier dies so that a nation of people lives. John McCraes poem made poppies a symbol of the First World War, representing bloodshed. As a mark of respect, people lay wreaths of poppies on the graves of those who died at war. Many people wear red poppies on their lapels as a sign of remembrance. People also observe a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, Remembrance Day. Most places hold a special Remembrance Day service, where hymns and national anthems are played in honor of war heroes. Here are some quotes to share in honor of our past fallen  soldiers and to take a moment to remember them. Jose Narosky In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.Aaron KilbournThe dead soldiers silence sings our national anthem.Richard HoveyOur cheer goes back to them, the valiant dead!Laurels and roses on their graves to-day,Lilies and laurels over them we lay,And violets oer each unforgotten head.Joseph DrakeAnd they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldiers tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.Benjamin DisraeliThe legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.William HavardThe greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children.Joseph CampbellA hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.Douglas MacArthurIn my dreams, I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield.Publilius SyrusValor grows by daring, fear by holding back.Billy GrahamCourage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened. MuhammadFour things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave.Elizabeth Barrett BrowningAnd each man stands with his face in the light of his own drawn sword. Ready to do what a hero can.Carol Lynn PearsonHeroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.Michel de MontaigneValor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.Napoleon BonaparteValor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.William PennFor death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.Lucy LarcomLife hangs as nothing in the scale against dear Liberty!George F. KennanHeroism...is endurance for one moment more.Rudyard Kipling, The Old IssueAll we have of freedom, all we use or know- This our fathers bought for us long and lon g ago.Albert EinsteinWe must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make ungrudgingly for the cause of war. There is no task that is more important or closer to my heart.Louis PasteurIt is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes.John H. JewettOur battle-fields, safe in the keepingOf Natures kind, fostering care,Are blooming,- our heroes are sleeping,- And peace broods perennial there.Omar BradleyBravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.Randy VaderThe story of America’s quest for freedom is inscribed on her history in the blood of her patriots.Benjamin DisraeliNurture your minds with great thoughts, to believe in the heroic makes heroes.Henry Ward BeecherThey hover as a cloud of witnesses above this Nation.Schuyler ColfaxThese martyrs of patriotism gave their lives for an idea.William Makepeace ThackerayBravery never goes out of fashion.G. K. ChestertonBrave men are all vertebrates; they have their softness on the surface and their toughness in the middle. Rose Kennedy It has been said, time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. William Shakespeare Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear. Alexander Henry On what rests the hope of the republic? One country, one language, one flag! Cynthia Ozick We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. Arthur Koestler The most persistent sound which reverberates through mens history is the beating of war drums. Michael N. Castle These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor- and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror. Philip James Bailey Man is a military animal, glories in gunpowder, and loves parade. Maya Angelou How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! Oliver Wendell Holmes Lord, bid wars trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace. George William Curtis A mans country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. Mark Twain In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. Thomas Dunn English But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye. Jeannette Rankin You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. Czeslaw Milosz, The Issa Valley The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them. Sara Zarr When the remembering was done, the forgetting could begin. Thomas Campbell To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. Robert Reich True patriotism isnt cheap. Its about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. Gary Hart I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot. Eve Merriam I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, Mother, what was war? Terry Pratchett, Going Postal Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken? G.K. Chesterton Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.

My experience viewing in 1869 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My experience viewing in 1869 - Essay Example I am finally on the grounds of the globe amphitheater. As expected, the grounds are crowded with playgoers. There is an array of activities with merchants selling refreshments to the playgoers. Just by looking at the dress code of the playgoers I can almost tell that this play has attracted more groundlings than the previous one. I make my way to the stall selling hazelnuts and oranges, and I purchase some for my refreshment during the act. At the entrance, to the globe is a box where all playgoers deposit their entrance fee (Wilson &Alvin 17). I join the growing queue and after a few minutes am at the entrance. Upon placing my entrance fee in the box, I find my way to the theatre pit from where I will catch the play. On arrival at the pit, I discovered that I am amongst the first of to arrive in this section. I am fortunate to find sitting place on the standing grounds. Fellow commoners soon join us at the theatre pit. The nobles, who pay an excess of four pennies, take their well-c ushioned seats in the three-level galleries surrounding the central yard. This comical play has attracted large numbers of spectators. The audience comprises members of different social classes; the lower class by the groundlings at the theatre pit, and the upper class by the nobles in the Lord’s rooms. The Lord’s rooms are behind the stage sheltered from the elements used in the play. I see the nobility class adorned in apparels that define their upper social class. Some of them mask their faces to hide their identity.... The amphitheatre has limited artificial lighting that is why most performances occur during the afternoons (Wilson &Alvin 16). I am finally at the grounds of the globe amphitheatre. As expected, the grounds are crowded with playgoers. There is an array of activities with merchants selling refreshments to the playgoers. Just by looking at the dress code of the playgoers I can almost tell that this play has attracted more groundlings than the previous one. I make my way to the stall selling hazelnuts and oranges, and I purchase some for my refreshment during the act. At the entrance, to the globe is a box where all playgoers deposit their entrance fee (Wilson &Alvin 17). I join the growing queue and after a few minutes am at the entrance. Upon placing my entrance fee in the box, I find my way to the theatre pit from where i will catch the play. On arrival at the pit, I discovered that I am amongst the first of to arrive in this section. I am fortunate to find sitting place on the stand ing grounds. Fellow commoners soon join us at the theatre pit (Wilson &Alvin 19). The nobles, who pay an excess of four pennies, take their well cushioned seats in the three level galleries surrounding the central yard. This comical play has attracted large numbers of spectators. The audience comprises members of different social classes; the lower class by the groundlings at the theatre pit, and the upper class by the nobles in the Lord’s rooms. The Lord’s rooms are behind the stage sheltered from the elements used in the play. I see the nobility class adorned in apparels that define their upper social class. Some of them mask their faces to hide their identity (Wilson &Alvin 19). Royalty is also represented in this

Tang Dynasty Culture Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tang Dynasty Culture Art - Essay Example The animals that were frequently found in Tang ceramics were created using so many molds and then by putting the pieces together and strengthening those areas with clay plugs on the inside to try to reduce strain on the joints. During this period, it was featured with enghlitement in trade and peace with other foreign nations. Evidence of these foreigners is seen in the figures on tombs during this time. Several nationalities were noted in the pottery. Importation of horses also marked this period, and this period was famously known for its horses that were displayed in its funerary artwork (Ebrey, pg. 127)The most common form of pottery that was famous during this time was the globular jars and offering trays that had horizontal rims. Because of the vast nature of china as a country, the ceramics were varying from one region to the other during this period. In the northern central region, the stoneware is seen to be fine, and the common practice was covering it with a thin whitish s lip. In the east and southeast region, the pottery is stouter with short straight spout that is set on the shoulder.During this period, there is also curious interest in the transmutation glaze in which the high-fired stoneware is seen to change its colors to kilns. This is seen especially when the blue or gray place flecks are applied to a dark or brown background that resembles tea-dusk. The dynasty of tang was crucial in the ceramics development and the contribution of clay bodies, glaze techniques and firing methods.

The Historical Cost Convention Essay Example for Free

The Historical Cost Convention Essay The historical cost convention used in historical cost accounting, records transaction at the monetary value at the date of transaction (i.e. their historical cost). An asset or liability being measured using the historical cost basis is recognized initially at transaction cost. This convention is used as a basis to prepare financial statements. In the income statement, revenues and expenses are recorded at the monetary value shown on the invoice. Historical cost accounting (HCA) might be the most suitable convention for stewardship purposes but may not be the most suitable for decision usefulness. This view has been apparent in the UK, with attempts to introduce supplementary accounts based on the current purchasing power (CPP) convention and the current cost convention (CCA). Neither of these alternatives was adopted after their initial trial. The HCA depends on depreciation policy and inventory valuation therefore it is subjective. Such a characterization tends to assume, however, that all historical cost measures are transaction-based and involve little estimation, which is not the case. For example, adjustments made to the historical cost carrying value of trade receivables to make allowance for bad and doubtful debts involve a degree of estimation that is not dissimilar to that involved in estimating current values not derived from an active market. And the results are often of broadly similar reliability. There is a similar level of estimation involved in determining the cost of self-generated assets and by-products, and generally in all circumstances involving allocations of substantial amounts of indirect costs.

Secularization Essay -- Essays Papers Religion Society Worldly

Secularization The word secularization is derived from the Latin word saeculum(world) it was first used to refer the transfer of property from the church to the civil princes. Now it denotes the process by which religion loses some or all of its power, dominance and authority. Secularization as a concept refers to the actual historical process whereby this dualist system â€Å" this world'; and the sacramental structures of mediation between this world and the other world progressively breakdown until the entire medieval systems of classification disappear, to be replaced by new systems of spatial structuration of the spheres. The structured division of 'this world'; into two separate spheres, 'the religious'; and 'the secular'; has to be distinguished and kept separate. From now on, there will be only one single 'this world';, the secular one, within which religion will have to find its own place. If before, it was the religious realm which appeared to be the all-encompassing reality within which the secular realm found its proper place, now the secular sphere will be the all-encompassing within which religious sphere will have to adapt. There are several conceptions of secularization. 1. Decline of religion 2. Differentiation of institution, practices and activities from religion 3. Transposition of norms from religion to the world 4. Desacralization of the world 5. Conformity of religion to the world There are also causes of secularization 1. Industrializa...

Artifacts Used in Aztec History

Artifacts Used in Aztec Households in Mexican History Kelly Ferguson Anthropology 201 Name: Obsidian Blade Catalog #: 30 / 922 A Museum: American Museum of Natural History During Aztec history, obsidian was used in various ways, such as cutting cloth, hide, and wood. The Aztecs also made efficient weapons and cutting tools, because obsidian flakes into sharp glassy edges when reworked. When used as knives, obsidian was usually embedded in a wood handle to protect the wielder.These knives were used in auto-sacrifice, or â€Å"blood letting†, a ritual where a person would cut themselves and drip blood to honor ancestors or gods. Obsidian is one of the sharpest natural minerals in the world, and is even sharper when reworked into an edge. Obsidian was an important part of life in Mesoamerican history – in many ways, it helped build the economy there. It was a vital part of the trade and distribution of goods in Latin America. Variations of this reworked stone have been fou nd in almost every Aztec archeological site and ruin, usually reshaped into a tool or figurine.Eventually, carvers began to make a new variety of obsidian objects – jewelry, figurines, ear-spools, pokers, etc. This artifact, among others, was donated by M. H. Saville to the museum in 1896. Name: Stamp Catalog #: 30. 2/ 8763 Museum: American Museum of Natural History This artifact, a Mesoamerican clay stamp, is from the Post-Classic Aztec period, sometime between 1000-1521 CE. It was constructed from clay and reworked to create a design of waves and lines. This stamp specifically was donated by an anonymous donor as a gift to the museum in 1947.These clay stamps were molded and then baked to harden – afterwards, they were distributed across Mexican households of different social-economic status. For much of history, stamps have been used as a way of identifying a family or social group, along with a business or governmental body. In the Aztec world, stamps were used to apply color and ink to paper, cloth, pottery, and the human form, as well. Inks were made of local herbs, ranging in color and texture.In many cases, the stamp may show images of religion, local sights, god-figures, nature, or family, among others. This artifact in question consists of a multitude of lines and squiggles, resembling water or air, along with other parts of nature. Name: Pipe Catalog #: 30. 0/ 1812 Museum: American Museum of Natural History This piece is from the Post-Classic Aztec period, constructed between 1000 and 1521 CE. It is made of clay and has been polished to create an artistic sheen. The pipe (among others) was donated by Dr.Herbert Spinden after his expedition to Latin and Central America during his time working for the Museum of Natural History. During Aztec history, pipes were used for the ritual consumption of tobacco and herbs during household and community ceremonies. Much of the time, tobacco was either chewed or smoked, but smoke was also used to ki ll insects during harvest, or as a mild antiseptic. Tobacco use has been a key ingredient in the history of shamanism in Latin America, as well – along with the social life of everyday Aztec men and women.

An Overview of Four Government Agency Websites Essay

The FNS website is dedicated to providing information regarding the distribution and availability of food throughout the United States. In relation to this, the site also contains data on nutrition, and well it is maintained across different regions and population groups. Statistical information on child nutrition, food distribution, as well as food security are all made accessible to the public; furthermore, statistical data on FNS programs, such as those on school meals and disaster relief, are available as well (FNS, 2010). In addition to such, other parts of the website also provide useful information. For example, accomplished studies and articles on issues in food and nutrition are also maintained in the reference section of the site. Similar to the website of other government agencies, the FNS website also contains instruction of how to apply for grants as well as jobs within the agency. Without doubt, for gaining insights on topics related to food and nutrition, and in the pursuit of remaining updated regarding the trends regarding such matters, the FNS website is a suitable option. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) At present, environmental issues are evidently among the most discussed topics throughout the world. The EPA website provides its visitors information regarding various aspects of the environment particularly in the context of the United States. In this sense, not only does the site present statistical information on air quality according to region, but similar data regarding harmful emissions are also provided; interestingly, statistics on toxic releases are also made accessible to the general public (EPA, 2010). Also, aside from having news features about the environment, which of course encompasses the recent oil spill incident, supplementary information on how to maintain a responsible lifestyle for preserving and enhancing the natural environment are also featured in the site. In relation to such, it is apparent that the EPA website designed in a manner that even younger audiences may benefit from its features. Nonetheless, despite being approachable by a wide range of audiences, it is undeniable that experts and researchers would benefit from the abundance of updated statistical information which may be found on the EPA website. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) The FAA, as its name implies, is mainly concerns with safety in the field of aviation. In this sense though, the issues covered by the FAA ranges from aircraft safety to pilot competency. FAA’s website offers a myriad of information readily accessible by any visitor. For one, it provides means to locate FAA offices and headquarters throughout various locations in the United States; in addition, a range of general as well as in-depth discussions pertaining to aircraft safety, traffic, policies, and even training are all available (FAA, 2010). Of course, given such a broad range of topics being assessed by the FAA, it is logical to assume that the types of statistical information correspond to such. In particular, statistical information on accidents, traffic, and consumer related aspects such as sales could be accessed through the FAA website; interestingly, statistical information on delays as well as pilot test results have been made available as well (FAA, 2010). Thus, it may be said, that the amount of statistical information on the FAA website, presents it as among the government agencies with the most abundant and detailed statistical information available. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Economics, in order to be understood at a functional level, of course entails the use and analysis of statistical information. Hence, the BEA provides concerned individuals with access to updated statistical information of the United States economy. Specifically, not only does the BEA website contain data regarding the local economy and the specific facets of the economy but it also provides information regarding international accounts as well; among some of the easily identifiable examples of statistical information shown on the BEA website are as follows: real GDP, personal income, international trade, and international transactions (BEA, 2010). Of course, aside from such, the website still contains less technical information such as news updates. For one, the oil spill incident as well as its implications for the United States economy is presented as one of the news highlights (BEA, 2010). Other related links containing business surveys, customer guides, research applications, and job openings are also available. Indeed, the BEA website contains a myriad of useful information, ranging from practical to the most technical, maintaining the economic awareness of the population. References Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2010). BEA Home Page. Retrieved from http://www. bea. gov/. Environmental Protection Agency. (2010). Learn the Issues. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/epahome/learn. htm. Federal Aviation Administration. (2010). FAA Home Page. Retrieved from http://www. faa. gov/. Food and Nutrition Service. (2010). Data and Statistics. Retrieved from http://www. fns. usda. gov/fns/data. htm.

Tips on How to Write a Terrific Literature Review

Tips on How to Write a Terrific Literature Review How to Write a Literature Review When writing a literature review, you are supposed to provide a critical evaluation of the most important sources that were published on your topic of interest. Actually, a literature review can serve different purposes depending on what audience will read it or listen to it. For example, if the audience knows less than you do on the topic, the purpose of the review will be informative. On the contrary, if the audience comprises renowned professors and specialists, you should pursue the purpose of demonstrating familiarity and expertise in the topic. Some writing tips, which you should follow when providing a review of literature: Place your original work within the context of the existing sources; Make sure to interpret the key issues pertaining to your topic of interest; Focus on describing the relationship among chosen literary sources; Come up with new ways of interpretation and point out the gaps in the analyzed sources; Provide solutions to the existing conflicts or controversies among previous studies; Indicate which literature makes a major contribution to your understanding of the topic; Indicate the perspectives of your further research. Constituents of a Literature Review In order to be properly written, a literature review must be well-structured. The ideas should be presented logically and coherently. Besides, it is highly important to provide clear transitions from one idea/point to the other. In your choice of sources, make sure they are relevant to the topic of your research and not outdated. When presenting concepts and terminology, make sure you do it as comprehensively and unbiased as possible. Include the following parts into your review of literature: Brief overview of the topic, main issues/ aspects or theory; Separate review of sources for and against your research topic/position; Provide the background for your research, which was made before; When writing the conclusion, indicate which of the works have made the most significant contribution to the study. Pay attention to the following criteria when deciding which work to include in your review: Credibility: which of the authors ideas are persuasive and why? Qualifications: Does the author have suitable/required credentials to conduct a well-comprehensive research? Worth: do the authors findings add value to your own ones? Neutrality: are the authors perspectives biased or not? You should present your attitide towards the works you review with the help of reporting verbs, which indicate whether you accept a certain viewpoint/stance or not. Reporting verbs indicate the following: Neutral evaluation: comment, cite, address; Positive evaluation: hold, argue, advocate; Critical evaluation: condemn, refute, object, attack; Tentative evaluation: suggest, allude to, hypothesize, believe. All in all, the way of presentation the materials in your literature review should demonstate that you have chosen and quoted the most relevant material to support/refute your argument and that you have provided sense when introducing quotes into your argument development (by clealry interpreting them and linking to the idea you aim to express).

Turn Campus Leftovers Into Meals in College

Turn Campus Leftovers Into Meals in College Maybe you’ve heard of that University of Maryland student who noticed that his campus kitchen ends up with a lot of leftovers and decided to donate them to hungry families. The effort grew into a bigger project and he now runs a nonprofit called Food Recovery Network. Leftovers have a long history from charity to high cuisine. Did you know that a lot of famous national dishes emerged as a way to do something with leftovers? Pizza is said to have come about as a result of putting leftover ingredients on top of a baked bread base. Gazpacho, the cold Spanish soup is made from leftover stale bread and tomatoes. Bouillabaisse, the French fish soup was made of the leftover fish that the fisherman couldn’t sell at the market. Soups, stews, sandwiches, salads, omelets, casseroles and other yummy dishes can all be easily made from leftovers. Below, youll find some steps for you to make meals out of campus leftovers: First, you’ll need to get permission from your campus kitchen. Obviously, you can’t just walk in and start filling up some tupperwares with food. Approach the director of the campus kitchen and maybe a member of student affairs to coordinate how and when you’ll have access to campus leftovers. If there are no kitchen facilities in your dorm, you’ll need to get access to the campus kitchen facilities. Be patient, respectful and persistent. There’s really no good reason why good food should go to waste. There are basically three categories of leftovers: Leftover starches Leftover vegetables Leftover meat In the case of there being a lot of leftover starches such as bread, pasta, rice or potatoes, all you need to do is add some vegetables and/or meat to make a great meal. Likewise with the leftover vegetables and meat, you’ll just need to bulk up your leftovers by adding some starches. Find some examples below. Bread French onion soup a cheap and delicious meal. Some leftover bread, some onions and cheese is all you need to make this dish. Bread pudding beat some eggs, add some milk and cinnamon and bake for a fast, easy dessert. Sloppy Joes add some ground beef in tomato sauce for a simple Sloppy Joe. Pasta Add a can of tomato sauce and a tin of tuna for a quick and yummy tuna pasta dish. Or fry up some garlic for a quick aglio e olio. Add a can of peas and some cream and chop up some ham for a creamy option. Or bake your pasta with some cheese for a simple mac and cheese option. Rice Rice balls just combine the leftover rice with a little cheese, roll in breadcrumbs and deep fry them or bake them. Serve with hot sauce, ketchup, marinara sauce or your condiment of choice. Rice pudding make sure the rice doesn’t have salt in it first. Then just add milk or coconut milk, an egg, sugar, honey or another sweetener and cinnamon. Raisins are a popular addition, but totally optional. Stir fried rice this is the ultimate leftover dish. Throw some veggies (carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, spinach, onion, garlic and whatever else you have) and douse it with soy sauce. Add the rice and stir. Vegetables Vegetable soup a tablet of chicken or vegetable stock and some time are all you need to make this dish. Add rice, noodles or meat. Veggie omelet take those leftover veggies and tuck them into an omelet. Easy. You can also make Pasta Primavera by just adding pasta and some parmesan cheese. Chicken Chicken fried rice just bulk this one up with some rice and you’re golden. Chicken soup add some veggies, noodles or rice and some chicken stock. Chicken Caesar salad chop up the chicken and add it to your salad. The original Caesar salad is with Caesar dressing and romaine lettuce. Meat Shepherd’s Pie another legendary leftover’s dish, whip up some mash potatoes and layer the meat with some peas, carrots and onions under the mashed potatoes. Top with cheese and bake. Pasta Bolognese add some pasta, cream and tomato sauce to the leftover meat and enjoy this traditional Italian dish. Fish Fish chowder add some milk and some corn and carrots or potatoes and you’ve got yourself a lovely fish chowder. Shrimp salad top your salad with some shrimp salad, add dressing and enjoy! Or eat it on a sandwich. There are infinite ways to enjoy leftovers. What are your favorite leftover recipes?

The Benefits Of College Sports Speech or Presentation

The Benefits Of College Sports - Speech or Presentation Example Instead, they opt to spend the period set aside for sports studying, socializing or shopping.College sports have been beneficial for students who are offered scholarships based on their sporting prowess in games including tennis, American football, basketball and swimming (Shulman and Bowen 154). Students from marginalized communities benefit immensely from such programs. Most colleges in Europe do not pay the deserved attention to college sports as in other continents (Rosner,Scott and Shropshire 428). This is owing to the shared belief that education is more important than college sports. European varsities do not have the same number of sporting events like the ones in the United States and varsities in other regions of the world. In fact, the experience of college sports is not an important part of the college experience in continental Europe. At its best, most institutions have informal leagues for rugby and soccer. For instance, there are irregular college rugby matches at Twin ckenham between Cambridge and Oxford annually. In addition to, there are inter university events in football and basketball but the situation is still wanting in comparison to other continents. Further study into the topic reveals that college sports do not get enough support from the varsities and the sport departments. It has been observed that there are no sports scholarships in Europe. This adversely affects the sporting landscape in the region, as there are no incentives to take part in sports. This means that that the number of students taking part in college sports is minimal. Secondly, college sports events do not get appropriate coverage. This means students lack the necessary information on sports and those excelling in the sports are not recognized for their efforts. Other continents offer full media and television coverage to such events increasing their popularity among the students. Thirdly, a well-established fan base has a positive impact on the college sports scene (Rosner,Scott and Shropshire 428). Regrettably, the fan base for the various college sports is minimal. This further decreases the popularity of such sports. Additionally, it discourages the participation of any students who would be willing to take part in college sports (Shulman and Bowen 154). Fourthly, college sports do not get the necessary funding to develop and expand its activities. Finally, the college stadiums and facilities in the European varsities are not well developed. This means that those taking part in the sports do not get the appropriate training in a healthy environment. Additionally, the lack of proper training and sporting facilities dampen the efforts of the students taking part in the sports. The issue is no different at Franklin College Switzerland since sports are taken too lightly and denied the deserved attention. This is owing to the fact that too much attention is given to education and other extra curricula activities that are considered more importan t. It has been noted that there are no sporting scholarships offered at Franklin College Switzerland. This leads to the decline in attention paid to sports. The college rarely organizes sporting events within the institution and with other colleges. Additionally, the stadium at the institution has an inadequate space to accommodate various sporting activities. The college

Mid-term essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mid-term - Essay Example It was a time of religious intolerance when a strict theocratic rule existed in most of Europe. An example of the extreme power of the Papacy at around this period was its ability to wage wars against other countries. This powerful papacy launched the Crusades which fought for a period of two centuries against the Muslims who conquered and occupied the Near East, especially Jerusalem. It also fought against other perceived enemies of the faith such as those pagans in the Slavic region, the Jews, the Mongols and other peoples it considered as heretics. In the real sense, the papacy was a power unto itself and exercised both religious and temporal powers. It concerned itself with matters of the state and even kings bowed to it. It was against this backdrop that the Reformation movement begun that was started by a simple act of Martin Luther. He questioned some of the questionable practices of the clergy during his time. He saw how the clerical powers had been abused at the expense of o rdinary people and how it strayed so far away from its original religious mandate of saving the souls. It is necessary to give a brief background in order to understand the context in which Martin Luther challenged the papal authority and the manifest abuses of the system (Jacobs 7). Discussion The Catholic Church at around this time can be characterized, to put it mildly, as very corrupt. Candidates for the papacy outmaneuvered each other, engaged in political intrigues, some popes and priests were married and had families (before celibacy was imposed) and the general atmosphere within the Catholic hierarchy was far removed from religious matters. The main protest of Martin Luther was centered on the granting of indulgences. It was the practice of the Catholic Church at that time to give full or partial remissions for those sins committed and their accompanying or corresponding temporal punishment. Indulgences were replacements for severe penances imposed by the early church for si ns committed drawn from the supposed accumulated goodwill in the Treasury of Merit. Because the Church was very corrupt and engaged more in temporal matters than what was necessary, it was constantly in need of funds to finance its various projects like building massive cathedrals and to finance its religious wars. Due to this scarcity of funds, the Church decided to raise money through the sale of these so-called indulgences (Somervill 43). It was not originally intended by Martin Luther to split the Church itself but his intentions were just to point out the sheer error in selling indulgences when these were supposed to be free. A very important point raised by Luther was that indulgences cannot save sinners since forgiveness is a power granted by God alone and not from buying and paying for these indulgences. He saw how unfair it was for the pope at that time (Pope Leo) to finance construction of an extravagant St. Peter's Basilica when the papacy itself had so much money. Moreov er, he did not like the lavish lifestyle of the pope and the squandering of church funds through the support of extraneous things like art and culture. The pope had designated a short Dominican monk to undertake the sale of indulgences to raise funds; going from town to town, telling the people how they can save the souls of their relatives in Purgatory by buying indulgences. The Ninety-five Theses of Martin Luther –

Community Health issue Impacting the Health Profession Research Paper - 1

Community Health issue Impacting the Health Profession - Research Paper Example y health issues started sprawling up in the United States and therefore necessitated a change in the health profession more so the increased adoption or application of technology in the health practice. Presently, cancer is one of the most common and thorny health issue in the United States and it has contributed to the death of many people. Johnson (2011) stated that previously cancer was not prevalent as it is today and it used to affect mostly the older people but nowadays there are cases of young children even below the age of one year being diagnosed with cancer. Johnson (2011) stated that these increased cases of cancer in the United States had lead to the health profession undertaking some changes in order to tackle this rising issue. For example, increased cases of cancer have lead to an increase in the number of health workers who are being trained specifically on how to care and conduct treatment for cancer patients. Secondly, the health profession has adopted advanced technology for cancer screening and treatment. Thirdly, medical health professionals regardless of specialization are being taught on basic techniques of diagnosing cancer. Johnson (2011) stated that issues of drugs and alcohol abuse in the United States rose by 70% in the past decades, equally the disorders associated with drugs and alcohol abuse have also increase in equal measures as the national cost or government expenditure of dealing with cases of drugs and alcohol abuse. According to Johnson (2011), alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine are the most common in the American community and recent figures indicate there is an increase in the abuse of prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs. The health profession has witnessed certain changes due to the issue of drugs and alcohol and one of the changes is the increased monitoring and control of controlled drugs within the healthcare centers. Additionally, health professionals have been made to be more accountable for the drugs they handle

The explosive growth of RyanAir Company

The explosive growth of RyanAir Company The Ryanair Company is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial stories of the past 10 years in Europe. Furthermore that Ryanair has developed a very outspoken communication style, using advertising and media to a great deal to publicize its revolution in air travel. Ryanair was Europes original low-fares airline and it is still Europes largest low-fares carrier. In the current year Ryanair will carry over 35m. passengers on 300 low fare routes across 21 European countries. Ryanair has 15 European bases and a fleet of over 100 brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with firm orders for a further 125 new aircraft, which will be delivered over the next seven years. These additional aircraft will allow Ryanair to double in size to over 70m. passengers p.a. by 2012. Ryanair currently employs a team of 2,700 people, comprising over 25 different nationalities. Furthermore Ryanair continues a rapid growth in 2005. They started the year by launching two new bases at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and at Shannon in the West of Ireland. In February Ryanair announced orders for a further 70 firm aircraft from Boeing as well as 70 options. This takes Ryanairs total order with Boeing to 225 firm aircraft and 200 options. These new aircraft, which will be delivered between 2005 and 2012, will allow Ryanair to grow to over 70m. passengers per annum, proving that Ryanair is not just Europes original low fares airline, but remains Europes biggest low fares airline, as well as the only airline offering the lowest fares in every European market. http://www.grin.com Aims and objective: Aim of this report is to evaluate the given case study on the topic of Ryanair the low-fares airline by Eleanor OHiggins and critically analysing the current strategy of Ryanair to become successful in the European airline industry while airline business is struggling in Europe. The objectives of this report are as follows. Undertake an environmental analysis of the European airline industry with implications for the budget sector and Ryanair in particular. Analyse how Ryanair has been successful in the European budget airline industry. From the above analysis, critically assess the sustainability of Ryanairs strategy. Research methodology: In this report secondary research method also known as desk research, is being used. secondary research is the most common research method employed in the industry today. It involves processing data that has already been collected by another party. With this form, researchers will consult previous studies and findings such as reports, press articles and previous market research projects in order to come to a conclusion. The relatively low expense in comparison to primary research is the main advantage of this research, as no new research needs to be commissioned. However, its main disadvantage is that the data used in the analysis may be out-dated and therefore return inaccurate results. (www.marketresearchworld.net,) Environment Analysis: The environment is what gives organisations their means of survival. (Johnson et al 2008) We can distribute the environment into layers as follows. Source: (Johnson et al 2008) The Macro-Environment: The macro-environment is the highest level layer. This consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on almost all organisations.(Johnson et al 2008) Macro environment is out of control of any organisation but it could influence the organisations overall activities and functions. The radical and ongoing changes occurring in society create an uncertain environment and have an impact on the function of the whole organization (Tsiakkiros, 2002). To analyse the macro-environment there is a framework which helps to analyse Political, Economical, Socio-Cultural, Technological, Ecological and Legal factors called PESTEL. This analysis of is therefore often known as Pest analysis (Johnson, Scholes, 1999). PESTEL analysis of Ryanair: Political On May 1, 2003, it will mark one of the most important days in recent European history, the continent will see the biggest expansion of EU to date when ten states become new members. For Ryanair new markets will open which suits its growth plans. Stansted airport, owned by BAA, is one of the most rapidly growing airports in Europe (www.baa.co.uk/). BAA plans to build a second runway and terminal there, accompanied by necessary rail and road infrastructure, aiming to double passenger capacity within ten years. Stansted is Ryanairs London base and an expansion would enable substantial traffic increases thereby facilitating consolidation (Johnson Scholes 2002). The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for setting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦price caps on airport chargesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦at airports designated by the Secretary of State (www.caa.co.uk). One of these is Stansted, which has hitherto à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦benefited from discounted airport charges and cross-subsidy from the higher charges paid by the airlines at Heathrow and Gatwick airports (Done 18/12/03). CAAs new requirements command airport financing without cross-subsidisation on a stand-alone basis. Consequently discounts will be removed and charges possibly increased. Ryanair has protested as it will raise its costs (Done 20/10/03). Economical Opec aims to keep oil prices within the agreed band of US$22-US$28/bbl (www.opec.org). However, with crude oil now à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦standing at close to $33 a barrelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (www.bbc.co.uk) near a 13-year high, Opec considers increasing its target. With a tight US gasoline market, low inventories and an upsurge in fighting in Iraq, oil prices look likely to remain high or rise Ryanair faces persistently high or rising fuel prices. Sociocultural Holiday home ownership in Europe is increasingly common for Britons. During Christmas sales boomed and analysts believe it will continue as customers are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦encouraged by the highest employment figures in 28 years, low interest ratesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Insley 18/01/04) and other favourable borrowing conditions. Ryanair services regional airports, opening up the European countryside to buyers, and this trend means an increase in the possible customer base (Insley 08/02/04). The over-55s now represent approximately one third of most EU-countries populations, and the figure is increasing. Because of better healthcare and financial planning, a significant proportionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦of senior citizensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are able to indulge in high levels of leisure-orientated consumptionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Brassington Pettitt 2003). Analysts recommend developing specific marketing strategies for this market highlighting its growing importance (Lohmann Danielsson 2001). Ryanair here has an opportunity to increase its market share. Technological New technology will allow mobile phone and broadband use on-board. Carriers, including Ryanair, can thus increase ancillary services by offering on-line shopping, TV screenings and mobile phone usage against a fee. Furthermore, the satellite link could boost operating efficiency by being used to monitor planes, giving early warnings of problems to ground crews, thereby enhancing safety and minimising grounding (Economist 01/03/03 Economist 01/04/04). Environmental A recent White Paper emphasised à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the environmental importance of including aviation within the global emissions-trading schemeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Newman 03/12/03), aimed at providing financial incentives for companies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and to tax aviation fuel across EU. Presently an increase in air passenger tax is planned, which doubles the  £5 and  £20 economy passengers currently pay for short- and long-haul flights. This will raise Ryanairs prices, possibly deterring the most price-sensitive customers. Legal Ryanair uses mainly secondary airports which enables negotiation of favourable deals with the owners. At Charleroi Ryanair was given 50% off landing fees plus contributions to local amenities, training and marketing costs against guarantee of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a certain level of business for 15 years (FT 10/11/03). However, unfair competition was claimed and the European Commission (EC) decided that discounts on landing fees and ground-handling services are illegal, and ordered Ryanair to pay back  £3m. Ryanair fears that high-fare airlines and expensive hub-airports will lobby the EC into investigating other deals, using Charleroi as precedent (Done 29/01/04). Porters Five force analysis The PESTEL factors are important in a relative way as they usually affect all firms in the industry (Bowman Asch 1987). Hence, organisations should also examine their more immediate environment/industry, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for each other (Porter 1980). This analysis examines five competitive forces: potential entrants; buyers; substitutes; suppliers and industry competitors, which determine level of industry competition and profitability. Applying this to the budget airline industry enables identification of opportunities and threats to Ryanair in its business environment (Johnson Scholes 2002). Threat of new entrants High start-up costs needed for aircrafts, reservation systems and promotion, negates threat to some extent (Gilbert et.al 2001). The over-crowded market means à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there are too many budget aircraft playing Europes skies for too little money (Clark 07/02/04). As Europes skies are congested there is a lack of slots (Hanlon 1989) forcing new entrants into secondary airports and less profitable routes. Due to incumbents cost advantages, such as economies of scale and experience curve effects, price wars can be launched against newcomers. However, the market is expanding which pulls in new entrants and reduces the effect of entry barriers (Johnson Scholes 2002). Bargaining power of buyers Price dominated short-haul market with little or no product differentiation. Buyers thus face low switching costs (Porter 1980) As price is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦more important to passengers than productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Gilbert et.al 2001) there is low customer loyalty. Procurement managers are now influential in the travel patterns of their business travellers. Threat of substitute products or services Videoconferencing for business companies has not had the impact expected and is no threat (Gilbert et.el 2001). Other modes of transport are no tenable threats generally. However, Eurostar has been winning customers from airlines since its opening and many short-haul flights à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦could be eliminated after 2007, when the fast line to the channel tunnel is completed (Wright 01/12/03). Bargaining power of suppliers The price of fuel is directly related to the cost of oil which is determined by Opec and out of control of the industry (www.opec.org). Budget airlines have work-hard cultures to keep costs down (Gilbert et.el 2001) meaning a scarce number of multi-skilled employees which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦can bargain away a significant fraction of potential profitsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Porter 1980). However, carriers tend to experience economies of scale which gives purchasing power. Consequently, airlines are able to negotiate favourable deals with most of their suppliers (Johnson Scholes 2002). Rivalry among existing firms Already very competitive industry. Numerous new entrants intensify competition, although several newcomers have struggled to establish themselves and failed, Debonair and AB Airlines for example. The over-crowded market, and commodity nature of the product, means that airlines are battling to fill planes. Aggressive pricing, efficient distribution and innovative communication mixes are frequent competitive measures. However, carriers vary somewhat in segmentation by targeting different markets (narrow versus wide customer base) and offering divergent routes (regional towns versus main cities) which reduces rivalry somewhat (Gilbert et.al 2001). Nevertheless, competition is intensified as conventional carriers adopts à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦many strategies of the no-frills carriers and continues to cut costs (Done 29/01/04). With low fares but a higher level of service (more frills and main airport servicing) they are a big threat. Mergers, acquisitions and alliances are increasingly used for consolidation and competition. EasyJet bought Go, bmibaby partnered with Germanwings (Economist 01/03/03 Hotten 13/03/04). Ryanair acquired Buzz but paid too much and was forced to close it to boost its productivity. SWOT Analysis: Key Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Cost-consciousness at every level Isolation of airports Ability to drive down costs Poor judgement in route selection and acquisition Fast turnaround times Targets very narrow market Cross-utilisation of employees Poor brand image Website Negotiation skills Ability to achieve growth Use of secondary airports Key Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Threats The EU expansion The European Court of Justice ruling The Stansted expansion The Stansted expansion EUs ageing population The global emissions-trading scheme Mergers, acquisitions and alliances Low customer loyalty ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC CAPABILITY A strategic analysis also includes investigation of the strategic capability, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ability to perform at the level required for success (Johnson Scholes 2002). Firms must understand what customers want and adopt product/service features accordingly. To succeed companies need: Critical Success Factors (CSF), features especially valued by customers and used to outperform competition; unique resources, hard to emulate and generates competitive advantage; core competences to meet the CSF, leading to competitive advantage. A number of tools exist to analyse strategic capability. Applying some of them to Ryanair facilitates identification of the organisations key strengths and weaknesses. Value Chain analysis This is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦systematic way of studying theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦activities undertaken by a firm (Thompson 1997) and a means of identifying how competitive advantage is, or can be, created and sustained. The value chain consists of primary and support activities that together produce the profit margin. When the most critical of these are performed better or more cheaply, competitive advantage is created. The activities are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦related by linkages within the value chain (Porter 1985), meaning that how one is performed affects the performance or cost of another, and key linkages generate competitive advantage. Value activities should be benchmarked, compared against those of organisations both inside and outside the industry, to learn and improve on best practice (Laverick Brown 1992). Primary activities Inbound logistics Dependency on suppliers to deliver fuel as well as food, drinks and duty-paid products to be sold on-board (Gilbert et.al 2001). These need to be stored, handled and controlled upon delivery Low-cost deals are negotiated against promise of large and growing volumes of business (Felsted 04/11/03). Operations Use of standard model plane, Boeing 737, means that Ryanair is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦able to obtain spares and maintenance services on favourable terms, limits costs of staff training and offer flexibility in scheduling aircraft and crew assignments (Johnson Scholes 2002). A relatively young fleet reduces maintenance, spare and fuel costs. Fast turnarounds (core competence), 25 minutes, is the most important cost advantage as it enables high aircraft utilisation (Felsted 04/11/03). More frequent departures (two more a day than competitors) with few planes increases revenue (key linkage). However, Southwest excels with 15 minute turnarounds as its à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦activities complement each other in ways that create real economic value (Porter 1996). Point-to-point flights mean no interlinking with other carriers. Ryanair can à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦offer direct non-stop journeys, avoiding the cost of providing through serviceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for connecting passengersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and delaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦caused by late arrival of connecting flights (Johnson Sholes 2002). Outbound logistics Use of isolated secondary airports often requires further transport arrangements for customers. Also, some destinations are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦so geographically obscure that they cant support regular services (Pratley 05/02/04), as evident on some intra-Scandinavian routes for example (Done 04/11/03). This limits the level of market share Ryanair can achieve. EasyJet does the opposite and flies to big cities, but then has to pay higher landing charges which is reflected in their higher prices (Bowley 21/07/03). However, using regional airports saves costs as charges are lower, facilities cheaper and Ryanair can negotiate favourable deals. It also enables fast turnaround times, and more on-time departures as the airports are less congested (Johnson Scholes 2002). 95% of Ryanairs flights are punctual compared to 88% for EasyJet (www.ryanair.com). Marketing and Sales Heavy spending on advertising and promotions to expand its market is reduced as most advertising takes place on the website. There promotion is also used to sell excess capacity, such as two-for-one offers, which creates market awareness. Direct marketing is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦used occasionally with the customer database (Gilbert et.al 2001), and enables relationship marketing which produce customer retention equalling increased productivity (Ali-Knight Wild 2001). Ryanair considers branding virtually irrelevant as it believes that price is most important to customers. This is reflected in its not always so good image in the press. Southwest, contributes a large part of its success to its well established brand values (Gilbert et.al 2001), and EasyJet has won awards for its brand (Brand Strategy 2001). Over 90% of bookings are made directly, either on the website or through reservations centres. The website saves on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦staff costs, agents commission, and computer reservation charges, while significantly contributing to growth (Johnson Scholes 2002). Furthermore, direct booking gives greater control over sales of ancillary services, important revenue contributors, and eliminates need for tickets which reduces check-in times. Travel agencies are used on a small scale as necessary when opening new routes in unknown markets. Service Virtually no frills lower costs considerably, enable fast turnarounds and very low ticket prices (Gilbert et.al 2001). A very basic product is offered and Ryanair now plans to remove the last frills (Gow 16/02/04). The question is how much customers are willing to forgo before switching to competitors. Will it be possible to sustain the necessary load factor with an even narrower target market? Southwest is more successful than Ryanair but has not stripped away all frills (Porter 1996). The low service damages the brand which leads to reduced business. For example, Ryanair was taken to court for charging disabled passengers  £18 for wheelchair usage (Tait 03/12/03), and is known for transferring passengers to later or alternative flights without notice if original flight is not full enough (Johnson Scholes 2002). Support activities Procurement Purchasing power enables negotiation of favourable deals (core competence) with suppliers. However, these demand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦large andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ growing volumes based on passenger numbers (Felsted 04/11/03) which is becoming difficult to sustain as Ryanair expanded too quickly. Although growth is slowed down new planes has been ordered aiming to double the fleet by 2009. Buys mostly during recession when prices are down Good buyer-supplier relationships ensure reliability and low-cost procurement of services (many functions are contracted out). Safety is guaranteed as contracted work is supervised and planned by Ryanair staff (Johnson Scholes 2002). Technology development Ryanair uses its website to monitor bookings to see how full planes are minute by minute. If numbers fall prices can be slashed immediately to attract buyers thus increasing the load factor. However, they dont hesitate to raise prices if demand is buoyant (Bowley 21/07/03) which leads to effective yield management. CONCLUSION The aim of this report was to carry out a strategy analysis of Ryanair, Europes largest low-cost no-frills airline. From this it became evident that the organisation operates in a complex environment with fast changing influences that affect its business both beneficially and unfavourably. It also enabled identification of some of the sources of Ryanairs competitive advantage: core competencies, unique resources, key linkages and the superior cost performance compared to its closest competitor. However, it also became clear that the organisation still has a lot to learn from best practice. In general Ryanairs strategies match its task environment although it fails to address certain crucial issues. If these are not dealt with they could lead to future problems and reductions in profits.