Climate Change Mitigation

Climate change mitigation is the action to reduce the intensity of radiative forcing in order to reduce the effects of global warming (IPCC, 2006). Climate change mitigation can be done through several means such as developing alternative energy which includes renewable and nuclear energy, decreasing the carbon intensity of fossil fuel through carbon capture and sequestering, reforestation and also simply by conserving energy.Based on the cost-benefit analysis of each methods, I believe that the effectiveness and practically of each methods can be ranked, in decreasing order, as such – (1) Reducing energy use by conservation (2) Developing renewable energy (3) Carbon capture and sequestering (4) Building more nuclear power plant and lastly (5) Reforestation. The most cost effective and practical way to mitigate climate change is through conservation of energy. Energy conservation encompasses using less energy, for example through behavioural change and using energy efficient i nnovations and designs.Energy conservation focuses on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels thus lowering the amount of carbon emissions generated by human activities. Unlike the other mitigation methods, energy conservation usually does not require huge investment cost and in the long run can also bring about cost savings to both the individuals and organisations. For instance, by switching from using CFLs to LED lights, one can experience a 100% annual cost savings as the annual operating cost of CFLs is twice that of the annual operating cost of LED lights (Design Recycle Inc, 2011).Energy conservation is also the most practical way for us to fight against climate change because it enables us to reduce our resource inputs to the economy, thus, it ensures that the non-renewable resources available will be able to support human activities for a longer period of time. Despite being the most cost-effective and practical way for climate change mitigation, it is definitely not an eas y task to effect energy conservation programs. Strict government regulations will have to be enforced to ensure that every organisation comply with ‘green standards’.Educational programs and price signals (high electricity cost) will have to be in place to bring about a behavioural change amongst every individual for successful energy conservation. Developing renewable energy ranks next after energy conservation in terms of its effectiveness and practicality. In 2006, about 19% of the global electricity is generated from renewable sources such as hydropower, wind and solar-generated energy (REN21, 2006). This indicates the effectiveness in developing renewable energy as it is able to contribute a reasonable amount of electricity to supplement human activities.Furthermore, the development of renewable energy as an alternative form of energy can help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, hence, reducing carbon emissions in the long run. However, developing renewable en ergy pales in terms practically as it often requires huge investment cost yet the amount of energy that can be generated is often variable and less efficient as compared to combusting fossil fuels. For instance, installation of a highly efficient solar cell can cost more than $1000, and some households may need more than one solar cell.This makes the initial installation of solar panels very costly and solar panels are only able to generate electricity during daylight hours. This means for around half of each day, solar panels are not producing energy for your home (Clean Energy Ideas, 2007). Hence, it may not be very practical to focus on developing renewable energy so as to mitigate climate change. However, it is definitely important to continue developing and finding new ways to improve on the current renewable energy technology so that renewable energy can be more affordable and reliable in the near future.Although carbon capture and sequestering (CCS) do not help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, it is however still effective in reducing climate change. It is estimated that CCS could contribute between 10% and 55% of the cumulative worldwide carbon-mitigation effort over the next 90 years (Robinson, 2010). Though it requires up to 40% more energy to run a CCS coal power plant than a regular coal plant, CCS could potentially capture about 90% of all the carbon emitted by the plant.As of late 2011, the total Carbon Dioxide storage capacity of all 14 projects in operation or under construction is broadly equivalent to preventing the emissions from more than six million cars from entering the atmosphere each year (Global CCS Institute, 2011). This indicates the effectiveness of CCS in reducing the impact of human activities on the environment as large amounts of our outputs can be captured and stored safely to prevent emission back to the atmosphere.However, unlike the first two options of energy conservation and developing renewable energy, CCS may no t be effective in the long run as it does not reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuel. Due to the huge investment costs involved in building CCS operations, less developed countries may not be able to afford such technologies. Therefore, it will be a more practical option for developed countries to adopt so as to reduce their carbon emissions contributed by industrial activities.Despite the effectiveness of nuclear power plants in generating energy for human activities, it is not a very practical option to build more nuclear power plants due to safety concerns. The fact that nuclear power plants currently supply around 15% of the world’s electricity illustrates the effectiveness of the project. In countries like France where 75% of their electricity is derived from nuclear power plants (World Nuclear Association, 2013), constant development and improvement of nuclear power plants is inevitable.However, developing more nuclear power plants may not a practical way to help mitigate climate change despite its ability to help reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuels. First, developing nuclear power plants requires high investment which includes the construction cost, operation cost, and also the cost of plant decommissioning and nuclear waste storage cost. Second, nuclear power plants are susceptible to natural disasters, military attacks and operational error.For example, the tsunami in Fukushima Japan has led to the meltdown of the reactors which caused chemical explosions to occur, releasing radioactive materials into the environment (CBS News, 2011). Nuclear power plants have also become a potential target for military attacks as illustrated by the frequent bombings of nuclear power plants in the Middle East region (Sovacool, 2011). Such nuclear accidents can have a long term effect on the organisms living in vicinity of the nuclear power plants. As such, taking into account the probability of occurrence of such accidents, it is not practical f or countries to develop more nuclear power plants.Reforestation ranks last in terms of effectiveness and practically. Although reforestation facilitates biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and rebuilds habitat for organisms at the same time, it is however, impractical for reforestation to be carried out in large scale. First, as many countries move towards urbanization, it is unlikely that sufficient space will be available for reforestation to be conducted at a scale that can bring about a tangible reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Second, reforestation requires long term investment as it takes time for the plants and trees to grow.At the rate at which human activities generates carbon emissions, reforestation will be ineffective in capturing carbon dioxide at a comparable rate that can decrease the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Instead of reforestation, avoiding deforestation will be a more feasible way and effective way to mitigate climate change. In conc lusion, to effectively mitigate climate change, proposals need to look at either reducing our carbon emissions by decreasing our dependence on burning fossil fuel or clearing up the carbon emissions which we have emitted to the atmosphere.In the long run, proposals that can reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuel will be a more effective method as it reduces the amount of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, hence, energy conservation and developing renewable energy is ranked as the top two means to mitigate climate changes. Although carbon capture does not reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, it nevertheless is an effective way in the short run, for us to store carbon emissions before we can develop cheaper ways to harness renewable energy and before we can successful implement energy conservation programs.Due to the safety concerns related to developing nuclear power plants, such developments need to be exercise with caution. Countries should also look at imposing laws to avo id deforestation rather than carrying out reforestation projects that may not be as effective and practical in mitigating climate changes. Works Cited CBS News. (2011, May 14). Worker dies at damaged Fukushima nuclear plant. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from CBS News: http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2011/05/14/501364/main20062987. shtml Clean Energy Ideas. (2007). Pros and Cons of Solar Energy. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from Clean Energy Ideas: http://www. lean-energy-ideas. com/articles/pros_and_cons_of_solar_energy. html Design Recycle Inc. (2011). Comparison Chart. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from Design Recycle Inc: http://www. designrecycleinc. com/led%20comp%20chart. html Global CCS Institute. (2011). The Global Status of CCS: 2011. Canberra, Australia: Global CCS Institute. IPCC. (2006). Glossary. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www. ipcc. ch/pdf/glossary/ar4-wg3. pdf REN21. (2006). Changing Climates, The role of renewable energy i n carbon-constrained world. REN21. Robinson, S. (2010, January 22). Cutting Carbon: Should We Capture and Store

Literary Analysis of Ernest Hemingway Essay

Stewart, Matthew C (2000) quite rightly points out that: If literary quality is a register of how deeply an author has felt the subject matter about which he writes, then Hemingway felt very deeply about his war experiences, for these are some of his finest stories. They are â€Å"In Another Country,† â€Å"Now I Lay Me,† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be. † The first story very clearly anticipates A Farewell to Arms in its opening paragraph, its setting and the themes it raises. It depicts the ruined lives of wounded soldiers in a hospital, in particular the physical therapy of the American narrator and an Italian major. It is clear that the physical therapy is useless and that some sort of metaphysical, perhaps spiritual, therapy would be more fundamentally valuable for the psychically battered men. The second story, as stated above, depicts Nick and an Italian soldier lying awake at night near the front, unable to sleep. The American narrator dreads sleeping because he fears that his soul will leave his body. The final story depicts Nick Adams returning to the Italian front as a would-be morale booster, but he has been shot, receiving a head-wound that has rendered him barely able to control himself at the front. Indeed, his principal task is to hold onto his sanity. These three war stories are remarkable for their literary quality, for their high degree of autobiographical resonance, and for the way they illuminate A Farewell to Arms and each other. Most to the immediate purpose, however, is to assert that they constitute additional early evidence that Nick Adams was severely traumatized by the war. Lynn and Crews build a version of Hemingway as a world-renowned, middle-aged author pulling the wool over the eyes of friends and critics during the forties and fifties. Twenty-five years after the fact, they maintain, Hemingway fabricates the idea that the war affected him. Yet â€Å"In Another Country† and â€Å"Now I Lay Me† were composed only two years after â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River,† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† was composed in mid-1932. These are Nick Adams stories; they are set at the war; they show Nick as physically and psychically wounded. The opening pages of â€Å"Now I Lay Me† even echo many particulars of â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River,† including the central action of trout fishing as psychic restoration. Hemingway’s finest explorations of the human consequences of war. Hemingway discussed his war nightmares with his first wife in the 1920s for the same reason? Hemingway as both young and middle-aged man undoubtedly kidded, exaggerated, misled, pulled legs, manipulated, hoaxed, and lied. But the existence of these early war stories argues strongly against the idea that Hemingway decided to lay claim to the importance of the war in his work belatedly and factitiously. The incapacity to find his way through questions he cannot solve, his reticence the admission of his own weakness, those familiar steps on the path of the individualist–bring Hemingway’s contemporary to desertion on principle. The theme of desertion is not new to Hemingway. Long ago Nick Adams fled from his home town, then he fled to the front. But here too the brave arditti decorated with all sorts of medals is a potential deserter at heart. For example, that if all the stories about Nick Adams were collected and entitled â€Å"In Our Time† they would not have the structure which In Our Time does have. â€Å"The Killers† and â€Å"Now I Lay Me† might fit, but â€Å"Fathers and Sons† and â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† would not. Hemingway’s favorite hero-ever the same under his changing names–and you begin to realize that what had seemed the writer’s face is but a mask, and by degrees you begin to discern a different face, that of Nick Adams, Tenente Henry, Jake Barnes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Frazer. Hemingway shows us how complicated he is by his very attempts to be simple. A tangle of conflicting strains and inconsistencies, a subtle clumsiness, a feeling of doubt and unrest are to be seen even in Hemingway’s earlier books as early as his presentation of Nick Adams’s cloudless young days, but as he proceeds on the way of artistic development these features show increasingly clear and the split between Hemingway and reality widens. Closely following the evolution of his main hero you can see how at first Nick Adams is but a photo film fixing the whole of life in its simplest tangible details. Then you begin to discern Nick’s ever growing instinct of blind protest, at which the manifestations of his will practically stop. The well trained athletic body is full of strength, it seeks for moments of tension that would justify this sort of life and finds them in boxing and skiing, in bull fighting and lion hunting, in wine and women. He makes a fetish of action for action, he revels in â€Å"all that threatens to destroy. † But the mind shocked by the war, undermined by doubt, exhausted by a squandered life, the poor cheated, hopelessly mixed up mind fails him. The satiated man with neither meaning nor purpose in life is no longer capable of a prolonged consecutive effort. â€Å"You oughtn’t to ever do anything too long† and we see the anecdote of the lantern in the teeth of the frozen corpse grow into a tragedy of satiety when nothing is taken in earnest any longer, when â€Å"there is no fun anymore. † Action turns into its reverse, into the passive pose of a stoic, into the courage of despair, into the capacity of keeping oneself in check at any cost, no longer to conquer, but to give away, and that smilingly. The figure of Jake mutilated in the war grows into a type. It is the type of a man who has lost the faculty of accepting all of life with the spontaneous case of his earlier days. For example the wounded Nick says to Rinaldi†You and me we’ve made a separate peace. We’re not patriots. † Tenente Henry kills the Italian sergeant when the latter, refusing to fulfill his order, renounces his part in the war, but inwardly he is a deserter as well and on the following day we actually see him desert. â€Å"In the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it any more† ( â€Å"In Another Country†). This theme of sanctioned treason, or desertion in every form, so typical of the â€Å"extreme individualist, recurs throughout Hemingway’s work. But to learn to do it is no easy job, especially for one whose sight is limited by the blinders of sceptical individualism. Life is too complicated and full of deceit. The romance of war had been deceit, it is on deceit that the renown of most writers rests. The felicity of the Eliot couple is but self-deceit; Jake is cruelly deceived by life; for Mr. Frazer everything is deceit or self-deceit, everything is dope–religion, radio, patriotism, even bread. There is despair in the feeling of impending doom, and morbidity in the foretaste of the imminent loss of all that was dear. All stories if continued far enough end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you. Especially do all stories of monogamy end in death, and your man who is monogamous while he often lives most happily, dies in the most lonesome fashion. There is no lonelier man in death except the suicide, than that man who has lived many years with a good wife and then outlives her. If two people love each other there can be no happy end to it. † A variety of later stories– ‘The Revolutionist,†In Another Country,†A Simple Enquiry,†Now I Lay Me,†A Way You’ll Never Be’–affirm the various phases of Hemingway’s thesis: the suffering of the war, the resistances and defenses of his people, their ways of ignoring the scene around them which apparently they cannot control. The depression of the nineteen-thirties was thus a sort of shock to our writers, rather like the insulin treatment in modern therapy, which brought them back from the shadows of apathy to American life at best, and active hostility at worst. This much of the expression of the thirties Hemingway anticipates in his own withdrawal and return to our common life, though the pattern will vary with our other literary figures, and with John Dos Passos and William Faulkner we have both an apparent exception to the rule and a real one. But we cannot deny that if the return to social sanity through shock is better than no return, it is in the end a method of desperation rather than a counsel of perfection. Our Americans are also to show its effect in their work of the decade, as Hemingway has already. The crisis of the new age has caught him well along in his career. Can he discover, who has discovered so much and left much unsaid, the genuine method of unifying his work and his times, the fusion of the ‘I’ and the ‘we’ which will further illuminate the tragic impulses he has made his own? We recall the phrase which summarized Hemingway’s solitary position: ‘a way you’ll never be. ‘ With such native capacities, the inheritance of wisdom and eloquence, the sense of bottomless intuitions we often have with Hemingway, the prophetic texture which marks his talent, will Hemingway now find a way to be? For what a marvelous teacher Hemingway is, with all the restrictions of temperament and environment which so far define his work! What could he not show us of living as well as dying, of the positives in our being as well as our destroying forces, of ‘grace under pressure’ and the grace we need with no pressures, of ordinary life-giving actions along with those superb last gestures of doomed exiles! Tenente Henry enjoys the definite, clear-cut relations between people, the good comradeship â€Å"We felt held together by there being something that had happened, that they did not understand,† and the feeling of risk while it lasts. But soon along with the debacle at Caporetto he finds himself faced by the cruelty of the rear, choked by its lies and filth, hurt by the hatred of the working people to gli ufficiali. And as his shellshock had lost him his sleep so does the stronger shock of war make him a different man. By the time the war is over he has learned to discern â€Å"liars that lie to nations† and to value their honeyed talk at what it is worth. Year after year Hemingway steadily elaborated his main lyrical theme, creating the peculiar indirectly personal form of his narrative (Soldier’s Home, Now I Lay Me), sober on the surface, yet so agitated; and as the years went by, the reader began to perceive the tragic side of his books. It became more and more apparent that his health was a sham, that he and his heroes were wasting it away. Hemingway’s pages were now reflecting all that is ugly and ghastly in human nature, it became increasingly clear that his activity was the purposeless activity of a man vainly attempting not to think, that his courage was the aimless courage of despair, that the obsession of death was taking hold of him, that again and again he was writing of the end–the end of love, the end of life, the end of hope, the end of all. The bourgeois patrons and the middle-class readers tamed by prosperity, were gradually losing interest in Hemingway. To follow him through the concentric circles of his individualistic hell was becoming a bit frightening and a bit tedious. He was taking things too seriously. In early days both critics and readers had highly admired the â€Å"romantic† strength, the â€Å"exotic† bull-fights, â€Å"the masculine athletic style;† but now Hemingway’s moments of meditation, his too intent gazing at what is horrible, According Hannum (1992) the trial of courage Nick so often faced had begun at least by the time of the Boulton episode. The doctor’s backing down before Boulton no doubt spurred Nick’s long fascination with boxing (his immediate recognition of Stanley Ketchel, Ad Francis, and Ole Andreson in the road stories) and his own concern with fistfights (the brakeman and Ad) and other challenges to his own courage. In â€Å"The Light of the World† he flinched and put up money when the bartender threatened Tom and him (292); in â€Å"The Battler† he smarted under the brakeman’s trick punch, then found himself briefly overmatched in the near-fight with Ad (101-02), but in â€Å"The Killers† he risked his life to warn Ole Andreson. In â€Å"In Another Country† Nick considered himself a dove in contrast to his â€Å"hunting-hawk† (208) comrades in Milan, though he learned a new courage from the Italian major whose wife died of pneumonia, and in â€Å"A Way You’ll Never Be† puked and fell back in his first infantry attack (314), but thereafter found courage in grappa. (Hannum 92) Conclusion If on closing Hemingway’s books you recall and assort the disjoined pieces of the biography of his main hero you will be able to trace the decisive points of his life. Nick–first a tabula rasa, then turning away from too cruel a reality; Henry struggling for his life and trying to assert its joys, Jake and Mr. Johnson–already more than half broken and Mr. Frazer–a martyr to reflection and growing passivity. So we witness both the awakening and the ossification of the hero whose psychology is so intimately known to Hemingway himself, and as opposed to it a file of brave and stoic people–the Negro in â€Å"Battler,† the imposing figures of Belmonte and Manola, the broken giant Ole Andreson; in a word–those people for whom Hemingway’s double has so strong an instinctive liking, first worshipped as heroes and then brought down to earth. Works Cited Hannum, Howard L.†Ã¢â‚¬ Scared Sick Looking at It†: A Reading of Nick Adams in the Published Stories. † Twentieth Century Literature 47. 1 (2001) Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"The Art of the Short Story. † Ernest Hemingway: A Study of the Short Fiction. Ed. Joseph M. Flora. Boston: Twayne, 1989. 129-44. Nolan, Charles J. Jr. â€Å"Hemingway’s Complicated â€Å"Enquiry† in ‘Men without Women. ‘. † Studies in Short Fiction 32. 2 (1995) Nolan, Charles J. Jr. â€Å"Hemingway’s Puzzling Pursuit Race. † Studies in Short Fiction 34. 4 (1997) Paul, Steve. â€Å"†Ã¢â‚¬ËœDrive,’ He Said†: How Ted Brumback Helped Steer Ernest Hemingway into War and Writing. † The Hemingway Review 27. 1 (2007) Paul, Steve. â€Å"Preparing for War and Writing What the Young Hemingway Read in the Kansas City Star, 1917-1918. † The Hemingway Review 23. 2 (2004) Stewart, Matthew C. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway and World War I: Combatting Recent Psychobiographical Reassessments, Restoring the War. † Papers on Language & Literature 36. 2 (2000) Tyler, Lisa. â€Å"Hemingway’s Italy: New Perspectives. † The Hemingway Review 26. 2 (2007)

Cancer and Nutrition Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Cancer and Nutrition - Research Paper Example A variety of fruits and vegetables need to be added to once diet and it is good to select these fruits and vegetables based on different color. Different phytonutrients are present in fruits and vegetable with different color and a variety based on this criterion would be easy for identification by a layman. A diet that has high fiber food such as whole wheat, a balanced ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 fats, antioxidants and phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables, such as ? & ?-carotene, ?-cryptoxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and other nutrients can aid in prevention of different types of cancers. This paper focuses on the role of nutrition in prevention of cancer and recurrence in those undergoing treatment for cancer. Cancer and Nutrition Introduction Cancer has always been a dreaded disease that I have ever come across in my life. There are many who have cancer and unfortunately, in many cases, it is because of ignoring some of the basic aspects of life such as good nutr ition. I have seen people suffer and die of this disease. My grandfather died of bone cancer and my mother has had thyroid cancer. Today, though there are easy methods of detecting and good treatments available, I believe that it is better to prevent cancer rather than look for treatments after having it. Over the years I have been keen to find natural methods to prevent cancer and nutrition is one of the prime subjects that I have come across. This paper highlights the importance of balanced nutrition in preventing cancer and also looks into the role of balanced nutrition in the recovery phase among the survivors of cancer. Hippocrates (460-377 BC) stated that â€Å"†¦.let food be your medicine and medicine be your food†. Today, after several centuries I would like to believe that what goes into the body as food mainly determines the health of a person. Though environment and other exposures may be reasons for a disease, a healthy person will be able to withstand advers e circumstances. Therefore, if nutrition has to take care of us, then what kind of nutrition is best for preventing diseases such as cancer? Researchers suggest that a plant based diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are the best for cancer prevention (Mahtani, 2010a, para. 1). It is estimated that about one third of all cancers are due to poor nutrition. The use of tobacco is another major reason for additional one third cancers and if these two factors are controlled many people can be protected from this dreaded disease. Understanding the basic fact that a healthy diet plan together with regular exercise, a check on the body weight and avoiding tobacco and alcohol are some of the most simple techniques to keep one healthy and free from cancer or at least lower the risk of cancer. A plant based diet is rich in chemicals known as phytonutrients. These are healthy nutrients that are very essential for the well being of individuals. Phytonutrients include v itamins, minerals, and other chemicals such as antioxidants necessary for the prevention of cancer. Researchers suggest that the intake of phytonutrients is directly linked with the prevention of cancer. It is important to consume variety of fruits and vegetables rather than the same set of fruits and vegetables on a day-to-day basis. This gives us the benefit of a variety of plant based nutrients maximizing the cancer fighting agents in the body (Mahtani, 2010a). Another important question to be answered is that how will nutrition help cancer survivors? Though there are many researchers who have studied the role of nutrition in prevention of cancers, very less research has gone into role of nutrition for cancer survivors. Today, there are an increasing number of researchers who are contributing to

Hospice A Nurses Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hospice A Nurses Role - Essay Example Hospice care originated in England in 1973 and was filtered in to the United States through the knowledge of an over whelming need for services that could provide more extensive, and compassionate nursing care for terminal patients (The Hastings Report 2003). According to The Hastings Report (2003), hospice care was originally designed to bring more comforting and specialized regimens to patients who were diagnosed with aggressive forms of cancer. However, through time, the program transformed and adapted to the many changes in the medical care system. Its berth widened and recognized the fact that there were patients suffering from other terminal illnesses that could benefit from the hospice care program as well. Hospice services actually have an extensive range and the program includes specialties in professional nursing care, personal assistance with activities of daily living (ADL's), various forms of rehabilitation therapy, dietary counseling, psychological and spiritual counseling for both patient and family, volunteer services, respite care, provision of medical drugs and devices necessary for palliative care, and family bereavement services following the patients death (The Hastings Report 2003). ... As was briefly mentioned, this is a program that can be found in many areas of the medical world. One of the more vast areas where hospice care is utilized the most is in elderly care facilities, and communities. Age brings disease and hospice care nurses are trained to meet a large variety of the needs of patients who suffer with a myriad of deteriorative illnesses, such as can be found in the elderly community (Trail-Ross 1998). There are quantifiable factors found that point to a stronger need for hospice care in the elderly population, as well as other medical facilities that are outside of a direct hospital environment. One of the key issues that are evaluated when attempting to determine a need for hospice care focuses on how well a person can function on their own. Hospice care nurses carefully asses the functional states of every potential patient they might acquire (Trail-Ross 1998). ADL's are essential in understanding if the needs of a specific patient are going to be appropriately met with hospice care. The World Health Organization draws their own conclusions as to what extent hospice care might be needed, but it is the hospice care nurses themselves who know the exact percentile of need since they have direct contact with the patients and are aware of where their patients ADL levels are at (Trail-Ross 1998). Another area that is analyzed is the ability a patient has with their IADL's, which are m ore complex than basic ADL's. Within this realm, a hospice nurse might find he or she is of more benefit to the patient by offering help with tasks such as cooking, shopping, cleaning house, and even managing the patients'

Program of Study and the Professional Development Plan Essay

Program of Study and the Professional Development Plan - Essay Example Education and Professional Background My name is Juan and I will start my program of study and Professional Development plan by providing some background information about myself. Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to participate in enabling the sick regain their health. However, my journey toward a professional started when I joined the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez to pursue Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Minor in Physics. I knew I wanted to become a surgical nurse and that is why I choose to do some units in physics since I knew I needed to learn how different surgical equipment work. While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree I was working at Medical Center of Mayaguez, in Puerto Rico. I supported registered nursing staff with direct patient care. This increased my passion in nursing and I knew I had made the right choice. After graduating, I worked as a registered nurse for the United States Army from 1998 to 2003. As an army nurse, I wa s involved in caring for medical-surgical patients. Working within the army was challenging but interesting and helped me sharpen my skills. I am currently a CV-ICU Nurse at Emory University Hospital since 2003. This position has helped me master skills in areas such as patient care of the immediate post-operatory CABG, cardiac valve replacement, or repair, dissecting aortic aneurysm repair, esophagogastrectomies, pneumonectomies, and other variety of surgical procedures. I have also participated in managing access/monitoring central lines (pulmonary artery catheters, arterial lines, etc.), lumbar drainage device, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump, and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT). In addition to the above achievements, I hold certifications such as Emory Lifesaver Award awarded in 2011 and Army Nurse Recognition Ribbon, which I was awarded in 1999. As demonstrate above, I have worked in dive rse settings. This has enabled me to be flexible in addition to exposing me to different situation in my field. My expertise areas in nursing include post-operatory CABG, pneumonectomies, lumbar drainage, and monitoring patients after heart relater operation. Being exposed to different challenges has helped me understand different concepts regarding nursing and increased my desire to advance my studies in nursing. I have realized that a bachelor’s degree is not enough for me achieve my goals. Professional Goals The field of medicine and health sciences is dynamic. It is thus crucial for professional in this field to be armed with up to date skills. Being a profession in this field, I have realized the importance of being equipped with relevant skills. My personal goal is to be the best that I possibly can. Professionally, I want to obtain a master’s degree in Nursing and become a Family Nurse Practitioner. This is because I want to interact and care for patients across different ages. Additionally, I want to expose myself to different working environment such as community as well as hospital environment. I want to be able to diagnose and treat patients independently. Just like the University vision and mission proposes, my aim of pursuing the Masters is to get equipped with appropriate skills to enable me change the society positively. With my current degree status, I lack the relevant

Antiseptics ( 70%, 91% Isopropyl and Iodine) on Ecoli growth Lab Report

Antiseptics ( 70%, 91% Isopropyl and Iodine) on Ecoli growth - Lab Report Example The E coli bacteria are among the most significant bacteria in the human digestive system. However, E coli bacteria have a number of genera that cause human diseases such as Shigella, Salmonella, and Yersinia (Todar 1). Physiological research has indicated that e coli bacterium is versatile and its habitat characteristics enable a perfect adaptation of the bacteria. E coli grow despite the presence or absence of oxygen and the wild type has no growth factor necessities. E coli respond to various environmental signals such as surrounding temperature, pH of the medium, chemicals, and other environmental factors because of the characteristics that make it a unicellular organism. E coli bacteria have multifaceted mechanisms, which they use to detect the presence of chemical in their environment such as antibiotics and antiseptics making it possible to synthesize enzymes to metabolize the chemical compounds leading to increased resistance of the bacteria to antiseptics. What is the effect of 70% concentration of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 90 % concentration of iodine on Escherichia coli (E coli) growth? The experiment seeks to find the environment that best suits the growth of E coli bacteria and the reaction of the bacteria towards different concentrations of disinfectants. In addition, there are hypothesis that the experiment to test, which include the null and alternative hypothesis. In the quest to investigate the effect of concentration on the growth of E coli, if the percentage of the chemicals is increased, that is, the percentage of isopropyl alcohol and iodine is increased from 70% to 90% leads to a slight decrease in the growth rate of the E coli bacteria Medics have applied a wide range of products and methods used to treat, avoid, and control E coli bacteria. The use of chemicals such as antiseptics (isopropyl rubbing alcohol and iodine) has

GBS---JP MORGAN CHASE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

GBS---JP MORGAN CHASE - Essay Example Several factors such as business laws, political stability, economical stability, information and communication technology, social activities and cultural practices affect the business environment and some of these factors are difficulty to analyze since they occur at the global and large scale levels. The strategy is a worldwide analysis of various areas and regions as new market to be exploited to increase their profitability through international diversification. It involves coming up with authority structures along with function of the organization that may include managerial designs, organizational structures, supervision resources and employees and executive’s competence, interactions with the subsidiary of the organizations and managing strategy (The Strategic Management Society, n.y.) The analysis helps the managers understand the internal and external environmental factors that affect the operation of the organization as well as how the organization interact with thes e environmental factors in order to improve its efficiency by evaluation of the available data, and identification of environmental aspects to be analyzed through SWOT investigations, Porter’s five forces examinations, value chain studies, PEST investigations among others (Downey 2007, P 3). This paper will critically evaluate the internalization strategy of JP Morgan Chases. History of JP Morgan Chase The origin this organization can be traced back to the year 1971 when it was started as Drexel, Morgan & Co as an agent for European executives and investors in United States America, later the company grew to a well-established private and foreign bank with wide customer base. The company has undergone a lot of changes and expansion through acquisition and merger to form the current JP Morgan Chase. JP Morgan Chase is the biggest banking organization in United States of America with about 1.56 trillion in US dollars Asset base and 123.2 billion in US dollars in form of Equity (Datamonitor 2010, P. 33). JP Morgan Chase is a United States of America based financial institution with its headquarters in New Yolk that was created subsequent to the merger of Chase Manhattan and J.P. Morgan (Marcial 2001, P. 107) to form a strong company at time when there was prediction that the economy will improve. The merger has impacted positively on the performance and valuation of the company (Bernstein research 2001, P. 67).The company offer financial services such as asset management, commercial banking services, government bonds and treasury, investments banking, securities and shares services and cash deposited and withdrawal banking services through various divisions’ and subsidiaries to its customers across the globe in more than sixty countries for more than two hundred years. The company vision is to help its customers to become financially independent through management and planning of their wealth and operates in United States of America, Middle East, Eu rope and Africa and has 261,453 across the globe. (MarketLine 2012, P. 3). The company recorded growth of 7.6 percent in their working profit and 9.2 percent in their net profit for the physical year that ended in December 2012 (MarketLine 2012, P. 3). The company has a strategy to overturn their performance and also

Apple Computer and Krispy Kreme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apple Computer and Krispy Kreme - Essay Example But Apple Computer is a rather profitable and successful corporation. Its main success is a very high quality of its production, and many customers are devoted to the company and its brand for a very long time. It offers a range of professional software products which are very popular in the world. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs is a successful manager, especially after 1996 when he has returned to the corporation, and the technological potential of Apple and NeXT was put together. He terminated some products, such as Newton and OpenDoc. Under his guidance Apple Computer increased its profitability, although his official salary was $1 per year. The company is increasing its activity by new markets entering, such as music distribution and consumer electronics, and Steve Job's activity as the Apple's CEO is highly estimated by shareholders and consumers. So, if I had large amount of money I would invest Apple Computer as this company has great technological and scientific potential which can b e well realised in the future. Krispy Kreme is one of the biggest doughnut store chains in the world. It was originated in 1933 by Vernon Carver Rudolph, and now the company has about 360 U.S. stores (Krispy Kreme Press Kit). In 1990s Krispy Kreme began its international expansion by opening stores in Canada, Mexico, England and South Korea.

Benefits of Online Library Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Benefits of Online Library - Essay Example Statistics are often manipulated to convince people of a certain point of view, or to falsely frighten the public. Statistics might be hardly manipulated by presenting misleading representations, exploiting the tendency to assume that a correlation demonstrates causation, representing irrelevant facts based on what people belief not on what is true, providing anecdotes often emotional in nature and appealing emotion rather than logic. Statistics can mislead if it is not peer-reviewed. It is like a quality control. Without peer review, a report full of erroneous and misleading statistics can be passed off to the public as a scientific report. An example can be the anti-smoking movement these days that try to convince people through the statistics. Although smoking is hazardous to health but proving it by the means of statistics is not always correct. For instance, Japan has the world's highest smoking population having 67% or so of the population being smokers. It is also the world's healthiest nation. China has the second highest smoking rate and it is the second highest healthiest too. Some countries still consider statistics as confidential information that should not be disclosed because their enemies could use it to undermine the security and order in the country. We think that this is legitimate but this should not be used as an excuse to hide the statistics that have nothing to do with national security and we think that this matter should be discussed more thoroughly.

Adaptive leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Adaptive leader - Essay Example They are able to be flexible and open to the possibilities that the environment gives at any given moment. The war in Iraq has called for all leadership to be adaptive because there was no manual to describe what they needed to do in situations like Iraq. As an example, the Army had no information about a "counterinsurgency campaign" and there was nothing by which to measure it. This meant that the leadership had to adapt quickly into creating something that would be done and how it would be measured. In order to be adaptive a leader must also be able to challenge assumptions and perceptions. They must look past the obvious to see the greater picture within their environment, especially when they are in combat. They must be able to perceive what is going on and then be able to see which elements are critical to the change; this is not always easy for a military officer to do (Whiffen 3). The officer must also be able to balance "force and restraint" (Wiffen 5) as he or she goes about the operations. This aspect calls on the officer to know his strengths and weaknesses and then the strengths and weaknesses of his company. In order to learn how to adapt officers must put themselves in situations that are uncomfortable and unfamiliar so they can "adapt by adapting". (Whiffen

Future of technology (advantages and disadvantages) Essay Example for Free

Future of technology (advantages and disadvantages) Essay From day to day, our world has been changed gradually from one condition to another. Nowadays, technology has advanced in huge leaps and bounds. We cannot imagine the world without technological advances such as computer, televisions, and machines and so on. However there are some advantages and disadvantages of technology. First, technologies play an important role in society because it makes life easier to live on and makes time less consuming. People do not have to do all the hard labor anymore. For example, many people have washing machines, clothes driers and dishwashers, so the amount of energy needed to wash and dry clothes and wash dishes is greatly reduced. Second, medical science is very progressive and saves many innocent lives. Medical treatment has been going well with the help of technology. Nowadays, hospitals use technology as assistance for operations. However, technology also brings harm to our society. The overuse and development of factory industries causes pollution to our world. For example the use of cars and machines causes smoke that affects the quality of our air and destroys our ozone layer and as a result people suffer illnesses like cancer. Another disadvantage is that technologies create financial problems in families because most technologies are expensive. For example people that do not have a washing machine will have to wash clothes by hand which is time consuming. In conclusion, we cannot stop technology from developing in our society. Nowadays, we as people rely on technology everyday to make our lives simpler. Without modern technology our world would be a tough place to live in.

The Godfather Reflective Summary Essay Example for Free

The Godfather Reflective Summary Essay Shawn Carelli Business Ethics: Week 4 The Godfather Reflective Summary The Godfather is a great movie the many consider essential to any great business. This movie shows the realization of the American Dream. A family empire built from little to nothing. Though the business that took place in this movie was certainly illegitimate, the practices and rules they lived by are a key asset to modern day business. Break the laws they might, but family values are one of the most scared attributes to being part of these families. The Godfather truly shows it’s important to play by the rules, or you’ll be â€Å"sleeping with the fishes†. There are plenty of great lines in this movie in which hold great value in business. â€Å"Never dishonor those who help you†. Taking care of those who take care of you, great businesses today understand the importance of this. They take care of employees that contribute well to the company and partnerships that generate business. â€Å"Don’t discuss business at the dinner table†. This is a great line for people in business to understand. This means there is a proper time and place for business talk. And in my opinion, one of the most well-known lines, â€Å"It’s not personal, it’s business†. It’s very important in business to understand that your business life and personal life are separate, and that the main goal of a business is to make money. Competitors will get beat and will not be happy about it, but it’s not personal, it’s business. Business is not all about making people happy but is more so about making the business money. That being said, many of the other values of business both in The Godfather and in the business world are kept in check with the values that are set. Defying those values can prove to be very costly as illustrated in the movie. The Godfather shows how doing business properly is vital to the old world values that are set. To be respectful and understand your priorities, as stated, â€Å"A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man†. The movie shows that in business it is vitally important how we conduct ourselves, how we interact with others, and how we stand behind the team, or family, that we are a part of and not deceive them. â€Å"Show, don’t tell†. This has means that there is more credibility in what you do, not just what you say. You can’t say that you conduct yourself following the values that are set by your peers; your actions have to speak for themselves. Though in The Godfather, much of the business conducted had plenty of corruption, violence, and vengeance, there was still a very strong set of values on how the different families conducted themselves in their business dealings. This goes to show how ethics is something that can be interpreted differently. Something that might be considered unethical and wrong to one person might be considered perfectly fine and ethically sound to another. It’s interesting how the strong family values were of the utmost importance, even though they were involved in illegitimate business. This movie really illustrates the importance to take pride in your work and to play by the rules. Loyalty is, in my opinion, one of the biggest lessons The Godfather shows. Being loyal you your family or business is essential to them doing just that for you, but defy them and you will have a mark against you by them and others who know that you are not a loyal member. Being loyal is so important in business. It’s taught to us at a young age, â€Å"treat others the way you would want to be treated†. The movie emphasizes this greatly, as family is the most important thing, and since the family is in business together, business loyalty is even more important. To conclude, I feel The Godfather was a great movie to watch. I think there are great lessons to be learned from the famous quotes on how to conduct oneself in business. From family values, to why it’s not right to deceive people.

Changing role of women in the UAE

Changing role of women in the UAE Women have been and are playing a vital role in developing their families for a long time. During the times of pre-historic periods, women have played an important role as bread owners and hence they assumed a definite cultural role. Evidences say that in the periods of Hunter-gatherer, women used to collect food while men used to go hunting. During the recent history, the role of women has changed to a great extent. Due to the modern changes like the economic reforms, feminist movements and the demands for equal opportunities, women in many parts of the world have right of entry to careers apart from the role of traditional homemaker. In these modern days, women started to gain power equivalent to men which was not there in the past days. In spite of this, a few people could not recognize women as a power and as an agent, who brings change in the society, may be due to the traditional beliefs or due to the fear of loss of power and authority over women. Not only do men have a fear of women empowerment, but studies say that women at work places are less encouraging towards their gendered (women). Apart from this, in many parts of the world, including the developed countries, women are paid less when compared to their peers in the male gender. This critical role of women in every field they are in is due to the fact that t hey are capable of multi-tasking i.e. doing more than one job at a time with more care and accuracy which men can hardly do. Background/Context Many believe that nonexistence of gender socialization would not exist at all. The list of top ten worlds most powerful people would contain the name of at least a woman personality constantly through years. Many renowned awards were designed and were won by the women in UAE which indicates the growing awareness about womens role for the society. History says that the role of women have been of utmost importance in the society. As men used to go out doing their jobs in the fishing and pearling industries for months, women used to take care of the needs of family besides raising their children, which cannot be denied to be an easy task in the hot desert weather. But, due to difference in the work done and a few other aspects, women were rarely treated at par with men. (Wilson) Issue Nowadays, with the recognition of women as a key person in the development, this face has changed to completely opposite. Women are making a significant progress towards better participation in events at both national level and also at local levels. A most significant achievement was during the time of elections in 2007 in which 22% of the seats were occupied by women. Presently, nine women among them are the members of the body of 40-members. Also, half of this strength is appointed which gives UAE a far superior degree of representation of women in the legislature than any other nations in the Gulf. Pre-Arguments Women of the Emirates have performed a key role in the modernizations processes through their participation in the womens associations throughout the country. These associations have laid stones to train the women in vocational courses, welfare assistance, placements and also in health care sector. Women of the Emirates are found in significant number in the five detailed economic industries, some details; females make up 20% of the public segment. Women outstandingly hold positions in the Education sector and also in the government with 30% women playing key decision-making roles. Not just in the field of job market, but UAE women also seem to have entered the education sector with the fact that the total enrollment of the female students in the higher education has grown to 40%. Apart from the above discussed facts about women in UAE which portray a growing trend of female empowerment in different aspects, there are areas in which women lag behind men which are to be concentrated upon. The healthy trend observed in education doesnt seem to be visible in the participation of women in the economy which stands at a mere 7%. A study at the global level on entrepreneurs proved that the participation of female entrepreneurs in the economy of UAE is extremely low when compared to men and women in other countries; let it be a startup company or an established firm. The women in UAE comprise of only a mere 4% in the private sector and they are mostly in the private financial companies. The female established industries contain of only 16.2% of the total net GDP in the Non-oil sector. (Women in United Arab Emirates, 2010) If the number of unemployed women is compared to the number of unemployed men, women stand at a higher figure of 71% and men are at 29. Efforts should be done to improve these numbers in order to see complete development in every field. Women also are active in the military establishment. Specially trained women cops would provide security to the female VIPs and also take part in the military activities. Discussion GOVERNMENT INITIATIVESS TO IMPROVE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: The government of United Arab Emirates has tried to improve the roles played by women in the recent past. This made the UAE a leader for rights of women in the Arabian Countries. Before the discovery of oil in 1960, there were a very less number of opportunities for women in the country outside their home and family. As per the constitution, equality for women on par with men is guaranteed including the areas like legal status, title claims and even in access to the education. The stepping stones for women empowerment were laid by the then President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahvans wife Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. She was the founder of General Womens Union (GWU) which still stands as a powerful component of State and in participation in the various initiatives of the organization. (Salama, 2008) The leaders of Emirates have keenly tried to promote the complete participation of the women in society activities, aligned with the objectives of optimizing the human resources. Not only did the government take steps to improve the condition of women in the UAE but also, there were associations formed which work autonomously for the improvement of life of women. Not only operating in their circles, but the six existing women associations were joined together to expand their reach to the public more and more and to provide more services to women. The government has launched a new statute of law under which, new laws would be incorporated on issues related to protecting women and also to provide family guidance, divorce issues and compensation, etc. The UAE government has also signed agreements internationally to specific issues related to the women and children welfare. United Arab Emirates was the first country to establish a college for women army recruits among the Gulf countries. The Dubai Women and Children Shelter started by the government to protect women and children from domestic violence the face every day. Under this project, support and emotional care would be provided to the sufferers of abuse and crimes such as human trafficking. The government has launched many projects and awards for women to encourage them and make their role known to everyone. Example can be taken about the Intelaq project which aims at increasing the participation of women in the government departments. Because of these new initiatives, the government has offered women, the jobs that are reserved for men like the appointment of Fatima Saeed Obaid Al Awani as the countrys first female marriage registrar. (Salama, 2008) As a result of all the initiatives and projects, United Arab Emirates was ranked at 29th position among the 177 countries for Gender Empowerment Measures which is the best rating any country in the Arab World has received. Along with this, the Chairperson of the GWU, Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak was awarded with the Mohammad Medal, the highest honor given by the UN. (Women in the UAE, 2010) CHALLENGES WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FACES: Even after witnessing such a progress regarding the women empowerment and their participation in different activities related to development of the society, still they face discrimination and there are forces which try to stop this progress of women. The major rejection is from the male folks who cannot see women going ahead of them. Even as UAE has the highest number of women representation in the parliament, there are issues and challenges to be dealt with to completely eradicate the evil against women development. The government has taken appreciable steps and established applauding projects; progress of women is still facing problems in the private sector. The employment representation of women in the private sector is very less when compared to the strength of the male employees. Tradition and culture is another threat to the women development. The cultural and traditional factors impact every aspect related to the society. People with more traditional beliefs perceive that the development of women would trade-off the values and ethics being followed for many centuries and this would halt the progress of women. Women are meant to be good decision makers and can handle multiple tasks at a time where as men cannot. Women are known for their patience, strong analytical skills and dedication towards work which would bring them far ahead of the male employees. This fear of overpower and dominance by a female is a main cause why women cannot progress in the society. (Ioannidis) Harassment of women at the work place is another factor due to which the progress stops at the beginning that is women fear to enter into the male dominated world fearing harassment. Lack of funds and support is another reason why women entrepreneurs cannot do well in the market. Even after having a good idea and plan to start up the business, women can rarely progress in the market due to lack of available funds or due to lack of support from their colleagues. According to a recent research, the progress of a woman can be endangered by another woman if not by a male peer. Women employers rarely encourage their female subordinates to progress fearing dominance by their subordinates at some point and this clearly is another main obstruction to the women empowerment. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS: From the discussion above, it is clearly evidential that the women are progressing in the path of empowerment and also it is made clear that the government has recognized the role of women in improving the society and her family. Women are known for making decisions in the right way at times of stake. The UAE has also been seeing a great amount of progress in this area: The women literacy rate has gone up to 90% in 2007; Increased number of women enrolled for the higher education when compared to men (24% more than men); Every five students have three female children in higher education; Women are 66% consisted in the government sector jobs; Women entering into crucial areas like the military, air force and police are a few important achievements apart from many others made in the UAE towards women empowerment. This process of empowering women is a continuous and never ending path in which every step taken towards attaining women empowerment would certainly earn the country and the s ociety a lot. While the above discussion states that women empowerment is a necessary for development of any country, there are also few factors that bar the progress of women and hence that of the country. Those are to be dealt with utmost focus and attention. The government should try to launch more programs in order to encourage female participation in the arts, culture and other social activities. It is also beneficial if the government provides all kind of monetary or mental support needed for female entrepreneurs which would benefit in attaining more development. Women in UAE are into the fields of army, police and air-force which were perceived as only male oriented areas earlier. This shows that with proper amount of training and guidance, women can perform well even in shop-floor related jobs. Women can be provided coaching in work related issues and also they can be educated regarding the traditions and culture so that the culture which is being followed from centuries would not get affe cted and also there would be development. From all the discussion above, it can be concluded that women are key role players in the development of any economy and an economy which gives a considerable amount of importance to this would definitely see progress towards success and development of the society as a whole. Also, it can be said that with proper care and education methods, the traditions wouldnt get disturbed and so is the progress of a country.

Analysis of High Turnover Rate :: essays research papers

Analysis of High Turnover Rate Introduction High turnover rate of minorities and female employees has become a serious issue in the United States. Even though many ethnic races form this country, male Anglo-Saxons dominate the majority of the workforce. It is not uncommon for minority and female employees to leave their company after only working for a few years. Why has this behavior become a trend? In order to stop this trend, companies must ask themselves several questions. For example, what are the issues causing the high turnover rate? What legal and ethical issues are the companies facing? After these questions have been asked and processed, solutions must be implemented to change the flow of the trend. While implementing solutions to the high turnover rate, companies must know and understand the law. The law is created and enforced by the government to prevent any discrimination or biases between the company and employees. It also prevents the strong, corporations, from taking advantage of the weak, employees. Keeping a high turnover rate, companies will continue to lose money until they decide to deal with the issue. Through some adjustments and implementations of the programs to lower turnover rates, the company can see a significant change in their costs and what they might actually save. Companies must understand the potential hazard that high turnover rate may cause company. By analyzing banks, one can understand what and where the problem lies. Statement of Problem Employee turnover costs are very costly to a company. Turnover not only affects the bottom line but also affects the company’s morale. We are analyzing the problems within our company that are causing our employees to become unsatisfied with their job. Then we are going to find solutions. And then do the cost estimates of the turnover costs and the turnover savings after our solutions are implemented. Without understand the negative impacts of turnover, a company may be placing itself in a position that will ultimately lead to their demise. We are going to solve our problems and set our company on the path to success, a success that is not only reflected in our bottom line but also our employees’ morale. History ANALYSIS Currently, the Bank of Tomenak employees 20,000 people, which only 35% are female or minority. The average biannual turnover rate for our females and minority employees is 65%. The average turnover cost for one employee is estimated to be 18% of their annual salary.

The Feminist Perspective of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Essay -- Buffy Va

The Feminist Perspective of Buffy the Vampire Slayer In her feminist critique of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Anne Millard Daughtey described Buffy as a show which "obviously promotes female strength and power" (159). Buffy herself is a "symbol of female empowerment" (149); as feminists we can all take comfort in the fact that Buffy "kicks butt and so can we all" (164). Sherryl Vint agrees that Buffy is a "positive role model for young women, one which feminism should celebrate" (para. 3). I find this understanding of Buffy, both the character and the series, to be very problematic, and with this paper I aim to undertake a revised feminist critique of the show, and expose the Buffyverse as the product of a very traditional patriarchal world view which pays lip service to a superficial feminist fashioning. This is not to deny Daughtey and Vint's reading of the Slayer completely; a defining feature of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the liminal position it occupies, at once advocating and refuting positivist feminist readings. However, it is my contention that women in the series are all portrayed in stereotypical ways which have been generated by patriarchy throughout the ages, and all of which serve to empty femininity, leaving the women as functional (fantasy) symbols only: the bluestocking (Willow, Jenny Calendar), the dumb but pretty cheerleader (Cordelia, and to a greater extent Harmony), the witch (Willow, Tara), the sexual hysteric (Dru), the madwoman (Glory). To return to Irigaray, in the Buffyverse there is "no such thing as woman", only artificial constructions of femininity, a theme neatly encapsulated in the character of Buffy's 'sister' Dawn. Dawn suddenly enters the show in season five in an initially bewildering ser... ...ague Summers. London: Arrow Books, 1971. Playden, Zoe Jane. "What you are, what's to come: Feminisms, Citizenship and the Divine". Reading the SIgler: An Unofficial Critical Companion to Buff and Angel. Ed. Roy Kaverney. London; New York: Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2002. 120-147. Purkiss, Diane. The Witch in History: Early Modem and Twentieth Century Representations. London: Routledge, 1996. Vint, Sherryl. " "Killing us Softly': A Feminist Search for the 'Real'Buffy". Slayage 5. 9 Dec 2002. <http://www.slayage.tv/essays/slayage5/vint.html> Whedon, Joss. Interview with Tasha Robinson. The Onion AV Club 37.31. 13 Dec 2002. <http://www.theonionavclub.com> Winslade, J. Lawton. "Teen Witches, Wiccans, and "Wanna Blessed Be's": Pop Culture Magic in Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Slayage 1. 9 Dec. 2002 http://www.slayage.tv/ essays/slayage 1 /winslade.html

Inhalants: A Cheap, Easy and Deadly High Essay -- Inhalant Abuse

Hundreds of household products are being misused as inhalants. Some of these products include nail polish remover, hair spray, cleaning fluids, spray paint, and the propellant in aerosol whipped cream (â€Å"Inhalantsâ€Å", 2010). Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that users intentionally inhale because of the chemical’s mind-altering effects (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2010). The trend in inhalant abuse is growing among the young community throughout the country. Surveys have shown in 2008 2 million Americans of 12 or over reported using inhalants (NIDA, 2010). Young children from the age of 12 to 17 are the primary age group of abusers (National Drug Intelligence Center [NDIC], 2001). The numbers reflect that it is becoming more popular for young America to abuse the various inhalants available to them without realizing the short term and long term effects of the drug. Inhalants come in many different shapes and sizes. Each inhalant falls into one of four general categories for the substances. Liquids that are vaporized at room temperature if left in unsealed containers are considered volatile solvents. Gasoline, nail polish remover, felt-tip markers, and glue contain volatile solvents. Sprays that contain propellants and solvents fall under the aerosol category. Paint, deodorant, cooking products, and silver and gold spray paint are familiar aerosols. Substances that lack definite shape or volume such as refrigerants and medical anesthetics are gases. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is abused more often than any gas. It can be obtained from whipped cream dispensers, products that boost octane levels in racing cars, balloons, or small sealed vials called whippets. Gases found in butane lighters, air c... ...alize that abusing inhalants causes serious effects. Not only does a person experience the short term effects that attract them to the drug but also experience the long term effects that can leave a critical mark on a person’s health. Abusers of inhalants need to be educated that what is thought to be a satisfying high is actually a deadly high. References Inhalants. (2010). Web. 30 Mar. 2015. http://www.drugfree.org/portal/drug_guide/inhalants Missouri Department of Mental Health. (n.d.). Inhalants. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsinhale.htm National Drug Intelligence Center. (2001). Intelligence Brief: Huffing The Abuse of Inhalants. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs07/708/index.htm National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2010). Inhalants. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/inhalants.html

Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest, Inc. Case Analysis Page 1 INDEX 1. Key success factors & company performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. Bank perspective regarding the performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. Bank financing perspective at the end of 1998†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 4. Management perspective regarding the bank financing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 5. Exhibit 1 – Annual Income Statements (1994-1997)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 6. Exhibit 2 – Annual Balance Sheets (1994-1997)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 7. Exhibit 3 – Quarterly Income Statements 1997†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 8. Exhibit 4 – Quarterly Balance Sheets 1997†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 9. Exhibit 5 – Forecasting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 10. Exhibit 6 – Annual Ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 22 11. Exhibit 7 – Quarterly Ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 23 Tudor Team Five Page 2 1. What are the key success factors in this equipment rental business? How has the company performed the past few years? Key Success Factors Five of the key success factors are as follows: First, the locat ion of the business is ideal for handling several projects at once. This is due to their central Boston location. The ability to handle everal projects at once gives the company a competitive edge and allows them to attain a performance as close to the full potential of the company as possible. Second, the company’s leaders have been successful in networking to primary and secondary clients. This has aided in growing a business that is based on a foundation of good company/client relationships. These strong relationships have led to significant repeat customers as a strong basis of the company’s revenue. Fostering these relationships throughout the years of the company’s existence has also led to sustained revenue growth year after year. This revenue growth is shown in the financials and, using the Compound Annual Growth Rate, it can be seen that this growth in revenue has been 14. 26% from 1994 to 1997. Third, the executive management is well experienced in the hospitality industry as well as other industries that relate to the successful operation of a business. Stephen Lizio was involved in the food and wine business prior to founding Be Our Guest in 1983. Al Lovata was previously a banker and began his relationship with Be Our Guest as a financial consultant, later joining the organization full-time as the Chief Executive Officer. Lizio and Lovata together form a foundation of strong knowledge of the hospitality Tudor Team Five Page 3 business and the vital knowledge of finance, thus giving the business a core of understanding both its industry and how to manage the money coming into the company. Simone Williamson was brought on to the team and comes from years of experience in the food service business. She also came to the company with strong networking connections in the catering industry in Boston, which further reinforces the second success factor described above. This management team is made up of members that complement ach other’s strengths, as well as provide the necessary skill sets for running a successful business. The fourth key success factor is that the company identified its business plan early on and held its course throughout the years without deviation to business expansions that would have resulted in higher profits but fewer turnovers. This can be seen in the company’s analys is of the potential of The executive team determined that this entering the tent rental market. market, though highly profitable, would result in time delays and longer turnovers and would split their core business. The team recognised that this split could result in lower profitability and splintering of the core business structure. Rather than expand into a low profit margin business â€Å"tents†, in which the management lacks market expertise, they chose to stick to their initial business plan and focus on their key strengths rather than deviate from the company's set fundamentals. This example illustrates that the company followed its original business plan and complied with its mission and vision from the beginning without deviation. In doing so, the company built a strong foundation and upheld the strength of that foundation. The fifth key success factor identified here is the high quality of service as well as the high quality of the rental equipment provided to clients. The executive team recognised early that they could compete in either price or Tudor Team Five Page 4 quality, and the team chose to compete in quality. Part of this high quality service is seen in the company’s dedication to its clients through its willingness to deliver only one table on short notice if a client is in need. Through high quality service, the company has upheld its networking connections to clients by building strong relationships. This high quality service combined with high quality rental equipment products has allowed the company to obtain a competitive edge over its competition, keep that competitive advantage, and foster strong company/client relationships throughout the years. How has the company performed the past few years? Viewpoint – Independent perspective Be Our Guest, Inc. originated in 1983 and is still thriving in a very competitive and volatile industry 14 years later. Over the past few years the company has shown significant growth. We see that Annual sales revenues have consistently risen from 1994 to 1997 with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14. 26%. 1997 was an impressive year for the company with a 22. 7% increase in revenues. Gross Margins were very consistent year over year for 1994 through 1997. Gross margins for 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 were 53. 9%, 49%, 52. 63% and 55. 5%, respectively. Be Our Guest, Inc. is doing a solid job of keeping the Costs of Revenue in line with the Sales Revenue. It is a positive sign to see this growth, because we can be assured that the company is staying competitive, while not completely giving in to the pricing crunch. Annual Sales Revenue has a strong CAGR, but it is important and concerning to note that the CAGR of total Operating Expenses is higher. It is about 5% higher and this is very important, because Be Our Guest needs to stay in control of its expenses. Tudor Team Five Page 5 The high and increasing Operating expenses are cutting into the Operating margins, which also cuts into the bottom line. Be Our Guest’s balance sheet shows good signs of liquidity. Current Ratios for the past four years have remained above 1 proving that the company can handle its current liabilities. The current ratios are not extremely high (19941. 7, 1995- 2. 17, 1996- 1. 15 and 1997- 1. 16), but they can cover the current liabilities. It is important to note that the company is operating on a thin line because the current assets are barely covering the current liabilities. This is particularly unpleasant because we are dealing with a company operating in a seasonal business. It is a concern that the curren t ratio slightly eroded after 1995, and this is primarily due to Be Our Guest converting the bank line into long term debt in 1995. The current ratio in 1995 is an outlier, because 2. 17 do not accurately represent the company. The quick ratio is the same as the current ratio for Be Our Guest because they do not have inventory for all of the rental equipment is under property and equipment. They display a good working capital position as well, which is another measure of liquidity. Cash position is a concern for we can see in 1994 and 1997 that they actually had an Overdraft, and for 1995 and 1996 cash is not very high. However, this company is in an industry that is more of a receivables business, so the cash position is not a high concern, especially given that it is covering the current liabilities. Since this is a receivables business it is important to look at the Receivables Turnover ratio, and we find that this is quite consistent, however when comparing to the Payables Turnover ratio we see that they are paying out more quickly than they are receiving, which is a problem. In 1995 they are paying out twice on average before collecting. Be Our Guest needs to focus on getting its receivables in a more timely manner. Tudor Team Five Page 6 2. As the bank loan officer, Anne Granger, how would you view this company? What concerns might you have about the business and the lending elationship? What factors provide a source of comfort when considering the credit risk? Anne will look at Be Our Guest, Inc. with both an annual and quarterly perspective really focusing in on the company’s liquidity, leverage and how they will match up to the covenant ratios established. The company is liquid, but it is not extremely liquid. Be Our Guest, Inc. is barely covering the current liabil ities, and from a banks perspective we would want to see that there are not any concerns in this area. If the company is to become insolvent, we want to be able to get our outstanding balance back. We know that Q1 is the worst quarter for the company, and you can see that for Q1 1997 the company displays a current ratio of . 88, which is simply not good, and means that during that quarter they did not have the ability to pay all current liabilities, therefore having to access the line of credit during this quarter. Q1 is also the hardest month for this company to retain its receivables, which can sometimes be the cause for liquidity problems. The top line growth is great to see, especially in the competitive space that the company operates in, but we also need to examine the rest of the income statement. It is concerning to see the Operating Profit Margin as well as the Interest Coverage Ratio declining year over year. Operating Profit Margin shrinking is a negative because it indicates that the company is not controlling its operating expenses. Interest Coverage Ratio is especially concerning because this ratio indicates the ease of paying the interest on the outstanding debt, and Be Our Guest, Inc. may struggle paying the interest down the road if the ratio continues to decline. Note that the company is currently fully capable of paying for the interest on an annual and quarterly Tudor Team Five Page 7 basis, but the trend downward will be noticed. Be Our Guest, Inc. relies on debt to build the business as you can see from the long term debt to equity ratios. However, the ratios are fairly consistent and it drops down to . 43 in 1997. The company is more than capable to cover the interest of this debt as noted earlier. Cash Flow is being adversely affected due to the abnormally large increase (56%) in G during 1997. According to the footnote on page 4 of the case, a company the size of Be Our Guest should have G sales in 1997 closer to $565,718 rather than the $840,718 that was reported. The bank will keep a particular eye on Cash Flow/Debt Service Ratio and Debt/Tangible Net Worth Ratio along with the bottom line, since the covenants include requirements regarding these. The covenants require the Cash Flow/Debt Service ratio to not be less than 1/25:1, and the company is in line with this covenant on an annual basis. However, the company does not satisfy this covenant when looking at the quarterly figures. Debt/Tangible Net Worth cannot be greater than 2. 00:1, and Be Our Guest, Inc. satisfies this covenant on an annual and quarterly basis. According to the covenants, the company can’t incur two consecutive quarters of net losses; nor incur a net loss for any fiscal year. The company did incur a loss in Q1 1997, but followed with a strong Q2 net profit, so the company is in compliance with this covenant as well. Be Our Guest, Inc. is in a seasonal industry, which is a concern, but even more of a concern is the company’s inability to produce projections. We understand that projections may not be extremely accurate, but it is possible to project through the use of confidence intervals. The bank becomes a little more comfortable with the seasonality because they feel that Al Lovata (former Banker) is aware of the risks associated and has a handle on them. Tudor Team Five Page 8 The balance sheet is decent, but it is not incredibly strong because it is barely covering the current liabilities. As a banker we would also be concerned about the customer makeup. Be Our Guest, Inc. relies heavily on two particular customers (Customer A and B), which make up over 21% of the company’s sales. These two customers make up 1/5 of the company’s budget, and I would like to know if the company has any backup plans in case they lost either of these customers and has performed the due diligence required to make sure its major customers are not insolvency risks themselves. Other than these top two customers, it appears that the customer base is spread out appropriately. The strong covenants in place are a source of comfort for the bank. Not only do they have strong covenants, but the bank also has virtually all of the company’s assets pledged and the shareholders guarantee the loan. Given that this is an S Corporation, the shareholders’ personal assets would be safe, but since these shareholders guaranteed the loan, the bank can go after the personal assets of the shareholders. Be Our Guest, Inc. is not a start-up company, and it has been in operation since 1983, so there is a level of comfort knowing that this company has been around for over 10 years and has been remotely successful during this time as well. It has great management in place who each contributes strong and complimentary experiences along with a level of expertise. This company is focused and driven to provide the best service they can within the industry, and they have been rewarded for it with the 1997 Small Business Firm of the Year. While Be Our Guest may not be the greatest risk, there are provisions in place and aspects of the company that make Be Our Guest an acceptable risk for the bank. Tudor Team Five Page 9 3. How much total bank financing will the company need at the end of 1998, including both the short-term borrowing under the bank credit line and the outstanding amount of the term loan? For convenience, assume that 1998 sales are $3,000,000. ) In order to estimate how much total bank financing the company will need at the end of 1998, there are two possible ways of forecasting the financial results in terms of balance sheet and income statement. The analysis must take into account the highly unpredictable, seasonal nature of the business. Due to this seasonality, there is high level of uncertainty whichever forecasting method is applied. The first method is to estimate the future income statement based on a trend or horizontal analysis. In this specific case, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for each item on the income statement was calculated for the years 1994-1997. With regards to revenue, $3,000,000 for 1998 was accounted for in the calculation. This analysis shows an increase in G due to the unusual increase in G the previous year (1996-1997) affecting the CAGR in 1998. Consequently, the income statement shows a loss in the Net Earnings when applying this method. The second method is to calculate the costs of revenue based on the percentage impact of each item of cost on the total revenue in 1997 (vertical analysis). This analysis, according to us, seems more logical in itself and also leads to a much more positive outlook for 1998 (Net Earnings of $99,408). The result would be sustainable for the business. Two more steps are necessary to forecast the financing needs for the year 1998: Tudor Team Five Page 10 The first step is repayment of the line of credit for the short-term liabilities ($140,000+$3,498). The second step is better management of the seasonality, especially for quarters 1 and 4 which are the most risky quarters for the business. Given that Net Earnings are around $68,096, the line of credit needs to cover the difference ($75,402). Taking into consideration the seasonality, calculated as operating cash flow (refer to case – covenants), there should be no liquidity problems year-end 1998. The cash flow available at the end of 1998 completely covers the losses in Q1 and Q4. The company should keep the line of credit, because debt is incurred upon the credit line only when used. The management, however, should only use the credit line when absolutely necessary. Finally, the company should convert approximately $75,000 of the $140,000 of the line of credit into long-term debt because it will cost less in terms of interest. In addition, the company should increase the long-term debt accordingly (based on the strategy regarding future investments; see answer to question 4). Assuming that the long-term loan is amortised in a constant manner, with approximately 25% payoff per year as â€Å"current instalment of term note†, shown to be the same figure as 1997 ($75,268) which is calculated based on the term note payable less current instalment of $168,043 for 1998. Tudor Team Five Page 11 Proposed here is a two-step approach for financing the investment: The first step is to obtain another long-term loan of $200,000 to change and improve the phone and IT systems. This will lead to a better position to judge the current market needs to revise and produce a strong strategy for the business in terms of efficiency, profitability and long-term outlook. Once this step is accomplished, by 1999, the company should obtain yet another long-term loan. Regarding the possibility of an acquisition, if Be Our Guest makes an acquisition, it can do so through a leveraged-buyout. Therefore, taking on the debt of the company being acquired and funding the other part of the acquisition by selling part of the equity of Be Our Guest (Following the financial restructuring and the increase in efficiency the value of the stock will increase). Asking for a loan for an acquisition today would not be reasonable, nor is it likely that the bank would agree to issue the loan. Currently, the financial ratios of the company do not justify an acquisition. Therefore, starting off with a smaller loan to improve the company running in terms of efficiency and infrastructure will be of greater value. In total the company should take the following long-term loans: $75,000 (line of credit converted into long-term loan) $200,000 (investment) $168,000 (outstanding long-term loan) Total long-term loans in the Balance Sheet by end of 1998: $443,000 As already mentioned before, the line of credit should remain available at the same level as before ($140,000) since it is only paid for if used (expected 1998: fully available). Tudor Team Five Page 12 4. What should Al Lovata and Simone Williamson ask for when talking with the bank? If the company needs additional bank financing, should the increase be provided by an increase in the credit line, or should the size of the term loan be increased to meet the need? Should they ask for some relaxation or change in the loan covenants, particularly the personal guarantees that they have provided at the bank’s request? Al Lovata and Simone Wiliamson should approach Anne Granger in a confident way. Be Our Guest’s balance sheet is fairly strong and fairly liquid, the income statement shows signs of growth and the company is generally doing well. Hence Be Our Guest can take a confident stand to discuss the covenants openly with the bank in order to reach some relaxation on the strict terms. They need to work with the bank to: *lower the rate *review the requirements of personal guarantees for the loan Be our Guest Inc. can consider the possibility of going to another bank if State Street holds their ground on these strict covenants Considering the current and past status of the balance sheets and income statements it is realistic to assume that Be Our Guest, Inc. would not have much difficulty to find a new lender who would agree on different, more relaxed terms of covenants. The company mainly needs the line of credit to finance the seasonal effects of Q1, which could be reduced by a solid growth or expansion plan or merely revising the company’s HR strategy regarding the full-time staff during Q1. Tudor Team Five Page 13 For example, they could reduce the staff’s hours, which would keep them on a full-time employment base but would reduce the G costs for this particular quarter; or they could put the full-time staff on a strategic rotation plan which incorporates the poor business of quarter 1 but leaves options in case of unexpected business in this time period which would also reduce the general G costs and still leave the company in a good position to handle short-term notice business. Regarding the interest for outstanding borrowings on the credit line as well as the interest for the long-term loan, it has been reliably covered and there is no immediate reason to believe that this will change. Any future increase of the long-term loan to drive the growth of the company in terms of business expansion or increasing assets can only be interpreted in a positive way seeing that the revenues have shown to increase with all previous growth-measures. State Street bank should recognise the company’s solid management foundations and the well-going business over the past years and keep their good standing with Be Our Guest, Inc. Lovata and Williamson want to be prepared for future growth. The way to growth has been identified in two possible options, completing an acquisition or expanding their product line. Both of these strategies need to be supported by a consistent long term plan in order to finance their investment needs. Pertaining to this reason, for funding their growth they should ask the bank to extend their long term lend (clearly cheaper than a revolving credit) and moreover ask to re-negotiate the interest rate (too high especially to be a â€Å"prime rate†). Additionally each growth plan in the first few years needs patience and flexibility in terms of managing losses, therefore it would be crucial to review Tudor Team Five Page 14 at least part of the current covenants, like prohibiting two consecutive quarters of net losses and avoiding a net loss for any fiscal year. Taking into account that they are in a good financial position and that the extra money they would need is for future expansions and growth of the company, refinancing its existing debt to obtain better terms, could be quite reasonable. Moreover the company has a fairly strong balance sheet and profitable growth, so it has plenty of bargaining power to negotiate a better deal with the bank. The only negative item is given by the decrease in the last 4 years of the â€Å"net income†, but again it is an issue suggested by a covenant (distribute more than 50% of the earnings to the principals). It is probably the most useless and most dangerous of the list as it is leading the owners to distribute the profit thereby increasing the G costs. Definitely, another crucial aspect is about liquidity pain, especially for an already seasoned business as that of â€Å"Be Our Guest†. In this case they should consider converting some of their revolving credit to term debt (cheaper) making line of credit available, which is currently fully used (coherently to the 1998 expected cash position, answer 3). In this sense the best deal for â€Å"Be Our Guest† might be to invest in a business that generates revenue during current slow seasons and eases the firm's reliance on credit for working capital. Thus even if the tents business could be apparently external to the â€Å"Be Our Guest† business model this business expansion should be taken into consideration. It is not only a new source of profit but will also enable profits for the current business in the slow seasons (tents are mainly set off in the rainy and cold seasons like fall and winter). However, they should be able to distinguish between long term debt and short term line of credit, using the first one for investments and the second one to manage liquidity pain periods. Tudor Team Five Page 15 Leaving aside its convenience in general, the nature of the long-term debt, makes the development of the financial plan easier by providing the exact future payment scheme. On the contrary the line of credit is extremely useful to manage liquidity pain periods but should be paid back quickly or converted in term loan. Finally while refinanced bank loans for now may be adequate to finance the company, it may not be enough for future plans and therefore curb the expansion (current debt/tangible worth ratio is already higher than 1). They should consider a different way of raising funds e. g. from selling equity. Reviewing the personal guarantees is fundamental in order to attract new investor and to manage the company differently. Be Our Guest was created as a business idea and for many years ran more like a family business but now it is a profitable firm that should be managed in terms of efficiency and profitability. This leads to two necessary actions: one by the State Bank, to get rid of the covenant including the personal guarantee of the loan by the management; and second by Be Our Guest, Inc. to review their company status. In terms of the State Bank, it will be essential to convince Anne Granger to remove the covenant regarding the guarantee for the long-term loan. From the point of view of the management of Be our Guest, Inc. they need to review their company status. Only when they successfully separate the business from the family-business approach on which terms Be Our Guest, Inc. as founded, they can attract future investors. Tudor Team Five Page 16 Exhibit 1 – Annual Income Statements (1994-1997) Tudor Team Five Page 17 Exhibit 2 – Annual Balance Sheets (1994-1997) Tudor Team Five Page 18 Exhibit 3 – Quarterly Income Statements 1997 Tudor Team Five Page 19 Exhibit 4 – Quarterly Balance Sheets 1997 Tudor Team Five Page 20 Exhibit 5 – Forecasting Tudor Team Five Page 21 Exhibit 6 – Annual Ratios Tudor Team Five Page 22 Exhibit 7 – Quarterly Ratios Tudor Team Five Page 23

Auditing Essay

Justin Kealey, certified public accountant, is canvassing Tustin Companies, Inc. Kealey has accumulated known and likely misstatements for the current year to evaluate whether at that place is a commensurately low peril of hooey misstatement of the financial statements to issue an view. However, Kealey nones that in that location be several misstatements that befuddle been carried over from front years.A .Distinguish amongst the urge on curtain and the rollover approaching pathes to tump overing the misstatements from prior years. In context of an auditors approach for thinking the set up of misstatements from prior years argon the bid curtain and the rollover approach. The iron curtain approach reveals the effect of correcting the misstatements whole amount in the present year irrespective of when the misstatements occurred. The rollover approach reflects only the amount of misstatement originating in the living income statements. It ignores the effect of misst atements caused within the balance saddlery.B. find how SEC Staff Accounting worldize no. 108 requires auditors to consider misstatements carried over from prior periods. SEC, Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108 in fiber to actuality states that auditors consider both the iron curtain and rollover approach. meeters project whe neer making corrections of material misstatements in financial statements that corrections atomic number 18 make with the iron curtain or rollover approach. The succeeding(a) are typical questions that might be on an internal instruction questionnaire for pay canvas department activities1. Is there adequate withdrawal of duties between employees who insist human resources records and employees who approve payroll disbursements? It is important that originations separate human resources and tide over function as it enables prevention of payments to false employees and overpayment of payroll amounts. Therefore, distribution of payroll accounts contain things much(prenominal) as scheduling, meter ragtime verification, employee information, and tax obligations just to name a few responsibilities.2. Is there adequateseparation of duties between personnel who maintain timekeeping or attendance records for employees and employees who distribute payroll checks? When utilizing the alike employees executing the timekeeping and distribution, the organization is providing these individuals to report attendance of employees that have resigned and write their own checks. The view of combining the timekeeper and payroll employees should never be done. Separating responsibilities as management and supervisors score scheduling and time management should be electronically formatted to maintain and avoid fraud. a. draw and quarter the purpose of each of the above controls.Separating responsibilities as management and supervisors create scheduling and time management should be electronically formatted to maintain and avoid fraud. b. Describe the manner in which each of the above controls might be tested. The separation of duties is established by curious for which employees perform concomitant tasks during year, and become conscious of the personnel carrying out such tasks. The auditors should communicate upon which personnel accomplished their assigned tasks below uncommon circumstances, for example during the prolonged distemper of a worker. c. Assuming that the operating military posture of each of the above controls is found to be inadequate, describe how the auditors might alter their essential procedures to compensate for the increased level of control risk. The testing of fictitious payroll proceedings brings the auditors to analyze the distribution of paychecks on a random basis. Analytical procedures performed in reference to payroll expenses whitethorn involve study the amount budgeted for the year to the comparable amounts of previous years and could reveal a lusty overstatement of staff payroll expenses. patch performing your audit of Williams Paper Company, you get a line evidence that indicates that Williams whitethorn non have the susceptibility to continue as a going doctor. a. Discuss types of information that may indicate substantial doubt astir(predicate) a thickenings great power to remain a going concern. peck presenting doubt in the clients ability to achieve and maintain craft performance begin with working crownwork deficiencies. More problems for concern may be recurring operating lost, arrears in dividend, defaulting on loans andadverse financial ratios. The economy sack up cause business lost as loosing principal customers, work stoppages, legal problems, and at bottom staff members affecting the business conflict its measurings. b. Explain the auditors obligation in such situations.Information contradictory to an assumption that a CPA pie-eyeds client remains a growing concern is ordinaryly relates to the companys ability to satisfy its financial commitments For each of the avocation brief scenarios, fag that you are inform on a clients financial statements. Reply as to the type(s) of judicial decision achievable for the scenario. In addition Unless express otherwise, assume the matter involved is material. doubting Thomas Bros. Construction is involved in a hazardous trade on a work project and has obtained insurance reporting related to the hazard. Although the probability is remote, a material administer of the companys assets could be destroyed by a weighty work related accident. A standard unqualified report is issued.If the problem does non state that a misstatement (or possible misstatement) is pervasive, assume that it may or may not be pervasive (thus, the appropriate reception may include two possible reports). The Lowes own considerable amount billet that has gained significantly in value since the visualize of purchase. The properties were appraised and reported in the balance sheet at the appraised set that materially clear greets with related disclosures. The certified public accountants believe that the appraised values reported in the balance sheet are a realistic value of the assets. This scenario can dupe either an adverse or a qualified judgment. Valuation of assets at appraised values is not in the standards presented in the general accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The appraised value and cost is important, an unqualified opinion is not be appropriate. Do not read to a greater extent into the circumstance than what is presented. While conducting an audit of Armstrong Co. the CPA riotous encountered a major field point of accumulation relating to inventory report handiness and cannot gather sufficient qualifying audit evidence for that area. A circumstance limitation will result in a qualified opinion or a disclaimer of opinion. Do not consider an auditor discretionary circumstance for readjustment of the audit report unless the situation ex plicitly suggests that the auditors wish to emphasizea particular matter. Noble Co. has material investments in stocks pertaining to secondary companies while are not actively traded in the market.The participating CPA sloshed performing the engagement does not lean to any subsidiary company. The CPA firm is able to determine that all investments are carried at the original cost, but it has no idea of the actual market value. Although the exit between cost and market could be material, it may not have a pervasive effect on the boilers suit financial statements. Here is a scope limitation therefore either a qualified opinion or a disclaimer of opinion is appropriate. Report Types may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Williams Co. also has material investments in stocks of subsidiary companies however the stocks for in this scenario are of subsidiary companies which are actively traded in the market. Management insists that all investments are carried at the original c osts, and the CPA firm is satisfied that the original costs are accurate. The CPA firm believes that the client does not realize a substantial portion of the investments because the market value is much subvert than the cost. The client disclosed the facts in notes attendant the financial statements. A qualified opinion is necessary. The CPA firm attained sufficient evidence stating investments in subsidiary companies are overstated and the note disclosure does not compensate for inappropriate balance sheet presentation.ReferenceWhittington and Pany, Chapter 16, Auditing Operations and Completing the Audit, Chapter 17, Auditors Reports, Principles of Auditing & Other Assurance Services, eighteenth edition, T, Legal Liability of CPAs McGraw-Hill Irwin