Mexican american women and oppression

Mexican American women are facing a lot of problems including ethnicity racial discrimination and social inequalities like lack of medical and educational assistance. The paper produces a brief overview of women facing oppression in America and how did they response against itIntroductionThe make use of concrete examples will illustrate the major points of the article. Mothers, Mexican immigrant women who preserve their cultural honesty in all arenas, chiefly in the schools, are often anxious of anyone actually or seemingly connected to U.S. establishment. (Geiter, L. 2000).But, pedagogy of hope, based on Vygotskian main beliefs (as we shall see below), can establish a correlation amongst way of life, language, and cognition as the organization to understand the role of culture in arbitrate the program of information and thinker improvement. This arbitration through appropriate cultural symbols for the purpose of constructing educational knowledge (or via â€Å"assisted performanceà ¢â‚¬ ) must translate instruction into pedagogical practices that permit migrant children to engage in their possess progress, to invest their own artistic and linguistic capital, and to go forward without unfairness.Accordingly, in spite of the inherent challenges and difficulties faced by ethnographers, serious ethnography with a Vygotskian outlook continues to be one of the most promising fields in the hands of educational researchers unswerving to the full improvement of immigrant children, because it is a latest avenue to create pedagogy of hope in actual lessons. (Geiter, L. 2000).The clearly pernicious consequences of working in damaging and oppressive environments influence women in the most grave period of their lives — all through childbearing age — and this, in turn, affects children and the entire family and Exposure to pesticides, hunger, tiring substantial activities, and high stress, coupled with lack of medical attention, consequences in serious chroni c health troubles for Mexican families.ExplanationOppression faced by Mexican America and kinds of work they didMexican American Women Farm workers in do not have medicinal insurance nor can they have enough money to pay health center' fees and they resort to home therapy and prayer When they are laid off, they can use joblessness benefits, go on happiness, and receive medical assistance, but only if they are permissible inhabitants or American people. (Tomes, N. (2000)The women of the farm in US. Soil does have access to a small local hospital that helps with vaccinations, information, and recommendation they have not given the educational facilities. This health center, the US. Soil Community Health Center, has received not enough state support from the Health Department of the State of California. And according to a recent report from this clinic, US. Soil has a very giant youth population, with 38.5 percent of its total inhabitants less than nineteen years of age, and a very tin y older population of only 7.6 percent above sixty-five years of period.Life expectation in the US. Soil is minor though than that in urban areas. El Rocao's economic index advises extreme poverty and malnutrition: 5.13 percent of all live delivery s are low weight, and 16.22 percent are delivery to Mexican women below nineteen years of age. Medical consideration for pregnant women is scarce and late; in 37 percent of the pregnancies, women did not have access to a medical doctor until after the first trimester; and newborn mortality (measured as the number of infants dead per one thousand exist delivery) is 6.76 (Health and Welfare Department of California, 1994).When we go to relations and walking around in El Rocao, one gets the impression that the Mexican women workers are always exhausted and that physical survival demands a great deal of vigor each day and inconsistently, the only time people rest is when they are out of labor, when they are sick, or when they are planning to travel to Mexico. (Geiter, L. 2000).Carmen is the archetype of the lots of young and uneducated women I interviewed: although in poor health — with arthritis, ear disease, allergic reactions to pesticides, at times bodily weak, and unable to obtain medical care — she is committed to carry on the struggle for a better life and she is decisive in her actions and passionate concerning her faiths.She chats concerning her parents (both worked in California as farm workers) with great respect as role models in the fields, parents who skilled her early in life the importance of functioning hard, never giving up, and by no means taking whatever thing from others. She claims the respect of the Americans with her distinguished behavior. She highlight to her four children, ages 6 to 16, the need to be accountable and importunate and the oldest and the two youngest are boys, and all three are measured exceptional in school; their scores in mathematics are amongst the highest in th eir module.The 12-year-old girl is chosen as mentally retarded and goes to special education classes at times with a giggle and at times in tears; Carmen explained incidents of racial intolerance and unfriendliness by U.S. schoolchildren and She is bitter concerning the insensitivity of some bosses at work; indeed, recent humiliations and abuse suffered at work still bring to the surface profound feelings of anger and indignity. In general, she is deeply sad that as a young mother she missed important intimate moments with her young children, such as not being able to embrace them when they were asking for friendliness, as she was always too busy or too exhausted and In protest, for many years, she refused to chat in English.Actually only recently has she decided to use English and to prepare for her nationality examination in order to stay in the United States. This is a major change in her life, but she thinks she will ultimately have dual nationality in Mexico and the United Stat es what chase is an outline of Carmen's narrative. (Geiter, L. 2000).Carmen's narrativeIn fact her family started coming to the United States together as a family in 1961 (prior to that Carmen's father had worked as a farm worker for quite a few years) her father was not comfortable transferring his children to the local schools since he recognize they would not be bothered of her. Then on Carmen was sent back to Mexico to acquire some schooling in Michoacan. Nevertheless, while there was plenty work in Articia (near Los Angeles, California), Carmen works at house. (Hall, J. M., Stevens, P. E., & Meleis, A. I., 1994)Mexican American traveledMexicans primary moved to Washington Territory in the 1860s, most of the family raising sheep’s in the valleys and they all were seeking for a good future tahts why they came to US. In the twentieth century, above all after the start of World War II,  Mexican refugees  from the Southwest and immigrants from Mexico, together with women, made up a great part of the labor strength that brought in Yakima County's yield and In the last half of the twentieth century, Mexican American women unspecified prominent roles in society and in political principles.   (Hall, J. M., Stevens, P. E., & Meleis, A. I., 1994)The passage was full of hardships and they moved along with families because family experienced horrendous hardship arriving in â€Å"bitterly cold weather.Oppression and transformation over different periodsDue to the particular theory of the the activism, resistance, and politics generally exclude persona actions, like directing for the mexican language or for mexiccan speakers either in one's home or one's scociety, as explained by a lot of activists. Despite of, various thought provkers always tends to focus on a particular, citizen performances and activities like political nominatiuos   coutering, and demonstrations that occur in supreme arenas, unions, and political groups. (Hall, J. M., Stevens, P. E. , & Meleis, A. I., 1994)There were various era of oppression and cruelty on mexican american women as various case studies of the white feminist movement in the america and in the decade of   the 1960s there was a feelof the tensions, constraints, and struggles that was faces by women both in the New Left movement and in the human rights movement.The domination and rule of the Male in each of these sociopolitical reaction movements shared directly to the rise of a feminist movement among white women all through this time typical era.   It is a sense that, however, recent thought provokers are experiencing notions of activism and resistance in front and it is due to the fact of their particaular sole reliance on a very typical dominant arenas to define the site of politics.Information after many researches shows Mexican Americans women are leading a miserable life as on top of all immigrants have the lowest of the income per month and they have maximum shortage rates, highest con centration in the employment market most especially in blue collar/service grouping.According to some very fresh examination we can say that currently census fact and statistics can show numerous true fact and information that for Mexican American women as a whole and habitually not for separate their groups, but when separate groups are report Mexican Americans have the top working class characters and lowest living average and class of life standards.   (Hall, J. M., Stevens, P. E., & Meleis, A. I., 1994)The struggle and the association with labor, Mexican Americana and Asian Americans has been bulwarks of vigor for recent advances and Up till now while the Democrat legislatures of California and Texas pass drivers authorize laws for undocumented immigrants, the Republican governors veto them, and the Republican dominated Congress moves the trouble countrywide. (Hammersley, M. 1992)Mexican American women has left no stone unturned to successful over come the situation faced, but it is also very vital and significant that they hear other equally real stories of victory. We can say virtually any Mexican American community these days there are men and women who have left behind the migrant river or other forms of poverty and built very flourishing and enviable lives. We know that Teachers should invite a number of those everyday women heroes who had worked a lot in this regard into their classrooms to share their experiences, or assign students to carry out oral olden times interviews in their personal and active communities. (Hammersley, M. 1992)If we see this analysis is a refreshing and critical examination of a patriarchal rite of passage into Mexicans heterosexual womanhood, an expression of Catholic popular religiosity, and a fiscally expensive cultural tradition in the midst of resist for ethnic self-definition. Third, a thought-provoking inspection of the internationally acclaimed novel and movie Like ‘Water for Chocolate invites the reader to d eem a queer alternative to look at the metaphors that come into view when both culinary appetites and human enthusiasm are cooked in fire (Lewis, M. A., DeVellis, B. M., & Sleath, 2002)To conceptualize the learning findings of Mexican American women we have situated the discussion within the perspective of cruelty and struggle adjacent to it that is in olden times ingrained in the U.S.-Mexico border region and inside it. Cruelty generally involves a systematic and inappropriate control of nation by those with more supremacy and for oppression to take place; a power-laden, unequal relationship must stay alive. (Lewis, M. A., DeVellis, B. M., & Sleath, 2002)The individuals in this affiliation or health care encounter (Mexican women immigrants and U.S. health care providers) are uneven on the basis of personal power derived from assets, education, racial uniqueness, prestige, and other personal or national distinctiveness. By and large nature of unequal power in the relationship betwee n the U.S. TB health care provider and the women sets up a struggle that extends beyond the LTBI diagnosis and suggestions for preventive treatment. It is also a struggle over the discrepancies of how the past (BCG) and present (LTBI) illness-prevention actions should be understood and reconciled, a struggle to identify causes and assess blame, a arguable effort to give partisan import to Mexico's TB prevention program. (Lewis, M. A., DeVellis, B. M., & Sleath, 2002)ReferencesGeiter, L. (2000). Ending neglect: The elimination of tuberculosis in the United States. Institute of Medicine Committee on the Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United States. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.Hall, J. M., Stevens, P. E., & Meleis, A. I. (1994). Marginalization: A guiding concept for valuing diversity in nursing knowledge improvement. Advances in Nursing Science, 16, 23Hammersley, M. (1992). What's wrong with ethnography? New York: Rutledge.Lewis, M. A., DeVellis, B. M., & Sleath, B. ( 2002). Social influence and interpersonal communication in health behavior. In K. Glens, B. K. Rimer, & F. M. Lewis (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 240-264). San Francisco: Jossey-BassNevins, J. (2002). Operation Gatekeeper. New York: RutledgeStaudt, K., & Coronado, I. (2002). Fronteras no mas: Toward social justice at the U.S-Mexico border. New York: Palgrave MacmillanTomes, N. (2000). The making of a germ panic, then and now. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 191-198.

Defining Inclusion and Supporting Laws Essay

This term refers to bringing the support services to children with disabilities within their normal classroom setting. The article â€Å"Special Education Inclusion† mentions that inclusion commits to putting the child with disabilities in the regular classroom environment, so that they can benefit from being around their peers (Stout 2001). Inclusion is stated by Robert Fieldman as integration of all students, even those with the most severe disabilities, into regular classrooms and all other aspects of school and community life (2004). The success of these practices rides heavily upon the teachers and school being flexible with their instruction methods and only pulling the child out of class when necessary services cannot be given in the regular classroom. Here the students can be challenged, feel accepted and learn from the higher expectations placed on them. To answer the question of why it is healthy for the growth of an average child, there are multiple reasons learning interactions are beneficial. Stout then listed the findings in the study Success For All that were positive changes for the regular education students: Less fear and more awareness of human differences, growth in social cognition, improvement in belief in oneself, ability to support peers with disabilities, and caring friendships (2001). Emile Durkheim argues that â€Å"attachment and belonging are essential to human development and integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms is desirable (Noll 2004)†. State laws that teachers need to know about is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. IDEA requires that assessments be made for young children experiencing developmental delays. This also included the expansion of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings for more experts to be involved, hence the intervention made must be backed by research. This Act states says in summary that all children with disabilities in both private and public schools be put in separate facilities only if the severity of their disability will keep them from receiving a suitable education in the regular classroom. The Public Law  94-142 is explained by Lewis and Doorlag as the start to guaranteeing appropriate services to the maximum extent. For instance, each student with disabilities must have an IEP with the parent’s consent and will receive the least restrictive environment possible (Lewis and D oorlag, 2005). The children are often not going to be able to explain exactly what they are struggling with, so I will be informing these teachers about what to watch for. At this point they will be getting a handout from Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies that covers visual, auditory, and intellectual disability symptoms and strategies. This attached handout explains warning signs, such as sensitivity to light and squinting when there are visual difficulties, therefore seat them away from the glare or window and read aloud what is written (even largely) on the board. If the student has not come near the level of development of their age mates, then seek possible assessment for intellectual difficulty. The classroom could be adapted by getting a volunteer to help with giving extra time and instructions. If a child is struggling with hearing, he may have trouble following directions or be uninvolved; hence, seat the student where they can be near teacher and peers to see how they are responding and use visual aids in lessons (INEE 2005). In Rick Lavoie’s article, Early Warning Signs of Disabilities, he gave the  following list of areas that are commonly affected: l) Spoken language: delays, disorders, and deviations in listening and speaking 2) Written language: difficulties with reading, writing and spelling 3) Arithmetic: difficulty in performing arithmetic operations or in basic concepts 4) Reasoning: slower processing and organizing thoughts 5) Memory: challenges in remembering information and instructions Strategies Going into this situation is inevitable, yet how teachers deal with it can make everyone succeed†¦. As I address the preschool teachers about inclusion, I intend for them to leave being motivated and prepared for inclusive situations. Hence, I am going to give them strategies and preparation, in handouts, for dealing with children who have disabilities; many of these suggestions could be brought up in a child’s IEP meeting. Peer tutoring can happen easily and be incredibly effective way to promote social acceptance of special education students. General education students will gain experience by working with them, while the special needs student gets a fresh status, increased acceptance, occasion for socializing, all while practicing academics (Lewis and Doorlag, 2005). Sitting up front, next to a role model student can be very helpful as they can undertake assignments with a little nudge of help. Along the same lines, if the IEP allows it, volunteer tutors and professional aids are also beneficial to the need for one-on-one assistance in class. Presentation of lessons has to be done to suit various learning styles. Illustrate things for visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners by using things like overheads, Power point, group skits, video clips, demonstrations, artwork, poems and anything else where you can creatively engage the students. Along these same lines, it would be best to find out the learning styles of all of the students. Hence, when you place them in groups or seek to help the students with disabilities, it will be in a style that reaches their individual needs. Learning disabilities are a widespread part of inclusion, because three to five percent of all children might have ADHD alone (Slavin 2003). Slavin’s section about Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities outlines particular ways to be effective. Prevention is encouraged by the â€Å"High-quality early childhood programs and primary grades teaching  significantly reduce the number of children identified with learning disabilities† (Slavin 2003, p. 420). He goes on to explain that positive feedback regarding improvement in learning helps them do better. It helps to split up large assignments into intermediate goals, so that they can receive feedback as they go along and accomplish it correctly. Board games can be used to promote social growth of the learning disabled student with their peers; these fun activities can be effective builders of academic skills. (Lavoie, n.d.). Misbehaviors often root from frustrations, hence learning-disabled students often â€Å"respond well to a rapid pace of instruction with much variety and many opportunities to participate† (Slavin, 2003, pg. 421). As mentioned above, many disabilities result in behavior issues that need to be addressed in positive reinforcement. Begin by defining suitable behavior, give genuine approval, and be consistent with reinforcements. Physical and sensory impairments need strategies that regular teachers can use in mainstreaming classrooms. For visual impairments, help the student form a set-up of the classroom by exploration, enlarge text, and bring them a larger desk for the Braille writer (Lewis and Doorlag 2006). While for hearing impairments, the child should be where they can see the teacher and the students, away from background noise, and the teacher should be checking for understanding of the material. References 1. Disability Rights Commission (2005) DRC Design and Technology by Reading Room. http://www.drc-gb.org/citizenship/talkvideos/index.asp. 2. Feldman, Robert S. (2004). Childhood Development (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education. 3. Hagberg, Laurie. (1998). http://adhd.kids.tripod.com/adhd.html. â€Å"Outside the Box: Lessons I’ve Learned†. 4. Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). (2002 – 2005). â€Å"Inclusive Education of Children at Risk†. http://www.ineesite.org/inclusion/disabled.asp. 5. Lavoie, Rick.† The Teacher’s Role in Developing Social Skills†. http://www.ricklavoie.com/articles.html. 6. Lewis and Doorlag. (2006). Teaching Special Students in General Education Classrooms. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey. 7. Noll, James (2004). Taking Sides (12th Edition). Guilford, Conn. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. 8. Special Education. (2004). http://www.pacificnet.net/~mandel/SpecialEducation.html

What Effect Has Industrialization Had on the Environment Essay

What Effect Has Industrialization Had on the Environment - Essay Example The researcher of this essay analyzes the effects that industrialization causes yoday and suggests that there are many. The major effect that the concept of industrialization has on the environment is pollution. Pollution which is generally referred to as the negation of the environment by causing harmful effects is very dangerous for human beings and other thriving people in the environment. There are very many types of pollution caused by industries. They range from water pollution, soil pollution and the major one of all, air pollution. Some of the products are like cars that ease the movements of people from one location to the other. There are also machines that are used in farms to assist in farming and such hard activities. However, despite the positive attributes credited to the concept of industrialization, there are also the negativities related to it. All these effects, that were analyzed in the essay are tied to the production of industries to the environment. Despite the fact that scientists argue that the environment is affected for a greater cause as the people dwelling in it generally benefit from the industries. The researcher then concluds that this is due to the fact that the many machines that make work easier for human beings come from the industries. However, environmentalists argue that despite that fact stated by scientists, the environment should be protected by the people running the industries taking more care of the manner in which they dispose off wastes.

Business Cycles and Concepts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Cycles and Concepts - Research Paper Example Hence, the rate of unemployment can be referred to as the number of people who are actively looking for work divided by the workforce. Changes in the rate of unemployment mostly depend on the inflows made up of unemployed persons who are beginning to look for jobs, of employed persons who lose their work and look for new ones and of people who stop looking for employment. Related terms are the labor force, the rate of participation as well as the rate of employment. The labor force is referred to as the number of persons employed plus the number of people unemployed, although looking for jobs. The non-labor force entails those who are not currently searching for jobs, people who are institutionalized like in psychiatric wards or prisons, children, stay-at home spouses, and those serving in the military. The rate of participation on the other hand is the number of people currently in the labor force divided by the population of working age group that are not institutionalized. Hence t he rate of employment referred to as the number of persons currently employed divided by the working age population (Timmons, 2008). The rate of unemployment is South Africa has increased in the third quarter of 2012 to 25.50 percent from 24.90 percent in the 2012 second quarter. The rate of unemployment in South Africa is reported by the Statistics South Africa. ... The graph of the trend of rate of unemployment in South Africa According to studies, the reason for high rates of unemployment is more of internal than external. This is what Hart, chief economist at Investment Solutions, said in Johannesburg while speaking at a Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry breakfast. Hart compared the rate of unemployment in South Africa to that of Brazil. Both the countries began decreasing in 2002, then the global financial crisis in 2008. Many jobs were created between 2008 and 2002. Although the rate of unemployment in Brazil decreased, the same could not be said for South Africa. Hart asserted that the rates of unemployment means that the country needs to look at it as a priority of the nation. This is because job creation appeared to be one of the lowest policy priorities. He continued to say that the countries who have the same unemployment levels with South Africa are Spain and Greece who at that time were in deep crisis. Small businesses ma de difference in these countries including Brazil. Therefore South African policies need to be changed and more than three million small businesses need to be created to cater for the ever increasing rates of unemployment (Timmons, 2008). References Timmons, J. (2008). Causes and Effects of Unemployment Rates. London:

Use of Psychometric Tests in Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Use of Psychometric Tests in Selection - Essay Example Management therefore faces the risks of not hiring the proper person and it would just be a waste of resources to have hired people who will not be contributing to attainment of the goal of the organization. Being aid to employee selection and development decisions and processes, psychometric tests could not just be administered nor delegated to anybody as there are costs and risks that are involved in the decisions. In the same way that employees' submitted credentials must be verified for authenticity and reliability, psychometric tests are to be evaluated also in terms of validity and reliability of the test. It may be asked whether it is possible to the have most effective way to evaluate the reliability and validity of any assessment tests so to help the decision maker know exactly how to find the right productive people with certainty and predictability without any catastrophe in hiring any wrong people who simply look good. PsyAsia International (2007) cited a Hong Kong website of an employee testing system that with worldwide claim that testing the people one knows very well will allow one to know which assessment test can be valid and reliable to use. PsyAsia International heavily the claim as to show need for understanding the real essence of test of validity and reliability.3 responded that the obvious assumption is that we know ourselves well and so if the test report provides an accurate reflection of the self that we know, it "must" be valid." 4Using research as basis of criticism, PsyAsia International5 did expose how defective such assessments of test reports by individuals. It therefore cited a study where human resource professionals attending a conference were asked to complete a personality test.After the personality test, the same professionals were given a randomly generated narrative report but said participants were NOT told that it had been randomly generated and they were asked to evaluate its accuracy. What came out was that 90% of the respondents agreed that the report was either amazingly accurate or very accurate. Were the participants really good in evaluating the accuracy' Or, could it imply that what was randomly selected has the great probability that the result of the test has a statistically significant basis and therefore must be reliable'It would seem from the above result of research that it was indeed easy to have known that 90% of respondents agreed, but how accurate are the respondents' report' PsyAsia International reminded of suggestions made by various worldwide psychological societies and academics to assess at least 4 types of validity when evaluating tests.6 In the same context then, PsyAsia Internat

Flight Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Flight Center - Essay Example An agency seeks out rates from these suppliers which can be hotels, resorts, airline companies, car rentals and the like, then consolidates it into one package packed with some sight-seeing trips to tourist attractions then sells it to the possible consumers. The Federation of Tour Operators (2006) views the role of travel agents as giving advises and sells bookings. This has always been the way of Flight Centre, incorporating its aim to provide â€Å"value-for-money travel† and offer ‘unbeatable passion and experience, going the extra mile to ensure clients get the best trip at the best price’ (Superbrands 2010). As Flight Centre’s tag-line goes, â€Å"unbeatable†, if another travel provider would give a quotation of rates, Flight Centre will also give their own rate which would be hard to beat because of their price, quality, passion and extensive experience in the travel field. Just like any other business, Flight Centre started their venture eigh t years after Top-Deck, UK based bus company started its operation in 1973; they initially gained success because of providing cheap rates. In nine years time, Turner opened retail stores in United Kingdom, New Zealand and United States of America. Because of what was then a world-wide crisis, the Gulf War, the stores experienced temporary closure but was then reopened after a couple of years. The company also expanded its services to South Africa and Canada, which paved the way for it to conquer a world-wide market. The strength of business establishment outweighs the weaknesses and creates the reason why establishment weathers the changes in the needs and wants of the dynamic world of travel and tourism. As for Flight Centre, there are various aspects why they are experiencing the success envied by others. The company philosophy of volume of margin, the way they create their product with utmost passion and dedication, their well maintained reputation of having an inclination of lo w-cost travel with value-for-money, their credentials which have been given recognitions and citations by other entities, the continuous pledge for corporate social governance of giving something back to the people, their ingenuity in their marketing campaigns, the way management supports its employees and the work atmosphere are among the countless reasons why they managed to stay on top. There are a lot of sources for a travel agency’s income, from commissions, profit margins, incentives, and auxiliary services like documentations and visa processing. The first two are among the primary source of income. Flight Centre proved itself to be different than the rest; the traveller’s volumes were their driving force to stay on top of all the travel providers in the business. The importance of the number of people they give their services over the profit that they will be making indeed set foot a birth-mark for low-cost travel. They settle for more customers at a lower cost than few customers for a high cost. The success of Flight Centre can be credited to the way the company does its products. They maintained a sense of focus; doing what they do best without being too innovative. There are those who would like to set anew, and there are a few who would take advantage for what they know best, the exact philosophy evolving around this high-ranked company. Turner (2006) stated that, ‘

The world rate of diabetes keeps increasing mainly because of physical Research Paper - 1

The world rate of diabetes keeps increasing mainly because of physical activities, high rate of stress, and high rate of obesity - Research Paper Example The deficit indicates an increase of 250 million people in a span of 24 years (McClaughlyn 1). The data shows a consistent increase in diabetes because of physical activities, high rate of stress and an elevated rate of obesity. Lack of insulin resulting from destruction of insulting secreting beta cells in the pancreas causes diabetes. An individual’s white blood cells attacks and destroys the beta cells rendering it unproductive in the protection against bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. The condition frequently attacks children and young adults. Heredity plays a fundamental role in determining the manifestation of the disease. The parents pass the instructional genes making proteins essential body cell functions to their children. The genes determine the body’s susceptibility to and defense against type 1 diabetes. The corrective mechanism for this condition involves daily injections of insulin to make the victim survive. Lack of physical activities poses an influence in the rate of diabetes manifestation. Without sufficient involvement in physical activities, one develops conditions of overweight and obesity, which ultimately leads to the acquisition of Type 2 Diabetes. Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance occurring between caloric intake and burn out physical activities. The conditions cause insulin resistance that yields Type 2 Obesity (Alberti,et al.56). When a person has excess abdominal fats, he or she is at a major risk for insulin resistance and remains vulnerable to attack by other illnesses including heart diseases and blood pressure. High rate of stress enhances the prevalence of diabetes. Stress induces mental stress leading to the general unhappiness of the victims. The unhappiness and unstable mental condition lowers the productivity of individuals influencing the state’s economy negatively. Elevated levels of stress and mental upset indirectly affect an individual’s blood sugar levels making the affected to forget

Special2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Special2 - Essay Example Q1: The type of partnership that the plaintiff and defendant have established is a Term partnership because it envisages a 2 year term plan, and they have jointly pooled their resources for the operation of partnership business. It is for a profit venture that they have jointly set stakes in the firm and they would have shares profits upon mutual consent. The Uniform Partnership Act states a partnership as "an association of 2 or more persons . . . to carry on as co-owners a business for profit. . . No one factor is alone determinative of the existence of a partnership." In this case, one of the partners claimed that Maslbenden’s participation was just that of a financier and not a partner. However, the Court held that Maslbendens involvement in the business supported the claim that he was a partner. (Lupien v. Malsbenden: Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1984). Q5: Yes, the capital contribution by each partner is a significant factor in dividing the assets. The Court would like to know the amounts invested by each partner in order to assess the mode of splitting the firm’s assets. This is because partners may not have brought capital into the business in equal proportions, and therefore, it would not be in legal consistency to divide the assets equally. Verdict: I agree with the Judge’s ruling. This is because, in the absence of written contract, the conduct of the parties would bind the partners. In this case, Jeannie Smithers, the defendant wishes to quit the partnership and have it dissolved. In the event there was a written covenant, it could bind the parties. Even a verbal contract is a contract, but the terms and conditions would be as determined by the parties, which may change from time to time. Moreover, only a written partnership agreement could bind the partners in their relationships with other partners and

Braswell v. United States, 487 U.S. 99 (1988) Essay

Braswell v. United States, 487 U.S. 99 (1988) - Essay Example The courts however use the doctrine to deviate from the limited liability concepts in corporate organization to hold people responsible for action that target selfish interests. The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil is a corollary to the alter ego doctrine and involves breaching of the separate legal entity of a corporation to hold shareholders liable for actions that identify abuse of responsibility. In pronouncing personal liability of a shareholder, a court is said to have pierced the veil (Weil, Lentz, & Hoffman, 2012). The alter ego doctrine and the doctrine of piercing corporate veil are therefore concepts for equitable remedy that seek to protect innocent victims from unethical practices by shareholders, employees, or directors of corporate organizations, for personal gain. The alter ego doctrine establishes deviation from the limited liability concept of corporate organizations and the doctrine of piercing corporate veil is an implementation of the alter

Macbeths Letter Essay Example for Free

Macbeths Letter Essay I am writing to you as I know that you will keep the contents of this letter a secret. The last few days have been very strange and unreal to me. I cannot believe how much my life has changed in such a short space of time. I ask you to please destroy this letter once you have read it and not tell a soul about what it contains as I have committed a terrible crime. A couple of days ago I was a noble warrior fighting against Norway and now Im king of Scotland. With my brandishd steel I approached the leader of the Norwegians, Macdonald, and unseamd him from the nave to thchaps and fixd his head on our battlements to show everyone he was dead. Norway were defeated. After the battle, Banquo and I walked along the moors and we came across three weird sisters that looked nothing I had ever seen on this earth. They greeted me by saying All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Glamis, All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor, All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter. At this greeting I was rather shocked and confused. True I was Thane of Glamis but Thane of Cawdor and king? The Thane of Cawdor lived and as was the king. I was puzzled. Were these prophecies real? Whilst I was lost in my thoughts, Banquo asked them to predict something for him as they had for me. They told him that his children shall be kings but he will not be king himself. I ordered them to stay and tell me more but they were unwilling to be ordered by me and vanished into thin air. I do not think Banquo believed his prophecies as much as I did mine. We carried on walking and talked about the witches. Then we saw two men coming towards us. They said that the king had sent them because he had heard of my success in battle. One of the men said the king bade him to call me Thane of Cawdor! I asked him why he was dressing me in borrowd robes. He explained to me that the old thane of Cawdor was a traitor and would be executed. I could not help thinking that the greatest was behind. I then thought a terrible thought. Murdering king Duncan to become king. I pushed the thought out of my head and told myself if chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir. I did not have to get involved in order to become king. We made our way to the kings headquarters and king Duncan told me how grateful he was for what I had done in battle. I told him it was an honour to fight for him and I felt it was my duty to him. He then made a startling announcement. His eldest son Malcolm was named the Prince of Cumberland! I could not help feeling angry on hearing this. Malcolm stood in my way of becoming king. I felt as though I was not in control of my feelings. One minute I was loyal and the next I had these evil thoughts. They disturbed me but I could not stop them. I pleaded, stars hold your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires. I did not want anyone to see these terrible thoughts I had. Duncan said that he was to stay at my castle that night so I left at once to inform my wife of his arrival. I sent a letter on to Lady Macbeth to inform her of the meeting with the witches, their prophecies and my becoming Thane of Cawdor. I know she thinks that I cannot act on my ambitions and that I am too kind to act on the information that the witches gave to me. When I arrived I told her I told her about Duncan coming to stay. She encouraged the idea of murdering him. She told me to look like thinnocent flower but be the serpent undert. I was to look innocent but be ready to strike. I felt she was taking control of this situation. She overpowered me. I was not allowed to speak. I told her I needed to think about it but she did not listen and told me to leave all the rest to her. When Duncan arrived, Lady Macbeth greeted him as my mind was too full with other thoughts. I know she showed gratitude towards him and showed fake loyalty. I could not have been false to his face. I left the feast to be alone. I thought that if I were to murder Duncan it would be best to do it quickly. But how I hoped it would be the end of it without any consequences because I knew that with murder would come horrible consequences. I was confused as to what I should do. I was his subject. I looked up to him as king. I was his host. I should be protecting him not murdering him. I thought Duncan is no enemy of mine. He is my king. He has been a good king so far. If he was to be murdered then everyone would be horrified and there would be a wild protest. Everyone would be looking for the murderer. The only thing I had to make me murder him was my ambition and that alone is not alone. Lady Macbeth came to me and I told her we would proceed no further in this business. She called me a coward and said that if I told her to kill her child then she would do so. She had managed to change my mind. If we should fail? I asked her. She told me we would not fail and that Duncan would sleep easily after his long journey. She then said that she would convince his two guards to have some wine. They would be unaware of what is happening. Then when Duncan was dead we would smear blood on their limbs and let them bear the guilt of our great quell. At that moment I could not help admiring Lady Macbeth. I told her she should only have male children for she has great strength and courage. She told me that no one would suspect us because we would be distraught with sadness at the news of his death. My mind was made up. I told her that every bit of me was going to work at this murder. Part of me wanted to show I could do this and that I was not a coward. I was walking around the castle later that night when I came across Banquo and his son. Banquo told me he dreamt of the witches and how their prophecies had come true for me. I lied to him and told him that I did not think of them. I had to lie as I was about to kill the king. After Banquo left I saw in front of me a dagger. It looked as real as the one I had in my belt. It was pointing towards Duncans chamber. I saw blood on the dagger that was not on there before. My disturbed mind was showing me things that were not there. Suddenly a bell rang and I made my way towards Duncans chamber. When I returned to my wife from Duncans chamber I heard her say that she would have murdered him herself if he did not remind her of her father. I was anxious. I looked at my hands. It was a sorry sight. Lady Macbeth tried to get me to snap out of it. I told her that as I came out of the chamber I had heard someone saying their prayers in their room and how I could not even bring myself to utter the word amen. I felt cursed. She told me I should not think about it. I could not help thinking that it was the end of me. My wife warned me that to dwell on these things would make me mad. I felt mad at that moment. I had lost all control. I had murdered sleep. I did not think I would ever be able to sleep again. My wife told me to go and wash my hands. It was then that she noticed I still had the daggers. She ordered me to go and put them back. I told her I would not go back into that room. I was frightened. I couldnt find any ounce of bravery within me. I could not face going in there again. She was disgusted with me and told me I was acting like a child. She told me to leave it all to her. She took control once again. She returned the daggers and smeared the guards with Duncans blood. I became jumpy. I looked down at my hands again. I believed that I had so much blood on them that it could change the whole sea red if I were to put them in it. I felt a sense of disgust as I stared down at the blood. Lady Macbeth returned from the chamber and her hands too were covered in blood. She called me a coward. She seemed so certain that a little water would clear us of this deed. I was not so sure. I did not feel like myself anymore. I did not feel like the noble warrior I once was. I heard knocking and wished that it would wake Duncan up and rewind this whole tragedy. Now I am king. I will not bore you with how it all happened. I fear that people will suspect me. I think Mcduff already does. I fear that I will have to kill again to ensure that Lady Macbeth and myself are not found out. I only hope you will be able to forgive the terrible sins I have committed.

Indus Motors Company (IMC) Analysis

Indus Motors Company (IMC) Analysis Introduction This Research and Analysis report is based on an analysis of Indus Motors Company (IMC) over a period of three years. IMC is engaged in sole distributorship of Toyota and Daihatsu Motor Company Ltds vehicles in Pakistan through its dealership network. Reasons for Choosing the Topic and the Company: Selecting one project out of twenty available projects by Oxford Brookes University (OBU) was a difficult task. After in-depth analysis of all the available options, I finally selected .The business and financial performance of an organization over a three years period as I used to feel lot more comfortable in this area during my studies and this was suggested by my mentor as well. It was totally in correlation with my studies and during our studies were supposed to excel at accounting techniques like Ratio Analysis and business techniques like Porters Five Forces Analysis and SWOT analysis. Due to a personal interest in automobiles, I choose Automobile Sector of Pakistan which is considered as mother of all industries of Pakistan. The rise in automobile production has resulted from an increased domestic demand and generating over 150,000 direct employment opportunities. For the sake of RAP I selected Indus Motor Company limited (IMC). IMC is a joint venture between the House of Habib, Toyota Motor Corporation Japan (TMC) , and Toyota Tsusho Corporation Japan (TTC) for assembling, progressive manufacturing and marketing of Toyota vehicles in Pakistan since July 01, 1990. Project Objectives Each type of analysis has a purpose or use that determines the different relationships emphasized in that analysis. (Weston Copeland, 1992,pp 178) The objective of this project is to assess the business and financial performance of IMC over a period of three years ending 30th June 2010 and comparison of its performance with one of its competitors, Atlas Honda Limited. The aims and objectives of this research and analysis project are to To analyze the company and the sector in which it exists. To evaluate the performance of the company in terms of: Profitability; to assess a firms ability to create economic value in excess of value expended, to grow, remain solvent and repay debt. To judge the liquidity of the company and evaluate the financial risk. To assess the debt and capital structure of the company by calculating debt equity ratios and interest cover. To carry out the investors analysis in terms of earning per share. To Carry out SWOT analysis. To study the companys market position by using porters five forces model. To conclude the current situation and prospects of companys business and financial position and to suggest the improvements (http://articles.bplans.com) (Accessed 7th April 2010) Research Question In order to ensure my project has the appropriate structure and that I have clear objectives, I highlighted the same questions Shane Johnson (2006) mentioned in his famous article how not to rap myself which states: What is my research question/title of my project? What is the underlying theory? What methods will be used to gather information about the topic? How will the analysis be carried out? What conclusions can be drawn from the analysis? What are the key elements that I should present to my mentor? What have I learned from the process? (www.project-as-practice.org) (Assessed 2nd April 2010) Overall Research Approach I started my project by reading all the information available on the website of ACCA about the OBU degree. After carefully thinking over the available list of projects and consulting with my mentor, I selected The business and financial performance of an organization over a three year period. I started working on the project by setting objectives of the project and by identifying which techniques to be used and I consulted many course and referencing books before start working on the project. Then I started working on the organization by collecting all the relevant data useful for the project. I used secondary sources like newspapers, articles, internet, anylists reports, and annual reports of IMC and the competitor HAL, etc to get the required information. I had to assure reliability of the source of information throughout the information collection process and details of sources were saved by me for the referencing purpose. Meanwhile I conducted three formal meetings with my mentor during working on my RAP. In each meeting I used to show him my research and working till date. My mentor also guided me on various techniques and also referred to few books and resources that were relevant to my research. After completing my project, I had to give my mentor a fifteen minutes presentation on the project, and after his final approval I finally submitted it to OBU. Information gathering and Accounting/Business techniques used 2.1 Sources of Information and Methods used to collect it I had to collect data mainly from secondary sources to undertake the project.. Secondary Data Secondary data is data which has been collected by individuals or agencies for purposes other than those of our particular research study. Source (http://www.fao.org) (Accessed 5th October 2010) I started looking for secondary data from news papers, Companies profile from website, business magazines and journals for competitors and industry reports and industry position of main competitor HAL. Annual Reports were the most reliable source for my RAP and I used audited financial statements for calculating the key ratios relevant to my project and also extract relevant information from annual report to analyze the key strengths and weaknesses of the company. Internet search engines helped me a lot to provide me most relevant and easily accessible information in a timely manner. Information about the overall economic condition of the country and the sector of the company was easily available and was very useful. Companys official website was also very helpful to get the latest authentic information. Some of Analyst Reports with other hard form materials like Business Recorder, daily newspapers etc were also reviewed to benefit from their findings and recommendations. I also used BPP and FTC study material student accountant and refer other management books. Limitations of Information gathering The major limitation about gathering data is that 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed and there is always a small chance that the source is not reliable and the information gathered is inaccurate. Ethical Issues during Information gathering While dealing with all the information to conduct the RAP I was supposed to strictly follow ACCAs code of ethics. During the research I came across few ethical issues which had to be addressed Research participants must be fully informed about the procedures and risks involved in research and must give their consent to participate; so I had to gain the permission of the people who I was studying to conduct research involving them. Ethical standards also require that researchers not put participants in a situation where they might be at risk of harm as a result of their participation thus I had to be careful about using word sensitive or difficult questions during interviews. Accounting/Business Techniques used and their Limitation I used different business and accounting techniques to conduct my RAP. They are discussed below one by one with their limitations The Ratio Analysis This is the measure of inter relationship between different sections of the financial statements which then is compared with the budgeted or forecasted results, prior year results and or the Industrial results. Profitability For shareholders, employees, creditors, investors, management. Liquidity For shareholders, management, suppliers, creditor and competitors. Efficiency For management, shareholders, creditors and competitors. Gearing For shareholders, lenders, creditor and potential investors. Investment For shareholders, potential investors, management. P2-Corporate Reporting (International) BPP, 2005 pg.223 Limitations Operating and accounting policies differ from firm to firm. Ratios are static and do not consider future trends. Many firms engaged in multiple lines of business so comparing ratios may be meaningless. (Shim Siegel,2007 pp.34) Historical costs not suitable for decision making Different accounting methods may be used by individual firms making up the industry sample. Industry figures may be biased by few large firms within the sample. Different capital structures and size Strategic Business Planning and Development (3.5) FTC, 2005 pg.196. The SWOT Analysis: David (2002), describes SWOT as an analysis that can be used to measure an organizations competencies and identify opportunities to taken by business management in the future. When looking at your strengths, one should make a list of all the things that can be done well. Identify weaknesses as part of SWOT analysis and one will be on the first step to success. One of the places to look for opportunities is we to our competitors. Scanning market, industry or environment for unforeseen threats is an important part of the SWOT process. Limitations of SWOT It can provide useful information about company but as with all toll analysis it will not supply strategic decisions. Strengths and weaknesses may not be readily translated in to opportunities and sometimes in SWOT analysis same factor can be identified as both strengths and weaknesses. A company may also have difficulty identifying opportunities and opportunities may be easy to overlook or may be identified long after they can be exploited. Similarly, a company may have difficulty anticipating possible threats in order to effectively avoid them. (Anthony Henry, 2008) Source 🙠 www.referenceforbusiness.com) (Accessed 15th October 2010) Porters Five Forces Analysis The pure competition model does not present a viable tool to assess an industry. Porters Five Forces model is a tool used by companies that deconstructs the industry structure in to five underlying competitive forces. Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of customers Threat of new entrants The threat of substitutes Competitive rivalry (Nemati Barko, 2001 pp.29) The conventional interpretation of Porters framework emphasized that rivalry and competition as the key components of the strategy. ( Hax wilde,2001 pp.42) Source:(www.articles.bplans.com) (Accessed 26th October 2010) Limitations of Five Forces Model: The model was designed for analyzing individual business strategies. It does not cope with synergies and interdependencies within the portfolio of large corporations. The model does not address the possibility that an industry could be attractive because certain companies are in it. Some people claim that environments which are characterized by rapid, systemic and radical change require more flexible, dynamic or emergent approaches to strategy formulation. P3-Business Analysis: BPP 2008 pg.108 Business Analysis, Conclusion and Recommendations 3.1 Organisations History, Profile Indus Motor Company (IMC) is a joint venture between the House of Habib , Toyota Motor Corporation Japan (TMC) , and Toyota Tsusho Corporation Japan (TTC) for assembling, manufacturing and marketing of Toyota vehicles in Pakistan since July 01, 1990. IMC had sole distributorship of Toyota and Daihatsu Motor Company Ltd Vehicles in Pakistan through its dealership network. IMC was incorporated in Pakistan as a (PLC) in December 1989 and started commercial production in May 1993. The shares of company are quoted on the stock exchanges of Pakistan. Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation have 25 % stake in the company equity. The majority of shares owned by House of Habib an investment group of Pakistan. IMCs manufacturing plants are located near Karachi which is industrial hub of Pakistan at Port Bin Qasim. Source:(www.toyota-indus.com) (Accesses 30th October 2010) Business Recorder 14th May, 2009 Products: Companys plant in Pakistan is the only site throughout the world where both brands Toyota and Daihatsu are being manufactured.IMCs Product line includes 6 variants of the newly introduced Toyota Corolla, Toyota Hilux Single Cabin 42 and 4 versions of Daihatsu Cuore and newly imported vehicle like Toyota Camry. Source: (www.toyota-indus.com) Source 🙠 www.scribd.com) (Accessed 20th October 2010) The Sectors Overview The Pakistani auto sector has played a significant role in the growth and development of the local economy in terms of revenue generation, foreign exchange, human resource development and technology transfer. Automobiles companies are growing along with industry and all the manufacturers are putting hard efforts to increase their production capacity to meet consumers demands.Prodouction was constant throughout 90s around 45000 but due to consistent policies and increasing power of buyer industry boomed to over 120000 units/annum on just four years to 2003/04. According to the statistics of 2006-07 there were 82 vehicle assemblers in the industry producing passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, tractors and 2/3 wheelers. Besides these there were over 600 players in the vendor industry. The total employment in the sector was over 192,000 with a total investment of over Rs.98 billion. The auto industry has played a significant role in the large scale manufacturing ind ustry as it contributed $3.6 billion to the economy besides import substitution resulting in annual foreign exchange savings of over $ 1 billion. Source :(www.toyota-indus.com) (Accessed 25th October 2010) The Ratio Analysis: The ratio analysis undertaken is based on the data collected from Annual Reports of Indus Motor Company Limited for the financial year ended 30th June 2010, FY09 and FY08 and that of Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited for the finance year ended 31st march 2010,FY 09 and FY 08. . 3.3.1 REVENUE GROWTH The revenue in 2010 according to audited financial reports is 60.09 billion 58.7% higher than in 2009 where as it was 37.84 billion (8.6%) lower than in 2008. (Appendix A) This sharp increase in revenue is mainly due to healthy agricultural income from the farming community and a little increase in auto finance sector.Govt of Pakistan more tightened policy of used imported cars which gives a relief to the industry and the reduction of 5% in excise duty in federal budget 2009/10 which passed to the customers immediately in the form of price reduction. During the year the 2009/10 industry witnessed sharp rise in locally manufactured Passengers and commercial vehicles which grew up to 43% to 141654 units as compared to 99310 units in 2008/09 which lead the production up to 37% higher as compare to 2008/09 and this is mainly because of the Govt tightened policies for second hand imported vehicles. (IMC Annual Report FY10) Profitability Ratios: A class of financial metrics that are used to judge the business capability to generate profits as compare to its expenses and some other relevant costs within a specific period of time. (Kaplan Study Text FR) Shareholder, investors and other stakeholders like management have particularly focused on the profitability of the organisation. These ratios have key importance between majority of stakeholders. Gross Profit Ratio: Gross profit known as the organisation paying additional expenses and savings for coming years also known as gross margin. (Kaplan Study Text FR) In 2010 Gross margin increased to 27.86% as compare to FY09.One of the reasons of this increase is that Pakistan economy showing a modest signs of recovery from recession and sharp increase in demand of passenger and commercial vehicles. Although the gross sales 60 billion RS in FY10 sets all time new records for the company but there is still decline in Gross Margin of (16.12%) when we compare with FY08 where it was 9.3%.The main reasons behind that is the consistent pressure from the Govt to reduce the selling prices, backdrop of rising interest rates,weakning Pak Rupee against YEN, high inflationary conditions, and frequent disruptions to the business cause of shortage of power and terrorist attacks, all of these factors effects the entire supply chain of the company and pushed the manufacturing price to a new highest level and limited the companys ability to pass the increase to the customers. These above mentioned reasons becomes the main reason of erosions of margins. (IMC Annual Report 2010) Honda Atlas gross profit margin had a negative growth in FY10 and reached at (1.5%) as compared to 1.2% and 4.3% in FY09 and FY08 respectively. Where as IMC gross profit had a growth of 28.56% as compare to sharp decline of (34.4%) in FY09. As clear by above data, IMC performance regarding gross profit was far better than its competitor. (Appendix A) Net Profit Margin: Net profit margin measures how efficiently company has controlled its over head. (Kaplan Study Text FR) In highly challenging business environment,IMC has delivered satisfactory financial and operational performance in FY10.The companys net profit increased to 3.44 billion a 54.05% increase as compare to FY09 where it was 1.38 billion a (32.73%) decrease as compare to FY08.The main reasons behind the sharp increase of 54.05% in net profit is due to an incremental increase of 16750 units of Corollas sales volume through extensive marketing efforts. During the FY10 IMC outstandingly reduce their fixed costs which increase the overall profitability despite weakening PAK Rupee and increased manufacturing costs. (IMC Annual Report 2010) When we have a glance at net profit/loss of HAL, the net profit margin decrease to (5.4%) in FY10 where it was (2.8%) in FY09.HAL was having a positive growth of .5% in FY08. Return on capital employed (ROCE): ROCE is a measure that shows how efficiently assets of the company have been utilized to get return from them. It is essentially the net assets of the company. ROCE of IMC has moved in between 19 to 41% between FY08 TO FY10..This is mainly because of massive increase of income of the company in FY10 along with tightened financial controls and efficient and effective management of its various risks exposures. On the other hand HAL utilisation of capital resources are not showing a good picture where ROCE in FY10 had declined to (16.1%) as compare to (9.2%) in FY09 which is mainly because of operating loss of (5.2 billion RS).ROCE was having a positive growth at 8% in FY08. (IMC Annual Report FY10) Liquidity Ratios Liquidity ratios indicate an organisations ability to meet its short term financial obligations. Most commonly evaluated ratios are current ratio and quick ratio calculated as follows. Current Ratio: .IMC was having a ratio high of 2.6 in (FY08).In( FY09) the current ratio fall drastically to 1.7 times. There was a significant increase in current assets in FY09 specially in cash and bank balances which rose from 9664 million to 16715 million and stock in trade from 2637 million to 4088 million but there was a more than proportionate increase in current liabilities from 3779 million to 9884 million mainly due to advances from customers a 628% increase as compare to FY08.The current ratio in FY10 did not improve it remains at FY09 level 1.7 times because of proportionate increase in current assets and current liabilities. (IMC Annual Report FY10) (Appendix A) HAL current ratio was near to 1 in FY08 (.8 times ) which was not as bad because it remains close to industry average of 1.It got worse in FY09 (.7 times) and (.6 times) in FY10 which is not a good indicator for short term creditors. (HAL Annual Reports FY10) Quick ratio: Quick ratio also known as acid test ratio eliminates the effect of inventory from the current ratio. Quick ratio behaves the same way as to current ratio was 1.8:1 in (FYO8) before declining to (1.3:1) in FY09 and remains constant at the same level in FY10.Although there is a sharp increase in current liabilities in FY10 from 9884 million to 1422 million but the current assets on the other hand (excluding inventory) moved almost the same proportion. Over all quick ratio is reasonable and company is in sound position to meet its liabilities from most liquid resources for example cash and bank balances and receivables. (IMC Annual Reports FY10) (Appendix A) Quick ratio of HAL is very low as to industry average and remains constant for the past three years at (0.20:1).This shows that HAL is not having enough liquid resources to pay its current liabilities even. This low current ratio can be seen as the going concern problem for HAL in near future if this situation sustain as it is. (HAL Annual Reports FY10) (Appendix B) Overall liquidity condition of IMC is far better than that of HAL. Working Capital Ratios Working capital ratios also known as efficiency ratios reduce the risk for lenders and enable management to increase the productivity and business profits. (Kaplan Study Text FR) Days Accounts Receivable: IMC receivables days decreased from 12 days in FY08 to 17 days in FY09 and decreased further to 10 days in FY10.This reduction in receivable days pointed towards the better effective and controlled credit policy. HAL on the other hand does not have trade debts at all in their balance sheet. This reflects their policy to only deal in cash. Days Accounts Payable: Creditor turnover ratio shows how many days an organisation takes to pay its short term obligations and how much it depends on trade credit for short term financing. (Kaplan Study Text FR) Creditor turned out cost of sales in FY10 is 39 days almost at the same level in FY09 but increased when we compare with FY08 where it was 28 days. This improvement in payments pointed towards the strong and healthy relationship with lenders and suppliers of raw material and longer the days payable better for the cash flow. (Appendix A) HAL days accounts payable increased significantly 79 days to 124 days between FY08 and FY10.Taking in account of HAL current year financial performance it is apparent that company is struggling to pay its creditors and taking too long as compare to its main competitor IMC which is not a good news for creditors and shareholders as well. (Appendix B) Debt/ Solvency Ratios IMC is All-Equity Company with a zero long-term debt. This is a plus point in the current economic situations as company doesnt have to pay fixed cost of interest on long term borrowings. (IMC Annual Report FY 10) Gearing Ratio: As being all equity funded IMC manages to perform well in the crucial economic time and leave its competitors behind.IMC does not have any long term debt included in their capital structure making companys gearing ratio nil. On the other hand it has some disadvantages as well, the companys capital structure is not at optimum level and company is ignoring cheap sources of finance (long term debt) as to equity. (Appendix A) HAL is not all equity financed company and have long term debts on their balance sheet which results in a high finance costs. These high finance costs pushed company from profits into losses.HAL gearing level increased from 35% to 105% between FY08 and FY09 this increase was mainly due to increase in debt which rose from 500 thousands to 1500 thousands. The ratio decline to 93% in FY10 but still high as compare to industry norms. (Appendix B) This high gearing ratio could cause serious liquidity problems and could seen as a going concern threat but the parent company Honda Motors Japan will continue to provide the liquidity support to HAL and on that basis directors does not see any threat of this serious liquidity problems as a going concern threat and company will carry on its operations in foreseeable future. (HAL Annual Reports FY10) Interest Cover Ratio: Interest cover shows how many times, the profit before interest and tax covers interest amount. Its a measure of how adequately company profit could cover up its interest payments on debts. (Kaplan Study Text FM) IMC results are very healthy and reached at the level 1284 time in FY08 mainly because of very low finance charge of RS 2.7 million. It reduced drastically in FY09 from 1284 times to 78 times mainly because of enormous increase in finance charge from 2.7 million to 26.5 million due to loss on revaluation on foreign exchange contracts, sharp increase in mark up on advance from customers which rise from 2.8 million from FY08 to 8.8 million in FY09 , and high interest rates. It is at its all time high in FY10 at 1467 times. The main reasons behind that impressive increase are the best ever financial performance of the company and reduction in finance cost through unrealised gain on revaluation of foreign exchange contract of 96 million approximately which is quiet commendable as it guarantees good rating of the company. (Appendix A) (IMC Annual Reports FY10) Interest cover ratio at HAL was positive but very low at 1 time in FY08 before got worse in FY09 at (2) times in (FY09) and remains constant at the same level in FY10. It shows that company is facing difficulties to meet its long term financial obligations. These drastic results of profitability ratios of HAL could threaten its credibility to raise more finance in near future. (Appendix B) (HAL Annual Reports FY10) Investors Ratios: The earnings per share (EPS) of a company indicates profit after tax attributable to equity shares of a company. (Kaplan Study Text FR) The EPS of IMC was RS.29.15 in FY08 before dropping down to RS. 17.62 in FY09 due to fall in earnings of the company because of recession in the overall automobile market globally and locally. However (EPS) up by 138% from RS.17.62 to RS.41.9 due to highest ever car sales of 50.8k units as compared to 34.1k units in FY09.IMC achieved 100% capacity utilization of its manufacturing plant since it started its operations in FY10. This is due to increasing liquidity in rural areas and Govt institutions that continued buying Corolla. These increased and recovered car sales remained one of the main reasons behind such a high growth in earnings. Due to increased car sales,liquidity position improved as company was having 16 billion cash on its balance sheet as compare to 9.7 billion in FY09.Company invested this surplus cash in high yielding bank deposits which becomes the main reason of significant increase in other income from RS.727 million to RS.1.25 billion in FY10 and increased the ove rall earnings of the company. (Appendix A) Source:(www.dailytimes.com.pk) Assessed:( 10th November 2010) HALs EPS declined more in FY10 to (RS.5.97) from (RS.2.81) in FY09.This was due to loss after tax of (RS.852.2 million) in FY10.The main reasons attributed to the loss are under utilisation of capacity and depreciation of Pak Rupee as to Japanese Yen.HAL did increase the sale prices in line with the market condition to overcome these problems but this was not enough for complete recovery.EPS was RS.55 in FY08. (Appendix B) (HAL Annual Report FY10) The SWOT Analysis: SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in IMC. Strengths: IMC is a joint venture between House Of Habib and Toyota Tusho Corporation LTD Japan. Toyota is a global organization with representation of more than 170 countries . Toyota has becomes the industry leader for maximizing profits through lean manufacturing system and waste reduction methods.IMC has a very well experienced, talented and diversified management team and IMC has the strongest dealership network within the country and during the FY10 a new 3s dealership was launched in Lahore and Faisalabad to strengthen the business with this addition IMC dealership consists of 32 outlets throughout the country with market share of 34.5%.IMC commitment to provide excellent customer services have been acknowledged by Toyota Motor Corporation and awarded the Customer Service Excellence Award 2009. (IMC Annual Report FY10) Source : ( www.oppapers.com) (www.toyota-indus.com) Assesses 🙠 12th November 2010) Weaknesses; IMC is all equity financed company with zero long term debt.IMC financial results for FY10 for sales and profits are at all time high however it is not likely that company will carry on the same momentum for near future. Moreover company is not investing considerably in new projects and plants.IMC is utilizing its manufacturing capacity at full and unless the margins increased significantly or they increased their capacity by installing new manufacturing plants it will be quiet likely that the earning momentum will not be the same as FY10. Source 🙠 www.dailytimes.com.pk) Assess 🙠 15th November 2010) Opportunities : Pakistan automobile industry for LCV and PC is growing at the rate of 43%. In Pakistan context there are 8 cars in 1,000 persons which is one of the lowest in the emerging economies which itself speaks of high potential of growth in the auto sector and more in the car production. Rising per capita income with changing demographic distribution and an anticipated influx of 30 to 40 million young people in the economically active workforce in the next few years provides a stimulus to IMC to expand and grow.As the environmental protection awareness is rising in Pakistan slowly, IMC has the opportunity to introduce Hybrid cars in Pakistan to meet the needs of environment friendly people. (IMC Annual Report, FY10) Source :(www.nationmaster.com) Assess :(16th November 2010) Threats: Pakistan domestic auto industry has barely started recovery from global financial crunch and currently facing lots of challenges.Govt has recently signed Afghan Transit Trade Agreement and it is very important to implement the agreed safeguard otherwise it would cause a serious threat to t

Laurence Sternes Tristram Shandy :: Personal Reflection Essays

Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy Perhaps it is no more than the accumulation of years, the simple passage of time that accounts for the recent turn in my thoughts towards the manner in which the events of my life have occurred and brought me to what I politely call "the current state." After all, when those accumulated years require the placement of a number with (to my thinking) the heft of a 29 in front of them to be described, and there is (again, to my thinking) so little to show in the way of accomplishment for so great a span of time, well, a fellow can't help but begin to wonder "how?" or, more to the point, "why?" These recent thoughts of mine dovetail nicely with one of the themes in Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy: the randomness of life. Although an acceptance of the randomness of life may seem somewhat frightening at first, with all it portends for the futility of human planning. I think the opposite case is more frightening still. Personally I would hate to think that the sequence of events that have led me to the current state have happened by design. That, trust me, is the truly frightening thought. Sterne highlights the theme of the randomness of life by exposing the ridiculous extent to which events can be linked by cause and effect. For example, the flattening of Tristram's nose can be traced back in an almost straight line from the end of Dr. Slop's forceps to the marriage articles between Mr. and Mrs. Shandy. The articles stated that Mrs. Shandy should be permitted, when pregnant, to lay in (if she chose) in London. This right, however, would become void if she should cause Mr. Shandy to go to the expense of a journey to London without her being pregnant. Unfortunately she takes such a trip and, as a result, is obliged to lay in at home during her pregnancy with Tristram. When her time comes, Dr. Slop is called in and, consequently, Tristram's nose becomes caught in the doctor's forceps and is flattened. Tristram, therefore, sees the weight of the marriage articles as falling directly upon him. This judgment may appear absurd as the connection between the articles and the nose is somewhat tenuous, but I can understand it.

Is Downloading Free Music from the Internet Legal? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Is Downloading Free Music from the Internet Legal? Nowadays, it is extremely easy to download free music from the internet. All someone has to do is download some peer to peer file-sharing application such as Kazaa, Edonkey, Blubster, or Bearshare, and you have unlimited access to download just about anything that you please. But is downloading free music from one of these applications legal? I think that it is. This paper will look at both sides of the argument. The first online peer to peer file-sharing application was Napster. Napster allowed people to copy music from their CDs onto their computers in mp3 format. They then allowed other members of Napster to download these songs onto their computers. Once this caught on, millions of people were downloading thousands of songs a day. And as you can imagine, this did not make the record companies happy with the idea that people were getting their music for free instead of buying the CD. It also caused a problem with some of the recording artists. Most notably Metallica. In 2000, Metallica filed a lawsuit against Napster and won. As a result, Napster banned about 300,000 of its users who were sharing Metallica songs. Soon after, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) filed a suit against Napster and the file-sharing server was forced to shut down. [1] You kind of have to wonder if the downloading of mp3s really hurt the recording artists. When the artist makes a CD, they make relatively little money from it. Most of the millions that an artist makes is from merchandising and endorsements. Most of the money from CD sales goes to the record industries executives. In an article from Young Money, Meredith Corbin states that â€Å"the executives from the recording industry should change the way they operate by either lowering the price of CDs or taking a pay cut.

Essay --

The Rise of the Seahawks Section 1: Pre-game The Seattle Seahawks located in Seattle Washington, is one of the top teams in the NFL. The Seahawks were founded in 1976 and are owned by Paul Allen. The Seattle Seahawks haven't had it easy, it's been rough ride throughout the years. There have been many coaches and many players have passed through the Seattle team. There are some very special people that the Seahawks truly treasure that aren’t players or coaches out on the field. They treasure the 12th man. This allusive 12th man isnt a player out on the field, it's the fans. Even though the 12th man spirit didn't start in Seattle they are loud and proud about it. Seattle has some of the loudest fans in the league. They are so loud that they get earthquake readings at Century Link Stadium, they call the earthquake reading "Beast Mode." This season(2013-2014) they have a very tough lineup, they have "Beast Mode"aka Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson, Golden Tate and the amazing coach Pete Carroll. The Seattle Seahawks have been a very successful team in the 2013-2014 season. The Seahawks have a strong defense which has been a key part in their success this year. The Seahawk’s offense hasn’t been bad this year either. They have some very strong player that contribute to their success. Their offense includes: #3 quarterback Russell Wilson, #24 running back â€Å"beast mode† Marshawn Lynch, #89 wide reciever 1 Doug Baldwin and #81 wide reciever 2 Golden â€Å"Showtime† Tate. Without this strong offense and strong defense the Seahawks wouldn’t be where they are today. There are many questions I would like to answer throughout the paper. How has Seattle recently become so successful in the past year?. Is it their ... ...hquake readings. The magnitude of the earthquakes are ranging in the 1-2 range. When fans can get that loud to have earthquake readings you know that they are truly dedicated to be a Seahawks fan. I have learned so much about football in general and the Seahawks from doing this paper. Its amazing on when I pick a topic that I really like on how I can into the paper and make it the best that I can. While I was doing my research I really started to understand the game better. When you understand the game the more fun it is to watch the game and more intense the game is. I really enjoyed getting to research such a cool topic that has been in the news a lot recently for winning the super bowl. But it was kinda hard trying to find the rich history from when the team started. It was still awesome to be able to write about this topic while they won their first Super Bowl!

Analysis of Eating Christmas in the Kalahari

Analysis of â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari† Richard Lee’s piece, â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari,† describes his experience living with the ! Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in south central Africa, but it does more than just reiterate a three year stint with a native African tribe. It also serves as documentation of another instance of how different societies of people distinguish themselves from one another with certain customs and differences in how they conduct themselves socially. Misunderstandings are commonplace when it comes to anthropologist living among an unfamiliar group of people due to many sorts of cultural barriers.The primary obstacle that Lee encounters is a misinterpretation between himself and the tribesman on why he isn’t receiving the gratitude that he expects for slaughtering such an enormous ox. While it may not seem like it at first, the conflict that arises between the tribesman and Lee can symbolize the dispari ty between society in the United States and society in the Kalahari Desert. In the United States, when people do a deed that they deem as an act of kindness, they expect a â€Å"thank you† from the beneficiary. The! Kung Bushmen operate a little differently.Instead of the â€Å"thank you† that is customary in the United States, they ridicule and degrade the gift. This is what occurred with Lee and his ox which left him bewildered as to why the Bushmen would treat him this way when he was sure that he has chose a more than adequate ox for the feast. This is another example of how cultures can contrast with one another. The reasoning behind why the! Kung Bushmen handle gifts the way they do is actually a simple one. Their goal is to have no one man perceive himself greater than others just because he can bring home food.The line â€Å"We insult men after they make a kill because of Arrogance. Yes, when a young man kills much meat he comes to think of himself as a chief or big man, and he thinks of the rest of us as inferior or servants. We can't accept this† supports this line of thinking. When the Bushmen realized how proud Lee was of his sacrifice, they utilized this in order to keep him humble. Many times when Americans perform a good deed it is so they can receive some sort of recognition which in turn builds their ego. This is where the !Kung and Americans contrast. The ! Kung act the way they do because they see it as a service. They consider keeping one humble as doing the person a favor. Richard Lee’s firsthand experience served to deliver the message to the reader much more efficiently than if we were to read it from someone who received their information indirectly. By reading Lee’s account, we are able to fully grasp the effect that the ! Kung have on someone and how that person reacts to it, in addition to why the ! Kung act operate in the manner that they do.

Dce Unit 6

E1. Collate evidence which describes the role of the practitioner in working towards a healthy lifestyle and environment for children. In this section I will cover the role of the practitioner in working to provide children with a healthy lifestyle and how it is really important of making sure that the child gets everything they need to stay healthy. There are many different ways the practitioner can promote a healthy lifestyle and this can be done through: Activities children can do to understand and gain a healthy lifestyle: Reading booksRole play- farm shop Physical games- running, riding bikes and scooters and soft play area Spending time washing hands after going to the toilet, before eating or after sneezing Brushing your teeth (not all settings do this but some do to encourage children to be able to brush their teeth on their own) Singing songs that can help children to understand about healthy foods and not healthy. It is important not to tell children that crisps and chocola te is not good for you because they may not want to eat it.There is no good or bad food it is just a case of balancing the child’s diet so it is part of the practitioner’s role to provide healthy snacks and meals to ensure that they are getting their five-a-day. Having tick charts can be a good way to promote a healthy lifestyle. By ticking off each day what the child has had to eat can encourage them to eat more healthily. Daily exercise- children like to run around but for those who like to sit quietly, the practitioner should plan activities to include those children so they are getting the exercise they need in order to have a healthy lifestyle.E2. Provide information about legislation which supports the rights of children to a healthy lifestyle. Here are some legislations that support the rights of children: LEGISLATION DESCRIPTION Human Rights Act 2000 This act was designed to give children the same rights as adults. United Convention on the Rights of the Child T his act seeks respect that children have a right to and deserve. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 This act is designed to make sure that adults working with children and other vulnerable groups are vetted not just in childcare but also in other organisations.Childcare Act 2006 This act incorporates the welfare standards with which all settings with children under the age of eight use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) This act states which substances which can make people ill or injure themselves must be stored and used in the proper manner. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 This act requires the recording of any accidents or illnesses at the setting or work placement.E3. Provide information about a range of factors which may affect children’s health and well-being at differing times in their lives. Factors that affect the health of children: Poverty St ress Pollution Housing Unsafe environments Low birth weight Smoking Drug and alcohol misuse during pregnancy Lifestyle Families and community Illness and disability Most of these factors have a negative factor on a child's health but some of them can have a positive effect. For example a child's lifestyle can make a huge difference to his health.If a child is eating a well-balanced diet then the child's health would be a good one because he is getting all the nutrients and vitamins he needs. And it a child is very active the child can benefit from this because as they grow older the exercise they have done while they are young will enable them to do a lot more things when they are older. E4. Include evidence of the effects of these factors on children’s health. These are the consequences that the factors stated in E3 that affect a child’s health: SmokingSmoking during pregnancy can result in the child being smaller, having a low birth weight and the child is more likel y to suffer from asthma when they are older or at a very young age. Poor housing Poor housing can affect children’s health through dampness, over-crowding and infestation of insects and other vermin. Poverty If people are living in poverty they will not be able to require adequate housing which will then affect their health as mentioned above. Department of Health states that â€Å"families living in poverty are less likely than other families to access health and other supportive services.In addition to this children will be more susceptible to obesity tooth decay and unnecessary injury†. Some children may already be exposed to diseases but are not diagnosed until something happens to trigger it. E5. Include examples of different routines for children which will maintain a healthy lifestyle. All children need a routine otherwise they will get really confused and it may cause them to be distressed. Below is an example of a routine for a one year old. TIME ACTIVITY REAS ON RISKS 9:00 Arrive and meet and greet 1:1 settling. Time for parents to talk to key person and to discuss any changes.Builds social and emotional development Opportunity to learn more about the child No risk 9:30 Registration Builds social development No risk 9:45 Play time whilst adult carries out observations one that child or others. Builds PSED, CD, KUW, PD and CLL. Depends what activity the child is doing also depends on the development area Toys being damaged and the child hurting himself 10:15 Snack time sits with other children Stays healthy and builds social development Possible risk of choking on food 10:30 Outside play Builds PD, KUW, PSRN, CLL, PSED and CD. Could fall over; hurt themselves on the toys outside. 1:00 Choosing- does whatever the other children do Lets the child decide on what she wants to play with (child-initiated) Toys could be damaged or broken. 11:30 Sleep/read stories Relaxation No risk 12:00 Lunch time Stays healthy and builds social development Ris k of choking on food 12:30 Sleep/story time Relaxation No risk 1:00 Play- outside or inside (child initiated) Builds PSED, CD, KUW, PD and CLL. Toys could be damaged or broken 1:30 Soft play with Builds CD,KUW, CLL, PSRN, PSED, and PD.Child falling off and hurting themselves 2:00 Play- whilst adult carries out observation Builds PSED, CD, KUW, PD and CLL. Allows the practitioner to plan activities the child can do. Toys broken 3:00 Home time Spends the rest of the day with parents No risk It is really important that a routine is followed with any child because it keeps them safe, promotes a healthy diet, allows time for the child to exercise whether it is through play or physical activity, keeps the child stimulated, allows them to have times of sleep and rest, promotes hygiene, builds a child’s independence and it shows the child love and affection.Not all children follow the same routine so the practitioners need to plan and put together routines for children who have spec ific needs so they will not be left out otherwise they could develop self- esteem and self-confidence problems when they are older. (ref E8) E6. Include descriptions of TWO activities which are suitable to use with children to promote a healthy lifestyle. There are many activities for children that enable the practitioner to promote a healthy lifestyle. For example, at placement I have come up with an activity promoting hygiene.I have noticed that some children do not like to use soap so the activity I have come up with an idea that allows children to make their own soap that they can use to stay hygienic and prevent germs. It also gives the children a sense of independence and ownership. Below is a recipe for making soap. Instructions Set a kitchen vegetable grater into a large bowl, and give it to your child. Show her how to grate a white or light-colored bar of soap into the bowl. You’ll need one cup of soap shavings. Ask her to split the shavings into four smaller bowls. Give your child a bowl of warm water and a spoon.Have her to dip the fingers of one hand into the water and shake it into one of the bowls of soap shavings. Add several drops of liquid food coloring, and ask her to stir the mixture. Add more coloring drop by drop to deepen the shade until she’s happy with it. Have her scoop the blob of soap out of the bowl and knead it into a ball. Ask her to knead, pinch, pull, stretch and generally mess with it until it’s pliable with the consistency of Play-Dough. If it’s too stiff, add a few more drops of warm water. Show your child how to pinch off small pieces of the soap dough ball and form them into shapes.Roll a ball of dough into a cylinder about ? -inch thick or a little larger to make a fat crayon for pudgy fingers. Encourage her to create silly animals, geometric shapes or anything else that she can think of. Press some of the dough into the cells of ice trays for some uniformly shaped soap crayons. Line a cookie sh eet with paper towels. Arrange the completed shapes on the towels with space in between them. Put the sheet of soap shapes and the ice trays into the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet and the ice trays from the freezer. Pop the crayons out of the ice trays and add them to the shapes on the cookie sheet.Set the tray of soap crayons in a cool, dry spot for two days to harden and dry thoroughly. When doing an activity with children the practitioner must be aware of each individual child’s needs and capabilities. For example, some of the children may not like the feel of the soap in their hands when in the stage of molding it together so when I come to do this activity I will put out spoons so the children have the choose whether they want to use spoons or not. This way none of the children will be left out just because they did not like the feel of the soap. This way I am showing a diverse and inclusive practice. (ref E8. )

History of Jazz Concert Report Essay

Since I have been in university, most talk of live music has revolved around â€Å"what club has a special on tonight?† or â€Å"which DJ is going to be in town this weekend?† I have nothing against electronic music but sitting in a packed bar near the Halifax Harbor listening to jazz and conversing in a booth with my friends, instead of shouting to clear the volume of dance music, has been one of the most enjoyable nights of my time at Dalhousie. I had always wanted to see some live jazz or blues here, but without the extra push of this assignment I couldn’t seem to get out to listen to any. I went to see the Charles Mingus Tribute play on Thursday, Oct. 9th at Stayner’s Wharf Pub and Restaurant with some friends in the history of jazz course with me, and with some from out of the class. The performers were Dave Staples (piano), Chris Mitchell (saxophone), Martin Davidson (saxophone), Danny Martin (trombone), Tom Roach (drums), and Tom Easley (bass). As I was listening to the jazz I was trying my hardest to take in my surroundings and analyze how the environment catered to the music, see who was in attendance, and most of all enjoy the show. When listening and watching live performances, the venue is almost as important as the music itself. The venue that the Charles Mingus Tribute played at the night I saw them was a restaurant and bar called Stayner’s Wharf. I had been there before, but in the middle of the day with no live music. The change I saw in atmosphere from that first time I experienced the restaurant to the second was tremendous. A tucked away stage with six musicians squished onto it all playing their hearts out transformed the boring restaurant into something so much more alive. The venue was a little odd because it wasn’t positioned around the players, so many people couldn’t see the stage from their tables or stools. However, even if you couldn’t see the musicians you could hear the sound so clearly throughout the entire place. It was very busy. People were standing with drinks, leaning on tables  or walls, or sitting in booths with too many people on each bench. The staff was working like crazy trying to cater to the needs of each customer and was doing an excellent job. Luckily, even though we arrived slightly late, we were able to get a booth seat with a great view of the stage. This affected the experience immensely. Being able to see clearly the onstage chemistry and improvisation was very cool. There were certain times, in between solos when two musicians would exchange head nods and other gestures to indicate when someone should start playing and other technical things that I’m sure I don’t know about. Although the music wasn’t always collective improvisation, the ability of the individual players to adapt to what the others were doing was apparent and so was the skill that goes along with that ability. Overall I think the venue was perfect for the type of jazz they were playing, and the mood that each musician seemed to be in. The musicians seemed happier, too, because they could step off and enjoy a beer in betwe en sets. Since it was after 9:00 PM and there was live music, the event was labeled a â€Å"no minors event†. This put me as definitely the youngest person in attendance, as I was yet to turn 19 at the time. My age posed as a slight problem when trying to get in, but after explaining that we were here strictly for the jazz, the manager made an exception and allowed us entrance to the event. I think the fact that I was one of the only people there not indulging in alcohol changed the way I listened to the music, especially as the show continued. Everyone I was sitting with never had an empty glass in front of them and even the musicians were drinking casually, which reminded me of speakeasies and had me imagining myself in Chicago in the 1920’s. As the audience got drunker the volume of their voices increased, and so did the applause and cheers at the end of each solo or song. However as the audience got louder and more rambunctious the musicians seemed to match the mood and volume perfectly. It was a real happy party atmosphere. In between songs, the band members would shout out to friends of theirs in the crowd or sometimes even to people they didn’t know who were there celebrating a special occasion. The special thing about the audience was how much everyone wanted to be there and to be immersed in the music. People would close their eyes and move their heads to the music and I was constantly tapping my toe on the floor or my finger on the table along with the rhythm of the drums  and bass. Overall, it was a warm audience of people from many different age groups who were there because they wanted to be there and it was clear that everyone loved the jazz. The band itself was an absolute pleasure to listen to and watch perform. It consisted of two lead saxophonists, a lead trombonist, a piano player, bass player, and a drummer. The two saxophone players were very different in their stage presence. Chris Mitchell, the older of the two, had a wild and eccentric way of playing the saxophone. Some of his solo’s reminded me almost of those by Charlie Parker. They were very fast and almost abrupt or sharp in the way they jumped out at you. As one friend of mine put it, â€Å"his stage presence was similar to that of Bobby Keys† who is most famous for playing saxophone for the Rolling Stones. On the opposing side, the second saxophone player was unbelievably young and seemed to have not quite come into his own stage persona yet. Where Chris Mitchell would move with the music, Martin Davidson seemed slightly more rigid. This didn’t detract from the sound or quality of his playing though. It was almost like watching a more experienced teacher and his student prodigy playing together in front of us that night. The band was playing jazz compositions mostly by Charles Mingus such as â€Å"Jump Monk† and â€Å"Pussy Cat Dues. So after the show I went home and listened to the titles as performed by Mingus to compare the two. I decided that I liked the live version that I saw more than the recorded version of Mingus. I think this is because of my ability to actually see the jazz and feel it around me when I was at Stayner’s Wharf. It’s hard for me to come up with any faults in the performance because of how much fun I had and how little experience I have with live jazz in general. One thing I would have liked more would have been to hear more piano over all. I have played piano since I was in grade one and advanced through my exams until grade 10 classical piano, after which I took two years of jazz piano lessons. So it is easy to say that piano is one of my favorite instruments, but I realize it isn’t usually a lead instrument for a jazz band like this. With that one personal preference aside, I had no bad things to say about the band. I thought they were charismatic on stage, sounded great and improvised together perfectly. The type of jazz played was more an art music than a popular music. It’s hard to label what jazz was being played, because Charles Mingus himself didn’t like to label any of his songs into one genre, and the band was playing his songs. But I think there was a lot of collective improvisation on stage and the styles ranged from New Orleans styled jazz to Be Bop at points. It was almost like a â€Å"mixed bag†. I think that is why I enjoyed the performance so much, because there were surprises and no song or solo sounded the same. I didn’t have the opportunity to fall bored like some people could if the musician was someone like Bill Evans, who plays slower and quieter jazz. The Jazz was definitely center of attention in the bar and was the main attraction for the night unlike other restaurants that have musicians as a sort of background music. One song, the first song we heard when we came in, had a â€Å"four on the floor† rhythm to it. I remember wa lking in and thinking â€Å"Hey! I know what that is!† Overall, the night was a success and everyone I was with thoroughly enjoyed it. After the jazz, some of my friends went to a nightclub and said that the clashing of the two experiences made them realize how much different the music of today is from the music of the past. Whether it’s a good difference or not is in the eye of the beholder. The venue, though it was small and packed, was a great place for the musicians to play. The audience was all happy, which might have had something to do with the alcohol, but it made the entire atmosphere happy as well. The Charles Mingus Tribute did an excellent job of transferring the music of Mingus to the audience that night; the soloists were unbelievable; and the collective improvisation on stage was very cool to watch. I have already decided with a group of friends that we will be going to another live jazz event in November, and I am looking forward to seeing if I can apply some more jazz knowledge learned from class at this event as well.