Essay On Gender Inequality - 1431 Words

For many cultures and families, a woman’s role is to cook, to clean, to take care of the children and satisfy the demands of their husbands. But for numerous years women have been fighting for equality in this so called â€Å"Man’s World†. The Women’s Rights Movement started in 1848, and though it has come a long way there is still gender inequality in this world today. It seems as though the pursuit to stop gender inequality has slowed down and has leveled off since the 1990’s (Ridgeway, 2013). Today women are allowed to vote, able to get an education, work in the same place as men, but we are still treated differently. Men do not understand the struggle it is for a woman who have to work harder to prove she is good enough, and be taken†¦show more content†¦Things would be a lot different if women ran more companies. In Joann S. Lublin article, â€Å"How Companies Are Different When More Women Are in Power†, she states, â€Å"Chang e is coming slowly, but corner offices are looking a bit less like exclusive boys’ clubs lately.† The increase of female executives has also increased the number of female employees. Lublin interviews a woman by the name of Liz Gottung who is the head of human resources for Kimberly Clark. Gottung states, â€Å"When it’s only one or two women, our voices can get lost.† When you have women supporting each other, we become a force that you cannot ignore. But even when a woman is put in an authoritative position, she is still likely to be seen as less authoritative in comparison to a male (Ridgeway, 2013). I believe this is why men try and keep the male to female ratio obsolete. As a female who works in a professional environment, I experience gender inequality face to face. When I had first got hired at my place of employment I was interviewed by two women, I remember thinking to myself how great it was going to be to have female superiors in this job, unlike my last one where I was surrounded by men. A few months had gone by and I was really starting to get the hang of how things worked. I started asking my manager for more hours, and started to learn different sides of the job, not just the one that I was hired for. She said she would talk toShow MoreRelatedEssay On Gender Inequality1049 Words   |  5 PagesGender inequality as a social institution in Asia country (India) This essay provides an overview gender as a social institution in Asia countries, also, this essay mainly focuses on education and mainly focuses on the country of India. Moreover, this essay deeply investigates how gender inequality in Asia countries, especially in India affects in the long run (Klasen, 2002, p.745). There are numerous justifications to be worried about the existence of gender inequalities mainly in the well-being-relatedRead More Gender Inequality Essay1849 Words   |  8 Pagestopic of gender. Before this, inequalities within society were based primarily on factors such as social class and status. This paper will discuss gender itself: what makes us who we are and how we are represented. It will also explore discrimination towards women throughout history, focusing mainly on women and the right to vote, inequalities between males and females in the work place and how gender is represented in the media. The term ‘gender’ was coined by John Money in 1955: â€Å"Gender is usedRead MoreGender Inequality Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagesresearchers, we get to know more and more on the issue of gender inequality in different areas of our society. However, although significant progress has been made during the twentieth century, in an attempt to equalize the rights of women and men, they still do not seem to be met daily. Having a job is considered important for men and women, although the centrality of work is organized completely differently by gender. This form of inequality persists in all areas such as: participation in decisionRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1127 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"superior† race/gender of a white male were typically treated as if they were less. Women and African-Americans aren’t being treated as bad today, but they’re still being treated worse than the white males of society. Even today, when white males are typical ly the leaders of society, it’s not always race and gender that creates inequality; sometimes it’s money that creates the issue. Not just from past evidence, but from present evidence as well, America shows signs of inequality by the way peopleRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1091 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen many inequalities that the world has been faced with; whether it is race, gender, or ethnic background. I am writing you, the representatives for Equal Rights to discuss an urgent concern of American women in the workplace. Although gender inequality is decreasing, it still exists and makes a lot of people suffer its consequences every day. Gender inequality is unfair rights between male and female based on different gender roles which leads to unequal treatment. Gender inequality has been widelyRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1687 Words   |  7 PagesThe concept of gender denotes the distinction between culturally driven and created roles of masculinity and femininity. These specific and normalized attitudes and behaviors transcend and effect how differently men and women live their lives. Based on society’s continual re-enforcement of such gender stereotypes, we see an on-going dilemma of gender inequality. Though some may argue that men experience gender inequality, this seems to exist on a much more invasive level for women. As of recentlyRead MoreGender Inequality Essay1205 Words   |  5 PagesGender inequality would not be considered as such an earnest issue if it did not engender such an astronomical immense number of difficulties in women’s salubrity. The pay gap, illicit abortions, discrimination at the workplace, glass ceiling, financial issues, lack of rights, domestic violence, inhibited access to edification, and partial opportunities in building a vocation are all the results of gender inequality.Cleary, gender socialization is very pleasant, and challenges to it can be upsettingRead MoreGender Inequality Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesGender Inequality In The Home Remains An Issue In Family Life. Gender inqualities often stem from social structures that have instiutionalized conceptions of gender differences. Gender inequality has been around for centuries. In many family homes, their lives evolve around gender roles. The responibilties in the family are allocated to their sex (gender). There are certain tasks which are usually allocated to males and females. Some see this division as biologolical differences between theRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1137 Words   |  5 Pageslike to say that everyone is completely equal but sadly that is not true. In the past several years you have probably heard a lot about gender inequality. In 2014 statistics have shown that women make around 79 cents to a man’s dollar. Through a rhetorical analysis of Audi’s 2017 Super Bowl commercial ‘Daughter’ they inform their buyers of the gender inequality around the world and to inform them that they are a fair and equal company when it comes to its employees. Not only that but to show supportRead MoreGender Inequality Essay803 Words   |  4 PagesGender inequality or gender st ratification is the unequal spreading of society’s wealth, power, and privilege between females and males. Whenever this issue is approached, evidence is provided that majority of women popularity are taken for granted and frowned upon as if women cannot do what men can do. This is proof that the oppressor vs. the oppressed is present throughout history; even in religious communities, some can date back to God’s creation. For example, it is written in the Bible, â€Å"To

Race, Gender, And Social Class - 991 Words

Race, gender, and social class has several implications in the United States and how it shapes policy and perceptions of those who live in poverty. Current welfare systems are not perfect, and capitalistic policies do not work as intended to solve income inequalities. Given this, we will discuss social inequalities and capitalism, the welfare system, and propose two policies that solves welfare, and social and income inequalities. The first key idea from the materials is that social inequities and capitalism are intertwined. In the TEDTalks, while the upper class, or plutocrats, are typically living large, the lower classes are struggling to live. Additionally, due to the unfair system, the lower-income people are more likely to drop out†¦show more content†¦The welfare reform law in 1996 mostly tried to solve marital evils rather than efficiently dealing with welfare. It encouraged marriage and attempted to lower single parenthood. However, when one looks at this issue, thi s is mostly a gender status issue rather than an income issue. Also, many policymakers impose conditions to families receiving governmental benefits. Although I acknowledge that these policies attempt to solve problems with poverty, I disagree with how the policymakers approach these issues. Instead of focusing on incomes of each family, they mainly focused solving social issues. Would you say that poverty is caused by single mothers? What if I told you that marriage rates have fallen since the 1960s? Our policies are indifferent to these questions. The policies mainly focused on the shortcomings of the poor rather than trying to save them from poverty. J.D. Vance mentioned that low-income children face childhood trauma that affects them, and the despair and low social capital these families are going through. Focusing on the crimes parents do mainly out of desperation rather than malicious intent to pass welfare bills would be even more traumatizing to kids. We probably are not doi ng much to help the impoverished if we are focused attacking the moral shortcomings of poor families rather than implementing policies to help families in general. Given these key ideas, I would propose both a guaranteed basic income andShow MoreRelatedSocial Class, Race, And Gender1436 Words   |  6 Pagesdiffers in religion, gender, race, social class, likes, dislikes, and many more. I however, am a white, Christian female whose family settles in the middle class. Being a white middle-class female gives me many advantages as well as disadvantages, and I see the world differently then the person that might be sitting next to me because of these influences. Also, these influences determine my social stratification and where I ranked as an individual. Social class, race, and gender are three influencesRead MoreGender, Race, Social Class And Relationship Essay1663 Words   |  7 PagesGender, Race, Social Class and Relationship â€Å"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† is in the first story collection of Junot Diaz that was published in 1996. Junot Diaz was born in Dominican Republic, he moved to the United States at the age of seven. He is currently a creative writing teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Meyer 97). In the short story, Diaz describes how a teenage boy approaches romantic relationships and characterizes the girls based on theirRead MoreSocial Variables Of Race, Gender, Class And Health914 Words   |  4 Pagesincorporated more areas of social life using specialized fields of inquiry (Giddens Sutton, 2010). Browne (2005) argues that sociology in simpler terms is planned and organized study of human groups and social life in modern societies, more so concerned with social institution. Contribution of sociologist in understanding human behavior is remarkable. The aim of this paper is to explain how sociologist views the relationship between the ke y social variables of race, gender, class and health. The relationshipRead MoreThe Social Construction of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender1043 Words   |  5 Pagesincome and social status between individuals and groups. This distribution is not random, it is patterned and structured. Three important axes of global inequality are gender, race and ethnicity, and class. These inequalities are on a global scale and are found in virtually all societies. It wasnt until relatively recently, however, that a caste system developed to include race and ethnicity among class and gender. Since imperialism and the conquest of the Americas, a number of social changes haveRead MoreGender, Social Class, And Race Sociologists Use A Sociological Lens Essay2124 Words   |  9 Pagescontributing to a society where some people are allotted more privileges and opportunities than others. I will attempt to deconstruct this complex social construction by looking at gender, social class, family influences, race, and socialization; which will be discussed in greater detail further along. When analyzing sociological concepts like gender, social class, and race sociologists use a â€Å"sociological lens†. Using a sociological lens will allow me to take the experiences I had and look at them on a broaderRead MoreJuvenile Justice System Based On Their Race, Gender, And Social Class Essay2585 Words   |  11 Pagespaper examines different studies of juveniles and their place in the United States’ justice system based on their race, gender, and social class, as well as looks into policing tactics that may be beneficial to the affected youths. By looking at a wide variety of academic journals and books it was clear to see that youths are looked upon and treated differently depending on what their race is, the sex that they were born, or their family’s economic standing. Resulting in the outcome of these youthsRead MoreSocial Causes and Consequences of Inequalities Based on Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation2854 W ords   |  11 Pagesï » ¿Social Causes And Consequences Of Inequalities Based On Race, Class, Gender, And Sexual Orientation In spite of all the efforts made within United States to eradicate racial disparities, the media still broadcast discriminatory images and thoughts. Ethnic minorities are constantly being depicted as the culprits and the prime suspects in any crime. Muslim are always associated with fascism, Blacks are always associated with thugs, Mexicans are always depicted as illegal immigrants or drug cartelsRead MoreEssay on Article Reflection: Feminist Intersectional Theorizing875 Words   |  4 Pagesprominent social theories in feminism. This theory explores the factors that represent one’s identity. The purpose of this article is to explain the theorizing on race, class, and gender by Canadian feminist. Intersectionality portrays how women experiences are interconnected. The article â€Å"Feminist Intersectional Theorizing† written by Daiva K. Stasiulis, mainly talks about the intersectional theorizing of different factors that woman in Canada encounter. The vocalization of gender and class had a breakthroughRead MoreSocial Stratification And Its Effects On Physical And Mental Differences1216 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen social stratification. Social stratification is the separation of based on physical and mental differences. Every society exhibits a pattern of separation between its people. We will focus mainly on the United States and how they organize people based on the three main organizing principles, class, race, and gender. Social class is defines as â€Å"the grouping of individuals by economic position† (Larkin, Para. 9). Members of each social class share similar income, wealth, lifestyle, social normsRead MoreAnalysis Of Daughter From Danang 1272 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the process of social construction, various social statuses, such as race, class, and gender, are given a deeper meaning than simply a category. In turn, these statuses begin having an effect on the groups they encompass, causing some groups to become dominate over others and shaping the hierarchy of their society. Once established, these statuses begin to intertwine and influence one another, along with space and time, which is called intersections. These intersections work together to further

Capitalism and Freedom Book Review Free Essays

Warren Bryan 3/5/12 Book Review: Capitalism Freedom Author: Milton Friedman Milton Friedman’s Capitalism Freedom is one of the most important books regarding economics of the 20th century. His thoughts laid the groundwork for the emerging modern conservative movement, which was an evolution of the 19th century beliefs surrounding liberalism. Friedman’s major themes of his most famous work consist of the roles of competitive capitalism, as well as the role that government should play in a society â€Å"dedicated to freedom and relying primarily on the market to organize economic activity. We will write a custom essay sample on Capitalism and Freedom Book Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now † The book touches on a multitude of other economic issues; however, his first two chapters regarding the major themes of the book are most relevant in today’s study of economics. Most of Friedman’s viewpoints I agree with in terms of promoting freedom and its necessity to promoting prosperity and growth. Friedman, however, lacks a certain level of clarity regarding the specificity of his definition of â€Å"economic freedom† and the other variants of â€Å"freedom. † Friedman argues that a free market economic policy is by definition part of freedom, or in his words, â€Å"†¦freedom in economic arrangement is itself a component of freedom broadly understood, so economic freedom is an end in itself. † This is one of his prime arguments supporting his claim that free market economic policies are critical for a free society. The implications surrounding this statement are that anyone who is against a free market economic policy is also against the American values of liberty and the liberal tradition, or as Friedman puts it, â€Å"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. † What he lacks in his explanation concerning the connection between freedom and economic freedom is his disregard to define the concept of freedom, whether concerning its origins, how it developed, or what it means specifically relative to all the different economic issues it applies to. For example he lists several present day scenarios that violate one’s economic freedom: having to pay 10% of income to social security, not being able to follow an occupation of your own choice without professional licensure, being forbidden to exchange certain items because of quotas that prevent such exchanges, being thrown in jail for setting prices lower than the manufacture specified (fair trade laws), and the farmer who cannot grow the amount he desires because of price supports. Under complete economic freedom, the government should not be able to tell us how or where to spend our money, dispose of our goods, or how we should labor because it’s in violation of our individual freedom, or our entitlement to property and labor, according to Friedman. Surely these are all characteristics of being free, however his explanation is certainly not the end all-be all. It is more relative to examine what is exactly entitled to the elements of freedom. A famous example comes from a Supreme Court Justice who said, â€Å"My freedom to move my fist must be limited by the proximity of your chin. † This coincides with John Locke’s paradoxical claim that one must give up certain rights to achieve freedom. An absolute interpretation of â€Å"freedom† is just not plausible because of the endless amounts of extenuating circumstances that would, and should, interfere with ones freedom. The very nature of society and law places these restrictions on absolute freedom because your actions are limited by the protection of another’s entitlements. Friedman acknowledges this impossibility and admits that there is still an important role for the government to make the rules and act as â€Å"umpire† toward them. He concludes on this thought stating, â€Å"What the market does is to reduce greatly the range of issues that must be decided through political means, and thereby minimize the extent to which government need participate directly in the game. † Friedman more narrowly believed the government should intervene with â€Å"indivisible matters. † A problem with this claim regarding indivisible matters is he never clarifies what constitutes an indivisible matter. The example he gives is in relation to national defense, â€Å"I cannot get the amount of national defense I want and you a different amount. With respect to such indivisible matters we can discuss, argue, and vote. But having decided we must conform. † Thus, we shall let the government deal with indivisible matters where we must meet a consensus on basic things such as defense. How do we know that a flat tax, a tax reform mentioned by Friedman, counts as a matter that government should control whereas a tax for social security does not? The criteria must be explained for the difference between the two. Friedman believed that the market allows better proportional representation than the democratic process. â€Å"The market allows the voluntary exchange of goods between individuals without coercion. † â€Å"Exchange can therefore bring about co-ordination without coercion†¦no exchange will take place unless both parties do benefit from it. Cooperation is thereby achieved without coercion. † This implies that the free market system gives people what they want instead of what some group thinks they â€Å"ought to want. This is a basis for his belief in laissez-faire. Friedman believed that government intervention enforces conformity. Policies are implemented based on a majority vote, or at best a 2/3rd vote, thus imposing a view from the majority onto the minority. A valid point that Friedman fails to comprehend that government is necessary for exchange even to begin. What he fails to comprehend is t hat the market only exists by being founded on laws that the government has already defined. The perceived freedom of the market and tolerance of diversity is not the product of free markets, yet the benefit and consequence of agreements that makes the market possible to begin with. The possibility that people can exchange goods in the market place pre-supposed that there are contracts, notions of property, enforcement systems for violations and so on. The most crucial part in regards to what makes freedom possible in the market is directly related to the government, the very thing he believed enforced conformity. I argue that Friedman fails to recognize both types of freedoms, the first being the freedom to participate in the market but not the freedom in regards to the agreement undertaken to participate within the market in the first place, or the rules of the game. An analogy I found clarifies this concept. The analogy compares the games of checkers and chess. Chess has a more complex rule set than checkers does relative to the extent of moves allowable, however most people would probably choose to play chess for this very reason. Thus, a reduction in rules with the government doesn’t necessarily mean we are more economically free, but yet that we choose to â€Å"play† a different game. Surely I agree with Friedman that the more economic freedom the better, but it is ultimately the government’s job for how we settle the â€Å"rules of the game. † As Friedman’s book proves, as well as my arguments against some of his claims, it is very hard to establish a fine line between governments and markets. The degree of freedom will always be in question within a free society. However, there are many different degrees within these free markets and there can be multiple ways to draw the line between government and the market and still be classified as a â€Å"free market. † ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 4. [ 2 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 6 [ 3 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 9 [ 4 ]. Howard Schwartz, â€Å"What Color Tie Do you Vote For? † Jan. 2007, 5 March 2012 [ 5 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 24 [ 6 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 33 [ 7 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 35 [ 8 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 35 How to cite Capitalism and Freedom Book Review, Essay examples

Investment Advisory Services Design Effective Investment Plan

Question: Discuss about the Investment Advisory Services for Design Effective Investment Plan. Answer: Introduction Investment advisory services in rapidly getting popularity as the investment advisors play important role in guiding the investors to design effective investment plans by providing essential expertise to the investors so that the investors investment potentiality use to be improved. The investment advisors greatly contribute to the investors by minimizing the risks of investments as well as to maximize the return from the investment (Chong, 2004). The advisors use to make several different strategies as per the need of the investors and the strategies help the investors to optimize the investment profit and at the same time the strategies are helpful to minimize the investment risk. The equity or stock market is extremely volatile and highly risk prone investment as there are several factors, which influence the fluctuations of the stock market. Therefore, the investment advisors should have the required knowledge about the potential risks of the investment (Cornell, 2011). Besides t hey should have adequate knowledge of market, the potential of the market, about the several investment components of the market and the risks and potentiality of the investment components so that they can suggest the clients most effective investment option as per their requirements, which best suited to the investors profile. Main context Investment philosophy and strategy Investment policy is defined as the set of the principles that shapes and informs the individuals decision making process and thereby it also helps in the creation of appropriate investment philosophies for the individuals. The investment philosophy includes value investing, growth investing, and socially responsible investing with the technical investing process (Fabozzi and Markowitz, 2011). The investment policy helps in the formation of the coherent thinking of the markets with thereby considering the various types of the mistakes and also helps in the creation of belief with the consideration of the investor behavior. With the consideration of the brief introduction, an investment policy is seemed to be defined as the generation of the new strategies with the removal of the old ones. The ingredients of the investment philosophy determine the various steps that are the investment policies and thereby the investment policies are also view with the enhancement of the learning provi ding the view of human frailty (Elliott and Elliott, 2008). The generation determines the tactical views of the market with judging the efficiency of the market. It can be only seemed to be possible with the creation of foundation for the investment policy and thereby the strategies that are created reflect the beliefs. The categorization of the investment philosophies helps in the creation of market timing versus asset selection and thereby the activist investing with the passive investing and the time horizon (Bower and Gilbert, 2005). The investment policy helps in the creation of the market timing strategies, asset selectors and the arbitrage based strategies. The asset selectors help in the creation of chartists and value investors and the growth with the investors increment. The investment policy helps in the enhancement of the investment policy with the various steps that are the acquiring the tools of the trade, development of the point of view with about the market work and the break down work and the philosophy provision with providing the best fit for you. The tradeoff between risk and the return with the evaluation of the risk and thereby the models are measured for the enhancement of the qualitative measure. The traditional usage of the quantitative measures is indicated by the measurement of the risks in the terms of the volatility and the consideration of the standard deviation (Hiriyappa, 2008). The deviation also helps in the creation of the strategies in order to mitigate the risk factors regarding the investments made. The investments are made in such a way so that the risks are arranged with the consideration of the low risks and thereby the measurement of the objectives regarding the portfolio increases. The increment of the current income helps in the achievement of the goal with the enhancement of the policies and thereby the reduction of the volatile risks in seen in the case (Holton, 2012). The hedging process is also planned in the period of the investment which seemed to be a part of the strategy. The investment strateg y also helps in the creation of the appropriate management process with the usage of the SPI features (Jones, 2011). The bull and the bear of the market determines the increment of the profit with the increment of the risk factors and the bear determines the decrement of the profit with the decrement of the risk regarding the investments made in the market. These are the strategies that are planned for the appropriate creation of the investment portfolio with thereby helps in the enhancement of the return per annum. Portfolio Components The amount of fund that need to be manage = $1,000,000 LICs, ETPS and Shares Amount of money invested in shares Minimum = $1,000,000 * 40% = $4, 00,000 No maximum, it will depends on invested amount in shares as 50% of share exposure should be hedged Individual company shares Maximum = $1,000,000 * 10% = $100,000 At maximum level could invest in only 9 companies 1000 shares is minimum purchase parcel and purchased shares should be multiple of 100 Brokerage cost is excluded assuming that it is being externally covered. Selling shares that is being not purchased by the client should be purchase with the hope of falling price of share over the period (Stittle and Wearing, 2008). Short selling Selling shares that the client had not yet purchased but buying them back with the hope of falling share prices over the period. Short selling ensures that sufficient cash is available in CMT to repurchase the shares at the end of the period. The short sales of AMP limited 10,000 shares @5.17. It represents cash inflow and should be held for repurchase of amount $51,700 in October. Future contracts and options SPI future contract will provide an option to hedge the portfolio and speculating on change in market index by using SPI future contracts traded on ASX. Acting as a buyer or seller of SPI 200 contract of December 2016 Current trading value is 5,336 A settlement account should be open at $10,000 per 200 SPI contract. Purchasing future contract would give exposure to the investment value of ($25*5336*5)= $667000 will require investment margin of ($10,000*5)= $50,000 Contract price of SPI represents $25 value change SPI Options SPI option allow to hedge the market index change SPI option is similar to the future contracts excepts they are not contractual The client has to pay purchase premium and provide margin account with the future contract Option value is (SPI value *$25) per contract Purchase premium is (premium *$25) per contract 5 SPI 200 purchase call option will give exposure to investment value of (5,336*5*$25)= $6677000 and would cost premium of (5*$49200$$25)= $61500 Investment in cash management trust Total investment in CMT Minimum = $0 Maximum = $1,000,000 * 20% = $200,000 Selection of asset The selection of asset is important in order to create value over the investment. The value of portfolio at the end of the period The value of the portfolio today The client can select assets on the basis of: Price of shares and performances over the period of time Fundamental factors (dividends, beta, NTA, P/E ratio) News announcements Economic conditions that may suit particular industries or companies It applies equally to ETFs, LICs and future and options Situations Expect increase in share price over next 3 months Purchasing share, ETP or LIC directly Purchasing call options on underlying share Purchasing 200 SPI future contracts or 200 SPI call option if in general market will fall Expect decrease in the share price over next 3 months Purchasing put options on underlying share Short selling the shares Selling 200 SPI futures contract or purchasing 200 SPI if in general market will fall Purchases - Equity Shares Cost ($) ($) BlueScope steel (10,000@$6.47) 64700 Fortescue Metals Group (20,000@$3.63) 72600 Newcrest Mining (3,000@$24) 72000 Treasury Wine Estates (7,000@$9.28) 64,960 Dominos Pizza Enterprises (1,000@$68.82) 68,820 Aristocrat Leisure (5,000@13.44) 67,200 Cimic Group (2,000@$35.95) 71,900 REA Group (1,000@$59.23) 59,230 Cochlear (600@$121.29) 72,774 Vocus Communication (6,000@$8.42) 50,520 664704 Short Sales- Equity Shares Santos (5,000@$4.63) 23,150 BHP Billiton (2,000@$19.09) 38,180 Ansell (2,000@$18.54) 37,080 Woolworths (1,000@$20.74) 20,740 Woodside Petroleum (1,000@$26.64) 26,640 -145,790 ETPs and LICs Platinum Capital (30,000@$4.63) 48,300 WAM Capital (20,000@$2.23) 44,600 SPDR ASX/SP 200 Fund (1,000@$49.14) 49,140 I Shares SP 500 ETF Fund (250@$282.03) 70,508 Beta Shares Gold Bullion ETF (5,000@$14.14) 70,700 283,248 Hedged Position for the ASX Equity Investments 200 SPI Futures contract value =5336*$25=$133,400 Sell 200 SPI future contract on 4 dec @5336 40000 40000 Cash Investment in the Cash Management Trust Cash Holding 157838 1000000 Brief explanation The investment profile can be designed with potential equity securities of listed investment companies, besides this, exchange traded fund such as exchange traded gold fund, SP/ASX 200 - PRICE INDEX which are potential investment tools and provide effective investment option to the investors as per the requirement of the investors(Knill, 2010). The particular investor of the case study want to invest the money $1000, 000 in growth market thus can achieve considerable growth of the fund. His main requirement is to invest around 40% of the total investment into the physical equity investments in the highest quality securities in order to ensure the profitability of the investment. The top quality shares are usually high performance share and assured a certain guarantee of the returns. Means, if there is not any big changes happened then the companies equity will provide significant amount of profits to the investors (Mahone et al., 2009). Besides this, investors will be recommended to invest in Bullion market in gold ETF as the bullion has huge potential and as the investment will be for long term thus, the potentiality of the gold fund will be greater. The company must not invest more than 10% of total investment in a particular share or equity, because in this case the risk can increased as if the performance of the share declined then the investor has to face substantial amount of loss thus the investor has to divided his/her investment profile in several different parts so that the risk can be divided and thus the risk can be managed (Wolf, 2008). Besides this the investors can invest in the Australian direct share investment components which are usually less risk prone and high growth investment tools as by the investment tools the company investment fund will be improved significantly and thus the potentiality of the investment portfolio will be enhanced substantially (Holton, 2012). The investor can invest in equity index futures which are high growth fund in order to increase the investment opportunity of the investment portfolio of the company and thus the company can provide additional finance facilities to the employees of the company, which help the employees in their retirement plan. The investor can invest in future and option investment tools in order to mitigate the risk of the investment as these are the tools, which help the investors in hedging, which minimize the risk of the investment so that the companys investment prospects will be improved(Wong, 2011). Several effective strategies bull spread or cover call as well as butterfly strategies can be applied, which effectively reduce the risks of the investment as well as improve the potentiality of the investment. Conclusion The decisions to make investment in the companies are very critical and crucial. Therefore, it is very important for the investors to determine and analyze the financial performance of a company. The share price of companies varies and fluctuates in the business environment. Therefore, it becomes important for the investors to take decision in which companies they should invest in order to get maximum returns. The new client should take decision on the basis of the performance of the companies. The main focus of the investors is to earn maximum profits and take appropriate investment decision. The investment portfolio of the investor shows that the performance of SP/ASX 200 index had the closing value of around 5,388.50 as on 13/7/2016. The investment decision of the client is appropriate and high profit earning is the main focus. References Bower, J. and Gilbert, C. (2005).From resource allocation to strategy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chong, Y. (2004).Investment risk management. Chichester, West Sussex, Eng.: John Wiley Sons. Cornell, B. (2011). Invited Editorial Comment.The Journal of Portfolio Management, 37(4), pp.3-5. Elliott, B. and Elliott, J. (2008).Financial accounting and reporting. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Fabozzi, F. and Markowitz, H. (2011).The theory and practice of investment management. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Hiriyappa, B. (2008).Investment management. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. Holton, R. (2012).Global finance. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Jones, P. (2011).Strategy mapping for learning organizations. Farnham, Surrey: Gower Pub. Knill, A. (2010). Does Foreign Portfolio Investment Reach Small Listed Firms?.European Financial Management, p.no-no. Mahone, A., Woo, C., Williams, J. and Horowitz, I. (2009). Renewable portfolio standards and cost-effective energy-efficiency investment.Energy Policy, 37(3), pp.774-777. Stittle, J. and Wearing, B. (2008).Financial accounting. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. Wolf, M. (2008).Fixing global finance. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press. Wong, M. (2011).The risk of investment products. Singapore: Hackensack, NJ.

Television Destructive Or Instructive Essays -

Television: Destructive or Instructive? A boy sits on the floor, his eyes glued to the television screen. His mother calls him for dinner and there is no movement, he is so drawn into what he is watching that he has blocked out reality. Is this a familiar picture? This situation is becoming an all too common scene for American families. I believe television is becoming the center of too many people's lives. Television causes inactivity, promotes violence and questions morality. First of all, according to Postman, "The average American child watches 5000 hours of television before he or she ever gets to school." Television causes people to become lazy and inactive. Watching television consists of sitting on a couch and focusing on the images brought to live on the screen. Viewing television programs takes away time that could be used for physical activity. For example, take what a child's daily schedule used to consist of years ago before television was so popular. Children would spend countless hours outdoors: playing games, running, and interacting with neighborhood friends. When their mothers would call them inside for dinner or for the night, they would give the response, "Just five more minutes, please?" Nowadays, it is a struggle for parents just to get their children away from a television set and go outside for a few minutes. These children become "housebound, inactive, and solitary", according to Kael. Also, people that spend more time in front of t he television spend less time reading and doing work that needs too be done, such as homework and errands. Watching television does not make up for the time that should be spent improving reading and writing skills. Secondly, television promotes violence. Sure, some television programs have a few educational aspects; however, many are made just for the entertainment. And violence, to many, is the most entertaining feature of television. When networks see how much people enjoy viewing programs with violence and profanity, they put more of it on. Viewers exposed to this type of activity are more apt to imitating it. There have been many cases where television is blamed for violent acts. For example, Dr. Leonard Eron of the University of Illinois found that people who had watched the most violent TV between birth and age eight had committed the most serious crimes by age 30. Watching violent television programs teaches aggressive attitudes and behaviors. People become desensitized to real world violence. Because heavy viewers watch so much violent acts on television, they come to see violence as a normal and accepted way of life. People become drawn into what they are exposed to on the television s creen, and it is hard to distinguish fact from fiction. As Doerken states, "So much TV is based upon illusion and fantasy that it becomes very difficult at times to know what is truth and what is not." This is especially true for those children that have yet to learn that television is not always what it seems. Also, surprisingly, the programs that are especially designed for children, such as cartoons, are the most violent of all programming. As well as violence, profanity is also very easy to imitate. Viewers, children especially, hear all the profanity used on these programs, and think it is okay to use too. For example, many sport's figures use foul language constantly. Children see their role models using these words, and think it is cool and appropriate. Also, talk shows are filled with profanity, and there is always a talk show on in the after school hours of the day. Children are exposed to this type of behavior everywhere, and want to imitate it. Another bad aspect of television is its affect on a person's morals. Television erodes the traditional morals of American families by the poor example it sets forth for the nation's youth. Some television programs teach all the wrong lessons, and children think what they see on television are the right things to do. Television also corrupts our own personal beliefs at times. Watching something can get a person to go against his or her own beliefs in order to be like everyone else. If the majority of the population thinks one way about an issue, the average

buy custom U.S. Education essay

buy custom U.S. Education essay The US economy has reached the most precarious scenario ever, since the 1930s Great Depression. A deficit in the balance-of-payments, deficit in the current and capital account and an astounding negative balance of trade, have sounded the alarm on the economys vulnerability. The slow down started in 2007 and then attained a significant decline after the real-estate slump and problems with financial institutions. By December 2007, US government had officially conceded that the economy had entered a great recession. It has become increasingly important for the government to bail out major financial institutions to protect the American citizens. Such bailouts have been to the tune of half a trillion US dollars. While the government gambles with solutions of revitalizing the economy, there are other pressing issues at hand. One of these issues is the overdue education reform. Some schools of thought believe that education reforms are more urgent and significant to the future of America than even health reforms. Such lucid comments accrue from the understanding of the failures of the K-12 education system. Majority of scholars and the elite spectrum of education experts in the US feel and express vivid reservations on the effectiveness of the K-12 education. There is a widespread belief that the US ought to reform the way it train its young. This mandate seems dear to the incumbent administration, with president Obama taking the lead in advocating for reforms in Americas public schools. However, the Obama administration is mainly focusing on pre-school programs, hiring and compensating effective teachers, state standardization, and the introduction of numerous charter schools. The key things being left out and what experts feel must also be addressed with urgency is the curriculum, modes of teaching and training innovation and creativity. Nevertheless, let us review the K-12 education system more critically and objectively appreciate its status. We will also try to compare this with the education system in China. Buy custom U.S. Education essay

Advice on Frances Rights under the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advice on Frances Rights under the Law - Essay Example The facts of the case are that Frances made the order for the computer system on June 5, 2012, and paid the full amount of  £3,000 to Avalon Computers Ltd. Avalon is a mail order firm. The system was delivered three days later, but Frances wished to return the computer system, still in its box and unopened/unused, a week later. She asked to return the system in exchange for a refund via fax, but Avalon said no. The objective of this note is to be able to give Frances advice on her rights under the laws of the European Union, related to her being able to secure the refund from the mail order company Avalon. This note also covers advice on where else, by way of person or body, Frances may be able to get redress for her situation (â€Å"From the Instructions†).It is worthwhile, as a prelude to giving advice, to go over the relevant legal literature on the issue at hand. First, the quoted legalese above is in the form of a directive, and it is worthwhile to know the nature of a directive under the European Union laws. Directives are one of three types of legislation in the European Union, with regulations and decisions being the other two. Directives, in essence, are â€Å"general rules to be transferred into national law† by member countries as the countries see fit or appropriate to do so. This is opposed to a regulation, which has the force of a national law, with the exception that regulations have the force of being a law applied to all of the member countries.... Directives, in essence, are â€Å"general rules to be transferred into national law† by member countries as the countries see fit or appropriate to do so. This is opposed to a regulation, which has the force of a national law, with the exception that regulations have the force of being a law applied to all of the member countries. A legal decision, meanwhile, is different from the first two, in that it has specific application to particular organizations or persons (European Commission). The European Commission itself has the compliance and application responsibilities as far as the laws are concerned, for all of the member states. The work includes making sure that the countries infuse into their national laws the laws of the European Union. The Commission is also responsible for monitoring the compliance of member countries towards EU directives as they are timed for implementation (European Commission (b)). One discussion further reinforces the differences between directive s, which are binding in general to the member states for their own implementation and translation into the national laws of the country, and regulations, which are generally applicable to all the member states without need for legal translation into the countries’ individual national laws (BBC): Under the process known as "transposition" the directive sets the framework but the practical details of implementation are left for the member states to decide. By contrast, regulations have "general application". That means they are binding on individuals and effectively form part of domestic law as soon as they are made. It is generally only necessary to amend existing national provisions that are inconsistent with regulations, rather than make new legislation altogether. (BBC) It is to be made

Domestic and international banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Domestic and international banking - Essay Example This is a mechanism on which the whole banking structure is based. This report contains an analysis of the Banking Sector of United Kingdom, Along with the challenges faced by the Banks now a day, like the bonus restrictions imposed by the government which has checked the functioning of the major banks in United Kingdom. Granting Loans and receiving deposits A bank works on the principle of borrowing and landing. In this mechanism, Bank borrows from the General public and the institutions and lands the money to the needy public in terms of loan. After a loan is granted, the banks takes a certain amount of interest for a certain period of time and gives a part of that interest to the public, from whom bank borrows the money initially. â€Å"Public† in terms of banks, is defined as the costumers of the bank (either it is an individual or an institution). Role of Banks in Country’s economy: -   Ã‚  As stated above, a bank plays a very important role in the economy of a c ountry. The economy is mainly based on the industries and the income sources available within the country. Bank helps the developing industries to grow with their potential by landing them money and by giving a kind of stability to the market. In a recent example, the economic crisis over the world in 2008 was started because a major private sector bank was declared bankrupted in USA. This bankruptcy of this bank resulted in instability of the market as there were so many companies which had invested in that bank, also there were companies which were totally depend on that bank for their financial security. Once the crisis started spreading its effect in US, major companies were affected badly by it. USA being the world’s most powerful economy that time came on its foot. Millions of the employees were thrown out from the companies, salary was reduced. But this procedure was limited to the industries which could bear this crisis. Other industries which were small scale industr ies and which needed help from the bank for each and every move they made in the market, were closed. This crisis could not remain in the US itself. Just within no time, the whole Europe, Asia and America saw this effect on their market. Every trading market was down. And it gave a long lasting 1 year, full of tensions in the economic sector of the world. The World Bank came to interfere in it. World Bank granted huge loans to the countries, so that the condition could be in control. Otherwise the condition could have been worse, and the whole world would have been in trouble in no time. Somehow, this problem was shorted out. But this gave an example for the upcoming time of how important the proper functioning of a bank is. If the banking sector is strong and well functioning, it can be a positive sign towards the country’s economy. But if the Banking industry is comparatively weaker, it can turn out to be another crisis kind condition for the country. The Banking Sector in United Kingdom UK’s banking sector, following the US and Japan, is the world’s third largest and considered foremost in terms of: efficiency, dynamism and return on capital. It services 95% of the population with about 3.5% of UK’s total workforce - over a million workers. The decade ending 2005 witnessed a surge of three folds in assets to â‚ ¬

Chromosome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chromosome - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that there are various conditions caused as a result of a defect or abnormalities in the chromosomal pairing. These are chromosomal abnormalities, single gene defects, multi-factorial problems and teratogenic problems. In this summary, the reporter will discuss defects caused by chromosomal abnormalities, Chromosome 5 disorder. He chose this particular topic because it interests me to find out what happens during mitosis and meiosis of chromosomes. Moreover, the disorders caused by chromosomal disorders such as inversion and deletion.  As the discussion stresses the salient features of a child who suffers chromosome 5 syndrome may be born with a small head, unusually round and a small chin. Their eyes are set widely, and they skin under their eyes has folds. Their nasal bridge is relatively small and may experience respiratory problems since their larynx develops that differ the norm. They are usually relatively smaller at birth compared to their counter parts. They may experience heart defects, hearing and sight problems. Their muscles are weak, and mass tone is low. As they grow of age, they may experience difficulty in talking and walking. They may be very aggressive. Fortunately, their life expectancy is normal if there are no organ defects.   Today, unfortunately, there is no medical cure for Chromosome 5 condition.  However, the possible gene therapies are; speech and physical therapy can help people with the disorder lead normal lives.

The Dutch East India Company

The Dutch East India Company Business of trading had began during the mid 15th century on April 2, 1595, when very first three ships named Mauritius, Hollandia, Amsterdam had left of together in the search of the eastern coast. By august of 1595 only three ships had successfully returned with only 87 alive out of 249 crew sailors. They had earned moderate amount of profit. Their first attempt to sail towards the east had been miraculously successful which opened several trading routes with numerous others traders wanting to trade as well, including traders from Zeeland, Holland and Portugal. The English were not happy as it was a free trading business and every other country were taking advantage of it, especially the Portuguese. Due to this the spice trade in 16th century, were overpowered by the Portuguese. Investment in a venture during those days was very risky, due to the inelastic demand and elastic supply of spices that would bring prices up and down. Therefore in order to limit the competition Johan Van Oldenbarneveldt decided to monopolize the trade by establishing a trading company named Dutch East India Company, which would be only operated by a group of Dutch merchants. The company was granted a monopoly over Asian market trades. The first Dutch trading post was established on March 20th, 1602 in Banten West Java that marked the beginning of the independent trading companies. On that day, with the monopoly to trade spices all over the Asian markets and Asian Waters from the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch East India company was also known as Vereenigde Landsche Ge-Oktroyeerde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC, or United East Indian Company. The executive directors of VOC were called Heeren Swewtien or Lord Seventeen. The company had six chambers in Amsterdam, Middleburg Enkhuizen, D elft, Hoorn and Rotterdam. VOC was granted an official monopoly for trading spices all over East Asia. Henry Hudson was an English explorer navigator, was in search for finding a shortest northeast route, but he sailed into a Half Moon to Spitsbergen in the Barents Sea in the northern coast of Russia to a stop with an extreme ice and cold. In 1608 Hudson was hired by Dutch East India Company. Dutch East India Company wanted Henry to find the shortest sailing route to Asia from the coast of Russia, in order to expand its business. Hudson had faced failure every time he left with his ship Good Hope and crew, in search for finding the shortest route, most of the time due to the severe weather conditions, had forced him return to England. Due to this Dutch East India Company had lost his hope in Hudson. In 1611 Hudson made his final journey to the east with his crew in the same ship Good Hope and never returned back as they had starved to death, as he was never heard again. Characteristics The Dutch East India Company was the first northern Europe Company that took trading routes away from the Germanic Hanseatic League, which was a group of seven German merchants who established trading through northern Europe, before VOC. This company controlled trading mostly in Italy, but when VOC came along it started off with a great success in trading all across Europe. They usually bought goods in bulk which were rarely sold at reduced cost by their competitor Germanic Henseatic League. Further on Dutch East India Company set up factories in Bandar, on Persian Gulf and bantam on Malay Archipelago, and in Zealander (new name Taiwan) to help Portuguese in their spice trade for eastern coast. By 1620, the Dutch East India Company had the biggest trading corporation in all across Europe. The Dutch East India Company was a joint venture stock company that monopolized the trade of spice in the 16th and 17th century. They established trading ports all across Asia. The 17th Century was ruled by the Dutch, were Amsterdam was their major spice trading center. Their trading would include colonial goods such as pepper and Nutmeg. The company had signed authoritarian power treaties, under the name of Republic, which gave the company authorities to wage war and to conquer territories. In 1619 VOC had conquered Jayakarta by the false use of authoritarian powers and founded Batavia there. By conquering territories it was believed that by doing this it will now help them seek to become other territories friends, which later on turned out incorrect. Populations of several other territories in Mulluccas islands in Indonesia were empowered to forcefully cultivate spices; similar enforcement were applied in Asia either by persuasion or violence. Forts were forcefully built in South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. China and Japan had refused in letting any foreigners coming in by closing countries borders. But VOC had received permission to continue its trading activity by the nearby island named Decima near Nagasaki. Main Line of Business Dutch trades had taken over the world in their trading business; their controlled trade routes include Baltic and North Sea, establishing factories, ports and settlements all across Asia and pacific including Arabia, India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Japan. By doing this Dutch East India Company has been able to stock its warehouses with colonial goods with foreign spices, and goods. Out of all the territories Asia had suffered the most being forcefully cultivating spices and giving up their minerals such as spices, textiles, coffee, tea, tobacco, opium, tropical wood, iron, copper, silver, gold, porcelain, dyes, shells etc, were forcefully captivated and transported by the Dutch East India Company. In 1652 Dutch trade expands by setting refueling stations in Africa, at the Cape of Good Hope. They had also opened several other ports in India and Malay Archipelago. But their headquarters were tactfully placed at Batavia and in Malay Archipelago. In 1641 VOC had conquered Malacca from Portuguese. Meanwhile, by 1656 another few headquarters were strategically build in Chinsura, Benegal, Colombo (Sri Lanka), and followed by placing harbor at Malbar in India. Upon Japans refusal in being involved with any foreign Trade with VOC, VOC enforced exclusive authoritarian rights to trade at Nagasaki in 1639. In next few years their Expansion of ports, headquarters and refueling stations, numerously increased, with that increased their authoritarian power over all the territories into forcing them to cultivating what they wanted them to. Managed and Governed The Dutch East India Company was in power from 1602-1798; it was governed and chartered by Governor-Generals of Netherlands which were assigned by the Dutch Government. The first Governor-General ever appointed by the Dutch Government was Pieter Both in 1610. There were hundreds of Governor-General that came along in the Dutch East India Company, each of them approximately ruled between 2-10 years, and all of their aims were to expand the trade as much as possible and maintain close relations between government and its entrepreneur enterprises across the world, focusing mostly on Asia. The company had a charter granted by States of General of the United Netherlands, on March 20th, 1602. The company was entitled to follow every written in the charter. Historical Significance One of the major historical significance of VOC in the history of business is that they were the first ones to build an entire empire of trading in numerous countries. Their dedicating effort and willingness to find the sailing routes, to Asia, turned out to be a great success, which opened tremendous amount of opportunity for them to trade, and VOC strategically took complete advantage of the opportunities available out there. Impacts of Dutch East India Company in history are like two sides of coin, there are good and bad effects. Yet we can learn from both kinds of impacts. One of the major historical entrepreneurial importance of VOC was that, that they the first ever multinational corporation in the entire world, with the joint venture stock company. They were also the worlds largest commercial entity in 17th and 18th century, which employed approximately 30,000 people. Yet the Dutch East India Companys historical significance still remains remarkably iniquitous, to several territories as to upon their strict refusal to trade goods; VOC were still able to get them to cultivate and trade goods against their will with either by persuasion or violence.

Connections between Dickinson’s Life and Themes Essay -- Biography

Many people in the world today misunderstand and judge other people. This represents people throughout time. In the mid to late 1800s, people judged Emily Dickinson and never really knew who she was. Her life was a mystery to most people because all they knew was her reclusive self. She wrote at the end of the Romantic Period but is also referred to as a writer from the Realist era due to her focusing on negative aspects of life. Writing over 1,770 poems, Dickinson published only seven throughout her lifetime (Dommermuth-Costa 105). People never realized her talent until after she was dead and her sister, Lavinia, took her poems to be published (104). Without intending to do so, Dickinson affected American Romanticism through her writings and her knowledge (104). She wrote unconventional, but her poems were unique by lacking a title and using different punctuation (104). People can learn about Emily Dickinson without just reading her biography. Her poetry reveals many aspects of her life such as solitude, pain, religion, love, and death. Emily Dickinson’s life greatly influenced her poetry. Dickinson’s poetry possesses the idea of solitude just as her life did. â€Å"There is a Solitude of Space† says that a person can find anonymity in the privacy of her home (Dommermuth-Costa 56). In addition, â€Å"The Soul Selects Her Own Society† contains a description of a soul that freely chooses to close itself off from the world to pursue solitude in order to help with her creativity and self-discovery, which is what Dickinson decided to do with her life (â€Å"The Soul Select†). In the first stanza of â€Å"The Soul Selects Her Own Society,† the speaker describes the soul shutting a door, an image of an individual deliberately closing herself away (â€Å"The So... ...(â€Å"Because I Could†). Dickinson spent most of her time in bed from November 1885 because she was suffering from Bright’s disease, a very serious disease of the liver (Dommermuth-Costa 101). She went into a coma on May 13, 1886 and never regained consciousness (101). Dickinson’s fascination with death reflects the theme of death in her poetry. In conclusion, Emily Dickinson’s life inspired her poetry’s themes. Her experience with her solitude and religious ideals added to the truth behind some of her poems. Additionally, her pain experienced from deaths and her fascination with death portrayed an individual’s true feelings toward death. Her love life greatly influenced her poetry because many people did not know about her having any kind of relationships with people. Overall, reading Emily Dickinson's poetry helps a person discover the many experiences of her life.

The Marble Champ

As I began reading the story The Marble Champ by Gary Soto, I realized that the main character, Lupe Medrano, often compares herself to others. As a result, she feels badly about her athletic abilities. She seems to think that she's only good at something in which she can win. Right at the start of the story, Lupe's accomplishments are impressive. But all Lupe seems to notice is that she cannot run as fast as the other girls in school. Another example of Lupe comparing herself to others is when she describes her trouble with team sports. The text clearly says that Lupe was â€Å"no good at sports. † Lupe seems embarrassed that she isn't the star player of the team. Lupe also feels badly that she only recently learned to ride a bike, could only walk in a swimming pool, and rollerblade if her dad held her hand. This shows that Lupe is frustrated that she isn't the best at everything. As Lupe began to think about these things, she had the idea of learning to play marbles. She made the decision to teach herself to play and began feeling hopeful about being good at something which she can compete against others. This reminds me of myself when I am feeling out of practice in something. I compare myself to other people and feel insecure. But when I focus on my positive qualities, I find that I can do a good job. I hope Lupe keeps up her good attitude and feels proud of herself soon.

The Process Design Of Riordan Example

The Process Design Of Riordan Example The Process Design Of Riordan – Term Paper Example In the contemporary environment of global competition, firms need to continuously strive to improve their capabilities to promote efficient delivery of their goals and objectives. Riordan’s global leadership in plastic manufacturing highlights its effort to maintain its competitive advantage through judicious exploitation of its capabilities and capacity usage in its electric fan unit in Hangzhou, China. Lean production and strategic capacity planning therefore has become critical elements of success as it helps to identify best approach for optimal use of ‘capital intensive resources – facilities, equipment and over all labor force size’ (Chase, Jacob & Aquilano, 2005, chapter 11, 431). The lean production helps it to reduce wastage through flexible schedule that are designed to meet the changing requirements of the market. For current and new process design, Riordan has focused on its lean production processes and logistic effectiveness of its supply chai n management. Lean production emphasizes the role of management in encouraging streamlined processes in the productivity. It is based on the principle that ‘nothing will be produced until it is needed’ (ibid, chapter 12, 471). This results in higher productive outcome as un-utilized inventory is minimal. At the same time, effective logistics in supply chain ensure that products timely reach the desired market to meet the demands of the consumers. Shifting its manufacturing unit to Hangzhou would be cost effective. Improving its supply chain management would enhance its operational efficiency in customization as timely delivery of supply of essential stock like electric motors would eliminate shortages and also need for keeping safety stock. Thus continuous improvement initiatives in business processes, especially visvis lean production and supply chain would significantly contribute to the competitive advantage for Riordan manufacturing (ibid, chapter 10, 406). (words: 282)ReferenceChase, R. B., Jacobs, F. R., & Aquilano, N. J. (2006). Operations Management for Competitive Advantage (11th ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

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buy custom Toyota Company essay Toyota Company expects to increase its earning by 48% in the year 2010. It has strengths which when utilized it can achieve the forecast. There are also threats that can hinder the achievement of the goals. The Toyota Company has strong personnel policies based on the response to the challenging times of the employees. The company gives employees the chance to establish their lives, and the opportunity for self-realization and growth as well as corporate development. In 2009, Toyota started the 3000, 000- person communication on which employees disseminate information. This has facilitated identification and understanding the local situation and inclusion of overseas affiliation in decision making. Intra Company Transferee programs seek to assist the employees to have a global perspective. They also have good health and safety policies for the employees. The companys philosophy is to have safety, reliable and skilled work. Safety work is the door to all work and it should be the way through to work. The company highly emphasizes on the health care and mental care. Managers and supervisors listen actively to employees and provide them with proper mental care when necessary. All of these policies on human management and relationship are very strong points of Toyota Company. It gives the employees the sense of organization citizenship. This reduces chances of counterproductive behaviors The employees will from these grounds direct their skills and energy towards production and meeting the organization objectives. Another strength area of Toyota is its relationship with business partners. The company practices non discriminative collaboration with partners. The honor of language and lawful deals dominates these relationships. It collaborates very well with suppliers. It has three basic policies on its dealing with supplies. They include fair compensation, open door policy, and localization. Study meetings and complies briefing held to keep their suppliers updated on quality and quantity. The team of distributors acts as a bridge between the company and customers. They appeal on behave of the company to customers as they convey the value of the products. The partnership between the company with its suppliers and distributors assist the company to overcome adverse economic times. Issues such as rising energy costs and economic down can be addressed at great length by the use of such collaborations. In the recent past, Toyota Company has faced some threats. These threats reduce competitive advantage in the market. The unintended acceleration is very dangerous. Many owners of models from this company have complained of this weakness. It is deadly problem to customer and other road users. Some have reportedly dead of road accidents as a result of the technical problem in the past decade. Safety authorities havve warned about certain Toyota models as possible causes of road accidents. This weakness poses a threat to the competitive edge of the company. Potential customers are unwilling to purchase Toyota car models. The some government agencies have warned its citizens against purchasing models from Toyota Company. Competitors of Toyota Company have used this weakness to expand their market. Though it has come up with strategies to resolve the problem, they face challenges to convince the market that unexpected acceleration resolved. Another challenged faced by Toyota is the Toyota Priuses Headlight problems. The customers are not happy when their green machines high intensity headlights work intermittently or die all together. Their replacement or repair is very expensive. The company investigated the complaints their agency concluded that the defects only affected one headlight. Early this year, quite a good number of Priuses took lawsuit where the company agreed to pay compensation. This has affected the companys reputation and threaten it market share. In conclusion, Toyota Company has the strength of good employee relationship that develops organization citizenship. The partnership between the company and supplies and the distributors help the company overcome some of economic hard times. The unexpected acceleration and non performing Priuses reduces it competitive advantage and reduces customer realty. Buy custom Toyota Company essay

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

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

Lack of parental involvement in the childrens education Essay

Lack of parental involvement in the childrens education - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the Reading Edge program, there are professional development opportunities that are offered by the SFA staff. These opportunities include a training period where the teacher can learn additional skills that will help them to embed this program into their lesson plans and will effectively help the teachers to utilizes this program properly. The first thing that this training focuses on is the instructional strategies for including elements to lesson plans that will develop the student’s â€Å"word recognition, fluency, and comprehension skillsâ€Å". Secondly, the teachers will learn how to integrate routines and practice into these lesson plans, which will help these students to succeed, since â€Å"classroom management methods based on cooperative learning have both immediate and lasting impact on students’ behavior and achievement†. The teachers will also learn new evaluation techniques and will learn how to adjust their lesson plans if they are not achieving the desired results. These new lesson plans will include high amounts of repetition, which is what the students need at this level of their education. There will also be special support available for school administrators, which will be the most important part of this process, as it is up to the administrators to ensure that the program is being used properly by the staff. There will also be ongoing in-class support from the SFA staff, which will help the teacher along considerably.

Status of Women in South Africa Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Status of Women in South Africa - Term Paper Example The progressive constitution of South Africa guarantees equality for women, access to socio economic rights e.g. fair labour practices, land, housing and health as well as right to freedom from violence. Unfortunately, some of these rights are not a certainty for many women as the country has failed to put into practice and deliver on the policies that give consequence.Poverty and inequality in South Africa, is closely related to race, gender and class. According to the World Bank, the level of poverty is defined by the lack of ability to achieve a minimum standard of living, which is measured in terms of basic consumption needs or the income necessary to satisfy those needs.It has been estimated that 60% of black South Africans remain poor and live in deteriorating socio economic conditions. The unemployment rate in South Africa increased from 33% to 36.2% in the 3 years to 1999, of which 56% of the unemployed were women and the remaining 44% were men. Seven years later, in 2006, ac cording to the Household Survey, of the unemployed, more were women (31.8%) than men (23.8%). The survey also showed that the highest unemployment rate of 41.8% was among black African women.There was another survey done in 2006, the General Household Survey, indicated that 37% refers to households headed by women, and those headed by black African women tally up to 31.9%. From all these statistics, the Institute for Democracy in South Africa indicates that 80% of households headed by women have no wage earners.

The Essence of Food Essay Example for Free

The Essence of Food Essay Food is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food items through hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of a local nature included but playing a minor role. Most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by-way-of food, not just by consumption. Many cultures study the dietary analysis of food habits. While humans are omnivores, religion and social constructs such as morality often affect which foods they will consume. Food safety is also a concern with foodborne illness claiming many lives each year. In many languages, food is often used metaphorically or figuratively, as in food for thought. Contents [hide] 1 Food sources 1. 1 Plants 1. 2 Animals 2 Production 3 Preparation 3. 1 Animal slaughter and butchering 3. 2 Cooking 3. 2. 1 Cooking equipment and methods 3. 2. 2 Raw food 3. 3 Restaurants 3. 4 Food manufacture 4 Commercial trade 4. 1 International exports and imports 4. 2 Marketing and retailing 4. 3 Prices 5 Famine and hunger 5. 1 Food aid 6 Safety 6. 1 Allergies 7 Diet 7. 1 Cultural and religious diets 7. 2 Diet deficiencies 7. 3 Moral, ethical, and health conscious diet 8 Nutrition 9 Legal definition 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References Food sources Almost all foods are of plant or animal origin, although there are some exceptions. Foods not coming from animal or plant sources include various edible fungi, such mushrooms. Fungi and ambient bacteria are used in the preparation of fermented and pickled foods such as leavened bread, alcoholic drinks, cheese, pickles, and yogurt. Many cultures eat seaweed, a protist, or blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) such as Spirulina. [1] Additionally, salt is often eaten as a flavoring or preservative, and baking soda is used in food preparation. Both of these are inorganic substances, as is water, an important part of human diet. Plants A variety of foods from plant sources Many plants or plant parts are eaten as food. There are around 2,000 plant species which are cultivated for food, and many have several distinct cultivars. [2] Seeds of plants are a good source of food for animals, including humans because they contain nutrients necessary for the plants initial growth. In fact, the majority of food consumed by human beings are seed-based foods. Edible seeds include cereals (such as maize, wheat, and rice), legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils), and nuts. Oilseeds are often pressed to produce rich oils, such as sunflower, rapeseed (including canola oil), and sesame. [3] One of the earliest food recipes made from ground chickpeas is called hummus, which can be traced back to Ancient Egypt times. Fruits are the ripened ovaries of plants, including the seeds within. Many plants have evolved fruits that are attractive as a food source to animals, so that animals will eat the fruits and excrete the seeds some distance away. Fruits, therefore, make up a significant part of the diets of most cultures. Some botanical fruits, such as tomatoes, pumpkins and eggplants, are eaten as vegetables. [4] (For more information, see list of fruits. ) Vegetables are a second type of plant matter that is commonly eaten as food. These include root vegetables (such as potatoes and carrots), leaf vegetables (such as spinach and lettuce), stem vegetables (such as bamboo shoots and asparagus), and inflorescence vegetables (such as globe artichokes and broccoli). Many herbs and spices are highly-flavorful vegetables. [5] Animals Various raw meats Main article: Animal source foods Animals can be used as food either directly, or indirectly by the products they produce. Meat is an example of a direct product taken from an animal, which comes from either muscle systems or from organs. Food products produced by animals include milk produced by mammals, which in many cultures is drunk or processed into dairy products such as cheese or butter. In addition birds and other animals lay eggs, which are often eaten, and bees produce honey, a popular sweetener in many cultures. Some cultures consume blood, some in the form of blood sausage, as a thickener for sauces, a cured salted form for times of food scarcity, and others use blood in stews such as civet. [6] Production Tractor and Chaser Bin Main article: Agriculture Food is traditionally obtained through farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of subsistence locally important. More recently, there has been a growing trend towards more sustainable agricultural practices. This approach, which is partly fueled by consumer demand, encourages biodiversity, local self-reliance and organic farming methods. [7] Major influences on food production are international organizations, (e. g. the World Trade Organization and Common Agricultural Policy), national government policy (or law), and war. [8] Preparation While some food can be eaten raw, many foods undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability, or flavor. At the simplest level this may involve washing, cutting, trimming or adding other foods or ingredients, such as spices. It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, pressure cooking, fermentation, or combination with other food. In a home, most food preparation takes place in a kitchen. Some preparation is done to enhance the taste or aesthetic appeal; other preparation may help to preserve the food; and others may be involved in cultural identity. A meal is made up of food which is prepared to be eaten at a specific time and place. [9] Animal slaughter and butchering Workers and cattle in a slaughterhouse. The preparation of animal-based food will usually involve slaughter, evisceration, hanging, portioning and rendering. In developed countries, this is usually done outside the home in slaughterhouses which are used to process animals en mass for meat production. Many countries regulate their slaughterhouses by law. For example the United States has established the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, which requires that an animal be stunned before killing. This act, like those in many countries, exempts slaughter in accordance to religious law, such as kosher shechita and dhabiha halal. Strict interpretations of kashrut require the animal to be fully aware when its carotid artery is cut. [10] On the local level a butcher may commonly break down larger animal meat into smaller manageable cuts and pre-wrapped for commercial sale or wrapped to order in butcher paper. In addition fish and seafood may be fabricated into smaller cuts by a fish monger at the local level. However fish butchery may be done on board a fishing vessel and quick-frozen for preservation of quality. [11] Cooking Main article: Cooking Cooking with a Wok in China The term cooking encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor or digestibility of food. Cooking technique, known as culinary art, generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual cooking. [12] The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it. [13] Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically transforms it, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties. [14] Cooking proper, as opposed to roasting, requires the boiling of water in a container, and was practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery. [15] There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago. [16] Cooking equipment and methods There are many types of cooking equipment used for cooking. Ovens are one type of cooking equipment which can be used for baking or roasting and offer a dry-heat cooking method. Different cuisines will use different types of ovens, for example Indian culture uses a Tandoor oven is a cylindrical clay oven which operates at a single high temperature,[17] while western kitchens will use variable temperature convection ovens, conventional ovens, toaster ovens in addition to non-radiant heat ovens like the microwave oven. Ovens may be wood-fired, coal-fired, gas, electric, or oil-fired. [18] A stainless steel frying pan. Various types of cook-tops are used as well. They carry the same variations of fuel types as the ovens mentioned above. cook-tops are used to heat vessels placed on top of the heat source, such as a saute pan, sauce pot, frying pan, pressure cooker, etc. These pieces of equipment can use either a moist or dry cooking method and include methods such as steaming, simmering, boiling, and poaching for moist methods; while the dry methods include sauteing, pan frying, or deep-frying. [19] Traditional asado In addition, many cultures use grills for cooking. A grill operates with a radiant heat source from below, usually covered with a metal grid and sometimes a cover. An open bit barbecue in the American south is one example along with the American style outdoor grill fueled by wood, liquid propane or charcoal along with soaked wood chips for smoking. [20] A Mexican style of barbecue is called barbacoa, which involves the cooking of meats and whole sheep over open fire. In Argentina, asado is prepared on a grill held over an open pit or fire made upon the ground, on which a whole animal is grilled or in other cases smaller cuts of the animal. [21] Raw food Many types of sushi ready to be eaten. Certain cultures highlight animal and vegetable foods in their raw state. Sushi in Japan is one such cuisine that features raw sliced fish, either in sashimi, nigiri, or maki styles. [22] Steak tartare and salmon tartare are dishes made from diced or ground raw beef or salmon respectively, mixed with various ingredients and served with baguette, brioche or frites. [23] In Italy, carpaccio is a dish of very thin sliced raw beef, drizzled with a vinaigrette made with olive oil. [24] A popular health food movement known as raw foodism promotes a mostly vegan diet of raw fruits, vegetables and grains prepared in various ways, including juicing, food dehydration, not passing the 118 degree mark, and sprouting. [25] Restaurants Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York Many cultures produce food for sale in restaurants for paying customers. These restaurants often have trained chefs who prepare the food, while trained waitstaff serve the customers. The term restaurant is credited to the French from the 19th century, as it relates to the restorative nature of the bouillons that were once served in them. However, the concept pre-dates the naming of these establishments, as evidence suggests commercial food preparation may have existed during the age of the city of Pompeii, as well as an urban sales of prepared foods in China during the Song Dynasty. The coffee shops or cafes of 17th century Europe may also be considered an early version of the restaurant. [26] In 2005 the United States spent $496 billion annually for out-of-home dining. Expenditures by type of out-of-home dining was as follows, 40% in full-service restaurants, 37. 2% in limited service restaurants (fast food), 6. 6% in schools or colleges, 5. 4% in bars and vending machines, 4. 7% in hotels and motels, 4. 0% in recreational places, and 2. 2% in other which includes military bases. [27] Food manufacture Packaged household food items Main article: Food manufacture Packaged foods are manufactured outside the home for purchase. This can be as simple as a butcher preparing meat, or as complex as a modern international food industry. Early food processing techniques were limited by available food preservation, packaging and transportation. This mainly involved salting, curing, curdling, drying, pickling, fermentation and smoking. [28] During the industrialization era in the 19th century, food manufacturing arose. [29] This development took advantage of new mass markets and emerging new technology, such as milling, preservation, packaging and labeling and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time saving food to the bulk of ordinary people who did not employ domestic servants. [30] At the start of the 21st century, a two-tier structure has arisen, with a few international food processing giants controlling a wide range of well-known food brands. There also exists a wide array of small local or national food processing companies. [31] Advanced technologies have also come to change food manufacture. Computer-based control systems, sophisticated processing and packaging methods, and logistics and distribution advances, can enhance product quality, improve food safety, and reduce costs. [30] Commercial trade International exports and imports Food imports in 2005 World Bank reported that the EU was the top food importer in 2005 followed at a distance by the USA and Japan. Food is now traded and marketed on a global basis. The variety and availability of food is no longer restricted by the diversity of locally grown food or the limitations of the local growing season. [32] Between 1961 and 1999 there has been a 400% increase in worldwide food exports. [33] Some countries are now economically dependent on food exports, which in some cases account for over 80% of all exports. [34] In 1994 over 100 countries became signatories to the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in a dramatic increase in trade liberalization. This included an agreement to reduce subsidies paid to farmers, underpinned by the WTO enforcement of agricultural subsidy, tariffs, import quotas and settlement of trade disputes that cannot be bilaterally resolved. [35] Where trade barriers are raised on the disputed grounds of public health and safety, the WTO refer the dispute to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which was founded in 1962 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Trade liberalization has greatly affected world food trade. [36].

Essay --

The term 'branding' in modern marketing is generally originated in the agricultural practices of the medieval age. The farmers 'branded' their animals with the iron and then they were able to identify to whom a particular animal belonged. Artisans 'branded' their products, for example, expensive silver tableware. Smiths 'branded' their swords. The role of the brand is to identify products by the same way as for medieval farmers and for modern corporations as well. Every company seeks to create its own brand - a unique and effective image. Purpose of brand is attracting and retaining customers in its market share. Branding in marketing is a complex technology, aimed at making advantageous position a brand from the competition. Facilitating the search for the necessary goods to the buyer, branding in marketing becomes more effective if the consumer product features meet market requirements. It is especially necessary to identify the goods, for a case of unprepared buyer which can not assess the competitive characteristics (for example, high-tech products). The development of technology has had a huge impact on human society. It is reflected in the fact that we are surrounded by complex technical devices that we use every day and sometimes we have no idea of how this thing is located within. Here the brand comes to help the consumer that stands out from all those product characteristics that are important to the consumer and facilitates the unde rstanding of the product. The second problem was solved by the brand is a simplification of choice. Every day consumer is faced with many similar products, and he just physically does not have time to compare all the annotations, the percentage composition, indications and specifications (f... ...ll one advantage and this is petrol stations. The Tesco â€Å"Clare Hall† has a petrol station and prices there are always lower than usual. The ability of the management in positioning and establishing the product is a success in any company that operates for marketing and profit acquisition. Furthermore, the ability of the company and its management to complete and maintain a competitive edge among its competitor throughout the product differentiation is another basis to say that is successful. Also, innovation and the constant development on the product lines and the growing number of customers also define the corporate standing of a company. Effective branding strategy and strong brand name are an important part of the profitable business. But, all the strategies and all marketing theories can be worth nothing without the compliance of the desires of consumers.

Free College Admissions Essays: Learning from Mistakes :: College Admissions Essays

Learning from Mistakes    One day that I will probably never forget is the day that I had to play Jonathan Walker. He was easily the best table tennis player in our school and he had even been offered to play on the National Junior team. I remember the match as if it was yesterday.    It was the time of year when competition smelled thick in the air and everyone was excited about Inter-House Sports. I was particularly involved in Tennis and Chess but I was really excited about Table Tennis as I had been named Vice-Captain.    It was a grueling school day that had ended with an arduous 120-minute Chemistry practical. The school bell that rang was like sweet music to my ears and the only thought that whisked through my mind was that of going home and sleeping in my big, comfortable bed. Just then, I remembered that the Table Tennis contest between Team C and Team D which also incidentally the finals, was at 4:00 p.m. I sluggishly changed into the clothes that I had in my locker and headed for the Games Room. I was very tired and hoped that I would have an easy opponent. However, this was not to be my lucky day. The captain of our team, Jason, was sick so I had to play the opposing captain, namely, Jonathan. Panic and doom were those thoughts that dominated my mind when I was told this.    However, I was always an optimist and tried to convince myself that I could defeat him (Yeah right!). We approached the table and shook hands. In the few initial minutes, we warmed up, just casually rallying the ball around, but even then he was playing better tennis than I ever had. The coach then blew his whistle which concluded the warm up and signaled the commencement of the match. At this point in time, I tried to swallow all the fear and anxiety that I had and to face my opponent valiantly and courageously. The match began and before I had fully realized, he had won the first game 21-05. He had won it with the utmost ease, returning even my best shots without any struggles or even remote difficulty. I tried not to feel discouraged, saying to myself that he still had two more games to win and that I would not give in without a fight.