Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Executive Summary Essays - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Executive Summary Essays - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Executive Summary Learning Team A ACC 280 March 8, 2012 Rod Klein Executive Summary Company history: When was the company founded? By whom? List other historical facts. Walt Disney began his career in animation. He made animated commercials for the Kansas City Slide Company. In his free time, he began making his own cartoons. Walt asked his brother, Roy, to join him in launching the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. It was founded on October 16, 1923 (Malloy, 2008). Walt Disneys theme park dream began as he sat on a bench watching children ride a merry-go-round. He wondered why no one had ever created a place where both parents and children could have fun at the same time. Disney believed in his idea, and he was willing to risk everything he owned to make it a reality. Walt and his brother Roy mortgaged everything they owned to raise $17 million to build Disneyland, but fell short of what they needed. ABC agreed to fund the project in exchange for part ownership and a weekly show (Malloy, 2008). Disney bought 160 acres of orange groves and began construction on May 1954. On July 17, 1955, the Disney theme park opened for invited guests. The following day, 10,000 members of the public were admitted for a $1 admission fee (Malloy, 2008). Disney is a diversified successful company. Walt Disney World opened October 1, 1971. Since then Epcot, MGM, Animal Kingdom, Pleasure Island, and three water parks opened. DisneyLands were also opened in Tokyo, Paris, and Hongkong (Eglinton, 2008). ABC broadcasting stations, programming stations, and radio groups are among Disneys resources. The Disney consumer products, ESPN, theater productions, and Disney Cruise Line are other sourcs of income (Who We Are, 2008). Who is the audit firm for the company? The Audit Committee of the board of directors is responsible for the selection of the independent auditors. Price Waterhouse Coopers, LLP, is a company providing independent audits for the Walt Disney Company (Walt Disney Company, 2012). What stock exchange is the company listed on? What is their ticker symbol? The Walt Disney Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The companys ticker symbol is DIS (Scottrade, 2012). How much cash and cash equivalents did the company have at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? The cash and cash equivalents that Walt Disney Company had at the end of 2009 was $3,417,000. For 2010, it was $2,722,000. What were the companys total current assets at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? In what order should current assets be presented? Walt Disney Companys total current assets in 2009 were $11,889,000. In 2010, total current assets were $12,225,000. Current assets should be presented in the order that they are expected to be available for paying debts. What were the two largest current assets at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? The two largest current assets at the end of 2009 were Property Plant and Equipment in the amount of $17,806,000 and Goodwill in the amount of $21,683,000. In 2010, it was Property Plant and Equipment with $17,806,000 and Goodwill in the amount of $24,100,000. What were the companys total assets at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? The total assets for Walt Disney Co. in millions: Dec 2011 Oct 2010 $73,877 $69,206 (MSN Money, 2012) What amount of accounts payable did the company have at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? The total amount of accounts payable in millions: Oct 2011 Oct 2010 $4,546 $4,413 (MSN Money, 2012) What were the companys total current liabilities at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? Walt Disneys total current liabilities at the end of the most recent annual reporting periods: Sept 2011 Sept 2010 $34.74 B $31.69B What were the companys two largest current liabilities at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? Walt Disneys two largest current liabilities at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods: Sept 2011 Sept 2010 $12.09 B $11.0 B What were the companys total liabilities at the end of its two most recent annual reporting periods? Walt Disneys total liabilities at the end of 2010

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How an Administrative Job Can Be a Stepping Stone

How an Administrative Job Can Be a Stepping Stone The administrative job can be a great stepping stone to something bigger, whether you are talking about health care jobs, working in an office or in other fields. Because administrative jobs entail multiple duties and can evolve over time, this is the perfect spot to branch out and work your way toward a new career. Successful strategies can work to make a smooth transition and show you the opportunities available before you start checking classified ads for jobs.Examine Your Job DutiesTake a look at your current and past job duties and make a list of your strong points, including your experience and training. For example, suppose you want to go into the communications field. Look at your experience and talents, and list which of those would be applicable in that particular field. If you have extensive knowledge of computer programs, such as Excel and Microsoft Word, can you use this expertise to transition into the vast computer field? Customer relations, financial matters and proje ct coordination may also be a part of your job and can be transitioned into employment in a new area.Look at Your Resume With a Critical EyeThink about what would interest a hiring manager to evolve into your new career, and whether you have the necessary skills you need to move up the ladder. If not, it might be a good time to take a few courses, complete a degree or get the other necessary skills you need to make the move.Make a Plan in AdvanceBe clear about your goal and focus on one, not on several potential jobs that can raise you into a leadership position. Do you want to segway into information or computer management, administrative services, marketing or some other field? Spreading yourself too thin when job hunting can be a mistake. The key is to decide on a field and focus.Write a New ResumeOnce youve targeted the new job you want, rewrite your resume to include applicable skills and experience. Further enhance your resume when you want to put in a job application, so that it reflects both those skills and fulfills the requirements for the job.Provide Examples on Your ResumeA flat resume on the locations you have worked and job duties isnt enough and doesnt truly say how you benefited your previous company. Use examples of how you were an asset to your previous company and how this could transition into the new job. For example, an administrative services manager oversees the smooth operation of a business and directs staff but has many more duties. Use what experience you have to show that you have what it takes to slip easily into the new position.Work on Interview SkillsHaving a great resume for a job helps you get your foot in the door. However, sailing through the interview is necessary to get hired or invited back for a second interview. Practice answering common interview questions and get a family member or friend to help. Pare down the time it takes to respond to questions so your answers are succinct and to the point but cover the informati on you want to convey. Dress appropriately for your interview, and try to present yourself as relaxed and confident.Remember to Clean Out Your Social Media PagesBefore even applying for new jobs, take the time to clean out your social media pages of items you wouldnt want a hiring manager to see, such as profane language or pics of your last out-of-control party. In addition, now is the time to rework your LinkedIn page to include the skills and expertise you want to highlight. Since such a high percentage of employers check social media pages before making an offer, forgetting to update your LinkedIn account can result in the lack of a job offer.Hunting for Your New JobWhen looking for a job to move up the ladder, knowing what to do to make it easier helps. Job hunting in a practical way is also a good idea, instead of depending on job classifieds. TheJobNetwork does your job search for you by sending you email alerts when jobs become available in your chosen field. All you do is f ill out your qualifications and job interests. Sign up with TheJobNetwork to get started.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

MNE should stop outsourcing to developing countries 2 Assignment

MNE should stop outsourcing to developing countries 2 - Assignment Example The information collected will then be analyzed using tables and graphs. As competition continues to be tough, organizations are seeking to counter challenges presented by the ever-changing environment by frequently coming up with strategies that will ensure effective performance. One of such strategies is outsourcing. Outsourcing refers to the practice of entrusting part or whole of an organization’s function or process to a supplier. There has been great concern regarding the negative impacts that such a move can pose to an organization in terms of employee performance. For instance, Rosheen and Hammayoun assert that the practice of outsourcing may lead to grave effects on employee commitment and loyalty because the outsourced agencies may not be well aware of the organizations culture, values, and goals. The term â€Å"Multinational Enterprise (MNE)† denotes a kind of firm, which has its headquarters in only one country but has operations in several other nations. In other words, organizations’ that have their own production and/or service accommodations in one or more than one nation apart from home country is known as a multinational enterprise (Dunning and Lundan 3-5). Organizations strive to cut on costs by employing the outsourcing technique in order to stay competitive as well as maintaining a strong financial base. However, Bockerman and Marilanta suggest that the short-term costs occasioned by adjustments as a result of outsourcing, lead to resentment from employees. This will in turn have negative effects on the level of job satisfaction among the employees of an organization. In this regard, it is observed that outsourcing has become a key strategy for the multinational enterprises. In accordance with Wladimir Andreff (2009), multinational enterprises strateg ies are actually influenced by certain theoretical models; among them John

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

A critical analysis of the local, national and international context Essay

A critical analysis of the local, national and international context of Inclusive Education - Essay Example anchored on consolidation of the existing capacity, policies and practices of the education system in a country to reach out to students with special needs and disability and seeks to eliminate the distinction between SEND as well as regular students (Sovic & Blythman, 2013). Students with special education needs experience learning difficulties when subjected under the normal school environment caused by diversified factors such as the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), physical impairments, and cerebral palsy. The National Association for Special Educational Need (NASEN) has classified students with special educational needs under three broad categories including School Action, School Action Plus and statement plus special education, which facilitates the implementation of policy and practice for students with SEND as well as inclusion in various educational institutions. Over the years, legislations, policies, and strategies have been implemented to set an inclusive school environment for SEND provisions, which have been accommodated in the education school system such as the Special Education Act 20that has had a global influence in the promotion of inclusive education. Initially, the subject of whether children with special education needs should be included in special or mainstream school was controversial and it was only until 1990 that saw the inception of inclusive education (Black-Hawkins, Florian & Rouse, 2007). Special Educational Needs Act was implemented on 2009, which highlighted the policies and legal rights of students with disabilities in the UK. Similarly, a number of strategies have also been placed to ensure students with SEND swiftly adapt to the mainstream schools such as provision physical amenities that are friendly to students with disabilities including ramps (DfE, 2011). On an equal measure various local and international le gislations and policies have also been enacted to ensure that students with SEND are provided with equal

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Long-Range Goals Essay Example for Free

Long-Range Goals Essay Every one of us builds dreams and creates goals of our own. And those goals and aspirations are frequently rooted on our desires, wants and wishes, which depend on our personal experiences and current situations in life. My long-range personal goals revolve on three vital things: academics, professional and financial matters. Academic goals focus on my desire to graduate from college and to pursue further education. In fact, I am the first one in the family who is going to obtain a diploma. I am currently in my freshman taking general courses and a major course in Accounting. However, because I have come up with a realization lately, I now desire to become a Math teacher. In order to achieve it, I have to change my major courses. Therefore I am going to enlist in courses under the Teaching Program. Right after college I plan to have my Masters Degree on Education in order for me to achieve my academic goal. My professional visions center on my desire to become the person I yearn for my self to be: a Math teacher. I need to fulfill the responsibilities of being one. I have to teach diligently and faithfully the subject I am required to teach. Moreover, I have to maintain proper order and discipline in the classroom. I have to maintain an approachable and amiable atmosphere with my students. I am going to share them learning that would be kept in tact in their heart and mind. My financial goals center on my vision to earn for my education and for my family and to have a stable career so that I would have a steady source of income. Currently, I work as a part-time employee. I do my job three days in a week to support myself especially my education and to sustain my family because my father has no job and my mother is mentally ill. Even though I am employed, I can definitely say that I am a full-time student because I never get absent to class and I do my schoolwork and projects. At present, I live in a Project I really hate to live in. I believe that the only way for me to have a better life is for me to be educated. I desire for my dreams and visions to come true and I know that education is the ultimate key in reaching them. My character, perseverance and wisdom are the supporting factors that go hand in hand with education.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Comparing Oedipus Rex and King Lear Essay -- comparison compare contra

Comparing Oedipus Rex and King Lear   Ã‚   Oedipus Rex and King Lear are, as their titles announce, both about kings. These two plays are similar in theme and in the questions they pose to the audience. The kings in each play both fall from the pinnacle of power to become the most loathed of all classes in society; Oedipus discovers that he is a murderer and committer of incest, and Lear becomes a mad beggar. Misjudgments occur in both plays, and the same questions about the gods, fate, and free will are posed. In spite of these similarities, however, the final effects of these two plays differ greatly.    For me, as I read Oedipus Rex again this fall, I experienced a sensation nearly of agony. Because I had already known the myth as well as read the play, I was in the Greek's position of foreknowledge. This caused me to feel acutely the irony of Oedipus' confident declarations that the murderer of Laius should be "driven from every house, / Being, as he is, corruption itself to us," and again on the next page,    As for the criminal, I pray to God- Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number- I pray that that man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less If it should turn out that the culprit is my guest here, Sharing my hearth. (13-14)    Oedipus has absolutely no idea that the murderer he is denouncing so vehemently is, in fact, himself. The fact that the reader knows that, and he does not, becomes increasintly painful, especially in the line where Oedipus says, "And as for me, this curse applies no less...." Oedipus means only that he will not protect the guilty, even under the constraints of hospitality; he has absolutely no ... ...n has already occurred, is concentrated fully on them. King Lear comes to a much more acceptable resolution.    At the end of Oedipus Rex, I felt nothing but relief that the worst was finally over. King Lear also made me sigh heavily with relief, but it was more cathartic than the other. There is less agony in the experience of the play, and the ending is more resolved. While Sophocles leaves the audience with a burden of unresolved issues, Shakespeare, though not resolving them, makes them less cumbersome. In this way, King Lear, though no less a tragedy than Oedipus Rex, seems less ponderous and sad.   Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. Russell Fraser. Newly revised ed. New York: Penguin Group, 1998. Sophocles. "Oedipus Rex." Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. The Oedipus Cycle. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1939.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Polynomials: Mathematics and Polynomial Function

Using Polynomials in the â€Å"Real World† Polynomial functions are used in our everyday lives in a few different ways, this includes art, architecture, construction, financial planning, and manufacturing. We can also calculate how long it will take one person to do a job alone when we know how long it takes a group to get it done as well. Farmers on crop farms work dawn to dusk through the growing season to produce the grains, fruits, and vegetables that feed the country. These equations help them to determine how long they need to work on a certain project.One application of polynomials is that for any smooth curve we can approximate this curve by a graph of a polynomial function with sufficient degree. If you have real life data up to certain time, you can sketch the graph of the data and you want to predict the behavior of the data in the future. One way to solve this is to approximate the curve that you obtained from your data by a graph of a polynomial function hoping th at this polynomial function can also approximate the data in the future.Polynomial equations are also used in creating buildings, landscapes and even roller coasters. Lastly, and most importantly, using polynomials to pass high school and college. In every math class, using polynomials to graph and to find the possible rational zeroes is a big part in getting an A in the class. If you don’t know how to to this stuff then you can’t keep doing harder and harder math, like going from pre calculus to calculus.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Black People Essay

Tar Baby Toni Morrison’s novel might for some be a novel of cultural awakening. One also might at their first reading and perhaps also by reading the different studies made on Tar Baby, restricted to an interpretation that sees Jadine, Morrison’s protagonist, as woman who has, consciously or unconsciously, lost her â€Å"ancient properties† (305) and internalized the values of a white culture. Jadine has totally disconnected herself from her racial identity and cultural heritage. This reading is supported by the fact that Jadine has got her education in Europe with the financial assistance of Valerian Street (her aunt’s and uncle’s employer). Paraphrasing Marylyn sanders Mobley – the characterization of the protagonist, Jadine, draws attention to a fundamental problem as one that Morrison wants to affirm the self-reliance and freedom of a black woman who makes choices for her own life on her own terms. She also seeks to point out the dangers that can happen to the totally self-reliant if there is no historical connection. While the conflict in Tar Baby is undoubtedly â€Å"between assimilation and cultural nationalism represented by the sealskin coat Ryk has given her and the pie table† (Rayson, 94), the limiting categories which Jadine is continually forced into do not come from the white characters but primarily from the black community in which she finds herself because she (Jadine) has embraced white stereotypes along with white culture. While Valerian is portrayed as the traditional master-figure in the novel, it is actually Son, Sydney and Ondine, and the folk past represented by the different women in different places that try to conquer and dominate Jadine, who retain and represent their culture in the very colour of their skin. On the other hand, one could argue that it is as a result of Jadine’s university education in Europe and her career that further draws her away from her culture and identity and therefore (paraphrasing Mobley in Toni Morrison critical perspectives past and present) contributes significantly to the emotional and spiritual uncertainty that plague her as well as the many different roles that are imposed upon her by her aunt and uncle as well as the ‘society’ that caused her to seek upward social mobility. Sydney and Ondine, Jadine’s uncle and aunt in the novel can be seen as representative of one of the tar pits for Jadine. They do not accept all black people equal in the community in which they live because they employ racial hierarchies. Ondine sees herself as the only woman in the house (209), while Sydney notes more than twice that he is a Philadelphia Negro, â€Å"the proudest people in the race† (61). They seem to have a clear vision of what they want for Jadine their niece. As the story progresses, though, it becomes clearer that it is not actually a question of what they want for Jadine but what they want of her or expect her to do. In addition to them wanting Jadine to provide them safety and credit for their race, Ondine admits by the end of the novel, â€Å"maybe I just wanted her to feel sorry for us [†¦ ] and that’s a lowdown wish if I ever had one† (282). Jadine understands that Sydney and Ondine â€Å"had gotten Valerian to pay her tuition while they sent her the rest† (49) and Ondine keeps reminding that she â€Å"would have stood on her feet all day all night to put Jadine through that school† (193). Ondine sees Jadine as her â€Å"crown† (282), and she and Sydney are continually â€Å"boasting† (49) about Jadine’s success to the point that Margaret calls Ondine â€Å"Mother Superior† (84). In return, they seem to want Jadine to offer them safety for the rest of their lives as Ondine claims that â€Å"Nothing can happen to us as long as she’s here† (102). They are not comfortable with the idea of Jadine marrying Ryk, who is â€Å"white but European which was not as bad as white and American† (48), but they are terrified of her running off with a â€Å"no-count Negro† (193) like Son. Although their views on racial hierarchies seem to alter from time to time, on the outside they seem to want what is best for Jadine. Jadine refute Ondine’s views of black womanhood when she tells her some of the things that are expected of her from society Jadine tells Ondine that: â€Å"I don’t want to learn how to be the kind of woman you’re talking about because I don’t want to be that kind of woman† (282). This, according to Rayson (1998), might be interpreted as Jadine’s â€Å"rejecting the roles of mother, daughter, and woman to stay the tar baby† (Rayson, 95), however it marks her becoming aware of what kind of woman she is by the end of the novel. Jadine‘s inclination toward upward social mobility leads to her separation from the Afro-American roots and the tar quality that Morrison advocates. This kind of flaw in Jadine effectively disqualifies her as a black woman capable of nurturing a family and by large the community. Jadine‘s perception of an ancestral relationship from which she is estranged occurs when she sees an African woman in a Parisian bakery. When she is celebrating her success as model evidenced in her appearance on the cover of Elle, Jadine becomes nervous or perhaps uncomfortable by the African woman in yellow attire. She triggers an identity crisis in Jadine at the moment when she should have felt more secure with her professional achievement assured by beauty and education. In his African woman, Jadine catches a glimpse of beauty, a womanliness, an innate elegance, a nurturer, an authenticity that she had never known before: ? That woman‘s woman – that mother/sister/she/; that unphotographable beauty? (p. 43). By calling the African woman ? that mother/sister/she,? J. Deswal (online source â€Å"Tar Baby- Shodhganga) claims that â€Å"Morrison presents a threefold definition of womanhood which can thrive within the confines of family and community only. The three eggs she balances effortlessly in her ? tar-black fingers? (p. 44) appear to Jadine as if the woman were boasting of her own easy acceptance of womanhood†. Wendy Harding and Jacky Martin in A World of Difference: An Inter-cultural Study of Toni Morrison explain the importance of the African woman‘s presence as such: â€Å"Whereas Jadine has just been rewarded for her conformity to Western ideals of feminity, the African woman suggests a more powerful version of black womanhood. Like some fertility goddess, she holds in her hand the secret of life. She is the mother of the world in whose black hands whiteness appears as something as easily crushed as cared for (71). When Jadine measures herself by the idea of black womanhood that she sees in the African woman the insecurities of her rootless condition surface in her mind. The women in yellow makes Jadine confront her female role and her sexuality†. Jadine sees ? something in her eyes so powerful? (p. 42) that she follows the woman out of the store. The writers also claim that â€Å"As a symbol of repudiation of Jadine‘s westernized lifestyle, the African woman ? looks right at Jadine? (p. 43) and spits on the pavement†. Jadine hates the woman for her spitting, but what she cannot do is escape feeling ? lonely in a way; lonely and inauthentic? as she tells the readers on page 45. When the sense of self is based on the denial of one‘s ethnic roots, one is certain to experience mental chaos and alienation. So, the woman‘s insult to Jadine had the powerful effect of challenging Jadine‘s choices: her white boyfriend, her girlfriends in New York, her parties, her picture on the cover of Elle and the way she lived her life. One can say that it is as a result of the African woman that Jadine desided to visit her aunt and uncle on the island. Jadine is confused and even questions her plans to marry Ryk, her white boyfriend: I wonder if the person he wants to marry is me or a black girl? And if it isn‘t me he wants, but any black girl who looks like me, talks and acts like me, what will happen when he finds out that I hate ear hoops, that I don‘t have to straighten my hair, that Mingus puts me to sleep, that sometimes I want to get out of my skin and be only the person inside – not American – not black – just me? (p. 45) It is through Son, however, that Morrison offers Jadine the ultimate opportunity to ‘redeem’ herself to her heritage, adapt it and revive her womanhood. Son picks up from where the African woman left off in a sense by making Jadine confront her inauthenticity. Jadine and Son enjoys their stay in New York because it is the place where Jadine feels at ease. She feels loved and safe: ? He ‘unorphaned’ her completely and gave her a brand-new childhood? (p. 231). In turn, Son is encouraged by her need and by his apparent ability to redefine Jadine culturally and emotionally. Son insists that he and Jadine goes to Eloe his hometown where Jadine will see how Son is rooted in family and cultural heritage. He attempts to rescue Jadine from her ignorance and disdain for her cultural heritage, trying in a sense to mould Jadine into the image of his black female ancestors. Son assumes that a relationship with Jadine will mean that they will have children together. He presses claims for family and community: ? He smiled at the vigour of his own heartbeat at the thought of her having his baby? (p. 220). Thus, he wants Jadine to love the nurturing aspects of home and fraternity. He is fed on dreams of his community women. The dreams of ? yellow houses with white doors? and ? fat black ladies in white dresses minding the pie table? (p. 119) are nourishment to Son. Sandra Pouchet Paquet (The ancestors as foundation in their eyes were watching god and tar baby) observes: ? In Son‘s dreams of Eloe, the African-American male ego is restored in a community of black man at the center of a black community. But however appreciative Son is of the beauty, the strength, and the toughness of black women; his vision is of male dominance; of the black women as handmaiden? (511). The image feminity that Son cherishes – of the black woman taking passive role as a nurturer of the hearth – is flagrantly opposite to Jadine‘s perception of the modern black woman. This terrifies Jadine and narrows the possibility of their forming a family. The modern, educated black woman seems to snivel at the aspects of traditional female- specific role as the nurturer of hearth and home. Decadent white values and life style thwart the black woman’s vital roles of building families and raising children. The modern black woman cannot be a complete human being, for she allows her education to keep her career separate from her nurturing role. The black woman is increasingly becoming able to define her own status and to be economically independent. She tries to seek equality in her relationship with men. Robert Staples gives an insight into the faltering dynamics of modern couples: ? What was once a viable institution because women were a subservient group has lost its value for some people in these days of women‘s liberation. The stability of marriage was contingent on the woman accepting her place in the home and not creating dissension by challenging the male‘s prerogatives? (125). The black woman‘s intrinsic quality of ? accepting her place in the home? is Morrison‘s tar quality. However, in advocating the tar quality Morrison does not admonish the educational and professional accomplishments of the black woman. In fact, the black woman is expected to achieve a balance between her roles in the domestic and professional fields. â€Å"It is the historical ability of black women to keep their families and careers together. In an era where both the black male and female seek to fulfill individual desires, relationships falter and, consequently, the prospects of the propagation of a family are not too bright. Jadine‘s tar quality is submerged by the white-like urge for freedom and self-actualization. As a result, she finds the conventions of black womanhood antithetical to her own value system†. At Eloe, Jadine is determined to resist rigid male-female role categorization. Jadine cannot ? understand (or accept) her being shunted off with Ellen and the children while the men grouped on the porch and after a greeting, ignored her? (p. 248). While at Eloe, Jadine is provided with yet another chance to attain certain qualities that is for black women. She is accustomed to living an upper-class white lifestyle so she finds the people of Eloe limited and backward. Their stifling little shacks are more foreign to her than the hotel-like splendor of Valerian‘s mansion. She stays in Aunt Rosa‘s house where she feels claustrophobically enclosed in a dark, windowless room. She feels ? she might as well have been in a cave, a grave, the dark womb of the earth, suffocating with the sound of plant life moving, but deprived of its sight? (p. 254). It is in this very room where Jadine and Son were having sex that she had a second awakening vision, which is more frightening than the one she had in Paris about the African Woman. Here, Older, black, fruitful and nurturing women – her own dead mother, her Aunt Ondine, Son‘s dead wife, the African woman in yellow and other black women of her past – become a threatening part of Jadine‘s dreams: I have breasts too,‘ she said or thought or willed, I have breasts too. ‘ But they didn‘t believe her. They just held their own higher and pushed their own farther out and looked at her,? (p. 261) and ? the night women were not merely against her†¦ not merely looking superior over their sagging breasts and folded stomachs, they seemed somehow in agreement with each other about her, and were all determined to punish her for having neglected her cultural heritage. They wanted to bind the person she had become and choke it with their breasts. The night women? accuse Jadine for trading the ? ancient properties? (p. 308) of being a daughter, mother, and a woman for her upward mobility and self-enhancement. All these women are punishing Jadine for her refusal to define herself in relation to family, historical tradition and culture. As they ‘brandish’ their breasts before her eyes, they mock and insult her with their feminity. Jadine finds these women backward and sees no self-fulfilling value in the roles that they serve. However, she is constantly haunted by dreams of the black female image that she seems to have lost throughout life. Ondine express shame and disappointment over her lack of concern for her family, the African woman, at the Parisian bakery, spits at her in disgust and the night women, in the vision at Eloe taunt her with their nurturing breasts. Having refuted her own black culture and heritage, Jadine face the consequence of a divided consciousness and a mental death. Her decision to end the love affair with Son— ? I can‘t let you hurt me again? (p. 274) is an evidence of her shunning womanhood and losing her Afro- American roots as she chooses Ryk her white boyfriend over Son who refused to become the person or image that Jadine wants him to be . Jadine is compelled to make her choice and she decides that it is in Paris, away from Son, where there are prospects of financial success and personal independence. She doesn‘t want what Son and Eloe have to offer: To settle for wifely competence when she could be a beauty queen or to settle for fertility rather than originality and nurturing instead of building? (p. 271). Jadine makes it clear to the reader that she is self-sufficient and independent of men, family and community.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Make Carbonated Fizzy Fruit With Dry Ice

Make Carbonated Fizzy Fruit With Dry Ice Use dry ice to carbonate fruit. The fruit will be filled with tingly carbon dioxide bubbles, like a soda. The fizzy fruit is great to eat on its own or it can be used in recipes. Fizzy Fruit Materials Dry iceFruitPlastic bowl You only need two ingredients for this project: dry ice and fruit. Make sure to use  food grade dry ice. There is another kind of commercial dry ice, not intended for use around food or consumption, which may contain icky-tasting and potentially unhealthy impurities. Food grade dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, minus the nastiness. Technically, you can use any fruit for this recipe, but there are some that work better than others. Apples, grapes, oranges and other citrus fruit, and bananas work great. Some people dislike the effect carbonation has on the flavor of strawberries. You may wish to experiment to suit your taste. A plastic bowl is recommended because it isnt likely to get cold enough to handle. There is a small risk of getting frostbite handling the base of a glass or metal bowl filled with dry ice with bare hands. Of course, if you wear gloves or use care, its not a big concern. Carbonate the Fruit You want the dry ice to be in relatively small chunks. If your dry ice came as pellets or chips, youre in good shape. Otherwise, you will need to smash your dry ice. Do this by placing the dry ice in a paper bag or by covering it with a dishcloth and whacking it (gently) with a hammer. You want to break it into pieces, not pulverize it.Dry ice vigorously sublimes into carbon dioxide gas. As this happens, the gas is pushed into the fruit. Thinner slices or pieces of fruit will become more saturated with carbon dioxide bubbles than larger pieces of fruit. You can use whole grapes or strawberries, but be sure to slice or chunk larger fruits, such as apples or bananas. Slicing grapes or strawberries in half opens them up and helps them get fizzier.Place some dry ice pellets in a bowl. Set the fruit on the dry ice. You can add more dry ice if you wish. If you like to play with my food, you can stir the mixture, but its not really necessary. If you want the fruit to get fizzy, but not free ze, place a small cutting board over the dry ice and set the fruit on top of the cutting board. The board should offer enough thermal insulation to protect the fruit. Allow time for the dry ice to sublime (at least 10 minutes). The fruit will freeze and become carbonated.Eat the fizzy fruit, using it in recipes or add it to drinks (makes interesting ice cubes). The fruit will remain fizzy as it thaws, but it should be used (frozen or thawed) within an hour or so because it will lose its bubbles. Fizzy Fruit Safety Tips There are videos that show people carbonating fruit by sealing dry ice and fruit in a plastic bottle. This is not a particularly safe plan since overpressuring the bottle will cause it to explode. If you decide to try this method, make sure your bottle is plastic (less shrapnel in the event of an explosion) and use a minimal amount of dry ice. I do not recommend this procedure. You can get fizzy fruit without risking a trip to the emergency room.This goes along with the first point: dont seal dry ice into a closed container.Dry ice is very cold, so dont handle it or eat it.Freshly frozen fizzy fruit is the same temperature as dry ice (around -109 °F) so allow it to warm a bit before consuming it. Fizzy Fruit Fun Facts Carbon dioxide bubbles, whether they be in soda, beer, or fizzy fruit, trigger a minor pain response in the nerves of the mouth and tongue. This actually enhances flavor and is one reason why carbonated food and drink is (ironically) pleasurable.Carbonation also affects the flavor of food directly by changing its pH. It makes food more acidic. Whether or not this improves flavor depends on the composition of the product.The pH change can also change the color of the fruit. Deeply-colored fruits are often natural pH indicators. Carbonated Fruit Recipe Ideas Slice strawberries, sugar them, and add a bit of water to make a syrup. Stir dry ice into the mixture to carbonate the berries and syrup. Use the carbonated strawberries as a topping for strawberry shortcake or ice cream.Slice apples and strawberries. Carbonate them with dry ice. Add them to champagne.Slice a banana. Make it fizzy then coat it with chocolate. Allow the banana to warm slightly before eating it.If you have leftover dry ice, another fun fizzy recipe to try is dry ice ice cream.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Who vs. Whom

Who vs. Whom Who vs. Whom Who vs. Whom By Maeve Maddox No doubt about it, the pronoun whom is in its death throes. If you need a refresher, here’s the difference: Who is the subject form of the pronoun, so it’s the doer of an action, as in That’s the man who climbed Everest. (subject of â€Å"climbed†). Whom is the object form of the pronoun, so it receives the action, as in Whom do you like best? (object of â€Å"like†). Most grammarians agree that English speakers can get along just fine by using who for both subject and object, as we do with the pronoun you: You light up my life. (subject) I love you. (object) An entrenched idiom like â€Å"to whom it may concern† will probably stick around for a while longer. Speakers for whom the who/whom distinction comes naturally will continue to use both forms. Even speakers who use who as an object may continue to use whom when it stands immediately after a preposition, but for the most part, the use of who for whom is a non-issue. The use of whom for who, however, is another matter. A great many speakersincluding professional news reportersfall into what I call the something-between trap. When somethinga subordinate clause or a stock phrase like â€Å"in my opinion†comes between the subject pronoun and its verb, the writer may stumble and use whom instead of who. Observe the problem in the following examples. 1. The heroine is teen-aged Frenchy Hercules, whom one suspects is the directors wife, 2. A Chicago man whom police believe is responsible for 11 burglaries to sheds and garages in the village is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 24 on theft charges, authorities said. 3. Fire personnel radioed deputies to stop the driver, whom, according to reports, appeared to have been under the influence of intoxicants. 4. Before we started coming to BBBA, I [had] taken him to numerous pitching and hitting coaches whom in my opinion were out for the money and not the overall improvement of my sons baseball ability. In each example, the whom should be who. If the errors jumped out at you as soon as you read the sentences, you may as well stop reading now. If you’re not quite sure why these uses of whom are incorrect, read on. Whom is an object form–like him–but in each of these sentences, the whom being used as the subject of a verb. Who is the subject form. Writers can avoid falling into the something-between trap with whom by taking a close look at all the verbs. Because whom can only be an object, eliminate all the subjects first. Determine which subject word goes with which verb. 1. The heroine is teen-aged Frenchy Hercules, whom one suspects is the directors wife. This sentence contains three verbs: is, suspects, and is. The subject of the first is is â€Å"heroine.† The subject of suspects is â€Å"one.† The subject of the second is is â€Å"who† (not whom). The in-between trap is â€Å"one suspects.† NOTE: the verb â€Å"suspects† is what tripped the writer up. In another context, suspects. could be used transitively: He’s the man whom the detective suspects. In this sentence, suspects has no object. 2. A Chicago man whom police believe is responsible for 11 burglaries to sheds and garages in the village is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 24 on theft charges, authorities said. This sentence contains four finite verbs: believe, is responsible, is scheduled, and said. The subject of believe is â€Å"police.† The subject of is responsible is â€Å"who† (not whom). The subject of is scheduled is â€Å"A Chicago man.† The subject of said is â€Å"authorities.† NOTE: The in-between trap is â€Å"police believe.† In another context, â€Å"believe† could take an object, but not here. 3. Fire personnel radioed deputies to stop the driver, whom, according to reports, appeared to have been under the influence of intoxicants. This sentence contains two finite verbs: radioed and appeared. The subject of radioed is â€Å"Fire personnel.† The subject of appeared is â€Å"who† (not whom). The in-between trap is â€Å"according to reports.† 4. Before we started coming to BBBA, I [had] taken him to numerous pitching and hitting coaches whom in my opinion were out for the money and not the overall improvement of my sons baseball ability. This sentence contains three finite verbs: started, had taken, and were. The subject of started is â€Å"we.† The subject of had taken is â€Å"I.† The subject of were is â€Å"who† (not whom). The in-between trap is â€Å"in my opinion.† If all this seems like too much grammar to deal with, there’s a second option for avoiding the something-between trap with whom. Stick with who. (Now isn’t that an interesting construction!) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Awoken or Awakened?Captain vs. Master

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example Electric Bike An electric bike or a scooter is an enhanced form of conventional bike that is operated by a battery. According to Graham and McGowan, (2008), electric bikes were first developed in Switzerland in 1980. These bikes use rechargeable batteries with the capability of converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. They use direct drive or geared motor units. Electric motorized bicycles vary in cost and complexity. The key consideration associated with the acquiring of electric bikes is the range. This range is affected by factors such as battery capacity, motor efficiency, aerodynamics, weight of the bike and the rider (Lamy, 2001). Advantages of the Electric Bikes Jamerson and Benjamin (2009) assert that electric bikes are associated with numerous benefits as compared to conventional bikes or motors vehicles. They are effective for mountain climbing compared to conventional bikes because less energy and effort is required when riding them. Electric bikes are safer to use on rugged terrains or steep road junctions compared to cars. The running cost of electric bikes is lower compared to that of cars. Frequent use of the electric bikes enhances physical fitness. They vehemently promote green technology compared to motor vehicles or cars owing to the low energy consumption of the batteries. Their use reduces environmental pollution as it does not involve burning of fossil fuels like the case with vehicles. However, Jamerson and Benjamin (2004) warn that although these bikes reduce air pollution, some of their aspects such as disposal of worn out batteries pollute the environment. Hypothesis The consumer perception of the electric bikes is favourable. This is because it is technological enhanced compared to conventional bikes and associated with numerous benefits compared to motor vehicles or motor bikes. Aim The aim of the study is to identify the perception of the consumers towards the purchase of electric bikes. Objectives of the Study 1. To kno w the perception of the consumers toward electric bikes 2. To identify the awareness level of consumers on electric bikes 3. To determine the factors that influence consumer choice when buying 4. To find out other factors that affect the buying decisions of electric bikes 5. To find out the post purchase experiences and benefits of the electric bike to the costumer Some of the questions that will be included to gain insight on the proposed study include: 1. Are you informed about electric bikes? 2. How did you become aware of electric bikes? 3. How many members of your family are eligible for riding electric bikes? 4. Which features would you consider when buying an electric bike? among others Statement of the Problem Although the electric bikes have been on sale in the UK for some time, most people still prefer to use conventional bikes as compared to electric bikes (Drane et al., 2009). The research yearns to explore one of the factors that could be preventing customers from buyin g electric bikes. Sample The sample size will be 200 respondents. Survey Area The study will focus on the West End and East End districts of London. Half of the respondents will be outsourced from the West End region of London city while the rest will emanate from the East End district. This will enhance balance in terms of economic disparities i.e. the West End is characterised by the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Influences of Conformity and Obedience Paper Essay

Influences of Conformity and Obedience Paper - Essay Example But while conformity and obedience may be relatively easily defined, their incidences in various situations are not. Conformity and Obedience Defined Conformity generally entails group members changing their minds to suit the attitudes and opinions of the majority. Here we must also include the concept of compliance in understanding the nature of eventual obedience, since compliance is only slightly different from conformity in that in being compliant one must [consciously] adapt his or her actions to another’s wishes or rules. While the former has less to do with personality than choice, the latter requires of its subject a particular personality that allows them to yield. Obedience, on the other hand, requires the acknowledgment of authority and one’s acquiescence to it. Thus a compliant individual may not necessarily or automatically be inclined to conform, although studies have shown â€Å"†¦those that conform tend to be obedient and compliant† (Constabl e, Schuler, Klaber & Rakauskas 1999, par. 1-2). Solomon Asch: Group Pressure and Conformity Social psychologist Solomon Asch’s early (1951) experiments on group pressure and conformity, and ultimately his conclusions provide an interesting and sometimes disturbing clinical view of how humans pressured by the group perceive themselves in relationship to their environment and others. Much of what Asch concludes through the experiments links directly to psychological disorders prevalent in studies conducted over time. Therapies suggested for such disorders and favored by given psychologists often differ, undoubtedly due to what has been described above as differences in personalities that prompt unreasoning conformity, obedience or disobedience, or both. The conduct of Asch’s study was fairly straightforward. Ache showed students in groups of eight to ten--all of whom except one in each group had been coached beforehand to pick the wrong answer on twelve of the eighteen c ards. Each card had a group of three bar lines on the right, and one bar line. Students were asked to pick one bar from a series of three on the right that best matched the one bar on the left. Most subjects were told to deliberately give the wrong answer. Asch arranged the questioning so that most wrong answers would be given before the test subject in the group made his or her decision. The results were significant and according to Zimbardo and Gerrig (2010): â€Å"50 and 80 percent†¦conformed with the false majority estimate†¦a third†¦yielded to the majority’s wrong judgments on half or more of the critical trials† (p. 550). The results prompted Asch, according to age-of-the sage.org (n.d) to conclude: "The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black. This is a matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that gui de our conduct" (par 7). What this says about our desire not to be different, but to conform with our peers is significant. What it may say in some cases about the role of obedience in this behavior is, according to Berg and Bass (1961) citing Champney (1941), pertinent. The significance of parental attitudes and behavior on the subsequent conformity found in their children†¦suggested that when parents tend to dominate their children, restraining the children's efforts to solve some of