Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Literature Review - Essay Example Anxiety disorders are common in the contemporary society and causes suffering on people that are adversely affect members of the population. Research has shown that anxiety disorders are the most common mental issues as explained by Kessler et al. (2005:617). Large scale epidemiological studies conducted in the US have shown that 25-30 percent (Kessler et al. 2005:618). It can be observed that other surveys that were conducted in Western nations such as Great Britain, Canada and Australia (Andrews et al., 2001:143). Additionally, anxiety was found to be the leading mental health issue by the World Health Organisation. In addition to the high occurrence rates of anxiety issues that were found in the population, a considerable number of individuals were found to have anxiety levels that are not up to the clinical levels. Worry is the major indicator of the anxiety disorders that is common among the general population. Numerous studies have been conducted on the role of physical exercise in preventing exercise. Others have concentrated on the efficiency of exercise in alleviating anxiety disorders. These studies have stated that there is a link between frequent physical exercise and individuals’ well-being. According to Steptoe and Butler (1996:1792) a research that was conducted on 5061 people revealed that there is a well-established correlation between emotional well-being and regular physical exercise. Later Steptoe (1997) found that there was a strong inverse connection between frequent exercise and depression levels in a sample of 16, 483 participants of college students after taking into account the impacts of gender and age. Subsequently, Stephens (1988:45) conducted a research on American and Canadian participants and found a similar trend. This means that there was a negative relationship between frequent exercise and depression symptoms. In this study factors including physical illness, sex, age and other

Consider Thomas Hardys Essay Example for Free

Consider Thomas Hardys Essay In the dictionary the word Isolation means to be separate or a part from others. I think if someone is isolated then it would be a negative aspect because they are alone and have nothing to do with anyone else. The reason for the various isolations in the two texts differs because of the different time periods they were set in. In the two books I am comparing is the Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I feel that in both texts there are a few characters with their lives or they had illegitimate children. The text Of mice and Men was written in the 1930s the time period of the depression. In the most of John Steinbecks books he describes the life of people working on the land and that his characters are all often poor. This was because he wanted to show how real the life was during that time. Within his books men and women rarely understood each other because of the lack of communication. During the time when John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men people would frown upon coloured people, the handicapped, the old and women. They also were prejudice about women. The text the Withered Arm was written in the late 19th century in England. The book is set in a place called Wessex and the expectations at the time are different compared to the ones we have in todays society. In that time social classes were expected to marry inside their class and not below that. Otherwise this would be considered a disgrace to the family of the higher class. Thomas Hardy introduces Rhode as his First character who is isolated. He establishes her isolation as her sitting on her away from the others Where a thin fading women of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest. The word fading and somewhat apart from the rest reveals that she was separated from the rest of the milkmaids. Further on in the first chapter Hardy also establishes her loneliness by where she lives lay part from that of the others, to a lonely spot high above the water-meads this also show her isolation. The characters who are lonely are Candy, Crooks and Curleys wife in the text Of Mice and Men. They are lonely because each one of them is different from everyone else. Such as Crooks is black, Candy is disabled and Curleys wife is a women. The reason for them being lonely is because of the societys attitude, which they lived in. The two characters that are not lonely are George and Lennie. This is as they have each other for company whereas everybody does not. Lennie and George treat each other, as they were family because they have been together for a very long time. Because I got you an___ An I got you. We got each other, thats what, that gives a hot in hell about us. That quote indicates what Lennie say to George about them having each other to look after and keeping each other company. George needed Lennie because he wanted someone who would listen to him and not say anything. Lennie need Georges because he is not able to handle himself and also George promised Lennies aunt that he would look after him. Thomas Hardy describes Rhodes Brooks house as it old and worn It was built of mud walls, the surface of which had been washed by many rains left none of the original flat face visible here and there in the thatch above a rafter showed like a bone protruding through the skin. This suggests that Rhode did not a great house and that it was old just like her. The quote also indicates that the house had been through some hard times. In the text Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck writes about one female character that is known as Curleys wife. As the reader I feel sympathy for her, as she is the only woman on the ranch. She is also isolated because her husband does not like her talking to any of the other workers, and also her own husband hardly speaks to her. The author has not given her a name because during that time period women were not as important as men, furthermore she is so isolated that the author decided on not given her a name. The effect this has on the reader is that she belongs to Curley unlike her being an individual person. So therefore the reader feels a little bit of sympathy for her. Thomas Hardy writes about a little boy in his book Withered Arm who is also nameless like Curleys Wife. In the book he is referred as Rhodes son. Rhodes son is isolated because his mother had an affair with Farmer Lodge. The main reason that he is isolated is that his mother moved further away from the farm, so therefore he does not live close by to anybody. I feel that Rhodes son is a victim of the circumstances between Farmer Lodge and Rhode because he was a product of their affair, and then Rhode moved away so she could be away from society. As a result Rhodes son does not have friends. John Steinbeck writes about another isolated man named Crooks. The reason Crooks is so isolated is because during the time period everyone was prejudice against coloured people, and he was black. Another reason he is isolated as that he isolates himself to have some respect in the white world. Crooks was born with a disability, therefore he feels that he need to isolate himself further. He makes friends with Candy and Lennie as they isolated on the farm. When Crooks first meets Candy and Lennie it says he kept is his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs. This indicates that Crooks does not want anyone to be close to him. Though as the story goes on he makes friends with Candy and Lennie. I feel sorry for Crooks for being coloured and handicapped as he is very friendly person. In both the texts that I read there are two more handicapped people, named Gertrude from the Withered Arm and Candy from Of Mice and Men. Candy is isolated as he is old and has only got one arm since it was cut off when he was working on the farm. Gertrude isolated because one night Rhode cast a spell on her arm. In both texts Gertrude and Candy are alike because of their arms. They are not as isolated as Crooks or Rhode, since they only have a small isolation problem, unlike the rest. In the beginning of the text Withered Arm Farmer Lodge is presented as being bold and proud. He is proud as he has a new wife Gertrude, who is a lot younger than him and plus she is very beautiful. Gertrude starts to get a problem in one of her arms, as time passes her arm gets worse, therefore Farmer Lodge feels as she is not as pretty as before. This makes Farmer Lodge change. He also feels depressed since his son is hung and this changes him. The reason for him to isolate himself is that all these problems are occurring around him and he feels that it is his fault. So he moves away from his farm. In conclusion I consider that isolation is a negative aspect in someones life. I think that when people are isolated dreaming keeps them from getting trough. Like for instance Lennie and Georges dream to open up a farm or their own and Rhodes dream to get back with Farmer Lodge. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

Hank Williams Jr. :: essays research papers

Hank Williams Jr. Hank Williams, Jr. was meant to be a superstar from the day he was born. His father, the legendary Hank Williams, and mother, Audrey Sheppard, both played an intricate part in his early stardom. Hank had to overcome many obstacles in his life including escaping from his father's shadow and a near death experience in 1975. Hank's many triumphs, and his ability to overcome setbacks, have propelled him to a legendary status. Born May 26, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Randall Hank Williams, Jr. was destined to become a star. Tragically, his father died on New Years day, 1953, at the young age on twenty nine ("Official Home Page," Biography). However, his mother, a country singer in her own right, helped Hank Jr. start one of the earliest, and most successful, childhood careers in country music history. Hank appeared on stage for the first time at the young age of eight. Hank appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at the age of eleven, singing his father's songs in his father's style. At the age of fourteen Hank recorded his first album, a hit rendition of his father's "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues." At an age when most young boys are playing Little League baseball or football, Hank was learning the piano from Jerry Lee Lewis, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, and performing before crowds of up to twenty thousand. In 1969, Hank teamed up with Johnny Cash to perform in the largest country concert to date. In 1970, Hank signed the biggest recording contract in the history of MGM Records. As proud as he was of being the son of Hank Williams, Hank got tired of being in his father's shadow. In high school, known as "Rockin' Randall," Hank played contemporary rock, however, that had to be kept secret from all his traditional country fans. He also liked to listen to rhythm and blues, however, these types of music were looked down on by many in Nashville. Later in his career, Hank even released a couple of rock singles under the name Bo Cephus on Verve Records, a subdivision of MGM. The split between what he wanted to do and what he was expected to do , along with his long-term alcohol and drug abuse, developed into a downward spiral of his career that led to a 1974 suicide attempt. In early 1975, Hank recorded "Hank Williams, Jr. and Friends," his first true step to escaping his father's shadow and the past. Although the album was a success, MGM wanted him to return to the style that would keep his longtime

Impact of Use of Color in Yellow Fish by Ambai

Ambai, or C. S. Lakshmi (1944) hailing from Tamil Nadu, India comes on the forefront of modern Indian writers who have made a huge mark in World Literature as a whole. Her works are characterized by her passionate espousal of the cause of women, humour lucid and profound style and the touch of realism. She is one of the most important Tamil writers today, who have been included in the recently published book ‘Picador’ book of Modern Indian Literature by Amit Choudhuri. Most of her stories are about relationships and they contain brilliant observations about contemporary life.Exploration of space, silence, coming to terms with one’s body or sexuality and the importance of communication are some of the requiring themes of her works. The story, Yellow Fish is one of her most passionately feminine works. The imagery used here by Ambai is excellent and encapsulating as the reader finds his/her own passion stirring as the story comes to the end. The used of colours is v ery symbolic in its irony. Through the use of colours, Ambai has tried to depict the objects characteristics, adding more material to the images, like a real life image anyone from her audience has experienced.The ash grey sea, unlike the ‘blue green open stretch of space’ does more to depict the set of mind her narrator possesses at that particular moment of time. The fact that images of the ash-grey sea and horrific colour images of the fisherwomen’s clothes were inserted, ought to give the reader a premonition, of kinds, about the dark turn, the narrative is about to take a little way ahead. With the unwanted, thrown away fish too, comes an upsurge of images with vivid colours, the colour yellow being associated with the pale rusting leaves, that fall, and are left to lie around in the most discarded state.The narrative begins with the vivid description of the scene of fishing boats returning of the sea. It is high summer and the sand is heated up. Images of s ea and water are predominant. There is a juxtaposition of images of faded blue and the ash grey sea. The bright colors of the fisherwomen’s clothes: demonic red, blinding indigo, profound green and assaulting blue, stand vibrant against the white boats and the bodies of the men, darkened by the saltwater, the black hands of the fishermen and the brown of the wood and the white bellied fish.Image of the fish being unloaded is also particularly staunch since the ‘good’ fish is splashed on the troughs, and the rest, that is the ‘bad’ ones are thrown away. The sea and the water are life-giving sources for so many life-forms, but suddenly, our attention is drawn away from the din of the fisher-folk to a little yellow fish thrown away on the sand of the shore. The line catches our attention because Ambai makes it stand out with her expertise of speech, as if almost drawing our attention towards ourselves. The first person narrative fixes the perspective an d point of view of the story.The detail of colour follows as the narrator observes the varying colour schemes in the events. The colour of the fish is yellow, is significantly pointed out to us as it is put into limelight as it is one of the ‘bad’ fish caught by mistake and was brought home. The narrator takes her time to stoop and watches fish shuddering and gasping for breath. It is this image that wrenches the memory of a similar incident of gasping for breath by Jalaja. â€Å"Like Jalaja’s mouth,† stands alone forcing us to think about the abrupt change from one sequence of events to another.We’re taken into the imagery used by Ambai to show us the occurrences on that particular day, rather than actually narrating. The first image is that of the narrator standing outside Jalaja’s room constantly watching her little daughter struggle to survive. The next image is that of the ashes being brought home, in a small urn and the narrator’ s insistence that the mouth of the urn be left open and the ashes to be immersed in the sea. Apparently unrelated are the thematically linked with the deep use of images and metaphors.In both cases we witness an astounding struggle to survive. Gender differences emerge in the difference in attitude of Anu and Arup – Arup who fails to understand why Anu wants the lid of the urn open, and the loud sobs, hint at the intense grief buried in the narrator’s heart. She is trying to help her child breathe as she couldn’t earlier. For Arup it’s just ashes, whereas for Anu, it’s her daughter inside, whom she wants to liberate. Jalaja, born of water, whom she wants to release into the water, the open sea.All the pent-up feelings of helplessness, frustration and grief, that she could do nothing to save her daughter, resurfaces when the narrator watches the yellow fish gasping for breath and thrashing hopelessly to go back to the sea. The arrogant leap of the f ish can be metaphorically interpreted as the endless possibilities if oppurtunities are provided. It also points towards the overriding theme of self- liberation present in all of Ambai’s written works. Anu has also taken a plunge towards freedom from bondage of ideologies from grief taking her towards realization.

Nutrition Behavior Change Project Essay

Keeping up a behavior can be hard, â€Å"the motivation must come from within.† For the past 23 days I have been striving to change and succeed, by the 22nd of October, in two specific nutritional behavior goals. One of them was to intake at least 30 grams of fiber on weekdays and at least 25 grams on weekends. The other was to reduce my sodium intake by a quarter, on weekdays, of what it was per day and reduce it by an eighth on weekends. This preparation all started about a week before my 23 days of transformation. In the three beginning days I tracked my diet and found that my low fiber and high sodium consumptions were eye-opening problems. My average fiber intake per day rested at 21.18g, which was significantly lower than my goal of 38g per day. As this issue arose so did my awareness that multiple aspects of my health were at risk. For example, my low fiber intake could place me in danger of developing heart disease. Fiber nutrients reduce the chance of disease like heart disease, diabetes, and many other frightful illnesses. In addition, foods that consist of fiber provide a feeling of fullness without additional calories being added to a diet. As for my Sodium intake, I was recommended a target of 1500mg a day but I was actually devouring a skyrocketing 3959.4mg a day. Without thinking twice I knew I had to make significant behavior changes. Concerning my towering sodium intake, I found that high sodium consumption makes the body preserve more water, which can raise the blood volume and, in turn, increase blood pressure. Considering my high blood pressure it would be essential and crucial to lower my sodium intake. Fortunately, the data collected demonstrated that the amount of sodium I have been taking in each day has been playing a role in my elevated blood pressure. After reviewing this data and conducting research on these two nutrients I felt very serious about changing my dieting behavior s. In which case, relative to the Stages of Change/Transtheoretical Model of behavior change, at the start of this project I was most certainly in the preparation stage. I began with a determined attitude that would help me change my current behaviors within a month. To change my behavior I made  goals to reach by the 22nd and used strategies that would help me to complete my SMART goals. For example, I made sure that I controlled my environment by buying fruit and other healthy snacks instead of unhealthy snack foods. I also had peer support from my roommate who reminded me when I was snacking unhealthily to instead snack on a banana or apple. My excellent preparation skills granted me success in my dietary behavior goals. Overall I feel confident that I have succeeded in changing my behaviors. Everyday I have been conscious of my fiber and sodium goals. Rarely did I go eat off campus. I consistently ate lunch at the Hanwell dinning hall, except for 1 day when I was sick and in bed, and I always ate dinner at Smith dinning hall. Hanwell and Smith provide a great selection of fruit and mixed greens, so everyday I could eat my essential bowl of fruit for lunch and required dinner salad. I didn’t eat a salad or a bowl of fruit on solely one day, however, I felt very ill that day. Also, since I only had Gatorade, juice and water with my meals, my sodium level decreased substantially. My typical day consisted of eating microwavable breakfasts with juice in the dorm, lunch at Hanwell and dinner at Smith. My achievement in changing my supporting behaviors was due to keeping up with my tracking sheet. In turn, I increased my fiber intake to 34.34g on weekdays and 26.61g on weekends. This data exceeded my goal of fiber intake on both weekdays (30g or more) and weekends (25g or more). My sodium intake also exceeded the par; weekdays I consumed 2841.32mg a day and 3303.9mg a day on weekends. With dedication comes success and in order for me to stay dedicated I needed to construct thought out strategies. A strategy that contributed the most to my accomplished goals was to eat off campus only two times a week. Usually I saved eating out for the weekends but eating on campus made it easy to make healthy choices. For instance, when I ate off campus for lunch on the 9th my sodium intake was 1324.22mg for that single meal and when I ate lunch on campus on the 29th, a weekday, my sodium was less than half the sodium of the off campus meal I ate on the 9th. Another strategy that helped my success was my use of environment control. I stopped buying junk  food and ended up snaking on fruit, particularly bananas, and occasionally canned beans. In turn, I increased my fiber above my weekday and weekend intake goal. These two strategies acted as a spine to my success in my goals. Even though I was very successful in my goals, I faced two major barriers in the process. Finding a way to eat healthy on weekends was a huge barrier with my busy soccer schedule. Breakfast is easy to make but lunch and dinner is very difficult to attend due to afternoon practices and night games. The weekends on average boosted up my sodium about 600mg higher than the weekdays; nevertheless, I still fulfilled my sodium intake goal. I knew weekends would create a problem even before I started the project because it’s been an ongoing issue since school started. Furthermore, time was also a complicated barrier to work around. Time is a common barrier when trying to eat healthy, be more active or simply going about a routine. When I was in a rush to class or hurrying around campus taking care of things, I would sometimes compromise for quick microwavable products, which I learned contain more sodium than the normal. Out of the barriers I faced there was one that I did not predict, my ADHD medicine. This medication minimized my hunger, sometimes to the point where I did not want to eat. When this happened I force-fed myself but with smaller portions. I tended to eat more salad greens instead of the heavy, filling food. Despite these obstacles, after one week I made only one change to my behavior. I developed better shopping skills that helped me obtain superior quality microwavable foods and I started to keep fruit in my bag in case I felt crunched for time. This change helped me to complete my activities and thrive in my goals. During this project three major issues emerged regarding my nutrition. One was that some foods that I thought were healthy aren’t. For example, I always ate flavored instant oatmeal thinking it was very healthy and nutritious, however, oatmeal that has flavoring in it, I learned, usually has more than 12 grams of sugar in it per serving. As I learned more about this product I found that this oatmeal was not whole oats which are far more healthier and can be just as quick to make as instant oatmeal. Choosing an alternative for this food was important to decrease my intake of sugar.  Another major issue that emerged was what food I took in when traveling with the soccer team. It had nothing to do with the organization. It was my personal choice of snacks that I decided to bring on the bus rides; like popcorn or as surprising as it sounds, yogurt. Yogurt is healthy as long as its kept simple, however, my yogurts were loaded with flavoring and coloring that boosts up the sugar c ontent. In result I made alternative choices (apples, bananas) that would improve my game and boost my energy healthily. Lastly, I experienced a major issue with my roommate. As much as he helped me to make healthy decisions, hypocritically, he seemed unable to make healthy decisions for himself. He usually always has a bag of chips and an immense amount of candy laying around which didn’t help in contribution to my goals; my sodium intake goal. Although I learned that in order to get in a habit of eating better and more healthy, I spent less time in the room. Now I am pretty good about saying â€Å"NO† when fatty junk food in in my presence. Overall I learned many things about changing a health behavior. I learned that changing a behavior takes time and effort in order to succeed. Most of all, changing a health behavior takes determination because without that it is impossible to change. After completing this project I am proud to say I have moved form the preparation stage at the beginning of the project, to the action stage in the Transtheoretical model. This came with the help of my commitment, in accepting the responsibility of change, goals, to keep me motivated, rewards, when I completed my goals I bought a redskins jersey I’ve been wanting, and lastly environment control, where I only bought healthy foods like fruit and vegetables. Currently I am successfully changing my negative behaviors and adopting new healthy behaviors in my quest to stage number 5, the maintenance stage.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis Free Online Research Papers Endometriosis is a painful disease in which the uterine lining moves outside the womb and grows in other parts of the body. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis in 2003 but found that I had the disease since my early teens. Far too many doctors still believe that endometriosis is rare in teenagers and young women; I can undoubtedly prove them wrong. Consequently, they do not consider a diagnosis of endometriosis when teenagers and young women come to them complaining of symptoms like period pain, pelvic pain and painful intercourse. The realization that endometriosis could be found in teenagers and young women came about as a result of research by the national endometriosis support groups. Thankfully the research caught the attention of some eminent gynecologist in the 1990s. So , teenagers and young women in their early 20s are not too young to have endometriosis. Endometriosis is an abnormal gynecological condition characterized by ectopic growth and function of the endometrial tissue. Precise incident of the disease is unknown, but evidence of it is found in approximately 15% of women who undergo pelvic laparotomy for other indications. The average age of women found to have endometriosis is 37 years. Pregnancy may have an influence in preventing or ameliorating the disease. The causes of endometriosis are unknown; evidence suggest that ectopic endometrium of endometriosis develops from vestigial tissue of the wolffian or mullerian duct; other evidence strongly suggest that fragments of the endometrium from the lining of the uterus are refluxed during menstruation backward through the fallopian tubes into the peritoneal cavity, where they attach, grow and function (Mosby 2006). Whether or not endometriosis should be considered a preneoplastic disease represents a major and controversial issue. Studies on the epithelial lining of cystic ovarian endometriosis have documented the presence of metaplastic, hyperplastic or atypical changes whose prevalence in endometriosis is not defined. Differences in the studies may be due, at least in part, to a different study population and/or selection biases. Moreover the presence of neoplasm per se might induce metaplasia in the adjacent endometriosis. Overall, there is insufficient evidence supporting metaplasia of endometriotic lesions as a preneoplastic condition (E JOURNAL April 2006-cancer). Endometriosis can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity: on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and on the pelvic sidewall. Other common sites include uterosacral ligaments, the cul-de-sac, the pouch of Douglas, and the rectal-vaginal septum. In addition, it can be found in caesarian-section scars, laparscopy or laparotomy scars, and on the bladder, bowel, intestines, colon, appendix, and rectum. But these locations are not so common. In even more rare cases, endometriosis has been found in the vagina, inside the bladder, on the skin, even in the lung, spine and brain (endometriosis.org). My endometriosis was found along my spinal cord which I still have problems with today. Many women from earlier times believed in many superstitions of endometriosis, they believed that pregnancy cures endometriosis. Unfortunately I was told this by my Grandmother. Today technology has proved this myth wrong. They also believed that Endometriosis causes infertility; again with five children I can tell you this myth is also wrong. Many women with endometriosis do go on to have children. Gynecologist generally believes that 60-70% of women with endometriosis are fertile. Furthermore they say that about half the women who have difficulties do eventually conceive with or without treatment. The challenge of endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, which induces chronic inflammatory reaction. Doctors check for endometrial tissue by inserting a thin viewing tube thorough a small incision near the navel also known as laparoscopy. If they find endometriosis cells they then administer drugs to slow to relieve pain and slow the growth of the misplaced tissue. Surgery to remove the tissue may be done but may provide only temporary relief because the tissue may grow back, unless the ovaries are removed as well (Women’s Health Issues: Merck Manual Home Edition). The cause of endometriosis remains unknown. A treatment which fully cures endometriosis has yet to be developed, and there is no overwhelming medical evidence to support one specific type of treatment for endometriosis over any other. Choosing a treatment therefore comes down to the individual woman’s needs, depending on her symptoms, her age, and her fertility wishes. She should discuss these with her physician so they, together, can determine which long term, holistic, treatment plan is best for her individual needs. For many women, this can be a combination of more than one treatment over longer periods of time. Pain is the most common symptom for many women with endometriosis so therefore they are prescribed different pain killers such as: simple analgesics, compound analgesics, mild narcotics, narcotic analgesics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Hormonal Therapies are also used since endometriosis is exacerbated by estrogen. Therefore, hormonal treatment for e ndometriosis is designed to attempt to temper estrogen production in a woman’s body such as treatments may subsequently relieve her symptoms. Laparoscopic surgery is the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis. In many cases the disease can be diagnosed and treated in the same procedure. There are also Nutritional and Complementary therapies and a multi-disciplinary approach (ESHRE guideline for the diagnosis and management of endometriosis). So knowing what myself and women across the world know now, I recommend all women become educated about this silent but nasty disease. The more you know the better off you and your children are. Many women with this disease have found that talking to others with this disease have helped them learn from their experiences, understand treatments and coping methods, and just get an overall better understanding of endometriosis. By working together across national borders support groups have become a powerful and effective force, and hoping one day to further awareness move research forward. Endometriosis week is an annual event that gives women with endometriosis a real focus to raise awareness nationally and in your local communities, and provides an opportunity to raise funds for research. Endometriosis Awareness Week in Europe, Australia and South America is 3-9 March 2009, and in the United States it is for the entire month of March (Endometriosis awareness 2008). Research Papers on EndometriosisPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Fifth HorsemanInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsResearch Process Part OneUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThree Concepts of PsychodynamicMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Biography of William Shakespeare, Famous Playwright

Biography of William Shakespeare, Famous Playwright William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564–April 23, 1616) wrote at least 37 plays and 154 sonnets, which are considered among the most important and enduring ever written. Although the plays have captured the imagination of theatergoers for centuries, some historians claim that Shakespeare didn’t actually write them. Amazingly, little is known about Shakespeare’s life. Even though he is the world’s most famous and popular playwright, historians have had to fill in the gaps between the handful of surviving records from Elizabethan times. Fast Facts: William Shakespeare Known For: One of historys most famous playwrights, who wrote at least 37 plays, which are still studied and performed to this day, as well as 154 sonnets, which are also highly regardedAlso Known As: The BardBorn: April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon,  EnglandParents: John Shakespeare, Mary ArdenDied: April 23, 1616 in Stratford-upon-AvonPublished Works: Romeo and Juliet (1594–1595), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595–1596), Much Ado About Nothing (1598–1599), Henry V (1598–1599), Hamlet 1600–1601, King Lear (1605–1606), Macbeth ( 1605–1606), The Tempest (1611–1612)Awards and Honors: After Shakespeares death, a funerary monument was erected to honor him at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he is buried. It depicts a half-effigy of The Bard in the act of writing. Numerous statues and monuments have been erected around the world to honor the playwright.Spouse: Anne Hathaway (m.  Nov. 28, 1582–April 23, 1616)Children: Susanna, Judith and Hamnet (twins)Notable Quote: All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. Early Years Shakespeare was probably born on April 23, 1564, but this date is an educated guess because we only have a record of his baptism three days later. His parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, were successful townsfolk who moved to a large house in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, from the surrounding villages. His father became a wealthy town official and his mother was from an important, respected family. It is widely assumed that Shakespeare attended the local grammar school where he would have studied Latin, Greek, and classical literature. His early education must have made a huge impact on him because many of his plots draw on the classics. Shakespeare’s Family At age 18, on November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway from Shottery, who was already pregnant with their first daughter. The wedding would have been arranged quickly to avoid the shame of having a child born out of wedlock. Shakespeare fathered three children, Susanna, born in May 1583 but conceived out of wedlock, and Judith and Hamnet, twins who were born in February 1585. Hamnet died in 1596 at age 11. Shakespeare was devastated by the death of his only son, and it is argued that Hamlet, written four years later, is evidence of this. Theater Career At some point in the late 1580s, Shakespeare made the four-day ride to London, and by 1592 had established himself as a writer. In 1594, an event occurred that changed the course of literary history: Shakespeare joined Richard Burbage’s acting company and became its chief playwright for the next two decades. Here, Shakespeare was able to hone his craft, writing for a regular group of performers. Shakespeare also worked as an actor in the theater company, although the lead roles were always reserved for Burbage himself. The company became very successful and often performed in front of the Queen of England, Elizabeth I. In 1603, James I ascended the throne and granted his royal patronage to Shakespeare’s company, which became known as The King’s Men. Shakespeare the Gentleman Like his father, Shakespeare had excellent business sense. He bought the largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon by 1597, owned shares in the Globe Theater,  and profited from some real estate deals near Stratford-upon-Avon in 1605. Before long, Shakespeare officially became a gentleman, partly due to his own wealth and partly due to inheriting a coat of arms from his father who died in 1601. Later Years and Death Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1611 and lived comfortably off his wealth for the rest of his life. In his will, he bequeathed most of his properties to Susanna, his eldest daughter, and some actors from The King’s Men. Famously, he left his wife his â€Å"second-best bed† before he died on April 23, 1616. (This date is an educated guess because we only have a record of his burial two days later). If you visit Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, you can still view his grave and read his epitaph engraved into the stone: Good friend, for Jesus sake forbearTo dig the dust enclosed here.Blessed be the man that spares these stones,And cursed be he that moves my bones. Legacy More than 400 years after his death, Shakespeares plays and sonnets still hold a special place in theaters, libraries, and schools around the world. His plays and sonnets have been performed in nearly every major language on every continent, notes Greg Timmons writing on Biography.com. In addition to the legacy of his plays and sonnets, many of the words and phrases Shakespeare created infuse dictionaries today and are embedded in modern English, including these sayings from some of his plays: All that glitters isnt gold (The Merchant of Venice)Alls well that ends well (Alls Well that Ends Well)To be-all and the end-all (Macbeth)Break the ice (The Taming of the Shrew)We have seen better days (As You Like It)Brave new world (The Tempest)Brevity is the soul of wit (Hamlet)Cruel to be kind (Hamlet)Its Greek to me (Julius Caesar)Something wicked this way comes (Macbeth)Star-crossed lovers (Romeo and Juliet)Wild-goose chase (Romeo and Juliet)The world is my oyster (The Merry Wives of Windsor) Few writers, poets, and playwrights- and Shakespeare was all three- have had the influence on culture and learning that Shakespeare has. With luck, his plays and sonnets may still be revered and studied four centuries from now. Sources â€Å"IWonder - William Shakespeare: The Life and Legacy of Englands Bard.†Ã‚  BBC.â€Å"Shakespeares Words Phrases.†Ã‚  Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.Timmons, Greg. â€Å"William Shakespeares 400th Anniversary: The Life Legacy of The Bard.†Ã‚  Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 2 Nov. 2018.â€Å"Who Was William Shakespeare? Everything You Need to Know.†Ã‚  Childhood, Life Achievements Timeline, thefamouspeople.com.â€Å"William Shakespeare Quotes.†Ã‚  BrainyQuote, Xplore.

Statistics on ACT Math Strategies for Mean, Medium, Mode

Statistics on ACT Math Strategies for Mean, Medium, Mode SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Statistics questions on the ACT are often simpler than the statistics questions you have seen in class. Most all of the statistics questions on the ACT boil down to finding or manipulating means, medians, and modes of a set of numbers. If you are already familiar with these terms, you will have a good head-start on these types of problems. But even if you aren't familiar with these terms, most of ACT stats questions require that you understand and apply just a few key concepts (all of which we will go through in this guide). This will be your complete guide to ACT means, medians, and modes- what they mean, how you'll see them on the test, and how to solve even the most complicated of ACT statistics questions. What is a Mean, Median, or Mode? Before we look at how to solve these kinds of problems, let's define our terms: A mean is the statistical average of a group of numbers. In order to find the mean, we must add up the sum of the numbers in our set and then divide that sum by the amount of numbers in the set. (Note: on the ACT, the question will almost always use the word "average" instead of "mean.") What is the average speed of six runners if their race times were, in seconds: 85, 67, 88, 75, 91, and 80? To find the average (mean), we must find the sum of all the numbers and then divide that number by the total amount, which in this case is 6. $(85 + 67 + 88 + 75 + 91 + 80)/6$ $486/6$ $81$ The mean (average) race time is 81 seconds. The median is the number directly in the middle of a set of numbers, after they have been arranged in numerical order. (Note: the number will be halfway into the set, but is NOT necessarily the mid-value between the largest and smallest number.) For example, take a set of numbers {14, 15, 23, 37, 213}, the median would be 23, as it is in the middle of the set. This is true, despite the fact that 23 is NOT halfway between 14 and 213. If your set has an even amount of numbers, then you must take the mean (average) of both the numbers in the middle. Find the median value of the set of numbers {10, 2, 34, 47, 17, 8}. First, arrange the numbers in order from least to greatest. 2, 8, 10, 17, 34, 47 We have an even number of terms in our set, so we must take the average of the two middle terms. $(10 + 17)/2$ $27/2$ $13.5$ Our median is 13.5 The mode is the number or numbers in a set that repeat(s) most frequently. In the set of numbers {4, 6, 6, 4, 3, 6, 12}, our mode is 6. Even though the number 4 occurred twice, the number 6 occurred three times and is thus our most frequently appearing number. If each number in your set occurs only once, there is no mode. In the set of numbers {3, 11, 7, 23, 19}, there is no mode, since no number repeats. If multiple numbers in a set repeat the same number of times, your set will have more than one mode. In the set {4, 11, 11, 11, 13, 21, 23, 23, 23, 43, 43, 43}, we have three modes- 11, 23, and 43. All three numbers occur exactly three times and no other numbers occur more frequently, which means that we have multiple modes. The more you get used to statistics questions, the more quickly you'll be able to spot your answers. Typical Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Mean, median, and mode questions are fairly simple once you get the hang of how they work. Because these types of questions will appear 1 to 2 times on the test, you will see them in a variety of different forms. But always keep in mind that, no matter how unusual they look, mean, median, and mode questions will always break down to the concepts we outlined above in their definitions. For mean questions, there will be two types- weighted and unweighted averages. Unweighted averages are by far the most common, but you'll need to know how to tackle both. Unweighted Average Unweighted average questions are solved exactly how we found our means above. We simply find the sum of our set and divide this number by the amount of numbers in the set. The monthly fees for single rooms at 5 colleges are $\$ 370$, $\$ 310$, $\$ 340$ 380$, and $\$ 310$, respectively. What is the mean of these monthly fees? F. $\$ 310$G. $\$ 340$H. $\$ 342$J. $\$ 350$K. $\$ 380$ We must find the sum of our terms and divide by the amount of terms (in this case 5). $(370 + 310 + 380 + 340 + 310)/5$ $1710/5$ $342$ We have found our mean. Our final answer is H, 342. Weighted Average A weighted average, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on (gives more "weight" to) some numbers more than others. When this is the case, you must multiply each number in the set by its weight and then add their sums and divide as normal. Let us look at this process in action: In Karen's math class, the final class grade is determined by a combination of quizzes, homework, and test scores. Quizzes make up 30% of the final grade, homework accounts for 25% of the final grade, and test scores account for 45% of the final grade. Each assignment/test has a potential score of 100 points. Karen received a 92 and an 83 on her two quizzes, scores of 100 on her three homework assignments, and test scores of 78, 89, and 98. What is Karen's final grade in the class? First, we must find the average of each type of assignment as normal and then multiply that average by the weight allotted to the assignment. So, to find the number of total points she earns from her quizzes, we would say: $(92 + 83)/2$ $175/2$ $87.5$ She earned an average of 87.5 on her quizzes, but now we must multiply it by the percentage allotted to the quiz scores in terms of her overall grade (the weight). $(87.5)(0.3)$ $26.25$ Her quiz score will contribute 26.25 points towards her overall score. Now let us do the same for her homework. $(100 + 100 + 100)/3$ $300/3$ $100$ The homework is weighted as 25% of the grade, so we must multiply the average by its weight. $(100)(0.25)$ $25$ And again for her test scores. $(78 + 89 + 98)/3$ $265/3$ $88.33$ And again, we must multiply this average by the allotted weight. $(88.33)(0.45)$ $39.75$ Now, simply add them all together to find her final score. $26.25 + 25 + 39.75$ $91$ Karen's final grade in the class will be a 91. Now that we've seen our different types of mean questions, let's look at the other types of statistics questions on the ACT. Most all the statistics questions you'll see on the ACT will be on means/averages, but a few will involve medians. These are generally straightforward, so long as you understand how to find your median. What is the median of the following 7 scores? 42, 67, 33, 79, 33, 79, 21 A. 42B. 52C. 54.5D. 56E. 79 First, let us, as always, put our numbers in ascending order. 21, 33, 33, 42, 67, 79, 89 Since we have a set of 7 numbers, there is a number exactly in the middle of our set. Now that we've put them in order, we can see that the middle number is 42. Our final answer is A, 42. And lastly, mode questions very rarely show up on the ACT. You should still know what a "mode" means in case you do see a mode question on the test, but odds are you'll only be asked to find means and/or medians. Though the questions may appear different, just remember that they are all variations on the same few concepts. How to Solve Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Since you will see these questions multiple time on any given test, it can be easy to rush through them and/or underestimate them. But as you go through your test, remember to keep these ACT math tips in mind: #1: Always (always!) pay attention to exactly what the question is asking You will be asked to find means/averages the majority of the time, so it can become second nature to immediately start finding a mean when you come across an m-word in a math problem. It may seem obvious right now, but the pulse of a ticking clock and the adrenaline in your veins during the test-taking process can make it so that you misread the words in a math question, and try to find the mean instead of the median (or even vice versa). The test makers know how easy it is for people to make these kinds of errors and will provide bait answers to tempt anyone who makes a mistake. Always double-check that you are answering precisely the right question before you start solving the problem (and especially before bubbling in your answer!). #2: Write It Out Take the time to rearrange your set of numbers in order when dealing with medians and modes, and make sure you write out your equations when dealing with means. It can be tempting to solve problems like these in your head, but a single misplaced digit will give you a wrong answer. In order to avoid losing points to careless errors, always take a moment to write out your problem. It will not take as long as you think it will to reorganize your values and it will almost always lead you (quickly) to the right answer. #3: Use PIA/PIN When Necessary If you find yourself stuck on a problem and have some extra time to spare, don't hesitate to use your fallback strategies of plugging in answers or plugging in numbers where applicable. Always keep in mind that it will often take you a little longer to solve a problem using these techniques, but doing so will almost always lead you to the right answer. Practice and technique are required to master any skill, be it statistics questions or silly walks. Test Your Knowledge And now, let's put your knowledge of statistics to the test against real ACT math problems. 1. Tom has taken 5 of the 8 equally weighted tests in his U.S. History class this semester, and he has an average score of exactly 78.0 points. How many points does he need to earn on the 6th test to bring his average score up to exactly 80.0 points? A. 90B. 88C. 82D. 80E. 79 2. 3. What is the difference between the mean and the median of the set {3, 8, 10, 15}? A. 0B. 1C. 4D. 9E. 12 4. To increase the mean of 4 numbers by 2, how much would the sum of the 4 numbers have to increase? F. 2G. 4H. 6J. 8K. 16 Answers: A, B, A, J Answer Explanations: 1. In order to find out how much we need to increase our sum, we first need to find our original sum. Let us represent the original sum with the variable $x$ and use our mean equation to find it. $x/5 = 78$ $x = 390$ Let us use this original sum for our new mean equation with the set of 6 terms. We will represent the missing value with $y$ and set our equation to the needed 80 points. $(390 + y)/6 = 80$ $390 + y = 480$ $y = 90$ We have found the amount necessary to increase our sum in order to get an average of 90 with 6 terms. Our final answer is A, 90. 2. We are told that there are 43 soccer games, so we must find the percentage of each match and multiply this figure by the number of goals per match. For instance, there are 4 matches in which there were 0 goals. Which would give us: $(0)(4/43)$ $(0)(0.093)$ $0$ Now, we need to do the same for all the matches and add them together. $0 + (10/43)(1) + (5/43)(2) + (9/43)(3) + (7/43)(4) + (5/43)(5) + (1/43)(6) + (2/43)(7)$ $0.2325 + 0.2326 + 0.6279 + 0.6512 + 0.5814 + 0.1395 + 0.3256$ $2.79$ Finally, we need to round this number to the nearest 0.1, as we were told to. $2.8$ Our final answer is B, 2.8. 3. The numbers in our set are already in numerical order, so we do not need to rearrange them. Let us find our median: We have two numbers in the middle of our set, because there are an even amount of numbers in our set. This means we must take the average of the two middle numbers. $(8 + 10)/2$ $18/2$ $9$ Now let us also find our mean: $(3 + 8 + 10 + 15)/4$ $36/4$ $9$ We can see that the mean and the median are equal, so the difference between the two is 0. Our final answer is A, 0. 4. We have two different ways to solve this question- using algebra and using PIN. Let's look at both methods. Method 1: Algebra Let us represent both the sum and the mean by the variables $x$ and $y$, respectively in our mean equation. $x/4 = y$ $x = 4y$ Now, let's look at how this changes when we add 2 to to our mean. $x/4 = y + 2$ $x = 4(y + 2)$ $x = 4y + 8$ We can see that we need to add 8 to our previous mean of $4y$. Our final answer is J, 8. Method 2: PIN We could also use plugging in numbers in this case. So let us pick four numbers and find their mean. Let's just say our four numbers are: 3, 4, 6, and 10. (Why those numbers? Why not!) (3 + 4 + 7 + 10)/4 $24/4$ $6$ Now, we want to increase our mean by 2, which would make it: $6 + 2 = 8$ Which means that now we have: $(24 + x)/4 = 8$ $24 + x = 32$ $x = 8$ We can see that we need to add 8 to our sum in order to increase our mean by 2. Our final answer is again J, 8. (Or boy or other gender). Either way, go you! The raptors are proud. The Take Aways Once you know your way around the techniques of finding your means, medians, and modes, you will be able to tackle most any ACT question on the topic. All ACT statistics questions are simply variations on the same theme, so knowing your foundations is essential. As we saw above, there are often multiple ways to solve these types of problems, so don't hesitate to use PIA or PIN if you have the time to spare and if you feel uncomfortable with the algebra. Otherwise, always make absolutely sure you are answering the proper question and don't take for granted that these questions are simple (a careless error will still lose you precious points!). What's Next? You've tackled all there is to know about ACT stats questions and now you're hungry for more ACT math guides...right? Right! Well, lucky for you, we've got guides on all the ACT math topics you could ask for. Need to brush up on your formulas? How about your trigonometry? In the mood to tackle ratios (or set up your own ratios to figure out how many seconds there are in a year)? Browse through our ACT math tab to find what you're looking for. Think you might need a tutor? Look to our guides to find the best ACT tutor for you (and your budget). Running out of time on ACT math? Check out our guide on how to maximize your time (and your points!) before the clock runs out. Looking to get a perfect score? No matter your current level, we've got guides on what to do if you scored lower than you wanted as well as how to get a perfect 36. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

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Given in attatchment - Case Study Example Hence the presence of wireless providers will become more evident. In addition, the demand for wireless and mobile services appears to reach all-time highs. In United Kingdom, Vodafone PLC is one of the most prominent mobile firms. The market value of Vodafone is over 84.7 billion (Vodafone PLC, 2007). By far, this is the biggest in the world among mobile telecommunication operators. As proof to its dominance, Vodafone is partnered with firms in 39 countries worldwide. The firm has been a picture of success in the mobile industry. There were several companies which have tried but failed to penetrate a diverse market. Vodafone's success is often attributed to its strategies and the commitment to make a difference in the industry. Further, Vodafone has dedicated all of its resources to ensure that its customers are provided with top-notch service and solutions. Vodafone understands the need to change because of competition. Changes in consumer preference also affect Vodafone's current direction. To ensure success, the firm amassed high quality resources from the technology used to the personnel delivering the services. Vodafone also assess its current strategies and reviews the performance of these techniques. The company follows a meticulous process to arrive at the best possible decisions for given circumstances. Vodafone PLC caters to approximately 200 million clients. ... In addition, the firm has to settle impairment charges and losses from discontinued operations. But Vodafone's operating revenues was positive in 2006. In fact, the firm has amassed sales of 29 billion during the said year. Of these revenues, 9.4 billion was recorded as operating profit before the mentioned costs and losses. In UK, Vodafone competes against O2, T-Mobile, Virgin Media, 3, and Orange. At present the firm controls 21% of the actual market share. It ranks second in terms of controlled market in UK. Vodafone is known as a partner to several other wireless companies operating across the world. It is affiliated with providers that are market leaders. Vodafone continues to transact with other mobile operators to further expand its presence (Sheth, 2006). III. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is defined as the scrutiny of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organisation (QuickMBA, 2007). This serves as an assessment of the firm's current market position. The primary strength of the company centres on innovation. The products developed by Vodafone identify the company. Another important strength of Vodafone PLC is linked to its reputation. The firm's links with other mobile providers in the world is a major strength. Instead of establishing a mobile network, Vodafone uses already established wireless firms in various markets. This save the company costs and allows Vodafone to make minimal investments with high returns. The brands developed by the firm are known to be of high quality. But Vodafone PLC has some obvious weaknesses. These include the weak performance of its partners. At times, Vodafone is dependent in the manner in which its partner

See work below in description Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See work below in description - Coursework Example The semiconductor markets are so minute to influence the equilibrium of the industry. It is also revealed that the flow of supply of these semiconductors is not reliable and cannot be predicted. Therefore, it can be termed to be stochastic. Introducing stochastic modeling techniques without backorders to the suppliers, ensures that the management is able to predict the supply patterns of its suppliers (Nagle and Hogan, 2006). This allows the introduction of a Reorder Point within their semiconductor inventory, the Reorder point is a particular level of inventory when reached, demands for replacement of depleted stock. Through such a point Universal management will reduce the stock outs. To effect on this, an automated inventory control technique ascertains the firm not to be faced by stock depletion. It allows automatic stock taking and stock use to establish the Reorder point. These are essential management tactics that the universal management ought to consider. The other alternative that the management ought to consider is to identify one of its key suppliers of the semiconductors and negotiate for a merging deal. The merging in this case is a vertical one. In such a deal, two or more firms having different products, but for a particular finished commodity join together to acquire a firm and reliable supply chain. For instance, semiconductors and engines aid in the manufacture if automobile vehicles. Therefore, this is an opportunity that the universal has to consider to stabilize and solve its supply chain problem. The introduction of the stochastic modeling and an automated inventory process is helpful to the firm since they introduce the reorder point to eliminate stock outs. The automated inventory system allows accuracy and timeliness of stock materials, as well as, to their designated destinations (Nagle and Hogan, 2006). The programming models allow prediction of the stochastic supply patterns, hence, Universal will eliminate

Managing Finances for a Better Future Essay Example for Free

Managing Finances for a Better Future Essay In American society, we are encouraged to save money for a better future. However, in my life I have encountered problems with managing my personal finances. In the past, I spent my money irresponsibly. Despite making a decent salary, it was a challenge trying to maintain my financial responsibilities and not something I was very concerned about. I felt as though I was living paycheck to paycheck, when the reality was I simply did a poor job of managing my funds. Now that I have grown up and have a son, my expenses have increased tremendously. Although he is my biggest joy, having to take care of him has worsened my inability to manage and save money properly. When I should be saving money for his college education, instead I spent $500 on toys for Christmas. Therefore, learning how to effectively manage my finances is vitally important in order to secure a healthy and rewarding future for myself and my son. Information to Resolve My Daily Problem As I consider how to resolve my constant problem of saving money, I have identified these information sources as possible resources: 1.  I would use my 401(k) investment catalog to discover more information about how to invest money into different stocks and bonds. 2. I would contact Diana Marrero-Pinto, Director of Housing at the Lorain County Community Action Agency, Inc. to register for the Budgeting Bootcamp seminar. 3. I would search the Internet for reliable resources on how to save money in a bad economy. I would look for such resources in the following manner. I would contact my 401(k) representative to schedule a meeting to discuss my account and possible investments. I would contact Diana Marrero-Pinto to discuss the Budgeting Bootcamp seminar and other training opportunities. I would visit the University of Phoenix Library for articles and book excerpts on budgeting and saving money. Process for Evaluating My Resources In order to evaluate the information that I would gather to resolve my problem, I would consider the source of that information. If I am interviewing professionals, I would ensure that they have a background in finance or experience working with people on how to manage their personal finances. If I am looking at Internet resources, I would be cautious nreliable websites that contain non-factual information. I believe, the Wall Street Journal website has reliable information since it is a nationally renowned newspaper in the United States. Another really reliable resource would be the University of Phoenix Library, because college officials ensure the information is reliable for students. The articles and books available on the University of Phoenix Library allow thousands of students to feel confident about the reliability and accuracy of the resources retrieved from the website. Ways to Use This Information to Resolve the Problem The process of problem-solving includes the ability to utilize self-knowledge to figure out solutions to a problem (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2007). I believe there are four stages in problem-solving: analyzing, synthesizing, applying, and evaluating. First, analyze the problem or issue by identifying the possible causes for why the problem occurred. Next, synthesize all the data that explains the problem and brainstorm possible solutions. According to Carter, Bishop, and Kravits (2007), â€Å"When you are brainstorming ideas, don’t get hooked on finding the one right answer. Questions may have many â€Å"’right answers’- or many answers that have degrees for usefulness† (para. 52). From these possible solutions create a plan of action, outlining important goals with timeframes for completion. Once the goals and timeframes are established, I will begin to apply the goals set forth in order to solve my problem. Later, I will evaluate the process it took to solve my problem, and decide if the process was dependable. This will help me to make better decisions in the future.

King Lear and Illigetimacy :: essays papers

King Lear and Illigetimacy Shakespeare’s treatment of illegitimacy in the play King Lear can be interpreted in many ways depending on the audience. The situation of illegitimacy is portrayed through the relationships of the characters the Earl Of Gloucester and his two sons Edgar and Edmund. Edmund is the illegitimate son while Edgar was born within the law. We learn of Edmund’s illegitimacy in the opening scene in the first act where The Earl of Gloucester is holding a conversation with Kent while Edmund is nearby. Gloucester speaks flippantly and lightly of the way his illegitimate son came into the world while introducing him to Kent saying, â€Å" Though this knave came something saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet his mother was fair, there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged† (Act I, Scene I, Lines 19-24). There are several peculiar things about this dialogue. One of the interesting aspects of Gloucester and Kent’s discuss ion is the readiness of Gloucester to admit he has fathered a child out of wedlock. This may be influenced by the fact that Edmund had obviously grown into a son that a father would be proud to have. At first meeting he seems polite, courteous, and loyal. Perhaps these admirable character traits are cause for Gloucester’s willingness to publicly claim Edmund as his own. Another unusual occurrence in the opening dialogue is that Gloucester calls Edmund a whoreson and a knave while he is close by and probably in hearing distance. This seems odd because Gloucester professes to feel only love for his son and no shame but he seems to almost mock him in this situation. One explanation for this behavior may be that deep down Gloucester still harbors some discomfort about the relationship between himself and his son despite his verbal proclamations of shamelessness. This could be inferred from Gloucester’s statement, â€Å" His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have s o often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am brazed to ‘t.† (Act I, Scene I, Line 9). Again, depending on the audience the attitudes displayed in the play by the characters and Shakespeare himself by his writing can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the observer. Originally Shakespeare’s played were viewed by people alive during the Elizabethan era.

Animal Disturbances in Eastern Deciduous Forests Essay -- Ecology, Eco

The study of ecology is currently primarily focused upon anthropogenic effects on ecosystems as well as feeding relationships; however, non-feeding interactions are also an important factor in understanding the balance of the ecosystem and identifying issues. These interactions are generally termed disturbances. What constitutes a disturbance? White and Pickett defined it as â€Å"any relatively discrete event in time that disrupts ecosystem, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment† (White 1985). Some definitions of disturbances such as Grime's require the destruction of biomass, however, this tends to rule out many events that cause changes in the makeup of ecosystems yet are not feeding interactions (Buckley 1992). All animals interact with their environment beyond simply feeding as even walking can affect the makeup of the environment by crushing grasses or insects. Still, not all animals have the same degree of effect on the environment - certain animals are considered to be â€Å"ecosystem engineers.† These ecosystem engineers include crocodiles and beavers, animals that substantially change the environment around them to adapt it to their needs. Clive G. Jones defined ecosystem engineers as â€Å"organisms that directly or indirectly modulate the availability of resources to other species, by causing physical state changes in biotic or abiotic materials. In doing so, they modify, maintain, and create habitats†(Jones 1994). Of course, not all organisms that have non-trophic effects on their environment are ecosystem engineers. It is simply that the effects of the ecosystem engineer tend to be the best studied as they have the largest, most deliberate effect. H... ...ing monoculture comes a plethora of plant viruses that were previously reduced by diversity. As Castello states: â€Å"As forests become monocultures of one or several species, and as they suffer from mismanagement...they become more vulnerable to the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses†(Castello 1989). Problematically, little is known about plant viruses and thus little is known about how to manage forests to prevent viruses or reduce their impact. There is some disagreement on whether a lack of disturbances truly leads to monoculture as certain ecologists including Hubbell believe that recruitment failures outweigh any possible effect of disturbances (Hubbell 1999). However, as studies have shown, disturbances can drastically increase recruitment failures. Nearly all researchers did agree that anthropogenic disturbances universally reduce diversity in ecosystems.

Politics in the English Language Essay

Miscommunication is often the result of modern prose which is most commonly used despite its vagueness because of its simplicity. According to George Orwell’s â€Å"Politics in the English Language,† these habits must be eliminated in order to think clearly, if not, language will continue to be used in corrupt ways by politicians. With poor language skills come poor thinking skills, making it easier for people to be manipulated by warped language. Ted Hughes â€Å"Words and Experience† expresses that words are inadequate and that it is very difficult to capture experience properly. The way in which Hughes and Orwell appeal to the problem of miscommunication are different; Orwell is critical while Hughes is sympathetic. In the paper â€Å"Politics in the English Language,† George Orwell appeals to logos to prove that the misuse of language is corruptly used by politicians for selfish purposes. Thought corrupts language and politicians manipulate language fo r their own selfish purposes. Words such as fascism and democracy are among those words due to their lack of a concrete meaning. Democracy is often associated with a positive meaning whereas fascism is associated with a negative meaning. As a result dishonest politicians use their own interpretation to twist the meaning of what they are trying to communicate. They have defended events such as the Russian purges and deportations, the British rule in India and the atomic bombing in Japan by using language consisting of â€Å"euphemisms, questionable begging and sheer cloudy vagueness† (Orwell 699). This language covers up all the details of the events and is a prime example of how thought corrupts language. Language is warped because of the way it is used to lie and manipulate people. Politicians use vague language to hide questionable acts which leads to poor language skills. Orwell states that â€Å"the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts† (Orwell 691). He believes that poor language skills lead to poor thinking skills which are detrimental to society beca use people often accept the words of authority figures without thinking; they are not conscience of the meaning of the words being used. These bad language habits that Orwell indentifies are dying metaphors, pretentious diction and meaningless words; all of which are unnecessary and increase vagueness. This form of modern prose is easier therefore it is used commonly resulting in poor thinking skills. â€Å"The whole tendency of modern prose is away from concreteness† and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else† (Orwell 697). Orwell suggests that the problem is cyclical; vague language leads to the inability to think for oneself and the inability to think leads to miscommunication. Orwell uses logos to identify the problem and treats it with a critical tone however, believes that it can be fixed â€Å"if one is willing to take the necessary trouble† (Orwell 691). Ted Hughes and George Orwell share similar views on the misuse of language however Hughes uses different points to convey the message in his essay â€Å"Words and Ex perience.† Hughes states that words are tools and that it is difficult to choose the correct words to capture experiences. He uses the metaphor â€Å"A word is its own little solar system of meanings† (Hughes 120) because there is a vast amount of words to choose from and the process is often overcomplicated. Too much time spent thinking of the correct words to use causes people to miss the experience all together. Finding the right word requires a fine balance therefore words should not be used casually. Without this balance, words tend to inhibit the simplest descriptions such as â€Å"the infinite depth of crowiness in the crow’s flight† (Hughes 122). In this case, all words can be used for are indicators and general directives. Swiss psycho-analyst Jung believes that people know how to use words properly but have to quiet down to get what is inside their conscience. Although Hughes writes in a hopeful tone he believes that words are inadequate in describing experience. If and when a balance is found and words match experience, that is poetry. His view and solution are effectively communicated in using a sympathetic tone. George Orwell and Ted Hughes both attack the problem of the misuse of language effectively. With similar goals, both are equally able to convey the same points while appealing to different aspects and emotions. George Orwell’s â€Å"Politics in the English Language,† appeals to logos while criticizing the way unclear language is used corruptly by politicians. He adequately shows how people are easily manipulated by warped language because poor language skills lead poor thinking skills. Ted Hughes appeals to logos by using a sympathetic tone to convey the message that words are inadequate and it is very difficult to capture experience in his essay â€Å"Words and Experience.† The problem of miscommunication found in modern  prose is the result of vagueness and must be fixed. This is difficult because of the bad habits formed and its simplicity, however it can be fixed if one takes the initiative.

Types of Economic Systems

The 3 Types of Economic Systems– Centrally planned economy – Mixed economy – Market economyCentrally planned economySystem in which a nation’s resources are owned by the government. Came from the ideology that the welfare of the group is more important than individual well being, the idea came from Karl Marx. The decline of Centrally planned economies was in the 1980’s nations began to dismantle communist central planning in favor of market based economy. Mixed economyEconomic system in which resources are more equally divide between private and government ownership. It came from the idea that a successful system must be not only efficient and innovative but should also protect society. Most economies around the world are mixed economies but most mixed economies are trying to convert more of a market economy. This is called â€Å"Privatization† or â€Å"Privatizing†. Market EconomyThe majority of nations resources are privately owned. Economic decisions are determined by supply and demand. Based on the belief that individual concerns should be placed above group concerns. The best features are free choice, free enterprise and price flexibility. The governments role is enforcing antitrust laws, preserving property rights, providing a stable fiscal and monetary environment and preserving political stability. Personally I would prefer to live in a mixed economy. I say this because it is the best kind of economic system in my eyes. A mixed economy lies between a free market economy and a centrally planned economy. A mixed economy combines elements from free market and centrally planned to create a more favorable economy. Most nations operate mixed economies with varying combinations of capitalist and socialist features. Some benefits of a mixed economy are free enterprise, private ownership, a â€Å"safety net† and the ability for the government to step in if needed. This is very appealing because the benefits are unmatched from the other two main economic systems. I like the idea of private ownership and the government being able to step in during times of need, these two examples are the main reasons I prefer to live in a mixed economy.

Honeywell International Success Essay

This paper introduces the reader to Honeywell International Inc. Honeywell is a world leader in the application of lean manufacturing and its Six Sigma Plus processes. With the use of carefully monitored cost standards, net present value in investment decisions, and the transparency of the company’s financial statements are all methods that Honeywell has successfully implemented and utilized to reach and maintain their status as a world-wide competitor. The company has continued its growth, despite the market downturn that began in 2007, and continues to prove its resilience and pioneering spirit by continually improving their product lines, globally expanding their market, and, monitoring and maintaining financial stability. Its forward thinking and willingness to take risk will provide Honeywell the capacity to maintain its role as a major competitor and contributor to the growth and recovery of our economy. Table of Contents Page Abstract2 Company Overview4 Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing8 The Use of Standard Costs11 The Use of Net Present Value14 Summary15 References18 Honeywell International Inc. is an American based advanced-technology company that manufactures aerospace and automotive products; residential, commercial, and industrial control systems; specialty chemicals and plastics; and engineered materials. Its assent into history can be traced back to 1885, spanning 125 years of history. Honeywell International is a $38 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, with 132,000 employees in over 100 countries and it a Fortune 75 Company. It is a diverse and global-wide organization and is a leading supplier of avionics and electronics, consumable hardware, engine controls, environmental controls, landing systems, power systems, propulsion engines, aerospace services and space products, and systems for the aerospace industry, as well as Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of commercial, regional, business and military aircraft and spacecraft. Today, its main competitors in the aerospace defense product and service industry are BorgWarner Inc. , Johnson Controls Inc. and United Technologies Corp. State-of-the-art technology, world known brands and global solutions have placed Honeywell in the unique position as one of the premier worldwide suppliers in the aerospace industry, offering solutions of systems, products and services to the largest aerospace and airline companies in the industry. Throughout their 125 years in business, Honeywell has helped revolutionize the aerospace industry with its dedication to research and development and its enthusiasm to advance technology in their various markets. Honeywell’s reliable and efficient aerospace services and support programs deliver the right level of engineering expertise, maintenance services and asset availability solutions to simplify operations while keeping systems and equipment at peak operational performance. It has proven to be successful in its quest for growth and global expansion from the time of inception. Their quest to acquire and expand began in 1927; the original company, Minneapolis Heat Regulator Company, and Honeywell Heating Specialty Co. merged to form the Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co. From the merger, the name Honeywell was adopted and has remained the same since. In the course of its acquisitions, Honeywell purchased other businesses whose focus was in the controls area; among those acquisitions, was Brown Instrument Co. who was a wide-reaching leader in the field of industrial controls and indicators. This acquisition further increased their already successful market to a wider range of customers, as Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co. had already established an overseas trading agreement with Japanese distributors such as Yamatake Trading Company. It was no surprise that, in 1934, Honeywell pursued and eventually acquired Time-O-Stat Controls Corporation. With the acquisition of Time-O-Stat, Honeywell further expanded its global presence, establishing offices in Toronto, Canada and The Netherlands; a few years later, they had offices in London and Stockholm. By 1941, Honeywell had expanded into markets in Chile, Panama, Trinidad, New Zealand, Argentina, and South Africa. By 1972, it operated 25 wholly-owned subsidiaries, 142 branch offices, and joint ventures in five countries outside the U. S. True to its reputation as a risk taker, Honeywell ventured into the computer industry. This venture was brief and by 1991 Honeywell was on longer in the computer business. Even though the venture was short lived, it proved to be of great value; Honeywell used the knowledge gained from their digital computer experience and applied it to the traditional field of automation control, integrating sensors, and activators. In 1986, Honeywell purchased Sperry Aerospace, and markedly enhanced its position in the aerospace industry. Edson Spencer, Honeywell chairman and chief executive officer, said the purchase was among the most important his company had made, †It is an outstanding opportunity for Honeywell that positions us for the long term in a market that is expected to have significant growth for the next 10 years – commercial and military aviation† (Arnold, 2012). This purchase made Honeywell the world’s leading integrator of avionics systems, incorporation flight controls, space vehicles, and the first FAA-certified wind shear warning system. It continued to expand, and by 1993, the company continued its world-wide expansion by opening affiliates in Abu Dhabi, China, Oman, Romania, and the Ukraine. In a span of 26 years, Honeywell had operations in 95 countries through 83 wholly-owned subsidiaries and 13 joint ventures. One of the most noted and discussed mergers occurred in 1999 when AlliedSignal, a diverse manufacturer, bought Honeywell for $13. 8 billion in stock. AlliedSignal kept the Honeywell name, merging offices, and closed its Morristown, New Jersey headquarters. The merger resulted in a major restructuring for Honeywell which added to its product line and services. The deal created a company with $25 billion in annual sales and a market capitalization in excess of $45 billion. The merger gave the combined company the marketing edge, providing their airline customers to take advantage of new technology that would boost cost savings for both parties. In an unexpected turn, the early part of 2001 brought difficulties for Honeywell when the European Commission rejected the purchase of Honeywell by General Electric (GE). In October 2001, Honeywell and GE, the largest corporation in the world and the number one producer of jet engines, announced the intent to embark on one of the largest industrial mergers in history. The plan was for GE to acquire Honeywell, the largest worldwide supplier of non-engine aerospace equipment. During negotiations it was anticipated that there would be no antitrust problem; as GE and Honeywell were not competitors and not part of the same supply chain. The merger was intended to bring together complementary products that were component parts of large jet aircraft. The deal would have been the largest industrial merger in history. Instead, it became recognized as the first, and so far only, merger between US companies to be derailed solely by the European anti-trust authorities, while being cleared by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). On July 3, 2001, in an unprecedented act, the EU officially rejected the planned $42 billion acquisition of Honeywell International Inc. , by GE. The merger was denied by the EU after concluding that the merger would create or strengthen dominant positions on several markets and that the remedies proposed by G.E. were insufficient to resolve the competition concerns resulting from the proposed acquisition of Honeywell. †The merger between G. E. and Honeywell, as it was notified, would have severely reduced competition in the aerospace industry and resulted ultimately in higher prices for customers, particularly airlines† (Pellegrini, 2001). Despite the fact that the GE buyout failure was a stumbling block, Honeywell used the experience to strengthen its core businesses by continuing to develop and introduce new products. The company started an aggressive acquisition strategy with the goal to increase revenues and decrease cost in a strategy that, â€Å"†¦divested small, underperforming operations, reduced the number of suppliers, and streamlined operations in small ways elsewhere† Honeywell History, n. a. ) The results paid off for Honeywell, as they continued to win a large percentage of their contract bids, sales were ahead of budget, and the rate of turnover in managers did not significantly increase from the same period in the prior year, and customer satisfaction was up. Honeywell faced some challenges after the GE debacle, however, by making changes it displayed that tenacity, hard work and a willingness to take risk, can result in huge payoffs. Honeywell continued to streamline and improve their lean manufacturing processes, i. e. Six Sigma Plus, implement and ensure compliance of the company code of conduct and maintain its dominance as a government contractor. Honeywell began its Six Sigma process and concept of self-managed teams in 1995 to â€Å"drive data-based decision making, ensure quality levels, and improve customer satisfaction† (Crager, 2007). Through training, leadership, and senior management support, Honeywell successfully developed their Six Sigma program. In late 2001 Honeywell combined the concepts of lean manufacturing and Six Sigma in a program called Six Sigma Plus to create a more robust program. The program was designed to align improvement objectives directly with business needs by integrating top talent and generating bottom-line results. Six Sigma Plus is an overall strategy to accelerate improvements in all processes, products and services, and reduce the punitive cost of poor quality through elimination of waste and reduction of defects and variations. One of the ultimate aims documented in the Six Sigma Plus strategy is providing maximum value to customers by applying a logical and structured approach to all business processes. One of the pluses of Six Sigma is that it empowered employees, allowing them to make decisions that impacted how their unit or line was performing. This provided Honeywell an excellent tool that is a highly respected measure of excellence. (M. Calderon, personal communication, May 1, 2012) Honeywell took the basic concept of Six Sigma and created its own version which is known as Six Sigma Plus. It is currently used across all businesses and brands to drive growth and productivity. â€Å"The standard operates by providing a measurement of how effective the organization is in eliminating defects and variations from processes. To meet its requirements, a process must operate at 3. 4 defects or less per million opportunities. This equates to 99. 9997% error free† (Six Sigma Plus, n. d. ). Conscious application of the Six Sigma methodology to all business processes delivers greater value to its customers and makes Honeywell a more desirable business partner. The implementation of lean manufacturing processes has enabled Honeywell to maintain tight controls in all aspects of the managerial accounting processes. With the use of managerial accounting, Honeywell has ensured that their productions and service is well planned and controlled. With the budget cuts facing government, private sector job loss, and tightened markets, it is impressive that Honeywell has continued to maintain its sales growth in the United States. The diversity of Honeywell’s world-wide enterprise, exemplifies the importance of a creative corporate marketing approach. Honeywell consists of unique business units, with each, offering a variety of products and services. Strategies and implementation of those strategies must be developed and executed at the corporate, business unit, and product levels. Overall, strategy and long-term planning are guided by the company’s vision and stated mission. At the business level, planning begins with an examination of the current situation, including technological changes and competitive effects. By using this type of analysis, Honeywell is better equipped to address and identify threats and new business opportunities. Decisions to pursue new opportunities are followed by establishing a set of objectives, often stated in terms of market share, sales volume, or profitability. Subsequently, business and marketing strategies are developed to achieve those objectives. Effective execution of strategy in implementation must then occur for objectives to be realized. Effective financial statement analysis will be a primary indicator that indicates the progress and demonstrates whether company goals are being met. Honeywell has been a leader in their industry in planning and control and have used financial analysis in depth to evaluate and control their growth and profitability. It continues to be effective in identifying opportunities to improve the organization’s efficiency and in developing strategic plans to realize those opportunities. By using a diversity of analytical tools Honeywell is better prepared in making operating decisions, such as how and where products are to be manufactured and serviced, whether insourcing or outsourcing is more equitable, and whether to expand and the area to expand to. Timely and accurate financial statement preparation is critical to the success or failure of a business. The financial officer, owner, partner or members management team of a business must review the business financial statements and have a good understanding of them. Financial statements are critical to Honeywell’s ability to make solid, informed decisions. Such decisions are needed in order for Honeywell to meet one of its primary goals, which is to realize a high rate of return on their investments. The measurement and success of this initiative is arrived at by measuring it against other industry averages. This information helps Honeywell understand that current initiatives do show a market response. In view of the fact that the industry average can be general in nature the industry average should be used as a guide. A failure to use the data appropriately can mislead investors and have a disastrous affect on Honeywell’s reputation and marketability. Achieving their strategic plan will not only involve Honeywell’s internal planning and controlling, but it will also involve the support of creditors and investors. Both are key players in providing capital needs to support new initiatives and milestones; the use of financial statements in this process will no doubt be the backbone of the decision making process. It is difficult to know the health and direction of a company if financial statements are not reviewed in a timely manner. In its pursuit of investors, or the success in the results of an external audit, the financial statements are the ultimate representation of company’s financial position. In general accounting practices, Honeywell uses process costing for its furnace thermostats (home products division) and job costing for customized aerospace contracting products. When thinking in terms of standard costs and whether they would be beneficial, one factor to consider is the fact that Honeywell is a world-wide producer with operations in many countries outside of the United States (US). There are ramifications when doing business overseas as well as doing business in the US and each scenario has its own benefits and consequences that are unique to specified circumstances. Honeywell, like their competitors has migrated to low cost countries because of the labor rate differential. The move to overseas production creates additional concerns and dynamics. World-class manufacturing in today’s competitive environment demands more than a single-minded focus on eliminating defects. Since the introduction of Six Sigma and Lean tools to their operations over a decade ago, Honeywell has delivered significant results for customers in terms of the quality, delivery and value of our products and services. To achieve competitive advantage in today’s environment, Honeywell has continued to build on its Six Sigma and Lean foundation, and identify new ways to differentiate themselves. Benchmark companies such as Toyota and Nissan use Six Sigma and Lean tools. Like Honeywell, they also have a disciplined management system that standardizes work and engage employees in improving work processes. In doing this, organizations have achieved tremendous performance improvements. The Honeywell Operating System is a comprehensive, integrated approach to managing their organization. It is characterized by a consistent focus on results for the benefit of our customers, not on the use of specific tools. The objective is to simplify and standardize processes everywhere, to remove variation across operations, and to drive significant and sustainable improvements in safety, quality, delivery and cost. Employees are encouraged use tools such as Six Sigma, in achieving a common purpose: global wide use of an operating system that consistently yields excellent results for the customers and the company. Implementing standardized cost standards is not an easy task and it will take time. Honeywell maintains that standardization will evolve to fit different business environments and changing customer needs and will become an essential part of the process that will bind their company across business and geographic boundaries. Honeywell’s workforce consists of residents of the country they are in to satisfy requirements imposed by foreign nations. It is almost mandatory to have overseas operations to reduce labor and material costs; however, these operations come with high risk. Foreign workers are not always equipped with the necessary skills to perform the manufacturing duties required by a highly technical company. The expense of employing and developing such a workforce can create additional costs. In determining what the additional costs, standard costs prove beneficial because they would provide Honeywell the ability to budget costs with a great understanding and degree of confidence. A standard cost system allows a company to factor in methods that would absorb the periods in which higher costs are identified due to foreign employment development and when costs are low or minimal due to workforce stabilization. In its foreign production, Honeywell will have to set attainable standards in order maintain its performing baseline. Another factor in foreign operations is the volatile condition of the world. The United States is not always welcomed in other countries. It is not uncommon for a common protest to turn into a major world crisis. Such examples are those of the uprisings in Israel and Libya. Honeywell hosts operations in Israel, where relations between the government and the general population are volatile and unpredictable. In addition, we have seen several instances where regimes have changed power and attitudes toward the US in a matter of days. Standard costing is paramount as an aide for monitoring and managing the risk of unpredictability. It is a healthy practice that can protect Honeywell from severe monetary damage if a foreign tragedy should affect the business. The information obtained from standard costing aides Honeywell against the volatility of today’s markets and the strategy of its competitors. Honeywell is continuously improving its processes, products and management style to maintain their competitive edge. To be competitive, Honeywell will continue to use their standard cost system to help them execute planning and control of their strategic priorities. Tracking costs will also help Honeywell identify weakness and variances in their production system. Undetected problems in the areas of materials and labor can eventually raise variance to a point of hindering Honeywell from maintaining their core competencies. Consequently, today’s market provides no room for error, but every opportunity for a competitor to gain the lead. In many respects, some of the rationale that goes into using standard costs also applies to formulating the right strategy to gain a positive Net Present Value. Honeywell’s reach is global and therefore its investment opportunities are also global. Due to the unique factors involved with global markets, it is necessary for Honeywell to perform critical planning for investment decisions. Honeywell has a reputation as an organization that is willing to take risks to make money. It has done that by acquiring other business or expanding its existing facilities for future business. Such expansions are expensive and these expansions require additional staff which adds to the cost of investment. Large expenditures are a challenge to control the net present value (NPV) and require clear identification of cost and risks in order to be a success. Strategic moves, such as partnering with the national government, can leverage the way to a positive NPV. In this approach, there are tradeoff between the corporation and the government in which both interests can be mutually met. Corporation’s like Honeywell utilize these paths in order to reduce investment costs and have accurate projections for calculating and incorporating NPV baselines. Because of the ongoing activity of many investments occurring at one time, it is critical that Honeywell has complete knowledge of their NPV and ensure profitable investments are achieved. Failing to do this can result in major losses, especially when an unplanned shortfall occurs. Although the investment sounds promising, it is critical that NPV is properly measured. It is also advisable from an NPV and program management position that Honeywell phase its investment into NPV milestones which help determine if they should move forward to the next phase of the investment. This process would provide a safeguard while allowing the innovation to prove itself. While the actual rate of return (IRR) that  a given project ends up generating will often differ from its estimated IRR rate, a project with a substantially higher IRR value than other available options would still provide a much better chance of strong growth. IRRs can also be compared against prevailing rates of return in the securities market. If a firm can’t find any projects with IRRs greater than the returns that can be generated in the financial markets, it may simply choose to invest its retained earnings into the market. The need for Honeywell to practice continuous NPV drills in a market with circumstances such as those faced in China by US companies, is critical. While both countries maintain a civil business partnership, there is an unspoken adversarial relationship which creates instability. China is strategically positioning itself as a global power therefore, the relationship between both countries is precarious and any misstep by Honeywell could severely damage the existing business relationship. Another potential concern for Honeywell is that China is currently the largest lender to the US. At the point that China reaches the economic capacity to sustain its prosperity internally, we have to ask ourselves if they will request repayment by the US prior to maturity dates. As we have seen in several European countries, a request of that magnitude could destabilize an already fragile US economy. In consideration of this scenario, and other contributing factors, Honeywell should be careful in investment planning, and phase its activities so that the NPV is not contingent upon results that will take a long period to realize a return. In summary, Honeywell has proven itself as a world leader of technology. This corporation is known world-wide and is a household name. Honeywell leads the way in advanced switching and sensing technology in their home division, and its aerospace division. In spite of the GE failure, it has kept its mark on the global economy through market highs and lows and has maintained its dominant position in an extremely competitive industry. As a long-time survivor and global competitor on the world stage, Honeywell continues to make its mark in history by developing innovative safety products, driving the modernization of global air traffic management, revolutionizing combat technology and their commitment to improving operational efficiencies. Honeywell continues to display their dominance with its diversity and profitable risk taking ventures. Perhaps Honeywell’s greatest strength has been the fact that it has adapted to a world that is ever changing and has embraced the challenge that other companies find daunting. With the continued vision to improve processes for safety, quality and cost, reducing waste, and using integrated strategies Honeywell continues to be a standard for their industry. They continue to be innovative and competitive and have a strong commitment to bringing profitable products that their customers need and want. Due to the diversity and competitive market that Honeywell has chosen to operate in, it is of extreme importance that the company maintains sound financial practices that will support the moral fiber and marketability of the company. As Honeywell moves into the future I believe they will continue to perfect their processes to produce the right financial statements, useful in calculating their position in the market, and providing the best advice for investment decisions. The proper use of standard costs and net present value are an example of the critical tools that ensure Honeywell continues to thrive in today’s unknown global conditions. Also critical to the success of Honeywell is the continued utilization of strong and proper ethical practices as the company is well known, world-wide competitor and a representative of the American business ethics and values. Whether it is in the Middle Eastern or the Far East, Honeywell is known and recognized; such a position makes it important for Honeywell to be transparent in its fiscal disclosures. Sound financial practices are essential to Honeywell in order for the company to continue its success and market dominance. Primary emphasis on these practices will serve to maintain Honeywell’s status and help them make the most profitable investment decisions for their investors and the company. As recent as April 23, 2012, Honeywell declared a â€Å"regular quarterly dividend of $0. 3725 per share on the company’s outstanding common stock. The dividend is payable on June 8, 2012 to shareowners of record at the close of business on May 18, 2012† (Honeywell Declares Quarterly Dividend, 2012). If this is any indication, Honeywell will continue to be a viable global competitor and financial contributor to our financial and job market. Honeywell is an excellent example of an organization that is forward thinking and proactive. It has operated with a strong ethical code of conduct, strong financial discipline and an ever present focus on the future. This methodology and ideology will ensure their continued financial growth and market expansion. It is apparent that their cost standards, lean processes, and disciplined managerial financial management has enabled them to overcome obstacles, secure their position as a global competitor and a viable contender in today’s competitive, technology-oriented world.