Monday, September 30, 2019

Theology in the Chronicles of Narnia the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

RELAMPAGOS, Nicola Liane C. POSADAS, Klarizze FINAL PROJECT: The Chronicles of Narnia The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series written by CS Lewis. The book series was such a great success that in 2008, the first book was turned into a film. What many people may not realize is that CS Lewis wrote the book series with a specific goal in mind: to showcase the word of God to different parts of the world through an artistic lens. This paper will focus on the theological nature of CS Lewis’ book based film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.This will include a number of noticeable parallelisms, allusions and symbolisms found in said work. Although The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was originally a published book, this paper will focus on the film adaptation of the book. One of the noticeable symbolisms in the movie would be found in the main character s of the film: Aslan, the Witch and the children. Aslan was portrayed as the original king of Narnia and when Narnia was held deep in the clutches of the White Witch, Narnias looked to Aslan as their redeemer.Aslan was also the one who died so that Edmund may live. He was the only one who was capable of defeating the White Witch. Aslan in the film was an artistic representation of Jesus Christ. The parallelism found in the resurrection of Christ, his absorbing of our sins and overcoming death is seen in the depiction The Witch, on the other hand, represents Satan. It was the White Witch who covered Narnia in snow: no sign of life, simply cold and dead. The Witch is consumed in her own vanity and the longing to fully overcome Aslan and rule over Narnia forever.It isn’t clearly stated, but it is seen in certain parts of the movie that The Witch feared Aslan: when the Witch spoke out of turn after their agreement and Aslan roared at her and she quickly sat down in fear of him. M uch like the Witch, Satan will always be inferior to God but will always try to put himself about Christ but will never achieve such. Lastly, the four children (Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Suzan) are human beings. They represent four different kinds of people who have different encounters with God.For Peter, he is the skeptical type of Christian. One who is doubtful by how God can use him to help build God’s kingdom, yet at times he forgets that it is only Christ who can defeat evil and not by his strength alone. Edmund is the type of Christian who has sinned and fallen short many times along the road before choosing to love and follow Christ. While Suzan is the type of Christian who has consistently doubted whether or not Christ, even really exists before fully trusting God with the things that don’t seem to make sense.Lastly, Lucy represents the Christians who just love, follow and dedicate their lives to Christ without hesitation and without doubt. Lucy’s childli keness showcases how Christians should love and trust Christ with our lives. Since the four children can be seen as symbolisms of human beings, their relationship with Aslan shows a lot about the grace, mercy and overall character of God. One of the main examples where this is seen is the grace that Aslan showed to Edmund who was a traitor.Despite Edmunds’ choice to prioritize Turkish delight over his family and his right as one of the king of Narnia, Aslan still accepted Edmund into his army and not only that Edmund still inherited the kingdom of Narnia not by his own works but by Aslan’s choice. Much like the plot of the movie, Christ will continue to accept sinners into his family despite what they have done in the past. As Aslan said, â€Å"What’s done is done, we need not speak to Edmund about what has happened anymore† this has a similar message in Philippians â€Å"I focus on all my energy on one thing: Forgetting what lies behind and focusing on what’s ahead†.Also, Edmund’s choice to pursue Turkish delight over his unmerited right to be a king of Narnia, is similar to the story in the Bible of how Esau gave up his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Both Edmund and Esau’s common mentality was the seeing the situation only at the present and forgetting the eternal value and purpose of their lives. But despite Edmund’s decision, Aslan accepted his presence with open arms, which is a similar characteristic to the story of the Prodigal Son.True sacrifice is an act that any human being can never really fathom, due to the only considered true sacrifice that was only made by God Himself by offering his own son to the world that is bound to perish in eternal debt of sin. In the movie, true sacrifice was first depicted through the following event, which was the acceptance of Edmund despite of his treason towards Aslan and his own brothers and sisters. Without the mistake that Edmund committed ea rlier in the movie, true sacrifice would have not been clearly depicted.The scene where Edmund was enticed by the Witch’s offer of Turkish delight and then the throne shows a great parallel of how the world committed the very first sin, the original sin. Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil, who took the form a snake and they were blinded by the temptation of knowledge that was offered by the apple. Same goes to Edmund, he succumbs to the lavish offers of the Witch that led to his treason towards his siblings. In the end, Aslan accepts Edmund despite his betrayal and also became the emancipator from the Witch.This selfless act then led to the suffering and supposed death of Aslan. The altruism that Aslan performed is an exact parallel to the suffering of Christ, which was the crucifixion. With such altruistic acts of both Aslan and Jesus Christ, it is believed that their sacrifices are yet to be unvarnished. No one in this world is capable of such because only the savior ca n absorb the sins of the world. In the movie, Aslan was put to death and was humiliated in front of the presence of many followers of the Witch by cutting off his mane, which is parallel to Christ’s crown of thorns.The Witch wanted to show her iron fist by showing the execution of Aslan in public, which only goes to show that she fears Aslan. She needs the approval of many, for her to feel superior over him. Although she thought she had succeed with the humiliation and execution, little did the Witch know that Aslan was to come back to life and save his followers despite their treason. The representation of Christ’s suffering and resurrection was fairly accurate; the breaking of the stone table which Aslan’s body was left behind is aligned to the opening of Christ’s tomb.In addition, Aslan was first seen back to life by the girls, which in the film were Susan and Lucy, and just like Christ who appeared to the women first (Mary and Mary Magdalene; found in Matthew 28:9). The movie then proceeds to the war between good and evil, which illustrates the consistent internal battle inside every human mind. When Aslan came back to life, he did not eradicate the battle between the Narnians and the forces of the Witch. But instead, the battle continued on even to the point that the Narnians began to face defeat.This shows that although the Jesus Christ overcame death, there will still be an internal battle between good and evil within us. In the film, Peter and Edmund try to lead the battle against the forces of The Witch and even tried to kill her but their attempts only would lead to death. It is only when Aslan comes into the picture, that he is not only able to breathe life back into the dead but also defeat the Witch. This is an artistic depiction of how human beings cannot overcome death by their strength alone. It is only Christ’s power that Satan is fully defeated.Therefore during spiritual battles within humans, one was surren der and acknowledges that he cannot do it by themselves and it is only by God’s help that we can overcome evil. Lastly, Aslan’s words after he defeated the Witch were a direct parallelism to the words that Jesus Christ utters when he defeated death on the cross: â€Å"It is finished†. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe film holds a great number of theoretical references but the major and more obvious events would be the characterization of Asaln, the Witch and the three children, Aslan’s sacrifice and battle between the two forces.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Is Rosalind the Perfect Heroine? Essay

â€Å"As You Like It†, is yet another Shakespearian play that pities nature against civilisation, masculinity against femininity, idealism against cynicism, youth against age, child against parent, time against timelessness, and love against hate. It’s both a gentle, pastoral comedy of love, and a dark and sexually ambiguous comment on gender construction. Rosalind as a character is both a heroine and a portrayal of feminism. The evolution of feminine identity within a patriarchal system of power informs both the setting and characterization of this play. Rosalind dominates the play. As the audience we fully realise the complexity of her character. We understand her emotions, her subtle thoughts, and the fullness of her character that no other character in the play can match. She is successful as a knowledgeable and charming critic of herself and others â€Å"I would give him some good counsel for himself, for he seems to have the quotidian of love above him.† The definition of a heroine looked up in a dictionary is: a woman possessing heroic qualities or a woman who has performed heroic deeds. This definition can be subjective however depending on the context and the time in which the heroine’s character was portrayed. The definition of a heroine changes and evolves over time which is why what a modern audience would class a heroine characterisations is different to the definition of a heroine during the Elizabethan times. The traditional method takes the idea that all characters are real and have lives of their own. This is very different to the modern method as it is structured around the idea that characters are only functions that portray Shakespeare’s ideas. They are all part of Shakespeare’s stage craft. They reflect the bigger aspect of the play. They all have particular dramatic functions, and are set in a social and political world with particular values and beliefs. Looking at a play from a traditional approach is a more imaginative and less academic, however this does allow the audience to become involved and emotionally attached to the characters. This way of approaching a play was used in the time of Shakespeare as plays were made purely for performance. Features of a 17th century heroine differs from a modern day heroine. In the Elizabethan times, beauty, innocence, intelligence, wit and independence would have been classed as heroine qualities. A modern day heroine is thought to be a person that has strength of character, a courageous and original person. Nowadays facial features and beauty does not really count as a heroic quality. However perceptions and ideas of heroines differ from one person to another and this needs to be kept in mind. The portrayal of Rosalind is open to interpretations. It has been interpreted differently by different versions of performances and films. It has also been interpreted differently by different characters in the play. Celia sees Rosalind (Ganymede) as someone who has â€Å"misused our sex†. Other characters like phebe fall in love with (Ganymede) â€Å"I love Ganymede†. In Elizabethan times Rosalind would be viewed as a very feminine character who was at liberty when dressed as a male. This is because in the Elizabethan era, women were viewed as being weak and men as being in control and powerful. Therefore when a woman was dressed as a man she was at more liberty and could do things that she couldn’t have done if she was in form of a woman. Nowadays Rosalind can be viewed a tomboy. Rosalind is a particular favourite amongst the feminist critics, who admire her ability to subvert the limitations that the society imposes on her as a woman. With boldness and imagina tion she disguises herself as a young man for most of the play in order to woo the man she loves and instructs him in how to be a more accomplished and attentive lover, a tutorship which would not be welcome to her as a woman. â€Å"You shall never take her without her answer, unless you take her without her tongue. O that woman cannot make her fault her husband’s occasion, let her nurse hr child herself, for she’ll breed it like a fool.† Rosalind and Celia develop into women. In the court these are inexperienced girls, yet as the comic action moves forward, they are forced to take on disguises and discover what it means to be a woman. Rosalind derives her power from her masculine disguise, and much of her humour is antifeminine. It can be said that this detracts her from being a perfect heroine. She can not exercise such power and control when being simply herself. It’s Celia who actually makes the first step into adult heterosexual womanhood. She’s angry over Rosalind’s boorish behaviour as Ganymede, Celia berates her cousin and says â€Å"we must have your doublet and hose plucked over your head, and show the world what the bird hath done to her own nest.† As mentioned before Rosalind’s character is open to a myriad of readings. Harold Bloom describes her as a character that â€Å"is at once so accomplished in wit, and so little interested in the power that great wit can bring if properly exercised.† Completely contradicting this, Camille Paglia writes â€Å"Rosalind and Ganymede pretend to be a rakish lady killer and, at her assumption of that sexual persona, actually becomes one. She is all sex and power.† Such critical disagreements are not uncommon for plays such as â€Å"As You like It†. In my opinion both of these critics are right in what they say. However Paglia is a bit too unfair and biased. I understand her point about Rosalind being all â€Å"sex and power†, but I disagree with her saying that she’s a â€Å"radish lady killer.† In my opinion Rosalind is a character that challenges feminism. When dressed as Ganymede she portrays the thoughts of men at the time. Shakespeare uses Rosalind to put this point across. That is the fact that at the time men misrepresented and repressed women. This is quite ironic as Rosalind is herself a female and the fact that at some points during the play, she puts females down is due to the fact that she’s trying to act like a man and the men at the time had these types of approach and attitudes towards females. In my opinion she’s not acting the way she does to put women down, but to show the audience how ridiculous it is for men to behave that way towards women and to introduce dramatic irony into the play. In my opinion Rosalind is a perfect heroine, however like any character or any other human being she has fatal flows which in this case has been sheltered by her virtues of character. I completely agree with Bloom on his describing of Rosalind. He also says that she’s â€Å"harmoniously balanced and beautifully sane†, which again I consent with. However he says that Rosalind is not interested in the power that her wit brings her. I think that Rosalind as a character is well aware of the power that she has as Ganymede and the power that her wit brings her. I do also think that she’s interested in the power that being dressed as a man gives her and she enjoys using that supremacy. In my opinion Rosalind is a manipulative character (in a positive way) and can be described as a heroine in most cases. When Orlando asks her if she is a native of the forest, Rosalind makes an ambiguous remark about being as much of a native as a rabbit is to the place where it is born. Here we see how she uses her wit to protect her disguise. In other words, she never quite answers the question directly. She uses this kind of verbal sidestepping again in act V, scene2, when she says that she is in love with no woman and that she’ll marry phebe if she is going to marry any woman at all. She also makes phebe promise that if she refuses to marry her, she’ll marry silvius. Rosalind manipulates the other characters through her use of language, but she does so far one purpose and that is to ensure a happy ending to the play. In my opinion this makes her a genuine heroine. As mentioned before Rosalind subverts the typical role of women in the Elizabethan period. She has great wit and wordplay and this is subversive of Shakespeare to bequeath a female with such qualities. One of the reasons that this play would have been counted as a comedy is the fact that the audience would have found Rosalind’s courage and wit quite funny and they would not have taken it seriously. However Shakespeare would perhaps have wanted to get a very serious and important point across. Some people believe that Shakespeare was a feminist and this is the point to prove it. He could’ have chosen to endow these qualities to another male character, but he chose a female character to reflect on all of these points. Some feminists are keen to stress the utter oppression of women in Elizabethan society in all areas of life; economic, domestic, sexual, familial and personal. Whilst it is certainly true that women were in no way regarded as equal to men in official aspects of life, the plays have an important part to play as pieces of evidence as about the status of women in this period. They are not separate from their background but part of our understanding about women’s lives in this period. This plays has a strong emphasis on the importance of gender at the time and the limitations that females were under due to this. Shakespeare uses Rosalind to undermine this and to illustrate that women can be as witty as men. However significantly and in a sense ironically she is only able to show this to the audience when she is disguised as a male. She is the supreme representation of the possibilities of human personality if there is freedom and if oppression can be overcome. She also shows the p ossibilities of female ability once liberated which in Rosalind’s case is liberty in disguise. At court Rosalind’s status was lower than Celia’s, for Celia was the daughter of the ruling duke â€Å"within ten days if that thou beest found so near our public court as twenty miles, thou diest for it.† Inn the forest of Arden, Rosalind dressed as a man, has higher status and Celia’s role almost fades away. The play has been under a lot of political criticism. It is possible that Shakespeare wrote the play for political reasons. It is a play that describes character like Rosalind and Celia fleeing from the oppression and coercion that they had to deal with when they were at court. Duke Fredrick has been Associated with Queen Elizabeth for his vindictive deeds towards his own daughter and Rosalind. The play is about power and social structure. The court is seen as being the place of higher classed people, whereas the Forest of Arden is supposed to be for the undersides of the society (at the time) like women, exiles, outcasts and people in lower status. The play describes the court as being a patriarchal society and the forest as being a place of justice and equality. However we find out that this is not the case as there are wealthy landowners that enrich themselves of the poor. Phebe and Silvius are examples of these as they are shepherds that work for a rich and cruel man. This goes to show that the forest has the same hierarchy structure as the court. Shakespeare could have been trying to portray the fact that there’s always injustice in â€Å"enclosures†. The end of the play is very significant to the irony of the play. Rosalind loses her independence, autonomy and freedom when she gets married to Orlando and when she takes off Ganymede’s clothes â€Å"to you I give myself, for I am yours†. This is so ironic as after all of Rosalind’s efforts and all of Shakespeare’s efforts to portray her as a witty, intelligent character and a Feminist, she has gone back to being her old powerless self. I think that Shakespeare did this to show the audience that things like antifeminism had to be established and dealt with properly. I think that Shakespeare wanted to bring to light the fact that it wasn’t good enough that Rosalind did all the things that she did, as at the end of the day, Orlando had more power over her and he was in control and she dedicated herself to him. Shakespeare was telling the women n the audience that they would never have rights if they didn’t stick up for themselves and if they didn’t manage to get feminism established. Shakespeare transforms Rosalind’s character throughout the play. From a love struck powerless girl to a dignified, aloof woman who managed to manipulate and influence other characters like Orland (the hero) and Phebe (Ganymede’s lover). Rosalind becomes a very sardonic, scathing and witty character to show that women can be as derisive and satirical as men if they were given the opportunity to be. She fulfils a very important role and a very significant dramatic function. Then he allows her to mould back to her original, immobilized character to show that there had to be a vital change in society otherwise women are never going to get the respect that they truly deserve if the society wasn’t revolutionised and modified.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Survey letter Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey letter - Research Paper Example In order to express my heartfelt gratitude, I hereby enclose a gift certificate of MacDonald’s. Please enjoy with my complements. Attached, you will find a brief questionnaire concerning your business, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please return the survey no later than (August 15, 2014) so that i can complete my project on time. 3. What are the average net profits of Central Coast Wines in dollars or percent of sales after computing the overhead costs such as rent, administration, and inventory? (Use more than†¦.or less than†¦.in answering). Are these profits for one owner, or do they split between two or more partners? 7. Which brand is your best selling wine, and in what average quantities does it sell, per day, per week, and per year? What level of competition does this brand stand against other competitors’ products in the market – competitive advantage? 10. What chain of distribution does the company use in getting its products to the right market? Does the distribution channel have many intermediaries? Do these intermediaries affect the utility of the product, such as in price, place, and time

Friday, September 27, 2019

Elon Musk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elon Musk - Essay Example Musk sold his Paypal shares for 165 million US dollars in 2002 and founded Space Exploration Technologies or SpaceX, which manufactures and develops space launch vehicles with the aim of advancing rocket technology. The company has a string of astounding successes including winning a 1.6 billion US dollars NASA contract. Musk views space exploration as part of the expansion of human life Tesla Motors on the other hand manufacture electronic cars and electric power train systems. His efforts to produce electric cars have seen him compared with Henry Ford. He is also associated with SolarCity the largest solar power systems manufacturer in the United States. Both Tesla and SolarCity aim to reduce global warming. His philanthropic nature goes further. His Musk Foundation focuses on clean energy. With this string of enviable achievements, there are many things we can learn from Musk including lessons in leadership. Musk says leaders must lead by example, and no task is too menial for a leader. He believes in working like hell and is known for a tenacious work ethic. His second lesson is that leaders should have a purpose. He believes leaders must develop a vision and work towards achieving it. His vision is to go to Mars. Next he believes in creativity and says without creativity innovation and progress are impossible. Collaboration and teamwork are important too, and leadership is about doing rather than telling. Musk encourages innovation and urges employees to come up with new ideas. He is a modern example of young and extremely successful innovators and entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. He believes in being decisive as a leader and says this promotes efficiency. Strategy and action lead to results. He also advocates for adaptability and belief in change. Change will always present challenges and leaders need to be able to adapt. Musk believes in using scientific methods to assess the right people during

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Impact Bullies have on Learning in the Classroom in Elementary Essay

The Impact Bullies have on Learning in the Classroom in Elementary School - Essay Example There are several reasons as to why, in spite of educationist’s and governmental efforts, there is still little understanding and acceptance of the full impact of bullying. One of the reasons for this is that the definition of bullying is not very specific or agreed upon by all. In the United States itself, different regions have defined bullying differently. For example, in Colorado, it is defined as â€Å"any written or verbal expression, or physical act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is intended to cause distress upon one or more students†, and in Georgia, as â€Å"any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person†¦or any intentional display of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm†. (HRSA, 2003). In the UK, violence and bullying are very closely related, and both acts are said to cause physical or psychological harm – but bullying is mostly applied to such acts that are repetitive in nature. (Hutchinson, 2005). Hence, it can be seen from the above that bullying, is a term that does not have a universal definition. Though, there is a general understanding of what comprises of bullying, the impact that bullying has on those involved, and the recourse that should be undertaken to combat the problem, are still issues that are largely debated upon. Similarly, depending upon the understanding of the definition, the various recourses to bullying are advised by the governments. In 2002, â€Å"serious bullying† along with the possession of an offensive weapon were made the grounds for expulsion from school by the Department for Education and Skills, UK. (BBC News, World Edition, 2006). The Department for Education and Skills, UK, is of the opinion that bullying is  a serious problem which puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk†. (Department for

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Medicare and Medicaid-SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicare and Medicaid-SLP - Essay Example Apart from Pharmaceutical labelers that refer to drug prior approval information supplied with the drug by the CMS, the Automated Voice Response System (AVRS) is used to reinforce the Drug Prior Approval process. Through AVRS pharmacy providers can inquire about or enter a request for a drug prior approval via either a touch-tone or rotary dial phone, (www.hfs.illinois.gov/avrs, 2009). The State of Illinois has the All Kids medical insurance program. Under this program, children who have no medical cover because their parents cannot afford insurance premiums are covered at rates their parents can afford. The aim of the program is to ensure that all children benefit from medical coverage no matter what their ascribed social status. They are covered under comprehensive, affordable health insurance, regardless of family income, immigration status or health condition, (www.allkids.com, 2009). Under the program children can access hospitals, medicine and physicians when the need arises. The program recognizes the fact that every child deserves to grow up healthy without any medical discrimination. It covers doctor calls, hospitalization, prescribed drugs, optician visits, dental check-ups, eyeglasses, regular check-ups and immunization shots. Other services like medical equipment, speech therapy and physical therapy are also covered for the children in need. Anyone 18 years and below living in Illinois is a potential candidate for All Kids, provided that they are not in a position to afford regular health care from conventional programs. There is no income limit since all uninsured kids can qualify for All Kids regardless of what their parents earn. All Kids is different from the State’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (Chip). CHIP is funded partly by participant premiums and partly by appropriations of the state’s General Revenue

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Politics of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Politics of Globalization - Essay Example The increase in foreign inventory and trade deficit are blamed for the decrease in wages, decrease in incomes, and the exploitation of low income workers in developing nations. In addition, conservatives in the United States believe that government regulation affects the country’s economy, therefore recommending that the market should have the freedom to regulate itself. The conservatives argue that excessive government regulation leads to a crowd-out situation (test item 2, p.4). Globalization has also transformed the world, an issue that raises concern on the rising irregularities; for instance, illegal drug trade in Mexico, gang violence, human trafficking and the import of tainted drugs and food from foreign countries such as China. These are the negative effects of globalization, which could cost loss of innocent lives; Mendelson adds that the government should intervene through creating a balance in competition, and control globalization (test item 2, p. 3). In addition, the hunger for energy or natural resources leads to unfair competition, and global race, which may create instability of nations. Moreover, globalization can be viewed as a zero sum game, mainly because growth of jobs and opportunities in the fast developing nations like China makes them winners, while high levels of unemployment and poor living standards in some states like Indiana, in United States, result in such states being losers. In addition, globalization is said to create inequality among countries, as the developed nations continue to succeed.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Used Book Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Used Book Business - Essay Example Location – Used book stores are best suited to be located in high traffic region. A store in the vicinity of a university or college will have added advantage. Shopping malls and popular hangouts are also preferred location for used book store. Proximity to new book store is also ideal. Manpower – A good number of people should be involved in the business to source, refer and negotiate the purchase of books from the initial owner to the prospective buyer. Over the counter sales has to be assigned only to book lovers who have an outgoing attitude, business aptitude and are personable. Training employees at various level of operation will enable them to handle the store in the absence of the owner. Promotion – It may be noted that used book buyer is usually not an in depth reader. Hence adequate marketing and promotional activities should be carried to bring in people to the store to browse through the used books. Design of the store – The used book store should have a clear show window with the arrangement of books in uncluttered style. Prospective buyers should be able to view the book and this is vital to attract passers by. Used book business can be started by selling the owner’s collection of books which forms the inventory on launch. The initial stocks can also include the books donated by relatives, friends and neighbors (How to Make It Big with a Used-Book Store). The short term objective of the store should be service oriented rather than aim to make huge profits. This earns reputation and future prospects for sale. The business should make sure to obtain positive feedbacks from customers and make courtesy communication to understand the pulse of the customers (Weber & Weber 2005 p.57). The next step is to search for prospective book sellers from whom books can be purchased at a low cost. Low cost books can also be gathered from goodwill stores, garage sales, church

Sunday, September 22, 2019

PESTEL analysis for landscaping industry of Nanaimo Essay

PESTEL analysis for landscaping industry of Nanaimo - Essay Example The government of Nanaimo seeks to reduce the level of pollution in its environment.Singling out the use of pesticides as the biggest contributing factor to the high level of pollution, the government banned the use of pesticides on the home lawns in the city. According to Pesticides Free BC (2013, web), not only do the pesticides affect the soil and air, they also affect water. Side effects of the use of pesticides are far more reaching than the just affecting the human population. Since they last for long time in the soil, they lead to the destruction of aquatic life, as rainwater washes them away into the water bodies. They also dissolve into the soil, affecting the underground water sources. The contamination of the water and soil affects wildlife and insects. Since the ban, resear4ch indicates that there was 80% decrease in the three major pesticide pollutants, 2, 4-D, Dicamba and Mecoprop (MCPP). The agency also hopes to create a sustainable soil for agricultural purposes in th e region. Over time, the government hopes to reduce the amount of contamination with the environment through such bans (pesticides free BC 2013, web). The law prohibits the use of and application of the pesticides for maintaining vegetation established for aesthetic or ornamental purposes. According to Bylaw Background (2013, web), ornamental vegetation include outdoor trees, shrubs, and lawns, and thus, the law too prevents the use of any form of pesticides on these types of vegetation (Bylaw Background, 2013, web). The landscaping industry has to use more pest-resistant plants for landscaping, and at the same time changes their plans on how to maintain people’s landscapes. Growing recommendation for the use of indigenous plants There is a growing appeal to the local people of Nanaimo to use indigenous plants. There are a number of reasons necessitating the use of native plants over the use of green lawns in the city of Nanaimo. With native plants being more draught free and disease resistant, they also require less fertilizers and lesser time (â€Å"GoNanaimo.com† 2013, web). Additionally, these plants offer food and shelter to the birds, bees and butterflies, this increasing natural environment. The growing concern for the use of the native trees for the nursery necessitates the teaching of the people on the methods of caring for the trees, especially due to the ban on the use of pesticides. Advice on the best way of caring for the native plants points out that the people should keep on watering the plants for a while in order to avoid drying or even attack by pests. There are however reasons why the government shows increased concern on the use of these native trees. According to www.nanaimo.ca (n.d., p. 5) foreign invasive plants contribute to the destruction of the parks in the city. Not only does this negatively affect the natural vegetation, it also contributes to the loss of the beauty of the region. The government also provides resident s with information on the best ways of dealing with invasive plants in the region (â€Å"www.nanaimo.ca† n.d., p. 6). By systematically removing them in the place throughout the year reduces their prevalence and spread. To increase the vegetation cover of the indigenous plants, people plant the indigenous plants in the area previously infested with the invading plants, thus making it impossible for the invading trees to thrive (â€Å"www.nanaimo.ca† n.d., p. 6). Subsequently, the landscaping industry has to change its strategy, and this adopts the use of the indigenous plants in the region to avoid government fines. With people obeying government directives, companies that fail to adopt these trees are likely to lose business to those that opt to comply. Climate of Nanaimo Landscaping in Nanaimo is an all year round business. Various firms take part in the landscaping business, which increases business

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Visual arts Essay Example for Free

Visual arts Essay Visual arts which make use of unusual media and technique, such as collage or origami, tend to both benefit from and be challenged by the medium and technique involved. A viewer is apt to react first to the medium and technique and perhaps, because of this, thematic or expressive ideas may be perceived as secondary to the impact of a given work. For example, a piece from the Origami NOW! exhibition such as Eric Joisels Pangolin is very effective at eliciting a response of admiration and even surprise of wonder at the technique involved in sculpting (or more properly: folding) paper into the shape of a convincingly realistic animal form which suggests an armadillo. On the other hand, although the animal offers a meaningful gesture, as though it is eating or drinking, the overall impact of the piece fails to gain any truly expressive or meaningful energy. It is simply a technically admirable piece. By contrast, Joel Coopers Gemini, is a deeply expressive piece which evokes stone relief carvings in origami. The faces are, themselves, primitive and expressive, but the thematic impact of the piece is much deeper than the surface level facial expression of the pieces central figures. The piece derives important impact from its sub-text of transference: ancient stone to ephemeral paper, which makes a statement about human civilization and history and the ephemerality of human monuments, and arty itself, while simultaneously elevating the ephemerality of the medium and technique (origami) to a sympathetic relationship to ancient art and antiquity. Yet another piece, Spike Sphere, by Thomas Hull, straddles the line between expressiveness and technical precision without ever falling precisely on one side or another. In effect, Hulls piece is the most harmonious of those examples of origami on exhibition at PEM. The overt impact of Hulls piece is that of geometrical expressionism, using a complex geometrical shape to express theme. In my opinion, Hulls Spike Sphere is meant to represent no less than the entire human cosmos in a single figure of origami. I said human because the piece reflects a particularly human concept of wholeness as in other geometrical abstractions: globes, the atom, stars, galaxies and even some scientific models of the multi-verse. Hulls figure is spherical and colored like a budding flower, but spiked suggesting pain, danger, emotional response. This precise configuration of human emotion and abstract form, coupled with organic coloring and an holistic gesture elevates Hulls piece to the highest levels. This work is a masterpiece which reveals the origami, as a medium, embodies much more than the stunned admiration for technique and cleverness associated with folding paper creatively and expressively. Reference Anonymous, PEN. Origami Now! www. pwm. org, 2008. accessed 6-12-08 http://pem. org/exhibitions/exhibition. php? id=65

Friday, September 20, 2019

How Stock Prices React to Information

How Stock Prices React to Information INTRODUCTION Case studies, introduced back in 1969, produced useful evidence on how stock prices react to information. Many studies focus on returns in the short window (several days) about clean of the event. The advantage of this approach is that, because expected daily returns are close to zero, the model for the expected return does not have a major impact on the findings of abnormal returns. The assumption in studies that focus on short return windows is that there were delays in price response event is short-lived. There is a developing literature that challenges this assumption, arguing instead that stock prices adjust slowly to information, so that one must examine returns over long horizons to show full-size market inefficiency. If someone said to accept its conclusions, many of the recent studies on long-term returns suggest market inefficiency, namely, long-term under reaction or overreaction to information. It is time, however, to ask whether this literature, viewed as a whole, suggests that the efficiency should be rejected. The answer should be a solid, no, for two reasons. First, the efficient market generates categories of events that individually suggest that prices are over-react to information. But in an efficient market, it is obvious: Under-reaction will be around as often as over-reaction. If the anomaly is divided between the accident under-reaction and overreaction, they are consistent with market efficiency. We will see that even clear about the division between overreaction and underreaction is a good description of the menu of existing anomalies. Second, and more importantly, if the long-term return anomalies are so large that it cannot be attributed to the case, then even split between over-and under-reaction is a Pyrrhic victory for market efficiency. We will find, however, that the long-term return anomalies are sensitive to the methodology. They tend to become marginal or disappear when exposed to different models for expected (normal) returns or when different statistical approaches are used to measure them. Thus, even viewed one by one, most long-term return anomalies can reasonably be attributed to chance. The problem in the development of the overall perspective of long-term return studies is that they rarely test specific alternative to market efficiency. Instead, the alternative hypothesis is unclear, the market inefficiency. This is unacceptable. Like all models, market efficiency (the hypothesis that prices fully reflect the available information) is a wrong description of the pricing. Following the standard scientific rule, however, market efficiency could be replaced by a better specific model of price formation, itself potentially rejectable by empirical tests. Each alternative model has a difficult task. Please specify the errors in information processing, which have the same investors under-react to certain types of events and over-reaction to others. The alternative must also clarify the observed results better than the simple story of market efficiency, ie the expected value of abnormal returns is zero, but chance generates deviations from zero (anomalies) in both directions. From the literature, the irregularity was not settled on a concrete alternative to market efficiency, to get the ball rolling I assume that reasonable alternatives must choose between over-reaction or response. Using this perspective, we review existing studies, without questioning their applications. Each mechanism of organized marketing assets or financial liabilities is determined on the financial market. It is a market in which financial assets and liabilities are traded (Richard and Bill, 2006). Financial assets in this area includes all forms of securities, ranging from ordinary derivatives. Performance, it is widely used can be seen as the ability to achieve the desired result of the action or not waste energy (Encarta Dictionary, 2009). In other words, it has to do with how resources are used efficiently, the extent to which something is good. Financial market efficiency can be said to include as financial assets and liabilities are exchanged efficiently and productively the funds invested in financial market instruments. However, the exchange of securities in respect of funds can not be made only at the price willingly accepted by both parties, while the price is determined mainly by the value and scope of information available on the market for investors. This document d iscusses the performance of financial markets, however, explore the theories and assumptions, and explaining in detail all the terminology (majorly prices and information) relating to the efficiency of the financial market. LITERATURE REVIEW There have been extensive results on the effectiveness of the financial market. This led to the development of various theories, such as determination of the value of securities, the impact of information on share prices, dividend policy, to name a few. DEFINITION OF FINANCIAL MARKET Financial markets, as per Olowe, 1997, are mechanisms in which the surplus and deficit units can be connected economy by buying and selling financial claims. Furthermore, he argues that the primary function of financial markets is to allow the funds effectively allocated from the surplus units in the economy, the deficit units for productive investments. Richard and Bill, 2006, view of the financial market, like any market mechanism for financial assets and securities. They further explain that there is often no physical market transactions are conducted via telephone or computer. Is any market in which financial assets and liabilities are traded and the mechanism through which corporate financial managers have access to various funding sources and instruments. Capital markets, however, operate in two ways: Primary market providing new capital for enterprises and other activities, usually in the form of issuing shares to new or existing shareholders or loans. It provides the focal points for lenders and borrowers to meet. First of all, new sources of funding is raised in this market. Secondary market trade existing securities, thereby allowing investors to supply the existing holdings at will. Active in the secondary market is a prerequisite for efficient primary market and, as no investor will want to stick with investments that cannot be implemented if desired. Institute of Chartered Accountants of London describes the financial market, with the means provided by the financial system for the creations, care and distribution of financial assets and liabilities. The market according to the institute, has two major segments, money and capital markets. Money market offers the opportunity to raise short-term investments and funds. Tenor, which from day to day varies from about a year or two years. Exchange financial instruments on the market include treasury bills, bills, treasury certificates, securities, etc., the capital market on the other hand are the mechanisms, institutions and structures in which the medium and long term funds are collected and made available for businesses, government and individuals . Capital markets is that the instruments which are already provided are outstanding. OVERREACTION AND UNDERREACTION One of the first papers on long-term return anomalies wrote by DeBondt and Thaler (1985). We find that when stocks are ranked on three to five years past returns, past winners are usually the future losers, and vice versa. Attributed to these long-term return reversals to investor overreaction. In forming expectations, investors give too much weight to past performance of companies and too little to performance instead of the mean return. DeBondt and Thaler seem to argue that the overreaction to past information about the general assessment of behavioral decision theory of Kahneman and Tversky (1982). So could be that the overreaction to the prediction of behavioural finance alternative to market efficiency. In most cases, however, the anomalies literature has not accepted the discipline of an alternative hypothesis. An exception is Lakonishok et al. (1994). They argue that the indicators of stock prices proxy for past performance. Companies in the high proportion of earnings in the financial market instruments. These are securities or financial instruments traded on financial markets and the already mentioned, the two major segments of financial markets money and capital markets, the instruments traded in the money market are as follows: Treasury securities those short-term obligations of the federal government to the holder a specified sum of money after a certain number of days in question. Treasury securities are of two types depending on the denomination and maturities. While Treasury yields are generally low fixed and matures about 91 days of issue of certificate treasury share similar features with it, but a longer duration and higher fixed rate. Certificate of deposit (CDS) these are the revenues of banks deposit liabilities of a specified interest rate for a specified period of time. CDS is an interbank asset and serve as a means of channeling cash surplus of commercial banks, commercial banks, who are the main issuers of these types of devices. When the bank promises to pay the principal and interest at maturity, usually 3-36 months, with the name of the negotiable certificate of deposits. However, if the CD features of the deposit receipt, and are generally held to maturity, while, they are called non-negotiable certificates of deposits. Non-negotiable certificates of deposits is also maturity of up to 3-36 months. Commercial paper this is an unsecured short-term bills issued by the company to interested investors for a cash discount for a specific term. Investors in commercial paper loans are usually worth individuals or institutional investors. This is usually for a duration ranging from 30-270 days. Commercial paper dealer, however, classified documents and the documents placed directly. Securities dealer commercial paper investors placed through the dealer, which can be placed directly under a bank notes, commercial papers directly to the investors of the company issuing the documents, which require the issuer to maintain dress trained personnel who have a good knowledge of financial markets and good relationships in the markets. In all cases, the commercial paper investment of the investors, who borrow in the credit market without security, or even negative pledge. Commercial paper traded only on the primary market. Bankers Acceptances also known as the draft bill adopted by the drawee bank determines that a certain amount to be paid after a certain period of time. Adopted by writing the word your means the whole face of the draft with authorized signature. If this is done, the invoice, you should be the beneficiary of a discount rate. This financing through international trade credits. It is also intended to finance trade in goods in bonded warehouses, and in particular the credit created by the bankers acceptance self-liquid short-term loans. The maturity range of 90-180 days, or sometimes 30 to 270 days. Bank deposits this place is the base of the investors / depositors of the bank agreed rate of interest. Bank deposits are divided into call deposits / savings account deposits and fixed deposits. Call made deposits with agreed maturity date, and should be terminated by both parties at any given notice to the other party to an agreement based on the period of notice, the deposit liabilities of deposit and the bank for a specified period a specified rate of interest, which can be fixed or variable. The maturity of deposits vary from a few days a number of years. The deposit must be certified or non-receipt or certificate of deposit. Derivatives they are using, or losing or speculation from hedge against movements in currencies and interest rates. These financial instruments whose value are derived from underlying securities, which allows an investor to gain exposure to the performance of the underlying securities without having to physically. If a profit, there may be a hidden risk in derivative markets. Financial experts term financial weapons of mass destruction, and describes as hell, which is easy, and almost impossible to quit. Examples of derivatives, forward contracts and contract options for the future. CAPITAL MARKET INSTRUMENTS Debt Securities long-term loans are raised by a company or the government, which interest is payable, and a fixed rate. The nominal value of debt instruments, the debt of the issuer of the instrument and the interest is paid at the nominal rate of interest on this amount. In most cases, debt can be exchanged. Preference Shares this is a major source of long-term financing for the company. The holders of traditional shareholders instead of dividends. Preference shares, if they are collectively entitled to the unpaid dividend for the previous periods, carried over from one period to another, until finally paid off, in which case the arrears must be paid before common stock dividends paid. As well as debt securities, preferred shares convertible. Ordinary Shares the holders of these shares owned by the company. These nominal values and the memorandum and articles of association of the companys authorized common shares of the company may issue. The ordinary shareholders of the companys remaining claims, ie, they paid dividends in other fixed obligations have been met. Convertible Securities shares of both of these hybrid securities, the functions of the fixed-income securities and equity. These securities (usually fixed-rate), which is convertible into ordinary shares in the companys choice of the right in the future. Having explained the concept of the financial market, and it is composed, it is necessary to examine whether effective or not. Before this can be done, efficiency, whereas a different connotation in different environments should be clarified in the light of the financial market. EFFICIENCY This word efficiency is all part of the vocabulary of everyone. For most, this means that it can achieve the desired result, without or with minimal wasted energy or effort. The Encarta dictionary, 2009, is the ability to do something well or achieve the desired results will not be wasted energy and effort, that is, to what extent something is done well, or not wasted energy and effort. Overall, this is a situation where growing prosperity of the amount of productive resources and the current state of technical knowledge economy, eliminating wasted effort, and allows for additional output from the available resources to achieve this desired result, avoiding wastage and prevent losses to avoid harm. (David N.H, 2005). However, in order that the various professions that means different things, the economists are talking about allocation of efficiency the extent to which resources are allocated to the most productive use of this society with the greatest need. The engineers talk about the technical efficiency the extent to which a mechanism performs the maximum capacity. Sociologists and political scientists talk about the social efficiency the extent to which complies with the accepted mechanism for social and political values. (Richard and Bill, 2006). 6.1 Financial Market Efficiency The investment guru or financial expert, a slightly better efficiency, this also applies to the pricing and information on the effectiveness, efficiency, instead of sources of financial market instruments. It is necessary to do a quick and convenient tool to convert currency and vice versa, that the price of the securities is determined and how to manage the risks associated with the securities. This, however, with the roles of the financial market is expected to perform in the economy, according to which the Olowe, 2007, divided into three (3); Allocational efficiency the role of financial markets to optimally allocate scarce savings in productive investments in such a way that benefits everyone. The operating efficiency the server as an intermediary, who provide the funds from savers to investors at the least cost, which offered them a fair return for their services. Pricing efficiency the role of the dominant values at which securities will be replaced if the market price of capital allocation signals. The prices of the forces of supply and demand. Fama, 1976 (the Olowe, 1997) considers the effectiveness of pricing efficiency in the processing of information. Based on what said before, we can conclude that the pricing information of the two major determinants of efficient financial markets. Thus, financial market efficiency can be defined as the market in which security prices quickly and fully reflects all available information. The market in which any device that outperforms the market to be unusable. Therefore, the efficient financial markets, the same yield for a given level of risk should be implemented for all investors. Price (E / P), cash flow to price (C / P), and the book-to-market equity (BE / ME) is generally poor past earnings growth, and firms with low E / P, C / P, and BE / ME are generally strong earnings growth in the past. Since the market is over-react to the recent growth, it is surprised when earnings growth mean returns. As a result, a high E / P, C / P, and BE / ME stocks (poor past performers) have high future returns, and low E / P, C / P, and BE / ME stocks (strong past performers) at low future returns. We also considered the poor long-term post-event returns in the stock market (IPO), and experienced their own offerings (SEO) is the overreaction camp. SEO is a strong stock returns in the three years prior to the issue. It seems safe to assume that these strong returns reflect strong earnings. It seems safe to assume that the IPO will have a strong past earnings to appear in public. If the market does not mean that the income growth increasingly means returns, stock prices at the time of the equity issue (IPO or SEO) is too high. If the market only gradually recognizes the mistake, the overreaction to past earnings adjusted for slow growth in the future. Finally, some argue that the long-term negative abnormal stock returns post-list of companies that the new list of the NYSE and Amex because of the overreaction. Companies list their stocks to take advantage of market overreaction to the recent strong performance. As it turns out, overreaction was the result of tests of long-term returns, market efficiency would be dead, replaced by the alternative behavioural DeBondt and Thaler. The fact that it was obvious during the reaction around frequently. My grandfather was in the bottom of the reaction to the events of the evidence that stock prices seem to respond to income of about one year after announced. Another impetus to the effect that the high returns of stocks over the past year, yields are typically high, as the next three to six months. Alternatively, if new tests also produce the long-term post-event abnormal returns, which suggest underreaction, indicating a positive post-event abnormal returns of divesting firms and the companies that will sell. Attributed to the result of market underreaction to the enhanced probability that after the spinoff, both the parent and the spinoff is likely to become merger targets, and the recipient of aid. Desai and Jain and Ikenberry et al. Determine that the companies shared experience in human resources, long-term positive abnormal returns before and after the split. Attributed to the post-split returns to the market underreaction to the information indicates a positive split. Lakonishok and Vermaelen find positive long-term post-event abnormal returns when companies apply for stock. Ikenberry et al. observed similar results in the open market share repurchases. The story in both cases is that while the market, responding to a positive sign for the future performance of the share repurchases. Finally, Michaely et al. finds that the basis of stock prices, appears to respond to negative information in dividend omissions, information and positive initiatives. A few of the long-term return anomalies it is not easy to classify. For example, Asquith and Agrawal et al. indicate negative long-term abnormal returns to acquiring firms following mergers. This is also attributable to underreaction of market to a bad investment decision, or overreaction to the typically strong pre-merger performance of acquiring firms, documented, and Mitchell Staford. Ikenberry and Lakonishok find a negative post-event abnormal returns of firms involved in proxy contests. A story, based on the stock exchange, responds to the poor performance of these businesses prior to the proxy of competition, but another is that the price is too responds to the proxy information that something is likely to change. Because of the ambiguities in classifying certain disorders, and given the fact that the above review is certainly not complete, I will not do a number against the overreaction underreaction studies. What is important is that the literature does not lean toward the clean up of behavioral alternative to market efficiency. This will not be lost in the behavioral finance researchers who acknowledge the issue: We hope that future research will help to understand why the market seems to overreact in certain circumstances and underreact in others. (Michaely et al.). The market efficiency hypothesis is a simple answer to this question is a chance. Specifically, the expected value of zero abnormal returns, but chance generates apparent anomalies that split randomly between underreaction and overreaction. The weight of evidence of long-term return anomalies are so overwhelming that market efficiency is not viable even in the absence of an alternative working model that explains both under-and overreaction? The answer to that question is no, for two reasons: First, it is doubtful that the literature is presented in a randomly selected sample of events. Splashy results get more attention, and it encourages you to find. That the dredging of the irregularities of a rewarding profession suggested by the fact that the anomalies literature shows so little sensitivity to the other hypothesis problem. The same authors, visual events are often satisfied with the overreaction or underreaction, and are prepared to conclude that both justify the rejection of market efficiency. Second, some disorders may be evident by means of a reasonable price. Fama and French find that the long-term return reversals and the DeBondt Thaler, and conversely, to return to the Lakonishok et al. captured by a multifactor asset pricing model. In a nutshell, covariation between the returns of long-term losers seems related to the risk premium, which explains why higher future average returns than long-term winners. Fama and French discuss the fights and the multifactorial model, but the results are sufficient to illustrate an important point: Conclusions on market efficiency can be sensitive to the assumed model of expected returns. Last, but most importantly, have more or less split between overreaction and underreaction is not much support for market efficiency in the long-term return anomalies are so great they can not be attributed to chance. But it will still be viewed individually, most of the anomalies are weak. They usually disappear when reasonable alternative approaches to measure them. 6.2 Pricing of Securities Pricing is a major determinant of financial market efficiency security is discussed in relation to pricing of risk and return. Risk, which is created by many factors, such as general economic conditions, economic factors specific to security, competition, technological development, investor preferences, and all other kinds of circumstances, as defined in Van Horne, 1986, the various possible return on investment. Olowe, in 1997, also sees risk to the likelihood of a deviation from the expected return from holding a security back to the actual holding of such securities. The introduction of the risk, the investor may be indifferent as to which to invest in safety, if there is available for investment, similar yields. A conceptual framework for examining the relationship between risk and return, as they affect the pricing of security, discussed the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the discretionary pricing model (APM). 6.3 Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) This model was developed by Sharpe (1964), Linter (1965) and Mossin (1966). It shows the expected return on the relationship between security and the inevitable risks. Provides a framework for the evaluation of the securities and can be used to find the unit cost of equity capital. CAPM, however, was the following assumptions: A time CAPM model assumes that investors are risk averse. The rice adopters and investors in the securities in the uniform requirement. There is a risk-free security, so that investors may borrow or loan an unlimited amount of risk premium rates. The securities are sold, and perfectly divisible. Even more so, to the quantities. The information is freely available to all investors. Investment restrictions cannot be neglected and no investor is large enough to affect the market price of the stock. The above assumptions are briefly assumes that there is a perfect market, and that the financial market is efficient. Thus, as the assumptions, all asset prices fall, that the security market line, while the security market line equation: E(R1) = RF + [E(RM) RF]ÃŽ ²1 Where ÃŽ ²1 = COV(R1RM) ÏÆ'2m E(R1) = expected return on security RF = risk – free rate E(RM) = expected rate on market portfolio ÃŽ ²1 = beta of security i COV(R1RM)= covariance of return on security i with the returns on a market portfolio. ÏÆ'2m = variance of returns on the market portfolio Example; if the expected return on security is 24% and its beta is 1.8. show whether the security is under or overvalued if the risk – free rate is 13% and return on market portfolio is 18%. Solution; E(R1) = RF + [E(RM) RF]ÃŽ ²1 = 0.13 + [0.18 – 0.13]1.8 0.22 i.e. 22%. We conclude that it is undervalued as the expected return is 2% less than the predicted. i.e. 24% > 22%. 6.4 Characteristics of CAPM The fact that not all risk-return safety concern that risk averse investors, asset should be priced to the risk-adjusted return is exactly the security market line. So the only risk is that investors pay a premium to avoid the risk of market share so that the total risk of each security in a systematic and systemic risk. A general and systematic risk affects the entire market, and irregular and the characteristic factors unique to a particular person. Effective diversification, however, reduces the overall risk of the portfolio to the point where only the regular risk remains. Measured by the weighted average portfolio beta of the beta of individual securities in the portfolio. Proportion of portfolio funds allocated to represent the weights of individual securities in the portfolio, and it represents mathematically: n ÃŽ ²P = ∑ wi ÃŽ ²i i=1 where ÃŽ ²p = beta of portfolio p ÃŽ ²i = beta of security Wi = proportion of security in portfolio p Conclusion: CAPM has been derived under some simplifying assumptions, most of which do not correspond to reality. For this reason, it has been criticized on the grounds that it assumes the market portfolio of all assets stocks, bonds, property and human capital. The real-life situations, empirical tests of the CAPM tend to use proxies, such as stock market indices as the market portfolio. 6.5 The Arbitrage Pricing Model It has proposed by Rose (1976), because the dissatisfaction of the CAPM on the theoretical and empirical grounds. This is a multi-factor model (multiple-beta model), compared to the CAPM, a single factor model. The safety factor for the actual return for a state grant: n Ri = E(Ri) + ∑ bijFj + ej J=1 This can be restated as Ri = E(Ri) + bi1F1+bi2F2 + †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. + binFn + ei Ri = actual return on security E(Ri) = expected return on security i Fj = the (uncertain) value of factor j bij = sensitivity to factor j ei = the error term. It is also the security-specific return. Similar to the CAPM, we diversify the unsystematic risk, but in addition, we arrive at the market equilibrium, as individuals eliminate arbitrage profits across multiple factors. The model does not explicitly indicate what factors or economic factors or behavioral significance. However, the market return as in the case of CAPM can be one factor. The APM, therefore, suggests that the linear relationship between security returns and a few factors. The steady-state under this model, the expected return on security i E (Ri) issued by: E(Ri) = Rf +Ɔº1 bi1 + Ɔº2 bi2 + †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..+ Ɔºn bn Where Rf = risk – free rate Ɔºn = risk premium for the types of risk associated with particular factors. Its equation can be rewritten as: Ɔºn = En – Rf where En is the expected return of a portfolio which has unit response to other factors. Example: The return of stock company is related to two factors as follows. E(Ri) = Rf +0.7Ɔº1 + 1.6 Ɔº2 + 1.3 Ɔº3 Where 0.7,1.6 and 1.3 are sensitivity coefficients associated with each factor. If the risk – free rate is 12%, Ɔº1 is 7%, Ɔº2 is 4% and Ɔº3 is 6%. Calculate the expected return on the company’s stock. Solution: E(Ri) = 0.12 + 0.7(0.07) + 1.6(0.04)+1.3(0.06) = 0.311 i.e. 31.1% In summary, it seems more than the CAPM, the APM allows the CAPM risk averse investors to focus more attention to the systematic risk of securities pricing and diversify the systematic risk. According to APM on the other hand, individuals across a number of factors arbitrage, arbitrage opportunities disappear when the market is in balance. However, there is consensus on these factors, the APM, and testable. Thus, CAPM can still be used in security prices. INFORMATION ON SECURITIES Information can be classified as historic, current, or expected. Only the current or previous information from some of its effect on prices. The more information is available, the better the situation means that an informed decision is more likely correct. Security prices are characterized by a random and unpredictable movements. The movement in security prices may be interpreted to mean that investors in the market, a quick note to all security-related information on prices and prices adjust quickly to such information. Thus, the effectiveness of the security prices depend on the speed of price adjustment to all available information. The more efficient than the speed of adjustment of prices. The market efficiency of the available information, however, the efficient market hypothesis reflects (EMW), the three basic forms: Weak form Semi a strong form; Strong form. 1) The weak form EMH states that current stock prices fully reflect all of the information included in the recent price movements, which makes it impossible for investors to predict future security prices and the analysis of historical prices, achieved better results than the stock market as well. Therefore, the market may be effective in this form, there is no significant correlation term average prices of securities. Even more so, if an investors trading strategy can not beat the market based on information available to him, we conclude that the market is weak form efficient. Olowe 1997, places that most

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Satisfaction and Turmoil in Medea and the Twenty-third Psalm :: Euripides Medea Essays

Satisfaction and Turmoil in Medea and the Twenty-third Psalm We are all familiar with the Bible and its contents in general, yet a few individuals know it better than others. The twenty-third Psalm in particular is one that some know by heart. Then, there are those of us that are fascinated with other ancient histories and literatures.   Medea is one such literature that illustrates the classical Greek culture of the day.   These two literary works come across as strikingly different, and their disparity can be attributed to the authors' different styles and the different ethical beliefs that lie behind the works. The twenty-third Psalm soothes the reader with gentle language whereas Euripides' play somewhat irritates the reader's emotions with its diction and flow of events. The first line in the Psalm is "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."   This clearly emphasizes a very important point: the fact that "I", being whoever reads this, will never have to concede to desire.   The language is as plain as it can get; this point cannot be conveyed in any simpler form. However in Medea we see a nearly total opposite view.   "What profit have I in life?   I have no land, no home, no refuge from my pain"   (782-3).   Although this statement also uses "I" as its subject like the Psalm, its focus is clearly that life's purpose is to live for a profit and self-satisfaction. The Psalm uses the word "shepherd" to symbolize a feeling of security, while the line from Medea speaks of "no refuge from my pain."   This shows us that the speaker does not know that such a "shepherd" even exists, as does the peaker in the Psalm.   The diction in Medea from this line also paints a picture of frustration while the Psalm applies a mood of satisfaction.   This is just one of many places where we sense frustration in Eurpides' play. Medea makes the statement, "I weep to think of what a deed I have to do next after that; for I shall kill my own children" (775-6).   This line is very powerful in that the speaker is telling the reader of her plans, which are utterly gruesome.   It seems as though she has only a little remorse for what she plans to do, because she makes her plans sound so straightforward while only claiming that she will simply "weep" for her actions.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Formalistic Approach To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Essay

The formalistic approach to an open text allows the reader to devour the poem or story and break down all the characteristics that make it unique. The reader is able to hear the text rather than read it, and can eventually derive a general understanding or gist of the text. "According to the Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature "when all the words, phrases, metaphors, images, and symbols are examined in terms of each other and of the whole, any literary text worth our efforts will display its own internal logic" (Geurin 75)." When utilizing the formalistic approach, the reader must search in and out of the lines for point of view, form, imagery, structure, symbolism, style, texture, and so on. Using the general theme of time, it is important to focus on structure, style, and imagery found in Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress". Structure, a major tool stressed in this poem, tends to rearrange the text in a large-scale way. In "To His Coy Mistress", the reader should focus on the most significant types of structure: stanza and temporal. In other words, time and chronological order assemble the whole meaning of the text throughout the poem. Although the story contains seduction and intimacy, which is portrayed in the title alone, it is merely a cry for two lovers to be together before time runs out. Temporally, the man first explains to the woman how he would love her if he only had the time. The man's sincerity is truly expressed when Marvell writes, "Had we but world enough, and time...I would love you ten years before the flood...nor would I love at lower rate," (373: 1, 7-8, 20). It seems that the man genuinely cares for the lady, or is he secretly seducing her into bed? Taking a look at the second stanza... ... is romantic and at ease, but he turns brisk and honest as time disintegrates. This image becomes crystal clear with words and phrases such as, "heart", "beauty", "youthful hue sits on thy skin", "our sweetness", "virginity", "breast", and "pleasures". All of these words provide the reader with an illustration of the man's desires. The use of imagery permits the author to fully describe the necessity of time, and allows the reader to visualize the thoughts and feelings that the characters experience. The formalistic approach is only one way of dissecting an open text such as the poem "To His Coy Mistress", but it is one of the best ways to search for the overall meaning of a text. With tools such as structure, style, and imagery, the reader becomes personally involved with the characters and savors the story instead of just reading the written words. Â   Â  

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Flood hazards: impacts and responses for the built environment Essay

Flood Introduction What are some of the major challenges emergency managers will confront during the response phase of this disaster?   Why are these problems?   Why are these issues important to resolve?Finally, how can these problems be overcome by the emergency manager and other related actors or agencies?                   Floods are natural occurrences which are experienced during periods of high-intensity rainfall regularly. The changes in climatic patterns changes the intensity of rain and this could lead to future occurrences of floods. The emergency managers faces a lot of problems in trying to deal with this problem during the response phase. Some of the problems include communication system, geographical position, experience in handling the problem, lack of resources to deal with the emerging problem which in this case is floods among many more(Moore & Barnes, 2004).                   Communication being a very important aspect in any activity of a particular group, its importance should not be underestimated. Lack of proper communication systems during the response stage in floods would lead to poor service delivery to the affected people. The geographical position of an area would determine how fast or slow the response team arrives at the scene to help. People staying in areas that can be easily accessed by the team are always rescued easily by the team. Selecting the best team for any emergency case is always a major problem faced. Improper selection leads to poor service hence the need to always choose the best team.                   The aforementioned problems can be overcome by incorporating qualified personnel into the response team. In areas with accessibility problems, the best means available should always be sought. Good communication systems is also very important because the response team works together and it’s only through proper communication that they will render the best services. Who will be the most critical actors to arrive initially at the scene of the incident? Why are these actors so crucial? What kind of equipment and training should they possess?                   The most important people to first arrive at the flood scene should be the Red Cross members, the fire fighters, health and mental volunteers. These people form the rescue teams. They help in evacuating the people from the flood invested area.                   There exists two types of floods; those that occur gradually and the flash floods which may occur with little or no warning. The rescuers therefore undergo training to help curb all the two types. The most important skill one needs to know is the first aid skill and secondly how to operate a radio. Some however may also have the Swiftwater Training certificate. The people should be trained on hydrology which involves learning how water behaves when it’s moving quickly through a confined area. This helps them know to read the surface hence knowing the location of hidden materials like vehicle, concrete posts among others.                   Defensive swimming is also another skill learned by the rescuers. This helps in keeping themselves safe. Working as a team is also another highly regarded skill that a person should possess. Working as teams helps the team achieve their objectives very first.                   The equipment carried during the rescue process includes megaphones and whistles which assist in communications, ropes that would be used in pulling people to safety places and extra life jackets that would help keep them warm. In addition, they also have lanterns and flares for staying in touch.                   What are some of the major and pressing considerations to consider when dealing with this disaster scenario? What are some hazards that will need to be assessed and overcome? Who will need to be warned or evacuated? Will transportation and shelter arrangements need to be made?                   There are major considerations that should be considered when dealing with floods. The considerations include studying the flood frequency, the length of inundation and the effects of flood and role of mitigation in controlling the flood (Strahler, 1973).                   In controlling floods, there are hazards which needs to be assessed. Gathering the hydrologic data directly from the nearby rivers is always very essential even though it might be time consuming. When data have been collected for quite a long time through stream gauging, then models can be used in coming up with statistical frequency of any given flood events. The importance of hazard assessments that are found based on the remote the remotely available sensing data, field observations and damage reports is that they can be used in instances when quantitative data is not available.                   As mentioned earlier, the importance of determining statistical frequency is that it’s helpful in determining their probability. In areas without records for a long period of time, the assessments are always very difficult.                   The people that stays near rivers or in areas that are prone to floods needs to be warned or evacuated depending on the situation of the flood. Those that stay in areas that are highly prone to floods should be evacuated. When distances that should be travelled are long, then transportation and shelter provisions ought to be made available to the affected people.                   List the steps that would need to be taken starting with the most pressing needs down to the final details. How will emergency medical care be distributed? Will mass triage need to be established? Will the affected area need to be cordoned off?                   The steps taken in helping solve or reduce floods and its effects include what is commonly known as the 3M approach. It involves Measuring Mapping (Schumann, 2011) Modelling                   Failing to do what should be done on time has always thwarted the efforts of several governments, or organizations in coming up with a long lasting effect concerning floods. Complete protection from floods might however be hard but under good preparations, flood evasion is easy. The above listed points starts with planning. Prolonged warnings always makes people to be ready and hence helps them keep their belongings safe (Moore, 2004).                   Emergency medical care to people affected with floods is very important and so is its distribution. The medical care equipment can be distributed through the use of helicopters in areas where other means of transportation is impossible. In instances where the flood is not extreme, then the drugs are distributed by the medical officers or the volunteers.                   Mass triage needs to be established in areas where the flooding effects were extreme and a lot of people are affected. Areas under flood are likely to pose a higher threat for individuals to contract water borne diseases and hence the need for mass triage. Cordoning off an area might also be necessary so as to differentiate the flood infested areas from those that are not. Cordoned off areas are not allowed to be reached by others unless the flood subsidises. Why is emergency management so important during this phase? Could an unorganized response actually lead to more confusion and chaos? How can resources and personnel be allocated efficiently with a central command post?                   Emergency management is important in each and every stage in disaster management. However, its importance is very vital during this stage because of the following reasons. Emergency management helps overcoming the emergencies because there is always a plan for it. With a good plan in place, all is possible. Secondly, emergency management helps in knowing the best way to deal with any problem should it arise. Having a survival kit is also another way through which emergency management helps an individual during occurrences like the flood. Inside the kit there are materials that are necessary in overcoming the emergency (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2008).                   Confusion and chaos arises in situations where after an emergency, there is unorganized response from the management team. This always comes as a result of lack of emergency management tips.                   Having a central command post during emergencies like floods is very healthy in tackling the problem at hand efficiently. The stakeholders involved in helping solve the emergency for example floods, always assemble in the command post and work cooperatively to successfully mitigate the emergency through implementing a single incident action plan. A unified command post helps in the following ways Allows for specialist input whereby only specialised individuals are allowed to work on what they can handle It authorises each stakeholder to have input about how they believe the emergency will be managed.                   Having the right command post therefore ensures that only qualified personnel are assigned certain tasks. This is because they are the ones with authorities on that field hence they can always deliver their best. What are the initial steps that must be taken before recovery operations can take place? Why is disaster recovery so important? Should we strive to make the area better than I t was before the incident?                   Recovery involves rebuilding the whole community so that the affected individuals, governments and other body can now work on their own as they resume normalcy as well as prevent them from future hazards (Clements, 2009).                   The following should be done before recovery operations can take place. The officials should get clearance to enter the site. The extent of the damage should also be looked at before starting the recovery process. Those planning to undertake the recovery process should also get professional advice. Command centre for the recovery effort should also be sought before embarking on the recovery process. Another important aspect that should be looked before starting the recovery process is establishing security procedures for the recovery site. Lastly, deciding how the salvaged materials will be treated should also be looked before commencing the recovery process.                   Recovering from the trauma experienced during the floods might be quite challenging for many people. Therefore proper recovery steps must be undertaken to ensure people heal appropriately. Some of the recovery efforts include; giving medical aid, providing relief which comprises of food, water etc., clearing up the area, rebuilding damaged structures, reopening schools, businesses and all those places that were affected. The disaster recovery is so important in that it attempts to bring the affected people back to normalcy. People recovering from disasters always tend to have negative views so through the use of recovery process, they are made to appreciate life once more.                   The recovery team should endeavour to make the area a better place than it was. Leaving an area in the same or worse state than it was before makes people have bad feelings about such cases. Hence, the need for making an area a better place than it was before.                   How can the public or non-profit organizations assist in recovery operations? Should volunteers be sought and utilized? How could public donations be collected? How could debris be recovered and removed?                   The public and the non-profit organisations have been used in recovery operations. The non-profit organizations serves as health care providers, emergency shelter operations, and search and rescue team. Furthermore, they offer psychological training, as well as emergency communications. The public may also be used in assisting the affected group through being with them together. This always makes such people feel appreciated. They always feel that people are together with them even in their predicaments. The role of the public and non-profit organizations like churches cannot be underestimated.                   So as to make the recovery process a success, volunteers should be utilised. Volunteers are people who are willing to offer certain assistance at no pay. These volunteers might have dealt with similar cases before and are therefore more suited to serve and help the affected people.                   Those in the team should however strive to know the real volunteers. Some may volunteer with sinister motives. These people always lower or reduce the rate at which recovery process is achieved. Such people always make use of the vulnerable condition of the affected people for their own selfish gain. This vice however should be condemned.                   Public donations are very helpful in helping people recover from floods and its effects. People affected by floods needs food, quick medical attention and other basic necessities. The donations from the public if not collected using the right channels, might end up not helping in the intended purpose. Special bodies should always be put in place to man the public donations.                   Prompt cleaning of debris remains after the floods prevents odors, diseases. Contamination from run offs and many more. The following are some of the methods that are used to remove debris. The vegetation should be disposed of correctly. They should be handled in a manner that prevents draining into streams, ditches and other surface water sources (Lamond, 2012).                   Structures that are destroyed should be managed by the property owner and contractors if the floods affected construction sites. Sediments should also be discarded as solid waste.                   Whenever sewage is encountered during the debris disposal process that waste does not necessarily need to be separated. It should be disposed at a landfill mixed with other debris from the flood.                   Is the management of public relations crucial during the recovery process? How could information be relayed to the public to assure them that everything that needs to be done is being done? How could some of the survivor’s mental health have been affected by the disaster? Should crisis counselors be sought to deal with the survivors and victims of the disaster?                   The management of public relations is very important during the recovery process.                   Good public relations enhances good recovery. When there is poor public relations, there is less that canbe done to quicken the recovery process. Consoling affected people is of utmost importance during the recovery period. The people who have been affected by floods needs to be always encouraged that all is well and that help is always underway.                   Leaving people in conditions whereby they are not informed promptly, panic always arises. The best way to inform the public that all is well is by using leaders who they trust. Information which comes from a more authoritative person or a person who is experienced in a certain field holds more waters than information being rumored.                   The mental health of flood survivors may at times be affected. This is mainly in instances where the floods were so much and it caused serious destructions. The survivors might have seen some of their family members drown as a result of the floods. Sometimes, they themselves might have been rescued from death narrowly.                   For such people to heal completely, they need the services of a crisis counsellor for them to recover completely. The crisis counsellors are trained in dealing with problems like these and so they help the affected in overcoming the challenges they face.                   How important is it to promote a culture of vulnerability reduction to prevent disasters from occurringin the first place or at least mitigating their consequences if they do occur?                   Vulnerability is a set of conditions which results from physical, economic, environmental and social factors that increases a person’s susceptibility to the effects of the hazards.                   Promoting the culture of vulnerability helps in preventing disasters as well as mitigating their effects. This is due to the fact that the culture of vulnerability makes people aware of the problems they are facing. When one is aware of whatever he or she is undergoing, then he or she becomes prepared for anything. Being prepared means that solutions to problems can always be found before it’s too late.                   Apart from making people aware, people are also have strong coping capacity. They are always aware and so they can cope as required hence helps in preventing the disaster.                   How can technology be harnessed to smooth the recovery process? What are some tools available to emergency managers for recovery operations? Could the lessons learned from this disaster response and recovery be used in the future to better help communities respond to and deal with a disaster? What are some new and possibly unexpected threats that could arise in the future?Technology can be used to create tools that will lead to faster healings. The recovery process for it to be successful, technology must be used well. With the appropriate technology in place, transportation of medicine, staffs and other essentials that are needed will be availed easily.                   Tools available for use by emergency managers during the recovery process includes weather sensor and satellite, fibre optics, phones video, medical equipment. The lessons learnt from this disaster response are very helpful in dealing with future occurrences. The response when dealing with flood can be used when dealing with other types of floods. Some of the possible threats that are likely to occur during dealing with floods is the network problem. When floods occur, network connection is always tampered with. This happens to be the unexpected threats in when dealing with floods. Network unavailability hinders smooth communication. References Clements, B. (2009). Disasters and Public Health: planning and response. Amsterdam: Butterworth- Heinemann/Elsevier Haddow, G. D., B ullock, J. A., &Coppla, D. P. (2008). Introduction to Emergency Management (3rded.). Amsterdam: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann. Lamond, J. (2012). Flood hazards: impacts and responses for the built environment. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Moore, R.,&Barnes,J. (2004).Faces from the flood: Hurricane Floyd remembered. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Rao, S. R. (2006). Resource recovery and recycling from metallurgical wastes. Amsterdam: Elsevier Schumann, A. (2011). Flood risk assessment and management how to specify hydrological loads, their consequences and uncertainties. Berlin. Springer. Strahler, A. N. (1973). Environmental Science: Interaction between Natural Systems and Man. California: Hamilton Publishing Company. Wisner, B., Gaillard, J. C., &Kelman, I. (2012). The Routledge handbook of hazards and disaster risk reduction. London: Routledge. Source document

Monday, September 16, 2019

Adult Education

.Democracy without education is meaningless. It is education and not freedom that makes a nation great but the situation as prevailing in our country in this respect is not only distressing but disgraceful. â€Å"A state may pass a law, making education compulsory but unless people accept such laws, no state can enforce them by military or police measures. National security depends upon the education of citizens, their knowledge of affairs, their character and sense of discipline and their ability to participate effectively in security measures So â€Å"Adult education is thus the foundation on which alone free India can build up a welfare state which will recognize the claim of both individual freedom and social security. To begin with, it waslimited to the teaching of literacy that is teaching illiterate adults how to read & write. With the passage of times merely literacy was considered insufficient. The concept of adult education was enlarged to include the knowledge of certain useful subjects such as hygiene, civics and the problems of every day life. A new concept emerged i. e. the concept of ‘Social education'. It is to be given on part time basis. The purposes of adult education are, Remedial of self respect, Development of physical health, Vocational development, Development of social skills, Self development and Recreational purposes. From the social point of view the aims of adult education are- Promotion of social cohesion Conservation and Improvement of national resources: i. . ; by creating new awakening among the adults. Building Co-operative groups Inculcation of social ideologyadult education brings a new hope for the illiterates. It widens the intellectual and political horizon of citizens and completes India’s political awakening and sets a new cultural tone. It has to be organized from the basic level itself on part time basis through youth clubs, or ganizations and of course by the govt. the govt should keep at least 2 officers- 1male and 1 female for adult education. It is only then our nation could improve jai hind! Adult Education .Democracy without education is meaningless. It is education and not freedom that makes a nation great but the situation as prevailing in our country in this respect is not only distressing but disgraceful. â€Å"A state may pass a law, making education compulsory but unless people accept such laws, no state can enforce them by military or police measures. National security depends upon the education of citizens, their knowledge of affairs, their character and sense of discipline and their ability to participate effectively in security measures So â€Å"Adult education is thus the foundation on which alone free India can build up a welfare state which will recognize the claim of both individual freedom and social security. To begin with, it waslimited to the teaching of literacy that is teaching illiterate adults how to read & write. With the passage of times merely literacy was considered insufficient. The concept of adult education was enlarged to include the knowledge of certain useful subjects such as hygiene, civics and the problems of every day life. A new concept emerged i. e. the concept of ‘Social education'. It is to be given on part time basis. The purposes of adult education are, Remedial of self respect, Development of physical health, Vocational development, Development of social skills, Self development and Recreational purposes. From the social point of view the aims of adult education are- Promotion of social cohesion Conservation and Improvement of national resources: i. . ; by creating new awakening among the adults. Building Co-operative groups Inculcation of social ideologyadult education brings a new hope for the illiterates. It widens the intellectual and political horizon of citizens and completes India’s political awakening and sets a new cultural tone. It has to be organized from the basic level itself on part time basis through youth clubs, or ganizations and of course by the govt. the govt should keep at least 2 officers- 1male and 1 female for adult education. It is only then our nation could improve jai hind!