Righting Wrongs through Writing an Example of the Topic Literature Essays by

Righting Wrongs through Writing German Nazis oppressed and murdered Jews by the millions. White slave masters oppressed their black slaves before slavery was abolished in America. Likewise, women have been oppressed in illiterate societies. And, the Darfur genocide story has been in the news for some time. In fact, oppression may be described as a sun that never seems to set. It happens around the world almost all of the time. Writers and poets take responsibility for describing the facts of oppression. But, there are various ways of righting wrongs by writing about oppression. Maxine Hong Kingstons (2006) short story, No Name Woman describes wrongs committed unto a Chinese woman in the 1920s. Langston Hughes poems, Negro and The Negro Speaks of Rivers also touch upon oppression; yet one of these poems offers hope to Africans that have suffered oppression in America, while the other simply asks the reader to understand the African American as a human being with his or her entire human baggage seeing that Africans h ad been dehumanized by the whites of America. The themes of Kingstons No Name Woman and Hughes Negro and The Negro Speaks of Rivers are based in stories of oppression. Need essay sample on "Righting Wrongs through Writing" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Undergraduates Usually Tell EssayLab writers: Who wants to write assignment for me? Specialists propose: Essaylab.Com Can Provide You With The Winning Academic Essay Writing Services Cheap Writing Service Reviews Custom Essay Order Review Essay Company Kingstons short story, No Name Woman, begins with the narrators mother informing her about her aunts suicide and asking her to keep it as a secret. The narrators family refuses to acknowledge the aunt as a part of their past lives. The narrators mother nevertheless tells the story of the no name woman, namely the aunt who committed suicide (Kingston). The no name woman was married in 1924 in China, as part of a ceremony that celebrated many marriages at the same time. When her husband left for work, as other husbands married during the same celebrations also left, she was expected to wait on money from him. But, she ended up getting pregnant many years after her husbands departure. When the baby was about to arrive, her family house was raided by angry protesting villagers. The no name woman gave birth to her first child in a pigsty. The following morning she was found dead with her child in the family well. Apparently, it was a suicide (Kingston). The narrators mother would like to warn her daughter about getting pregnant outside of marriage. After describing such warnings, the narrator explains certain aspects of her life as a Chinese American. She goes deeper into discussion about her aunt, too. According to the narrator, the no name woman must have been forced into adultery. The narrator also makes conjectures about why the no name woman was sent out of her in-laws home and whether the adulteror was one of the village raiders (Kingston). Some of the problems related to Chinese culture that the narrator raises include the loudness of their speech. Yet, the narrator must wonder about the silence that her aunt must have been forced to keep. The no name woman apparently committed suicide out of a sense of shame. Her people could not have tolerated an adulteress among them, which is why her family house was subjected to a raid. The fact that her family refuses to acknowledge her now that she is dead is another problem about Chinese culture that the narrator has set out to complain of. After all, the no name woman had been subjected to oppression, according to the narrators conjecture (Kingston). Punishing the woman for the crime of another is the main complaint about Chinese culture that Kingstons story raises. Kingston would like to shock her readers with her story of the oppressed aunt. Readers are supposed to understand the story as a warning against oppressive behavior. Although there is no clear warning in Kingstons story, the very fact that it is a story of oppression delivers it as a warning to readers. Oppression is bad the story states this loud and clear. It is injustice to commit acts of oppression Kingston would like her readers to know. Yet, Hughes does not only want his readers to understand oppression but also offer hope to the oppressed apart from his attempt to humanize those that have been dehumanized in the past. By writing about oppression that her aunt suffered, the narrator in Kingstons story also humanizes the dehumanized aunt. After all, once the reader has understood the dehumanization of the aunt in Kingstons story, he or she is expected to consider the alternatives in the aunts situation. In other words, it is inevitable for the reader of Kingstons story to ask, What could have been done better in the aunts situation? Moreover, once Kingston has analyzed the mindset of the oppressors of the aunt, she expects her readers to infer that theirs was inhumane behavior. Of course, Hughes played an important role as a writer and thinker of the Harlem Renaissance. This was an artistic movement of African Americans that arose during the 1920s to celebrate the lives and culture of Africans in the United States (Langston Hughes). Because most of the African Americans had been brought to the New World as slaves of white masters, it was poets and writers like Hughes, an African American man, that helped to change the perception of African Americans in the minds of the whites once slavery had been abolished. Hughes poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers published in 1926, and Negro published in 1958, therefore depict African Americans as ordinary human beings like everybody else, and yet richer in culture and civilization than many others, seeing that they have participated in the construction of the great pyramids, mentioned in both poems. Hughes was direct and open about the fact that his writings were meant to uplift the conditions confronting Africans in the United States (Langston Hughes). Kingston merely describes the fact that it is illiteracy combined with poverty that must be held responsible for cultural customs that seem at odds with shared human values. The fact that Chinese people of the time of the no name woman would rather erase the memory of an adulteress than forgive her is horrific. Raiding her house at the time of her first babys delivery is even worse. But, then, there are plenty of problems connected with culture that transpire in villages of poor countries. An example distributed by the media is that of honor killings in the Indian subcontinent. These killings are based on the presumption of village elders that it is better to kill an adulteress than to bear her as a shame upon her entire family. What is more, it is a known fact that women are disproportionately hurt by such cultural traditions in far off places where human rights organizations may still not establish their presence as they would like. Kingston would like to right the wrongs in all such cultures. Unlike Hughes who writes for African Americans of his time, Kingston is not writing for the no name woman in her own time. Rather, hers is a generic story of oppression of women in poor countries where illiteracy is rampant. Africans of America had been slaves, so therefore the whites did not respect them enough even after the abolishment of slavery. Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers was published at the time of the Harlem Renaissance. His poem, Negro, on the other hand, was published at a time when racism was considered a huge problem to struggle against in the United States. Many battles were fought to set blacks equal to whites in the minds of all Americans. Hughes contribution of the 1950s, his poem Negro, was only different to the extent that it was a literary contribution. Countless other Africans were fighting on the streets of America to set things right once and for all. Both poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Negro, are expressions of African American identity. The first poem begins thus: Ive known rivers (Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers). In the second as in the first, although the poet has made clear that the narrator is a negro the poem, Negro begins with the words, I am a Negro (Hughes, Negro). Because the whites had been masters over African slaves, they were inclined to look down upon Africans. Since the whites were owners of property in America and certainly richer, the blacks longed to be like the whites. But, Hughes would like the Africans to feel at home in their own skins. With images of rivers as grand as of the Euphrates, the Nile and the Mississippi the poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, reminds the African of his or her historical roots or the history of the great African peoples who have traveled across all of these rivers adding value to the historical streams of cultures. The poem has irregular, long lines without rhythm bec ause it is making a basic point: the African soul is as deep as any human soul could be. The African individual indulges in deep thinking as he or she travels across ancient rivers. What he must dwell on is his own identity on foreign soil. Remembering the history of his or her civilization, he or she must keep in mind that life carries on. Whats more, even though Africans have traveled many lands, the poet reminds his fellow African that the black race has survived despite all odds (Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers). Because The Negro Speaks of Rivers was published during the peak of Harlem Renaissance, it refers to depth of the African soul, given that art is often understood as the voice of the soul and the Harlem Renaissance was all about promoting African art and culture in the United States. Using gentle images such as the Mississippis bosom turning golden in the sunset, the poet uses his emphasis on rivers to stand as a symbol for the depth of the African soul (Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers). Negro, published during the 1950s also mentions depths (Hughes, Negro). As in The Negro Speaks of Rivers, the depths mentioned by Hughes in both poems most likely refer to the depth of African knowledge too. After all, both poems refer to the history of Africans. Negro, with its sentence arrangements describing either what had happened to Africans or what they have done in the history of the African civilization also makes mention of the experiences and/or skills that set Africans apart, for exam ple, slavery and singing (Hughes, Negro). The poet represents all Africans in both his poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Negro. What is more, both poems mention the fact that the Africans were part of the labor force that built the ancient pyramids. In The Negro Speaks of Rivers, it was the African who looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it (Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers). In Negro, the pyramid is said to have arisen under the African hand, implying that the African was greatly skilled even at the time of ancient pyramid construction (Hughes, Negro). The main difference between the two poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Negro is, undoubtedly, the spirit of hope felt through the first poem versus the sense of despair mixed with hope in the second poem. Hughes must have composed The Negro Speaks of Rivers in a different frame of mind altogether. The poem clearly promotes African American culture and art as originating in the deep history of humanity (Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers). Although Negro makes mention of world history too, it does not necessarily promote African American art, apart from its reference to singing. The African American may be considered as more of a laborer or low paid worker than an artist in Negro (Hughes, Negro). Perhaps the poem was not written to promote African American art at all. As mentioned previously, the 1950s saw the whites and blacks of America fighting over the question of equal rights of Africans in almost all major areas of state functioning, including education. There were severe pro blems related to racism during this period of American history. Clearly, blacks were being dehumanized in the minds of the whites. It was in the mood of that hour that Hughes composed Negro. The poem speaks of the ordinariness of the African individual while describing the good uses that Africans have been made of, for example, in the construction of the Woolworth Building (Hughes, Negro). The Negro Speaks of Rivers is certainly not dismal or depressing like Negro, mainly because it does not make mention of slavery and victimization as the second. After all, Hughes is fighting against injustice toward African Americans in the 1950s. In the 1920s, his cause was entirely different. If The Negro Speaks of Rivers had made frequent mention of darkness as does Negro, the Harlem Renaissance could not have been considered a harbinger of hope (Hughes, Negro). Even so, both poems were composed around the story of oppression of Africans in America, just as Kingstons story of the no name woman revolves around the theme of oppression in poor cultures. If Africans had been treated as equals to the whites throughout the history of the United States, Hughes would not even have written these poems. Thus, Kingstons No Name Woman and Hughes poems The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Negro were written to right wrongs committed by human beings unto other human beings. Throughout the history of humanity, people have sought to appear strong by dehumanizing those that appear weak. Chinese women in the space and time of the no name woman must have been looked down upon even if they were innocent. Similarly, the whites of America continued to look down upon the blacks even after slavery had been abolished. Of course, there is no logic behind oppressive behavior. This is the reason why writers and poets such as Kingston and Hughes have built their writings around these stories. After all, if everybody had a clear idea about the ludicrousness of discrimination, writers such as Kingston and Hughes would have to consider other themes for their works. Clearly, the themes of Kingstons No Name Woman and Hughes poems The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Negro revolve around stories of oppression because such stories offer food for thought, not only for writers and poets but also their readers. References Hughes, L. Negro. Retrieved Dec 4, 2008, from http://amandafa.blogspot.com/2007/12/negro-by-langston-hughes.html. Kingston, M. H. (2006). No Name Woman. 1975. In J. Schlib & J. Clifford (Eds.) Making Literature Matter (pp. 1154-1163). 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Langston Hughes. Americas Story from Americas Library.

The Brownie Camera Changed the Future of Photography

The Brownie Camera Changed the Future of Photography The next time you point your smartphone at a sunset, snap a group of friends on a night out or position yourself just so for a selfie, you might want to give silent thanks to George Eastman. Not that he invented the smartphone or the myriad social media sites to which you can instantly post your images. What he did do was set in motion the democratization of a pastime that prior to the turn of the 20th century  was solely reserved for professionals well-trained in the use of heavy large-format cameras.   In February of 1900,  Eastmans  company,  Eastman Kodak,  introduced a low-priced, point-and-shoot, hand-held camera, called the Brownie. Simple enough for even children to use, the Brownie was designed, priced, and marketed in order to bolster the sale of roll film, which Eastman had recently invented, and as a result, make  photography  accessible to the masses.   Snapshots From a Small Box Designed by Eastman Kodaks camera designer Frank A. Brownell, the Brownie camera was little more than a simple  black rectangular cardboard box covered in imitation leather with nickeled fittings. To take a snapshot, all one had to do was pop in a cartridge of film, close the door, hold the camera at waist height, aim it  by looking through the viewfinder at the top, and turn a switch. Kodak claimed in its advertisements that the Brownie camera was so simple they can easily [be] operated by any school boy or girl. Though simple enough for even children to use, a 44-page instruction booklet accompanied every Brownie camera.   Affordable and Easy to Use The Brownie camera was very affordable, selling for only $1 each. Plus, for only 15 cents, a Brownie camera owner could buy a six-exposure film cartridge that could be loaded in daylight. For an extra 10 cents a photo plus 40 cents for developing and postage, users could send their film to Kodak for development, eliminating the need to invest in a darkroom and special equipment and materials- much less learn how to use them. Marketed to Children Kodak heavily marketed the Brownie camera to children. Its ads, which ran in popular magazines rather than just trade journals, also included what would soon become a series of popular Brownie characters, elf-like creatures created by Palmer Cox. Children under the age of 15  were also urged to join the free Brownie Camera Club, which sent all members a brochure on the art of photography  and advertised a series of photo contests in which kids could earn prizes for their snapshots. The Democratization of Photography In just the first year after introducing the Brownie, the Eastman Kodak Company sold over a quarter of a million of its little cameras. However, the small cardboard box did more than just  help make Eastman a rich man. It forever changed the culture. Soon, handheld cameras of all sorts would hit the market, making possible vocations like photojournalist and fashion photographer, and giving artists yet another medium with which to express themselves. These cameras also gave everyday people an affordable, accessible way to document the important moments of their lives,  whether formal or spontaneous and preserve them for future generations.

Concepts and principles of emergency management Essay

Concepts and principles of emergency management - Essay Example In Australia, latest statistics on car accidents seem to indicate that road accidents are increasing in frequency; road deaths associated to such car accidents are also increasing. In 2005, Australia already ranked 7th out of 15 developed nations for road deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometres travelled (Fallah, 2007). Emergencies -- are â€Å"incidents that threaten public safety, health and welfare (Department of Environmental Management, n.d, p. 1). Emergencies may also vary in size, location, causes, and effects; but regardless of differences in such elements, they all register with various environmental effects. They are also defined by the Emergency Management Institute (n.d) as unexpected incidents or events which endanger lives or property, consequently requiring urgent and routine responses through community resources and procedures. Examples include: road-blocking landslides, long power outages, forest fires, outbreaks of diseases, and heat waves (Central Coast Center Independent Living, n.d). There were two slides in Australia from 1939 to 2007; 28 were killed and about 101 individuals were affected (CRED, 2007). There were 28 wild fires from 1939 to 2007 and this caused the death of about 300 individuals and damages up to 1.2 million US dollars (CRED, 2007). There was one epidemic fro m 1939 to 2007. No deaths and no damages were reported but 6 people were affected (CRED, 2007). Disasters are defined by Emergency Management Australia (2004, p. ix) as â€Å"a condition or situation of significant destruction, disruption and/or distress to a community†. The United Nations (1992) define a disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using its own resources† (UN Glossary, 1992).

The Mona Lisa Biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Mona Lisa Biography - Essay Example Leonardo da Vinci started working on the on the portrait in 1503 through1506 but kept the portrait until he passed away in 1519. Since then, the portrait has gone round so many people, and presently resides in the Louvre Museum in Paris (Henry and Dana, 49). Da Vinci, an Italian, was an artist who lived during the renaissance period, and was also involved in mathematics, engineering and music among other disciplines. He painted various other pictures apart from the Mona Lisa. It is alleged that he worked on this painting until the time of his death in 1519. The painting was not acclaimed as a masterpiece immediately; it took about 300 years to be recognized outside Italy, the country of origin. In the painting, da Vinci has applied new and innovative techniques at the same time; among the techniques was sfumato and chiaroscuro. Using these techniques, Mona Lisa’s skin appears as if glowing from the oil layers. The anonymity in the portrait lies in the figure behind it, the background and the smile, that many state as iconic. The portrait was transferred to King Francois I after the death of Leonardo da Vinci. The King was an art lover who had collections in his room in the Palace of Fontainebleau. The room was eventually converted into a gallery. Afterwards the portrait was taken to Palace of Versailles, and later taken by King Napoleon for hanging in his bedroom in the Tuileries Palace. The Kings of France considered the Mona Lisa as a prized possession and the portrait was moved through various royal residences over time. In 1793, the Mona Lisa was taken to the Louvre in Paris, as part of the royal art collection. The painting has since had a lot of interesting escapades that have left me fascinated. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen by three men, Vincenzo Perugia and two others. The men gracefully removed the glass casing that was protecting the painting and tucked the painting in a blanket before leaving the

The Scottish Parliament Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Scottish Parliament Building - Essay Example This starts with creating a terms of reference or clear specification of the project. This is followed by the actual plan in this of the building process starting with assessing materials needed, cost of the project, to the actual laying the foundation until the last detail is achieved. The plan is then communicated to every member in the team. Teamwork is at the core of any successful construction project or any other project. Every supervisor in the project should have the plan in details and examine it at length and to modify where need be. The implementation of the project follows the planning; controlling is an ongoing process till the end. Follow up should be done after closing the project. The role of project management has been outlined as giving a clear guideline to follow in undertaking any project; it also helps the implementing to manage time and resources in an effective manner (Hans, 2010.34). The elements focused on in this essay are managing the scope of the project, time, costs, labour, the quality of the project, the risks involved, the integration process, the communication throughout the project and finally the procurement process. The Scottish parliament building was estimated at a very high cost from the initial assessment. The argument was behind the democratic approach towards the design. The cost so said at $600 million had to be justified by the overall result of the construction. The site selection feasibility study was carried out to assess the environment and the traffic of the location. The construction management was chosen as the procurement vehicle. This was a good managerial choice since it offered speed advantages towards progress of the construction. It had a disadvantage towards the uncertainty of price. This would have been determined only after the last contract had been leased out. Project procurement management was not thoroughly given thought and a comprehensive strategy document for procurement was not prepared. A syst ematic risk analysis was not done towards the chosen route of procurement indicating poor managerial practices in the whole project. The procurement process of the materials specified by the contractor was rested upon the contractor chosen. This would have jeopardized the overall quality of the procurement management process. Management of cost: - The initial estimated costs rose from the start of the project. Once the tenders were issued out, the contractor who came in with design projected an increase in costs estimate of the design (Jeremy and Philips, 2006, 100). The risk had risen from 80% to 100%. This was due to lack of a proper strategy ab-initio. The construction costs rose to 115 million pounds i.e. 86% a figure way above the budget. Value engineer was called upon to assess these figures and came up with a decrease of 25% which was adopted. This was explained towards construction delays and design process. The project was carried out towards achieving the quality of the fi nished work hence details of the design had to be altered. The materials so chosen for the construction took a better part of the whole cost estimates. This was in light of achieving the quality intended. A thorough costing should have been carried out and good decision made from the first debates in the year 1998. The delay to start the project took over two years and the value of money was rising. The cost objective was not at the end of the project since

Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity

Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity First of all we shall start the definitions of the key words as used in the research question. Astrology can be defined as the study of how events on earth correspond to the positions and movements of astronomical bodies which are the moon, sun, planets and the stars. Paganism in general is a term for the ancient and modern religions which identify nature as the body of the divine e.g. Taoism is the paganism of China, Hinduism is the Paganism of India, Shinto the paganism of Japan and Santeria, Voudon Macumba are the paganisms of the African Diaspora; etc On the other hand symbolism is the applied use of symbols i.e iconic representations that carry particular conventional meanings. Symbolism also refers to a way of choosing representative symbols that are in line with the abstract rather than literal properties, allowing for the broader interpretation of a carried meaning than more literal concept-representations can allow. A religion can be described as a language of concepts related to human spirituality. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most religions. Christianity is the monotheistic system of beliefs and practices that are based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and that emphasizes the role of Jesus as savior and Christ. Discussion Zodiac is one of the oldest conceptual images in human history. It reflects the sun as it figuratively passes through the 12 major constellations over the course of a year. It also reflects the 12 months of the year, the 4 seasons, and the solstices and equinoxes. The term Zodiac relates to the fact that constellations were anthropomorphized, or personified, as figures, or animals. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary on December 25th/a> in Bethlehem, his birth was symbolized by a star in the east which three kings or magi followed to locate and adorn the new savior. He was a child teacher at age 12 and at the age of 30 he was baptized by John the Baptist, and thus began the ministry. Jesus had 12 disciples whom he traveled about with performing miracles such as healing the sick, raising the dead, walking on water, he was also known as the King of Kings, the Son of God, the Light of the World, the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb of God e.g. After being betrayed by Judas his disciple and sold for 30 pieces of silver, he was crucified, placed in a tomb and after 3 days resurrected and ascended to Heaven. The birth sequence of Jesus is completely astrological. The star in the east is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky at night, which on December 24th aligns with the three brightest stars in Orions Belt. These three bright stars are referred today what they were called in ancient times, The Three Kings. The Three Kings and the brightest star Sirius, all point to the place of the sunrise on December 25th. This is why the Three Kings follow the star in the east, in order to locate the sunrise or the birth of the sun. Virgin Mary is the constellation Virgo, also known as the Virgo the Virgin which in Latin means virgin. The ancient glyph for Virgo is the altered m. This is why Mary with other virgin mothers, such as Adoniss mother Myrrha and Buddhas mother Maya begin with an M. Virgo is also referred to as the House of Bread, and the represents of virgin holding a sheaf of wheat. The House of Bread and its symbol of wheat represent August and September, the time of harvest. In turn, Bethlehem literally translates to house of bread. Bethlehem therefore refers to the constellation Virgo, a place in the sky, not on Earth. Another very interesting phenomenon that occurs around December 25th is that from the summer solstice to the winter solstice, the days become shorter and colder. From the northern hemisphere perspective, the sun appears to move south gets smaller and more scarce. The shortening of days and the expiration of the crops when approaching the winter solstice symbolizes the process of death to the ancients. By December 22nd, the Suns demise was fully realized, for the Sun having moved south continually for 6 months, makes it to its lowest point in the sky. And here a curious thing occurs, the Sun stops moving south, at least for 3 days. In the three day pause, the Sun stays in the vicinity of the Southern Cross, or Crux, the constellation. After this time on December 25th, the Sun moves 1 degree, this time north, foreshadowing longer days, spring and warmth. And thus it was said, the Sun died on the cross, was dead for 3 days, only to be resurrected or born again. This is why Jesus and num erous other Sun Gods share the crucifixion, 3 day death, and resurrection concept. It’s the Suns transition period before it shifts its direction back towards the Northern Hemisphere bringing spring and thus salvation. However, they didn’t celebrate the resurrection of the Sun until the spring equinox, or Easter. This is because at the spring equinox, the Sun officially overpowers the evil darkness, as daytime thereafter becomes longer in duration than night, and the revitalizing conditions of spring emerge. Therefore the obvious astrological symbolism around Jesus regards the 12 disciples. They are simply the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, which Jesus, being the Sun, travels about with. In fact, the number 12 is seen more often throughout the Bible which has more to do with astrology than anything else. Looking at the cross of the Zodiac, the figurative life of the Sun, this was not an artistic expression or tool to track the Suns movements. It is a Pagan adaptation of the cross of the Zodiac. That is why Jesus in early occult art is shown with his head on the cross the Sun of God, the Light of the World, the Risen Savior, who will come again, as it is every morning, the Glory of God who battles against the works of darkness, as he is born again every morning, and can be seen coming in the clouds, up in Heaven, with his Crown of Thorns, or, sun rays. Now, of the many astrological-astronomical metaphors in the Bible, the most important has to do with the ages. In the scriptures there are numerous references ‘Age’. To understand this, we need to familiarize with the phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes. Ancient Egyptians along with cultures long before them recognized that approximately for every 2150 years the sunrise on the morning of the spring equinox would occur at a different sign of the Zodiac. This is concerned with the slow angular wobble that the Earth maintains as it rotates on its axis. It’s called a precession because the constellations go backwards, rather than through the normal annual cycle. The time that it takes for the precession to go through all 12 signs is roughly 25 to 765 years. This is also called the Great Year, and ancient societies were very aware of this. Each 2150 year period was called an age. From 4300 b.c. to 2150 b.c., it was called the Age of Taurus, the Bull. From 2150 b.c. to 1 a.d., it was called the Age of Aries, the Ram, and from 1 a.d. to 2150 a.d. it was called the Age of Pisces, the age we are still in to date, and in and around 2150, we shall enter the new age called the Age of Aquarius. The Bible reflects a symbolic movement through 3 ages, while foreshadowing a 4th. In the Old Testament when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, he was very upset to see his people worshiping a golden bull calf. He reacted by shattering the stone tablets and instructing his people to kill each other in order to purify themselves. I would attribute this anger to the fact that the Israelites were worshiping a false idol or something to that effect. The fact is that the golden bull is Taurus the Bull, and Moses represents the new Age of Aries the Ram. That is why Jews even today still blow the Rams horn. Moses represents the new Age of Aries, and upon the new age, everyone should shed the old age. Other deities mark these transitions as well, a pre-Christian god who kills the bull, in the same symbol. Jesus is the figure who ushers in the age following Aries, the Age of Pisces the two Fish. Fish symbolism is very repetitive in the New Testament. Jesus fed 5000 people with bread and 2 fish. When he began his ministry walking along Galilee, he befriends 2 fishermen, who followed him. I have seen Jesus-fish on the backs of peoples cars. Yet they do not know what it actually means. It is a Pagan astrological symbolism for the Suns Kingdom during the Age of Pisces. Also, Jesus assumed birth date is essentially the start of this age. In Luke 22:10 when Jesus is asked by his disciples where the next Passover will be, Jesus replied ‘Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water follow him into the house where he entereth in.’ this scripture is one of the most revealing of all the astrological references. The man carrying a pitcher of water is Aquarius, the water bearer, who is always seen as a man pouring out a pitcher of water. He represents the age after Pisces, and when the Sun leaves the Age of Pisces (Jesus), it will go into the House of Aquarius, as Aquarius follows Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. Also what Jesus is that after the Age of Pisces will come the Age of Aquarius. We have all heard about the end times and the end of the world. Apart from the depictions in the Book of Revelation, the main source of this idea comes from Matthew 28:20, where Jesus says ‘I will be with you even to the end of the world.’ Otherwise, in King James Version, ‘the world’ is a mistranslation, among many mistranslations. The actual word being used is aeon, which means ‘age.’ ‘I will be with you even to the end of the age.’ Which is true, as Jesus Solar Piscean representation will end when the Sun enters the Age of Aquarius. The entire concept of end times and the end of the world is a misinterpreted astrological allegation. Lets tell that to the approximately 100 million people in America who believe the end of the world is coming. Furthermore, Jesus character, a literary and astrological hybrid, is most explicitly similar to the Egyptian Sun god Horus e.g., inscribed about 3500 years ago on the walls of the Temple of Luxor in Egypt are images of the enunciation of the immaculate conception, the birth, and the adoration of Horus. The images begin with Thaw announcing to the virgin Isis that she will conceive Horus, then Nef the holy ghost shall impregnant the virgin Isis, and then the virgin birth and the adoration. This exactly entails Jesus’ miracle conception. In fact, the literary similarities between the Egyptian religion and the Christian religion are staggering. The plagiarism is continuous. The story of Noah and the Ark is taken directly from the traditions. The concept of a Great Flood is common throughout the ancient world, with over 200 different cited claims in different periods and times. However, one needs look no further for a pre-Christian source than the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in 2600 b.c. In this story is told of a Great Flood commanded by God, an Ark with saved animals on it, and even the release and return of a dove, all held in common with the biblical story, among many other similar occurrences. Then there is the plagiarized story of Moses. Upon Moses birth, it is said that he was placed in a reed basket and set adrift in a river in order to avoid infanticide. He was later rescued by a daughter of a king and raised by her as a Prince. This baby in a basket story was lifted directly from the myth of Sargon of Akkad of around 2250 b.c. Sargon was born, placed in a reed basket in order to avoid infanticide, and set adrift in a river. He was in turn rescued and raised by Akki, a royal mid-wife. Furthermore, Moses is known as the giver of the Ten Commandments. However, the idea of a Law being passed from God to a prophet on a mountain is also a very old motif. Moses is just a law giver in a series of law givers in mythological history. In India, Manou was the great law giver. In Crete, Minos ascended Mount Dicta, where Zeus gave him the sacred laws. While in Egypt there was Mises, who carried stone tablets and upon them the laws of god were written. The Ten Commandments are taken outright from Spell 125 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. What the Book of the Dead phrased I have not killed Thou shall not kill, I have not told lies became Thou shall not bear false witness I have not stolen became Thou shall not steal,† and so forth. In fact, the Egyptian religion is likely the primary foundational basis for the Judeo-Christian theology. Baptism, afterlife, final judgment, virgin birth and resurrection, crucifixion, the Ark of the Covenant, circumcision, saviors, Holy Communion, the great flood, Easter, Christmas, Passover, and many more, are all attributes of Egyptian ideas, long predating Christianity and Judaism. Justin Martyr, one of the first Christian historians and defenders, said: When we say that Jesus Christ, our teacher, was produced without sexual union, was crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended into Heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those who you esteem Sons of Jupiter. In a different writing, Justin Martyr said He was born of a virgin; accept this in similarity with what you believe of Perseus. Its quite obvious that Justin and other early Christians knew how similar Christianity was to the Pagan religions and practices. However, Justin had a solution, as far as he was concerned, the Devil did it. The Devil had the foresight to come before Christ, and create these characteristics in the Pagan world. The Bible is just but an astro-theological literary fold hybrid, just like nearly all religious myths before it. In fact, the aspect of transference, of one characters attributes to a new character, can be found within the bible itself. In the Old Testament theres the story of Joseph. Joseph was a prototype for Jesus. Joseph was born of a miracle birth; Jesus was born of a miracle birth. Joseph was of 12 brothers, Jesus had 12 disciples. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver; Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver. Brother Judah suggests the sale of Joseph, disciple Judas suggests the sale of Jesus. Joseph began his work at the age of 30; Jesus began his work at the age of 30. The parallels go on and on. At the time of Jesus, the Mediterranean world was ruled by the Roman Empire. The Romans were pagans, who had their own gods namely; Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and so on. The names of these gods have survived to date in the names of the planets, the days of the week, names of months and general linguistic usage. The other cultures in the area also had their own gods and goddesses, who corresponded more or less to the Roman pantheon. Greek was the language of culture in the Middle East; the main centre was Alexandria in Egypt and the Roman world was one in which trade and religion passed rapidly between the cities and towns along the marvello. Celebrating the Solstice was forbidden by the Church, but many customs survived anyway. In the 4th Century, Pope Julius I declared that 25th December was Jesus birthday and so celebrations were in order. This effectively transformed the Pagan occasion into a Christian holy day (holiday). This was not, however, merely a convenient way to Christianize a Pagan celebration. There is no historical evidence to prove what date Jesus was born on, or the season, or even the year. But after many years of calculation, contemplation and argument, 25th December was assigned. And since the why is more important than the when, that date has been good enough for Christians ever since. Conclusion Paganism has a wider influence on our lives than we might care to think. Take for example, the simple wedding ring. This has profound Pagan origins yet is considered an essential part of the wedding ceremony by many Christians. Overemphasizing the relevance and importance of religious symbols can lead to conflict. Consider the tensions that rose in France during 2004/5, following the banning of Muslim headscarves, Sikh turbans, Jewish skullcaps, large Christian crucifixes, and other conspicuous religious symbols that dont blend into secular state schools5. The headscarf issue resulted in just a handful of school expulsions but more damagingly generated ill-feeling, divided the country and achieved nothing positive. Paganism has had a wide influence on Christianity given the many examples of rites and regalia that support this assertion. And this raises the question: So what? Christians should be cautious about condemning practices as Pagan, just because of their origins. The origins may be interesting, but not so important. What is really important, however, is what we do with these things. References: J. G. Frazer (1993) The Golden Bough, Macmillan Co. Ltd, London R. Graves (1961) the white Goddess, Faber Faber, London A. His lop: (1990) The Two Babylon’s, Loizeaux Brothers; 2nd edition. M. D. Magee Sun Gods as Atoning Saviors an online resource investigating the origins of Christian and Jewish teachings Strabo:( 1982) The Geography of Strabo, Loeb Classical Library Tertullian:( 870) Adversus Judaeos, trans. Rev. S. Thelwall, 1870 B. G. Walker 🙠 1983) the Womans Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Harper Row, NY

Comparing the Andy Griffith Show and Plautus Miles Gloriosus :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Comparing the Andy Griffith Show and Plautus' Miles Gloriosus In The Andy Griffith Show and in Greek and Roman Comedy the viewer or reader, whichever the case may be, will notice the dominating fatherly male character, the male character who is always confused, the person who is in need of help or looking for answers, and the female who is needed for the male. The sitcoms of today are similar to some of the Greek and Roman comedies of the past. The reader or viewer may also notice that there are many differences between the two. The most dominating differences are the changes, which have taken place in society. The people of today are encountering some of the same situations, but the outcomes and solutions have changed. The roles of women and men have changed, and because of the changes the presentation of comedy to the public has been forced to change. In the play Miles Gloriosus by Plautus the reader will notice Palaestrio as the father character of the sitcom. Palaestrio is the mediator in the play. He is the one who has to help everyone else solve his or her problem. In The Andy Griffith Show the father character is Andy. Andy is the town sheriff, and he is also the father of Opie. The town of Mayberry never encounters many criminals, but the people often have life lessons to overcome and Andy is always there to help. Andy usually helps the townspeople indirectly. He tries to help them without their knowing that he is helping them. He wants the people to think that they came up with the idea on their own. Palaestrio does the same thing with Pyrgopolynices. Palaestrio convinces Pyrgopolynices that it is in his best interest to move Philocomasium out and date Acroteleutium. Palaestrio does this by tricking Pyrgopolynices into thinking that it is his own idea. Characters like Andy and Palaestrio are still needed for the plot of c omedies. Sceledrus, a slave, is like Barney, the deputy of Mayberry, they mean well but they might be easily tricked into believing something is not what it seems. Palaestrio tricked Sceledrus into believing that he was seeing two girls rather than one. When Sceledrus found the truth in the end and told his boss, Pyrgopolynices, Sceledrus did not seem surprised he acted like the truth had been obvious to everyone. Andy often tricks Barney, because he wants to help him solve a problem and think that he has discovered the solution on his own. Comparing the Andy Griffith Show and Plautus' Miles Gloriosus :: Compare Contrast Comparison Comparing the Andy Griffith Show and Plautus' Miles Gloriosus In The Andy Griffith Show and in Greek and Roman Comedy the viewer or reader, whichever the case may be, will notice the dominating fatherly male character, the male character who is always confused, the person who is in need of help or looking for answers, and the female who is needed for the male. The sitcoms of today are similar to some of the Greek and Roman comedies of the past. The reader or viewer may also notice that there are many differences between the two. The most dominating differences are the changes, which have taken place in society. The people of today are encountering some of the same situations, but the outcomes and solutions have changed. The roles of women and men have changed, and because of the changes the presentation of comedy to the public has been forced to change. In the play Miles Gloriosus by Plautus the reader will notice Palaestrio as the father character of the sitcom. Palaestrio is the mediator in the play. He is the one who has to help everyone else solve his or her problem. In The Andy Griffith Show the father character is Andy. Andy is the town sheriff, and he is also the father of Opie. The town of Mayberry never encounters many criminals, but the people often have life lessons to overcome and Andy is always there to help. Andy usually helps the townspeople indirectly. He tries to help them without their knowing that he is helping them. He wants the people to think that they came up with the idea on their own. Palaestrio does the same thing with Pyrgopolynices. Palaestrio convinces Pyrgopolynices that it is in his best interest to move Philocomasium out and date Acroteleutium. Palaestrio does this by tricking Pyrgopolynices into thinking that it is his own idea. Characters like Andy and Palaestrio are still needed for the plot of c omedies. Sceledrus, a slave, is like Barney, the deputy of Mayberry, they mean well but they might be easily tricked into believing something is not what it seems. Palaestrio tricked Sceledrus into believing that he was seeing two girls rather than one. When Sceledrus found the truth in the end and told his boss, Pyrgopolynices, Sceledrus did not seem surprised he acted like the truth had been obvious to everyone. Andy often tricks Barney, because he wants to help him solve a problem and think that he has discovered the solution on his own.

Accounting Research Paper

Accounting Research Paper Dr. Pepper Snapple Group vs. The Coca Cola Company Amanda Herring Tarleton State University Declaration Statement I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used the language, ideas, expressions or writings of others. Amanda Herring ID #000078948Zip Code 76707 Table of Contents Title Page1 Declaration Statement2 Table of Contents3Abstract4 Purpose & Objective5 Introduction6 Statement of Problem7 Financial Analysis8 SWOT Analysis13 Decision16 Implementation & Monitoring17 Conclusion18 Bibliography19 Appendix21 Abstract This paper will discuss the financial differences between the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and the Coca Cola Company, two drink manufacturing companies. It will take into account all of the financial information for 2010 and 2011 for each company, as well as current trends found for both of the companies.F inancial statements for both companies will be included, as well as analysis of both companies’ financial situations. A decision will be made at the end to determine which company is best suited to add to an investment portfolio and an explanation will be given as to why this company has been chosen. Purpose & Objective Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and The Coca Cola Company were chosen because of their sizes and product lines are relatively similar. They are both drink manufacturers with a wide array of different drink products under their label.It is hoped that with this research, one of these companies has a better market position than the other so that it can be recommended to the reader as an addition to their investment portfolio. Introduction The world is currently in a crisis like no other when it comes to the state of the global economy, as is the United States economy. There is always a need to analyze the current situation of companies so that investors and company exec utives know what is going on with the financials and what type of leverage the company currently has, as well as what type of leverage they will have in the future.There is also always a need to compare one’s company to that of similar companies who are competitors in the industry. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and The Coca Cola Company, both drink manufacturing companies, so that a decision can be made about which one to invest in. â€Å"The Coca Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups† (Wikipedia. org) and was â€Å"founded and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia† (Cooper, Ford, & Stephens, 2007). In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton created the soft drink Coca-Cola by combining soda water, lime, cinnamon, coca leaves, and Brazilian shrub weeds. The drink was originally sold in Atlanta in Jacobà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Pharmacy for five cents a glass as a soda fountain drink† (Cooper, Ford, & Stephens, 2007). â€Å"Today Coca-Cola’s reach spreads far beyond Georgia and even the United States; the company has become one of the world’s most recognizable corporations† and â€Å"the Coca-Cola brand is one of the five most recognized symbols† while the company â€Å"has early 400 brands in over 200 countries† (Cooper, Ford, & Stephens, 2007). The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is â€Å"an American soft drink company, based in Plano, Texas† that was â€Å"spun off from Britain’s Cadbury Schweppes† who â€Å"in 2006 and 2007†¦purchased the Dr Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group† (Wikipedia. org). They are â€Å"the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean† with their success being â€Å"fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor† having â€Å"6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 11 of 14 leading brands are No. in their flavor categories† (investor. drpeppersnapple. com). Along with their â€Å"flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands†, their â€Å"portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7Up, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott’s, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Penafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Rose’s and Mr & Mrs T mixers† (investor. drpeppersnapple. com). Problem Statement The problem is deciding which of the two companies to invest money in their stock. With so many different stocks to choose from, there is a need to get the most out of investments these days.In order to come up with this decision, research is pertinent. Extensive research must be done by looking at both companies’ financial information in the form of statement analysis, ratio analysis, financial leverage, and comparative analysis, along with a SWOT analysis of both companies and comparing their strategies. The problem is havi ng two very similar companies to choose from, and deciding which is going to be worth investing in the short and long term. Financial AnalysisCommon Size Income Statements & Horizontal and Vertical Analysis Table [ 1 ]: Coca Cola Company Income Statement Analysis (dollars in millions except for per share data) Year Ended Dec 31,| 2011| Vertical Analysis| 2010| VerticalAnalysis| 2009| % Change 11/10| % Change 10/09| Net Operating Revenues| $46,542| 100%| $35,119| 100%| $30,990| 33| 13| Cost of goods sold| 18,216| 39. 1| 12,693| 36. 1| 11,088| 44| 14| Gross Profit| 28,326| 60. 9| 22,426| 63. 9| 19,902| 26| 13| Gross Profit Margin| 60. 9%| | 63. 9%| | 64. 2%| | |Selling, general and administrative expenses| 17,440| 37. 5| 13,158| 37. 5| 11,358| 33| 16| Other operating charges| 732| 1. 6| 819| 2. 3| 313| | | Operating Income| 10,154| 21. 8| 8,449| 24. 1| 8,231| 20| 3| Operating Margin| 21. 8%| | 24. 1%| | 26. 6%| | | Interest Income| 483| 1| 317| 0. 9| 249| 52| 27| Interest Expense| 417 | 0. 9| 733| 2. 1| 355| (43)| 106| Equity income (loss) – net| 690| 1. 5| 1,025| 2. 9| 781| (33)| 31| Other income (loss) – net| 529| 1. 1| 5,185| 14. 8| 40| | | Income Before Income Taxes| 11,439| 24. | 14,243| 40. 6| 8,946| (20)| 59| Income taxes| 2,805| 6| 2,384| 6. 8| 2,040| 18| 17| Effective tax rate| 24. 5%| | 16. 7%| | 22. 8%| | | Consolidated Net Income| 8,634| 18. 6| 11,859| 33. 8| 6,906| (27)| 72| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest| 62| 0. 01| 50| . 001| 82| 24| (39)| Net Income Attributable to shareowners| 8,572| 18. 4| 11,809| 33. 6| | (27)| 73| Net Income per share| | | | | | | | Basic net income per share| $3. 75| | $5. 12| | | (27)| 74| Diluted net income per share| $3. 69| | $5. 6| | | (27)| 73| Retrieved from The Coca Cola Company’s 2010 and 2011 10k Reports The Coca Cola Company has seen an increase in revenues since 2009, though they seem to have higher prices when it comes to selling, administrative, and general expenses during the 2011 accounting period. This seems to be the trend throughout the world, though, as the economic situation has become sour again and prices seem to be rising on all products and services. The cost of goods sold is also higher in the year that has the highest revenues, though this can be attributed to the economic situation once again.The problem with the cost of goods, selling, administrative, and general expenses being so high is that net income has turned out lower, for the 2011 year thus causing the per share income to be significantly lower than that of 2010. Table [ 2 ]: Dr Pepper Snapple Group Income Statement Analysis (dollars in millions except for per share data) Year Ended Dec 31,| 2011| VerticalAnalysis| 2010| VerticalAnalysis| 2009| % Change 11/10| % Change 10/09| Net Sales| $5,903| 100%| $5,636| 100%| $5,531| 5%| 2%| Cost of goods sold| 2,485| 42. 1| 2,243| 39. 8| 2,234| 10| 0. 5| Gross Profit| 3,418| 57. 9| 3,393| 60. | 3,297| 1%| 3| Gross Profit Margin| 57 . 9%| | 60. 2%| | | | | Selling, general and administrative expenses| 2,257| 38. 3| 2,233| 39. 6| 2,135| 1. 1| 4. 4| Depreciation and amortization| 126| 2. 1| 127| 2. 3| 117| (0. 1)| 8| Other operating charges| 11| 0. 2| 8| 0. 1| (40)| 27| 84| Operating Income| 1,024| 17. 3| 1,025| 18. 2| 1,085| (0. 1)| (6)| Operating Margin| 17. 3%| | 18. 2%| | | | | Interest Expense| 114| 1. 9| 128| 2. 3| 243| (12)| (89)| Interest Income| (3)| (0. 1)| (3)| (0. 1)| (4)| | | Loss on early extinguishment of debt| -| -| 100| 1. 8| -| | | Other income (loss) – net| (12)| (0. )| (21)| (. 04)| (22)| | | Income Before Income Taxes & Equity| 925| 15. 7| 821| 14. 6| 868| 13| (5)| Income taxes| 320| 5. 5| 294| 5. 3| 315| 8| (7)| Income before Equity| 605| 10. 2| 527| 9. 4| 553| 13| (5)| Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries| 1| -| 1| -| 2| | | Net Income| 606| 10. 3| 528| 9. 4| 555| 13| (5)| Net Income per share| | | | | | | | Basic net income per share| 2. 77| | 2. 19| | 2. 18| 26| (. 01) | Diluted net income per share| 2. 74| | 2. 17| | 2. 17| 26| (. 01)| Retrieved from Dr Pepper Snapple Group 2010 and 2011 10k ReportsThe Dr Pepper Snapple Group definitely sees a significantly lower revenue standard than The Coca Cola Company, which can be seen as a bad thing because it means their market share isn’t near what Coca Cola Company’s market share is. Even though these companies are in the same industry, it seems that Dr Pepper Snapple Group just isn’t being able to keep up with the larger company that the Coca Cola Company is. Yes, Dr Pepper Snapple Group is also seeing the same added expenses in the cost of goods sold, selling, administrative, and general expenses, but nearly at the percentage rate that he Coca Cola Company is. This means that their net income and their per share net income has grown considerably from 2010 to 2011, but remained around the same the year before that. Comprehensive Financial Ratio Analysis Valuation Ratios| DPS| KO| I ndustry| Earnings per share| 2. 79| 3. 78| | P/E Ratio| 16. 37| 21. 17| 20. 9| P/E High| NA| NA| 2. 6| P/E Low| NA| NA| 0. 8| Price to Book| 4. 27| 5. 72| 5. 51| Price to Sales| 1. 63| 3. 87| 2. 93| Price to Cash Flow| 11. 3| 16. 8| 15. 4| Market Cap| 9. 60B| 180. 10B| | Dividends| 1. 21| 1. 88| |Dividend Yield| 2. 98| 2. 55| | Financial Ratios| | | | Current Ratio| 0. 92| 1. 05| 1. 2| Quick Ratio| 0. 7| 1| 0. 8| Leverage Ratio| 3. 9| 2. 6| 2. 9| Book Value per share| 10. 9| 14. 34| 13. 53| | 24. 3| 17. 08| | Total debt to asset| 29. 17| 35. 72| | Lt debt to equity| 99. 69| 43. 17| | Total debt to equity| 119. 66| 90. 31| 108| Operating Metrics| | | | Return on avg assets| 6. 67| 11. 29| 8. 9| Return on avg equity| 25. 67| 27. 37| 25. 74| Return on investment| 8. 13| 15. 77| 13. 7| Margins| | | | Net profit margin| 10. 25| 18. 55| 14. 16|Gross margin| 57. 9| 60. 86| 55. 48| EBITD margin| 20. 85| 27. 06| | Operating margin| 17. 35| 23. 06| | Retrieved from www. google. com/finance & www. investing. money. msn. com The Coca Cola Company has a higher return on investment percentage than Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which means that Coca Cola Company is generating more wealth out of the investments they are making. Both companies’ revenues are growing, though it seems that Coca Cola Company is again winning out in the growth category because they are growing at a larger percentage.Within the past two years Coca Cola Company’s revenue growth has been 13% and then 33%, which seems to mean that even through economically tough times, Coca Cola Company is still able to see larger revenue than the year before. The Coca Cola Company is trading at approximately four times their price/earnings ratio, which shows that it is a strong company which shareholders expect the price to go up. Although Dr Pepper Snapple Group is trading for around three times their price/earnings ratio, shareholders also agree that they have a strong company.If you look at all of the anal ysis ratios, The Coca Cola Company is outperforming the industry in a number of different ratios. These include, but not limited to, the average return on equity, average return on assets, book value per share, the quick ratio, the leverage ratio, net profit margin, and gross margin, just to name a few. It seems that because of this, barring something unforeseen, The Coca Cola Company will remain the leader in their industry, and a good solid investment for any investor. If you are just looking at these ratios, The Coca Cola Company would definitely be the investment choice you would want to go with.However, there are other factors to be considered still. The Coca Cola Company 5 year Stock Valuation Chart Retrieved from www. thecoca-colcompany. com Dr Pepper Snapple Group 5 year Stock Valuation Chart Retrieved from www. nasdaq. com In analyzing the two stock charts above, both are showing results for the past five years, it seems that the trends in both stocks are about the same. Th ere is a drop in October of 2009, which was the financial crisis that made all stocks drop, though both have bounced back up. Dr Pepper Snapple Group has seen an extremely higher stock price since before the crisis, though it s still not valued at what The Coca Cola Company’s stock price is valued. The Coca Cola Company’s stocks have bounced back up, as previously stated, though not at the expansive amount Dr Pepper Snapple Group has since the devastating financial crisis. The Coca Cola Company is valued more than the Dr Pepper Snapple Group because â€Å"although we think there may be a better time to dabble in the firm's shares based on our DCF process, the firm's stock has outperformed the market benchmark during the past quarter, indicating increased investor interest in the company† (Why Coca-Cola is worth, 2012).However, there is some estimation that â€Å"if recent commodity price trends hold over the next quarter, Dr. Pepper Snapple (ticker: DPS) should demonstrate significant earnings leverage in 2013 – well in excess of current Wall Street estimates† (Gerberi, Herzog, & Metrano, 2012). SWOT Analysis Strengths â€Å"Coca-Cola’s key strategy is its excellence in emerging markets. It has secured strong anchorage in emerging markets and in the event that the American market plummets, it will have a good fallback position† (Bazil, 2012).This is a great thing, along with the fact that they are a global company. This gives them a position to be at the forefront of the beverage industry and allows them to see better revenues than others in the beverage industry. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, on the other hand, has a strength in the fact that they have seen a smaller increase in the cost of goods sold and other expenses than The Coca Cola Company. This is a strength because it means that the company has been able to control costs, yet they still have the same quality of beverages they always have. WeaknessesDr Peppe r Snapple Group has continued to be an American-centric beverage company and could use a more global outlook to add to profits and up their stock performance. This is a weakness because The Coca Cola Company is already out in the global market and has become the face of the beverage industry from the United States. They are well known, and if Dr Pepper Snapple Group can’t keep up with this, they will never be able to achieve the same financial situation that The Coca Cola Company has. The Coca Cola Company has seen a weakness in the fact that they haven’t been able to control costs throughout the economic down recently.They are seeing more revenues, but revenues are not all that matter in the business world. The Coca Cola Company should try to maintain a lower cost structure so that they have a better advantage, and a larger net income. Opportunities Dr Pepper Snapple Group has a huge opportunity to go global with their beverages. They are currently thinking relatively small in the grand scheme of things and could use a global perspective to raise revenues and become a more comparative competitor to The Coca Cola Company. The Coca Cola Company has the opportunity to try to control costs.They need to be able to do this so they can see a larger net income and save money during these economically hard times. Companies that are not able to control costs will eventually not be able to make it in the business world because they will be paying prices that they sales cannot keep up with. Threats The Coca Cola Company has a big threat that could potentially affect them in the long run. If more of their competitors enter the global market, they could see huge competition in this market than ever before.They are the main beverage company that has a large global presence, but other beverage companies will be looking, if they already aren’t, into getting into the global market so that they compete with The Coca Cola Company revenue wise, and see the sa me larger revenue that global companies start see when they branch out to different areas of the world. Dr Pepper Snapple Group could see a threat of all others within the beverage industry catching on to their cost controlling methods. These methods would help other companies be able to compete better because they will be saving money and hopefully seeing higher revenues as well.This cost controlling, though now a competitive advantage, could very well become an industry norm in the future. Decision I feel that both companies should be invested in. There seems to be a relatively good stock market valuation for The Coca Cola Company and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, as well as good return on investment percentages relative to the beverage industry average. I think that half should be invested in The Coca Cola Company because it has a global presence and sees higher revenue and has a larger stock valuation, as well as a larger per share net income because of the larger revenues than that of Dr Pepper Snapple Group.I also think that the other half should be invested in Dr Pepper Snapple Group. I feel that this manufacturer only has greater heights to attain, seeing as they have yet to have a huge global presence since they are centered on their United States market. I feel that investing in their stock now, before they truly go global (which will happen because every company should start thinking on a global scale), would be the best case scenario because once they do start making a larger revenue due to global sales, they will probably see a higher return on investment, as well as a higher stock valuation.Implementation & Monitoring To implement this, you should contact your financial advisor. Your financial advisor will able to help you further assess the situation which I have laid out in this report. They will also be able to connect you with a stock broker, if you already do not have one. The stock broker will then help you invest your money in the way I have ex plained above. Then it would be advisable, in order to monitor your investment, that you also use your financial advisor who can better monitor the progress of your stock investment.If this is too expensive, then you could monitor the stock yourself through websites such as www. investing. money. msn. com, www. google. com/finance, or www. finance. yahoo. com. These, plus many more websites, are very helpful in monitoring your investment in the stock market. It is up to you whether you want to monitor it every day, once a week, twice a week, or once a month. Whichever you choose, make sure that you keep up with it and don’t fret when stock prices take a slight drop. Pulling money out too early, or when the stock is currently falling is never a good plan. ConclusionsWith this paper, I have learned that, contrary to my belief, The Coca Cola Company are not comparative in size when it comes to revenue, or even the amount of different beverages they sell. They both, though, have comparative ratio analysis. They both are around the industry average, sometimes one is a little above and the other is a little below and vice versa, but for the most part they are relatively close to the industry average. It seems that Dr Pepper Snapple Group has been able to control costs a little more effectively than The Coca Cola Company, but The Coca Cola Company has seen better revenues than the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.Both of these companies are on upwards trends in the stock market, even though they are not comparable by price. There is definitely a need to invest in both of these companies because each has their unique competitive advantage. The Coca Cola Company’s competitive advantage is the fact that they are the leaders in the global beverage market, while Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s competitive advantage is that is able to control costs more efficiently. They each have a large product line and could both benefit from learning from the other in different a spects of the business.Bibliography Bazil, M. (2012). Coca-Cola’s secret weapon. Retrieved from http://www. gurufocus. com/news/183815/cocacolas-secret-weapon. Coca Cola Company Form 10k, 2010. (2011). Retrieved from www. sec. gov. Coca Cola Company Form 10k, 2011. (2012). Retrieved from www. sec. gov. Cooper, L. , Ford, W. , & Stephens, W. (2007). Coca-Cola case study: An ethics incident. The Archive of Marketing Education. Retrieved from www. marketingpower. com. Dr Pepper Snapple Group. (n. d. ). Retrieved from www. wikipedia. org.Dr Pepper Snapple Group Form 10k, 2010. (2011). Retrieved from www. sec. gov. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Form 10k, 2011. (2012). Retrieved from www. sec. gov. Gerberi, J. , Herzog, B. , & Metrano, B. (2012). Beating the global heat with Dr. Pepper Snapple. Retrieved from http://online. barrons. com/article/SB50001424053111903857104577462982562697696. html Graph Data. (2012). Retrieved from www. google. com/finance. Graph Data. (2012). Retrieved from www. investing. money. msn. com. Graph Data. (2012). Retrieved from www. hecoca-colacompany. com. Graph Data. (2012). Retrieved from www. nasdaq. com. Graph Data. (2012). Retrieved from www. yahoo. com. Investors. (n. d. ). Retrieved from www. investor. drpeppersnapple. com. The Coca Cola Company. (n. d. ). Retrieved from www. wikipedia. org. Why Coca-Cola is worth $70 per share. (2012). Retrieved from http://seekingalpha. com/article/755581-why-coca-cola-is-worth-70-per-share? source=marketwatch Appendix A – Accounting Research Paper Supporting Files PDF Files Word/Rich Text Files

Cognitive Development Theory Essay

As a prospective educator, it is important for me to understand the cognitive development theory and how it applies to individuals. Cognitive development is basically how the thought process begins. It is the way that people learn and how mental processes become elaborate and develop. These processes include remembering things, making decisions, and also solving problems. In order for a teacher to be effective, one must understand how children develop mentally so that each student can be accommodated in the classroom. There are many theories regarding cognitive development, and there are several factors that remain constant throughout all of them. These factors form some of the basic premises on cognitive development, which include the ideas that all people go through specific steps or stages of learning or understanding, and that certain qualifications must be met before learning can occur. It is the actual specifics of these basic premises that cognitive theorists have differing opinions about. (Slavin, 2009) Two theorists that display the basic premises of cognitive development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both theorists have similarities and differences when it comes to their views on cognitive development. We will first begin with the views of the two on the nature or development of intelligence. Piaget believed that children are naturally born with the ability to both interact with and make sense of their environment. Children as well as adults use patterns of thinking called schemes to deal with different things in the world. The process of assimilation and accommodation is used to maintain balance in our daily lives. Piaget believed that â€Å"learning depends on the process of equilibration. When equilibrium is upset, children have the opportunity to grow and develop. † (Slavin, 2009, pg. 32) Different experiences that we face and factors in our environment contribute to developmental change in us. Vygotsky shared some similar ides with Piaget including the belief that the environment plays a huge role in the development of intelligence. He also believed that â€Å"development depended on a sign system, the culture’s language or writing system, that children grew up with. â€Å"(Slavin, 2009, pg. 2) Both also believed that there is an invariant sequence of steps that is the same for everyone, and that development is influenced by cognitive conflict. While the two share a few similarities on the development of intelligence, there are also differences as well. Piaget feels that development precedes learning. This simply means that something must take pace before learning can begin. Vygotsky, on the other hand, feels that learning comes before development which is the exact opposite of Piaget. It simply means that you must learn something before development can occur. Piaget and Vygotsky also had both similarities and differences on the stages of development. We will first start with the differences beginning with Piaget who believed that there are four stages to cognitive development. They are the sensorimotor, perioperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. He felt that all children passed through these stages and that you could move faster than others, but not skip a stage. (Slavin, 2009, pg. 33) The sensorimotor stage occurs at birth through two years of age. It is the stage where infants explore their environment using the five senses and motor skills. This includes sucking, grasping, and touching. The perioperational stage is from two to seven years old. Language develops at a fast pace in this stage. At this time the child’s thinking is also very self centered, and they lack the understanding of conservation. The concrete operational stage is from ages seven to eleven. At this time, thinking tends to shift from being self-centered to more logical. Problem solving is no longer restricted and the idea of reversibility also occurs. The last and final stage is the formal operational stage. This happens beginning with the age of eleven moving on into adulthood. Systematic experimentation is used to solve problems both symbolic and abstract thinking are now possible in this stage. Vygotsky felt that there was not stages, but different elements to cognitive development. The first element is private speech. â€Å"Private speech is a child’s self talk, which guides their thinking and actions, eventually internalized as silent inner speech† (Slavin, 2009, pg. 43) When children are struggling with a difficult situation you often see children talking to themselves to help cope with the situation. When we become adults we still talk to ourselves, but it is usually silent. The next element of cognitive development is the zone of proximal development or ZPD. â€Å"This is the level of development immediately above the person’s present level. † (Slavin, 2009, pg. 43) To better understand, this can be described as something that the child may not have learned yet, but are capable of being taught with the assistance of an adult. Educators often refer to this as a â€Å"teachable moment†. (Slavin, 2009, pg. 43) Now that we can see the differences between the two theorists, we can now explore the similarities between the two. Both heorists understand the importance of a child learning a culture’s sign system. They both feel that this has a significant impact on development. The two also agree that environmental factors such as sounds, signs, and objects are equally important. Lastly, the two theorists believe that there are some tasks that a child may not understand depending on age, but Vygotsky feels that if it is in the zone of proximal development then the child can be assisted with the help of an adult. Educators have been using both Piaget’s as well as Vygotsky’s theories in the classroom for years. An example of an activity that can be used in the classroom using Piaget’s theory of learning takes place in a kindergarten class. The teacher would ask the students to share what they do when it is raining outside. At this age we are in the perioperational stage where children tend to be egocentric. Some say that they go outside and jump in mud puddles while others may say that they stay inside and play with their toys. The children would share their experiences and they would all be correct because not everyone does the same thing. You can use Vygotsky’s theory of learning in at work in the classroom where third grade students are learning how to classify different types of dirt. You can place the students in groups where they can discuss how you properly classify the dirt. This will allow the students to hear other students thoughts, and see what methods they use to classify. Using this type of cooperative learning allows the students to learn from each other. When comparing both classroom applications we see that both classrooms are working as groups learning from each other. Piaget theory is seen in both classrooms. In the kindergarten classroom, the classroom is seeing that there are different ways to deal with the rain. The students are sharing their personal experiences and showing that there is no wrong answer. There are many ways of doing things . In the third grade classroom, the students are able to classify the dirt using touch and sight to see and feel the differences in each type. Both classrooms are interacting with the environment and learning from it. Vygotsky’s cooperative learning is also being played out in both classrooms. In the kindergarten classroom, the students are learning that there are different activities that can be done outside in the rain. Similarly, in the third grade class the students are using cooperative learning to find different ways of classifying dirt. In both classrooms the students are using the think out loud process. The differences in the two classrooms also stand out. When applying Piaget’s theory in the kindergarten classroom, you see that the students are in the perioperational stage. The students are egocentric and feel that what they say is the only right answer to the question. In the third grade class, the students are in the concrete operational stage. They are able to easily look at and see the differences in the types of dirt that they are working with. When it comes to Vygotsky’s theory in the kindergarten classroom, the students are working within their zone of proximal development. The students may not understand that they can do more than one thing in the rain because they have done the same thing every time. The teacher is using this as a teachable moment to allow the students to teach each other the different things that can be done. In the third grade class, on the other hand, private speech is being used. The students are saying their thoughts out loud to classify the dirt. When the students are using cooperative learning they are learning the different ways in which the other students use to classify the dirt. In conclusion, we can see how and why it is important to understand and know how to apply cognitive development theories in the classroom. Both Piaget and Vygotsky played major roles in how we teach our children in today’s world. We can use information and skills from both theorists to shape our students into great learners.

The Bearer of the Shield essays

The Bearer of the Shield essays Set in the Belgian colony of the Congo, Joseph Conrads novella Heart of Darkness centers upon European colonial activities. On the surface, the protagonist Marlow seems to denounce the hypocrisy within imperialism. He lashes out against imperialisms inherent cruelty towards Africans and also subtlety hints at imperialisms fall by alluding to the sense of revenge within the African jungle. However, these condemnations of imperialism do not necessarily label Marlow as an anti-imperialist. In fact, Marlows actions manifest his support of imperialism. The tendency to glorify imperialism already exists in Marlow before he experiences imperialism first hand. When Marlow recalls his impression of seeing the Company map depicting colonial powers in Africa, he says, There was a vast amount of red good to see at any time... (110). Seeing the great extent to which British colonies, represented by the stretch of red, occupy Africa pleases Marlow. He proudly exalts the fact that British territory exists not just confined to Europe but also all the way out to the African continent, a range of impressive territory that extends Britains overall power. By emphasizing how British territorial expansion leads to national prestige, Marlow praises imperialism and acts as yet another European votary of imperialism. During his actual experience in the Congo, Marlow also commends imperialisms contribution to enhancing civilization. To describe his African fireman, Marlow says ...to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat....he was useful because he had been instructed... (140). As if he were training a dog, Marlow insists that education uplifts the primitive African to a useful human being. By reasoning how the benefits of European interference in Africa allow the natives to escape from a savage-like state, Marlow shows his imperialistic ...

Analysis of Article about Aspects of the Media Essay

Analysis of Article about Aspects of the Media - Essay Example The two articles argue that in most cases, the content that is produced by the media is bias. This is the main point that the two articles seek to make. The claims that are made in the articles are however very different. Feldman is of the opinion that media bias has come up in recent years and as such, the consumer is now exposed to biased content as opposed to earlier years when the media had a tradition of ensuring objectivity in their reporting. Bias is, therefore, a product of contemporary media. Boring, however, is of the opinion that the media has never at any point tried to avoid bias, and has indeed always promoted it. According to him, bias is in the nature of media from the beginning. The two writers do agree that there is a presence of bias in the media. However, the article by Feldman asserts that the bias that is in the media news and reports is over and that the audience that is the consumer of this news is more likely to perceive host bias as well as story bias in the opinionated news of the media that they perceive in the non-opinionated news. The article by Boreing, on the other hand, promotes the opinion that the bias in the content of the media is in such a way that the consumer does not notice it as it is geared towards influencing his thoughts and actions. The two writers disagree on different points. The main point of disagreement is on when biased reporting in the media began. Boreing asserts that right from the beginning; the media has always been biased and has never actually made any attempts at objectivity. Feldman, on the other hand, suggests that bias in the media has come up in recent times as a result of changes in the presentation style of the cable news that has seen the news depart from the tradition of being objective. Lack of objectivity in the media is, therefore, a recent phenomenon according to Feldman. The lack of objectivity in the media according to Feldman has been promoted by the use of the cable news. This has seen the rise in the expression of explicit personal opinions and bias in the news coverage.  

MA2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MA2 - Essay Example Apple Inc. is a company that manufactures electronics such as computers, mobile devices, as well as, developing software programs (Trautschold, Rene and Mazo 207). The iCloud is a system with features, which allow sharing of information, protection from device thefts, back up data services and more. The system was developed to curb the problem of theft and hacking in the cloud. The system has so far proved its efficiency due to the mechanical systems applied, but, the power of seeing has also contributed to its success. Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, argues in his book, Discipline and Punish, that, the effectiveness of surveillance systems does not rely on mechanisms used, but, rely on the fear and doubts of the subjects towards the authority and the systems (Foucault 34). In the case, of the iCloud system, therefore, one can argue that thieves and hackers tend to reduce their acts due to fear of invasion of privacy that would follow if they are caught up when performing those acts. In other words, mobile thieves will not go on grabbing people their iPads, iPhones and more because they fear to be caught up due to the existence of the iCloud systems. The purpose of this study is to explore the exact ways in which panoptic surveillance contribute to the effectiveness of the iCloud systems. Also, Foucault’s ideas will be developed in order to make them fit in many areas of applications, for example, in offices, classrooms etcetera. As stated earlier, iCloud serves three major purposes to the Apple consumers. First, consumers using the iCloud applications can send videos and snapshots to their friends and family from the remote locations. Additionally, they can send alerts based on the specific locations to their families in case of anything, for example, accidents, attacks or demonstrations. They can report when they arrive home or in their