Medicinal Herbs (Shilajit, Neem, Stevia)

Shilajit Once believed to be simply a powerful aphrodisiac, recent research has determined that the substance known as Shilajit has many additional health benefits not originally known to possess. Research conducted by The Medical College in Baroda, India based on ancient text discovered by Dr. Michael Hartman support these claims and show many ancillary health benefits of this powerful miracle herb. According to Dr.Michael Hartman, ancient texts described a mysterious substance known as shilajitas which was referred to as â€Å"the destroyer of weakness which provided powerful health benefits as well as provided users with positive changes in their total life balance. † Based on these translations performed by Dr. Hartman, The Medical College in Baroda, India went many steps further and applied modern-day scientific research to confirm these beliefs of nearly 3000 years prior.As recent as 2011, research performed at The Medical College in Baroda studied the effect of Shilajit on Diabetic Rats to monitor how this wonder herb effected blood glucose and lipid profiles when combined with traditional anti-diabetic drugs. Across the board, the Diabetic Rats which were given Shilajit experienced a significant reduction in blood glucose levels as well as increases in HDL levels. Based on this and other findings conducted with beginning human trials, The Medical College in Baroda concluded that Shilajit is a legitimate natural supplement which helps the long-term management of Diabetes. Neem Neem is a tree. The bark, leaves, and seeds are used to make medicine. Neem leaf is used for leprosy, eye disorders, bloody nose, intestinal worms, stomach upset, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), fever, diabetes, gum disease (gingivitis), and liver problems. The leaf is also used for birth control and to cause abortions. The bark is used for malaria, stomach and intestinal ulcers, skin diseases, pain, and fever. The seed and seed oil are used for leprosy and intestinal worms.They are also used for birth control and to cause abortions. The stem, root bark, and fruit are used as a tonic and astringent. Some people apply Neem directly to the skin to treat head lice, skin diseases, wounds, and skin ulcers; as a mosquito repellent; and as a skin softener. Inside the vagina, neem is used for birth control. Neem is also used as an insecticide. Contd.. Stevia What is Stevia? Stevia is one of the most health restoring plants on earth. What whole leaf Stevia does both inside the body and on the skin is incredible.Native to Paraguay, it is a small green plant bearing leaves which have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar. Besides the intensely sweet glycosides (Steviosides, Rebaudiosides and a Dulcoside), various studies have found the leaf to contain proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, rutin (a flavonoid), true vitamin A, Vitamin C and an oil which contains 53 other constituents. Quality Stevia leaves and whole leaf concentrate are nutritious, natural dietary supplements offering numerous health benefits.Slim Tea Slim Tea, a kind of herbal tea, especially prepared for controlling the obesity is a natural product composed of Himalayan herbs whose main focus is decreasing obesity. The main ingredients of Slim Tea like Gymnema sylvestre (reduces fats and helps preventing accumulation), Eommiphora mukul (reduces weight, scrapes fat deposits), Ocimum sanctum (good antioxidant, minimize negative effects of obesity) and Piper longum (increases metabolism and reduces fat deposits) are the anti-fat natural herbs which especially works on obesity decreasing fats of body and increasing metabolism activities.Therefore, slim works greatly against obesity and provide great other health benefits. It reduces the fat accumulation, increases the body’s metabolism and thereby reduce obesity and also minimizes the side – effects caused by overweight . For further information: Narendra Hamal +977-9851046024 n. [email  protected] com

St. Joan of Arc biography

Arc is not only widely known all over the world for her trust in God, but for her outrageous bravery. In this heroic story of Saint Joan of Arc, everyone will be inspired for the courage of this young lady, who laid her life down for her faith, and for her country. Born to devout Catholic parents Jacques d'art and Isabella Rome, SST. Joan of Arc was born on January 6, 1412 in the small village of Dormer, France. She was one of five children which lived on a fifty acre farm which was in the north-eastern part of France. In 1412 at the age of twelve, Joan experienced visions when she was alone in field.The angels of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Saint Margaret the Virgin, had appeared to her and told her to drive out the English in France. She was very surprised that the angels had appeared to her, a woman, to do such a Job. When she was sixteen years old, she went to see Count Robert De Bureaucratic, who was an army commander in the town of Vacuoles, to get permission to see the royal French court. Count Robert De Bureaucratic did not take her seriously and made a Joke of Joan and her visions. He then sent her home.Along with two other en in January 1429, she returned to have a meeting with the Count to tell him a prediction she had made about an upcoming battle. When Joan was proved right about her prediction, Count Robert De Bureaucratic granted her permission to have a meeting with the Charles VI'. She dressed up as a man and was then escorted along with six other men to Chino. During the private conference with Charles VI', he was very impressed with Joan and her ideas. She also won the favor with Charles' mother- in-law and she was sent on an expedition to Orleans.They thought of her as their only source of light and hope in the hard times of France. After multiple years of the French being humiliated in battle, Joan yet again asked a favor of Charles VI'. She requested for herself to be placed as one of the commanders of t he French army. He granted her request by acknowledging the fact that every single one of his plans and strategies have failed, and there was a need for a new plan. Joan then took control of the army, with her intelligent strategies and tactics, and proceeded to win many battles.With Joan in command, the war was reversed, in favor of the French. She showed outrageous courage and bravery by the many things that she has done in battle. She was also very determined by fighting even after being wounded in the neck by an arrow. The victory of the battle of Orleans was only one of the many battles won. The victory led to the necessity of more offensive action. She then persuaded Charles VII once again, by placing her in co-command of the entire army with Duke John II of Alnico. On May 23, 1430 Joan was captured during an attempted attack and was held a prisoner of war.She was unable to be released by Charles VIII not intervening with he Duke Philip of Burgundy. Charles VII and the French did not try to save her. She tried to escape many times even by Jumping from a seventy foot tower in which she was held in. Later, the English government then bought Joan for ten thousand francs from Duke Philip of Burgundy and put her under trial. While under trial, Joan was mainly accused of being a heretic, sorceress, and adulteress. People have tried to collect testimony against her, but they could not find any evidence.Along with the insufficient evidence, the court violated ecclesiastical law by denying her the right to have a legal advisor. The trial had tried many times to accuse Joan of different laws broken, but her intelligence had proved them wrong. Under certain guidelines, Joan should of been placed in an ecclesiastical prison under the supervision of nuns, but instead, he was held in a secular prison and was guarded by actual solders. In conclusion to her trial, she was condemned and sentenced to burn at stake. On May 30, 1941, only being 19 years old, she was tied to o tall pillar in front of a large crowd.Before being tied, she had asked clergymen to hold a crucifix before her while he would be consumed by the burning fire. Immediately after her body had finished burning, the English had burned her remains once more, so that her bodily remains would only be ashes. Afterwards, they castes her remains into the nearby river called the Seine. About 24 years past Jean's death, the Hundred Years' War had ended. The weak rule of the young King Henry VI ended the war between France and England. Her ultimate goal of bringing Charles VII was successful. In 1452, Jean's case had been put on retrial by Pope Casualties Ill.The main issues f the retrial was to investigate if the original trial had been handled Justly or not. Many different clergymen conducted this investigation, and in June 1456, the court declared her innocent. In conclusion, it wasn't until 1909 when Joan was beatified. On May 16, 1920, she was cannonaded a saint and martyr in the Holy Rom an Catholic Church by Pope Benedict W. Her saint name is now Saint Joan of Arc and is the patron saint of soldiers and France. Also, Many Catholics around the world look up to Saint Joan of Arc as a role model and inspiration. Her feast day is celebrated on May 30th every year.

Dressing for Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dressing for Work - Essay Example Women wore chic yet stylish business wear consisting of longer skirts and suit jackets and they often wore their hair out of their face. Today, men often ditch the suit and tie for khakis or black pants and a button-down shirt without a tie or a polo shirt that is tucked in.   Women have the tendency to follow trends more closely, dressing in professional blouses, layering in a lot of jewelry, and have hair fixed either up or down. I think that the 1950s version of men implies that men were more business-minded and sophisticated. They wanted to make formal impressions.   Women were more modest.   People who work dress more casual and those with a career dress more professional with the exception of women who will be trendier but still look like career women so they are taken seriously.  They wanted to make formal impressions.   Women were more modest.   People who work dress more casual and those with a career dress more professional with the exception of women who will b e trendier but still look like career women so they are taken seriously.

Fund investment and management in venture capital market Research Proposal

Fund investment and management in venture capital market - Research Proposal Example The most critical aspect is the management of the venture capital because it determines the success of the market that are also influenced by the status of the markets. The research would incorporate the introduction, research findings, result analysis, discussion, conclusion and recommendations. The objectives of this research concerns the financial attributes that relate corporate to the market status and the competitors capabilities that influence the performances in the economies. This project intends to generate critical information on the financial investment and management of the capital. The research also seeks to produce insight on the financial information through the utilization of the previous works in finances. The provision of explicit relationships on the fund investments and management of capital is also key in the analysis of this topic. The research will incorporate several techniques to attain the most substantial information concerning the topic. There will be involvement of appropriate data collection techniques such as observations, interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and surveys. The research would embrace the most advantageous techniques to mitigate the errors that might deter accurate findings, critical analysis and resolute recommendations. There will be applications of primary and secondary data sources to avail adequate information throughout the research exercise. Surveys will involve the performance of a passive evaluation exercise on the marketing and developing trends of the business as manifested in different locations. Surveys can be applied when determining financial investments, capital provisions, customer requirements and specifications. There would be a decision on the persons to be surveyed and the most appropriate survey model. The survey would be tested before its availability for the actual research activity. Direct information involves a process of both

Malware and computer system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Malware and computer system - Essay Example Malware is every computer owner nightmare due to the known effects that come with them. The name malware which owe its derivation from the two names malicious and software has universally been used to refer to these softwares. This malicious software can be thought of us a program that is specifically created by someone who intendeds to disrupts normal operation of the computer. Some of these malware are intended to gather sensitive information from the computer or with the intention of accessing the private computer system. The history of these computer malware date back to as early as 1986 when the first computer malware was made for PC by the two Pakistani brothers. Since then there has been so many advances as far as the malware are concerned from the then window malware which had the mail worms and the macro worms. Later there was the network warms that came through the internet then finally new malware like the rootkit and ransomware were to be found in the computer systems in the later years. Today malware include the computer viruses, ransomware, worms, rootkit, keyloggers, dialers, spyware, adware, malicious BHOs and Trojan horses (Skoudis & Zeltser, 2004). Body of the Report During the last twenty four hours our computer experts have be up to task due to the so many computer malware that have been detected and has thus given us a hell of trouble as far as the function ability of the computers systems are concerned. To begin with our experts have had to deal with the menace of computer virus, computer worms, rootkits and ransomware, spyware and backdoor malwares (Christodorescu, 2006). Computer virus During the last twenty four hours one of the malware that has really given our Information Technology experts a lot of headache is the computer virus. A computer virus can be said to be a malware that harms the computer by spreading within the infected files and this has to be with the aid of other software since it is only during the time of program execution when the code is executed. Specifically our computer system was under attack by the so called Randex which is a computer virus that falls under the memory resident virus affected all the file that were being opened by the user of the computer. It was so hard to deal with this virus since it was specifically located in the RAM of the computer. The computer user subsequently lost control of the system memory to this virus that then was later responsible for the corruption of the many programs that the user was trying to open. In most case the virus not only closed programs that had already opened but also made multiples of copies for the files in the memory and even renamed most of the files thus grounding the user as far as the use of the computer is concerned. Computer worms Secondly, our experts had so much difficulty in dealing with the computer worms that were detected in the computer system. Computer worms can be thought of as the malware that act independently and thus must not attach itself to computer software in order to affect a file. Most of these worms work by

Effective Business Planning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Effective Business Planning - Case Study Example The organization has engaged effective organizational strategies by differentiating, developing effective marketing plans and penetrating the market through effective management of both people and resources. Mattel is a global toy manufacturing company that has numerous branches across the world. The company initially started with the goal of becoming a global leader in the toy manufacturing industry and to remain in this position indefinitely. However, the market environment is composed of many unpredictable limiting forces that act as barriers to market entrants and expose the organization to severe business forces that threaten survival in this market (Dressler, 2004). Mattel’s experience environmental threats, competition, ethical challenges and market fluctuations that became big threats to its survival in the market. The ability of the organization to maintain its current position today can be attributed to its ability to overcome its challenges and take advantage of the opportunities in the market while still remaining innovative in a world of changing technology. Mattel was founded back in 1945 when its main product was picture frames on a retail basis. The company later turned to the toy industries after recognizing this as a better market with higher profits and more customers. In 1960, the company became a publicly owned company and its sales remained high making it maintains its position as the world’s largest toy company. The company now has its roots in design, manufacture, and marketing of family products. The company owns more than 8 company brands and has differentiated to over 36 countries and now markets its products to over 150 nations. One of the strategies that Mattel has employed in surviving in the competitive market is the use resource and people management strategies. The company has remained strong in acquiring the right employees and leaders within the organization.

U.S nuclear weapon policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S nuclear weapon policy - Essay Example U.S nuclear weapon policy The reasons for retaining a triad, a product of very conservative estimates of what would be required to cope with a disarming Soviet first strike, are not discussed officially. The assumption is that a floor exists beneath which U.S. forces cannot be allowed to fall, but this minimum level is not necessarily determined by targeting doctrine or the political goals that the doctrine is meant to uphold. The question of which countries the United States will target with nuclear weapons in the future and under what circumstances is simply not articulated and certainly not clearly understood. According to some officials, this question does not require an a priori answer. The preponderance of U.S. strategic forces remains targeted at the former Soviet nuclear arsenal, considered an immutable imperative. Despite an agreement reached for the two sides to retarget their forces away from one another's territories a symbolic step it is emphasized repeatedly by defense officials that weapons could be rapidly retargeted if necessary. The targeting review conducted by the Bush administration purportedly generated plans that provided for flexible options for global application, including the ability to retarget weapons quickly to meet any contingency. More recently, plans have been discussed to target third world countries with highly accurate conventional forces as well. The vanishing Cold War nuclear order was the product of a need to deter aggression against NATO by superior Warsaw Pact conventional forces. NATO members were unwilling or unable to dedicate sufficient resources or to take the necessary steps to restructure their defense sectors to rectify the disparities in conventional capabilities. Nuclear weapons were a cheap way of maintaining a military balance. Outside of NATO, nuclear guarantees were extended very selectively to close U.S. allies who confronted proximate enemies allied with or part of the Soviet bloc. Insofar as these arrangements were considered legitimate, it was as part of a bipolar system in which the United States, Europe, and a few other allies were united in a defensive alliance, while the Soviet Union was seen as an expansionist power bent on global hegemony. With the exception of Russia and China, the current nuclear threat, to the extent it can be reliably defined, consists of a handful of states with small or fledgling programs and sometimes just immodest ambitions. This is not to belittle the dangers such states may pose to international or regional stability in the future. But the sudden elevation of third world powers to the status of ruthless enemies on a par with the Soviet Union bears further examination, especially since it is now becoming a principal rationale for retaining a U.S. nuclear deterrent. Part of the logic of this argument hinges on the notion that the Soviet Union was rational, valued its survival, and could be targeted effectively, whereas the nuclear powers of the future probably will not share these traits. Now this may questioned "Will our nuclear adversaries always be rational, or at least operate with the same logic as we do We can't be sure. Will we always be able to put our adversaries at risk to make deterrence work Not necessarily, particularly with terrorists whom we may not even be able to find." But if one is going to make the argument that U.S. strategy falls apart in the face of a third world

Influence of media on public opinion and foreign policy formulation Essay

Influence of media on public opinion and foreign policy formulation - Essay Example The issue of public opinion and its influence in foreign policy making has been a matter of dispute between different schools of thought both during and since the Cold War.On the one hand, realists find public opinion volatile, emotional, lacking coherence and structure, and with little if any influence on foreign affairs. On the other, liberalists suggest that public opinion on international affairs is stable, sensibly structured, consistent, and influences foreign policy making in a ‘reciprocal relationship’. Hence, some leaders take into account the public opinion when making important decisions others ignore it (Guraziu, 2008, p.2) In most of the democratic countries, governments often consider public opinion seriously since they need the support of the public to stay in power. If they avoid or neglect public opinion, it is difficult for them to win future elections. On the other hand, in countries where communist or totalitarian administration prevails, governments often neglect the public opinion because of the superior power enjoy by such governments. Such governments often put some control over the media in order to block the media from spreading information against the government. For example, in communist China, all the television programs and internet coverage of incidents were strictly censored before displaying it in front of the public. The advancements in science and technology caused tremendous changes in every segment of human life. The introduction of computers, internet, television, mobile phones and other digital equipment has made drastic changes in the communication world. It is often said that the information is at the finger tips at present. Earlier, people relied heavily on newspapers for getting information and therefore they succeeded in getting only delayed information. At present it is possible for the public to see the live telecast of incidents. In other words, public are able to get the information as soon as it happ ens now. Instant communication helped the public to respond more effectively to the information they are receiving. â€Å"Media is all about connecting people and mirroring the society that we live in. Media is all about reflecting on daily happenings around the globe. People are not just the audience but also an essential element of news in itself† (What is the Importance of Public Opinion in Media, 2011). Moreover, â€Å"The media are the deliverers of a message, and through this message the audience comprehends and forms opinions on events. This makes the mass media both an opportunity and a threat for the sides engaged in a conflict†(Simons, 2008, p.79). Media plays an important role in influencing public opinion on various issues. â€Å"In the vein of political theorist V.O. Keyes, I believe that the validity of public opinion is only as good as the what the media leads them to believe†(Jones, 2008). In fact ordinary people may not bother much to analyze th e information when they receive it. Media helps them to understand the consequences of certain information because of the in depth analysis and coverage of news and information happens in the current media. For example, US foreign policy and the Middle East affairs undergo immense public debate only because of the micro level analysis of these topics by the media. Public opinion is a dominant force in American politics. Research produced by the Statistics Department in Washington for the end of the 1990's indicated that in one year the average American would: watch about 1000 hours of network television watch about 400 hours of cable television spend 150 hours reading a newspaper spend 100 hours reading magazines (Public Opinion, 2011) This paper analyses the influence of media in formulating public opinion and foreign policy, taking US foreign policy and the Middle East affairs as examples. Influence of Media on Middle East Affairs & US Foreign Policy Significantly, during a Senate committee meeting on American foreign

Educational Implications of Socioeconomic Status Matrix Essay

Educational Implications of Socioeconomic Status Matrix - Essay Example If someone with unemployed or working class parents enters the school system at an academic level behind those of other students (through no fault of their own or their parents), they will find it difficult to move up a track in the current system. This is not only because teachers will have lower expectations of this individual due to their socioeconomic class, but because the curriculum currently focuses predominantly on those in the upper echelons of society without providing insight into movement between classes or the importance of the working class throughout history. All of these factors combined will ensure that most students in the lower classes will remain unmotivated and unenthused by the education system and find it difficult to engage their intellectual capacity (Gollnick & Chinn, 2005, p71). Conversely, the upper-middle and upper classes flourish under the current education system. Not only does their economic status allow students from these backgrounds to attend expen sive private schools which generally have better equipment (and better paid staff who may be more enthusiastic due to this benefit), but their social status encourages these students to attain the best academic achievements. High teacher (and parental) expectations will push students into the higher academic tracks, allowing them to attain results that will push them towards the jobs held by their parents – teachers, lawyers, doctors, academics and high-powered businessmen (Gollnick & Chinn, 2005, p64). This seems unfair when compared with the fate of the lower classes as discussed above, who may have the same intellectual capacity and perhaps even outperform some of their upper-middle or upper class schoolmates, but suffer from an educational inequality. Race also plays a part in educational equality (Gollnick & Chinn, 2005, p67) Those who are members of oppressed groups are found in higher numbers in the unemployed, homeless or working class groups. Combined with the factor s mentioned above, these groups are often underrepresented in class materials, again meaning that these groups will engage less with the curriculum. White able-bodied males, who occupy a higher proportion of the upper-middle and upper classes, are overrepresented in class materials and thus may feel encouraged to perform. There has not been much discussion of gender in the text, but it can be assumed that often classroom materials focus on the history and experiences of the male gender and this is an inequality that also needs to be addressed. References Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2005). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society & Exploring Diversity Package (7th ed.). Prentice

Economic Recovery of the 1930s Essay Example for Free

Economic Recovery of the 1930s Essay â€Å"The economic recovery of the 1930s can be explained entirely by the effects of the New Deal.† How valid is this view? In 1932 Franklin D Roosevelt won the presidential election as a response to the â€Å"Great American Depression† which saw the collapse of the USA’s economic life continuing throughout the 1930s as a result in the inadequate action of Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Henry Hoover to alleviate the sheer hardships that came with the depression. Roosevelt and the Democrats took a more interventionist approach to recover the economy, provide relief for the unemployed and enact reform in order to create a fairer society. â€Å"The economic recovery of the 1930s can be explained entirely by the effects of the New Deal.† The â€Å"New Deal† was the interventionist programme Roosevelt initiated to tackle the issue and is key in explaining the USA’s economic recovery of the 1930s and is split into two factors in order to determine the validity of the previous statement; the first hundred days known as the First New Deal and from1935 to 1937 known as the Second New Deal. However, there were other factors which were important in the recovery of the USA’s economy. The growing power of the Federal Government to defend these reforms. The rearmament in preparation for the Second World War that reduced unemployment and increased industrial production. However, it was Roosevelt himself that revitalised the economy as he went a long way to rebuild confidence with the American public. Therefore the New Deal was undoubtedly a considerable factor in explaining America’s economic recovery but other factors although associated with the New Deal were independently important in the economic recovery. The economic recovery of the 1930s can be explained by the First New Deal, to an extent. During the first 100 days of Roosevelt’s office a flood of new legislation most becoming laws quickly providing relief and recovery. This meant that â€Å"Alphabet Agencies† were established and run by groups of Americans known as â€Å"The Brain Trust† in order to carry out work in tackling relief and recovery. The National Industrial Recovery Act passed on the 16th of June 1933 introduced joint economic planning between the Government and industry to stabilise prices, expand purchasing power, relive unemployment and improve working conditions. This was important as it represented greater government intervention in regulating and planning the country meaning that businesses would return to a living rate again by address issues such as  banking and lack of intervention which were initial kick-starters of the depression. The Public works Administration created jobs for unemp loyed industrial workers through large scale work schemes such as building schools, hospitals and parks which were of public benefit. This was effective in providing both relief and recovery as it created jobs for industrial workers as well as assisting the recovery of the economy by building necessary institutes for a functional economic system. Finally the Work Progress Administration (WPA), aimed to offer carefully chosen jobs that would be beneficial to the individuals community and was one of the most effective agencies. The WPA was one of the country’s largest employers between 1935 and 1941 at a staggering 2 million per year particularly employing the unskilled into large building schemes but also artists, actors and photographers into civic duties. Additionally around 11,000 schools and public buildings had been built nationwide along with 43,000 miles of road. This was important as the number of unemployed people significantly decreased which in turn led to an improvement to the economy as the employed raised revenue through taxation and because people would soon be purchasing more goods from important trades as the wages were respectable. However, the WPA only employed people for a year meaning that people would become unemployed again leading to a fall in investment into the economy taking the USA back to square one. Overall the First New Deal was successful in providing emergency relief and recovery as after the 100 days; national income rose by 23%, unemployment dropped by 2 million and factory wages rose. The impact of it was felt by millions and the money people were making meant that they began spending which brought the nation’s trade and business back to life, this was referred to as â€Å"priming the pump† as the Government’s spending fuelled the nation’s economic machinery and it started to move again. However, Roosevelt’s measures were being challenged in court and many were declared as unconstitutional and therefore illegal, restricting the progress and impact the New Deal could have. Additionally The First New Deal focused more on relief and less on reform and recovery which had shortcomings so it can be criticised for not being more radical and completely changing the USA and therefore cannot explain the economic recovery of the 1930s as factor more work needed to be done through The Second New Deal and other factors. The Second New Deal can also explain the economic recovery of the 1930s to an extent. By, 1935 Roosevelt’s New Deal was being greatly challenged by the courts and a newer more radical House of Representative, in order to solve this issue Roosevelt started over and produced a new flood of legislation. This legislation was more extensive than before and aimed to radically change the USA by focusing towards socio-economic reformation by improving long term living and working conditions due to the widening gap between the rich and poor which contributed market saturation. The social security act of 1935 provided a state pension scheme for the old, widowed, and disabled as well as poor children with payments ranging from $10 to $85 a month, paid from taxes on earnings and employer’s profits. This was important as it was the first attempt to provide for those at the highest risk of falling into poverty and it was the longest lasting New Deal. However, Welfare legislation lagged behind Europe as only 24 out of the 48 states at the time had old age pensions. Additionally there were wide gaps in payments between different states. The National Labour Relations act of 1935 gave the right of union to workers. This was important as the Government became integrated into industrial relations and resulted in the exponential increase of union membership and power. Finally The Wealth act of 1935 sought to raise revenue for the New Deals by now targeting wealthy with taxes, referred to by William Randolph as â€Å"soak the successful†. However very little was raised as loopholes were exploited by the most elite lawyers as the wealthy could afford them. Overall was a successful response to the opposition he faced from the courts. However, the issue remains that Roosevelt was attempting to radically change socio-economic situation in the USA at the expense of the rich and this reform promised by The Second New Deal was not fulfilled to an entirety. Therefore The Second New Deal and as an extension the first did cannot entirely explain the USA’s economic recovery although it undoubtedly contributed and helped other factors such as the increased power of The Federal Government which the New Deals helped to increase though they stand by themselves individually to explain the recovery. The increased power and role of the Federal Government in social and economic affairs was another important factor in the overall explanation of the USA’s  economic recovery. During this period Roosevelt’s New Deals faced opposition which led to Roosevelt using methods to challenge them as he believed he was elected to save big business and was disappointed by their lack of support. In 1944 Congress opposed to the Farm Security Administration of 1935 after it had already helped to settle 11,000 families and provided 41,000 long-term low interest loans to help tenants and sharecroppers purchase their own farms due to its provision of medical schemes for black and white migrants. Although a result of prejudices and partly a result of the New Deal this shows the increased role of the Government in deeming the act illegal and the act making it to that point on the New Deals part. Additionally it highlights how the success of the New Deal may have been restricted. In order to stop the Supreme Court, Roosevelt himself put forward the Judicial Reform act which appointed six additional judges that agreed with him to the pre-existing nine in order to help with the workload. This was important as the power he exerted over the Supreme Court, meant resistance to the New Deals was reduced increasing the power of the executive branch which aided the alphabet agencies’ progress in economic recovery. It also meant that people began to look more towards the Federal Government for help instead of the State Government. However, the judges were aware of this and restricted their duties. Overall the expanding role of Federal Government can explain the economic recovery of the 1930s as it gave the executive more powers to pass legislation that would improve the economy such as the New Deal particularly the survival of the Social Security Act and people look towards the federal government which increased their role in society which meant they could work towards economic recovery. Therefore the success of the New Deal is a result of this increased executive branch presence as it allowed Roosevelt to pass them, meaning that the New Deals alone can’t entirely explain the USA’s economic recovery. However, it was Roosevelt’s efforts in renewing the public’s confidence that explained the economic recovery as the New Deal would not have been successful in motion or in the legislative process without the support of the public. Arguably Roosevelt’s efforts in building the public’s confidence in the Government and its role in the economy explained the economic recovery of  the 1930s almost to an entirety as the New Deal carried some of the confidence. Roosevelt was popular among the public as they believed he cared about them as he was the first president to speak to the dispossessed and the have-nots in society, for example he spoke to those who had concerns with the Government regulating banks as part of the New Deal by ensuring their safety in using them. He said, â€Å"I can assure you that it safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than under your mattress.† Thousands wrote letters to him to show their appreciation. This was important as Roosevelt’s popularity among the electorate meant he won four presidential elections and the Democrats were voted into both Houses of Congress with a secure majority of 2/3 in the senate and  ¾ in the House of Representatives proving his popularity. This meant he was able to increase the role of Federal Government and improve the economy as he could only pass the New Deals with the support of the electorate and have them contribute to the economy with their confidence in the system as prior to him showing care the public were suspicious. However, not all of the elected Democrats agreed with the New Deal for example Ed Johnson who strongly disagreed with it saying it was â€Å"the worst fraud perpetuated on the American people.† Roosevelt also appointed an unprecedented amount of Catholics, Jews, blacks and women and used radio to keep the public updated. This was important as Roosevelt was appealing to minority groups which at the time were having severe problems and including the public in political affairs meaning that they would back the New Deal which would ultimately improve the USA’s economic situation and it made important social changes to minorities which were affected by poverty the most therefore improvi ng their economic status was vital in economic reform. Therefore the confidence that the public had in Roosevelt and the Government in addressing social reform explains the economic recovery during the 1930s as the backing he received was vital in the passing of the New Deals as he spoke to them like no other president which meant he remained in office for four terms and had more powers to pass acts in order to recover the economy. This means that the other factors would not have had any impact without the support he had from a public confident that he could save the economy. Therefore the New Deals do not explain the economic recovery of the 1930s entirely as there were more important factors alone and that affected the New Deals themselves, particularly the  confidence in the economic system that Roosevelt worked hard to build. However, there were still shortcomings of the legislation passed by the New Deal as a result of this confidence, which the Second World War helped in the USA’s economic recovery. An additional, important factor to be considered in explaining the economic reform of the 1930s was the rearmament in preparation for the war. In 1937 a new, less severe depression had arisen because Roosevelt had cut the federal Government’s spending budget causing a fall in the stock market and industrial production as well as a 4 million rise in unemployment. In response to the outbreak of war out with the USA Roosevelt convinced Congress to invest billions in National defence, improving the economy as he increased the wages of military personnel and offered subsidies for defence manufacturing which proved effective as unemployment plummeted to 10% during the war. Additionally the conservation during the war saved money and the immigration particularly Jewish people from Germany to California led to an economic boom. This was important as the war Kick-started the economy as the increase in wages and economic production during the war lowered unemployment and improved the economy post war as this industrial boom continued. Overall this contributed greatly to the economic recovery of the 1930s meaning that the New Deal cannot not entirely explain this recovery. However, it stills stands that the confidence built by Roosevelt explains the economic recovery as though the end of the war saw the end to the Great Depression it was Roosevelt’s support that got him to investing in defence which began the war’s industrial production. Therefore the New Deal can only partially explain the economic recovery of the 1930s as though they provided relief, recovery and worked towards reform, the New Deal did not radically change the face of the USA which did happen later but not as a result of the New Deal. This means that the statement is invalid as though the New deal was undoubtedly a considerable factor in the USA’s economic recovery other factors were also important. The growing power and role of the Federal Government in economics meant that Roosevelt had the power to pass the acts of the New Deal and the public looked towards the Federal Government meaning economic recovery could be  initiated nationally. The rearmament in preparation for the Second World War was more important as it significantly reduced unemployment and increased industrial production which planted the seeds for a post-war economic boom ending the Great Depression. It was Roosevelt’s personal work in building public confidence in the economy which proved to be the most important factor as it provided Roosevelt with the support to remain in office, change the role of the Federal Government which in turn meant he could get backing from both Congress and the public to improve the economy and later invest in the war industries that without would have kept the depression going post-war.

Poetry Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden English Literature Essay

Poetry Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden English Literature Essay Considered one of his best pieces of work, Robert Haydens Those Winter Sundays, is a heartfelt and moving poem. Haydens poem tells from a boys perspective of his father. In the poem it is obvious that there is a distance between the two and a clear gap of communication as well. But nearing the end of the poem we find that though ignorant of it at that moment, love is actually present. Although only a 14-line poem, Haydens poem packs remarkable power and meaning into each line, using tone and subtle symbolism to amplify the overall effect of the poem. The poem is broken down into three stanzas of 5, 4 and 5 lines, respectively. In the first stanza of the poem, the subject of the poem is established; the father. In the second stanza, the narrator is introduced into the poem and the atmosphere of the house is further described. In the third and final stanza, the narrator tells how he still speaks ungratefully to his father and then admits his ignorance of his fathers simple love. The father is described as a hardworking man with cracked hands that ached, who woke up on Sundays too in the blueback cold to make banked fires blaze which [drove] out the cold and he would [polish] [the narrators] good shoes as well before waking the rest of the house. But no one ever thanked him for doing such things. From labor in the weekday and with cracked hands that ached from labor it is understood that the father is a working man, possibly a laborer who uses his hands extensively in his field of work leading to the belief that the fathers job is m ost probably a low-income job and as such; Sundays are probably his only day off of work, and so he would be expected to sleep in but he doesnt. The simple phrase Sundays too à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ implies that the fathers actions took place on Sundays as well as on every other day of the week. (Johnson) The father wakes early in the morning in the blueback cold, the father would wake early at his own discomfort so that his son, the narrator, would not have to wake until a certain level of comfort had been attained in the house. Not only that but the father also polishes a pair of the narrators good shoes, showing that he has provided his son with more than one pair of shoes. But then why is it that even after providing such physical luxuries that no one ever thanked him? Why is it that the narrator still speak[s] indifferently to him? Is it because the narrator is an ungrateful son, taking his fathers work for granted? Looking closer, it is realized that it is not only the poet that doesn t ever [thank] him but that NO ONE ever thanked him (Gallagher). As such, the fault is shifted from son to father leading us to believe that there must be something about the way or the reason why the father performs his parental chores that creates or requires the apparent numbness in the speaker, even over the distance of the years. The child is [also] vaguely but certainly aware of the angers of that house, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because the speaker in the poem does not know when the angers will erupt in the house, he is constantly in a state of terror that makes him speak indifferently to the fatherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Gallagher) And so the blueblack cold may have another meaning, describing not the physical condition but the sadistic atmosphere of the house and father. The meaning behind the last two lines of Haydens poem; What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? remain somewhat vague, given that they close with a question rather than a definitive statement (Johnson) but they also tie in and close the great hurt of the [authors] recollection. (Gallagher) All of this leads back to the fact that at a younger age, the speaker is in doubt of his fathers love; as a child he presumes that love is expressed in slightly more clear ways. It is not until the speaker has grown considerably older that he realizes that love is not always expressed so visibly, but is often expressed wordlessly and indirectly, and he is then able to find this indirect and silent love in his fathers early morning actions. Though there is still a slightly gloomy mood at the end of the poem there is also a sense of resolution and closing. (Thomson) The speaker in the poem is a man reflecting on his boyhood and his fathers love for him. The speaker tells about his ignorance of his fathers simple love, expressed for him through his fathers early morning gestures. The poems tone shifts continuously throughout the poem, in the beginning the tone changes from a cold, harsh tone to a warmer, more comforting tone by line 6. Although by line 9; the poems tone shifts again to a more negative tenor. The bitter tone depicted in the first stanza is reflected through the blueblack cold[ness] of the house, the Fathers cracked hands and the fact that no one has ever thanked [the father]. By line 7; the house and rooms were warm and the tone has seemed to morph to a more consoling sentiment when the cold [is] splintering, breaking. Although the cold is gone and there is now warmth inside the house, the tone once again changes back to the bitter manner in line 9 when the chronic angers of that house are mentioned. (EE) The bitter tone is carrie d on until the end of the poem but the tone of the poem also takes on a sort of regretful spin when the poet asks in lines 13 14; What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? Hayden uses a great deal of symbolism in his poem, some obvious and others not so much. The very first symbol being winter, mentioned in the title of the poem; Those Winter Sundays. Some use winter to suggest death, as in Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Some use it to suggest the absence of hope, as in C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Wikipedia) Winter births cold and darkness, both referred to in line 2 as the blueblack cold. The cold often symbolizes depression and the darkness almost always symbolizes death and destruction. Symbolism like this helps generate the negative tone the poet is trying to create. The fathers cracked hands symbolize labor and hard work but could also represent sickness or bad health. A final symbol in Haydens poem is the warmth. The warmth is possibly the only positive symbol used throughout the poem. The warmth often stands for happiness and harmony, much the opposite of the cold and darkness. Haydens poem incorporates tremendous meaning into each line of his poem, using varying tone and symbolism to help intensify the implications behind it. Delving into the very core of the meaning of the poem, behind the literal and sub-literal levels, the reader finds that what Hayden is trying to relay is that there are many different kinds of love and that saying I love you is not the only way to show affection but that love can be portrayed in the simplest of actions and through the subtlest of gestures in life.

A Morbid Taste for Bones, by Ellis Peters, and Favorite Father Brown St

Think nothing exciting ever happens in the life of a clergyman? These two thrilling books, A Morbid Taste for Bones, by Ellis Peters, and Favorite Father Brown Stories, by G.K. Chesterton, may make you reassess that presupposition. Favorite Father Brown Stories concerns an English priest named Brown who lives in 19th century England, and takes on various odd cases that come his way in everyday life. Alternately, A Morbid Taste for Bones concerns an older monk named Brother Cadfael who lives in the middle ages, and is caught in the middle of the murder of a farmer in a small village. Desperately, he tries to figure out who murdered the man, to appease the farmer’s livid daughter Sioned. Since both Brown and Cadfael are of the priesthood, it is fascinating comparing the two characters and seeing how they are similar, and how they are different. Particularly, they contrast in terms of the time and setting they live in, and also in their methods of solving cases, but they are simi lar in how they both share the same view that man is a depraved being, capable of both great virtue and terrible evil. One thing that separates the two characters of Father Brown and Brother Cadfael is the world that the two men live in, which is separated by several centuries of time and a seemingly different reality. For instance, Brown lives in the very down to earth, highly materialistic world of 1800’s England. In all of his stories, there seem to be very little, if any, reference to the supernatural. Actually, in one Brown story, â€Å"The Salad of Colonel Cray†, when a colonel suspects that he was placed under a curse by the head of a cult because of odd occurrences such as being slightly touched and having blood run down his neck violently, Brown ends... ...dfael lives in the mysterious times of the Middle Ages in Europe. Also, there is the fact that Brown is more of an introverted thinker, who keeps to himself until he has finally solved the mysterious cases surrounding him. Meanwhile, Brother Cadfael verbally processes and goes through his cases with those he can trust. But the thing that connects the two members of priesthood together is the fact that they both share a common view of man: that he is capable of good, but just as capable, and prone, to injustice, and iniquity. But these two sleuthing priests try to ensure that no injustice goes unnoticed when they are around, and that is what makes these books a joy to read. Works Cited Chesterton, G.K. Favorite Father Brown Stories. New York; Dover Publications, Inc. Print. 1993. Peters, Ellis. A Morbid Taste for Bones. New York; The Mysterious Press. Print. 1977

Editorial - Letter to the Editor :: Editorial Newspaper Article Letter

Dear Editor, C. S. explains in his article â€Å"The Daily We,† the experiences that bring closeness in people that share a common identity. An experience that brings the knowledge of this is the recent freshman orientation that happened this past weekend. This brought closeness with all of the incoming students and warmth to be welcomed into the Dayton community. â€Å"The Daily We,† applies to this experience as a tool to understand the past weekend as complete fun. Throughout, the beautiful sunny day of August 28, upperclassmen helped new students put away their belongings. As time went on before even entering my room, I met many new faces and met many new friends. All day the upperclassmen sold t-shirts, lemonade and drinks and other memorabilia in front of the three freshman dorms. Rudy’s Fly Buy, a student store was right in front of Marycrest selling memorabilia. The day was very much complete. By midday I was very much packed into the room. After meeting my roommate, a friend who I met over summer classes, I knew right away this was going to be great year. All day, the experience was fun and exciting. Using the new student’s orientation as an example to â€Å"The Daily We,† I figured that it made the most sense to the closeness of people coming together as one. The first day will remain a memory in my mind. When I was apart of the orientation, the excitement grew, I felt happy, and the impact became a big part of my college experience. The first thoughts that came across my mind when I entered my room was this is my home for the next nine months, I am going to be sharing the bathroom with my whole wing, I am independent, and I am going to not have people telling me, â€Å"You have this due when?† or â€Å"You have to go to class?† This decision is your own. Your parents are not with you. You don’t have your dad or mom looking over your shoulder. Editorial - Letter to the Editor :: Editorial Newspaper Article Letter Dear Editor, C. S. explains in his article â€Å"The Daily We,† the experiences that bring closeness in people that share a common identity. An experience that brings the knowledge of this is the recent freshman orientation that happened this past weekend. This brought closeness with all of the incoming students and warmth to be welcomed into the Dayton community. â€Å"The Daily We,† applies to this experience as a tool to understand the past weekend as complete fun. Throughout, the beautiful sunny day of August 28, upperclassmen helped new students put away their belongings. As time went on before even entering my room, I met many new faces and met many new friends. All day the upperclassmen sold t-shirts, lemonade and drinks and other memorabilia in front of the three freshman dorms. Rudy’s Fly Buy, a student store was right in front of Marycrest selling memorabilia. The day was very much complete. By midday I was very much packed into the room. After meeting my roommate, a friend who I met over summer classes, I knew right away this was going to be great year. All day, the experience was fun and exciting. Using the new student’s orientation as an example to â€Å"The Daily We,† I figured that it made the most sense to the closeness of people coming together as one. The first day will remain a memory in my mind. When I was apart of the orientation, the excitement grew, I felt happy, and the impact became a big part of my college experience. The first thoughts that came across my mind when I entered my room was this is my home for the next nine months, I am going to be sharing the bathroom with my whole wing, I am independent, and I am going to not have people telling me, â€Å"You have this due when?† or â€Å"You have to go to class?† This decision is your own. Your parents are not with you. You don’t have your dad or mom looking over your shoulder.

The Righteous Hester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter

The Strong and Righteous Hester of The Scarlet Letter       "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us," stated Oliver Wendell Holmes. This eventually proves to be especially true for Hester Prynne, the main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne, a fair young maiden whose husband had disappeared two years prior to the opening of the novel, has an affair with the pastor of her Puritan church, resulting in the birth of her child Pearl. Because of this act of adultery, Hester Prynne is branded by the scarlet letter "A," which she is forced to forever wear upon her attire. The plot thickens as Hester's former husband returns to New England and becomes fixated upon the idea of revenge towards Hester's anonymous partner in sin. At the same time, the feeble pastor slowly begins to waste away towards the gloomy gates of death. However, as those around her grow ever weaker or morally decayed, Hester grows ever stronger. Hester grows so strong and morally righteous that it appears that she is actually favored by Hawthorne despite her "sin." The qualities which cause Hester to be favored are her traits of helpfulness towards others, her intense maternal love towards Pearl, and her defiance and pride demonstrated towards those who attempt to impose their values upon her.    Even as those she assisted were cruel towards her, Hester remained generous and helpful towards others. For example, after becoming recognized as a talented seamstress and gradually beginning to earn fairly large sums of money, "Hester bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less miserable than herself, and who not unfrequently insulted the hand that fed them."... ... compared with a person's true nature. For Hester Prynne, though she had sinned in her past, she came across as strong and admirable because she was a benevolent person on the inside. She sought purity and truth to compensate for her unalterable past. Therefore, her wrongdoings were eventually overlooked in enlightenment of her better qualities. A coward can hind in the shadows of reputations and prejudgments, but only a hero can overcome these and manage to step into the daylight.    Works Cited and Consulted: Canby, Henry S. (1996). "A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past." Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 55- 63). San Diego: Greenhaven. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991. Scharnhorst, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. New York: Greenwood, 1992.      

An Overview of Freedom Greeting Card Company Inc

Freedom Greeting Card Company Inc. (www.freedomgreetings.com) is a greeting card company that recently decided to create a website that would provide wholesale and retail customers with online services (Aspin, 2005). In the past, the company relied entirely on fax and phone orders. It grew into a multi-billion dollar business without even having a web site. However, as customer began demanding faster service and the industry expanded, Freedom†s leaders realized that they would be eliminated by the competition if they failed to give the customers what they wanted (Aspin, 2005). The Internet seemed to be the offered a viable solution to keep in contact with a large customer base. Jay Levitt, president of Freedom Greeting, aimed to create a solution that would be easy to use and effectively boost productivity, while saving money on traditional methods of reacting to increases in demand such as staff and infrastructure expansion. Levitt looked into the possibility of extending his existing business applications. Since 1999, the company was a customer of Aspin Management Systems, a software house based in the United Kingdom (Aspin, 2005). Freedom had invested in AMSolveâ„ ¢, an accounting and back office system which the company produces. The system handles many area of Freedom†s operation, including account ledgers, stock control, order processing and fulfillment. Levitt decided to extend the company†s services to the Internet. The company found a solution that would give trade customers an easy to use method of quickly ordering products, without the need for customers to invest in expensive applications to interface with the company†s server (Aspin, 2005). This solution is a website that provides a catalogue of over five thousand products that can be ordered by industry customers. Customers login and browse the products, adding items or requesting stock through the Grid Ordering process. According to Aspin Intercative (2005): â€Å"The customer or agent specifies the grids and pocket to re-order and the system displays the available stock for pockets as specified in AMSolve. The user then reviews the order, makes any adjustment to quantity and clicks a button to place the order. There is no need to enter any payment details and the order is encrypted and sent directly to Freedom†s AMSolve server for processing. Once the order is placed notification is sent via email, however, an agent representing a client or the customer themselves can log into the website at any time and place, and check that the order is in the system and once shipped, they can check its delivery status.†

Geely Auto Financial Report Analysis

Geely Auto Financial Report Analysis 1. 0 Executive Summary This report discusses the details of the Geely Automobile Company and an analysis of its financial statements in the past 5 years. The purpose of the report is an application of the knowledge learnt from the Financial Statement Analysis course, and tries to give recommendations. Rather than giving simple suggestions like buy, sell or hold the stocks, it is hoped that by analyzing the financial statements, the data can provide support for the recommendations such as the future profit and loss of Geely.As one of the four largest independent private automobile manufacturers in China, Geely Auto has been expanding rapidly. The sale of Geely has increased from 200 units in 1998 to 329. 100 units in 2009. In addition, in 2010, the purchase of Volvo greatly increases the reputation of Geely. Although the acquisition just happened few months ago, it is believed that it will beneficial to increase the market share. Further SWOT analy sis shows that, the well-established sales network and the emphasis on R&D capabilities will have a positive effect on the future growth of Geely.Moreover, the external environment such as the continuous growth in Chinese market and government policy support shows a promising future for Geely. However, there are also threats exist outside the market and weaknesses inside Geely. It is really hard to give any suggestions by simply analyzing the industry and outside environment. Therefore, the report mainly focuses on the analysis of the financial statements. Analysis includes the capital structure and solvency, liquidity, operating performance and profitability, and cash flow statements.By using common-size analysis, ratio analysis and trend analysis, taking the rapid expansion in recent 5 years into consideration. Though some results turn out to be either not satisfactory or below industry average, the overall performance of Geely is quite good. Geely was using its money effectively and investing the money in the right place in the past 5 years. It is recommended to buy Geely Stocks, with the potential growth in their production and profitability. It is quite pessimistic that the earnings of Geely is going to increase and therefore the stock price in future. . 0 Introduction Geely Automobile Holdings is a Chinese automaker and is with BYD, Chery, and Great Wall, one of the four largest independent private automobile manufacturers in China. Geely is now headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and operates six car assembly and power-train manufacturing plants in China that are located in Lanzhou (Gansu province), Linhai (Zhejiang province), Luqiao (Zhejiang province), Ningbo (Zhejiang province), Shanghai and Xiangtan (Hunan province). These facilities enable a production capacity of approximately 300,000 cars per year. 2. Brief History Geely (Jili, meaning â€Å"auspicious, lucky†) was founded in 1986 as a manufacturer of refrigerators, and then moved to manu facturing decoration materials in 1989, and by 1992, motorcycle parts. In 1994, Geely began manufacturing motorcycles. By 1996, Geely had produced over 200,000 motorcycles and scooters. Automobile production started in 1998. Geely began exporting its first cars in 2003. Geely had its IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004. Purchase of Volvo Geely was reported to have approached Ford in mid-2008 about a possible takeover of Volvo Cars.On October 28, 2009, Geely was named as the preferred buyer of Volvo Cars by Ford. On December 23, 2009, Ford confirmed that all substantive commercial terms for the sale to Geely had been settled. A definitive agreement was signed on March 28, 2010 worth $1. 8 billion, and the deal was completed on August 2, 2010. Management * Executive directors: Mr. Li Shu Fu, Mr. Gui Sheng Yue, Mr. Yang Jian, Mr. Ang, Siu Lun, Mr. Yin Da Qing, Mr. Liu Jin Liang, Mr. Zhao Jie, Dr. Zhao Fuquan * Non-Executive Directors:Mr. Xu Gang * Independent Non-executive Dire ctors: Mr.Song Lin, Mr. Lee Cheuk Yin, Mr. Yeung Sau Hung * Senior Management: Mr. Zhang Peng, Mr. Cheung Chung Yan Products * Xiali TJ7300-based * 1998  Ã¢â‚¬â€ HQ/Haoqing/Haoqing SRV * 2000  Ã¢â‚¬â€ MR/Merrie * 2002  Ã¢â‚¬â€ MR/Uliou/MS * 2004  Ã¢â‚¬â€ PU/Rural Nanny/Urban Nanny * 2002  Ã¢â‚¬â€ BL/Beauty Leopard/BO * Daewoo-designed * 2005  Ã¢â‚¬â€ CK/Freedom Cruiser * 2006  Ã¢â‚¬â€ MK/LG/KingKong * 2006  Ã¢â‚¬â€ FC/Vision * 2008  Ã¢â‚¬â€ Geely China Dragon Major activities and achievements * Geely’s JI-6360 model was certified by the government making Geely the first private company qualified to be producing automobiles in China. First Chinese automaker present at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005. * First Chinese car maker to display at the US Detroit auto show. Winning the Special Contribution Grand Prize for Invention and Creation for its Blow-out Monitoring and Brake System (â€Å"BMBS†), a unique safety system independently d eveloped by Geely. * In Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, Geely has already started to sell its products. Geely has also entered the Bangladeshi, Cuba, New Zealand, Pakistani, Romanian, Turkish and South African car markets. Figure 1; Development in sales, source: Geely annual report 1998-2009 3. Financial Analysis In the following sections Geely’s capital structure, solvency and liquidity, profitability and cash flow will be discussed. 3. 1 Analysis of Capital Structure Geely automobile Holdings Limited Analysis of Capital Structure| HK$'000| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| L-Tdebt| –| –| –| 87000| 1318000| Deferred taxation| –| –| –| 8018| 37727| other L-T liabilities| –| 682838| 309274| 0| 1442153| Total L-T liabilities| –| 682838| 309274| 95018| 2797880| Current liabilities| 54548| 227198| 5273470| 76378| 8907789| Total liabilities| 54548| 910036| 5582744| 171396| 11705669| %| 6%| 46%| 68%| 3%| 62%| | | | | | common shareho lder's equity| 798080| 1030157| 2441440| 4197862| 6375613| minority interests| 9013| 19769| 211760| 584619| 720907| Total equity capital| 798080| 1049926| 2653200| 4782481| 7096520| %| 94%| 54%| 32%| 97%| 38%| | | | | | | Total liabilities and equity| 852628| 1959962| 8235944| 4953877| 18802189| | 100%| 100%| 100%| 100%| 100%| These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (â€Å"HKFRSs†) ————————————————-From common-size analysis, we know leverage rate of Geely is stable for year 2006 and 2007, declines sharply for year 2008, and then rebounds strongly to 62% in year 2009. Then look at the absolute value, it's not difficult to find out a great rise in both liability and equity capital. In 2009, the total liability is more than a trilion. Referring to its investment and operation in recent years, we think Geely is trading on the equity, which indicates it is using equity capital as a borrowing base in a desire to reap excess returns.This can be confirmed by its step-by-step acquisition of many assembly line and investment on new factories financed by bond and bank borrowing, which is conversely based on increasing equity (stock price stimulated by expansion). Those investments are revalued and taken into asset as a new backup. 3. 2 Solvency Analysis Geely Automobile Holdings Limited Solvency Ratios| HK$'000| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| D/E ratio| 0. 07 | 0. 88 | 2. 29 | 0. 04 | 1. 84 | Interest coverage ratio| –| 7. 66 | 10. 11 | 16. 06 | 15. 46 | S-T D/E| –| 0. 22 | 2. 16 | 0. 02 | 1. 0 | | The computation for Year 2009 is shown here:| D/E ratio= Total liabilities / Shareholder's equity = 2,797,880 / 6,375,613| Interest coverage ratio= EBIT / Interest Expense = 1,657686 / 107,226| S-T D/E= Long-term liabilities / Shareholder's Equity = 8,907,789 / 6,375,613 | | The computation for EBIT is shown below:| HK$'000| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| Net Profit| 115377| 214149| 318100| 866053| 1319028| Interest expense| –| 32390 | 35103 | 60952 | 107226 | Taxation| –| 1585 | 1673 | 51869 | 231432| EBIT| 115377| 248124| 354876| 978874| 1657686|Since the ratio of debt to equity capital is relatively high, we need to take a further look of its financial condition. Before assessing long-term solvency we want to be satisfied about the near-term fiancial survival of Geely. Unfortunately, Geely's short term debt to equity ratio is 1. 40, quite high in the most recent year. Although it can raise capital from HK listed market, equity is apparently not enough to make up its shortage of capital in short term. According to NOTE, Geely has discounted notes receivable to banks in exchange for cash with recourse in the ordinary course of business.Therefore, the risk resulting from its speeding expansion not only depends on its own performance, bu t its customers' financial distress. Interest coverage ratio is satisfactory, which means payment of the interest liability Geely has incurred on its long-term borrowing is in a less pressure. 3. 2 Analysis of Liquidity Geely Automobile Holdings Limited Analysis of Liquidity| | HK$'000| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| Industry norm| Accounts Receivable Turnover| 1. 91 | 0. 95 | 1. 99 | 1. 51 | 2. 29 | 19. 47| Acid-test ratio| 1. 13 | 0. 68 | 10. 44 | 0. 71 | 1. 19 | | Inventory turnover| 15. 9 | 11. 10 | 8. 36 | 136. 70 | 393. 17 | 31. 79| | | | | | | | The computations are as follows:| | Accounts Receivable Turnover = Net sales / Average accounts receivable| | Acid-test ratio = Cash and equivalents + Marketable securities + Accounts receivable / Current liabilities| | Inventory turnover = Cost of goods sold / Average Inventory| | The selected accouts used in computation are here:| | HK$'000| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| | Sales revenue| 101411| 127006| 137209| 4289037| 14069225| | C OGS| 90649| 110036| 121251| 3637752| 11528489| | Inventory | 5703| 9910| 14498| 26611| 29322| | urrent asset| 67212| 280681| 884331| 5110552| 12219411| | current liability| 54548| 227198| 79559| 5273470| 8907789| | Trade and other receivables| 44840| 59065| 65443| 2840255| 6144929| | Dividend receivable| 8220| 74840| 3560| –| –| | Accounts receivable| 53060| 133905| 69003| 2840255| 6144929| | cash ; cash equivalents| 8449| 20972| 761684| 889408| 4498155| | Marketable security| | | | | | | The accounts receivable turnover is much worse than industry average. However, an increase of accounts receivable may due to rise in sales or difficulty in collecting quite timely.Referring to NOTE, we know that receivables are guaranteed by established banks in the PRC and have maturities of six months or less. So the likelihood of timely collection is in less question. The inventory turnover is exaggeratedly higher than industry level, especially after its installment of P-SCM suppl y chain management system, which integrates ordering, producing, selling, and distributing. So we can conclude that Geely is doing excellence in inventory management and is enjoying a growth in market demand of its products 3. Analysis of Operating Activities To be able to make a comprehensive analysis of Geely’s activities, both the income statement and the balance sheet have been restated in appendix A and B, such that it is possible to identify operating and non-operating income, assets and liabilities. Assumptions regarding classifications are also available in the appendixes. Figure 2: illustration of revenue and operating income, Source Geely annual report 2007 -2009 Figure 2 illustrates how dramatic the development in especially revenue has been the last three years.Net sales are up by almost 200 percent from 2008 to 2009, while only a 60 percent increase in volume is reported in the annual report. Mainly the large growth is a result of full consolidation of the Groups manufacturing Operations. Moreover, the acquisition of â€Å"Drivetrain Systems† at June 30th 2009 generated extra revenue the last half year of 2009. Further the notes reveal that 95 percent of sales are within China in 2010, in 2009 it was only 81 percent. A decline in export can in a future growth perspective be a concern.Geely have improved profit margin over the last three years (18 percent In 2009), while the operating margin have been rather volatile (Appendix 1). This is caused by large income/expences from â€Å"share of results of associated companies†. It is expected that this account will be less important in the future as some associates now are fully consolidated. A large increase in distribution and selling expenses in 2009 (increase more than 200 percent) is worth to note. It raises questions as can Geely manage all the new acquisitions without getting less effective and the level of earnings quality.No extraordinary or unusual are identified in the fi nancial statement. It is a good sign since these accounts often are subject to earnings management. Comprehensive income is nicely increasing and no unusual increase in unrealized gains/losses of currency is identified. 3. 4 Analysis of Return on Common Equity This analysis show that the drivers behind the increasing return to common equity is mainly due to heavy increase in asset turnover and an equal percentage increase in leverage. The adjusted profit margin has unfortunately been declining heavily over the period.Geely is therefore relying on Non-operating activities to reach the growth in ROCE. From a shareholder perspective is an increase in ROCE due to leverage not sustainable. However it must be noticed that it was only last year the increase in leverage was heavy, while the increase in asset turnover has been for longer. From a financial point of view it can be argued that taking up debt while it is cheap, since the interest rate is currently low, is in the long run better for the shareholders, if the alternative was to finance expansion with more expensive equity.What is critical is if Geely is strong enough to turnaround their adjusted profit margin to keep growing healthy. 3. 5 Cash Flow Analysis It is useful to construct a summary of cash inflows and outflows by major categories because we can evaluate a firm's sources and uses of cash from operating, investing and financing activities directly. Geely Automobile Holdings LimitedSummary of cash inflows and outflowsYear ended 31 Dec 200X| HK$'000| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| Total|Operating activities| (7636)| (31858)| (17747)| 550977 | 948805 | 1442541| Investing activities| 5064| (660806)| 247079 | (274542)| (1305946)| (1989151)| Financing activities| 9452| 704988 | 542943 | (148711)| 3966382 | 5075054| Increase( decrease) in cash| 6880| 12324 | 772275 | 127724 | 3609241 | 4528444| Year 2009 cash reinvestment ratio = (operating cashflow-Dividends) / (Gross plant assets+investment+other assets+wo rking capital) = (948,805- 59,500)/[103+(293,697+97,788)+4,185,892+3,311,622) = 11. 27%|The summary of cash flow chart shows that during fiscal year 2005~2007 Geely experienced negative operating cash flow. Besides that it has used cash to finance increase in inventory and receivables, the ‘Share of results of associates' turnaround profits before tax from a positive position to a reverse one as it contributes more than 100% negatively before 2008 to Geely's profit after tax. This may be due to its stage of growth since total capital expenditures by its operating associates amounts to approximately RMB1 billion, which are mainly funded by the operational cash flow generated by associates.The insufficient operating cashflow part is made up by financing activities through issuing debt and securities and borrowing from banks. From fiscal year 2008 Geely was able to begin generate positive operating cashflow . However, positive operating cashflow may due to the decrease in its wor king capital. The cash flow statement shows that payables decreased significantly after 2008, which raises doubt on a possibility that Geely delayed payments to suppliers until its operating cash flow before adjustment of working capital become healthier.The major cash outlay is investing activities, corresponding to its funding for the research and development of new vehicle models, new engines and gearboxes, the construction and expansion of plants. Concerning financing activities, one point should be mentioned here is that Geely borrows with its receivables as collateral, the inflow of cash is reported as a financing activity in the cash flow statement. The second doubt come up when comparing with income statement.Earnings are significantly exceeding operating cashflow, this may be an indication of aggressive accounting choices, such as recognizing revenues too soon or delaying the recognition of expenses. Take a look at the free cash flow statement. From free cash flow to equity (FCFE) we know the cash flow availabel for distribution to common shareholders is sufficient. Along with its satisfactory reinvestment ratio, Geely proves that it is taking care of investors. Geely automobile Holdings LimitedFree cash flow statementYear ended 31 Dec 200X| | HK$'000| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009|Net income| 214149| 305767| 866053| 1319028| Depreciation| 1403| 2282| 141053| 364598| intereset expense| 32390| 35103| 60952| 107226| net capital expenditure| 99304. 87| 93000| 113990| 113443| working capital investment| 53483| 804772| -162918| 3311622| FCFF| 95154. 13| -554620| 1116986| -1634213| Net borrowing| 716000| 330000| 1061000| 4300000| FCFE| 584837 | 219253 | 1497987 | 5135362 | net capital expenditure = approximate expenditure in RMB* rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date| 4. 0 SWOT analysis of Geely Automobile Strengths 1.Continuously Increasing Revenue Geely’s gross profit margin has continued to grow over the past few years due to successful c ompany expansion and increasing market shares. The total sales for various kinds of Geely vehicles has accumulated to over 800,000 since 2001, and the Geely trademark has been recognized as a well-known mark in China. It has established over 200 sales service bases overseas, and performed SKD/CKD assembly production and sales in Ukraine, Russia and Indonesia and other countries. 2. Emphasis on Research ; Development CapabilitiesBy the end of 2009, Geely owns a total of 1,600 technology patents. Geely has a professional research and development team, the staff number of which exceeds 1,400, representing 12% of the total staff of the Group With its extensive investment in research and development, the group’s R;D team is capable of launching four to five new models every year, reflecting its leading position in R;D and technology innovation capabilities in China’s automobile sector. 3. Acquisition of Volvo and Enhanced Green TechnologyNew energy-powered vehicle is the la test trend and it will be the future of the world’s auto industry. Ford and Volvo have already invested millions of dollars over the past decade in terms of new energy technology. Acquiring Volvo may enhance Geely’s technology in new energy-powered vehicle area, help Geely take a step forward in competing with other homegrown brands, and pave the way for Geely to enter the global auto market. Weaknesses 1. Accounts Receivables Worse than Industry average Geely’s average turnover ratio of accounts receivables from 2005 to 2009 is 1. 3, which is substantially lower than the industry average, 19. 47. Although the previous analysis has shown less possibilities of payment collection problem, a low accounts receivable turnover ratio still indicates that there is an opportunity cost of holding receivables for a longer period of time. 2. Image of Lower-end Brand Although Geely has a well-established sales network and growing competence in core technology, it is hard for Geely to alter its lower-end brand image, since its original target market is low cost vehicle.But branding is about value and perceived quality, so price alone can never facilitate a victory. Enhancing quality and ensuring that its cars are on par with the global leading brands are still a major challenge for Geely. 3. Less Advanced Technology Despite the vast amount of investment in research and development, capital and talents for automobile core technology are limited, and it is hard for Geely to compete with the advanced technology of foreign automobile manufacturers. 4. Unsatisfactory Sales in Export Markets Motor vehicles sales in most parts of the world market remains fragile.As a result, Geely exports business could continue to face major challenges given the fierce competition and the short history of operation in its major export markets. Opportunities 1. Continuous Growth of China Sedan Market China's passenger vehicle market ended last year with a 59 percent year-on-ye ar sales increase to surpass the United States as the world's largest auto market for the first year. According to estimate of Goldman Sachs Global ECS research report, growth in China car market will be remained for the next 10 years and the industry GDP growth will be 11. % in 2010 and 10% in 2011. Goldman Sachs Global ECS research teams forecasts that China will further boost its No. 1 position in the car market with sales reaching 30 million units per year by 2020. 2. Government Policy Support In the past few years, the focus of Chinese government policies for automobile industry is to boost sustainable growth in the economy with auto industry as one of its pillars and to support domestic participants and industry consolidation. Threats 1.Fierce Competition from both Domestic and Foreign Brand The huge profit potential of China car market brings about fierce competition among both local and foreign automobile manufacturers. In the luxury automobile market, foreign manufacturers are in leader position due to their sophisticated technology and high brand recognition. While in lower end automobile market, local brands are strong competitors. 2. Possibility of Overcapacity in China Auto Market Some industrial experts concern that China's market may one day face vercapacity problems. A report from the official news portal of China's eastern Zhejiang province showed that, based on the production plan of China's 12 major auto manufacturers for the next five years, China's auto production would reach 32. 5 million units in 2015, far exceeding the forecast of 22 million units in the blue book of China's automobile industry. If Overcapacity problems occur, serious overproduction capacity will lead to negative market competitiveness a loss in enterprise efficiency, factory stoppages and other problems. . 0 Analyses of management discussion and analyst’s opinion Appendix C summarizes some Analysts view of Geely. However, not all Analysts agree upon whether you should sell, hold or buy the stock. Several reasons are discussed in the respective reports; though all analysts agree that Geely is a healthy company with a stable revenue base, increasing volume and satisfactory margins. What analysts do not agree upon is whether Geely can maintain their growth potential and gain market share in both the domestic and export market.The penetration in the Chinese passenger car market is extremely low compared to USA and Europe (JP Morgan, 2010) and as the Chinese people are getting wealthier the market potential will increase the upcoming years. Loads of Automobile manufacturer will compete to gain market share and earn extraordinary profit. Credit Suisse and CIMB are representing the negative analysts who believe that domestic market competition will increase as the nearest competitors have invested heavily in the industry and developing of new brands (CIMB, 2010).Geely Management has not commented upon this in their report, but instead they emphas ize they have sufficient funds to cover investments and R&D expenses to facilitate their own growth. Additionally, Credit Suisse (2010) emphasize that every auto manufacturer in the Chinese market are currently investing in production facilities. Credit Suisse is therefore worried it will result in an oversupply and consequently make inventories to rice. To bring inventories down a price war on vehicles can arise. This will affect margins negatively.JP Morgan represents a positive analyst that strongly believe that the current acquisition of Volvo will result in synergy effects and a technology platform that no one else can imitate in the near future. Further JP Morgan is confident that the low penetration of vehicles in the domestic market will ensure future growth, and therefore recommends buying the stock. DBS, Deutche Bank and Yuanta are recommending holding the stock, since they believe there are too many uncertainties connected to Geely and the future. Especially they all emph asize the lack of a clear growth catalyst to outperform the market.Further, the acquisition of Volvo seems to have longer prospects before profiting than expected at first hand (CIMP, 2010). As expected Geely’s management discussion is very positive towards the future and leaves the shareholders with the impression of a highly growing company with a healthy economy and a clear defined strategy, although it is noticed that very little space is used to comment upon the current competition in the market. Instead Geely Management has chosen to focus at their new strategic platform and how they can develop brands and product lines into a competitive advantage (Geely, 2010).It can be interpreted as an indirectly method to cope with the market competition without discussing the situation in detail. Shareholders, however, must be aware of this matter when evaluating the business. Even though current revenue is increasing heavily one must consider how sustainable this growth rate is i n the future. It can be concluded that Geely Management are slightly taking a too positive approach towards the current market conditions, since these are not discussed in depth and analysts report emphasize different issues than Geely.This analysis facilitate that there are no universal answer to trading with stocks. We all wants to buy the stocks that are undervalued and sell the ones that are overvalued, and the answer you get depends on the method, forecast and strategic mindset of the analyst. Geely is without doubt a healthy company so the buy, held, sell decision lies within how you value the growth opportunities, how Geely can facilitate R&D and implement acquisitions and thereby benefit from synergies. 6. 0 RecommendationGeely have the recent years had an expansion strategy, and as a consequence a high level of investment. This has resulted in a higher leverage and that earnings significantly are exceeding cash flows. However this is also a natural picture of a company in a n expansion phase. It is found that Geely has satisfactory interest rate coverage even though leverage is increasing. Furthermore, accounts receivables is found worse than industry average, but good bank agreements make it easy for Geely to meet liquidity issues. Inventory turnover is also good, as the focus on SCM systems have proven its worth.This is moreover expressed in the increased asset turnover which partly is the driver behind the increasing ROCE. However it is important to note that the adjusted profit margin is declining. The overall performance shows increased revenue/earnings, but it is very difficult to determine the earnings quality since most of the rise is due to consolidation and acquisitions. The positive free cash flow and satisfactory reinvestment ratio shows that Geely are taking care of investors. SWOT analysis identifies possible business catalyst as R&D and the new acquisition of Volvo that could create synergy effect.It is our opinion that these business dr ivers are rather uncertain but is very likely to succeed and combined with Geelys current healthy financial situation; we are taking a positive approach towards Geely and recommends to buy the stock. 7. 0 Bibliography Geely Automile Holdings Annual report 2005-2009 Investment Reports: DBS (8. June2010) Hong Kong/ China Company Focus; Geely Automobiles Holding; DBS Vickers Securities; Analyst: Miu, Rachel Credit Suisse (12. July 2010) Asian Daily – Geely Auto; Credit Suisse Analysis; Analyst: HungBin Toh CIMB (28. Sep. 010) Geely Automiles Holding LTD; CIMB Reasearch; Analyst: Cheam, The Shen JP Morgan (26. Sep. 2010 ) Geely Automiles Holding LTD – Initiating Coverage, JP Morgan Asia Pacific Equity Research; Analyst: by Li, Frank Deutche Bank (26. Aug. 2010) Geely Automiles Holding LTD; Deutche Securities Asia LTD; Analyst: Ha, Vincent Yuanta (26. Aug. 2010) Geely Automiles Holding LTD; Yuata Research; Analyst: Wong, Johnny Websites: Reuters (http://www. reuters. com/fi nance/stocks/analyst? symbol=0175. HK) Appendix A: Restated income statement Appendix B: Restated Balance SheetAppendix C: Overview of Analysts opinion Source: Reuters (http://www. reuters. com/finance/stocks/analyst? symbol=0175. HK) ——————————————– [ 2 ]. Industry average figure reference: http:// www. stats. gov. cn [ 3 ]. Property, plant and equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis at the following rates per [ 4 ]. Goldman Sachs, China: Automobiles, May 19, 2010 [ 5 ]. Business Monitor International, BMI China Auto’s Report 2010, November 2009 [ 6 ]. Global Times, China's Expanding Auto Production Triggers Overcapacity Concerns, July 19 2010

The Coldest Winter Ever – Personal Reflection on Winter

Winter Santiago Isn't Just a typical teenager. She Isn't typical at all, she barely ever goes to school, she only goes when she wants something. Her family life Is anything but typical, her father Is a big drug dealer with a lot of money and her mother Isn't even Like a mother to Winter, she's more Like a sister to her. Winter Is very self- absorbed; she only worries about herself, even when her mom got shot In the face Winter gets jealous because she thinks her mother's hogging all the attention.She really only cares about herself. She is very street smart though, after her father goes to prison, her mother becomes a crack head and her sisters go into care, Winter knew how to take care of herself, she knew what to do to survive on the streets without the help of her father. She's done horrible things to survive and live the life she knew, like robbing people and betraying her family. Winter wouldn't make a good best friend at all; I don't even think she would make a good friend.She betrayed all of her friends one way or another, either by hooking up with their man because he had what she needed, or betraying Simons when she got arrested because she was telling for Winter, Simons was ready to have her baby and even though she said no, Winter persisted that she go and steal for her, because she wanted something, she didn't care that Simons was having a baby, if anything she used it against her saying she would need the money that she's making stealing, for the baby, in the end Simons lost the baby, and in my opinion a lot of the blame should be on Winter.She may be a fun person to be around and go out with because she does know how to have fun, but I would never want her as a friend because she's not loyal and she is untrustworthy.She does have a of of maturing to do though, so I really shouldn't judge too harshly, you can tell by the end of the book, when she Is In prison, and goes to her mother's funeral, she's a different person, her views on life are totally different, and when she sees her younger sister doing the same things she was doing she wants to stop her and tell her everything that she had gone through, but she held back knowing that it would only make her sister angry and make Winter look Jealous.I think that going to prison changed Winter In the best way, she was no longer the elf-absorbed, conceited â€Å"ghetto-princess† that she was before she had gone to prison, she actually grew up, and matured during her time In. The Coldest Winter Ever – Personal Reflection on Winter Santiago. By Joann Winter Santiago isn't Just a typical teenager. She isn't typical at all, she barely ever goes to school, she only goes when she wants something.Her family life is anything but typical, her father is a big drug dealer with a lot of money and her mother isn't even like a mother to Winter, she's more like a sister to her. Winter is very self- absorbed; she only worries about herself, even when her mom got shot in the face Win ter gets Jealous because she thinks her mother's hogging all the attention. She friend at all; I don't even think she would make a good friend.She betrayed all of her didn't care that Simons was having a baby, if anything she used it against her saying untrustworthy. She does have a of of maturing to do though, so I really shouldn't judge too harshly, you can tell by the end of the book, when she is in prison, and goes I think that going to prison changed Winter in the best way, she was no longer the prison, she actually grew up, and matured during her time in.

Great Religions and Philosophies.: Greek Philosophy Essay

In the 6th century B. C, there began a dualism in Greek Philosophy. The development of Greek Philosophy became a compromise between Greek monistic and oriental influences, in other words, a combination of intellectualism and mysticism. Thus began the pre-Socratic philosophy. The interests of pre- Socratic philosophers were centered on the world that surrounds man, the Cosmos. This was during the time of great internal and external disturbances in the Greek society, as it was right after the Peloponnesian war. The pre-Socratic era of Greek Philosophy came to an end when the Sophists turned their attention to man himself, delving into the moral and mental nature of man and dealing with the practical problems of life. The ancient Greeks mirrored their nature, beliefs, morals and customs in Greek Philosophy. Through understanding Greek Philosophy, we can see how the ancient Greeks regard the world around them. Greek Philosophy filled the void in the spiritual and moral life of the ancient Greeks, where in the same place other cultures had their belief in a religion. Wisdom, in the Greek sense, included not only a theoretical explanation of the world around them, but also provided a practical guide to life. From Homer to Hesiod, we see the reflections of the ancient Greeks and their use of Gods to fulfill their spiritual, social and psychological needs. A lot of temples were erected for Greek deities, and the ancient Greeks worshipped Gods to avert calamities, to secure the success of a certain harvest, or as thanksgiving for success in battle or deliverance in wants and wishes. Homeric songs tells stories of how man realizes that all events are governed by natural laws. In the Homeric world, fantastic beliefs and superstitions governed one important aspect of the ancient Greeks– immutable fate. Homeric poems reflect the occasional doubts of the ancient Greeks in prophecy, and the observation about the shortness of life, and the suffering of earthly existence. The great epic writer Hesiod’s philosophy of life rests on the idea of the deterioration of mankind. Hesiod’s perspective runs along the idea that  according to the will of Zeus, the human world is governed by justice and the animal world is governed by might. Hesiod reflects a society then that were seeking the truth and searching for the morality guidelines. And the human conduct of the ancients Greeks of the time were very much intertwined with the behavior of Nature, for example, if they were morally good, they would be blessed and rewarded with bountiful harvests. However, on the other end of the continuum, when a sin has been committed, such as the unconscious incest of Oedipus, all Nature is affected by the offense of man. During the period of the Dorian migration, the ancient Greeks were extending their territorial possessions to a greater extent. This brought about a lot of different morals and customs changes due to social and political changes. All this is reflected in the poetry, philosophies and writings of that era. Passion and feeling was more eminent now, and the attitude of the ancient Greeks towards nature was no longer observational and descriptive but emotional. The ancient Greeks are becoming more conscious of individualism and one’s own strength and significance. The increase in property and material goods in the Greek society intensified the deep feeling in the ancient Greeks that earthly things are transient and a lot of them started to look at a more superterrestial support that would assure them security and permanence amidst all the changes in mortal things. The ancient Greeks were also more possessed by an innate immense religious fear, the fear of sinning or omission against any gods. A lot of them felt the necessity for atonement and purification. During this time came the advent of cleansing rituals, an example being the purification of Athens by Epimenides after the defilement of the city by Cylon. Epimenides and many similar holy people of his time would go into trances that would provide him with divine revelations. Epimenides was considered very close to the gods, due to a mode of life made holy by asceticism. Prophets and priests like Bacides and Sibyls reflect the need of the ancient Greeks for atonement. These prophets and priests were called upon to perform purification rites and prophetic trances. Spirit conjuring became a common practice, too. With Socrates and Socratic philosophy, the sophists and many philosophers moved away from the ? physics’ of Nature and concentrated on man’s correct conduct of life. Great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle were the important influences that would shape Western thought and culture. They sought to unravel the intellectual limitations of man and the need to find answers to ethical questions. Side by side with this, spawned the Hellenistic Philosophy, which served to explain the change in world conditions at that time when the Greek Polis was destroyed. Inspite of all the Greek philosophers that sought for intellectual wisdom, the fantastic myths and gods of the ancient Greeks still survive and prevail. However, the Greek philosophers made a great effort to obtain a dichotomy between myth and logic. The efforts of these philosophers would prove to be of great influence in modern Western tradition and rationalism. Bibliography. Cornford, F. M. , From Religion to Philosophy. New York: Harper, 1957. Guthrie, W. K. C. , A History of Greek Philosophy. 5 vols. New York: Cambridge, 1990.