Homework wk 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homework wk 4 - Assignment Example A short-term loan is a loan given for at most a three-year period. An overdraft is where the bank allows a customer to overdraw money from the bank, which happens within the banks limits. A variable rate of interest is charged on the amount the corporation is overdrawn on daily basis. Short-term borrowing has a self-liquidating nature, where the company gets short-term loans, uses it get more inventory that in turn promote production of more final product to meet demand. Receivables as a result of the sales thereafter, become cash which is used to pay for the seasonal short-term loan and cover related long-term financing costs. These sources of liquidity involve an agreement between a credit offering facility and the company. Therefore, a variable or fixed rate interest is always charged according to the policies and terms and conditions of the lender. With the annual average purchases and the average accounts payable it is possible to get accounts payable turnover ratio which is the number of times the accounts payable are turned over or purchases paid for in a

Psychological Effects of Combat

Psychological Effects of Combat PSYCHOLOGY OF A FIGHTING MAN INTRODUCTION Movies make the business of fighting and war effortless and uncomplicated. They make us believe that soldiers are some sort of killing machines. The reasons for killing may be many; because they are told, if they don’t kill they will die, the enemy is a threat to enduring peace and so on. The movies make us believe that a soldier fires to hit and kill each other. While this holds some truth, a deeper study is needed to understand the psychology behind the actions of these fighting men. Talking about the psychology of a fighting man is like virgins talking about sex. Days can be spent discussing it and the mechanics involved can be fully understood. However, you cannot be absolutely sure that the man who understood the mechanics behind the psychology will behave as expected, when he is faced with a combat situation. That is because when bullets and shells start zipping past, the emotions and Adrenaline start running high and that will affect how a fighting man sees things in the battlefield. During warlike situations, every soldier sees things different from another soldier. AIM The aim of this paper is to understand the psychology of a fighting man, the factors affecting his desire to kill on the battlefield and how it affects his mind and behavior. The paper also intends to cover the psychiatric effects of combat on a soldier and offer possible solutions. THE BEHAVIOURAL PATTERN Behaviour During Combat When it comes to combat situations, behavior of the animal species can be classified into four stages, Posture, Fight, Flight or Submit. Also, animals do not generally kill others of their species, except with very few exceptions. In this regard, human beings are like animals in our behavior, especially in a combat situation. When animals fight, they do not directly get to a physical fight. The start posturing to intimidate the enemy. Humans are not much different. Rifles, artillery guns and tanks provide perfect tools for posturing. They are dangerous, they are loud. Shells and bullets zooming past overhead can be terrifying any man on earth. The shooter gets a feeling of power and the act provides a primal release to him. Posturing also form part of combat tactics. It is said that in Vietnam War, only one out of 52000 shots fired scored a hit[1]. Were the Americans that bad at shooting? No, in fact they were very superior in posturing. However, when the time came to aim at the VietCong, the Yankee preferred to posture, rather than to kill. This does not mean the whole aim is not to kill, but to scare the enemy by posturing. There will be a few whose sole aim is to increase the use of body bags by the other side, whatever maybe their motivation. They are like that one percent of fighter pilots who accounted for forty percent of planes shot down in World War II. In war, a soldier’s behavior is also affected by the fact that whether he has to kill anyone. A person is more willing to face risks if he does not have to kill anyone. Best example in this regards are the medical corps people. Now, let us understand what happens when the enemy decides to run away. The best way to explain it is by drawing a corollary again with the animal world. What happens when you try to run away from a dog? It will run behind you, catch you and bite you. This may even result in your death. In the same way, to run away from an enemy who is on an adrenaline rush is like signing your death warrant. This is the reason behind retreating forces suffering higher number of causalities. The Decision to Kill This is the hardest decision every fighting man has to take on the battlefield. This decision is influenced by many factors. Every soldier who is shooting may not be trying to kill his opponent. He might fire on order. But it is difficult to ascertain whether he is trying to kill. Case in point being 1:52000 rounds ratio which I talked about in the Vietnam War. A majority of people will hesitate before killing another human being, unlike what is portrayed in the movies. They will do it only when they are pushed to the corner and this affects them psychologically in a big way. The Distance. A major factor which affects the decision whether to kill is the distance between a soldier and his enemy. The distance can be broadly classified into two physical distance and emotional distance. Emotional Distance. Emotional distance has nothing to do with the physical distance between a soldier and his enemy. He can kill his opponent at closer ranges provided he is able to achieve some sort of emotional distance from the enemy. Moral Distance. Moral distance considers that the enemy is wrong in his morals and ethics. Social Distance. A fighting man uses social distance to kill an opponent he considers socially inferior to him. Mechanical distance. Mechanical distance comes into play when the enemy is not seen by one’s own eyes. He is seen though a mechanical medium. It could be a screen, a display or a scope. Therefore the trauma of seeing the target as a real human is avoided. The presence of an officer does wonders to a soldier’s willingness to kill an enemy. Other factors which contribute are the want of revenge, hatred or mortal fear. However, studies show that the most important factor which propels a soldier to shoot and kill his enemy is the feeling that if he doesn’t kill, he will let down his comrades. THE EFFECTS ON THE FIGHTING MAN Psychiatric Casualties It has been proven that the longer a soldier is exposed to combat situations, the more are the chances that he will become a psychiatric casualty. Now, what is a psychiatric casualty? He can be defined as any militarily ineffective soldier in whom the predominant factors producing ineffectiveness are of psychological as opposed to physical or neuropsychiatric origin. How long does it take for an average soldier to become a psychiatric casualty? Roy Swank and Walter Marchand, both US Army doctors conducted a study[2] during world war II and came out with a result that 98% of all surviving soldiers will become psychatirc casualties after sixty days of continuous combat. The remaining 2% were already identified with having aggressive psychopath tendencies. So to put it in lighter vein, a combat unit goes completely crazy at the end of sixty days. Manifestations of Psychiatric Casualties The effects of being a psychiatric casualty can be of varied forms. It may also affect different individuals at different degrees. This in no way means that the mental stability of an individual is lost and he is no more capable of fighting. In most cases a window of proper rest away from the frontline will help in alleviating combat stress. Fatigue. The first and foremost manifestation of combat stress from a prolonged battle is Fatigue. It is nothing but the soldier being tired and is in no mood to do anything. Confusional State. If the fatigue is not checked in time, a psychiatric casualty can reach Confusional State. In simple terms, a person is ‘lost’. Ganser Syndrome. If a soldier does not slip into Confusional state, he may be affected by something called Ganser syndrome[3]. In this, he starts avoiding fear by substituting it with humour. Conversion Hysteria. A severe form of Confusional state is called Conversion Hysteria. It can happen while the combat is own or it may surface years later. A psychiatric casualty suffering from Conversion Hysteria looses touch with reality. He cannot distinguish potential dangers. He becomes insensitive to his own security. He may just wander into minefields or enemy fire. Anxiety Disorders Continuous state of anxiety during combat creates havoc in a soldier’s sleep. He feels that he is always tired irrespective of the amount of rest or sleep he gets. He starts getting nightmares and can also be obsessed with death. He doubts his ability and starts suspecting that he is coward and may fail his colleagues. The symptoms of increased anxiety states are breathlessness, blurred vision, tremors, temporary paralysis and fainting. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is another effect which can be caused by anxiety. A soldiers blood pressure may increase radically even years after his combat experience causing profuse sweating and nervousness. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD). Anxiety can also cause OCD. The behavioural pattern of soldiers with OCD are similar to that of those suffering from Conversion Hysteria. The major difference is that he is aware of his surroundings and actions. Character Disorders. Anxiety can also cause Character Disorders in a soldier. A soldier becomes obsessed with particular actions or objects. This may result in him being paranoid about his personal safety. SOLUTIONS What are the possible solutions to these issues? First and foremost will be proper training and indoctrination. It definitely needs to be sufficient to ensure that it if not prevents, at least delays the onset of combat stress. The next step should be to identify potential psychiatric casualties as early as possible. Presence of trained counselors and psychiatrists are also essential to ensure that these potential cases do not develop into full blown psychiatric casualties. Units need to be rotated at the front on a regular basis. A ‘crazy’ unit at the end of sixty days of combat duty is not only detrimental to themselves, they are dangerous to the nation too. The final solution remains that of damage control. A psychiatric casualty should be addressed clinically. There should be counsellers at the rear to take care of potential cases. CONCLUSION The aim was not to question the capability or motivation of soldiers. It was to bring to light that every armed force today is treading on thin ice as far as the well being of the soldiers is concerned. Psychiatric casualties may take out a good part of a force, maybe more than what will fall prey to enemy bullets. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention the psychology of a fighting man, to realise what drives him, what holds him back and what other than mortal wound will take him out of the equation in a battlefield. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Grossman, Dave â€Å"On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society†. New York; Backbay Books, 1996. 2. Bray, Charles W. â€Å"Psychology and Military Proficiency†. New Jersey; Princeton University Press, 1969. 3. Watson, Peter â€Å"War on the Mind†. London; Hutchinson and Company (Publishers) Ltd, 1978. [1] Collins, Randall â€Å"Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory† Princeton University Press, 2008, pp. 58 [2] Swank, Roy L., and Marchand, Walter E. Combat Neuroses: Development of Combat Exhaustion, Archives of . Neurology and Psychiatry, American Medical Association, Chicago, IL, USA. vol. 55, 1946, pp. 236-247. [3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20703401 accessed on 02 Aug 13

What view of mankind does Golding portray in Lord of the Flies? :: Free Essay Writer

What view of mankind does Golding portray in Lord of the Flies? This essay will explore the psychology and thinking behind the characters and writing of the novel 'Lord of the Flies'. Overall, it will answer the question; 'What view of mankind does Golding portray in Lord of the Flies?' From soon after its discovery, if it was 'discovered' at all, the beast becomes more than just a thing on a mountain (its most predominant form), it becomes a major symbol of mankind, and its psyche. Throughout the story, the beast takes on many more forms than the previously mentioned appearance. Once as a 'beastie', seen in the forest by the smaller children. This actually turns out to be the creepers. Sometimes as a large figure that falls from the sky and lands on top of the mountain. This is simply a dead parachutist, but it is left alone by the boys (apart from by Simon, and one expedition by three boys), and is feared greatly by the inhabitants of the island. Lastly, as a pigs head on a stick. This is simply its physical representation, but its existence runs much deeper than this. This head is what is really wrong on this island, but only Simon finds this out, and his life is ended in a fit of excitement. Throughout the story, the beast, in whatever form it takes, takes shape as a small worry, develops into a growing fear, until it reaches a level almost equal to a deity of some kind. The sad thing about these children is that they never quite realise the beast is not a physical thing at all, and if it ever was, they should not have feared it. The only thing the beast was - that was truly fearful - was the hate, evil and ability to harm burning deep inside each and every one of the boys. The main purpose of the beast in this story is to display that without something to fear and respect (a primitive form of religion), then man can, and possibly will go crazy. The conch is the very first important discovery on the story, next to the discovery of two survivors. This discovery is so near to the beginning of the book that it becomes something close to not only Jack and Ralph, but also to the reader. It brings together all of the island dwellers right from the first gathering. The boys advance slowly into savagery, and at the same rate as this happens, the conch slowly loses its importance and democratic symbolism, the boys respond less to its calls, and soon enough, it only calls Sam, Eric, Ralph and

Importance of the On The-Job Training

On-The-Job Training entails significant benefits that could give trainees invaluable assets for achieving gainful employment. The training provides students the opportunity to accurate sufficient knowledge and skills relevant to work habits necessary to become competitive in the labor market. The training also assists individuals in developing professionalism and interpersonal skills necessary for success in the workplace. The trainee would like to express her gratitude to the people who helped her for this training to be possible.She is thankful to the Lord for giving her the strength and good health to finish this training. Next, she wants to express her sincerest gratitude to her family for supporting her financially, emotionally and spiritually. She also would like to gratefully acknowledge the staff of Mindanao State University Procurement Office for giving her some knowledge about their work. And she would like to thank the professors of the Mindanao State University for conduc ting this kind of program that help the students experienced things in the real world.Lastly, she would like to acknowledge her OJT Coordinator, Mr. Ramon V. Descallar for the support that he gave to his trainee.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTFor the successful completion of this report, the student-trainee would like to acknowledge and extend their heartfelt and sincere appreciation to all who helped and have unselfishly shared their precious time, talent, resources and support inspired them and made this endeavor come into reality. Introduction OJT or on-the Job-Training is a form of training taking place in a normal working situation.Training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies, also training has specific goal of improving one’s capability, capacity and performance of a person. Internship or on the job training is one way by which students are given an opportunity to apply the theories and computations that have learned from school.It also helps students to obtain applicable knowledge and skills by performing in actual work setting. Everybody knows that OJT are part of a college curriculum that aims to train and orient students about the work and their future career. OJT is very important not only to teach students their chosen career but to show students the reality about working. of supervision also teaches them how to share what they know and be receptive to questions.

Cell Phones Use Cause Accidents

â€Å"Cell phones†, a heavy gadget when it comes to use because it can do things just as computers can but this gadget is also heavy when it comes to pocket and worth of consequences. Discussing about using cell phones is important for the audiences to avoid the consequences of cell phone misuse and avoid the accident that cell phones might cause.com/cell-phone-problem-solution/">Cell phones are a useful gadget and thus it is considered as a primary need of those who are in the business industry and even ordinary people who tends to be away from their family, but these said gadgets also causes accident especially on the road. Body According to the NHTSA, the national highway accidents reported were caused by using cell phones while driving. In addition, the report says that numbers of car crashes were caused by cell phone dialing, listening, as well as talking which leads the drivers to be distracted on the road.Statistics also says that there are almost 80 percent of car cras hes which occur within the span of a short 3 seconds just because of driving distraction caused by cell phone use. People should know that distraction on car driving is worth a big consequence and we, as responsible beings, should know that cell phone use should not be allowed while driving because it will take our attention from the road (Benton). ConclusionCell phone use as well as receiving important calls or responding to important texts messages are considered as the number one distraction factor while driving a car which leads to car accidents. With this very important issue supported by evidences, cell phone use must therefore be restricted while driving a car. If a certain person receives a call while driving, he/she should stop the car on the roadside before he/she should receive the call to avoid the risk of accident. Works Cited Benton, Joe. â€Å"Cell Phone No. 1 Driver Distraction. † 2006.

Personification vs. Anthropomorphism

Personification vs. Anthropomorphism Personification vs. Anthropomorphism Personification vs. Anthropomorphism By Maeve Maddox A reader asks: Is there a difference between  Personification and Anthropomorphism? If theyre not the same, could you please explain it? Both words convey the idea of attributing human characteristics to something not human. Personification comes from the verb personify. One meaning of personify is â€Å"to represent or imagine a thing or abstraction as a person.† For example, â€Å"Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. –Proverbs, 9:1.† The abstract concept wisdom is personified by the use of the feminine pronouns. Another meaning of personify is â€Å"to be the embodiment of a quality or trait.† For example, â€Å"Adolf Hitler has become infamous as a personification of evil.† Poets frequently employ personification, as in the opening lines of â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† by John Keats (1795–1821): Thou still unravish’d bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time, Sylvan historian, who canst’ thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme. The subject of the poem is an ancient urn or vase depicting a pastoral scene in which male figures seem to be pursuing women. Keats humanizes the inanimate urn by addressing it with the pronoun thou and calling it a bride, a foster-child, and a historian. The concepts Silence and Time are also personified by identifying them as the parents of the urn. Many of the ancient gods were personifications of natural phenomena or intellectual concepts. The goddess Iris, for example, is the personification of the rainbow. Cupid is the personification of desire or love (Latin cupere, â€Å"to love†). English speakers personify ships as female, as Holmes does in his poem about the USS Constitution, aka â€Å"Old Ironsides†: Ay, tear her tattered ensign down! The word anthropomorphism has two main applications. The first definition given for it in the OED is â€Å"ascription of a human form and attributes to the Deity.† Descriptions of God walking in a garden, having the whole world in His hands and â€Å"having His eye upon the sparrow† are examples of this kind of anthropomorphism. A second definition of anthropomorphism is â€Å"ascription of a human attribute or personality to anything impersonal or irrational.† This is the kind of anthropomorphism that leads doting pet owners to stage weddings for their dogs. Anthropomorphism is a popular story-telling trope. Puss in Boots, Black Beauty, and Rocket Raccoon are anthropomorphized animal characters. Inanimate objects can also be anthropomorphized, like the vegetables in Veggie Tales and the vehicles in the movie Cars. Television advertising is rife with anthropomorphism, ranging from cute (MM candies) to revolting (Mucus). If there is a difference, it’s a subtle one. I think personification is more appropriate for discussions of literature and as a synonym for embodiment. Anthropomorphism seems to suit more general contexts. One drawback to this advice is that anthropomorphism is harder to say. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictTop 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)Woof or Weft?

buy custom Cluttering a Condition essay

buy custom Cluttering a Condition essay Auditory processing disorder is closely associated with cluttering a condition which is characterized by persistent word repetitions. The continuous researches that have been done by specialists have indicated that this condition can be greatly improved by persistent practice or auditory training. Phonemic or relating awareness strategies can also cause an improvement in meaning procession. Training that is meant for auditory integration may be very beneficial to a child with auditory processing disorder. The clear treatment for this disorder is still unknown and most of the times it might be misdiagnosed with SLI. Other times a person may have both auditory processing disorder as well as specific language impairment disorders. Auditory processing is basically the ability to respond, listen and comprehended to the particular information that has been spoken. In order for proper detection to be done one needs to clearly understand what auditory processing is all about. Other aspects that are related to sound procession include sound detection by the outer ear and proper transmission of the captured sound by the brain. One of the aspects that are important in successful detection of this order includes proper understanding of the existing differences between perception and procession of sound and speech in a given individual. Its important to detect the capacity that one has in processing the perceived speech or sound. The reason why this is emphasized is because they are children who can perfectly hear whatever has been spoken to them and completely fail to understand the meaning of those words. Processing disorders have not been given much attention by professionals (Bellis, 2003). This is because auditory processing disorders have been recognized in the recent past. Many people realize that they have the disorder when they have grown up. This so because such people tend to assume that other people are well equipped tohandle issues like noise well than others. Others assume that its normally to fail to grasp some concepts that are spoken by others because of the different abilities in mastering cognitive skills. Children born with auditory processing disorders are more likely to have learning difficulties in elementary schools because the main form of communication is auditory or verbal. Other children may fail to develop utterance though they have perfect cognitive skills. Parents are recommended to take their children to an audiologist if they suspect that the child has auditory processing disorder. This is necessary for proper diagnosis of the disease because it has similar characteristics with other related disorders (Bellis, 2003). Forms of Auditory Processing Disorder Its also important for such a parent to visit a speech language pathologist because auditory processing disorders can affect a child with a proper hearing capacity as well as a child who has lost his hearing capabilities. Its recommendable for children with hearing issue to undergo auditory processing tests. Auditory Processing Disorder is divided into a number of parts for instance retention deficit where the ability to process the given information decrease with decrease in the stimulus length. In this case the length of the spoken statement determines the capacity in which that information will be processed. Another part of the disease is the deficit in the capacity of the information. This simply refers to the difficulties that one have in processing and perceiving information spoken simultaneously. Such an individual will need to be given time after passing a particular information for procession of the information before another message is spoken. People with such a complicatio n usually get their meaning from the perceived sound therefore they have to reason out before speaking anything (Hughes and Pensak, 2007). Another formm of Auditory Processing Disorder is indicated by the buildup of noise meaning that procession of information worsen when more information is given at the same time because its perceived as noise. When this happens the system processing the information in the brain might shut down because of the overload. Children with such problem can be helped because they can be taught to signal in case they lose track of what was being communicated to them. This can be of much help in learning because the child will at least receive the chance to catch up from where they lost track of that which was being spoken. Other people with this disorder may automatically lose the first half of the information that was being communicated. Therefore such people are in apposition to hear the second part of the information only. This part is basically referred to as slowed tune in; for instance if its a child they will only have a clue of whatever information that was being communicated. This is risky because the whole concept of that information is not grasped and this can affect learning negatively. Such children or people can be assisted by being informed that the speech is about to start prior to the exact speech. This helps a lot because the brain will have been signaled in advance that communication is about to take place (Hughes and Pensak, 2007). The last form of Auditory Processing Disorder is the intermittent auditory perception. In this case the processing system of the affected person is usually on and off. The person appears to grasp concept at a given time and at other time they completely f ail to process the spoken information. In such a scenario the affected personal is taught to change the seating position whenever that happens. They can also move the body slightly because it can help rescue the current situation. People with such issues are recommended to visit a neurologist because such complications may be an indication of some serious complications like seizures or even epilepsy. Buy custom Cluttering a Condition essay

Tools for Running Tree and Lumber Calculations

Tools for Running Tree and Lumber Calculations Jeff Brokaw is webmaster and creator of The Timber Buyers Network (TBN) which is a growing resource for people interested in forestry in the North Central States. His site hosts a fledgling forum and increasingly provides much needed information for forest owners and loggers in Michigan and surrounding states. Jeff has worked in the Wood biz for 22 years. His primary occupation is head sawyer for a large north central Michigan mill. Jeff is also an accomplished artist and has sketches on display from as far away as the United Kingdom. His interest in art is what led him into designing websites, and in a natural progression (for him), led to the creation of TBN . In his designing and messing with forestry things, Jeff, with forester Ron Wenrich, have designed several quick calculators to help you with simple estimates. You might never need your cruiser stick or volume tables again. Ill let Jeff describe each calculator: Tree Volume Calculator was designed to help answer the general question How much lumber is in my tree? This will give the landowner a close answer. Variables that we cant add, such as individual tree form, will always be a factor in determining volume. (Outputs in Doyle, Scribner and International scales)Use this calculator Board Footage Calculator is a handy little tool, not only in helping the landowner determine board footage needed for a project, but also a tool for the lumber producer to get a quick measurement on lumber sawn.Use this calculator Log Volumes Calculator is used to help a landowner measure the volume of a saw log just the way its done upon arrival at the mill. A specialized scale stick is not necessary, just a tape measure or ruler, and this handy calculator. (Outputs in Doyle, Scribner and International scale.)Use this calculator Tree Spacing Calculator is a great tool for determining seedlings needed per acre at a specified spacing, or estimating numbers of trees in a plantation setting.Use this calculator Hardwood Pulp Calculator will calculate the volume for non-saw log trees or Pulpwood. The calculator can return its output in cords, cubic feet, tons, cubic meters and metric tons.Use this calculator Lumber and Log Weight Calculator is a very, very, general estimator of weight by species per cord and B.F. It includes an explanation why weights can vary by many percentage points on similar volumes. Limited use for very rough estimates.Use this calculator Jeff is also the webmaster for several other forestry related sites. Those sites include The Michigan Association of Timbermen www.timbermen.org , The Michigan Forest Resource Alliance www.mfra.org and the Michigan Branch of the Sustainable Forest Initiative Programs website. www.michiganforest.com

TLMT 441 Assignment Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TLMT 441 Article Review - Assignment Example It will majorly be for all of them to create value that will be of benefit to all of them. In line with this, it is a fact that, these companies also need to have the right players in the market which they will collaborate with as their partners or players. With good partners or players in various sectors, it becomes very easy for each company to achieve their goals and objectives as they carry out businesses that promote each others welfare. The third right which requires the companies or businesses involved in supply chain design is the right roles. These companies need to evaluate all their roles for each other and only have the right roles for themselves. When a company is seeking to find another company with whom they would collaborate in the supply chain design, it is required to look at the roles of that other company. They need not have conflicting roles as they will not aim at achieving similar objectives. They will then not be compatible in operations. The managers should also take their time to critically evaluate the companies readiness to compete. In the analysis of this article, the five game-changers that are emerging are explored as they represent the potential supply chain design points of inflection. Amongst the analyzed include borderless supply chains, additive manufacturing, the big data and predictive analytics, material science as well as autonomous vehicles. The articles then go ahead to discuss the four forces impeding the transformation of higher levels that the value co-creation can attain. It is important to mention also that these four forces include bad understanding of the ‘luxury nature of initiatives of the corporate social responsibility (CSR), security required during the supply chain, the fact that there is no trust within the governance mechanisms, and failure to manage change appropriately. In a nutshell, the article has its strengths in explaining where the successes of the firms are intended to come

How we determine if a portable air cleaner is effective Research Paper

How we determine if a portable air cleaner is effective - Research Paper Example The use of air purifiers assists to eliminate these components, thus helping to relieve respiratory symptoms. These components are harmful to human health, especially for people who suffer from asthma or allergic to the common allergen particles. Air cleaners eliminate about 98 percent of harmful particles in the air. Portable air cleaners that are slow to remove contaminants in the air are considered as extremely ineffective. The electrostatic precipitators removed ozone which aggravated the asthma attacks. On the other hand, portable air purifiers are perceived to be effective if they eliminate all the harmful air particles to create a high indoor air quality. The paper establishes that a portable air cleaner is effective if the air it cleans does not affect a patient with allergic respiratory diseases to common particle allergens, such as, pollen, dander, dust, and mold. This means that the equipment can ensure good air quality. Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks. Control of air quality is crucial for various reasons including the control of moisture damage, and to ensure proper health of the occupant. Most people purchase air purifiers in order to ease allergies or asthma. The practice cleaning air using portable devices started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The World Health Organisation has set out standards of air conditioning to ensure to that indoor air quality is maintained. The air pollutants are mainly classified into four categories including particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. There is evidence that ozone and particulate matter pose health risks to humans. Therefore, humans need to stay away from these compounds. Removing the sources of pollution is more effective in contrast to cleaning the already polluted air. Portable air cleaners are tasked with ensuring that air is free from contaminants. In this

Reasons behind Britains decision to participate in World War I Essay

Reasons behind Britains decision to participate in World War I - Essay Example The news was a surprise because until then Britain had aptly deployed a diplomatic foreign policy, and had substantially refrained from wars and European predicaments (Turner, 1988, p.23). Britain was referred to as the possessor of â€Å"Splendid Isolation,† and, until 1900, it was not a part of any significant military convention with any other states (Woodward, 1967, p.3). The factors that provoked Britain to enter this war has been debated a lot lately and no single factor can be termed as the sole reason behind Britain’s decision to enter the war. This paper is an attempt to unveil those salient factors that pushed Britain to join the Great War. German connection: In early 1500s, Europe entered a modernized era, and nations developed a strategy of "Balance of powers" (Orakhelashvili, 2011, p.123). It was done to eradicate or prevent the evolution of any single state as supremely powerful. However, this equilibrium was drastically shaken due to the occurring of seve ral historically influencing incidents. These include the 16th century Hapsburg Crisis, which resulted in Thirty Years’ War that greatly affected Europe from Hungary to Spain and later broke Hapsburg Monarchy in smaller kingdoms (Kann, 1980, p.45). The period of 1792 to 1815 saw France became a domineering empire on the continent during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. The German Crisis further deteriorated the situation and let Germany gain assertive control all over the Europe, which nullified the strategy of Balance of Powers. Hence, as an outcome of this unsettling scenario, two regions substantially gained the status of separate unified powers namely Germany and Italy. Kaiser Wilhelm II transformed Germany into an aggressive state, and ignored the long followed foreign policy of a status quo. (Wintle, 2002, p.55) Germany wanted to become as strong at sea as Britain, and hence, instead of renewing its treaty with Russia, Germany collaborated with Austria. The fear of Berl in’s resentment compelled Russia and France, two significant neighbouring states located on eastern and western sides of Germany, to come together for an alliance. Thus, the power in Europe was divided into two influential groups Central and Entente, and each group shared equal military strength. In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary collated together under a treaty called the Dual Alliance and Italy joined in early 1900s, which converted it into Triple Alliance whereas France and Russia collated and formed Dual Entente in 1892 (Wintle, 2002, p.55). In the last decade of 19th century, Germany started to build its navy, which posed great threat to the world’s most influential and powerful maritime state, I-e Britain. Germany’s naval in-charge Admiral Von Tirpitz formulated a new policy in 1897 targeting Britain’s naval powers and decided to outnumber them on Home Waters by building High-Seas Fleet. The Austrian Ambassador in Berlin wrote: Germany’s a lready swiftly growing position as a world power into a dominating one. England is now regarded as the most dangerous enemy which, as long as Germany is not sufficiently armed at sea, must be treated with consideration in all ways (cited in: Afflerbach & Stevenson, 2012, p.116). Before the onset of 20th century, Britain and Germany shared friendly ties. However, this transformation of policy clearly projected the intentions of Germans and by 1907, British government realised that the most potential threat posed to its stability, and supremacy was from Germany. Hence, Britain had no other choice but to collaborate with rival nations Russia and France and the mutual alliance became Triple Entente. (Afflerbach & Steve

BUSSINESS PLAN (GATEWAY TO SNOWTOWN) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

BUSSINESS PLAN (GATEWAY TO SNOWTOWN) - Essay Example In order to reverse this abysmal trend, my plan proposes the design and implementation of a project that will establish two main gateway signs, to be located in two strategic sites in the town. The overall rationale behind this decision is to present Snowtown to commuters before their entry into the district. It will also serve as a quick reference to what is on offer and where it can be obtained within the premise of the city. The project envisages beyond given the town an aesthetic phase lift to also providing a one stop coordinating network of the town’s iconic and signing outlay. To be incorporated in the project is the construction of public services centers at definite locations within the overall framework of the project. Snowtown by virtue of her location is the most preferred route for road users commuting to and fro Adelaide and Port Piere. Owing to this significant advantage, it is incumbent on the city planners to identify how to enhance the comparative advantage of this phenomenon within the established context of road transport. A recent survey indicates that, most travelers know little or nothing about this boisterous town besides cruising through it to their intended destinations. The project therefore, desires to embark on a massive publicity campaign that will showcase the township as an appealing tourism destination that will treat visitors to a delightful exhibition of the rich cultural heritage of Snowtown. It will serve as a platform to tap into the vibrant agricultural legacy for which the township is reputed for. In the case of Snowtown, besides the conventional road signage, there is a conspicuous gap in the provision of other equally relevant information outposts that presents the town in a unique fashion with the view of marketing it. In recognition of the above fact, there has been a remarkable move by government in recent times to explore within available provisions to pursue viable programmes that spurs sustainable economic

Advertising and Promotion in UltraChromSpec (UCS) Term Paper

Advertising and Promotion in UltraChromSpec (UCS) - Term Paper Example This paper illustrates that UltraChromSpec rapidly established a great reputation for its deliverance of superior quality standard of sales and service. As a result, the business of UltraChromSpec expanded drastically in its different field of activities not only in the US but also outside the Swiss borders into Austria and Germany. After twelve years of its initial foundation, UltraChromSpec started to execute its business operations outside Germany by having collaboration with one of the Swiss pharmaceutical giants i.e. Kaiser-Holzer (K-H). Gradually, UltraChromSpec transformed itself from a distributor to a manufacturer. In this connection, after the transformation from a distributor to a manufacturer, the businesses of UltraChromSpec were formed in three major divisions. One of the divisions is the Medical Division. In this division, UltraChromSpec started to sell mainly the hospital laboratory instruments and the critical care products which are manufactured by Kaiser-Holzer (K- H). The other division is the Analytical Division. In this division, UltraChromSpec started to sell electro or optical laboratory instruments. The other division has been the Electronics Division. In this particular division, UltraChromSpec started to sell electronic components and computer peripherals. According to Bruno Muller, the vision statement of the business policy of UltraChromSpec is, â€Å"Experience has realized us that we cannot do everything, but at least we can be sure that the activities in which we are engaged to do benefit our customers†. It has been identified that the marketing team of UltraChromSpec which is situated in the headquarters in Zurich had reorganized especially the Analytical Division into two business units and the units were again segregated into two distinct groups. The two business units of the Analytical Division include Analytical Chemical Business Unit (which is again divided into two groups namely Spectrophotometry Product Group and Ch romatography Product Group) and Biochemistry Business Unit which is again sub-divided into Ultracentrifugation Product Group and Nuclear Counting Product Group.

STA Financial Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

STA Financial Report - Coursework Example Marketing STA travel has a perfect market strategic plan as its branch networks are based all over the world. The company has over 68 branches and these are spread all over the world meaning the company is a common figure in over 60 countries world wide. It does not only target the youth but old people can as well us the traveling agency. The company though has a marketing plan that seems to capture the attention of mostly young people and in this case students find themselves to be the top prioritized customers. A part from being known as one of the world’s greatest travelling agency,STA travel has also invested in other business fields like hotels which are distributed all over the world. STA travel has many representatives in countries where it is based to improve its marketing for example recently it joined hands with Charleston Travel that is found in Kenya. Charleston travels has been in the market for ten years and is well know in its geographical position as good compa ny that provides high quality services since it handles people both from within and abroad. This shows how ambitious STA travels is as it merges with small but potential companies with the aim of making them famous and in this process it markets itself in a broader perspective. Competition STA travel has ventured in two fields. One being a travel agency and the other business sector. In both fields, STA experiences a stiff competition from companies like Amero express company, Carlson Wagonlit travel and Expedia Company. STA travel’s competitor have managed to be a threat to it as the offer services quite similar to those of STA travels some of these being an excellent customer relations and nice services. They are also found in many countries all over the world which is to say they are equally popular in the market. STA travel has managed t secure ways of countering the strains of the competition by advancing their levels of operation making it convenient for all its custome rs to acquire their services and stay committed to the company. STA travel is known to be a pioneer of fair and affordable prices when it comes to their services. This has been one of the methods that have helped it maintain its leading position in the market. STA has as well appointed innovative managers in various sectors of the firm. Competent managers have the right instinct to understand the right policies to undertake. (Groppelli A,Nikbakht,E,2006,pg.7) Thus knowing specific rules is important to counter specific needs.(Banks,E,2000,pg.274). Non-financial features Apart from focusing only on the company’s income generations, it has also played a role in other areas like taking part in ethnical volunteering schemes. It gives exertion holiday visas and on top of it one is able to learn various languages as there are language packages being offered. They motivate their most hard working personnel with tokens. Comparative business analysis BALANCE SHEET STA TRAVEL AGENCY FO R THE YEARS ENDED 2009, 2010 AND 2011. CURRENT ASSETS: 2009 2010 2011 Furniture and fittings $60000 $50000 $65000 Land $50000 $42000 $53000 Planes $56000 $60000 $79000 Motor vehicle $68000 $69000 $71000 Total current assets $234000 $221000 $268000 CURRENT LIABILITIES: Creditors $17000 $9000 $4000 Unpaid wages $45000 $42000 $37000 Unpaid rent $35000 $34000 $24000 Total current liabilities $97000 $85000 $65000 The above is a comparison of STA Travel Company’

Advertising and Promotion in UltraChromSpec (UCS) Term Paper

Advertising and Promotion in UltraChromSpec (UCS) - Term Paper Example This paper illustrates that UltraChromSpec rapidly established a great reputation for its deliverance of superior quality standard of sales and service. As a result, the business of UltraChromSpec expanded drastically in its different field of activities not only in the US but also outside the Swiss borders into Austria and Germany. After twelve years of its initial foundation, UltraChromSpec started to execute its business operations outside Germany by having collaboration with one of the Swiss pharmaceutical giants i.e. Kaiser-Holzer (K-H). Gradually, UltraChromSpec transformed itself from a distributor to a manufacturer. In this connection, after the transformation from a distributor to a manufacturer, the businesses of UltraChromSpec were formed in three major divisions. One of the divisions is the Medical Division. In this division, UltraChromSpec started to sell mainly the hospital laboratory instruments and the critical care products which are manufactured by Kaiser-Holzer (K- H). The other division is the Analytical Division. In this division, UltraChromSpec started to sell electro or optical laboratory instruments. The other division has been the Electronics Division. In this particular division, UltraChromSpec started to sell electronic components and computer peripherals. According to Bruno Muller, the vision statement of the business policy of UltraChromSpec is, â€Å"Experience has realized us that we cannot do everything, but at least we can be sure that the activities in which we are engaged to do benefit our customers†. It has been identified that the marketing team of UltraChromSpec which is situated in the headquarters in Zurich had reorganized especially the Analytical Division into two business units and the units were again segregated into two distinct groups. The two business units of the Analytical Division include Analytical Chemical Business Unit (which is again divided into two groups namely Spectrophotometry Product Group and Ch romatography Product Group) and Biochemistry Business Unit which is again sub-divided into Ultracentrifugation Product Group and Nuclear Counting Product Group.

Lovecraft's argument or postion to Paradox of Horror Essay

Lovecraft's argument or postion to Paradox of Horror - Essay Example And this is the point where I will start my argument. Someone can and many people go around looking for scary things not because they are forced but because they find excitement in the horror part of art. Many people get scared but still continue to love the art of horror and the scary nature of the horror art. Someone can seek for a scary thing or disgusting thing for entertainment. Since the times of the Romans, scary acts have been used for entertainment. This can be seen from the way that criminals were killed. Some of the criminals were set out and a lion left to eat them as a large crowd watched and celebrated. This shows that there is a sense of excitement in humans when they get scared over something. Most of the people who seek horror in art mainly do so because of its entertainment nature. Therefore I can say that the above saying that no one can seek out for a scary or disgusting thing is wrong. People can seek out scary things and movies because of their entertainment nat ure. Someone can also seek horror and scary art scenes so as to remove stress. Stress has been known to disturb man since creation. Many people forget about their stress when they see something that is scary. This is because when they see the disgusting part of the art, they forget about their problems and start to feel for the situation that is making them scared. At this point their stress goes away and they become relieved for some time. Therefore someone can use horror to remove stress that they have. This clearly disapproves Lovecraft’s idea that no one can seek for any disgusting or scary thing. Many people look for scary things to remove stress and this is a better argument to prove that Lovecraft statement is wrong. People also seek scary art so as to take a lesson from the art. When people see how someone suffers, they get the lesson not to what the victim did to undergo such suffering. Some people just love learning lessons about something and so when they get to se e how someone has suffered, they get thee reason of his/her suffering and take it as a lesson so that next time they don’t do the same mistakes as the ones done by the person who suffers in the horror act. Apart from the educative nature of horror acting, there are people who love horror simply because of its scary nature. When they experience the scary part of the horror, they get some excitement that makes them feel better. Horror is like part of their life so when arguing this, these people should not be left out of the debate. This group of people help to prove that there are people out there who go for horror acting because they want to and not because they are forced. If we say that people don’t look for scary acts because they like it then it means that everyone who participate in the production and anyone who enjoys horror movies or act do so because they are under some obligation or that they do that because of circumstances that they can’t avoid and if given a chance they can do the acting or watching of the horror movies. This is an invalid argument since almost everyone who watches horror movies do so because they love it and not because someone has told them to watch it. Many people would argue that maybe their love for horror movies come due to the influence of the people around them and the environmental

Structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks

Structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks INTRODUCTION Structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks Liquidity is an important characteristic of banks. By their very nature, banks transform the term of their liabilities to have different maturities on the asset side of the balance sheet. At the same time, banks must be able to meet their commitments such as deposits at the point at which they become due. Thus, liquidity management lies at the heart of confidence in the banking operation. Customers place their deposits with a bank, confident they can withdraw the deposit when they wish. If the ability of the bank to pay out on demand is questioned, all its business may be lost overnight. The importance of liquidity transcends the individual institution, since a liquidity shortfall at a single institution may invoke systemic repercussion causing harm to the whole financial stability of a country. Therefore it is important for banks to have adequate liquidity potential when it can obtain sufficient funds promptly and at a reasonable cost. For Islamic banks, liquidity risk is a signific ant risk owing to the limited availability of Shariah-compatible money market instruments and Lender-Of-Last-Resort (LOLR) facilities. Hence, the recent introduction of commodity murabahah instrument based on tawarruq concept by Central Bank of Malaysia is deemed as an innovative approach to liquidity management. It certainly adds to the list of instruments for Islamic banks to manage their liquidity more effectively and efficiently. This paper reviews the structure and mechanism of commodity murabahah particularly for liquidity management purpose. As will be evident in this paper, this instrument has its own advantage which appeals to certain practitioners who were previously uncomfortable with `inah-based instruments (www.acrobatplanet.com). Liquidity management lies at the heart of confidence in the banking operation. Customers place their deposits with a bank, confident they can withdraw the deposit when they wish. If the ability of the bank to pay out on demand is questioned, all its business may be lost overnight. In general terms, liquidity refers broadly to the ability to trade instruments quickly at prices that are reasonable in light of the underlying demand/supply conditions through the depth, breadth and resilience of the market at the lowest possible execution cost (Pervez, 2000). A perfectly liquid asset is defined as one whose full present value can be realized, i.e. turned into purchasing power over goods and services, immediately (Tobin, 1987). Cash is perfectly liquid, and so for practical purposes are demand deposits, and other deposits transferable to third parties by cheque or wire, and investments in short term liquid government securities (Abdul-Rahman, 1999). The importance of liquidity transcends t he individual institution, since a liquidity shortfall at a single institution may invoke systemic repercussion causing harm to the whole financial stability of a country. Therefore it is important for banks to have adequate liquidity potential when it can obtain sufficient funds promptly and at a reasonable cost (Heffernan, 1996). The concern over liquidity management is also relevant to Islamic bank that holds illiquid assets while its liabilities are liquid, and holds assets unpredictable in value while guaranteeing the value of its liabilities. Thus, since Islamic banks follow the same structure and characteristics of a commercial banks balance sheet, they are not immune from liquidity risk. The potential mismatch between deposits and investment financing exposes Islamic banks to liquidity problems. On the other hand, if the banks maintain too much liquidity to avoid getting into the liquidity problems may in turn hurt its profitability, therefore creating a right balance between the two objectives of safety (www.acrobatplanet.com). Off-balance-sheet financing Also called synthetic leases, this is where a company uses rules from different systems, such as financial and tax, to account for an asset in different ways. For example, I lease a computer from company A. Because I dont own the computer (and I am assuming this is not a capital lease), I get to take the rent expense (for the lease) as a deduction on the books, but I dont have to account for the asset or the debt, therefore it is not on the balance sheet. This is attractive because it creates no debt on the companys books. It is often done through a SPE (Special Purpose Entity). Though lucrative, it has contributed to the demise of companies such as Enron. The lessor (company A) maintains the asset on their books and, if they financed it from another company (company B), the debt as well. Credit card issuers, mortgage companies and various other entities also use a type of off-balance-sheet financing known as asset backed securitization (ABS). The ABS process effectively allows a company to sell a portion of the loans (receivables assets) to investors, effectively removing the assets from their balance sheets (allowing a lower level of reserves, and, therefore capital) while managing the servicing of the debt (http://wiki.answers.com). AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To study the structure of the balance sheet of Islamic banks To study the On Balance Sheet Financing as compared to Off Balance financing. Critical appraisal of the structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks. BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS Risk management and liquidity are of crucial importance in the overall banking environment, and they have clear relevance also to the specific environment of Islamic banking. In itself, Islamic banking is of growing significance. Regulators have their own particular perspective on these issues. As a regulator based in London the Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) should focus on the following: The importance of London as a centre of Islamic financing. The overall role of the FSA as a regulator why sound regulation is of critical importance in any financial marketplace, how it can assist in facilitating competition and innovation. Risk management issues in banking: a summary of the key elements involved. Risk management and liquidity issues as applied to Islamic banking. The perspective of the regulator, and why the UK operates a single regulatory framework for all firms. The importance of London as a centre of Islamic financing London is clearly one of the pre eminent centres of Islamic finance, for two main reasons. These are the presence of sizeable Muslim community in the UK; and the importance of London as a financial centre with the expertise to develop new and innovative products. The FSA as Regulator welcomes the development of Islamic finance, and would be happy to see this grow further. Other important centres include Bahrain and Malaysia (www.financeinislam.com). London plays a role in four areas of significance in Islamic banking: Trade assets such as murabaha, istisnaa, and bai-al-salam. The market is probably worth US$ 10 billion in the UK. Equipment leasing asset and partner selection, operating leases and finance leases Real estate where investors are looking for rental and capital benefits. Investment routes include fund management, club transactions, leverage funding, and asset analysis, corporate structuring and tax planning. Packaging and delivering assets engineering solutions. This includes a growing market in securitizations of pools of Shariah compliant assets. The role of the FSA as a regulator The Government has set the FSA four objectives: Market confidence Public awareness of the financial system Consumer protection Reducing financial crime The new FSMA will bring in eleven principles for the handling of business, which set out at a high level how we expect a firm and its management to conduct themselves. In terms of minimum criteria, the FSA has to be satisfied that institutions have adequate capital, adequate liquidity and adequate control over large exposures. Banks of what ever origin must be prudently run and that their management must be fit and proper for the task. Satisfactory risk management, a realistic business plan, and adequate systems and controls need to be clearly demonstrated. The FSA must be satisfied also that each institution is subject to effective consolidated supervision i.e., that one supervisory authority takes prime responsibility for supervising the bank or banking group as a whole (www.financeinislam.com). RISKS, PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES Risk management issues in Islamic banking Senior management in any business must be able to provide effective risk management. The consequences of failure to do so are dire, for example, the collapse of Barings where proper controls and monitoring were not effectively in place: Regulators need to be sure that such risks are managed so as to prevent a worst case scenario such as the systemic collapse of a whole banking system. Critical issues for Islamic banks are the reputational risks and legal risks of non-compliance from Shariah board requirements and/or from engaging in any activities that were not perceived as properly Islamic by the marketplace. The maintenance of trust amongst Islamic market participants is crucial (www.financeinislam.com). Credit risk This is the risk that customers default and cannot service their debts. Banks can also suffer from the excessive concentration of exposures to particular customers, industries or countries. Asset quality should be closely monitored using appropriate management information and systems support. Islamic banks run an asset book, just as conventional banks do, so the same disciplines must apply. Liquidity risk Banks face collapse or severe trading difficulties when they are unable to meet their liabilities. For example, many Japanese institutions operating in London in the late l990s were hit when the Japanese premium increased their funding costs and eroded their liquidity. This did not mean, however, that they became unable to meet their liabilities. For the FSA, liquidity is a key concern. The dilemma for the Islamic sector is that liquidity from the Gulf is currently very substantial, but there is the need to seek out appropriate outlets for it. There is not a clearly defined lender of last resort for Islamic banks that might suffer liquidity problems, although support could probably be found from with in the overall pool of liquidity. Interest rate risk The risk of declines in earnings due to the movement of interest rates, most of the balance sheet items of banks generate revenues and costs that are indexed to interest rates. A key aspect of interest rate risk is also the possible mismatches that can arise between fixed and floating rates. In the Islamic banking context, interest rates per se are not a factor. However, commissions generated on Islamic transactions could also be vulnerable to market movements. Market risk The risk of adverse deviations of the mark-to-market value of the trading portfolio during the period required to liquidate the transactions. Islamic financial institutions take up risk sharing funds, whereas conventional banks take capital certain deposits where repayment must be made. There is the implicit requirement for both parties to a given transaction to share in the loss as well as the profit. Foreign exchange risk The currency risk of suffering losses due to changes in exchange rates. This principle applies equally to Islamic banks. Letter of credit and trade finance for example, a significant proportion of which is denominated in US Dollars, often pose an exchange risk. Currency transaction and translation Factors must be taken into account. Solvency risk The risk that financial institutions will be unable to hold sufficient capital resources to cover their different risks, regulators need to decide what amount is held, supervise, in order to maintain an appropriate level of solvency. Islamic banks need to be clear about the status of their deposits or liabilities. Any capital-certain transactions generate more solvency risk than risk-sharing with investors. Operational risk There is no precise definition, but we view operational risk as being the risk that arises from human error and/or deficiencies in information systems or controls, resulting in direct or indirect loss. In the Islamic banking context, operational risks can impact just as much as in conventional banking, with the additional element of possible operational defects causing failure to comply with the Shariah (www.financeinislam.com). FINDINGS Risk management and liquidity issues as applied to Islamic banking This is a very important area and a number of key regulatory issues are under review. For example, whether liquidity requirements should apply to all on-balance sheet funds, risk sharing as well as capital certain; and how liquidity should be managed for funds, which are held off balance sheet. The basic issue, however, as for any bank is how easily and quickly, and with what penalty, assets can be turned into cash. The establishment of a genuine inter-bank market or markets would be a significant step towards providing Islamic banks with the ability to maintain adequate liquidity without holding excessive amounts of very short-term assets. For example, it was very interesting to note that the Bahrain Monetary Authority (BMA) announced the first issue of its Islamically-structured bonds the Sukuk al-Salaam worth US$ 25mn. ABC Clearing Company BC and ABC Islamic Bank have been active in offering overnight investment opportunities for Islamic funds for a number of years. BNP Paribas and Kuwait Finance House signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a US$ 2bn Islamic money market fund (IMMF). Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and ABN AMRO also plan to launch such instruments. Malaysia has also been developing an Islamic inter bank market. These developments offer potential flexibility to Islamic banks. UK practice is such that the Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) has scope to take account of such developments when agreeing liquidity guidelines with banks (www.financeinislam.com). CONCLUSION There are two different categories of commercial financing from an accounting perspective: on-balance-sheet financing and off-balance-sheet financing. Understanding the difference can be critical to obtaining the right type of commercial financing for your company. Put simply, on-balance-sheet financing is commercial financing in which capital expenditures appear as a liability on a companys balance sheet. Commercial loans are the most common example: Typically, a company will leverage an asset (such as accounts receivable) in order to borrow money from a bank, thus creating a liability (i.e., the outstanding loan) that must be reported as such on the balance sheet. With off-balance-sheet financing, however, liabilities do not have to be reported because no debt or equity is created. The most common form of off-balance-sheet financing is an operating lease, in which the company makes a small down payment upfront and then monthly lease payments. When the lease term is up, the company can usually buy the asset for a minimal amount (often just one dollar). The key difference is that with an operating lease, the asset stays on the lessors balance sheet. The lessee only reports the expense associated with the use of the asset (i.e., the rental payments), not the cost of the asset itself (www.evancarmichael.com). Why Does It Matter? This might sound like technical accounting-speak that only a CPA could appreciate. In the continuing tight credit environment, however, off-balance-sheet financing can offer significant benefits to any size company, from large multi-nationals to mom-and-pops. These benefits arise from the fact that off-balance-sheet financing creates liquidity for a business while avoiding leverage, thus improving the overall financial picture of the company. This can help companies keep their debt-to-equity ratio low: If a company is already leveraged, additional debt might trip a covenant to an existing loan. The trade-off is that off-balance-sheet financing is usually more expensive than traditional on-balance-sheet loans. Business owners should work closely with their CPAs to determine whether the benefits of off-balance-sheet financing outweigh the costs in their specific situation. Other Types of Off-Balance-Sheet Financing An increasingly popular type of off-balance-sheet financing today is whats known as a sale/leaseback. Here, a business sells property it owns and then immediately leases it back from the new owner. It can be used with virtually any type of fixed asset, including commercial real estate, equipment and commercial vehicles and aircraft, to name a few. A sale/leaseback can increase a companys financial flexibility and may provide a large lump sum of cash by freeing up the equity in the asset. This cash can then be poured back into the business to support growth, pay down debt, acquire another business, or meet working capital needs. Factoring is another type of off-balance-sheet financing. Here, a business sells its outstanding accounts receivable to a commercial finance company, or factor. Typically, the factor will advance the business between 70 and 90 percent of the value of the receivable at the time of purchase; the balance, less the factoring fee, is released when the invoice is collected. Like with an operating lease, no debt is created with factoring, thus enabling companies to create liquidity while avoiding additional leverage. The same kinds of off-balance-sheet benefits occur in both factoring arrangements and operating leases. Keep in mind that strict accounting rules must be followed when it comes to properly distinguishing between on-balance-sheet and off-balance-sheet financing, so you should work closely with your CPA in this regard. But with the continued uncertainty surrounding the economy and credit markets, its worth looking into the potential benefits of off-balance-sheet financing for your company (www.evancarmichael.com). The perspective of the Regulator The fundamental stance of the regulator is that the same principles in the handling of risk should apply for Islamic as for non-Islamic banks and financial entities. There has to be a level playing field. For the regulator, risk management in the Islamic context is becoming easier to understand as the following develop: A set of common international equivalent accounting standards. The AAOIFI is a doing a lot of good work in this area but we need to see more harmonization. Greater standardization of products. A clear role for the Shariah Board. For example, if there were to be one Board per country it should assist in giving consistency of interpretation of the Shariah. The FSA has had no applications for authorization from purely Islamic banks. If an application were to be made, it would be considered against our minimum criteria and principles for business. For us, an important aspect of any application would be the effectiveness of the applicants risk management systems and controls (www.financeinislam.com).

Women as Societies Change Agents During the 1950s Polio Epidemic Essa

The 1950's represented the cold war era, symbolized by the red scar, anti-communism, potential nuclear war, and McCarthyism. Patriotic loyalty was stressed, any citizen who spoke out against the US government policies was labeled a communist and was often black listed and put under surveillance. The sensationalized conviction and execution of the Rosenberg's for spying, jeopardized our countries' national security and reinforced anti-communism propaganda. Moreover, students practiced emergency ducking under their desk drills to prepare for a nuclear fallout and families purchased bomb shelter for protection. The hyper-vigilance, fear, paranoia, and post traumatic stress that permeated our country's landscape of being under siege, intensified with the polio epidemic. Verbally expressing the word â€Å"POLIO† brings forth anxiety, trepidation, and thoughts of mortality, crippled bodies, and iron lungs. Once the initial shock wears off that you-- in fact, have the disease than the fight for your life begins. This highly contagious illness was passed by close contact and through fecal matter, despite improved sanitation practices. Unfortunately, many poor and middle class families' contracted this viral disease, which rapidly destroyed motor-neurons to arms, legs, and diaphragm muscles. Ironically,improved sanitation practices were blamed for this delayed childhood disease. Younger breastfeeding children received maternal antibodies whereas older children did not have this similar immune advantage. Sadly, children under fifteen years old, experienced the highest rates of contracting this malady. Adults also experienced severe poliomyelitis complications rendering them total care or requiring the iron lung to perform their br... ...ine, restricting community activities, discouraging mingling among all socioeconomic classes at the pools, theaters, and camps, good hygiene, sanitation practices and effective handwashing techniques. Works Cited BIBLOGRAPHY 1. Naomi Rogers, Dirt and Disease: Polio before FDR (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1992). 2. Wilson, D.J. A Crippling Fear: Experiencing Polio in the Era of FDR Bulletin of the History of Medicine 72.3 (1998) 464-495. 3. Oshinsky, D. M. Polio: An American Story oxford university press (2005) 350 4. Foertsch, J. Bracing accounts, the literature and culture of polio in postwar america. Associated university press (2008) 223. 5. Bocker, A. and Brandt, V. Living in fear:northeast wisconsin's polio epidemics. Voyager Winter/Spring (2007) 10-25.

Analysis of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Jane Austen Pri

Analysis of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Pride and prejudice is a novel set in the late 17th Century and was written by author Jane Austen. The novel is based upon the theme of marriage and social settings of the 17th century. The novel is set in an era where women where 2nd class citizens and were inferior to men. This is ever so prevalent in the novel. In the time of which the novel is set women were not meant to meddle in men’s affairs theses included involving in politics, participating in financial affairs this disabled the women to be independent. This did not allow women to play a greater role in society, in fact women were supposed to â€Å"bore birth and bring up and look after the children†. This was there only role society which was dominated my men. A women’s objective in life would’ve been to look for a wealthy husband who may not have necessarily have loved her. This would enable the women to have a secure future. The first line of Pride and Prujudice sums this up â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† The problems which arise in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† are that Mr Bennet has five daughters and no sons. This may be the reason why Mrs Bennet is obsessed with getting her daughters married. â€Å"A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!† Mrs Bennet always mentions the amount the possible candidate earns a year this shows that the financial aspect is vitally important as it ensures there daughters future security. Because Mr Bennet has only daughters there will be inheritance given to the daughters as there are not male but will be give to the closest relat... ...sal. Lastly both of the men are shocked to realize that Elizabeth rejects their proposals. The Character Elizabeth is a strong, free thinking women in the novel, and does not believe in the traditional ways of doing things. She believes that a person should marry for love, which was recognized at the time at which the novel is set. I think the Jane Austen’s opinions are portrayed in her characters as a means of displaying that traditions some times are wrong. Elizabeth has characteristics of feminism. This shows that Jane Austen was ahead of her time, because she believed that women could be free thinking and independent and still live a good life. This is portrayed in her characters as Elizabeth eventually is loved by Darcy for who she is even though Darcy recognizes the fact that Lady Catherine De Bourgh will take it upon insult him Marrying her.

Leadership Style Essay

According to Reh (2014), a leader is a â€Å"person who has a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills to make it happen† (para. 2). I want to be a leader; however I must understand my leadership style at this moment to understand where I am at, where I want to be, and what I need to do to get there. Raines (2014) states â€Å"your style defines your values and perspective, and being aware of it will aid your communication with those you work with† (para. 1). For the purpose of this paper I have chosen former President Bill Clinton as a leader that I admire. I will analyze his leadership style to identify characteristics and will provide specific examples of leadership qualities that I believe contributed to his success. I will finally examine my leadership style and offer ideas and plans for improving my effectiveness as a leader based on my work with my mentor. Read more:  The person whom I admire Bill Clinton Former President Bill Clinton is a transformational style leader. A transformational leader garners â€Å"trust, respect, and admiration from their followers† (Cherry, 2014, para. 4). President Clinton started his path to great leadership at the age of 13 when he became a comic book entrepreneur (Florida, 2013, para. 1). He learned that he could support himself and that gave him a confidence in himself that stays with him to this day. The qualities that I see in President Clinton that make him an excellent transformational leader is that people really do trust and admire him. When asked to describe his leadership style he states â€Å"explain where we are and  decide where we want to go. Figure out how to get there, get good people and trust them to do the job as long as they’re competent, realistic, and flexible when change is required† (Florida, 2013, para. 10). He also believes that the main skills necessary to motivate a team are â€Å"good listening and the ability to build consensus for action† (Florida, 2013, para. 16). President Clinton is also very charismatic. It has been told that he has the ability to make someone feel like they are the most important person in a room of many when he talks to you. He is a visionary, as seen in his many humanitarian efforts, and has that knack to make you believe in his vision. Personally, when I hear him talk I feel a calming presence, he talks in a language I can understand, and I trust him. One of the best examples of his leadership abilities in play was his ability to work productively with the Republican Party to solve the multi-billion dollar national debt during his term of presidency. It is well known that our current president very rarely has bipartisan support in anything he wants to do. My Leadership Style After reviewing all the leadership style theory’s and discussing this with my mentor it became evident that I am currently considered a participatory leader. WiseGeek (2014) defines participatory leadership as a â€Å"style of leadership that involves all members of a team in identifying essential goals and developing procedures or strategies to reach those goals† (para. 1). This is how I lead, by involving others in the entire process. While this is not a bad type of leadership style, the motive behind why I do these things illuminates a flaw in my leadership abilities. I have the tendency to not have enough confidence in myself to make decisions without a lot of input from others and permission seeking. My mentor used to be my boss and he told me that while I was ultimately one of his best program directors he had ever supervised; my journey to the directorship was exhausting and sometimes a bit frustrating for him. He stated that I would ask questions about every minute detail because I seemed to fear making a mistake. He said that for me to become a leader I need to believe in myself, have confidence that I am capable and I do know what I am  doing. He told me that until I learn to trust myself, I am going to have a difficult time getting others to trust me as a leader. He also told me that I have the capacity to become a transformational leader, which is my goal, but I have to let go of the fear, and allow myself to make mistakes. According to him, mistakes teach valuable lessons, and the way I react to the mistake builds character. My Plan My plan to transform into a transformational leader is to take risks, allow myself to make mistakes, and find the lessons in them. I am going to begin by taking initiative at work and in my personal life. I have historically taken initiative when I knew (for the most part) that things would work out. I can’t always have that luxury of seeing into the future, I just need to believe in myself and my abilities. I also plan to look at failure as an opportunity to start over and do better. I am not shy in asking for help, or asking questions when I am unsure of something. I do need to stop asking questions when I really do know the answer and take accountability for my decisions. I am a very good talker, and I have the ability to make confusing situations seem clear to others. For example, on our learning teams, I am the one that can break down the assignment and make it make sense for others, so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. I plan to take that same confidence and apply it to all aspects so that I may one day become a leader like former President Bill Clinton. Conclusion In conclusion, President Clinton is a well-known transformational leader and the one I admire the most. He started young believing in himself and it has translated into great success for this man. My goal is to become a transformational leader and while I have traits of a participatory leader, I believe that it is possible to become the leader I aspire to be. I just need to have faith in myself so others will have faith in me. References Florida, R. (2013). President Bill Clinton: Don’t worry about yesterday, embrace tomorrow. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rana-florida/president-bill-clinton-do_b_3697725.html Raines, S. (2014). The advantages of knowing your leadership style. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-knowing-leadership-style-18924.html Reh, F. J. (2014). What is a leader. Retrieved from http://management.about.com/od/leadership/a/whatisaleader.htm WiseGeek.org. (2014). What is participative leadership?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-participative-leadership.htm

Custom Van

Custom Vans, Inc. , specializes in converting standard vans into campers. Depending on the amount of work and customizing to be done, the customizing could cost less than $1,000 to more than $5,000. In less than four years, Tony Rizzo was able to expand his small operation in Gary, Indiana, to other major outlets in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Detroit. Innovation was the major factor in Tony’s success in converting a small van shop into one of the largest and most profitable custom van operations in the Midwest.Tony seemed to have a special ability to design and develop unique features and devices that were always in high demand by van owners. An example was Shower-Rific, which was developed by Tony only six months after Custom Vans, Inc. , was started. These small showers were completely self-contained, and they could be placed in almost any type of van and in a number of different locations within a van. Shower-Rific was made of fiberglass and contained towel racks, built-in soap and shampoo holders, and a unique plastic door.Each Shower-Rific took 2 gallons of fiberglass and 3 hours of labor to manufacture. Most of the Shower-Rifics were manufactured in Gary in the same warehouse where Custom Vans, Inc. , was founded. The manufacturing plant in Gary could produce 300 Shower-Rifics in a month, but this capacity never seemed to be enough. Custom Van shops in all locations were complaining about not getting enough Shower Rifics, and because Minneapolis was farther away from Gary than the other locations, Tony was always inclined to ship Shower-Rifics to the other locations before Minneapolis.This infuriated the manager of Custom Vans at Minneapolis, and after many heated discussions, Tony decided to start another manufacturing plant for Shower-Rifics at Fort Wayne, Indiana. The manufacturing plant at Fort Wayne could produce 150 Shower-Rifics per month. The manufacturing plant at Fort Wayne was still not able to meet current demand for Shower-Ri fics, and Tony knew that the demand for his unique camper shower would grow rapidly in the next year. After consulting with his lawyer and banker, Tony concluded that he should open two new manufacturing plants as soon as possible.Each plant would have the same capacity as the Fort Wayne manufacturing plant. An initial investigation into possible manufacturing locations was made, and Tony decided that the two new plants should be located in Detroit, Michigan; Rockford, Illinois; or Madison, Wisconsin. Tony knew that selecting the best location for the two new manufacturing plants would be difficult. Transportation costs and demands for the various locations should be important considerations. The Chicago shop was managed by Bill Burch. This Custom Van shop was one of the first established by Tony, and it continued to outperform the other locations.The manufacturing plant at Gary was supplying 200 Shower-Rifics each month, although Bill knew that the demand for the showers in Chicago was 300 units. The transportation cost per unit from Gary was $10, and although the transportation cost from Fort Wayne was double that amount, Bill was always pleading with Tony to get an additional 50 units from the Fort Wayne manufacturer. The two additional manufacturing plants would certainly be able to supply Bill with the additional 100 showers he needed. The transportation costs would, of course, vary, depending on which two locations Tony picked.The transportation cost per shower would be $30 from Detroit, $5 from Rockford, and $10 from Madison. Wilma Jackson, manager of the Custom Van shop in Milwaukee, was the most upset about not getting an adequate supply of showers. She had a demand for 100 units, and at the present time, she was only getting half of this demand from the Fort Wayne manufacturing plant. She could not understand why Tony didn’t ship her all 100 units from Gary. The transportation cost per unit from Gary was only $20, while the transportation cost from Fort Wayne was $30. Wilma was hoping that Tony would select Madison for one of the manufacturing locations.She would be able to get all of the showers needed, and the transportation cost per unit would only be $5. If not Madison, a new plant in Rockford would be able to supply her total needs, but the transportation cost per unit would be twice as much as it would be from Madison. Because the transportation cost per unit from Detroit would be $40, Wilma speculated that even if Detroit became one of the new plants, she would not be getting any units from Detroit. Custom Vans, Inc. , of Minneapolis was managed by Tom Poanski. He was getting 100 showers from the Gary plant. Demand was 150 units.Tom faced the highest transportation costs of all locations. The transportation cost from Gary was $40 per unit. It would cost $10 more if showers were sent from the Fort Wayne location. Tom was hoping that Detroit would not be one of the new plants, as the transportation cost would be $60 per unit. Rockford and Madison would have a cost of $30 and $25, respectively, to ship one shower to Minneapolis. The Detroit shop's position was similar to Milwaukee’s—only getting half of the demand each month. The 100 units that Detroit did receive came directly from the Fort Wayne plant.The transportation cost was only $15 per unit from Fort Wayne, whereas it was $25 from Gary. Dick Lopez, manager of Custom Vans, Inc. , of Detroit, placed the probability of having one of the new plants in Detroit fairly high. The factory would be located across town, and the transportation cost would be only $5 per unit. He could get 150 showers from the new plant in Detroit and the other 50 showers from Fort Wayne. Even if Detroit was not selected, the other two locations were not intolerable. Rockford had a transportation cost per unit of $35, and Madison had a transportation cost of $40.Tony pondered the dilemma of locating the two new plants for several weeks before deciding t o call a meeting of all the managers of the van shops. The decision was complicated, but the objective was clear—to minimize total costs. The meeting was held in Gary, and everyone was present except Wilma. Tony: Thank you for coming. As you know, I have decided to open up two new plants at Rockford, Madison, or Detroit. The two locations, of course, will change our shipping practices, and I sincerely hope that they will supply you with the Shower-Rifics that you have been wanting.I know you could have sold more units, and I want you to know that I am sorry for this situation. Dick: Tony, I have given this situation a lot of consideration, and I feel strongly that at least one of the new plants should be located in Detroit. As you know, I am now only getting half of the showers that I need. My brother, Leon, is very interested in running the plant, and I know he would do a good job. Tom: Dick, I am sure that Leon could do a good job, and I know how difficult it has been since the recent layoffs by the auto industry.Nevertheless, we should be considering total costs and not personalities. I believe that the new plants should be located in Madison and Rockford. I am farther away from the other plants than any other shop, and these locations would significantly reduce transportation costs. Dick: That may be true, but there are other factors. Detroit has one of the largest suppliers of fiberglass, and I have checked prices. A new plant in Detroit would be able to purchase fiberglass for $2 per gallon less than any of the other existing or proposed plants. Tom: At Madison, we have an excellent labor force.This is due primarily to the large number of students attending the University of Madison. These students are hard workers, and they will work for $1 less per hour than the other locations that we are considering. Bill: Calm down, you two. It is obvious that we will not be able to satisfy everyone in locating the new plants. Therefore, I would like to sugge st that we vote on the two best locations. Tony: I don’t think that voting would be a good idea. Wilma was not able to attend, and we should be looking at all of these factors together in some type of logical fashion.

Balancing Power

In today’s economic condition, work life equilibrium is considered one of the most imperative workplace issues. Work life balance refers to a satisfactory niche between many different roles in an individual’s life. But how to manage this balance to avoid conflict; this topic is discussed through many different aspects enlightened through personal experience. Work Life Balance Before taking any step towards knowing how to achieve work life balance, first we must gain an understanding about what work life balance actually refers to.It is about maintaining equilibrium between work and personal life, facing the multifarious demands in one’s life. The best equilibrium is different for each person because we all have different priorities in life. A young entrepreneur faces different challenges than a family man at the apex of his career. Work life balance involves two factors; Achievement and Enjoyment. Our life will be valuable and balanced when, in all the aspects of life, we are daily achieving success with all the joys of living! My Side of StoryBeing a young student struggling to manage good grades, working part time to support my education during this era of recession as well trying to give my family sufficient of my time as required, at many times I felt the misbalance in my life that is called work-life conflict. I felt unable to manage my time and was highly dissatisfied with my work and progress. Failing health and self esteem and disrupted routine was then a common state of affairs. I was new, hence obsessed with working hard to carve a niche for my career.In order to secure my grades I became overcommitted to my studies as well. I ended up drained every day, spending most of the time on the run†¦ from study to work, work to home and spending rest of the time sitting on computer. All I had once read and heard about work life complications was coming true in my life without my realizing it. It was not until when my parents had to h ave a ‘serious talk’ with me, that I realized where this chaos was leading me to. That instantly snapped me back; I set off to work on improving my standards. The informationIn order to balance one’s work life situation, you may need to look into four quadrants of your life- Friends, Family, Work and Self. Any disturbance in one of them because of the interference of another quadrant may cause work life conflict. Work life conflict must be removed in order to solve the problem and acquire balance. This information regarding the causes can be obtained by observation of daily life experiences and authentic researches conducted. According to the Business Week reports, Individuals who consider their work life balance better than others are likely to work 21% better than those who don’t.Moreover, a study shows people encounter work life conflict have 40% more chances of mood and anxiety disorders, (Kane, 2006); While employees having lower level of this conflic t experience increased job satisfaction. The Evaluation After gathering basic information, now I knew what I was missing and what I got to do. I loved my job, but without my natural energy boosters, I was unhappy and even feeling a bit guilty. My whole time revolved around my work and career, but I couldn’t make up for the very essential part of my life, that is my friends and family.From my newly gained knowledge, I deduced that a balanced approach at my level will be spending quality time with my friends and family that will have a positive physical and psychological impact on me. Moreover, I’ll be free of piled up responsibilities, procrastinated duties, and burden on my mental self, which will eventually also improve my progress in other quadrants of my life. I had to use it to devise such solutions that cancel out where I overdo, and give more space to those I neglected so a balance can be created. The SolutionAs I was already a student I opted for the greatest fa cility available today for work life balance concerned employees- Flexible timings, so that I can have more sense of control over my work. Dinner and meals would at no cost be skipped- they provide a quality time for whole family to be together. Also, sleeping schedules must be maintained, so there remain no health problems. Being present is the key word. No drifting away and being in two places at a time. On weekend there would be no computer, no emails, and no emergency calls from work!I could spend quality time with my family. I could contact my friends, go out and have some fun. Lastly, to spend some of my time on myself; a time to relax or do what pleases me. It’s a kind of meditation, hence keeps your mind calm and alert. Giving my study ample time and not burdening myself with more work than I could manage, was also essential. Conclusion The set of habits I formed as a solution for my work life problem, not only supports but emphasizes a sound balance between work and life activities.Back then I couldn’t see past my work; it still plays a principle part in my life, though it’s not my one and only concern anymore. This equilibrium I discovered open my eyes to worth of other things, that made not only my work, but my life much more gratifying. References Kane, S. (2006). Work Life Balance Strategies. Retrieved July 20, 2009 from http://legalcareers. about. com/od/careertrends/a/worklifebalance. htm Work-Life Balance. (2003). Work-Life Balance Defined- What it really means! Retrieved July 20, 2009 from http://www. worklifebalance. com/worklifebalancedefined. html

Why Do Mary Tudors Actions Reflect Self-Preservation in Light of Her Essay

Why Do Mary Tudors Actions Reflect Self-Preservation in Light of Her Political and Religious Decisions - Essay Example Ann Boleyn previously painted as the innocent victim of circumstances is not such. For instance, Anne Whitelock in her book Mary Tudor: England's First Queen describes Anne Boleyn as a conniving woman hiding under the facade of innocence. Boleyn was afraid of Mary’s influence on her father and spied on them during visits. Whitelock further revokes her innocence when she declares her standing on the Spaniards, wishing all the Spaniards drowned (46). This made boldly to a relative of Spaniards was extreme. Mary’s mother died a painful death caused not only by disease but also heartache. The death of Katharine is somewhat a mystery as doctors said she succumbed to slow poisoning. King Henry is aware that his marriage to Anne may lead to war between England and Spain and this further instigated the rebellious actions of Mary; she refused to renounce her title as princess. However, at her tender age, her rage is insurmountable and her rebellious actions, though futile, may r eflect her desire to preserve her dignity in the face of the hurtful changes. It is not clear whether Mary viewed her mother’s death with suspicion, or she was aware of Boleyn’s spying activities. She was, however, a suspicious person herself and highly intuitive in regard to danger (Whitelock 64). She suspects, for instance, that there is a plot against her at the time of Edwards’s death. In reviving the heresy laws, Mary managed to persecute close to 300 protestants by burning them in public (Wagner 743), hence the name Bloody Mary. Most historians see these actions as a way of conforming to religious beliefs and, in turn, imposing them on the people. While the Pope rejected the annulment of her parent’s marriage, Archbishop Thomas Crammer agreed to nullify this marriage. The contradictory state of his decision is apparent. For instance, it is clear that the King Henry VIII was in favor of the protestant religion (Wagner 731). The bishop might have gran ted the annulment to perpetuate this favor.