Man Overcoming Great Obstacles Essay - 908 Words

Some believe to live is to suffer, and in Hemingway’s â€Å"The Old Man And The Sea† this philosophy is dealt with and viewed in many situations. In this poignant short novel Ernest Hemingway beautifully illustrates the trials and tribulations of everyday man, through Santiago’s struggle at sea. The old man’s adventure with the marlin is one of loss, pride, and achievement all combined into one emotional fight for life itself. Hemingway’s use of allegory in â€Å"The Old Man And The Sea† establishes many deeper aspects that man struggles with in everyday life. The numerous hardships and battles Santiago encounters on the sea can be viewed as conflicts man is forced to deal with in his lifetime. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A use of symbolism†¦show more content†¦This represents the fact that in life one must move on and put great effort into tasks that are seemingly impossible when done independently. The absence of Manolin places emphasis on dealing with struggle when man has little to fight with. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As Hemingway uses other figures to establish struggle, he also utilizes Santiago’s inner thoughts as symbolism. In amidst the battle at sea with the old man and the marlin he has a great revelation. This excerpt is Santiago’s opinion on his battle with the fish â€Å"But he seems calm, he thought, and following his plan. But what is his plan, he thought. And what is mine? Mine I must improvise because of his great size. If he will jump I can kill him. But he stays down forever. Then I will stay down with him forever.†2. This quote is an excellent summation of one of the main ideals of â€Å"The Old Man And The Sea†. Through allegory Hemingway establishes the fact that life is unpredictable. Santiago cannot predict the marlin’s actions; therefore he considers possible scenarios and his reactions to them. This is similar to how in life one cannot truly know the actions of other people, but one only knows his own actions. This quote also shows how in life a person receives both the good and the bad. In one scenario the fish would jump and be caught, but in another the fish would stay down forever as would the old man â€Å"The Old Man And The Sea†Show MoreRelated Characteristics of a Hero Essay533 Words   |  3 Pagesalways about your popularity or talent it can also be about how you help society. What I think make a great hero is someone who is able to overcome his or her obstacles in life, is highly motivated, and has plenty of bravery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overcoming obstacles may be one of the hardest parts of being a hero. I think it’s the hardest because a lot of people are blocked from doing something and just quit. A great example of this trait is Jackie Robinson. He was discriminated against because he was African-AmericanRead MoreAnalysis Of The Story A Worn Path By Eudora Welty1345 Words   |  6 PagesYoung Soul in an Old Spirit In the story of Phoenix Jackson, an old woman whose great courage on and overcoming great obstacles is brought to life in the short story from â€Å"A Worn Path† written by Eudora Welty. Now some of Phoenix’s most compelling evidence of perseverance comes from the path she has chosen to take and having the willpower to never give. Old age is not always the end of the road, but the journey it takes to get to that age is worth living for. The everyday struggle of an elder personRead MoreAnalysis Of The Story A Worn Path By Eudora Welty1357 Words   |  6 PagesYoung Soul in an Old Spirit In the story of Phoenix Jackson, an old woman whose great courage on and overcoming great obstacles is brought to life in the short story from â€Å"A Worn Path† written by Eudora Welty. Now some of Phoenix’s most compelling evidence of perseverance comes from the path she has chosen to take and having the willpower to never give. Old age is not always the end of the road, but the journey it takes to get to that age is worth living for. The everyday struggle of an elderRead MoreAchieving a Goal in In The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway820 Words   |  4 Pages When one is extremely dedicated, he might be more likely to achieve his goals. Santiago remains devoted to catching fish, which helps him to reach his aspirations. In The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago shows dedication to overcoming his struggle with fish through the pain he suffers, the long journey taken, and the time without fish. Being dedicated to achieving one’s dreams, despite excessive amounts of pain suffered, can help to ensure success. Santiago experiencesRead More Franz Kafka Essay669 Words   |  3 Pageshis parable Before the Law, Franz Kafka suggests that obstacles that one faces in life can either be used to mold one’s success or bring about one’s failure. If one can overcome challenges that they face they grow in a unique type of way, for every individual perceives each situation in a distinct fashion. That unique type of growth is what establishes a person’s character and perception of the world. However if one cannot overcome their obstacles, then they cut of their means for growth and are leftRead MoreThe Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman1596 Words   |  6 Pagesor not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthe ns you for the next† -Ben Carson. In The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, a series of obstacles involving slavery and the search for freedom continually affects Jane Pittman and those around her. Every character within the novel has their own unique way of facing these obstacles, but none of themRead MoreThe Blind Side By Michael Oher1023 Words   |  5 Pageswith what happens and what you’ve been given (The Obstacle). Many examples from real life may exemplify the preceding quote, but few do it in larger-than-life terms than the larger-than-life Michael Oher. Where he came from was, in many ways, a living nightmare. But as the biographical film The Blind Side clearly illustrates, Michael Oher did a lot with what happens, doing so with the help of a surrogate family who refused to let the young man s early life dictate his future. Directed by JohnRead MoreEssay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1217 Words   |  5 Pageslife. This dream is obviously still a dream today with the oppression, racism, and many obstacles standing in the way of success. However the US has made progress in recent years. In the 1920s, there was an incredible amount of obstacles in the way of success. One of the biggest being that if one was not a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP), it was extremely hard for them to reach their goals of success. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald beautifully illustrates this concept with his main characterRead MoreOvercoming Obstacles Essay1306 Words   |  6 PagesOvercoming Obstacles What is life? Life consists of experiences, challenges, and achievements; all of which are building blocks that essentially create ones path to success. In one’s lifetime they can experience tough and difficult challenges. Sometimes these challenges become unbearable, especially when the odds are against you. However, going against all odds is something everyone is capable of doing, and to overcome these challenges everyone needs to have a â€Å"never quit† attitude in life.Read MoreSummary and Analysis of Ulysses1278 Words   |  5 PagesNietzsche and fashioned after the god Ulysses of Homers ancient Greek poem), on the other hand, it seems to be a gloomy prospect of death and the need to accept ones mortality. Yet even death itself is dominated by the powerful image of the self-reliant man. Optimism and confidence shines through, as Helstrom (1972) points out, right to the very end when the author exclaims: Something ere the end.. may yet be done (p.96). Old though he may be and sighting the end, the resilient sailor still hopes to

Financial Crisis World Wide - 952 Words

Financial Crisis World Wide All around the globe communities, no matter the race, have been experiencing a drastic crisis. A crisis so drastic the youth of the world, in some cases, are being deprived of the nourishment they need to survive. Families, which have been residing in the same area for generations, are being forced out of their homes. The financial crisis the United States experienced in 2007 not only effected the United States, but the rest of the world as well. The last time the world saw such an enormous crisis was during the great depression, which lasted nearly 10 years, from 1929-1939. The rich became more wealthy and powerful, while the poor, who make up the majority of society, lost everything they owned. The average family struggled to make ends meet, causing the production of material items to slow down. Because of this, factories, along with other types of big businesses, began to close their doors. Once doors closed, men and women began getting laid off, which essentially led to them losing their jobs all together. Job loss led to a lack of steady income, which made it nearly impossible for families to pay their mortgage and loans. Big Men who were on top, or in power, were more worried about collecting debt than boosting the economy. I believe these same Big Men were the reason society saw the market crash in 2007. With saying that, I will be discussing what lead up to the market crashing, along with why the market crashed in the UnitedShow MoreRelatedThe Financial Crisis And The Collapse Of The World Wide Financial System858 Words   |  4 PagesThe 2008 financial crisis was one of the worst economic times since the 1929 Great Depression. It led a worldwide economical, social, and political instability that shook the very foundation of the term â€Å"laissez-faire†, or free market. Millions of people around the world lost their homes and their jobs, while large corporations and entire countries were at the brink of ins olvency. Others, who are as unfortunate, lost their life savings and pension funds. But it is important to question what ledRead MoreThe Era of Cheap Petroleum Has Finished797 Words   |  3 Pagesexperienced, I indicated that the greater package of stimulus to the world-wide economy did not come from the massive rescue to the financial system but of the low systematics that had the price of the crude one when happening of the 147 dollars that reached the barrel the 2 of 2008 July, to the 35 dollars whereupon it initiated year 2009. That was the most important package of aid for million consumers anywhere in the world who could alleviate their budget when enjoying a price by smaller petroleumRead MoreThe Financial Crisis Caused By The Foreclosure Crisis1534 Words   |  7 PagesBefore the pre-2008 economic recession era, people were ignorant of what was bound to happen. Life was a party. Incomes were steadily rising: most people in every financial class had a credit card, a family to support, and an opportunity to do so by moving into the biggest house they could find. Mortgage loans were given out to anybody with a heartbeat and credit rating, this is called a subprime mortgage. If somebody wanted a new home they could get it, no matter if they could afford it or not.Read MoreThe Effect of Recent Financial Crisis and Regulatory Implications in Asia1532 Words   |  7 PagesNow on the larger scale is the impact on the institutional level of the global financial crisis. The financial crisis began in United Sta tes in 2007 and spread to other countries. The crisis was triggered by a liquidity shortfall in United States banking system and resulted to the collapse of financial institutions. Asia is one major continent in which the recent financial crisis had spread. The impact of the crisis had far reaching effects on the economy of Asia than many people had anticipatedRead MoreThe World Experienced A Tremendous Financial Crisis Essay1131 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction In 2008, the world experienced a tremendous financial crisis which rooted from the U.S housing market; moreover, it is considered by many economists as one of the worst recession since the Great Depression in 1930s. After posing a huge effect on the U.S economy, the financial crisis expanded to Europe and the rest of the world. It brought governments down, ruined economies, crumble financial corporations and impoverish individual lives. For example, the financial crisis has resulted in theRead MoreEuropean Financial Crisis1172 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"European Financial Crisis† [pic] Rob van persie IBMS PT 2009 Preface This report has been written as an assignment for IBMS student. I have chosen to research European financial crisis; which has underlined the difficulty of taking concerned action in Europe because its economies are far integrated than governing structures. My research was focused the world crisis but especially the financial crisis between European countries and the inconvenient for the rest of the world. WorkingRead MoreHow Investment Banking Is The Business Of Raising Capital, Increasing Profit, And Advising Essay1455 Words   |  6 PagesInvestment Banking is the business of raising capital, increasing profit, and advising on any financial transactions. Investment Banking is done on both the microscopic level with individuals looking to gain advisement as well as on the macroscopic level with large companies. The practice of Investment Banking in the United States developed around the 1800’s in New York. The first banks focused on the sale of government bonds and it wasn t until the 1860’s that bankers like J.P. Morgan began toRead MoreAnalyzing The Current And Future Economic Status Of Ohio1276 Words   |  6 Pagestest to use in getting the differences between the two terms. For a depression, the GNP declines by more than 10 per cent (Moffat, n.d). On the other hand a recession is an economic decline that is less severe. A number of world leaders have warmed of th e looming economic crisis. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron made claims that the Eurozone is facing a recession. He said that during the G20 Summit in Brisbane. These warnings were prompted by prior warning by the Bank of England GovernorRead MoreInside Job 2010 Directed By Charles Ferguson1104 Words   |  5 PagesInternational business is the most desirable and vital phenomena in today’s modern world. Most individuals know that International Business is the necessity for the prosperity of our world. No one can prosper without performing business internationally. When learning of how other countries conduct International Business, a company can expand their market to appeal to citizens of these places. However, being as close knit as we are to other countries, not everyone holds the same values. Every business’Read MoreSingapore s Trade Between Singapore And Japan1367 Words   |  6 PagesTwo of the worlds leading economic countries accounted for more than three fourths of Singapore s trade in services, while other smaller countries accounted for the remaining one fourth. Due to these foreign investments into the economy, Singapore was able to prosper. The Aegean Islands was the highest percentage of Singapore s South Eastern Asian trade. As predicted by Stamford Raffles, Singapore succeeded in trade with the Aegean Islands, which made up 74% of Singapore s overall trade in 1825

Advanced Taxation Flynn Construction Company Limited

Question: Discuss about theAdvanced Taxationfor Flynn Construction Company Limited. Answer: Summary of the Case on Revenue Commissioners v OFlynn Construction Company Limited Issues: The case involves the composite transactions completed for the period from December 5 1991 to January 1992 with respect to profit derived from the qualifying exports to be exempted from the liability under corporate tax[1]. The case involved the issue on assessment of dividend declaration from the profit earned, which was relieved from the shareholders income tax. It was also observed that the case incorporated the certain addition under the basic scheme; it was considered that the dividend payment had been devalued since the securities of the exporting organization were held by other organizations. Facts: Facts of the case incorporated scheme under which the directors of the company received 60 million punts of dividend incentives as a tax- free scheme. It was noted that the taxpayer contended that the dividend should be disallowed from the assessment of the revenue since it was considered as tax avoidance, which associates with the transactions of export sales in order to avail the tax reliefs. Analysis of decision: Considering the issues and facts of the case, it was considered the company was engaged in the business of construction but it was not involved in goods manufacturing process while the company was also not involved in the business of exports. Accordingly, the Commissioner of Revenue contended that the steps incorporated by the taxpayer company involved tax avoidance measures and undertook several tax advantages to avoid the tax liability as per the Act of Corporations Act[2]. According to the regulations of Corporation tax in the region of Republic of Ireland is levied on the amount of profits earned by the companies with respect to the business operations. For the companies engaged in the manufacturing or construction business required to pay 10% together with the applicability of special rates in terms of advance tax rules[3]. Accordingly, in the present case study, judgment given by Supreme Court provided that the company entered in the dispute and unfair tra nsaction to avoid the tax therefore, distribution of dividend to the shareholders of the company would attract tax liability. Relevant case laws and cases: Regulations of Corporate tax in Ireland states that the business organizations if the company is involved in the unquoted securities, which is up to 90% of the tax, value reduction. Further, Corporation tax also provides tax credits for several business transactions that do not incorporate payment of dividend incentives[4]. Similar to the case of Revenue Commissioners v. Doorley Ors (1933) 1 I.R. 750, court held the taxpayer was involved in tax avoidance acts as per section 86 of Finance Act 1989 amended as section 811 under Tax Consolidation Act 1997. Reference List Cadot, Olivier, et al. "Are the benefits of export support durable? Evidence from Tunisia."Journal of International Economics (2015)97.2: 310-324. Contractor, Farok J. "Tax Avoidance by Multinational Companies: Methods, Policies, and Ethics."AIB Insights(2016) 16.2: 10. Grg, Holger, and Eric Strobl. "Does corporate taxation deter multinationals? Evidence from a historic event in Ireland."The World Economy(2015) 38.5: 788-804. 'Irish Statute Book' (Irishstatutebook.ie, 2017) https://www.irishstatutebook.ie accessed 4 February 2017

Social Security Essays - Withholding Taxes, , Term Papers

Social Security Social Security is a hot topic of debate today, since most American's believe that the system is near collapse. The trust fund that Americans have been paying into for Social Security is likely to dry up in 2029 due to the large number of baby boomers heading into retirement. Franklin Roosevelt set up Social security to help the people that had worked and Struggled all their lives in honest toil. Social security was set up to accomplish two main goals. The first goal of Social Security is to act as a disability or life insurance policy that protects almost all Americans. Currently, there are seven million survivors of deceased workers and four million disabled Americans that receive income support from Social Security. The second goal is to provide lifetime retirement benefits that rise with inflation. Social Security payments for retirees are needed to keep half of the elderly Americans above the poverty line. A large number of baby boomers believe that they won't see a dime's worth of Social Security benefits, and most younger people assume that once they have reached retirement the program will be gone. There have been many proposed solutions to the Social Security problem. A first possible solution is to dramatically change the Social Security Payroll Tax. Another proposal is to change amount of benefits of the provided by Social Security. A third reform proposal includes investing Social Security money in stocks either by the government investing the money or by setting up mandatory IRA investing. Another major development in the future of Social Security is the recent proposals made by President Clinton's Advisory Committee on Social Security. In January of this year the Advisory Committee on Social Security presented a report of strategies to save Social Security. Shortly after the 261 page report was released there was a huge increase of debates and criticism over the future of Social Security. The issue facing American today is when and how to reform Social Security. Although the American public and political groups are unwilling to accept the burdens of social security reform, extensive reform is needed soon to continue paying the current benefits to American citizens. A change in the Social Security tax is a possible factor of reform to bring the Social Security program back on track. Currently the Social Security tax is a flat-rate tax paid on all employment earnings up to a specified limit. Due to inflation the limit is increased every year currently it is just over $60,000. This tax is much harder on a lower income individual because the higher income individual is only taxed on their income that is below a certain amount set every year. It has been proposed that if the limit on the payroll tax were lifted, two-thirds of the projected Social Security deficit would be eliminated. Once the limit on the payroll tax is lifted a rise in the tax rate of the employers and the employees by 1.1% is predicted to be enough to solve Social Security's problems. This is assuming that two evasive actions take place. First the government will have to keep its hands of this extra tax revenue gained by the tax increases. Second the proposed solution will only have a chance to work if it is started immediately while the baby boomers are still able to add a little more cash to the trust fund for there own retirement. This solution isn't likely to be implemented by today's political system. The advisory council on Social Security would not pursue the lift of the limit because the support of the wealthy voters for Social Security reform would be lost. Americans are also weary of Social Security tax increases. The middle and lower class voters would also not support a Social Security tax increase. A recent poll by Money magazine found that 70% of the public is unwilling to pay more tax than the current 6.2% rate. Another proposed solution to Social Security's problems is a to decrease the amount of benefits received by retirees. The first way to reduce the amount of benefits that are being paid out is to adjust the CPI. Sen. Daniel Monynihan of New York (Dem.) has proposed that a 1.1% cut in annual cost-of-living adjustments for pensioners would be a reasonable solution to Social Securities problems. The adjustment of the CPI would reflect the belief by many economists that the CPI overstates current inflation. He claims that this would almost completely solve the problems in the Social Security program by insuring that the expected inflow

Circuit City Essays

Circuit City Essays Circuit City Paper Circuit City Paper Circuit City is currently the number two store in the consumer electronics industry and the number three seller of consumer electronics products. Circuit City operates exclusively in the United States.  Circuit City has been falling into trouble in the past few years. There have been extensive layoffs as well as reconfiguring of the management system in order to cut costs.  The external force that is greatly affecting Circuit City is the economic times; the disposable income of the consumer is key to the consumer electronics industry. There is intense pressure from rivals Best Buy and Wal-Mart, without change Circuit City will continue to fall below its competitors. In the internal environment of Circuit City the marketing aspect of the supply chain is very weak. The service aspect is where the value is located. For Circuit City to fully take advantage of their core competency it is necessary for them to create more value in the marketing segment.  Circuit City must address the customers, competitors, suppliers, and economic forces in order to succeed in the consumer electronics industry. Strategic alternatives that will address these issues include updating and controlling technical and operating systems, shifting management from top-down to bottom up, and creating an identifiable brand. The key strategic alternative that Circuit City must address in order to succeed in the industry is creating a brand. A marketable image must be created that will create loyalty among consumers. In order to successfully implement this Circuit City must update its image, create buzz, increase marketing efforts, and create their own niche.  If Circuit City successfully implements and carries though the recommendations to re-brand itself, they will succeed in the consumer electronics industry. By creating a new image they will successfully secure the number two spot behind Best Buy, with distant goals of surpassing their competitor. Issues and Outlook Profile Budi In a year of 2000, Circuit City has a physical store in 45 different states. Circuit City operates more location in more than any other consumer electronics specialty retailer. The company has more than 600 retail outlets, 7 service centers, and 10 distributions center. In a year of 2002, Circuit City Stores, Inc. completes the separation of CarMax. The separation eliminates the companys tracking stock structure and two common stock series Circuit City Group Common Stock and CarMax Group Common Stock. Effective October 1, 2002, the Circuit City Group Common Stock is renamed Circuit City common stock and represents an ownership interest only in the Circuit City business, and CarMax, Inc. becomes an independent, separately traded public company. In a year of 2003, given the strong sales lift and internal rate of return seen with relocated stores after their first six months, Circuit City accelerates its relocation program. In fiscal 2004, Circuit City relocates 18 stores and opens eight new stores. In a year of 2004, Circuit City agrees to sell its private-label credit card operation, including both its private-label Circuit City credit card accounts and its co-branded Circuit City Plus Visa credit card accounts, to Bank One Corporation. Circuit City and Bank One will enter into an ongoing arrangement under which Bank One will offer private-label and co-branded credit cards to both new and existing customers. Circuit City announces it has purchased the assets of MusicNow, a leading digital music platform. InterTAN, Inc., a leading consumer electronics retailer of both private-label and internationally branded products with headquarters in Barrie, Ontario, becomes a subsidiary of Circuit City following a tender offer in which Circuit City acquired the outstanding shares of InterTAN, Inc. As part of its store revitalization program, Circuit City plans to open 60 to 70 new Superstores with a fairly even split between store relocations (circuitcity.com/cccareers /about/history .html). Recently in 2007, Circuit City Stores Inc., which is cutting jobs and restructuring to fend off competition, swung to a fiscal first-quarter loss and withdrew its financial forecast for the year.The results came a day after rival Best Buy Co. reported sharply lower first-quarter profit and downgraded its 2008 earnings outlook. Both retailers say shoppers are turning away from high-margin items such as flat-screen televisions. Circuit City said sales fell 4.3% in the quarter ended May 31; sales at stores open at least a year fell 5.6%.The Richmond, Va., company said in March it would replace 3,400 highly paid workers with lower-paid employees. In the first quarter, the amount of change that we introduced to the company led to significant volatility, which we expect to continue through the summer, Chief Executive Philip Schoonover said. Combined with an uncertain macroeconomic environment, for the time being, it is difficult to project sales and earnings performance for the balance of the fiscal year, he said. Circuit City said it still expects to open 60 to 65 new and relocated domestic stores this fiscal year. It said more than half of them would be in a 20,000-square-foot format. UBS analyst Brian Nagel said the results show Circuit City is still struggling to turn around. We remain disappointed with the continued slow pace of recovery at Circuit City, he wrote to clients. The loss is the latest dismal news for the company, which has lost several top executives while battling for market share with Best Buy. The companies and others engaged in a price war during the holiday season and slashed prices, particularly on LCD and plasma televisions. Goldman Sachs analyst Matthew Fassler called the results predictably problematic. Circuit City is experiencing the same problems as Best Buy, but at amplified levels, across sales growth and margin rate, Mr. Fassler wrote to clients. Moreover, as Circuit City invests aggressively in systems, an understandable priority, it subjugates near-term results to longer term investment. In the most recent quarter, consolidated gross profit margin narrowed to 22.5% from 24.5% in the same period last fiscal year. At the end of March, the retailer turfed 3,400 employees in the U.S. and Canada because it thought they were overpaid and announced plans to replace them with cheaper workers. Betty Owen, 56, of El Paso, Texas, was one of them. Owen, a part-time worker logging full-time hours, was pulling in $10.10 per hour (all figures U.S.).According to published reports, the company decided to get rid of workers whose wage level was at least 51 cents above Circuit Citys established pay rates. From a dollars and cents perspective, the move seems to make sense. Take 3,400 workers, assuming they work 40 hours per week, slash their wages by the lowest amount (51 cents) and the company will save at least $3.6 million every year in labor costs. Thats not small change. Or is it? Considering Circuit City had 42,000 workers and $11.6 billion in revenue in 2006 and net income of $162.5 million, $3.6 million doesnt seem like much. And from a public relations standpoint, its a disaster. The announcement was met with calls to boycott the store and at least one lawsuit. Three employees in California have filed an age discrimination suit theyre trying to have certified as a class-action lawsuit. Fighting that battle alone could dissolve the savings from the wage cuts. The repercussions are bound to echo beyond bad PR. Most of the workers being let go have been on the job awhile, and their experience is walking out the door with them. Training costs will increase and customer service will undoubtedly suffer. And exactly what kind of workers are going to be filling these roles? When it made the very public announcements about wage cuts and terminations, Circuit City might as well have hung a sign on all its stores stating that, good, talented workers need not apply. But thats the new reality in retail, right? The Wal-Martization of the business means retailers have to keep wages low to stay competitive and theres no room for good HR practices, right? Wrong. A little outfit called Costco is punching all kinds of holes in that thinking. The Issaquah, Wash.-based warehouse club pays its workers generously. By some reports, they start at about $10 per hour and their earnings rise to about $44,000 per year after four years. They also get a strong benefits package. The result is low turnover and a very loyal staff. In 2004, Business Week decided to put Costcos labor practices to the test. It compared Costco to Sams Club, the membership warehouse operated by Wal-Mart. It found that by compensating employees generously to motivate and retain good workers Costco actually keeps its labor costs lower than Wal-Marts as a percentage of sales. Costco pulled in $13,647 in operating profit per hourly employee versus $11,039 at Sams Club. Jim Sinegal, Costcos CEO and founder, has resisted pressure from investors to cut costs, shrugging off comments that its better to be an employee at Costco than a shareholder. We think its good business. In the final analysis, you get what you pay for. Better employees mean higher productivity. Weve proven that with our business model. We want to turn our inventory faster than our people, he said. (Paying low wages) doesnt keep employees happy. It keeps them looking for other jobs. Plus managers spend all their time hiring replacements rather than running your business. The lesson? Better paid employees are more productive and happy, and that translates into a healthy bottom line. Thats an idea that seems to be lost on Circuit City.

Archaeological Hearths - Features With Benefits

Archaeological Hearths - Features With Benefits A hearth is an archaeological feature that represents the remnants of a purposeful fire. Hearths can be extremely valuable elements of an archaeological site, as they are indicators of a whole range of human behaviors and provide an opportunity for obtaining radiocarbon dates for the period that people used them. Hearths are typically used to cook food, but may also have been used to heat-treat lithics, burn pottery and/or a variety of social reasons such a beacon to let others know where you are, a way to keep predators away, or simply provide a warm and inviting gathering place. The purposes of a hearth are often discernible within the remnants: and those purposes are key to understanding the human behaviors of the people who used it. Types of Hearths Over the millennia of human history, there have been a wide variety of intentionally-built fires: some were simply piles of wood stacked on the ground, some were excavated into the ground and covered to provide steam heat, some were built up with adobe brick for use as earth ovens, and some were stacked upwards with a mix of fired brick and potsherds to act as ad hoc pottery kilns. A typical archaeological hearth falls in the middle range of this continuum, a bowl-shaped soil discoloration, within which is evidence that the contents have been exposed to temperatures between 300-800 degrees centigrade. How do archaeologists identify a hearth with this range of shapes and sizes? There are three crucial elements to a hearth: inorganic material used to shape the feature; organic material burned in the feature; and evidence of that combustion. Shaping the Feature: Fire-Cracked Rock In places in the world where rock is readily available, the defining characteristic of a hearth is often plenty of fire-cracked rock, or FCR, the technical term for rock thats been cracked by exposure to high temperatures. FCR is differentiated from other broken rock because it has been discolored and thermally altered, and although often the pieces can be refit together, there is no evidence of impact damage or deliberate stone working. However, not all FCR is discolored and cracked. Experiments recreating the processes that make fire-cracked rock have revealed that the presence of discoloration (reddening and/or blackening) and spalling of larger specimens depends both on the kind of rock being used (quartzite, sandstone, granite, etc.) and the kind of fuel (wood, peat, animal dung) used in the fire. Both of those drive the temperatures of a fire, as does the length of time the fire is lit. Well-fed campfires can easily create temperatures up to 400-500 degrees centigrade; long-sustained fires can get to 800 degrees or more. When hearths have been exposed to the weather or agricultural processes, disturbed by animals or humans, they can still be identified as scatters of fire-cracked rock. Burned Bone and Plant Parts If a hearth was used to cook dinner, the leftovers of what was processed in the hearth may include animal bone and plant matter, which can be preserved if turned to charcoal. Bone which was buried under fire becomes carbonized and black, but bones on the surface of a fire are often calcined and white. Both types of carbonized bone can be radiocarbon-dated; if the bone is large enough, it can be identified to species, and if it is well-preserved, often cut-marks resulting from butchery practices can be found. Cut-marks themselves can be very useful keys to understanding human behaviors. Plant parts can also be found in hearth contexts. Burned seeds are often preserved in hearth conditions, and microscopic plant residues such as starch grains, opal phytoliths and pollen may also be preserved if conditions are right. Some fires are too hot and will damage the shapes of plant parts; but on occasion, these will survive and in an identifiable form. Combustion The presence of burned sediments, burnt patches of earth identified by discoloration and exposure to heat, is not always macroscopically apparent, but can be identified by micromorphological analysis, when microscopically thin slices of earth are examined to identify tiny fragments of ashed plant material and burnt bone fragments. Finally, non-structured hearthshearths that either were placed on the surface and were weathered by long-term wind exposure and rain/frost weathering, made without large stones or the stones were deliberately removed later and are not marked by burned soilshave still been identified at sites, based on the presence of concentrations of large quantities of burnt stone (or heat-treated) artifacts. Sources This article is a part of the About.com guide to the Archaeology Features, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Backhouse PN, and Johnson E. 2007. Where were the hearths: an experimental investigation of the archaeological signature of prehistoric fire technology in the alluvial gravels of the Southern Plains. Journal of Archaeological Science 34(9):1367-1378. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2006.10.027Bentsen SE. 2014. Using Pyrotechnology: Fire-related features and activities with a focus on the African Middle Stone Age. Journal of Archaeological Research 22(2):141-175.Fernndez Peris J, Gonzlez VB, Blasco R, Cuartero F, Fluck H, Saà ±udo P, and Verdasco C. 2012. The earliest evidence of hearths in Southern Europe: The case of Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain). Quaternary International 247(0):267-277. Goldberg P, Miller C, Schiegl S, Ligouis B, Berna F, Conard N, and Wadley L. 2009.Bedding, hearths, and site maintenance in the Middle Stone Age of Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 1(2):95-122. Gowlett JAJ, and Wrangham RW. 2013. Earliest fire in Africa: tow ards the convergence of archaeological evidence and the cooking hypothesis. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa 48(1):5-30. Karkanas P, Koumouzelis M, Kozlowski JK, Sitlivy V, Sobczyk K, Berna F, and Weiner S. 2004. The earliest evidence for clay hearths: Aurignacian features in Klisoura Cave 1, southern Greece. Antiquity 78(301):513–525.Marquer L, Otto T, Nespoulet R, and Chiotti L. 2010. A new approach to study the fuel used in hearths by hunter-gatherers at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Abri Pataud (Dordogne, France). Journal of Archaeological Science 37(11):2735-2746. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2010.06.009Sergant J, Crombe P, and Perdaen Y. 2006. The ‘invisible’ hearths: a contribution to the discernment of Mesolithic non-structured surface hearths. Journal of Archaeological Science 33:999-1007.

Financial Market Assessment Bahrain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Market Assessment Bahrain - Essay Example The Index of Economic Freedom measures countries against a list of 50 independent variables divided into 10 broad factors of economic freedom. Low scores are more desirable. The higher the score, the greater the level of government interference in the economy and the less economic freedom a country enjoys. These 50 variables are grouped into ten categories: Trade policy, Fiscal burden of government, Government intervention in the economy, Monetary policy, Capital flows and foreign investment, Banking and finance, Wages and prices, Property rights, Regulation, and Informal market activity. As shown in Table 1, Bahrain ranked 20th of 155 countries (North Korea is 155th). Using the table, we can make a quick comparison of Bahrain and Hong Kong (HKG), the country with the highest economic freedom, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain's closest competitor for the title of the Middle East's financial capital. As Table 1 shows, Bahrain had the same scores as HKG in five out of ten categories, but in one of these (Fiscal burden), it scored higher (meaning, it performed worse) than the UAE, which is developing Dubai to compete with Bahrain. Since our paper is a study of Bahrain's competitive weaknesses in financial markets, we have a tool we can use to know what it should fix if it wants to win the competition with Dubai. The comparison with the United States gives us a better idea of how Bahrain fares in economic freedom. The U.S. is ahead only by a margin of two: better in three categories: Trade policy, Government intervention, and Informal market; worse in one: Fiscal burden; and tied in the rest. We now look briefly at where Bahrain did well. Then, by focusing on those where it scored badly, we can come out with the basic tools to analyze the degree of openness of Bahrain's financial sector. Bahrain's Good Points1 Bahrain scored well in four areas: monetary policy, banking and finance, wages and prices, and property rights. The main reasons for these are: Monetary Policy. Measured on the basis of the weighted average annual inflation rate of 0.04 percent, Bahrain is stable. Banking and Finance. Bahrain's banking and finance sector has very few restrictions. It is relatively easy to establish a bank; there are few, if any, restrictions or requirements on new banks; and foreign banks are welcome. At the end of 2003, there were 25 commercial banks, mostly foreign, and foreigners and Bahrainis alike have ready access to credit on market terms. The banking system is sound and undergoes examination and supervision by the Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA), which has a solid international reputation. Efforts are being made to increase the liquidity of the Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in 1989. The government allows Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nationals to own 100% stakes in firms listed on the BSE and increased the proportion that could be owned by other foreigners to 49%. The Minister of Commerce has announced that ownership for non-GCC nationals will be increased to 100% by end-2005. Wages and Prices. Bahrain, despite issuing a minimum wage law, improved its wages and prices regimes in the past year, reducing its influence over setting of domestic prices. It liberalized its telecommunications sector, where it had monopoly power, and reduced state power over