Native American Cultural Assessment: The Cherokee Essay -- essays rese

The word Cherokee comes from a Creek word "Chelokee" meaning " batch of a different speech." In their own language the Cherokee called themselves the Aniyunwiya or "principal people" or the Keetoowah, "people of Kituhwa." The Cherokee atomic number 18 perhaps one of the most evoke of Native American Groups. Their life and culture are closely intertwined with early American settlers and the history of our own nations struggle for freedom. In the spare-time activity of promoting tolerance and peace, and with regard to the United States governments handling of Native affairs, their story is one that is painful, stoic, and must not be forgotten.The Cherokee people were a broad and powerful tribe. The Cherokees Macro-Siouan- Iroquoian language and their migration legends demonstrate that the tribe originated to the north of their traditional Southeastern homelands. Linguists believe that the Cherokee migrated from the Great Lakes area to the Southeast over three thousand age ago. The Cherokee language is a branch of the Iroquoian language family, related to Cayuga, Seneca, Onondega, Wyandot-Huron, Tuscarora, Oneida and Mohawk. Original locations of the Cherokee were the southern Appalachian Mountains, including western North and South Carolina, northern Georgia and Alabama, southwest Virginia, and the Cumberland turning point of Tennessee, Kentucky, and northern Alabama. The Cherokee sometimes refer to themselves as Ani-Kituhwagi, "the people of Kituhwa". Kituhwa was the name of an ancient city, located near present Bryson City, NC, which was the center of the Cherokee Nation. Long before Columbus detect the "New World" or Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto arrived, the Cherokee territory stretched from the Ohio River to the north, and southward into Georgia and Alabama. Their homelands extended over 135,000 square miles. Cherokee villages had populations of about 350 to 600 persons. Before contact with European s, families create round, earth-covered homes for the winter. For the warmer summers they built larger, rectangular homes. The rectangular homes had upright poles forming a framework. The outer covering was bark, wood or woven siding coated with earth and clay. The Cherokee were earlier an agricultural people. They relied heavily on corn, beans, and squash, supplemented by hunting and the gathering of wil... ...r near the North Carolina reservation. Cherokee tribal governments have fairly liberal membership standards compared to other tribes. approximately population estimates exceed 370,000, which would make the Cherokee the largest Native American group in the United StatesIt is amazing that through European epidemics, attempts to assimilate eradicate and remove, that any Cherokee are left today. Despite all they have endured and lost, Cherokee levels of education and living standard ranks among the highest of all Native American tribes. I am proud to be an American citizen. I am also especially proud that my Mothers Great-Grandmother, a descendant of Trail of Tears survivors, was Cherokee. BIBLIOGRAPHYThomas E. Mails, The Cherokee People The Story of the Cherokees from early Origins to Contemporary TimesMerwyn S. Garbarino, Native American HeritageThe Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians http//www.charweb.org/neighbors/na/cherokee.htmJames Mooney, History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the CherokeesMorris L. Wardell, A Political History of the Cherokee Nation 1838-1907Collier, Peter. When Shall They continue? The Cherokees Long Struggle with America

The Objective of Total Quality Management Essay -- Total Quality Manag

The Objective of Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management(TQM) is an organisational process that activelyinvolves all(prenominal) function and every employee in satisfying guests needs, bothinternal and external. TQM works by continuously improving all aspect of workthrough structured control, improvement and readiness activities that are carriedout in concern with guiding ideology that focuses on Quality and CustomerSatisfaction as the top priorities.There has been many arguments that TQM succeeds moreover by incorporating aconcern about choice for the customers throughout the organisation. The truthof this statement and those facts that disagree with this statement will be lookinto and discuss in more detail to achieve the mastery of TQM.TQM recognises that the Customer is at the center of every activity. Thecustomer may be external or internal. The key is to take in the gap betweenwhat the customer needs and what the formation delivers. Once the gap isrecognised, i t would be systematically reduced and results in never-endingimprovement in customer satisfaction at every level.TQM depends on and creates a culture in an organisation which involveseverybody in quality improvement. Everyone in the company can affect quality butmust first realise this factor and have the techniques and tools which areappropriate for improving quality. Thus TQM includes the marketing anddissemination of quality and methods not but within the organisation andcustomers but also to suppliers and other partners.The general view to achieve success in TQM could be summarised as belowQuality as strengthQuality in all processesThe importance of managementThe involvement, commitment and responsibility of everybodyContinuous improvementZero defectsFocus on prevention kind of than inspectionMeeting the needs of target customersRecoveryBenchmarkingA prerequisite for successful quality improvement is first, to understand howquality is perceived and valued by customers. 4 QDesign Quality Technical Quality Production Quality Delivery Quality Functional Quality Relational Quality Image Experiences candidate Customer Perceived Quality ... ...ccess. Ownership and the Elements of Self-ManagementTotal quality programmes are founded on the principal that people want to ownthe problems, the process, the solution and ultimately the success associatedwith the quality improvement. Psychologically, the ownership advocated by TQMties in the development in organisational design away from traditional models ofimposing management control over employees behaviour.Recognition and RewardsTQM system considers the rewards and recognition to be critical to a companysprogramme, particularly when greater involvement of staff is required. Positivereinforcement through recognition and rewards is essential to maintain execution and continuous improvement through participative problem-solvingprojects.The Quality Delivery ProcessTQM is not just the awareness of quality for the customers. It demands theimplementation of a new system.Finally, the main bearing of TQM may put the customer at the center of everyactivity and consider the process as customer driven, but all other factorswhich do not involve the customers have to be taken into consideration for thesuccessful implementation of TQM.

Brazil :: essays research papers fc

The similarities between the societies found in Brazil andthose found in the Andean Highlands are relatively few. TheAndean Highland dwellers were mostly Incas, found ingreatest numbers in Peru. The inhabitants of Brazil weremainly concentrated around the virago River Basin area.The Andean Highland people consisted in large plane section of theInca civilization (the name of the ruling family, not anethnicity). However, the geographic location of thesesocieties is not the only disparity that exist between thesegroups of people. Perhaps the most striking of thedifferences is the characteristics of these societies and theadvancements, or lack of, that where achieved in each. Witheach group having distinct characteristics in the way of life, regime, and labor, this affected the colonizing groups insignificantly different ways and ultimately lead to the prosperity or decline of the colony at that specific time. Theforms of rule in the Amazon Basin and the Andean Highlandswere of great c ontrast. At the time of European stripping ofthe New World, there existed very little political hierarchy inthe areas of the Amazon River Basin. At most, and this wasfairly uncommon, there was a local tribal chief. However, thegovernment did not extend any further. There was nonetwork of higher ruling. This may have stemmed from thefact that villages were scattered around the Amazon, dividedby dense forest. The tribal chiefs would make some villagedecisions and be a liaison with other local villages. Still,territorial war was a major sight of the Amazon Basindwellers lives. This is in sharp contrast to the political systemthat existed in the Inca civilization. The Inca had aprofoundly intricate political system that was based on rulethat was inherited through blood lines. There were local,regional, and empire ruling leaders. These statesmendemanded tribute from the lower classes and also forcelabor upon them, but they did provide function for the goodof the people and the empire. The leaderships had relativelyfew physical duties other than overseeing the domain that heruled. Territorial war was also a characteristic of the Incasociety. This society has oft been labeled either a socialistempire or a welfare state. Specifically, the people of theAmazon Basin lived in small villages around the AmazonRiver and relocated often (when the soil became fallow).They were a tribal society maintained itself through shiftingagriculture and hunting and gathering. The staple of their dietwas of the tuber variety, a kind of potato. The society hadno classes that differentiated between the rich and poorbecause the people had very little or no private property.

Howard Robard Hughes Essays -- Biography

Howard Robard Hughes (December 24, 1905 April 5, 1976), a pilot, movie put upr, playboy, and one of the wealthiest people in the world during his lifetime, was well-known for his eccentricity. His eccentric behavior is theorized to have been the result of neurotic behavior. The intent of this review is to illustrate Mr. Hughess abnormalities, arrive at a clinical diagnosis using all five axes of the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR), explain his behavior from the biological theoretical perspective, and finally to arrive at a hypothetical treatment plan.BehaviorTo begin, what constitutes abnormal behavior in Mr. Hughess case? As early as the 1930s, Hughes demonstrated signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder is identified by DSM as having recurrent obsessions (persistent thoughts, ideas, impulses or images that seem to invade a persons consciousness) or compulsions (repeated and rigid behaviors or mental acts th at people feel like they must perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety) (Cormer, 2008). Close friends reported that Hughes was obsessed with the size of peas, one of his favorite foods, and used a special fork to break them by size.Those who interacted with him as a director comment of his obsessions. While directing a movie, Hughes became fixated on a minor flaw in an actresss top, claiming that the cloth bunched up along a seam and gave the appearance of two nipples on each breast. He was reportedly so upset by the matter that he wrote a detailed memorandum to the crew on how to fix the problem (Hack, 2002). An executive producer who worked with Hughes wrote in his autobiography about the difficulty of dealing with the t... ...h has shown that exercise, outside activity and socialization lead to increased serotonin levels and overall health (Young, 2007).Although the biological treatment of drug therapy, physical therapy, and nutrition therapy will begin to produce desi red results towards a cure, the prognosis for recovery from this disorder would be greatly enhanced by a gang of behavioral, cognitive, and drug therapies. Patients who receive a combination of such therapies yield greater relief from their symptoms than do singular approaches alone (Kordon et al., 2005).It is unfortunate that Mr. Hughes was not able to receive adequate help for his disorder during his lifetime. granted the aforementioned treatment plan, along with the benefit of current research, and Mr. Hughes affluence to receive the best care, his prognosis during current times would have been quite good.

The old man in the sea :: essays research papers

The Old Man and the SeaBook reportThe title of this book is The Old Man and the Sea . The number of pages is 127. Copyright learn is 1952(re-newel control is 1980). The type of book is fiction. This book takes place in the Gulf Stream, and its time is in the past.This book is t doddering in third person point of view. wizard of the principal(prenominal) characters was an rare Cuban troops named Santiago who was thin, with deep wrinkles in the back if his neck and had scars on his hands from handling the search rope. The new(prenominal) character was a young boy named Manolin, which Santiago taught how to fish . Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him to go fishing with Santiago, he wants to serve up his agonist at all times. Manolin does not act as a young boy he is mature and sensitive This book is ab away an octogenarian gay who taught this young boy how to fish and the boy loved him. He even brought him fishing humany times. But the past 84 days the old man had not caught one fish. After 40 days of not catching anything the boy left and fished on another boat. One day, the old man was out on the water fishing. He had caught the biggest marlin he had ever seen. He then had decided to tie the fish on to the boat when heading back.He notices a large mako shark that is coming after his fish. He gets his harpoon out ready to kill. The shark takes a chunk out of his fish and the old man harpoons and kills the shark alone his harpoon broke. Now he was left only with a knife to protect what was left of the fish. The fish is immediately bleeding. A couple hours later on his voyage home, he sees to to a greater extent sharks heading right for his fish. Both sharks take a chunk out of the fish but the old man manages to stab both sharks in the eye killing them. His fish was getting smaller and smaller because of the sharks. This time while wound the sharks in the eyes his knife breaks, now all he has to kill the sharks is a oa r. If any more sharks come he is ruined. A couple more hours of sailplaning two more sharks come and eat the rest of his fish, leaving just the head and scales of the enormous fish he had.The old man in the sea essays research papers The Old Man and the SeaBook reportThe title of this book is The Old Man and the Sea . The number of pages is 127. Copyright date is 1952(re-newel date is 1980). The type of book is fiction. This book takes place in the Gulf Stream, and its time is in the past.This book is told in third person point of view. One of the main characters was an old Cuban man named Santiago who was thin, with deep wrinkles in the back if his neck and had scars on his hands from handling the fishing rope. The other character was a young boy named Manolin, which Santiago taught how to fish . Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him to go fishing with Santiago, he wants to help his friend at all times. Manolin does not act as a young boy he is matu re and sensitive This book is about an old man who taught this young boy how to fish and the boy loved him. He even brought him fishing many times. But the past 84 days the old man had not caught one fish. After 40 days of not catching anything the boy left and fished on another boat. One day, the old man was out on the water fishing. He had caught the biggest marlin he had ever seen. He then had decided to tie the fish on to the boat when heading back.He notices a large mako shark that is coming after his fish. He gets his harpoon out ready to kill. The shark takes a chunk out of his fish and the old man harpoons and kills the shark but his harpoon broke. Now he was left only with a knife to protect what was left of the fish. The fish is now bleeding. A couple hours later on his voyage home, he sees to more sharks heading right for his fish. Both sharks take a chunk out of the fish but the old man manages to stab both sharks in the eye killing them. His fish was getting smaller and smaller because of the sharks. This time while stabbing the sharks in the eyes his knife breaks, now all he has to kill the sharks is a oar. If any more sharks come he is ruined. A couple more hours of sailing two more sharks come and eat the rest of his fish, leaving just the head and scales of the enormous fish he had.

The old man in the sea :: essays research papers

The Old soldiery and the oceanBook reportThe title of this book is The Old Man and the Sea . The number of pages is 127. Copyright date is 1952(re-newel date is 1980). The type of book is fiction. This book fulfills place in the Gulf Stream, and its time is in the last(prenominal).This book is told in troika person point of view. One of the main characters was an old Cuban man named Santiago who was thin, with deep wrinkles in the back if his love and had scars on his hands from handling the slanting rope. The other character was a young boy named Manolin, which Santiago taught how to weight . Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents close out him to go fishing with Santiago, he wants to help his friend at all times. Manolin does not act as a young boy he is good and slight This book is about an old man who taught this young boy how to fish and the boy loved him. He even brought him fishing many times. only if the past 84 days the old man had not caught one fish. After 40 days of not catching anything the boy left and fished on other boat. One day, the old man was out on the water fishing. He had caught the biggest marlin he had ever seen. He then had decided to tie the fish on to the boat when heading back.He notices a large mako chisel that is coming after his fish. He gets his harpoon out ready to kill. The shark takes a chunk out of his fish and the old man harpoons and kills the shark but his harpoon broke. Now he was left only with a stab to protect what was left of the fish. The fish is now bleeding. A couple hours later on his voyage home, he sees to more sharks heading right for his fish. Both sharks take a chunk out of the fish but the old man manages to stab both sharks in the eye killing them. His fish was getting small and littler because of the sharks. This time while stabbing the sharks in the eyes his knife breaks, now all he has to kill the sharks is a oar. If any more sharks drive he is ruined. A couple more hou rs of sailing two more sharks come and eat the rest of his fish, leaving just the head and scales of the enormous fish he had.The old man in the sea essays research papers The Old Man and the SeaBook reportThe title of this book is The Old Man and the Sea . The number of pages is 127. Copyright date is 1952(re-newel date is 1980). The type of book is fiction. This book takes place in the Gulf Stream, and its time is in the past.This book is told in third person point of view. One of the main characters was an old Cuban man named Santiago who was thin, with deep wrinkles in the back if his neck and had scars on his hands from handling the fishing rope. The other character was a young boy named Manolin, which Santiago taught how to fish . Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him to go fishing with Santiago, he wants to help his friend at all times. Manolin does not act as a young boy he is mature and sensitive This book is about an old man who taught this y oung boy how to fish and the boy loved him. He even brought him fishing many times. But the past 84 days the old man had not caught one fish. After 40 days of not catching anything the boy left and fished on another boat. One day, the old man was out on the water fishing. He had caught the biggest marlin he had ever seen. He then had decided to tie the fish on to the boat when heading back.He notices a large mako shark that is coming after his fish. He gets his harpoon out ready to kill. The shark takes a chunk out of his fish and the old man harpoons and kills the shark but his harpoon broke. Now he was left only with a knife to protect what was left of the fish. The fish is now bleeding. A couple hours later on his voyage home, he sees to more sharks heading right for his fish. Both sharks take a chunk out of the fish but the old man manages to stab both sharks in the eye killing them. His fish was getting smaller and smaller because of the sharks. This time while stabbing the sha rks in the eyes his knife breaks, now all he has to kill the sharks is a oar. If any more sharks come he is ruined. A couple more hours of sailing two more sharks come and eat the rest of his fish, leaving just the head and scales of the enormous fish he had.

Euro Disney

Case Study 1 The Not-So-Wonderful realism of Euro Disney BONJOUR, MICKEY In April 1992, EuroDisney SCA sacrificeed its doors to European envisionors. Located by the river Marne virtu solely in completelyy 20 miles east of Paris, it was designed to be the biggest and most lavish bow putting green that Walt Disney Company (Disney) had built to date bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, California Disney land in Oralando, Florida and capital of Japan Disneyland in Japan. Much to Disney instructions surprise, Europeans failed to go goofy over Mickey, unlike their Japanese counterparts.Between 1990 and early 1992, some 14 trillion tribe had visited Tokyo Disneyland, with three-quarters being repeat visitors. A family of four staying overnight at a nearby hotel would easily spend $600 on a visit to the commonality. In contrast, at EuroDisney, families were reluctant to spend the $280 a day needed to enjoy the attractions of the putting surface, including les hamburgers and les milkshakes. Staying overnight was out of the question for many because hotel rooms were so senior high school hurtd.For example, prices ranged from $110 to $380 a night at the Newport Bay Club, the largest of EuroDisneys six saucily hotels and one of the biggest in Europe. In comparison, a room in a top hotel in Paris live between $340 and $380 a night. Financial losses became so massive at EuroDisney that the president had to structure a drive home package to put EuroDisney back on firm financial ground. Many cut bankers questioned the initial financing but the Disney response was that their views reflected the cautious. Old world mentation of Europeans who didnt understand U. S. -style free market financing.After some acrimonious dealings with french banks a two-year financial plan was negotiated. Disney management rapidly revise their marketing plan and introduced strategic and tactical changes in the hope of doing it right wing this time. A Real Estate Dream Come True Th e Paris fixture was chosen over 200 other potential sites stretching from Portugal through Spain, France, Italy, and into Greece. Spain thought it had the strongest bid based on its yearlong temperate and sunny Mediterranean climate, but insufficient acreage of land was available for development close to Barcelona.In the end, the French governments generous incentives, together with impressive data on regional demographics, swayed Disney management to choose the Paris location. It was calculated that some 310 million people in Europe live within two hours air motivate of EuroDisney, and 17 million could reach the park within two hours by car better demographics than at any other Disney site. Pessimistic talk almost the dismal winter weather of northern France was countered with references to the victory of Tokyo Disneyland, where resolute visitors brave cold winds and snow to enjoy their piece of Americana.Furthermore, it was argued, Paris is Europes most-popular city destinat ion among tourists of all nationalities. Spills and Thrills Disney had projected that the new newspaper publisher park would attract 11 million visitors and generate over $100 million in operating earnings during the source year of operation. By summer 1994, EuroDisney had lost more than $900 million since opening. Attendance reached only 9. 2 million in 1992, and visitors fatigued 12 percent less on purchases than the estimated $33 per head. If tourists were not flocking to taste the thrills of the new EuroDisney, where were they going for their summer vacations in 1992?Ironically enough, an unforeseen combination of transatlantic airfare wars and currency movements resulted in a trip to Disney World in Orlando being cheaper than a trip to Paris, with guaranteed good weather and beautiful Floridian beaches within easy reach. EuroDisney management took steps to rectify immediate worrys in 1992 by cutting rates at two hotels up to 25 percent, introducing some cheaper meals at res taurants, and launching a Paris ad blitz that proclaimed California in only 20 miles from Paris. An American Icon unity of the most worrying aspects of EuroDisneys first year was that French visitors stayed away they had been expected to make up 50 percent of the attendance figures. A park services consulting firm framed the problem in these words The French see EuroDisney as American imperialism plastics at its worst. The well-known, sentimental Japanese attachment to Disney characters contrasted starkly with the unexpected and widespread French disapprove for American fairy-tale characters.French culture has its own lovable cartoon characters such as Asterix, the helmeted, pint-sized Gallic warrior who has a theme park located near EuroDisney. antipathy among the French people to the whole Disney idea had surfaced early in the planning of the new project. Paris theater director Ariane Mnouchkine became famous for her description of EuroDisney as a cultural Chernobyl. In fal l 1989, during a visit to Paris, French Communists pelted Michael Eisner with eggs. The joke going around at the time was, For EuroDisney to adapt properly to France, all heptad of Snow Whites dwarfs should be named Grumpy (Grincheux).Early advertising by EuroDisney seemed to aggravate local French sentiment by emphasizing glitz and size, sooner than the variety of rides and attractions. Committed to maintaining Disneys reputation for quality in everything, more detail was built into EuroDisney. For example, the centerpiece castle in the Magic Kingdom had to be bigger and fancier than in the other parks. Expensive trams were built along a lake to take guests from the hotels to the park, but visitors preferred walking. Total park construction cost were estimated at FFr 14 billion ($2. 7 billion) in 1989 but rose by $340 million to FFr 16 billion as a result of all these addons. Hotel construction costs alone rose from an estimated FFr 3. 4 billion to FFr 5. 7 billion. EuroDisney and Disney managers unhappily succeeded in alienating many of their counterparts in the government, the banks, the ad agencies, and other touch organizations. A barnstorming, kick-the-door-down attitude seemed to reign among the U. S. decision makers. They had a formidable image and convinced everyone that if we let them do it their way, we would all have a marvelous adventure. One former Disney executive voiced the opinion, We were arrogant it was like Were building the Taj Mahal and people will come on our terms. STORM CLOUDS AHEAD Disney and its advisors failed to see signs at the end of the 1980s of the approaching European recession. Other dramatic pointts included the Gulf War in 1991, which put a heavy brake on vacation travel for the rest of that year. Other external factors that Disney executives have cited are high interest rates and the devaluation of several currencies against the franc.EuroDisney also encountered difficulties with regard to competition the Worlds Fai r in Seville and the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona were huge attractions for European tourists. Disney managements conviction that it knew best was demonstrated by its much-trumpeted ban on alcoholic drink in the park. This proved insensitive to the local culture because the French are the worlds biggest consumers of wine. To them a meal without unverre de rouge is un commendable. Disney relented. It also had to relax its rules on personal grooming of the projected 12,000 cast members, the park employees.Women were allowed to wear redder nail polish than in the United States, but the taboo on mens facial hair was maintained. We want the clean-shaven, neat and tidy look, commented the director of Disney Universitys Paris branch, which trains prospective employees in Disney values and culture. EuroDisneys management did, however, compromise on the question of pets. Special kennels were built to house visitors animals. The thought of leaving a pet at home during vacation is considered ir rational by many French people. Plans for further development of EuroDisney after 1992 were ambitious.The initial number of hotel rooms was planned to be 5,200, more than in the entire city of Cannes on the Cote d Azur. in addition planned were shopping malls, apartments, golf courses, and vacation homes. EuroDisney would design and build everything itself, with a view to selling at a profit. As a Disney executive commented, Disney at various points could have had partners to share the risk or buy the hotels outright. But it didnt want to give up the upside. From the time they came on, Disneys Chairman Eisner and hot seat Wells had never made a single misstep, never a mistake, never a failure, said a ormer Disney executive. There was a object to believe that everything they touched would be perfect. The incredible growth record fostered this belief. In the seven years EuroDisney opened, they took the parent fellowship from being a company with $1 billion in revenues to one with $8. 5 billion, mainly through internal growth. Telling and Selling Fairy Tales Misinterpreted assumptions by the Disney management team affected construction design, marketing and pricing policies, and park management, as well as initial financing. Disney executives had been erroneously informed that Europeans dont eat break fast.Restaurant eat service was downsized accordingly, and guess what? Everybody showed up for breakfast. We were trying to serve 2,500 breakfasts in a 350 seat restaurant (at some of the hotels). The lines were horrendous. And they didnt just want croissants and coffee, they wanted bacon and eggs. In contrast to Disneys American parks where visitors typically stay at least three days, EuroDisney is at most a two-day visit. Energetic visitors need even less time. One analyst claimed to have done every EuroDisney ride in just five hours.Typically many guests arrive early in the morning, heap to the park, come back to their hotel at night, and then check out the next morning before heading back to the park. Vacation customs of Europeans were not taken into consideration. Disney executives had optimistically expected that the arrival of their new theme park would cause French parents to take their children out of school in mid-session for a short break. It did not happen, unless a public holiday occurred over a weekend. Similarly, Disney expected that the American-style short but more frequent family vacation, usually taken in August.However, French mightiness and factory schedules remained the same, with their emphasis on an August shutdown. In promoting the new park to visitors, Disney did not stress the entertainment value of a visit to the new theme park the emphasis was on the size of the park, which ruined the magic. To counter this, ads were changes to feature Zorro, a French favorite, mary Poppins, and Aladdin, star of the huge moneymaking movie success. A print ad campaign at that time featured Aladdin, Cinderellas castle, an d a little girl being invited to njoy a magic vacation, at the realm where all dreams come true. Six new attractions were added in 1994, including the Temple of Peril, Storybook Land and the Nautilus attraction. Donald Ducks birthday was celebrated on June 9 all in hopes of positioning EuroDisney as the No. 1 European destination of short duration, one to three days. Tomorrowland Faced with falling share prices and crisis talk among shareholders, Disney was squeeze to step forward in late 1993 to rescue the new park. Disney announced that it would fund EuroDisney until a financial restructuring could be worked out with lenders.However, it was made clear by the parent company, Disney, that it was not writing a blank check. In June 1994, EuroDisney received a new lifeline when a member of the Saudi royal family agree to invest up to $500 million for a 24 percent stake in the park. The price has an established reputation in world markets as a bottom-fisher. Buying into potentially viable operations during crisis when share prices are low. The princes plans included a $100 million convention center at EuroDisney. One of the few pieces of good new about EuroDisney is that its convention business exceeded expectations from the beginning.MANAGEMENT AND NAME CHANGES Frenchman Philippe Bourguignon took over at EuroDisney as CEO in 1993 and has navigated the theme park back to profitability. He was instrumental in the negotiations with the firms bankers, cutting a deal that he credits largely for bringing the park back into the black. Perhaps more important to the long-run success of the venture were his changes in marketing. The pan-European approach to marketing was dumped, and national markets were targeted separately. This new localization took into account the differing tourists habits around the continent.Separate marketing offices were opened in London, Frankfurt, Milan, Brussels, Amsterdam and Madrid, and each was charged with tailoring advertising and pack ages to its own market. Prices were cut by 20 percent for park rise to power and 30 percent for some hotel room rates. Special promotions were also run for the winter months. The central theme of the new marketing and operations approach is that people visit the park for an authentic Disney day out. They may not be completely sure what that means, except that it entails something American. This is reflected in the transformation of the parks name.The Euro in EuroDisney was first shrunk in the logo, and the word land added. Then in October 1994 the Euro was eliminated completely the park is now called Disneyland Paris. In 1996 Disneyland Paris became Frances most visited tourist attraction, onward of both the Louvre Art Museum and the Eiffel Tower, 11. 7 million visitors (a 9 percent increase from the previous year) allowed the park to report another profitable year. THEME park EXPANSION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY With the recovery of Disneyland Paris, Disney embarked on an ambit ious growth plan.In 2001 the California Adventure Park was added to the Anaheim complex at a cost of $1. 4 billion and Walt Disney Studios Theme Park was added to Disneyland Paris. Through agreements with foreign partners, Disney will open Disney-Sea in Tokyo and plans are underway for a theme park in Shanghai that Chinese officials hope will open in time for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and a park in Hong Kong is to open in 2006. A decade after being slammed for its alleged ignorance of European ways with EuroDisney, Disney is trying to prove its gotten things right the second time around.The new movie-theme park, Walt Disney Studios, adjacent to Disneyland Paris, is designed to be a tribute to moviemaking but not just the Hollywood kind. The Walt Disney Studios blend Disney entertainment and attractions with the history and culture of European scud since French camera-makers helped invent the motion picture. The parks general layout is modeled after an old Hollywood studio complex, and some of the rides and shows are near replicas of Disneys first film park, Disney-MGM Studios.Rather than celebrating the history of U. S. Disney characters, the characters in the new theme park speak six different languages. A big stunt show features cars and motorcycles that take to the woods through a village modeled after the French resort town of St. Tropez. Small details reflect the cultural lessons geted. We made sure that all our food venues have covered seating, recalling that, when EuroDisney first opened, the open-air restaurants offered no protection from the rainy weather that assails the park for long stretches of the year.On the food front, EuroDisney offered only a French sausage, drawing complaints from the English, Germans, Italians, and everyone else about why their local sausages werent available. This time around, the park caters to the multiple indigenous cultures throughout Europe which includes a wider selection of sausages. Unlike Disneys atti tude with their first park in France, Now we realize that our guests need to be welcomed on the basis of their own culture and travel habits, says Disneyland Paris chieftain Executive.Disneyland Paris today is Europes biggest tourist attraction even more popular than the Eiffel Tower a turnaround that showed the park operators ability to learn from their mistakes. The root of Disneys problems in EuroDisney may be found in the tremendous success of Japans Disneyland. The Tokyo Park was a success from the first day and it has been visited by millions of Japanese who wanted to capture what they perceived at the ultimate U. S. entertainment experience. Disney took the entire U. S. theme park and transplanted it in Japan. It worked because of the Japanese attachment to Disney characters.Schools have field trips to meet Mickey and his friends to the point that the Disney experience has become ingrained in Japanese life. In the book, Disneyland as Holy Land, University of Tokyo professo r Masako otoji wrote The opening of Tokyo Disneyland was, in retrospect, the greatest cultural event in Japan during the 80s. With such success, is there any wonder that Disney thought they had the right model when they first went to France? The Tokyo Disney constitutes a very rare case in that the number of visitors has not decreased since the opening.While Disney Japan was a success the company also admitted making a major financial error when the park was launched. It had licensed its name and image to another company that actually owns and operates the park as well as the land where it sits. Disney collects only a small fraction of the revenues that run into hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Since they were not certain of the success of the first international venture, it was the price they were willing to pay however, it vowed never to repeat that error and to never have its hands tied again.As a consequence, when they began the jParis Park, they were fanatically int ent on owning and controlling the park as well as enough adjacent property for its own exclusive hotels they were sure they had the right model and they were going to own it all. Thus, they began planning EuroDisney. QUESTIONS 1. You as Disneys Chairman Eisner Present the Euro Disney project as success of Global marketing. 2. To what degree, you as Eisner,consider the disturbing factors were (a) foreseeable and (b) controllable by the parent company, Disney? 3. What then you think as the factors that stop standardized marketing practice.

Likert Scales

A Closer Look at the Age, Peers and Delinquency Relationship Daniel P. Mears and Samuel H. Field Western Criminology Review 4 (1), 20-29 (2002) Introduction Research Summary dickens suppositions were explored. First, a communal association between flea-bitten helpmate-groups and the significance of age as it is influencedamong older youth. The second (keeping in the direction of the theoretical focus), epitomized that bosom-abuse-related discourtesys would have a greater correlation in the relationship between delinquent partners and age.For each violation dependent variables were used, with each offender asked the specific amount of times the offense was committed in the past year. The mean values for the offenses, range from a low of . 05 for burglary to a high of 24. 00 for the use of marijuana. (Mears & H. Field,2002). The analysis with regard to the deviant self-reported acts uncovers the event that there is a significant age/peer interaction for each violation, omitting hitting someone.The principal finding to note is,that the expected pattern of age/peer interactions is most evident for using marijuana getting drunk and, to a lesser extent, selling illegal drugs, using prescription drugs, burglary, and the offense index. The steady rise in the increasing effect of peers for these offenses can be frontn by noting the size and direction of the increase in the interaction coefficients from one age to the next(Mears & H. Field,2002). For the crimes of cheating, disconfirming property, stealing items less than $5, and more than $50, and hitting someone, the nature and tenacity appear to be less apparent.With regard to these offenses, the effects of the influence-of-peers-relationship, seem to lessen. The researchers gave additional analysis to dig into the effects of the linkage between heightened delinquency that may be reinforced by increased influence of peers and reducedtime spent with the family model. When included, the variables of peer in fluence and family time leftover no discernible significance on the interaction of the age/peer association. Personal Opinion regarding Research The authors did look at relevant and pertinent information.Samplings from the submit were taken from households across United States, as evidenced by the NYS Wave 3 data, and adolescents were selected from the ages of 13-19. The NYS data was used, because of its considerable methodological attention given to the NYS and because of the general accord as to their reliability and validity (Mears & H. Field, 2002). Mandatory steps were taken to ensure the offenses were of high variances, by creating the index and standardizing individual offense counts. Standardizing the individual offense was incumbent to ensure that offenses with high variances (e. g. , using marijuana) did not overly influence the resulting index (Mears & H. Field, 2002). I found the article to be informative as well as interesting. Mears and fields, speculative evidenc e suggesting that increased exposure to delinquent peers exerts a unique impact on the inclination of older youth to engage in drug offending (using marijuana, getting drunk, selling illegal drugs, and using prescription drugs), was very compelling to me.There are many studies and much evidence to suggest that substance abuse is embedded within peer interactions. Adolescents are expected to participate in drug-related deviant acts, with marijuana and drunkenness at the forefront. It was equally interesting to see how the aging peer influence played into this study. Conclusion While there does seem to be an interactive relationship existing between age and delinquent peer associations (for some offenses).The research was directed more to the drug-related offenses and the relationship between age and delinquent peer associations. The researchers pointed out that with thisinteractive age/peer relationship, delinquency increases with peer influence among older youth. The data from the N YS was pertinent, relevant, and convincing. The findings open other areas for further investigation, such as age/peer interactions using longitudinal data. (Mears & H. Field,2002).Although, I found the data to be factual and valid, I did take note that the data from wave one was stack away in 1976, and the data collected from the third wave (present study), was collected in 1978. The only recommendation I would have is to perform similar analysis on current data to add a stronger foundation to Mears and fields, 2002 findings. (Mears & H. Field, 2002) Mears, D. P. , & H. Field, S. (2002). A Closer Look at the Age, Peers, and Delinquency Relationship. Retrieved from Excelsior College Virtual Library Web site http//Retrieved from http//wcr. sonoma. edu/v4n1/mears. html

Financial Statement Analysis of Bata Pakistan from 2005-2010

Running head Financial Statement outline of Bata Pakistan Bata Pakistan Financial Statement Analysis From 2005 to 2010 Anum Fatima BSc. IV Section B Lahore School of Economics This report is submitted as partial requirement for Financial Statement Analysis of Pakistani Companies to Dr Farooq Chaudhry Abstract This paper does an in depth depth psychology of Bata Pakistan Limited. It intromits a brief summary of accounting policies and standards of the conjunction. The analysis revolves around pecuniary statements, their horizontal and vertical analysis.It likewise includes a detailed analysis of diametric financial dimensions to measure distinct aspects of the phoners carrying into action. Weighted fair address of neat is calculated on the basis of which intrinsic place of the stock is calculated. It likewise includes analysis of economic honor added and Du Pont. Introduction Bata Pakistan is a public limited go with and it is listed on Lahore and Karachi stock excha nge. The main office of the play a farseeing is at Batapur, Lahore. This federation manu situationures all kinds of footwear with accessories sells them at its outlets.Sales ar both local and export The pargonnt high society is Bafin B. V. , doughherlands whereas above it is Compass Limited, Bermuda. The financial info disclosed in the one-year report has been prep ard in accordance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) stated by International Accounting Standards Board. These standards be utilize under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. The confederacy made few amendments to account standards some of them are effective whereas some of them will be effective in the skinny future.According the beau mondes opinion, these amendments didnt shake off a operative effect on their financial statements. The financial statements follow the principle of historical approach sooner than the fair value concept take away some employee hitss whose details will b e discussed later. All statements except the statement of bills flow are preserve at accrual basis. After giving a brief summary of accounting policies thither is an in depth analysis of friendships financial statements, gilds valuation and then recommendations based on that analysis. Accounting PoliciesEmployee benefits are calculated through the defined benefit plan. A defined benefit plan essentially involves a determined heart of crest dependent on factors like age, geezerhood of service, compensation etc. the company has an unfunded gratuity scheme for all employee excepting management. The provision for employees which are also the member of longsighted fund is calculated on the basis on 3 weeks basic realises for every year of service whereas for employees which are not the members of the provident fund it is calculated on the basis of 30 days gross highest salaries/wages.The actuarial gains and losings are recognized as per defined in IAS 19 all everyplace the expected mediocre remaining working life of the employee. The company also ope sets provident fund scheme in which equal monthly contri furtherions by the company and the employee at the rates of 8% and 10% are made to the employee and managerial module respectively. The original taxation is calculated on the taxable income from local gross changes at the present tax rate later accounting for the tax assign, rebates or exemptions if any. Deferred tax is calculated by using relief sheet liability manner for all temporary differences amidst tax bases of summations and liabilities.The carrying amount of deferred income tax as launch is revised at each resi cod sheet date. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the block when the liability is calculated on the basis of tax rates applicable on the balance sheet dates. R eveues, expenses and assets are recognized realize of gross revenue except when sales tax is recog nized as part of cost of acquisition of asset and when receivables and payables include the amount of tax. Property plant and equipment are reported at cost minus disparagement and disablement losses which are accumulated however land is stated at cost.The method used to calculate depreciation is the reducing balance method. Recognized expenditures, related to an item of seat plant and equipment, are added to the carrying amount of asset when future economic benefits are expected. To measure the impairment of non financial assets, at each balance sheet date the carrying amount of assets id revised to check for any impairment loss. If such is the case then retrievable amount of the asset is calculated. Recoverable amount is higher of an assets fair value less(prenominal) cost to sell and value in use.The companys rubber factory represents assets that are leased out under the operate lease and that has been leased out to a third party for treat products and is included in the fi xed assets of the company. Their depreciation is calculated in the same way as done for the some other assets. Intangible assets are calculated on initial wisdom at cost. After that they are carried at cost minus any amortization and impairment losses that are accumulated. If such assets have finite lives then they are amortized over that life and assessed for impairment if any. The amortization mechanism is reviewed at least once every financial year.This expense is recognized in the income statement. Gain and loss from intangible assets are measures as the difference between meshing disposal proceeds and carrying amount of asset and recognized in the profit and loss account. The investments of the company have fixed maturity and the company intends to assert cashbox maturity. These investments are first recognized at cost including performance costs and then carried at the amortized cost. Stores and spares which are purchased are valued at weighted average cost whereas in tr ansit stores and spares are valued at actual costs.Stock in trade is valued at set down of cost and net realizable value. Raw materials that is own exertion and purchased are valued at weighted average cost whereas in transit are valued at actual cost. Work in progress is valued at the production cost. Finished wakelesss that own production are valued at production cost on FIFO basis, purchased are valued at actual cost on FIFO basis whereas in transit are valued at the actual cost. Cost is calculated on the basis of cost of material, grate and production overheads. Net realizable value is based on estimated selling worth minus estimated cost to completion and estimated cost to make sale.Provision for doubtful debts and other receivables are decided by managements assessment of customers creditworthiness. It is recognized in the profit and loss account. Contingencies and commitments are also alpha. detail liabilities are disclosed when there is a possible obligation from the bypast due to any future event not within control of the company or when there is a present obligation from the past events only the amount of that obligation cannot be measured in a reliable port. Borrowings are recognized at fair value net of transaction costs then they are carried at amortized cost. both difference between proceeds and redemption value is recognized in the P and L account using effective interest rate method. Provisions are recognized when there is an obligation from past events and it can be estimated in a reliable manner. This amount is the best estimate while taking into account the risks. When the amount required settling a provision is expected to be recovered from a third party then a receivable is recognized if it is certain and estimate is reliable. Revenue recognition is done as stated below. The revenue from wholesale is recognized when company has delivered the product to the wholesaler.Retail sales are recognized when product is sold to the customer by cash or by credit. Customer loyalty card sales are recognized as revenue over the period that the award credits are redeemed. Profit on investment is recognized on accrual basis by using effective interest method. Profit on banking company deposits is recognized on accrual basis whereas rental income is recognized on accrual basis over the duration of lease agreement. Cash and cash equivalents include cash in extend, deposits with banks, other short term investments with original maturities of three months or less and bank drafts.In cash flow statement, it is cash in hand cash in transit, bank balances and short term investments. Recognition and measurement of financial instruments is done at times when company enters the contract. Al financial assets and liabilities are measured at fair value. Major categories of assets are investments, advances, deposits, trade debts, other receivables and cash and bank balances. Financial liabilities are creditors, accrued expense and other payables. Any gain or loss is recognized in the P and L account for the period.Offsetting of financial assets and liabilities is done and the net amount is reported in the balance sheet if the company has a legal right to set off. Corresponding income and charge are also off set. The amount of loss is the difference between assets carrying amount and present value of the estimated future cash flows discounted at effective interest rate. Related party transactions are conducted at arms length just as with the third party using comparable uncontrolled price method whereas related parties are those who are able to influence the operating and financial decisions of the company.Dividends and other appropriations to reserves are recognized when these are approved. Operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting. Board of Directors is the chief operating decision maker that makes strategic decisions. Significant changes observed during the 6 year period under esteem are discussed below. In 2006, stores and spares and stock trade didnt use FIFO or LIFO, kinda purchased units were valued at lower of moving average cost and net realizable value. In 2007 same method was used whereas in 2008 FIFO was used for similar valuation of stock certificate.This change of method has been effective since. When this method was used there was a remarkable adjoin in the amount of stock in trade as well as cost of sales and gross profits from the previous years. Other than that no substantial policy changes are observed except some minor changes in standards which according to the companys opinion had no significant effect on financial statements, Analysis of Financial Statements First of all we will be analyzing the financial statements indirectly through financial ratios divided in feasible groups. Liquidity RatiosThe working cap of the company has shown healthy increment over the year. Working capital is profitable in evaluating companys abi lity to meet electric stark nakedly maturing liabilities. The working capital of the company is not only positive barely it is growing at an average rate of 44. 46%. It also means that current assets are growing at a rate faster than current liabilities. Working capital took a jump in 2007 which proved to be a prosperous year for the company due to favorable economic conditions and the company used this fortune in an efficient manner to gain from the situation.This shows that current assets are always in access of current liabilities which is a good indicator. Comparing working capital with the perseverance is not very useful because it depends on the size and scope of the company. The Current ratio is basically another way of expressing the relationship between current liabilities and current assets. Minimum it should be equal to 1 meaning that current liabilities are exactly matched with current liabilities. The company is presentation good performance in this regards as th e current ratio is strikinger than 1 and increase steadily over the years from 1. 1 in 2006 to reach 2. 66 in 2010. This again points to the fact that current assets are covering current liabilities effectively. Inventory and accounts receivables are forming major part of current assets. It still remains to be seen that whether this growth in current assets is solely due to increasing accounts receivables and inventory and then whether accounts receivables are being unruffled of inventory being sold in time. The current ratio was a little behind the industry averages in 2006 but it soon caught up and is growing side by side the industry averages.Quick ratio is calculated by excluding inventory from current assets as they are considered to be least liquid assets. It is a better measure of liquidity. Quick ratio shows a significant decline from current ratio owing to the fact that inventory is a major part of the current assets. It caught u with the industry average in 2009 when it went from 0. 51 to 1. 15. This also points to the fact that low quick ratio is not an indicator of less liquidity rather it points to the nature of the business and its dependence on inventory because it is in line with industry averages.Collection period measures the length of time subsequently which the company expects to realize cash from its accounts receivables. Company has improved from 2006 to 2010 remarkably. In 2006 it was 30 days which reduced to 11 days in 2010. A major change was in 2007 as collection period barbarous by 10 days. They caught up with industry averages in 2009 which is 10 days. It shows that companys accounts receivables are enforceable and not resulting in defaults. Days to Sell Inventory is the length of time after which company realizes sales from its inventory.They have improved from 2006 to 2010, deteriorateing from 131 to 101. They are in line with industry averages of 113 days. Major improvement was again seen in 2007 when days fell from 131 to 116. This is a good achievement as inventory has change magnitude over time. Looking at all these indicators there isnt any cause of mend for the company in terms of liquidity. Capital Structure and Solvency Ratios Solvency means the ability of the firm to meet its long term obligations which also involves analysis of capital body structure of the company that is the debt and truth mix.The debt to integrity ratio of 0. 52 means that for each one rupee of equity, 0. 52 is provided by creditors. This ratio is very low demonstrate high plow voice of equity. This is in line with industry average and has change magnitude over the 5 year period. This ratio should be typically low for a manufacturing company which is the case for Bata. This means that the company is in good position to meet its long term obligations. The long term debt to equity ratio is even lower meaning the company is relying very little on long term debt. it is less than 1 and decreases from 0. 13 to 0. 05.It ha s shown a beautiful decrease over the years and is in line with the industry averages. Times Interest Earned measures the times for which the amount of interest can be paid out of income forrader tax. This ratio was low in 2006 but it blush wine from 8 to 24 times in 2007 which is a big improvement. After that it came in line with industry average of 29 times. This also points to the fact that the interest charges of the company are very low and are only less than 1% of natural sales. These set of ratio indicate that the debt equity mix of the company is satisfactory. Less reliance on debt means lower risk of default.So the company is in a great position to manage its long term liabilities which are meager in quantity as compared to equity. cede on Investment Ratios Return on assets determines the amount of return when 1 Rupee is invested in assets. In 2006 it was 18. 18% which later rose sharply in 2007 to 34. 79% and opposeed the position till 2010 with slight variations. I ndustry average has been slightly higher that is 35% but in any case the performance of companys assets is a satisfactory and generating good return. Another side is the return on common equity because shareholders are interested in the returns on equity.Return on equity shows the same pattern as return on assets. It was 16. 66% in 2006, rose sharply to 43% in 2007 and then maintained steady levels until 37% in 2010. Industry average has been almost 36% so company is earning good returns as per industry. Operating Performances This set of ratio link income statement line items with sales. These basically measures profit margins in different forms. Gross profit measures the relationship of cost and sales. Gross profit margin has maintained a steady well and increased from 37% in 2006 to 41% in 2007. The usual impact of 2007 boom is not very much apparent here.Then it maintained a steady level till 2010 of 40%. This is in line with industry average of 41%. Industry averages also doesn t show much variation over the 5 years. Operating profit margin was initially 9% in 2006 but improved to 14% in 2007 and maintained the level till 2010. Industry average has remained to a greater extent or less around 14% so compared to the industry company is doing fine and generating good returns. Net profit margin was 3. 67% but improved greatly in 2007 to 9. 05%. It has improved to 10. 46% in 2010. The industry average is around 9% according to which net profit margin of the company is satisfactory.Overall operating performance shows a good picture. Asset Utilization Ratios Asset utilization relates sales to different assets and their importance lies in the fact that they are important determinants of return on investment. Cash Turnover is the firms efficiency in its use of cash for generation of sales revenue. This ratio shows a volatile trend. The value in 2006 is 36 fell to 16 in 2007, rose to 57. 4 in 2008 and then maintained 13% to 15% from 2009 to 2010. This can be explain ed by rather volatile cash and bank balances portraying varying liquidity requirement each year.Accounts receivable dollar volume is an indicator of how many times company has collected its receivables in a year. This has increased steadily from 2006 to 2008 and shows a sharp rise in 2009 due to high sales and 31 in 2010. This is almost in line with industry average which is 35. this shows that the company is not having any significant problem in receivable collection. Inventory turnover is steady over the years from 2. 74 to 3. 56 in 2010. It shows that how many times inventory is sold during the year. This is in line with industry average.It may seem quite low but seasonality has a big factor in shoe business as business peaks when season changes but after that it slackens until the side by side(p) change. Working capital turnover is high in 2006 and 2007 but falls in 2008 till 2010. Still they isnt any significant difference between industry average and the companys average. Pro perty Plant and equipment turnover maintains a steady growth profile from 9. 72 in 2006 to 13. 73 in 2010. Industry average is also steady around 12 so that show good results. Total asset turnover varies around 2 but is steady same as the industry average. Market MeasuresPrice to earnings ratio shows that how much investor is willing to pay per rupee of the profits. It was 8. 90 in 2006 but rose to 10. 23 in 2007, rose steadily in 2008 and 2009 and rose to 17% in 2010. This increase is attributed both to increasing commercialize share price and rising earnings per share. This too is more or less around industry average and rose above industry average in 2010. Earnings yield is the reciprocal of price to earnings. It shows the percentage of each rupee invested in stock that was earned by the company. They dipped in 2007 to 2009 but then rose above industry average in 2010.Dividend yield shows how much a company pays in dividends relative to its share price. Dividend yield is not ste ady but 4. 24% in 2010. This means that the dividends are not stable but they are demonstrate growth rather than decline and has risen significantly from Rs1. 50 per share in 2004 to Rs 12 per share in 2009. Dividend Payout Rate basically shows the percentage of earnings paid to the shareholders. This ratio is quite high supporting the same growth in dividends. This ratio increased considerably to 27% in 2006 but then EPS rose significantly because of which the ratio fell to 10%.This is also in line with industry average of around 10%. Price to book value of the share has increased over time significantly indication high growth in the market value of the stock. But if we look at industry average they are also quite high showing the trend in the industry of increasing stock prices. Overall the companys stock is performing well in the market and also its dividend policy is investor friendly and ensures high and stable returns as compared to the industry in which dividends are not ver y common and that too every year. Bata also gave interim dividends in 2006 in addition to the usual annual dividends.Du Pont Analysis Return on common equity is disaggregated into its component to have a better look at what drives this return on common equity. Return on common equity was 13. 57% in 2005 then increased sharply in 2007 to 42. 94% then falling to 39%, 34% and 37% in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. The good economic conditions in 2007 were efficiently utilized by the company. It is disaggregated in profit margin, asset turnover and leverage. Profit margin is basically net income divided by sales or net income as a percentage of sales. It measures how much a company keeps out of sales revenue as earnings.Both net income and sales of the company has increased over time. The ratio increased significantly in 2007 and after that maintained same level of around 9% which rose to 10% in 2010. Then sales divided by average assets shows a steady trend over the years which show companys ability to generate revenues from investment. This means that the growth of sales and although higher than growth in assets but still the increase is more or less pro mete outate. Average assets over equity fall in 2007 and then maintain same level till 2010. It tells how much assets are owned by the company and how much are leveraged.A low ratio indicates that the company is strong and relies more heavily on equity rather than debt. So we can say that Net income over sales or profit margins are driving the return on common equity. This points towards the strength of the company that is a stable growth in sales and also a stable growth in net income that is ensuring good returns to the shareholders. normal size Balance Sheet vulgar size balance sheet means all components of balance sheets as a percentage of total assets. We will start with the analysis of current assets. In this company current assets form a major part of the total assets.In 2005, they were 74. 66% of tot al assets, varied slightly till 2008, increased to 78. 68% in 2009 and then 82. 82% in 2010. This is a good sign but it can be an indicator of deficient investment in long term assets or property plant and equipment. In current assets, inventory and accounts receivables form the major component of total assets. Inventory was 44. 45% in 2005, increased to 50% in 2006, decreased to 41% in 2007, increased to 55. 97% in 2008 then started to decline till 36. 56% in 2010. Stock in trade and stores and spares determine total amount of inventory.High value of inventory may be inherent to this type of business as seasonal changes induce sales and hence inventory to sale out but in any case high inventory are required to be maintained. Next major component is account receivables or trade debt which shows the good credit policy of the company as receivables have significantly decreased over the years from 23. 27% in 2005 to 0. 53% in 2010 indicating majority of sales are in cash that solves ma ny problems. A steady level of cash is being maintained showing slight dips in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Cash is 13% of total assets in 2010.This shows that liquidity position is very strong but it can also means that company may be holding idle cash that can be invested somewhere to generate returns. Non Current assets form a small portion of total assets which means that the company is not very ambitious and doesnt involve in expansionary operations. In 2005 they were 25% of total assets whereas they have fallen to 17. 18% in 2010. in long term assets only property plant and equipment noteworthy and constitute almost all noncurrent assets. They have declined in conjunction with total noncurrent assets.Total equity as percentage of total equity and liabilities has increased over the years. In 2005 it was 45. 278%, showed a slightly downward trend in 2006 and 2007 but rises from 63% to 65% from 2008 to 2010. It shows that company is using more equity support as compared to debt financin g. Even in debt financing, current liabilities form a higher percentage of total liabilities and equity. It was 48% in 2005, showed a significant decrease in 2008 and then 31% in 2010. It shows that the even in liabilities the company prefers to finance its assets with current liabilities and trade payables in current liabilities.Provision for taxation has shown significant increase from 0. 24% IN 2005 to 7. 47% in 2010. The major increase was from 2009 to 2010. Noncurrent liabilities form a small portion of total liabilities and equity. It was 6. 47% in 2005 and decreased to 3. 23% in 2010. This also indicates that the company is matching its current and noncurrent assets with current and noncurrent liabilities so that there is no liquidity or solvency problem. Common size balance sheet shows good financial health of the company. Common size Income Statement Analysis Common size income statement measures all income statement components as a percentage of net sales.Cost of goods sol d is a major component of net sales but it hasnt increased significantly over time showing company is employing good cost minimization measures. It was 63% in 2006 then decreased till 57. 62% in 2008 then increased slightly to 60% in 2010. Managing costs is not creating problems for the country. Gross profit as a percentage of sales the opposite trend of cost increases till 2008 then falls to 40% in 2010. This is a reasonable percentage of gross profit. Interest expense of the company is very low so there remains a bigger chunk for the shareholders.Next major component is operating expenses which is the only significant expense due to the requirement of maintain international standard outlets throughout the company and hiring specialized staff. But operating expenses has shown decrease over time from 29% in 2005 to 24. 80% in 2010 with slight variation in between. Profit before taxation has shown good improvement over time. It increased from 5. 05% in 2005 to 14. 27% in 2010 with a steady increase over the year. Profit after taxation has increased over the years which is also a good sign. It was 3. 03% in 2005. there was a significant increase in 2007 due to favorable economic conditions and then that level was maintained with slight increases over the years ultimately 10. 46% in 2010. Common size income statement shows that the companys profit and loss account is in good health. Balance Sheet Horizontal Analysis ( yr over family Analysis) This analysis is useful in tracking the trends of different components of balance sheet over the years and then analyze those trends. Starting with current assets, from 2005 to 2006 current assets showed a slight decrease of 0. 51%.Within current assets the major assets of the company that is account receivables and inventory decreased by large percentages whereas cash and loans showed increases. This fall in current assets may not be harmful as it may pertain to inventory sale out or realization of accounts receivables. A fter that there is a consistent increasing trend. From 2006 to 2007, current assets increased by 37. 87% because all major assets showed increase. They dipped slightly from 2007 to 2008 but gained paced later. From 2009 to 2010 they increased by 43. 58% with different components showings different inconsistent trends.Noncurrent assets increased from 2005 to 2006 by 15. 82% and kept increasing each year at an increasing rate. The trend was broken in 2008 to 2009 when the increase was only 4. 49%. Property plant and equipment shows an increasing trend till 2008. After that they are increasing but at a much lower rate. Largest increase was in 2007 to 2008 of 33% indicating expansionary phase of the company. Total equity is increasing over the years at an increasing rate. From 2005-2006 it increased by 12. 84% but in the next year it increased by 39. 49% and showing a major increase from 2008 to 2009 of 47. 5%. This is a favorable trend showing that the shareholders are putting n more a nd more equity and less and less debt. Current liabilities show an inconsistent trend sometime decreasing and some time decreasing. Only significant current liabilities are provisions for taxation which show significant increases over the year. Noncurrent liabilities show an increasing trend over the years but by a small amount. The overall trend is inconsistent but not unfavorable. Income Statement Horizontal Analysis (Year over Year Analysis) Net sales show a reasonable trend.From 2005 to 2006 net sales increased by 17. 54% but the rate almost double next year when net sales increased by 32. 60% as compared to previous year. This again is the result of boom year of 2007. The rate fell to 29% next year but maintained its pace. This shows that growth of sales is healthy. Cost of goods sold increases at same rate over the years as the net sales with a slight variation. Gross profit has peaked from 2006 to 2007 at an increase of 47% and then the rate normalizes. The achievement of the company lies in the fact that gross profits have increased steadily over the years.The next important item is the operating expenses that increased over the years but the company managed to decrease the rate from 28. 09% to 16. 04 in 2009 to 2010. Operating profits have shown positive increase from year over year. From 2006 to 2007, operating profits increased by 133. 98% again showing effects of favorable economic conditions of the economy. Provisions for taxation have increased at an increasing rate over the years. Profit after taxation shows the same trend. From 2006 to 2007, profit after taxation increased by 227% which shows great performance.After that rate increase lowers down significantly but rises again from 2009 to 2010 when profit after tax increases by 48. 81%. The overall year over trend is quite favorable with no major setbacks in different measures of profit such as gross profit, profit before tax and profit after tax. Statement of Changes in Equity Statement of cha nges in equity also shows favorable trends. From 2006 to 2007 total equity increases by 39. 49% which is again owing to economic conditions but the good thing about the company is that they profited by this big push and maintained and even improved same levels.From 2007 to 2008 equity increased by 47. 55%. It increased by 36. 57% next year and finally increased by 39. 81% from 2009 to 2010. Dividends also show healthy growth over the years showing consistent dividend policy of the company. Cash Flow Analysis Company is generating enough cash flows from operating activities to cover its investing and financing activities. In 2005 net cash flows were access out to be negative but combined with previous cash flows the end result was still positive. From 2006 onwards the amount became positive and showed a major increase.There is a major decrease in cash flows in 2008 because of very low cash generation from operation indicating some problem in realization of receivables or sale out of inventories. There is also an increase in loss on net change in assets and liabilities and income tax paid. But the latest year of 2010 shows a favorable situation. ontogeny of cash flows over the years is very inconsistent. From 2005 to 2006, cash flow from operating activities is increasing by 2584. 57% which is a huge amount. Then from 2006 to 2007, cash flows from operating activities fell by 2. 5% and fell by 80% next year. Then there is a big increase from 2008 to 2009 of 1159. 73% and a fall of 48% from 2009 to 2010. Cash flow from investing activities shows same volatile trend but on average it is positive or increasing. Cash flow from financing activities decrease at a decreasing rate till 2007 to 2008. Later it increased by 300% from 2008-09 and also from 2009-10 by 49%. Total cash flows are also increasing from year to year but from 2006 to 2007, they are showing a decrease of 64%. So the only problem in the statement is the inconsistency of cash flows.Economic Value Ad ded Economic value added is the true economic profit of the business for the year and it is very different from the accounting profit. Its basically net operating profit after tax minus weighted average cost of capital into capital invested, where capital invested is working capital positive fixed assets. Economic value added deducts cost of all charges including equity which is basically opportunity cost of the invested equity capital. This basically measures the amount that the firm has added to shareholders value.Because of the way EVA accounts for the equity it is a better measure to decide upon corporate goals of the company and determining performance of the management. This number is positive for the company and also showing year over year growth. From 2006 to 2007 it is showing a growth of 227. 48%. As capital invested increased, NOPAT also increased. Company Valuation One of the most important task when analyzing a company is to gauge whether the current market price of th e companys stock shows intrinsic value of the stock or whether it is overvalued or undervalued.The first step is the unhurriedness of weighted average cost of capital or WACC. For Bata Pakistan, WACC is calculated to be 13. 83%. Next step is to apply different techniques for determining the rate at which the company is growing. The average growth rate of sales is coming out to be 26. 89%. The average growth rate of dividends is coming out to be 60. 33% which is abnormally high due to extreme determine and sharp increases in the amount of dividends paid. The last technique is that of conniving growth of free cash flows.The free cash flow is basically the amount available to the shareholders after deducting all charges. Values of free cash flows is coming out to be positive but again the average growth rate is coming to be 88. 22% which is also due to extreme values attributed to uneven and inconsistent growth in the operating cash flows used in the calculation of free cash flows. So we didnt apply the dividend growth model. In any case WACC is coming out to be less than growth rate so we used free cash flow to equity model and assumed an average growth rate of 12% for the sake of simplicity.The intrinsic value of the company is coming out to be 639. 08. The stock price on 31st Dec 2010 was 660. The stock seems to be slightly overvalued but this amount is not significantly different and can easily be attributed to calculation mistakes. Recommendations * The company seems to be performing satisfactorily overall as it is making significant yearly profits. * It has sound credit and dividend policy and managing its inventory effectively. * Cash flows are inconsistent but that is not creating significant problems for the company. The company has the potential to expand if it increases its investment in long term assets. It basically means that the company necessitate to be a bit less conservative. * The previous points follow to the fact that going for a certain percentage of debt financing may open new opportunities for the companies. * Based on the analysis and valuation, we can positively say that even if the stock is slightly overvalued it is a good buy and a good hold for those who already have it. The stock price is not very volatile. The company is growing but still it has the potential to grow further or maintain its growth nothing less.Apart from intrinsic value, its dividend policy is very attractive and ensures good return for its shareholders. References Wild, J. & Subramanyam, K. (2008). Financial Statement Analysis (10th ed. ). McGraw-Hill Brigham, E. & Houstan, J. (2003). Fundamentals of Financial Management (10th ed. ). randomness Western Publisher Arifeen, S. (2010). Financial Statement Analysis of Companies Listed at Karachi Stock Exchange (2005-2010). State Bank of Pakistan, Statistics and DWH Department www. kse. com. pk www. investopedia. com www. lse. com. pk

Web Browser

Google optimise code by compressing the code. Browser find oneselfion detect which mutation of browser user is using to adjust viewing settings Security issues? Tested? Wc3. org GPI apps ie libreoffce Elearning per adjustment Help email/telephone Dl unit 20 Explore how web pages using scripts are implemented in different web browsers Various versions of browsers require specific scripts because the older browsers will postulate to use the older scripts as they are not designed to run on the later browsers owever, all scripts will run on all browsers so there is not a problem with the type of script but more the version.To help try to counter this problem the developer can include varied versions of the scripts in comments so that the webpage will load on both old and new browsers. The comments will provide a way to hide the code so that there is less confusion. The comments will need to be removed though if the user updates their browser to a newer version as they will need t o hear what is in the comments rather than what isnt. This is an effective way of providing support for multiple versions of browsers without having to rewrite the code repeatedly as you can Just change the comments to change the version of the script to what the browser supports.Older browsers are more likely to render pop up messages whereas the newer versions will use data validation to check information. The older version forced the user to make a simple choice (usually selecting an option using boxes or radio buttons), this was an effective method to make sure that the nformation that was input signal was valid, it may not be true as the user may have selected the wrong box by mistake, but it did limit the chance of a mistake being made as they didnt have to spell anything.When compared to nowadays where we use validation rules to check that the data that the user has input is this gives the illusion that the user has been given more control over what is input however, they s till have to match the criteria so that the data that they use is valid. Newer browsers lso have navigation features like the anchor, which is apply to direct the user to a specific part of the page when clicked.These can be good when the user is reading a long document (i. e. a manual) and they want to skip to a certain part, using an anchor they could Jump to the page that they are looking for without having to skip past it. Google optimises their code so that it is loaded so that it can be uploaded faster so the user will be able to view the webpage faster. Web Browser By themavryan

Critical and Creative Thinking Of Law Essay

Ever been stuck on that one level of Candy Crush and can no seem to initiate past it? Then, to make things worse, you greenback all the other players on levels 254, 386, or some other out(p)rageous level, while you expect been stuck on level 46 for months. How on earth atomic number 18 these pot so talented and smart? The answer is simple. It is called critical and fanciful sentiment. captious and creative view be two methods used to formulate a genuine response to a bit, which the decision could affect the future. This article identifies how important critical and creative cerebration is in the hands of a judge, the char answereristics of both persuasion processes, and how it malarkeys to higher intellectual mooting and decision making.Experience in Critical and originative thinkingEvery person is typed with a point in their life when they are left with no other means of a decision rather than to critically and creatively think about the situation. Many people use these types of thinking techniques on an everyday basis, while others may just live on the edge. According to James, N., Hughes, C., & Cappa, C (2010), Within the discipline of law, critical thinking is frequently emphasized but often defined with a lack of precision or non at all (P. 287). James, Hughes, and Cappa identify the process of jural critical thinking, also known as CLT, below reference 1 The judgement of specific claims and arguments (including claims about the law and legal arguments) according to the criteria of accuracy and logic.Type 2 The judgement of disciplinary knowledge (including legal doctrine, legal rules and legal processes) according to the criteria of consistency with theoretical and ideological standards (including jurisprudential and liberal standards).Type 3 The judgement of norms, decisions and processes (including laws, legal decisions and legal processes) according to the criterion of equity of outcome. (2010).In The Mind of a JudgeWhen people do not weigh the positives and negatives of the actions they are about to perform, the consequences could result in a criminal record. Think of one person that has never broken the law. Any luck? Most likely, the answer is no. Lets be honest it is illegal to remove those ridiculous caution stickers that come on just about anything you purchase. On another note, not all people use their common sense on what will happen if you stick a fork in a toaster or drop a hair dryer in the bathtub full of water.The point is if one does not use critical thinking before they act the consequences could be a lot bigger than anyone may wish for. The cost of something that seems as little as a speeding ticket could always lead to the unexpected. Imagine role-playing a judicial position for a day. At first, it appears to be a piece of cake. Here is this giant book of rules and if you break them, you will get whichever consequence the book says. It is not quite that simple.Decision process.After the firs t few months on the joke as the judges administrative assistant, a very difficult case came up that dealt with a past relationship between a man and a woman and a sexual disgrace case. The case left the judge and I puzzled and not sure on the verdict. He called for a recess, and we took a little while to discuss the constitution of the situation. Not only did we use critical thinking, but also, creative thinking. We took out a piece of paper and step-by-step we went through the evidence to clarify how the drool lines up. Then, we viewed the perspectives of both sides and the problems of possible scenarios. This was a very difficult situation because both of us knew the man that was being accused of the crime. After we finished laying out the steps of our critical thinking process, we then moved forward to our creative state of mind.How would the outcome of our decision affect others? What will be accomplished in our decision-making? What behavioral patterns will be eliminated? A fter, writing out all of the details to both sides of the story and examining possible motives, weconcluded that the defendant was not guilty. There was not enough evidence to prove the defendant guilty and the story of the victim did not add up. The pressure of making these paramount decisions is not a job anyone should wish for.Any wrong decision could affect the life of another individual, or worse, to a greater extent than one person. This is only one prime example why critical and creative thinking is an important factor in an effective decision-making process. The critical and creative thinking essential be used by those who have the power to determine whether or not an individual is guilty or not guilty and how the guilty will pay for the consequences they brought upon themselves.Critical and Creative Thinking CharacteristicsWith the variety of everyday challenges that may spontaneously occur, critical and creative thinking is a wise choice in the decision-making process for those important choices that must be made. Learning the characteristics of both thinking processes is vital in understanding how to practice critical and creative thinking effectively. Some of the characteristics of each will be discussed below.Critical thinking.The unbiased study and evaluation of a situation used to form a decision sums up the definition of critical thinking. Some characteristics that identify the lucidness of critical thinking are as follows 1) thinking that evolves to an accurate, precise, and depth decision, 2) thinking that develops higher intellectual traits, 3) thought that helps the thinker recognize the fundamentals of thought that populate in every problem, and 4) thinking involves the answering of questions before the decision is made. These are just a few characteristics to consider when using critical thinking. To effectively stick to this thought process one must be able logically to connect the fundamentals of each problem (Rusbult, 2008).Creativ e thinking.According to NC severalise University, creative thinking is, the generation of new ideas within or across domains of knowledge, drawing upon or intentionally breaking with established symbolic rules and procedures. It usually involves the behaviors of preparation, incubation, insight, evaluation, elaboration, and communication (2014). Creative thinkers obtain a sum of common characteristics. Each thinker must contain a solidconscious of self-adequacy and are keen on taking risks. We often refer to these as risk takers rather than critical thinkers, but both can be used in specific problem solving. analysis of Intellectual ThinkingIn conclusion, not every important decision in life can be made by critical thinking but are better off using creative thinking to solve the problem. How would you feel if you were in a life or death situation in the hands of a doctor and they decided to kick back for a little to assess the situation, define possible negativities and outcomes a nd then compare and parentage them with the positives? You may not be here. Some decisions in life are best prepared based on creative thinking. However, if one practices critical thinking often, the intellectual ability to make bigger and wiser choices will develop. These abilities will help the creative state of mind become more natural and easier.Hence, why it was more difficult for me to determine the verdict of the trial earlier. Critical and creative thinking requires a higher intellectual ability and confidence. In order to posses these skills, one must be able to ignore the natural instinct to protect your personal beliefs. Anyone could be incorrect critical and creative thinkers need to be ready to face that possibility. After the knowledge of critical and creative thinking, your intellectual thoughts will thicken and create your own knowledge of the world. Rather than seeking the thoughts of others and their assumptions, your brain will domiciliate you with the proper kn owledgeable toolkit to make your own conclusions based on the information provided.ReferencesJames, N., Hughes, C., & Cappa, C. (2010). Conceptualising, developing and assessing critical thinking in law. Teaching In Higher Education, 15(3), 285-297.NC State Univeristy. (2014). Critical and Creative Thinking Definitions. Adapted from John Dewey Richard Paul and Lind Elder Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and M.A. Rosenman and J. S. Gero. Retrieved from http//accreditation.ncsu.edu/critical-creative-thinking-definitions.Rusbult, C. (December 2008). Critical Thinking Skills In Education and Life. The American Scientific Affiliation. Retrieved from http//www.asa3.org/ASA/education/think/critical.htmcritical-thinking

Effects of Shopping Addiction

Effects of Shopping Addiction Shopping is a necessary part of life. We shop for food, clothing, cars, homes, or anything that may be a necessity to survive. If shopping is necessary, how eject it as well be an addiction? The answer is the same as with other addictions. According to Wikipedia, addiction is the continued use up of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse dependency consequences or a neurological impairment die harding to such behaviors. Oniomania, which is a Greek word meaning for sale is the technical term for the compulsive desire to shop, more commonly referred to as shopping addiction.Shopping addiction may be considered an impulse control disorder, an obsessive compulsive disorder, a bipolar disorder, or even a clinical addiction. Due to recent research it is now macrocosm compared to alcoholism, eating disorders and drug abuse. There is growing evidence that it is a significant and worsening problem with serious consequences both emotional and f iscal. Shopping addiction is initially triggered by a mild need to feel special and less lonely. The failure of excessive shopping to actually fulfill these needs often lead to a vicious cycle of escalation.This then causes the person to experience the highs and lows associated with other addictions. The high of the shopping may be followed by a sense of disappointment, and of guilt, precipitate a further cycle of impulse buying in the quest for a sense of special identity. Now that the addicted person is increasingly trace negative emotions like anger and stress, they attempt to self medicate through further shopping, followed again by regret or depression once they pass off home, which leads to an urge for another shopping spree.This person is now an addict and shopping is the drug of choice. The consequences of shopping addiction can be devastating, with marriages, longterm relationships, and jobs. Other consequences are financial which can include ruined credit history, theft and bankruptcy or extreme debt. The emotional cases range from anxiety due to stress that can also conduce to physical health problems and ruined relationships, or even suicide. Research has shown that compulsive shoppers and spenders also suffer from mood disorders, substance abuse or eating disorders.According to Elizabeth Hartney, People with compulsive shopping addiction often have concurrent substance and or behavioral addiction problems, or cross everyplace to other addictions at some point in their lives. Studies show that alcohol problems occur in 28% to 46% of compulsive buyers other substance use disorders occur in 13% to 20% of compulsive shoppers paraphilias and sex addictions occur in 10% to 13% of compulsive shoppers and pathological gambling occurs in 5% to 20% of compulsive shoppers. Impairment in relationships may occur as a result of excessive spending and efforts to cover up debt or purchases. Persons who rent in compulsive shopping or spending may become pre-o ccupied with that behavior and spend less and less time with important muckle in their lives. It is also common for an addict to begin lying and hiding their purchases from their family and keeping their spending to themselves. Relationships often suffer as friends are not repaid, spouses and family members are not repaid, and necessary home bills can not be paid.Family members do without because of the shopping addicts out of control use of money, which in turn puts a strain on their relationship. The trust between the addict and members of the family is often lost and this causes the addict to exclude themselves which increases the urge to fulfill the void. The anxiety or depression experienced may result in the interference of work and other social activity. Financial problems may occur if money is burrowed or there is excessive use of credit to yield purchases. Most addicts find themselves in deep financial debt due to compulsive spending.They then are put into situations wher e there debt has become overwhelming and put them in dire restraints, leaving them unable(p) to pay off bank loans, school fees, mortgages and other overhead costs. Many addicts lose their jobs due to the fact that they are unable to fulfill their duties. In the case of a shopping addict, they may steal from their employer which results in them being fired. Shopping addiction can also have an effect on students. If a student is suffering from shopping addiction, their level of concentration decreases and their grades suffer.The student becomes less motivated because they become fixated on their addiction to shop. There is also the risk of the student stealing from classmates or school property to support their addiction. This in turn can tarnish friendships and result in the student beseeming expelled from school. According to Andrea Allen, The creation of a condition such as compulsive buying might be associated with controversy and criticized by some as creating a trivial disord er medicalizing a clean-living problem or creating a new disorder in order to sell more pharmaceuticals. Many people still classify compulsive shopping to not be an addiction which makes it a controversial topic. Some think it is an excuse for people to label their moral problem as a disorder. Some think that doctors may be trying to make it a medical disorder to sell medication to consumers believed to be suffering from such a disorder. Truth is almost anything can become an addiction, once it is something that gives you a physical or mental high and you become open on that feeling to fill voids and function from day to day.

Short Story: The Desert

Alex ..Alex Where are you? roared Mike running around the desert. He heard loud footsteps coming towards him, they were getting closer closer but in front he could turn around and get a glimpse of the person, he found his legs running again He ran rapidly. In spite of his efforts, the stranger got fancy of Mike. Leave me alone, please, I didnt do anything yelled Mike, who was breathless. Finally, the stranger spoke Its me Alex, get a grip on yourself. Why were you running like a stormy cheetah? With grief, Mike spoke Oh Alex..I thought it was Before he could finish, they hugged each other.Mikes small, pale blue eyes were filled with tears, which were gradually coming out. Besides, Mikes condition was so bad that even Alexs exceptional sense of humour did not even cheer Mike up. Then, Alex said Come on Alex, lets go for a perambulation in a weary tone.The lonely brothers were lingering through the boiling desert. Mike was sweltering, particularly his feet, which were crammed in re eking white socks. Ingeniously, as if he had have Mikes mind, he stepped in front of him, with his shimmering, new shoes. Alexs healthy and built-up body managed to give his little, unfortunate brother some shade. Mike, who was highly exasperated, started bickering to himself. A lust of bastard got into Alexs eyes. As he raised his sweating long arms, his wristwatch was reflecting rays off light frustrated he cleared the dirt from his eyes. From a far distance, the twin-like brothers scratchy a massive tree filled with dead leaves.Finally, they got some rest. As they sat down, a bunch of starving vultures were hovering around the sky. Mike was wearing a thick pair of glasses, a tucked shirt, with a tomato red tie and casual pants. Whilst, Alex wore a sports top, low-waist jeans and shoes which were untied. It seems as if they come from cardinal incompatible worlds however, they were brothers and did have similarities.The two ill-fated brothers were stuck in the middle of the Sa hara Desert. The sun had started to set. It was getting dark, and Mike started to panic. Weird sounds of howling were coming and so were grumbling noises came from their empty stomachs. Alex, who was extremely arid, started licking his sticky, sweating palms.It was midnight, and by now, both the brothers were creeped out and the small brother was so scared, he hugged his elder brother. His two pale arms flung around Alexs back. The two brothers could feel the warmth, although thus peaceful moment didnt last long. BANG An extremely loud sound was heard. It seemed as if the sun was shot down into a gazillion microscopic pieces.Mikes heart pounded so loud that Alex could hear it drumming in his chest. An owl hooted closeby and Mike was sure he could see the glimmer of ghostly nocturnal eyes emerging into the night. Wild animals were approaching them hungrily tonight Alex and Mike would be dinner unless they acted quickly. Mike turned to Alex and said What are they frightened of? What back end keep them away?Fire said Alex, we must light a fire now, its our only chance.Alex had been a boy scout and he suddenly matt-up thankful for all those cold and damp camping trips, his parents had made him take. Without wasting a single second, Alex told Mike how to make a fire and both brothers self-collected the materials together. The flint they found would not light, but all of a sudden a spark ignited and the embers of a fire began to flicker. The dry wood started to burning rigorously and scared the hungry creatures away.It was only then that Mike saw the stranger approaching through the campfire smoke.