Pros and cons of working at home Essay

Many people work at home using modern technology today. Some people think only the worker benefit from this, not the employers. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Essay: Technology is rapidly changing everything in the world, including the way people work. Working at home, as a new mode of work enabled by internet and multimedia technologies, is getting increasingly popular in some industries, especially the burgeoning IT sector. However, people have differing views on this new work mode. For example, it is believed that it only benefits employees, rather than the employers. I tend to agree with this view to large degree.Among all the differing views people have on this new work mode, I’m very inclined to the view that it only benefits employees, rather than employers. Apparently, by no means can the benefits of working at home for employees cannot be denied. To start with, nothing can be more comfortable and relaxing than working in their one’s own homes which are the most familiar environment to them. They He even can even settle back in their his soft sofa in his living halls, and drink have their his favouritefavorite drinks, or even enjoy an exciting action movie while working on their laptops. In addition, they an employee also havecould have much time to spend with their his family if theyhe could do his work at home. This new mode of work might be the most effective remedy for many family problems that are caused by the lack of time to be with family.They even can have meals with spouse and kids or see them anytime they like. Furthermore, an employ working at home could be saved working at home can save employees much expense and time that would spent on their way to and from work every day. However, what is unfair to employers is that they can hardly benefit from this new work mode, except that some overhead, like office rent and water/electricity bills, can be saved. The most unfavourable worrying problem of this new mode has to do with team building. A lack of face-to-face communication between team members employees that work at their own homesdue to their different locations, can could essentially undermine the team spirit and also is also likely to cause problemscreate barriers for in collaboration and cooperation between them team members. Similarly, it also could set intangible obstacle hurdles to team managers in their day-to-day team management, for it. It will bewould be rather difficult for mangers to supervise employees and monitor their performance. In  conclusion, although technology makes working at home mode possible, the only one beneficiary of this advancement is the employees. What employers and manager can get from it is will be nothing but troubles in the end.

Microeconomics about Fresh Water Supply Essay

Scarcity of fresh water is emerging as the most critical resource issue which world is facing in recent years. The signs of a shrinking water supply can be seen worldwide. Many restaurants no longer provide a free glass of water to diners and cities restrict its use for private pools and gardens. The supply of fresh water is limited, but with the increase in population, the demand of water increases rapidly. We use water faster from our resources than it can be replaced. This paper will discuss the issues regarding fresh water supply in the future with the already shrinking resources and fast growing world population, pollution of major water resources, impact of climate changes and longer drought seasons etc. The major factor of increasing water usage is the faster growth of world’s population. Demand for water is also rising due to increase in economic activities, urbanization and people’s lifestyles. Moreover, increasing population is shrinking the supply of water. Despite the fact that 75 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 2. 5 percent of it is fresh water, and three-quarters of that is locked up in the form of glaciers and ice caps in polar areas, where human reach is nearly impossible. Only 0. 3 percent of the water is surface water, found in rivers and lakes. The rest is buried deep in the ground. (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001) The root cause of current global water crisis, especially in the third world countries, is population and there is a serious need to meet this crisis with modern techniques of water management. In the age of population explosion, more water is required for irrigation and we need to develop a sound planning to utilize water resources. Water scarcity has become a greater concern at present as people were facing shortage of water. Because of overpopulation, mass consumption, misuse, and water pollution, the availability of drinking water per capita is inadequate and shrinking. Because of population growth – coupled with industrialization and urbanization – will result in an increasing demand for water and will have serious consequences on the environment. The connection of Fresh Water and population is much closed, increase in population, urbanization affect the quality and availability of water resources. Also, population growth enhances the demand of fresh water for agriculture use, and house hold consumption. Scares and contaminated water supply also cause health problems. The shortage of water may arises political conflicts among countries, the example is India and Pakistan, both of them shares two or more rivers the India have advantage because he uses upstream water and the left is for Pakistan’s use. But they are not satisfied with all this, and try to get more and more by agreements and table talks. Some times it seems that they both are ready to fight for water, this type of situation is dangerous for the economy of both countries. (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001) Water is a strategic resource in the globe and an important element in many political conflicts. Some have predicted that clean water will become the â€Å"next oil†, making Canada, with this resource in abundance, possibly the richest country in the world. The Middle East region has only 1 percent of the world’s available fresh water, which is shared among 5 percent of the world’s population. Thus, in this region, water is an important strategic resource. By 2025, it is predicted that the countries of the Arabian Peninsula will be using more than double the amount of water naturally available to them. Jordan, for example, has little water, and dams in other countries have reduced its available water sources over the years. Other dispute on water is on river Gangus between India and Bangladesh. India controls the flow to Bangladesh. The two countries have now signed an agreement to use the water of Gangus River equally to prevent further conflicts in future. (Water Politics, 2008) As shortage of water increases by time to time, many countries of the world try to prevent this shortage by making laws and strategies for efficient use of water in house holds and industrial sectors. They attempt to make water reservoirs like dams and barrages to control the flow of water down stream and to fully utilize the river water and make it sure that not a single drop of water wastes. Dams are emerged as the major step which different governments take to overcome the crisis of water. There are at least 40,000 dams that are built to date in the world. (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001) Among these countries, India is the one, who increasingly rely on Dams to meet its water needs. The shortage of water may arises political conflicts among countries, the example is India and Pakistan, both of them uses 2 or more than 2 rivers the India have advantage of having the upstream water of all the major rivers which flow towards Pakistan. Thus there is a high probability of emergence of any new conflict over fresh water between these two countries. There are some other countries which have very little amount of fresh water within their boundaries, so they must use alternate way to get fresh water. They must resort to the conversion of sea water into fresh water to fulfill their needs, not to mention land locked countries. The process is known as Desalination. Without this process they are not able to support there population. The technology is very high energy consuming and is very expensive; it is beyond the reach of most poor countries which facing water shortage, like some countries of Africa. (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001) The major use of water is in Agriculture sector, industrial sector and by house holds. With the increase in population, the usage requirements are rise proportionally. Increase in population’s living standards, increases per capita water consumption. Increasing Agricultural and Industrial usage reflects improving in living standards. Agriculture Dominates global water use, accounting for 69 percent of all water withdrawals. Industry accounts for about 23 percent, followed by municipal consumption at 8 percent. (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001) In the coming years, population of world grows rapidly and the per capita consumption of water in coming years shrinks the world’s water resources, as a result the demand for water exceeds more than reserves to provide it. It is expected in future that a large number of countries facing water shortage due to exceeding demand of water. Water demand is also rises due to the growth of industrial usage, rising demand for household consumption and increasing use of water for irrigation to produce more food to feed rising population of world. Take United States of America as an example, while the average American in 1900 just consume 10 cubic meter of water per year for personal and household use, that figure had jumped by an average of 200 cubic meters a year. (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001) Most people in developing countries get their water from a public tap, community wells, rivers, lakes and rain water collected from ponds. As most of the developing countries become urban, people get their water from city water system. As we know that cities are ever growing larger and larger, their demand for water increases with the increase in population. Such growth of population puts pressure on city’s water reservoirs and most of them are unable to provide or fulfill that demand due to lack of resources. In Middle East, the amount of renewable water is declining due to increase in population. â€Å"The practice of heavily subsidizing water is costing Middle East governments dearly, both in terms of revenues and efficiency. Governments in the region, advised by water industry experts, are realizing that a fresh approach is required, one based on managing the region’s scarce water resources, rather than just reacting to uncontrollable consumer demand,† says Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman of MEED Events. (Mideast faces fresh water crisis, By Staff Writer on Sunday, March 16, 2008) Due to shrinking water supply in Dubai, last month, the Dubai and Water Authority increased the tariff of water and electricity. This was the first time; Dubai has increased the tariff since 1998. â€Å"Tariff increases are bound to be met with resistance, so a gradual approach may be the best way forward. Although the change will not apply to UAE nationals, the biggest consumers of water, it is a step in the right direction. Managing existing water assets better could go some way to reducing the need for new capacity,† O’Sullivan said. (Mideast faces fresh water crisis, By Staff Writer on Sunday, March 16, 2008) Another major cause of shrinking water supply is water pollution; it becomes a major problem for all the countries of world, developed countries in Europe and North America face problems due to water pollution. In many countries of world, especially in developing countries, lakes, rivers and streams are used as receptacles for an assortment of industrial wastes, including untreated and partially treated municipal sewage, industrial poisons, and dangerous chemicals that mix into surface and ground water during agricultural activities. Caught between scare and polluted supply of water, and rising demand from population and industrial sector, most of developing countries are facing difficulties to provide demanded amount of fresh and clean water (Hinrichsen & Tacio, 2001). As the World Bank has warned, lack of water is likely to be the major factor limiting economic development in the decades to come (Serageldin, 1995). More than half of the world’s rivers are now so polluted that they pose serious health risks. One-third of Africa’s people already endure conditions of water scarcity, and water supplies are in jeopardy in China, India, Japan, Spain, southern France, Australia, the southwestern U. S. and many other parts of Asia and Europe. Rapidly growing populations, ever-increasing pollution, desertification and falling water tables endanger a fragile, finite resource. Toxic chemicals are contaminating water, endangering the world’s most precious supplies of water. Toxic brew of pesticides, nitrogen fertilizers, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals is fouling water everywhere, and that the damage is often worst in the very places where people most need water. In the next 50 years, an additional 3 billion people are expected to inhabit the Earth, creating even more demand for water for drinking, irrigation, and industry. But we’re polluting our cheapest and most easily accessible supply of water. (Sampat, 2000) Distribution of Freshwater: One major issue that is likely to have a major impact on freshwater’s supply and demand in the years to come is that of distribution. Like many other natural resources, freshwater’s distribution around the globe is extremely uneven. Areas inhabiting less than one third of the world’s population currently receive more than 75% of the annual rainfall. With global warming rapidly changing the environmental outlook of the globe, this natural distribution of freshwater is likely to become even more uneven. In some regions, where freshwater is available in abundance or annual rainfall is moderate enough to meet the demands of the local population, lack of proper resources and infrastructure restricts access to the freshwater supply. For instance, in South Asia, rainfall is the major source of freshwater. However, above 80 percent of the rainwater runs off too quickly to be effectively utilized. A number of methods and processes have been developed over the years to preserve freshwater resources and to ensure that runoff from the rainfall doesn’t go wasted. Dams and desalination are the two most commonly used processes world over. It should however be noted that not all countries suffering from shortage of water supply have enough resources to properly develop or employ such methods for the preservation of freshwater supply. Freshwater Resources: The Microeconomic Perspective: From a microeconomic perspective, the cost of freshwater is likely to increase sharply as soon as the planet starts running out of resources. Decline in quality of available freshwater resources such as river or lakes, change in rainfall trends and drying up of glaciers are some of the many factors that will eventually lead to a decline in the supply of freshwater in different parts of the world. Demand, on the other hand, will continue to increase as a result of an increase in population, lifestyle changes and improvement in quality of life in developing economies. The result will be a shift in the supply curve. In simple terms the price for freshwater will shoot up in the long run. There will be severe economic as well as sociopolitical consequences of such a shift in the supply curve. Economies suffering from freshwater shortages are already facing challenges that directly impact their economic performance and social progress. The only way out of this disaster is broad and extensive collaborative initiatives by the world nations to ensure the fresh water supply in the future. There should be immediate measures to be taken to sort out and cope with the problem of pollution of fresh water resources, because it is the most fatal blow on our already shrinking resources. Comprehensive awareness programs should be launched in every part of the world on local community bases so that the individuals become aware of the danger they are about to face in the near future and be prepared for it. Deliberate misuse of water should be considered a crime and extensive punitive measures should be taken in order to curb deliberate misuse and pollution of water supplies and resources. The overall condition of fresh water supply gives a clear indication that in the near future the fresh water supply will not only will be reduced but it will also become costly and the consequences will be very harsh and brutal for poor people who are already deprived off clean water supply may be completely left without water supply in the future. If immediate measures are not taken there is a very high probability that fresh water will become a luxury of the elite only and the commoners will have to survive without it if they can survive. References Hirichsen, Don & Tacio, Henrylito, (2001) The Coming Fresh Water Crisis is Already Here, Wilson Center, Retrieved on 17th March 2008 http://www. wilsoncenter. org/topics/pubs/popwawa2. pdf Middle East Faces Fresh Water Crisis, (2008) Emirates Business 24/7, Retrieved on 18th March 2008 http://www. business247. ae/cs/article_show_mainh1_story. aspx? HeadlineID=3929 Sampat Payal, (2000) The Hidden Freshwater Crisis, World Watch Institute Retrieved on 18th March 2008. http://www. worldwatch. org/node/1684 Water Politics, (2008) Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 17th March 2008 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Water_politics#Water_as_a_critical_resource Saijel Kishan and Madelene Pearson, Bloomberg News Published: Monday, July 03 2006 http://www. canada. com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story. html? id=60e8a4c1-b733-4f96-a85c-d723c1f4e221&k=50181 http://www. business24-7. ae/cs/article_show_mainh1_story. aspx? HeadlineID=3929

Analytic Hierarchy Process in Operations Management

The project deals with the issue statement where the content is included about the target market, poor management, and lack of supervision by the managers and the supervisors, the focus is given on the profits of the company and the sales of the Custom Gear Inc. The problem the Custom Gear is experiencing is being stated in the project, which includes lack of the order size, lack of the future growth, inventory and the production management and many others. The actions that have been taken by Mr. Rhodes are narrated in the project. Inappropriate production process, inappropriate target market, poor management, poor control system, suppliers are not efficiently delivering raw materials and the profit earned by the Custom Gear is not adequate. Lack of the policy of the order size: Eastern gear has accepted a huge lot of the order size which is been seen in the exhibit 2 of the case study. It can be seen that in the order size 1 the total number of orders are taken are 80. In size 2, the number of orders is 53. In size 3 the number of orders are 69 and so on. On the other hand, President of the Eastern Gear has also taken decision to accept the huge orders from the customers. Lack of planning for growth: It appears that the company does not have any plan to expand their business in the future. This may be the reason and the company can face problems with respect to the cash flows, problems of capacity and other problems that are associated with the growth of the company. Inventory and production control: The expediting seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Twenty percent of the total orders have the rush tags on it. The processing time of the production has increased from two to four weeks, and there does not seem the production and inventory system are not in place. There are certain orders are being handled on the rush basis and that may be disruptive with the smooth flow of the production. Objectives that are followed in the operations: It is not clear that the operations should be focusing on the cost of the product, delivery and quality of the product and the flexibility. The focus should be laid down on the objectives of the operations. The order entry system is been flawed: The time is lost between the design that is desired by the customer is flawed because the order is taken by the James and therefore, is reviewed by the engineer. The problems that are faced by Mr. Rhodes are been divided into four parts: 1. Production process, 2. Target market, 3. Management, 4. Suppliers. In case these problems are resolved, the impact of these will be seen in the goodwill of the company. The sluggish production process of the Custom gear has caused problems related to the delays in the production, late deliveries and the poor quality of the product. The main problem of the production process of the custom gears is the standard job shop layout. Every workflow has the set of the processes. Depending on the operations, the materials flow from one work centre to another. The cycle below shows the path that the typical order will follow is: Taking into consideration the floor layout of the Custom gear, it can be taken into account that the work centre’s are not arranged into the correct order of the workflow. They can be said to be unstructured. To get rid of this problem the layout of the shop should be arranged in the following manner: The main target of the Custom Gear’s is the engineering research and the development laboratories or the manufacturers. These result in the number of the small number of the gears. Custom gear is losing the market share as it is targeting small manufacturers who order very small amount of the gears from the company. This results in the low sales and revenue for the company. In order to increase the sales as well as the profits of the Custom Gear should try and target the large companies that are in need of the more of the custom gears. Doing this Custom Gear does not have to find more of the customers because the profits gained from one company would be huge. The management issues that the Custom Gear is facing are the past due raw materials in the shop. The manager and the supervisor must take note of the inventory that is lying on the shop. The materials that have expired are mostly because of the errors that have been caused by the supervisor or the manager. In order to get rid of this problem the supervisor should take extra care while placing the orders with the suppliers and avoid wastage of the resources. The company has also recorded many lost orders. Therefore, in order to get rid of the problem the management should ensure that all the orders are properly documented this ensures that the files should not be missing and there exists no complaints from the customer’s side about the lost orders. The operation strategy is related to the product, process, method, quality, cost and scheduling. Moreover, like any other organization the Custom gear has the definite relation with the operations strategy: The design of the product should have a match between the operations management, finance department and the supply chain management and should look at the customers need. The methods take into account the process of transforming raw material into the finished products. The process considers the conversion of inputs into outputs. Therefore, these two process in closely linked to the process design. The process selection and the facility layout takes into account the implications of the supply chain management. A cost is the variable factor that affects the pricing and the profits of the organization. Organizations that have high degree of productivity in comparison with their competitors have a comparative cost advantage. Custom Gear must plan the schedule orders deliberately. The rush orders and the large orders should be made carefully. Operating resources are necessary for the personnel and material which is generally necessary to carry out the project. The examples of the operating resources are materials, machines, labor, tools, fixtures and many others. Custom Gear must complete the process of the operating resources. The above-mentioned analysis that is been done on the Custom Gear Inc. the lack of proper and efficient operational controls will bring adverse changes in the organization. The sluggish production process, selection of suppliers and objectives of the sales target, the poor layout of the job shop also slowed down the production process and created confusion. The Custom Gear should target the large-scale manufacturing companies where they can get huge orders and earn the maximum revenues out of it. The production process should be changed the quality of the products should be given maximum attention. The resources that are getting wasted should be given utmost importance by the supervisor and the managers. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. (2012).  Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Becker, J., Kugeler, M., & Rosemann, M. (Eds.). (2013).  Process management: a guide for the design of business processes. Springer Science & Business Media. Chang, J. F. (2016).  Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Davenport, T. H. (2013).  Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Harvard Business Press. Ferrell, O. C., & Hartline, M. (2012).  Marketing strategy, text and cases. Nelson Education. Fitzsimmons, J., & Fitzsimmons, M. (2013).  Service management: Operations, strategy, information technology. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Jeston, J., & Nelis, J. (2014).  Business process management. Routledge. Khanna, R. B. (2015).  Production and operations management. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P., & Malhotra, M. K. (2013).  Operations management: processes and supply chains. New York: Pearson. Subramanian, N., & Ramanathan, R. (2012). A review of applications of Analytic Hierarchy Process in operations management.  International Journal of Production Economics,  138(2), 215-241.

Church of Scientology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Church of Scientology - Essay Example The Church of Scientology International was established by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954. Groups connected with Scientology consist of Applied Scholastics, Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Concerned Businessmen of America, Hubbard Dianetics Centers, Narconon or Criminon, Religious Technology Center, Sterling Management Systems and The Way to Happiness Foundation. Issuing ventures include New Era Publications, Bridge Publications, Inc. and Freedom magazine. The Church of Scientology developed from the inspired mastermind of Lafayette Ronald Hubbard. He was born in 1911 and he spent a lot of his childhood on his grandfather's Montana farm while his parents served overseas in the U.S. Navy. Throughout the 1920's, Hubbard began to visit his parents in Asia, where he gained knowledge about Taoism, Buddhism and other eastern beliefs. Hubbard afterward developed a profession as a science fiction writer and declared to have traveled all around the world. He supposedly received near deadly injuries in World War II and developed his distinctive hypothesis of science and philosophy while curing. These findings were later exposed to the public in his book, Dianetics. In 1954, Hubbard constructed the Church of Scientology to support his thoughts and techniques as a religious group. His books and church reached globally, while Hubbard became an enigmatic recluse. He died in 1986, after spending the majority of his last years wandering around silently on his ship. (Jacob, 2003). The Sea Organization frequently known as Sea Org was established in 1967 by L. Ron Hubbard. Orgs, for example "Los Angeles Org", are semi-autonomous unions which staff themselves as they see fit. The Sea Org is a more devoted, more influential group inside Scientology which completely staffs the superior Orgs. The Advanced Organization of Los Angeles, for example, is teamed up by Sea Org members. Even as every Org implements rules and manages penalizing dealings in its own area of the bigger organization which is the CoS, Sea Org members grasp the uppermost jobs. The Sea Org is often characterized as the leaders of Scientology, equally in terms of control in the organization and devotion to the cause. Scientologists seeking to move forward within the organization are encouraged to unite the Sea Org, which occupies dedicating their full time to Scientology missions in exchange for meals, berthing and a so-called honorarium. Members sign a contract pledging their faithfulness to Scien tology for the next billion years, consigning their future life span to the Sea Org. The Sea Org's motto is the Revenimus. (William Sims Bainbridge, 1980). However, the Church of Scientology teaches that mankind is everlasting and celestial. Man is cool, calm and collected to three extents including soul or "thetan", mind "an accumulation of all experiences in multiple lives" and body "the temporary and physical dimension". God is an indistinct perception. Scientology describes the Supreme Being with phrases such as infinity and the all ness of all. Engrams are the unaware mental metaphors that we record in our imprudent mind that have negative causes on our present and future lives. They are studied from our past lives, prenatal incidents, early infancy and stop us from recognizing our godly nature plus experiencing a

The Federal Aid to Highway Act of 1956 Case Study

The Federal Aid to Highway Act of 1956 - Case Study Example The Act was an amendment of the earlier Act of 1916. It proposed a hike in the gas tax by one to two cents. With the help of this Act, interstate highway system was expanded from 1,600 km to 66,000 km. The conference committee of House Senate included several features of Fallon and Gore bill into the Act. The main idea behind this Act was to reduce the ever-increasing pressure of interstate traffics in surface transportation. This regulation provided the provisions of uniformity in the interstate highway design standards (Code of Federal Regulations, 2009, pp. 23-25). The regulation law was enacted for the larger interests of the US people and defense services. According to the Law, on the interstate highway speed limit of the vehicles is 80.5kmph in the mountain terrain. In case of flat terrain speed limit is 112.7 km per hour. During his tenure as an army person President Dwight D. Eisenhower realized that interstate highways of USA should be improved for providing better transport ation services to the citizens and the defense forces of the country. Impacts of the Federal Aid to Highway Act of 1956 were obvious. In the last 40 years population percentage of America increased by 70% and employment rate increased by 100%. Primary requirement of the increased population is superior transportation. Over the years the interstate high way system has become the work horse for the nation. The above data is clearly indicating that the law has impacted the transportation system of the country in a positive fashion. According to the data, highway system takes care of almost one fourth of total roadway traffic. The Act has made the lives easier for the American people. The highway system carries almost one trillion person miles  per year. The Act was revolutionary and the importance of the Act is increasing day by day. In case of intercity and rural logistic facilities the system is undoubtedly the best. According to a survey, 45% of country’s large trucks

ARGUMENTATIVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARGUMENTATIVE - Essay Example Recently a man took out a billboard saying his ex-girlfriend was a murderer for aborting his child. The man had no legal recourse to make his ex-girlfriend to carry his child to term. Fathers have no say in whether a child can be born or aborted. If a woman decides to have a child, the man is stuck paying child support. This is considered to be his responsibility for creating a child. Men that do not want a child cannot request for their mate to have an abortion. They are stuck with the child. It is considered that the man played he should pay. Women are not held to the same standard. If a woman plays, she can abort the child and not pay. This does not seem fair. Another aspect of this issue is because a woman can decide what to do with her body she can drink, take drugs, or have an unhealthy lifestyle. If a baby is born on crack, has birth a defect due to drugs or alcohol, or other problems, the man still has to pay. A man with a good job, health insurance, or money will have to fund the child for life. The woman’s decision will dictate the man’s finances and time without his input. The baby will also either go directly into the man’s custody or state custody. The man will have no choice in the matter. Birth defects can also be another issue. If a woman wants to abort a Down syndrome baby, a baby with heart problems, or other defects the man has no choice. However, if the woman decides to have the baby, the man once again has to pay. A woman choses whether or not to bring an afflicted baby into the world. One way to rectify this injustice is to allow men to have an input on abortions. This solution is not viable. The Supreme Court ruling in ‘Roe vs. Wade’ made clear that a woman’s body is her own. A man cannot force a woman to carry his child. This is not medieval times. A man having input into an abortion is not legal under the law. It probably would not become legal. This solution would not work. Another solution would be to

Asses the role and significance of the British Empire for the Essay

Asses the role and significance of the British Empire for the development of the nineteenth century international economy - Essay Example As compared with other powers that were not able to leverage an empire, or an empire of the sheer size and breadth/complexity and diverse peoples and markets as that which the United Kingdom had, were not nearly so competitive during this time. In such a way, these competitive powers help to show the level to which the United Kingdom’s dominance was nearly supreme. As a means of understanding this actuality, the reader should consider that the United Kingdom’s empire afforded it two extremely essential resources towards achieving and maintaining dominance within economics. These two factors were the markets which the existence of the empire afforded as well as the raw materials which the empire itself could supply. One might more broadly consider the degree of cheap and oftentimes free labor that the existence of the empire also provided as yet another key determinant in economic power and hegemony (Hagerman 2009, p. 345). As a function of this brief overview and analys is these three factors will be briefly considered and analyzed to help create the case that the existence of the empire and the economic power and strength that the United Kingdom was able to exhibit during the nineteenth century were mutually exclusive (Libecap et al 2011, p. 300). In short, without the empire, the power and dominance of the United Kingdom, both militarily, economically, and politically would not have been possible. Firstly, with regards to the raw resources that the empire afforded to the development of the British economy, with the lack of such an empire, the resources that the economy required would have been exponentially more expensive. Likewise, due to the fact that the mechanisms of resource extraction could take place throughout the British Empire and return these raw materials to the home island, finished products could then be developed and manufactured from these raw materials. By reducing the necessity to pay market prices for resources, something that any other economic power that did not retain an expansive empire during this time would need to do, the British Empire was able to provide integral resources for the production of relatively low-cost goods which in turn could be marketed and sold to the remainder of the world; as well as back to the very economies which the resources were originally taken from (Desbordes 2008, p. 128). This brings us to the second point, market places. As the British Empire spread over the entire globe, this necessarily meant that a litany of nations, regions, tribal groups and other segmentations of peoples and territory were introduced to the goods that the United Kingdom had to offer for sale (Candlin 2009, p. 524). Similarly, because there was a monopolistic type economic arrangement that existed within the empire, the ability to purchase for the competition states was a non-existent option. In this way, the United Kingdom had a captive market in which to resell the finished goods that the very same empire had supplied the raw materials for in the first place (Stuart 2008, p. 4). Finally, this analysis will consider the fact that the empire itself provided extraordinarily cheap labor which provided the Empire with a means to extract a great deal of material wealth and/or natural resources at a cost that none of the competing economic powers in Europe or the United States could match at the time (Roy 2003, p. 398). This again acted as a type of symbiotic relationship

Investment and Portfolio Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Investment and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that investment refers to the current commitment of dollars for a period of time so as to derive future payments that will compensate the investor for- The period for which the funds have been committed The expected rate of inflation during this period of time Compensation for the risk associated with the investment, i.e. the uncertainty of future payments The process of selection of investment categories requires analyzing, estimating and evaluating the expected risk return trade-off for the alternative investments available. Investment needs and Financial Plan differs from individual to individual, and changes with respect to the life cycle of the individual. After the investment decision is undertaken by the individual, the major function is to manage the investment portfolio evaluating the performance of the portfolio and updating the portfolio based on the changes in the economic environment and the investor’s needs. The investor has a sum of $100,000 to invest into financial products such as debt, equity, derivatives or cash according to his or her choice. The objective of the portfolio or the investment policy statement is to achieve long term growth of capital. In addition to that, the fund aims minimizing risk of capital loss through portfolio diversification. The portfolio will be monitored, analyzed and reported upon over the chosen time horizon. The return of the funds is evaluated relative to S&P 500 index.P 500 index. The strategy of the investor is to buy the stock and hold it for long term or at least three years, in expectation of long term capital appreciation. In order to mitigate the domestic gloom in the economy, few funds may be invested overseas in order to geographically diversify and earn benefits from emerging and developing markets. Proper diversification will help reduce the overall portfolio risk by spreading stock specific risk

STRATEGY consulting brief about Air Australia Essay

STRATEGY consulting brief about Air Australia - Essay Example Michael James joined Strategic Group in 2002 as an equal shareholder, alongside Shaun Aisen, and executive director. However, in 2011, Shaun Aisen exited the company resulting in Michael James becoming the sole owner. A few months later, other key members of staff, including the chief executive, commercial manager, and chief operating officer, left the company citing disagreements with Mr. James’ leadership as the main cause. On February 17, 2012, the company’s directors agreed that the company be placed into voluntary administration. Finally, in March of the same year, the company’s creditors voted, for Air Australia to be placed into liquidation. This was because the company could not be sold since nobody had expressed interest, and the company’s assets were not enough to cover the debts it had incurred. Air Australia’s main appeal was their cheap tickets since the company was a low-cost carrier. The budget airline provided affordable travel and, therefore, families could opt to travel short distances by air rather than spend several hours on the road. By providing low-priced, convenient, and frequent flights, Air Australia obtained its competitive advantage over its competitors. Air Australia competitive strengths also include the company’s superior customer service and capability to offer the lowest fares. Although, the company was knee-deep in debt, it had an unequaled customer service within the airline industry (Horst, 2011). Air Australia had debts amounting to an estimated $90 million but only had assets worth $1 million, since the company leased much of its equipment. The company had also been unable to pay aviation charges and fees to Air Services Australia, and owed both Melbourne Airport and Perth Airport vast amounts for terminal leasing. The company’s business had been ailing for a long time but had managed to survive, because it was cash

Stats1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stats1 - Essay Example For example, one may talk about the population of all individuals in US whose IQ is over 120; or one may talk about the population of all electric light bulbs ever produced by Phillips. Every population is characterized by measurable quantities called parameters. If parameter of a population is known, the whole population is known completely. Sample is a part of the population. The quantities measured from the sample are known as sample statistics. Sample statistics are used to estimate population parameters. While in a given population the parameter is constant, the value of statistic varies from one sample to the other. The population mean is a population parameter while average computed from a sample of size 20, say, from the same population, is a sample statistic which may be used to estimate the unknown population parameter. A different sample of size 20 may provide a different value of the sample mean. 3. When a sample is observed instead of the whole population, sampling error is caused. A sample is observed to understand the whole population. The population parameter is not known, but is estimated using the corresponding sample statistic. The difference between the parameter and the statistic is a measure of the sampling error. 4. An experiment is conducted under the control of an experimenter. An experiment is opposite of an observational research, where the researcher observes the study units and records observations. In an experiment, the researcher sets up the experimental conditions and controls them as per his/her research hypotheses. 5. This is an experimental study. Correlational study finds correlation among different variables from the same group of observations. Here two equivalent groups are compared in terms of effects of breakfast on performance. Finding correlation is not the aim of the study. But testing whether there exists any difference between the two otherwise equivalent groups when treated with two types of breakfast is the main ob jective. There is one case and one control group. Hence this is an example of experiment. 6. Nominal scale is essentially a classification. Even though the classes may have numerical identifications, such as 1, 2 etc, their nomenclature is important but not the values. Suppose in a town there are two groups of hospitals: general and mental. If general hospitals are called Group 1 and mental hospitals are called Group 2, this will be an example of nominal variable. If we interchange the order, there will be no effect. For ordinal scale the ordering is important, but by how much one level is more than the other, cannot be measured. Suppose blood pressure is classified as normal, high-normal and high. In this classification there is a hierarchy but the difference between normal and high-normal and high-normal and high cannot be quantified. Interval scale can compare the lengths of intervals. For example, if a flight starts at 6:00 hrs and reaches its destination at 8:30 hrs and another flight starts from the same origin at 6:30 hrs and reaches the same destination at 10:00 hrs, the lengths of the flights are comparable and the difference measurable. For interval scale measurements, the beginning and the end are fixed. In mathematical term, in interval scale there is no concept os an absolute zero. But it contains more information than ordinal scale variables, since its lengths are quantifiable, which is not possible in case of ordinal variable.

By the time Macbeth murders Duncan Essay Example for Free

By the time Macbeth murders Duncan Essay By the time Macbeth murders Duncan, he has already lost the battle for his soul. Discuss this statement and examine the factors which lead to his decision to kill the king. It is the aim of this essay to evaluate and determine the validity of the above statement. I will examine the factors which lead to Macbeths decision to kill the king. The definition for a persons soul is the spiritual part of them that is supposed to continue after their body is dead. People also use soul to refer to a persons mind, character, thoughts and feelings. The battle for his soul represents whether this person submits to good or evil. The factors that I will look at in particular when considering what drove Macbeth to commit the murder, are the witches and Lady Macbeth. The play begins with the witches who introduce Macbeth by saying they will meet him. There to meet with Macbeth. This is an effective way to start the play, as people were very superstitious at the time. They believed in witches and they believed they were evil. One person who was very wary and curious about such matters was James I and Shakespeare had written this play for him. The gunpowder plot took place the previous year and James I was, consequently, very sensitive and concerned about future assassination attempts. Shakespeare was writing for an audience who were predominantly Christian and who believed in heaven and hell; the way some one behaved on earth would decide what happened to them when they died. The soul is very important in this play and this is why Macbeth may have been popular as people were interested in these things. If someone lost their soul, they would be lost to God and would be condemned to hell for eternity. Macbeth talks a lot about this in his dramatic monologues. Duncan was a good honest king who had done nothing but treat Macbeth as a good friend. Duncan calls him worthiest cousin, which suggests the closeness of their relationship. Duncan is grateful for Macbeths bravery in battle. He says, I have begun to plant thee and will labour, to make thee full of growing. Duncan is saying he will do anything to repay him for being so brave. Duncan is a very good person, Macbeth says, Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek hath been so clear in his great office that his virtues will plead like angel. Macbeth knows that he was good and he still murdered him. Therefore is no excuse for what he has done. The King is Macbeths guest so he should protect him, not attack him. There are different reactions from Macbeth and Banquo to the witches predictions. Banquo believes that Macbeth will become king because he has already become Thane of Cawdor, just as the witches had predicted. He thinks that it is very strange how the witches are helping them. Furthermore, he believes the witches will be kind to them and have their trust only to betray them later. He is clearly surprised and remains sceptical as to their intentions. The different reaction by Macbeth is apparent when he is shocked at first after hearing what the witches have to say. He truly believes that he will become king as two of the predictions have proved accurate. Things can only get better for Macbeth, or so he believes. Macbeths opinion of the witches remains undecided and he does not really know what to think about the weird sisters. There are conflicting beliefs that he has. Firstly, he believes they are not good, but if they were bad why did they give him such success? It seems that he is beginning to trust the witches when he considers the success that they have given to him. Banquo, on the other hand, instantly distrusts them and believes to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths. As soon as Lady Macbeth receives Macbeths letter about the witchs predictions she begins to plan the murder: Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crow to the toe top full of direst cruelty. She wants to be filled with cruelty and wants evil spirits to posses her. She wants to lose her femininity and become manly so she is capable of the greatest cruelty. She hopes to lose her soul so she does not feel guilty. The factors that lead Macbeth to kill the king are the witches, Lady Macbeth and his own personality. The witches led Macbeth to the murder when they greeted him and said All hail Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter. In the time of the play it was believed that witches could take demonic possession of people and make them do what they wanted. Macbeth sees a dagger just before the murder of Duncan. Some people may say that it is the witches that put the image in front of him to drive him into murdering. However, Act 1, scene 1 suggests that there are limits to the witchs powers; they cannot kill. They talk about a lady who did not give them nuts so they want to get her back, and also her husband who is on a boat. Ill give thee wind. Ill drain him as dry as hay. They say many things that they will do to him but they do not mention killing him and this proves that death is not in their power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a good relationship, they seem to get on extremely well together and when they are apart they miss each other. Later in the play Lady Macbeth begins to take control and becomes rather dominant. She can persuade him to do anything. Macbeth decided that he did not want to go through with the murder but Lady Macbeth talked him into it by calling him a coward and using harsh words. And live a coward in thine own self esteem. She says this after Macbeth refuses to proceed any further with the murder. She is taunting and humiliating him. When Macbeth talks himself out of committing the murder, We will proceed no further in this business, Lady Macbeth makes him change his mind by calling him a coward. She tells him, When you durst do it, then you were a man. The implication being that he is no longer acting like a man. She tells him that if he breaks this promise, he will break all other promises including those made to her, Such I account thy love. Nevertheless, she claims that she would rather dash out the brains of a baby then break such a promise. Shakespeare utilises extremely strong imagery to emphasise just how important it is for her. In Macbeths dramatic monologue he gives many reasons as to why he does not want to go through with the murder. Many thoughts are running through his head such as the fear of Duncan returning as something bad in his next life. Additionally, he believes something bad will happen if he goes through with it. To plague th inventor. This even handed Justice He is going against the deed of killing the king. Strong both against the deed: then, as his host. He is a kinsman, therefore he can not kill somebody on the same side as him and this suggests that it is not like him at all and he does not want to take his life. When Lady Macbeth enters he does not tell her these reasons but gives different ones altogether. He says the king has been honouring him recently and people have high opinions of him. Consequently, he wants to remain popular with people. Macbeth must kill Duncan so that he can be king and take his place. The witches told him that he would be king, but not necessarily by murdering him. Initially the murder has been devised entirely by Macbeth and not recommended by anyone else. As Macbeth states, If chance will have me king, why chance me crown me, without stir. He is saying that if he becomes king that is good but he will not do anything to make himself king. As he admits, his only motive for the killing is Vaulting ambition. I will now consider the nature of Macbeths sin. The crime that has been committed is truly evil, but I do not believe that Macbeth is necessarily evil. The fact that Macbeth believes that he will never be forgiven indicates he is genuinely remorseful. The only reason Duncan was murdered was for Macbeths personal gain. Macbeth had no real reason to kill him, as the king was a dear friend. There are many reasons that suggest that Macbeth should never be forgiven for this. The murder was in cold blood and it had been planned and not committed in the heat of the moment. Macbeth did not want to go through with it but Lady Macbeth induced him to do so. This is why I believe Macbeth is not evil because he was driven to it. After the murder the grooms were smeared with blood to make it seem as if they had committed the murder. In the morning Macbeth murders them too pretending that he has acted out of violent love for Duncan. He does this to get himself out of trouble and to avoid suspicion. Therefore, the grooms cannot deny committing the murder. Macbeth has killed the king. At the time, there was a belief that kings were put onto the throne through Gods power (divine right) and so an attack on the kings power was seen as acting against Gods wishes. This is the reason for him to go to hell as God has disowned him. Macbeth says, Hes here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Macbeth knows that what he has done is wrong as he should be looking after his guest. After the murder, Macbeth is unable to say the word Amen, But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen I had most need of blessing and Amen'. He feels that God has deserted him as Amen means god with us. He is trying to keep his Christian faith but he believes he is losing his soul and that he will be doomed to eternal damnation. Macbeth feels that he cannot sleep because only the good sleep. After the murder has been committed Lady Macbeth is calm and does not feel any guilt at all. The fact that she is not sorry suggests that she is evil. Wash this filthy witness from your handsmear the sleepy grooms with blood. She gives him orders as she does not want to get caught and she wants somebody else to get the blame. If I were in the audience, I would be thinking that Macbeth is now behaving unlike himself. He is acting guilty about the murder and he wishes that he never committed the crime. This is dramatic because it shows that he must really want to be king if he kills even though he does not want to and this shows how desperate he really must be. Christians believe that if someone is truly sorry for a sin they have committed and repent, they can be forgiven and, in that case, their soul would not be forfeit. After the murder I strongly believe that Macbeth is extremely sorry for what he has done. I had most need of blessing. This means that he still wants Gods blessing even after his terrible sin. I am afraid to think what I done, which suggests that it is so unlike him to do this that he is scared to look back, he does not want to believe what he has done. To know my deed twere best not know myself he would rather not know himself after what he has done as he is so ashamed. Wake Duncan with thy knocking, I would thou couldst He wishes that Duncan could be wakened with knocking which means he regrets the murder. I do not believe that Macbeth has lost his soul as he feels sorry for what he has done and feels very guilty he also has many regrets. As Macbeth is so worried about the murder he has committed one would not think that he would kill anymore, but he does. He arranges the murder of Banquo, his best friend, and tries to have his son Fleance killed. This is because Banquo suspects that Macbeth has killed Duncan as he heard the witches predictions. He has Fleance murdered because the witches said Banquos descendants would be king. Macbeth seeks out the three witches to predict the future, even though he knows that they are evil. To the weird sisters. More shall they speak. For no I am bent to know by the worst means, the worst. He also wants to know what else must be done for him to be king. The audience may have thought that he is turning evil and is just looking for trouble and they will probably be worried about what will happen next. He arranges the murder of Lady Macduff and her children because she has fled to England to join the other side to be against Macbeth. He wants to hurt her for turning against him. Now Macbeth is beginning to lose his soul as he keeps on killing and he does not feel guilty anymore. He finds that he must keep on doing more and more wrong in order to stay in his position. I am in blood stepped so far that I should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go oer. He has gone far enough and there is no point stopping as he has done a lot to get where he is. It will be far easier for him to carry on then to stop. It is possible that the witches have sensed a potential for evil in Macbeth and that is why they have chosen to use him. It is Macbeth who has horrible imagings. He fought in battles so he killed a lot of people there. We learn many contradictory things about Macbeth. He is a very strong man as he fights in the kings battles and wins. He is described as Brave Macbeth and Noble Macbeth by the captain, this is because he is very loyal, brave and honourable. However, Lady Macbeth says he is too full oth milk of human kindness and implies that he has a good heart. Macbeth has been violent in battle. He unseamed him from the nave to th chops and fixed his head upon our battlements. He had fought a lot in battle and killed a lot of people but after the murder he can not handle all the guilt. His personality has changed. He admirers Lady Macbeth when she is at her most evil, saying she is undaunted mettle. This is because she does not give up and pursues with her target. Macbeth is frequently associated with dark and night, asking for darkness to cover his feeling. Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires. Goodness is represented by light and evil is represented by dark. For example, Macbeth using the cover of darkness to hide his crimes, Come, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day. He is ashamed of what he is thinking. Macduff says of him Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evil to top Macbeth. He thinks Macbeth is filled with evil. The name of his follower, Seyton is perhaps a pun of Satan. I do not believe that Macbeth is evil. The witches made him think a lot and this led him to do things he would never normally do. It was the witches who gave him the idea of being king and this is where things started to become bad. Macbeth goes to visit the witches again after the murder who tell him that no person can kill him that is born from women. He now thinks he is invincible. In my opinion, it is here that he loses his soul given that he carries on killing without feeling any guilt. It seems that Macbeth was not only an instrument of evil, but also the victim.

Theory of Title Essay Example for Free

Theory of Title Essay The State of Arkansas was selected as the example state because of its proximity to surrounding states of Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Okalahoma and the frequency in which individuals change their residency between the surrounding States. The research examines the type of real estate transfer theory practiced in the State of Arkansas by reviewing relevant case laws, mortgage practices and supplementary materials dealing with contract law and collection of rents. The literature tends to suggest that Arkansas does that follow any particular lien theory and utilizes a combination of each of the three lien theories. The Outline I. Introduction II. General definitions of three theories governing title transfer in United States of America: a. Title theory. b. Lien Theory c. Intermediate theory IIIGeneral effects of theories in practice a. Effects for the lender b. Effects for the borrower IV. Transfer of title in the State of Arkansas a. Prevalent theory used in State of Arkansas b. Review of laws and regulation governing transfer of title in Arkansas . Throughout the United States the rate of housing foreclosures or mortgage defaults continues to rise at an alarming rate. This rise in foreclosures and mortgage defaults in many instances can be attributed to a weakening economy. Many individuals enticed by a strong economy freely entered agreements to purchase homes with little regard to the actual terms of their agreement. A picture of these individuals would usually find young adults in a two to three person household, who finally obtained the opportunity to live the American dream and took full advantage of that opportunity. For many of these individuals this may have been their first home purchase or with decreasing interest rates they believed they could finally afford to remodel their present home to be their dream home. These same individuals knew little about twists and turns of purchasing a home or mortgage finance laws. Many did not use lawyers and simply relied on the advice of the lenders, mortgage companies or real estate agents. Unfortunately, the economy failed to cooperate as those families with two person incomes dropped to one person incomes and those adjustable rate mortgages increased beyond household income. The end result is a slow housing market with individuals actually losing their homes in drastic numbers or selling their homes at reduced prices, which usually means a lost for the average home owner. It affects their ability to purchase a new home and decreases the amount of funds that will be available to local economies through the purchase of other consumer goods. Because our country has become so mobile, allowing individuals to move from place to place with ease, many individuals had no problem locating new areas in various states to call home. Examples of the easy mobility concept are individuals living in the State of Tennessee who find it extremely easy to purchase a home in Arkansas or Mississippi and maintain their jobs in Tennessee. In fact, with the growing pressure to leave the fast life and crime often found in large Metropolitan areas, individuals jumped at the opportunity when confronted with advertisements from small suburbs or rural cities which boosted of the quiet simple life to raise their families while only minutes away from the recreation, entertainment and lucrative employment opportunities of the Metropolitan cities. It was the dream of a life time that many simply could not pass up. Understanding mortgage finance laws of the State an individual intend to purchase a home or understanding mortgage lending theories is extremely necessary and important to any individual relocating to another state or those who have lived in a state and purchase their first home. Unfortunately, most individuals seeking to relocate assume and wrongly so, that the laws regarding mortgage finance are the same throughout the United States. They are unaware of the procedures or consequences involved in retaining their property should they become delinquent in their mortgage payments. When an individual moves from one state to another they subject themselves to the laws of the state in which they are doing business. However, in some states an individual may be able to specifically contract that the mortgage or contract may be governed by the laws of another state. This is seldom used for individual residential mortgages and used primarily in some commercial transactions that occur in another state. Mortgage laws in their new state may or may not be to their advantage and they should know the advantages and disadvantages before they decide on purchasing a home in their chosen state. This is also true for businesses financial institutions lending funds, and other entities crossing state lines to conduct business in other states, i. e. , purchasing businesses or other property or obtaining loans in other states to conduct business in the State of Tennessee. The general belief of the average individual is that once they purchase a home or obtain a mortgage, the title to the property is placed in the name of the borrower and that a lender simply obtains a lien on the property and can only foreclose on the property when and if the borrower is unable to make payments and then, and only when an action is filed in a court of law. This may or may not be true based on the laws and practices of the State in which the transaction originates. Thus, a review of the laws governing the state in which the individual intends to obtain its mortgage will prove extremely beneficial. However a greater benefit will be obtained if the home buyer seeks the services of a licensed attorney or a home buyer counselor. This senior project has chosen the state of Arkansas to review its laws regarding the transfer of title in real property. Arkansas was selected because of its proximity to the State of Tennessee and Mississippi and the ease in which residents move their residency from one state to the other. Thesis Statement) Individuals entering into financial agreements to obtain funds to purchase real property should always know which of the three theories of real property transfer is practiced in the state in which they intend to obtain a mortgage. Literature Review The purpose of this senior project is to first review the three general theories governing real estate transfers as practiced throughout the United States, and how they can affect the transfer of property from a lenders perspective and from a borrower’s perspective. The project will also review the present status of mortgage lending and home buying throughout the United States and how the theories of title transfer has affected the present market. The project uses the State of Arkansas as the example state for its review and analysis. The project will explore and review how the laws in the State of Arkansas’ differ from other states in the United States and review the effects of such laws on individuals and businesses doing business within the State of Arkansas. Determining what theory is utilized within a particular state when obtaining a mortgage or transferring real property will prove extremely beneficial and alleviate serious problems for both the lender and borrower, should problems arise regarding ownership of the property, or in foreclosure proceeding. Knowing ones rights will assist the homebuyer in understanding what can happen to their property if they should become delinquent in their mortgage payments and allow them an opportunity to attempt to save their property or their equity interest should a foreclosure action be filed against them. The review will also examine how the failure of borrowers to understand property transfer theories can have a devastating affect on their ability to retain ownership of the property during a foreclosure action. Information released from Foreclosure Data online and posted on October 19th, 2007 indicate that the growing number of mortgage foreclosures has begun to affect more than just residential homeowners, â€Å" in some residential blocks where ten to twelve homes in a twenty-five home block, have ‘bank owned’ for sale signs on their lawns. The rising rate of foreclosures throughout the United States provide justification for the idea of borrowers taking more responsibility in determining their rights and the potential consequences when entering mortgage contracts where ever they live. In order to understand what happens if default occurs residents must always be aware of the three basic theories practiced throughout the United States relating to transfer of title and then attempt to understand which theory is actually practiced in the state in which they desire to purchase real property. This is especially relevant as many state fail to practice a single theory and combine several theories to develop a single procedure for dealing with property transfer in their state. For the most part title theory of a particular state is determine by case law, even in situations where states have adopted statues defining how title transfers will be conducted in their state. General Definitions of title transfer theories Following a broad adoption of English pure title theory by the American States, three theories of title have evolved. According to the Restatement Third of Property and (Mortgages), the evolution of title theory from the English common law has served to reduce the rights of the mortgagee under the ‘pure’ or original title theory of England. The pure title theory worked a defeasible conveyance of the fee to the mortgagee, which obtained legal title, the right to possession, and the right to collect the rents and profits. (2) This evolution included the development to (a) lesser title theory, (b) lien theory, and (c) intermediate theory. While the three theories are useful for comparisons, implementation of the theories is by no means standard. The practical effect of the theories has been minimized because in many jurisdictions the harshness of pure title theory has been removed by statue or by case law or in many instances the drafters of mortgages have learned to achieve the advantages of the alternative theories at the time the mortgage documents are prepared and signed. According to Sandy Gadow, an escrow expert, and a member of the American Land Title Association, in a title theory state, the borrower does not actually keep title to the property during the loan term. The seller gives the buyer/borrower a deed to the property but when the borrower signs the mortgage for the loan the borrower gives the title back to the mortgage holder. The lender then holds title to the property, as security only, until all loan payments have been made. During that time the borrower has the right to possession of the property, and the lender delivers the deed back to the borrower only after the loan obligation has been satisfied. (3) In most states the instrument used is known as a trust deed. The lender actually maintains ownership of the property until the debt is paid in full. The process is quite different in a lien title state. The Restatement (third) of Property, section 4. 1 (1997) indicates that in a lien theory state, the buyer holds the deed to the property during the mortgage term. The buyer promises to make all payments to the lender and the mortgage becomes a lien on the property, but title remains with the buyer. The lender’s lien is removed once the payments of all loan payments have been completed. (id 2) The two theories are similar in that they allow the borrower to actually possess the property but differ regarding actual ownership of the property. In a title theory state the borrower actually owns the property with the lender retaining the deed only for security whereas in a lien theory the buyer retains the deed and the lender retains a lien on the property. The third theory, the Intermediate theory can be considered a compromise theory between the title theory and the lien theory. Again, according to Sandy Gadow, an escrow expert, and a member of the American land Title Association, â€Å"the title remains with the borrower, but the lender may take back title to the property if the borrower defaults on the loan. † (Id at 3). An Arkansas Law review article in 1992 examines the effects of conflict of laws, and indicates that in an intermediate jurisdiction the mortgage is a lien until default, as it would in a lien theory state. Upon default, legal title passes by operation of law to the mortgagee and with the title comes the right to possession, rents and profits. (4) In her article, Sandy Gadow argues that â€Å"Foreclosure proceedings in a lien theory state may be more difficult for the lender than a title theory state, due to the fact that the buyer is holding title to the land and not the lender. † ( Id at 3). The theory prevents the lender from entering onto the property and taking possession of the property at will. The lender is forced to take legal steps to regain ownership of the property. The theory actually gives the borrower more time before they are forced to give up the property, and they also can continue to maintain possession of the property and keep any rents collected as a result of their ownership until a legal foreclosure action is completed. Today, mortgagees customarily profit from interest. Possession by the mortgagor is commonplace in title theory states, although some states still hold that possession remains with the ortgagee as an incident of legal title. Another real estate treatise reports that title theory mortgagees can take possession of the mortgaged property upon default and before foreclosure. (6) A borrower to a mortgage should always concern themselves with which theory will give the greatest ownership interest in their property and allow them to retain in terest in the property as long as possible. Any theory that immediately transfers the right to possession, fee simple ownership and any other legal rights from the borrower back to the lender are not in the best interest of the borrower. The literature thus far appears to suggest that a lien theory state would provide the better advantage to a borrower in that the borrower usually retains a right to ownership and possession until foreclosure is accomplished in a court of law. Many states within the United States adopt a lien theory when transferring property. However, like Arkansas, these same states do not exercise a hard and fast rule on the use of a title transfer theory. However, most states can be grouped in one of the three title theory categories. In general throughout the United States, approximately of the fifty states only sixteen states follow a lien theory, with the remaining thirty four (34) states being described a title theory states. More specifically of the six states that share a boundary with the State of Arkansas, which include: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, five of the six states are described as practicing a title theory in property transfers, and only one of those states, Louisiana is described as following the lien theory in title transfers. In Arkansas, in the case of Bank of Oak Grove V. Wilmot State Bank, a case considered as an authority on Arkansas Mortgage law, the court refused to adopt a particular theory on the formalities of what the court termed the â€Å"broad and undefined a principle as lien versus title theories of mortgages†. (5) In general Arkansas courts do not appear to have frequently discussed title theory since a search of Westlaw for â€Å"title theory in Arkansas† produces only Bank of Oak Grove v. Wilmot. However, several cases align themselves and follow the decision of the Bank of Oak Grove case and its findings. Such cases cite the bank of Oak Grove case as an endorsement of title theory use in the State of Arkansas. Fully discerning the nature of Arkansas’ theory of title requires a discussion of whether a mortgage is merely a lien (lien theory) or whether it passes owner-type interest and powers to the mortgagee. A survey of Arkansas mortgage case law reveals two tracks of cases supporting different conclusions about whether a mortgage is only security for a debt. As early as 1856, equity held that a mortgage is only security for a debt. (7) By 1866, the Arkansas Supreme Court established that â€Å"now in both law and equity† a mortgage is mere security for a debt, and removed the presumption that a mortgagee takes possess if there is no proof other wise. (8) Eighteen years after Trapnall, the court said that the legal estate in mortgaged property passes to the mortgagee and that possession follows the egal title; the same was said 45 years after Trapnall in a 1911 case, Whittington v. Flint. (9) If it follows that legal title not only delivered possession but also delivered what a 1988 Arkansas Federal court interpreting Arkansas law called the incidents of possession (rents, profits and what appears as beneficial interests), Arkansas would have been a title theory state. The Arkansas Supreme Court has not overturned these cases, and the Arkansas Attorney General was citing the case as late as 1998. 10) After Wilson, the Arkansas Supr eme Court held that â€Å"in equity† a mortgage is only a security interest, and that the mortgagor is entitled to deal with the land as its owner, entitled to rents and profits and alienation as long as he is in possession and he and takers under him do not impair the rights of the mortgagee. (11) The 1959 update of a key Arkansas mortgage title treatise follows that a mortgage is a mere security interest. The mortgagors were treated as owners in a 1980 case that characterized an absolute deed held for security purposes as an equitable mortgage, finding that the father who purchased the real estate was the mortgagee and holding that the divorcing son and daughter-in law must split the property. This inferred that the son and daughter-in-law were mortgagors and in effect owners of joint property. (13) The lack of clarity on some points suggests that mortgagors should not rely on the formalities of title theory in the State of Arkansas. Possession, Redemption and Rents as they relate to title transfer in Arkansas Better understanding Arkansas law requires discussions about possession, redemption and rents. The custom in Arkansas is that the mortgagor takes possession, but case law suggests that possession may be based on the terms of the agreement or interest rather than accruing automatically to the holder of legal title. More recent opinions mitigate towards possession being retained by the mortgagor. Similarly, the Arkansas Attorney General opined that the 1980 Nelson court took a â€Å"common sense approach† holding that the mortgagor retains a possessory interest that makes him â€Å"at least the equitable owner. † (14) This suggests a conclusion that possession can be devised by the contract language, which can grant immediate possession or possession upon default. Not withstanding the language, mortgagees are likely to intend that possession be in the mortgagor, and mortgagees are likely to want to avoid mortgagee in possession status and the duties that derive from it. To preserve its collateral, the mortgagee should include clauses providing for (1) appointment of a receiver; and (2) right to enter and inspect. A power of sale clause may be advisable; however, the Arkansas Code implies a power of sale in every mortgage of real property. (15) Arkansas does not follow title or lien theory or intermediate theory as the latter is described by secondary sources. Like title theory, the mortgagee appears to secure legal title. The more recent cases appear to treat the mortgagor as the owner as would be the case under lien theory. Arkansas appears to practice its own brand of intermediate theory in which the incidents of possession follow actual or constructive possession. Drafting may govern possession and rents in Arkansas law. The literature and case law indicates that the custom in Arkansas is that the mortgagor takes possession, but case law suggests that possession may be based on the terms of the agreement or intent rather than accruing automatically to the holder of legal title. In the case of Whittington (1884) and Wilson (1911 held that legal title passes to the mortgagee and with it possession, unless there is a reservation of the right to occupancy. Id 9) Trapnall held in 1866 that there is no presumption that the mortgagee takes possession. (Id. 8) Most recent opinions mitigate towards possession being retained by the mortgagor. The First Federal case addressed the incidents of possession, saying that in a â€Å"garden variety mortgage,† the borrower has â€Å"retained all of the incidents of possession including the right to rents, profits, and crops,† and he may do with them as he pleases until the mortgagee takes possession, at which point these incidents pass to the mortgagee. Similarly, the Arkansas Attorney General opined that the 1980 Nelson court took a â€Å"common sense approach† holding that the mortgagor retains a possessory interest that makes him â€Å"at least the equitable owner. † (Id 14) Neither opinion states that the mortgagor and mortgagee can not agree otherwise. This suggests a conclusion that possession can be devised by the contract language, which can grant immediate possession or possession upon default. In comparing the cases, it may be helpful to note the references to the language of the agreements, and consider that the language of Arkansas mortgages has varied greatly. Whittington states that â€Å"possession follows the legal title, unless controlled by stipulations in the deed, or by the apparent intention of the parties. † (Id. 9) It is an old case that may have succumbed to the presumption that Trapnall dismissed. American Jurisprudence publishes in its form book what it titles the Arkansas-Mortgage and the Arkansas-mortgage-Traditional form. The traditional form is more in the form of a sale agreement stating that mortgagee â€Å"does grant, bargain, sell, and convey to mortgagee, and to its successors and assigns forever† the mortgaged property to have and to hold the same to mortgagee, and to its successors and assigns forever. † It then provides the conditions under which the â€Å"sale† shall become null and void. (16) Notwithstanding the language, mortgagees are likely to intend that possession be in the mortgagor, and mortgagees are likely to want to avoid mortgagee in possession status and the duties that derive from it. It is evident that despite the rules and statues individuals seeking to obtain a mortgage will need to be mindful of what the law is and if they desire that something different needs to occur on any matter, if the issue is addressed in the contract agreements and agreed to by both parties, the courts will upon the original intent of the parties entering the contract. Treatment of Rents in Mortgage transfer In understanding actual practice regarding ownership interests one must also review and discuss how rent is treated in the State of Arkansas.

LOTTE Confectionery: Strategy Evaluation

LOTTE Confectionery: Strategy Evaluation 1. Background LOTTE Confectionery is No1.confectionery Company that holds multiple No1 selling products of gum, candy, chocolate and biscuit segments in Korea domestic market. LOTTE Confectionery stands in unrivaled position by Xylitol and occupies strong position in chocolate by Ghana chocolate and Dream Cacao. Orion Confectionery international sale exceeded domestic sale in 2009. Orion Confectionery ranks 1st in international sale among Korean confectionery companies and possesses enormous growth rate at international market, because Orion Confectionery releases gentrified domestic products to international market. Domestic confectionery market is Red Ocean, recently revenue has been decreased. Domestic confectionery market is saturated in fact (EDaily. 2011.01.11). Even Foreign confectionery companies are joining and intensifying competition in Korea. The scale and profitability of international market are larger and higher than domestic market. Thus, Korean Major Food companies decided to enter oversea markets. Among them, Orion Confectionery ranks at 1st in international confectionery business. 2. Current strategy of LOTTE Confectionery 1) Me Too strategy ‘Me Too strategy is a business strategy that following company emulates a market leading companys strategy. It is called as ‘Market follower strategy or ‘Imitation strategy. With this strategy, a follower can gain many advantages. The market leader often bears the huge expenses of developing new products and markets, expanding distribution, and education the market. By contrast, as with challengers, the market follower can learn from the leaders experience. LOTTE Confectionery is a typical company to uses ‘me too strategies for products. There are many cases that LOTTE Conf. emulates competitors successful products. Table 1. Me too products cases in LOTTE Confectionery Competitor Product (Company) LOTTE Conf. Product Remarks Competitor Product (Company) LOTTE Conf. Product Remarks Chocopie (ORION) Chocopie Pie (HAITAI) Snack Homerunball (HAITAI) Myball Snack DR.YOU (ORION) Mothers finger Premium Product Brand Source: Interview with ORION employee LOTTE Confectionery applies ‘Me too Strategy for overseas business. The Main countries where LOTTE Conf. constructed product factories by itself are China, Vietnam, Russia and India. Except India, the entry timings of LOTTE for 3 counties are recognized as ‘me too strategy. In China market, ORION entered in 1993 and LOTTE entered 1 year later. Vietnam where LOTTE entered in 2007 as acquisition of BBICA, 2nd biggest confectionery company in Vietnam, was open to ORION 2 years early. ORION established a local subsidiary company, OFV (ORION Food Vietnam Company), in 2005 and constructed local factory in 2006. In Russia market, ORION established OFR (ORION Food Russia Company) in 2003. ORION constructed a chocolate factory near Moscow in 2004 and second factory for overall confectionery manufacture in 2006. But LOTTE established LOTTE KF RUS LLC in 2007. Table 2. ORION LOTTE Confectionery Overseas entry time Country ORION LOTTE China In 1993, Establishing Beijing Office In 1994, Establishing local subsidiary Vietnam In 2005, Establishing ORION Food Vietnam Company In 2007, Acquiring 30% stocks of BBICA Russia In 2003, Establishing ORION Food Russia Company In 2007, Establishing LOTTE KF RUS LLC Source: Financial News, â€Å"LOTTE, Following ORION?† February 25.2008, LOTTE Confectionery on-line homepage, â€Å"History† (http://www.LOTTEconf.co.kr/images/company/pic_hi05.jpg) 2) MA Strategy LOTTE confectionery has invested 500 billion KRW to overseas market by 2010. LOTTE focused VRICs (Vietnam, Russia, India, China) with acquisition local companies and factory construction. Sales result was under than expectation. LOTTE oversea sales consistantly increased and last year recorded 500 bil KRW. They have a 650 bil KRW sales target this year. LOTTE sped up their global business as entering China, India, Vietnam, Belgium, Russia and Pakistan (6th largest population). 1 China LOTTE confectionery established â€Å"LOTTE China foods limited liability company† in Beijing, China in 1994 and in 2005 it acquired â€Å"Qingdao foods limited liability company† which renamed later â€Å"LOTTE Qingdao foods limited liability company†. In 2006 it also acquired â€Å"Shanghai foods limited liability company† and renamed it as â€Å"LOTTE Shanghai foods limited liability company†. The revenue in China in 2005 was about 90 billion Korean Won and slowly increased to 100 billion KRW in 2006, as the chocolate product which is main product of LOTTE Shanghai foods LLC hit its strides in 2006, the revenue jumped up to 140 billion KRW in 2008. LOTTE China foods limited liability company- Choco Pie, Gum Production LOTTE Confectionerys expansion into the Chinese Market was especially remarkable. Even through the heated competition of Global Food Industries, LOTTE was able to capture the Chinese Flavor. LOTTE indicates that it was possible because â€Å"Steady exportation and Improvement of the Corporate image from the early 80s and the supply of eminent products due to the establishment of Local plants in the Mid 90s.† Before any diplomatic relations between Korea and China, LOTTE Confectionery concentrated on supplying eminent brand products through Hong Kong. Thus LOTTE has succeeded in establishing long term faith. Lets take a look on a couple of cases. Supporting Horse Racing hosted by local merchants, production and promotion of CafÃÆ' © Coffee Gum to help Chinese quit smoking, campaign to help victims of flood damage and other activities to capture the heart of the Chinese. Through these efforts, in August of 1994, LOTTE Confectionery established the ‘LOTTE China foods limited liability company in the Economy Technology Development Zone in Beijing. Thus it has made possible to supply suitable local products. The first established local factory was completely co-operational. LOTTE Confectionery, Japan LOTTE, and Mitsui invested in the factory and are now developed in 3 divisions. The 1st factory produced Choco-pie, Cream Cake, Koalamazzi, The 2nd factory produced plate gum, and bubble gum. The 3rd factory produced Xylitol gum, Coating gum. Among these products, it can be said that GUM represents LOTTE Confectionery. Chewing gum started being produced and sold in September of 2001, Xylitol gum, plate gum in 2002 and Coating gum in 2003.Products from these factories were sold in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and other areas of China. Also the market share in China exceeded 30%. LOTTE Qingdao Foods Limited Liability Company- snacks, biscuit production In 1996 the ‘Qingdao Foods Limited Liability Companywas established at the science and technology park of Qingdao. Based on gaining the trust of Chinese, LOTTE Confectionery solely invested and acquired Qingdao Foods Limited Liability Company in 2005. Main products of that company were snacks and biscuits such as Myball, Peanut-cuttlefish ball, Choco-pie, Custard, Strawberry pie and other pies. Especially the popularity of the Custard and Choco-pie is sharply increasing and is expected to regenerate the CRAZE in Korean Market. LOTTE Shanghai Foods Limited Liability Company- Production of raw liquid of chocolate. In 2006 ‘LOTTE Shanghai Foods Limited Liability Company was solely acquired by LOTTE Confectionery, established in 1993. This factory was mainly producing the raw liquid of chocolate. In January of 2007, LOTTE Confectionery and Hersheys signed a strategic alliance to manufacture and sell the main products from this factory. And from October 2007, LOTTE Confectionery started to manufacture and supply its popular products, Ghana and Dream CaCao into all over the Chinese market. (Source: Journal ‘The Buyer 2008) 2 India LOTTE acquired Parrys in May 2004. It was a sole invest, not joint venture. LOTTE firstly acquired 60.39% stock and gained the rest later. Stock acquisition cost was about 23.2 Bil KRW. Parrys Confectionery Ltd, established in 1914, was one of the representative confectionery companies in India. Annual sales are over 22 Bil KRW. By acquiring Parrys, LOTTE could preoccupy India confectionery market as well as secured the price competitiveness making India as production base for exporting to Africa and Middle East area. (Source: 2004/5/21 food new media) 3 Vietnam In 2007, LOTTE acquired 30% stocks of BBiCa which was the 2nd largest confectionery company with annual sales 20Bil KRW in Vietnam. Using BBiCas sales network over the country, LOTTE expected to expand market presence in Vietnam, the population was about 84 Mil in 2007. (Source: 2007/10/05 Medical today media) 4 Pakistan LOTTE Confectionery acquired Pakistan Kolson companys (K. S. Sulemanji Esmailji Sons (Private) Limited) stock 69.45% (20 Bil KRW) and became the biggest stockholder. Through this acquisition, LOTTE could begin a nationwide business in Pakistan. Pakistan confectionery market size was the 1/3 of Koreans. However it was expected to grow 10% each year, since the population under the age of 14 was 37%. (Source: LOTTE Confectionary Internal Data) Kolson was founded in 1942, one of the leading company with asset 53.2 bil KRW and annual sales were about 33 bil KRW. Kolson had the 2nd largest market share (29%) in snack, 4th(6%) in biscuit, the 1st(44%) in pasta market in 2010. 3) Synergy with LOTTE groups affiliates LOTTE has a vision to make a global brand just like Samsung and Wal-Mart. One of the key strategies for achieving this goal is building â€Å"LOTTE Town† LOTTE has already opened â€Å"Moscow LOTTE Town† on last October, 2010, which is consisting of luxury hotels and department stores. That was the first oversea â€Å"LOTTE Town† Also in Hanoi, Vietnam and in Shenyang, China are under construction â€Å"LOTTE Town† which is planning to complete the end of 2013 in Hanoi, and to complete the end of 2015 in Shenyang. 1 Building LOTTE Town in China and Vietnam By 2018, LOTTE will build more than 10 LOTTE Town in Nanjing, Shanghai, Chengdu in China-, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, and Jakarta in Indonesia, etc, to serve them as a growth base for the LOTTEs global business. Additional oversea LOTTE Town will be constructed mainly focusing on VRICs (Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, China)In China, Nanjing Jenye District, Shanghai Zhabei District, Sichuan Province, Chengdu Jin Jiang District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, Zhongshan , Shandong Weihai , Chongqing, and Wuhan, LOTTE is discussing with those cities and governments for consulting the land, building size, business information in LOTTE Town. Those complex projects are targeting to complete in 2014 to 2015. In Vietnam, following Hanoi, Ho Chi min and Danang are planning to construct LOTTE Town. Jakarta in Indonesia and St. Petersburg .in Russia -following Moscow-, are pushing ahead for LOTTE Town. 2 LOTTE Town and LOTTE Confectionery global business LOTTE group is planning LOTTE Town construction, mainly targeting on rising countries such as China. Those countries are just about to create consumer markets based on high-growing economic development and high-growing spending spree. If LOTTE Confectionery is starting global business based on LOTTE Town, it can amplify the synergy to promote sales and maximize profits. 3 Overseas company management with Japan LOTTE LOTTE Confectionery has a lot of local subsidiary companies. And most of them are operated in collaboration with Japan LOTTE. It seems to make more stable business circumstance. Japan LOTTE has more overseas experience (Established LOTTE USA in 1978, and so on) and financing capacity (Low Yen Carry interest, and so on). Therefore LOTTE could share Japan LOTTE strengths and hedge against overseas business risks. Table 3. Overseas collaboration subsidiaries Local subsidiary Country Overseas collaboration companies LOTTE China Foods Co., Ltd China Japan LOTTE, Mitsui Co, LOTTE Confectionery etc. LOTTE Philippines Foods Co., Inc Philippines Japan LOTTE, Japan Taiwan Trade, Philippines Nugget Food LOTTE Vietnam Foods Co., Ltd Vietnam Japan LOTTE, Marubeni Co. LOTTE Packaging(Beijing) Foods Co., Ltd China Japan LOTTE LOTTE Taiwan Co., Ltd Taiwan Japan LOTTE Shandong FengCheng Cold beverage Limited liability company China LOTTE Invest Limited liability company, Shandong FengCheng Food Limited liability company LOTTE Trade And Distribution. PT Indonesia Japan LOTTE Source: Korea Information Service. INC, â€Å"LOTTE Confectionery Contingent liability and Contract clause† (http://www.kisline.com/) 3. Conclusion 1) LOTTE Confectionery SWOT analysis For strategy proposal, we analyze SWOT of LOTTE confectionery as below. Table 4. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses A huge domestic and global distribution network and its affiliates A variety of No. 1 family brand held Excellent production facilities Abundant capital for investment Limitation of Me-Too strategy on premium product Poor performance in overseas investment Weak innovation strategy Centralized decision making Opportunities Threats Synergy with LOTTE Groups international strategy Target countrys (VRICs) population growth Keen competition with local and global companies Diversity of local consumers tastes 2) LOTTE Confectionerys key strategies Given circumstances and above analysis, we can find 4 key strategies for LOTTE Confectionery in terms of International Business Management. First, Strengthening MA (Brownfield method) based on abundant capital power Saving time for market penetration Risk hedging Table 5. Entry mode of Lotte and Orion Entry mode LOTTE Orion Remark Ownership MA O X Greenfield O Trading Exporting O O Importing X X Collaboration strategies Low commitment (Licensing) X X High commitment (JVs) O X Second, Synergy effect through Groups alignment Economy of scale economy of scope Cooperating with LOTTE Town Third. Decentralization for decision making Localization strategy for specific circumstances of each country Timely responsiveness Lastly, Market leading through innovation strategy Allocating investment in RD Recruiting and educating global experts

Book Assessment of Go Ask Alice :: essays research papers

Book Assessment: Go Ask Alice 1) The most important character in the book is Alice. Her name is not Alice but her real name is never revealed so she is referred to as Alice. She is a lonely, middle class white teenager trying to pull through the long hard years of adolescence. Her life is not too exciting and her friends are dorky and unpopular. One summer day she is invited to mingle with the ?popular? group and she eagerly accepts. Virtually overnight, she is experimenting with drugs and doing things she never would have dreamed of doing. She wants to stop but she finds herself thinking about drugs all of the time. She becomes depressed because of the guilt she is carrying around because of all the sins she is committing. She is also very ashamed because she is infatuated with a boy named Roger but she lost her virginity to a boy named Bill. Her mood swings are drastic and some days Alice is cheerful and motivated to change and the next day she hates everybody in her life and is craving 2) Alice is a lugubrious teenager who gets caught up in the world of drugs. Her diary is her best friend because she never really has a real friend. Go Ask Alice is like watching somebody?s life fall apart at the seams while they simply sit back and watch with you. 3) One symbol in the book is problems of adolescent identity. Throughout the book, Alice is trying to find where she fits in and who really is. She is almost always searching for a best friend, somebody that understands her and someone who will accept her for who she is. She is constantly worried about what people think of her and can never blend in with any group or clique or class. She is perpetually balancing between childhood and adulthood. Another symbol is the maggots and worms eating dead bodies she is always paranoid about. This connects with her drug use and loneliness. When her grandfather dies (who Alice calls ?Gramps?), Alice is upset and withdraws herself from society. Soon this sadness turns into paranoia about the worms and maggots eating Gramps? dead body underground. She periodically mentions being paranoid about this and sometimes wonders if she is losing control of everything including her own mind. This is associated with the notion that nobody knows what is happening to corpses six feet underground while nobody knows what is happening in her mind and how much she is struggling to keep sane.