Drinking Reality Essay -- essays papers

Drinking Reality There is nothing in the world I love more than coffee, I thought. The aroma that calls you from a million miles away. The bitterness it sends through your soul, filling you up; giving you the warmth that you so desperately crave. And the darkness†¦ the blackness that reminds me all too much of my life. I didn’t know what I was doing there, but somehow it made sense. I skipped my first class that day. My first class ever. I didn’t know why†¦. If I had to think about it, I never knew why I did anything. All my life, I was guided and told what to do by others. I never realized where I was going; I walked a tight rope of others expectations thinking that if I ever took my eyes off what was ahead, I would fall. I never even looked out to see if there was another rope†¦. Maybe one who did not have such high expectations. I just hoped that my parents and friends knew best, and that I was heading in the right direction. I sat at one of those coffee shops, w here they pretend that the black stuff that they sell you for three dollars a cup is really gourmet. I was sittin...

The Effect of Divorced Parents to their Children

The research must be qualified as representing average differences and do not necessarily indicate that all children in divorced families are worse off than all children in intact families. Since there is so much discussion of the effects of divorce on school performance, I want to begin by addressing whether there are really any differences between children who live in divorced families and children who live in married two-parent families (intact). The preponderance of the evidence appears to indicate that divorce does have negative effects on children†s adaptation and academic development. Furthermore, the specific effects differ from family to family. The argument that divorce has effects on the ability of a child†s academic performance finds support in the case-control study of Children of Divorce: Academic Outcome (Roizblatt et al, 1997). This study focuses on identifying the specific responses that are susceptible for the low academic outcomes, associated with different levels of hostility, aggression, anxiety, and depression that can last until adulthood. To build upon the hypotheses, the authors then examined whether subsequent disadvantages are measured in all aspects of education, from grade points averages to standardized tests to exams/diplomas and years of completed education. The study was conducted at eight public schools in Santiago, Chile. A total of 446 children were examined where almost half the pupils were found to be of divorced families. The students† results were based on the variables of age, sex, and average marks. In order to provide a means of comparison for the experimental group, the authors had the control group (parents living together) choose names that are on the class list that fulfilled the requirement. The data was analyzed in averages, percentages, estimated odds ratio, and confidence levels. The results indicate that children of divorced parents were on average 20% more likely to fail a course than a child of a controlled group. The average marks were also 20% lower for the non-intact children. However, the attendance was almost identical with both being 95 %. In this study, it is obvious that divorce has an impact on a child†s academic performance. The relationship between intact and divorced children is further investigated in a study (Forehand et al, 1997) of the Cumulative Risks Across Family Stressors: Short and Long Term Effects for Adolescents. Furthermore, it discusses claims made that children from divorced families had their grade point averages, academic achievements, and standardized intelligence test scores decreased during and after the psychosocial adjustment. The study took place in two assessments, early adolescence and early adulthood. The study recruited for participation through local newspaper advertisements and fliers distributed to schools and posted throughout the local community. Additionally, some divorced families were identified through examination of courthouse records and subsequently contacted by mail or telephone. The families were paid $50 for their participation. Approximately six years after the first assessment, follow up research was conducted in which adults filled out questionnaires. In order to avoid common-method variance, individuals were assessed by independent sources: adolescent self-report, teacher report, and school records. Letter grades were obtained from math, English, science, and social studies and were assigned numeric values. In the young adult phase, level of education was also taken into consideration. Several risk factors were included to make the results more valid and consistent. The results of the analysis was shown and expressed through a Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). It showed a significant decrease in level of education completed, grade point averages, and achievement tests for both the adolescents and young adults. The researchers feel that parents† being less available to assist and monitor the children and the conflicts between the parents heavily affects the child and his future. Whereas the article exhibited some weaknesses, it also contained strengths. For example, although only Caucasian people were used, the results did include data from more than one period (adolescence and young adulthood.) The evidence was correct with the authors† prediction, indicating almost exactly what Forehand, Biggar, and Kotchick previously hypothesized. Further evidence that children of divorce do worse academically can be seen in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997). This survey proved that a divorce during a child†s life affects his or her academic abilities during early schools years and throughout college. The previous studies provided answers in the controversy over academic standards of children of divorce. However, there is more to the relationship between a child and the academic abilities possessed. Another method of investigating the relationship focuses on the effects of remarriage following divorce on the academic achievement of children. Although there exists considerable consensus among family theorists regarding the negative effects of divorce upon children both psychologically and in terms of academic achievement, the same consensus does not exist regarding the effects of remarriage. However, social scientists have recently accumulated a sizable amount of evidence indicating that remarriage has ill effects on many children. The journal (Jeyenes et al, 1999), The Effects of Remarriage Following Divorce on the Academic Achievements of Children examines the assumption by educators that parental remarriage benefits children academically. Most educational researchers and theorists have given almost no exhortations to the needs of children of divorce from reconstituted families. The primary reason has been that researchers and Americans, as a whole, believe that parental remarriage generally benefited children. The study included students from the 1988, 1990 and 1992 National Longitudinal Survey data sets that matched students by family structure, race, and socioeconomic status. The project was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education†s National Center for Statistics and designed by the National Opinion Research Center. The research included 24,599 students from 1052 schools. Questionnaires were given out to the parents, teachers, and students. Furthermore, achievement tests in math, reading, science, and social studies were administered to students. These tests were curriculum based cognitive tests used in overlapping methods to measure academic achievements. For all the standardized tests, the mean scores for children from divorced, reconstituted families were less than for both children of divorce from single-parent families and children from intact families. When matched for race and socioeconomic status, the differences were not statistically significant. Children living in a divorced, reconstituted family had negative results compared with an intact family. This fact was shown in all four-test measures: lower in math, science, and social studies, but the smallest effect was in the reading test. Contrary to popular misconception, the children of reconstituted families scored lower in all aspects of the tests than children of divorce from single-parent families. These findings do not support the assumption held by many educators that children of divorce from reconstituted homes are better off than divorced and intact children. Actually, the results support the idea that children of divorce from reconstituted families are at an academic disadvantage versus their counterparts in intact families, and are no better off academically than children of divorce from single-parent families. To solidify the results of this research another journal similarly argues that the reconstitution of a family shows lower educational attainments. This is the (Jonsson et al, 1997) Journal of Family Dissolution, Family Reconstitution, and Children†s Education. The study is done both longitudinally and cross-sectionally on large and recent Swedish data. It demonstrates that compared to children in intact families, children who have experienced family reconstitution show lower academic and educational attainment. The journal examines the association between family structure and children†s educational attainment, measured as early school leaving and transition to upper secondary school. The research is done in Sweden, which is a society characterized by a generous and predominantly universal social policy. The respondents started school at age seven and passed through the comprehensive Swedish school system consisting of nine compulsory grades. The data consists of 120,000 cases that were studied for every aspect of a person†s education. The Swedish Commission collected the information on Educational Inequality. First, the researchers found that children of remarried parents continued at school after the compulsory years less often than did those from other family types. For example, they had an 8% more chance of leaving school and 20% less change of going on to college. These problems are due to both poorer performances in school as measured by lower grade point averages, as well as educational decisions on study programs. Both analyses demonstrated that Swedish children who have experienced family reconstitution show decreased academic proficiencies. The cross-sectional analysis shows that children†s attainment is markedly lower in reconstituted families consisting of two non-married parents than in single parent families. The study consistently reveals educational disadvantages for children from separated and remarried families, as measured by standardized tests, exams/diplomas, grade point average, and years of completed education. The analysis of the four aforementioned studies reveals much about the effects of divorce and remarriage on a child†s education. It is obvious that children react to a major change in their lives with a plethora of powerful emotions. In both the Roizblatt and Forehand articles, divorce was shown to have a negative impact on grades and test scores throughout a child†s career. However, there are numerous reasons explaining these effects including conflicts, stress, economic losses, and adjustments. In both the Jonsson and Jeynes articles, conclusions stated that remarriage adversely affects a child†s education. However, reconstitution of a family may also have its advantages. Again, the child is faced with problems like not trying or not getting along with the new member of the family. Results show that the majority

Acct Mid-Term Solutions Essay

Examination I I will select five of the following questions for the mid-term exam. You should be able to answer all of them. You may work together in study groups and analyze and answer the questions. Obviously, the exam will be an individual effort. 1Accounting and Control The controller of a small private college is complaining about the amount of work she is required to do at the beginning of each month. The president of the university requires the controller to submit a monthly report by the fifth day of the following month. The monthly report contains pages of financial data from operations. The controller was heard saying, â€Å"Why does the president need all this information? He probably doesn’t read half of the report. He’s an old English professor and probably doesn’t know the difference between a cost and a revenue.† Required: a. What is the probable role of the monthly report? Ans: The monthly report is the report card for the University’s internal accounting system, these monthly reports are a formal part of the University’s information system, that provides data and knowledge for decision making (pg.2 of text). These reports are part of a system of controls, these controls force the organization to account for their monthly transactions and the president needs to know this so that he can defend and reconcile the position of his company. These reports are useful to the president so that he can manage the in-and-outflow of resources that keep the University’s board members and employees interests aligned. For the president, the role of these monthly reports are to provide information for necessary planning and decision making and to also help motivate and monitor people within the university (pg. 3 of text). b. What is the controller’s responsibility with respect to a president who doesn’t know much accounting? Ans: It is the controller’s responsibility to ensure the President understands what the reports say/symbolize and based upon those results, make suggestions on decisions. Their responsibilities involve assuring the reports are accurate, meet accounting standards by following accounting principles and procedures, and having a strong fiducial understanding of the business so that the numbers in his report tell a story about the University’s position in the market and the current state of its operational drivers (pg.10&11 of text). 2Cost, Volume, Profit Analysis Leslie Mittelberg is considering the wholesaling of a leather handbag from Kenya. She must travel to Kenya to check on quality and transportation. The trip will cost $3000. The cost of the handbag is $10 and shipping to the United States can occur through the postal system for $2 per handbag or through a freight company which will ship a container that can hold up to a 1000 handbags at a cost of $1000. The freight company will charge $1000 even if less than 1000 handbags are shipped. Leslie will try to sell the handbags to retailers for $20. Assume there are no other costs and benefits. Required: a. What is the break-even point if shipping is through the postal system? Ans: Break Even Point = Total Fixed Costs / (Unit Price – Unit Variable Costs) BEP = $3000 / ($20 – $12)= 375 handbags b. How many units must be sold if Leslie uses the freight company and she wants to have a profit of $1000? Ans: Total Revenue – Total Costs= Profit TR-TC=1000: $20x-($3000+$1000+$10x) =$1000 $10x=$5000; x=500 handbags. c. At what output level would the two shipping methods yield the same profit? Ans: Ï€=TR-TC; Freight: Ï€=$10x-$4000; Postal: Ï€=$8x-$3000 ( Two equations same unknown, set equal: 10x-4000=8x-3000( 2x=1000 ( x=500 handbags d. Suppose a large discount store asks to buy an additional 1000 handbags beyond normal sales. Which shipping method should be used and what is the minimum sales price Leslie should consider in selling those 1000 handbags? Ans: At a 1000 handbags, freight shipping should be used because the UVC to ship a bag would be $1 as opposed to $2 through postal. The minimum price of the bag should cover Leslies VC just to break even, VC=10(1000)+1000=$11,000/1000bags = $11.00. 3Asset Replacement The Baltic Company is considering the purchase of a new machine tool to replace an obsolete one. The machine being used for the operation has a tax-basis book value of $80,000, with an annual depreciation expense of $8,000. It has a resale value today of $40,000, is in good working order, and will last, physically, for at least 10 more years. The proposed machine will perform the operation so much more efficiently and Baltic engineers estimate that labor, material, and other direct costs of the operation will be reduced $60,000 a year if it is installed. The proposed machine costs $240,000 delivered and installed, and its economic life is estimated at 10 years, with zero salvage value. The company expects to earn 14 percent on its investment after taxes (14 percent is the firm’s cost of capital). The tax rate is 40 percent, and the firm uses straight-line depreciation. Any gain or loss on the sale of the machine at retirement is subject to tax at 40 percent. Should Baltic buy the new machine? 4Transfer Prices The Alpha Division of the Carlson Company manufactures product X at a variable cost of $40 per unit. Alpha Division’s fixed costs, which are sunk, are $20 per unit. The market price of X is $70 per unit. Beta Division of Carlson Company uses product X to make Y. The variable costs to convert X to Y are $20 per unit and the fixed costs, which are sunk, are $10 per unit. The product Y sells for $80 per unit. Required: a. What transfer price of X causes divisional managers to make decentralized decisions that maximize Carlson Company’s profit if each division is treated as a profit center? Ans: The minimum price Alpha can accept is $40+$20** = $40. The maximum Beta can pay is $80-$20-$10** or $60. **To have â€Å"sunken fixed costs† a firm would have to be operating in the short-run, the sunken fixed costs are unrecoverable and are already paid, these costs shouldn’t be considered when determining whether or not to shut down. The transfer price must be set in such a way as to induce the two parties to make the transfer. In essence, the transfer price must give incentives to the Alpha Division to want to make the transfer and give incentives to the Beta Division to buy (b/c they’re both profit centers, decentralized decision makers). In other words, the following two constraints must be satisfied: Alpha:TP > $40 (variable cost) Beta DivisionTP < $60 (selling price ($80) – variable costs to complete ($20)) where: TP = transfer price ( $40

In Every Cloud there is a Silver Lining

There I was weeping tirelessly for hours on end, almost creating a miniature pond on the ground. My months of preparations had gone to waste. All my plans and decisions I had hoped to undertake ruined. I had planned out my great voyage to the head chief for months. Each and every step I was to take was already decided. But according to my tradition I had to get permission from my mother before leaving. Then it all happened without even listening to all I had to say I heard ‘NO'. A word I feel no man can define and a word that should never exist in anyone's dictionary. There I was foolishly weeping when my motive was to show how much better our lives would be without these traditions yet following them my self. I was to do what I believe was my destiny. I was to do what I believed god created me to do. 1000's of 1000's of years of tradition had been followed in my community. Tradition that I believed was pointless, insensitive, meaningless and inappropriate to follow. Without anyone's consent again I set out to break and change these traditions for our betterment. I packed my bags and headed straight for Chief Souza, the man who is believed to be our god. The man with endless power at his fingertips, what he said happened and he was the only man who could fulfill my destiny. Getting to his home was the least of my worries. I simply had to walk for a short 2 1/2 hours down the sandy graveled road leading straight to his village and his home. I set off without any delays and a short while later I found my self and the grand gate and luxurious village of Chief Souza. My body pushing itself towards the door and with one final deep gulp of air and pushed open the doors. Then I realized I had already achieved a lot and am much closer to achieving my ‘destiny'. Without wasting any time in greetings and worthless talk on my health and family with the Chief I got straight down to the point. I shared a piece of my mind with the Chief not leaving any detail or feeling behind. I never feared his immense power and now in front of him certainly I would not. Step by step telling Chief Souza exactly what my motive is and the reason behind my decision to fight against my tradition. Finally completing my argument against our tradition I looked eye to eye with the Chief. He stared at me as if I had gone crazy and just then I realized what a mess I had got myself into. I realized what a dim-witted person I was to barge into the most superior man's house in the entire community and blast him about how shallow our tradition is. But then again I believed it was my destiny and this is the backbone in my life. This is why I lived. Then something struck me, something hard and heavy and within seconds I dropped to the ground like a stick. Upon awakening I found a rope around my neck and a sack over my head. Despite not being able to see anything I knew the Chief had found my words as an insult to his community and ordered for me to be hung. It hurt really badly as I never even had the chance to question my community on what they found wrong with my words. What was wrong if I had my own opinion about the community and our tradition? It was too late I felt the plank beneath my feet, currently keeping me up, being pulled till I had nothing to balance on. My life had come to an end but my soul would not rest until I accomplished my goal. My mother cried and cried endless for days, wondering ‘Where had I gone wrong in education my son? Why, why, why did he not listen to me? ‘ Everyday each member of the community considers ‘What did he say wrong? He shared his feelings something no one has the courage to do. ‘ Each member of the community started looking at life from a different perspective a perspective in which they can live their lives how they wanted to and not by what their tradition, our tradition, my tradition said. My community members finally realized what I was trying to project. Within a couple of days, I gained my biggest victory our tradition was altered and every member of our community was free to live life their way! Then it became clear to me, if I had not sacrificed my life for the betterment of my community the changes done to our tradition now would never have happened. So even in a dark cloud like the death of a community member came, there really is a silver lining in it. Now my soul will rest in peace!

Brand Manager

We keep hearing about managers of different kinds, yet we never really know what a manager's job actually entails. This article will deal with a specific kind of manager – the brand manager. Through this article, we will know a little something more about a brand manager and the brand manager job description in detail. Along with that, we will also foray into the different brand manager duties and some other brand manager responsibilities. Read the following article to know a little something more about the brand manager job description and what career opportunities one might have in that field. Job Description of Brand Manager As the name suggests, the brand manager has to work with a particular brand or several brands. It is a highly challenging job because he has to take the entire responsibility for the success of that product(s), and is therefore, responsible for all related aspects which include planning, buying, selling, marketing, pricing, dispatching and ordering. That is a bird's eye view of what a brand manager job description is, the following paragraphs will list some of the important duties of the brand manager. To begin with, they need to work extensively with the research and development department of the company, and with their help, formulate the best possible way to market the product. †¢ They need to supply the engineers (who are working on developing the product) with the results of the market research and on the basis of which the product will be based. †¢ They also check if the engineers are following the decided path and suggest changes for improvement. †¢ They need to be fully aware of the product at hand. What is the product capable of doing and what will be some of the improvements that might take place in the future. †¢ Once the product is ready, he must gather a core group for testing. The results from these tests will help him to determine whether the product has been able to achieve the desired result or not. †¢ After the product has passed this test, he will have to think of the marketing strategies for the same. What will be the audience, the target group at which the product will be directed etc. The packaging of the product – the best way in which the audience will be able to connect to the product and how the packaging will be able to convey what the product is all about. †¢ The pricing of the product is also an important factor that will need the drawing up of several strategies. The brand manager will work with several other departments to determine this aspect. †¢ Then he will undertake the extensive planning of the techniques and methods by which the product will be launched in the market. †¢ The advertising strategies that will be used. What modes of mass media will be utilized to ensure the success of the product. †¢ The methods of promotion that will be used will also need to be determined by him. †¢ All this will be dependent upon the budget that has been allocated. He has to also make sure that all these techniques employed like the promotions, marketing, advertising costs , all of them fall under the allotted budget and no more. †¢ After the product has been launched, he has to monitor the sales. †¢ Depending on the sales, he needs to change strategies or techniques in marketing, advertising or promotions to lead to maximum success. Read more on marketing strategies. †¢ He has to plan for the future about the course of the product – what will be the future strategies etc. so that continued success is guaranteed. †¢ Bringing about changes in the product from time to time so that it includes whatever the audience wants and is thereby accepted more openly by the audience. †¢ A marketing plan is an official plan of how the company intends to execute its marketing strategies. Learning how to write a marketing plan is very important as it gives the management a good idea of what the marketing department is up to. So this article will explain how to develop a marketing plan along with supplying a marketing plan template. Marketing Plan Developing a marketing plan is tough and requires a good amount of research. A marketing plan starts with market research. The first step is to evaluate what the customers feel about your product, what they like about it, and what changes they would like to see in the product. By communicating with the end users of the product, we understand what they expect of the product, what are their exact needs and how your product can best satisfy that need. Market research also helps you analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your product along with finding out the potential opportunities and threats to your product's present market share. After the market research has been conducted, you will have a fair idea of what the users think about your products and what changes you may need to integrate into your final product offering. Market research will also help you feel the pulse of the market and understand how the customer sees your product and that way, you will be able to make a good marketing strategy for it.

Atticus Finch In To Kill A Mockingbird English Literature Essay

Atticus Finch In To Kill A Mockingbird English Literature Essay Atticus Finch is one of the most steadfastly honest and moral characters in â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee and his character remains, for the most part, unchanged throughout â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†. As any character analysis of Atticus Finch should note in terms of the plot of â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† he begins as an upstanding citizen who is respected and admired by his peers and even though he loses some ground during the trial, by the end of To Kill a Mockingbird he is still looked up to, both by his children and the community as whole-with all class levels included.   Ã‚  As a lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch represents everything that someone working in the justice system should. He is fair, does not hold grudges, and looks at every situation from a multitude of angles. As Miss Maude quite correctly puts it in one of the important quotes from â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee, â€Å"Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets† (87) and this could also be said of how he behaves in the courtroom. He is a skilled lawyer and without making outright accusations in a harsh tone he effectively points out that Bob Ewell is lying. Even more importantly, the subject of this character analysis, Atticus Finch, is able to gracefully point out to the jury that there although there probably are a few black men who are capable of crimes, â€Å"this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men† (208). His understanding of equality and his colorblindness allow him to see clearly that the case has been motivated by racial hatred and he is strong enough, both as a person and a lawyer, to see that this is a wrong that needs to be discussed and pointed out to the community. In general in To Kill a Mockingbird, as a lawyer, he is much as he is as a father-focused on justice, equality, and imbued with the special talent of seeing a numbe r of angles to every situation.   As a parent in To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus, although older than most of the other children’s parents, is very careful to offer his children careful moral guidance. Instead of trying to force principles of politeness or societal norms on them, however, he is careful to provide his instruction in a way that makes the children think about their actions. For example, he offers them complex lessons in life and tells them, â€Å"shoot all the blue jays that you want, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† (103). This lesson is not to tell them that shooting things is good, but rather that there are some things that are living peacefully and have a purpose on the earth. In addition to this, as a lawyer and a man of words, he recognizes the importance of having good verbal and reading skills and he teaches Scout to read from a very young age. As another example, when Mrs. Dubose dies he teaches his children an important less on about courage and strength by telling them, . â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through, no matter what† (116). The most important aspect of this in terms of the major themes in â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† presented via this character, it is that he does not just tell his children things he wants them to consider important, he actually follows through and lives according to such lessons. For example, as seen in To Kill a Mockingbird   even though he knows he will not win the case and is â€Å"licked† he goes ahead and pursues it anyway. As a father his most important role seems to be as a teacher above all else and his children, much like the rest of the community respect him greatly for this.

Pagan Influence in the Culture of Ukraine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Pagan Influence in the Culture of Ukraine - Essay Example   Although this construct may come as something of a shock to many, the different methods whereby Ukraine and the influences that have acted upon as compared to the United States ultimately make for a very distinct culture (Schulman 1998). The first determinant of this is the level to which paganism plays into the fabric of society. True, the nation itself has been â€Å"Christian† since the time of Prince Vladimir the Great (circa 988 AD), the long history of the people and the subsequent invasions from the East, including Mongols, Tatars, Khazars, and a litany of other peoples from the steppes of Central Asia meant that a great deal of diverse pagan beliefs were interjected into the culture of the nation as a function of the various tribes and kingdoms that spent time ruling over Ukraine (Holmes 2007). This level of paganism is exhibited in a litany of different ways within the culture; one of these being the celebration of the holiday â€Å"Ivana Kupala† which celebrates the life force of the rivers, lakes, and streams and continues to be celebrated throughout Ukraine and many other Eastern European countries (Culture and Arts 2009). Similar winter solstice activities have also engrained themselves into the culture as dances around the base of fir trees, harvest celebrations, days for the dead, and a litany of other pagan holidays and references pervade the culture in ways that would not necessarily be the case in the United States. There are of course a number of superstitions that continue to pervade the culture as well. An example of this includes the belief that whistling indoors means that the individual will soon have no money.  Ã‚