HOME TECH The Inner Workings Essays - Pens, Writing Implements

"HOME TECH": The Inner Workings The Toilet Yes...those tales you've heard are true. The toilet was first patented in England in 1775, invented by one Thomas Crapper, but the extraordinary automatic device called the flush toilet has been around for a long time. Leonardo Da Vinci in the 1400's designed one that worked, at least on paper, and Queen Elizabeth I reputably had one in her palace in Richmond in 1556, complete with flushing and overflow pipes, a bowl valve and a drain trap. In all versions, ancient and modern, the working principle is the same. Tripping a single lever (the handle) sets in motion a series of actions. The trip handle lifts the seal, usually a rubber flapper, allowing water to flow into the bowl. When the tank is nearly empty, the flap falls back in place over the water outlet. A floating ball falls with the water level, opening the water supply inlet valve just as the outlet is being closed. Water flows through the bowl refill tube into the overflow pipe to replenish the trap sealing water. As the water level in the tank nears the top of the overflow pipe, the float closes the inlet valve, completing the cycle. From the oldest of gadgets in the bathroom, let's turn to one of the newest, the toothpaste pump. Sick and tired of toothpaste squeezed all over your sink and faucets? Does your spouse never ever roll down the tube and continually squeezes it in the middle? Then the toothpaste pump is for you! When you press the button it pushes an internal, grooved rod down the tube. Near the bottom of the rod is a piston, supported by little metal flanges called "dogs", which seat themselves in the grooves on the rod. As the rod moves down, the dogs slide out of the groove they're in and click into the one above it. When you release the button, the spring brings the rod back up carrying the piston with it, now seated one notch higher. This pushes one-notch's-worth of toothpaste out of the nozzle. A measured amount of toothpaste every time and no more goo on the sink. Refrigerators Over 90 percent of all North American homes with electricity have refrigerators. It seems to be the one appliance that North Americans can just not do without. The machine's popularity as a food preserver is a relatively recent phenomenon, considering that the principles were known as early as 1748. A liquid absorbs heat from its surroundings when it evaporates into a gas; a gas releases heat when it condenses into a liquid. The heart of a refrigerator cooling system is the compressor, which squeezes refrigerant gas (usually freon) and pumps it to the condenser, where it becomes a liquid, giving up heat in the process. The condenser fan helps cool it. The refrigerant is then forced through a thin tube, or capillary tube, and as it escapes this restraint and is sucked back into a gas again, absorbing some heat from the food storage compartment while it does so. The evaporator fan distributes the chilled air. In a self-defrosting refrigerator/freezer model, moisture condenses into frost on the cold evaporator coils. The frost melts and drains away when the coils are warmed during the defrost cycle which is initiated by a timer, and ended by the defrost limiter, before the frozen food melts. A small heater prevents condensation between the compartments, the freezer thermostat turns the compressor on and off, and the temp control limits cold air entering the fridge, by means of an adjustable baffle. Smoke Detectors Is your smoke detector good at scaring to death spiders who carelessly tiptoe inside it? Have you ever leapt out of the shower, clad only in you-know-what, to the piercing tones of your alarm, triggered merely by your forgetting the close the bathroom door? Is it supposed to do this? There are two types of smoke detectors on the market; the photoelectric smoke detector and ionization chamber smoke detector. The photoelectric type uses a photoelectric bulb that shines a beam of light through a plastic maze, called a catacomb. The light is deflected to the other end of the maze where it

10 Genius Tips for Balancing Test Prep With School

10 Genius Tips for Balancing Test Prep With School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Getting your SAT/ACT dream score will likely take a considerable time investment. The vast majority of high school students have to spend many hours of studying before they're able to get their desired score. However, your time is limited. You have school, homework, studying, and extracurricular activities. How will you be able to put in the necessary test prep time on top of your other responsibilities? In this article, I'll let you know how you can balance SAT/ACT test prep with school. If you follow my advice, you'll be able to effectively incorporate test prep into your schedule. General Guidance Before you embark on a path to successfully reaching your SAT/ACT goals, you need to have the right mindset. First, you need to believe that you're capable of succeeding. Confidence is crucial to complete any difficult task, including getting a wonderful SAT/ACT score. Most likely, you're not where you want to be right now, but it's essential that you have faith that you can get there. As an SAT teacher, I worked with hundreds of students of all different skill levels, and almost every student who was committed to improving saw significant results. You may not be naturally gifted at math, but with enough practice and focused studying, you can probably get a good Math score. You may struggle with grammar, but if you master the grammar rules that are tested on the SAT/ACT, you should be able to correctly answer the grammar questions. Don't just accept that a weakness will stop you from getting your desired score. You need to believe that you can improve your weaknesses (because you can). Also, you need to be motivated. If you're confident but aren't willing to put in the necessary study time, you won't see much improvement. I understand that many students find it difficult to care about studying for the SAT/ACT. They find the material dull and have so many other priorities and concerns. However, regardless of your college goals, you should realize the importance of the SAT/ACT. Getting a better score will increase your college options and the likelihood that you'll qualify for merit scholarships. Furthermore, a good SAT/ACT score can positively impact your professional future. Some employers ask job applicants to report their standardized test scores. If you find your motivation waning, think of how getting a wonderful SAT/ACT score can benefit you. Finally, if you're going to successfully balance your SAT/ACT studying with school, you need to have a plan. To reach any challenging goal, I think it's important to specifically figure out how you're going to achieve your desired goal. Having a plan will enable you to stay on task and use your time efficiently. Making a Plan Hopefully, you recognize that you can balance school with your test prep, and you realize that you're going to need an effective plan to make that happen. How do you go about making a plan, though? I'll provide you with the steps and detailed instructions to help you come up with a quality SAT/ACT study plan. Determine Your Target Score Before you go through any steps to balance school with your test prep, you should have a goal score for your SAT/ACT. Having a goal will motivate you to stick to your study plan, make you more likely to prioritize your test prep, and help you figure out how much time you need to study. You can determine your target score by averaging the 75th percentile scores for the schools you’re interested in applying to. If you reach the 75th percentile score for a given school, your score will make you an extremely competitive applicant. Find the 75th percentile scores by googling â€Å"(name of school) prepscholar average sat† or â€Å"(name of school) prepscholar average act.† For old SAT scores out of 2400, multiply the 75th percentile score by â…” to determine what the 75th percentile score would be on the current test with a maximum score of 1600. Figure Out How Much Time You Need to Study Once you have a target score, you can determine how much time you need to study before you take the SAT/ACT. Taking this step will allow you to come up with a plan that will help you balance your test prep with school. In order to figure out how much you need to study, you need to know exactly how much you need to improve. Calculate the difference between your target score and your last SAT/ACT. If you've never taken the SAT/ACT, I recommend taking an official practice SAT/ACT simulating real testing conditions to determine where you’re at and how much you need to improve. Once you know how much you need to improve, here’s an estimated breakdown of point improvement per number of study hours for the SAT: 0-50 SAT Total Point Improvement: 10 hours 50-100 Point Improvement: 20 hours 100-200 Point Improvement: 40 hours 200-300 Point Improvement: 80 hours 300-500 Point Improvement: 150 hours+ And here’s the same thing for the ACT: 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours 1-2 ACT Point Improvement: 20 hours 2-4 ACT Point Improvement: 40 hours 4-6 ACT Point Improvement: 80 hours 6-9 ACT Point Improvement: 150 hours+ How many hours do you need to study? Write Out Your Weekly Schedule At this point, you should know when you’re planning on taking the test and how many total hours you need to study. Then you can divide the total number of hours you need to study by the number of weeks you have until your test to determine how many hours per week you should be studying. For example, let's say you're planning on taking the ACT in 8 weeks and you want to raise your ACT score by 3 points. Because a 3 point improvement will take roughly 40 hours of studying and you have 8 weeks until the test, you'll have to average about 5 hours of studying per week to reach your target score. Before you determine exactly when you’ll be studying, write out your weekly schedule with all of your responsibilities. Include all of your weekly tasks: school, homework, extracurriculars, job, etc. Write out your schedule for each day of the week. Perhaps your Tuesday may look something like this: 7:00 AM- wake up 8:00 AM-3:00 PM- school 4:00-6:00- cross country practice 7:30-9:30- homework and studying Create a Plan Now that you know how many hours per week you need to study, you can decide when you’re going to study based on the time that you currently have available. Write your intended study hours into your typed out weekly schedule. Print out your plan. You can even print out multiple copies and place them where you'll regularly see them. Looking at your intended schedule will remind you of when you need to study, help you commit your schedule to memory, and motivate you to stay on task. Let's add some study time into the hypothetical Tuesday schedule I made: 7:00 AM- wake up 8:00 AM-3:00 PM- school 4:00 PM-6:00 PM- cross country practice 7:30-9:30 PM- homework 10:00-:30 PM- SAT studying This is a pretty challenging schedule. You'll be busy with only limited breaks from 7:00 AM-:30 PM. However, if you're disciplined and motivated, it's feasible to stick to this itinerary. If you're more of a morning person, you can wake up at 5:30 AM to do your SAT studying. Also, if you have to do 5 hours of studying per week, you may only have to schedule SAT/ACT studying for a couple of days. Furthermore, if you have more free time on the weekends, you can save the majority or all your studying for Saturdays and Sundays. Time for test prep! Hooray! Make Your Plan Doable When you create your study plan, be realistic and honest with yourself about what you're capable of doing. If your schedule includes studying for 12 hours on both Saturday and Sunday, you probably should make some adjustments. Even though you may have enough free time to study for 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday, you’re probably not going to have the energy or concentration to study for 24 hours every weekend. Similarly, if you have trouble waking up in the morning, you shouldn't schedule your SAT/ACT prep for 4:00 AM. You really want to create a schedule that you’re likely to stick to and will allow you to put in enough prep time to reach your target score. Unfortunately, it's possible that if you don't have much free time, you'll have to create a schedule that's less than ideal. However, you still want to create the most realistic possible schedule. Share Your Plan For accountability, I recommend sharing your plan with those who are willing to help you stick to it. If your parents, siblings, or close friends know your intended schedule, they can encourage and push you when they know it’s time for you to do your SAT/ACT prep. If you try to deviate from your schedule, you’ll have other people to remind you of your goals and what you should be doing. Keep in mind, though, that you'll be most likely to achieve your goals if you're primarily self-motivated. Evaluate and Adjust Your Plan Regularly During the first week or two of your study plan, keep track of how well you’re doing and how well your plan is working for you. If the plan you created seems too difficult for you to maintain, then you may need to adjust it so that it’s easier for you. If you have to make adjustments, do your best not to sacrifice study time you need to reach your target score. Ideally, you'll be able to move your studying to times that work better for you. If your extracurricular activity or work schedule changes after you start your study plan, you may have to alter your prep time accordingly. Also, make sure that your SAT/ACT prep isn't getting in the way of your schoolwork. If your current prep plan is preventing you from finishing your homework or studying for school, then you'll have to make changes. You don't want to sacrifice your grades to reach your target score. In fact, generally, your grades are more important to colleges than your test scores. If your plan isn't working, change it. How to Stay Motivated Perhaps the biggest challenge to successfully balancing school with your test prep is maintaining your motivation up until test day. Many students are able to stick to their plan for a week or two, but they start to slip and neglect their test prep over time. Your study plan will only be effective if you stick to it up until test day. Trust me that I understand the challenges of maintaining your plan. I wasn't a perfect student, and I realize that you'll be tempted to stray from your plan when you'd rather be doing anything other than test prep. I've already mentioned a few tips like printing out your plan and sharing it to help stay on track. Here are some more strategies for you to make the best use of your study time and stay engaged throughout the study process. Set Smaller Goals for Motivation Remember that the number of hours you’re studying is only one part of the equation to reaching your target score. You need to make sure that you’re focused when you’re studying and studying efficiently. Set goals for yourself for each study session and on a weekly basis. For example, if during one of your study sessions, you’re trying to improve on transition questions on SAT Writing, you can set a goal of reviewing my article on transitions and then getting at least 9/10 transition questions right from SAT practice tests. Similarly, you could also set a goal for the week of raising your ACT Science score by two points from your last practice test. Then, you can focus your studying for the week on improving your content weaknesses and doing practice problems. At the end of the week, you can do a complete ACT Science section under test conditions, and hopefully, you’ll be able to achieve your goal. Leave Time for Fun In trying to balance school with your test prep, realize that outside of school, test prep, and your extracurricular activities, you should be having some fun and leisure time. All work and no play is sad, and you’re going to have a difficult time maintaining motivation if you’re not emotionally healthy. Furthermore, you should be enjoying your youth, spending time with your friends and family, and creating memories that you’ll probably look back on more fondly than your SAT/ACT prep. When you create your prep schedule, try not to have every minute of your day devoted to your studies or other obligations. It’s not terrible to spend a few hours per week engaged in fun activities that may not directly help you get into the college of your dreams. It might be time for a bouncy castle break. (Catrin Austin/Flickr) Reward Yourself Following all of the tips in this article (other than having fun) isn’t easy. Just reading this article is indicative of your determination and willingness to make sacrifices to achieve your goals. I’m a big believer in positive reinforcement. If you meet one of your daily or weekly goals, feel free to reward yourself for your hard work. You deserve it, and you can use your rewards as further motivation to reach your goals. If you reach your goal of improving your SAT Math section score by 50 points from the previous week, maybe you can reward yourself by going to see a movie you’ve been wanting to check out or spending an hour posting stories on Snapchat (isn’t that what the kids do these days?). Final Points Balancing school with your test prep isn’t easy, but it’s possible if you’re diligent, organized, and plan effectively. If you need help with motivation, organization, or holding yourself accountable, you may greatly benefit from a test prep program like PrepScholar. PrepScholar will help you identify your content weaknesses, inform you (and your parents) how much time you spend studying on a weekly basis, and it will organize your practice so that you’re able to reach your target score efficiently. What's Next? Are you getting ready for the SAT? Figure out the best way to study. Are you planning to take the ACT? Learn how to study. Are you plagued by test anxiety? Find out how to overcome test anxiety to get your target score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Gender issues in Friel Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gender issues in Friel Play - Essay Example The literature discussion in this paper will focus on Friel’s play: Gender issues are as important as memory in Friel’s play, from Helen Lojek’s article the Dancing at Lughnasa and The Unfinished Revolution. The paper will use external literally articles to support the above argument. The paper will use the external article Brian Friel, Dancing at Lughnasa by Suman Gupta while focusing on the topic to assert the truth in the statement. Gender issues command a great influence in social lifestyle as described by Lojek and Gupta their articles. Lojek introduces her article by describing the views she observed in Brian Friel play about gender inequality. Friel (1993:46) observed the women struggle in the Irish Republic and indicated that societal revolution has yielded very little in creating equal opportunity for women (Lojek, 2007:79). The religious paternalism and secularisation that is evident in the society has not revolutionised the women world; instead, it has subjected them to social imbalances where women are symbols of insignificant ideals. The cultural trend in the Irish society promoted legislations that subjected women to roles within their homes. These cultural trends did not only infringe the advancement of women bright within their home boundaries, but also within the whole nation. Preservation of equality in the Irish society was equally hard because of the cultural influence. Lojek (2007:80) observed that despite the constitutional declaration in 1922, women could not rise from the bondage of culture to enjoy the newfound freedom that set them free from the tyrannical gender perception. Lojek (2007:80) pointed on the early work of Friel in which the central focus was the father son relationship. The relationship inspires the play while setting trends for women to follow. Women had limited choices to make especially when it came to making controversial decisions that were outside the home boundary. The play of Friel is a revela tion about the societal perception about how gender is instrumental to civilisation. The society could not make steps without the contribution of women, yet it does not appear in Friel play that the same society acknowledged women efforts. The cultural perceptions created patriarchal system where gender perception characterised the choice that the society made. Concerning this, Friel could not miss to acknowledge the characteristics of the Irish community as described by Lojek in her article. The documentations of gender related issues have given rise constitution amendment, which aimed at transforming the society into a much better place for human survival. The traditional trends in the Irish community promoted the male gender bias as opposed to equality centred community. Gupta described societal inclinations in her article by focusing on human activities shaped by gender perception. In particular, Gupta (2012:242) observed the social trends in Ireland in relation to gender and re marked that the social trends were subject to gender inclination. The same would apply to the views projected by Friel. The society has defined its social chores with respect to gender, thus a woman place would be the kitchen. The same trend was applicable during the world war where male gender was subject war while the female gender was subject to duties within their homes. The correlation that exists between two paradigms is the place of gender in relation an individual position in the society. The participation of women in political activities as well as running church matters is a concern that Lojek has addressed in her article. She posits that women do not participate in political affairs of their countries or geographical origins (Lojek, 2007:83). The same trend seems to apply in churches. Women are critical to the societal growth at whatever level, however, the society does not seem to recognise their role in steering the societal ideals. Politics is crucial to development so cial ideals because it influences

Principle of consideration Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principle of consideration - Article Example But why it is too simplistic to assume if there is consideration present a promise is enforceable by examining different facets of consideration within the above context. Sir Frederick Pollock defined consideration as 'An act or forbearance of one party, or the promise thereof, is the price for which the promise of the other is bought, and the promise thus given for value is enforceable."1 This definition was rightly adopted by Lord Dunedin in Dunlop v Selfridge Ltd (1915) 2 Dunlop had sold tyres to Dew Ltd on condition that their (latter's) agents should not sell below the listed price of Dunlop. But Selfridge Ltd who had purchased tyres from Dew Ltd sold below the listed price. In this case of suing of Selfridge by Dunlop decided by House Lords in appeal, it was held that privity of contract was essential. And what determined privity in this case was consideration. As there was no consideration moved between the said parties, there was no contract between them and therefore Selfridge was not liable to Dunlop Even earlier to Dunlop case, principle of consideration was established in Currie v Misa (1875)3 wherein Misa issued cheque to Lizardi or bearer. As the cheque was dishonoured, the bearer Currie brought action on Lisa. It was held the bearer Currie even as a holder for value is not entitled to sue Misa as there was no consideration between them. The following are the rules of consideration. a) Consideration must be present in a promise and must have moved from the the promisee. In Tweedle v Atkinson (1861)4, it was held that the person entitled to sue is he who gives consideration. It follows also that gift is not a contract. b) Consideration must have some value. Hence natural love and affection or performance of a moral duty will not be used to enforce a promise. This was decided in White v Bluett(1853)5 wherein it was held that a son's promise not to complain to his father as to how his properties are distributed among his children in return for the father's promise not sue his son for the debts owed to him, can not be good consideration. "Judge Pollock held that the son had not provided good consideration as he had no legal right to complain. Thus, in promising not to complain, the son did not forbear or give up anything of value in exchange for his father's promise." (Barbara Lisa)6 c) Consideration need not be adequate. In Chappel and Co v Nestle7, it was decided that consideration of 1s 6 d with three wrappers of chocolates Nestle had offered was a sufficient consideration for the gramophone records offered in return. d) Consideration may be executory or executed but past consideration can not enforce a promise. A consideration already provided before promise was made is past consideration

New 3 Questions on Politics and Administration Essay

New 3 Questions on Politics and Administration - Essay Example It has however been showcasing itself as one that checks over separation of powers. An issue that seemed to bring some controversy to this issue was the court’s rejection of Bush’s administration to detail prisoners of war. This led to the argument that the court would have been arguing in such a case due to lack of competency in the issues apprehended. According to Harriger (2011) and the concept of separation of powers, the court has acted in a manner to indicate that it is really enforcing for the power separation. Looking at these trends, in accordance to Harriger (2011), this separation of powers and the push by the Supreme Court trends to some judicial activism in the cases of power separation. He as well contended to the fact that he court seemed more oriented towards separation of powers than judicial supremacy. There is a bit of ignorance on the fact that judicial supremacy and defending its supremacy would be a better explanation of the activism of the court H arriger (2011). According to this author, the power war is between the congress and the federal government as well as the state governments. Harriger (2011) terms the behaviour of the courts in this case as a model of judicial activism in the sense that they do so against some constitutional values. Separation of powers is then argued to be more centralised towards public affairs in the recent past than it was thirty years ago. The issue of federalism and separation of powers comes in if the party controlling the houses differ from the President’s party. Divided governments have historically been used to show the various historical attributes that determine the struggle between the executive branches of the government. In the argument of the federalism about this struggle, there is an argument that all the government arms should be in such a manner that they can defend their own rights against invasion from the other arms. In this regard, they argue of the issues within the c onstitution that should better be served politically than in the courts Harriger (2011). Arguing on a federalist view, the constructions found in the constitution are not permanent and can be constitutionally solved. Looking at these arguments, it is evident that issues of separation of powers are directly connected to political battles in various arenas. Such issues are what led to the executive power showcased Bush as the Congress backed him up for the war on terror, considering that the houses were both controlled by republicans Harriger (2011). 2. Presidential powers According to Neustadt (1960) presidential powers are about the influence of the president to the country. The current American Presidency is a vital organ in the country’s progress and elections are taken very seriously. The current modern US President faces aid and service demands from quite some sources; the executive, congress, partisans, citizens and other countries. All these five organs are distinguishe d by what hey require of the president making this a role of the president Neustadt (1960). The obligations of the president are cut out for him alone. The President has such an importance status in the government such that there is always being demanded of his services. In his article, Neustadt (1960) states that these powers are in most cases behind the knowledge of the common man and thus will always remain at the mercy of the President. If compared to historical Presidents, the modern Presidency cannot much as the erstwhile

Looking At The Implications Of Teenage Pregnancy Social Work Essay

Looking At The Implications Of Teenage Pregnancy Social Work Essay The rate of teenage pregnancy has decreased greatly within the past years but it is still an immense problem which needs addressing. Pregnancy rates in the United States are still higher than those in other industrialized nations à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ this is the case even though American teens are no more sexually active than teenagers of other nations. Recent statistics concerning the teen birthrates are alarming. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all births in the United States are to teenage women and eight in ten of them are of unintended and unanticipated pregnancies. By the age of eighteen, one out of four teenage girls will have become pregnant. The rate of teenage pregnancies may be high among low income African-American, Hispanics, and those in inner city ghettos; it is higher still among poor, white, young women who live in small cities. The question of which teenager is most likely to become pregnant can be answered by knowing attitudes towards the social consequences of adolescent parenthood. Those individuals understanding that parenthood at an early age will limit their chances of education; will most likely be influenced to not have an unplanned pregnancy, if they are highly motivated to become professionals in the future. The higher a womans level of education, the more likely she is to postpone marriage and childbearing. Adolescents with little schooling are often twice as likely as those with more education to have a baby before their twentieth birthday. Some 58% of young women in the United States who receive less than a high school education give birth by the time they are twenty years old, compared with 13% of young women who complete at least twelve years of schooling. Young women who become pregnant who become pregnant during high school are more likely to drop out due to the excessive workload which is hard to balance. A teen mother leaves school because she cannot manage the task of caring for a baby and studying, and a teen father usually chooses a job over school so that he can pay bills and provide for his child. Teen mothers usually have fewer resources than older mothers because they have had less time to gather savings or build their resumes through work experience, education, or training. Because of this, teen mothers are generally poor and are dependent on government support. The welfare system is usually the only support a teen parent will receive. Welfare benefits are higher for families with absent fathers or dependent children. Emotional stress is also another issue which teenage mothers have to deal with along with financial strains. Teen mothers may have limited social contacts and friendships because they do not have time for anything other than their baby. Lack of a social life and time for herself may cause the teenage mother to become depressed or have severe mental anxiety. Depression may become worse for a teenage mother because she usually does not know much about child development or about how to care for their children. Children who are born to teenage mothers usually suffer from poor parenting. Also, children of teenage parents start being sexually active before their peers and they are more likely to become teenage parents themselves. These children may also suffer from financial difficulties similar to that of their parents. Children whose mothers are age seventeen or younger are three times as likely as their peers to be poor, and are likely to stay poor for a longer period of time. Children born to teenage mothers are also at an intellectual disadvantage. Teen mothers face greater health risks than older mothers, such as anemia, pregnancy induced hypertension, toxemia, premature delivery, cervical trauma, and even death. Many of these health risks are due to inadequate prenatal care and support, rather than physical immaturity. The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature and prolonged labor. Death rate from pregnancy complications are much higher among girls who give birth under age fifteen. Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby with health problems. The younger the teenage mother is, the higher the chances are that she and her baby will have health problems. This is mainly due to late prenatal care, if any, and poor nutrition. An adolescent mother and her baby may not get enough nutrients and, because the mothers body is not fully mature, and thus she may have many complications throughout the duration of her pregnancy. Along with the mother, the children of teenage parents too often become part of a cycle of poor health, school failure, and poverty. Infants born to teenage mothers are at a high risk of prematurity, fragile health, the need for intensive care, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental retardation. Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem. Babies born to teenagers are often born too small, too soon. The death rate for babies whose mothers are under fifteen years of age is double that of babies whose mothers are twenty to thirty years old. Some research indicates that the percentage of teenage birthrates has declined simply because fewer teenagers are having sexual intercourse and more adolescents are using contraceptives. Researchers say that the recent trends in sexual activity and contraceptive use are the result of a number of factors, including greater emphasis on abstinence, more conservative attitudes about sex, fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the popularity of long-lasting birth control methods such as the contraceptive implant, Norplant, the injectable Depo-Provera, and even because of the economy. In addition, researchers state that young people have become somewhat more conservative in their views about casual sex and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Some attribute this change in attitude mainly to concern about sexually transmitted diseases. Others say that it is because of the involvement of conservative religious groups in the public debate over sexual behavior. Many researchers believe tha t the strong economy and the increasing availability of jobs at minimum wage have contributed to fewer births among teenagers. Americans, however, seem to be against some of the methods used by these various organizations to reduce the teen pregnancy rates. The most controversial aspect of adolescent pregnancy prevention is the growing movement to provide teenagers with easy access to contraceptives. Teenage pregnancy does cause many problems for the mother, child, and economy. There are, however, some incidences where the mother overcomes this down-hill trend and makes a successful life for her and her child. The outcome of teenage pregnancy turns out better if the mother goes back to school after she has given birth. Staying in school may help to prevent teenage mothers from having a second pregnancy. The outcome is also better if the mother continues to live with her parents so that they can help to raise the child. Young, teen mothers need health care for themselves as well as their children. An adolescent mother also needs a great deal of encouragement to get her to remain in school. Single teenage mothers also need job training so that they can get a good job to support themselves and their children. Teen mothers need to be taught parenting and life-management skills and also need high quality and affordable daycare for their children. Schools that provide daycare centers on campus reduce the incidence of teenagers dropping out of school. These school programs also decrease the likelihood that the teen mother will have more children. Because the government has begun to take action in preventing teen pregnancies, the rate has continued to decline. The large numbers of young people in Americaas well as the values, health, education, skills they gainwill greatly affect the future of society. The levels of education available to younger individuals is much greater than that which was available to their parents and the expectation is that young people take the opportunity and initiative to obtain higher levels of education. The numbers of women become pregnant during their teenage years is declining, although slowly, as many young women recognize the impact which childbearing has on education. It has also decreased as parents and communities discourage sexual activity, marriage and motherhood at young ages. These recent trends will most likely educate young adolescent teenagers about the consequences and risks of teenage pregnancy and reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy and childbirth altogether if continued.

Essay on Symbols and Symbolism in Toni Morrisons Beloved :: Toni Morrison Beloved Essays

Symbolism in Beloved Toni Morrison enhances the effectiveness of Beloved with symbolism. This symbolism has a myriad of origins as well as forms. Number symbols come from astrological sources, while characters' names are allusions from ancient Egyptian mythology, the Bible, and African culture. Furthermore, important color symbols are discernible throughout the novel. From the very beginning of Beloved, the number 124 is distinguishable. In fact, it appears as the first character of each book of the novel. As the address of the home where most of the plot takes place, this number is extremely important. According to astrology, the numbers 1, 3, 7, and 22 are "ascribed with magical powers" (Samuels 135). These magical powers are said to be symbols of completion and creation. 124 fits this astrological delineation because the sum of the three digits in the number add up to the aforementioned 7. In addition, a significant association among characters in the novel is in the form of three people -- Sethe, Beloved, and Denver. Secondly, the name of the protagonist of the novel, Sethe, is associated with "one of the major gods of ancient Egypt and the Biblical Seth, who was the child of Adam and Eve" (Samuels 136). This Egyptian god was part man and part animal or bird, which explains the animal imagery surrounding Sethe in the novel. For example, when explaining her secret about Beloved to Paul D., Sethe is described as if she is a circling falcon or bird. Morrison writes, "She just flew...and the hummingbird wings beat on" (163). The name Sethe is also unique as a name for a female slave because it is derived from the names of Egyptian and Biblical males. Morrison uses the name to add to the masculinity of Sethe's character. Sethe's ability to overcome overwhelming tragedies and challenges such as her escape from slavery in Kentucky and the murder of her child identifies her with this quality. Additionally, the name Sixo symbolizes the dehumanization of slaves during the late 19th century. His name, derived from the number 6, implies that white masters didn't consider their slaves with enough respect to recognize them with more than a number. This renaming also symbolizes the power the slaveowners felt by stripping slaves of their individuality. The distinction of color in slavery adds to the color symbolism which pervades Beloved.

Principles of Marketing Essay

Learning Objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Define marketing and outline the steps in the marketing process 2. Explain the importance of understanding customers and the marketplace, and identify the five core marketplace concepts 3. Identify the key elements of a customer-driven marketing strategy and discuss the marketing management orientations that guide marketing strategy 4. Discuss customer relationship management, and identify strategies for creating value for customers and capturing value from customers in return 5. Describe the major trends and forces that are changing the marketing landscape in this age of relationships 1-2 Chapter Concepts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. What Is Marketing? Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Preparing an Integrated Marketing Plan and Program Building Customer Relationships Capturing Value from Customers The New Marketing Landscape So, What Is Marketing? Pulling It All Together 1-3 What Is Marketing? Marketing Defined Marketing is the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships to capture value from customers in return 1-4 What Is Marketing? The Marketing Process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Understand the marketplace and customer wants and needs Design a customer-driven marketing strategy Construct a marketing plan that delivers superior value Build profitable relationships and create customer satisfaction Capture value from customers to create profit and customer equity 1-5 Marketing process Determine needs and wants Design customer driven marketing strategy Construct marketing program that delivers superior value Build relationships and delight the customer Capture value from customer to achieve profits Figure 1.1: Core Marketing Concepts Needs, Wants & Demands Markets Core Marketing Concepts Marketing Offers Exchange & Relationships Value & Satisfaction Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands †¢ Needs are states of deprivation †¢ Physical—food, clothing, warmth, safety †¢ Social—belonging and affection †¢ Individual—knowledge and selfexpression 1-6 Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands Wants are the form that needs take as they are shaped by culture and individual personality Demands are wants backed by buying power 1-7 Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Market Offerings—Products, Services, and Experiences Market offerings are some combination of products, services, information, or experiences offered to a market to satisfy a need or want 1-8 Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Market Offerings—Products, Services, and Experiences Marketing myopia is focusing only on existing wants and losing sight of underlying consumer needs Exchange is the act of obtaining a desired object from someone by offering something in return 1-9 Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Customer Value and Satisfaction †¢ Expectations †¢ Customers †¢ Value and satisfaction Set the right level of expectations †¢ †¢ Marketers †¢ Not too high or too low 1-10 Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Exchanges and Relationships Exchange is the act of obtaining a desired object from someone by offering something in return Relationships consist of actions to build and maintain desirable relationships 1-11 Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs Markets are the set of actual and potential buyers of a product Marketing system consists of all of the actors (suppliers, company, competitors, intermediaries, and end users) in the system who are affected by major environmental forces †¢ Demographic †¢ Economic †¢ Physical †¢ Technological †¢ Political–legal †¢ Socio-cultural 1-12 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Marketing management is the art and science of choosing target markets and building profitable relationships with them †¢ What customers will we serve? †¢ How can we best serve these customers? 1-13 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Selecting Customers to Serve Market segmentation: Dividing the markets into segments of customers Target marketing: Which segments to go after 1-14 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Selecting Customers to Serve De-marketing: Marketing to reduce demand temporarily or permanently; the aim is not to destroy demand but to reduce or shift it. 1-15 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Selecting Customers to Serve Marketing management is: †¢ Customer management †¢ Demand management 1-16 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Choosing a Value Proposition The value proposition is the set of benefits or values a company promises to deliver to customers to satisfy their needs 1-17 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Orientations †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Production concept Product concept Selling concept Marketing concept Societal concept 1-18 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Orientations Production concept is the idea that consumers will favor products that are available or highly affordable 1-19 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Orientations Product concept is the idea that consumers will favor products that offer the most quality, performance, and features for which the organization should therefore devote its energy to making continuous improvements 1-20 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Orientations Selling concept is the idea that consumers will not buy enough of the firm’s products unless it undertakes a large scale selling and promotion effort 1-21 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Orientations Marketing concept is the idea that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of the target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions better than competitors do 1-22 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Selling Versus Marketing Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Management Orientations Societal marketing concept is the idea that a company should make good marketing decisions by considering consumers’ wants, the company’s requirements, consumers’ long-term interests, and society’s long-run interests 1-23 Societal Marketing Concept Society (human welfare) Consumers (want satisfaction) Company (profits) Preparing an Integrated Marketing Plan and Program Marketing Mix The marketing mix is the set of tools (four Ps) the firm uses to implement its marketing strategy †¢ Product †¢ Price †¢ Promotion †¢ Place 1-24 Preparing an Integrated Marketing Plan and Program Integrated Marketing Program Integrated marketing program is a comprehensive plan that communicates and delivers the intended value to chosen customers 1-25 Building Customer Relationships Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Customer relationship management is the overall process of building and maintaining profitable customer relationships by delivering superior value and satisfaction 1-26 Building Customer Relationships Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Customer perceived value is the difference between total customer value and total customer cost Customer satisfaction is the extent to which a product’s perceived performance matches a buyer’s expectations 1-27 Building Customer Relationships Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Customer Relationship Levels and Tools †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Basic relationship Full relationships Frequency marketing programs Club marketing programs 1-28 Building Customer Relationships The Changing Nature of Customer Relationships Relating with more carefully selected customers uses selective relationship management to target fewer, more profitable customers Relating for the long term uses customer relationship management to retain current customers and build profitable, long-term relationships Relating directly uses direct marketing tools (telephone, mail order, kiosks, Internet) to make direct connections with customers 1-29 Building Customer Relationships Partner Relationship Management Partner relationship management refers to working closely with partners in other company departments and outside the company to jointly bring greater value to customers 1-30 Building Customer Relationships Partner Relationship Management Partners inside the company is every function area interacting with customers †¢ Electronically †¢ Cross-functional teams Partners outside the company is how marketers connect with their suppliers, channel partners, and competitors by developing partnerships 1-31 Building Customer Relationships Partner Relationship Management Supply chain is a channel that stretches from raw materials to components to final products to final buyers †¢ Supply management †¢ Strategic partners †¢ Strategic alliances 1-32 Capturing Value from Customers Creating Customer Loyalty and Retention Customer lifetime value is the value of the entire stream of purchases that the customer would make over a lifetime of patronage 1-33 Capturing Value from Customers Growing Share of Customer Share of customer is the portion of the customer’s purchasing that a company gets in its product categories 1-34 Capturing Value from Customers Building Customer Equity Customer equity is the total combined customer lifetime values of all of the company’s customers 1-35 Capturing Value from Customers Building Customer Equity Building the right relationships with the right customers involves treating customers as assets that need to be managed and maximized †¢ Different types of customers require different relationship management strategies †¢ Build the right relationship with the right customers 1-36 The New Marketing Landscape Major Developments †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Digital age Globalization Ethics and social responsibility Not-for-profit marketing 1-37 The New Marketing Landscape The New Digital Age †¢ †¢ †¢ Recent technology has had a major impact on the ways marketers connect with and bring value to their customers Market research Learning about and tracking customers †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Create new customized products Distribution Communication Video conferencing Online data services 1-38 The New Marketing Landscape The New Digital Age Internet—creates marketplaces and marketspaces †¢ Information †¢ Entertainment †¢ Communication 1-39 The New Marketing Landscape Rapid Globalization †¢ †¢ The world is smaller Think globally, act locally 1-40 The New Marketing Landscape The Call for More Ethics and Social Responsibility Marketers are being called upon to take greater responsibility for the social and environmental impact of their actions in a global economy 1-41 The New Marketing Landscape The Call for More Ethics and Social Responsibility Social marketing campaigns encourage energy conservation and concern for the environment or discourage smoking, excessive drinking, and drug use 1-42 The New Marketing Landscape The Growth for Not-for-Profit Marketing †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Colleges Hospitals Museums Zoos Orchestras Religious groups 1-43

To what extent was the international situation in January 1933 conducive to Hitler achieving his foreign policy aims?

The extent to which the international situation in January 1933 was conducive to Hitler achieving his foreign policy aims is debatable. There are a variety of factors which both assisted and hindered Hitler in achieving his aims. Some key aims of foreign policy were as follows, to destroy communism, to unite the German speaking population, to wipe out the Jews, to colonise the East and to revenge Germany's defeat from the First World War. Some of the key factors which need to be looked at include the lack of agreement over how to deal with Germany, the internal weakness of Western countries, the weakness of the League of Nations, the defensive attitudes of certain countries and successor states. Many countries, particularly France had a defensive mentality towards Germany, as a repeat of the First World War was certainly not wanted. British foreign policy under Baldwin was based upon public opinion. The horrors of the First World War meant that there was a â€Å"never again mentality† which can be shown by the oxford union debate in February 1933 which voted on the motion â€Å"that this House would not fight for King and country. There was also strong public opposition to rearmament and many thought rearmament would only antagonise Hitler. Due to France's worry of being invaded again the Maginot line defence fortification was constructed in the years 1929-1938. This defence fortification however was hardly a problem to Hitler at all. This was because of the fact that it stopped at the Belgian border, which meant that there was still corridor open if Germany wanted to invade both France and Belgium. Furthermore France was politically divided and had 11 governments between 1932 and 1935. This therefore meant that there was rival ideology of fascism and communism and so there were no clear policies as to what to do with the German problem. French foreign policy was inconsistent. This meant that France's reactions to Hitler were delayed and weak and so therefore gave Hitler more encouragement. In contrast however France had the desire to develop links and ally with countries on Germany's eastern borders such as Czechoslovakia and Romania. This therefore hindered Hitler as it gave France further defence and support. There was a clear lack of agreement between the powerful countries as to what to do about Germany. France was very concerned at the possibility of a German threat and had wanted very harsh Versailles terms whereas Britain was preoccupied with its empire and favoured with a revision of peace. If the Treaty of Versailles was to be probably implemented it needed the support of the USA who failed to ratify the treaty in 1920. The United States then withdrew into isolationism. It can therefore be seen that the European powers were not able to enforce peace alone. It can be seen that the League of Nations both assisted and hindered Hitler in achieving his foreign policy aims. As the USA and USSR were not members of the League of Nations until 1934 they were not able to be part of making decisions and so gave Hitler and Germany more freedom. Key evidence to show how the League of Nations was a failing peacekeeping organisation and thus assisting Hitler is from the Manchuria crisis in 1931. In this year Japan invaded Manchuria in China; the League of Nations took no effective action. However, the League of Nations itself, although weak clearly limited Hitler's opportunities. The League was an international body set up in order to preserve peace and prevent aggression. Furthermore it had the power to call for economic sanctions and military actions by member states. It can therefore be seen that the League of Nations hindered Hitler's foreign policy, but only to a certain extent due to its weakness and lack of effective action. When Hitler came to power in January 1933 he told the world he wanted to rid Germany of the problems of the Versailles Treaty in order to make her strong once more. To achieve this goal the country needed massive rearmament. Hitlers reply in February 1933 to a proposal from the Reich Ministry of Transport to build a reservoir shows the extent to which, in his view, the policy of rearmament was more important than anything else: ‘The next five years in Germany had to be devoted to rendering the German people again capable of bearing arms. Every publicly sponsored measure to create employment had to be considered from the point of view of whether it was necessary with respect to rendering the German people again capable of bearing arms for military service.' Since 1922 under the Rapallo pact Germany had been rearming in the USSR and hade economic links. This clearly shows how the international was conducive to Hitler's aim of rearmament. Also In December 1932 there was a major conference over disarmament, where little happened. By 1933 it can be seen that Germany had in fact secured a substantial revision of the Treaty of Versailles as Germany was now a member of the League of Nations, rearmament was no longer subject to scrutiny and reparations had been, in effect, cancelled (at Lausanne, 1932) Various countries surrounding Germany contained German minorities and so this can be seen as an advantage to Hitler's foreign policy. An important aim of Hitler's was to unite all Germans, with many Germans in other countries it would be easier for Hitler to take over them. This is primarily because it is likely that the Germans in these countries, such as Czechoslovakia (300,000), Poland and Danzig (95%) would rather be part of Germany and would welcome German expansionism. In addition to this all of these countries were small and militarily and political weak which therefore means there would be little opposition. Also many Austrians were in favour of becoming part of Germany. The German Domestic situation however was also important to Hitler's Foreign policy aims. In 1933 Hitler had only just made Chancellor and there were only the Nazis in government other than Hitler. This means that it is likely Hitler would have little support in government. Furthermore Hitler was dependent upon elite support and Hindenburg as President could still remove Hitler. In conclusion it can be seen that there is evidence both for against the international situation being conducive to Hitler's Foreign policy aims. Whilst factors such as the USA being isolationist and the lack of agreement over how to deal with Germany were helpful to Hitler, others such as strong public opinion against war and Hitler being leader of a collation government show the problems that Hitler had to overcome.

What Your Daily Professional Communication Reveals About You

What Your Daily Professional Communication Reveals About You Noted American author Mark Twain, knew better than most how powerful communication can be. In fact, here is his advice concerning word choice in communicating: The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. And he was right. Choosing the right words based on context, audience and purpose separates effective communicators from ineffective ones across the board at every level of every business enterprise.What this means is that communicating with others is a nuanced art. In order to do it correctly, you have to understand that words have layers of meaning and those meanings can change, depending on audience and context. In such, a smart communicator always considers his or her context (setting), intent and audience before choosing which words to use and the way in which to use them. This type of approach to communication makes the act more powerful, more efficient and more beneficial for you or your career.In fac t, a professionals style of communication and ability to communicate effectively can often make or break a business transaction or deal. Its the reason why communication- both written and verbal- is a skill that is highly sought after by companies who want employees that will build the companys reputation through excellent customer service and top-notch professionalism in everything they do. Communication is key to interaction, and interaction- both with fellow employees and with present or potential clients- is vital to a businesss success.For this reason, if you are a professional, you should stop for a moment to take an honest assessment of your current communication methods and strategies to determine if what you are doing is portraying the picture you want to portray about the level of professionalism you hope to provide for your clients and business associates. Your communication throughout the business day- whether its a quick email to a co-worker or a letter written to a pot ential client- reveals more than you realize about what kind of professional you are, and what your idea of professionalism entails.Below are some of the things your daily business communication may reveal about you, whether you want it to or not:If youre distractedAs communication between smartphones and other mobile devices has become the new norm, it is easy to forego traditional salutations and closings and opt for a more curt approach. After all- if it feels like texting, why not just apply the informal feel of texting to your words, right? From a professional standpoint, this is a very incorrect assumption that can be harmful to your reputation, as well as that of your company.While the prevalence of email as a primary communication tool has admittedly lowered the level of formality that was once used in business communication, accessing that email on smartphones and tablets can run the risk of lowering it even further, until the communication doesnt come across as professiona l at all. In many cases of professional emails sent while on the go and via smartphones, the result ends up reading like a curt, impolite communication style that sounds more like texts than professional business communication.If you choose to (or are forced to) answer work emails on a mobile device, keep in mind that it is still likely to be read as an email on the receivers end. Any greetings or closings that you would typically use in email correspondence should be retained, even if it takes longer to type the words on your mobile device. If the email correspondence is between you and a co-worker, so that the salutations and closings are not necessary, that is one thing; writing with that level of informality to clients, however, or to potential associates with whom you are not in daily communication, is something that should always be avoided.You should also be aware that returning emails via a mobile device often entails writing that communique while distracted by other things around you. Your words will not be as carefully chosen as they would have been if you were less distracted, and your response will likely reflect this distraction. Also, issues like incorrect spelling and grammar, or incorrectly typed words, often occur when professionals conduct correspondence this way.If you enjoy your jobThe amount of passion and energy you bring to your work is reflected in your day-to-day written communication with co-workers and clients. Dont be fooled by the electronic nature of the communication- the words you choose and their tone will play a large role in determining how the audience of those words perceives you. Someone who enjoys what they do will take the extra time to make sure communication is successful- whether its several follow-up questions or touching base to make sure a task is going smoothly.If youre lazyA lazy professional will ask questions of others, both in written and verbal communication, that can be found online readily or in another eas ily accessed source. To avoid doing this, be sure that the questions you ask in your email are directed to the best party to answer them. If its a question that can be found with a quick Google search or a look at the clients website or file, find the answer yourself. Being a self-sufficient professional who doesnt add workload to others (who are likely stressed under their own workload) speaks volumes for your level of consideration for others and your understanding of following a team-oriented approach.

The New Era after World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The New Era after World War II - Essay Example Both winners managed to contradict on the recent victorious battle on the Elbe by showing it from different perspectives and letting â€Å"coalition go to sunder†. Consequently, idealistic belief in international cooperation disappeared with the start of Cold War. On another hand, Churchill’s speech showed that all the actors in international relations seek for alliances. In fact, the spirit of this speech was to convince the American public that Soviet influence in Europe endangered the positions of both Britain and USA. In the given circumstances, Western countries should unite to resist. As a result, the rapid appearance of caricatures and public discussions let Soviet people say, â€Å"the old war is over, now the war with communism begins.† In order to sum up, it is evident that two World Wars did not teach the world to cooperate and prevent future conflicts. In this context, the very appearance of Cold War illustrates that rather realists than idealists wer e right on the nature and the balance of powers in international relations. Consequently, idealistic belief in international cooperation disappeared with the start of Cold War. On another hand, Churchill’s speech showed that all the actors in international relations seek for alliances. In fact, the spirit of this speech was to convince the American public that Soviet influence in Europe endangered the positions of both Britain and USA. In the given circumstances, Western countries should unite to resist. As a result, the rapid appearance of caricatures and public discussions let Soviet people say, â€Å"the old war is over, now the war with communism begins.† In order to sum up, it is evident that two World Wars did not teach the world to cooperate and prevent future conflicts. In this context, the very appearance of Cold War illustrates that rather realists than idealists were right on the nature and the balance of powers in international relations.

Financila Performance and Positioning Assignment

Financila Performance and Positioning - Assignment Example A projected profit and loss account of Clinton Cards plc has also been included in this part to add to the analysis. Shareholders need to analyse the management's performance and efforts put into the company affairs through the financial results so as to realise its strengths and weaknesses. Riahi-Belkaoui (1998, p11) says, "the profitability ratios portray ability of the firm to efficiently use the capital committed by stockholders and lenders to generate revenues in excess of expenses". Therefore, the analysis for the shareholders has been done with the help of following profitability ratios: The above chart depicts the profitability ratios for Clinton Cards plc indicating the financial performance of the company over the last five years. Shareholders are interested in the company's profit records and being the real owners of the firms, they constantly need to appraise the company's performance. If the company is able to generate a stable profit for its shareholders out of its business activities, then it is said to be a good performer in the financial sense. The Gross Profit Margin Percentage evaluates the percentage of profit earned by a company on sales after the production and distribution activities (Mcmenamin, 1999). It shows how well the company manages its expenses so as to attain maximum profit out of its total sales. Clinton Card plc's gross profit ratio shows that the company is sustaining a stable profit margin with a slight increase in profitability. It further illuminates that the company manages to keep about 11% of its total sales revenue out of all the production and distribution expenses. This can also be inversely stated that the company loses about 89% of the total turnover in meeting cost of sales. The Net Profit ratio shows what percentage of profit a company earns on its sales (Mcmenamin, 1999). It reveals the profit retained by a company after accounting for its various operating costs. The difference between the company's net and gross profit ratios indicate the amount of profit foregone by them in the course of meeting various selling and administrative expenses. Thus the above graph shows that the company manages to retain about 6% of the total sales after accounting for various operating costs. The company's net profit margin is also rising sparingly at a stable rate showing the management's efficiency in managing costs. Riahi-Belkaoui (1998, p11) says that the return on capital employed ratio "indicates how efficiently the capital supplied by the common stockholders was employed within the firm". Clinton Card plc's return on capital employed ratio reveals that the company is having a slightly fluctuating rate of profit on the funds invested by the shareholders. However the rate of fluctuation is not high and thus the graph shows that the company gains profit as about 30% of the total equity funds. The return on asset ratio indicates the returns or profits generated after utilising the financial resources of the company determine the company's financial performance throughout the year (Meigs & Meigs, 1993). The company in consideration has had a significantly