Review Literary Terms, Eng 125 Essay

Imagination is the power to create. It is the key component to literature. Without imagination, there won’t be an interesting story, I believe. Imagination is not only important to the writer, it helps the reader broaden their interpretation of the story. â€Å"When you allow reading to unlock your imagination, your connection sets the stage for intellectual engagement. It allows the experience of reading literature to include the pursuit of ideas and knowledge. † (Clugston, R. W 2010). With imagination comes genre. Choosing what category or type of literature. It can be a short story, poem, or drama. â€Å"It can be used to make broad distinctions or to identify specific categories within a broad category. The short story and the novel, for example, are specific literary genres within the broad category of fiction. â€Å"(Clugston, R. W. 2010). I think another very important component to literature is the tone. Setting the tone will let the reader know what attitude the literary work is going. For example, â€Å"the final lines in Updike’s poem create an initial feeling of sympathy, which is likely to become empathy if the reader reflects on the dog’s predicament in not being able to communicate its final struggle. † (Clugston, R. W 2010). Tone is followed by image. Image represents the experience that go through your senses, the idea. Writers use specific language to describe the imagery. Again, in Frost’s and Updike’s poems about the dog, â€Å"In Frost’s image of an old dog there’s an initial feeling of sadness, but if the reader reflects on what the poem has to say about the inevitable life cycle that both the dog and the speaker face, sadness is likely to fade somewhat into acceptance. † Reference Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Gattaca Film Study Essay

Gattaca is often portrayed as a quest film. A quest film is defined as â€Å"a character that is on a journey or adventure with an ultimate goal in mind of completing a task or to obtain an object of significance.† (Merriam-Webster, 2012) The quest often involves overcoming challenges and to do this the character learn something about him/her-self and this then aids them on their â€Å"quest†. Being a quest film, Gattaca shares many characteristics that are often found in other movies of a similar genre. Examples of these include – Pirates of the Caribbean and In Time. Pirates of the Caribbean, is told with the protagonist as Captain Jack Sparrow on a quest to help him obtain immortality. The characters in both Pirates of the Caribbean and Gattaca share many similar traits; they are both after a strongly desired goal and will take the necessary risks to succeed. Gattaca, being produced in 1997, had many cutting edge ideas with such vision leading directors of the time. It was set in what was though the not so distant future of today would look like. It gives us an insight into a world based around the genetically superior, where genes are all that matter. The main character Vincent Freeman has dreamt of becoming an astronaut his whole life but, due to being conceived naturally and receiving a life expectancy of 30 years. He is cast aside in society, labelled a â€Å"Degenerate† and â€Å"Invalid†. Vincent soon learns he will never be able to move ahead in life; to fulfil his dream Vincent uses a â€Å"Borrowed ladder† from a genius named Jerome Eugene Morrow, who is a paraplegic due to an accident overseas. The term a â€Å"Borrowed Ladder† comes as the protagonist Vincent impersonates the life of Jerome thus using his identity. After months of special care, training and changes to his looks, Vincent enters the Aerospace Corporation known as â€Å"Gattaca†. Impersonating Jerome, Freeman becomes the company’s top navigator with a perfect record and clean slate by working hard and working hard to keep his real identity a secret; he is chosen to go on a manned spaceflight to Saturn’s moon Titus, but complications arise. One week before departure, when one of the managing directors is bludgeoned to death. An â€Å"Invalids† profile; Vincent’s old identity, is uncovered by investigators and this threatens to jeopardise his chances of going to Titan. After managing to avoid being caught by using precautions such as placing samples of DNA supplied by Jerome around Gattaca and even receiving help from a young lady, Irene; with whom Vincent develops feelings for. He ends up finally leaving Earth on due course for Titan. Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) The Pirates of the Caribbean series are another group of quest movies opened by introducing the goal of the main character, Captain Jack Sparrow. He is always on a quest in search for personal well fortune and benefits. He uses his friends throughout these many adventures, and alike Gattaca, the Protagonist is able to achieve his own desires. During Gattaca, Vincent is aided on several occasions, one being when Irene hides his true identity from the authorities to help him complete his goal/mission. Irene does this; I think because she can understand where he is coming from as she has personal experience suffering in a world where genes are everything. The movie ends with Vincent successfully making it onto the space craft headed to Titan; the ending adds a sense of success but subtly hints to deep sadness with two lines, â€Å"They say every atom in our bodies was once part of a star† and â€Å"Maybe I’m not leaving, maybe I’m going home†. The movie reaches a climax when Vincent is almost discovered by his brother (the leading detective on the case), but manages to get past this by telling his brother that â€Å"he always gave 110 percent†. The quest is completed, as shown in Pirates of the Caribbean, when Captain Jack Sparrow finally manages to overcome a final obstacle and regain ownership of his beloved ship, the Black Pearl. This is exactly the same in Gattaca with Vincent overcoming the final problem of his identity getting potentially exposed by a medical examiner giving him one last routine urine test. It is shown through a simple line that the examiner has known his real identity all along. He achieves his goal and boards the spacecraft without any further problems Vincent achieving this goal shows to us that no matter what ones, goal or dreams are, overcoming the problems you are faced with will ultimately help you in achieve it. Gattaca is a good example of a quest movie because it clearly explains what the goal of the protagonist is and once it has established this, it shows how he overcame his many problems to achieve an ultimate goal. There are many attractions for the audience with many special filming techniques and suspenseful moments utilizing a constant beat to add effect and drama. There is a specific scene in the movie where Vincent is meant to be at home sick but instead is unable to be there so he tells Jerome to impersonate him. There is a problem with this, as to open the door and greet the detective, Jerome must climb a stair case. Without the use of his legs Jerome finds this a challenge because he is a paraplegic. The suspense builds as Jerome struggles up the stairs, racing to get to the top before the detectives reach the door. As you would expect, one last moment effort from Jerome manages to keep the detectives from discovering who he really is. Irene plays a vital role in this scene by acting as if Jerome is Vincent, when she herself is only just finding out the truth. Overall, Gattaca is an excellent example of what a quest film should include. It has a strong story and the director utilizes many techniques with the music, lighting and even camera angles to top it off. The protagonist overcomes challenges; his genes as a place marker for him in society, almost becoming discovered as an â€Å"Invalid† and a brother who is close to exposing his secret. I think that the quest, his personal dream of travelling into space is worthwhile as he learns about himself while doing it.

Project Report on Dabur Company Essay

Declaration By Candidate I wish to state that the work embodied in this project titled â€Å"Financial Modeling Of Dabur† forms my own contribution to management carried out at Vivekanand Education Society’s Institute Of Management Studies & Research Chembur, Mumbaiunder the guidance of Mr.DheerajVaidya, Director, Corporate Bridge Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. Wherever references have been made to intellectual properties of any individuals/ institute/ government/ private/ public bodies/ universities, research paper, text books, reference books, archives of newspapers, corporate, individuals, and any other source of intellectual properties viz., speeches, quotations, conference proceedings, extracts from the websites etc they have been clearly indicated, duly acknowledged and included in the Bibliography. Signature of the candidate Acknowledgment I would like to express my profound gratitude to all those who have been instrumental in the preparation of my project report. On the onset, I would like to thank the organization â€Å"Corporate Bridge Consultancy Pvt.Ltd.† for providing me the opportunity to undertake this summer internship and allowing me to explore the area of valuation and financial modeling, which was totally new for me and which would prove out to be very beneficial in my future assignments, studies and career. I wish to place on records, my deep sense of gratitude for my project guide, Mr.DheerajVaidya, director of corporate bridge consultancy pvt. Ltd. for continuous guidance and encouragement provided to me throughout my internship period. Table Of Contents SR. NO.| CONTENTS| PAGE NO.| 1| Executive Summary| | 2| About Corporate Bridge | | 3| Objective Of Study| | 4| | | 5| Industry Profile| | 6| Company Profile | | | Introduction Of Financial Modeling| | 7| Micro-Economical Factors| | 8| Understanding The Financial Statements | | 9| Research Methodology| | 10| Observations| | 11| Suggestions| | 12| Conclusion| | 13| Appendix| | 14| Bibliography| | 15| | | 16| | | 17| | | 18| | | 19| | | 20| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Indian economy is the fastest growing economy in the world. Indian companies are growing at faster rate in terms of revenue, expansion and global existence. Due to significant growth shareholders are benefitted by good dividend and return on investments in share market. In the last decade equity has given the best return and still the growth phase is continued. But retail investor has also lost his hard earned money due to lack of knowledge and awareness of the equity market. Without knowledge in equity market and trading on tips it become gambling instead of smart investment. Here the role of financial modeling and valuation of securities begins to find out the intrinsic value of the stock, whether it is overvalued or undervalued. Based on the research findings equity analyst recommends whether to buy, sell or hold the stock. In this report I have explained Financial Modeling of Dabur Company. This report begins with the understanding the present micro and macro-economic condition and how they affect the growth of the country. It discusses the present economic indicators and expected growth of India and FMCG industry in the future. The report further analyse financial statements of the Dabur Company. By using historical data and making some assumptions, calculations future earnings are forecasted. After that using DCF valuation we find out intrinsic value and Relative valuation used to compare Dabur with his peers. Hence, this report is an attempt to comprehensively study of Financial Modeling And Valuation Of Dabur Company. About Corporate Bridge Corporate Bridge Group is formed by graduates from leading institutes (IITs, IIMs & AIM). â€Å"Corporate Bridge† as the name suggest, helps in bridging the gap between the aspiring entrant and the corporate world. Corporate Bridge is globally recognized training firm, providing blend of instructor-led and online financial training programs along with e-learning services. With Corporate Bridge’s entrepreneurial spirit coupled with unparalleled experience (CLSA India, KPMG, YES Bank, JPMorgan, SBI Capital Markets, CRISIL etc) and comprehensive capabilities (MBA, CFA, FRM, CAs) across all industries and business functions, we commit to deliver a world class professional training and learning services that continues improving knowledge efficiency. Corporate Bridge Group; has two verticals â€Å"Educorporatebridge† and â€Å"Elearninglabz† *   EduCorporateBridge deals with Online and Instructor Lead Training Programs in various financial courses viz. Equity Research, Wealth Management, Technical Analysis Investment banking, Private Equity, Fundamental Analysis, Investment Research, Credit Research etc and preparatory courses like CFA Level I & II and FRM Level I & II, Campus Placement Trainings Elearninglabz solution portfolio consists of custom e-content development for training and learning needs in collaboration with our clients and subject matter specialist, custom Learning Management System (LMS) suite, Test & Assessment solutions. Industry Overview The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest in the Indian economy and has a market size of $13.1 billion. This industry primarily includes the production, distribution and marketing of consumer packaged goods, that is those categories of products which are consumed at regular intervals. The sector is growing at rapid pace with well-established distribution networks and intense competition between the organized and unorganized segments. It has a strong and competitive MNC presence across the entire value chain. The FMCG’s promising market includes middle class and the rural segments of the Indian population, and give brand makers the opportunity to convert them to branded products. It includes food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceuticals, plastic goods, paper and stationery and household products etc. India, Asia’s third largest economy, saw urban consumers spend less in calendar year 2012 due to high inflation, muted salary hikes, and slowing economic growth that affected both real wages and sentiment. During 2012, the overall slowdown in the economy has begun to affect the FMCG sector with companies posting deceleration in volume growth in the recent quarterly results. Discretionary spending has been hit severely due to the ongoing slowdown. The prevailing high inflation level is also a cause of concern for the sector. The trends seen in 2012 are likely to accelerate in 2013. Growth will come from rural dwellers that are expected to see a rise in disposable incomes due to the direct cash transfer scheme, while urban consumers will continue to be affected by the macroeconomic environment. The consumer products industry has been growing at a brisk pace in the past few years backed by robust economic growth and rising rural income. Growth drivers such as premiumization, rapid urbanization, evolving consumer lifestyles and emergence of modern trade have shielded the industry from the slowdown. The consumer products or the Fast Moving Consumer goods (FMCG) sector is valued at Rs 1.6 trillion (Source: Nielsen). The industry is urban-centric with 66% share of the goods being consumed by urban India. Metropolitan cities & small towns (population of 1-10 lakh) have been driving the FMCG consumption in urban India since 2002. In fact middle India, comprising of the small towns and consuming 20% of overall FMCG sales, has been growing the fastest across rural and urban segments. As per Nielsen, the FMCG market size of middle India is set to expand from Rs 287 bn in 2010 to over Rs 4 trillion by 2026. Rural India, where 70% of the population resides but only 34% consume FMCG goods, presents the biggest market potential for the industry. Backed by low unit packs and aggressive distribution reach, rural market size has expanded four times to Rs 564 bn since 2002. Companies such as Hindustan Unilever and Dabur which derive nearly half their sales from rural India have been increasing their reach. FMCG goods are retailed through two primary sales channels – General Trade and Modern Trade. General Trade comprising of the ubiquitous kirana stores is the largest sales channel forming 95% of overall retail sales. However, growth of consumer goods retailed through Modern Trade channel is outpacing the growth of FMCG products in General Trade. Factors such as a comfortable and modern store experience, access to a wide variety of categories and brands under a single roof and compelling value-for-money deals are attracting consumers to organized retail in a big way. But modern trade is still an urban phenomenon with 17 key metros contributing to 73% of overall modern trade in India. Product categories such as packaged rice, liquid toilet soaps, floor cleaners, breakfast cereals, air fresheners & mosquito repellent equipment have a higher penetration in modern trade channel. Despite the relatively recent performance of private label products in India, it is already close to 7% of modern trade sales. Modern Trade is expected to gain greater importance with opening up of foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is expected to benefit the sector immensely by reducing the overall incidence of taxation. GST aims to reduce the cascading effect by replacing a multitude of indirect taxes such as central excise, service tax, VAT and inter-state sales tax with a single GST rate. Moreover, FMCG companies will be able to optimize logistics and distribution costs in the GST era. The resulting cost savings by the companies can be passed on to the final consumer thereby boosting demand. However the implementation of GST has currently been put on the backburner by the government. FMCG Industry size (India) * Of the entire FMCG sector, Food is 52%, Non-Food at 45% and OTC 3% * Growth being driven by increasing consumption led by rise in incomes, changing lifestyles and favourable demographics. * FMCG industry expected  to grow in mid to high teens going ahead. * In the last decade the FMCG sector has grown at an average of 11% a year; in the last five years, annual growth accelerated to 17%. * FMCGs are slowly and gradually positioning and deeply penetrating in the fast growing rural market. The Rural mind set is open to consumption of newer, more contemporary food categories and as a result, drive consistent growth. FMCG industry to be Rs.4000-6000 billion industry by 2020. * Indian rural market currently worth US$ 9 bn is expected to become a US$ 100 bn opportunity by 2025. * By 2025, total consumption is likely to quadruple making India the 5th largest consumer market. * The FMCG sector in India continues on a strong growth path with both urban and rural India contributing to its growth. Rural India contributes one third of FMCG sales in India. * Growth driven by increasing consumption led by rise in incomes, changing lifestyles and favourable demographics. * Rural India accounts for more than 700 Million consumers or 70% of the Indian population andaccounts for 40% of the total FMCG market. * The Rural market is a large market space with very low organized player penetration. Across the globe, the Indian rural market is probably the single largest â€Å"unit† of opportunity also with changing lifestyle and increasing consumer demand, the Indian FMCG market is expected to cross $80 billion by 2026 in towns with population of up to 10 lakhs. * The sector has a tremendous opportunity for growth in India, with the growing population, the rising incomes, education and urbanization, the advent of modern retail, and a consumption driven society. Source: credit suisse * According to credit suisse report, FMCG growth was 14% in the rural market and 16% in the urban market during the quarter ended December 2011; for the quarter ended March 2013, while growth in the urban market improved to 17%, it rose even higher, to 18%, in the rural market. Industry Classification and Performance Three well-identified sets of players operate within a highly developed and intenselycompetitive landscape of the Indian FMCG market. 1. Foreign players who are present through their subsidiaries such as Unilever, P&G, Nestle and PepsiCo 2. Strong Indian players with established national presence such as Marico, Dabur and Godrej Consumer Products. 3. Regional or small domestic players, such as Ajanta, Anchor, CavinKare etc., who are presentin a few regions of the country apart from these, there are regional and small-scale FMCG players such as small teaproducers and organic food producers, who mainly compete by offering low-priced products withsimilar looks or packaging compared to the bigger brands, to the ‘right consumers’ typicallybased in rural areas or in small towns. These players with lower corporate overheads andclear focus on specific consumer requirements have a competitive edge over larger FMCG players. Growth Drivers Government Policies and Regulatory Framework * Investment Approval: Automatic investment approval up to 100 per cent foreign equity forNRI and overseas corporate bodies. These investments are allowed in food processingsegments such as coffee and tea. * FDI in organized retail: India currently allows 100 per cent FDI in Cash & Carry segment and51% in single-brand retail, which is expected to be further increased to 100%. India is also expected to allow 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, which will boost the nascent organized retail market in the country. * Priority Sector: The Government of India recognizes food processing and agro industries aspriority sectors. * Relaxation of license rules: Industrial licenses are not required for almost all food and agro-processing industries, barring certain items such as beer, potable alcohol and wines, cane sugar, and hydrogenated animal fats and oils as well as items reserved for exclusive manufacturing in the small-scale sector. * Statutory Minimum Price: In October 2009, the government amended the Sugarcane ControlOrder, 1966, and replaced the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) of  sugarcane with Fair andRemunerative Price (FRP) and the State- Advised Price (SAP). Opportunities in the FMCG Sector: Segment Overview: Segment Overview: Household Care * The detergents segment dominates the household care segment and has been growing at an annual growth rate of 10- 11% in the past five years. * The Household care segment is plagued by intense competition and high level of penetration. With rapid urbanization, emergence of small pack sizes and sachets is picking up * Local and unorganized players account for a major share of the total volume ofthe detergent market. Segment Overview: Personal Care Local and unorganised players account for a major share of the total volume ofthe detergent market The detergent segment dominates the household care segment and has been growing at an annual growth rate of 10-11% in the past five years. The Household care segment is plaguedby intense competition and high level ofpenetration. With rapid urbanization,emergence of small pack sizes andsachets is picking up. Segment Overview: Food and Beverages The Food and Beverages segment comprises of the food processingindustry,health beverage industry, breadand biscuits, chocolates & confectionery,Mineral Water and ice creams. The three largest consumed categories ofpackaged foods are packed tea biscuitsand soft drinks. The Indian hot beverage market isdominated by tea and the major share ofthe tea market is dominated byunorganized players. Dabur India Limited overview * Established in 1884 – more than 127 years of Trust & Excellence * Among top 4 FMCG companies in India * World’s largest in Ayurveda and natural healthcare * Revenue of r US$1 Billion (Rs 5,283 Crore) and Market Capitalisation of US$4 Billion (Rs 20,000 Crore) * Wide distribution network covering 3.4 million retailers across the country * 23 world class manufacturing plants catering to needs of diverse markets * Strong overseas presence with 30% contribution to consolidated sales * Dabur India is also a world leader in Ayurveda with a portfolio of over 250 Herbal/Ayurvedic products. * Headquarters: Kaushambi Ghaziabad – 201010 Uttar Pradesh, India * Top management: Dr. AnandBurman (Chairman) Mr.AmitBurman (Vice-Chairman) Mr. Sunil Duggal (CEO) * Employees approximately 3000 Key players at FMCG: Company| Key categories| Hindustan Unilever Ltd| Soaps, Detergents, Personal Care, Foods| Nestle India Ltd| Food, Beverages, Infant Nutrition| Dabur India Ltd| Personal, Health &Homecare, Foods| Godrej Consumer| Hair Care, Soaps| Colgate Palmolive Ltd| Oral Care & Toiletries| GlaxoSmithkline Consumer| Consumer Health Care| Marico Ltd.| Hair care, Food, Skincare| Procter & Gamble | Feminine Hygiene personal care| Britannia Industries Ltd| Biscuits| PEST Analysis Political * Stable political government. * Restrictions in import policies. * Rise in customs duty on petrol & diesel. * Partial withdrawal of stimulus packages Economical * Inflation rate * Decreased GDP * Increase in disposable income. * Indian FMCG Recorded 16% Sales Growth in last fiscal. The FMCG sector is the4thlargest sector of Indian economy with market size of more than 60,000crore Social * Rising rural India. * Consumerism. * Demography Technological * Research and development intensity * Information technology COMPETITOR ANALYSIS The key competitors are KeoKarpin, Emami, Bajaj, Marico, HLL which together with Dabur have about 64% of India’s domestic market. Emami: HimaniNavratan oil and Himani Oil. Emami has taken Madhuri Dixit as brand ambassador for emami oil and Amitabh Bachchan for Himami Navratan Oil. Overall it has a share of 4% in hair oil market. Bajaj: Bajaj Brahmi Amla and Bajaj Almond Drops currently have a value share of 19 per cent and 12 per cent in their respective oil categories as per ORG-Marg. Besides, the company has also decided to enhance its retail presence by nearly 20 per cent from the existing 5 lakh retail outlets in an attempt to reach the rural parts. Maricos: Parachute is premium edible grade oil, a  market leader in its category. Synonymous with pure coconut oil in the market, Parachute is positioned on the platform of purity. In fact over time it has become the gold standard for purity. Parachute’s primary target has been women of all ages. The brand has a huge loyalty, not only in the urban sections of India but also in the rural sector. It has a market share of 28%. HUL It has two products, Clinic plus Hair Oil and All Clear Clinic Hair Oil. Overall it has a 3%share in hair oil market. The key competitors of Dabur in the Chyawanprash segment are Baidyanath, Zandu andHimani, which together with Dabur have about 85% of India’s domestic market. DaburChyawanprash (herbal honey) has a market share of 61%.We have tried to analyse the competition for Dabur in the Chyawanprash segment as follows: SWOT Analysis STRENGTH * Strong presence in well defined niches( like value added Hair Oil and Ayurveda specialties) * Core knowledge of Ayurveda * Strong Brand Image * Distribution Network, Extensive Supply Chain, IT Initiatives and R & D| WEAKNESS * Seasonal demand like chyawanprash in winter * High price Vatika * Limited differentiation in some products like vatika| OPPORTUNITIES * Export opportunities * Increasing demand by people * Market development| THREATS * Existing competition like Zandu, Himani, Baidyanath * New entrant threats from substitutes like Bryllcream for vatika hair oil| Dabur: Strong Presence in FMCG Categories Category| Position| Market share| Key Brands| Hair Care| 3| 12%| DaburAmla hair Oil, Vatika hair oil &Vatika Shampoos| Oral Care| 3| 13%| Red toothpaste, Babool, Meswak, Red toothpowder| Skin Care| 3| 7%| DaburGulabari, Fem| AyurvedicTonics| 1| 67%| DaburChyawanprash| Digestives| 1| 56%| Hajmola| Fruit Juices| 1| 52%| Real Fruit Juices, Real Activ| Honey| 1| 50%| Dabur Honey| Glucose| 2| 25%| Dabur Glucose| Segment wise Market share of Dabur International business * Focus markets: * Egypt * Nigeria * Turkey * Bangladesh * Nepal * U.S. * Leveraging the â€Å"Natural† preference among local consumers to increase share in personal care categories * High level of localization of manufacturing and sales and marketing * Sustained investments in brand building and marketing â€Å"Domestic FMCG companies such as Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), Marico and Dabur have grown at a robust pace of 20% average annual growth over the last five years. In a bid to expand their businesses further, these companies acquired several foreign brands and companies. Consequently, the share of the international sales to their total revenue has increased. The chart of the day shows that between FY06 and FY12, the contribution of international sales has increased substantially for most FMCG companies. However, the benefit at the top line has failed to percolate at the bottom line. Sometimes, acquired brands take a long time to break-even. Hair-styling brand Code 10 acquired by Marico in 2010 and Dabur’s Namaste acquisition in 2011 continue to remain in red. However, GCPL has seen reasonable success with several acquisitions such as Megasari in Indonesia, Darling Group in Africa and Cosmetica National. This may be on account of the fact that GCPL has focused on product acquisitions in which it has a strong core presence. â€Å" Growth Strategy: Three Growth Strategies Acquire Innovate Expand Expand * Strengthening presence in existing categories and markets as well entering new geographies * Maintain dominant share in categories where we are category builders like Health Supplements, Honey etc. and expand market shares in other categories * Calibrated international expansion – local manufacturing pp y y g and supply chain to enhance flexibility/ reduce response time to change in market demands Innovate * Strong focus on innovation. Have rolled out new variants & products which have contributed to around 5-6% of our growth p.a. * Renovation of existing products to respond to changing demands (Toothpowder to Toothpaste) Acquire * Acquisitions critical for building scale in existing categories & markets * Should be synergistic and make a good strategic fit * Target opportunities in our focus markets Acquisitions of Hobi Group, Turkey * Acquisition of Hobi Group, Turkey for a total consideration of US$ 69 Million completed on October 7, 2010 * Hobi manufactures and markets hair, skin and body care products under the brands Hobby and New Era * Product range of the company is complementary to our product range * Acquisition provides an entry into another attractive emerging market and a good platform to leverage this across the region Acquisitions of Namaste Laboratories * Dabur India Limited through its subsidiary Dabur International Limited acquired 100% stake in Namaste Laboratories LLC for $100 million, in an all-cash deal on January 1, 2011 * Namaste is a leading ethnic hair care products company, having products for women of colour, with revenues of $95 million from US, Europe, Middle East and African markets * The company markets a portfolio of hair care products under the brand ‘Organic Root Stimulator’ and has a strong presence in ethnic hair care market for women of colour. * Acquisition to enable entry into Ethnic Hair Care products market valued at more than US$1.5 billion and tap into significant market opportunity in the fast growing * At an acquisition price of $100 million, the deal value is at 1.1x Sales and 8.3x EBITDA Porters Industry Analysis: Supply:| Abundant supply through a distribution network of over 8 m stores across the country. Distribution networks are being beefed up to penetrate the rural areas. HUL has tripled rural network in 2011 and Dabur wants to double rural reach by FY13.| Demand:| Being items of daily consumption, demand is least impacted by economic slowdown.| Barriers to entry:| Huge investments in setting up distribution networks and promoting brands and competition from established companies.| Bargaining power of suppliers:| Inputs being mostly agri-commodities, the suppliers are numerous and lack scale to wield bargaining power. Companies like ITC that are integrated backwards have lower dependence on suppliers. | Bargaining power of customers:| Customer does not have bargaining power in case of branded products but intense competition within the FMCG companies results in value for money deals for consumers. | Competition:| Competition is faced from domestic unorganized players and established MNC’s. Price wars are a common phenomenon. Private labels offered by retailers at a discount to mainframe brands act as competition to undifferentiated and weak brands.| | Financial year 2013-2014 | With consumer spending remaining healthy, value growth in FMCG sales were over 18% in 2012-13 (Source: Nielsen). All the frontline FMCG companies registered double-digit sales growth during the year. Companies like Dabur, Godrej Consumer Products and Marico posted over 25% topline growth aided by brisk rise in overseas revenues. | | The rural markets continued to lead demand in personal care and oral care products. According to Nielsen’s data, rural sales in washing powder, hair oil and shampoo each contributed more than a third of the overall category sales in FY2012-13. Sales growth in rural markets surpassed that in urban markets in more than 50% of the FMCG categories. Nielsen has projected the size of the rural market to grow ten folds to $ 100 bn by 2025. | | In FY2012-13, margins of FMCG companies were hit by unprecedented increase in price of crude and other commodities. As crude price spiralled above $100 a barrel, price of input crude-derivatives, transportation/freight and packaging costs increased sharply. Advertisement and promotional spends remained high on account of heightened competitive activity. The companies effected judicious price increases and also reduced the packet sizes and stock-keeping units (SKUs). Hence the growth seen by FMCG companies was mostly volume led. The reduction in surcharge from 7.5% to 5% and hike in the base MAT kept effective tax rates unchanged during the year.| | Prospects| | | Household spending on FMCG goods has not witnessed any pressure so far. But going forward, a deficient monsoon is likely to impact farm income and thereby rural spending in the short term. Even in urban India, discretionary spending can get impacted by lower salary hikes and food inflation re-surfacing on poor rainfall. This is more likely to result in down-trading by consumers. | | FMCG companies have been reaping the benefit of waning inflation and series of price-hikes taken earlier. But with the ‘New Standard Packaging’ rules coming into effect in November 2012, the companies will no longer be able to hold prices by reducing the grammage sold. High base-effect in price levels and fears of hurting demand is likely to prevent companies from raising prices substantially. Apart from absorbing higher input costs, FMCG companies may have to bear expenses to bring their  products in line with the new packaging rules. Additionally, even rising competition is expected to keep brand investments by companies high through increased ad-spends and promotional expenses. Therefore, profitability of FMCG companies may witness short-term pain. | | But long term demand potential of FMCG goods remains robust. According to International Labour Organisation, India will have the highest working age population in the world by 2020. The National Council of Applied Economic Research projects the proportion of middle class population to swell from 13.1% at present to 37.2% by 2025-26. Increase in working-age population and rising middle class will translate into higher purchasing power & boost consumerism. Higher penetration and evolution in consumption pattern will drive rural demand. The FMCG sector is expected to reach market size of $ 74 bn by 2018 (Source: FICCI).| | Introduction Of Financial ModelingFinancial modeling refers to the process through which a company builds up a financial representation of some, or even all aspects of the company or the given security. The financial model is generally featured by performing calculations, and making recommendations on the basis of that information. Moreover, the model might also prà ©cis specific events for the end user in addition to providing direction regarding possible alternatives or actions.Theoretically, a financial model is a set of assumptions about future business conditions that drive projections of a company’s revenue, earnings, cash flows and balance sheet accounts. In practice, a financial model is a spreadsheet (usually in Microsoft’s Excel software) that analysts use to forecast a company’s future financial performance. Properly projecting earnings and cash flows into the future is important since the intrinsic value of a stock depends largely on the outlook for financial performance of the issuing company. A financial model spreadsheet usually looks like a table of financial data organized into fiscal quarters and/or years. Each column of the table represents the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement of a  future quarter or year. The rows of the table represent all the line items of the company’s financial statements, such as revenue, expenses, share count, capital expenditures and balance sheet accounts. Like financial statements, one generally reads the model from the top to the bottom, or revenue through earnings and cash flows. History as a Guide When trying to predict the future, a good place to start is the past. Therefore, a good first step in building a model is to fully analyze a set of historical financial data and link projections to the historical data as a base for the model. If a company has generated gross margins in the 40% to 45% range for the past ten years, then it might be acceptable to assume that, with other things being equal, a margin of this level is sustainable into the future. Consequently, the historical track record of gross margin can become somewhat of a basis for a future income projection. Analysts are always smart to examine and analyze historical trends in revenue growth, expenses, capital expenditures and other financial metrics before attempting to project financial results into the future. For this reason, financial model spreadsheets usually incorporate a set of historical financial data and related analytical measures from which analysts derive assumptions and projections.Macro-economical Factors: 1. Mid-Quarter Monetary Policy Review: June 2013Monetary and Liquidity MeasuresOn the basis of an assessment of the current macroeconomic situation, RBI has been decided to: * keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities; and * keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 7.25 per cent.Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF wi ll remain unchanged at 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 8.25 per cent.2. The above monetary policy stance has been informed by the evolving growth-inflation dynamic, the balance of risks as well as recent developments in the external sector.3. Since the Reserve Bank’s Annual Policy statement in May, global economic activity has slowed and risks remain elevated, most recently on account of uncertainty over policies of systemic central banks. On the domestic front, macroeconomic conditions remain weak, hamstrung by infrastructure bottlenecks, supply constraints, lacklustre domestic demand and subdued investment sentiment. Inflation has  moderated as projected. However, upside pressures on the way forward from the pass-through of rupee depreciation, recent increases in administered prices and persisting imbalances, especially relating to food, pose risks of second-round effects. As recent experience has shown, shifts in global market sentiment can trigger sudden stop and reversal of capital from a broad swath of emerging economies, swiftly amplifying risks to the outlook. India is not an exception.Global Economy4. Global growth has been patchy and uneven. Among advanced economies (AEs), during Q1 of 2013, growth in US and Japan improved while that in the euro area contracted. Growth in most emerging and developing economies (EDEs) has been relatively resilient, although in some large emerging economies, sluggish external demand and stalled domestic investment are dragging down economic activity. Inflation has been easing in the AEs due to weak demand conditions. EDEs, however, present a mixed picture: inflation remains elevated in the BRICS except China. Commodity prices, other than the price of crude, have generally softened in recent months.Domestic EconomyGrowth In May, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reported India’s GDP growth in Q4 of 2012-13 of 4.8 per cent, a marginal improvement over the previous quarter. During the current financial year, the growth of industrial production decelerated to 2.3 per cent in April after picking up in the preceding month. All constituent categories of industry have slowed, with a persistent contraction in mining activity. The sharp weakening in the growth of capital goods production points to still damped investment demand whereas a pick-up in consumer non-durables could be indicative of a fragile return of consumer confidence. On the other hand, the services sector purchasing managers’ index rose in May on order flows. The onset of the south-west monsoon has been strong and on time.InflationHeadline WPI inflation eased for three months in succession with the May reading at 4.7 per cent, down from an average of 7.4 per cent in 2012-13. All constituent categories, barring food, have moderated. In the fuel category, coal and mineral oil prices declined, partly offsetting the upward revision in administered prices of electricity. Non-food manufactured products inflation too ebbed, driven by metal prices which fell for the eighth successive month in response to softening of global prices. Still ele vated food inflation, particularly in respect of cereals and vegetables, sustained upside pressures on overall  inflation. Retail inflation, as measured by the new combined (rural and urban) CPI, edged down from an average of 10.2 per cent last fiscal year to 9.3 per cent in May.Liquidity Conditions Net average daily borrowings under the LAF have declined gradually, from ` 1.2 trillion in March 2013 to ` 0.7 trillion in June 2013 so far (up to June 14) reflecting the sizable injection of primary liquidity through the reduction in the cash reserve ratio (CRR) in January, open market operations (OMO) purchases during Q4 of 2012-13, a significant reduction in the government’s cash balances with the Reserve Bank as well as two OMOs of ` 0.2 trillion in the current financial year so far. External Factors: The most significant development in the external sector has been the movement in the exchange rate. The rupee depreciated by 5.8 per cent against the US dollar during the current financial year up to June 14. It fell by 6.6 per cent during May 22-June 11 due to sell-off by foreign institutional investors, reflecting risk-off sentiment triggered by apprehensions of possible tapering off of quantitative easing by the US Fed. While the trade deficit has widened sharply due to a surge in festival-related/seasonal gold imports, available evidence suggests that a moderation in gold imports could be underway in June. Capital flows, which met the external financing requirement during April-May, moderated in June.Outlook At the global level, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of non-trivial risks of the global economy encountering a soft patch in the months ahead. On the domestic front, last year’s robust rabi production and the monsoon performance so fa r augur well for growth prospects. The spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall over the next three months will be crucial in determining the performance of agriculture. The continuing weakness in manufacturing activity needs to be urgently reversed. Key to reinvigorating growth is accelerating investment by creating a conducive environment for private investment, improving project clearance and implementation and leveraging on the crowding-in role of public investment. On the inflation front, easing commodity prices at the global level and weaker pricing power of corporates at the domestic level are having a softening influence. Given that food inflation remains high, the inflation outlook will be influenced by concerted efforts to break food inflation persistence. The inflation outlook going forward will be determined by suppressed inflation being released through revisions in  administered prices, including the minimum support prices (MSP) as well as the recent depreciation of the rupee. Softer global commodity prices and recent measures to dampen gold imports are expected to moderate the CAD in 2013-14 from its level last year. The main challenge is to reduce the CAD to a sustainable level; the near-term challenge is to finance it through stable flows. The most recent number on the Centre’s fiscal deficit, at 4.9 per cent of GDP for 2012-13, has turned out better than expected and instils confidence in the Government’s commitment to contain the fiscal deficit for 2013-14 at 4.8 per cent. Perseverance with this consolidation should help in mitigating the twin deficit risks to the outlook. These positive developments, which have been acknowledged by international credit rating agencies, should have a favourable impact on invest or confidence.Current Account Deficit (CAD) woes: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its monetary policy cut the cash-reserve ratio (CRR) and repo rates by 25 basis points (0.25%). But at the same time it made very clear the various risks that the Indian economy faces. While inflation is certainly one of the key risks, the other equally worrying factor is the current account deficit (CAD). Indeed, in the above chart shows, CAD (as a % of GDP) has been continuously increasing over five consecutive quarters from July-September 2011 (2QFY12) to July-September 2012 (2QFY13). This is bound to have an adverse impact on the stability of the country’s exchange rate at a time when domestic growth has also been slowing down. What is more, the rise in imports has largely been on account of fuel and gold imports. This is of more worrying to the RBI, than had the high CAD been on account of import of capital goods. | Understanding Financial StatementIncome StatementAn income statement (US English) or profit and loss account (UK English) (also referred to as a profit and loss statement (P&L), revenue statement,statement of financial performance, earnings statement, operating statement, or statement of operations) is one of the financial statementsof a company and shows the company’s revenuesand expenses during a particular period.It indicates how the revenues (money received from the sale of products and services before expenses are taken out, also known as the â€Å"top line†) are transformed into the net income(the result after all revenues and expenses have been accounted for, also known as â€Å"net profit† or the â€Å"bottom line†). It displays the revenues recognized for a specific period, and  the costand expenses charged against these revenues, including write-offs (e.g., depreciation and amortization of various assets) and taxes.The purpose of the income statement is to show managers and investors whether the company made or lost money during the period being reported. The important thing to remember about an income statement is that it represents a period of time. This contrasts with the balance sheet, which represents a single moment in time.Balance SheetIn financial accounting, a balance sheet or statement of financial position is a summary of the financial balances of a sole proprietorship, abusiness partnership, a corporation or other business organization, such as an LLC or an LLP. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year. A balance sheet is often described as a â€Å"snapshot of a company’s financial condition†. Of the four basic financial statements, the balance sheet is the only statement which applies to a single point in time of a business’ calendar year.A standard company balance sheet has three parts: assets, liabilities and ownership equity. The main categories of assets are usually listed first and typically in order of liquidity.Assets are f ollowed by the liabilities. The difference between the assets and the liabilities is known as equity or the net assetsor the net worth or capital of the company and according to the accounting equation, net worth must equal assets minus liabilities.Another way to look at the same equation is that assets equal liabilities plus owner’s equity. Looking at the equation in this way shows how assets were financed: either by borrowing money (liability) or by using the owner’s money (owner’s equity). Balance sheets are usually presented with assets in one section and liabilities and net worth in the other section with the two sections â€Å"balancing†.Cash Flow StatementIn financial accounting, a cash flow statement, also known as statement of cash flows, is a financial statementthat shows how changes inbalance sheetaccounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents, and breaks the analysis down to operating, investing, and financing activities. Essentially, the cash flow statement is concerned with the flow of cash in and out of the business. The statement captures both the current operating results and the accompanying changes in the balance sheet. As an analytical tool, the statement of cash flows is useful in determining the short-term viability of a company,  particularly its ability to pay bills. International Accounting Standard 7 (IAS 7), is the International Accounting Standardthat deals with cash flow statements.People and groups interested in cash flow statements include: * Accounting personnel, who need to know whether the organization will be able to cover payroll and other immediate expenses * Potential lendersor creditors, who want a clear picture of a company’s ability to repay * Potential investors, who need to judge whether the company is financially sound * Potential employees or contractors, who need to know whether the company will be able to afford compensation * Shareholders of the business.Th e cash flow statement is intended to 1. provide information on a firm’s liquidity and solvency and its ability to change cash flows in future circumstances 2. provide additional information for evaluating changes in assets, liabilities and equity 3. improve the comparability of different firms’ operating performance by eliminating the effects of different accounting methods 4. It indicates the amount, timing and probability of future cash flows.Working CapitalWorking capital (abbreviated WC) is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organization or other entity, including governmental entity. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is considered a part of operating capital. Net working capital is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. It is a derivation of working capital that is commonly used in valuation techniques such as DCFs (Discounted cash flows). If current assets are less than current liabilities, an entity has a working capital deficiency, also called a working capital deficit.A company can be endowed with assets and profitability but short of liquidity if its assets cannot readily be converted into cash. Positive working capital is required to ensure that a firm is able to continue its operations and that it has sufficient funds to satisfy both maturing short-term debt and upcoming operational expenses. The management of working capital involves managing inventories, accounts receivable and payable, and cash.Horizontal AnalysisA procedure in fundamental analysis in which an analyst compares ratios or line items in a company’s financial statements over a certain period of time. The analyst will use his or her discretion when choosing a particular timeline; however, the decision is often based on the investing time horizon  under consideration.Formula,= current year-base yearbase year| Vertical AnalysisVertical analysis of financial statements is a technique in which the relationship between items in the same financial statement is identified by expressing all amounts as a percentage a total amount. This method compares different items to a single item in the same accounting p eriod. The financial statements prepared by using this technique are known as common size financial statements.Trend AnalysisTrend Analysis is the practice of collecting information and attempting to spot a pattern, or trend, in the information. Although trend analysis is often used to predict future events, it could be used to estimate uncertain events in the past, such as how many ancient kings probably ruled between two dates, based on data such as the average years which other known kings reigned.= Current year*100 Base yearDiscounted Cash Flow (DCF) AnalysisIn finance, discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis is a method of valuing a project, company, or asset using the concepts of the time value of money. All future cash flows are estimated and discounted to give their present values (PVs)—the sum of all future cash flows, both incoming and outgoing, is the net present value (NPV), which is taken as the value or price of the cash flows in question. Present value may also be expressed as a number of years’ purchase of the future undiscounted annual cash flows expected to arise.Using DCF analysis to compute the NPV takes as input cash flows and a discount rate and gives as output a price; the opposite process—taking cash flows and a price and inferring a discount rate, is called the yield.Discounted cash flow analysis is widely used in investment finance, real estate development, and corporate financial management.What is relative valuation? In relative valuation, the value of an asset is compared to the values assessed by the market for similar or comparable assets. To do relative valuation then, – we need to identify comparable assets and obtain market values for these assets – convert these market values into standardized values, since the absolute prices cannot be compared This process of standardizing creates price multiples. – compare the standardized value or multiple for the asset being analyzed to the standardized values for comparable asset, controlling for any differences between the firms that might affect the multiple, to judge whether the asset is under or over valuedInterpretation of DCF valuation and Relative valuation| Review of Literature Mostly financial modeling of dabur was done before by equity research analyst of various research agencies, mutual funds, investment banks and brokerage house. Generally they have done it quarterly and annually before and after the company’s financial results. Justification and Likely Benefits Why financial modelingis important? Financial modeling acts as a useful tool which enables business options and risks to be estimated in a cost-effective way against various assumptions, recognize optimal solutions in estimating financial returns and understand the effect of resource constraints thus leading to more effective business decisions. Financial modeling can be referred as an art and like any other art form, it requires constant [practice and commitment to develop expertise in this area. In the present day world, many companies are becoming globally integrated with the international economy through the way of acquiring/establishing international operations. This calls for the requirement of strong financial models which can assist in performing the evaluation of every country’s operations, reflect on multiple currencies in their model, estimate varying capacity utilizations to estimate the optimal capacity under changeable industry demand-supply scenarios and similar more cases. Scope of Financial Modeling? Financial Modelling is a key skill with application in several areas withinbanking and finance industry as well as within corporations. In financialmodelling you learn to gather historical information on companies andanalyze company / industry performance on various financialparameters. This analysis is then used to build a company’s financialmodel, which in turn is key to projecting a future financial performance.Based on this model companies investors can arrive at a suitableevaluation for the companies. Financial models are usually made for financing of a project intransactions like: PPP/PFI, Mergers & Acquisitions, Valuation ofbusinesses etc. across various industries & sectors which includes SolarPlants, Waste Management, Helicopter felt, Oil and Gas, Mining,Energy, Healthcare,  Services & Education etc to evaluate the viability ofthe project on various parameters. Key Financial of Dabur: Objectives To find out intrinsic value of dabur and take decision regarding investment in Dabur. Plan of Work and Methodology Prepared a Sector Analysis Report for the FMCG sector †¢ Performed Historical Ratio Analysis of Dabur †¢ Prepared a Financial Model for Dabur by forecasting its financials for the next five years (FY13E-FY17E) on the basis of a historical trend analysis and expected performance of the FMCG industry drivers. †¢ Estimated a Target Price for the stock of Dabur using a DCF Valuation Model as well as using Relative Valuation by peer comparison. †¢ Submitted a final Equity Research Report on Dabur with recommendations. References and Bibliography www.investopedia.com www.rbi.org.in www.moneycontrol.com www.equitymaster.com www.bloomberg.com www.bseindia.com www.dabur.com www.wikipedia.org Nielsen FMCG industry report

Humanities Final Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humanities Final Paper - Essay Example Many of the English writers tried to translate the Decameron or the hundred tales from time to time but few of them were successful in translating all the hundred tales. The Boccaccio linked these tales as both of them are about religious issues one is applauding the Christianity while the other is providing proof for all of the three religions by relating them to an example of three rings that bypasses honor and state to its descendants provided by a Jew to Saladin and remained safe from him due to him (Wallis). There are few similarities in both the novels as both of these novels are from the same day that is the First and are the product of human’s power of revoking ideas in response to the environment that one idea give birth to another idea one point is clarified by the other person in an interpersonal communications (Payne). The similarities that are observed in these two novels are the religious sentiments that are involved in these two novels one applauds Christianity while the other applauds the three big religions that is Islam, Christianity and Judaism (Migiel). In both the stories the ideas are clarified by the use of examples that is in the 2nd novel the idea is clarified by the visit of the Jew to the court of Rome and in the third novel the point is clarified by the example of the ring that passes honor and state to the dependent of a king. In both the novels the central characters are Jews that is in the 2nd novel it is Abraham and in the third novel it is Melcheizedeck. Another similarity in both the novels are both the Jews in the novels were wealthy. Main difference is the change of the result in both the novels that is in 2nd novel the end result of the is that a Jew went to Rome for personal observation of the Rome’s court after the preaching of one of his Christian friend but returned with bad experience and becomes Christian unexpectedly, this novel explains the grace of God on some people. While the end result of the 3rd novel

Critical review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critical review - Essay Example In his paper ‘A Grand Strategy of Transformation’, Gaddis (n.d.) has seen Bush’s NSS â€Å"the most sweeping shift in US grand strategy since the beginning of the Cold War† (p.1), which he substantiated by illustrating its differences from Clinton’s December 1999 NSS wherein he finds Bush NSS â€Å"more forceful, more carefully crafted, and – unexpectedly – more multilateral than its immediate predecessor† (Ibid). On the contrary, Wirtz and Russell (2003) believe that although Bush calls on a strategic shift from deterrence to preventive and preemptive war, varied international considerations may paradoxically push the Bush administration to rather â€Å"strengthen deterrence and existing international institutions, two outcomes that are not necessarily high on the administration’s agenda† (p. 113). Thus, essentially, it is no different from the former grand strategy. I agree with Wirtz and Russell that Bush grand s trategy is no different from that of deterrence, not because of its practicality in this present international context, but because, all US grand strategies, including Bush’s, only reaffirm the American consensual view on their supremacy; thus, all strategy’s should pursue only one thing – to ensure US hegemony unchallenged. Second, in defining the adversary, all of the articles commonly regard terrorism – specifically Al-Qaeda – the most ambitious, most ruthless, and most capable among terrorist groups – the most dangerous imminent adversary of U.S. today. However, it was Posen (2001), who had clearly described Al-Qaeda’s motive – that Al-Qaeda’s hatred of US comes from the following: the US meddling on the affairs of the Muslim nations in the Middle East; its imposed interest on the Persian Gulf and Middle East; its imposition of its Western culture that is diametrically opposed to Islam – all these result to the suffering of

Events that left to the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Events that left to the Civil War - Essay Example Most northerners had no problem with the idea of states rights. However, they believed that slavery was to be ruled by the United States federal law so no state had the right to secede when it came to this. This became a source of conflict between the north and south. As a result of this, antislavery groups made up of people calling themselves abolitionists were formed. Consequently people and especially the minority groups who were mainly slaves learned new ideas about human rights and freedom. With the fear that the federal government of the United States would force them to give up slavery, southern politicians opted to balance the number of free sates and slave states. 1Arnold points out that â€Å"if the number of free states was the same as the number of slave states, there was political balance.† The number of states that allowed slavery was thus eleven while eleven states banned slavery. Until 1820, conflict between the northern and southern states was avoided since th e number of free and slave states had remained equal. However, this balance was disturbed by the expansion of the United States west of river Mississippi. By 1820, many southerners had moved to the region of Missouri, and taken their slaves with them despite the fact that Missouri was geographically located in the north. In the same year Missouri became the first state in the territory of Louisiana to apply for admission into the Union. Missouri had thousands of slaves then so it was given that it would apply for admission as a slave state. This would however, distort the balance between free and slave states. Consequently, political leaders had to make agreements and compromises to keep the nation together. The United States House of Representatives was controlled by the north and there was no way it was going to allow slavery to expand in Missouri. To prevent the expansion of slavery, the House of Representatives passed a bill aimed and gradually eliminating slaves in Missouri. Ac cording to the bill, no new slaves were to be brought into Missouri, and children of Missouri slaves, upon reaching the age of twenty five would be declared free. Although the House of Representatives passed this law, it was turned down by the senate, which had equal representation of the north and the south. The problem with this bill was solved by Henry Clay, who proposed a compromise. To pacify the south, 2Hazen points out that â€Å"Clay suggested that Missouri be permitted to enter the Union as a slave state since that was what she already was in reality.† To appease the north, Clay suggested that slavery be barred for ever from the remaining regions of Louisiana territory. Meanwhile, Maine which had also applied for admission into the Union would be admitted as a free state. The solution would thus maintain a balance of twelve free and twelve slave states. After a long, bitter and ugly debate between the northern and southern congressmen, the Missouri Compromise was pas sed. Missouri was admitted into the union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state and slavery was banned in the northern part of Louisiana territory. Consequently, peace between the north and the south was restored for several more decades. For several decades’ peace between the north and south was maintained by the Missouri Compromise. However, in 1850, the issue of slavery and its expansion surfaced again. In 1848, Gold

History US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History US - Essay Example to world power status. The New Deal provided numerous economic programs that stabilized the economy through giving support in banking and finance, unemployment, and agriculture. In banking and finance, President Franklin D. Roosevelt offered significant credit facilities to industry and agriculture. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) also insured savings-bank deposits up to $5,000. Moreover, to reduce unemployment that affected 13 million Americans, Roosevelt created job-stimulating programs. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a program that gave mostly conservation jobs to young men between 18 and 25 years of age (IIP Digital, 2008). The Public Works Administration (PWA) gave employment to skilled construction workers for different medium- to large-sized projects, among other programs (IIP Digital, 2008). In addition, to improve agricultural revenues, the Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) in 1933. It gave economic relief to farmers by increasing crop prices throug h paying farmers a subsidy to reimburse them for deliberate cutbacks in production (IIP Digital, 2008). Despite these job and financial programs, the New Deal did not restore the Gross National Product (GNP), consumption levels, and employment rates to pre-Depression years (West, n.d.). World War II created complete economic recovery because of greater federal spending that improved employment rates both for men and women and for whites and colored people. Military spending by the federal government jump-started the economy, increasing GNP, consumption levels, and employment rates more than the New Deal did. By 1943, California’s aircraft and shipbuilding industries hired 243,000 and 280,000 people correspondingly, and tens of thousands worked in plants in Pacific Northwest (West, n.d.). In Seattle, the Boeing Company’s sales of aircraft in 1944 reached ten times that of the total city’s industries five years before (West, n.d.). With bustling

Should the DREAM Actor legislation like itbe passed Essay

Should the DREAM Actor legislation like itbe passed - Essay Example Every day, immigrants in the United States feel alienated from the society. It may start at an early age or during the teenage year after enrollment to advanced educational institutions. This prevents them from taking part in activities that benefit the society. Immigrants are also denied opportunities which may help build them morally and psychologically. In most cases, immigrants are the best performers in educational institutions. However, they have to go through many hardships so as to afford to pay for their education and also to secure a job in the job market. In turn, this denies them the chances to benefit the society economically. For undocumented children, securing a place in schools and other educational institutions is hard enough. If the manage to enroll to a school, another problem arises in paying their school fees. Sometimes, they may even have to take breaks so as to work. In the worst case scenarios, they even end up dropping out of school completely. However, this is not even half the challenges that they have to go through in their day-to-day lives. For a child to develop psychologically, he/she needs to have a sense of belonging either to a community, a state or a certain social group. Undocumented children are denied this opportunity by being denied certain privileges such as social security numbers and ID cards. This prevents them from taking part in social activities and having fun like other documented teenagers. One of the reasons and explanations, as to why I think the dream act should be passed is because it recognizes undocumented children. The Dream Act gives undocumented children the chance to participate in economic activities and also further their education. As stated previously, many undocumented children are good performers in their studies. However, they end up dropping out of school due to lack of school fees. For example, â€Å"The ‘Invisibles’†, an article written by Doulas McGray, states â€Å"In 2004,

Classical Societies, 500 BCE to 500 CE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classical Societies, 500 BCE to 500 CE - Essay Example Great, the decline of the Persian Empire, the Roman Republic and the fall of the Roman empire, the rise of Christianity, the Mauryan and Gupta empires in the sub-continent, and the Qin and Han dynasties of China. What made the societies classical are the golden ages that existed because of the times of peace, great strides in development and progress, and ideas that have endured beyond their time. The classical period saw both the clash of the rising Persian Empire with the Greeks and Romans, and its weakening. At the start of the classical period, the Persian Empire formed earlier under Cyrus the Great was already at its greatest extent now under Darius I who led his conquering armies eastwards to the Indus river, central Asia, Egypt, Libya and some parts of Europe. At this time in history, the huge Persian Empire formed an important bridge between Eastern Europe and the sub-continent uniting a diversity of peoples. Throughout the classical period Persia had to contend with continuous wars with other civilizations in close proximity beginning with the Greeks in the Greco-Persian wars. In the battle of Marathon (490 BCE) a huge Persian army had gathered against the smaller number of Athenian forces but failed because the Greeks had trapped them to attack from the mountainside. A later attempt under Xerxes gave the Persians another opportunity at the battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE). This time the Spartans aided the Athenians, but the Persian army was overwhelming and they went on to capture Athens. In another battle of Salamis, a large Persian fleet was destroyed by the Greeks using similar trapping tactics as they had used at Marathon. This loss made Xerxes withdraw most of his forces from Greece, and the remaining Persian army was then defeated again at the battle of Plateau. This ended all Persian hopes of expansion into Europe. There were further wars with the Greeks when Alexander the Great became king. Alexander carried out his father’s plans of

Week-7 Technology in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week-7 Technology in the Workplace - Essay Example It also has the capability of providing annotations of the evidence produced, for use by the jury, the trial judge/ magistrate, and the various counsels present. This is the main technology in use at the court rooms (Rowland, Uta and Andrew, 32). Within the offices, employees of the organization use Microsoft software’s to process the needed information. The soft wares in use are the Microsoft word, and this is in use mostly by clerks. Ms. Power Point is used by the managerial staff when they make presentations during seminars, and conferences. By looking at these technological applications in my organization, I can conclude that it is ahead of other institutions of justice in the use of technology. Though most of these organizations use Microsoft software’s, they are yet to develop the mobile evidence presentation system that has the capability of easing the manner in which evidence is produced at the court room. The court house has managed to train its employees on how to handle the technological inventions it uses. During orientations, new employees obtain guidelines on the functionalities of the various technological gadgets in use. Due to this orientation, I gained the knowledge and capability of using these gadgets, and therefore technology does not affect my performance. However, there are numerous ways that technology can hinder progress at the work place. They are (Rowland, Uta and Andrew, 21); 1. In ability to weigh between the opportunities, and the risks that the technology in use brings about. For instance, use of technological know-how such as power point presentations, requires adequate preparations, identification of main files, and thereafter loaded into the presentation software. This activity takes a lot of time, and this can be a factor in hindering the application of a technological know-how, in a court house. 2. There is also the problem of information overload. For instance, in using

Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina Essay Many countries that face the catastrophes today need the relief assistance particularly in the floods and the devastation of the earthquakes. The countries, particularly those undergoing difficult transitions, lack the public and private institutions and infrastructure necessary to meet the challenges posed by complex humanitarian emergencies need a collaborated effort to overcome the effects of the devastations. The requirement is to identify the need of a joint effort by the organizations and political stability is required to take timely actions. The disaster relief efforts are also to be identified which are to be continued to support developing and transitional states in a unified operational concept and the Disaster Prevention and Disaster Response cooperative initiatives. (Anna, 2005) The Japan for example experiences hundreds of seismic events annually; tropical cyclones (typhoons) are so frequent they are numbered and not named; and heavy rains accompanying typhoons often result in devastating mudslides that annually claim many lives. Although Japan seems to be well prepared to cope with natural disasters. Organizations with emergency response duties including fire, medical, police, environmental, etc. are professional and well equipped. (NPR, 2005) This expanded role of agencies in a collaborated disaster relief can be further defined to ensure the availability of technical competence in order to make their participation meaningful. The local agencies and community groups should not be underutilized and undermined by relief organizations. The knowledge, expertise and ability to communicate with local people can be invaluable for humanitarian relief programmers. The challenge for international agencies and NGOs is to assure, wherever possible and useful, the appropriate inclusion and collaboration of the local agencies into the system. Prior identification of local civil possible partners in disaster-prone countries and training of the required staff is one way to prepare for unexpected crisis. In some countries, local agencies and community groups exist with high levels of competence but may require outside technical and logistic support. In the United States, the Federal Response Plan describes how the federal government will assist the state and local governments when a major disaster or emergency overwhelms their ability to respond effectively (LeClaire, 2005). The plan assigns federal agency responsibility for twelve Emergency Support Functions. These cover the world of disaster response from transportation, public works and engineering, mass care, food energy and those to those functions that are vital to meet the challenges of the disasters. A few weeks ago, Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane, stormed the Gulf coast of the USA, affecting an area as large as the UK. Katrina completely destroyed of individuals. New Orleans is a major American city, with a devastated and evacuated exercise, with a fictitious category 3 hurricane named Pam, predicted the scenario accurately,1 As we impotently watched television, the disaster unfolded. The hospital scenes of combined internal and external disasters already described in Houston2 repeated prevent them. (Television Week, 2005) electricity, water, communication, and other vital services; Local and national leaders underestimated the storm and failed to the size of the tragedy in human lives and future ecological repercussions. Katrina left the affected region teams, evidence of complete lack of preparedness with insufficient immediately available physical and human resources, health-care systems incapacitated, urban anarchy, despicable crimes, while the world criticized American leaders and emergency organizations. Millions of jobs have been lost to the storm. New Orleans largest employer, Tulane University, hopes to reopen to students for the spring semester. The casino barges that helped revitalize the Mississippi coast are no more. Right now, only insurance agents and construction workers seem to have guaranteed employment in the storm-damaged areas. Disasters and Urban Renewal Monitoring of field activities is always difficult without the setting of objectives and standards for joint relief actions. Minimum operational goals should be defined for performance evaluation. Goal setting would also bring into focus the impact of the joint relief on the beneficiaries, both for acute and chronic disasters. Co-ordination and communication are the central point for the success of a joint disaster relief operation. In disaster situations, the joint and rapid operational decisions within a political and media environment can be very vital (WaterWorld, 2005). A rapid assessment of needs following a disaster is always a clearly and critical aspect of effective humanitarian action. The local Civil Hospital and other installation medical treatment facilities can have agreements with local hospitals covering certain medical procedures and emergencies on. These agreements can be extended to post disaster emergency care also. It is vital that a Manual should be developed as a Coordinating Manual for Disaster Relief Operations to provide basic coordination procedures between different agencies. There are an increasing number of disasters with a conflict dimension. The areas of further development in the field of collaborated disaster relief operation can be areas of research that can be proposed as having immediate utility to field operations. Disasters have security as well as other dimensions. After Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans the rest of the country became aware of the citys extreme poverty. This however, is not a new issue for the city of New Orleans. It was an obvious demonstration of how our country needs to step up its emergency relief effort to respond faster to these situations. But, was it a mistake they did not respond immediately? This is a question that is recently up for debate and we have decided to look deeper into. 67. 3% of the cities population is African American (68% of whom are in poverty) compared to the 28. 1% of whites. (2000 Census) It is interesting to compare the response to September 11, 2001 to the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina. The response the terrorist attacks in New York, whose population is almost the reverse of New Orleans 67. 9% White and 15. 9% African American (NY Census 2000), was immediate. It is amazing that New Orleans had days to prepare for Hurricane Katrina and they were well aware of its potential to destroy the city- however it never occurred to them to make everyone aware of the destruction this hurricane could cause. Through the Hurricane Pam simulation, scientists knew the level of damage that was going to be caused and knew that it would take at least 72 hours to evacuate before the hurricane made landfall. New Orleans had an evacuation plan that they poorly enforced when it came time to really implement it. Many valuable resources that could have saved lives went unused such as Amtrak trains evacuating valuable equipment from the area and offering to take several hundred passengers along with them. Lack of transportation was a major reason many people died. A large percentage of the people in poverty did not have their own means of transportation to get out of the city and could have put these offered resources to good use. It is unfortunate that these people were basically ignored when it came to the rescue effort. I feel that Louisiana Governor Blanco and New Orleans mayor Nagin could have made much better decisions when it came to evacuating the city that could have potentially saved thousands of lives. They let many resources go wasted and the poor decisions made by these people cannot be taken back. People will always be attracted to live near the shore, which leads to serious problems when evacuation is required. No matter the administration, Hurricane Katrina would still have had a devastating impact on the citizens and landscape of New Orleans. However, many lives would have been spared were it not for the mistakes of President Bush, Gov. Blanco, Mayor Nagin, and ex-FEMA director Michael Brown, in their unsuccessful attempts to contain the damage. The act of carrying out a complete mandatory evacuation is where most administrative mistakes were made. When officials made the order for evacuation, they ignored the fact that New Orleans has a poverty rate of 38 %(Wikipedia 4), one of the highest in the country. In addition to this, they did not account for the 120,000 people in New Orleans who were without transportation, which led to chaos after the order was given for a mandatory evacuation. Individuals were expected to find their own way out of the city, and due to an inadequate evacuation plan, thousands were left stranded in the city to survive on their own, most of which were poor, elderly, or sick(Wikipedia 4). New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, realizing the threat Katrina posed to his city, was the first to call for a full evacuation. He pleaded with Gov. Blanco to call for a mandatory evacuation, but Blanco was reluctant and decided to take 24 hours to make the decision, a delay that the people of New Orleans could not afford. Had this delay not occurred, there would have been adequate time to prepare mass public transportation of evacuees. Mayor Nagin was enraged by the governments reluctance to aid, and further expedited the evacuation process. Nagin publicly criticized the federal involvement in the evacuation, primarily attacking their failure to quickly provide buses. This lack of communication between city, state, and federal officials continues, and occurs throughout the disasters response and recovery efforts. Criticism of local and national response to the hurricane is widespread in the media. Local officials complain just days after the disaster about the lack visible presence of troops and FEMA. The presidential response to the hurricane was embarrassing. The day Katrina hit, Bush was at a ceremony in California, and did not break from his vacation until the next Wednesday, which left those affected by the hurricane with a feeling of abandonment. President Bush is also responsible for appointing an unqualified lawyer, Brown, to be the director of FEMA. Browns most critical mistake was his urging of all fire and emergency services departments not to respond to the counties and states affected by Hurricane Katrina without being requested and lawfully dispatched by state and local authorities(Wikipedia 8). This caused a serious clash between state, local, and federal governments, resulting in the loss of tons of critical aid materials. Having never dealt with crisis and natural disaster relief, Brown continued to inhibit the reconstructive and rescue efforts, resulting in many fatalities that could have been prevented had a more qualified individual been in the position. Similar delaying acts were performed by Vice President Dick Cheney. The day after the hurricane, Cheney ordered workers of the power company to divert power crews, who, at the time were restoring power to local hospitals, to substations that control the diesel fuel and gasoline flow from Texas to the northeast. The workers upsettingly questioned this diversion of labor and were told to perform it anyway. Cheney did this in an attempt to avoid fuel price gouging, however it proved to be unsuccessful, and there was an enormous spike in fuel costs following the hurricane. This graph, and attached data sheet show this dramatic increase: This action reaffirms the perceived attitude of unreceptiveness displayed by the government and authorities toward the victims of Katrina during the hurricanes relief effort. It is an undeniable fact that a category five hurricane will have devastating effects, no matter where it makes landfall. Due to the citys cultural and racial diversity, geographical structure, and inflated poverty, it was clear that Katrina was going to hit fast and hard. Just as predicted by weather forecasters, the hurricane quickly flooded the city and those who attempted to ride the storm out perished. Unfortunately, the governments policies implemented to help did not come as quickly, and as a result thousands of fatalities that could have been avoided were not. Three places in your home that are usually damaged by hurricanes are the roof, windows, doors, and there are things that can be done to strengthen these areas to minimize damage. Firstly investing in a stronger roof by placing more beams and securing the trusses by placing brasses to strengthen the roof structure, to protect your windows and doors the simplest effective method is by installing storms shutters which are basically thick boards of wood coving windows and doors. When it comes to prevention with hurricanes of a category 4 nature governments should have emergency plans in place, George Bush was criticized in the handling of hurricane Katrina, it even sparked of arguments that New Orleans was neglected due to its poverty stricken black communities. Although warnings were in place 24 hours before the hurricane hit and there was time for evacuation, a lack of services was provided. Although in the following hurricane Rita, The US government was quick to act while sending hundreds of busses to evacuate cities. Some officials in high positions were accused of a good-riddance insensitivity toward the export of the citys poverty and accompanying social ills. On a more positive note, many planners and scholars have called for the development of mechanisms that can accommodate the displaced poor population, who should be encouraged to return. The storm may have created an opportunity to address the issue of poverty and land use in a way that is much smarter than previous approaches (Cutter and others 2006). Racial and Economy Perspectives A major question affecting the future cultural and racial geography of New Orleans is how much of the African American population will return to the city. About two-thirds of Orleans Parish was African American before the storm; now the percentage is generally assumed to be much lower, although nobody really knows by how much. Half is a popularly held local presumption, but I have found no official figures to support it; data are difficult to come by. Will the loss of African Americans be permanent? If so, what will the cultural and racial imprint of the city be? What will its political geography look like if a large and reliably Democratic voting block disappears? Mayor Ray Nagin was clearly alarmed by the possibility of a permanent loss of the African American population when he steadfastly affirmed that displaced African Americans would return to a rebuilt city and that New Orleans would be chocolate at the end of the day. †¦ This city will be a majority African American city. Its the way God wants it to be. †¦ You cant have it no other way. It wouldnt be New Orleans (Pope 2006, 1). Part of the mayors angst arose from concern that a major influx of Hispanic workers to help rebuild the city, and the possibility that many in-migrants might stay permanently, would potentially alter the cultural and political balance of power in New Orleans. Although much of the storms face was poor and African American, in the final analysis Katrina was no respecter of class and race. One of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in New Orleans, Lakeview, is mainly Caucasian and middle-to-high income. New Orleans East, which some observers argue should never be rebuilt, is a suburb populated by a growing African American middle class. Venetian Isles and south Slidell contain some of the most desirable waterfront properties in the metropolitan area, many of which were adorned with beached sailboats after the storm. Meghan Stromberg observed that Katrinas obvious disregard for areas of wealth and privilege may work in favor of the citys recovery: Homeowners there have greater resources to rebuild sooner (Stromberg 2006). Of great concern is whether people with the technical and entrepreneurial skills needed by a rebuilding city will return. Unfortunately, these skills are often in high demand elsewhere, so people may be enticed to stay in their adopted homes. Mark Drennen, head of Greater New Orleans Inc. , a public-private partnership whose mission is to spearhead economic development in the New Orleans region, commented that this prospect is a huge concern. It occupies almost every meeting Im in all day long (Mowbray 2005). The longer companies put off returning to New Orleans, the more likely it is that they and their employees will not come back. On the bright side, there is always the red-beans-and-rice effectthe soul and culture of New Orleansthat keeps the natives coming back, even in the face of better economic opportunities elsewhere. Some commentators also speculate that there may be an influx of risk takers who spy opportunity in the rebuilding of New Orleans, giving the city a flesh jolt of people with entrepreneurial skills (Mowbray 2005). The absence of workers of all types is already being felt. Estimates that the Gulf Coast currently lacks 150,000 construction and maintenance workers have prompted the Business Roundtable, a Washington-based association of large-company chief executive officers, to develop a plan to recruit and train 20,000 new construction workers for the region (Sayre 2006). Accompanying the departure of the citys poor population was its supply of minimum-wage workers. Fast-food and convenience outlets are especially desperate for employees, to the point that one major hamburger chain is offering a bonus to new hires of $500 per month; other chains are advertising entry wage rates in excess of $9 per hour. Plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople are in extremely short supply, partly because many of them never returned after evacuating and partly as a result of the huge surge in demand. The most common sign at business entrances today is Now Hiring. In a sense, future demography is destiny for New Orleans, not only in terms of racial and cultural makeup but also with respect to economic vitality (Frey 2005). Its cultural geography will be shaped by who comes back and who does not and by as yet unknown new migrants to the city. Conclusion The immensity of the disaster and the long rebuilding process will offer abundant research opportunities for geographers. The new footprint of the New Orleans metropolitan area will provide intriguing areas of study for planners as well as for economic, urban, and cultural geographers. Along the same lines, population geographers will want to track the status of the great New Orleans Diaspora. Of considerable interest to researchers will be the geography of debris and the environmental impact of millions of cubic yards of waste. Biogeographers will have an interest in the disruption of bird and animal habitats; and of course physical and environmental geographers will find a renewed impetus to continue their examination of the environmental risks associated with eroding coastlines. Hurricane Katrina laid bare New Orleans environmental vulnerabilities, social ills, and policy deficiencies. At the same time, the city that everybody knew before the storm was not destroyed and is slowly coming back. Already tourists have returned to the French Quarter, with its raucous good times; and the convention industry is regaining its footing. (If Katrina was Gods attempt to punish the city for its night life, it failed. ) Gradually, trust is being placed in a restored levee system. A new normal is emerging, unfortunately in some cases eerily reminiscent of the old normal. Only time will tell if the â€Å"new† New Orleans has learned its lessons from Katrina, or if sentimentality for the old New Orleans will set the city up for a repeat disaster. One can hope that future scholars will not worry again about how people manage to survive in such an unnatural and impossible city. As a hurricane can never actually be stopped or destroyed prevention is a little more vague it’s more of damage prevention rather than hurricane prevention. Although there are scientist researching in possible ways to lower storm intensity some of which include a substance that absorbs large amounts of water with small amounts of the substance being used up the idea is simple but somewhat impractical. In Conclusion, with today’s modern equipment we can predict and perceive a hurricanes power easily but it is nearly impossible to stop a hurricane, so prevention needs to be researched more, if any lesson was learnt from Katrina it is this. Many of the people included in the Diaspora and most visibly affected by the storm were poor and members of minorities, as for example in the hard-hit Lower Ninth Ward. They were among the thousands initially stranded, and then bused to out-of-town shelters. After Katrina an avalanche of media accounts and academic articles appeared on how the storm laid bare the environmentally linked economic and racial inequities within New Orleans, inequities with a long history. References Hurricane Katrina. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 22 July 2004, 10:55 UTC May03, 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina/. Storm Surge. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 22 July 2004, 10:55 UTC May03, 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Storm_surge. Anna Badkhen. Hurricane Katrina: Relief Effort / Response Like Second Disaster; San Francisco Chronicle (CA), 09/11/2005 Congress Reacts to Hurricane Katrina Disaster. Water World, Oct2005, Vol. 21 Issue 10, p8-9, 2p Cutter, S. L. , C. T. Emrich, J. T. Mitchell, B. J. Boruff, M. Gall, and others. 2006. The Long Road Home. Environment 48 (2): 8-20. Frey, W. H. 2005. City Can Lure Back Its Reluctant Migrants (New Orleans). Times-Picayune [New Orleans], 30 November,  §B, 7. Jarrell, Jerry D. , Max Mayfield, and Edward N. Rappaport. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes from 1900 to 2000. Oct. 2001. NOAA/NWS/ Tropical Prediction Center. 28 Sept. 2005. Katz, B. , M. Fellowes, and M. Mabanta. 2006. Katrina Index: Tracking Variables of Post-Katrina Reconstruction. 3 May update. Washington, D. C. : The Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program. LeClaire, Jennifer. Katrina disaster trains a spotlight on homeowners policies. Christian Science Monitor, 9/8/2005, Vol. 97 Issue 200, p12-16, 2p Medias Role Vital in Katrina Disaster. Television Week, 9/12/2005, Vol. 24 Issue 37, p9-9, 1/4p Mowbray, R. 2005. Brightest Evacuees Weigh Option: Return to N. O. or Stay? NOLA. com. NPR; Analysis: Katrinas economic disaster Talk of the Nation, 09/0

The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay John Steinbeck wrote the book Of Mice and Men in 1936 after Wall Street crashed in 1929 and overnight the great depression set in, in America. Everyone lost all their money after investing in the stock market and no one had any money and jobs because company collapsed due to the knock on affect of the crash. As a result, people forgot about trying to settle down with a family and just thought about trying to stay alive. But still in the back of their minds the American Dream still lived on and at some point would all like to have their own plot of land living a carefree life. To stay alive though to do this they had to get any money they could. They travel around the country as migrant workers just looking after themselves going for any job that came up. They had to keep going, from job to job, people had no time to make friends. There were two special characters though, two men who traveled around together and were both very close friends. Although you could call them the odd-couple, due to the fact that they were both very different. But they looked and cared after each other, were together for a long time and learned they were so close they had to keep travelling together and try to go at it wit each other. These two guys didnt really have much before the Wall Street crash and didnt need to care about making it all back. The story is about two people who dont just care about themselves but want to look after each other. These two people were Lennie and George. In the book George says Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world, they got no family. They dont belong no placebut us! An why? Because I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you John Steinbecks style carries a lot of symbolism. Even the town Soledad where its set means loneliness. All this shows that the lifestyle after the Wall Street crash forced people to go at it alone and the American Dream was getting further and further away. Steinbeck wrote this book because he saw the USA as a lonely place at the time. Even though Lennie and George have each other and arent as lonely as everyone else, there are still times wee they are lonely. When Lennie was younger all he had was his Aunt Clara who was the only one who looked after him and then she died. Until George came to live all the time with Lennie, all he had was his soft mice that he liked to pet. He had nothing else and was very lonely. Then when George came Lennie must have seen him as a savior and would do anything for him and listens to everything he does. But because he is mentally challenged he cant sometimes go through with his promises. When saying all this, John Steinbeck is expressing that Lennie and George are no two ordinary migrant workers doing it alone moving from place to place. Lennie and George are different because they stay together. But when Lennie acts like he does, George gets very annoyed and says God a mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an work, an no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month came, I could take my fifty bucks and go into town ant get whatever I want. This makes Lennie sad, but really George wouldnt do this because he cares too much about Lennie. Lennie gets upset when people talk about leaving as he has had a lot of that happen to him in his life, with not knowing his parents and his Aunt Clara dying he has become sensitive to that happening and apologizes for whatever has made George say this very quickly. In the Book Candy is another very lonely character he is also symbolized through his dog who just goes through life then he gets quite old without making much significance and just kill him or send him off without say when hes worthless and dont care about his feelings. He is extra worthless as he got his hand lopped off in one of the farm machines and makes him not as useful as he was. This will happen to Candy, hell get fired and he knows this because he starts to get left out of everything. He knows time is not on his side and hell get canned before too long. This is why when he hears George and Lennie have a plan to get a farm and he had money to make this plan happen for all of them, (from compensation when he got his hand chopped off) he wants to be in on it so he cant be fired and would just do the easy jobs. Then he could stay with shelter and not get chucked out to die. I also think that he wants something to show for his life and the farm would be something good as the money he has wouldnt be a good indication for a successful life as he has no one to pass it on to. I think Steinbeck has put Candy into the book so there was another extreme of loneliness. The character shows that in America in the 30s no one had any respect or sympathy for old folk and when they get too old they are just sent out for the vultures not caring about feelings. This shows in Candy and when they are speaking to the stable buck and he says Nobody listen to you, Candy then says No he agreed Knowbody listen to us. This shows that Candy knows whats going on and his time is approaching fast. Crooks is also another extreme of loneliness just because he is black. He isnt even allowed to sleep in the same bunkhouse. They say I stink, but I say they stink. He says this, not because they smell but because he thinks the way they treat him stinks. Even on special occasions, for fun they beat him up. They dont treat him like a fellow human at times and dont like speaking to him. He gets lonely because he doesnt get to talk to anyone all day. This shows the racism of the time and how in America they still had the ideals of the slave trades and the black were nailed to the bottom of the social pile. Then in the book he wants to join in with the ranch plan as he thinks its his way out of hatred and the stereotypes. But eventually he rejected the ranch because he knew that he was also useless because he had a crooked back and he would be not respected, and he told Lennie that because he was mentally retarded that George might leave him. He says this because he is thinking about the thoughts of the times, but doesnt know that George would never leave Lennie. Another character is Curleys wife. She is very lonely and seeks for attention. This is because she is a woman and they just think she is someone who is just there to cure Curleys needs. But also she is a person. She said, Im stuck in the house all day and no one to talk to. People see her as a Tart because she seeks attention and flirts with all the workers on the ranch behind Curleys back, but Curly knows it is going on and gets very jealous and protective. She says when she was younger she met a man who could have put her in the movies, but when he sent her a letter saying she was in, her mum hid the letters because she was too young to leave. But maybe she had thought up these ideas that the man was actually interested in putting her in the movies or just trying to chat her up and then Curleys wife when she didnt hear anything might have blamed it on her mum and wanted to believe she was good enough to be in the movies. Then she left home to try and make her dream come true but never really had a plan. Then she met Curly and thought maybe this was the key to getting to the top, but now she is stuck on the ranch. She knows she will never fulfill her dreams. Steinbeck always refers to her as Curleys Wife and she never has a name all through the book. This is because no one needs or thinks it is necessary to get to know her because she is a woman. This character shows hatred of women at this time and how they meant nothing. All of the Characters, Crooks, Lennie, Candy and Curlys wife, have personalities that are lonely and in America at this time these personalities were outcasts. In the book they were excluded from everything because they were different. I also see Carlson as someone who thinks as a community and not for peoples feelings. For example at the end of the book when George has killed Lennie, then Slim is comforting him, he says Now what ya suppose is eatin them two guys? Not considering that George has just killed his old best friend who has traveled with for a long time. He cant understand why they feel this way, as he thinks as the community thinks at the time in how everyone has to try to do it for themselves and you cant have friends in this time but Lennie and George did. In the Book Slim and George get to know each other a bit. George likes to get to people and he thinks everybody is stupid not making any friends and being cautious of Everyone: -Maybe everbody in the whole damn world is scared of each other? He thinks everyone thinks they cant get to know anyone but he doesnt see this in George. John Steinbeck wrote this book in the 1030s when all these prejudiced feelings to people who are different were going on. He recognized this, what people were doing and how they were making everyone else lonely, but at the same time making themselves lonely too. When he wrote this he had a different character for all different aspects of loneliness and prejudice he could see in America at the time. He described it through migrant workers due to how on the farms it was capitalist with the boss looking down on his workers and by doing this, also people wanted to be the boss and not have to look up to people. To do it, they couldnt really do it with everyone else because than he couldnt have anyone else to look down on, so they had to go alone. Owning a farm somewhere and being your own boss was back than the American Dream. But by going alone they would never have enough money, so as their dream fails, along with it, so does their spirit. These 3 points show hoe different aspects of life all culminated to kill their spirit and make them lonely. It all spirited from themselves.