Book Report I Beat the Odds - 1156 Words

Book report I beat the odds The story of the blind side has been told repeatedly thought books, movies and magazine but never from Michael Oher himself. I beat the odds from homelessness to the blind side and beyond by Michael Oher with Don Yaeger tells the true story of his life, the good bad and ugly. This book tells the story of his life before and after the blind side. Michael also tells us how important it is for people to help children that are in bad spots. Chapters one thought seven is about Ohers life as a little boy in the poor streets of Memphis. Michael’s mother was a drug addict who never seemed to stay clean for long. She has many children in which she cannot take care of. Michael and his older brothers and younger†¦show more content†¦Even though there team did not do very well Michael himself did great all four years. He earned the dean’s list in his sophomore year, which means his GPA was a 3.5 or higher. He also earned many football awards though his ti me as a Rebel. The Rebel team was not having a very good three years so they brought in a new hand couch Michael senior year. Michael was a little worried about the change so he almost did not finish collage so he could enter the draft a year early. Michael decided not to do so because his dream was to get out of the projects not to become a football star. Michael graduated collage in 2009 with a degree in criminal justice as well as a football player in the NFL. The NFL Draft was on April 26, 2009 in New York City. On that day, Michael Oher was the 23thrd overall pick on his way to Baltimore. Michael was one of the firsts picks to find a team even with some experts saying that he was a â€Å"risky choice because of his character issues†. Michael first year in the NFL was great he was the starter right tackle. Not only was the year good for him but the team as well. In December, he was named NFL rookie of the month. The team made it to AFC- divisional round but the Indiana polis Colts ended their season on their way to the super bowl. Before the season ended they had some big wins like the season opener against the Redskins which they won 34-24 or the game against the Chargers and the browns. There biggest winShow MoreRelatedPrisoner B 307 : Oral Report1167 Words   |  5 Pages Prisoner B-307: Oral Report 10 concentration camps†¦ Imaging being brutally tortured, starved, and beaten in 10 different Nazi concentration camps 6 years straight for no reason, except for the fact that you are Jewish. This novel was based on the true story of a boy named Yanek Gruener and how he defied all the odds of being a Jew in Poland during the infamous World War II. Yanek Gruener was living happily with his family in Krakà ³w, Poland before the war had began. Yanek had dreams of becomingRead More Lakot Woman Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesLakot Woman In the book Lakota Woman, Mary Crow Dog writes of the many struggles that she faced in everyday life as an American Indian woman. The Lack of running water or electricity, the poverty and oppression found on and around the Indian reservation, are just a few examples of the problems that she had to deal with on a continuing basis. She describes in detail the violence and hopelessness that her people encountered at the hands of the white man as well as the â€Å"hang around the fort Indians†Read MoreGang Leader for a Day: Book Review1413 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Gang Leader for a Day Book Review It takes a lot of guts and no small amount of courage and cunning to infiltrate a street gang in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago, but that is what Sudhir Venkatesh did as a 23-year-old graduate student at the University of Chicago. In order to find out first-hand how a gang that earns its money selling crack cocaine functions from the inside, Venkatesh dared to get involved on a superficial basis with the gang. But Venkatesh wasnt seen as person who wasRead MoreIntroduction The aim of this report is to analyse why self -made American billionaire Warren1400 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The aim of this report is to analyse why self -made American billionaire Warren Buffet the Chief Executive of Berkshire Hathaway has consistently outperformed the market over a long time horizon. It will be tried to be proved whether his stellar performance is just a black Swan event or it is an event inherent in Efficient Market Hypothesis theorem. It is thus important to briefly understand who Warren Buffet is, also who the proponents and what EMH really is. Nobel Prize committeeRead MoreLadbrokes Business Model1607 Words   |  7 Pagesbetting shops and casino games. Their turnover in 2009 was estimated at over  £1032.2 million, and remains today one of the market leaders for gambling services in the UK. Ladbrokes focus mainly on online and in-store sports betting. They operate odds on over 30 sports, along with many other entertainment sectors such as reality TV show betting and tailored bets (e.g. dates of death, due dates for babies etc). In 2009, this accounted for over  £656.7 million in the UK market alone and is the largestRead More Joe Dimaggio Essay1152 Words   |  5 Pagesdidn’t fit in. He was a poor son of a fisherman and his schoolmates were higher classed. He dropped out of high school in 10th grade. He worked as a truck loader, and he crated oranges and worked at a factories, but he was not satisfied doing these odd jobs for minimum wage. He thought that being his brothers Tom and Vince played professional ball for the San Francisco Seals he might be able to too. They played for over $100.00 a month. In 1932 he joined the San Francisco Seals. That year he playedRead MoreEssay on A Brief Biography of Mark Twain1322 Words   |  6 Pagessmoked, led of crew of pranksters, and often played hooky from school. At the age of twelve Clemens dropped out of school after the death of his father. He later took a job as a printer where he was introduced to writing. Clemens constructed poems, reports, and humored sketches. Although young Samuel did not possess an education, he obtained knowledge from living life and experiencing the hustle and bustle of a river town. Clemens later went on to become a riverboat pilot perpetuated by displayingRead MoreEducation And Its Effect On Education Essay1586 Words   |  7 Pagesthat it has expanded to reach a whole new generation. With the growth of education, there has been an increase in educational opportunities that have followed. The average age of college students has been slowly evolving. Twenty years ago, it would be odd to see a college student who hadn t recently graduated high school or wasn t in their early twenties. Today, this is a very common occurrence. Many people are choosing to go back to school to obtain a higher education, and some are just going backRead MoreAfrican American Males s Education1399 Words   |  6 Pagesthey get suspended from school? Well they go out to sell drugs to help momma pay bills, or they listen to the rappers who talk about shooting, selling drugs, and stealing. Since they are not in school that’s what they decided to do too. Kunjufu’s, book Understanding Black Males Learning Styles states that 80 percent of special education classes consist of African American males, yet 66 percent of students suspended from school are males. Eighty percent is more than half of the total students in theRead MoreThe Outsiders Is A Young Adult Novel Written By. Hinton2303 Words   |  10 Pages The Outsiders is a young adult novel written by S.E. Hinton. The book was first published in 1967 by The Viking Press. Today, the book is published under Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group. The book has a total of a hundred and eighty pages. The O utsiders fits in the genre of young-adult fiction because it relates to teens on emotional levels. Like Ponyboy, the teen protagonist of the story, teens relate to his emotional growth as he tries to piece his life together. The story follows a rivalry

Christmas Trees in the Workplace and the First Amendment...

OUTLINE Overview Presentation of the issue Christmas Trees in the Workplace and the First Amendment a. The First Amendment Review b. Review framing of Constitution vis-ÃÆ' -vis 1st Amendment c. Political and social context d. Evolution of political and social context in relation to 1st Amendment The First Amendment as Freedom of Speech and Religious Expression Interpretation of Freedom of Speech Interpretation of Freedom of Religious Expression Limits to Amendment in contemporary society Literature Review Pre-1990 writings Contemporary scholarship Ethical considerations utilitarianism and deontology Historical Court Cases Historiography of Issue Evolution of Courts opinion and interpretation of the issue Polarized Views Pro and Con of allowing Christmas Trees in workplace Christmas Trees should be part of protected 1st Amendment Rights Christmas Trees are an expression of religion, and therefore are not Protected for public view in workplace Conclusions and Further Research Table of Contents Abstract Page 3 Arguments Page 4 Overview- The First Amendment Page 4 Interpretation of Religious Freedom Page 6 Literature Review Page 8 Utilitarianism and Deontology Page 10 Historiography of the Issue The High Court Page 12 Polarized Views Page 15 Conclusions Page 15 References Page 17 Abstract The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States clearly states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, orShow MoreRelatedThe First Amendment and Christmas Trees in the Workplace552 Words   |  2 Pagesï » ¿Topic The First Amendment and Christmas Trees in the workplace and public arena. Thesis While a strict interpretation of the Constitution could find that Christmas Trees in the workplace are inappropriate, there is a dependent factor based on convergence, tradition, and community values. Outline Overview Presentation of the issue Christmas Trees in the Workplace and the First Amendment a. The First Amendment Review b. Review framing of Constitution vis-ÃÆ'  -vis 1st Amendment c. Political andRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesWork–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational

Pros And Cons Of Gun Control - 1511 Words

Gun control is a policy that the government limits the keeping and using of guns by citizens. According to Firearms and Federal Law: The Gun Control Act Of 1968, the Gun Control Act is designed to provide support to Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials in their fight against crime and violence. (Journal of Legal Studies). Firearm is an epochal invention. But unfortunately, no matter in the past or now, guns and firearms are often misused. Therefore, gun control policy exists. In fact, the gun control policy leads both pros and cons. Policy of gun control is always a hot topic argued by gun control advocates and gun rights organizations. In this assignment, we will discuss about the pros and the cons that may causes by the gun control policy. Gun Control: Pros Since guns and firearms are invented, a lot of researches shown that the crime rate and death rate are gradually increasing by time (Just Facts). There are numerous factors caused these to be happened, such as mental illnesses, interpersonal vendettas, impetuousness of youths, and so on(Gun Control Debate Clouds Definition of Mentally Ill). Therefore, The Gun Control Act Of 1968 is then arises, to control the ownerships of the guns and firearms. Though the policy of gun control is strongly opposed by gun right organizations, gun control actually brings a lot of advantages to peoples. 1. Disarm and Control Citizens: People are easier to control when they are disarmed, gun control is not about the gun,Show MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control1225 Words   |  5 Pagesto discuss in this paper is gun control as I feel it is a hotly debated issue in the country today, especially after the incidents we have had throughout the recent years. Gun control has and probably will always be an issue that is argued for or against from all political sides, regardless, of your own beliefs one must look at the pros and cons of gun control to determine what is necessary. To address this, we must first look at the statistics on deaths involving guns and then apply the currentRead MoreGun Control: Pros and Cons1986 Words   |  8 Pages| Page(s) | 1 | Table of Content | 1 | 2 | Introduction | 2 | 3 | Gun Control: Pros (i) Disarm and Control Citizens (ii) Better Management (iii) Reduce Crime Rate and Death Rate | 3-4 | 4 | Gun Control: Cons (i) People’s Life Unsecured (ii) Women’s Safety Unguaranteed (iii) Spring Up of Black Markets (iv) Conflict with Democracy | 5-7 | 5 | Conclusion | 8 | 6 | References | 9 | Introduction: A gun is a normally tubular weapon or other device designed to discharge projectilesRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control875 Words   |  4 Pagesissue of gun control laws has become a prevalent topic of debate throughout American society. This debate stems from two opposing arguments over gun control. Some feel gun control laws are fair and not the contributing factor to these mass shootings, whereas, others feel that there is an urgent need for strict laws in order to end the problem of mass shootings. There are numerous pros and cons to the enforcement of stricter gun control laws but we must note a few things: stricter gun control laws wouldRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control897 Words   |  4 PagesGun control is an on going debated rather guns should be allowed or to be banned. Gun control, politics, legislation, and enforcement of measures intended to restrict access to, the possession of, or the use of arms, particularly firearms. Gun control is one of the most controversial and emotional issues in many countries, with the debate often centring on whether regulations on an individual’s right to arms are an undue restriction on liberty and whether there is a correlation between guns andRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control785 Words   |  4 PagesGun control is a big topic in the United States today, a lot of people have many different opinions on this. They are usually about whether we should we have gun control or not. We should not need gun control to solve crime in the United States. We need laws, background checks and more. The conversation about gun control will continue on as long as guns are made and used. The argument about gun control is doubled sided. This means that on one side citizens want the government to have control overRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control1329 Words   |  6 PagesGun control is an extremely controversial topic in America. There are many advocates of weapon control - individuals who wish to have stricter laws to keep certain groups of individuals from acquiring a gun. In any case, there are likewise the general population who cant help contradicting gun control laws and accept there ought to be a more tolerant gun control to moreover enable individuals to protect themselves amid dangerous circumstances. On the two sides of this issue, sentiments extend fromRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control1474 Words   |  6 PagesGun control laws are an ongoing process that varies from location, to time of history. Throughout history different laws and regulations have been made about gun control across all continents on earth. These laws change frequently and will continue to do so till the end of time. Many people are either for or against these laws depending on their religion, moral beliefs and location. Although increasing gun control is used for the protection of citizens, it could be deemed unnecessary to many becauseRead MoreGun Control, Pro and Con.850 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica is the most well armed nation in the world. The reason why Americans own so many guns is because of the second Amendment, which states â€Å"The Right to Bear Arm†. This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. In the freedictionary.com, weapon is defined as, an instrument of attack or defense in combat, as a gun, missile, or sword. There are many kinds of weapons and almost all of them are illegal to use without registration. Weapons are changing over times. Looking backRead MorePros And Cons Of Gun Control1073 Words   |  5 Pages Implementing gun control in the United States would only result in more chaos and increased rebellion from citizens who responsibly and legally own firearms. In doing so, the law-abiding citizens would be left defenseless against the criminals who continue to obtain guns illegally. Not only that, but the 2nd amendment rights of the United States Constitution would be diminished and the crime in the community would remain the same or perhaps increase. Gun control would not stop criminals from illegallyRead MorePros And Cons Of Gun Control738 Words   |  3 PagesGun control has become a huge political topic after the numerous violent killings in recent years. It has been debated whether gun control policies should be more lenient or more restrictive to best protect the American public. Many studies have been conducted in comparison to other countries that have stricter gun laws showing that crime has not dropped with increased gun control measures, nor has it affected a decline in h omicide rates. Other reports have shown that countries with more lenient

The Beauty Of Nature And The World - 1829 Words

A: In literature it transitioned from romanticism, writing about the beauty of nature and the world, to realism, writing about the realities and dark unfair sides of the world. C: This was a big change in the literature and some people were not ready to see what they dismissed on a daily basis. T: Gender roles were shown in literature more and showed how women and men were characterized into jobs and roles and showed the disadvantage of being a woman rather than a man but it wasn’t just gender roles. Economic problems were being brought up that the middle and lower class knew too well instead of writing about the rich and what the average people wanted to be. S: Two literary examples that show this are Nora in A Doll’s House and Evelyn in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio which show their daily struggles with economic and gender biases. Realism deals with reality and both A Doll’s House and The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio show this concept in different ways like economic issues the middle class/lower class deal with rather than the issues of the higher class. One way Realism is connected to these examples through economic problems is that men were expected to bring in all of the income. In The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Evelyn’s husband, Kelly, did not like her contesting because her prize money was used to pay bills or other needs. The man was supposed to bring in the income for the home, but because Kelly is an alcoholic it is like he does not even have a jobShow MoreRelatedThe Spirit And Beauty Of Nature, And The Power Of The Natural World1172 Words   |  5 PagesThe Romantic worldview emphasized the glory and beauty of nature, and the power of the natural world. A branch within Romanticism was Transcendentalism and its followers believed that â€Å"unifying principles could be found in th e natural world, which became a sacred space that pointed to the immanent presence of the divine† (Sayre 877). Aspects found in nature have the ability to cause an individual to have a revelation as to why their life is unpleasant and allows them to find their purpose in lifeRead More Different Perceptions of Beauty in Nature Essay1558 Words   |  7 PagesDifferent Perceptions of Beauty in Nature Ralph Waldo Emerson derived his philosophy of transcendentalism from ideas of Plato. According to Emerson, one has to have a very sensual relationship with beauty and nature in order to reach this transcendence. However, Emerson’s outlook on beauty as written in Nature is very different from what Plato wrote in The Republic. Interestingly, these differences will result in different methods for attaining the same state of transcendence. I believe, howeverRead MoreThe Poems Of The Poem, Hymn Of Intellectual Beauty, By Percy Shelley1272 Words   |  6 PagesSynthesis #2 Draft #1 The poems â€Å"Hymn to Intellectual Beauty† by Percy Shelley and â€Å"Ode to A Nightingale† by John Keats both discuss the topics of escaping reality and true beauty using visions of nature to express their views. Shelley, a well known atheist, finds religion in, what he calls, â€Å"spirit of beauty†. Once he makes this discovery, he is able to find a true understanding of the world around him. Keats lives his life in a state of depression, depending on the effects of alcohol to soothRead More`` Pied Beauty `` By Gerard Manley Hopkins1460 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Pied Beauty† by Hopkins and â€Å"Design† by Frost are both characteristic of the time periods in which the authors wrote them. These two poems have distinguishable similarities and differences, and the main aspects of these poems that have similarities and differences is their imagery and theme. The two poems â€Å"Pied Beauty† and â€Å"Design† have many similarities in their imagery. Both of these poems contain natural imagery in great detail, and the imagery focuses on the unusual things about nature. ARead MoreThe Nonhuman World Exhibits Beauty Of Its Own And That Humans1259 Words   |  6 Pagesone cannot help but see beauty in nature. Some people find beauty even in the smallest of creatures and things. The earth is full of wonder. At the same time, driving across certain places, where humans have scarred the landscape, ugliness appears. The marred landscapes in which humans have clear-cut a forest, obliterated a mountain, or dumped waste can destroy the natural beauty that nature once exhibited. In this paper I will argue that the nonhuman world exhibits beauty of its own and that humansRead MoreThe Beauty Of Spring, By Gerard Manley Hopkins1416 Words   |  6 PagesChristian background, this poem is also about beauty and sin and their effects on na ture in relation to the story in the book of Genesis about Adam and Eve. â€Å"Spring† is a Petrarchan sonnet split into an octet and sestet and is organized in such a way to allow Hopkins to discuss beauty and how it (through sin) corrupts itself and humanity personified in the season of spring and Adam and Eve, accordingly. The themes of the beauty of spring and the nature of the Garden and humanity are essential in theRead More Emerson Defines Beauty in The Poet Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesEmerson Defines Beauty in The Poet Just what is beauty? We all have our own definition of beauty because everyone has there own distinctive style and attractiveness. Therefore, we must respect why some people find beauty in things while others would not simply because beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Now we all are attracted to all sorts of things, but have you ever asked yourself why? Is it simply because it is beautiful or does the meaning go beyond that? I tend to believe theRead More Robert Frosts The Oven Bird Essay1725 Words   |  7 Pagesline, it also establishes the nature image as a main theme in the poem. The birds song presents images of solid tree trunks, flowers, and pear and cherry bloom, while imposing its individual voice on the landscape. This motif is a defining characteristic of many romantic writers, including the transcendental writers of the nineteenth century American Romantic period. In his little book Nature, Emerson writes, I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty....In the tranquil landscape.Read MoreTagore And Romanticism In Eastern World Literature1058 Words   |  5 Pages Being impacted by the occidental romantic poets like Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, Keats, Yeats and Coleridge, he invents a new kind of romantic world and pervades romantic principles and sensibilities in the Eastern world literature by keeping protect the romantic genre. It can pertain the principles, allusion and aesthetic thought both with Tagore’s romanticism as well as Western romanticism .The crucial feature of the nineteenth century romanticism based on the imagination and fancy, thereforeRead MoreAttitude and Appreciation of the Natural World in Gerard Manley Hopkins and Henry Wadsworth Longfellows Poetry1239 Words   |  5 PagesAttitude and Appreciation of the Natural World in Gerard Manley Hopkins and Henry Wadsworth Longfellows Poetry The simple beauty of nature is an aspect many of us take for granted in our everyday lives - the endearing sounds of birds welcoming another day and the powerful gush of a waterfall being some examples of these. But there are those individuals who have endeavoured to fully comprehend the marvellous complexity of the world around us. Such findings are present in

Term Paper Intro to I.T. Free Essays

Week 10 Term Paper Tommy Coney, Jr. CIS 106 – Introduction to Information Technology Week 10 Term Paper Professor Clifton G. Howell, Ph. We will write a custom essay sample on Term Paper Intro to I.T. or any similar topic only for you Order Now D. The technology that I feel has created a paradigm shift and is now as well as further in the future is Cloud Computing. By definition Cloud computing is s a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e. g. , networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Mell Grance, 2011) Cloud computing is one of the leading buzz terms in the world of IT today. Seemingly every possible solution has been enhanced with the mere addition of the word â€Å"cloud†. Cloud computing refers to  applications  and services offered over the Internet. These services are offered from data centers all over the world, which collectively are referred to as the â€Å"cloud. † This metaphor represents the intangible, yet universal nature of the Internet. The idea of the â€Å"cloud† simplifies the many network connections  and computer systems involved in online  services. In fact, many network diagrams use the image of a cloud to represent the Internet. This symbolizes the Internet’s broad reach, while simplifying its complexity. Any user with an Internet connection can access  the cloud and the services it provides. Since these services are often connected, users can share information between multiple systems and with other users. Examples of this technology include online  backup  services,  social networking  services, and personal data services such as Apple’s MobileMe. Cloud computing also includes online applications, such as those offered through Microsoft Online Services. Hardware services, such as redundant servers,  mirrored  websites, and Internet-based  clusters are also examples of cloud computing. (â€Å"Technology terms,† 2009) In its own way, â€Å"paradigm shift† has lost much of its meaning over the past twenty years through overuse. Each year, changes in technology are heralded as paradigm shifts, changes that will alter the IT landscape. There are two keys to this definition. The first is the recognition of value produced from an IT environment. Value is less clearly defined than a more concrete metric like cost or performance, but value multiplies throughout an environment and increases with the expansion of the scope and reach of systems. Reduced cost for the same eventual value is a plus, but mere lower cost does not create the dramatic value required in the definition of a paradigm shift. The second key is the recognition that the value must be accrued by the eventual users in an organization. Once again, allowing IT departments to fulfill their mandates better or for less expense is certainly positive, but without the demand for value driven by consumers of IT services, you will not see the sort of changes required to classify an innovation as a paradigm shift. Cloud computing does, when properly implemented, deliver vastly more value to IT consumers, it does in fact, fit the definition of a paradigm shift. And cloud computing will, over the next 3-5 years, dramatically change the landscape of information technology. Because of this, an errant choice could not only waste money but, more importantly, lead you down a detour that will delay your adoption of cloud computing and leave you at a competitive disadvantage (Greenwald, 2011) A paradigm shift can produce a tidal wave of increased value from IT resources, but nothing comes for free. In order to get these great accumulations of new value, IT departments may have to modify the way they think about, design and implement systems. To understand this, you only need think back to the dawn of graphical user interfaces, where old applications were created with a â€Å"GUI† (Graphical User Interface) interface, but ended up as just a bit of makeup on an earlier generation of technology. The new look did not produce new value, and were fairly rapidly rejected by consumers. In the same way, the great benefits of the cloud do not naturally accrue by simply shifting your IT stack to an outsourced provider. You may, for the sake of expediency or organizational necessity, choose to follow this route to get some advantages without extensive modifications to your existing solutions. (Greenwald, 2011) There are however advantages and disadvantages to cloud computing. Some of the advantages are; Convenience, Security, Backups, Collaboration and being environmentally friendly. Convenience meaning you can access your data anywhere you can connect to the Internet. Security being that most companies use industrial level security software and practices which make it harder for hackers to get at your data. That’s harder, but not impossible. Backups being, you have a backup of your data in case your local computer crashes. Collaboration being that with your permission, others can access, view, and modify your documents. Environmentally friendly means it takes fewer resources to cloud compute, thus saving energy. Some businesses take it a step further and incorporate cloud computing into their telecommuting strategies. (Morris, 2011) The disadvantages to cloud computing are; security breaches, outages, storage limits, slow speeds, and limited features. Security breaches meaning that remote  server security  makes it harder, but not impossible, for hackers to reach your data. If there is a compromise of the server or servers where your data is stored, your personal information may be exposed to the world. There’s also a good chance that more than just your information may be affected, we’re talking possibly millions of other users. Outages meaning, have you ever been unable to access your email due to your provider being down? Now, imagine if you needed a document for an important business meeting or presentation and your  storage provider’s site was down. Believe me it happens, and it happens at the most inconvenient times. Storage limits meaning that while your local hard drive may be able to hold 500GB or more of data, unfortunately a remote server may only allow you to freely store about 5GB. If you want more room, you’ll have to pay. Still, even with a paid account, it can’t begin to touch the amount of room you have locally. There also may be a limit on the size of the data that can be stored. Slow speeds of course being uploading and downloading of large documents may take a long time. Limited features being that if you use remote software that’s provided by the storage service to manipulate and modify your data, it usually lacks the features of a program running locally. (Morris, 2011) To understand exactly how cloud computing works, let’s consider that the cloud consists of layers -mainly the back end layers and the front end layers. The front layers are the parts you see and interact with. When you access your profile on your Facebook account for example, you are using software running on the front end of the cloud. The back end consists of the hardware and the software architecture that delivers the data you see on the front end. Clouds use a network layer to connect users’ end point devices, like computers or smart phones, to resources that are centralized in a data center. Users can access the data centre via a company network or the internet or both. Clouds can also be accessed from any location, allowing mobile workers to access their business systems on demand. Applications running on the cloud take advantage of the flexibility of the computing power available. The computers are set up to work together so that it appears as if the applications were running on one particular machine. This flexibility is a major advantage of cloud computing, allowing the user to use as much or as little of the cloud resources as they want at short notice, without any assigning any specific hardware for the job in advance. I think the easiest way to explain this was through Wikipedia â€Å"End users access cloud-based  applications  through a  web browser  or a light-weight desktop or  mobile application  while the business software  and user’s data are stored on servers at a remote location. Proponents claim that cloud computing allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with improved manageability and less maintenance, and enables IT to more rapidly adjust resources to meet fluctuating and unpredictable business demand. † (Wikipedia, 2012) Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility like the electricity grid over a network typically the Internet. Cloud computing is as described above and should be seen as such. It can be a benefit if used properly but make no mistake about it, it needs to be configured correctly to maximize each and every benefit. I gave 5 pros and cons to using the cloud computing but there are more and all should be explored before committing to the use of cloud computing. References Mell, P. , Grance, T. (2011). Retrieved from US Department of Commerce website: http://csrc. nist. gov/publications/nistpubs/800-145/SP800-145. pdf (Mell Grance, 2011) Greenwald, R. (2011, November). Creating value with the oracle database cloud service. Retrieved from ttp://www. oracle. com/technetwork/database/database-cloud/public/extreme-productivity-wp-1844125. pdf (Greenwald, 2011) Technology terms. (2009, April 23). Retrieved from http://www. techterms. com/definition/cloud_computing (â€Å"Technology terms,† 2009) Morris, K. (2011, Spetember 26). Five advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. Retrieved from http://www. examiner. com/article/five-advantages-and-disadvan tages-of-cloud-computing (Morris, 2011) Wikipedia. (2012, August 13). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cloud_computing (Wikipedia, 2012) How to cite Term Paper Intro to I.T., Essays

Evaluation of a Public Australian Company-Free-Sample for Students

Question: Prepare a critical evaluation of a public Australian company DICKSMITH that has suffered from a severe financial crisis or become insolvent at some time over the past 10-15 years. Answer: Introduction of Dick Smith In the year 1968 Dick Smith started a small business in Sydney for installing car radios with an initial invested capital of $610. The business grew exponentially and by the end of 1980 , Entrepreneur Dick Smith had about 20 stores. These stores expended their product range to include many items such as electronics goods and kits. In the year 1980, one of Australias largest company Woolworths decided to acquire a 60% stake in the Dick Smith operated stores. Two years later Dick Smith personally exited the business by selling the remaining stocks to Woolworth for about $ 25 million. In the Fiscal year 2012 the company announced restructuring of the Dick smith business and decided to close approximately 100 stores. Finally, Anchorage capital paid approximately $115 million to Woolworth to acquire the Dick smith business. Anchorage paid $20 million as an upfront pay of the $115 million. In about a years time by December 2013 the anchorage capital decided to float the Dick Smith business in the ASX. The market valuation of the business was estimated to be $520 million at that time. However, within two years time (November 2015) the business was seen experiencing dwindling sales figures and cash flows and decided to write down 1/5th of the stock amounting to over $60mn. Stock prices of the company declined over 80% in December 2015 and the company decided to undertake a massive stock clearance sale in December 2015. In the month of January, the company was pressed into voluntary administration. At that time the company was operating a total of 393 stores of which nearly 353 stores were designated as Dick Smith stores. Literature Review Dick Smith started the business on the basis of a hobby electronic store which can do individual things and charge different prices. The initial model was to service individual customers and not sell standard electronic equipment because the business was based on a large-scale capital. The business grew and made profits because of its uniqueness of serving customers unique needs. thats how it succeeded in bring the consumers. But once the company was taken over by the Woolworths hey greatly modified the business model to expand the business further alienating the personal touch. However, the Dick smith store never did good business under Woolworths supervision and the company divested the division because it was very unlike the Woolworth business(Belverd E. Needles, 2012, 11TH EDITION). The business of Dick Smith grew under Anchorage initially but were greatly burdened by increasing debts and finance costs. The Company (Dick Smith) that was acquired by Anchorage was for finding the most opportune time to offload the same and make profit. With that view Anchorages nominees ran the company but did not proceed to change the firms capital structure form a predominantly debt oriented structure. The debts kept on increasing. The level of debt in the capital structure in 2013 was 55% and the same increased to 63% in 2014 and 67% in 2015(Dick Smith annual report, 2015). Equity was divested to accommodate more debts because the cash flows generated were less than adequate to run the firm. Increasingly the firms operations were run through using more of the short and long-term debts. in the early parts of 2015 the debt -equity ratio reached 2:1, and this is when the management found it really difficult to manage the business as it became almost impossible to get more debt financing. Current liabilities could not be serviced as per schedule of the inability to get more debts. Two bankers of the co mpany (one being HSBC) declined to lend more and decided to wait until the last quarter of 2015 for the firms management to take steps to increase cash flows and failing which new credit lines were completely stopped by December 2015. At that time the acid test ratio of the company was only .3 which showed how dismal the cash flows of the firm were(Carl S Warren, 2011). In 2012, Anchorage capital paid $115 to acquire Dick Smith business form Woolworth and decided to list the stocks in the ASX. The stock of Dick smith started impressively at $1.9 per share as the company was packaged impressively. It traded at the same value of a year before reaching $2.14. it reached a high of $ 2.2 in the month of January 2015. However soon after trouble started to take uncontrollable proportions and stock prices crashed. In September 2015, the stock was trading for about $.59 when the cash flows became untenable for the company management and inventory was written down by over $60 million. Soon the companys stock fell over to reach a lowly $.35 in January 2016 and ASX decided to halt trading of the stock in the same month(Tony Boyd , 2016). One of the immediate causes of failure of the Dick smith business was the inadequate cash flows generated in 2105 operations. The cash flows suddenly started to dry up in 2015 after impressive shows in the previous two years. while the company had a net cash flow form Operation amounting to $117,621,000 in 2013, the same declined by over 50% to $52,177,000 in 2014 and suddenly turned negative at ($3,940,000) in the fiscal year 2015. While the net cash provided from operations were much larger in 2013 and 2014 the cash flows from operations suddenly became negative in 2105. One of the reason is the sudden increase in the amount of taxes paid and the other is significant increases in payments made to suppliers etc. Simply said the company was not generating enough cash to run the business. Also, the fianc costs became larger in both 2014 and 2015(Dick Smith annual report, 2015). The problems of Dick smith operations initially began as a far as November 2015 as the company intended to write down more than $60 of inventory form the books and the market showed a knee jerk reaction as share prices tumbled. Because the firm was only less than 3 years old and not large by any means the stock write down was seen as fishy. Because of this investor confidence in the management of the firm tanked and resulted in more than 80% devaluation of the forms shares. However, after a lot of investigation it was revealed that the Anchorage Capital which brought the dick smith stores form Woolworth cooked up the books in 2012 itself. In the books of Woolworth the Dick smith inventory was shown at a market valuation of $246 million but after take over the same was valued at $371 million (presumably at market price) and the same stood at $58million higher. However, anchorage valued the stocks at $312 million on listing and the same amounted to overvaluing the stocks by $66 million over what was valued by Woolworth(BAKER CORTRELL, 2011). The book was also cooked up by Anchorage while reporting the value of the plant and equipment. While the Woolworth financial statements showed the plant and equipment at $51mn , the same was revalued by Anchorage at $65 million- thereby increasing values by over $14 million. Deloitte Sydney was the lead auditor for both Woolworth and Anchorage and it appeared prima facie that the book of anchorage was cooked up to show approximately $80mn value in excess of what should have been reported. The transactions remained in the books prior to the companys listing in ASX and is being seen as an attempt by Anchorage to boost the listing price of the stock and the same mistakes were allowed to remain in the book till the inventory was decided to be written off in November 2015(Carl S. Warren, 2012). Prior to its listing the Dick Smiths business was growing, demand was steady and Expansion plans were in place. the failure of the frim occurred in an environment when the firm was growing sizably because of bad planning and massive failure in sourcing inventory at reasonable prices. The environment in the beginning of 2013 was such that the companys management was looking for expanding rapidly even if the cost of expansion was too high and management was thinking in the line of revenue growth and enough profitability to cover the higher costs. however the expansion was rapid and unplanned/unchecked and performance suffered because the profit margin could not be maintained. The management could not plan for a business model which sustains itself and that would eventually turn the business into believing that it can avail more debts to tide over tight situations and payoff when the situation is corrected. Whole of the companys available surpluses of 21012-2014 was used to fund the expansion and debts increased manifold. However the problem that caused major changes in the cash flows was the very fact that the companys management had already bought too much stocks which were bad and customer preferences lied somewhere else and these stocks were procured at much higher prices which resulted in the eventual write down of $60mn in 2015. By the end of 2015 the company went for a clearance sale to free the stores of such items but unfortunately by then the companys stores would have been set in motion strong sales and better margins. As sales declined and cash was not available for payment the management did not have any option but to declare closure. The Dick Smith Business in the mid of 2103 was having a very good sales growth and offered big profits. However, it had actually very little inventory. Thus, Anchorage tried to sell the company before it is too late. 80% of the stocks were sold in its ASX listing which valued the company at $520mn. Comparing the same with what anchorage paid for its made little sense(Carl S Warren, 2011). Anchorage capital actually paid only $20 million to Woolworth at the time of its acquisition and promised to pay the balance of $95mn in a years time. It sold the company to the public by listing the company for $520 million and made huge amount of profit. The venture capital firm also sold the balance 20% of the stocks 10 months after 10 months of the initial listing. When Dick smith went into administration the company was actually worth less than 15% of the market valuation when the company was first listed(Elliott Elliott, 2017). The situation was not funny for any of the 3300 employees of the company. It was their personal disaster. They were suddenly been jobless and must have felt sorry the way the companys affairs were being handled by the management of the company led by Nick Abboud. The employees lost their livelihood and all the companies local suppliers lost a big client. Many jobs would also have been lost at the suppliers end and the same is unreported. Distribution chain jobs were also affected. The gift cards which were issued by the company prior to going into liquidation proceedings suddenly became worthless in the market. Families of the employees which in the base of their jobs have already taken home mortgages were probably hounded by the mortgage banks for recovery. There were widespread fear among shareholders of the company , many of them became depressed and lost millions of their savings and hard earned life earnings(Weiss, 2014). Conclusion Dick Smiths management were grossly negligent in not scouring for a permanent solution to the liquidity inadequacy and firm increasing costs. The Current liabilities Owings to suppliers and wages etc) were difficult to be paid and the management went for more loans from lenders to fill the gap. As the level of stocks dropped and the company did not have enough cash to procure more stocks unless it paid the suppliers in time- the management faced a do or die situation which they failed. The company might have been saved if the wrong doings in evaluating the inventory would have been rectified years ago and thus the company would have been in a better position ( as it would have been less valued and better managed because lack of stocks would have led to lesser debts and lending by banks in the first place. Bibliography BAKER, R., CORTRELL, D. (2011). ADVANCED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING ,10TH ED. CHICAGO: MCGRAWHILL IRWIN. BARTHOLOMEUSZ, S. (2016). Lessons from Dick Smiths breathtaking implosion. Melbourne: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/stephen-bartholomeusz/lessons-from-dick-smiths-breathtaking-implosion/news-story/b16c95af482bf32b0aee8098a86ae34e. Belverd E. Needles. (2012, 11TH EDITION). PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING. CHICAGO: CENGAGE BRAIN. Brearly , Myers Allen. (2012). Corporate finance (9th ed.). Chicago: McGraw Hill Irwin. Carl S Warren. (2011). principles of corporate financial accounting . NEWYORK: mCGRAWHILL/IRWIN. Carl S. Warren. (2012). Corporate Financial Accounting (12edition ed.). South Western cengage publishing . Chung, F. (2016). McGrathNicol releases Dick Smith report. https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail. Damodaran, A. (2012). APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE (FOURTH EDITION ed.). Chicago: Wiley Publishers. Dick Smith annual report. (2015). Annual Reprot 2015. Dick Smith. Elliott, B., Elliott, J. (2017). Financial Accounting and Reporting (18th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Educaitonal Publishers . Eugene Brigham Michael Ehrhardt. (2010). corporate finance (13th ed ed.). Chicago: Mcgrawhill Irwin. Schill, R. B. (2015). Cases in finance (6th ed.). NewYork : McgrawHill educaiton . Tony Boyd . (2016). Dick Smith collapse a case study in electronics retailing. Sydney : Afr.com. Watson, D. a. (2012). Corporate Finance Principles and Practice. (6th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Publishers . Weiss, J. W. (2014). BUSINESS ETHICS:A Stakeholder and Issues and Management Approach (6th ed.). SanFransisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Young, D., Sherman, H. D. (2016, July-august). Where Financial Reporting Still Falls Short. Harvard Business Review , pp. 66-84.

The Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb Essay Example For Students

The Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb Essay Maria Tidwell World Cultures III Professor Longfellow 26 November 2000 The Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb Essay On August 6th 1945, the world changed forever. The United States dropped the first Atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The surviving witness Miyoko Watanabe describes her experience: I came out of the front dooran intense yellow, orange and white light overwhelmed me the light was thousands of times brighter than a magnesium flash gunI went inside to hideThere were strange sounds, crashing noises and jolts, and I kept no track of the timeI locked back to see how my mom was. She looked worse then a devilish witch. (47) The heat was intolerable; everywhere Miyoko looked there were wounded and dying people, bleeding from all over their bodies like her mom. Miyoko continues, Those who fled from one or one and a half kilometer from the hypocenter really did have to step over bodies and shake off hands grasping their legs for help. When someone caught hold of their shoes they just had to leave their precious shoes and flee otherwise they wouldnt survive(49). A friend of Miyoko told her that he had to leave his sister to die in the flames to save his life. That day, according to the Japan Times, 140,000 died as a direct result of the bombing. Later the total number of victims claimed in Hiroshima City came to 217,137. There is one question that comes to my mind reading these terrible stories from the victims of Hiroshima; was this necessary? Scholars have discussed the question for more than half a century. However, they all agree that the answer to this question does not make the use of atomic weapons seem less awesome or less awful, but it merely throw different light on it. The main argument defending the decision to drop the bomb is that it was necessary to end the war. Richard B. Frank in his book, Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire defends the American decision. Relying on a host of original documentary sources, most notably the Japanese messages that were intercepted and decoded by the American forces, he presents a researched work that attempts to explain what might have happened if the bombs had not been dropped. The reader is left with the unshakable conclusion that the use of the bomb was a necessary evilthat the government of Japan was not ready to surrender, and even after the bombing of Hiroshima, the decision was to fight on. However, the conclusion of his book is that the bombing of Nagasaki (though nowhere near as damaging as the bombing of Hiroshima) persuaded the Japanese cabinet that the bomb was not a one off event, and that they faced certain destruction if they didnt sue for peace. According to Frank, Most American strategists believed that the war with Japan would be a long drown out operation with Japans fanatical resistance extracting mounting casualties the closer the American forces drew to the Home Islands (21). To understand this position, it is necessary to take a closer look at the American experience with the Japanese, during the war. The Japanese were known by their culture of no surrender; they would rather die than surrender. Particularly, in the Japanese military forces this tradition was prominent. Frank continues with a terrible example of this, The first intimations that the Japanese would literally choose death over surrenderand not merely an elite warrior caste but the rank and filecame in August 1942 at Guadalcanal. Two small Imperial Navy island garrisons fought to virtual extinction. Major general Alexander Archer Vandegrift, the Marine commander wrote: I have never heard or read of this kind of fighting. These people refuse to surrender. The wounded wait until men come up to examine themand blow themselves and the other fellow to pieces with a hand grenade(28). Another example, maybe as shocking, happened at the island of Saipan; nearly 30,000 Japanese soldiers fought to the death, only 921 (3 percent) were taken prisoner. On this Island there were 20,000 civilians. .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e , .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .postImageUrl , .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e , .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:hover , .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:visited , .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:active { border:0!important; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:active , .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u11afbcc6b9445b1fd4e969a0c6cf4d4e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Support of Art by the Government Essay Only 10,258 surrendered; the rest chose death. In a carnival of death that shocked even battle-hardened Marines, whole families waded into the sea to drown together or huddled .