My Friends Mom Has Cancer :: Personal Narrative Smoking Essays

My Friend's Mom Has Cancer It was a beautiful summer day down in Phoenix and the first day of my junior year of high school. All of my friends were waiting for me outside on the wall, which is right outside of BigB’s. The wall on the side of BigB has a mural of the world with every color of peoples skin on it. I was in love with that mural throughout high school because it meant something to all of those who went to Alhambra. There are not any trees out there since it is Phoenix and the gravel always made my shoes look dull every Tuesday when I had to wear my JROTC uniform. I always hated going in there but the soda was cheep and so was the water, which is always good on those hot summer days. Ashley, Michelle, and I get out of Michelle’s mom’s car. Michelle’s mom is like my second mom and has been that way as long as I can remember. Joyce would drive us to school and on Tuesday’s she would pick us up. The only thing going through my mind is who is going to be b uying my smokes this year. Little did I know how much things were going to change for us. We walk over to our friends who thanks to me we all knew. Ashley leaves for class and Michelle and I decide who is paying for this pack. Neither one of us would buy one for ourselves. The year gets going I can already tell it is going to be a very long year I just got my first job and had no time for my friends. Now it was the middle of January and Michelle comes up to me while we are sitting on the wall and she looks very unhappy. Joyce had not driven us to school that today because of a doctor’s appointment but I had not thought anything of it. I could tell she was unhappy although she had not said a word. Since it was a Tuesday and I was in uniform. I really was not supposed to be smoking but I was any way. I offered Michelle a smoke because I thought it would calm her down but she did not take it. That was when I knew that there was something definitely wrong with her.

Scope of Managerial Economics

Q1. Yes. Firms represent a combination of people, physical assets, and information (financial, technical, marketing, and so on). People directly involved include stockholders, managers, workers, suppliers, and customers. Businesses use scarce resources that would otherwise be available for other purposes, pay income and other taxes, provide employment opportunities, and are responsible for much of the material well-being of our society. Thus, all of society is indirectly involved in the firm’s operation. Firms exist because they are useful in the process of allocating resources –producing and distributing goods and services.As such, they are basically economic entities Q2. A. The most direct effect of a requirement to install new pollution control equipment would be an increase in the operating cost component of the valuation model. Secondary effects might be expected in the discount rate due to an increase in regulatory risk, and in the revenue function if consumers re act positively to the installation of the pollution control equipment in production facilities. B. All three major components of the valuation model–the revenue function, cost function, and the discount rate–are likely to be affected by an increase in advertising.Revenues and cost will both increase as output is expanded. The discount rate may be affected if the firm's profit outlook changes significantly because of increased demand (growth) or if borrowing is necessary to fund a rapid expansion of plant and equipment to meet increased demand. C. The primary effect of newer and more efficient production equipment is a reduction in the total cost component of the valuation model. Secondary effects on firm revenues could also be important if lower costs make price reductions possible and result in an increase in the quantity demanded of the firm's products.Likewise, the capitalization rate or discount factor can be affected by the firm’s changing prospects. D. The time pattern of revenues is affected by such a pricing decision to raise prices in the near term. This will alter production relationships and investment plans, and affect the valuation model through the cost component and capitalization factor. E. A general lowering of interest rates leads to a reduction in the cost of capital or discount rate in the valuation model. F. Higher rates of inflation, leading to an increase in the discount rate, cause the present value of a constant income stream to decline.Unless the firm is able to increase product prices in order to maintain profit margins, the value of the firm falls as inflation and the discount rate increases. Of course, the economic effects of inflation on the economic value of the firm are complex, involving both asset and liability valuations, so determining the overall effect of inflation on the economic value of individual firms is a difficult task Q3. The economic profit concept provides the most appropriate basis for evalu ating the operations of a business since it allows for a risk-adjusted normal rate of return on all capital devoted to the enterprise.Even when business profits are substantial, economic profits can sometimes be negative given the effects of risk, inflation, and other factors. Substantial business profits are no guarantee to the growth, or even maintenance, of  capital investment. In actual practice, investors adjust reported accounting data to account for additional factors that must be considered Q4. A. Interesting perspective on the characteristics of wonderful businesses has been given by legendary Wall Street investors T. Rowe Price and Warren E. Buffett.The late T. Rowe Price was founder of Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price and Associates, Inc. , one of the largest no-load mutual fund organizations in the United States, and the father of the â€Å"growth stock† theory of investing. According to Price, attractive growth stocks have low labor costs, superior research to dev elop products and new markets, a high rate of  return on stockholder's equity (ROE), elevated profit margins, rapid earnings per share (EPS) growth, lack cutthroat competition, and are comparatively immune from regulation.Omaha's Warren E. Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. , also looks for companies that have strong franchises and enjoy pricing flexibility, high ROE, high cash flow, owner-oriented management, and predictable earnings that are not natural targets of regulation. Like Price, Buffett has profited enormously through his investments. To apply Price's and Buffett's investment criteria successfully, business managers and investors must be sensitive to fundamental economic and demographic trends.Perhaps the most obvious of these is the aging of the population. Health-care demands will continue to soar. In recognition of this fact, investors have bid up the shares of companies offering prescription drugs, health care, and health-care cost containment (e. g. , home health agencies). Perhaps less obvious is that an aging and increasingly wealthy population will save growing amounts for their children’s education and retirement. This bodes well for mutual fund operators, insurance companies, and other firms that offer distinctive financial services.As the overall population continues to enjoy growing income, spending on leisure activities is apt to grow; companies that offer distinctive goods and services in this area will do well. Helping well-heeled customers have fun has always been a good business. Productivity enhancement to combat economic stagnation is also likely to be a major thrust during the coming decade. In this area, it is perhaps easier to pick likely beneficiaries of emerging technologies than it is to chart the future course of technical advance.For example, catalog retailers, long-distance and cellular phone companies, and credit card providers are all major beneficiaries of the rapid pace of advance in com puter and information technology. Similarly, major broadcasters, cable TV companies, movie makers, and software providers are all prone to benefit from increasingly user-friendly technology for leisure-time activities. B. The American Express Company, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Wells Fargo are well-known examples of major common stock holdings of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.Each of Berkshire's major holdings are large capital-intensive companies with long operating histories of above-average rates of return. Like any really good business, they display a wise use of assets as indicated by an average ROE that is well above typical norms. Enhancing the attractiveness of these companies is the fact that they also display above-average annual rates of growth in stockholders’ equity. Thus, they can all be described as beneficiaries of high-margin growth. As is often the case, attractive financial and operating statistics reflect essentially attractive economic ch aracteristics of each company.The American Express Company is a premier travel and financial services firm that is strategically positioned to benefit from aging baby boomers. The Coca-Cola Company, one of Berkshire's biggest and most successful holdings, typifies the concept of a wonderful business. Coca-Cola enjoys perhaps the world's strongest franchise owner-oriented management, and both predictable and growing returns. Also, the company is not subject to price or profit regulation. From the standpoint of being a wonderful business, Coca-Cola is clearly the â€Å"real thing. Newspapers, banks, and cable TV companies, such as The Washington Post Company and Wells Fargo &Company, translate immense economies of scale in production into dominating competitive advantages. They also fit Buffett's criteria for wonderful businesses. In the case of Gillette, above-normal returns stem from unique products that are designed and executed by extraordinarily capable management. The late T. R owe Price was prone to invest in high-tech companies that produced distinctive products.On the other hand, Buffett is fond of saying that he doesn’t â€Å"understand† high-tech and doesn’t want to be blown out of business by a few guys â€Å"working in a garage somewhere. † Of course, Buffett’s thinly-veiled reference to Hewlett-Packard and the Silicon Valley revolution that was started by â€Å"two guys in a simple garage† means that Buffett clearly does understand the problems of investing in hard-to-project high-tech companies. Thus, while Buffett avoids high-tech stocks, T. Rowe Price, if he were alive today, might find compelling the advantages of high-tech companies such as Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco Systems, among others. C.Above-normal returns from investing in wonderful businesses are only possible to the extent that such advantages are not fully recognized by other investors. In the case of T. Rowe Price, early investments in Avon Products, Xerox, and IBM generated fantastic returns because Price saw their awesome potential far in advance of other investors. On the other hand, Buffett has profited by taking major positions in wonderful companies that suffer from some significant, but curable, malady. In 1991, for example, Buffett made a large investment in American Express when the company suffered unexpected credit card and real estate loan losses.When the company absorbed these losses without any lasting damage to its intrinsic profit-making ability, its stock price soared and Buffett cleaned up. Companies that are conservatively financed enjoy a similar ability to profit when an unexpected business downturn causes financially distressed rivals to sell valuable assets at bargain-basement prices . Therefore, while above-average stock-market returns provide the clearest evidence of having picked good businesses for investment, short-term results can be disappointingly average or below-average if the virtues of these good businesses are clearly recognized in the marketplace.More frustrating still is the problem of finding and investing in good businesses at attractive prices and then having to wait while conventional wisdom comes around to recognizing them as such. The overall stock  market is extremely efficient at ferreting out bargains and adjusting prices so that subsequent investors earn only a risk-adjusted normal rate of return. For individual investors seeking above-average returns, finding good businesses is a necessary first step, but they must also be incorrectly priced (too cheap). Buffett succeeds because he is unusually adept at finding high-quality bargains.

Reasons teenagers should not be allowed to work Essay

Today, many high school students are entering the work force. Students are becoming more and more eager to start working and become independent. Although a beneficial balance of school and extracurricular activities as well as employment can be productive, it is very difficult to maintain. If a student is intending on going to college, he or she should only hold very minimal and flexible employment. A part-time job interferes with school in many situations. Even if the job is held after school and on weekends, many beneficial extracurricular activities operate at times that do not conflict with education. Most employers are hardly willing to a busy student’s schedule. When students do successfully plan out-of-school events in accordance with a work schedule, hours of school followed by hours of work and hours of homework may be overwhelming for high school students. All of this considered, a student will sacrifice homework and actually be encouraged not to participate in school clubs and sports if working part-time. An employed high school student will suffer the loss of time spent with friends and family. Do you really think a working teenager will keep up with household commitments, such as chores? PARENTING.COM reports that all parents that participated in their survey with employed children say that their working teens often neglect chores and end up with slipping grades. That same website also reports that 94% of those same parents have missed out on family events such as birthdays and day trips. Not only will a part-time job harm a student’s educational stability, it will harm a close family. Besides damaging a student’s family life, a job may harm his or her social life. A student may not be able to spend as much time with their friends as usual if employed. This according to child psychologists can be very harmful to a teenager. First, teenagers receive many daily reassurances from friends, and without this unobvious benefit of friendship, a teenager may begin to feel low self-esteem and feel feelings of guilt for neglecting friends. Emotional turmoil for feeling of abandoning peers and neglecting family is hardly positive for a teenage student. Many students do successfully balance school and work. Only a few students though manage to maintain this balance before parts of their life begin to fail because of employment. One must consider all the above possible conflicts before jumping into the workforce. This of course, is no easy task. With parental support and a good employer willing to be flexible, it is somewhat accomplishable. Take caution before entering the world of employment.

Life Of Hitler Essays - Nazism, Hitler Family, Adolf Hitler

Life Of Hitler Essays - Nazism, Hitler Family, Adolf Hitler Life Of Hitler On April 30,1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in an underground bunker near the center of Berlin. His dream of a Thousand - Year Reich lay in ruins. German cities had been bombed, German armies captured or destroyed. A week after Hitlers death, Germany offered unconditional surrender to Allied forces. The nightmare of World War 2 in Europe came to an end. Hitler was the only man responsible for the horrors of World War 2. But it was his dream of world domination that possessed Germany. For twelve years he had the opportunity to make the world over in the image of his sick fantasies. He nearly succeeded. Hitler was one of the most hated men in world history. But he cannot be dismissed as simply a monster who through the accidents of history reached great power. Hitler was a man whose prejudices and fears were shared by many other people. He gained their trust, even their adoration. Millions, after all died fighting in his name. We must take Hitler seriously both as an individual and as an effective politician in order to understand how he gained so much power and how he abused that power. Only then will we be able to appreciate the profound evil of Hitler and Nazism. Adolf Hitler: The Man Behind the Mask! Adlof Hitler was born April 20, 1889 to Alois and Klara Hitler and had a little sister Paula and half-brother Alois J.R. and half-sister Angela. Young Adolf was a good student in elementary. Energetic and smart, leader among children his own age. Loved warlike games. Had an outstanding gift as a speaker. It was also discovered Adolf could draw which encouraged him to want to become an artist. After returning to Vienna in February hoping to gain admission to the Academy of Fine Arts, but had been turned down and later turned down twice more after failing the entrance exam. He lived alone most of his life until Reihold Hanisch, noted his talent for drawing and suggested he produce postcards to be sold on taverns and on the street. They sold well and Hanisch suggested Hitler produce water color pictures which could be sold for more money. His mother died December 21, 1907 and he left Vienna later on in 1913 for he hated Jews and despised of his country because of the trade- unions, democratic rule, and mankind. So, he left Vienna and went to Munich to study art and architecture, while in the mean time becoming fascinated with politics as he continued to struggle as an artist. When all hopes of Hitler becoming an artist were lost World War 1 had started when Archduke Franz Ferdinan was assassinatedon June 28 in Sarajevo. After that Austria declared war on Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia and France. Hitler volunteered for the German army and was accepted. He saw action on the western front facing British, French, and Belgian troops. Hilter worked as a messenger. He had receives six medals for bravery including the Iron Cross Medal which is Germany's highest military honor. After Germany's defeat in 1917. Hitler felt military had stabbed Germany in the back for giving up and not wanting to fight. On June 28, 1919, Versailles Treaty was signed which caused a break down of military and police organizations. A first attept at political democracy was made, but failed. On March 31, 1920, The Nationalist Socialist Party German Workers Party was formed. (Nazi) It's symbol was the Swastika. Hitler then became a private citizen and wrote his book called Mein Kampf while in jail for a Putsch. The Nazi Party was declared illegal so the National Socialist Freedom Movement was formed. When released from jail on December 20,1924, Germany resumed role as leader of European Culture. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany January 30, 1933. As a result Hitler wanted to control the world so he started conflicts and opening fire on countries. Starting with Czechoslovakia then Belgium, England and France. Hitler then wanted Poland, but in order to take Poland he had to make a Peace Treaty with Russia as he did in August of 1939. In June of 1941 Hitler turned adn invaded the Soviet Union which went well as Germany had scored another victory. Being that Hitler disliked Jews he decided to attack any and every Jew in Europe to create a one race nation. The first large scale physical attack occured in November, 1938, after this attack Concentration or Death Camps were set up to rid

Societal perception Essays

Societal perception Essays Societal perception Essay Societal perception Essay Societal perceptions about the governing standard of beauty can be discerned in art works such as paintings, sculptures, literatures among many others. One of the most remarkable features is the masculine beauty behind every art pieces. This kind of characteristic in art works has a great implication on the distinction of particular state of the society.The standards of masculine beauty in western civilization were established by the Greek and Roman artists. There are general values of beauty that people follow. Masculine strength has always been found in big square jaws. Square jaws are more common in northeastern Asians than in whites. Also, a protruding brow-line is suggestive of an intense and rugged makeup implicative of success in the kinds of brutal physical combat that recognized survival and position in pre-historic and historic times. Another basis of male beauty is categorized by a strong straight nose that projects masculine confidence. Broad cheek bones project a sense of strength and an independence of spirit. Even in men full lips are suggestive of vitality and sensuality while a strong chin projects assertiveness while a weak one on the other hand suggests submissiveness. (Trigiani, August 1998)Another standard of beauty is the symmetry which has been scientifically proven to be innately attractive to the human eye. defined not by proportions, but by the similarity between the left and right sides of the face.Definition of masculinity is widely relative to time and culture. Though one definition of masculinity is basic, males are superior to females. The Greek artists are more on expressions and focus on the details of the body. a little distorted and not proportioned. Everything is noticeably bigger than the normal, as can be seen in the art of Michael Angelo. Greek sculptures especially are noticeably of Greek Gods. Roman art on the other hand is a blend of Greek and Roman elements because Rome imitated a lot of Greek st atues, though they also produced a more realistic style portraying the art instead of the idealized forms that the Greeks prefer. Japanese artists on the other hand are perfectionists. They also use expressionism but because they use water color in their arts, it is hard to control the lines but still, it is obvious that they love patterns. Other factors affect art. Homosexual or gay men are portrayed differently to that of straight men of the house.   Gay men are in straight men’s eyes to be less, not necessarily beneath them but considerably a substandard of man.In modern art in America, hegemonic masculinity is defined by physical strength and bravado, exclusive heterosexuality, suppression of vulnerable emotions such as remorse and uncertainty, economic independence, authority over women and other men, and intense interest in sexual conquest. Realistically speaking, men do not fit the exact mold of what masculinity is believed to be but the society still bases their ass umptions on what masculinity is to the standards that society dictates. (Ching)Art probably began for religious purposes that also serve to commemorate an important event even later on. It has also served as a way of expression even during World War II. After the Renaissance period, artists have tried to become more realistic in their paintings thus the oil painting began. Up to now, the evolution of art is continuous as people also have changed, growth both in the culture and the art. Arts that depicts male have always been imploratory of innuendos.Baroque art is the style that originated in Rome at the beginning of the 17th century that took the place Mannerism. The Council of Trent (1545-63) had strongly believed in clear significance in religious art and in which changes started. Certain Italian artists came back with a more simplified style which was referred to as the Anti-Mannerism. Although it was not until the 17th century that the Counter-Reformation Catholic Church came o ut with a radical new style which is the Baroque.During the High Baroque, visual were combined to create collections meant to create an overwhelming emotional impact. Despite the fact that Baroque art originated in the Catholic church, the possibilities for propaganda afforded by the involvement and illusion techniques of the Baroque style were not lost on secular patrons. (West)The eighteenth century covers a lot of differing styles. In Europe, neoclassicism is considered as a symbol for the return of virtue and acceptance of ideas after the French Revolution. The major contents of the art during this period pertains ideas of duty, honor and patriotism. Art is hard to define. It is judged by its depth defined by the way it implies clear statements, order, logic, even the portrayal of reality. It is also judged for the reasons behind, like for example a portrait of a ruler should be pictured appropriate to what he stands for. It must emphasize, in those days, portray how a man shoul d be, but relevant to his status in society. Artists tried to assert heroism in the portraits, especially of males and great technical, stylistic developments of Russian painters were displayed within half a century. Portraits in this century no longer show any trace of backwardness, provincialism or amateurism.During the 19th century, Romanticism, Realism, Pre-Raphaelite Art, Impressionism, Post-impressionism, and Symbolism were born, every single depiction of masculinity relative to culture and age and highly depending on the artists views. And art were also becoming a status symbol.These days, art has taken on new levels that can still be surprising like in the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia, several artists have used oxidation techniques. The term oxidation is actually a curious word, though in fact, it means that artists piss on their art to create a certain effect. Abstract paintings are usually subjected to this. It is their way of coding their work and also a sta tement of objection to certain issues, resistance to particular politics, eroticism, belonging to certain beliefs, hidden meanings and a statement of gender. (Chapman, 1997)A picture paints a thousand words is a common euphemism that we all know. Art and paintings alike have evolved, developed and changed. It expresses views, opinions and emotions. In the old days, there were sets of standards on what beauty should be, or how to perceive a man. Masculinity and male beauty can no longer be classified and defined. Man laws as some men say can not be really called as such for a certain rule in one man can not really apply to another. Beauty of one man can not be compared to that of another. People today have varying tastes that we can no longer create a mold for a perfect figure.Perception of man and masculinity has changed over the centuries. As females have accepted their masculine sides and males have accepted feminine sides, as well. Art is hard to classify even, as to the many var iety of it. Men are no longer painted on top of a horse, nowadays. And better yet, paintings and other hand made arts are seemingly less appreciated because of the technologies.

Getting Started With CoSchedule [Demo] - CoSchedule Blog

Getting Started With [Demo] Blog New tools always have their learning curves! The Getting Started at demo will empower you with the tools you need to rock your editorial calendar. Join our awesome Customer Success team to discuss the basic features of . In this demo, youll learn the basics of setting up your calendar, get a walkthrough of key features, and learn how to edit, schedule, and draft your first piece of content! Want to get started with ? [Demo](0:00) Discovering your calendar Intro (1:50)  What is ? (2:32)  Get an overview of all your tasks and notifications inside the Dashboard. (7:07) Learn the basics of your calendar view. (4:42) Diving into content to manage your first project. (8:43)  Creating your first piece of content. (9:23)  Adding tags and color labels to your content. (10:23)  Manage and create all projects using the content editors. (11:26)  Use the team workflow tools to make sure your team is staying on track. (13:30)  How our  marketing team schedules and creates email campaigns. (16:38)  Schedule social messages faster and easier with . (16:28) Creating standalone  messages on your calendar. (19:53)  Curate content to your calendar faster with s Chrome Extension. (20:55)  Add a social campaign to any content to create a social message campaign. (24:33)  See all the results in using our awesome analytics features. Recommended Reading: Ultimate Guide to

RBC Centura Bank Groups and Teams Research Proposal

RBC Centura Bank Groups and Teams - Research Proposal Example task within an organization because failure to deliver may suggest that the different organizational controls are not properly placed within the organizations which are allowing gaps into the performance of different individuals working as a team. Many research studies successfully demonstrated that the gaps in the performance of the teams largely depend upon the structure and configuration of the team. (Stewart & Barrick, 2000). Structure and configuration of the teams therefore indicate towards the different dynamics involved in the organization as well as formation of the teams and then converting such teams into high performing teams. As such organizations must take into account different factors such as team leadership, cohesion, structure as well as configuration of the team to expect high performance from the proposed teams. This paper will discuss as to how a group can become a high performance team besides discussing the ethical considerations of globalization and its impacts on the team dynamics by evaluating RBC Centura Bank as a case study. Team dynamics require the effective formation of teams in order to extract best performance however, before expecting such high performance, it is imperative that all the ingredients of converting a group of individuals into a high performance team shall be put into place. Team structure is defined as the configuration or allocation of the roles, responsibilities as well as authority within the team. (Stewart & Barrick, 2000). Team structure is important for extracting high performance because by providing interdependence and autonomy to the teams, teams tend to perform better because both factors provide an in-built channel for effective communication and grievance handling besides being self regulated in their orientation. Thus, in order to successful convert a group into a successful and high performance team; it is critical that the overall structure of the team is wisely built so that coherence and