The Magnificent Lovers monologue from the play by Moliere Essay Example For Students

The Magnificent Lovers monologue from the play by Moliere Essay A monologue from the play by Moliere NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Dramatic Works of Moliere, Vol. III. Ed. Charles Heron Wall. London: George Bell Sons, 1891. SOSTRATUS: Madam, all minds are not gifted with the necessary qualities which the delicacy of those fine sciences called abstruse require. There are some so material that they cannot conceive what others understand most easily. There is nothing more agreeable, Madam, than all the great promises of these sublime sciences. To transform everything into gold; to cause people to live for ever; to cure with words; to make ourselves loved by whomsoever we please; to know all the secrets of futurity; to bring down from heaven, according to one\s will, on metals, impressions of happiness; to command demons, to raise invisible armies and invulnerable soldiersall this is delightful, no doubt; and there are people who experience no difficulty whatever in believing all this to be possible; it is the easiest thing for them to conceive. But for me, I acknowledge that my coarse, gross mind can hardly understand and refuses to believe it; that, in fact, it thinks it all too good ever to be true. All those beautiful arguments of sympathy, magnetic power, and occult virtue, are so subtle and delicate that they escape my material understanding; and, without speaking of anything else, it has never been in my power to conceive how there is to be found in the heavens even the smallest particulars of the fortune of the least of men. What relation, what connection, what reciprocity, can there be between us and globes so immeasurably distant from our earth? And how, besides, can this sublime science have come to man? What god revealed it? Or what experience can have been formed from the observation of that immense number of stars which have never as yet been seen twice in the same order? We will write a custom essay on The Magnificent Lovers monologue from the play by Moliere specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

IslamExam Session2 Essay

IslamExam Session2 Essay IslamExam Session2 Essay Shipley Summer 2015 REL 101-731 Islam Exam Please answer all questions as thoroughly and completely as possible. Responses should use correct and specific terminology, refer directly to related concepts/rituals/beliefs/etc., and draw candidly from class material, including citing from Novak’s anthology to provide theological support and evidence. You have from Friday, August 14 at noon until Sunday, August 16 at 11:59 PM to turn in your exam via the dropbox located under Week 6 on D2L. Four questions are worth 10 points each; the four remaining questions are worth 15 points each 1. What does the word â€Å"Islam† translate to? How, in many ways, does this translation situate the general aim of Islamic belief? Moreover, how does this fit within Prothero’s schema? 2. Drawing on specific beliefs and concepts, explore the nature of Islamic monotheism. What is the actual meaning of Allah? Moreover, how does Islamic monotheism relate to Judaism? Christianity? What makes it distinctive (if anything)? 3. How does Islam situate prophecy and revelation in the Qur’an? Who is Muhammad and what is the â€Å"Night of Power†? Considering specifically the figures of Moses (the Torah), Jesus (the Gospels) and Muhammad (the Qur’an), what are prophecy and revelation, and what is the relationship between â€Å"prophets,† revelation, and the establishment of â€Å"religion†? (15 points) 4. Throughout the semester, we have used the distinction between orthopraxy and orthodoxy to understand the nature and practice of religion. After first developing/defining the distinction between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, draw on particular Islamic beliefs to establish what constitutes Islam’s orthodoxy and what delineates Islam’s orthopraxy. Essentially, what makes Islam an example of orthodoxy? And, what makes Islam an example of orthopraxy? (15 points) 5. How does Islam situate final judgment and resurrection? How is this related to the principle of qadar? 6. What is the

Do Colleges Use PSAT Scores?

Most generally, the PSAT/NMSQT (literally Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) serves as practice for the SAT. This test is usually taken in the first semester of 11th grade, while the newer versions, which include PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 , are taken in 10th and 8th or 9th grades respectively. Since you probably won’t be taking the SAT before your junior year, the latter tests serve as measures for what you’re learning and indicate whether you’re on track for college. Colleges usually don’t see your PSAT scores. In most cases, just you and your high school are able to see the report. These reports offer details on your performance in different areas and can help you determine which areas you need to improve and hone your practicing. Your PSAT/NMSQT scores may enter you in the National Merit Scholarship Program if you take the test as an 11th grader. Your scores may also be used as qualifiers for other scholarships. So while college probably won’t see your PSAT scores, that doesn’t mean they don’t matter. The earlier you take the PSAT, the more likely your score will change when you take the SAT. That’s one reason why it’s not the most solid indicator of your SAT performance, though it can show you where you should focus your practice efforts. When you receive your report, you’ll see college readiness benchmarks that indicate how prepared you are for a college curriculum. Still, remember that you have more than a year and a half of high school education, so there’s plenty of time to improve. Check out Are PSAT Scores Related to SAT Scores? for more information on how your results on the tests correlate. You raw scores, or total number questions you answered correctly, are converted to a score on a scale of 160–760 for each section, for a total of 320–1520. The tests themselves mirror the SAT and include Reading, Writing and Language, and Math. You will also see subscores for specific skill sets and percentiles that indicate how you did relative to others taking the same test. For instance, if you scored in the 80th percentile, you scored better than 80 percent of test takers. Whatever your personal goals and objectives are for the PSAT, you should definitely aim to exceed the College Readiness Benchmarks. The good news is that if you don’t, you have time to improve for the SAT. Each skill will be color-coded according to when you’ve reached the benchmark. Green means you’ve met or exceed it in that area, yellow means you’re approaching the benchmark, and red means you need to strengthen your skills in the area. With our free SAT guide, you'll get ’s top tips for mastering the SAT. Enter your name and email below to download the checklist. As we’ve discussed, colleges don’t typically pay attention to PSAT results. In most cases, they won’t even see your results. However, you shouldn’t blow off the test. It can help you a lot in preparing for the SAT and understanding your college readiness and where you need to improve. If you take the PSAT seriously and prepare for it as though you were taking the SAT, you may have a less stressful admissions and financial aid process. Doing well can also boost your confidence, since scoring well can alleviate fears that you might not do well on the SAT, and the practice can help you cope with test anxiety before the tests colleges will see. Think of it as a rehearsal for the real test. Your PSAT scores can also help you win scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation cosponsors the test and will automatically receive your results. (Check out How to Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program for information on the award.) Some other scholarship committees, including National Hispanic Recognition Program, the National Scholarship Service, and Telluride Seminar Scholarships, use these results, too, although you may elect to not have them sent. Ultimately, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the PSAT. It can help you a lot with practicing, studying, preparation and, ultimately, getting into college. Looking for some help with acing the SAT? The SAT Tutoring Program will help you achieve top scores on your test. We’ll pair you with two private tutors, one for English and writing, and one for math and science. All of our tutors have scored in the 99th percentile on the section they are teaching and are chosen based on teaching skills and ability to relate to their students.

Sick older people are deeply problematic for contemporary forms of Essay

Sick older people are deeply problematic for contemporary forms of health care organisation. Discuss. (Medical Sociology) - Essay Example wess and clan or family properly introduce an incipient stratification.† (Davis & Moore, 1945: p 242: quoted in Zaidi, 1999: p 29) Age-group is one of the most important factors of social stratification that divides human society into the categories of children, young, middle-aged and elderly. Among these categories the elderly or older people make up a noteworthy proportion of every society and maintain the same significance observed by the young and adult individuals. Researches view ageing as a universal phenomenon that exists in all cultures and societies of the globe. Though old age is assessed and estimated through divergent scales, yet the individuals crossing 60 years of age are stated as old people or senior citizens all over the globe. â€Å"Aging is†, Sijuwade observes, â€Å"judged by different criterion in different societies. The transition to old age is identified with several factors such as chronological age, ill health, retirement, physical/mental dete rioration, and death of spouse. Studies reveal that changes in social role (widowhood, grandparenthood, retirement) and physical health dominate the definition of age identity.† (2009: p 1) Special attention is paid to the cause of elderly in contemporary era and disciplines of gerontological sociology and cultural anthropology have been established, which concentrate upon the study of life, culture and activities of the old people. As ethnography is a branch of cultural anthropology, that discusses human cultural traits in a scientific way, the older people also come in the fold of the study of aged. Political authorities and social welfare organisations aim to strive for the sound health of the population at large. It is the therefore the concerns regarding the falling health and medical problems of the elderly are of great significance for them. Governmental departments introduce new policies and revise them time and again for the welfare of the elderly. These social reforms, related to the

CRM - Customer Relationship management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRM - Customer Relationship management - Essay Example For instance, Dell, Acer, HP ranks at 77 percent and others lower than this despite of their improvements (OGrady, 2009). Over the past two years, the company has been able to expand its market across the world. This has been attributed to its effective customer relationship management strategies, which have made it possible for the business to retain its loyal customers and attract new clients towards its products and services. Apple Inc. takes the responsibility of putting up a store just for its products to eliminate the trouble of ill information of their products, which in turn has culminated an excellent move on their loyal customers. The store encourages PC and Mac users to explore and play with the company’s technology. The store space provides a quality service to Mac heads users where they can also hang out with the lovers of the Apple products. Therefore, by creating the stores, the company encourages existing and the newer customers enjoy the products they offer. Moreover, the products complement and complete the others such as incorporating other software’s in one product. For instance, with an iPod it is easier downloading the iTunes. In addition, with their varied products some which are relatively cheaper than others are, encourages customers to purchase them, and thus increases the likelihood of buying Apple products in the future. With the increasing cost of traditional media, i.e. audio, visual, and print media, the company has diverted to other strategies of creating a close relationship with the customers. For instance, Apple Inc. is using social media to collect the views of the customers. Through this platform, the company is able to understand different aspects that affect the consumption behavior of the target market. In addition, social media gives the customers an opportunity to interact direct with the company’s subordinates. Therefore, through this channel, they have been able to air their grievances concerning the products

Financial Analysis of Northrop Grumman Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Northrop Grumman Essay The fiscal analysis of Northrop Grumman includes the examination of profitability, liquidity, and equity ratios, its 3 year stock price, as well as a general financial overview of the company. This case study exams their fiscal strategy as well as the debt utilization and possible effects of the fiscal crisis on Northrop Grumman. This document compares Northrop Grumman to other companies in the defense sector by comparing their ratios as well profitability. The paper will provide the reader with an understanding of the financial makeup of the company and its current and recent performance as well as estimates of future earnings. Overview of Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman is one of the world’s major defense contractors. Northrop Grumman is an innovative company that has long history of making aircraft and other products that support the defense industry. Northrop Grumman is made up of the former Northrop and Grumman companies and eighteen other companies that have been integrated into one successful corporation. Northrop Grumman has four primary sectors in its business model: aerospace systems, electronic systems, information systems, and technical services. The company has its headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, and production facilities across the United States, with major facilities in California, Virginia, and Maryland. Northrop Grumman is the third largest defense contractor in the world. Some of Northrop Grumman’s primary competitors are Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, and L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. Northrop Grumman plans on remaining competitive even with the threat of sequestration looming over the federal government and the threat of an additional $500 Billion in defense cuts above the currently planned $500 billion in defense cuts. They plan on remaining competitive by being able to successfully develop and market their products, to stay ahead of the competition. This is done by reaming innovative, and providing the facilities and people to accomplish these goals of developing and manufacturing new products and support businesses and governments in information technology. History of Northrop Grumman Northrop was founded in 1939 by Jack Northrop in Hawthorne, California. The company produced its first aircraft in 1940, the N-3PB patrol bomber for the Norwegian Air Force. The first production aircraft for the United States Army Air Force was the P-61 Black Widow. They continued developing aircraft for the United States Air Force, competing in the bomber contract in the mid-1940s for the long range heavy bomber contracts using his radical flying wing designs of the XB-35 and XB-49, which were in competition with the B-36 and B-47. This was a highlight of Jack Northrop’s development of technologically advanced aircraft. In 1959, they had the first flight of the F-5 a supersonic low cost fighter that would serve as the basis of the T-38 supersonic jet trainer for the USAF, and later on the F-20 an upgraded version of the F-5. They also designed the US first ICBM the Shark. They continued with development of many programs culminating with the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, currently the most advanced and expensive bomber ever built for the US Air Force. In 1994 they acquired the Grumman Corporation and became Northrop Grumman. The Grumman Corporation started out in the 1930 was instrumental in the development of Naval Aircraft. They built the XFF-1, built in 1931, was the first naval aircraft with retractable landing gear. The built the widely successfully naval fighters the Wildcat with the first ever sto-wing and the Hellcat one of the most successfully carrier aircraft of World War Two. Grumman continued to develop aircraft for the United States Navy, developing the F9F Panther, one of the United States Navy’s earliest jet fighters. Grumman continued to develop jet aircraft, including the A-6 Intruder family of aircraft for the Navy, as well as the F-14 Tomcat, made famous by the movie Top Gun. Most notably the Grumman designed and built the Lunar Lander for the Apollo program. Key Products Northrop Grumman is primarily involved in four related by also distinct industries which are also their core competencies. They are involved in aerospace systems, electrical systems, information systems and technology systems. Involvement in these key areas allows them to focus on their customers’ needs for unmanned air systems; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); logistics, and cyber security. The company is currently involved in a many major programs for the Defense Department. They are producing the RQ-4 Global Hawk an unmanned air system (UAS) that is the only UAS that is allowed to fly in US airspace. They are also developing and producing active electronically scanned array radars for the F-35 and F-16 as well as a multitude of electronic warfare systems like the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer. The Lightning family of advanced targeting pods is also a key program within Northrop Grumman, with the L ightning Generation four reaching its 250th produced unit. Northrop Grumman is also developing the X-47b for the US Navy, which would give them a stealth carrier launched unmanned combat air vehicle, which would be the first for the US Navy. This aircraft also made history, by being the first unmanned combat air vehicle to accomplish a catapult launch, on 29 November 2012 at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland (McKinney 2012). Northrop Grumman is also a partner with Lockheed Martin in building major components to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program, specifically the center fuselage and weapons bay. They also participate in the civilian sector with the flat sequencing system for the US Post Office, and information systems for the Department of Homeland Security and public 911 services. Financial Condition Northrop Grumman is a financially secure company that is looking to maintain its current status quo. According to their Value Line Report they were given an A++ rating for financial stability. Value Line is also estimating their 2012 revenues at $25100 million, which represents a decrease of $1312 million. Even though the company’s revenues have decreased since 2010, they have been able to maintain their strength in the defense industry. They are still the third largest defense contractor; even with their recent sell offs of Newport News and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Incorporated. This sell off, the drawdown in the Iraq and Afghanistan, and the decreases defense spending has led to a decrease in revenues however according to Value Time, their revenue in 2013 is estimated to be $2,500 million a decrease of only $100 million. Northrop Grumman also carriers a middle grade bond rating of BBB+, BBB+, and Baa+ from the 3 major bond raters, S P, Finch, and Moody’s. These rating show that Northrop Grumman is stable company with an average stock price for 2012 of $63.13. Northrop Grumman Fiscal Strategy Northrop Grumman’s corporate strategy can be explained in the 2011 Annual Report opening quote from CEO Web Bush, â€Å"2011 was an outstanding year for Northrop Grumman, affirming that our focus on performance, portfolio alignment and effective cash deployment continues to create value for our shareholders, customers and employees and position our company positively for the future.† This quote states the overall direction that CEO Web Bush is taking Northrop Grumman into the future. The key to this strategy is Northrop Grumman focusing on performance. An example of this was an earnings per share increase of 17% on diluted shares to $7.41 (Northrop Grumman 2011). In 2011, with the spinoff of their shipbuilding division, they were able to provide, $1.6 billion in equity to their shareholders (Northrop Grumman, 2012). These actions have all been to provide the most benefit to their shareholders. Northrop Grumman is also focusing in on the new strategies that the Department of Defense is pursuing, with over 90% of their business with the DoD and the US government by focusing in on the growth areas of the DoD. C4ISR, unmanned systems, cyber security, and logistics are leading the way as the new focus of Northrop Grumman as they are the portions of the DoD that will continue to grow with the current budget issues facing the Obama presidency. They are also continuing its focus on their aerospace division which is the most profitable, since Northrop Grumman is a prime contractor on the F-35 and the F/A-18, as well as the builder of the Global Hawk. They are also seeing the US budget problems as an ideal point to start pursue the international market place more, like the recent sale of Global Hawks to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Their continued focus of on stockholder’s value means they need to focus on their key priorities of unmanned air system, C4ISR, logistics, and cyber security. Another part of Northrop Grumman’s strategy is making minor and major acquisitions into other companies allowing them to expand their business, which in turn will help increase stockholders value. They will from time to time create strategic alliances, form joint ventures, and dispose of or spinoff companies when they believe that these actions will aid in creating more value for their stockholders. Northrop Grumman’s strategic plan is to continue to focus on increasing shareholder value as well as to continue to maintain their cutting edge in technology and in the defense industry, and to develop systems that will support the DoD new strategies as US forces leave Afghanistan and begin to focus on the Pacific Region. The current fiscal crisis that is gripping the US, with large cuts to the defense budget, expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts, increased tax rates, cuts to social programs, and new taxes from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Ac 2010, will directly affect Northrop Grumman at all levels. However, Northrop Grumman is in a position to succeed with the cuts and tax increases and the possibility of another $500 billion in budget cuts to its largest customer, the Department of Defense in the event of sequestration, because of the companies diversity within the defense market and their mix of being the primary contractor and a subcontractor on many contracts. They plan on continuing their focus on their core industries needs of the DoD. Northrop Grumman also believes that their business is well positioned within the US government, because of the diversity of programs they are working on like the F-35 Lightning II, RQ-4 Global Hawk, Minute Man III upgrades, next generation jammer, and other classified programs. These programs, with their importance to the US DoD will allow Northrop Grumman to remain viable during the fiscal crisis, and remain profitable. They also believe that a deal will be reached averting the crisis, and allowing business to continue. Northrop Grumman’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital Northrop Grumman has a weighted average cost of capital of 8%. This represents the low cost at which Northrop Grumman is able to procure financing. They currently have been buying back shares, which are increasing shareholder’s equity by making each share worth more; as well they have been utilizing debt effectively. They particularly have been using bonds to buy back stock as well as for financing capital programs. They use the weighted average cost of capital as a tool in determining discount rate and terminal value assumptions. The weighted cost of capital takes into consideration the relative weights of the components of their capital structure. This is used to measure the costs of new capital, and with a weighted average cost of capital at 8%, Northrop Grumman seems to balance in its approach to capital which is a sign of a mature and financial stable company. Profitability Northrop Grumman has been a profitable company over the course of its history. In 2002 their profits were $697.0 million and a Value Line estimate of $2,005 million for 2012, which are almost three times the profits of 2002. These recent profits can be attributed to the operations in the Middle East, particularly the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have increased profits in every major defense contractor. Northrop Grumman plans to remain profitable during the defense cuts from 2011-2021 by continuing their excellence in their product development, manufacture and support. Failure in any of these areas will have a negative effect on their profitability. They also need to ensure that their contracts are completed on time and on budget, to ensure that with some of the current contracts and political environment that either they do not get canceled, or that they do not have continue on with their own funds. Other things that could affect profitability would be a failed rocket launch or failure of a product that cannot be fixed causing a contract to be canceled. Northrop Grumman’s net profit margin has also increase since 2002. In 2002 their net profit margin was 4.1% and has increased gradually to an estimated 8.0% in 2012. However, Value Line estimates that their net profit margin will decrease to 7.3% in 2013 and fall to 6.8% till at least 2015. The gradual increase in profits is attributed to the wars in the Middle East, where there has been an increased demand on their products, but the estimated decrease will be a result of the winding down of operations in the Middle East and the fiscal crisis enveloping the US Government. Even though their profits and net profit margin is planning on decreasing in 2013 and beyond according to Value Line, Northrop Grumman will remain profitable and thereby allowing to focus on their strategy of performing well for their shareholders. This increase in profitability is in line with their strategy of performance particularly with their stock price, which investors take the firm’s profitability into account. This has resulted in an average return on capital of 9.2%. Their return on capital is estimated to continue this increase rate through 2017 at 11.5%. Northrop Grumman’s EBITA Margin for 2011 is 14.26% at $3,304,000 million which has been increasing since 2010 and should continue to steadily increase even with the future budget uncertainty in the US government. Dividend Policy Northrop Grumman is also a stable company because of its dividend policy. Northrop Grumman offers a quarterly dividend and has been paying a dividend since 1943 except for 1949-1950. The dividend payouts for 2012 were $0.50 for the first quarter and $0.55 for each subsequent quarter, totaling $2.15, with earnings per share of $7.40 estimated for 2012 resulting in a 29% dividend payout ratio. When compared to other companies in the defense industry, Northrop Grumman is on par with its main competitors in regards to a dividend payout ratio with Boeing having a 2011 dividend payout ratio of 31% and Lockheed Martin of 41% in 2011 (Tortoriello, 2012). In 2011, Northrop Grumman was able to allocate $2.8 billion to give back to shareholders by repurchasing stock and through dividends. These strong cash flows in 2011 were a result of the spinoff of their shipbuilding industry, and $26,412 million in sales. The company is continuing its share repurchasing in 2012 with $290 million allocated to repurchase 13.6 million shares, with $2.0 billion left in that program (NOC earnings release, 2012). This along with the $2.15 dividend in 2012 represent Northrop Grumman strength as a company and their resolve to focus on their shareholders, by buying back stock, making it worth more and continuing to raise their dividend. Prior to the 2000s Northrop Grumman conducted its dividend policy like a utility with dividends that did not change its payout year to year. This all changed when Ron Sugar became CEO of Northrop Grumman in 2003. He began a program the resulted in stock buyback programs and was able to double the dividend payout during his tenure. CEO Sugar was able to raise the sales per share, however this did not result in an increase in the share price, which a low of $33.80 (Forbes, 2011). Northrop Grumman through their current CEO Wes Bush has increased their emphasis shareholder returns. He was able to the do by increasing dividends by an average of $0.13 per year and an average dividend of $1.78, since 2007. The 2012 dividend will be $2.15 with the fourth quarter paid on Dec 31, 2012. Northrop Grumman’s dividend policy is to continuously provide a dividend to its shareholders and to continuously attempt to increase the dividend as well. Another part of Northrop Grumman’s dividend policy is the stock buyback program. Northrop Grumman has been doing this since 2010, since they have excess cash from the spinoff of Newport News and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Incorporated, the shipbuildin g portion of Northrop Grumman and recent bond issues to buy back stock, in lieu of issuing a higher dividend. Corporate Bond Policy and Debt Usage Northrop Grumman uses corporate bonds like many other companies, for acquisitions, capital expansion projects, and refinancing existing debt. They currently have nine bond issues out with interest payments ranging from 1.85-7.81% with maturity dates from 2014 to 2040. Its current credit rating from SP, Fitch and Moody’s is BBB+, BBB+, and Baa1. These rating mean that Northrop Grumman has a lower medium grade rating, however according to Moody’s their debt metrics are at the high end of their current class of debt. Their current long term debt on 31 December 2012 will be $3,935.0 million (Value Line, 2012). Since 2009 they have paid of $256.0 million towards their long term debt. In 2011, Northrop Grumman paid $2,692 million in interest payments, according to their 2011 Annual report. They are projecting paying $207.0 million in 2012, which is lower than 2011, but that number is likely to rise at least through 2017. In November of 2010, Northrop Grumman issued a tender offer to buy its bonds back for a total of $2.119 Billion of bonds from its subsidiaries. Concurrently, they have a public offering of senior unsecured debt securities for debt repayment, pension funds, acquisitions, share repurchases, and working capital. On 15 February 2011, Northrop Grumman had a bond issue of $750 million at maturity with an interest rate of 7.125%. Moody’s has not down or upgraded Northrop Grumman’s bond rating, due to a large order of RQ-4 Global Hawks to NATO, and because of a $4.0 billion share repurchase plan. That sale could have a positive effect on their bond rating. All in All, Northrop Grumman has had numerous bond issues, and is currently using its latest one for a multitude of purposes. Industry Comparison Northrop Grumman is one of the top five defense companies in the world with defense revenues in 2010 of $31,181 billion (Tortoriello, 2012). Northrop Grumman as the one of the leading defense contractors in the world and is on par with or exceeding its competitors. Comparing the profitability of Northrop Grumman to its peers in the defense industry, we can take a look at figure 1 and compare profitability ratios of Northrop Grumman with the averages in their industry group. The median return on assets (ROA) for the search and navigation equipment is 7.10%, Northrop Grumman currently has a ROA of 7.45% as of 31 Dec 2011, and their current ROA is 5.72% as of 30 September. Using 2011 numbers, Northrop Grumman is slightly more profitable than the other firms in its SIC industrial grouping. Northrop Grumman is also effective in how they finance their activities, by using a mix of bonds, stock options, and other forms of financing. As of 2011 their total debt to equity ratio is 0.38 when compared to the industry average is of 84.40 is significant because it shows little financing Northrop Grumman is using at this time, however, they are still have a decent bond rating of Baa1 from Moody’s and Value Line has their financial strength listed as A++. The industry average for the quick ratio is 2.00. Northrop Grumman’s 2011 quick ratio was 0.97. With a quick ratio below one, this shows that Northrop Grumman is highly effective at creating cash from its investments and work activities. In examining these ratios; it shows that Northrop Grumman is a highly successful and stable company that would present a low risk investment to an investor. However, it is to be seen what the possibilities of sequestration and cuts to the military have on these ratios and the profits and low debt that Northrop Grumman has during the 2000s. Stock Price Analysis Northrop Grumman is a publicly traded firm on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol NOC. As of 14 December, 2012 they currently have 254,000,000 shares of common stock outstanding. They currently have zero preferred stock and $3,935 million currently in bonds. According to Northrop Grumman’s last cash flow statement, they paid $543 million in dividends. As of 15 November 2012, the board of directors decided to issue a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share payable 12 December 2012. Northrop Grumman since 2009 has paid an average dividend of $1.83. They also have repurchased $2,194 million in company stock, and they have been doing this for the past few years as another way to compensate their investors besides dividends. Northrop Grumman over the past thirty-six months has seen its stock rise and fall and continue on that path with an average volatility of 2.0. The low volatility of their stock is representative of a stable company, and stable stock prices, that would attract conservative investors, and give new investors faith that they will receive a decent return on their money. Northrop Grumman during this time has since its stock prices with a high of $71.87 and a low of $49.26. The few really large troughs in the wave that the stock price creates is August of 2011 and fall of 2009. These troughs represent the low times for Northrop Grumman’s stock, but during these times there stock has been steadily climbing specifically after Wes Bush took over as CEO and began to focus on improving the share price as well increase the performance of the company. These dual actions have led to an increase in their share price as well helping the company reduce debt, and increase capital to deal with the impending financial crisis that could possibly lead to another recession. As of 14 Dec 2012, Northrop Grumman is trading at $67.37 (yahoo finance, 2012); they have consistently been trading in the upper $60s since July of 2012, when the stock price was rising from a low of $57.29 in June of 2012. Northrop Grumman stock has been rising because of the good ratings they have received from numerous media outlets, such as Value Line and Yahoo Finance. The rise in stock prices and favorable rating can be attributed to the company renewed focus on its core industries and the spinoff of its ship building subsidiaries. Their performance has increased under the leadership of their current CEO Wes Bush. Their stock prices have also remained stable in recent months, because of the strong cash presence, which is adding investor friendly initiatives such as a raising the dividend and repurchasing stock, as well as lobbying for new contracts, like the $30 million post office contract and the NATO contract to buy RQ-4 Global Hawks. Lastly, Northrop Grumman is one of the more stable companies with an estimated EPS in 2012 of $7.40, down $0.01 from 2011, which is indicative of a stable company that is meeting or exceeding its performance estimates. Currency Risk Northrop Grumman is exposed to foreign currency risk; however they are not at a great risk to fluctuations in foreign currency. They are exposed to the risks of foreign currency from their international operations. They mitigate foreign currency risk by entering into foreign currency forward contracts as to manage portions of receipts from international customers and payments that may be have to made to international partners. As of 31 December 2011 Northrop Grumman had $233 million in foreign currency forward contracts outstanding (Northrop Grumman, 2011). With $26,412 million in sales in 2011, (Northrop Grumman, 2012), $233 million is not very significant, and they believe a 10% change in interest rates of foreign currency exchange rates would not have a significant effect on the financial position or effect their operations. Capital Markets Northrop Grumman will be affected by the volatility and disruption the domestic and international credit markets. Northrop Grumman access these markets from time to time when they need capital to support capital expansion projects, refinancing of existing debt, and for evolving lines of credit. With the current fiscal crisis in the US and Europe, will make it difficult for Northrop Grumman access credit on favorable terms or at all which will have an adverse effect on the fiscal standing. They are at risk, because of counterparty default because they deal with bankers and brokers in the credit market, when they have need for more capital. Their suppliers are also at risk with the volatility and disruptions in the credit markets from the fiscal crisis. If their ability to access credit on favorable terms, or at all could adversely affect Northrop Grumman by forcing them to change suppliers, which could lead to them to be unable to meet their contractual obligations. This could cause delays in programs or force them to find other means to assist their suppliers to support their contracts. Northrop Grumman has also entered into credit agreements amounting to an aggregate principle of $2 billion. This is a revolving door 364 day credit agreement that will help them cover costs over the short in the event of a decrease in cash. This revolving line of credit is based on many rates, including the LIBOR or an alternate rate. Northrop Grumman will be facing issues in the credit market, due to the fiscal crisis in the US, and the instability in the federal budget and the looming threat of sequestration, which will directly affect the credit markets. However, the slow growth rates of the US economy, and economy remaining on the brink of falling back into recession has kept interest rates low, which is an attempt to make credit easier to access. Conclusion Northrop Grumman is a leading defense contractor in the United States that has four main business areas, aerospace systems, electronic systems, information systems, and technical services. They are involved in many products that are used or are in development for the Department of Defense, from the RQ-4 to new electronic warfare systems. Northrop Grumman currently receives 90% of its revenues from the US government, primarily from military contracts. They are also a very stable company that has been increasing their dividends over the past few years, as well as having a steady stock price that has been increasing as well. Their currently a lower medium grade bond rating, rated at Baa+ from Moody’s. They have a strong history of supporting the US military with a multitude of historic aircraft and systems that support these aircraft. Northrop Grumman will continue to excel within the looming threat of sequestration and $1 trillion in budget cuts to the defense budget over the next ten years. All in all, Northrop Grumman is a leader in the defense industry and will continue to be a profitable company during the drawdowns in the Middle East and the defense budget cuts facing the US armed forces. References Defense System Staff (2012) NATO inks $1.7B deal for Block 40 Global Hawks, 1105 Media, Vienna, VA. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://defensesystems.com/articles/2012/05/21/agg-nato-global-hawks-contract.aspx. Dobosz, John (2012) Half A Trillion In Pentagon Budget Cuts Turns Defense Stocks Into Dividend Darlings, Forbes, Inc. Retreived on November 12, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johndobosz/2012/05/25/superior-firepower-pays-fat-dividends/ Harrington, Robert L. (2012) Value Line Northrop Grumman. Value Line Publishing. Retrieved on November 20, 2012 from http://www3.valueline.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/secure/vlispdf/stk1700/index.aspx. Mergent (2012) Mergent Online General Company Information, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012 from www.mergentonline.com. McKinney, Brooks (2012) Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First Catapult Launch of X-47B Unmanned Aircraft, Globe Newswire. Retrieved on November 29, 2012 from http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=10014076. Movius, Steve (2012) Northrop Grumman Reports Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results. Falls Church, Va. Northrop Grumman (2012) 2011 Annual Report. Falls Church, Va. Thompson, Loren (2011) How Northrop Grumman Aims To Outperform, Forbes, Inc. Retrieved on November 29, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/beltway/2011/01/10/how-north rop-grumman-aims-to-outperform/. Thompson, Loren (2012) Northrop Grumman Finds A Formula That Will Work In Hard Times, Forbes, Inc. Retrieved on December 11, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2012/12/11/northrop-grumman-finds-a-formula-that-will-work-in-hard-times/?partner=yahootix. Tortoriello, Richard (2012) Industry Surveys, Aerospace and Defense. S and P Capital IQ Industrial Surveys, New York. Retrieved on November 25, 2012 from http://www.netadvantage.standardandpoors.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/NASApp/NetAdvantage/index.do. (2012) Industry Browser Industrial Goods Aerospace/Defense Major Diversified Company List Yahoo Finance. Retrieved on December 8, 2012 from http://biz.yahoo.com/p/610conameu.html. (2012) Moodys Disclosures on Credit Ratings of Northrop Grumman Corporation , Services, New York. Retrieved on November 3, 2012 from http://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-Disclosures-on-Credit-Ratings-of-Northrop-Grumman-CorporationPR_243144. (2011) Moo dys says Northrop Grummans $4 billion share repurchase authorization wont impact ratings, Moody’s Investor Services, New York. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-says-Northrop-Grummans-4-billion-share-repurchase-authorization-wontPR_218143. (2012) Northrop Grumman Corp. Ford Equity Research, Retrieved November 30, 2012 from www.fordequity.com. (2012) Northrop Grumman Corp. Mergent Corp. Retrieved on December 12, 2012 from www.mergent online.com. 2012 D B ratios, SIC 3812. Retrieved on December 5, 2012 from http://www.mergentkbr.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/index.php/reports/industry (2010) Northrop Grumman Announces Cash Tender Offers for Debt Securities and Commences Debt Offering. Los Angeles. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://investor.northropgrumman.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=112386p=irol-newsArticleID=1489734highlight=. (2012) Northrop Grumman, Yahoo Finance. Retreived on October 30, 2012 from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=NOC+Balance+Sheetannual. (2012) Northrop Grumman Corporation, numerous Moody’s reports. Moody’s Investor Services. New York. Retrieved on November 1, 2012 from http://www.moodys.com/credit-ratings/Northrop-Grumman-Corporation-credit-rating-558850. (2010) Northrop Grumman Announces Cash Tender Offers for Debt Securities and Commences Debt Offering, PR News Wire, Los Angeles. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northr op-grumman-announces-cash-tender-offers-for-debt-securities-and-commences-debt-offering-106442983.html. (2012) 3 Defense Companies To Buy Ahead Of A Fiscal Cliff Compromise. Retrieved on December 9, 2012 from http://seekingalpha.com/article/1053621-3-defense-companies-to-buy-ahead-of-a-fiscal-cliff-compromise?source=yahoo.

Psychoanalytic Approach to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s easy to associate Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with one of Jung’s archetypal motif patterns: the hero and the quest.   Through lots of difficulties or challenges, Sir Gawain reaches the higher ground of knighthood, and also proves himself worthy of a courtly masculine identity.   It still seems quite daring and risky to apply psychoanalytic approach into the text itself, especially it comes with the Oedipus complex.   But if we put Freud’s three psychic zones and Sir Gawain’s conflict together, or related his fear of castration with his fear of being beheaded, the applying of psychoanalytic approach is acceptable.   Within the connections mentioned above, we can see how the father figures function and how a knight’s masculinity is maintain by abstaining from sexual desire in medieval period.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Sir Gawain is similar to any other hero we see in mythology, who is predisposed to response any obstacles coming upon them, and is thus getting mature both physically and mentally.  Ã‚  Ã‚   So the process of being a real knight is similar to the process of being a real man in Freud’Stheory of child development.   A boy in the process of being a man will confront a threat of being castrated by his father for to engaging in sexual relation with his Mother.   Submitting to the ‘reality principal’, the boy represses his incestuous desire, identifies with his father, and is led to the manhood.   One of the father figures within this text obviously is the Green Knight, who appears as the authority of the nature power to test Sir Gawain’s ability in masculinity and ability in abstaining from sexual temptation.   Before the Green Knight is qualified to test Sir Gawain, he must prove that he is more a man than Sir Gawain.   If we assume tha t being beheaded here is the another form of castration.   That he lets his head cut off by Gawain first is the showing of his superiority in masculinity.   After Green Knight’s head is cut off, he ‘seized this splendid head and straightway lifted it’.   From the passage, we see he is not less a man, and is never afraid of being castrated by his son, which reinforces the Green Knight’s father figure.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the Green Knight, a father authority is under the disguise of Bertilak, we can assume that his mistress becomes the mother figure.   While the Green Knight is out there hunting, Sir Gawain has to decide whether to put aside his fear of castration and give in the sexual seduction or to repress his own desire.

Expectancy Violation Theory

Sanchez, JR PC – Abcomm 013 Expectancy Violation Theory by Judee Burgoon How do you suppose arousal manifests itself in conversations between teachers and students? (TITLE) A present fragment of the Expectancy Violation Theory is the Existence of arousals or distractions to the recipients of a communication episode. And given this activity, I am explaining, to my extent gulp*, how an arousal manifests itself in a teacher-student conversation. Arousals are these manifestations when violations are present in an on-going exchange of thoughts between two or more people; it has also been stated that Expectancy Violation Theory focuses mainly on non-verbal communication. Arousals are described in two forms namely the Physical and Cognitive. Depict a classroom, where a student was asked to come for a consultation meeting concerning his grade. Unexpectedly, while the consultation is taking place, a student decided to touch the teacher in the shoulder while looking at his/her progress in the records, but in opposition to what the teacher has in mind, it’s one format of â€Å"invasion of personal space, or bubble† on the teacher’s perspective. An arousal would make known of itself in this conversation because of the unexpected turn of events, specifically the student’s moving-in-touching-the-teacher’s-shoulder-step, because the teacher is thinking inversely as the pupil, a physical arousal will immerge from the event and there will violation occur, following the next procedures, and then will EVT pronounce. Another situation, concerning again the teacher and a student, where in the arousal-generator is the pupil, assume there’s a classroom once more, but this time, an everyday mobilization is going. The teacher discussing, students always doing their best to listen to what the teacher is speaking, etc. The teacher then wanted and decided to call a pupil to answer a certain question about their lesson, while requesting for the answer, the teacher then decided to be hard on the student, to extract more words that made the pupil reflect that his/her space is being invaded. Once more, an arousal will announce itself; a cognitive type of arousal would be present because it’s only in the mind, in mental awareness. The arousal did manifest on that given situation because there was, of course, the invasion of bubble. That’s basically the theoretical cause of many arousals, begins from bubble invasion, followed by the arousal. I am not familiar of any Arousal Mechanisms, but with its name, AMs or Arousal Mechanisms maybe those hidden actions or attitudes present in one person that the other person didn’t expect happening. The first situation has a physical arousal, wherein there are bodily changes resulting from violations, the touching of the student did bolster the physical arousal to commence. The AM here is the touching of the student where invasion of personal space is in a physical format. The second situation has a cognitive form of arousal because, like I said from the text, it is cognitive because it’s only mental, only in the mind. The AM here is the teacher’s harsh words thrown at the pupil to answer the question the teacher is asking about their present lesson. As expected, arousal would occur at a given communication episode if there is an invasion of personal space, more expectantly from different mannerisms or used-to-do things of the participants.

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Tokai UK’s international strategy. Essay

The Tokai Company was founded in 1947 in Hamamatsu, Japan and produced all forms of musical instruments,including a large range of pianos. Tokai instruments first appeared in the UK in the early 1980s when they were imported by a company called Bluesuede Music. At that time the two biggest names in electric guitars were those produced by the American companies Fender and Gibson, who both produced high quality electric guitars but at a price that was prohibitive for the average amateur guitarist. Tokai competed against Fender, with products that replicated the Fender quality and also closely esembled their guitars but for half the price. Not surprisingly the Tokai product stood alone in the marketplace and competed with Fender by making quality instruments available to customers who couldn’t afford a genuine Fender or Gibson guitar. Tokai’s biggest seller at the time was the ST50 which resembled the famous Fender Stratocaster. However, Fender issued writs against Tokai which forced them to change the designs so as to not infringe Fender’s copyright. Imports continued on for a further three years and Bluesuede Music did remarkably well with the product, using sales agents out on the road selling guitars to retailers. Unfortunately, in the mid-eighties one of the partners left Bluesuede owing the company and Tokai a lot of money. At that point Bluesuede had to stop the import of Tokai guitars. At the beginning of 2002 Nick Crane, a British entrepreneur, went to Japan to see Mr Shohei Adachi, the managing director of Tokai, and agreed a deal to import the company’s guitars once more into the UK. This started as a small operation and the products began to trickle into the UK. Shortly afterwards Nick Crane approached Bob Murdoch, who had 25 years’ experience in the music wholesale and retail business. Bob Murdoch saw the potential of these instruments on the European market and became a partner in Tokai UK in early 2002. The company began by working from a small garage, but over the subsequent 18 months turnover increased by 200 per cent and they are now selling into Ireland, Italy and Spain. They had a huge market in Germany but, as we will see later, have now pulled out of the market. Tokai UK now operates from premises on an industrial estate at Dinnington, South Yorkshire. Nick Crane left the company to follow other interests in Spain; Bob Murdoch bought out his partner and now has overall control of Tokai UKÂ  and plans to launch Tokai across the pan-European market.

Immigration Healthcare essays

Immigration Healthcare essays As many as 830,000 non-citizen immigrants are residents of California. Nearly one in five non-citizens, under the age of 65 in California, is covered by Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is an essential source of healthcare insurance for millions of low-income, elderly, and disabled residents of California. Despite its anti-immigrant reputation, California has been among the most generous of the 50 states in providing public aid to needy non-citizens who lost benefits in the 1996 federal welfare overhaul. Under current law, legal immigrants are eligible for Medi-Cal if they meet income and other requirements established by the state. Illegal immigrants may obtain Medi-Cal only for emergency medical services and for prenatal care. California, home to about one-third of the nations immigrants, passed ballot initiatives in this decade targeting illegal immigrants, health care, affirmative action, and bilingual education. Last year taxpayers spent more than one-hundred million dollars in aid and benefits for immigrants. Governor Gray Davis, in one of several early attempts to reverse his republican predecessors policies, wants the state to spend $60 million on prenatal care for poor pregnant women who are illegal immigrants, money that former Governor Pete Wilson repeatedly fought to cut from Californias bugdet. It is estimated that for every dollar the state spends on health care for pregnant women, it saves $3.00 in health care costs for infants who otherwise would be born with preventable maladies. The loss of this health coverage would primarily affect children and women by cutting access to essential health services such as prenatal care and emergency rooms. This would then result in higher medical costs (increased cost to taxpayers) due to people delaying to seek medical attention and unnecessary hospitalization ...

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 24

Management - Essay Example There are a lot more that the film explores about the nature of subjects in any organizational set up. Workers simply conduct their organizational roles, and without any specific hostility on their part, can turn out to be agents in a terrible destructive organizational process. Furthermore, even when the destructive impacts of their work become patently clear, and they are ordered to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental principles of morality, relatively few individuals have the resources needed to resist authority. It is worth noting that workers in an organization are likely to adhere to organizational orders given by the manager even to an extent of doing business activities that are contrary to the regulation and ethical conducts of the organization. (Koontz, Harold, and Heinz, 7)In any organizational set up workers tend to follow orders given by their managers if they acknowledge the authority as morally right and of the legal basis. 2. Power or authority is the potential ability to influence workers behavior in the organization, to alter the course of events, to overcome or minimize resistance and to get individuals to do things they would not otherwise have done. It is the ability and official capacity to exercise control and authority over a group, person or nation. Authority occurs in all levels of life from the firm to the government of a country (Koontz, Harold, and Heinz, 55). Coercive power is one type of power that is manifested in the experiment. This kind of power is conveyed through fear of being dismissed from one’s job, being demoted, getting a poor performance review, having massive projects taken away. This form of power is gotten through threatening others. For example in the film in most of the trials, a white-coated experimenter coerced two of the volunteers, of whom one was given the duty of teacher and the other learner. The learner was ordered to remember lists of word pairs, and if he was not able recall them, the leader

Astra Planeta Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Astra Planeta - Assignment Example Twinkle 5 is a suitable name for this company because the first thing that comes to the mind of most Europeans and Americans when they hear the word â€Å"Twinkle† is â€Å"star†. Since the name has to be connected to â€Å"Five Stars†, â€Å"Twinkle 5† is a name that shares the theme as well as number. Twinkle 5 is also suitable because it will be the first bicycle and e-scooter company in Europe and America that will be called Twinkle 5, so the name lends the company a unique identity. A very important aspect of Twinkle 5 is that it carries the themes of tidiness, neatness, cleanliness, and perfection. Sparkle is the word used for shining and twinkling. It is commonly used in the toothpaste ads. Sparkle shares the theme of shining and twinkling with the â€Å"Five Stars.† Sparkle is a very simple yet sophisticated name that never goes out of trend. Besides, there is no bicycle and e-scooter company named Sparkle in Europe or America. To hear the name Sparkle, a bicycle or e-scooter is not the first thing that comes to mind; but then all this company is about is innovation, creativity, and drama. Even if not technically, the name does lend a feeling of cleanliness and tidiness that is the embodiment of this work. The name Tri-Prism is the short form of Triangular Prism. â€Å"Tri-Prism† is a suitable name for this company because a triangular prism has five faces through which light passes and refracts or reflects. This has quite a lot in common with â€Å"Five Stars† both in terms of number and in terms of function. Stars also serve as a source of light. Tri-Prism is a fancy name unheard of in the bicycle and e-scooter industry as the name of a shop before in Europe or America. It is easy to pronounce and yet, its uniqueness leaves a trace on the mind of the listener. â€Å"Shine at Prime† is a very different name and has a theme to share with â€Å"Five Stars.† Prime is also connected to the word â€Å"primary† which in academic terms is translated as â€Å"five†. Shining is a function of stars. So joined together, shine at prime not only relates to â€Å"Five Stars† but also generates a beautiful message to the customers.