Characteristics of Modelling and Statement Analysis

Question: Discuss about the Characteristics of Modelling and Statement Analysis. Answer: Introduction: Cash Flow statement showcase the changes within the accounts of the balance sheet and income statements have a due impact on cash and cash equivalence and so break down its analysis to operating, financing and investing activities. Here in this report cash flow statement of Wesfarmers Limited and Woolworths Limited is being compared to know the current financial standing of companies. Furthermore, the ratio is calculated to draw a deeper analysis of cash solvency of respective companies. Lastly, the firms are recommended to evaluate the expected exposure to credit risks, business generation of cash from sales revenue and survival capacity measurement of the stated companies. Woolworths Limited: Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia. It has about 961 stores spread across Australia and possesses a team of 111,000 members within its stores, offices and distribution centre to serve its customer with the supreme quality of services, convenience and value (Park and Jang, 2013). Recognised among the most creative retailers, Woolworths seeks to understand that customer desire for simple and new systems to shop. Their aim is to put its customer at first and for this, they have valued retail team who focus on improving the customer shopping experiences continually. They tend to do active retailing by maintaining with technologies and working hard to earn customers rewards as well as loyalties. Wesfarmers Limited: the Western Australian Farmers Cooperative is among the largest listed companies in Australia. With a base of 220000 employees and 530000 shareholders company aims to satisfy the needs of its customers to remain competitive (Tangsucheeva and Prabhu, 2013). In order to meet the primary objective of bringing a satisfactory return to its shareholders Wesfarmers maintain a financial discipline and have an exceptionally diversified portfolio management of its business (Marshall, McManus and Viele, 2011). It focuses on placing the six key enablers in business to strive operative performance at its best, i.e., employing outstanding people, develop commercial excellence, empowering culture, being innovative, social responsibility and robust financial capacity. The method used in the preparation of Cash Flow Statement: Woolworths Group has used Indirect Method for the Preparation of Cash Flow Statement. When the Cash Flow Statement is prepared by Direct Method than actual cash receipts are, actual cash payments are arranged and presented in the Cash Flow statement. The difference between them is as referred as Net Cash from Operating Activities. In other words, it is a Revenue Statement, which is prepared on Cash basis under direct method. Since Direct Method is not used hence, no reconciliation has been reported in notes to the accounts. Wesfarmers Group has used Direct Method in preparing Cash Flow Statement, and Appropriate Reconciliation Statement has been presented in Notes to accounts. Examination of Cash Flow Statement of Both the companies (In $m) Particulars Woolworths Limited Wesfarmers Limited Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities 2357.50 3365.00 Net Cash Flow from Investing Activities (1266.70) (2132.00) Net Cash Flow from Financing Activities (377.40) (1333.00) Net Cash Increase / Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents 713.40 (100.00) Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities: This portion shows how much liquid assets are generated from the revenue of the company, reduced by cash required to sell those commodities. Net Cash Flow from Operating Activity of both the company has shown declining trend in comparison to Last Year. This fact states that the ability to generate cash from the operations if the concern is decreasing. The reason for this decrease can be declined in sales, Increase in Variable and Fixed Cost, Increase in Tax Rates, etc. Net Cash Flow from Investing Activities: It reflects the amount of cash and cash equivalents i.e. liquid assets are used for the purpose of Capital Expenditure such as the purchase of Plant and Machinery. It also includes the acquisition of any other business. Woolworths and Wesfarmers both have negative cash flows in this section since both have incurred massive capital expenditures in this year. High Capital Expenditures are good indicators of the concern because these expenses would be generating profits in the coming years. Net Cash Flow from Financing Activities: It reflects the movement of cash and cash equivalents associated with financing activity. It is the sum of the amount raised by equity and by borrowing reduced by the amount paid by equity and borrowing. Wesfarmers Limited has repaid the earlier increased loans and has also paid equity dividends this year. Woolworths have less movement in their borrowings. Computation of Ratios Here in this section, the ratios calculated are cash flow indicators that aim at evaluating the cash generation in terms of in what way much it is being generated and the safety net that it offers to its company (Bodie, Kane and Marcus, 2014). These ratios also help us in bringing an insight of the performance and financial health of the respective companies. Particulars Woolworths Limited Wesfarmers Limited Cash Adequacy Ratio 1.16 Times 0.99 Times Cash Flow Ratio 4.70% 4.72% Debt Coverage Ratio 8.86 Times 4.39 Times Cash Flow to Sales Ratio 2.03% (-1.51%) Working Notes: Cash Adequacy Ratio: This ratio states the proportionate of cash and cash equivalents required in relation to available cash and cash equivalents (Dickinson, 2011). Particulars Woolworths Limited Wesfarmers Limited Required Cash and Cash Equivalents 4211.40 74386.00 Available Cash and Cash Equivalents 4924.80 74286.00 Cash Adequacy Ratio 1.16 Times 0.99 Times Cash Flow Ratio: this ratio employs operating cash flows in comparison to other companys metrics for determining the cash it would generate from its net sales. FORMULA: (Net Operating Cash Flow/Net Sales (Revenue)*100 Particulars Woolworths Limited Wesfarmers Limited Net Operating Cash Flow 2357.50 3365.00 Net Sales 50085.70 71157.00 Cash Flow Ratio 4.70% 4.72% Debt Coverage Ratio: this ratio helps in the measurement of the entity abilities to entail enough cash to meet its debt payments (Drake and Fabozzi, 2010). FORMULA: (Net Operating Income/Total Debt Service) Net Operating Income 2563.80 1346 Total Debt Service 207.70 306 Debt Coverage Ratio 12.34 Times 4.39 Times Cash Flow to Sales Ratio: it is expressed as percentage helps in giving investors an insight of the companys ability to convert its sales into cash. FORMULA: (Net Cash Flow/Net Sales (Revenue)*100 Particulars Woolworths Limited Wesfarmers Limited Net Cash Flow 713.40 (100.00) Net Sales 34978.00 6591.00 Cash Flow Ratio 2.03% (-1.51%) Conclusion It can be seemingly articulated from this report that Woolworths and Wesfarmers both are leading retail store chains in Australia. Both the companies have used different methods to determine their cash flow statement while Woolworths has used indirect method Wesfarmers has used direct method. The operating cash flow is in declining trend for both companies in comparison to last year trends. The financing cash flows are negative as both seemed to invest in capital. In addition to this, the investing ratio shows that Woolworths have less momentum; on the other hand, Wesfarmers seems to repay earlier loans. Lastly, the ratios are calculated, and company analysis is done to indicate the cash flow positioning respectively. The sum up to all ratio analysis brings out in straight that Woolworths has a better chance of surviving in the long run as it has better debt state and more liquidity standing than the Wesfarmers. Recommendation As per the analysis carried out in this report, it is quite evident that Woolworth's cash flow positioning is much more stable than the Wesfarmers. Since debt coverage ratio takes into consideration all the expenses and obligation it tells you better about companies ability to repay its debt. It is quite evident from the debt coverage ratio that Wesfarmers is facing lower cash positioning than Woolworths. It is important to maintain this for both the investors and creditors (Petersen and Plenborg, 2010). Woolworths is better for the short-term credit risk than the Wesfarmers. Looking at the overall cash status of both companies it is quite evident that Woolworths has enough cash resources but Wesfarmers seems to be not having enough cash resources, and it is recommended to maintain cash to keep the liquidity positioning of the firm stable. Furthermore to meet the prime objective of satisfying the shareholders Wesfarmers should suction cash to maintain good financial reports (Bitsch, Buchner and Kaserer, 2010). It is quite vivid from the other two ratios also Cash Flow Ratio and Cash Flow to Sales Ratio that Woolworths is better at generating cash from its sales than Wesfarmers. These ratios are an indicator to investors showcasing the consistency of company sales growth with the operating cash flows of the company (7 Cash Flow Ratios Every Value Investor should know, 2015). Healthy consistency in growth will reflect better standards for investment. References Bitsch, F., Buchner, A. and Kaserer, C., (2010). Risk, return and cash flow characteristics of infrastructure fund investments.EIB papers.15(1). pp.106-136. Bodie, Z., Kane, A. and Marcus, A.J., (2014).Investments, 10e. McGraw-Hill Education. Dickinson, V., (2011). Cash flow patterns as a proxy for the firm life cycle.The Accounting Review,86(6), pp.1969-1994. Drake, P.P. and Fabozzi, F.J., (2010). Cash?Flow Analysis.Handbook of Finance. Marshall, D.H., McManus, W.W. and Viele, D.F., (2011).Accounting. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Park, K. and Jang, S.S., (2013). Capital structure, free cash flow, diversification and firm performance: A holistic analysis.International Journal of Hospitality Management.33. pp.51-63. Petersen, C.V. and Plenborg, T., (2010).Financial statement analysis. Prentice-Hall. Tangsucheeva, R. and Prabhu, V., (2013). Modelling and analysis of cash-flow bullwhip in the supply chain.International Journal of Production Economics.145(1). pp.431-447. 7 Cash Flow Ratios Every Value Investor Should Know, (2015). [Online]. Available fromhttps://www.oldschoolvalue.com/blog/valuation-methods/cash-flow-ratios/#ixzz4VIY1czvo. [Accessed on 9th January 2017].

Role of women in military Essay Example

Role of women in military Essay Throughout the history of the world, women have tried by all means to provide various services in the military. Many women have acted as nurses when in battle fields, while others have developed the courage to join their male counterparts in the real attacks. The involvement of women in these activities came when it was proved that women could attain same qualifications with like men in mental, emotional and physical contexts. Since some combat activities like naval and aerial require skills only, integrating women in the forefront does not matter. The period that spans from 1980 to 1990 marks significant important reforms that related to women’s role in military activities. The world world outcried in the same tone calling for involvement of women in military activities and offer equal opportunities in recruiting military officers regardless of the gender (Midamba, 1995, 45). The issue attracted attention of the whole world but the nature and complexity of the reforms that took place varied from country to country. Feminist lawsuits forwarded the case to Supreme Court in the middle of 1990s, challenging the policies of the Air Force that were applied by then. The agitating policy in this area was the exclusion of women in training courses of the military pilots. This training was made for men only. This motion was pushed by the fact that many nations started gendered institutions in early years of the nineteenth century, which mandated men more than women in several areas of participation. All over the world, military activities were segregated with respect to gender. This discrimination not only took place in military areas but also in jobs and locales of service. Women felt the need to get full assimilation in Air Force institutions, an achievement that could only be realized through taking a legal action against the departments (Heidensohn, 1999, 12). The action was geared at undermining the structure of these institutions which are gendered in their undertakings. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of women in military specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of women in military specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of women in military specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Petitioners felt that denying women the opportunity to serve in flying positions of the Air Force and military activities was violating and intimidating women’s right to equality. Petitioners came from Associations for Civil Rights and Women’s Networks. The Supreme Court had no choice other than giving an order to the military authorities to open and conduct training sessions based on sameness of both men and women. Women were since then given the opportunity to participate in combat roles and in other braches of military operations such as Navy. The Supreme Court also performed an amendment of legislature particularly the Defense Act and Women’s Equal Rights Act. They were adjusted to allow specific provisions for women to occupy any position in the military network provided that the substance and nature of the post does not prevent women’s participation. This court ruling received an overwhelming support from the world’s population. In the military activities, images of new women and female warriors appeared both in practice and in minds of the leaders all over the world. Assimilation of women in this department was seen as a significant move in fighting for sameness. It was treated as a prominent indicator of the feminist struggle for equality. This principle was highly adopted and implemented quickly in United States of America and Israel. In America, the issue came without much struggle because women did not organize themselves in large groups to go and present their grievances (Schultz, 1999, 10). The assimilationists or the sameness principle was the major concept that was used in the feminist struggle for gender equality. It was a notion that integrating women in masculine activities was the only possible and ultimate avenue that could be used to achieve gender equality. This ideology was accompanied by an assumption that gender equality was homogenous with respect to women. It was felt that similar terms can be employed in measuring equality and therefore assimilation of women in military work could benefit all women even those who were not employed. Gender activists attached no differences in the principle of sameness within women simply because they believed women are similar in terms of interests, needs and preferences. This line of thought automatically excluded women who could not recognize the principle of sameness. The liberal assumptions of sameness regardless of the gender did not only integrate women in the military field but also fulfilled other vital aspects to show the feminist struggle for equality (Lee, 2000, 34). The movement paved way for women to be involved fully in the spheres of masculine activities and receive fair treatment in legal issues. The doctrine of sameness also ensured women were integrated and fully represented in local and regional religious councils. It is through the same doctrine that the retirement age for both men and women was equalized. Women were also incorporated in the municipal bodies and councils as feminists saw it essential to promote the significance of women in the development of societies. To match active involvement in the workforce and parental responsibility, sameness doctrine directed the feminist activists to demand for maternity leaves and work absence made to nurturer a sick child. These reforms were highly adopted all over the world and were seen as a gate to appreciation of women in fulfilling societal obligations. Since then women have been treated with due respect and sanctity as the one given to men in areas of militarily operations (Garlick, 199 2, 50). Following the above considerations, the developed parts of the world completely buried the differences between men and women, ending the male draft. Statisticians have indicated that the percentage of women participating in military personnel has dramatically increased since 1980 to 1990. Today, many women have been serving in active duties in the Department Of Defense in the military field. Other areas in which they have been involved include Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and the Army. Fifteen percent of women who serve in these departments are officers, comparatively equal to men’s percentage. Because of the masculine specifications that are involved in the marine department, the number of women serving as officers is comparatively less. Minority women have been observed to serve a larger percentage in military than military men (Cott, 2000, 40). Today’s military population has embraced high standards of educational standards. Many women in the military serving as officers hold college bachelor degrees and others have graduated from service academics. The role of women in the military undertakings is dictated by capabilities of the participants. They are therefore fully integrated in combat activities because current laws do not restrict engagement of women in this area. Laws however do not allow permanent combat assignment of women in Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy. Combat missions involving aircraft and ships are seen dangerous for women and therefore preserved for men. Studies from America indicate that citizens greatly support the participation of women in military activities. Exemptions have been made in activities that involve hand to hand combat, ground combat or direct combat. In the Navy sector, job assignments are statutorily restricted by Navy policy (Amott, 1991, 60). This policy declares that women can not fly in aircrafts or serve in ships that the Navy designates as combat. They are however allowed to perform some temporary duties in the combat section or else conduct trainings to men who are made to fly combat planes. They can also be assigned the responsibilities within the Navy auxiliary ships. These responsibilities may include research, training ships, repair and civilian contract ships. Marine Corps are sections within Department of Navy, where statutory restrictions are highly pronounced by Corps policy. Coast Guards form part of the Department of transport. Military women in this section are not restricted by the law. They therefore have the privilege to serve in aboard Coast Guard ships. Here, women are also entrusted with commanding coastal patrol boats which are used in providing rescue and search services and activities related to marine law enforcement. In this section, women are allowed by the law to act as Anti Submarine Warfare officers and therefore assist in executing Coast Guard cutters (Moghadam, 1993, 100). Due to liberty and democracy which surrounded the world, women soldiers were involved in the American war against Iraq.   Debates have come up in America questioning the roles of women in military work. This has been a reaction against the existing law that prevents them from engaging themselves in most ground combat units. Reports have however said that these restrictions are randomly followed in the United States depending on where and when violence erupts up. Due to the value attached to human life, no one admires endangering the lives of men or women. The idea of restricting women in this hard area has been seen as dubious. It is a measure believed to protect them but on the other hand denying them their rights. As a measure to encourage and promote the role of women in fulfilling their functions in the military operations, sexual assault has been given a strong and outstanding concern by policy makers and implementers. It is the profound reason as to why women are prohibited from participating in combat activities. Sexual abuse has been prescribed by policy makers and human rights activists to be giving unequal opportunity to survive between military men and women. Restrictions based on sexual assaults have received a lot of criticism because it curtails women from achieving their professional aspirations and opportunities. It is a way of telling them to stay indoors to prevent a sexual attack. It has thus been proposed that safe measures should be implemented that will make sure women are protected from sexual abuse as they serve in military (Midamba, 1995, 45). The contributions of women have been experienced around the globe since the Second World War. They were used to ferry bombers and acted as the captains of ships that were sent to reinforce the fighting troops. After this performance, it was seen that restricting women from military activities is denying them their rights and leading them to hard life in terms of income generation. Women therefore, should be given the freedom to make their choices. Most of them have argued that since the choice is theirs, they are ready to face the challenges and the risks concerned with the occupations. The issue of women acting as war photographers or astronauts has totally maintained the stand against women participation in these activities. War photographic is highly associated with captivity and astronauts are associated with high chances of losing their lives (Heidensohn, 1999, 12). Putting all the above prospects in mind, we may be tempted to believe that there exists equality between men and women which should be equally pronounced in military operations. The doctrine of fairness tries to argue from very realistic point of view, clearly pinpointing the inherent differences that exist between men and women, especially in the militia activities. According to the fairness doctrine, men are distinctively the best choice for military because of their nature. Works in military are tough, risky and physically demanding. By nature, women are weak and are not predominantly exposed to scaring and sometimes fatal undertakings. Military police is entitled to duties such as going out for patrol at night. There is always a high probability of meeting enemy ambushes or combat supporters. This encounter ignites a deadly clash with combat soldiers who are usually well armed and trained to kill (Schultz, 1999, 12). A very low number of women victims of this kind of encounters h ave ever survived since they were absorbed in the military. During these attacks, women are abused sexually and this intimidates the sanctity attached to their lives greatly. Fairness doctrine stipulates that physical characteristic should be considered before women are engaged in these duties. Militia activities best fit people who are not expected to make major contributions in the society or families. This is why a man working in the military can afford to raise and support a family without major challenges as compared to women. This is certainly because men are not entitled to many responsibilities in the family as women do. Men can spend many days without visiting family members but family ties still remain. This is due to the fact that his physical presence may not be necessary all the time. An example of a conflict that has supported the doctrine of fairness is the tussle between US and Iraq. Statistics of the attacks show that 65% of the soldiers who have been killed in Iraq comprise of women. Still, 85% of the ones who have been wounded are women. To worsen the scenario, 90% of those who have been imprisoned are the same type of gender. This pict ure has been used by many analysts to explain the dangers women may be exposed to if an increased involvement in militia activities is undertaken (Lee, 2000, 40). Treating women fairly has been taken as part of civilization. A civilized nation does not expose women to dangerous opportunities like combat violence. Civilization supports women in military but it does not support their subjection to direct violence in combat. The direct combat units may include Special Forces, armor and infantry. There has been an increasing scholarships, popular publications and media coverage discussing the effect if women’s engagement in military operations on their families. These have been the efforts towards attaining equality in this department, starting point being depicting the meaning of equality in real life (Garlick, 1992, 50). The variation in the understanding of equality may be contributed by sociological and biological aspects surrounding different persons and work environments. It is only after making these judgments when the law and the society can reflect the impact of these variations and come with a system of administration that treats everybody fairly. Many institutions around the world apply the principle of equality through difference in most of the military operations. This principle advocates for special treatment of women in form of exemptions, options and privileges. This kind of treatment allows women to maintain stable families and at the same time face no limits to benefiting from the military employment. Exemptions made for fulfillment of a family core can not lead to a cut in salary, sack or any disciplinary action. Women are generally viewed vulnerable and full of special needs because of the reproductive role. They are also perceived to posses physical weaknesses. These are the factors that have brought controversy in the process of defining equality. It has been found out that military women have difficulties in maintaining their families. The reasons for this failure vary from a country to another and from individual to individual. Different countries have different regulations and different working environments (Cot t, 2000, 40). Different individuals have different ways of living, preferences and determinations. Military work is affected by both individual aspects and statutory laws that govern how they work. Military engagement in such a way that time cannot be properly budgeted. This is because they are people who are involved in responding to unexpected or unanticipated events. Family woman would like to work in an environment in which time is clearly defined. This gives the opportunity to spare time for attending to children and her husband. Without this contact in the family, it is hard to maintain a family ties or be in good terms with family members. This issue posses a big challenge to women who wish to join military or who are already in the military service (Amott, 1991, 60). They have to make a choice between sacrificing the family and serving at the military or minding on family matters and let the job of military operations go. To add, military operations take long time and are in most cases continuous. The women in these operations may be entitled to benefits like maternity leaves. But the frequency of the leaves may be limited by long time they take in performing their duties. A minor woman in military may expect or wish to reproduce during young ages. However, lack of time may not allow her to perform this because the frequency of leaves is not well defined, but depends on several aspects. The nature of duties that are undertaken by the military are masculine and sometimes may lead to physical encounters. The characteristics of the work completely disregard pregnant women. It is not a kind of duty that can be performed by expectant mothers. This means the rate of births for such a woman is controlled by other forces and no family planning can be trusted to save the situation. Several studies have been done to depict the attitude of women who are serving in military posts. Many suggestions have shown that women do not enjoy the nature of military operations but are just forced by economic hardships to work in them. The job does not allow workers to interact with their families. Many women have also reported that the job has led to many family breakups and divorces. Because of the long time workers spend without meeting their spouses, military workers are said to be sex hungry. A lot of immorality is therefore associated with these people. This again makes familial engagements with military women and men challenging. The above description depicts that the family and military women are not compatible from the perspective and the aspect of time (Moghadam, 1993, 100). To make final generalization, the role of women in military should be highly appreciated and given matching rewards. Military strategists should give the issue a clear perspective and special attention. This will be made to analyze the costs and benefits of giving women these responsibilities. It will be essential to find alternatives when opportunities prove to be risky. If the event of ensuring gender balance in military seems to endanger women, they should be provided with other sources of income. If this is not the case, they should be assigned roles that are not very physically demanding in military. They may be assigned office jobs that may be clerical or accountancy. The areas that specifically do not require physical strain can be preserved for women in the military departments. As military activities are becoming complex and complex every day, technology is giving the field an equal match. It is therefore important to apply technology in daily activities and reduce the numbe r of participants involved. This will keep the operations ongoing but at the same time improve the safety of both men and women (Moghadam, 1993, 99).

Writing A Persuasive Essay For College Students

Writing A Persuasive Essay For College StudentsSample persuasive essays for college students are one of the best things that you can do to improve your grades and get noticed in college. Although college is the time to be proud of yourself, your grades will suffer if you do not develop your writing skills. In this article, I will share with you how to write a persuasive essay for college students.There are three basic persuasive styles: argumentative, anecdotal and persuasive. If you are unsure about which one you should use, read some examples before you write your own essay. This will give you a better idea on what kinds of questions to ask and what types of information you should use. Also, it will give you an idea on how persuasive your essay is going to be.To be able to write a good persuasive essay, make sure that you keep your tone consistent. Do not try to convince anyone that the information you are giving is false or wrong. It is better to tell a story rather than trying to prove something to be true. By simply telling a story, people will be more open to listen to what you have to say and would rather believe it.Your essays will gain attention by being well written and presented. Make sure that you focus on only the information that is important to the reader. Good examples on how to write a persuasive essay will be the key that will help you come up with an essay that will help your college or university to notice you.It is always best to prepare a persuasive essay ahead of time. This way, you will be able to study before you actually sit down and start writing. Keep in mind that this type of essay is very complex and it takes a lot of time to write an essay like this.The best advice for writing a persuasive essay for college students is to start out with the fundamentals. Get familiar with the different persuasive styles. Once you know your basics, you will be able to create your own style of persuasive writing. Remember that it is all about being consistent in how you approach a certain topic.Finally, it is best to keep your persuasive essay short. This way, it will not take too long for you to write a persuasive essay for college students. You should write an essay that does not exceed 5 pages.The most important thing that you can do to help you develop a persuasive essay for college students is to read as many persuasive essays as you can. This will help you understand different styles. You can also read as many examples as you can because this will make you see the ways to write a persuasive essay for college students.

Consumerism Essays - Consumerism, Sociology, Consumer Behaviour

Consumerism Essays - Consumerism, Sociology, Consumer Behaviour Consumerism Consumerism is known for the use of purchasing of goods and services worldwide. Everyone is considered a consumer. People buy products and services on a daily basis especially when it comes to technology or something new to the market. The introduction of the internet has revolutionized the way business is performed and how consumers buy and sell products. Most people that lives in the urban areas tend to buy more products and services therefore production increases. Since the 1980?s our consumption has increased with the introduction of personal computers and credit cards along with a large amount of other products like the flat screen television with bluray or 3d. Many people have become dependent on products like the computer and services such as cable television and cell phone usage. Most of them cannot survive without these material things especially buying clothes. There also has been an increase in building factories and that can pollute the environment including people as well. Other countries such as the united states construct factories so that their country won?t be polluted but studies show that pollution comes right back in the united states. The smoke that comes from the factory goes in the air and causes air pollution also the smoke goes in one direction and travel to other countries causing smog and releases toxic chemicals like carbon dioxide. Take the iphone for example; it was introduced in June 2007 and version 4 was just released in 2010. It is known to have technical issue with the antenna but that didn?t stop consumers from lining up overnight to buy this item. There are many other products that are similar. People buy this item because of how popular it is or someone or a friend told them about it and how cool it is. It is known to be the most updated and hottest thing on the market so consumers didn?t stop to think about the problem they may experience. Consumers want to have the latest product that is in style. They feel that keeping up with society is crucial so they won?t become outdated or teased. Consumerism is ever expanding in developed nations and is even increasing in some emerging countries whose economies are expanding as well. Do we really need everything we buy? Maybe we should look at the good old days of the 50?s and slow down a little. Not only will it help our finances but it will also help the environment. We can help by recycling, stop the cutting down of trees and disposing of garbage more properly by building compost heap and less burning of garbage. Consumerism is a necessity if we want economies to keep going but how much is too much? If consumers keep spending at such a fast pace is anyone really going to benefit from an expanding economy if it is not sustainable? We need to stop being defined by what we have and start being seen for who we are and what we do.

Top 7 Ways to Beat the Heat and Stay Cool During the Summer

Top 7 Ways to Beat the Heat and Stay Cool During the Summer The blazing heat of the summer is tough on our bodies. If you don’t have the luxury of staying indoors where your AC is blasting on high, then you know how hard it can be to stay cool during the summer months. Most of us need to work, so there is no escaping the brutal summer heat. But don’t let the heat stop you. There are ways you can beat the heat and stay cool without sacrificing your sanity. Here are the top 10 ways you can beat the heat and stay cool:7. Drink more waterThis may seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised at just how many people do not drink enough water during the day. To be safe, you should follow the 8 by 8 rule which states that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day.6. Take precautions to avoid excessive sweatI live in New York City. So I know how bad it is to be standing on a hot subway platform while sweating like a mad man. It’s brutal. There are tricks you can use to counter excessive sweating. You can try p utting on deodorant the night before. Your sweat glands are more active in the morning which causes your deodorant to be less effective.5. Get a portable fanThe other day I bought a portable fan that sprays mist into your face while fanning you. What a time to be alive. Get yourself one of these babies and take them with you on those scorching hot days.4. Avoid eating hot foodsA few weeks ago, I went to a nice little Korean place and got the soup. Bad decision. Since it’s already hot outside, eating anything hot will only amplify the effects of the heat. You definitely do not want to go down that road.3. Exercise comfortablyMy personal recommendation is to get a gym membership and avoid exercising in the heat. But if that’s not something that is possible, then there are alternative exercises such as swimming and various other water sports that can definitely get the job done.2. Sleep on top of a wet sheet or clothSleeping in the heat is the absolute worst because it of ten prevents you from getting the proper rest that you need in order to function the next day. If you’re trying to save money on your electric bill, you can try sleeping on a wet sheet or cloth. You’ll be able to remain cool even in the sweltering heat.1. Know your body’s best cooling pointsFinally, if you’re trapped in the heat and aren’t able to find a cooler place, then you can apply an ice pack, or cold towel to your cooling points. This can include wrists, forehead, etc. By knowing your cooling points, you’ll be able to cool yourself off faster and more effectively.Source: [Lifehacker]

You should Learn A foreign Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

You should Learn A foreign Language - Essay Example It is also important to have as authentic a conversation as possible in the foreign language. When you move to a different country or region, learning the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. If a person goes to another country speaking only their own language, they may be viewed as arrogant by the native inhabitants of that country. When one thinks about it, when one makes an effort to speak another language, it is sometimes mocked, and this can create fear. But it is important to at least try. One must not be afraid of being corrected, or asking questions. Each step in this process involves communicating and integrating with the local community. There are many reasons for learning a foreign language; some are more personal than others. If a person has a partner, a set of in-laws, or friends who speak a different language, learning that language will help you to communicate with them. This can relate to a more foundational and better relationship. Often, true communication can occur across various borders. This is true in terms of family, as well as in terms of native fluency. If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you communicate with them. Many of today’s professionals act in an increasingly global and networked environment. They need to speak many languages to communicate across national and cultural borders. This involves, at work, generally a more sophisticated level of communication, rather than a basic one. When traveling, a basic ability in a foreign language will help you to ‘get by;† i.e., to order food and drink, find your way around, buy tickets, etc. A basic ability in this sense can be gained through repeating basic phrases and concepts, memorizing phrase and verb forms of a language, and practicing dialogues. Often, dialogues can lead students to a better understanding

Financial statements ratio analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial statements ratio analysis - Essay Example The company has a relatively high turnover of more than one. A ratio of more than one means the net sales are more than the total fixed assets. This means that one dollar of fixed asset invested generates more than on dollar of sales. However, this ability decreased across the period. Current ratio highlights the capability of a company to meet its current obligations as they become due. A ratio of less than one as in the case of the company implies that the company has more obligations than the assets hence cannot meet them. In 2013 the ability increased but still does not satisfy all the obligations. Debt to total assets ratio shows the portion of the company’s financing provided by the creditors that is it measures a company’s financial leverage. From the calculation above the company has more assets than liabilities hence it is less risky since it has a ratio of close to 0.5 implying that it has liabilities of close to 50% of its total assets. Across the period the percentage increased from 56% to 63% meaning it increased its liabilities. Return on equity illustrates the company’s ability to generate profit or return from its shareholders’ investments. It therefore shows how efficient a company uses the shareholder money. From the ratio above the company is a bit efficient in using the shareholders’ money but the efficiency decreased in 2013 from 36% to 28%. With regards to the profit margin, the company’s ability to convert sales into profit is lower than that of the industry. Accounts receivable turnover shows that the number of times a company collects its receivables is lower than that of the company. Further, its fixed asset turnover is also lower than that of the industry implying that it uses its fixed assets less effectively. The company also has a lower current ratio than the industry thus it has more liabilities in relation to its assets than the