Review of ( Things Fall Apart) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review of ( Things Fall Apart) - Essay Example The missionaries affected this unity by drawing away the members of the society who were not perceived as being important by the Umuofia society. These men embraced the religion that taught them that they were as important as any other members of the society. Even though this change benefited the few who accepted the new religion, it also exposed the society to the possibility of being exploited by the missionaries. Okonkwo was richer than his father, Unoka, ever was. Okonkwo hated what he perceived to be weakness in his father. He probably felt that his father had not been able to acquire riches and standing in the community because of being weak or ‘feminine’. In Igbo society, the rich were feted but the poor were mostly disregarded and looked down upon. The poor had different false accusations put on them and it would appear that they were often the scapegoats of the community whenever unexplainable things took place. In the book, Okonkwo, who had â€Å"three wives, a barn full of yams, and two titles† was respected (Achebe, 18). However, his poor father was not even accorded a decent burial but carried to the forest to be eaten by wild animals. Culture is not usually static but dynamic. Do you agree? Where would you place the Igbo culture? In your opinion, do you think that traditional practices such as the killing of twins would have withered away over time without the intervention of Europeans? Analyze this with specific examples from the novel. Culture is always dynamic. The Igbo culture experienced its most challenging period with the coming of the White man. While the society’s respect of masculinity might give an impression of it being strong, it crumbled without the community members even staging a small war to chase away the missionaries. The Igbo community began a slow collapse because it had false foundations and actively destroyed the lives of all citizens who were not male and ruthless. It

Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chemistry - Essay Example Some toxins, such as mercury, persist in the environment and accumulate. Humans or animals often absorb them when they eat fish. Handling toxic waste carefully can prevent health dangers. Toxic waste incinerators, for example, often burn waste for energy, but this potentially releases toxic chemicals into the air. Household hazardous waste (HHW) is more than you think it is. What's been hiding in your garage or basement or under your kitchen sink can do serious damage to the environment. It can get into the water system. It can hurt plants, animals - and you. Recycling offers the next best solution to eliminating the use of toxic materials. Not only does recycling save companies money and time spent acquiring new materials, it also diverts waste away from disposal methods, such as burning, that could potentially leak toxins into the ground and air. Toxic waste, like used motor oil for example, often contains metallic debris that you can easily reclaim through filtration. Ultimately, humanity needs to curb its use of products with toxic chemicals to minimize their potential hazards. Go green... Save the Earth... Recycle waste; these kind of environmental slogans have been used for decades but one only pays heed to it when he/she comes to terms with or can relate to it. Earth is our home, our playground, our future.

The Financing Structure Of Unilever Plc Finance Essay

The Financing Structure Of Unilever Plc Finance Essay Unilever Plc (Unilever) operates as a single business entity. It was formerly known as Lever Brothers Limited. Unilever NV and Unilever Plc are the two parent companies of the Unilever Group having separate legal identities and separate stock exchange listings for their shares. Unilever Plc (Unilever) is a leading food and personal care product offering company in the world. The company is engaged in the manufacturing and distributing foods, home care and personal care products. The company along with a strong and well differentiated portfolio of 400 global and regional brands operating across 14 categories operates in 150 countries with around 174,000 employees. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Unilever operates in four business segments namely, Personal Care; Home Care; Savoury, Dressings Spreads; and Ice Cream Beverages. The company also offers solutions for professional chefs and caterers. It has around 270 manufacturing facilities worldwide. The Personal Care segment includes business in the mass skin care, daily hair care and deodorants product areas. These products are sold under Dove, Lux, Rexona, Sunsilk, Axe and Ponds, Suave, Clear, Lifebuoy, Vaseline, Signal and Close Up. Its Home Care segment includes laundry products such as tablets, powders and liquids for washing of clothes by hand or machine. It also offers soap bars. In this segment, the principal brands are Omo, Surf, Comfort, Radiant, Skip and Snuggle. The household care products include surface cleaners and bleach that are marketed under the Cif, Domestos and Sun/Sunlight brands. The companys new products include Dove pro-age range of products, Dove Summer Glow self-tanning and body lotions, Clear antidandruff shampoo and Small Mighty concentrated liquid laundry detergents. The Savoury, Dressings and Spreads segment includes sauces, soups, salad dressings, bouillons, snacks, mayonnaise, spreads, olive oil, margarines and cooking products like liquid margarines, and frozen foods. These products are sold worldwide under Calve, Knorr, Hellmanns, Becel, Flora, Wish- Bone, Rama, Blue Band, Amora, Ragu and Bertolli brands. The Ice cream and Beverages division includes ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight management products, and nutritionally enhanced products. These products are marketed worldwide under various brand names such as Magnum, Cornetto, Carte dOr and Solero, Walls, Kibon, Ola and Algida, Ben Jerrys, Breyers, Klondike and Popsicle. The tea-based beverages are sold under Lipton, Brooke Bond and PG Tips brands. The weight management products are sold under Slim-Fast, and nutritionally enhanced products are marketed under Annapurna and AdeS/Adez brands. In the the Home Care division, it holds the global number two position in laundry, with a number one position in man developing and emerging markets. The company holds global number one position in mass skin care and deodorants, and the number two position in hair care where as in oral care and household care the companys strategy is focused on strong regional and local leadership positions in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the Foods division, it holds number one position in savory and dressings, spreads, tea-based beverages and ice cream. Unilever is the category leader in margarine and spreads in most European countries and North America. The companys UKs foods division is the number one producer of savory and dressings business. Products and Brands Unilever owns more than 400 brands as a result of acquisitions, however, the company focuses on what are called the billion-dollar brands, 13 brands, each of which achieve annual sales in excess of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 billion. Unilevers top 25 brands account for more than 70% of sales. The brands fall almost entirely into two categories: Food and Beverages, and Home and Personal Care. Unilevers billion$ brands are Axe/Lynx Lipton Blue Band[14] Lux (soap) Dove Omo/Surf (detergent) Flora/Becel Rexona/Sure Heartbrand Sunsilk Hellmans TIGI (haircare) Knorr Products of the company are distributed through distribution centers, group-operated facilities, satellite warehouses, and public storage depots, wholesalers, independent grocery stores, co-operatives, and various food service providers. Unilever invests around EUR 1 billion in research and development activities through five laboratories to develop new products and technologies. Geographic Presence Unilever has geographically diversified operations. It is engaged in manufacturing and distributing foods, home care and personal care products. Its products are sold in more than 150 countries which include Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. During the fiscal year 2008, the company generated 32% revenue from Western Europe, 32% from the Americas and 36% from the Asia, Africa and Central Eastern Europe. It is the category leader in margarine and spreads in most European countries and North America. The companys UKs foods division is the number one producer of savory and dressings business. Thus, wide geographic presence decreases the business risk of the company. This also acts as an easy way for the expansion plans of the company, as wider reach in terms of geography would mean reaping more benefits eventually improving the profit margins, attaining economies of scale and recognition on a worldwide basis. following are the name of some of the countries with Unilevers presences. Ireland Sudan Italy Sweden Japan Switzerland Pakistan Thailand Singapore Tunisia Spain United States Sri lanka United Kingdom Industry Comparison Revenue Growth Rate The companys compounded annual growth rate for revenue was 1.39% during 2005-2009. This was below the SP 500 companies average* of 9.67%. A lower than sector average* revenue CAGR may indicate that the company has underperformed the average sector growth and lost market share over the last years. The companys underperformance could be attributed to a weak competitive position or inferior products and services offering or lack of innovative products and services. Return on Equity The companys return on equity (ROE) was 30.62% for fiscal year 2009. This was above the SP 500 companies average* of 18.69%. A higher than sector average ROE indicate that the company is efficiently using the shareholders money and that it is generating high returns for its shareholders compared to other companies in the sector. Operating Profit Margin The companys operating margin was 12.91% for the fiscal year 2009. This was below the SP 500 companies average* of 18.74%. A lower than sector average* operating margin may indicate inefficient cost management or a weak pricing strategy by the company. Financial Analysis Instead of 2 year analysis of the financial position of the company analysis is performed on a five year data as this will provided with better coverage of the companies performance. Current ratio Current ratio of the company has been on the rising trend since 2005. Current ratio of the company has increased from 0.75 time in 2005 to 0.93 times in 2009. This trend shows that the company is moving toward a stable liquidity position. Whereas, in comparison to the averages of the industry trend and S P 500 companies Unilever is not able to maintain sound current ratio. Currently industry averages at around 1.53 times whereas; SP 500 companies averages around 1.91 times. This is almost as double to where Unilever currently stands. Quick ratio Quick ratio of the company has shown similar rising trend as that of current ratio. Quick ratio of the company has moved to 0.5 times in 2009, which is a rise of approximately 35% during the five year period (2005: 0.37 times). This ratio of the company is quite close to the industry averages (i.e., 0.78 times), whereas, SP 500 companies quick ratio averages to around 1.36 times. Considering the rising trend of the company, it appears that its liquidity position will improve in the near future to meet the industry averages. Gross Profit margin Gross Profit margin of the company has shown a mix trend over the years. During the period from 2005-2009 gross profit margin of the company stood at 48.32%, fall of just 2%. This shows that the company is in a stable position as it is able to stay consistent in maintaining its Gross Profit Margin. On the other hand, Industry average stands at 44.72%. Being on the higher side of the industry shows that the company is able to effectively manage its cost and pricing policies. Net Profit Margin Similar to the Gross profit margin, net profit margin of the company has shown a mix trend. On average the net profit margin of the company has increased by 4% during the 5 year period to 8.46% in 2009. This is higher then what the industry average is (Industry average: 7.25%). On the other hand SP 500 companies average net profit margin to approximately 12.59%, showing that the company is not meeting the SP 500 companies standards. Return on Assets Return on assets of the company has shown an increasing trend during the 5 year period. During the said period, ROA increased to approximately 10% in 2009 from 8.74% in 2005, this is a rise of 14%. In comparison, the industry averages the return on assets at around 7.71% and SP 500 averages assets at around 7.91%. This shows that the company is able to used the employed assets efficiently and effectively then what the normal industry trend depicts. FINANCING STRUCTURE Unilever PLC is a highly un-geared company. Its total debt to total equity ratio stood at only 0.82 in 2009, which is a decline of around 46% during the 5 year period (2005: 1.51). Similar fall in the total debt to total capital ratio was observed, which fell by approximately 25% to 0.45 in 2009. On the other hand a slight increase of just 9% was observed in the Long term debt to total capital of the company during the same five year period. In contrast to the leverage ratios, a significant fall in the payout ratio was observed. Payout ratio of the company fell from 61.37% in 2005 to just 38.54% in 2009. This shows that currently the company is in the phase of financing its activities from its retained earnings instead of taking long or short term financing. In comparison to a competitor Reckitt Benckiser Group, the leverage of this company is similar to the leverage of Unilever PLC. During the year 2009, Total Debt to Total Equity ratio Reckitt Benckiser Group is only 0.82. Payout ratio of the Reckitt Benckiser is 50.28% in 2009, which is higher than that of Unilever PLC, representing the fact that Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc is utilizing higher portion of its retained earnings as compared to Unilever Plc In comparison with the industry trends, average total debt to equity is approximately 1.16 times whereas, as per SP 500 it is around 0.73. In view of these average industry and sector trends, company is performing quite well. On the other hand, companys payout ratio is on the higher side when compared to the industry and SP 500 averages. Average industrys payout is almost is 42% whereas, average payout as per SP 500 is 28.82%. This shows that company is not availing its short term financing options. Taking up these short term financing will release some pressure from the retained earning and can be paid out to the shareholders of the company because as the low payout trend of the industry indicates that the shareholders are prone to short term gains in comparison to long term capital gains. 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Unilever PLC Total Debt/Equity 0.82 1.1 0.77 0.78 1.51 Long Term Debt/Total Capital 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.22 0.32 Total Debt/Total Capital 0.45 0.52 0.44 0.44 0.6 Payout Ratio 38.54% 43.04% 56.62% 83.71% 61.37% Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc Total Debt/Equity 0.03 0.48 0.21 0.53 0.09 Long Term Debt/Total Capital (?) 0 0 0 0 0.04 Total Debt/Total Capital (?) 0.03 0.32 0.17 0.35 0.08 Payout Ratio (?) 50.28% 50.76% 41.93% 48.65% 42.39% WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF CAPITAL As discussed in the above section, Unilever PLC has a very low (nominal) gearing of 0.35%. Virtually the company is debt free; hence cost of equity of the company will be its weighted average cost of capital. In order to calculate Cost of Equity of Unilever PLC Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) has been used. Beta for the company has been taken from the Dow Jones Report, which is 0.76 whereas; many technical issues were presents when indentifying risk free rate (Rf) and risk premium (Rm-Rf). Hence, the risk free rate and the market rate (Rm) are assumed to be 8% and 12% respectively for the purpose of this calculation. Cost of Equity = Rf + (Rm-Rf)b Cost of Equity = 8% + (12% 8%) 0.76 Cost of Equity = 11.04% Here, Cost of Equity = = WACC Hence, WACC = 11.04% NEW PROJECT Project Description Company has recently conducted a market survey for deodorant target only toward a young generation. Evaluation of the investment proposal to manufacture product XARI was performed. The product has performed well in test marketing trials conducted recently by the research and marketing department of the company. Key Elements of Project Initial investment cost Evidences for the initial investment cost can be found from various sources, research reports related to the particular industry, information from the companies which have recently invested in the respective sectors can prove quite useful, internal budget preparation etc. Annual revenues / operating costs Evidences of independent annual revenues and operating cost can be also be found from various sources, demand and supply of the particular products and projected by various research houses such as Business Monitor, by analyzing past trends of the company and peer analysis of the companies already operating in the industry/segments Rates of inflation Information related to the past and future rates related to inflation can be found in abundance. In addition to the government bodies, numerous independent research houses provided forecasted/projected inflation rates of different countries. These rates are calculated after critically analyzing and assessing various factors that affect the inflation rates. Report from Economic Intelligence Unit is one of the research houses which provides rates of inflation, both past trends as well as forecasted for different countries. Rates of taxation, and tax reliefs and allowances Best sources for finding information related rates of taxation and tax reliefs and allowance is to go through government regulated bodies. Legal regulations related to tax and updates in the upcoming changes can be found on government operated website and accurate and up to date information related to any legal issue is available there. Risk and Uncertainty After a through research I came to the conclusion that identification of risks is best done by a sequential manner. Firstly brainstorming exercise was done with some colleague of mine in order to evaluate what factors ,both beneficial and adverse, can be faced by the new project that the company was going to undertake. This exercise was purely for the identification of the risk that the project might face during the tenor of its operations. After my initial task of risk identification I assessed the likelihood of the occurrence of that risk and categorized them on the scale of high, medium and low. Then I assessed the consequences of each of risk if they occurred and whether, there occurrence will have a major impact on the operation of the company or its future prospect or not. Risks with low chances of occurrence and low negative impact were ignored and emphasis was placed on the risks that have high chances of occurrence or which could have measurable impact on the companys performance. This risk was than further classified into quantifiable and non-quantifiable risk (uncertainty). The impact of the quantifiable risk, such as rate of inflation, increase in the cost of raw material, fall in demand of the product etc, were incorporated when calculating the Net Present Value of the Project. Uncertainties such as war, political instability, change in government regulation etc, were a bit hard to incorporate. In order to overcome these problems sensitivity analysis was used. Via Sensitivity Analysis result of the project are categorized into three possible outcomes Best Case Scenario, Moderate Case Scenario and Worst Case Scenario. These 3 cases will show the performance of the company in the two most extremes situations that the company might operate. Result should then be interpreted keeping in mind of all the expected scenarios. Net Present Value After the successful test, following information has been prepared by me in order to assess the viability of the project. The research team has prepared the following forecasted demand of the product along with that various other variables such as selling prices and inflation rate are also estimated. These forecasts reflect, along with others, the expected life of the products, change in the economic conditions in the long run etc. Weighted average cost of capital has been calculated as above at 11.04%. The product has no terminal value at the end of four year. NPV of the project with respect to the following data is almost about 348,578 pounds Forecasted Information for Product XARI Initial Investment 2 million Pounds Selling Price (Current Price) 20 pound/unit Expected Inflation in Selling Price 3% per year Variable operating cost 8 pound/unit Fixed Operating Cost 170,000 per yar Tax Rate 30% Year 1 2 3 4 Demand (units) 60,000 70,000 120,000 45,000 Quarterly Report It appears that the company has performed reasonable well when compared to the forecast that the management prepared. Minor variances were witnessed by the company in most aspect of the project. Initial investment of the company exceed by just 100,000 pound. Company just sold 100 less units in first quarter as compared to the forecasted data. The reason for this relate to the factor that market awareness was not created by the company as it incurred less operating cost as anticipated. Company managed to sell units at a selling price 15% more the forecasted price. On the other 13% more cost was incurred on each unit than was projected. The reason for such a change could relate to the fact that the company underestimated the price of it project, and once market started to accept the product its selling price increased

Various Ekg readings :: essays research papers fc

Lab essay # 5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several different heart problems that show up as an abnormal EKG reading. For example, a heart block can occur when there is a delay in the signals coming from the SA node, AV node, or the Purkinje fibers. However, clinically the term heart block is used to refer to an AV block. This delays or completely stops communication between the atria and the ventricles. AV block is shown on the EKG as a delayed or prolonged PR interval. The P wave represents the activity in the atria, and the QRS complex represents ventricular activity. This is why the PR interval shows the signal delay from the AV node. There are three degrees of severity, and if the delay is greater than .2 seconds it is classified as first degree. Second degree is classified by several regularly spaced P waves before each QRS complex. Third degree can be shown by P waves that have no spacing relationship to the QRS complex. Another type of blockage is bundle branch block. This is caused by a b lockage in the bundle of His, creating a delay in the electrical signals traveling down the bundle branches to reach the ventricles. This results in a slowed heart beat, or brachycardia. On an EKG reading this is shown as a prolonged QRS complex. A normal QRS is about .8-.12 seconds, and anything longer is considered bundle branch block. Another type of abnormal EKG reading is atrial fibrillation, when the atria contracts very quickly. On the EKG this is shown by no clear P waves, only many small fibrillating waves, and no PR interval to measure. This results in a rapid and irregular heartbeat. On the other hand, ventricular fibrillation is much more serious and can cause sudden death if not treated by electrical defibrillation.

Virtuality vs. Reality

Your Name Eng. 111-01 Teachers Name Virtuality Vs. Reality Computers have become one of the most sought-after devices to date. One reason perhaps is the overwhelming popularity of the internet. Seems as if no one is immune to using the internet and even some restaurants offer free wi-fi for their patrons. There is virtually nothing that can't be done on the internet.Because of its popularity, everyday millions of people log on the internet either for online shopping, socializing, or researching. Going to malls and department stores may soon be a past activity for the busy person due to the popularity of shopping on the internet. People may chose shopping online because it is very convenient, cheap, and variety is offered right at a person's finger tips. First of all, the convenience of shopping online is very time saving, and it eliminates the need to drive around to several different stores searching for that perfect gift.For example, a person can shop right at home using a smartph one, a laptop, or an Ipad in the convenience of her own bed. In addition to being convenient, online shopping can be money saving. Searching for deals online can save an individual a lot of money. Besides finding deals on the internet; moreover, staying home, and purchasing online can also save tremendously on gas expenses. While saving money is a good asset of shopping online, included in shopping online is the wide selections of websites to chose from.Depending on what a person is looking there is always something unique that can be found shopping online. Since there are so many stores available right in the palm of one's hand, why would anyone want to leave home? In brief, if one makes up her mind to stay home and do online shopping, she would not only be saving time and money but can also have the world wide web of shopping readily available at her finger tips. Having considered shopping online to being popular for the busy person, it is also reasonable to look at socializing th rough the internet as a preferred way that most timid people communicate.One example of social communicating online is the constant use of Facebook. People from all walks of life, from different ages, different nationalities, and social classes sign on to Facebook everyday to keep up with the statuses of their Facebook friends, comment on their statuses, or to simply see how their friends are doing. An individual can also use Facebook to stay in contact with far away family members, to search for missing family members, to communicate with old classmates, or to play online games with their Facebook acquaintances.In addition to connecting with people on Facebook, there are several online gaming websites that cater to a more eccentric way of socializing. For instance, a game called, â€Å"World of Warcraft† is a widely played game where one can socialize with another individual through in-game chat messaging. In this online gaming world, individuals can communicate with one ano ther, help each other complete missions, and conquer the game. Online gaming is also an easier way of conversing for a person who is intimidated by meeting new people in real-life.Finally, a person can meet new people through online dating more simply than meeting them in person. Online dating would eliminate the nervousness one feels in real-life and would give way to a more relaxed person. Not only will an individual be more comfortable, but online dating would allow her to be more herself. Individuals who engage in online dating can socialize through messaging, email, the dating website, or cell phones. There are several different ways using the internet can bring people together whether it be Facebook, online gaming, or online dating.Thirdly, conducting research online is another important feature of the internet and adds to its popularity. For example, a student has a project due at school and instead of spending hours looking in a library,the student, on the other hand, can go right to a computer and find all the information he needs to complete his project. Not only can a student find research material for his school project, but can also find ideas for craft projects. Searching online can be very helpful when it comes to â€Å"do-it-yourself† projects.Mothers can go online to research craft ideas she and her child can do together as family time. Moreover, mothers can not only find â€Å"do-it-yourself† projects, but can use the internet for researching recipes. There are thousands and thousands of databases full of recipes. From easy thirty minutes meals, to crockpot cookers, and baked goods, characteristics of these recipes can be found on several different websites. For instance, if an individual wants to find a recipe for banana read, all that one would need to do is to go online and Google banana bread recipes. In conclusion, with people using the computer every day, it is no wonder that the internet has become so popular. Because an individual can shop, socialize, and research areas of interest on the computer, society has become dependent on the internet. The ultimate question is have we as a society become more comfortable with machine than to come face to face with man.

Milk Chocolate vs Dark Chocolate

Do you find yourself favoring your chocolate to be smooth and creamy or dark and beneficial? One might argue that dark chocolate in comparison to milk chocolate is similar to a Coca Cola and a diet Coca Cola. Whichever your chocolate preference may be, there are millions of different mouth watering assortments ready to be eaten. I am a fan of dark chocolate and the small, but significant health benefits it offers me. Safe to say the majority of people have encountered both milk and dark chocolate at some point in their lives. Immediately, one will recognize that milk types tend to be softer, sweeter, and addicting. The difference between the two is; milk chocolate is prepared with more milk powder or condensed milk rather than cocoa. This mix creates a smoother quality of chocolate, followed by the consumers’ taste buds instant cravings for more. Also, milk chocolate was introduced first; therefore, most candy bars on grocery store shelves will be milk based. Bear in mind, despite the luscious taste, any one who guzzles a candy bar of course has to work off the excess calories, saturated fats, and carbs later. In contrast, dark chocolate lovers are choosing a healthier route to treat themselves to. Although both types nearly equate in calorie consumption, dark chocolate, unlike milk chocolate provides antioxidants that are valuable to the heart. Also, for individuals with dairy restricted diets, there is nothing more to fear. Dark chocolate is purposely made lactose free; therefore lactose intolerants can refrain from avoiding those chocolaty deserts and enjoy! Regardless of the nutrients that come from dark chocolate, it is still advised to discipline your self around these tasty delights. Perhaps some devotees might find limiting servings of dark chocolate simple considering the bitter taste, but I on the other hand beg to differ. Under my jurisdiction, the pros of dark chocolate defeat the pros of milk chocolate by far. I would even consider opting dark a wiser decision because ones desires are met, with less of the consequences to deal with later.