George Dawes Greens The Juror: Annie :: essays research papers

George Dawes Green's The Juror: Annie I have sustained some of the most appalling trials of this century. Over me I have felt distress, bleakness, sorrow. However none of them were as smashing as Annie's. Have you ever heard about Annie? Oh yes Annie Laird, one of the most kind jurors I have ever met. In George Dawes Greens The Juror, He sumarized the events and, thoroughly explained the pain and anguish Annie had to go through. The woe in which her life revolved after mentioning those lousy words  ¨I need a little excitement in my life  ¨1, well, if Annie needed to add a touch of excitement to her life she should have tried Disneyland not jury duty. What I am about to air is what happened in our little run with the mob. Truly that has a bit of foul humor because I can't run. If you keep on reading you will understand the risks of serving for jury duty  ¨Who will protect you? ¨2 Before I met her, Annie was an unadorned artiste who had just transferred out of Manhattan and into the country. To a small cottage by a lake. Her child, Oliver, who loved to ride his bike, moved in as well. I have to say that when I met Annie for the first time it was as Juror N ° 224. She was a sparkling maid. Who would have thought a rotten soul such as the teacher would try to harm her? I confess that her recoil in the following days impressed me. This time the trial was against Louie Boffano. He was the head of the mob. He and his right hand The Teacher were as bad as they come. The case was the murders of Salvadore Riggio and his grandson. Mr. Boffano was being accused of ordering them. By this time Annie and I already knew the teacher, but we acknowledged him as Zach Lyde. He had a very piquant approach toward Annie; he bought three of her artworks for twelve thousand dollars each. Nevertheless, how were we to imagine that he was part of the mob? By the time that night had come, Zach Lyde was having dinner at Annie's house. Oliver stayed at a friend's house; Juliet's house. Then came those frightful words from the teacher  ¨Annie, listen to me now, you're in danger and your son is in danger ¨3 After this, disaster struck Annie's life. From this moment on Annie would feel disquietude and distress. Her house was bugged, her friend's house was bugged, and she could not tell anyone.

An Interview With a Relative

Welcome to the blue collar city of Buffalo, New York. I find myself in my great Uncle Wills old brick home in the center of South Buffalo. The house has the familiar smell of old people, in the foyer are a pair of work boots the leather old and worn, the soles nearly depleted. A layer of dust has formed on the boots that have remained untouched for decades. As I move closer to the kitchen I can hear the recognizable sound of stainless steel clinking on ceramic, the rhythmic noise can only be one thing; Uncle Will’s stirring his ever present cup of joe. I know this interview is going to take a bit so I head to the fridge to find a cold beverage. Inside the fridge, prune juice I thought â€Å"ugh†, tap water will do. My Uncle begins by interviewing me. Uncle Will is curious to know how I’m doing in school and if I like living in Kansas. We talk about family, cars and pets(he has a very fat cat). I don’t want this interview to be formal and stiff so I casually guide the conversation to his earlier years. I want to ask him about WWII but this is not what I want to focus on. I do ask about his service in the United States Army just to get an idea of how his time in the army prepared him for entering the job market. In his tour of duty he saw himself promoted three times, eventually to the rank of Captain and led a company of sixty men. This is all I want to know of his brief military service. I ask about his homecoming and the first thing he mentions is the excellent growth the economy in Buffalo has made, â€Å"it was as if the depression never happened† he says with a half smile and a look of satisfaction. The best thing is not only was the city of Buffalo prospering the entire nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific was too. I sit quiet and attentive just letting him talk. It’s like a history lecture only it’s just me front and center, completely interested in the subject. I want to know more about Buffalo and the jobs available to him so I implore. â€Å"You could just see the smiles on everyone’s faces, people walking with a bounce in their step† he tells me. The reason for the smiling faces was that Buffalo was home to Bethlehem Steel the second largest steel producer in the nation. Bethlehem Steel employed tens of thousands of the city’s people they offered good wages and a unionized work force, these things kept the grins ear to ear. The steel was mainly sent to Detroit to fuel the auto industries record sales. The primary means to transport the steel was the railroad and this is where Uncle Will found his calling. He was hired for the job almost immediately. His time leading troops in combat made him the top choice for the conductor position. Old Will describes his new job as â€Å"Love at First sight†. Will adored the sound of the methodic turning of the locomotives wheels, the hustle and bustle of the train yard and the fact that he had the privilege to literally drive the economy in a 200 ton, 7000 horsepower machine. â€Å"The most efficient means of transportation, steel on steel,† he says proudly. He now commanded trains with at least sixty box cars just like the company of soldiers he led just a short while ago. Uncle Will informs me that though the job often kept him away a lot with trips to Chicago and other mid-western cities he was proud to be transporting the materials to help the U. S prosper. He coveted every moment he spent with his locomotive the diesel powered Dual-Service Erie-Built Train Master, â€Å"I called her Audrey after Audrey Hepburn, they showed her movies to us in the service† Uncle Will laughs as he finishes his statement. Audrey was navigating her way through the extensive network of railways across the country and with that even I feel a bit of admiration of the industry. His devotion to the train industry is fascinating. I ask him to tell me more about his duties as a conductor. The conductor has the duty of accelerating, breaking, changing tracks and supervising the crew, pretty important,† he adds with a chuckle. His days on the helm of the locomotive began to blur together days became months and months turned to years but he says â€Å" every time I pushed the accelerator I still had that goose bump sensation I felt the first time I pushed her to full speed. † Buffalo was still enjoying economic growth through the sixti es still thriving on America’s appetite for steel. In the late sixties as my Uncle explained he noticed a change, less noise at the rail yard the sound of wheels turning was less prevalent the methodic rhythm slowing down just like buffalo’s economy. Everyone could sense the change and the smiles began to fade. I want to know the reason for this change in demand. Uncle Will proclaimed with anger in his voice â€Å"Foreign steel was being imported from places like China and Korea. It was much cheaper and industry wants to save money. † The lack of demand for Buffalo’s number one export closed the doors of Bethlehem and Republic Steel. Thousand lost their jobs. â€Å"You could call this moment in time the death of our city â€Å"he adds. This was and is the beginning of the continual decline of the Queen City. Uncle Will was right unemployment rates were 6% and today is 9. 6% according to the New York State Department of Labor (www. labor. state. ny. us). This downturn affected all subsequent history. Unemployment caused crime rates to rise, drug use was rampant on the east side of town and it was spreading at a rapid rate. Today buffalo is littered with abandoned homes even ornate Roman Catholic churches have seen their doors and windows boarded up. â€Å"The city as I knew it was gone† with these words I hear a solemn sigh. I wanted this interview to be about how the railroad industry affected his life however by the way it started I should have known the interview was just a means for Uncle Will to tell me about the city he watched grow to greatness and the sadness it brings him to watch its decline. I peer out the window there is a light blanket of snow covering the concrete and the small bush he has in his front yard. It looks pretty and peaceful but looks can be deceiving. Uncle Will mention’s that even in his neighborhood crime was creeping in â€Å"the house just two doors down was burglarized just a week ago† he proclaims with a deep sadness in his eyes. I look closer at Uncle William’s face tired and worn like the work boots in the front hall, his soul wearing away. This man has done so much in his life he volunteered when his country needed him and guided trains on the veins of Buffalo, pumping its blood of steel around the fledging nation. Without sadness there cannot be joy and without depression there cannot be growth. Unfortunately this weary old man is still sitting in his old red recliner coffee cup in hand staring out the window at the city streets once home to the laughter of playing children now quiet and desolate. He says â€Å"I’d leave this place but there are too many memories in this old house, too many memories in this old city. †

Mesopotamian and Egyptian Culture

The main scripture that holds the Christian faith is the Holy Bible. It has existed for a very long time already that it is already considered as an â€Å"institution† when it comes to its teachings and the values that it imparts on the readers. Some religions have even sprung from Christianity itself, and the basis of their teachings is also the Bible. But there are some who dispels the notion as the Bible being an institution of knowledge by saying that some parts of the Old Testament has been copied or patterned to other writings from other cultures. This has greatly affected the formation of the Old Testament, since it has to incorporate some materials and information from other cultures. It could also just be a coincidence that they have similar points, other than that, neither one of them copied the contents of the other. The Epic of Gilgamesh/Gilgamesh as the Babylonian Noah One of the great literary pieces to ever exist was the Epic of Gilgamesh. It talks about how the great Sumerian King Gilgamesh lived is life. Even though epic was compiled into written form a very long time ago, it has existed way back in 2100 B.C. in another form which is through word of mouth. This just show how long it has already been in circulation, in order to establish a comparison with the existence of the Christian’s Moses, if he ever existed. Moses, when he came into the scene through the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, is said to be 800-900 years younger than the Epic of Gilgamesh. With this information at hand, it is clear to see that the Epic of Gilgamesh came first, with a head start of 900 years before The Book of Exodus in the Old Testament came into existence. One of the arguable points in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament was Great Flood that the Lord had given the lands of man. It was done in order to cleanse the earth of the sins of man. However, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, we can see that there was also a great flood delivered to cleanse the world of sinful people: same content, but different stories. It was Ut-Napishtim who told him about the gods giving such punishments to people. He told Gilgamesh to take down a house and make a boat out of it. He would spare Gilgamesh’ family and relatives; he was also instructed to gather as all the animals and living things that he can spare. Gilgamesh was vey much like the famous Noah who built the Ark on God’s bidding for them to be spared, along with pairs of different animals he can gather. But considering the time frame, it is more like, Noah was very much like Gilgamesh who built a large boat, and God was very much like Ut-Napishtim, who cleansed the lands with a great flood to get rid of sinful people. Gilgamesh and Noah are two different people coming from two different cultures in different time frames. They are very similar in a lot of aspects, especially in the matter of the Great Flood. If it was merely a coincidence that they both constructed a great water vessel and rounded up all the animals in the world, no one knows. It is just that These two men were both heroes and icons of their own times, and have made their marks in their own different cultures. The Code of Hammurabi and the Laws of Moses One of the most notable law maker/leader would be King Hammurabi of the Babylonian Dynasty. He was noted for his Code of Hammurabi, a very influential set of laws and corresponding punishments to its violators. He existed around 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C., 300 years before Moses is said to have existed. The point of comparison that is being built-up here is that Hammurabi came before Moses. Most people know that Moses is noted to be the bearer of the Lord’s 10 Commandments. This is because of some claims saying that even the 10 Commandments, as well as the laws set by Moses or the Mosaic Laws were patterned to the Code of Hammurabi. There are several concepts that would attract one’s attention if he’s looking for similarities. One of these concepts is with regards to the respect for parents. For Hammurabi, a son who strikes his father should have his arm cut off. In Mosaic law, if someone curses his parents or is very rebellious, then death is the right punishment. Another would be on marriage. For Hammurabi, if a man wishes to leave his family, then he should prepare a fraction of his property and wealth in order for the mother to raise their children. On the other hand, Mosaic law says that divorce will only be allowed if a spouse becomes indecent or unfaithful. Both Hammurabi and the Mosaic law agreed that death should be the appropriate punishment for both man and woman committing adultery. Incest for them is also unacceptable, and should be dealt with sever punishment, and if necessary, it should be death for those who have committed the crime Theft is also another aspect of similarity, where both of them condone the act of stealing and robbing from other people. In the Mosaic law, whatever living property is stolen and has been killed, should be returned five folds. If it is alive, it should be returned immediately. On the other hand, Hammurabi states that it depends on the social position of the thief, whether he should pay ten-folds or thirty times the original. But for those caught in the act of robbing someone else or stealing someone else property, no matter how valuable it is, the punishment to be given should be death. Finally, the one that showed relevant similarity was on inflicting physical injury in another person. In Mosaic laws, it depends on the weight of the damage done by the offender. Injuries which are not serious should be given necessary fines, where the offender would pay this fine for the damages he has done to the victim. But for those who have committed serious injury on somebody else, then it would be necessary to exercise taking a life for a life, or a limb for a limb. The Hammurabic code is the source of the line â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.† The Hymn to Aton Not only did the Bible borrowed from the early Mesopotamian societies, they have also extracted some from early Egyptian cultures. Praise worship for the Lord which is found in several verses of the Bible can be traced back to tomb scriptures of some of the great men of Egypt, rulers who have made a great impact on their constituents. They are revered even after their deaths, with poems, songs and hymns being written for them as a form of praise-worship. This has been adopted by some verses in the Bible, showing how the Lord is miraculous, powerful and merciful. Not many of the people know that these verses were patterned from some dead guy’s tomb scriptures. The Sinai Covenant The Sinai covenant has been the primer of what seemed to as periodic worship, which is timely, for it was allotted a day in a week for worship. However, there are also other religions that follow this day of the Sabbath, where they would do nothing else but worship their gods all throughout the day. This is in relation to what the Bible claimed to be the day of worship for its followers. References: Anonymous. â€Å"Egyptian & Old Testament Scriptural Correspondences.†Ã‚   http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/thera/egypt.html. Caroll, Robert Todd. â€Å"Noah's Ark.†Ã‚   http://skepdic.com/noahsark.html. Latoundji, David Paul. â€Å"God at Sinai: Covenant and Theophany in the Bible and Ancient near East.† Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society ( Mar 1999). Nosotro, Rit. â€Å"Comparing the Content of Hammurabi's Code, Mosaic Law, and Justinian Law.†Ã‚   http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw03hammurabijustinlaw.htm. Tolerance, Ontario Consultants on Religious. â€Å"Comparison of the Babylonian and Noahic Flood Stories.†Ã‚   http://www.religioustolerance.org/noah_com.htm. Worldwide Church of God. â€Å"Did Moses Steal the Ten Commandments? .† Worldwide Church of God, http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/law/steal10.htm.      

History of the Fornication Pants Essay

Jeans today are much more than a simple item of clothing; they are a staple, a comfort and an identity. They are not a piece of clothing that is unique to one culture or society; jeans are jeans no matter where you are. Jeans have transcended nationality, race and even war, and yet they are still one of the most ordinary parts of our lives. What many people take for granted is that Jeans have become such a part of their everyday lives that they never stop to think about where they come from, and what they have done for people. Jeans had a humble beginning, a colourful and influential life and have a bright future. They are a part of North American history and culture and have defined many people’s lives. Cotton denim started being produced in North America in the eighteenth century and with the American cotton industry came slave labour. Plantation owners relied on slaves to keep prices down, and in 1860 there were almost four million slaves in the southern United States. (Kyi p.10) Denim got its name from a French fabric woven of silk and wool. The fabric was made in Nimes, France, and as a result it was dubbed â€Å"serge de Nimes†, but when the fabric began being stocked in English stores, it was shortened to â€Å"deNimes† or â€Å"denim†. (Sullivan p.12) At the time, denim was the strongest fabric and was even thought to have been the fabric of choice for the sails of the ships that Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World. (Sullivan p.14) Jean manufacturers buying denim from mills requested dark blue cloth rather than the pale beige offered as it was a colour that would show less dirt and wear. So denim cloth began to be dyed using indigo, but because of the time needed to make the dye it was one of the most expensive dyes in the world. That changed in the 1880’s, when a German scientist by the name of Johann von Baeyer discovered a way to create the same colour in a lab. The colour blue was now much more accessible and cheaper to achieve using the new synthetic indigo dye. (Kyi p.10) There are two Jean companies that played a major part in the production and distribution of the pants at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Levi Strauss & Co. and Lee Company. Levi Strauss was born Loeb Strauss in 1829 in Bavaria. After immigrating to the San Francisco, he opened up a whole sale business selling high quality fabrics. He struck it rich during the California gold rush in the 1860’s, but not by finding gold, but by selling his heavy duty work pants. (Kyi p.15) Around the same time in Nevada, a tailor named Jacob Davis, an immigrant from Latvia, was trying to figure out how to make his work pants stronger. Miners were constantly ripping the seams of their denim work pants. Finally while in his barn Davis realised that the copper rivets that were used to reinforce the seams of horse blankets could be used to reinforce pants as well. (Kyi p.18) His pants were a hit, so he contacted his denim supplier, Levi Strauss, to see if he would consider going into business with him and help him purchase a patent. Strauss was convinced and the two applied for a patent in 1873. This was the birth of blue jeans, although they were not called jeans yet. They were still being called high waist overalls or waist overalls. (Kyi p.21) The first cloth called â€Å"jean† was made in Genoa, Italy, and was worn by sailors. In Italian, Genoa is pronounced â€Å"Genes†, but Strauss did not use the Italian fabric and his pants were not worn by sailors so he never used the term â€Å"jeans†. It was not until years after his death that Levi Strauss & Co. Began using the word. (Contini p.158) It did not take long for the riveted jeans to catch on, and production began to soar and Strauss invited Davis to move to San Francisco, where the two hired dozens of seamstresses to work in their new factories. To distinguish which pants were his and to demonstrate how strong they were, Strauss had a leather label designed for the back waistband, that showed a pair of jeans tied between two draft horses going in opposite directions. The horses were trying to rip the jeans apart, but the fabric was too strong. The label worked so well that for decades the jeans were known as the Two-Horse brand. (Kyi p.23) In the 1890’s a pair of Levi Strauss’ jeans cost about one dollar US, about the equivalent of twenty dollars US today, which was enough to make Strauss rich. (Sullivan p.18) When he died in 1902, his company was left in the care of his three nephews, who were eager continue the company’s success, but they were facing competition. The patent on riveted pants expired in 1891, and in the early 20th century, a new clothing manufacturer appeared, Henry David Lee. Lee opened H.D. Lee Mercantile Company in Kansas City in 1899, selling fabric and furniture. Soon he opened up his own factory and began producing what would today be recognized as overalls. (Kyi p.25) He then came up with the idea to sew a denim shirt onto a pair of jeans to form a denim coverall. The Lee Union-All was first marketed to men who loved cars as it could be worn over other clothes to keep them clean. In 1913 it was popular with farmers, engineers, and factory workers, and soon became available for women and children. When the American Army was preparing to join WWI, thousands of Lee Union-Alls were ordered for the soldiers as they were found to be more durable than any other clothing. (Kyi p.26) In 1926, the Lee Company revolutionized jeans, by putting a zipper in place of the buttons in the fly to â€Å"ease access†. During the depression Lee Company managed to convince people that Lee jeans would last twice as long as other pants, making them a good investment. The Company even opened up a new factory in 1936. (Kyi p.31) During WWII, wartime rationing led to shortages of blue jeans, and owning them became a status symbol. At that time jeans were only available in North America, but when soldiers set sail for Europe and Asia, jeans were introduced to the rest of the world. (Kyi p.35) For women working in factories during the war, jeans or coveralls with a bandanna became their dress code, partly because of the famous portrait of Rosie the Riveter proclaiming â€Å"We Can Do It† while wearing a denim shirt. (Sullivan p.70) After the war, the young soldiers who came home became the first teen rebels. They no longer wanted coveralls but pants that fitted snugly around the waist more suited to motorcycle riding than farming. (Kyi p.39) This developed a style that was popularized by Hollywood and stars such as James Dean in Rebel without a Cause. (Sullivan p.92) Marilyn Monroe began wearing hip-hugging jeans that became popular for women in the 1950’s, making jeans sexy for women as well as men. (Sullivan p.96) Jeans were now something that you could wear while hanging out with your friends; they were no longer just for working on the farm or in a factory. Parents began to worry that their children were running wild, and jeans were banned in US schools and in churches in England. (Kyi p.41) It seemed as though Brigham Young could see into the future when in the 1830’s he called jeans the â€Å"fornication pant†, appalled at the button fly. (Sullivan p.9) Denim had left behind its army reputation and had become the newest style trend. Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Bridget Bardot began wearing them for press appearances and parties, and that’s when the worldwide love affair with denim began. (Sullivan p. 98) Jeans are now a staple of pretty much everyone’s wardrobe in the 21st century. No matter what ethnicity or social class, everyone wears jeans. You see them on movie stars, your teachers, Presidents and Princes, and when you see news footage of a peace rally in Israel; the protestors are wearing jeans. They now come in over 200 sizes and countless styles and washes, with some made for wear on the farm and others perfect for a date on a Friday night. In the 19th century a pair of Levi’s would set a buyer back about $1.50 US, but today the sky is the limit. Jeans vary in price (for adults) from around $20 US at Wal-Mart to a pair of diamond and gold studded jeans that were sold in 2001 in Italy for $500,000 US. (Kyi p.13) Light wash or dark wash, boot cut or flare, diamond studded or embroidered, jeans are jeans, and are a North American icon. Jeans are one of the only pieces of clothing that have survived over ten decade’s worth of styles, and have always looked pretty much the same, and will be around for many more years to come. Works Cited 1.Kyi, Tanya Lloyd. The Blue Jean Book: The Story behind the Seams. New York, New York: Annick Press, 2007. 2.Sullivan, James. Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon. New York, New York: Gotham Books, 2006. 3.Contini, Mila. 5000 Years of Fashion. Secaucus, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc., 1977.

Drama and Literacy in the classroom Essay

The widespread saturation of non-literary narrative forms with which students interact in modern society has resulted in a distinct change in the methods and means of literacy skills and education. Researches have discovered that advantages exist for students who are enrolled in cross-discipline curriculums and specific evidence exists to show that the use of drama within a classroom setting provides and ample boost to the educational experiences and efficacy of students. The TES has reported on research from Durham University which found that primary pupils’ academic performance may improve if their schools devote time to drama. Children from inner-London primaries achieved better than expected results in maths and reading tests after their schools took part in an outreach project run by the National Theatre. † (Literacy Trust) Such a boost is the result of the multifaceted levels of engagement and interactivity that drama provides for students. In addition to boosting literacy and math skills, researches have discovered that drama also enhances speaking and listening skills, which, in turn, enhance performances across the spectrum of scholastic activity: â€Å"drama can be a powerful tool to develop children’s speaking and listening skills: National Theatre children learned to speak more clearly and listen more attentively than their matches. † (Literacy Trust) Other cited benefits are: children who participated in drama in the classroom reported an increased enjoyment of school, higher self-esteem and self-confidence, a clearer ability to set and meet goals, and an enhanced understanding and interest in the creative arts: â€Å"When drama is used in literature-based reading programs, it often remains as simulated role play to recall and/or provide an alternative ending for all or part of a story. In order for a drama activity to enhance both literary and literacy development, the activities must engage the children in a thorough reading of the story. † (Hertzberg, 1998) The success of drama-enhanced curriculums may be connected to human brain function, thus demonstrating an organic merit to the dramatic form as a teaching technique and educational aid. â€Å"Education is now beginning to take account of recent research into the way the brain works and the ways in which children learn and to relate this to the teaching and learning of today’s curriculum. The result is likely to be an increase in creative and multi-sensory approaches to teaching, linked to clearly defined learning objectives. â€Å"(Neelands, Baldwin & Fleming, 2003, p. 4) Because drama requires participation in group-work and interaction with sets of individuals all working toward a shared goal, text-work through dramatic readings and performances, â€Å"creates a sense of shared ownership through which children can investigate and develop characters, fill the gaps left in the text, reveal the subtext, and use their imaginations to bridge the divide between writer and reader, integrating and encompassing all aspects of literacy. (Neelands, Baldwin, and Fleming 5) Perhaps most importantly of all, the participation in drama encourages students to engage with texts emotionally, intellectually, and with a vested interest and connection to the material which seems to be absent from traditional learning methods. â€Å"Drama creates motivation for students to participate and facilitates students’ responses in reading instruction[†¦ ]dramatization is a source of scaffolding for emergent readers by providing rich background experiences for future reading[†¦ ] dramatization leads students to develop symbolic representation, which is the same concept children require in order to understand the alphabetic principle. † (Lin,2003). Other benefits certainly exist within the drama enhanced curriculum; only practice of the theoretic techniques and research will fully disclose the potential for this type of dynamic educational process. References Hertzberg, M. (1998). Theory into Practice: Using Drama to Enhance Literacy Development. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 21(2), 159+. Neelands, J. , Baldwin, P. , & Fleming, K. (2003). Teaching Literacy through Drama: Creative Approaches. London: RoutledgeFalmer. www. literacytrust. org. uk 3-31-07, accessed 4-9-07. http://www. literacytrust. org. uk/Database/drama. html#test Lin,Chia-Hui. â€Å"Literacy Instruction through Communicative and Visual Arts† The Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication Digest #186 12-03, Accessed 4-10-07. http://reading. indiana. edu/ieo/digests/d186. html

Week2 BUSFIN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week2 BUSFIN - Assignment Example This profitability ratio also shows the declining performance of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. However, the performance on the company is dependent on economy’s performance therefore we cannot conclude that this lackluster performance will continue in the future. As for the solvency is concerned, the company has experienced a declining debt to equity ratio which implies that shareholder’s still place trust on the company and they hold great expectation from the company in the future. Although a D/E ratio greater than 1 is not desirable but Las Vegas Sands Corporation should consider on reducing this ratio to increase its credit worthiness. The financial leverage ratio is similar to Debt to Equity ratio except the fact that it takes equity into the account. These ratios are implying that the company is solvent and can sustain the business in the future through its financing capabilities. The interest coverage ratio shows that the number of times a company’s EBIT can cover its interest expense. In year 2008, the company had a positive EBIT but they were not sufficient to cover the interest expense which implies that they were facing a liquidity crisis. Furthermore, in year 2009 the interest coverage ratio further reduced to -0.089 due to its operating expenses being greater than its gross profit. The company needs to concentrate on controlling its operating expenses in order to be

China241 - Chiense language analysis (homework) Case Study

China241 - Chiense language analysis (homework) - Case Study Example for males and females in rhotacization (85%,83%), lenition (63%, 57%), interdental (ts) (39%, 0%) and realization of neutral tone as full tone (0%, 1%). The state professionals use these local Beijing features frequently except full tone variant while Waiqi professionals use non-local variants and a foreign language like English and German. Sharp gender differentiation for Waiqi professionals is due to value of language in producing cosmopolitan professional identity, company image projection and decline of state feminism due to new market economy (Zhang, 405). Use of linguistic features shows this difference for males and females: rhotacization (64%, 235), lenition (47%, 27%), interdental (ts) (15%, 0%) and full tone (10%, 31%). Language and gender related characteristics are resources or symbolic capital for Waiqi as they are used to project company image. Having foreign language skills is crucial for Waiqi as means for interpretation and communication with Chinese businesspersons but women are more constrained to use it than men do due to work requirements. Language and gender have great impact on professional access to opportunities and career trajectories. Unlike state enterprises where there are no front desks or need to present company face, Waiqis value company image in the competitive market hence employ women to represent the face of the company. These women must have foreign language skills and be presentable and firm employs them as receptionists and secretaries. Regardless of their area of expertise, they begin as secretaries, move up the ladder, and sometimes continue performing administrative duties whilst men begin with doing real business such as marketing (Zhang, 411). According to Zhang, â€Å"this has to do with gendered practice in parent corporations† and political and economic circumstances (413). The Chinese language is not â€Å"gender language† like European or other languages in order to avoid sexism. It therefore has no grammatical