King Lear and the Drawer Boy Comparative Essay Essay

Sometimes, unconsciously, role play is used in our daily lives to assume or act out a specific role. The role play portrayed in Shakespeare’s King Lear and Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy is best defined as the acts or attitude of a person differing from normal in order to attain a better point of view, social interaction, or a goal. William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1564, is known world-wide for his talent for writing plays and poems (William). Shakespeare’s King Lear was officially printed in 1608 (King Lear). This play follows the life of a headstrong old man, King Lear, whose mental state is disturbed by his two selfish daughters, Goneril and Regan. Lear’s other daughter, Cordelia, is loyal to her father, but is disowned for her simple, yet honest response to her father’s question in Act one. The daughters must flatter their father in order for him to decide who gets the most desirable part of his kingdom, but this only elicits lies and cruelty from Goneril and Regan, eventually leading to Cordelia’s and Lear’s downfall. Meanwhile, Gloucester, the father of Edgar and Edmund (his illegitimate son), is blinded by lies as well. Edmund manages to trick his father into disliking Edgar in order for him to take over Gloucester’s power. Michael Healey reflects on betrayal in the form of a stage play, The Drawer Boy, a story told with humour, but also about loss and love. Healey, a Canadian playwright and actor, was born on August 25, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario (Nothof). He based The Drawer Boy on a group of actors who went to farms to research rural life in Southern Ontario and collectively produce a play called The Farm Show. The Drawer Boy is a full length play that focuses on a young actor from Toronto, Miles, and his experiences while visiting a farm owned by two older men, Morgan and Angus. Morgan cares for his close friend Angus, who has brain damage and memory loss which happened during the bombing of London in the Second World War. By the end of the play, these three men create and interpret reality through storytelling and role play. It is obvious that both works use role play as an important device that helps develop the topic of deception. Although the essential nature of role play in King Lear is mostly corrupt, in contrast to the innocent intention in the Drawer Boy, both forms of deception have positive consequences. These positive consequences are what allow the characters to act morally and to understand the value of others. Everyone has an individual role that has the ability to influence other lives. Being capable of role play can have negative and positive effects, depending on how it is used. In King Lear, Edmund is described by his father as the â€Å"bastard son†, and that is the exact role he plays. This role was given to him at birth. Although Edmund is cruel and manipulative in nature, he does find a means for redemption. When Edmund is defeated by his brother Edgar, he still has the chance to kill Cordelia and King Lear, but instead, he makes an attempt to save them by calling back his soldiers before they follow orders. Although the attempt is unsuccessful, a different side of Edmund is revealed during this final act, and he admits to being out of character. â€Å"I pant for life. Some good I mean to do, despite of my own nature,† he declares (5. 3. 291-292). This self-awareness is significant because Edmund acknowledges how his role has affected others, and takes advantage of the opportunity to make a moral decision. This form of justice is also portrayed by the character Miles in The Drawer Boy. Miles’ task is to go to a farm and study how farm-life works in order to create a play about it back in Toronto. The more he gets involved with the lives of Morgan and Angus, the more intrigued he is by them. Although there are a few humorous references to farming, the main attention of this play is on Morgan and Angus’ history together. Miles decides to use the original story he overheard Morgan telling Angus one night as a part in his play. After attending Miles’ rehearsal, Morgan is not impressed by how invasive the play is, but Angus is excited by the reanimation of his life. When Miles discovers there is more to the story, such as sadness and loss, he declines Angus’ offer to use their story in his play. â€Å"Thanks. But—thanks†(Healey 188), Miles says as he hands over his notebook. Miles decides to give up the whole play, even if it means it will jeopardize his career as an actor. When Miles hands over his notebook to Morgan it symbolizes the ethical decision he is making. Even though his role in the play is to investigate farm life, he steps out of that role to do what is right. Edmund and Miles are characters that can be easily compared. They both show that a specific role is not given to someone; instead, people can determine how flexible and adaptable their role in life is. The way that Edmund and Miles adapt to their surroundings by changing characters in order to make a just decision is heartening. Valuing other people for their individuality or specific characteristics is essential to positive interaction among humans. When people take on the role of someone else they lose their individuality and worthiness of true self-value. This type of deceiving interaction is seen in both King Lear and The Drawer Boy. Lear’s flaw at the beginning of the play is that he values appearances over reality. Using role play to their advantage, Goneril and Regan are villainous and use Lear’s blindness to their true natures against him. They alter their characters to flatter their father, who is too full of pride to recognize deceit. Cordelia’s sincerity is misunderstood and Lear banishes her because she does not compliment him like her other two sisters. Both Goneril and Regan have altered their personalities to gain all of Lear’s powers, and it is not until they take everything away from Lear, that he realizes Cordelia is the only daughter who truly loves him. He begs for forgiveness as he cries to Cordelia, â€Å"If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for your sisters/ Have, as I do remember, done me wrong† (4. 7. 82-84). Although Lear believes he has done Cordelia wrong and deserves to be punished, Cordelia has no desire for revenge, or any need to make her father suffer for having misjudged her. Goneril and Regan make their father believe they are someone else, but in the end, Lear is able to made amends with Cordelia and value her compassion and honesty. Thi s family journey reinforces the idea that at the heart of every betrayal lies a skewed set of values. Similarly, Morgan values his life-time friend Angus, but does not fully appreciate him until the end of the play. Morgan hides the truth from Angus for a couple of reasons: Angus hit Sally during one of his headache episodes and that’s why she and Frances left the farm. Morgan alse wants to protect himself from his guilt over being responsible for Angus’ accident that caused the headaches and memory loss. When Miles and Angus push Morgan into finally revealing the true story, Angus is overwhelmed, but understanding. Morgan explains, â€Å"I told you the story of the black car crashing for the first time. I told it again, and you stopped crying. I told it again, and you fell asleep. I kept telling it ’cause it made you feel better. Goddamn it, it made me feel better† (Healey 187-188). By telling Angus the truth, Morgan shows how his protective role overpowered his role as a friend. He was, in a way, being selfish by hiding this secret from Angus because he felt guilty for being the one who made Angus go out to the car to get a bottle of brandy when the accident occurred. Angus, however, is not mad at Morgan, but upset with himself for hitting Sally, which caused both Sally and Frances to leave. Both men feel guilty and sorry for one another and for what they have done. Angus had the right to know the truth and Morgan realizes that after seeing how his friend handles it. Morgan now has more respect for Angus, especially after they make a promise to tell the story every day even if Angus forgets. Angus plays a unique role in this play because he is lacking memories of his past with Morgan. Even with memories missing, he still acknowledges the importance of Morgan in his life, and vice versa. The characters recognized the value of others near the end of both works. Truth comes out by the end of King Lear and The Drawer Boy that draws attention to the real role of characters. These character traits are what reveal to the audience each character’s true nature and this realization is what brings those characters closer. Although in The Drawer Boy, Morgan already valued Angus for who he is, it is not until the end of the play that he can explain why he values his friend so much. Whereas throughout King Lear, Cordelia is wretched compared to her sisters, and Lear does not realize how important she is until the very end. In conclusion, while King Lear have more sinister intentions of role play, it is easily comparable to the role play in The Drawer Boy. Characters from both works change their behaviour to accomplish tasks which lead to important results. The results are identified as the characters making moral decisions, and developing a new appreciation of others. In King Lear, the good are misjudged as evil and the evil are accepted as good. In The Drawer Boy the effect of loss and love overwhelms the reader. Two intriguing pieces of writing that are different, but similar in many ways, use an important device, role play. Role play can be as simple as a child playing â€Å"Doctor†, or it can be as serious as altering one’s entire personality to be someone else. In either instance, it is an effective tool that can have many advantages or disadvantages. How people decide to use this ability that defines them and the outcome.

Comparison of Indirect Cost Multipliers for Vehicle Manufacturing Essay

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The University of Chicago, nor any of their employees or officers, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of document authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof, Argonne National Laboratory, or The University of Chicago. COMPARISON OF INDIRECT COST MULTIPLIERS FOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURING INTRODUCTION In the process of manufacturing and selling vehicles, a manufacturer incurs certain costs. Among these costs are those incurred directly as a part of manufacturing operations and those incurred indirectly in the processes of manufacturing and selling. The indirect costs may be productionrelated, such as R&D and engineering; business-related, such as corporate staff salaries and pensions; or retail-sales-related, such as dealer support and marketing. These indirect costs are recovered by allocating them to each vehicle. Under a stable, high-volume production process, the allocation of these indirect costs can be approximated as multipliers (or factors) applied to the direct cost of manufacturing. A manufacturer usually allocates indirect costs to finished vehicles according to a corporation-specific pricing strategy. Because the volumes of sales and production vary widely by model within a corporation, the internal corporate percent allocation of various accounting categories (such as profit or corporate overhead) can vary widely among individual models. Approaches also vary across corporations. For our purposes, an average value is constructed, by means of a generic representative method, for vehicle models produced at high volume. To accomplish this, staff at Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL’s) Center for Transportation Research analyzed the conventional vehicle cost structure and developed indirect cost multipliers for passenger vehicles. This memorandum summarizes the results of an effort to compare and put on a common basis the cost multipliers used in ANL’s electric and hybrid electric vehicle cost estimation procedures with those resulting from two other methodologies. One of the two compared methodologies is derived from a 1996 presentation by Dr. Chris Borroni-Bird of Chrysler Corporation, the other is by Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. (EEA), as described in a 1995 report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), Congress of the United States. The cost multipliers are used for scaling the component costs to retail prices. ANL METHODOLOGY The ANL methodology described here is based on an analysis concerned with electric vehicle production and operating costs (Cuenca et al. 2000; Vyas et al. 1998). The analysis evaluated the cost structure for conventional vehicle manufacturing and retailing and assigned shares of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to various cost contributors. Multipliers developed from the ANL methodology are applied to the manufacturing cost of an individual component in order to scale the component cost to the retail price. Several cost contributors are included in the methodology, as summarized in Table 1. Some of the vehicle components for electric and hybrid electric vehicles would be procured from outside suppliers. This assumption is applied to electric drive components, excluding the battery; the vehicle manufacturer would produce the rest. Thus, two cost multipliers, one for the components manufactured internally and the other for outsourced components, are necessary to estimate the price of electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Outside suppliers would incur some of the costs normally borne by the vehicle manufacturer. In the ANL methodology, we assume that the costs of â€Å"Warranty,† â€Å"R&D/Engineering,† and â€Å"Depreciation and Amortization† are borne by the Page 1 suppliers of outsourced components. The outside suppliers would include these costs in their prices. The following two cost multipliers are computed by using â€Å"Cost of Manufacture† as the base: Cost multiplier for components manufactured internally = 100/50 = 2. 00. Cost multiplier for outsourced components = 100/(50 + 6. 5 + 5. 5 + 5) = 1. 50. Table 1 Contributors to Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price in ANL Methodology Cost Category Cost Contributor Relative to Share of Cost of Vehicle MSRP Manufacturing (%) Vehicle Manufacturing Cost of Manufacture 1. 00 50. 0 Production Overhead Warranty 0. 10 5. 0 R&D/Engineering 0. 13 6. 5 Depreciation and Amortization 0. 11 5. 5 Corporate Overhead Corporate Overhead, Retirement and 0. 14 7. 0 Health Selling Distribution, Marketing, Dealer 0. 47 23. 5 Support, and Dealer Discount Sum of Costs 1. 95 97. 5 Profit Profit 0. 05 2. 5 Total Contribution to 2. 00 100. 0 MSRP METHODOLOGY DERIVED FROM BORRONI-BIRD PRESENTATION In his presentation, entitled â€Å"Automotive Fuel Cell Requirements,† at the 1996 Automotive Technology Development Customers’ Coordination Meeting, Borroni-Bird included charts on the â€Å"Typical American Automobile: Price/Cost Breakdown. † The charts provided a graphical breakdown of vehicle price, showing cost contributors and profit. We used the charts to arrive at percentage shares of vehicle price by various contributors. Table 2 shows the resulting allocation. Page 2 Table 2 Price/Cost Breakdown Based on Borroni-Bird Presentation Cost Category Cost Contributor a Vehicle Manufacturing Fixed Cost Selling Sum of Costs Profit MSRP a Material Cost Assembly Labor and Other Manufacturing a Costs Transportation/Warranty Amortization and Depreciation, Engineering R&D, Pension and Health Care, Advertising, and Overhead Price Discounts Dealer Markup Automobile Profit. Relative to Cost of Vehicle Manufacturing 0. 87 0. 13 0. 09 0. 44 Share of MSRP (%) 42. 5 6. 5 4. 5 21. 5 0. 10 0. 36 1. 99 0. 06 2. 05 5. 0 17. 5 97. 5 2. 5 100. 0 These two contributors are scaled to sum to 1 in the third column, as in Table 1. In his presentation, Borroni-Bird did not evaluate the treatment of in-house or outsourced components. His methodology does not lend itself to easy computation of cost multipliers comparable with those in the ANL methodology, unless we make a few assumptions. We have assumed that â€Å"Material Cost,† taken together with â€Å"Assembly Labor and Other Manufacturing Costs,† would form the â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† base for the in-house components. The costs of â€Å"Transportation/Warranty,† â€Å"Amortization and Depreciation,† and â€Å"Engineering R&D† would be borne by the suppliers of outsourced components. However, â€Å"Amortization and Depreciation† and â€Å"Engineering R&D† costs were merged with â€Å"Pension and Health Care,† â€Å"Advertising,† and â€Å"Overhead† costs by Borroni-Bird. We assumed that half of the costs under this category would be borne by the suppliers of outsourced components. Our assumptions led to the following cost multipliers: Cost multiplier for components manufactured internally = 100/(42. 5 + 6. 5) = 2. 05. Cost multiplier for outsourced components = 100/(42. 5 + 6. 5 + 4. 5 + 10. 75) = 1. 56. These cost multipliers are very similar to those computed with the ANL methodology. Comparison of ANL and Borroni-Bird Methodologies The information from Tables 1 and 2 is shown in terms of cost categories in Table 3. Both methodologies use vehicle manufacturing cost as the base and add other costs to it. The share of MSRP attributable to â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† is 50% in the ANL methodology, compared with 49% in the Borroni-Bird Methodology. Borroni-Bird combined several cost contributors under â€Å"Fixed Cost. † These contributors include (see Table 2) â€Å"Amortization and Depreciation,† â€Å"Engineering R&D,† â€Å"Pension and Health Care,† â€Å"Advertising,† and â€Å"Overhead. † Except for the inclusion of â€Å"Advertising,† â€Å"Production Overhead† and â€Å"Corporate Overhead† in the ANL methodology can be combined to form an equivalent category. ANL’s total of 24% by production Page 3. and corporate overheads is slightly lower than the total of 26% by Borroni-Bird. The ANL category of â€Å"Selling,† which includes â€Å"Distribution,† â€Å"Marketing,† â€Å"Dealer Support,† and â€Å"Dealer Discount,† is broader than that of â€Å"Price Discounts† and â€Å"Dealer Markup† specified by BorroniBird, and this category’s contribution is understandably slightly higher in the ANL methodology. The share of MSRP by â€Å"Profit† is the same in both methodologies. The absolute differences, computed as ANL value minus Borroni-Bird value, are 1% for â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing,† –2% for â€Å"Fixed Cost,† and 1% for â€Å"Selling† cost. Table 3 Comparison of Vehicle Price/Cost Allocation by ANL and Borroni-Bird Methodologies ANL Methodology Cost Contributor or Category Vehicle Manufacturing Production Overhead Corporate Overhead Selling Sum of Costs Profit MSRP EEA METHODOLOGY The methodology of Energy and Environmental Analysis is summarized in the OTA report OTAETI-638, entitled Advanced Automotive Technology: Visions of a Super-Efficient Family Car, published in September 1995. The values of some cost contributors are not listed in the report. Moreover, depreciation, amortization, and tooling expenses are assumed to be case-specific and therefore must be computed for each case. In order to make the EEA and ANL methodologies comparable, some assumptions were necessary. These assumptions are described in the summary below. The EEA cost equations can be simplified as follows: Cost of Manufacture = Division Cost ? [1 + Division Overhead] Manufacturer Cost = [Cost of Manufacture + Assembly Labor + Assembly Overhead] ? [1 + Manufacturing Overhead + Manufacturing Profit] + Engineering Expense + Tooling Expense + Facilities Expense Retail Price Equivalent = Manufacturer Cost ? [1 + Dealer Margin] Borroni-Bird Methodology Share of Cost Contributor or Category Share of MSRP (%) MSRP (%) 50. 0 Vehicle Manufacturing 49. 0 17. 0 Fixed Cost 26. 0 7. 0 23. 5 Selling 22. 5 97. 5 Sum of Costs 97. 5 2. 5 Automobile Profit 2. 5 100. 0 MSRP 100. 0 Page 4 The report lists the following values for overhead, profit, and dealer margin: Division Overhead = Supplier Overhead = 0. 20 (We assume that division and supplier overheads are equal; only the supplier overhead is given in the report. ) Manufacturing Overhead = 0. 25 Manufacturing Profit = 0. 20 Dealer Margin = 0. 25 Because the documentation in the OTA report does not provide values for â€Å"Assembly Labor,† â€Å"Assembly Overhead,† â€Å"Engineering Expense,† â€Å"Tooling Expense,† and â€Å"Facilities Expense,† cost multipliers cannot be computed directly from these data. The â€Å"Assembly Labor† and â€Å"Assembly Overhead† share of MSRP is 6. 5% in Borroni-Bird’s presentation. The engineering, tooling, and facilities expenses can be taken as the sum of â€Å"R&D/Engineering† and â€Å"Depreciation and Amortization† from the ANL methodology, at 12% of the MSRP. In deriving the division cost and price relationship below, we use the term Retail Price Equivalent (RPE) from the OTA report instead of MSRP. The RPE can be computed as follows: RPE = = = {[Division Cost ? 1. 2 + 0. 065 RPE] ? 1. 45 + 0. 12 RPE} ? 1. 25 Division Cost ? 2. 175 + 0. 268 RPE Division Cost ? 2. 175/(1 – 0. 268) = Division Cost ? 2. 97 Putting ANL and EEA Methodologies on a Common Basis As it was described in the OTA report, the EEA methodology did not provide enough data to compute the cost multipliers. We assumed some cost shares to be the same between the EEA, Borroni-Bird, and ANL methodologies while developing the above relationship between Division Cost and RPE. The EEA methodology is based on the material and labor costs of a division of the vehicle manufacturer, with other costs added on. The ANL methodology evaluates an assembled vehicle, using the vehicle manufacturing cost as the base cost. The ANL methodology also assigns additional costs to the outsourced components, whereas the treatment of such components is not clear in the EEA methodology. We have attempted to develop a common basis for the ANL and EEA methodologies by assigning shares of the final vehicle price, RPE in the EEA methodology, to individual cost categories similar to those listed in Table 1. Table 4 presents such a summary for the EEA methodology. Three cost contributors, â€Å"Division Cost,† â€Å"Division Overhead,† and â€Å"Assembly Labor and Overhead,† are combined under the â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† category. Two cost contributors, â€Å"Manufacturing Overhead† and â€Å"Engineering, Tooling, and Facilities Expenses,† combine to form the â€Å"Overhead† category. The â€Å"Dealer Margin† in the EEA methodology represents a factor applied to all manufacturer costs and profit. We assumed that this factor represents all costs of selling the vehicle. Although the profit is computed at the manufacturing level by EEA, we moved the profit to the bottom of the table to be consistent with prior tables. The cost allocation in Table 4 allows us to compute the in-house components cost multiplier as follows: Cost multiplier for in-house components = 100/(33. 7 + 6. 7 + 6. 5) = 2. 14 Page 5 To compute the cost multiplier for an outsourced component, one more assumption is necessary. In the ANL methodology, we assumed that the supplier will bear the costs of â€Å"Warranty,† â€Å"R&D Engineering,† and â€Å"Depreciation and Amortization. † However, the EEA methodology does not identify the warranty cost separately. We assumed it to be half of â€Å"Manufacturing Overhead† at 5. 05%. This, with the earlier assumption related to â€Å"Engineering, Tooling, and Facilities Expenses,† led to the following computation: Cost multiplier for outsourced components = 100/(33. 7 + 6. 7 + 6. 5 + 5. 05 + 12) = 1. 56 These multipliers, adapted from our extension of the EEA information on vehicle costs, are very close to those derived from the ANL and Borroni-Bird methodologies. Table 4 Contributors to Retail Price Equivalent in EEA Methodology Cost Category Cost Contributor a Vehicle Manufacturing Overhead Selling Sum of Costs Profit Manufacturing Profit Total Contribution to RPE a Division Cost a Division Overhead Assembly Labor and a Overhead Manufacturing Overhead Engineering, Tooling, and Facilities Expenses Dealer Margin Relative to Cost of Vehicle Manufacturing 0. 72 0. 14 0. 14 0. 22 0. 26 0. 49 1. 97 0. 17 2. 14 Share of RPE (%) 33. 7 6. 7 6. 5 10. 1 12. 0 22. 9 91. 9 8. 1 100. 0 These three cost contributors are scaled to sum to 1 in the third column, as in Table 1. Comparison of ANL and EEA Methodologies The information from Tables 1 and 4 is presented in terms of cost categories in Table 5 for easy comparison. The â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† cost share is 46. 9% in the EEA methodology, compared with 50% in the ANL methodology. EEA’s RPE share of 22. 1% by overhead is lower than the ANL value of 24%. The cost of selling is 22. 9% in the EEA methodology, which is close to the ANL value of 23. 5%. The largest difference is in the RPE share by profit, which is 8. 1% in the EEA methodology, more than three times the ANL value of 2. 5%. According to Economic Indicators: The Motor Vehicle’s Role in the U. S. Economy (American Automobile Manufacturers Association 1998), the average net income before taxes for the three domestic manufacturers was 3. 9% during 1994-1997. Aside from vehicle sales, this value (3. 9%) includes income from spare parts sales and vehicle financing. Thus, the profit share appears very high in the EEA methodology. The absolute differences – computed as ANL value minus EEA value – are 3. 1% for component/material cost, 1. 9% for overhead, 0. 6% for selling, and –5. 6% for profit. Page 6 Table 5 Comparison of Price Allocation by ANL and EEA Methodologies ANL Methodology Cost Contributor or Category Vehicle Manufacturing Production Overhead Corporate Overhead Selling Sum of Costs Profit MSRP SUMMARY An attempt to put three methodologies for automobile cost allocation on a common basis is presented in this technical memorandum. This comparison was carried out to verify the reasonableness of the cost multipliers used in ANL’s cost models for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. When put into a common format, by means of certain assumptions, the three approaches yielded the cost multipliers provided in Table 6. Table 6 Summary of Cost Multipliers Computed on a Common Basis Multiplier for In-House Components Outsourced Components ACKNOWLEDGMENT Funding for the analysis presented here was provided by the Planning and Assessment function of the Office of Transportation Technologies of the U. S. Department of Energy, managed by Dr. Philip Patterson. This technical memorandum is produced under U. S. Government contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38. REFERENCES American Automobile Manufacturers Association, 1998, Economic Indicators: The Motor Vehicle’s Role in the U. S. Economy, Detroit, Mich. Borroni-Bird, C. , 1996, â€Å"Automotive Fuel Cell Requirements,† Proceedings of the 1996 Automotive Technology Development Customers’ Coordination Meeting, U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Transportation Technologies, Washington, D. C. ANL 2. 00 1. 50 Borroni-Bird 2. 05 1. 56 EEA 2. 14 1. 56 EEA Methodology Share of Cost Contributor or Category MSRP (%) 50. 0 Vehicle Manufacturing 17. 0 Overhead 7. 0 23. 5 Selling 97. 5 Sum of Costs 2. 5 Profit 100. 0 RPE Share of RPE (%) 46. 9 22. 1 22. 9 91. 9 8. 1 100. 0 Page 7 Cuenca, R. M. , L. L. Gaines, and A. D. Vyas, 2000, Evaluation of Electric Vehicle Production and Operating Costs, Argonne National Laboratory Report ANL/ESD-41, Argonne, Ill. (to be published). Vyas, A. , R. Cuenca, and L. Gaines, 1998, â€Å"An Assessment of Electric Vehicle Life Cycle Costs to Consumers,† Proceedings of the 1998 Total Life Cycle Conference, SAE International Report P339, Warrendale, Penn. , pp. 161-172.

An analysis of the Depreciation Methods in GAAP in the UK

An analysis of the Depreciation Methods in GAAP in the UK Depreciation is the allocation of the cost of a plant asset to expense over its useful (service) life in a rational and systematic manner† (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003:416). There are three factors affect the calculation of depreciation, which are asset cost, useful life and salvage value (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Accountant in different companies will use various methods to compute the depreciation. There are straight-line method, reducing balance method (double declining balance, sum of digits, reducing percentage), annuity method, and unit of production method (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). And in most companies, especially in the large corporations, they will use the straight-line method, because it is the easiest one to compute the depreciation. This essay will illustrate some method that usually used in the companies and contract with each method to find out which one is the most useful. At the beginning, the essay will illustrate the straight-line method , the second one is reducing balance method, the third method is sum of digits, and the last one is the unit of production method. Below each method, the essay will give an example, which is calculated by me. Under the straight-line method, the annual depreciation expense is the same over the asset’s estimated useful life every year. The annual depreciation expense is determined by depreciation cost divided by the useful life of the asset or multiplied by the annual rate of depreciation (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Example 1 An asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years. Depreciable cost = ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000- ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000 = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000 Annual depreciation expense = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000/5years= ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 OR Annual rate of depreciation =100%à ·5years=20% Annual depreciation expense = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000*20%= ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 Year 1 Cost  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 2 Net book value 9,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 3 Net book value 7,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 4 Net book value 5,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 5 Net book value 3,000 Depreciation 2,000 Net book value 1,000 The straight-line method is the simplest way among all the methods; it suitable for the use of asset is unvarying during the useful life; it is popular used by large corporation, such as Campbell Soup, Marriott Corporation and General Mills. However, the reducing balance method has a falling depreciation amount every year during the useful life of the asset. The changing depreciation is depended on the book value (cost less accumulated depreciation). It is calculated to multiply the book value at the beginning of the year and the reducing balance depreciation rate (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Example 2 An asset costs (book value at the beginning of year)  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years. Reducing balance depreciation rate = 100%à ·5years=20%* Calculation o f  ¿Ã‚ ¡901.12( ¿Ã‚ ¡4505.6ÃÆ'-20%) is adjusted to  ¿Ã‚ ¡3505.6 in order to make the book value equal salvage value (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Sum of digits is another kind of reducing balance method, which has the closest connection with useful life and salvage value of the asset. The depreciation cost is multiply depreciation cost (asset cost less salvage value) by digits of each year (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). Example 3 An asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years The digits add up is 1+2+3+4+5=15

Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty - Research Paper Example From 1819, Panama was some piece of the league or a federation and nation of Colombia however when Colombia rejected United States arrangements to assemble a channel over the Isthmus of Panama, the U.S. upheld a transformation that prompted the autonomy of Panama in 1903. The new Panamanian government sanctioned French specialist Philippe Bunau-Varilla, to arrange a bargain with the United States. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty permitted the U.S. to assemble the Panama Canal and accommodate interminable control of zone five-miles wide on either side of the trench. Despite the fact that the French had endeavored development of a trench in the 1880s, the Panama Canal was effectively manufactured from 1904 to 1914. When the channel was finished the U.S. held a swath of area running the roughly 50 miles over the Isthmus of Panama. The division of the nation of Panama into two parts by the U.S. domain of the Canal Zone brought about strain all around the twentieth century. Also, the independent Canal Zone (the authority name for the U.S. region in Panama) helped little to the Panamanian economy. The occupants of the Canal Zone were essential U.S. natives and West Indians who worked in the Zone and on the channel3. Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty was marked or signed on 18 November 1903 by Secretary of State John M. Feed and Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a French waterway guru who had helped arrange the Panamanian rebel against Colombia and went about as the new managing juntas emissary to Washington. The bargain gave that the United States ensure the autonomy of Panama, while getting in interminability a ten-all inclusive portion of domain for the development of a trench. The United States was made completely sovereign over this zone and held the right to mediate somewhere else in Panama as important to keep request. In exchange,

High performance team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

High performance team - Essay Example They are unaware of the knowledge being delivered to each team member for fulfilment of goals and objectives (Heathfield, 2007). 3. Lack of appropriate leadership style by the manager can also harm the team spirit and divert them from their established goals. The manager needs to adopt a specific leadership style to help and maintain the team’s enthusiasm and expectations. The ultimate goal for building a high-spirited team is to strive for improving customer satisfaction. Listed below are successful characteristics of building self-directed and high performing teams (Heathfield, 2007): 7. Control is an important empowerment for fulfilling the task as it develops the awareness that recommendations made by the team members will be scrutinised by their manager as the final decision rest with him (Buchholz, 1987). 1. Prevention and resolving conflicts: A safe and supportive organisational environment can build mutual trust and respect for its fellow team members. It can enable the members to express their opinions and problems with each other. For prevention of conflicts, following steps can be taken to make it a positive influence on the team (Fernandez, 2011). A collaborative agreement for negotiation between the team members and the manger can divulge a win- win situation. It is positive for both the interest and leads to total satisfaction for the high performance teams as well as the management (Fernandez,

Bacteriophage therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bacteriophage therapy - Essay Example Presently, people are in danger from exposure to chemicals that are hazardous risks to infectious burns. Acquisition of the pathogens thus serves as a triumph for medicine. Options available for treating burn patients are often few and only very toxic antibiotics the likes of colistin can effectively work due to their high levels of toxin. It is thus evident that there underlies impending danger in medicine if better solutions for treating patients with severe burns are not sought. It is a result of this observation therefore that this research study aims at carrying out a survey of the use of bacteriophage to treat patients suffering from severe burns. Bacteriophage viruses use bacteria as their host, and, therefore, the human body cells are at no risk at all. With the help of this thesis therein, not only will an analysis of the use of bacteriophage in the infections be sought but also possible threats to the human immune system. Based on a number of lab tests performed by a couple of collected samples, there has been no scientific evidence on the probable toxic potentiality making the widespread use of the bacteriophage over the years. However with intent of adopting them as sole treatment method of dealing with harmful bacteria infections among countries of the west, there is the quest to carry out more scientific research and testing as well as adopt more stringent measures to effectively authenticate on harmless state of the bacteriophage (Fillipis & Mckee 39). Upon some samples being separated from human biopsies, identification for toxic traces, as well as possibilities of the proliferation of cells, was carried out, and the phage passed the test as no traces were evident. On the contrary, researchers posed possible importance of the phage on the survival of cells. Based on this research evidence, therefore, since the bacteriophage showed no traces of toxins in the human

Women in the Black Church Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in the Black Church - Research Paper Example n the African American Churches men often took over the leadership positions while women held themselves responsible for all the rest of the major roles. Name it and it was there. May it be the schooling arena or any other social or domestic service; women were always there to play their part. This was primarily in line with the spiritual inspiration that these women had associated with the contemporary churches. It was however strictly observed that women did not occupy any key positions in the preaching activities in the church itself. Every time the church would gather only women would be observed paying all head to the sermons being said out by a man. Leadership was one aspect that women were never allowed to come closer to. This male empowerment has existed for years in spite of the fact that it was seemingly impossible without the critical involvement of the black women. (Green, 2003) The Civil rights movement in the US has often been traced back to the Black Church. The way the blacks were being deprived of their right to live like the whites and the racial discrimination that they were facing was all thought of to have bought out into the streets after being bought up in the black church first. This racial discrimination was also accompanied by social injustice. The crowded basements and offices were often thought to be the main areas where all the plans for the resistances were being made. The core idea behind the civil rights movement drifted the African Black away from the Divine thought and gave importance to the substantiality of this life. Every next step and every protest of the movement was often preceded by a sermon, a prayer or a religious song. It was in the wake of such circumstances that the black women realized the rights that they were being deprived off within the church itself. Women were generally denied the right to lead or preach in the Black Church. It had been a certain custom that men commanded the black church pulpits. Thus they

Marketing Fabtek Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Fabtek - Essay Example It bought equipment worth 2.4 million dollars from Fabtek coming in third after Pierce-Pike. In addition, they are aspiring to develop a line of proprietary items leaving Fabtek eyeing the deal. Kathco the fourth of Fabtek's orders is a metal refinery that manufactures its own titanium electrodes. Having great relations with Fabtek, it solicited some of its business during 1991. Unfortunately, for Fabtek, this was a solitary deal and leaves no room for future business with Kathco. Fabtek's principle business is fabrication of titanium equipment for industrial corrosion resistant appliances. Fabtek currently has four major orders, Refco, Pierce-Pike, Worldwide Paper and Kathco. Refco in 1990, purchased products worth 4.5 million dollars and in 1991, 6 million dollars worth of products and an additional 6 million dollars for the Super Whooper. These statistics have been overwhelming in terms of comparison between the four clients, thus making Refco the most profitable. In terms of long-term deals, Pierce-Pike and Worldwide Paper offer much more in terms of business expansion and long-term profitability. Pierce-Pike is currently dissatisfied with its two major sources and could be looking for a new source, an avenue for Fabtek to successfully explore. On the other hand, Worldwide Paper is looking to develop proprietary items a deal that could rake in the profits for Fabtek. 3. What does each order to the long-term development of Fabtek When considering long-term development, Refco certainly qualifies as a profitable client. Unfortunately, despite the monetary benefits, Refco offers little hope to Fabtek. They seem to see Fabtek as a temporary source for fulfilling their needs and do not even hint at long-term expansion. Similarly, the deal with Kathco was a solitary requirement and offers no more than a short-term profitable venture. On the other hand, concentrating on either or both businesses from Pierce-Pike and Worldwide Paper seems a more profitable deal in terms of longetivity. Both companies have expressed their desires to expand business and could include Fabtek if it displays successfully its capabilities with regards to production and service. 4. Who is the most important customer Currently, the most important customer seems to point towards Pierce-Pike since it brings in not only larger sums of money in comparison to Kathco but also desires expansion in terms of changing sources that it is currently dissatisfied with. If Fabtek seeks to continue long-term business with Pierce-Pike, it will have to enhance its productivity level and some of its services such as delivery of products. If Fabtek seeks to look elsewhere, another great opportunity in terms of Worldwide Papers exists. Though the company is bringing in lower revenues, it is more significant in terms of its requirements and plans for future business expansion. Not only does it aspire to begin a new production line of proprietary items but could also allow Fabtek the opportunity to add and develop new capabilities that would ensure the company's survival. 5. Evaluate Mr. Ho Mr. Stanley Ho is currently the President of Fabtek industries. During mid June of 1991, Fabtek was facing unprecedented problems and Mr. Ho conveniently left all decisions to the company's marketing vice-president, Amy Vitali, and Fabrication's

Does Modern Wedding Cost Too Much Research Paper

Does Modern Wedding Cost Too Much - Research Paper Example Although there are special cases of societal icons that have broken records in spending millions of dollars in wedding events, general spending by average people has increased tremendously. This paper seeks to provide succinct evidence to support the fact that modern weddings cost too much. Interestingly, planning of wedding events has become a fully functional industry that generates millions of dollars every year. Certainly, this has been primarily caused by the increase of busy lifestyles and consequently less time to spend organizing for wedding events. Couples have increasingly preferred to opt for wedding organizing services since there is increased money flow and less time to spend it due to busy lifestyles. Although the exact cost of holding a wedding event ranges from one country to another Sherrie claims, â€Å"The price for a wedding in the U.S, is $ 26, 400† (Sherrie 14). It is also claimed that the wedding â€Å"Cost will increase about 2.3% over already high 200 5 prices† (Sherrie 13). Although these statistics were taken in 2005, it can be posited that at present, costs have actually gone up further. There is overwhelming evidence indicating that the costs of modern wedding are actually high. According to a report by Fox, â€Å"the national average costs of using a wedding planner is approximately $3500 to $4000. For some couples, hiring a wedding planner is a crucial part of their wedding preparation† (Fox n.p). With the stresses of modern lifestyles, it is easy to understand why many couple opt for a wedding planner, it simply offers a relief. Although hiring a wedding planner increases the costs of the wedding, the relief offered is justified. With more people preferring wedding planner service to organize their wedding events, wedding planning business continue to flourish and offer better services thereby increasing the costs further. Holding of wedding events calls for hiring of special ceremony sites that will offer the wedding a sense of uniqueness. Renting of the ceremony sites especially for the reception, assuming that appreciable number of weddings are held in church, has increased with time. This causes an increase in overall wedding costs considering that a large percentage of the wedding resources will be spent on hiring exclusive ceremony sites such as lucrative hotels and recreational centers. According to estimates by Alliance Trust â€Å"The largest proportion of the wedding cost is spent on the hire of the venue, catering and drinks, this alone can swallow around 33% of the total cost† (Alliance Trust web). Another important aspect worth consideration, a precursor to rising wedding costs, is the upward shift in wedding age. According to Alliance Trust, â€Å"Our calculations put the average cost at ?20,000 – an onerous amount which could well explain why couples are delaying a wedding until they are more financially secure† (Alliance Trust web). This is clear evid ence that the modern society appreciates the importance of weddings to the extent that they would defer the wedding to a later date so that they could afford the increased wedding costs. A brief analysis of trends in wedding costs conducted by Wong posits, â€Å"The average price tag that is fast approaching $30,000 represents a 73 percent increase during the past 15 years† (Wong web). It is interesting to note that such a rise in spending costs can be attributed to change in lifestyle, personal

Marketing management for the service industry Lab Report

Marketing management for the service industry - Lab Report Example Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts are among the main players in the Asian Tourist markets and, since, its entry in 1994, it has grown at a tremendous rate to establish a global brand. It is founded by Mr. Ho Kwon Ping and his wife Mrs. Claire Chiang. The company operates in a numbers of countries including Singapore, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand where it has established a strong presence. As a result of its success especially in providing quality services in an environmental friendly manner, in addition its marketing strategy, a case study on the company is going to be analyzed, researched. An analysis will be offered in relations to the company’s services and marketing strategy. B. Facilities and Services of BTR Banyan Tree Resorts (BTR) currently offers a wide array of facilities and services that can constitute to a luxury resort experience. This is much so when related to the prices they are offering and the type of market or clients that are targeted and access services . A luxurious resort experience contains a number of things ranging from the type of services, the quality of services, the price offered, type and quality of facilities available among others. In relation to this, the following discussions identifies the services and facilities at BTR and provides the justifications for the reasons why the two (services and facilities) constitute to a luxurious resort experience. B1. Facilities The BTR resorts around Asia offer a variety of facilities that enhance the experience of clients to a whole new level. First and Foremost, the resort’s units are mostly constructed on natural environments that involve making minor adjustments such as including a few added artificial features or removing a few natural features. This is, when the units are constructed, it involves removing a few of natural aspects that might not provide a comfortable experience and at the same time, add a few artificial aspects such as electricity lighting among others. This in addition with the use of local furnishings created from local materials constitutes to a natural, peaceful, relaxing and enjoyable experience. The location and construction of the resort units is usually one of the key contributing factors of a luxurious resort experience that most hotels in crowded and noisy cities are unable to provide. This feature is in line with the company’s vision and mission of providing clients with an experience that meets their five senses and most notably, their smell, sight and sound where breath taking view and breezes offer an unforgettable experience. Secondly, BTR offers spa galleries that are branded as Banyan Tree spa. This facility is one of the most exquisite features in the resort and guarantees its clients a memorable and luxurious experience. The fourth sense of touch and personal rejuvenation are experienced by clients is a courtesy to this facility. In addition, the type of products, level and quality of expertise offered by the staff in these facilities make the experience more unforgettable, luxurious and enjoyable. For the sake of this facility, BTR has an academy where it trains local experts for different services and most notably the massage services. Thirdly, BTR especially in its Banyan Tree Phuket Resort has a Banyan Tree Gallery brand concepts that are closely associated with the spa facility, where it is mainly concerned with retailing massage oils, skin and body lotions among other products. These

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gatsby Essay Example for Free

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gatsby Essay It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment.( F.Scott Fitzgerald 104) Nick talks about how he looks at life with a new perspective and tries to abandoned â€Å"the West Egg† concept of â€Å"a world complete in itself, with its own standards its own great figures†. When he look at daisy, he explains that he could feel daisy’s pain and suffering by just looking into her eyes. So the significance of this quote is that nick is looking beyond the gilts and glamour of society so that he may see the true identity of people- as with Daisy. Later on, Nick will use this skill to find the true answer of whom Gatsby is . â€Å"The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.†(F.Scott Fitzgerald 98) -Nick describes Gatsby’s early life using a comparison between Gatsby and Jesus to reveal Gatsby’s identity. In the Great Gatsby, Gatsby transforms himself into the ideal that he envisioned for himself a Platonic conception of himself as a youngster and remains committed to that ideal, despite the obstacles that society presents to the fulfillment of his dream. He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: â€Å"I never loved you.† After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken. (F.Scott Fitzgerald 109) -Gatsby is frustrated at daisy for being a cowardly woman who doesn’t stand up for her. He believes its time for her to take action but Gatsby also realizes that it’s impractical. Gatsby would like to put everything back how it was in the past, but Daisy has moved on from the past into the present. â€Å"His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete.†(F.Scott Fitzgerald111) -Gatsby opens up to Nick and tell a memorable event between Gatsby and Daisy. This is one of the times were he actually gives information about his past that is true and Nick is surprised and hears Gatsby through. Gatsby longs for the past and revisions the event where he and daisy first kissed. Gatsby fantasies about the past, believing that Daisy is the same girl he kissed many years ago. â€Å"But his heart was in a constant, turbulent riot. The most grotesque and fantastic conceits haunted him in his bed at night. A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while the clock ticked on the wash-stand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor. Each night he added to the pattern of his fancies until drowsiness closed down upon some vivid scene with an oblivious embrace. For a while these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy’s wing.†(Scott Fitzgerald 99) Gatsby is a man who seems to have it all but in reality is troubled by one-sided love. The one thing he doesnt have is what he needs most to fulfill him is Daisy. At night, these thoughts both torment and comfort him. The beauty of this passage is Fitzgeralds use of both negative and positive imagery to illustrate the conflict in Gatsbys thoughts. The imagery of the rock and fairy’s wing just elaborates Gatsby’s view of his world is crumbling apart; something like a rock is a strong foundation has flew away so easily like a fairy. Very much like the difference between Gatsbys real world and what he wishes for himself. Chapter 7 Her voice is full of money, he said suddenly.†¨That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money — that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl. (Scott Fitzgerald 120) Gatsby is shocked and confused why Daisy is all about money. He doesn’t even wonder why she married Tom. So Fitzgerald adds in dialogues as a hint to fill in the missing gaps and to show Gatsby who Daisy was and is. Tom allows Daisy to ride with Gatsby because he knows she wont choose Gatsby over him. Gatsby can’t let go of the Daisy, not because of the relationship now but what they had; back in the past were he was a poor kid in the army who got this beautiful rich girl to fall in love with him. â€Å"There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind, and as we drove away Tom was feeling the hot whips of panic. His wife and his mistress, until an hour ago secure and inviolate, were slipping precipitately from his control.†(Scott Fitzgerald 125) This quote reveals that Tom is getting frustrated and shocked because of the accident. He feels as though he is losing control over both women, Daisy and Myrtle. You could see the signs of tension between Gatsby and Tom when they get into a verbal argument of some sort. Tom needs control and when he doubts his control, over a situation or another person, he cant handle it. With every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, despairingly, toward that lost voice across the room.†(Scott Fitzgerald 134) -As she spoke, he became more and more aware that Daisy would never be his. The dream that he once had of them being together slipped away. He was becoming forced to realize the truth even though he somehow wished it was different. â€Å"So we drove on toward death in the cooling twilight†¦.† Nick: ‘â€Å"Was Daisy driving?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Gatsby: ‘â€Å"Yes, but of course I’ll say I was.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Scott Fitzgerald 137-143). Fitzgerald placed the first quote as a foreshadowing of Myrtle’s death. I don’t understand why Gatsby and the other characters mourn for Myrtle, they act if it was just a normal day by day event. It’s interesting how Gatsby spoke as if Daisy’s reaction was the only thing that mattered. â€Å"He put his hands in his coat pockets and turned back eagerly to his scrutiny of the house, as though my presence marred the sacredness of the vigil. So I walked away and left him standing there in the moonlight — watching over nothing.†(Scott Fitzgerald 145) -Before the trip into the city and the accident, Gatsby was convinced that Daisy was in love with him and would without a doubt leave Tom for him. When he watches Daisy and Tom in the kitchen, the reality of the situation is starting to hit him. Ever since he and Daisy fell apart when she married Tom, he has entirely devoted his life to getting wealth to impress Daisy and win her back. He has devoted his whole life and heart to this woman, and so as he watches her slipping away from him again, he knows nothing more than to return to his vigil over the woman that has controlled his life.

Connecting And Comparing Literature English Literature Essay

Connecting And Comparing Literature English Literature Essay For the final essay, two short stories and one poem will be used to illustrate comparisons by looking at the characters as their respective authors describe them, and how this is used to draw readers into their stories and poems. The two stories being used are, A Rose For Emily, by William Faulkner, and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, by Stephen Crane. The poem being used is, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. Conflict and prejudice will be highlighted as the common thread among the three works. Comparison will come from using the characters in the stories and poem, and how the authors use descriptive writing to draw their readers into the stories and poem. In A Rose For Emily, the description of Miss Emilys house by William Faulkner is a big square frame house that had once been white (DiYanni, 2007), and how Miss Emily looked as she walked in to the meeting with the Board of Aldermen, a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head (DiYanni, 2007). The end of the story finds William Faulkner giving great detail about the body of Miss Emilys suitor Homer Barron and the room decked and furnished for a bridal night, and how the body of Homer was described as fleshless and once laid as if it were in an embrace, how he had rotted beneath his nightshirt (DiYanni, 2007). The vivid description allows one to get a clear view of the room and the decomposed body of Homer. When he writes about the indention on the pillow as if someone had laid their head there and then they find the strands of grey or silver hair, one can visualize Miss Em ily lying next to Homer in a macabre way. The style of writing William Faulkner uses in this story, allows him to navigate among many points of view within the story. William Faulkners use of third person allows for flashbacks and the ability to dig deeper into the history of the town. By also using symbolic language such as referring to Emily as Miss Emily (DiYanni, 2007), William Faulkner is able to send the reader back in time when the story actually takes place. This allows the reader to get a better understanding of the larger issues that were at play in the South around the turn of the century. The language used in The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is quite moving. Robert Frost speaks of approaching a fork in the road. He must choose which road to proceed down. He chooses the one that appears less traveled only to find that it is traveled about the same as the other road. Robert Frosts subtle use of description when he refers to the two roads being about the same, lets one know that they may be close, but not exact. Many of the roads chosen in life look very similar at the entrance but change quite often as they are traveled. His use of the word sigh and difference in the fourth stanza can mean either positive or negative feelings, but since the author mentions that nothing will be known until the future, we do not know which effect these words mean. Robert Frost speaks of possibly coming back to travel the first road at a later date but doubts this as life is too short. Robert Frost infers that he will report back on his travels down the second road at some point in the f uture. The character in this poem must choose a road to take without knowing where it may lead. In A Rose For Emily, Miss Emily had to make a choice as well. Her choice was to poison Homer to keep him from leaving. Another part of the poem that connects to Miss Emily is where her decisions would lead. This could be what Miss Emily was thinking when poisoning Homer. Emily may have thought briefly as to what the town would say about her actions. Perhaps this is why she kept him upstairs in the bedroom so she had him with her at all times even though he was not a living breathing being he was still with her. As long as she kept him hidden in the house, and made it look as though he would marry her, the townspeople would be satisfied. Many questions arise with the story as to why Miss Emily would do this. Perhaps Miss Emily thought she would not die alone. Even though she could not talk to Homer he would be there with her when she died. The poem also relates to The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky. Jack had choices to make in The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky that included whether to leave town and get married, tell the townspeople before he left, tell them before he returned, and whether or not to return to Yellow Sky after the fact. I think the part of the poem where he states, I took the one less traveled (DiYanni, 2007), could describe the choices of Jack and his bride as they boarded the train. How Jack went to San Antonio and married a girl he thought he loved without letting the townspeople of Yellow Sky know what he was doing could be compared to the line in the poem, I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence (DiYanni, 2007). Jacks escape route from the train station in Yellow Sky would involve the choice of two roads. The first would have been to get off the train and face the town. The one Jack chose was the second road or choice which was to plan his escape from the train to avoid being seen by the townspeople before he could come up with a plan to introduce his bride. Just as Miss Emily loved Homer, Jack loved his bride and married her whether the townspeople would like it or not and Jack loved his town, but loved his bride more so he married her without talking to the towns people. There are many correlations between Jack and his bride and between Emily and Homer. Both Jack and Emily are in love with their significant other, and both Jack and Emily choose the road of deceit. Jack keeps his marriage a secret from the town and Emily keeps the death of Homer a secret from the town. The two short stories chosen connect in a way that shows the reader how people judge and are prejudice towards others. In the story, The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, there are several prejudices in the story. For instance when the porter bullied them with skills in ways that did not make it plain to them that they were being bullied (DiYanni, 2007). The porter on the train treated them with all the unconquerable kind of snobbery. He oppressed them in a way they had small knowledge of him doing so (DiYanni, 2007). In the story, A Rose for Emily, the towns people thought the Griersons were snobs in their own right, the towns people thought the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were (DiYanni, 2007). Another part of the story finds Miss Emilys neighbor complaining to the judge about the smell coming from Miss Emilys house. She relates to Miss Emily as a high and mighty Grierson, and wants the judge to do something about the smell coming from the house (DiYann i, 2007). When Miss Emilys father dies, the towns people are glad in a way, saying Miss Emily would somehow now be humanized and learn what it was like to live on little money (DiYanni, 2007). It seems Faulkner and Crane must have been treated with some type of prejudice in their life. Perhaps Faulkner and Crane were prejudice towards others also. One could speculate that both of these writers reflect many personal life experiences in their writings. Prejudice has been around for so long that it may never completely go away. It is sad that people have to deal with this in their everyday lives, and one could argue that this is what makes some stronger and makes others weaker. The stories here both take place in the South, which would make sense as the South is still noted for harboring prejudices. Both authors speak with an apparent knowledge of the South Even though one of them was not born there. Stephen Crane spent quite some time in the South and found the people and towns very interesting. He was originally from New Jersey and instantly fell in love with a woman from Florida. This could have led to his writing about Jacks instant love for his bride from San Antonio. William Faulkner came from a traditional southern family and grew up in Mississippi. Being from the south, his writing knowledge and style are ever present in his stories. He describes southern family traits and customs that are still used today. Some of these would be the hospitality and community atmosphere. Communities do not only affect the language of the author but they also can provide the community of the authors work. Some communities act like an extended family and an author may want to show that aspect. Sometimes an author may wish to write about a close-knit community that knows everyone elses business. Often a writer will write about their community, illustrating certain cultural aspects that they hold dear. All of these can be examples of the writers community coming to life in their own stories. In A Rose for Emily (DiYanni, 2007), William Faulkner shows a community that is very involved with each other. They are constantly talking about what Miss Emily does, what she says, and whom she sees. William Faulkner speaks for the community using the pronoun, we, throughout the story. He describes how the community reacts to Homer Barron trying to court her, At first we were glad that Miss Emily would have an interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 82). Everyone becomes very interested in Miss Emilys love life. When she buys poison they become worried that she was dumped and will now commit suicide. Then they hear that she bought things for a man and they become happy for her again. This is probably an example of the type of people William Faulkner was around. Another example of a community that is close comes from; The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky. In this story the marshal, Jack Potter, is illustrated as a very important figure in his community. Because he is a prominent figure he feels he committed a crime by leaving Yellow Sky to get married. Additionally, the townspeople speak kindly of the marshal when a former outlaw, Scratchy Wilson, goes on a drunken rampage, I wish Jack Potter was back from San Antonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 487). Jack is responsible for taking care of Scratchy when he gets drunk. Stephen Crane lived briefly in the Old West and more than likely witnessed similar events to that of Scratchy Wilson. Many people have been told they would never make anything of their lives by someone who had judged them before they knew whom they were. They then go on to prove them wrong by getting a degree and making for themselves a good life.    This is what makes so many of the writers stories relevant to their readers. They are able to draw the readers in using some of their own life experiences, which make the readings more interesting and can help the reader relate to the stories. It also enables the reader to become a part of the story. The readers can actually place themselves as a character in the story because many have had some type of prejudice directed towards them at some point in their lives. If one has ever lived in small town America, the description of how the towns people act in both stories The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky and A Rose for Emily are right on the money. Being one from a small town, it reminds me of both stories on how people judge marriage, there is something wrong with a person if they are not married by a certain age and then if some of the elders in the town do not approve of the marriage comments are made. Both stories in so many ways compare to life in small towns, where people have nothing better to do than to spy on someone to see what they can gossip about. As a youth, it did not matter which friends home your were visiting, the adults in that home were your surrogate parents while you were there. Even today, people are watched and dissected according to what they do and dont do as it relates to what is expected. Robert Frost was born on the west coast and then moved to the east coast. His poems deal more with his life in New England and with rural America. His life was hard and riddled with death and depression. Only two of his kids outlived him. His struggle with life and the many crossroads he faced are evident in his poem, The Road Not taken. Reading this poem reminds me of the fact that I am at a fork in the road and I have chosen my path. At this time, I do not know where this road will lead, but am anxious to find out. I found Frosts poem to be very tricky and very deep. The more I read it, the more I enjoyed it. I may have to save this one as it really spoke to me about choices we make. I found myself apprehensive at the beginning of this class. My ability to read and hopefully interpret poems has expanded since starting this course. I was never much into poems, but at least I am beginning to feel as though I can understand what the author is saying through the use of imagery and elements. As this class has progressed I have found through the readings in the class that I enjoyed most of the readings. I have found I now read with an open mind and do not judge a book, short story, poem, or play by its title. I read a story through and then read it again and find that it makes more sense the second time around. In conclusion, I feel the two short stories and one poem I chose can be compared in many different aspects. The three of them tie in very well with each other through conflict and prejudice. Even though the authors come from similar, but different backgrounds of life, they all wrote with their life experiences in mind. The authors had a talent for drawing readers into their stories and poems and kept the readers attention throughout the readings.

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan Throughout J.R.R. Tolkiens world renowned blockbuster novel Lord of the Rings, the word ring is mentioned multiple times, however, in Marina Keegans story Cold Pastoral, neither cold nor pastoral appears. Not even once. Pastoral can be a term used to describe the livelihood of shepherds, but in literary terms, it is a lent word to describe the mode of literature which depicts a simple life from its complex content. Similarly, cold can be used to describe the weather or feeling of people, but it can also describe a persons personality as hardhearted, cheerless and cool. The more relevant interpretation of the title together with the story would be the latter of both explanations. The story is about Claire whose boyfriend, Brian, died suddenly and the series of events that followed Brians death. Keegan, the author, through describing Claires uncertainty towards the relationship and the revelation of the reality of the relationship, revealed the cold personality of Claire and her desi re to lead a life that feels pastoral, i.e. a simple life, to highlight the importance of revelations. Commitment to a relationship does not just depend on the passion; in fact, it relies heavily on the confidence of both parties in the relationship. Apparently, Claire is not madly in love with Brian. A lot of time was spent being consciously romanticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we might admit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I like you ,' are comments made by Claire on their relationship, which hint that Claire is uncertain about her relationship with Brian (1, 2). As we observe in the real world, couples at the early stages of their relationships are, more often than not, infatuated with each other. Due to the feeling of uncertainty, Claire lacks faith in her relationship with Brian, thus she is not fully committed. This accounts for, in part, why Claire does not seem extremely depressed after learning of Brians death. It is this sense of uncertainty that lingers in Claires mind, the reason for why not a lot of people know of their relationship. One of the reasons that Claire does not seem too depressed after Brian, her boyfriend, died is that she is uncertain about the relationship, which resulted in her lack of commitment, whilst her personality, cold, also contributes much to her absence of severe depression. Humans are never emotionless beings, which is why our emotions are affected greatly by the surroundings. The only stark difference between individuals is their ability to contain emotions. People who are less capable of containing their emotions are often regarded as moody or emotive, while those who are more capable are often regarded as cool and composed. Claire is definitely one of the latter ones. After Brians death, Claire surprised [herself] that night by crying alone (2). This revealed that Claire has a composed personality and that she does not express her emotions explicitly that often. As the saying goes, The onlooker sees the best. People involved in incidents are often lost in their thoughts, and it is only through revelations that they reassess and take a clearer view at the situation. Just after Brians death, Claire was preoccupied by a certain degree of sadness and sorrow. Not only once, but many times, did Claire mention her commitment to Brian, this is revealed from her comment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Id underestimated how much I liked him (2). As it turns out, her emotions and view to her relationship drastically alters after reading Brians diary. Contrary to her sadness and sorrow, Claire comments that Im actually feeling great and Fuck Brian, I thought now, which reveals that she, rather than feeling upset, is on the one hand angry with Brian, and on the other hand, feeling relieved for realizing this fact sooner instead of later (8). Had Brian not died, she would not have discovered this painful reality and broke away from feeling blue. Brians death, though sorr owful and pitiful, has given Claire a chance to reveal the truth and free herself from the bondage of the relationship. Keegan successfully portrays Claires personality through her response to Brians death, which also reveals her desire for a simple relationship the direct reverse of the relationship she had with Brian. Actions such as being consciously romantic, waiting too long before responding to texts and [Brian and Claire] took a certain pride in our ambiguity are indications that the relationship involved complications (1, 1, 2). As the title Cold Pastoral suggests, Claire is eager to seek a relationship that is simply simple. Claires request is very simple she likes being liked (1). She wanted her partner to simply love her and take care of her. After the revelation through Brians death, she is crystal clear about the kind of relationship that she pursues more than anything Id ever wanted in my life, I wanted him to love me (11). Claire simply cannot resist the opportunity to begin a simple, committed love affair. Apart from the contents of the story, Keegans manipulation of prose and style conveys strong messages about the characters and the plot. When we read the story, the narration affects our judgment greatly. Since this story is a first person narration, we have to be critical about the emotions of the narrator. Throughout the story, the tale was narrated from the perspective of Claire, the main character, and I and We are mainly used as the pronoun for Claire as the narrator (1). In such narration, the contents of the tale are easily influenced by the emotions of the narrator. Claire, whose boyfriend has just died, is with grief and pain, which indicates that she is at times pathetic and hysterical. This suggests that the narration given by Claire may not be as reliable as regular stories due to her fluctuating moods. Keegan, by using first person narration, is trying to place readers in Claires position. By doing so, readers can easily imagine themselves as Claire, which arouses sympat hy for Claires experience. In many peoples view, literary works should be elegant and profound, but plain and raw descriptions can also be powerful in conveying messages. When one reads the story, one is bound to come across many controversial choices of words, such as fuck, shit and penis, which do not normally exist in conventional novels or essays (7, 6, 2). Furthermore, the story includes many lines of dialogue and often comes with short and incomplete sentences, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). The expressions, straightforward and natural, which are intentionally deployed by Keegan, can fully reveal Claires feelings and the thoughts going through her troubled mind. Since this story is about the events that happened to Claire, this writing style allows readers to have a more in-depth understanding of Claires plight, thus arousing echoes of the idea of revelation. Keegan kept the story compact, which creates a fast pace for the story, to suit the short time-span of the occurrence of events. The events in the story happened within a very limited time-span, despite the complex nature of the story. If all the ideas were explained in details, the story would have a very slow pace, which does not match with the swift happening of events. To achieve fast pacing for the story, Keegan kept the paragraphs of the text relatively short, while ideas within these paragraphs are at times incomplete, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). From the examples, Keegan is providing a very vague image of Claire and a brief lead in of her thoughts. Contrary from giving the whole story, these short fragments allow readers to conceive the situation of Claire slowly but gradually. This allows Keegan to both keep the story concise yet providing sufficient vital information for readers to interpret the setting of the story and make a great impact on the minds of readers through their imagination. In the story, Keegan deliberately arranged the events in a non-chronological order, which enables readers to think in the minds of Claire. Events of stories are often in chronological order, which enables the reader to easily understand the contents of the story. However, in Cold Pastoral, the events, rather than in chronological order, are following Claires free flow of thought. In the beginning of the story, Claire mentions her relationship with Brian and Brians sudden death (2). After the breaking line, the focus turns to her interaction with her friends (2). After the second breaking line, Claire expresses her views on Lauren, Brians ex-girlfriend (2). Furthermore, after the third breaking line, the narration mentions Claires visit to Brians family (3). If the story is to be in chronological order, Claires comments on Lauren should be excluded from the context. Keegan, intentionally inserts this scene in such a way to reveal the thoughts in Claires mind. The illogical ordering of events provides readers with an in-depth understanding of Claires thoughts, and also allows readers to comprehend the mindset of Claire fragmented thoughts and troubled with disarray. Revelation is ubiquitous, but we often underestimate its effects. People need revelation, and then they need resolution, Damian Lewis once said (Lewis). Just like in Cold Pastoral, Claire, who believed that her relationship with her boyfriend Brian was perfect, realizes that she is actually not as dedicated as she believed to the relationship as well as Brian. We need not evade revelations, for revelation does more good than harm. In fact, revelation not only provides us information about the facts, but also provides a chance for us to step back and reassess our stances. The omnipresence of revelation is bound to amaze those who neglect it. Revelation can be as significant as the death of a person, as shown from the example in the story Cold Pastoral, or it can be as minute as receiving a marked quiz script at school. Events, which one may or may not notice, can often be regarded as revelations, as long as they allow one to introspect. The story, Cold Pastoral, not only successfully portrays Claire, the heroine, but also provokes the minds of readers to face revelations squarely.

Essay --

Las personas tenemos que pasar por varios procesos a lo largo de nuestras vidas. Probablemente el mà ¡s crà ­tico de ellos, sea nuestro proceso educativo. Pasamos 12 aà ±os aproximadamente, dentro de un sistema educativo con el que no siempre estamos de acuerdo. Nuestros padres suelen ser los que toman la decisià ³n acerca de nuestros colegios en base a lo que ellos consideran mejor. Quizà ¡s tomen esta decisià ³n por tradicià ³n familiar, por cuestiones econà ³micas, o porque està ¡n convencidos que en aquella institucià ³n vamos a recibir la educacià ³n que ellos creen que es la mejor para nosotros. Esperemos que al momento de tomar una decisià ³n tan crucial para el desarrollo de la persona, los padres en verdad analicen cuà ¡l es el tipo de educacià ³n que su hijo va a recibir en aquel lugar; quà © y cà ³mo va a aprender, bajo quà © mà ©todos y tà ©cnicas. En este ensayo, exploraremos el modelo constructivista de la educacià ³n, y como puede beneficiar a los estudiantes que lo utilizan frente a aquellos que no tiene este tipo de metodologà ­a en su formacià ³n. Ademà ¡s, se analizarà ¡n cuà ¡les son los modelos de enseà ±anza mà ¡s comunes en la educacià ³n de hoy en dà ­a y por quà © se han vuelto populares entre los educadores,  ¿son estas las maneras mà ¡s apropiadas de llegar a los alumnos? Como fin principal, queremos que al leer esto se entienda la diferencia entre simplemente enseà ±ar algo y enseà ±ar a pensar.  ¿Es preferible que el alumno solo memorice hechos, o despertar en à ©l cierta curiosidad para que siga aprendiendo sobre ciertos temas? Por medio de experiencias tanto personales como de allegados, o casos famosos, podemos adentrarnos en las distintas maneras de enseà ±ar y las repercusiones que tienes sobre los alumnos que por su forma de ser, no vienen... ...la pasan ni siquiera en supletorios. Esto causa no solo que se sienta inservible o con capacidades limitadas frente al resto cuando sus capacidades son solo distintas; si no tambià ©n provoca que se atrase un aà ±o completo por culpa de una sola cosa que no es lo suyo, o que no le han sabido dar las herramientas correctas para comprender ese tema. Por experiencia personal, podemos decir que los alumnos que trabajan mayormente con su memoria y no siempre con su razonamiento propio, son a los que les va bien en las secundarias tradicionales. En estos lugares solo se debe cumplir cierto tipo de examinaciones que son de dar respuestas exactas para demostrar que està ¡s apto para el siguiente nivel. Quizà ¡s, una opcià ³n mà ¡s interesante hacerle al alumno preguntas que le hagan analizar sobre lo aprendido en clases, no solo completar con fechas y nombres exactos.

University Foundation :: University Foundation Education Essays

University Foundation The presentation I choose to summarize is Greg Gissendanner’s presentation on the university foundation. Like most of the other presentations in class, Greg used the standard outline of presenting the unit’s history, mission, organizational structure, funding and financial concerns, and current issues. History. Greg showed that while many foundations look fairly similar today, the history of foundation development took on many different forms at different institutions. Greg’s primary examples of Harvard and Rutgers compared stories of how each foundation got its start with early donations (in a foreign currency!) as well as donations of other types – those that we might call in-kind today. These donations of materials and labor were instrumental in getting these two institutions the boost they needed for their continuing growth. Mission. Greg went on to define a â€Å"shared† mission statement of university foundations in general. This shared mission, securing gifts and grants, maximizing donor interest and commitment, and distribution of gifts to the university community, came from five specific mission statements which Greg then shared with the class. These individual mission statements while variable, all seemed to contain this shared definition within them even though they came from a variety of large public institutions. It would have been interesting to compare these with the mission of some smaller publics and also private institutions. Organizational Structure. Greg used a nice technique to discuss the organization structures of university foundations. Instead of just showing several examples, he asked the class to take a look at two universities which he had outlined some basic characteristics such as enrollment, location, cost of tuition, age of institution and endowment. He then asked us how we thought each of their foundations would be organized. It was a good tactic to make us think about what factors might affect the organization of a foundation and why. He went on to give details and his own explanation of why the foundations were organized the way they were. Funding and Financial Concerns. Next Greg discussed how the university foundation is typically funded. He explained that the foundation typically has five funding streams, endowment management fees, unrestricted gifts, gift fee, investment income fee, and a university services fee.

Why We Are Lonely :: essays research papers

Intolerance is human nature; people who are different from or weaker than the norm are victims of intolerance and become isolated and lonely. Those who are in the norm are expected to be strong and not show their feelings. In Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck, the social power group is the white, male workers on the farm. They are younger men, still useful, reasonably intelligent, and average-sized. They exclude people who do not fit their norm, such as Curley for being short, Lennie for being retarded, Candy for being old, Crooks for being black, and Curley's wife for being a woman. Between themselves, they expect strength, distance and independence, and are uncomfortable with emotions. This intolerance and isolation cause loneliness for all the characters in this novel. This social power group oppresses and isolates Curley, Lennie and Candy because they are different, even though they are white. Lennie is very strong and big but his mind is like a child's, so the men don't respect him as an equal. For example, George explains to Slim that he, "Used to play jokes on [Lennie] cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself"(p. 40). Lennie does not take part in the activities the workers do in their spare time. Lennie does not go to town with the men. In Weed, Lennie gets in trouble because the people don't understand his problem. They react with anger instead of understanding. George explains to Slim, "Cause he ain't mean....like what happened in Weed-"(p. 40). Candy is afraid that he will have nowhere to go soon because he is old: "I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no jobs." (p. 60) Candy knows that society doesn't value or care about people who can't work. Society ejects them because they are no longer useful. Carlson shows this when he says about Candy's dog, " He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy? (p. 44). Candy knows he is like his dog; an old man is almost useless. He knows how they will discard them he's no longer useful: "They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wish't somebody shoot me." (p. 60) Curley feels excluded from society because he is too short. He hates big men because big men automatically get into the social power group. Candy comments to George that "Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys.

Manila Water Company Essay

?The true value of water is realized only when there is lack of it. It’s also why this is often taken for granted; water is so much a part of our everyday lives that the concept of not having it is too overwhelming. Unfortunately, this was once a way of life those Metro Manila residents faced every day. Before 1997, the capital’s water supply and distribution was in disarray. Communal water sources were shared by hundreds of families who had to line up for hours just to get a few pails for the day’s use. Illegal connections ran rampant, draining these water sources even more. Clean and potable water was a luxury which poor families simply did not have, and that others had to acquire at a steep price. Needless to say, the morale was low among Metro Manila’s residents. In 1995, this situation prompted the Philippine government to enact the National Water Crisis Act, which turned over the operation of water services from the government-owned Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to the private sector. The Ayala-led Manila Water Company took over the East Zone of Metro Manila, 40% of the capital city, under a 25-year concession agreement; this granted the company exclusive rights to the use of land and facilities for the production, treatment and distribution of water, as well as the rights to operate the sewerage system. By accepting this task, Manila Water took upon itself the responsibility of making millions of lives better. Business Sustainability Manila Water formally took over operations for the East Zone in 1997. This is comprised of Pasig, Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong, Cubao & Balara (Quezon City), Marikina, San Juan and Antipolo-Rizal. All of these suffered from crippling water loss problems, and resorted to buying water from sources that charged ten to twenty times more than the normal cost. Manila Water began its rehabilitation plan by connecting these areas effectively. Water pipes were added and repaired, and illegal connections were thoroughly acted upon and remedied. A laboratory was established to ensure that the water delivered is consistently clean and drinkable straight out of the tap. Reservoirs were improved upon to ensure that water will be available in case of emergencies. Sewer lines and wastewater operations increased and was subsequently treated and rehabilitated. As water connections improved, so did the stability of the business; and this allowed the company to offer its water and wastewater services to areas outside Metro Manila. Now, Manila Water has established water and wastewater service partnerships in Laguna, Pampanga, Boracay and Cebu, as well as international ventures with Vietnam. The company is now internationally recognized through its corporate governance efforts as well as its business stability, as a proud example of success through the Filipino values of diligence and ingenuity. Social Responsibility Manila Water’s rehabilitation program was driven by a single principle: care for the customer. The company divided the East Zone into business areas, assigning Territory Managers and Customer Care specialists for each; its sole purpose is to understand the customer’s water concerns and to respond to these directly and efficiently. Of the 6 million residents in the East Zone, 1. 7 million come from impoverished families who cannot apply for water connections simply because they have no land they can call their own. To address this, Manila Water established the â€Å"Tubig Para Sa Barangay† (TPSB) program in 1998. Assisted by both government and non-government organizations, the company eased land title requirements for these communities, and provided them water services that are 1/3 of the normal cost. For the first time, these families could go about their lives without worrying about water ever again. Manila Water sustained this effort by establishing partners, or kasanggas among community and barangay leaders. By empowering these stakeholders as being directly responsible for the welfare of their community, key issues like sanitation, health, and livelihood due to water supply was discussed and tackled decisively. A memorable example was 2009’s Typhoon Ondoy disaster, where Manila Water and their kasanggas braved the storm to save lives and provided potable water to its victims almost immediately. Advocacy for the Environment Before Manila Water took over, a lesser-recognized, yet equally important victim suffered as well; the environment. With only 3% of homes connected to sewers, wastewater from toilets, sinks, and waterways had only two places to go: poorly-maintained residential septic tanks, or Metro Manila’s rivers and bodies of water. The company acted quickly to counter these environmental threats. Wastewater treatment plants were built and established among Metro Manila’s riverbanks and crucial areas, where this water would be treated and returned to the rivers clean and capable of supporting marine life. Septic tank desludging was introduced as a service to customers, allowing them to proactively schedule accordingly. The Lakbayan tour, a free walking tour of the company’s water and wastewater sites, allows anyone to single-handedly experience how the environment is key to the company’s efforts. This 2012, the Toka Toka campaign is launched, the first-ever wastewater campaign in the country. This aims to get people directly involved in preserving the environment by doing its own part in waste segregation, and preventing this waste from reaching the rivers. This movement will be supported government, non-government, and private organizations, making it one of the biggest environmental campaigns ever. After 15 years of service, Manila Water remains dedicated to its customers and the environment, as it gears toward a clean, clear, and sustainable future for everyone. Our vision is to become a leader in the provision of water, wastewater and other environmental services which will empower people, protect the environment, and enhance sustainable development. Sustainability Policy  Manila Water puts a very high premium on sustainable development and as much as practicable, integrates its principles into its business processes. Manila Water believes that the continued sustainability of its business is dependent on the communities that it serves and the environment that supports its resources. This policy is consistent with the Company’s values in promoting corporate social responsibility. With this in mind, the Company will be able to address the needs of the communities, the environment and the economy, without sacrificing quality.

Ranch Girl by Maile Meloy from Contemporary American Short Fiction

The story is told in second person, which gives the reader a sense of being in the story, at the same time being an observer. It begins with telling you where you stand in the socio-economics’ and in the eyes of your peers. â€Å"If you’re white, and you’re not rich or poor but somewhere in the middle, it’s hard to have worse luck than be born a girl on the Ranch. It doesn’t matter if your father is the foreman or the rancher – you’re still a ranch girl, and you’ve been dealt a bad hand. † (551) The story goes on, telling you where you where you live on the Ranch, who your father is (the foreman on Ted Haskell’s Running H cattle Ranch) and how you keep your room still decorated from when you were ten. You never have friends over, so you can keep your room that way. You never have friends over because no one wants to come over to a Ranch girl’s house. The second person point of view pangs at the readers emotions. You feel the hunger for attention and flush it creates when Andy Tyler flirts with you. The author re-creates the feelings of a teenage girl, somewhere on the cusp of popularity, in such a way it is almost impossible not to get caught up with the story. I was never a Ranch girl, but when reading the story I felt akin to the feelings of the narrator. The experiences described are vastly different from any of my own child/young adulthood but the universal truths laid out are the same with any person. The narrator has fallen in love with a boy from the rodeo. She goes and watches him fight every Friday. She s sixteen and the Ranchers daughter, Carla, and her curls they hair into perfect ringlets. Trying to catch Andy’s eye. When he gets up from fighting, he asks her to give him a rainbow and she twirls her rainbow gloved hand around his face. The narrator wants to marry Andy Tyler. The blushing hope of picking out her future husband harks back the authors understanding of a young girl. â€Å"Virginity is as important to rodeo boys as to Catholics, and you don’t go home and fuck Andy Tyler because when you finally get him, you want to keep him. But you like his asking. Some nights, he doesn’t ask. Some nights, Lacey Estrada climbs into Andy’s truck, dark hair bouncing in soft curls on her shoulders, and moves close to Andy on the front seat as they drive away†¦. But cowboys are romantics; when they settle down they want the girl they haven’t fucked. † (553) The narrator doesn’t feel too jealous of Lacey Estrada because she knows that Andy is like every other rodeo boy. He won’t marry a girl who he (or anyone else) has fucked. This statement is then contested after Andy Tyler dies in an accident. The paper announces in Andy Tyler’s obituary that he was engaged to Lacey Estrada. When reading this, the author goes on to detail the narrators feelings that you can almost taste the salt tears from being hurt. â€Å"Andy’s obituary says he was engaged to Lacey Estrada, which only Lacey or doctor father could have put in. If you had the guts you’d buy every paper in town and burn them outside that big white house where Lacey took him home and fucked him. Then Lacey shows up on the Hill with an engagement ring and gives you a sad smile as if you shared something. If you were one of the girls who gets in fights on the Hill, you’d fight Lacey. But you don’t; you look away† (556) I think putting this piece into second person was an excellent choice. If the piece were in first person, it might have been too emotionally sentimental, or with too much angst. If the piece was in third, it might not have been able to capture the vulnerability of the narrator. The narrator shuts down after Andy’s death, although it might be because of his death she has more options than if he had been alive. The narrator feels cheated, alone since he died, but she continued through high school where her science teachers (who saw through her ignorant facade) encouraged and bothered her to go to college. In the first course in college, the professor accuses her of plagiarism because she can write. The feelings of frustration and anger, feeling cheated out of a life with Andy to be left alone. The narrator feels the expectations of others enshrouding her, something that would not have been if Andy Tyler had not died in that car crash. â€Å"You are so lucky to have a degree and no kid,† Carla says, â€Å"You can still leave. † (558). The narrator has the world around her telling her how she can still leave, how she has nothing to tie her to the Ranch, or to Montana anymore. She can go. â€Å"But none of these things seem real; what’s real is the payments on your car and your mom’s crazy horses, the feel of the ranch road as you can drive blindfolded and the smell of the hay†¦. But out there in there world you get old. You don’t get old here. Here you can always be a Ranch girl. † (558) The tangible things that tie someone to a place has nothing on the emotional ties. Andy Tyler might have died and left her alone, but he still ties her to the Ranch by his memory. The stolen life taken by a drunk driver took not only Andy Tyler, but also the narrators by taking him from her. She wastes her potential by pining and mourning someone she should have moved on from years ago. The sad desperation is clear in the description, in how the author portrayed the narrator through the second person point of view. The narrator comes off much more sympathetic and her motives are clearly understandable through the second person point of view. I don’t think that any other point of view could have given such a clear view of the narrator life.