Midterm Exam Business Valuation and Stock Valuation Essay Example for Free

Midterm Exam Business Valuation and Stock Valuation Essay It is generally more expensive to form a proprietorship than a corporation because, with a proprietorship, extensive legal documents are required. (b) Corporations face fewer regulations than sole proprietorships. (c) One disadvantage of operating a business as a sole proprietorship is that the firm is subject to double taxation, at both the firm level and the owner level. (d) One advantage of forming a corporation is that equity investors are usually exposed to less liability than in a regular partnership. If a regular partnership goes bankrupt, each partner is exposed to liabilities only up to the amount of his or her investment in the business. (2) (TCO G) A security analyst obtained the following information from Prestopino Products’ financial statements: Retained earnings at the end of 2009 were $700,000, but retained earnings at the end of 2010 had declined to $320,000. †¢ The company does not pay dividends. †¢ The company’s depreciation expense is its only non-cash expense; it has no amortization charges. †¢ The company has no non-cash revenues. The company’s net cash flow (NCF) for 2010 was $150,000. On the basis of this information, which of the following statements is CORRECT? (Points : 10) (a) Prestopino had negative net income in 2010. ( b ) Prestopino’s depreciation expense in 2010 was less than $150,000. (c) Prestopino had positive net income in 2010, but its income was less than its 2009 income. (d) Prestopino’s NCF in 2010 must be higher than its NCF in 2009. (e) Prestopino’s cash on the balance sheet at the end of 2010 must be lower than the cash it had on the balance sheet at the end of 2009. Which of the following is most likely to occur? (Points : 10) (a) The required rate of return for an average stock will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (b) The required rate of return will decline for stocks whose betas are less than 1. 0. (c) The required rate of return on the market, rM, will not change as a result of these changes. (d) The required rate of return for each individual stock in the market will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (e) The required rate of return on a riskless bond will decline.

Conflict Resolution between Teacher and Parents

Conflict Resolution between Teacher and Parents Introduction From time to time, all teachers will be faced by a difficult and demanding parent. From challenging academic results to accusations of bullying, some parents can be very intimidating or even aggressive. Until relatively recent times, the school was viewed as the realm of the professional, the educator, the teacher. As Carol Vincent states: ‘No parents beyond this point such signs could have been seen in schools around the country, symbolizing the clear division between home and school. She goes on to describe schools as: ‘[I]slands of professional expertise, of calm, order and learning. How we all miss the good old days in the midst of a hectic, stressful Parents Consultation Meeting, when we see the approach of Mr and Mrs Smith, looking as happy as we might have predicted with Johns latest report! Conservative government educational policy, from 1979, was underpinned by the notion of parents as the â€Å"consumers† of an education system, who would be empowered with considerable influence over the way in which the â€Å"producers† the teachers operated, not least by the use of â€Å"parental choice† as a factor in determining which schools would thrive and which close. More recent educational policy, during the Labour Partys terms of office, has stressed the importance of the home/school partnership in promoting the learning of young people. Carol Vincent, quoting a 1986 study by Cowburn, summarises this shift in perception as follows: â€Å"Parents were once kept out of schools so as to allow the professionals uninterrupted control: parents are now being encouraged to get involved, to come into school so that they can understand why the professional exercises control in the manner he/she does†. Communicating clearly, therefore, what we do, what we have done, being prepared to justify our actions by reference to school policy, to educational theory and practice, to the statutory demands of the National Curriculum, for example, needs to be at the forefront of the teachers agenda in any meetings with parents, whether arranged or a surprise encounter. We are no longer autonomous rulers in our own little world, but need, as professionals and experts, to be prepared to explain, or justify, our actions and decisions in language that is accessible to the parent. Situation H or S Heated? In the table above, jot down in the first column possible situations which might generate an ‘interview with parents. For example: report sent home detention issued o praise postcard sent home * In the second column, indicate whether the ‘invitation to meet is most likely to come from Home (H) or School (S) * In the third column, rate the likelihood of the meeting becoming heated on a scale of 1-5, 1 being highly unlikely, and 5 highly likely. Getting the basics right conflict avoidance The importance of the dialogue between school and home cannot be underestimated, and those schools which have taken steps to ensure that their relationship with their parents is a good one, based on mutual respect and concern for the young people whose care they share for at least five days each week will have fewer flashpoints on the level of personal interaction between parent and teacher. Everyone has an experience of school life, so, in that respect, all our parents feel that they are experts! For many, their own experiences of school and of teachers are not particularly good ones: some find entering school premises a daunting prospect, and this unease can quickly escalate into difficult or aggressive behaviour. Many associate their visits to school with negative emotions: they have responded to so many summons because of a childs poor behaviour, attitude or progress that any chance to â€Å"get ones own back† by criticising the school is pursued with relish. Make a note below of skills which you use in the classroom:  · to defuse tension  · to manage behaviour  · to foster co-operation  · to ensure compliance  · to foster a good working relationship A couple of examples are included to get you off to a good start! Skills I use daily:  · Friendly greeting as pupils arrive.  · My ‘no nonsense face.  · Standing up full height to look imposing Which of the above are also useful in dealing with parents? Many difficult encounters can be avoided if the school:  · Has clear policies on a variety of relevant topics e.g. uniform, behaviour, information that is shared with parents on a regular basis. As a teacher, ensure that, in your dealings with pupils, you apply such policies with fairness, consistency and equity.  · Takes steps to involve parents in the life of the school whenever possible the good old school play, or talent show, provides opportunities for parents to cross the school threshold in a non-confrontational context. As an individual, seek out opportunities to establish a dialogue with parents, even if it is only a nod of acknowledgment, if you meet them outside school in a supermarket or in the queue for a plane at the airport! Look for, and utilise, any opportunities to share an interest in something other than the child who is the focus of your relationship.  · Has clear and well established practices for communicating with parents e.g. on behaviour, attendance, progress. Such communication should be timely and prompt, not restricted to key points in the school year e.g. end of year report, and should also inform parents of a childs positive contributions to the life of the school, for example via â€Å"praise postcards†. As a teacher, try to ensure, wherever it is reasonable, that particular parents do not always associate your name with bad news.  · Provides a welcoming environment for parents a cheerful reception area; a cheery greeting from reception staff; a light, warm room in which meetings can take place In many ways, the parents who arrive at the school fired up in defence of their child, or who demand to see a teacher to find out why progress is not being maintained, is less of a threat to the life of the school than those parents who refuse all attempts to initiate a dialogue, to the point that their child is excluded. Parents who are moved to anger by something they believe has happened, normally because their child says so, can potentially become the teachers greatest ally, once a more appropriate relationship has been established. Communicating with parents  · In the table below, in the first column, list the means of communication which your school uses with its parents. There are 3 examples to get you started.  · In the second column, rate the effectiveness of each, on a scale of 1-5, 1 being of little use and 5 being highly effective. Communication Rating Annual written report Grade card termly Consultation evening How could any of the above be adapted to improve effectiveness? What makes a person angry? Anger is a natural part of the human condition, but it isnt always easy to handle. Some people mask their anger. Others explode with rage. Good parents invest a great deal of emotional energy in their offspring: which of us, as a parent, has not been moved to strong emotion by something that our child tells us, or something that they have done, or not done? We also acknowledge the importance of social and emotional intelligence for our young people in school, and many schools are delivering extensive programmes to support this aspect of their pupils development. Since youngsters learn more from models than from lectures, it is reasonable to assume that many of those pupils who have difficulty expressing emotion, or controlling an outburst of anger, are not seeing positive role models at home in this respect. It may be, therefore, that a parent does not intend to show anger or aggression, but has never learned to express concern in a more appropriate way. There are a number of courses which schools can access and provide for their parents, to support them in developing their own emotional literacy, which will not only be of benefit in your encounters, but will also help them to reinforce, and model, the behaviours and responses that you are hoping to develop in the children. The Millennium Cohort Study by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London, published in October 2008, shows that what parents are most concerned about in choosing a school in the first place is not only the schools performance, but other characteristics that, taken together, parents rate even more highly the â€Å"good impression† created by the school, a strong anti-bullying policy, its ability to accommodate an ethnic mix, and its facilities amongst others. It therefore follows that these are the sorts of issues that parents are most likely to seek to approach the school with if they feel that it is â€Å"all going wrong† for their child. Psychologists recognize that anger arises for different reasons in different types of people, which may need to be handled in different ways by the sensitive teacher. You may recognize parents that you have had, on occasion, to deal with in the profiles detailed below, although it is highly unlikely that any parent has ever reached the point of hatred towards their childs teacher it just feels like it sometimes! Understanding what may be the underlying cause of parents anger, over and above the particular incident that has provoked this meeting, may help you not to respond too quickly, with mounting irritation, to what appears to be an unreasonable display from across the desk. Types of Anger Disguised Anger These individuals may not, at first, let others know how angry they are. Sometimes, they dont even know how angry they are. But the anger will come out! They look hurt and innocent. They gain a sense of control over their lives by frustrating others. The teacher needs to become practiced in interpreting body language, which may indicate anger bubbling below the surface, just waiting to explode when a trigger point in the conversation is reached. Paranoid Anger This type of anger occurs when someone feels irrationally threatened by others. They seek aggression. They believe people are against them, dont understand their viewpoint or their concerns. They expect others to attack, verbally at least. Because of this, they jealously guard and defend what they think is theirs these parents are often those who say things like: â€Å"My son wouldnt do that† â€Å"My daughter says she has done the work and you lost it and I believe her†. People with paranoid anger give it away it is self evident from their body language, both their verbal and non-verbal communication, that they are very, VERY annoyed. Such parents may often feel insecure, especially in the school environment, and unwilling to trust the school, or you as its representative. Sudden Anger People with sudden anger are like thunderstorms on a summer day. They zoom in from nowhere, blast everything in sight, and then vanish. Sometimes its only lightning and thunder, a big show that soon blows away, but can cause damage, occasionally physical, but certainly in terms of the relationship between the teacher and the home, and to the home-school partnership, that will take a long time to repair. Sudden Anger people gain a surge of power. They release all their feelings, so they feel good or relieved: you, on the receiving end, feel battered and emotionally exhausted. These are the people in danger of losing control: they may get physically violent and, at the least, will say and do things they may later regret. Sometimes, all you can do is simply let the anger blow up, and blow over do not attempt to interrupt or respond until the storm has passed, but keep calm, keep still and make it clear that you are listening. It may even be that the best solution is to simply let this parent have his, or her, say, then suggest a return appointment, in the hope that regret has tempered their anger, and allowed reason to surface. Shame-Based Anger People who need a lot of attention or are very sensitive to criticism often develop this style of anger. The slightest criticism sets off their own shame and since they share such close emotional links with their children, any criticism of the child is felt to reflect badly on them. They feel worthless, not good enough and, like any living creature, when they feel backed against a wall, they will come out fighting! When they feel the teacher is ignoring them, like not giving in to their demands to move their child to a different teaching set, they take it as proof that the other person dislikes them as much as they dislike themselves. That makes them really angry, so they lash out; You made me feel awful, so Im going to hurt you back. They get rid of their shame by blaming, criticizing, and ridiculing others. Their anger helps them get revenge against anybody they think shamed them. Such parents need reassurance; they are good people; they are doing their best for their child; thei r child has huge potential that is not yet being realised because of the issue at hand. Deliberate Anger This anger is planned. People who use this anger usually know what they are doing. They arent really overtly emotional, at least not at first. They like controlling others, and the best way theyve discovered to do that is with anger and, sometimes, violence. Power and control are what people gain from deliberate anger. Their goal is to get what they want by threatening or overpowering others. Firmness and fairness are the best responses to this: such individuals have to learn that he who shouts loudest does not always get what he wants, that you as an individual, and the school as an organisation, does not respond to threats and bullying, but decides what is best in the interest of the pupils. Addictive Anger Some people want, or even need, the strong feelings that come with anger. They like the intensity, even if they dont like the trouble their anger causes them. Their anger is much more than a bad habit it provides emotional excitement. It isnt fun, but its powerful. These people look forward to the anger rush, and the emotional high. Anger addicts gain a sense of intensity and emotional power when they explode. They feel alive and full of energy. You, as an individual, are not going to break this addiction alone but nor should you have to tolerate it repeatedly. If every encounter is the same, this problem needs dealing with at a higher level. It may even be that, in the interests of the health and safety of staff, it may not be possible to continue to accommodate such interviews. Moral Anger Some people think they have a right to be angry when others have broken a rule. They view the offenders as bad, evil, wicked, sinful. They have to be scolded, maybe punished. People with this anger style feel outraged about what bad people are doing. They say they have a right to defend their beliefs. They claim moral superiority. They justify their anger as being for the best, in a good cause. They dont feel guilty when they get angry because of this. They often feel superior to others, even in their anger. These people suffer from black-and-white thinking, which means they see the world too simply. They fail to understand people who are different from themselves. They often have rigid ways of thinking and doing things. Another problem with this anger style is crusading attacking every problem or difference of opinion with moral anger when compromise or understanding might be better. For these people, you need to â€Å"prove† that you are operating â€Å"within the rulesâ⠂¬ : it is not your decision, but one dictated by a policy which you have to enforce. They may not like the rule, but should appreciate the evidence that you are applying it consistently! Hate Hate is a hardened anger. It is a nasty anger style that happens when someone decides that at least one other person is totally evil or bad. Forgiving the other person seems impossible. Instead, the hater vows to despise the offender. Hate starts as anger that doesnt get resolved. Then it becomes resentment, and then a true hatred that can go on indefinitely. Haters often think about the ways they can punish the offender and they sometimes act on those ideas. These people feel they are innocent victims. They create a world of enemies to fight, and they attack them with great vigour and enthusiasm. However, this hatred causes serious damage over time. Haters cant let go or get on with life. They become bitter and frustrated and their lives become mean, small and narrow. Golden Rule NEVER trade anger with anger! You do not extinguish a fire by throwing more fuel on it. Whatever anger type you recognise yourself to be, in the context of a meeting with parents; you are the professional cool and collected. Breathe deeply, switch off your more sensitive self, dont take the insults personally and dont respond in kind, trading hurt for hurt, insult for insult. Learning to read the signs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ a guide to non-verbal communication! As teachers, we are generally adept at recognising the subtle signs that all is not well with the pupils in our care; we need to adapt and enhance these, often subconscious, abilities when assessing the degree of anger, or annoyance, or high emotion, in the parents before us. When people are tense or nervous, there are clear visual signals, long before the volume, or pitch, of their voice increases! Their fists may be clenched, or their hands or feet tapping. Their hands may be interlocked, as if praying, and the apparent pressure between the hands gives an indication of just how tense they may be. Their arms are crossed, but they are gripping their biceps. Look at the parents mouth: upward turns in the corner of the mouth are often positive signs, and downward turns, or flat lines, demonstrate negative behaviour. Are lips pressed together or relaxed and comfortable? When the parent speaks, emotion is betrayed by a high pitch, fast pace or stuttering, long before the voice becomes over-loud, or the language abusive. Parents may repeatedly clear their throats. Their eyes evade you. Be aware of these signs of unease, and respond sympathetically; you may avoid the situation escalating into anger. Be welcoming and placatory: listen attentively to their concerns; nod in acknowledgment of what they are saying; feed back your understanding of what they are saying. Offer a comfortable environment and perhaps a drink and a biscuit. Do not approach over-assertively; if you put such parents on the defensive, they will move quickly from unease to anger. One of the most valuable ways of discovering whether someone is being open and honest is to look for palm displays. When someone begins to open up or be truthful, he will expose all, or part, of his palms to another person. Like most body language, this is a completely unconscious gesture, one that gives you a hunch that the other person is telling the truth. When a child is lying or concealing something, his palms are hidden in his pockets or he adopts an â€Å"arms folded† position, for example, when he tries to explain where he was. One of the tricky things about body language is that we are often unaware of how we are reacting to it. We may, for example, form a negative judgment about someone because she slouches, wont look us in the eye or talks with her hands. Because we are unaware of why we made the judgment, we are unable to filter out our biases about what body language means and what it tells us about an individual. Be aware, also, of what you are communicating through your own body language. Be open, physically. Do not cross your arms across the chest or hold obstructive objects (such as your marks register) protectively between the two of you. Approach parents with a hand outstretched in greeting, make eye contact and smile as if pleased to see them even, or perhaps especially, if you are not! Aggressive body language will only alienate, and probably exacerbate what may already be a tense or confrontational meeting. You need to appear relaxed, with an upright posture, and maintain direct eye contact. Rounded shoulders tend to imply that you are afraid or subservient, although a rigidly upright posture can, by contrast, convey inflexibility think of the regimental sergeant major! Drooping, hunched shoulders have the connotation of carrying a heavy burden, and will not create the impression of someone who is confident in the decisions they have made. Beware of using arms and legs unconsciously as a protective barrier. Be aware of overall position: put simply, we lean towards people we like and lean away from people we dont. Avoid gazing at the floor, one of the cardinal sins of body language: if you avoid looking at people, you avoid connecting with them. It will make the parent feel youre not interested in them or anything theyre saying if you cant even be bothered raising your eyes to fake interest, what hope have they got? or perhaps that you are arrogant its rude not to look at someone who is talking to you or nervous and slightly dodgy avoid looking someone in the eye and they automatically assume youre hiding something. Try not to resort to habitual actions which convey nervousness, such as fiddling with your collar or scratching your neck. You might as well have a neon sign hanging round it that reads My names John/Jane and youre making me feel horribly insecure and/or as nervous as hell. Both gestures are signs of doubt and uncertainty. People pull their clothes away from their necks when theyre in a hot spot, literal or otherwise; this may be how you are feeling, but do you really want to convey the fact so openly? And finally, propping up your face with your hand putting your hand on the side of your face and leaning on it could be sending a clear message, either â€Å"Im so bored and tired, I can hardly hold my head up† or â€Å"Im feeling faintly superior and quite possibly judging you while Im at it.† We simply would not sit like that in front of a boss or someone we respected. Your facial expression needs to be responsive to what the parent is saying. Keep your hands relaxed and your voice confident, measured in volume and pitch. Bear in mind that, when holding a conversation, people use certain head movements to indicate that they have come to the end of a sentence and are waiting for the other persons answer. Lowering of the head may indicate the end of a statement or raising the head the end of a question, and a demand for your response. Look for signs of growing â€Å"congruence†: when we are starting to see another persons point of view, we tend to imitate their body language. When a group is in congruence, the positions of their bodies mimic each other, in some cases like a mirror image: when one member of a congruent group changes his position, everyone does so with him. Congruence within a group usually indicates that all the members are in agreement. If the group has two points of view, the defenders of each opinion will adopt different positions; each subgroup will be congruent within itself, but not congruent with the other subgroup. When interviewing two parents, looking for congruent movements may help you to establish who is the dominant partner, and it may not necessarily be the one who first begins to speak: they may be holding the â€Å"big guns† in reserve, to catch out the unwary teacher, who is beginning to think that he, or she, is winning the argument. Manage the situation by trying to bring the â€Å"silent partner† into the discussion at a point that suits you â€Å"What do you feel has happened, Mr Smith?† When those on the â€Å"other side† of the discussion begin to mirror your movements, you know that they are getting on side, and listening to what you have to say. To try to break the tension at the beginning of the interview, to increase a persons comfort when they are closed-off, utilize mirroring; observe the parents behaviour and then, in a subtle way, act the same way they are acting. If their arms are crossed over, sit back, relax a little, and then begin to cro ss your arms. The Managed Meeting The majority of times we have an interview with parents, we are well aware that the meeting will take place. There is, of course, the annual Parents Consultation Evening, or you may have sent a letter home about a disciplinary related incident, for example, that you can confidently predict will elicit a response from home and even, perhaps, that it is likely to be an emotional, or even heated, exchange. There are also social events, a â€Å"Celebration Assembly† perhaps to which parents have been invited, which might also prompt some to request a few words with you in private regarding a long running issue. And, sometimes, the meeting has been suggested by you, effectively a summons to the parents to attend a meeting of crucial importance to the youngster, for example, if there has been cause for a temporary exclusion or a permanent exclusion is on the horizon. Whenever you have the opportunity to â€Å"manage† such meetings, make the most of the opportunity to ensure a good outcome for all parties, and the minimum of stress for yourself. It is, perhaps, worth emphasising that most encounters with parents are perfectly amicable, or may be emotional for them, although not in any way expressed in angry exchanges. It would be a mistake to always assume the worst; your own tension will be conveyed to parents and might be the â€Å"last straw† that tips them over the edge! a) Fixing a Date When a parent requests a meeting in advance, or if you are issuing the summons, think carefully about the timing. Allow enough time to prepare effectively a few days at least. When confirming the time and date, if you are not really sure why the meeting is being requested, politely enquire as to the general topic. Pick a time which you can â€Å"manage† i.e. that will have a definite start time and a definite finish: meetings during the school day are often better from this point of view, since parents will anticipate that you will have classes to teach at some point! However, it is also often the time least favoured by parents, who may work during the day or have other commitments, for example younger children to make arrangements for. If the meeting must be at the end of the school day, make sure that you have established with the parents how long the meeting will last, and inform a reliable colleague, whose job it will be to bring the meeting to an end by â€Å"interrupting†: this could be a teaching colleague, a member of non-teaching staff, even a cleaner or caretaker, reminding you that the room needs to be cleared. Emotionally charged meetings have a tendency to become circular, the tension rising and falling, and can, if you dont manage them, carry on for disproportionately long times, and they are no more effective than a short, sharp, focussed meeting in bringing about a satisfactory outcome. When you have fixed the date and time, make sure that it has been entered into the school calendar. Book a suitable room, if available. Inform the appropriate line manager which parents you are meeting and why curriculum leader, pastoral team leader, senior management. Informing the SEN coordinator would also be appropriate for certain pupils. Make sure that the reception staff know, and will be ready to greet the parents warmly. Make it clear to all how long you are scheduling the meeting for, and make sure that there will be some support for you, should matters become heated or should the meeting drag on interminably and have an â€Å"exit plan† agreed to address these possible scenarios. Use the interim time wisely to gather as much information as you can. Check school records for any information from previous meetings, perhaps with other members of staff: ask colleagues for any tips or pieces of information, about family circumstances perhaps, that you might not previously have been privy to. Do not forget support staff and those in reception, for example, who may have had cause to speak to these parents before. Use â€Å"local knowledge†: many support staff live locally and may know these parents in an entirely different social setting, as neighbours perhaps, and may also have useful information to add. Dont forget the child who is the stimulus for the discussion but beware of appearing to pump for information! Always remember that the child has his, or her, own agenda, and you never know what the little dear has been saying at home that may potentially have already inflamed an otherwise perfectly amicable meeting. Gather together the â€Å"evidence† you may have relating to the meeting examples of class work, attendance records, records of missed homeworks and some comparative information (no names of course) with other class members, photocopies of graffiti, photographs of damage whatever supports the issues you need to put across. Have copies available of relevant policy documents, or previous written correspondence, and a clear note of when, and how, such communications have been conveyed. Make sure that you have carefully read records of any previous correspondence, whether on the matter in question or another: incidents which may appear to you to be unrelated, to parents desperate for a reason to excuse their childs behaviour may seem to provide evidence of a â€Å"conspiracy† at least if they bring something up, you will know roughly what they are referring to! The watchword for your preparation should be â€Å"Forewarned is forearmed!† b) Managing the Environment How we guard our personal space boundaries, and how we enter into the others personal space, is integrally connected with the way we relate with other people. It is important for people to have their ‘own space, and how you manage the space in the meeting room will establish the relationship between you and the parent, and possibly the emotional tone that the meeting will take. Make sure that you have established a â€Å"space† for yourself that you are comfortable with, in terms of the distance between you and the parents, and your relative positions. If the meeting is taking place in your â€Å"teaching space†, this is, in one sense, a kind of temporary home territory for you, perhaps marked by personal belongings, and one in which you may feel comfortable. Conversely, you may see this as a potential battleground, or a territory you want to protect, and feel happier in a more formal meeting room. Each school will, in addition, have its own established practices which may dictate the venue. Arrange the chairs in the interview room before the parents arrive, giving thought to the atmosphere you want to establish, as well as more practical issues. A desk between you and them may feel â€Å"safe† and protective, but also conveys that you feel in need of protection, and creates a barrier between you, enforcing an â€Å"us and them† mentality. The room layout should reflect the home school partnership in action. If you want to have the comfort of a desk, or simply need one on which to gather your evidence, consider having the parents sitting at right angles to you, rather than directly across the desk. Think about the position of chairs, and who will sit where, relative to the doorway in the worst possible scenario, you want to be sure that YOU are the one closest to the door and can leave before they do! This may be to seek help or support from elsewhere, to remove yourself from a highly charged atmosphere and allow â€Å"calm down† time, or to bring a meeting to an end when it has gone way beyond sensible limits, despite your best efforts. In these circumstances, always make sure that you h

The Abuse Of Power In Night And The Pearl

The Abuse Of Power In Night And The Pearl In the story Night by Elie Wiesel and The Pearl by John Steinback, I will be explaining, action,reasons, and the consequences of abuse of power in an excessive or unreasonable way. In Night I will be talking about Elieze and his father the abuse of power they experienced. In The Pearl I will be talking about Kino, and his family, the abuse they received by someone else having the power. In The Pearl Kino and Juana are also experiencing abuse of power. Have you money to pay for the treatment. (pg.11) this is the abuse uneducated, poor people, like Kino and Juana go through, for not having enough money to pay the doctor. Coyotito, Kinos son was stung by a scorpion and could not be attended by a doctor, because his parents cannot afford to pay. The doctor has gone out, he said. He was called to a serious case. He shut the gate quickly out of shame. (pg.12) the doctor abuses his power by helping only the clients with money, and putting aside the poor like Kino, Juana and Coyotito. Moishe the Beadle, was afraid that nobody would believe the massacre he experienced, as it turns out Moishe was right and nobody believed him. But now a young man named Elieze along with his family is experiencing the abuse of power by the Germans and the Hungarian police. We no longer had the right to frequent restaurants or cafes, to travel by train, to attend synagogue, to be on the streets after six o clock in the evening. Then came the ghettos. (pg.11) Elieze and his family are now prisoners in their own home, having to live by others rules. Sighet was divided into two ghettos, and every home was well watched and every window facing the street had to be sealed. Elieze and his family are now worried after finding out that, they will transferred to a unknown place. The ghetto was to be liquidated entirely; departures were to take place, street by street, starting the next day. (pg.13) The Germans are abusing their power and making everybody in Sighet fear for their lives, not know ing where they are going to be taken. That was asecret, a secret for all, except one: the president of the Jewish council. But he would not tell, or could not tell. The Gestapo had threatened to shoot him if he talked. (pg.13) everybody is waiting to find out what will happen, and what awaits them, after being imprisoned in their own homes unjustly by the Germans. Kino and Juana go fishing one day for oysters. Kino dives down into the water and starts to pull oysters off the hummock where they live. After opening all the oysters Kino opens the biggest one of all and finds a big shinny pearl inside. News of Kinos finding travels quickly into the ears of the doctors. He is a client of mine, the doctors said; I am treating his child for a scorpion sting. (pg.22) Now that the doctor knows Kino has money to pay for CoyotitoÂÂ ´s scorpion sting. The doctor decides that he will cure Coyotito, because Kino can now afford to pay him. The doctor is taken advantage of his power. The pearl was a sign of evil from the first time Kino found it. And suddenly he was afraid of his talking; his hand closed down over the pearl and cut the light away from it. Kino was afraid as a man is afraid who says, I will without knowing. (pg.26) the pearl as Kino and Juana start to notice is nothing but problems for them. One night after someone breaks into Juanas and Kinos home, Juana begs Kino to throw the pearl away. Throw it away; Kino let us break it between stones. Let us bury it and forget the place. Let us throw it back into the sea. It has brought evil. Kino, my husband, it will destroy us. (pg.38) Juana just wants to live in peace the way they lived before finding the pearl. Finally Kino and Juana take the pearl to sell it because they know people will try to take advantage of them. They are followed by the whole town, Now the dealers glanced quickly at one another, they knew they had played too hard, they knew they would be disciplined for their failure. (pg.52) the dealers try to take advantage of Kinos knowledge; they think they can convince him the pearl is not worth anything. Kino is aware of their evil intensions so he decides not to sell the pearl for the fifteen hundred pesos they offeredhim. The time has come you must leave all this, Hungarian police used their rifle butts, their clubs to indiscriminately strike old men and women, children and cripples. (pg16) The moment they have been waiting for has finally come. They are brutally being forced out of their homes by the Hungarian police and the Germans, the citizens are sacred and do not understand the cause of the police brutality. All the Jews, outside hurry (pg16) the citizens, are being lined up outside the street, so the police can take roll call They are forced to stand outside in the hot sun with no water. The heat was oppressive, sweat steamed from peoples faces and bodies children were crying for water. (pg16) Everyone has to wait in the hot sun for hours. Cruel and brutally is how the Germans are treating these poor people, not being able to stand up t o a higher power, the Germans are abusing their power on innocent people. Oh God Master of the Universe, in your infinite compassion have mercy on us. (pg20) El ieze after seeing his father cry for the first time in his life realizes this is not a game it is not a dream; all Elieze can do now is pray for all the injustice, pray and hope that this is just a big misunderstanding. Elieze cannot believe what they are being put through. We walked towards the station, where we were going to be taken by the Gestapo. After a long ride the train had finally come to a stop. In the air, the smell of burning flesh, it must have been around midnight, we had arrived in Birkenau. (pg28) The SS man came forward hitting and telling everyone to leave all the objects behind in the wagon. Their only things of value they had brought along had to be left behind Men to the left, women to the right. (pg29) This was the harsh reality, the moment when Elieze had been separated from his family, not knowing whether this was going to be the last time they would ever see each other. Elieze was scared and did not want to separate from his family. The threats continue for Kino and his family, the pearl has now become a real problem. Kino was attacked outside his own home by some stranger; Kino had no choice but to take a life to protect his family, killing a man for this reason Kino had to leave his home town. Kino was going to be wanted by these men and decided to leave It bit through neck and deep into the chest, and Kino was a terrible machine now.(pg86) This is what Kino has been driven to do, after being chased all over the place by some trackers trying to take his pearl and kill his family, Kino had no choice running out of places to hide Kino had to kill again. Kino had become as cold and deadly as steal.(pg87) After being pushed to the limit, Kino finally got tired and had to push back. Kino was tired of running, being scared, and treated like a dog. Worst of all Coyotito was shot, and killed by one of the trackers, causing Kino to lose his temper and go crazy. Kino killed the tracker with the rifle and with the same r ifle Kino killed the other two trackers. Sons of bitches, why have you come here? (pg30) The search for the truth is finally over, after a SS officer tells Elieze and the rest of the prisoners, why they have been brought to the concentration camp, and the terrible things that await them. You will be burned! With no compaction, you will be burned to cinder! Turned into ashes! (pg34) Elieze is stunned, and petrified at the news of being burned alive, how can the Germans be so cruel and cold hearted to just kill people for no reason, this is all a horrible nightmare for Elieze and the prisoners. A truck drew close and unloaded its hold, small children, Babies! Yes I did see this, with my own eyes.(pg32) Elieze cannot believe his eyes, how can something so incredible to believe be happening, and why doesnt anybody do something about this terrible nightmare. Why doesnt the world know about this horrible place, that is burning human being, and little defenseless children alive? If that is true, then I dont want to wait, ill run i nto the electrified barbed wire. That would be easier that slow death in the fire. (pg33) Elieze is now panicking and thinking of a better death, than to be burned alive. If he is going to die then he wants to have control over his own death. Now Elieze and his father are prisoners having to work and wait for their turn to be thrown into the crematorium, and be burned alive. As they approach the flames, they are ordered to go back to the barracks and wait to be transferred to another camp site. We had arrived in Buchenwald.(pg103) Elieze s father at this point cannot go on any further; he is tired, sick, and weak from all the beatings and cruelty the prisoners have been putting him through. They said that we were sick, that we would die, soon and that it would be a waste of food. (pg107) The guards did not feed Eliezes father because he is about to die, for the guards Eliezes father is just another body to throw away, they are just waiting for him to die so they can get rid of him. His last word had been my name.(pg112) Eliezes father could not fight any longer, after having a strong fever, he had started to hallucinate he could no longer go on dying on January 29. The resistance movement decided at that point to act.(pg1 15) Americans have penetrated into the camp and caused the SS to flee, and leave the prisoners behind. At six oclock that afternoon, the first American tank stood at the gates of Buchenwald.(pg115) the nightmare was over, just like that Elieze was a free man, he and the prisoners had been rescued from death. Not wanting to celebrate all Elieze wanted to do is eat some bread, he was dying of hunger and the way he wanted to celibate was by eating. From the depths of the mirror, a corps was contemplating me; the look in his eyes as he gazed at me never left me.(pg115) after so long of not eating right and being over worked like a slave, Elieze for the first time and could not believe it was him. In conclusion life is unexpected, and uncertain. The message The Pearl and Night give us is to never give up, to always keep fighting in what we believe. To stand up for our selves, and if possible to not allow others to control or take advantage over us. If we fall, to get up again to not allow miner speed bumps to slow us down. Fight for our right, our equality, and most importantly our freedom. These two amazing stories show us how brave and how much a human being can endure, under constant beatings and such cruelty by other human beings. This is a reminder to enjoy our life to the fullest, because any day our life, our luck can change so be happy with what we have and be grateful.

A Brief History of Japanese Religion Essay examples -- Japan Religious

A Brief History of Japanese Religion The Buddha is said to have been born in India around 500 BCE. During his life time, he preached the benefits of the Middle Path, the road between the two extremes of a decadent life style and severe austerities. Soon after the death of the founder, Buddhist missionaries began to travel through out Asia, finding their way along the Silk Roads to China, first arriving around 100 CE. The climate there was hospitable to the teaching of the Buddha, and soon Buddhism was counted along with Taoism and Confucianism as one of the major religions of the period. The Chinese interpreted the Buddhist texts in a new light, and Chinese Buddhism began to take on its own distinctive character. Around 600 CE, Chinese Buddhist missionaries made their way through Korea to Japan. Thus, around one millennium after the founding of Buddhism, the Japanese were first exposed to its teachings and philosophies. The Japanese, who were eagerly assimilating the high culture of the T'ang dynasty into their own, ado pted the Buddhist schools that had grown in both power and prestige in China. However, coexisting with this new foreign religion was the native Japanese religion of Shinto ("The Way of the Kami"). Both religions influenced the thoughts and actions of the Japanese people, and both remain active in Japan to this day, coexisting peacefully. SHINTO "In their world myriad spirits shone like fireflies and every tree and bush could speak." At first, it is difficult for a Westerner to comprehend the religion known as Shinto. Shinto has no founding father, no all powerful deity, no holy scriptures, no moral code, no single practice or goal. In its beginnings there was not a unified priesthood or community, but in... ... With the dawn of the Modern Period there came a new regime of rulers. These rulers attacked Buddhism and pushed Shinto as the true religion of the Japanese people. It became illegal for Buddhists to teach that the kami were manifestation of the buddhas (they were to be seen as far superior to the buddhas), and Buddhism in general was blamed for the problems that faced Japan. Many temples were destroyed. Shinto (often called State Shinto) was declared non-religious, but rather the "duty" of every loyal Japanese person. This nationalistic movement helped push Japan into WWII, and defeat by the Allies was crushing. State Shinto was outlawed, and the related shrines were made independent. Yet, to this day, both Buddhism and Shinto play an active role in the lives of the Japanese people. The two have come into equilibrium, serving the Japanese people's needs together.

Montgomery Bus Boycott Essay -- Civil Rights

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. The law said that black people had to sit in the back of the bus while the the white people sat in the front. Bus drivers often referred to black people on the bus as nigger, black cow, or black ape. Blacks had to pay in the front of the bus and they had to get off to go threw the side door to sit in the back. Dr. Martin Luther King jr., was born on January 15,1929 but died April 4, 1968. Martin king attended segregated public schools in Georgia. Dr. king was so smart that he graduated from high school at the age of 15 and got a B.A degree in 1948 from an all time best black college back then named Morehouse. When Dr. King went to Boston he met and married Coretta Scott. Rosa Parks was born Rosa McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama. No one really knew about her childhood, they only knew about the how she refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus. The boycott first started when Rosa Parks didn?t give up her seat after asked about two or three times. Rosa Parks is known for touching off the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 that led to the extreme popularity of Dr. King. The Montgomery improvement association, which is best known as the M.I.A, organized a car pool of nearly three hundred cars to drive people that need transportation. The sprit and the unity of the Negro community was stronger than it had ever been. Many African-Americans prayed for this day to come for years until Rosa Parks made that happen. The Montgomery boycott officially started on December 1, 1955 and that same month but in the year of 1949 movement to desegregate the buss started. The movement started on the day in 1949 when a black profes... ...osa parks also had an unpublished speech about the boycott and setting her people ( blacks) free. Jo Ann Robinson was the one who tried to help Rosa parks but she didn?t succeed. She was an educated woman, a professor at the all-black Alabama state college and a member of the women?s political council in Montgomery. On November 13, 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The boycott had several important results and one of the best results was and still is, is that blacks and whites and other race?s can sit anywhere and together on the bus. They can even go to the same school together. The Montgomery bus boycott segregation on Montgomery buses led to the founding of the SCLC and today there are so many people still talking about it. A few churches in Alabama thanked everyone that was part of the march and that ended the boycott for good.

Conservation of Water in Nagaland

94% of the total area of Nagaland is hilly terrain with heavy annual rainfall ranging from 120cm to 240cm As proposed in the 4th Plan, 3 (three) Watershed Pilot Projects have been demarcated i. e. , at Zubza in Kohima District, at Tuli in Mokokchung District and at Chare in Tuensang District by the end of 1972-73, where field works on various aspects of Soil Conservation viz. , terracing, Contour bunding, Afforestation, Orchard Plantation and construction of irrigation channels are in full swing in all the above Projects.The Department has 14 (fourteen) meteorological observatories spread all over the state, which has been supplying and catering the met. data to various land users departments as well as providing the daily weather bulletin in media viz. , Radio, T. V. , and News papers. Augmentation of Water Supply to Kohima Town by Gravity flow from Dzukou and Dzuna river. A Survey has been conducted to find out the possibility of tapping water from Dzuna Rivers and has been found t o be feasible. This Project envisages for a 975 million litre capacity Balancing Reservoir to store the surplus monsoon run-off water from Dzuna river.This will, to a large extent supplement the deficiency during lean season. The estimated project cost is Rs. 33. 97 crore at 2003 price levels. The project has been approved and sanctioned recently by the Urban Development Ministry. ) Augmentation of Water Supply to Mokokchung Town : Due to problems faced by the present water supply system by pumping from Dikhu River to Mokokchung Town, a project to augment water supply to Mokokchung town by Gravity from Tichipami source with an estimated cost of Rs. 1000. 3 lakhs has been taken up. A budget provision of Rs. 192. 00 lakhs under Negotiated Loan (HUDCO) is ear marked during 2002 –03. Anticipated expenditure up to 31/3/2003 is Rs. 800. 00 lakhs and is anticipated to be completed and commissioned by June/2004. i) Augmentation of Water Supply to Mon Town :- The project has been sanc tioned at an estimated cost of Rs. 653. 00 lakhs. The expenditure up to March 2003 is Rs. 569. 901 lakhs. The project has been completed and is expected to be inaugurated shortly.The scheme will deliver purified water at the rate of 60 litres per capita per day (lpcd) for a design population of 13000. ii) Augmentation of Water Supply to Zunheboto Town : The project has been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs. 959. 00 lakhs. Budget provision kept for the year 2002 –03 is Rs. 30. 00 lakhs under AUWSP. The anticipated expenditure up to March 2003 is Rs. 904. 00 lakhs The project was commissioned on 18th May/2001. The Scheme is designed to deliver purified water at the rate of 70 litres per capita per day to a population of 17,800.Extension of distribution lines and introduction of metering system is in progress. (iii) Augmentation of Water Supply to Wokha Town : This project has been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs. 351. 30 lakhs. Budget provision during 2002 –03 is Rs. 0. 22 lakhs. The anticipated expenditure up to March 2003 is Rs. 189. 47 lakhs The project is expected to be completed by March/2005. Once completed, the Scheme can deliver purified water at the rate of 50 litres per capita per day (lpcd) to a total design population of 20,000.

How Do Movies Or Television Influence People’s Behavior Essay

Great changes have taken place in human society along development of technology, and movies or television are a big part of this. Such entertaining methods affect on people’s behavior in many ways. I believe that television and especially movies are one of the major and outstanding achievements of humankind. Every movie makes an impression on people. How big this impression is depends on a person, his characteristic features, his weak or strong sides. Movies and television also can make people more violent. The more we see violent acts on television, the less sensitive we become to them.Eventually violence doesn’t seem wrong. We may even commit violent acts ourselves. This is especially true because we don’t always realize that violence has consequences. Actors can be killed and come back for another movie. Sometimes we confuse that with reality. We forget that killing someone is permanent. Of course, watching movies and television can also be good for us. It can give us a broader window on the world. For example, seeing movies can expose us to people of different races and cultures. We can then overcome some prejudices more easily. Recently there have been more handicapped people in films, and this also helps reduce prejudice. The best influence on our behavior is that movies and television reduce stress. Watching films, we can escape our own problems for a little while. Also, sometime movies show positive ways to resolve problems we all face. While TV and movies shouldn’t be a way to hide from life, sometimes they can help us cope. First of all, movies and television influence people’s thinking and action, especially the youth who are vulnerable. For instance, violence and sexual scenes result in young people cruel behavior. According to media, there have been serial murders which committed in school in China, and some scientists believed that the serious actions may involve in so many violence scenes in the media. Secondly, people who spend too much time to watch movies or television  can get addicted and tend to have sedentary lifestyle. They seldom do exercise and get fatter. Obviously, this is not good for their health and relationship between family members. Some housewives, for example, spend so much time watching tv that some of them forget to prepare meals for their family or neglect their children. This behavior may affect negatively on the family relationship. In contrast, movies and television play significant role in entertaining people. Therefore, people’s behavior can change positively after they feel relax. In addition, some kinds of movies or TV programs contain moral value which help people distinguish between wrong and right. Furthermore some TV channels such as Discovery and Animal Planet can raise people’s awareness of environmental protection. Movies can lead us to high aims. They can have stories of people who made great sacrifices for their noble ideas. Thus movies teach us how important struggle is for success.In this connection movies on great people like Abrahan Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Kamal Ataturk and the Quaid-e-Azam deserve special praise. Informative or educative movies are generally scientific,historical,political and cultural . Scientific films brings home to us new inventions and discoveries. They inform us about new adventures of man.These can be in our own language or in foreign languages. Historical and political movies inform us about the great empires like the Chinese and roman. Cultural movies let us know about religions, arts, literatures and traditions of different societies. Movies can have a negative influence in a number of ways. There are movies about criminals. They present their crimes in attractive ways. Movies with accidents and stories having negative effect upon character should be avoided. The invention for television and movies influenced people’s behavior so much, wether that behavior is good or bad, they make them have new habits, new clothes and new information. For example when the young people watch movies like Super Man and Spider Man they try to do what they have seen in the movie, they will jump from high places which might harm them, ,or the people who watch the famous stars in the tv like Tom Cruez, or Madonna, trying to imitate their hairstyle and wear same clothes like them, those have absulotely obvious impact.  In brief, movies and television obviously affect on people’s behavior. However if people can limit amount of time they spend to watch and choose proper films and channels, people will have benefits and can prevent the disadvantages.