Essay On Environmental Pollution - 971 Words

1.1 Environmental Pollution For many centuries, environmental pollution had been a fact of life but it transforms to a real problem when industrial revolution began. Environmental pollution is described to be the contamination of the physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected according to Kemp (1998). Wikipedia (2008) defined Pollution to be an introduction of contaminants into the environment that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or that damage the environment which can come in the form of chemical substances, or energy such as noise, heat or light. Whereas Pollutants can be naturally occurring substances or†¦show more content†¦Improper handling of solid waste and indiscriminate disposal in open spaces, road margins, tank beds, and etcetera, give rise to numerous potential risks to the environment and to human health. Direct health risks mainly concern those working in the field without using proper gloves, uniforms, and etcetera; a high percentage of waste workers and individuals who live near or on disposal sites are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, worms, and related organisms (SWMM, 2000). For the public, the main risks to health are indirect and related to poor water, land, and air quality. In addition, infrequent collection of waste provides an attractive breeding ground for flies and rats (SWMM, 2000). The most obvious environmental damage caused by solid waste is aesthetic, i.e. waste that litter public areas is ugly and smelly. A more serious risk is the transfer of pollution to ground water and land as well as the pollution of air from improper burning of waste. Many waste activities generate greenhouse gases; e.g., landfills generate methane and refuse fleets are significant sources of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Open burning dumpsites produce volatilised heavy metals (e.g. mercury and lead), dioxins, and furan. Leachate from unlined and uncovered dumpsites contaminates surface and ground waters (Cointreau, 2006). A damaged local environment will first hit the mostShow MoreRelatedEnvironmental Pollution Essays604 Words   |  3 PagesEnvironmental Pollution Our environment is affected by our daily actions. The earth is plagued with land, air and water pollution. Some of the problems we face on earth are: deforestation, nuclear waste, acid rain, global warming, overpopulation and some animals are endangered. Air pollution has many different sources. Power-generated plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, and steel mills contribute to about 140 million tons of pollutants into the air every year. Automobiles accountRead MoreEssay On Environmental Pollution706 Words   |  3 PagesThe environmental pollution history is as old as life itself. At life’s beginning on Earth, man discovered the use of fire and burnt food for cooking food with the emitted smoke from it being the earliest environmental pollutants of this world. First forward to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and that was when the Earth experienced the highest rates of environmental pollution. After the machine invention from printing press and later motor vehicles, the pollution menace started envelopingRead MoreEssay On Environmental Pollution1605 Words   |  7 Pageswith the issue of environmental pollution, especially soil, water, air and thermal pollution. This has caused some people to leave their homes, animals to die and even children to become sick which is quite disheartening. This paper addresses the environmental pollution problem by looking at the causes, the effects, and some possible remedies or solutions that we can employ. It engages in online research as well as field research. Introduction Environmental pollution is a severe problemRead MoreEssay about Environmental Pollution1267 Words   |  6 Pages Environmental Pollution ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Automobiles like these are around the world everyday, and their exhaust destroys our air everyday. Our environment is a major aspect of our life today. Many of us dont take our Earth seriously and think that as long as pollution doesnt hurt them they can go ahead and throw garbage on the ground or spill oil down the drain. Well to many people have that theory and they are killing off our Earth and also physically harming themselves from the airRead MoreEnvironmental Pollution: Change In The Air Essay1194 Words   |  5 Pages(Pb) are emitted in to the atmosphere annually (USDOE). We certainly know enough about the atmosphere to be asking the right questions. How fast could the ozone layer rebuild with a decline in ozone depleting gases? How does regional pollution affect the global climate? What are the sources and sinks of green house gases in the atmosphere? In 2002 the worlds leading ozone scientists mounted a global study of the atmosphere. Lead by NASA, NOAA, and the World MeteorologicalRead MoreEnvironmental Problems: Air Pollution Essay2135 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction: Air pollution is among the critical challenges facing modern societies and is one of the most pressing environing mental problems. Air pollution is accountable for major harmful effects on human strength, animal survives, natural ecosystems and the man-made environment. It is also responsible for climate change due to the improved greenhouse effect, acid rain, and the reduction of the ozone layer that inaugurate important global environmental problems. Air pollution occurs both outdoorsRead MoreEnergy Crisis and Environmental Pollution Essay example1488 Words   |  6 PagesEnergy crisis and environmental pollution are highlighted to be one of the major global problems in the 21st century. For the past 200 years, human society has had a ravenous appetite for fossil fuels. The huge increase in human population and also the industrial revolution were the major sources of fossil fuel consumption. However it is becoming obvious that our dependence on fossil fuels is causing many problem s that we are going to have to address. Therefore, our greatest challenge is to findRead MoreEnvironmental Pollution Simulation Review and Summary Essay1091 Words   |  5 PagesEnvironmental Pollution Simulation Review and Summary Environmental Pollution Simulation Review and Summary In the simulation â€Å"Managing Environmental Concerns and Resources,† the scenario took place in Eastern Europe, in a Casadonia city named Keywich. The main concern of Keywich’s City Council is the increasing population of the town and the negative effects it can have on the economy, environment, culture and society. In the past Keywich was a regular recipient of the Casadonia GreenboughRead MoreWaste Pollution Essay : The Environmental Effects Of Waste Solution?1132 Words   |  5 Pagesmany people, it can be an easy task to throw away their trash and never think twice about it. Does one ever consider the journey of the so-called trash? The trash can end up in a landfill or even range to the ocean. Waste disposal is an important environmental issue at hand. Without a major change, it can hurt the earth and the people who live on the planet and even the environment. What many people fail to realize is the effect that they have on the planet. If they don’t take care of it can lead toRead MoreThe Awakening Of The Industrial Revolution Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesindustries that became mass producers and manufacture units through the centuries. However, the lack of policies to control pollution, the unplanned industrial growth, and the industries’ inefficiency to dispose of the waste are a couple of examples that have lead– particularly the U.S., to face major environmental disasters due to the excessive and continuous industrial pollution that arose as a result of industrialization. In response to these changes, it is necessary that our nation as a world power

Teaching Philosophy And The Management Of Our Classrooms...

Introduction When we teach we all have our own reason behind why we want to be a teacher, how our classroom will run, and our personal philosophy of what educating the future of America should entail. Just like how we need a framework for our on teaching philosophy and the management of our classrooms, we need a framework to be the backbone to our development of an integrated curriculum. Our framework originates from four main areas: cognitivism, social constructivism, Howard Garner’s Multiple Intelligences, and brain-based learning. Just as unique as our students are who come into our classroom, our framework needs to be unique as well, it cannot just include one of the four main area, it needs to be a mixture of the four main areas. This allows for differentiated instruction which provides the opportunity for all students to be successful due to the wide range of content, assessments, activities, and interactions performed within the curriculum (Renaud, 2016). â€Å"In diff erentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not at the front of a curriculum guide,† thus they build upon each students’ prior knowledge and accept that each student will be in different skill levels and need to appeal to different interests and varied rates and complexity of instruction (Tomlinson, 1990). Thus, each theoretical theory will be discussed along with how learning, instruction and assessments unfold in each framework. Theoretical Perspectives There are several learning theoriesShow MoreRelatedMy Experience At Ocean Bay Middle School966 Words   |  4 Pages Within the classroom, it’s very important to have classroom management. To successfully run a class doesn’t automatically mean that the children have to sit quietly and not talk or interact with each other. It’s actually the total opposite. To maintain proper classroom management means to have a relaxed and caring environment where the students are getting their work down and interaction is taking place. My classroom management philosophy deals with this thinking and combines three different theoristRead MoreMy Personal Philosophy Of Special Education878 Words   |  4 PagesThis is a Summary about my personal Philosophy of Special Education. I will be giving my thoughts on the Purpose of schooling, Nature of Learners, Curriculum, Instructional Methods, Classroom management, Assessment practices and Professional relation ships with family and community. Purpose of Schooling Special education has been a very important topic through the years since the beginning of the education program in the United States because of its philosophy on inclusion and educating individualsRead MoreThe Importance Of Classroom Management Plan974 Words   |  4 PagesEducating students in this area of time is not easy. Students misbehave in class causing other students to be disengage during instructional time. However, implementing procedures of an educators, classroom management plan should keep students engages in learning. Teachers who do not create a classroom management plan prior to the beginning of the school year is setting themselves up for behavior. Misbehavior of Students The misbehavior of high school student can vary. Some misbehavior come from studentRead MoreEssay on Teaching Philosophy849 Words   |  4 Pages Teaching Philosophy Education, as well as children, has always been very important to me. My favorite game to play growing up was always â€Å"school†. I would recruit my stuffed animals and dolls to be my â€Å"students†. Every evening when I got home from school I would spend countless hours making lesson plans, tests, and grading papers for my â€Å"students†. Now that I’m all grown up and taking the necessary steps to become an educator, I’m still as excited and enthusiastic about teaching as I wasRead MoreMy Classroom Management Plan Essay743 Words   |  3 Pagesfor many beginning teachers, classroom management can be one of the most challenging aspects of their new career.   Knowing this, I decided to experiment with many classroom management approaches during my student teaching to find one that fit both my students and myself.   Based on these experiences, I designed a classroom management plan that I will implement in my classroom as a beginning teac her.   It is important to note, however, that my classroom management philosophy will be evolving as necessaryRead MoreMy Educational Philosophy, Including Behavioral Theories Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesWhen looking at my teaching philosophy and how I want students to learn in my classroom it becomes very apparent that to achieve success I need to utilise effective behaviour management strategies and create a classroom community. If there is a climate of trust and respect within the classroom, students are more likely to uphold the class expectations and complete what they have been asked to do (Blance, 2003). To create a classroom where students trust and respect each other I will look at how Glasser’sRead MoreThree Propositions That The National Board For Professional Teacher Standards1364 Words   |  6 Pagesare treated equally and they are given the chance to learn. The National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (1987) stated â€Å"They believe all studen ts can learn†. This statement is very crucial for teachers to understand, because if we give up on our students they will eventually give up on themselves. Proposition two discusses how teachers must know their content and how to deliver their content. Knowing your content is a must when you are a teacher, but if you don’t know how to deliver the informationRead More Philosophy of Teaching Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesPhilosophy of Teaching Twelve years ago, I was not interested in becoming a teacher. I was content with my life. Then, I had two wonderful children. As they became school age, my opinion of teachers was immensely altered. I have spent countless hours within my children’s school, became personally connected to the wonderful individuals who were their teachers, and developed a respect for these tireless workers. These individuals have created a desire within me to enhance children’s lives andRead More Education Philosophy Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesEducation Philosophy My life has been influenced greatly by teachers. Since I was a child, teaching is all I wanted to do. My mother is a fifth grade teacher. I have quite a few friends that are teachers. I have been fortunate to be influenced by some great teachers throughout my academic career. I love to be around kids and I like participating in the process of learning. I appreciate learning even today. I enjoy the learning process and hope to one day influence students in the futureRead MoreThe Importance Of A Teacher, Social Responsibility898 Words   |  4 Pagesresponsibility is very important. It is our job, as teacher s, to provide a nurturing, welcoming and safe learning environment for all students. It is very important that as teachers, we take very seriously the influence that we have with our students’. A teacher has the power to influence their students’ conversations, their thinking and even where they set their standards for themselves. Our students need to know that their dreams do not stop at the classroom door. It is our job to instill the confidence

Life’s Journey Free Essays

Life is an art of seeing everything as a purpose (Bangot, L. B.), this is what the statement of one writer when he wrote a fictional story â€Å"10:12’s Purpose†. We will write a custom essay sample on Life’s Journey or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yes, everything has a purpose. The bad things that happened, this essay that I’m writing, all has a purpose. We cannot predict what will happen tomorrow, only God knows. The journey I life is the only journey that has many path. Everyone who takes has a different and unique road of adventure but what makes them common? Man has only two destinations. It’s our choice to where to go and whom to follow. How will we know our destination here on earth, simply, as we goes on with our lives, our hearts will lead us to where we should be going. President Fr. Robert Lawton, S. J. said during a baccalaureate mass: â€Å"So what is the answer to this deep insecurity that we all feel?† this is really an awakening statement. We never noticed about it but we sometimes feel it. What is really the answer to this great insecurity that is in us? Are we really insecure? One thing that will only answer these questions; we don’t have all what we want. Not all the goods are on our side. Even if all goods are there, there is still unsatisfaction and man will still crave for something that is better than what he have now. Even the most beautiful woman has an ugly that is in her. We are not perfect. We are made to be human beings. We don’t have that supernatural ability that will give us everything. If we have all, are we happy? Sometimes, but do we have a joyful life? Joy is different from happiness. Joy is felt even in the rainy season of our lives. We cannot feel this joy unless we do not feel insecurity. I remember a verse in the bible, it is on John 16:24 and it says â€Å"Until now yo0u have not ask for anything in my name, ask and you will received and your joy will be complete†. What a wonderful statement of Jesus. We can only have what we ask in prayer if we believed in Him as our savior. Believing means following what the Lord has said or commands and imitating His deeds. We can only have this if we accept Jesus as our Lord. The answer to our insecurity is the salvation that we can get from believing in Jesus. We will only be saving if we believe. In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says â€Å"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith†¦.and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast†. It is only a gift from God. Every good works that we did will not be credited for our salvation. Our works (good works) are just an outflow of our faith. Jesus came into the world as a man and has nothing. Yet he wasn’t insecured because He knows who He is. He owns the riches of this world. What really is the most important to us? For me, it is the salvation. I would prefer to have all the bad things here on earth than to have no salvation. If I have the Christ living in me, why should I be insecure, my home is in heaven. In the statement of Fr. Lawton truly the journey to be oneself is the riskiest. If we have God living in our hearts, we have all the trials and testing of faith. We will be prune in order to bear fruits. It is the riskiest because the road ahead is a narrow road. If we claim to be a Christian (meaning: a person who follow Christ) then to be ourselves is to be a Christian. A Christian should be holy, humble, and everything you think that is right and good. A Christian knows God’s will. How, by meditating the bible. In Joshua 1:8 it says â€Å"Do not let this book of law depart form your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you will be very careful to do everything written on it, then you will be prosperous and successful†. Meditating is the only way to know what really God wants us to do. I am now in the stage to make my first pace in life. It is now the time that I will be equipped with knowledge about life. A four year University sounds like the entrance to be a real person. I feel excited but nervous, excited because I was given a chance to fulfill my dreams. This essay is the proof of the opportunity, but I feel nervous because I do not know what will happen to me, but one thing for sure, it is for my good. If I do not go to this University, I will be stuck as a person with no use (in the case the opportunity will just pass by without me grabbing it). I believed that Loyola Marymount University can give me not only the education that I need but the equipping to be oneself as well. In this school I will learn everything to be a person and not just that; I will also be equipped with God’s word. That is the most important of all. But because I’m still here on earth, I should also know what is happening and how to deal life here on earth. Also, I believe that LMU can give me the motivation that I need to pursue my journey. In other words, inspiration can also be taken when I’ll be inside the University listening to my teacher. But as for now, my only dream is to be part of the University and my only hold is the faith that God will give me a chance to study in LMU and be equipped for the life’s journey. Work cited: THE FAMILY DEVOTIONAL STUDY BIBLE (1987), New International Version. The Zonderval Corporation. Bangot, L. B. . 10:12’s Purpose.                            How to cite Life’s Journey, Essay examples

Alfred Housman Essay Example For Students

Alfred Housman Essay Alfred Edward Housman, a classical scholar and poet, was born in Fockbury in the county of Worcestershire, England on March 26, 1859. His poems are variations on the themes of mortality and the miseries of human condition Magill 1411. Most of Housmans poems were written in the 1890s when he was under great psychological stress, which made the tone of his poems characteristically mournful and the mood dispirited Magill 1411. In the world of Housmans poetry, youth fades to dust, lovers are unfaithful, and death is the tranquil end of everything Magill 1412. Throughout his life, Housman faced many hardships. The loss of his mother at age 12 shattered his childhood and left him with tremendous feelings of loneliness, from which he never fully recovered. His father began to drink as a result of his mothers death and began a long slide into poverty. When Housman went to college, he had a deep and lasting friendship with Moses Jackson. He had developed a passionate attachment and fallen in love with him. When the relationship did not work out, Housman plunged into a suicidal gloom which was to persist at intervals for the rest of his life. His declaration that I have seldom written poetry unless I was rather out of health, seems to support the opinion that emotional trauma greatly influenced his work. The only way to relieve himself from this state of melancholy was by writing Magill 1409. As a result of Housmans poor childhood and misfortunes, he devoted most of his life to erudition and poetry. He was educated at Bromsgrove school and won a scholarship to Oxford University, where he studied classical literature and philosophy. After graduating from Oxford, he became a professor of Latin, first at University College and later at Cambridge University. He was a knowledgeable and scholarly individual who was fluent in five languages Magill 1405. Over a period of fifty years, Housman gave many enlightening lectures, wrote numerous critical papers and reviews, and three volumes of poetry. In all of his poetry, Housman continually returns to certain preferred themes. The most common theme discussed in the poems is time and the inevitability of death. He views time and aging as horrible processes and has the attitude that each day one lives is a day closer to death Cleanth Brooks stated, Time is, with Housman, always the enemy. The joy and beauty of life is darkened by the shadow of fast approaching death Discovering Authors 7. He often uses symbolism to express death, therefore the reader has to look into the true meaning of the poem to see its connection with death. Another frequent theme in Housmans poetry is the attitude that the universe is cruel and hostile, created by a god who has abandoned it. R. Kowalczyk summed up this common theme when he stated: Housmans poetic characters fail to find divine love in the universe. They confront the enormity of space and realize that they are victims of Natures blind forces. A number of Housmans lyrics scrutinize with cool, detached irony the impersonal universe, the vicious world in which man was placed to endure his fated existence Discovering Authors 8. Housman believed that God created our universe and left us in this unkind world to fend for ourselves. The majority of Housmans poems are short and simple. It is not difficult to analyze his writing or find the true meaning of his poems. However, the directness and simplicity of much of Housmans poetry were viewed as faults. Many critics view Housmans poetry as adolescent, thus he is considered a minor poet. The range of meter that Housman uses varies from four to sixteen syllables in length. John Macdonald claims What is remarkable about Housmans poetry is the amount and the sublety variation within a single stanza, and the almost uncanny felicity with which the stresses of the metrical pattern coincide with the normal accents of the sentence Discovering Authors 11. Housman uses monosyllabic and simple words in his poetry, but the words that he chooses to use fit together rhythmically and express the idea with a clear image. To express his vivid images Housman uses epithets, which are words or phrases that state a particular quality about someone or something English Tradition 1399. Housman uses epithets sparingly, but when he uses them they are creative and original: such phrases as light-leaved spring, the bluebells of the listless plain, and golden friends make his poetry decorative and filled with imagery British Writers 162. In 1896, A Shropshire Lad was published at the expense of Housman himself. At the time, it made little impression on the critics, but the public took to the bittersweet poems which were, according to Housmans own definition of poetry, more physical that intellectual Untermeyer 609. The poems in A Shropshire Lad, Housmans most famous collection of verse, are generally simple, brisk, written in precise language, and contain regular rhythms. The appealing, facile rhymes in his poems contrast sharply with his despondent themes, which reflect both the pessimism of the late Victorian age and the grief in his own life English Tradition 849. The collection of poems that went into A Shropshire Lad were first written because Housman felt compelled to express his emotions at this time. Many of his poems relate directly or indirectly to his desire for Moses Jackson. A variety of the poems include images that refer to the landscape, the changing of seasons, the blossoming of trees and flowers, youth fading away, and death. Other poems were written at moments of fierce anger and revolt about certain social injustices Hawkins 144. Five of his poems that display his harsh and morose feelings towards love and life are Loveliest of Trees, When the Lad for Longing Sighs, When I Was One-and-Twenty, Bredon Hill, and With Rue my Heart is Laden. In addition, numerous poems in A Shropshire Lad deal with insight and discovery. B. J. Leggett claims The poems show an ongoing structure which carries the persona from innocence to knowledge or from expectation to disillusionment. Most of these are found in the first half of the volume, which concentrates on the innocents encounter with the unfamiliar world of death and change Leggett 63. In The Loveliest of Trees, the speaker discovers human mortality, fading youth, and therefore moves from innocence to knowledge. Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. Now, of my threescore years and ten, Twenty will not come again, And take from seventy springs a score, It only leaves me fifty more. And since to look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room, About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow. In the first stanza the speaker describes the cherry tree as Wearing white for Eastertide. White is the ritual color for Easter, and thus the tree and its blossoms represent the rebirth of Christ along with the rebirth of the year. In this stanza, the speaker appears innocent and optimistic. He does not posses the realization that he is mortal. However, the rebirth is contrasted by the awareness that the blossoms of cherry trees may be beautiful, but they are fra gile and short-lived, just as his life is Leggett 47. The understanding of his mortality leads the speaker from his innocence to knowledge. In the second stanza the speaker grasps the concept that he will die and in actuality his life is very short. Poetry Father Returning Home EssayIt is always sold because the giver receives something in return, and what he receives consists of the sorrows of love which inevitably entails. The fancy can be free only by being kept Leggett 66. The speaker of the poem relates his age, two-and-twenty, with experience and knowledge. When the speaker stated tis true, tis true he came to the realization that the wise man was giving useful advice and that he should not have given his heart away after all. Another technique that Housman uses in his poetry is shift of tone and mood. Usually the poems begin in a blithe manner and end in a negative and dismal mood. One of Housmans poems that employs a shift in perspective is Bredon Hill . Housman also incorporates the love and death theme in this poem. In summertime on Bredon The bells sound so clear ; Round both the shires they ring them In steeples far and near, A happy noise to hear. Here of a Sunday morning My love and I would lie; And see the coloured counties, And hear the larks so high About us in the sky. The bells would ring to call her In valleys miles away: Come all to church, good people; Good people, come pray. But here my love would stay. And I would turn and answer Among the springtime thyme, Oh, peal upon our wedding, And we will hear the chime, And come to church in time. But when the snows at Christmas On Bredon top were strown, My love rose up so early And stole out unbeknown And went to church alone. They tolled the one bell only, Groom there was none to see, The mourners followed after, And s o to church went she, And would not wait for me. The bells they sound on Bredon, And still the steeples hum. Come all to church, good people,- Oh, Noisy bells, be dumb; I hear you, I will come. In stanzas one and two the speaker is explaining how him and his lover spend many of their Sunday mornings on Bredon Hill listening to the church bells ring through the valleys. The church bells put him in a cheerful mood and are pleasant to listen to. The third stanza suggests that the bells are summoning the woman to church, but instead of making it to the church on time she decides to stay with her lover Ricks 72. In the fourth stanza the speaker and his love view the church bells as wedding bells. He states And we will hear the chime, And come to church in time. He is suggesting that they will be at the church when it is time for them to get married. In the fifth and sixth stanzas the shift in tone and mood is apparent. His lover has died and went to church alone. Therefore, she has rose up so early and gone to the church before their time. The happy tone that was displayed in the beginning of the poem has transformed into a morbid and dark tone. It is rather obvious that his lo ver has died when the phrases such as tolled one bell only, Groom there was none to see, and mourners followed after are used. When the speaker states And so to church went she, And would not wait for me, he makes her death seem willing. He uses would not wait instead of could not wait, as if her failure to wait for him were a matter of her own choice Ricks 73. Cleanth Brooks states He views the girls death as if it were an act of conscious will, as if he has been betrayed by his lover, who stole out unbeknown, to meet another suitor Leggett 64. In the last stanza the speaker notes that the bells are still ringing, but they now represent funeral bells. Cleanth Brooks claims: All come to death; he will come to the churchyard too; but now that his sweetheart has been stolen from him, what does is matter when he comes. the bells whose sound was once a happy noise to hear have become a needless and distracting noisiness. The lover shuts them up as he might the disturbing prattle of a child: Oh, noisy bells, be dumb; I hear you, I will come Ricks 73. Another recurring theme in Housmans poetry is the loss of youth and beauty. Housmans youths sometimes die into nature and become part of the natural surroundings Discovering Authors 8. The poem With Rue my Heart is Laden deals with the fading away of youth and beauty and their burial in nature. With rue my heart is laden For golden friends I had, For many a rose-lipped maiden And many a lightfoot lad. By brooks too broad for leaping The lightfoot boys are laid; The rose-lipped girls are sleeping In fields where roses fade. In the first stanza the speaker is explaining how his heart is full of sorrow because all of his friends that were once golden, youthful, and beautiful are all dead. The adjective rose-lipped maiden is describing the speakers lady friends that were attractive, youthful, and vibrant. The termlightfoot lad is describing the speakers male friends that were handsome, athletic, and strong. In the second stanza the speaker is describing how the lightfoot boys now lay next to the brooks to broad for leaping that they could once leap in their youth. The rose-lipped girls are now sleeping in the fields where roses fade. These fields used to be beautiful and alive like the maidens once were, but the fields are also getting old and fading away Discovering Authors 8. In his roles as a classical scholar and poet, Housman exhibited an unswerving integrity. While this integrity served him well in his classical endeavors, in his poetry it may have relegated him to a rank below that of the major poets of his age Discovering Authors 4. Housman never has been a fashionable poet, yet he continues to maintain an audience and his reputation remains steady. The melancholy and pessimism in Housmans poems capture the attention of readers and is perhaps the reason why his poetry is still read and studied today. A. E. Housman was a human figure whose life and career were often moving as well as extraordinary.

7 Poor Parking Signs

7 Poor Parking Signs 7 Poor Parking Signs 7 Poor Parking Signs By Mark Nichol I’m inured to ineptly expressed messages on parking signs, but the signage reproduced here prompts a ticketing spree by the spelling police. What, exactly, is a low-emmiting, fuel-efficent vehicle can it park there if it’s magn-efficent? and how do you know whether you have one? This sign should read â€Å"Low-Emitting, Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Parking Only.† Sign makers in the United Kingdom are so polite! They ever so regretful that they must inconvenience you by informing you that this parking area is unsuitable for HGV’s. (In other words – to translate for Americans don’t park your semi here, bub.) That’s a charming sign, but an apostrophe and an s signals possession; an s alone indicates a plural, and that’s what â€Å"HGVs† is. Therefore, the message invites the question, â€Å"Unsuitable for HGV’s what? And who is HGV?† That’s comforting to know that none customers I guess that means â€Å"no customers† will be towed away. (Sometimes, after I dine at a Mexican restaurant, I feel like I need to be towed away or, better yet, hoisted onto a flatbed truck.) Oh, I get it now: noncustomers. What really clinches this failure of a sign is the gratuitous period after away, and the resulting fragment that follows. What’s a privae, and how does one park it (or them, as the Latin plural appendage -ae seems to indicate)? How kind of the sign maker, by the way, to refrain from taking up all that space on the weekends with a fleet of privas. Here, two possessive nouns are rendered erroneously in different ways: They should read Golfers’ and Rafters’ (unless, of course, the sign is targeting a single rafter). Customer’s only what? We expect better of a progressive international grocery store chain. (And â€Å"1 hour parking†? I know that commercial advertising is inimical to hyphenation that is perhaps the most ubiquitous signage error but, really, does Whole Foods Market have to be as careless as every other merchant?) You had to see this one coming: otherwise known as privates parking. (Entrance on Whitley, printing by Witless.) These images are from the websites Apostrophe Abuse, Funny Typos, and The Great Typo Hunt. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating ConjunctionsDifference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

A Guide to the Origins and Celebration of Kwanzaa

A Guide to the Origins and Celebration of Kwanzaa Unlike Christmas, Ramadan, or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is unaffiliated with a major religion. One of the newer American holidays, Kwanzaa originated in the turbulent 1960s to instill racial pride and unity in the black community. Now, fully recognized in mainstream America, Kwanzaa is widely celebrated. The U.S. Postal Service debuted its first Kwanzaa stamp in 1997, releasing a second commemorative stamp in 2004. In addition, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush recognized the day while in office. But Kwanzaa has its share of critics, despite its mainstream status. Are you considering celebrating Kwanzaa this year? Discover the arguments for and against it, whether all blacks (and any non-blacks) celebrate it and the impact of Kwanzaa on American culture. What Is Kwanzaa? Established in 1966 by the African-American professor, activist and author Ron Karenga (or Maulana Karenga), Kwanzaa aims to reconnect black Americans to their African roots and recognize their struggles as a people by building community. It is observed every year between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1. Derived from the Swahili term, â€Å"matunda ya kwanza,† which means â€Å"first-fruits,† Kwanzaa is based on African harvest celebrations such as the seven-day Umkhost of Zululand. According to the official Kwanzaa website, â€Å"Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in black people’s [lives] is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives.† Just as many African harvest celebrations run for seven days, Kwanzaa has seven principles known as the Nguzo Saba. They are: umoja (unity); kujichagulia (self-determination); ujima (collective work and responsibility); ujamaa (cooperative economics); nia (purpose); kuumba (creativity); and imani (faith). Celebrating Kwanzaa During Kwanzaa celebrations, a mkeka (straw mat) rests on a table covered by kente cloth, or another African fabric. On top of the mkeka sits a kinara (candleholder) in which the mishumaa saba (seven candles) go. The colors of Kwanzaa are black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle, according to the official Kwanzaa website. Mazao (crops) and the kikombe cha umoja (the unity cup) also sit on the mkeka. The unity cup is used to pour tambiko (libation) in remembrance of ancestors. Lastly, African art objects and books about the life and culture of African people sit on the mat to symbolize commitment to heritage and learning. Do All Blacks Observe Kwanzaa? Although Kwanzaa celebrates African roots and culture, the National Retail Foundation found that just 13 percent of African Americans observe the holiday, or approximately 4.7 million. Some blacks have made a conscious decision to avoid the day because of religious beliefs, the origins of the day and the history of Kwanzaa’s founder (all of which will be covered later). If you’re curious about whether a black person in your life observes Kwanzaa because you want to get him or her a related card, gift, or another item, simply ask. Don’t make assumptions. Can Non-Blacks Celebrate Kwanzaa? While Kwanzaa focuses on the black community and African Diaspora, people from other racial groups may join in the celebration. Just as people from a range of backgrounds partake in cultural celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year or Native American powwows, those who aren’t of African descent may celebrate Kwanzaa. As the Kwanzaa Web site explains, â€Å"The principles of Kwanzaa and the message of Kwanzaa has a universal message for all people of good will. It is rooted in African culture, and we speak as Africans must speak, not just to ourselves, but to the world.† New York Times  reporter Sewell Chan grew up celebrating the day. â€Å"As a child growing up in Queens, I remember attending Kwanzaa celebrations at the American Museum of Natural History with relatives and friends who, like me, were Chinese-American,† he  said. â€Å"The holiday seemed fun and inclusive (and, I admit, a bit exotic), and I eagerly committed to memory the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Check local newspaper listings, black churches, cultural centers or museums to find out where to celebrate Kwanzaa in your community. If an acquaintance of yours celebrates Kwanzaa, ask for permission to attend a celebration with her. However, it would be offensive to go as a voyeur who doesn’t care about the day itself but is curious to see what it’s about. Go because you agree with the principles of the day and are committed to implementing them in your own life and community. After all, Kwanzaa is a day of tremendous significance for millions of people. Objections to Kwanzaa Who opposes Kwanzaa? Certain Christian groups who regard the holiday as pagan, individuals who question its authenticity and those who object to founder Ron Karenga’s personal history. A group called the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND), for one, labeled the holiday as racist and anti-Christian. In an article in the self-avowed right-wing anti-muslim magazine FrontPage, BOND founder the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson takes issue with the trend of preachers incorporating Kwanzaa into their messages, calling the move â€Å"a horrible mistake† which distances blacks from Christmas. â€Å"First of all, as we’ve seen, the whole holiday is made up,† Peterson argues. â€Å"Christians who celebrate or incorporate Kwanzaa are moving their attention away from Christmas, the birth of our Savior, and the simple message of salvation: love for God through his Son.† The Kwanzaa Web site explains that Kwanzaa isn’t religious or designed to replace religious holidays. â€Å"Africans of all faiths can and do celebrate Kwanzaa, i.e., Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists†¦,† the site says. â€Å"For what Kwanzaa offers is not an alternative to their religion or faith but a common ground of African culture which they all share and cherish.† African Roots? and a Troubled Founder Even those who don’t oppose Kwanzaa on religious grounds may take issue with it because Kwanzaa is not an actual holiday in Africa and, furthermore, the customs founder Ron Karenga based the holiday on roots in Eastern Africa. During the  transatlantic slave trade, however, blacks were taken from Western Africa, meaning that Kwanzaa and its  Swahili  terminology aren’t part of most African Americans’ heritage. Another reason people choose not to observe Kwanzaa is the background of Ron Karenga. In the 1970s, Karenga was  convicted  of felony assault and false imprisonment. Two black women from the Organization Us, a black nationalist group with which he’s still affiliated, were reportedly victimized during the attack. Critics question how Karenga can be an advocate for unity within the black community when he himself was allegedly involved in an attack on black women. Wrapping Up While Kwanzaa and its founder are sometimes subject to criticism, journalists such as Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs celebrate the holiday because they believe in the principles it espouses. In particular, the values Kwanzaa gives to children and to the black community at large are why Scruggs observes the day. Initially, Scruggs thought Kwanzaa was contrived, but seeing its principles at work changed her mind. In a  Washington Post  column, she wrote, â€Å"I’ve seen Kwanzaa’s ethical principles work in many little ways. When I remind the fifth-graders I teach that they aren’t practicing ‘umoja’ when they disturb their friends, they quiet down. †¦When I see neighbors turning vacant lots into community gardens, I’m watching a practical application of both ‘nia’ and ‘kuumba.’† In short, while Kwanzaa has inconsistencies and its founder a troubled history, the holiday aims to unify and uplift those who observe it. Like other holidays, Kwanzaa can be used as a positive force in the community. Some believe this outweighs any concerns about authenticity.

Group Development Application Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Group Development Application Paper - Assignment Example This paper is mainly meant to establish a workable leadership plan that a director can employ in performing his or her duties. The paper puts into consideration works done by other scholars and how some of their ideas can help build the plan in question. The plan will have a structure that will contain the background factors to be considered in making the plan; the leadership style that the plan will capitalize on; the stages of development of the plan and the factors to consider such as the limitations of the plan and the possible critics of the same. As a director of school, one ought to follow some sort of framework or ideologies in order to perform his or her duties satisfactory. It is important that one understand the duties he is expected to perform at his or her position so that he can achieve the goal of the organization that he or she is directing as well as his personal goals. In order to fulfill the duties of school director, a director must be present at the school during most of its operating hours and shall have designated someone with sufficient authority to function as director in his/her absence. This is to say that the director should be able to delegate duties responsibly even when he or she is not in a position to make an appearance at the school (Lawson 3-4). It is therefore important for students interested in venturing into this career setting to come up with an intellectual plan to guide them in leadership and performance of their duties as directors of schools. As a director one ought to come up with a leadership style that suits his or her situation and organization. For instance, the leadership plan in this paper will be structured in a way that it will suit the duties of a director in a school. In order to supervise a school effectively, a direct should take into consideration the following: Be available during the normal operational hours of the school and have

Types of Surveys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Types of Surveys - Essay Example 32. Dole Pineapple, Inc., is concerned that the 16-ounce can of sliced pineapple is being overfilled. Assume the standard deviation of the process is .03 ounces. The quality control department took a random sample of 50 cans and found that the arithmetic mean weight was 16.05 ounces. At the 5 percent level of significance, can we conclude that the mean weight is greater than 16 ounces? Determine the p-value. 38. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal reported that the 30-year mortgage rate is now less than 6 percent. A sample of eight small banks in the Midwest revealed the following 30-year rates (in percent): As the p – value is greater than 0.01, the null hypothesis can be accepted. Hence it can be concluded that there is no significant difference in the mean number of times men and women take – out dinners in a month. 46. Grand Strand Family Medical Center is specifically set up to treat minor medical emergencies for visitors to the Myrtle Beach area. There are two facilities, one in the Little River Area and the other in Murrells Inlet. The Quality Assurance Department wishes to compare the mean waiting time for patients at the two locations. Samples of the waiting times, reported in minutes, follow: 52. The president of the American Insurance Institute wants to compare the yearly costs of auto insurance offered by two leading companies. He selects a sample of 15 families, some with only a single insured driver, others with several teenage drivers, and pays each family a stipend to contact the two companies and ask for a price quote. To make the data comparable, certain features, such as the deductible amount and limits of liability, are standardized. The sample information is reported below. At the .10 significance level, can we conclude that there is a difference in the amounts quoted? 23. A real estate agent in the coastal area of

Firework by katy perry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Firework by katy perry - Essay Example The song Firework was written by Katy Perry, Ester Dean, Sandy Wilhelm, Tor Hermansen, and Mikkel Eriksen. While this is the case, the song is always assumed to have been written by Katy Perry. The song recorded by Katy Perry was meant to inspire people, especially the youth, to overcome their insecurities and fears (Gundersen par. 5). Perry reminds her audience that within them is a spark that can ignite them and make them shine (AZLyrics.com par. 5). Perry’s personal experiences greatly relate to the song having been brought up in a Christian family. Her mother restricted her from listening to or even singing secular music. She was brought up in an environment that only encouraged gospel music, which in her view was quite restrictive. Perry made several attempts to produce albums that would drive her to fame in vain. She however did not give up, instead choosing to ignite her fireworks until she became famous. Later in life she threw her restrictions and fears to the wind an d has been a great success in the secular music realm, both locally and internationally. She is internationally celebrated as a renowned actress, song writer, and recording artist with many awards to her name. Perry reflects social ideas in that she seeks to empower people to live beyond their common fears and shine. While the song does not respond to a historical movement, it represents the current state of affairs in society – many people struggling with various issues that limit their potential. The audience should know that Perry has struggled to become a success story. The target audience of the text includes all people, the youth especially, who feel like giving up their dreams. The target audience of the text is captured by the words â€Å"Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin; Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?† (AZLyrics.com par. 1). The text in this regards excludes the audience of people who are feeling good or who

Issues of Mineral Based Economies: Nigeria and Botswana

Issues of Mineral Based Economies: Nigeria and Botswana Why do Mineral-Based Developing Economies Face Economic Problems? The Case Study of Nigeria and Botswana 1. Introduction. Mineral-based economies have been defined as â€Å"those developing countries which generate at least 8 percent of their GDP and 40 percent of their export earnings from the mineral sector†. (Auty, 1993: p. 3). Two main categories of mineral-based economies have been identified. These include hydrocarbon producers and hard mineral exporters (producers of ores such as copper and tin). (Auty, 1993). Although one may reasonably expect developing mineral-based economies to witness tremendous economic development owing to their rich mineral resources, this has hardly been the case. According to Davis (1995: p. 1766) â€Å"mineral-based economies rather have development problems than development advantages†. In addition, Davis (1998) notes that economists and political scientists have recently proposed that mineral economies’ growth is below par, despite the mineral windfalls (rents) generated from mineral extraction. The mineral sector has even been classified as a ‘loser’ sector in the economic development race. (Shafer, 1994) cited by Davis (1998). Citing from a recent World Bank conference on mining and economic development, Davis (1995: p. 1765) states that several invited experts noted with concern the historical poor per capita economic growth of the mineral-exporting nations. In particular, participants from mineral-based developing economies were justly anxious about their fate. (Davis, 1995: p. 1765). In addition to fears of the â€Å"Dutch disease† and the â€Å"resource curse thesis† (explanations of these terms follow in subsequent sections), delegates were also concern about the appropriate policy response measures to these issues. (Davis, 1995). This paper aims at explaining why mineral-based developing economies rather face economic problems rather than economic development as one would expect. In meeting with this objective, the paper makes use of two case studies of mineral-based developing economies which include Nigeria (A hydrocarbon exporter) and Botswana (a hard mineral exporter). The rest of the paper is organized as follows: section two presents a literature review on why mineral-based economies rather face economic problems rather than economic development with particular emphasis on the Dutch Disease and the resource curse thesis; section 3 presents a discussion of the case studies making reference to their GDP growth, export revenue from mineral resources and per capita GDP; and section 4 presents some conclusions and recommendations. 2. Literature Review. Much of the literature has attributed underdevelopment of mineral-based developing economies to the Dutch disease. (Roemer, 1985) cited by Davis (1998) The Dutch disease is defined as a situation where an economy highly dependent on natural resources witnesses a decline in economic development as a result of a depletion of the natural resource or a sudden drop in the price of the resource. (Auty, 1993: p. 3). According to Davis (1995: p. 1768), the Dutch disease is a ‘morbid’ term that denotes the coexistence of booming and lagging sectors in an economy due to temporary or sustained increase in earnings. Mineral economies have been identified to generate an ideal environment for the disease given their notable minerals booming sector. (Davis, 1995). Mineral-based economies are characterized by a booming minerals sector at the expense of the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. (Davis, 1995). Ross (2003) suggests that mineral exports may cause economic volatility, inco me inequality, and crowding out of productivity growth in the manufacturing sector, which effects could increase poverty and reduce social welfare. Cordon and Neary (1982) cited in Auty (2001) explain the role of the Dutch disease on the deterioration of mineral-based economies using a three-sector model composed of a resource sector such as oil or other primary product exporting industry, a sector of tradeables, such as the manufacturing and agricultural sectors and non-tradeables. According to the model, a boom in the resource sector has three effects: a spending effect; a relative price effect and a resource movement effect. Looking at the spending effect, Auty (2001) suggests that the increased export revenues increases the demand for both tradables and non-tradables although spending on tradables fails to raise their domestic prices because prices in an open economy are determined in international markets. Consequently, any excess demand is met by imports. (Auty, 2001). Looking at the relative price effect, Auty (2001) suggests that failure to sterilize the increase in foreign exchange will result to an appreciation of the currency, which will in turn reduce the domestic prices of exports as well as those of imports competing with domestic products. In addition, a currency appreciation will lead to a reduction of the rents of the booming sector but may not be sufficient to reduce the sector’s output. (Auty, 2001). Domestic prices of non-tradables will rise with the rise in demand and these prices will neither be affected by the currency appreciation nor competitive imports. This will therefore result to an increase in the prices of non-tradables relative to the prices of tradables, as well as a reduction in exports and an increase in imports. (Auty, 2001). Macroeconomic theory suggests that the national income of a country is positively related to exports and negatively related to imports. The net increase in imports therefore leads to a reduction in the national income of the mineral-based State, which in turn hurts its economic development. Finally, as concerns the resource movement effect, Auty (2001) suggests that the movement of resources between sectors will also affect capital accumulation. Assuming a relatively labour-intensive non-tradable sector and a capital-intensive tradable sector, the movement in favour of the non-tradable sector will tend to raise wages and lower returns to capital thereby reducing capital accumulation. (Auty, 2001). In addition, assuming manufacturing is favourable to growth and that mineral resource booms cause it to decline, the mineral-based economy could experience slower long-term growth than the case would be if it had no mineral resources. (Auty, 2001). To support this view, Auty (2001) cites a number of studies that argue in favour of the fact that mineral resource booms tend to limit the growth of developing mineral based economies. For example, Matsuyama (1993It has also been sugges ted that mineral windfall facilitate irresponsible fiscal and trade policies. (e.g., Gelb, 1988; Ranis, 1991; Ranis and Mahmood, 1992) cited by Davis (1988). The issue as to why mineral-based economies remain underdeveloped is somehow controversial. (Auty, 2001). On the one hand, Mainstream economists have argued that primary commodity exports are the only way that countries in the early stages of development can generate the foreign exchange necessary to pay for essential imports and to service foreign debt. (Auty, 2001). On the other hand, Structurist economists (e.g., Presbish, 1950) cited by Auty (2001) argued that a long-run decline in prices for primary exports is an inevitable result of the increasing use of synthetics, shrinking raw material content of finished products and low elasticity of demand for raw materials. In addition Auty (2001) argues that oligopolistic markets in developed countries indicated that productivities increases there were captured in the form of higher income by workers and owners, while in the developing countries productivity gains were passed on to (northern) consumers in the form of lower prices. What the structurists economists are saying in effect is that mineral-rich developing countries because they lack the capacity to transform their raw materials into finished products often supply these products to developed or industrialized countries at very low prices. Industrialised countries in turn transform these raw materials into finished products and sell them to developing countries at very high prices, which do not match the prices for which they supplied their raw materials. By so doing mineral-rich developing countries continue to face declining levels of economic developing at the expense of developed countries. This idea is consistent with dependency theory[1]. For example, Presbish (1950) cited by Auty (2001) projected a downward trend in the terms of trade for primary products in relation to manufactured goods imported by developing countries from developed countries. In addition, Abubakar (1989: p. 19) describes Africa as a continent locked in an unequal exchange with t he developed world. Being perhaps the richest continent in the world, Africa has been transformed into undeniably the poorest continent. The following is a quote from Julius Nyerere, a prominent leader in Africa: â€Å"Every morning I listen to the B.B.C. to learn the price of the cotton and coffee with which Tanzania earns its foreign exchange. The prices of tractors and other goods we need to buy are not announced; they are fixed by the manufacturers in the Developed World, and we learn what they are when we go to buy†. (Abubakar, 1989: p. 19) quoting Julius Nyerere. 3. Case Studies of Nigeria and Botswana 3.1 Nigeria Nigeria falls in the first category of mineral-based economies identified by Auty (1993) as hydrocarbon producers. Minerals constitute 62.3% of the country’s merchandise exports and 9.6% of GDP and its mineral dependence index is 36 (the mineral dependence index is defined as the mean percentage contribution of minerals to GDP, merchandise exports, and government revenues). (Davis, 1995) citing Kuburshi (1984); United Nations (1974, 1976, 1987, 1993a, 1993c); World Bank (1993). Nigeria’s mineral dependence index of 36 indicates that it is highly dependent on minerals. This is following from Auty (1993) who considers a mineral dependence index of 20% or more to indicate mineral dependence. Nigeria was ranked 19th among developing countries that depended on minerals in 1970. This was based on the ranking of countries according to mineral dependence index in 1970. Based on 1991 rankings, Nigeria still maintained the 19th position and its minerals as a percentage of merchan dise exports had increased to 86.0 percent, minerals as a percentage of GDP stood at 7.6 percent and its mineral dependence index was 46.8 percent. (Davis, 1995). According to Eifert et al. (2002) oil represents an estimated 37 percent of GDP in Nigeria, and 63 percent of consolidated government revenues. The political economy of Nigeria has had an important role to play on how oil resources are managed in Nigeria. The public sector is the principal controller of these resources, which has fuelled the functioning of an extensive machinery of rent seeking a political patronage. (Eifert et al., 2002). Nigeria is characterised by a fragile ‘political coalition’ of diverse ethnic and religious groups with diverse interests. Eifert et al. (2002) asserts that public expenditures in Nigeria are always ratcheted out of control during oil booms, leading to macroeconomic instability owing to the diverse number of ethnic and religious interests that characterise the country. For e xample Eifert et al. (2002) suggest that an estimated amount of $300billion constituting oil revenues has enriched a small group politically and socially influential elite during the last 2 to 3 decades at the expense of the majority of Nigerians who have become impoverished. This indicates that Nigeria has failed to benefit from a general economic welfare from its oil boom because of the selfish desires of a small political influential minority. This situation is consistent with Gelb (1988); Ranis (1991); Ranis and Mahmood (1992) cited by Davis (1998) who attribute poor economic development of mineral-based developing economies to mineral windfalls’ facilitation of irresponsible fiscal and trade policies. Nigeria’s case is also consistent with Karl (1997); Mahon (1992); and Shafer (1994) cited by Davis (1998) who attribute mineral-based economies’ failure to achieve substantial economic development to the entrenched socio-political rigidity and rent-seeking ass ociated with an extended period of mineral extraction. According to Eifert et al. (2002) Nigeria’s economic growth has been stagnant and it is estimated that its per capita income has fallen from approximately $800 in the early 1980s to approximately $300 as at 2002. Nigeria’s failure to grow can be attributed to its government structure. Throughout the military regime described by Eifert et al. (2002) as a period of military dictatorship, the manner in which the oil cycle was managed was solely determined by the federal executive. Government spending was so high that in 1976 it accounted for more than the entire increase in oil revenue. (Eifert et al., 2002). Nigeria therefore faced rising fiscal and current account deficits following a failure of the 1975 oil price rise to bring the budget back into a surplus. By 1981, Nigeria had accumulated huge amounts of external debt, accompanied by capital flight. (Eifert et al., 2002). Increase government spending therefore fa iled to accelerate growth and there was little evidence of an increase in overall welfare that would have been expected during the sharp real appreciation that followed the spending binge. (Eifert et al., 2002). Eifert et al. (2002) attribute Nigeria’s failure to develop to the fact that its potential gains were rather absorbed in the sharply growing inefficiency of a corrupt and progressively more wasteful and distorted economy. Nigeria has made some efforts to adopt a democratic State but Eifert et al. (2002) conclude that the outcomes in the management of Nigeria’s oil cycle in the new democracy are thus so far not very different from the past pattern. This indicates that Political institutions in Nigeria are therefore shaped by a longer history than the current political regime. There is still an excessive an unsustainable increase in public expenditure, with considerable macroeconomic instability, and little to show in the growth and economic development. (Eifert, 2002). 3.2 Botswana. Botswana was ranked 35th in the mineral dependence index for developing countries in 1970. It had 0 percent for minerals as a percentage of merchandise exports, 19.6 percent for minerals as a percentage of GDP and 9.8 for mineral dependence index. (Davis, 1995). Following the ranking based on the minerals dependence index for developing economies in 1991, Botswana was ranked 8th with an 83.0 percent of minerals as a percentage of merchandise exports. Its minerals as a percentage of GDP had also increased to 41 percent and its mineral dependence index was 62.0. (Davis, 1995). Unlike Nigeria, Botswana falls in the second category of mineral-based economies with diamond, copper, nickel and coal constituting the principal hard minerals that it exported. (Curry, 1985). According to Curry (1985), Botswana, unlike other mineral-based economies in Africa that suffer from economic stagnation and political turmoil, Botswana has recorded an economic growth and political stability as a result of its fortuitous endowment of mineral wealth and sound macroeconomic management. Despite this development, Curry (1985) suggests that this growth strategy has produced underdevelopment and economic stagnation in rural agriculture, as well as increasing economic dependency on the republic of South Africa. Increases in mineral revenue has enriched the elite who have joined white farming families as the country’s large scale cattle owners, purchasing land and cattle from savings of relatively high salaries in the mining and public sectors. This situation has created two factions in Botswana. One rich and the other poor and there is an emerging clash between the rich and the poor that could destabilise and threaten an African success story as described by Curry (1985). In effect, mineral revenue in Botswana while it has helped to fuel economic development is threatening the growth of the agricultural sector and has also helped to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Botswa na’s case is consistent with the Dutch disease which is consistent with the idea that a boom in one sector threatens a recession of other important sectors of the economy. The boom in the mineral sector has helped to fuel a recession in the agricultural sector in Botswana. 4. Conclusions and Recommendations This paper aimed at studying why mineral-based developing economies have witnessed more of economic problems than economic development. Nigeria’s case indicates that the country has suffered from autocratic and fractional democracies that have resulted to a poor management of the revenues from oil booms. As a consequence, mineral revenue has been spent without any fiscal discipline. This has led to the satisfaction of the desires of an influential minority at the expense of the welfare of the greater majority. Nigeria has basically not witnessed any economic development throughout boom in its oil sector. On its part, Botswana has witnessed growth and development as a result of its mineral resources. However, the boom in the mineral sector is hurting the agricultural sector and the situation has only benefited the rich who are using the mineral revenue to take over all land in Botswana for cattle rearing. Like Nigeria, Botswana’s mineral revenue has to some extent benefi t an influential minority. Based on the above, this paper recommends a more democratic regimes in mineral-based economies as well as an emphasis of the importance of all sectors in the economy. Governments in developing countries need to understand the importance of the manufacturing industry. Nigeria for example should be more concern about building its own oil refineries so as to boost its manufacturing industries. In Botswana, the government should implement high taxes on the rich elite so as to help redistribute the mineral income to the poor. Subsidies should be provided to the poor farmers. By so doing, there can be an equitable distribution of land, which will in turn boost the agricultural sector. Bibliography Abubakar A. (1989). Africa and the Challenge of Development: Acquiescence and Dependency Versus Freedom and Development. Praeger Publishers. New York. Auty R. M. (2001). Sustaining Development in Mineral Economies: The Resource Curse Thesis. Routledge. Auty R. M. (2001). The Underperformance of resource-abundant economies. Resource Abundance and Economic Development. Edited by R.M Auty. UNU/WIDER studies in Development Economics. Oxford. Curry R. L (1985). Mineral-based growth and development-generated socioeconomic problems in Botswana: Rural Inequality, Water scarcity, food insecurity, and foreign dependence challenge governing class. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 319-336. Davis G. A. (1998). The minerals sector, sectoral analysis, and economic development. Resource Policy, vol. 24, No. 4, pp 217-228. Davis G. A. (1995). Learning to Love the Dutch Disease: Evidence from the Mineral Economies. World Development, vol. 23, No. 10, pp. 1765-1779. Eifert B., Gelb A., Tallroth N. B. (2002). The Political Economy of Fiscal Policy and Economic Management in Oil-Exporting Countries. Policy Research Working Paper, No. 2899. The World Bank, Africa Regional Office. Lievesley G. (2003).DependencyThe Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Ed. Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan. Oxford University Press, Oxford Reference Online. Tà ©treaul M. A., Abel C. F. (1986). Dependency Theory And The Return Of High Politics. Greenwood Press. New York. Footnotes [1] Dependency theory built upon the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) which characterized the world as divided into centre (the developed, inudstrialised North) and periphery (the underdeveloped agricultural South). (Tà ©treaul and Abel, 1986; Lievesley, 2003). Dependency theory tries to explain the external mechanisms of control exerted by the centre on the periphery. The centre maintained the periphery in a state of underdevelopment for purposes of super exploitation. (Tà ©treaul and Abel, 1986; Lievesley, 2003). Dependency theory therefore indicates that underdevelopment was not an original or inherent condition, it could rather be explained by the historical relationship between the developed and developing world.

Comparing the Treatment of Women in Hedda Gabbler, A Dolls House and G

Women as Victims in Hedda Gabbler, A Doll's House and Ghosts      Ã‚   In Ibsen's plays - Hedda Gabbler, A Doll's House and Ghosts - the female protagonists of Hedda Gabler, Nora and Mrs. Alving demonstrate how social expectations and restrictions of women impacts the life every woman on a very personal level.      Conservative social and religious leaders imposed women's restricted social roles.   Women had to be married; there was not another socially acceptable option.   After marriage they had to stay with their families and fulfill their social and moral duty regardless of their personal feelings or how their husbands treated them.   Ibsen presents his characters Hedda, Nora and Helene as victims of the patriarchal system of family and marriage that was supported by the church and society in general.   In these plays, Ibsen did not present marriage as a blissful state of love and mutual respect; in the case of Hedda and Mrs. Alving the main objective of marriage was to maintain a socially acceptable image.   In Nora's case her husband was constantly concern about what people might think about their family.   In each play there is an emphasis on the effort of the women to maintain the appearance of happy marriage regardless of how pitiful the actual circumstances might be.   E ventually, each woman becomes aware of her plight and takes a drastic measure to liberate herself - regardless of the personal costs.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Hedda's personality is much stronger than that of Nora and Mrs. Alving, she also is victimized by the prevailing social norms.   Hedda's fate results from her unconscious decision to be like her father.   Hedda is a woman with masculine view of the world.   Her hobby is to shoot guns which is an... ... Sensational Heroines in Mid-Victorian Society." Thesis. Brigham Young U, 1990. Fjelde, Rolf.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henrik Ibsen: The Complete Major Prose Plays. 1st. ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill   Reyerson Ltd. 1978 Hemmer, Bjorn. "The dramatist Henrik Ibsen." http://odin.dep.no/ud/nornytt/ibsen.html Ibsen, Henrik. Four Major Plays: A Doll's House, Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Ibsen, Henrik.   Hedda Gabler.   New York:   Dover, 1990. Lyons, Charles R. Hedda Gabler, Role and World. 1990. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 62. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Mazer, Cary M. "Hedda Gabler." http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/hedda.html. Salomà ©, Lou. Ibsen's Heroines. Ed. and trans. Siegfried Mandel. Redding Ridge: Black Swan, 1985. Worthen, W.B. Anthology of Drama. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company 1993         

Best Buy Case Study

ESLSCA: GROUP 39D | | | | |Best Buy Co. , Inc. pic] | |Strategic Audit | |August 2012 | | | | | Presented to Dr. Sanya EL Galaly Table of Contents About Best Buy Co. , Inc4 Best Buy’s History4 1. Current Situation5 A. Current Performance5 B. Strategic Posture5 . Mission5 2. Objectives5 3. Strategies5 4. Policies6 II. Strategic Managers6 A. Board Members6 B. Top Management7 III. Market Overview7 IV. External Environment8 2. Natural Environment8 2. Social Environment8 2. 1. Economic8 2. 2. Technological8 2. 3. Political–Legal8 2. 4. Sociocultural8 3. Task Environment9 V. Internal Environment9 1. Corporate Structure9 2. Corporate Culture9 3. Corporate Resources9 3. 1. Marketing9 3. 2. Finance9 3. 3. R&D10 3. 4. Operations10 3. 5. Human Resources10 3. 6. Information Systems10 VI. Analysis of Strategic Factors10 . Situational Analysis (SWOT) (SFAS Matrix; see Exhibit 3)11 1. 1. Situational Analysis11 1. 1. 1. Summary of Internal Factors11 1. 1. 2. Summary of External Fact ors11 1. 1. 3. Review of Mission and Objectives11 VII. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy12 1. Corporate Strategy12 2. 1. Growth Strategy12 2. 2. Stability Strategy13 2. 3. Retrenchment Strategy13 3. Business Strategy13 3. 1. Cost Leadership Strategy13 3. 2. Differentiation Strategy14 4. Financial Positions14 4. 1. Best Buy Income Statement as of 2009-201214 4. 2.Best Buy Balance Sheet as of 2009-201211 4. 3. Cash Flow Statement for period ended in 2011-201212 B. Recommended Strategy14 VIII. Implementation14 IX. Evaluation and Control14 X. List of Tables15 Exhibit #1 Ratio Analysis Table15 Exhibit #2 IFAS16 Exhibit #3: EFAS17 Exhibit #4: SFAS18 Exhibit #5: TWOS Matrix19 Exhibit #6 IFinancial Position Documents20 About Best Buy Co. , Inc. Best Buy Co. , Inc. (NYSE:BBY) Headquartered IN Richfield, Minnesota, is a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services. 1,100 stores in U.S (21% Market Share), also operated over 2,800 stores global (Canada, Mexico, China and Turkey), 170,000 employees whom are committed to helping deliver the technology solutions that enable easy access to people, knowledge, ideas and fun. The company’s subsidiaries such Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, and Pacific Sales, and operated under both name Best Buy & Future Shop labels In CANADA People at BB are aware of their role and impact on the world, and are committed to developing and implementing business strategies that bring sustainable technology solutions to consumers and communities.For information about Best Buy, visit www. bby. com and to shop at Best Buy, visit www. bestbuy. com. Best Buy’s History: In 1966 Best Buy incorporated with original name as Sound of music, the company started as a retailer of audio components and expanded to retailing video products in the early 1980s with the introduction of the videocassette recorder to its product line. In 1983 Best Buy name has been changed to Best Buy Co. Inc. (Be st Buy). Shortly thereafter, Best Buy began operating its existing stores under a â€Å"superstore† concept by expanding product offerings and using mass marketing techniques to promote those products.Since 1989 the company altered the function of sales staff structure (policy) dramatically to be transformed from commission basis oriented to be educators and customer assist oriented. Simply sales mission was to generate sales but now changed to answer customer’s question to help for decide which product fit for their needs. In 2000 the company step up to Market space by launched: BestBuy. com (online retail store), which is very important for BB’s customers thus expanding among them to access to store easily without physical visit. I.Current Situation: A. Current performance Volatility of financial position, declining in company’s income compared with last fiscal year, increasing debts as well as operating costs ? Facing increased fears competition ? Rais ing in operational costs and increasing in debt & reducing liquidity of cash. ? Adverse economic climate and financial stress (declining in net income) B. Strategic Posture Mission ? To make technology deliver on its promises to customer ? Keeping customers centered in technological changes â€Å"To make life fun and easy†. To improve customer’s awareness of their needs. Objective ? The top objective of company were sustained growth and earnings (growth oriented) ? Differentiation in retail industry by present unique product & service that customer never get before. ? Keeping cost down without sacrificing customer experience given by Best Buy. Strategies ? Developed in 1966 as (a low price strategy) and moved to be service-oriented firm (differentiation strategy) in 1989. ? Global & national growth through acquisition and alliance with Car phone Warehouse Group, UK. Use its economies scale with over 1,000 locations to obtain cost advantage from suppliers due to high qu antity of orders, also increase its Advertising budget for massive campaigns In order to cove over entry market barriers. ? Having multiple brands for different customer lifestyles through M&A merge and Acquisition. ? Providing customers with highly trained sales associates who available to educate customers regarding product features. ? Construct a diversified portfolio of product offerings by building a significant customer data-base (Customer centricity model) Policies Growth oriented by expansion vertically & horizontally. ? Cost reduction is very important (restructure commission sales scheme, shipping the correct inventory to the correct locations). ? Training & educate employees regularly, promotion from within at all levels. ? Rapidly response to external change. II. Strategic Mangers A. Board Of Directors ? Sixteen members –three are outsider. ? Chairman and founder (Richard M. Schulze), his beneficial ownership of 17. 1 % ? Brian Dunn as Previous CEO, Currently (Mik e Mikan) as Interim CEO of Best Buy, who has been Director since 2008. All directors and executive officers as a group, and each person we know who beneficially owns more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Best Buy common stock. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] Richard Shultze Mike Mikan Shari Ballard Jim Muehlbauer Carol Surface Founder, Chairman Interim CEO President International CFO VP, Chief HR & Enterprise EVP B. Top Management The two former CEO’s was Richar Shultze and Brad Anderson, but recently Brad stepping down, Brian Dunn replaced, and now replaced with Interim CEO. ? June 7, 2012  Ã¢â‚¬â€ The board of directors of Best Buy Co. , Inc. (NYSE:BBY) today announced the appointment of Hatim A. Tyabji as chairman of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Tyabji, currently Chairman of the Audit Committee, has served as a director since 1998. ? Top managers are recently promoted internally and externally hired ? Top Mangers whom : Richard Shultze: Founder & Chairman. G. Mike Mikan : Interim CEOShari Ballard : President, International and Enterprise EVP. Jim Muehlbauer: Executive VP. And CFO. ? Top management members are very experienced in Industry III. Market Overview The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as †¢ Best Buy; †¢ Best Buy Mobile; †¢ Audio visions; †¢ The Carphone Warehouse; †¢ Future Shop; †¢ Geek Squad; †¢ Jiangsu Five Star; †¢ Magnolia Audio Video; †¢ Napster; †¢ Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Community partnership is central to the way Best Buy does business.In fiscal 2010, the company donated a combined $25. 2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where best Buy employees and customers live and work. Strategic priorities focus on growth opportunities, operations, and improved international returns. IV. External Environment (EFAS TABLE; see Exhibit 1) Natural Environme nt 1. Global warming that increasing by emissions of technology usage. (T) 2. Energy availability a growing problem. (T) Societal Environment 1. Economic a. Unstable economy (stumble) along with eliminate of consumer expends. (T) b.Individual economies becoming interconnected into a world economy. (O) c. Financial crisis that hit EU, might be essential reason to eliminate the Investment in Euro zone. (T) 2. Technological a. IT & communication revolution. (O) b. Entering computerization at all fields such â€Å"Manufacturing, business, Agriculture,†¦etc. † (O) c. Trend of social media online & digital marketing. (O) 3. Political-Legal a. NAFTA, EFTA, and other agreements between countries to free trading cycle are opening doors to penetrate markets in Latin America and other emerging markets. (O) b.Regulations of Federal Reserve Bank that effect on retail sector's credit systems. (T) c. Environmentalism being reflected in Laws on pollution and energy usage. (T) 4. Socio C ultural a. Decreasing of unemployment rate which is indicator of increasing of families income then Expands rate. (O) b. Transforming in purchasing behavior from market place to market space. (T) c. Trend of using digital devises rather than paper & blocks for daily functions such â€Å"news, reading books, schedule organizer,†¦etc†. (O) d. Trend to value for money as a concept of consumers behavior. (T) Task Environment 1.North American market mature and extremely competitive—vigilant consumers demand high quality with low price in safe, environmentally sound products. (T) 2. Industry going global as North American and European firms expands internationally. (T) 3. Rivalry High. GameStop Corp, Amazon. com, Wal-Mart expanding into consumer electronics and stepping price competition†¦ (T) 4. Buyers’ Power Law. Technology and materials can be sourced worldwide. (O) 5. Power of Other Stakeholders Medium. Quality, safety, environmental regulations increasi ng. (T) 6. Entry Barriers High. New entrants unlikely except for large international firms. T) V. Internal Environment (IFAS Table; See Exhibit 2) (IFAS Table; See Exhibit 2) A. Corporate Structure 1. Good Domestic Management through separating the Market into Eight territories each is Divided into Districts (S) 2. Best Buy had an international operation Segment (S) B. Corporate Culture 1. Every employee must have the company’s vision embedded in their service and attitude (S) 2. Best Buy had a reputation for retaining talent and was widely recognized for its superior service (S) C. Corporate Resources 1. Marketing a. Using Customer Centricity Model to market various products (S) b.Supply products that address the needs of Customer (S) c. Meet Customer Needs through End to end Solutions (S) d. More training to BestBuy Employees help it supply customer with Knowledge service which is A Value added Service (S) 2. Finance (See Exhibits 4 and 5 â€Å"Ratios & cash flows† ) a. Increase in Long Term Debt from fiscal 2008 to 2009 (W) b. After the Acquisition of Napster and BestBuy Europe Decrease in Available Cash in 2009 (W) c. Increase in Company Total Assets and Revenues due to Successful Acquisitions (S) d.Declining in the Net Income and operating Margin (W) e. The Risk of Having Bad Debts Due to increase in inventory and increase of Revenues However it’s not matching the Big increase in Account receivable (W) 3. R a. Best Buy is Willing to participate in tests of New products (with limited cost to company) (W) 4. Operations a. Increasing Revenues By growing its Customer Base and Increasing its market share Internationally (S) b. Good Domestic Management through separating the Market into Eight territories each is Divided into Districts (S) c.Best Buy had an international operation Segment (S) 5. Human Resources a. Main Objective is supplying the customer with the right knowledge of products and services (S) b. Changing the compensation struc ture into non-commissioned-based (S) c. Claims that Best Buy employees misrepresented the Manufacture warranty in order to sell its own product service and replacement plan (W) d. Best Buy had undisclosed â€Å"Anti-price matching policy† (W) 6. Information Systems a. Consolidate Data from Retialers , Act as a clearing house for info and results.Communicate the common needs and encourage innovation (S) VI. Analysis of Strategic Factors Situational Analysis (SWOT) (SFAS Matrix; see Exhibit 3) 1. Strengths. †¢ Company Image and Profile †¢ Sales Stuff Policy †¢ Strong financial Position †¢ Customer Centricity Model †¢ Diversified portfolio in Global Markets †¢ Good Horizontal Integration †¢ Talent management †¢ Good Domestic management †¢ Successful Acquisitions †¢ Credit payment policy †¢ Value Added Services 2. Weaknesses †¢ Market Space Sales †¢ Pricing Policy †¢ Assets Management †¢ Operational Cost à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Increase in LTD and Debt Management Fluctuating Leadership 3. Opportunities †¢ Potential market of Medical Portable Devices †¢ Gaming Segment growth and Smart Phones †¢ Technology Revolution †¢ Bankruptcy of Circuit City †¢ Expansion of Global Market place 4. Threats †¢ Regulations of Federal Reserve Bank †¢ Economic Down turn †¢ Decreasing the entry barrier †¢ Online Competitor †¢ Price War with Wal-Mart †¢ Wal-Mart Deal with Nintendo and Apple †¢ Strong penetration Of Competitor Review of Current Mission and Objectives 1. Bad financial position according to last 2 years. 2. Facing a fierce competition and new challenge expected. VI.Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy: Strategic Alternatives. Corporate Strategy 1. Growth Strategy †¢ Growth vertically through open new stores across U. S to fill gap in fierce competition. Pros: come over competitors expansion’s strategy Cons: Cash Liquidity Iss ues. †¢ Continuing of global expansions, and focus on emerged & untapped markets. Pros: supporting of Best Buy’s overseas position to be Leader in this Marekts. Cons: domestic regulations in foreign countries and security. †¢ Horizontal integration by joint venture with new suppliers. Pros: more control on operational costCons: Management issue, and conflictions. 2. Stability Strategy †¢ Hold acquisitions in Euro zone according to economic crisis, and in Canada as well. Pros: saving more capital & cost to be invested in North America and other virgin markets. Cons: allow to competitors to raising their market share in such left market. 3. Retrenchment Strategy †¢ Develop downsizing policy in costly labor markets such (Europe). Pros: Divesting BBY improves bottom line and focus ME & Asia Markets. Cons: loosing Europe’s market share. †¢ Decreasing some of discretionary expenses in such (Advertising ) in one or two of states that saturated.Pros: s aving a lot of regular cost to be invested in domestic expansion. Cons: risk of loose customer’s positioning by time. Business Strategy 1. Differentiation Strategy †¢ Develop trade-off strategy that allow Best Buy’s customers to replace their own devices by new technology devices in justified prices. Pros: another source of money that generate liquidity for company Cons: adding operational cost line 2. Alliance strategy Build a solid strategic Alliance with a reliable brand in market space that has urgently need to access to retail market. (Win/Win) Pros: Access to know-how of online market.Cons: reveal of operations and management techniques. RECOMMENDED STRATGIES 1. Growth Strategy †¢ Growth vertically through open new stores across U. S to fill gap in fierce competition. Pros: come over competitors expansion’s strategy Cons: Cash Liquidity Issues. †¢ Continuing of global expansions, and focus on emerged & untapped markets. Pros: supporting of B est Buy’s overseas position to be Leader in this Marekts. Cons: domestic regulations in foreign countries and security. †¢ Horizontal integration by joint venture with new suppliers. Pros: more control on operational cost Cons: Management issue, and conflictions. . Differentiation Strategy †¢ Develop trade-off strategy that allow Best Buy’s customers to replace their own devices by new technology devices in justified prices. Pros: another source of money that generate liquidity for company Cons: adding operational cost line. VII. Implementation: †¢ As the recommended strategies is growth strategy so business development dept. should select strategic locations across U. S that include high traffic . †¢ The operations and mainly the supply chain department must do their best for getting best prices and cutting operations cost. Maintain the current global expansion plan and build solid studies for emerging markets and developing countries customer†™s culture there. †¢ Developing more powerful CRM application and POS systems to recognize customers data. XI. Evaluation and Control: †¢ involving the top managers, key persons and employees in operations efficiency programs †¢ Monitoring the performance regularly especially after new application applied. †¢ Follow up the plan of domestic operations that related to supplier. Exhibit 1 E F A S Exhibit 2 I F A S Exhibit 3 S F A S Exhibit 4 | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET | |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | | | | | | | | | | | |  |February  28, |  |  | | | |2009 | | | |  | Assets |  |   |   |  |  | |Current Assets |  |   |   |  |  | |   |C|   |$|4| | |a| | |9| | |s| | |8| | |h| | | | | |a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |c| | | | | |a| | | | | |s| | | | | |h| | | | | |e| | | | | |q| | | | | |u| | | | | |i| | | | | |v| | | | | |a| | | | | |l| | | | | |e| | | | | n| | | | | |t| | | | | |s| | | | |   |  |To|   |  |8| | | |ta| | |,| | | |l | | |1| | | |cu| | |9| | | |rr| | |2| | | |en| | | | | | |t | | | | | | |as| | | | | | |se| | | | | | |ts| | | | |   |L|   |  |7| | |a| | |5| | |n| | |5| | |d| | | | | |a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |b| | | | | |u| | | | | |i| | | | | |l| | | | | |d| | | | | i| | | | | |n| | | | | |g| | | | | |s| | | | | |  |   |6,940 |  |  | |   |L|   |  |2| | |e| | |,| | |s| | |7| | |s| | |6| | |a| | |6| | |c| | | | | |c| | | | | |u| | | | | |m| | | | | |u| | | | | |l| | | | | |a| | | | | |t| | | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | |d| | | | | |e| | | | | |p| | | | | |r| | | | | e| | | | | |c| | | | | |i| | | | | |a| | | | | |t| | | | | |i| | | | | |o| | | | | |n| | | | |   |  |Ne|   |  |4| | | |t | | |,| | | |pr| | |1| | | |op| | |7| | | |er| | |4| | | |ty| | | | | | |an| | | | | | |d | | | | | | |eq| | | | | | |ui| | | | | | |pm| | | | | | |en| | | | | | |t | | | | |Tradenames |  |   |173 |  |  | |Customer Relationships |  |   |322 |  |  | |Equity and Other Investments |  |   |395 |  |  | |Other Assets   |   |367 |  |  | |   |  |   |  |  | |Total Assets |  |$ |15,826 |  |  | |   |  |   |  |  | |Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity |  |   |   |  |  | |Current Liabilities |  |   |   |  |  | |   |A|   |$|4| | |c| | |,| | |c| | |9| | |o| | |9| | |u| | |7| | |n| | | | | |t| | | | | |s| | | | | |p| | | | | |a| | | | | |y| | | | | |a| | | | | |b| | | | | |l| | | | | |e| | | | |   |  |To|   |  |8| | | |ta| | |,| | | |l | | |4| | | |cu| |3| | | |rr| | |5| | | |en| | | | | | |t | | | | | | |li| | | | | | |ab| | | | | | |il| | | | | | |it| | | | | | |ie| | | | | | |s | | | | |Long-Term Debt |  |   |1,126 |  |  | |Minority Interests |  |   |513 |  |  | |Shareholders' Equity |  |   |   |  |  | |   |P |   |  |—| | |r| | | | | |e| | | | | |f| | | | | |e| | | | | |r| | | | | |r| | | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | |s| | | | | |t| | | | | |o| | | | | |c| | | | | |k| | | | | |,| | | | | |$| | | | | |1| | | | | |. | | | | |0| | | | | |0| | | | | |p| | | | | |a| | | | | |r| | | | | |v| | | | | |a| | | | | |l| | | | | |u| | | | | |e| | | | | |:| | | | | |A| | | | | |u| | | | | |t| | | | | |h| | | | | |o| | | | | |r| | | | | |i| | | | | |z| | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | |  | | | | | |—| | | | | |4| | | | | |0| | | | | |0| | | | | |,| | | | | |0| | | | | |0| | | | | |0| | | | | |s| | | | | |h| | | | | |a| | | | | |r| | | | | |e| | | | | |s| | | | | |;| | | | | |I| | | | | |s| | | | | |s| | | | | |u| | | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |o| | | | | |u| | | | | |t| | | | | |s| | | | | |t| | | | | |a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |i| | | | | |n| | | | | |g| | | | | |  | | | | | |—| | | | | |n| | | | | |o| | | | | |n| | | | | |e| | | | |   |  |Total shareholders' |  |  | | | |equity | | | |Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity |  |$ |15,826 |  |  | |   |  |   |  |  | BEST BUY CO. ,  INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS ($  in millions) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification)    | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | |($ in millions) | |(Unaudited and subject to reclassification) | | | | | | | | | | |Mar. 3, 2012 | |Feb. 6, 2011 | |ASSETS | | | | |Current assets | | | | |Cash and cash equivalents |  $            1,199 | |  $            1,103 | |Short-term investments |                           -| |                          22 | | |   | | | |Receivables |                 2,359 | |                 2,348 | |Merchandise inventories |                 5,731 | |                 5,897 | |Other current assets |                  1,079 | |                 1,103 | |Total current assets |              10,368 | |              10,473 | |Net property & equipment |                 3,471 | |                 3,823 | |Goodwill |                 1,335 | |                 2,454 | |Tradenames |                       130 | |                       133 | |Customer relationships | 29 | |                       203 | |Equity and other investments |                       140 | |                       328 | |Other assets |                       403 | |                       435 | |TOTAL ASSETS |  $         16,076 | |  $         17,849 | | | | | | |LIABILITIES & EQUITY | | | | |Current liabilities | | | | |Accounts payable |  $            5,435 | |  $            4,894 | |Accr ued liabilities |                 2,968 | |                 2,771 | |Short-term debt |                       480 | |                       557 | |Current portion of long-term debt |                          43| |                       441 | |Total current liabilities |                 8,926 | |                 8,663 | |Long-term liabilities |                 1,099 | |                 1,183 | |Long-term debt |                 1,685 | |                       711 | |Equity |                 4,366 | |                 7,292 | |TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY |  $         16,076 | |  $         17,849 | | | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS | |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | |   |  | | | | | |Feb. 8, | | | | | |2009 | | |Revenue | | |$ |4 5,015 | | |Cost of goods sold | | |34,017 | | |Gross profit | | |10,998 | | |Gross profit % | | |24. 4% | | |Selling, general and administrative expenses | | |8,984 | | |SG % | | |20. 0% | | |Restructuring charges | | |78 | | |Goodwill and tradename impairment | | |66 | | |Operating income | | |1,870 | | |Operating income % | | |4. % | | |Other income (expense) | | | | | |Investment income and other | | |35 | | |Investment impairment | | |(111 |)| |Interest expense | |)|(94 |)| |Earnings before income tax expense and minority interests | | |1,700 | | |Income tax expense | | |674 | | |Effective tax rate | | |39. % | | |Minority interests | | |(30 |)| |Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates | | |7 | | |Net earnings | | |$ |1,003 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Earnings per share | | | | | |Basic | | |$ |2. 43 | | |Diluted(1) | | |$ |2. 39 | | | | | | | | |Dividends declared per common share | | |$ |0. 4 | | | | | | | | |Weighted average common shares outstanding (in millions) | | | | | |   | | | | | |Basic | | |412. 5 | | |Diluted(1) | | |422. 9 | | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS | |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | | | | | | | |Feb. 7, | | | | |2010 | |Revenue | | |$ |49,694 | | |Cost of goods sold: | | | | |Cost of goods sold | | |37,534 | | |Restructuring charges – cost of goods sold | | |— | | |Total cost of goods sold | | |37,534 | | |Gross profit | | |12,160 | | |Gross profit % | | | 24. 5 |% | |Selling, general and administrative expenses | | |9,873 | | |SG&A % | | |19. 9 |% | |Restructuring charges | | |52 | | |Operating income | | |2,235 | | |Operating income % | | |4. |% | |Other income (expense) | | | | |Investment income and other | | |54 | | |Interest expense | | |(94 |) | |Earnings before income taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates | | |2,195 | | |Income tax expense | | |802 | | |Effective tax rate | | |36. 5 |% | |Equity in earnings of affiliates | | |1 | | |Net earnings including noncontrolling interests | | |1,394 | | |Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests | | |(77 |) | |Net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co. , Inc. | |$ |1,317 | | | | | | | | | | | | |Earnings per share attributable to Best Buy Co. , Inc. | | | | |Basic | | |$ |3. 16 | | |Diluted(1) | | |$ |3. 10 | | | | | | | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | |(Unaudited and subject to reclassification) | | | | | | | | | | | | |Twelve Months Ended | | | | |Mar. 3, | |Feb. 26, | | | | |2012 | |2011 | | |Revenue | |  $ 50,705 | |$49,747 | | |Cost of goods sold | |38,113 | |37,197 | | |Restructuring charges – cost of goods sold | |                 19 | |                 9 | | |Gross profit (24. 8%, 25. 25. %) | |     12,573 | |  12,541 | | |Selling, G&A expenses | |  Ã‚  10,242 | |10,029 | | |Goodwill impairment | |1,207 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | | |Restruc turing charges | |                 39 | |           138 | | |Operating income | |        1,085 | |      2,374 | | |Other income (expense): | | | | | | |Gain on sale of investments | |                 55 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | | |Investment income and other | |                 37 | |              43 | | |Interest expense | |         (134) | |           (86) | | |Earnings from continuing operations before income tax    | |        1,043 | |      2,331 | | |expense and equity in (loss) earnings of affiliates | | | | | | |Income tax expense | |            709 | |           779 | | |Effective tax rate | |68. 0% | |33. 4% | | |Equity in (loss) earnings of affiliates | |               (4) |                 2 | | |Net (loss) earnings from continuing operations | |            330 | |      1,554 | | |Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | |         (308) | |        (188) | | |Net (loss) earnings including noncontrolling interest | |               22 | |      1,366 | | |Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to | |     (1,387) | |        (127) | | |noncontrolling interests | | | | | | |Net loss from discontinued operations attributable to | |            134 | |              38 | | |noncontrolling interests | | | | | | |Net (loss) earnings attributable to Best Buy Co. , Inc. | |  $(1,231) | |  $ 1,277 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Continuing operations | |  $   (2. 89) | |  $    3. 51 | | |Discontinued operations | |  $   (0. 47) | |  $ (0. 37) | | |Basic (loss) earnings per share | |  $   (3. 36) | |  $    3. 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Continuing operations | |  $   (2. 89) | |  $    3. 44 | | |Discontinued operations | |  $   (0. 47) | |  $ (0. 36) | | |Diluted (loss) earnings per share | |  $   (3. 36) | |  $    3. 08 | | | | | | | | | |Dividends declared per Best Buy Co. , Inc. common share | |  $       0. 2 | |  $    0. 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Basic | |        366. 3 | |      406. 1 | | |Diluted | |        366. 3 | |      416. 5 | | |F|   | |e| | |b| | |r| | |u| | |Febru |   | |BEST BUY CO. INC | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | |($ in millions) | |(Unaudited and subject to reclassification) | | | | | | | | | |Twelve Months Ended | | | |Mar. 3,   | |Feb. 6,   | | | |2012 | |2011 | |OPERATING ACTIVITIES | | | | | |Net earnings including noncontrolling interests | |  $                  22 | |  $             1,366 | |Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to total cash provided by| | | | | |operating activities: | | | | | |Depreciation and amortization of definite-lived intangible | | 45 | |                     978 | |assets    | | | | | |Goodwill impairment | |               1,207 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | |Realized gain on sale of investments | |                    (55) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | |Other, net    | |                    462 | |                     209 | |Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquired | | | | | |assets and liabilities: | | | | | |Receivables | |                    (28) | |                    (371) | |Merchandise inventories | |                    120 | |                    (400) | |Accounts payable | |                    643 | |                    (443) | |Other assets and liabilities    | |                    (23) | |                    (149) | |Total cash provided by operating activities | |               3,293 | |                  1,190 | | | | | | | |INVESTING ACTIVITIES | | | | | |Additions to property and equipment | |                  (766) | |                    (744) | |Other, net    | |                     42 | |                     175 | |Total cash used in investing activities | |                  (724) | |                    (569) | | | | | | |FINANCING ACTIVITIES | | | | | |Repurchase of common stock | |              (1,500) | |                 (1,193) | |Borrowings (repayments) of debt, net    | |