Different sectors and their current performance Essay

Different sectors and their current performance - Essay Example United Kingdom’s construction sector is important for the country’s economy and has a number of services,products and technologies. These differ in economic value realized from them relative to their varied outputs regarding skilled and unskilled labor, knowledge, raw materials, intangible investment and raw materials. It must also be noted that the construction industry in the UK has been growing in terms of maintaining, designing and developing, operating and repairing of buildings (CIB, 2010). These and more are captured in this paper which looks into five key sectors in the UK construction industry. Private house builders Private house builders in the United Kingdom normally raise money to put up buildings and projects. They are then paid by their clients or the government upon completion of the projects but with interest (CLG, 2010). The payment is distributed evenly over a given contracted period of time when the building process runs. Their roles comprise buildin g of houses, large buildings, estates as well as developing structured facilities for example manufacturing buildings. They are mostly associated with cheap labor which they employ in the building process while at the end of the day they reap huge sums of money in return which guarantee them huge profits. Some of the activities which are presently being worked on by private house builders include putting up of a 75-storey Hertsmene House on the Canary Wharf and building up of residential houses in new towns (CIMR, 2003). This housing project is set to take three years and its benefits are projected to boost the country’s economy. This will be in terms of investment prospects which have since been defined and planned for the building once it is complete. Social house builders UK has in the recent past had an increased rate in worker housing needs hence calling for new developments to build houses for workers (BIS, 2012). Social house builders are concerned with such building d evelopments in which they are charged with the task of building worker houses. This considers costs for constructing the houses which are usually a target of low cost ownership of homes for workers. There are quite a number of social house builders whereby some work as single entities while others work in partnerships. This has also led to emergence of associations for housing projects and at least 5000 new homes are said to be in the process of being constructed at the moment (Leftly, 2010). These are projected to take approximately a year and are set to benefit the worker community especially in relieving them from the strain of house seeking at convenient places. Social house builders understand the specific needs and requirements which are associated with affordable housing constructions. This is mainly with regards to housing designs and building approaches employed in building the houses. Social house builders are always focused on benchmarking their present position while als o look into ways of improving their building performances (UKCES, 2012). They are also keen to offer affordable housing and help in addressing particular needs of people relative to culture, security, language as well as accessibility to services. Private commercial builders Output of commercial building process in the UK has off late been noted to account for 18 per cent of all the work associated with construction industry (UKCES, 2012). Private commercial builders has however, been on the rise in the country with most of them targeting construction in various areas. They have been into construction of residential buildings whereby new building projects, renovation works, home improvements and extension projects have been part of their dealings. They have also been into commercial construction projects both in the public sector and private sector. Their main concentration has been construction of both commercial and residential build

Urban vs Rural India Essay Example for Free

Urban vs Rural India Essay Urban vs Rural India About 80 per cent of the Indian population live in villages. When travelling through the length and breadth of this subcontinent, one can really visualise the difference betweenrural  and  urban  India. There is a big difference between urban and rural India. One of the  major  differences that can be seen between rural  India  and urban India, is their standards of living. People living in urban  India  have better living conditions than those living in the rural parts of India. There is a wide economic gap between rural and urban India. Rural India is very poor when compared to Urban India. Another difference that can be seen between urban and rural India, is their education. In rural India, the parents seldom educate their children, and instead, make their children work in the fields. Poverty, and lack of sufficient infrastructure, can be attributed to the lack of education in rural India. When considering homes, about three-quarters of the households in urban India live in pucca homes. On the other hand, only a quarter of the people in rural India live in pucca homes. While groundwater is the main source of drinking water in rural India, the urban people rely more on tap-water. Urban India is almost electrified when compared to rural India. One can even come across villages where electric power is not yet available. When comparng the sanitary facilities, it is limited in rural india. About 90 per cent of the households in rural India do not have latrines, but this is not the case in urban India. Most of the developments have not yet reached the rural parts of India. With regards to health care as well, rural India lacks  good  hospitals when compared to urban India. Some of the rural areas even lack a dispensery. Summary: 1. People living in urban India have better living conditions than those living in the rural parts of India. 2. Rural India is very poor when compared to urban India. 3. In rural India, the parents seldom educate their children, and instead, make their children work in the fields. 4. About three-quarters of the households in urban India live in pucca homes. On the other hand, only a quarter of the people in rural India live in pucca homes. 5. Most of the developments have not yet reached the rural parts of India. 6. With regards to health care, rural India lacks good hospitals when compared to urban India.

Reproductive Health in Low Income Women Essay -- Health, Diseases, HIV

The District of Columbia (D.C) is made up of 52.8% females, 54% African Americans, and 40.6% Caucasians. Of the roughly 600,000 living in D.C., 101,400 (or 16.9%) are living below the poverty line (US Census, 2009). Over the years, the poverty rate in D.C. has continued to grow. With this number growing, there is a profound need to learn more about the women that are being affected. That being said, it is important to learn more about sexual and reproductive health in low-income women. In the District of Columbia, many women are living below the poverty life and are thus unable to get the help that they need in regards to their sexual and reproductive health. As researchers, there is a need to investigate why this is and what can be done to fix it. Through this research paper, there will be a large focus on low income women, their rates of and what barriers they may face with regards to Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency (HIV/AIDS), Sexually Transmitted Disease ’s (STD’s), Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer. As of December 31, 2008, there were 16,513 residents of DC living with HIV/AIDS. Of the residents, 75.6% were African American. This large number gets more devastating when it is seen that one in every 21 African Americans in D.C. has HIV/AIDS and African American women are 17 times more likely to have HIV/AIDS than a Caucasian women (DC Department of Health, 2009). When studying testing rates for HIV/AIDS, Medina (2009) found that most of the participants in the study were self-motivated to get tested. After the initial test, participants had a slightly higher chance of reducing risky sexual behavior. However, the study also found that testing was not a method that should be used to sustain consistent... ...) set up free, easy to access care for low-income women. Even when the testing was free and easy to access, many women still did not participate. In addition, they found that less mammogram usage is associated with low income women, as 36.4% to 54% of the low income women that were seen had never had a mammogram. The studies above have found three main points that will be used in the rest of this research article. First and foremost, DC has a high number of reproductive illnesses among women of low-income that need to be addressed. Secondly, there is a definite need to address the income barrier, as many studies show that income and insurance are high predictors of sexual health testing and treatment. Lastly, minority women are more likely to have reproductive diseases, and are also less likely to be diagnosed in a timely matter, and thus treated appropriately.

Economic Topics Essay

Discuss how the government can use discretionary fiscal policy and automatic stabilisers to stabilise fluctuations in real GDP. What tools does the government have at its discretion to stabilise the economy? Suppose the government decides to decrease income taxes. Show in a diagram and explain how this policy will lead to an increase in real GDP. Explain how potential output may be affected. Any government program that tends to reduce fluctuations in GDP automatically is called an automatic stabilizer. The reduction in economic activity automatically reduced tax payments, reducing the impact of the downturn on disposable personal income. Furthermore, the reduction in incomes increased transfer payment spending, boosting disposable personal income further. Fiscal policy is the use of government expenditures and taxes to influence the level of economic activity; it is the government counterpart to monetary policy. Fiscal policy is the best counter-stabilisation tool available to any government. Discretionary government spending and tax policies can be used to shift aggregate demand. Expansionary fiscal policy might consist of an increase in government purchases or transfer payments, a reduction in taxes, or a combination of these tools to shift the aggregate demand curve to the right. A contractionary fiscal policy might involve a reduction in government purchases or trans fer payments, an increase in taxes, or a mix of all three to shift the aggregate demand curve to the left. Income taxes affect the consumption component of aggregate demand. A reduction in income taxes increases disposable personal income, increases consumption (but by less than the change in disposable personal income), and increases aggregate demand. That shifts the aggregate demand curve rightward by an amount equal to the initial change in consumption that the change in income taxes produces times the multiplier. Suppose, for example, that income taxes are reduced by $200 billion. Only some of the increase in disposable personal income will be used for consumption and the rest will be saved. Suppose the initial increase in consumption is $180 billion. Then the shift in the aggregate demand curve will be a multiple of $180 billion; if the multiplier is 2, aggregate demand will shift to the right by $360 billion. Thus, the equilibrium level of real GDP rises to $12,260 billion, an d the price level rises to P2. $12,000 $ 12,260 $12,360 The economy shown here is initially in equilibrium at a real GDP of $12,000 billion and a price level of P1. A reduce of $200 billion in the level of Income Taxes (ΔT) shifts the aggregate demand curve to the right by $360 billion to AD2. The equilibrium level of real GDP rises to $12,260 billion, while the price level rises to P2.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 29~30

Chapter Twenty-nine Don't You Hate Running into Your Ex? As soon as she unlocked the new loft's security door from the street, Jody smelled blood, burned flesh, and shampoo. A case of the willies that felt like an electric serpent slithered up her spine. She went up the stairs, light on the balls of her feet, ready. She heard every tick in the apartment, the refrigerator motor, floorboards shifting, the huge cat Chet snoring in the bedroom, and, of course, someone breathing. The lights were off. He was sitting in a canvas sling-back chair, barefoot, in a pair of Tommy's jeans and a T-shirt, drying his hair with a towel. Jody stopped by the kitchen. â€Å"Fledgling,† said the vampire. â€Å"I'm always pleasantly surprised when I am reminded of how lovely you are. Surprises are rare at my age.† â€Å"Must have surprised the fuck out of you to have that Honda toast you, then, huh?† She felt herself tightening down, the electric jangle channeling itself into an awareness, an edge. It wasn't fear anymore, it was readiness. â€Å"An unpleasant one, yes. I assume your little servant is safe for now.† â€Å"Well, you know, she was winded for a few minutes from kicking your ass, but she is just a little girl.† The vampire laughed, and Jody couldn't help but smile. She went to the windows at the front of the loft and opened them. â€Å"Smells like burned meat in here.† â€Å"She'll have to go, you know,† said the vampire, still smiling. â€Å"No, she won't,† Jody turned on her heel. Faced him. â€Å"Of course she will. All of them but you. I'm quite tired of being alone, little one. You can come away with me, just as we planned.† Jody was stunned at his density. â€Å"I was lying to you, Elijah. I never intended to go away with you. I was just pretending to find out how to be a vampire.† â€Å"What were you going to do the next night, then – if your pet hadn't bronzed us, I mean?† â€Å"I thought I'd send you away.† â€Å"No you didn't.† â€Å"I thought I'd let the Animals kill you, like they were going to anyway.† â€Å"No you didn't.† â€Å"I don't know.† The edge was slipping. â€Å"I don't know.† Maybe she was going to go with him. She had felt so alone, so lost. â€Å"Ah, so here we are again. Let's pretend like all this unpleasantness hasn't happened, and it's the next night, and here we are, just the two of us. The only ones of our kind. What will you do, Jody?† â€Å"But we aren't the only ones of our kind.† â€Å"We are the only ones you need worry about. You do know that you are the first new vampire in a hundred years?† Jody tried not to show her surprise. â€Å"How lucky for me,† she said. â€Å"Oh, you're not the only one I've turned. I've turned many. You're the only one who could weather the change with her mind intact. The others had to be, well, decommissioned.† â€Å"You killed them?† â€Å"Yes. But not you. Help me clean up and then we'll leave, together.† â€Å"Clean up?† â€Å"There are certain rules, love. Rules that I set down myself, and the first of them is make no more vampires. Yet you've let loose a storm of fledglings, and they all have to be cleaned up, including your boy pet.† â€Å"Make no more? What about me? You made me.† â€Å"I didn't expect you to survive, love. I thought you would be an amusement, a break in monotony, an interlude, but you distinguished yourself.† â€Å"And now you want me to run off with you.† â€Å"We'll live like royalty. I have resources you couldn't imagine.† â€Å"You're wearing stolen jeans, sugar daddy.† â€Å"Well, yes, I will have to make my way to one of my caches.† â€Å"I have an idea,† Jody said, and this was really the reason she had come here, by herself, knowing that he would be here. Or at least hoping. â€Å"How about I give you enough money to get you out of town and you do that, just like we promised Rivera and Cavuto? You leave me alone, you leave Tommy alone, you just leave.† Elijah stood now, tossed the towel on the chair, and moved to her so quickly that she could barely even see him move. â€Å"Art, music, literature,† said Elijah. â€Å"Desire, passion, power – the best of man and the best of beast. Together. You would say no to that?† He put his hand on her cheek and she let him. â€Å"Love?† Jody said, looking into his eyes – they reflected like drops of mercury in her night vision. â€Å"For fairy tales. We are the stuff from which nightmares are made. Make nightmares with me.† â€Å"Wow, nice offer. Can't imagine why you haven't had any takers for a hundred years.† Jody grabbed his wrist. If he wouldn't leave, she could take him. She was a vampire, too. The vampire had been smiling, but his smile changed aspect, going from pleased to predatory. â€Å"So be it, then.† His hand was at her neck in an instant, she didn't see him move or have a chance to react. Suddenly she couldn't move her arms or legs, and there was an intense pain behind her ear and under her jaw. She screamed, releasing a sound she couldn't imagine coming out of a human, more like something you'd hear from a tortured cat. He clamped his other hand over her mouth. â€Å"I didn't teach you everything in our one night together, love.† She watched helplessly as he tossed his head back and his fangs unsheathed. Troy Lee squared off against Drew at the end of the dog-food aisle, two short fighting swords in hand. â€Å"Bring it, stoner,† Troy Lee said. He spun the swords. Drew fell into a crouch by the dishwashing liquids. â€Å"I'm fast now,† Drew said. â€Å"Uh-huh,† Troy said. He whipped the swords through the air in a deadly fanning motion. He'd been training since he was a child; he wasn't afraid, especially of Drew. â€Å"Hey,† came a woman's voice from right beside him. Troy Lee looked over, lightning quick, just in time to register what looked like a full moon coming at his face. There was a loud clang and Troy was nearly flipped over backwards when the iron skillet hit him in the forehead. Blue let it drop to her side and grinned at Drew. â€Å"I've always wanted to do that.† â€Å"Housewares used to be my aisle,† Drew said. â€Å"Take him,† said Blue. â€Å"Let him drink some of your blood before he dies.† She headed toward a commotion in the can aisle. â€Å"Save some, boys. Mama's got a broken nose that needs to heal.† Jody felt her own fangs extend and her kneecaps quiver as Elijah fed on her, but otherwise she couldn't move. How could she have been so stupid? He was eight hundred years old – of course he hadn't taught her everything. Of course he was stronger than she was – she was stronger than Tommy, and she had only been a vampire a couple of months longer than he had. If she could stay conscious, maybe when he stopped feeding she could make her move. Could he reduce her to dust like a human, or would he have to do something else? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Why didn't she know all of this? Why wasn't she acting on instinct? Where was the predator mind when you needed it? Her vision started to tunnel down – she was losing consciousness. She could hear rapid footsteps outside, though. First below, then across the street, then below again. Elijah heard them, too, and he loosened his grip for an instant, but before she could twist away, his fingers dug into her neck and jaw again. Then a black blur flew through the window and she heard something thud on the floor over by the kitchen. There was another loud thud and Elijah released her and she fell to the floor. She tried to push herself up, but something was thrown over her and she heard a buzzing sound. She heard screaming and smelled burning flesh, glass breaking, then someone was lifting her, carrying her. She couldn't move or even fight anymore. She let go, let herself float away, but the last thing she heard was a girl's voice saying, â€Å"Did you feed Chet?† The Emperor sat on the dock of the St. Francis Yacht Club, watching the fog wash over the breakwater. He'd gone against the advice of the homicide detectives and had left the grocery store. It was his city, and it was his place to take the battle to its attackers. He had cowered in fear long enough. His wickedly pointed sword lay on the dock at his side. The men, Bummer and Lazarus, were sleeping in a fuzzy pile at his back. â€Å"Ah, gentle warriors, how do we engage in battle when our enemy moves with such elegant stealth? Perhaps we should return to the Safeway and help defend.† Bummer's left ear twitched, and he let out a muffled ruff in his sleep. A thick bank of fog was moving down from the opening in the breakwater and it caught the Emperor's attention because it appeared to be moving across the wind from the west. Yes, it was indeed – the cold breeze was coming straight over the breakwater from the north. The fog bank bubbled thick as it moved, tendrils reached out and then were reabsorbed like the false feet of some crawling creature. The Emperor climbed to his feet and roused the men, snatched Bummer up before the sleepy terrier could get his bearings, and headed toward the clubhouse with Lazarus at his heels. He crouched in a shadow by the entrance to the restrooms, holding the hounds as he watched. The fog bank enveloped the end of the dock, paused, then dissipated as if a fan had been turned on it, and three tall figures stood on the dock, a man and two women. They wore long coats, cashmere, the Emperor thought, but he couldn't for the life of him remember why he might know that. They moved down the dock toward him as if they were floating. The Emperor could see their outlines in the moonlight – jawlines and cheekbones that looked as if they'd been chiseled, square shoulders, and narrow hips. They might have been brother and sisters, except one of the women was of African descent, the other looked like she might be Italian or Greek. The man was a head taller than the women and looked Nordic, perhaps German, with close-cropped white hair. All were as pale as bleached bone. As they passed him the Emperor pulled the hounds closer and Bummer let out a threatening ruff. They stopped. The man turned. â€Å"How long have you been here?† he asked. â€Å"Forever, I think,† said the Emperor. The man smiled and nodded, then turned and was on his way. â€Å"I know how you feel,† he said without looking back. Gustavo and Jeff found Barry hiding in the shelves among the toilet-paper packages. When they got close, Barry burst out of the TP and made a run for the end of the aisle, pulling napkins, aluminum foil, garbage bags, and plastic silverware off the shelves as he went to slow his pursuers. Gustavo went down first, slipping on a package of plastic forks. Jeff high-stepped through the obstacles and was right on Barry's ass until he was almost to the end of the aisle and Lash stepped out holding one of Barry's spearguns. â€Å"Down!† Lash barked, and Barry hit the tile on his chest and slid. There was a pneumatic hiss and the heavy stainless spear thudded into Jeff's sternum and blew him back off his feet. â€Å"Ow, goddammit,† said the power forward, clutching at the spear and trying to pull it out of his chest. Gustavo climbed to his feet, ran to Jeff, and started yanking on the spear. Lash handed Barry a four-foot-long stick with a blunt metal tip on it and fitted another spear into the gun. â€Å"That the last one?† Barry asked. Lash nodded. â€Å"Where's Clint?† Just then the tall blond woman appeared at the far end of the aisle, dragging an unconscious Clint by his collar. A wide bloodstain ran from her chin to her crotch and they could see her fangs even from this distance. â€Å"Bad boys. Leaving your born-again lying on the floor where people can trip over him.† She dropped Clint on his face, and headed up the aisle toward them, in long, slow strides. Lash bolted, Barry right behind them, through the canvas doors into the back room, and into the walk-in dairy cooler. It was like a long hallway with plastic milk boxes stacked on one side and the glass dairy cases on the other. They pushed stacks of heavy one-gallon milk boxes in front of the door, then leaned with their backs against the back of the cooler, watching the store through the clear cooler doors in the dairy case, over the cartons of yogurt and cottage cheese. â€Å"What's that she's carrying?† Barry asked. â€Å"A frying pan,† Lash said. â€Å"Oh,† Barry said â€Å"Sorry I let her in. She was almost naked.† â€Å"How could you have known?† â€Å"Well, when she claimed she had a nooky-gram for my birthday, I should have figured something was up.† â€Å"Your birthday's like in March, isn't it?† â€Å"Yeah.† Lash slapped Barry hard once on his bare scalp, then re-aimed the speargun over the yogurts. â€Å"I deserved that,† Barry said. â€Å"Think that spear hit Jeff's heart?† â€Å"Had to. It's a foot through his sternum.† â€Å"He doesn't seem dead.† â€Å"Guess that means head shot.† Barry shook his head. â€Å"You want me to try?† â€Å"Nah, if I miss, you have the bang stick.† Lash nodded at the long stick Barry was holding at port arms. Essentially it was a twelve-gauge shotgun shell on the end of a stick, used for killing sharks. You poked them with it and the shotgun shell fired into them at point-blank range. â€Å"I'll bet she doesn't even know what it is.† â€Å"Get it right,† Lash said. â€Å"Blow her fucking brains out.† They looked at each other as they heard the refrigeration compressors and fans wind down. Then the lights went out. â€Å"We're fucked,† Lash said. â€Å"Yep,† Barry agreed. Chapter Thirty Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Dark and Mysterious Goddess of Forbidden Love Don't judge me. I have looked death in the face and made him my bitch! I did what I did out of love, and I don't want to sound conceited, but OMG, we are heroes! And when I say we, I mean us. Had I told you before, you would have called me â€Å"losah!† pronounced me perky and cute beyond redemption, but now that I am secure in my own nefarious love lair and whatnot, I can at last confess, that in my naive youth, my favorite literary character was not the tentacled horror Cthulu from Lovecraft as I previously stated in AP English 235, but, in fact, Pippi Longstocking. Before you condemn me for my Pippism, check it out: Pippi drank a lot of coffee. (Because, like me, she was wise.) Pippi had unnaturally red hair (as I, myself have had, upon occasion). Pippi often wore long, stripy socks (as yours truly has been known to do). Pippi had superhuman strength. (It could happen.) Pippi kicked ass. (Not unlike your humble narrator.) Pippi was a kid who lived without parents in her own house. (Go, girl!) With a monkey. (Haven't you always wanted a monkey?) What Longstockings did not have, was the coolest cyber-ninja-sex-magic boyfriend to ever save the world and whatnot. (Props to Pip, but girlfriend needed some yang to rock her yin.) Steve. My darling, my love, My heart is aflame But OMFG, Steve, I grieve, That you're name Is so fucking lame. I call him Foo Dog, because he guards the gate of my temple, if you know what I mean. I'm wearing the jacket he made me right now. I had it on when they came for me, but that's not the thing. The thing is, I didn't save myself, I saved love. So, that night, after I told the Countess how my sweet Foo Dog saved me from the vampyre, the Countess said she was going to go back to the loft to get some money and feed Chet and get the last of William's blood for Lord Flood, for their love is truly eternal. And Jared and I were like, â€Å"We'll go, too,† but the Countess sent us back to liberate the vampyre Flood from Jared's basement and his hideous family. So we were all, â€Å"Well, okay.† But when we got to Jared's house, Flood was totally gone. And then Steve – I mean Foo Dog – called me and he was all, â€Å"I'm getting off work early, I don't want to leave you out there unprotected.† So I told him where we were. Then Lord Flood comes walking out of the dark and he's all, â€Å"What? What? What?† And I'm all, â€Å"The Countess went back to the loft.† And he's all, â€Å"She is in danger. We must away.† And I was like, â€Å"Chill thee thus, for my sweet love-ninja is on the way in his fly ride.† So Flood was like, † ‘Kay.† I see now that my attraction to the vampyre Flood was nothing more than childish infatuation, never to be requited, because he had eyes only for the Countess. So it was a little awkward when Steve showed up and I had to chill the Lord Flood and make him sit in the backseat to show that my real affections were with Foo Dog, who was formerly known as Steve. And when we got to the loft, the windows were open, but there were no lights on. And Flood had us drive a block past, then we got out and he walked back. Then he runs up and he's like, â€Å"Elijah's up there. He's got her.† And I'm all, â€Å"Then go get her.† And Steve is like, â€Å"No, I'll go get her.† And he pulls this long coat out of the trunk. It's all covered with warts or something, and I'm like, â€Å"Nice coat, but you know, vampyre†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And Steve is like, â€Å"They're UV LEDs. Like the lights we burned the vampires with before.† And I'm like, â€Å"Sweet!† So Steve starts to put the coat on and Flood stops him and goes, â€Å"He'll hear you coming up the stairs. I'll go.† And Steve is all, â€Å"You can't. It will burn you, too.† And Flood is all, â€Å"No it won't.† So they are like five minutes behind the car putting together this ber-cool ensem of like an old gas mask, and a hoodie, and full-on gloves and everything, until Flood is totally covered, wearing the long coat with the glass warts all over it, looking like one of the cenobites from Hellraiser. And Steve is like, â€Å"Don't hit the switch until you know she's covered.† And he hands Flood like a black rubber tarp and a baseball bat, which totally sucked the cool right out of the ensem, but I guess was necessary. Then, just when I'm about to ask how he's going to get in without being heard, we hear the Countess scream, and Flood runs across the street and about halfway up the side of the building, then turns and runs down it, then across the street, up the side of his building, and goes through the window feet fucking first. And I'm like, â€Å"Whoa.† And Steve and Jared are like, â€Å"Whoa.† And a second later we hear a thumping, and purple light comes on in the loft windows and the old vampyre comes crashing through the windows on fucking fire, falling like a comet! And he lands on his feet in the middle of the street, hisses once and looks at us, and that's when Steve holds up one of his UV floodlights, and the vampyre fucking scrams down the alley across the street so fast that he was just a blur. Next thing, Flood is coming out of the building carrying the Countess, who is wrapped in the black rubber tarp and is totally roofied like a limp rag. And Steve's all, â€Å"Get her in the car.† And I'm like, â€Å"Did you feed Chet?† And Jared is like, â€Å"Hello, Abby, the other vampyres.† So I'm like, â€Å"Shut up. I know.† So we all piled into Steve's car and we took Flood and the Countess to a hotel off up on Van Ness, which Steve paid for with his Visa, which was generous and mature of him. It was one of those motels where you have your own entrance to the parking lot so they don't see you in the hallway, so Flood carried the Countess up to the room, and we carried some stuff that Steve had packed up in the trunk of his car. It was so sad. Flood just stroked the Countess's cheek and tried to get her to wake up, but she wouldn't. And he was all, â€Å"Abby, she needs to feed. I wouldn't ask, but he's done something to her, she's hurt.† And I would have totally done it, but Steve pulled me back, and he picks up this playmate cooler that he had us bring up, and he pulls out these pouches of blood. And he hands them to Flood and says, â€Å"I took them from the university hospital. They could kick me out of school for this.† And Flood is all, â€Å"Thanks.† And he bites a hole in one of the pouches and squeezes it on the Countess's lips and that's when I started to cry. There were like four pouches, and when he was going for the last one, Steve was like, â€Å"You need to drink that one.† And Flood was like, â€Å"No way, it's for her.† And Steve was like, â€Å"You know you do.† So Flood like nodded and drank the last one himself, and then he just sat there by her, stroking her hair. Then Steve was like, â€Å"Tommy, you know I can reverse your vampirism. I'm pretty sure the process works.† And Flood just looked at him and nodded. It was so sad. And then the Countess started to moan, and she opened her eyes and she saw the vampyre Flood and she was all, â€Å"Hey, baby.† Just like that. And I started crying again like a big wuss and Steve took Jared and me out to the car to give them some space. And Steve was like, â€Å"I made this for you from my jacket.† And he put this leather motorcycle jacket on me that was covered with those glass LED thingies. It was kinda heavy, because there were batteries built into the padding, but cool. And he was all, â€Å"This will keep you safe. The switch is in the snap on the left cuff. Just squeeze it and the lights will come on. They won't hurt you, but you should wear sunglasses to protect your retinas.† Then he put a pair of totally cyber wraparound sunglasses on me and kissed me. And I kissed him back, hard, with major tongue, and finally he pulled away, as gentle as a butterfly. So then I slapped him, so he wouldn't think I was a slut. But so he wouldn't think I was being frigid, I sort of jumped on him and wrapped my legs around him and sort of accidentally rode him to the ground and was accidentally kind of dry-humping him on the pavement when the lights on my jacket came on and people looked out their hotel windows a nd whatnot, so Jared ended our special romantic moment by hitting my light switch and dragging me off. And I was all, â€Å"You are THE MAN, Foo!† And he was all, â€Å"Huh?† Because I hadn't told him yet that his new name was Foo Dog. But then he said he actually had to get home and check in or his parents would freak out. And said to watch the masters until I got back, if I got a chance try to talk them into being converted. So we made out on the hood of the Honda for a while and he drove off into night's cold loneliness like the superhero that he is. (The effect was ruined, kind of, in that Jared caught a ride with him.) So I went back upstairs and sat at the foot of the masters' bed, keeping guard and listening to them. They were talking softly, but I could hear them. The vampyre Flood was all, â€Å"Maybe we should give it a try.† And the Countess was all, â€Å"What, the cure? Tommy, it can't work. You've seen what I can do, you know what you can do. This isn't biology, this is magic.† â€Å"Maybe it's not. Maybe it's science we don't know yet.† â€Å"It doesn't matter. We don't even know if it works.† â€Å"We should try.† â€Å"Why would we try, Tommy? You've only been immortal for a couple of weeks. Do you want to give up the power, the – I don't know – the command over your world?† â€Å"Well – yes.† â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Yeah. I don't like it, Jody. I don't like being afraid all the time. I don't like being alone. I don't like being a killer.† â€Å"That woman was torturing you, Tommy. That's never going to happen again.† â€Å"That's wasn't the problem. I'd get over her. The problem was that I liked it. I liked it.† Then the Countess was quiet for a while, and I thought it might be dawn or something, but I peeked over the edge of the bed and she was just staring into his eyes. She looked over at me. â€Å"Hey, girlie girl,† the Countess said, and she smiled at me and it felt like a gift or something. It was like, real. Then she took her watch off and threw it to me at the end of the bed. â€Å"That has an automatic almanac in it – how about you set the alarm to go off about twenty minutes before sunset, so you don't get caught out again, okay?† And I was going to tell her about the jacket that Foo made for me, but I kind of couldn't talk, so I just nodded and put the watch on and slid back down to the floor. Then I heard the Countess go, â€Å"You aren't alone. I'm here. We can go where no one knows us, no one is chasing us, and I'll always be here for you.† And he goes, â€Å"I know. I mean alone from everyone else. Separate. I want to be human, not some foul dead thing.† â€Å"I thought you wanted to be special.† â€Å"I do, but I want to be human special – because of something I did.† Then it was quiet for a while, and finally the Countess goes, â€Å"I love it, Tommy. I'm not afraid all the time like you; just the opposite. I didn't realize how afraid I used to be until I became like this. I like walking the street knowing that I'm the Alpha animal, hearing and seeing and smelling everything, being part of everything. I like it. I wanted to share that with you.† â€Å"It's okay. You couldn't have known.† â€Å"I don't want to be alone either. That's why I turned you. I love you.† Then the alarm went off on Lord Flood's watch, and he shut it off. Then he's all, â€Å"We can't go back to the way it was, before, I mean? Where I look after you?† â€Å"It's not the same world, Tommy. You know that now. We were in the same room in different worlds.† â€Å"Okay then. I love you, Jody.† â€Å"I love you, too,† goes the Countess. Then they didn't say anything for a long time, and when my new watch showed that the sun was up, I looked, and they were lying there, holding each other, and I could see the red stains on the pillow from their tears. And I was like, â€Å"Oh, hell no!†

the value of human life essays

the value of human life essays The beliefs and views of modern society are hypocritical and unjust. By the time an individual matures from a young child to an adult, they have been taught an uncountable number of life lessons. One of the outstanding lessons that each and every person has learned is that killing another human being is wrong. This is perhaps the first recognizable lesson on the value of human life. Most children know that killing is against the law and learn religiously that it goes against all religious morals and beliefs, yet society is bombarded by violence everyday in the media and in real life. Today, the value of human life can be questioned, especially that of the young. Through numerous examples of child murder and abortion it is rather obvious that the lives of the unborn or newly born are not valued to the degree that they should be. In most cases, the young are not recognized as "people" and are robbed of their human rights and freedoms. Young lives, both born and unborn, are seen as m ore of a commodity these days, than as precious, magical miracles. In the media today there are ridiculous numbers of reports pertaining to accidents, shootings and robberies-these are just a few examples of unjust acts that are occurring everyday. There is also a shocking amount of coverage about parents accidentally, or on the other hand, brutally murdering their kids. Parents are supposed to be loving and supporting caregivers, they have a great influence over everything a child can possibly say or do. It is hard to believe that some parents would actually take their childrens lives into their hands. Recently in the news there have been accounts of a mother poisoning her son to a father taking a knife and slashing his sons throat. These are all cases where the parent in charge has taken advantage of their control. Each helpless child is defenseless in these situations. In many cases, children have become victims of a parents mental ...

How to Write a Contract

How to Write a Contract Learning how to write a contract can save you a lot of money and aggravation. Typically people find themselves in a position where they need to hire a lawyer to negotiate the terminology of a contract. This can get quite costly, especially when the parties keep going back and forth changing certain items. By knowing how to write a contract you’ll be aware of each word and phrase that’s being utilized in this document. This puts you in a better position of knowledge. Many have tried to save money by writing their own contract only to find that they’ve neglected to include details that may be needed to make the contract binding. These are very important documents and should not be attempted unless you learn how to write a contract. Contracts can be long and complicated documents or they can be short and sweet. Knowing how to write a contract is simply a matter of common sense. You must be aware of what information is essential to the matter at hand and including details that will avoid any future confusion should the matter ever come to a dispute. Keep in mind that you need to clearly state any detail that could be attacked in court. Ask how certain terms would hold up against a skilled lawyer in a courtroom. If you find yourself able to argue points included in your contract then perhaps you need to go back and rephrase or make your point clearer. The whole point of knowing how to write a contract is to make it so that there is no question surrounding the terms of the document. Before beginning a contract, write out an outline of the terms included in the agreement. Ask questions about those terms outlined to try and foresee any possible complications. Know and understand the terminology that is typically used in a contract. Many times confusion over a simple word or phrase can break apart a contractual agreement between parties. Using a good contract form is essential to knowing how to write a contract. The proper form provides a strong foundation upon which to build a contract. Typically one begins with the parties involved in the transaction. It’s important to include their full legal names as well as nicknames so that there is no confusion over who is involved. Throughout the document, always refer to the parties by the names you have them listed as in the beginning of the contract and avoid any misspelling. Another important thing to know is that the date should be listed in the first paragraph of this paper. Key a blank space within the paragraph so that the date can be written in as the parties both sign the agreement. Knowing how to write a contract means being organized with your thoughts as you type this document up. Keep it simple yet concise. Avoid any loose terminology that could be misinterpreted. Avoid any creative writing and do not rely on grammatical rules that you may have learned in school. Contract writing needs to be absolutely clear leaving no room for misinterpretation. Never try to speed read through your contract when editing it, as you will certainly leave lots of room for misinterpretation that can cost you a lot of money. Once you have learned how to write a contract, you’ll find that it is quite simple as long as you know and understand the rules. Knowing how to write a contract can be quite profitable for those who engage in business practices regularly but find that attorney fees for writing contracts can get quite steep. In the beginning, it may be helpful to seek out advice from an experienced person but once you have the essentials of contract writing down, you should be able to write contracts with ease.

China One Child Policy Facts

China One Child Policy Facts For more than 35 years, Chinas one-child policy  limited the countrys population growth. It ended after 2015, as Chinas demographics had been skewed due to the policy. China does not have enough  young people to support the aging demographics, and due to a preference for boys, men of marrying age outnumber women. In all, there were more than 33 million men than women in China in 2016, making it difficult for men of lower socioeconomic status to marry at all. After 2024, India is expected to become the worlds most populous, when both countries populations are expected to reach about 1.4 billion. Chinas population is forecast to be stable and then decline slightly after 2030, and India will keep growing. The Background Chinas one-child rule was created in 1979 by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to temporarily limit communist Chinas population growth. It was in place until January 1, 2016.  When the  one-child  policy was adopted in 1979, Chinas population was about 972 million people.  China was expected to achieve  zero population growth  by 2000, but it actually achieved that seven years earlier.   Whom It Affected Chinas one-child policy most strictly applied to Han Chinese living in urban areas of the country. It did not apply to ethnic minorities throughout the country. Han Chinese represented more than 91 percent  of the Chinese population. Just over 51 percent of Chinas population lived in urban areas. In rural areas, Han Chinese families could apply to have a second child if the first child was a girl. For families who observed the  one-child  rule, there were rewards: higher wages, better schooling and employment, and preferential treatment in obtaining governmental assistance (such as health care) and loans. For families who violated the  one-child  policy, there were sanctions: fines, wage cuts, employment termination, and difficulty in obtaining governmental assistance. Families who  were permitted to have a second child usually had to wait from three to four years after the birth of the first child before conceiving their second child. The Exception to the Rule One major exception to the one-child rule  allowed two singleton children (the only offspring of their parents) to marry and have two children. Additionally, if a first child was born with birth defects or major health problems, the couple was usually permitted to have a second child. The Long-Term Fallout   In 2015 China had an estimated 150 million single-child families with an estimated two-thirds of those thought to be a direct result of the policy. Chinas sex ratio at birth is more imbalanced than the global average. There are about 113 boys born in China for every 100 girls. While some of this ratio might be biological (the global population ratio is currently about 107 boys born for every 100 girls), there is evidence of sex-selective abortion, neglect, abandonment, and even infanticide of infant females. The recent peak total fertility rate for Chinese women was in the late 1960s, when it was 5.91 in 1966 and 1967. When the one-child rule was first imposed, the total fertility rate of Chinese women was 2.91 in 1978. In 2015, the total fertility rate had dropped to 1.6 children per woman, well below the replacement value of 2.1. (Immigration accounts for the remainder of the Chinese population growth rate.)

Housing segregation by gentrification in US Research Paper

Housing segregation by gentrification in US - Research Paper Example d the gentrification displaced low-income residents and forced them into even worse housing thus, reversing white-flight while having no impact at all, or an even further negative impact on segregated neighborhoods. However, recent research has indicated that this simple explanation of the impacts of gentrification on segregation is inadequate and the impacts of gentrification on segregation are actually more varied. The term segregation, in terms of housing, refers to residential enclaves that are defined by ethnicity and possibly some other socio-economic indicators. Hyper-segregated neighborhoods are residential areas that are defined by multiple indicators of segregation. Massey asserts that five key dimensions indicate residential segregation. The degree to which the percentage of minority members within a residential area diverges from the metropolitan average indicates segregation on the evenness scale. Lack of opportunities for potential contact with non-minority individuals indicates segregation on the exposure scale. The degree to which minority neighbourhoods are adjacent indicates clustering. The degree to which these areas are focused in the urban core indicates centralization while increasing population density indicates concentration. (Massey and Denton, 1993, p 373) Massey and Denton employ these five indicators--evenness, exposure, clustering, centralization and concentration--to measure segregation. They describe high scores in at least four of these categories as hyper-segregation or extreme, multidimensional segregation. They conclude that multidimensional hyper-segregation is evident in at least ten metropolitan areas and affects at least 30% of all urban blacks. Denton and Massey focus on residential segregation alone, they do not directly investigate its inks to economic factors. However, in conclusion, they state that "our results suggest that the extremity of black residential segregation and its unique multidimensional character may

Week 4 Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 4 Discussion Questions - Essay Example , an investment banker would prove to be of great support as he/she will guide the organization through the process and will recommend whether going public is in interest of the organization or not. The investment banker will be involved in investigating the organization in order to know its strengths, risks involved and overall business procedures in order to assist for going public. This research will accommodate with enough knowledge about whether going public will be advantageous for the organization or not. Financial leverage is there when the organization obtains loans or borrowings on the basis of its assets and intends that a greater rate of return will be there as compared to the interest rate. As far as operating leverage is concerned, it is the consideration of the degree of the fixed and variable costs involved in a business. Operating leverage is the measure of the rate of fixed operating costs of the organization while financial leverage is the measure of the rate of loan that an organization takes against its rate of assets. The risks involved in having an excessive amount of financial leverage in an organization are that the profitability of the organization and the return on equity of the organization lessen. This situation arises when the organization’s return on assets (ROA) is unable to enhance as compared to the interest that is inserted on loan taken for the organization. EBIT-EPS analysis can be defined as a pragmatic instrument with the help of which, a financial manager is able to investigate various substituted financial plans in terms of their effect on EPS (Earnings per Share) over a range of EBIT (Earnings before Interests and Taxes) levels. EBIT-EPS analysis is simply an analysis to calculate earnings per share at various levels of sales of earnings before interest and taxes. Into the EBIT-EPS analysis, the risk is handled quite ignored. With this analysis, the basic motive is to enhance the earnings per share; due to this fact,

Legal Foundations of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Legal Foundations of Health Care - Essay Example One of the department’s roles, through â€Å"Administration on Aging,† is provision of social services to the elderly population. It ensures the citizens’ interests in â€Å"income, housing, health, employment, retirement, and community services† by developing and implementing relevant programs (p. 25). The department’s role also includes administration of Medicare and Medicaid programs that offer health care services to the elderly, people with special disabilities, and needy populations. The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, also ensures affordable cost of care through initiating research on factors affecting cost of care and making appropriate decisions for regulating costs. The agency also regulates clinical activities with the aim of influencing cost and quality of offered services in care facilities. Similarly, the department plays a significant role initiating and promoting resear ch initiatives towards affordable care and development of information for evidence based practice and clinical decisions (Pozgar, 2012, p. 25-27). Other roles of the department are illustrated through its associated agencies such as â€Å"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,† â€Å"Food and Drug Administration,† and â€Å"National Institute of Health† (Pozgar, 2012, p. 27-28). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies the department’s role to reduce and possibly mitigate diseases. The department also ensures, through the Food and Drug Administration, that developed medicines, food products, other health consumables, and medical equipments are safe for human use (Pozgar, 2012, p. 28). It further formulates and facilitates implementation of measures for preventing and managing drug abuse. Its partnership with other stakeholders also plays a role in identifying dangerous drugs and it offers directives against consumption of such drugs besides offering

Textile industry and water pollution in China Essay

Textile industry and water pollution in China - Essay Example In recent times, China has risen to be among the world’s most powerful economies as the country intensely relies on textile industries as a way of assured sustenance. However, this aspect of economic growth has had a downside effect on the environment in which it has experienced intense degradation. Many analysts argue that the Chinese environment has suffered because the Chinese government has failed to create policies that regulate the Chinese environment. In addition, the lack of public awareness on the environmental challenges in China has also hindered any attempts by China in creating a proper balance between economic growth and environmental management (Wencong, 2012). Presentation of the problem As the current global statistics China, has at least fifty thousand textile industries making the country to be ‘the factory world’ (Ecotextiles, 2012). These textile industries are the prime victims of water pollution that has the forced the government to intervene as a way of protecting the Chinese environment. As at now, there is no strict legislation that holds Chinese textile companies viable for environmental degradation. This has influenced an increase in awareness of textile companies taking responsibility for the waste water from their industries. According to surveys, the chemical by products used in the production of textiles encompasses intense amounts of contaminated substances that have detrimental effect on human and the environment at large. This aspect poses a danger to the global community as the harmful substances find their way to the environment through the water used in washing these textiles by those that purchase these fabrics. The depiction here is that toxic chemicals find their way to water sources from the point of production to the last point of the chain that is at the point of consumption. Further, research has also unearthed that man made toxic chemicals used in the production of textiles have an effect on human health as the skins tends to absorb these harmful particles (Gang, 2009). Over time, various environmentalists have adopted campaigns that have the intention of influencing principal textile brands to less harmful substances in their production because of the effects that these substances present. Some of the textile manufacturers that have agreed to this campaign include Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Puma, Nike just to name a few. In this regard, environmentalists have initiated campaigns aimed at re-evaluating the legislation surrounding environment protection and support the natural ecosystem. In essence, the Chinese textile industry generates at least three billion tons of wastewater as compared to wastewate r generated by other economic propellants in China (Menon, 2010). In addition, China recorded at least six thousand environmental violation instances from Chinese textile factories as per the Water Pollution map of China database. The Waste Pollution Map body has the responsibility of consolidating data essential for launching legal action against textile industries that secrete both solid and liquid waste to water

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNE's mini essay - 3

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNE's mini - Essay Example er strategy investing in India than in China where the political, economic and social factors are more favorable to IT related firms and due to the immense potential of penetrating the untapped market in the Indochina region. One of the major location specific advantages that RIM has to evaluate in considering India as a lucrative destination is favorable government policies on FDIs. The Indian government allows 100% FDI in some sectors, which include research and development and infrastructure (Himachalapathy, 2010), two sectors where RIM has an interest. In other words, India has an investor friendly climate that RIM may capitalize to access the more than a billion Indian population in addition to prospective customers in the Indochina region, a market that has immense opportunities for growth. For instance, considering the unsaturated penetration of mobile technologies in the region, RIM has a chance to undertake comprehensive research and development in coming up with a product that targets the specific needs of the population through its Blackberry model. In other words, as Dickens (2011) argued, Rim by taking such an approach will be in a position to connect with different social strata and classes in the region and produce specific products that target the needs of people, which will result in more market penetration. Similarly, as a consequence of globalization, China has opened up its doors to FDIs, with the country being the current highest destination of FIDs globally driven by improved economic policies (Himachalapathy, 2010). As such, RIM has a huge prospective market in the new and untapped Chinese market where the Blackberry brand can find an impressive market driven by a rapidly broadening middle class population with a high purchasing power that is attracted to spending on foreign products (Sinha, 2007). Labor is another location specific advantage that makes both India and China lucrative destinations for investors and where RIM may lower its

Textile industry and water pollution in China Essay

Textile industry and water pollution in China - Essay Example In recent times, China has risen to be among the world’s most powerful economies as the country intensely relies on textile industries as a way of assured sustenance. However, this aspect of economic growth has had a downside effect on the environment in which it has experienced intense degradation. Many analysts argue that the Chinese environment has suffered because the Chinese government has failed to create policies that regulate the Chinese environment. In addition, the lack of public awareness on the environmental challenges in China has also hindered any attempts by China in creating a proper balance between economic growth and environmental management (Wencong, 2012). Presentation of the problem As the current global statistics China, has at least fifty thousand textile industries making the country to be ‘the factory world’ (Ecotextiles, 2012). These textile industries are the prime victims of water pollution that has the forced the government to intervene as a way of protecting the Chinese environment. As at now, there is no strict legislation that holds Chinese textile companies viable for environmental degradation. This has influenced an increase in awareness of textile companies taking responsibility for the waste water from their industries. According to surveys, the chemical by products used in the production of textiles encompasses intense amounts of contaminated substances that have detrimental effect on human and the environment at large. This aspect poses a danger to the global community as the harmful substances find their way to the environment through the water used in washing these textiles by those that purchase these fabrics. The depiction here is that toxic chemicals find their way to water sources from the point of production to the last point of the chain that is at the point of consumption. Further, research has also unearthed that man made toxic chemicals used in the production of textiles have an effect on human health as the skins tends to absorb these harmful particles (Gang, 2009). Over time, various environmentalists have adopted campaigns that have the intention of influencing principal textile brands to less harmful substances in their production because of the effects that these substances present. Some of the textile manufacturers that have agreed to this campaign include Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Puma, Nike just to name a few. In this regard, environmentalists have initiated campaigns aimed at re-evaluating the legislation surrounding environment protection and support the natural ecosystem. In essence, the Chinese textile industry generates at least three billion tons of wastewater as compared to wastewate r generated by other economic propellants in China (Menon, 2010). In addition, China recorded at least six thousand environmental violation instances from Chinese textile factories as per the Water Pollution map of China database. The Waste Pollution Map body has the responsibility of consolidating data essential for launching legal action against textile industries that secrete both solid and liquid waste to water

What Are the Roles And Resonsibilities of the UK Government Towards Essay

What Are the Roles And Resonsibilities of the UK Government Towards the Public Healh of Its Citzens And In Particular Children - Essay Example This essay declares that the general public that includes the parents, teachers, alcohol retailers and even religious leaders have their role to play. Such is the case that this group bears the greatest responsibility since they are always in contact with young people. This group, especially the elderly can play their role well when leading as role models for the young people. It should be the responsibility of each of these people to advice young people on the dangers of such behaviors. Parents should pay close attention to their children needs ensuring they know their whereabouts and correct them whenever they sense they are going astray. In all these cases , it will be prudent to know that at their age these young people may not really use well their personal liberties and as such all these parties have the responsibility to provide guidance and where possible correction. This paper makes a conclusion that public health is a sensitive part of any population and as such issues raised with regard to this subject should always take priority in the UK government planning. It is true that public health issues raise some ethical problems, particularly regarding peoples liberties, that the government should tackle amicably. Using the two modalities, namely Paternalism and harm principle, the UK government can successfully balance the demands of individual liberties and the desire to promote social good for all. Looking at UK public health based on the issue of binge drinking among UK teens.

The Irish Culture Essay Example for Free

The Irish Culture Essay The Irish are the people living on the Island of Ireland. Their culture is not that huge as per many beliefs. This is due to the prominent divisions that are there between urban and rural people, between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics and also divisions between the Irish speakers and the English speakers. This division has gone ahead to even affect the new migrants and the native population (Mitchell, 1998). With such divisions, the Irish culture is bound not to be monumental, though it is significant to as far as international levels. The old pagan tradition is still considerably reflected in the Irish calendar up to date. The Christian traditions have also a significant effect even though they came much later. For instance, in other countries around the world, Christmas coincides with the winter solstice, something that was chosen deliberately (Comerford, 2003). In Ireland, Christmas just like most places have several local traditions, some of them are in no particular way connected with Christianity. One example is on 26th December where it is also known as St. Stephen’s day. There is a custom of â€Å"Wrenboys† who make door to door calls with assorted material’s arrangement. These equipments tend to vary with place which is meant to a dead wren that has been trapped in the furze. There is also the 1st of February which is the Brigid’s day. This day has also acquired different names which include Imbolic and Candlemas. This too does not have any Christian origins. Instead, it is seen as another observation that is religious in nature and was superimposed during the start of spring. There is also the Brigid’s cross that was made on this day out of rushes. It is used to be a symbol of a solar wheel that is pre- Christian. Sumhain in November is another festival that is still greatly observed to date and it is currently called Halloween. Halloween has gained popularity and is celebrated world wide. The other pre- Christian festivals that have their names as Irish months name include Bealtaine that is May and Lunasa which is August. Easter and Marian observances are part of the important church holidays (Mitchell, 1998). The most eventful and prestigious of all is the S. t Patrick’s day. It is marked as a national holiday in the republic of Ireland. To really ascertain its importance, the day is celebrated with a lot of festivals in the cities and within towns all around the country. Parades and marching bands are also availed to mark that day. Dancing is part and parcel of the Irish culture. In Irish dancing, two main kinds have been identified. They are the Riverdance and Real Irish dance. The Riverdance is very popular in that it is running up to the moment in major cities apart from Ulan Bater. It is even credited with the Irish economic boom by some economists. On the other hand, the Real Irish dance is performed in such a manner that men do not dress in frilly blouses and one is not allowed to communicate except in a note in print to the panel of adjudicators (Comerford, 2003). The work habits in the Irish community vary with different people. Farming is largely prevalent in Ireland even though it is one of the activities in the Irish culture that comes from way back in history. Therefore in arming, the men are the ones who handle most of the activities that are related to it. The women on the other hand do the marketing of the produces. The Irish farmers have come to be known for using the latest methods in agricultural production. The kind of produce that they make includes meat and dairy products. Cereals like wheat and barley are also chiefly produced. In production the Irish industry has done tremendously well in pharmaceuticals textiles, clothing, and even in fishery (Mitchell, 1998). Language is only one way of communicating. There are other forms of sending a message that bring forth communication. Gestures are one way of communicating. The Irish culture also has its own unique gestures. Women are allowed to sit first before the men. The women are supposed to sit with their legs crossed right at the ankle or even at the knees. It is considered informal to have ones ankles crossed over the knee. A good gesture also includes buying your friends or drinking partners a round of drinks when your turn comes. It is looked at as rather rude not to. Therefore the people tend to be disciplined and everyone knows what is expected of them at a particular situation no matter how informal it may seem or be. Shoving the line is frowned upon. Order is highly regarded and no one is supposed to be treated unfairly to an extent of having others shove the line. Using a firm handshake is also seen as a good gesture. Loose handshakes are associated with disrespect towards the person greeted or eve lack of interest. Therefore firm handshake symbolizes reverence (Comerford, 2003). In terms of governance, the Irish government of the time holds the office only and only when it still has the support of the majority of Dail Eireann members. The Taoiseach who is the head of the government can voluntarily resign and if he/she does so, the whole cabinet is considered to have resigned. Then a new nomination is put for Taoiseach before the parliament to approve a new one. The Irish government according to its constitution should constitute between 7-15 members. The head of the government is nominated by one of the houses of parliaments and the Irish president formally appoints him. For that post, each political party nominates its member who needs the support of the majority members of parliament to win (Mitchell, 1998). The Irish government is elected for a ruling term of five years. In this case since the current government was elected in 2007, it is expected to conclude its term in 2012 and go for a general election. In parliament, the senate and parliament debates are available and even published all the way through the session. The issues and questions tabled by the members of parliaments during the sitting are taken by the minister in whose docket it concerns. The replies are published at the end of each day’s parliamentary proceedings. Each committee meeting has an official report which is published in 2-3 working days and at most in a week’s time. Therefore Ireland has a democratic system of governance (Comerford, 2003). In essence, the Irish culture is a unique one and identifies the Irish people. It is richly religious with over 80% of its population being Roman Catholics. They have lots of days they observe that are not necessarily Christian oriented but that is what makes them uniquely Irish. References. Comerford, R. Ireland Inventing the Nation. New York: Hodder Books, (2003). Mitchell, Frank and Ryan, Michael. Reading the Irish landscape. London: SAGE. (1998).

A Compact Description And Critical Analysis Education Essay

A Compact Description And Critical Analysis Education Essay The first part of the assignment will accommodate description of management and the importance of leadership within management. According to Daly et al, (2009), stated a manager is an individual who is responsible for his/her workforce; a manager is someone who is in charge of all the decision making of a workforce; a manager is a person that everyone goes to with their problems, and a person that passes on information that is given by higher authority to the workforce. Rodd (2004), define management as a reasonable working pattern of support, inspiration and reasoning, including systems and administrations. Whereas, Mondy (1992) constitute that the role of management involves; working with human, financial, and physical resources in order to achieve organisational objectives. Mondy (1992) also stated that planning, organising, leading and controlling were the four general functions of managements; and that all of these four functions were equally important, as the coordination of these provision enables management to operate as a whole. In addition an effective management skills, it is also crucial for a manager to have effective leadership skills; Burns (2004) assert that management skills can be defined as ones ability to administer a group of individuals in a way that will approve them to work together timidly and in a harmonised way, as this will result in the attainment of setting goals and aspirations. Mullins (2005) build that effective leadership is one of the many fundamental influences in the development of quality service for children; both effective leadership and management should be amalgamate together in bringing affirmation service for young children. Quote states:- by Mullins (2003, P291); Leadership style is the way in which the functions of leadership are carried out, the way in which the manager typically behaves towards members of the group. A manager that used a democratic type of management style within their setting; they are established that they have open door policy within the setting which approve their staffs to communicate with the manager whenever they required; it can a articulate that the manager leads their staff into feeling a part of a team by including them in all of the decision making process of the setting through staff meetings. Respecting Each Other; ensuring staff act as good role models; Use of positive language; Establish good relationships between practitioners and parents; updated with Policies and procedures; Open door policy; Encourage turn taking and sharing; Supervision and staff appraisals. The manager can demonstrate by having an open door policy and involving the staff in all the decision making of the setting draws and influenced the staffs to work harder; this could be associated, quote suggests, Sadek (1996)s argument which stated that staff encouragement is a considerable task for managers as it is foremost for the action of the crew. The next part of the assignment will contribute enlightenment in relation to the role and responsibilities of the early years manager. A manager who is established will believe one of their main duties at the setting ensuring that the children are safeguarded and happy; this is a positive attitude for an early years manager to have as according to a research carried out, quote stated, by Lunn (1998), most of the nursery managers that were found to be successful leaders in the research were managers who were involved in the children before their speciality. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of all individuals in the education system to make sure their surrounding is as safe as possible for their pupils (Directgov 2012). Furthermore, it is the manager position to ensure they have health and safety rules and regulations; and implement within the setting by all staffs by regularly involving and motivating all staffs in all matters concerning health and safety issues through training. Free choice to inform own learning;- Support and plan for childrens interests; Opportunity for children to explore and the Key person enables the child to feel safe and secure; Provide a safe and secure environment; Regular observations are carried out and children are provided with indoor and outdoor activities, Quote states:-, Watson (1998) that the financial needs of provisions should be taken vigorously and planned precisely as the maintenance provided to the children. A manager needs to handle the financial matters of the setting; budget is the key factors that can be threat to the quality of service being provided to the children. Therefore the manager must ensure that the nurserys budget is being managed correctly as miscalculations of the budget can have a negative impact on the function of the setting as it could result in the nursery not being able to meet some of its goals and objectives. Furthermore, According to Megginson (1992), employees doing what is required from them establishes the effectiveness of the managers management skills. This indicates that the manager must take fully responsibility to ensure that all of the staffs doing what were expected of them; a good way is by regularly monitoring the staffs. Preferably, have fitted cameras in every room of the setting and that the images from all of the cameras reflected back to the camera located in the managers office. This strategy can be positive effects on the function of the setting as the manager have faith for the staffs carried out their duties effectively and accordingly to the fact that they knew they were under continual surveillance. A excellent principle for a manager to adhere is to keep a constant revise of the policies and procedures of their settings; these will enables their employees to understand their roles and responsibilities; policies and procedures also grant management to inspire acts without constant management interferences. (Mondy1992). Besides Mullins (2005), suggests that a critical part of the process of management comprehends given a competent attention to the adequate use of resources, in human resources; human resources have an important role to play in the success of an organisation. In dispute by, Curtis and OHagen (2003) that it is essential for a manager to ensure that staffs are trained and are appropriately qualified to a standard that will enable them to provide the establishment with the best possible services. The manager must take a full responsibility to employ individuals that are appropriately qualified to work with children; He/she must be articulate that when employing staffs; they looked for two considerable aspects: the first is the person likes children and had some experience working with children; and secondly they have the appropriate qualifications. To addition, The Childrens Act 1989 states that it is legally the responsibility of professionals to work in partnership with parents (Tassoni 2000). The manager must also ensure and have a good on-going relationship between the parents of the children attending the setting and the staff. As a factor this can be devoted to the quality of service being provided to the children as according to the Livestrong article (2010), both teachers and parents have passion for the same thing which is the best learning experience and allows a good accessible learning for the children; effective communication between the professionals and parents can help to attain this as important information such as; childrens likes and dislikes can be shared through the communication; and this will be beneficial for the function of the setting as the information will help the staffs gain knowledge of how to handle each individual child. The role and responsibilities of a manager are not only affected by factors within the workforce; external factors such as societys attitude, beliefs and values and government policies cam also have an impact on the role and responsibilities of a manager. Quote states: according to Turner (2003); societys attitude, beliefs and valued has gradually changed throughout the period; issues concerning young children and families have been high on public agendas. The diminish role in society has provided women with better liberty; and this is resulted in more mothers going into education and back to work. This involves a positive impact because the role and responsibilities of an early years manager will have more pupils attending nurseries balancing great more responsibilities for early years managers due to increase of children under their care. The manager also has responsibility to ensure that equal opportunity practices are being carried out within the setting. This can be of various reasons, as an example a provision can be located in a multicultural area and the children attending the nursery are from a variety of backgrounds. The EYFSs Statutory Framework (2010) demonstrates that early years practitioners has fully responsibility to promote positive attitudes to diversity and difference and that practitioners also have a duty to focus on each individual childs learning, development and needs. The manager will be required to provide equal opportunity for all children regardless of their race, culture, religion, language or ability and that the centre also positively encouraged all the children to participate in all activities. A well established manager can also strive to help all children feel inclusive and that the provision must be able to promoting positive recognition, understanding, knowledge and celebration of di fferent culture celebrations. Equal opportunities; Cultural and ethnic diversity; Parents are involved as partners; Open door policy for parents to have they say; Support from other professionals (agency) when necessary; All children and their families are included and valued from different backgrounds. The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2011), OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) is an official government body ensures the responsibility is to inspect schools in England and to produce inspection reports which are meant to be used to improve standards of achievement and quality in education. The manager needs to be knowledge that all of OFSTEDs health and safety policies and procedures are implemented in the provision; otherwise as failure of the implementation of these policies and procedures could result in the closure of the provision. In addition the OFSTEDs safeguarding policies are maintained and carried out by the member of the staffs within the setting by constantly emphasising the importance of the rules and regulations of OFSTEDs safeguarding policies; this can be maintained through staff meetings; regularly endure watching the staff within the setting; raising any awareness of any health and safety issues that comes across with all staffs. Nonetheless, OFSTEDs policy in relation to safeguarding in early years education; there are some concerns regarding the extent in which childrens safety are met in early years settings; quote states:- Pugh (2003) argued that there are still concerns over the neglect of childrens health and welfare at the expense of their education. Although Pughs argument suggests that there are early years settings that might believe that childrens education is more important than childrens health and safety as overall. A good manager who has a good established for the setting can have a good impact through influence of their provision and their role as manager is from learning and developments requirements of the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage). Through daily safety checklists carried out for Health and safety policy; Regular fire drills are implemented; Safeguarding children policy should be updated on regular basis; Designated member of staff responsible for child protection issues or immediate manager; Safeguarding children training for staff must be provided; Behaviour policy; Adult : child ratio observed; Accident / incident forms Rules displayed and adhered in the setting. In accordance to the Department for Education (2012), it is stated that the EYFS is a central part of the governments 10 years child care strategy; the EYFS is in charge of placing the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The Statutory Framework for the EYFS sets standards for the learning, developments and care for children from birth to five; nursery managers, school governors and nursery directors; are all legally responsible for ensuring that the provisions of their settings meets the learning and developments requirements of the EYFS, that their provisions meets the regulations of the EYFS, and that notes of new and additional requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework are taken down and implemented within their settings. Moreover, according to the Statutory Framework for the EYFS (2011); it is interpreted there are seven areas of learning and developments that are required to shape educational programmed in early years setting, as follows: personal, social and emotional developments; physical developments; and communication and language; these three areas are described as maturity areas in the Framework as they are believed to be the areas that are particularly important for extinguish childrens curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and also for building childrens capacity to learn and thrive. The Framework also exhibit that early years education providers must also support children in the following four specific areas: literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design. The media concept on the BBC News (2000), the National Childcare Strategy was introduced in the UK in 1998; the aim of the Strategy was to create more childcare places and helping parents to go back to work by giving them more support. Beaver (2001) established that the aim of the National Childcare Strategy was to ensure good quality, accessible and affordable childcare for children in the UK. The introduction of the National Childcare Strategy has a negative bond impact on the finances of day private settings can have a negative effect on the role of an early years manager in the following case; suppose if there can made deductions to be made from the cost of the private settings as a result of less children attending day care centres; it would be the managers role and responsibility to figure out a way of cutting down the costs of the provision in a way that will not affect the quality of service being provided to the children. Quote taken : Adirondack (1998) cited in Curtis and OHagen (2003) stated no good can be good at every aspects of management; an early years setting manager has a variety of duties to carry out; therefore it would be impossible for a manager to be perfect at every activity their may conduct out. A good provision manager will express and show a good use of their own knowledge and management skills, which can be a good advantage enabling her to be the accomplished manager, however, other managers will experience difficulty at times. To conclude, it can be formed in many of the convincing and vital elements of management issues that has been identified in the essay indicating that there are many factors that needs to be considered when managing a provision. In an early years setting, the primary role of the manager is to be responsible for the organisation of the staff; and the resources that will be used to translate the settings vision to providing a high quality service to the children that will be attending the setting. Parent questionnaire are in place; Suggestion box; Settling in policies and procedures is should been implemented and staff are made fully aware; providing advice and support when necessary, an good example will be a Drop in session and finally meeting the cultural requirements. A well established good manager in early settings needs to be multitasking as this factor is very important. He/she also requires an excellent knowledge of different policy on their provision should be updated regularly. Staff should be trained at all times as required. A manager should be able to solve problem and is able to be a good decision maker and build a strong team. Finally, the managers need to be aware of most government policy; Every Child Matters; safeguarding; Child Protection rules and regulations. Quote suggests: Educating a child takes cooperation and involvement from educators, parents, families, and the community. Everyone has heard the saying It takes a village to raise a child. Research has shown the greater the family and community involvement in schools, the greater the students achievement (Niemiec, R., Sikorski, M., Walberg, 1999). Words: 2693

The Strong Women in The Orestia by Aeschylus Essay -- Aeschylus Orest

The Strong Women in The Orestia by Aeschylus To most readers, the women of The Orestia are evil and vindictive, a disgrace to all chaste and righteous women.   Aeschylus portrayed women as equals to men, which was not the opinion of most Greeks at the time.   Although he showed some of his women characters as evil, he granted them power, and emasculated the men around them.   Unlike Homer, the women of Aeschylus show both ranges of emotions, both the good and the bad.   A woman portrayed as a villain may be thought of negatively, but the fact that a female is allowed to be the villain, to take action, and leave other men helpless to the choices that she makes, it is a great step.   In the time of the Greeks, a woman was either victimized by the male world around her, or victimized other males to hold a place in the world.   Aeschylus made his women characters unique for his time but relevant to ours, since all the bad and evil characteristics of women then are mostly recognized as strength and intellect.   This th eme is mostly clearly shown through Clymanestra.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clymanestra was not an evil character, but rather a misunderstood one.   Woman of today could perfectly relate to her situation.   For example, Clymanestra was like a housewife, who ran her family while her husband was off focused on his job, working overtime, even when he didn?t need the money, leaving her needs totally unattended to.   The husband talked about his work life like he was the gear that everything revolves around, perhaps even talks about the women that worship him for his skills, or at worst, sleeps with his secretary.   He sacrificed spending time with his children, even missed his daughter?s first ballet recital, so that he could kiss up to the bos... ...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All in all, the strong women in Aeschylus were a man?s nightmare, but the fulfillment of a woman?s dream.   Clymanestra was the type of woman hated in Greece as a she-devil tyrant, but in the present, the kind of woman who would have been a very effective and respected politician who could keep her own in a man?s world.   Aeschylus clearly showed that for a woman, it was nobler to take control of one?s life, be independent, and die, than to ride the rivers of passiveness, watch the world float by without taking any action to change one?s fate, and live a fruitless life.   Clymanestra was not just another ?evil? woman, but could be looked at as a role model for the feminist movement.   She took control of sexuality, of her kingdom, of her children, and her marriage.    Works Cited: Aeschylus. Oresteia. Trans. Peter Meineck. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998.

My Best Friend Essay

My Best friend. My best friend is a very special lady I grew up with, my sister Roberta. My sister Robert is two years younger than me, but everyone always assumes she is older than me. She always laughs at me when I tease her by saying it must be because I look younger than her. We have been there for each other through all the important milestones in our lives; from our wild and fun childhoods, to our first day of school, to the births of our first born children.My sister Roberta loves working and being outdoors when she can. She also loves building things and using power tools; sometimes I think she is half man and half woman. And she loves playing volleyball with a passion, when we play for fun or in any volleyball tournament; we always play on the same team. She was my maid of honor when I married my husband twelve years ago, when I walked up to the alter, she jokingly told my husband, â€Å"I’m giving her to you, and once your married, you can’t give her back ok. She made all of us laugh. She has been there for me and my husband and children when we needed help for anything. My sister has been there through the births of all my children, and she has seen me through the darkest times of my life when I lost two of my children and when I went through post-partum depression. She has always been a source of strength, and happiness throughout my life. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my sister Roberta, as she has done so much for me.She calls me mom sometimes, because I am always looking out for her and everyone in my family after we lost our mother. We make sure we get together at least once or twice a week for a girls night of stories, jokes, movies and laughter, or when we travel somewhere, we try to travel together and we always have tons of fun. We are always joking around; there is never a dull moment when we are together. I thank the good Lord for blessing me with my awesome sister.

Coca Cola Auditing Project

AIM 6334 Auditing and Assurance Service Research Project [pic] Li-chung Lee Kung Ya Cheng Jui-Ping Lin Table of Contents I. Introduction:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. P. 3~4 II. Ch 1: The client acceptance/continuation process, including establishing an understanding with the client†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦P. 4~5 III. Ch2: Obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment, including internal control. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦P. 5~6 IV. Ch3: Preliminary Engagement Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ P. 6 V. Ch4: Assess Risk and Establish Materiality†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P. 7~8 VI. Ch5: Consider Internal Control†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦P. 9~11 VII. Ch6: Plan the Audit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P. 11~14 VIII. Ch7: Complete the Audit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P. 15 IX. Ch8: Evaluate results and issue an audit report†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. P. 16 X. Reference†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦P. 17 XI. Attachments†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P. 18~23 I. Introduction: The Coca-Cola Company (Symbol: KO) was incorporated in September 1919 under the laws of the State of Delaware and succeeded to the business of a Georgia corporation with the same name that had been organized in 1892. The Company is the manufacturer, distributor and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. Finished beverage products bearing its trademarks, sold in the United States since 1886, are now sold in more than 200 countries. Along with Coca-Cola, the Company markets nonalcoholic sparkling brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. It manufacture beverage concentrates and syrups, which the Company sells to bottling and canning operations, fountain wholesalers and some fountain retailers, as well as finished beverages, which the Company sells to distributors. The Company owns or licenses more than 450 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. The Company is one of numerous competitors in the commercial beverages market. Of the approximately 53 billion beverage servings of all types consumed worldwide every day, beverages bearing trademarks owned by or licensed to the Company account for approximately 1. 5 billion. [1]The reason we chose this company is because it has enormous market share in countries around the world. In order to expand its market share, The Coca-Cola Company cooperated with the major fast food chain company. Today, The Coca-Cola Company become a well known and globalization company. We want to know how it can be sustainability and venerability company in the world. From its reports, we also found out it has tremendous benefit from its advertising. In this paper, we concern that how the auditors build a good audit plan in such large company and such complex business. II. Ch1: Understanding of the client There are five major reasons that we consider to accept The Coca Cola Company to be out client. 2] Management Integrity Based upon assertions of management ranging from the existence of an element in the financial statements to disclosures of information regarding that element, we examines The Coca Cola Company financial statements that are no responsible practitioner would knowingly place reliance on assertions of a client's management which had questionable integrity. Relationshi ps with Other Professionals We will follow the GAAS requirement to communicate with the predecessor auditor prior to committing to provide audit services to The Coca Cola Company. Matters of interest include the opinions issued by the predecessor auditor, resignation of the prior auditor or the refusal to stand for reelection, disagreements between the prior auditor and management regarding accounting principles or auditing procedures and any â€Å"opinion shopping† issues. Inquiry of other professionals having dealings with the client should, however, not be limited to the predecessor auditors. Furthermore, we will ask bankers, lawyers, and other professionals can provide important valuable information about The Coca Cola Company and its management. Risk of Association The Coca Cola Company engaged in legitimate business activities that do not violate the laws of the jurisdiction where the company is headquartered or carries on its business. After reviewing its financial statement, we believed that its financial is stability and liquidity. Technical Competence The auditors who will perform the auditing are well trained due to the complexities of the modern business world. And also, the auditors have the necessary technical competence to perform the required work or risk potential liability or damage to reputation. Professional Fees Audit fees charged to The Coca Cola Company will base on commensurate with the risks to the providing the services requested. The fees will cover adequately the cost of the services provided. III. Ch2: Obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment In the 21st century, the beverage industry has been become one of the fastest developing industries and the competition in this industry become significantly. Even in this market share campaign, The Coca Cola Company still remains its leader position in the beverage industry. The Coca-Cola Company and six of their largest bottling partners developed a strategy for sustainability in 2002. That plan focuses on the role and impact of the Coca-Cola system in four key areas: workplace, marketplace, environment and community. Furthermore, The Coca-Cola Company uses this strategy to guide the approach to sustainability issues and to report the progress. [3] In last year, when lots of companies in the industry are going down, The Coca-Cola Company still delivering consistent performance. For its internal control, the company follows the independent and experience requirement of NYSE and SEC for many years. And the audit committee has been composed entirely of non-management directors. [4] IV. Ch3: Preliminary Engagement Activities Every member in our audit team is well trained and performs follow by the conduct of AICPA and SEC. Regarding to the ethical and independence matter, we has three major requirements. 1. Our auditor have to sign the contract to make sure that he/she will not take a position in the The Coca-Cola Company in two years 2. We will not hire the auditor who uses to work in The Coca-Cola Company. 3. We required the auditor to report to the partner who has special relationship with the The Coca-Cola Company. V. Ch4: Risk and Establish Materiality The Coca-Cola Company is a globalization company; it faces various issues. For example, Obesity concerns, water scarcity and poor quality, increased competition, and evolving consumer preferences are risks having the potential to have a material adverse effect on our client. To be an auditor, we assess client’s RMM (risk of material misstatement) with understanding the client entity and industry. After audit risk is set, we go further to assesses inherent and control (environment) risks. In addition, assessing client’s inherent and control risks which can influence the level of detection risk directly. Base on the case, we make an assumption in order to maintain the audit risk. The following table shows numerical and non-numerical example of audit risk. Audit Risk |RMM |DR | | |IR |CR | | |5% |50% |20% |50% | |low |moderate |low |moderate | â€Å"Audit risk on most engagements is much lower than 5%. [5]According to conservative assumptions that we decide inherent risk is assessed at moderate (50%). The Coca-Cola Company is a multinational company, so there are not only lots of accounts receivable which come from different branches in the world, but also lots of inventories which were made or stored in different factories and warehouses in the world. As the reasons above, The Coca-Cola Company may face some risks, such as is there reason to believe that receivables include significant balances in foreign currencies? Is there reason to believe that the existence of the accounts receivables which generate from different oversea branch companies or subsidiaries? Are there significant foreign currency inventories balance? Are manufactured inventories transferred between locations, divisions, or subsidiaries within a consolidated entity? Are there material-inventories owned by the client but held by others (e. g. , on consignment with customers)? Therefore, we should assess the inherent risk in moderate level. On the basis of our experience, after we read the predecessor auditor’s report and our client’s past annual report. We presumed that our client has well internal control so that we can assess the control risk in low level. Overall, in order to keep the audit risk in low level, we decided our detection risk in moderate level. Besides, in our client’s industry there are some companies that try to inflate their revenue and assets so in our audit we will focus on operating cycle. In other words, we will put emphasis on auditing accounts receivable and inventory to make sure there are no major accounting schemes or fraud that will mislead the presentation of financial statements. Materiality â€Å"Materiality includes both the nature of the misstatement, as well as the dollar amount of misstatement, and must be judged in importance by financial statement users. †[6] In our engagement, we will use the nature and dollar amount to decide what materially is for our client as the follow chart. Account |Accounts receivable |Inventory | |Materiality | | | |Nature |1. Recognize revenue in wrong period |1. Easy to thief | | |2. The existence of the A/R |2. Hard to count the ending balance | | |3. Risk of foreign currency exchange | | |Dollar amount |In our firm’s policy, in manufacture industry we adopt the 10% of net income after|The same as left column. | | |tax to decide the materiality. For example, the net income 2007 multiply 10% | | | |$5,981M*10%=600M | | VI. Ch5: Consider Internal Control 1. Define Internal Control: According to the COSO’s definition of internal control, â€Å" a process, effected by an entity’s board of directors, management, and other personnel designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories: (1) reliability of financial reporting, (2) compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and (3) effectiveness and efficiency of operations. †[7] 2. Identify some controls that would be relevant to the audit. Account |Accounts receivable |Inventory | |Control | | | |Authority |Inquire about credit procedure for new customers (Valuation) |When shipping the Inventory to vendor or supplier, the | | |From a population of approved sales orders (and returns), select a|warehouseman should get the proper authority shipping | | |sample and examine documents for evidence of credit check |document. | |(Valuation) | | |Custody |Prepare daily cash summa ry (copy to A/R and Accounting) |Observe physical controls over inventory. | | |Segregation of duty: Mailroom & cashier |Segregation of duty: Warehouse & Shipping | |Recording keeping |Trace a sample of shipping documents (selection from pre-numbered |The perpetual records should reconcile to the general | | |shipping documents) to sales invoice, sales journal, and A/R |ledger. | |master file (Completeness) |The reconciliation of Inventory and the Lower or market| | |Match remittance advices and check deposit summary |price valuation should be review by proper accounting | | | |manager or management. | 3. Discuss the components of Internal Control: |Control environment |After we understand the internal control procedure and policy, we ensure that our client has ideal control| | |procedure, high ethical standard, and monitoring processes. | |Risk assessment |Risk exist in the oversea marketplace (in failures to merge China companies) | | |In failures to accurately record and report financial information. |Control activities |Authority | | |Custody | | |Segregation of duty | | |Recording keeping | |Information and Communication |Our client has good information and communication function including initiating, authorizing, recording, | | |processing, and reporting entity transactions, conditions, and events. |Monitoring |Our client use computer accounting software and system to assess the quality of other transaction and | | |operational controls over time. It includes the periodic assessment of both the design and operation of | | |controls on a timely basis. | 4. The elements involved in obtaining an understanding of Internal Control We should obtain an understanding of the five components of internal control sufficient to: A. Evaluating the design of relevant controls and determining whether they have been implemented. B. Assess the risk of material misstatement. C. Design the nature, extent, and timing of further audit procedures. 5. Access Control Risk We should assess the inherent risk in moderate level. On the basis of our experience, after we read the predecessor auditor’s report and our client’s internal control procedures. We can presume that our client has well internal control so we can assess the control risk in low level. 6. Managements Responsibilities and the auditors’ responsibilities under Section 404. | |Managements |The auditors | |Laws or standards |Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ( for publicly traded |Second standard of fieldwork | | |companies) |2. PCAOB Auditing Standard No. (AS 5) | |Responsibilities |In addition to certifying the company’s financial |Auditors must provide their opinion on the effectiveness of | | |statements (Section 302), management must also report on |client’s internal control. | | |the company’s internal control over financial reporting | | | |(Section 404). | | (Chris Linsteadt, 2008 Audit Class Slides ch6) VII. Ch6: Plan the Audit 1. Assess the need for specialists In our case, we should hire some com puter audit experts who can help our firm to make sure that our client’s accounting system is sate and correct. 2. Assess the possibility of illegal acts. Risk |The possibility of illegal acts | |Is there reason to believe that the existence of the accounts |There were some fake transactions which were made by management or employees. | |receivables which generate from different oversea branch companies or |If the sales don’t get proper credit authority, there will be huge bad debt | |subsidiaries? |expense in the future | |Are there material-inventories owned by the client but held by others |The management may try to inflate the sales in the end of year so he may try to| |(e. g. , on consignment with customers)? |recognize consignment as sales revenue. | |The management may use consignment to control the company’s ending inventory or| | |COGS. | |Are manufactured inventories transferred between locations, divisions,|The management may use complicated relat ed party transaction to generate fake | |or subsidiaries within a consolidated entity? |sales or ending inventory. | | |The employees may have chance to steal the coke formula or inventories. | 3. Identify related parties After we discussed with the management and checked the related party transactions, there is no material related party transaction in this engagement. 4. Conduct preliminary analytical procedures. |Accounts Receivable |Inventory | |Compare with industry rate to make sure our client’s A/R turnover rate and |Compare with industry rate to make sure our client’s inventory turnover | |days are reasonable. |rate and days are reasonable. | |Compare our client’s allowance for doubtful account policy with competitors’|Make sure the change in our client’s inventories is reasonable without | |policy to make sure the bad debt expenses are reasonable estimated. |material misstatement. |Make sure the change in our client’s A/R is reasonable without material | | |misstatement. | | 5. Consider additional value added services. After we obtain and understand our client’s internal control, we should detect our client’s internal control. We can prepare a feedback report to our client and help our client to improve their internal control or accounting system. Besides, when our client’s face s ome problems about new accounting standards, we could help our clients to train their accountants 6. Audit Plan and Audit program. Receivables | |Name of Client: | |Period: | | | |Estimated audit hours: | |Audit procedures | |Sign and date by | |Working paper Ref. | | | |auditors | | | |01. TEST PROPRIETY OF REVENUE RECOGNITION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – Receivables [Validity, | | | | | |Cutoff] | | | | | |02. CONFIRM RECEIVABLES [Validity, Completeness, Recording, and Cutoff] [Q04 – No] | | | | | |03. TEST THE ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS AND BAD DEBT EXPENSE [Valuation] | | | | | |04. TEST PRESENTATION OF RECEIVABLES [Presentation] | | | | | |05. TEST LATE CUTOFF OF SALES [Cutoff] [Q01A – Sales Invoices] | | | | | |06. TEST LATE CUTOFF OF SALES [Cutoff] [Q01A – Initial Records] | | | | | |07. ROLL-FORWARD TEST FOR RECEIVABLES TESTED PRIOR TO YEAR END [Validity, Completeness, | | | | | |Recording, Cutoff] | | | | | |08. TEST RECEIVABLES TO SUBSEQUENT CASH RECEIPTS [Validity, Completeness, Recording, Cutoff] | | | | | |09. TEST ALLOWANCES FOR SALES RETURNS AND DISCOUNTS [Valuation] | | | | | |10. TEST PRESENTATION OF RELATED-PARTY RECEIVABLES [Presentation] | | | | | |11. TEST VALUATION OF FOREIGN CURRENCY RECEIVABLES [Valuation] | | | | | |Reviewer : | |Sign: | |Date | 6. Audit Plan and Audit program. |Inventory | |Name of Client: | |Period: | | | |Estimated audit hours: | |Audit procedures | |Sign and date by | |Working paper Ref. | | |auditors | | | |01. OBSERVE AND TEST-COUNT INVENTORIES [Validity, Completeness, Recording, Cutoff, Valuation]| | | | | |02. TEST THE FINAL INVENTORY COMPILATION [Validity, Completeness, Recording, and Cutoff] | | | | | |03. TEST MARKET VALUATION RESERVES [Valuation] | | | | | |04. TEST PRESENTATION OF INVENTORY [Presentation] | | | | | |05. TEST LATE CUTOFF OF INVENTORY PURCHASES [Cutoff] [Q05A – Recorded Purchases] | | | | | |06. TEST EARLY CUTOFF OF DEBIT NOTES [Cutoff] | | | | | |07. TEST BOOK TO PHYSICAL ADJUSTMENTS [Validity, Completeness, Recording] | | | | | |08. ROLL-FORWARD TEST FOR INVENTORIES PRICE TESTED PRIOR TO YEAR END [Validity, Completeness, | | | | | |Recording, Cutoff] | | | | | |09. TEST ELIMINATION OF INTERCOMPANY PROFIT [Valuation] | | | | | |10. TEST BALANCES DENOMINATED IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES [Valuation] | | | | | |11. TEST PRESENTATION OF RELATED-PARTY BALANCES [Presentation] | | | | | |Reviewer : | |Sign: | |Date | VIII. Ch7: Complete the Audit The auditor’s responsibilities during the completion stage of the audit: â€Å"Before issuing the audit report, the auditor needs to: 1. Perform a final review of the audit to be sure the financial statements are fairly presented and the audit documentation supports the audit report 2. Assess the ability of the client to continue as a going concern, and 3. Make a final review of the auditor’s assessment of internal control based on evidence gathered and any material misstatements identified in the financial statement audit. In addition, we should get the management representation letter and letter of audit inquiry to make sure there are no material contingent liabilities and events subsequent to the financial statements and keep communicating with the audit committee. The follow data are made by assumption: Contingent Liabilities |Subsequent events | |Our client may lose the litigation about merger in oversea. It will cause a |Note disclosure: | |huge loss for our client. |On January  8, 2009, our Company sold substantially all of our interest in | | |Vonpar Refrescos S. A. (â€Å"Vonpar†), a bottler headquartered in Brazil. Total| | |proceeds from the sale were approximately $238  million, and we recognized | | |a gain on this sale of approximately $71  million. Prior to this sale, our | | |Company owned approximately 49  percent of Vonpar's outstanding common | | |stock and accounted for the investment using the equity method | |Our client is a multinational company so it may have the threat of | | |expropriation of assets in a foreign country. | | |Our client may get loss in the highly competitive nonalcoholic beverages | | |industry. If our client signs purchase and sale commitments with its | | |supplier, it may get a huge loss in the future. | | | |Other important investments which will change our client’s accounting | | |principle similar as above. | IX. Ch8: Evaluate results and issue an audit report Independent Auditor’s Report The Board of Directors and Stockholders The Coca-Cola Company: We have audited the consolidated balance sheets of the Coca-Cola Company and subsidiaries (the â€Å"Company†) as of December 31, 2007 and 2008, and the related consolidated statement of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2008. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements bases on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements refereed to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Coca-Cola Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2007 and 2008, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2008, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission(COSO), and our report dated March 14, 2009 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Lee &Cheng &Lin LLP Dallas, U. S. A. March 14, 2009 X. References †¢ â€Å"The company description,† Market watch < http://www. marketwatch. om/tools/quotes/profile. asp? symb=ko> †¢ Deppe, Larry A. , â€Å"Client acceptance: what to look for and why. (Tips for accountants on deciding which new clients to accept) (Cover Story)†, The CPA Journal , May 1992, †¢ â€Å"Strategic vision†, The Coca Cola Company website à ¢â‚¬ ¢ â€Å"2008The proxy statement†, The Coca Cola Company website, †¢ Chris, Linsteadt, â€Å"2008 Audit Class Slides† †¢ Rittenberg, Schwieger, Johnstone. Auditing, A Business Risk Approach. Thomson&South-Western Publishing. 6th,2008 †¢ â€Å"SEC filing† The Coca Cola Company website Retrieved from the World Wide Web: XI. Attachment (Financial Statements) Consolidated Balance Sheet COCA COLA CO | | | | | |10-K | | | | | |02/28/2008 | | | | | |? | | | | | |Balance Sheet | | | | | |December 31, |2007. 00 |2006. 0 | |(In millions except par value) |? | |? | | |ASSETS |? |? |? |? | |CURRENT ASSETS |? |? |? |? | |Cash and cash equivalents |$4,093 |$2,440 | |Marketable securities |? |215 |? |150 | |Trade accounts receivable, less allowances |? |3,317 |? 2,587 | |of $56 and $63, respectively | | | | | |Inventories |? |2,220 |? |1,641 | |Prepaid expenses and other assets |? |2,260 |? |1,623 | |TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS |? |12,105 |? |8,441 | |INVES TMENTS |? |? |? |? | |Equity method investments: |? |? |? |? | |Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. |? |1,637 |? 1,312 | |Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S. A. |? |1,549 |? |1,251 | |Coca-Cola FEMSA, S. A. B. de C. V. |? |996 |? |835 | |Coca-Cola Amatil Limited |? |806 |? |817 | |Other, principally bottling companies |? |2,301 |? |2,095 | |and joint ventures | | | | | |Cost method investments, principally |? |488 |? 473 | |bottling companies | | | | | |TOTAL INVESTMENTS |? |7,777 |? |6,783 | |OTHER ASSETS |? |2,675 |? |2,701 | |PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT net |? |8,493 |? |6,903 | |TRADEMARKS WITH INDEFINITE LIVES |? |5,153 |? |2,045 | |GOODWILL |? |4,256 |? |1,403 | |OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS |? |2,810 |? 1,687 | |TOTAL ASSETS |$43,269 |$29,963 | |LIABILITIES AND SHAREOWNERS EQUITY |? |? |? |? | |CURRENT LIABILITIES |? |? |? |? | |Accounts payable and accrued expenses |$6,915 |$5,055 | |Loans and notes payable |? |5,919 |? |3,235 | |Current maturities of long-term debt |? |133 | ? |33 | |Accrued income taxes |? |258 |? 567 | |TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES |? |13,225 |? |8,890 | |LONG-TERM DEBT |? |3,277 |? |1,314 | |OTHER LIABILITIES |? |3,133 |? |2,231 | |DEFERRED INCOME TAXES |? |1,890 |? |608 | |SHAREOWNERS EQUITY |? |? |? |? | |Common stock, $0. 25 par value; Authorized 5,600 |? |880 |? |878 | |shares; | | | | |Issued 3,519 and 3,511 shares, respectively | | | | | |Capital surplus |? |7,378 |? |5,983 | |Reinvested earnings |? |36,235 |? |33,468 | |Accumulated other comprehensive income |? |626 |? |(1,291) | |(loss) | | | | | |Treasury stock, at cost 1,201 and 1,193 |? |####### |? ####### | |shares, respectively | | | | | |TOTAL SHAREOWNERS EQUITY |? |21,744 |? |16,920 | |TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREOWNERS EQUITY |$43,269 |$29,963 | Consolidated Income Statement |COCA COLA CO | | | | | |10-K | | | | | |02/28/2008 | | | | | |? | | | | |Income Statement | | | | | |Year Ended December 31, |2007. 00 |2006. 00 | |(In millions except per share data) |? | |? | | |NET OPERATING REVENUES |$28,857 |$24,088 | |Cost of goods sold |? |10,406 |? 8,164 | |GROSS PROFIT |? |18,451 |? |15,924 | |Selling, general and administrative expenses |? |10,945 |? |9,431 | |Other operating charges |? |254 |? |185 | |OPERATING INCOME |? |7,252 |? |6,308 | |Interest income |? |236 |? |193 | |Interest expense |? |456 |? 220 | |Equity income net |? |668 |? |102 | |Other income (loss) net |? |173 |? |195 | |Gains on issuances of stock by equity method |? |? |? |? | |investees | | | | | |INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES |? |7,873 |? |6,578 | |Income taxes |? |1,892 |? 1,498 | |NET INCOME |$5,981 |$5,080 | |BASIC NET INCOME PER SHARE |$2. 59 |$2. 16 | |DILUTED NET INCOME PER SHARE |$2. 57 |$2. 16 | |AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING |? |2,313 |? |2,348 | |Effect of dilutive securities |? |18 |? |2 | |AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING ASSUMING DILUTION |? |2,331 |? |2,350 | Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows COCA COLA CO | | | | | |10-K | | | | | |02/28/2008 | | | | | |? | | | | | |Cash Flows | | | | | |? | | | | | |? | | | | | |? | | | | | |? |? |? |? |? |Year Ended December 31, |2007. 00 |2006. 00 | |(In millions) |? | |? | | |? | | | | | |OPERATING ACTIVITIES |? |? |? |? | |Net income |$5,981 |$5,080 | |Depreciation and amortization |? |1,163 |? 938 | |Stock-based compensation expense |? |313 |? |324 | |Deferred income taxes |? |109 |? |(35) | |Equity income or loss, net of dividends |? |(452) |? |124 | |Foreign currency adjustments |? |9 |? |52 | |Gains on issuances of stock by equity investees |? |? |? |? | |Gains on sales of assets, including bottling |? |(244) |? (303) | |interests | | | | | |Other operating charges |? |166 |? |159 | |Other items |? |99 |? |233 | |Net change in operating assets and liabilities |? |6 |? |(615) | |Net cash provided by operating activities |? |7,150 |? |5,957 | |INVESTING ACTIVITIES |? ? |? |? | |Acquisitions and investments, principally |? |(5,653) |? |(901) | |beverage and bottling companies | | | | | | Purchases of other investments |? |(99) |? |(82) | |Proceeds from disposals of other investments |? |448 |? |640 | |Purchases of property, plant and equipment |? |(1,648) |? (1,407) | |Proceeds from disposals of property, plant |? |239 |? |112 | |and equipment | | | | | |Other investing activities |? |(6) |? |(62) | |Net cash used in investing activities |? |(6,719) |? |(1,700) | |FINANCING ACTIVITIES |? |? |? |? | |Issuances of debt |? 9,979 |? |617 | |Payments of debt |? |(5,638) |? |(2,021) | |Issuances of stock |? |1,619 |? |148 | |Purchases of stock for treasury |? |(1,838) |? |(2,416) | |Dividends |? |(3,149) |? |(2,911) | |Net cash provided by (used in) financing |? |973 |? (6,583) | |activities | | | | | |EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH |? |249 |? |65 | |AND CASH EQUIVALENTS | | | | | |CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS |? |? |? |? | |Net increase (decrease) during the year |? |1,653 |? |(2,261) | |Balance at beginning of year |? |2,440 |? 4,701 | |Balance at end of year |$4,093 |$2,440 | | | | | Consolidated Statements of Shareowners’ Equity |COCA COLA CO | | | | | |10-K | | | | | |02/28/2008 | | | | | |? | | | | |CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREOWNERS#146; EQUITY | | | | | |Year Ended December 31, |2007. 00 |2006. 00 | |(In millions except per share data) |? | |? | | |? | | | | | |NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING |? |? |? |? | |Balance at beginning of year |? |2,318 |? |2,369 | |Stock issued to employees exercising stock |? |8 |? 4 | |options | | | | | |Purchases of stock for treasury 1 |? |(35) |? |(55) | |Treasury stock issued to employees exercising |? |23 |? |? | |stock options | | | | | |Treasury stock issued to former shareholders |? |4 |? |? |of glaceau | | | | | |Balance at end of year |? |2,318 |? |2,318 | |COMMON STOCK |? |? |? |? | |Balance at beginning of year |$878 |$877 | |Stock issued to employees exercising stock |? |2 |? |1 | |options | | | | | |Balance at end of year |? 880 |? |878 | |CAPITAL SURPLUS |? | ? |? |? | |Balance at beginning of year |? |5,983 |? |5,492 | |Stock issued to employees exercising stock |? |1,001 |? |164 | |options | | | | | |Tax (charge) benefit from employees stock |? |(28) |? 3 | |option and restricted stock plans | | | | | |Stock-based compensation |? |309 |? |324 | |Stock purchased by former shareholders |? |113 |? |? | |of glaceau | | | | | |Balance at end of year |? |7,378 |? |5,983 | |REINVESTED EARNINGS |? |? |? |? | |Balance at beginning of year |? |33,468 |? 31,299 | |Adjustment for the cumulative effect on |? |(65) |? |? | |prior years of the adoption of Interpretation | | | | | |No. 48 | | | | | |Net income |? |5,981 |? |5,080 | |Dividends (per share $1. 36, $1. 24 and $1. 12 |? |(3,149) |? (2,911) | |in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively) | | | | | |Balance at end of year |? |36,235 |? |33,468 | |ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME |? |? |? |? | |(LOSS) | | | | | |Balance at beginning of year |? |(1,291) |? |(1,669) | |Net foreign currenc y translation adjustment |? |1,575 |? 603 | |Net gain (loss) on derivatives |? |(64) |? |(26) | |Net change in unrealized gain on available-for-sale |? |14 |? |43 | |securities | | | | | |Net change in pension liability |? |392 |? |? | |Net change in pension liability, prior |? |? |? |46 | |to adoption of SFAS No. 58 | | | | | |Net other comprehensive income adjustments |? |1,917 |? |666 | |Adjustment to initially apply SFAS No. 158 |? |? |? |(288) | |Balance at end of year |? |626 |? |(1,291) | |TREASURY STOCK |? |? |? |? | |Balance at beginning of year |? |(22,118) |? (19,644) | |Stock issued to employees exercising stock |? |428 |? |? | |options | | | | | |Stock purchased by former shareholders |? |66 |? |? | |of glaceau | | | | | |Purchases of treasury stock |? |(1,751) |? (2,474) | |Balance at end of year |? |(23,375) |? |(22,118) | |TOTAL SHAREOWNERS EQUITY |$21,744 |$16,920 | |COMPREHENSIVE INCOME |? |? |? |? | |Net income |$5,981 |$5,080 | |Net other comprehensive income adjustments |? |1,917 |? 666 | |TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME |$7,898 |$5,746 | [8] ———————– [1] http://www. marketwatch. com/tools/quotes/profile. asp? symb=ko [2] http://www. nysscpa. org/cpajournal/old/12543349. htm [3] http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/citizenship/strategic_vision. html [4] http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/proxies. html [5] Rittenberg, Schwieger, Johnstone, p105 [6] Rittenberg, Schwieger, Johnstone, p101 [7] Chris, Linsteadt, â€Å"2008 Audit Class Slides Ch6† [8] http://ir. thecoca-colacompany. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=94566&p=irol-sec&se