Target Market Analysis of Starbucks - 2711 Words

Introduction Starbucks Company was established in 1971 with their first store in Western Avenue from that same year to 1976. They started as retailers of ground coffee tea and spices with a single in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. Starbucks is named after the first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and their logo is inspired by the sea-featuring a twin-tailed siren from Greek mythology. Starbucks had always wanted to inspire the human spirit. They believe in serving the best coffee by growing the coffee under quality standards. Starbucks believes rendering good services to customers is very significant to the success of the company. From just a narrow storefront, Starbucks now has more than 20,000 stores in over 60 countries and†¦show more content†¦Also, starbucks has started a customer loyalty program that gives their loyal customers rewards after a certain time. Human Resource Management: Starbucks is known for their well trained and knowledge employees. Their employees are treated very well and also receive numerous benefits from the company such as retirement plans and healthy culture. Weaknesses Expensive: Even though starbucks service is impeccable and they have the finest coffee beans. It is very obvious that their products are pricy. This may be a weakness for the company because customers may choose a cheaper alternative. Bad Corporation Image: Almost every company gets scrutinized about one thing or the other. Starbucks have to maintain high social responsibility to maintain their expected brand image. Culture Clash: This comes into consideration when thinking about different cultures and different tastes. To some people starbucks products must taste good to them but according to other people based on their culture or tastes they would prefer to go somewhere else rather than starbucks. Overdependence in the United States: Most of starbucks revenue is derived from the United States, which means that if consumer tastes and lifestyle in the United States changed then starbucks financial records would be greatly affected. Opportunities Expansion into Emerging Markets: Over the years, starbucksShow MoreRelatedMarketing Analysis : Starbucks s Marketing1152 Words   |  5 PagesSituational Analysis Starbucks is diversifying into other related industries including bottled water, and even the music retailing industry. When a customer enters a Starbucks, they get a wide choice of many different types of products. They provide bagels, souvenirs, pastries, yogurt, wraps, fruit, Frappuccino, Espressos, Tazo teas, and many other items. Starbucks uses contemporary design of all promotional, web-related, and other material to keep it appealing to young generations. This contemporaryRead MoreInternational Marketing Pl Marketing Strategy, And The Factors That Influence It Goes Globally1339 Words   |  6 Pageswith a growing potential market of premium tea stores that emerging in the US market. The company aimed to be the best in the chain of premium tea that was not implement conventional marketing but they are practice into both online and in store. The case will emphasize the marketing strategies and the options of growing globally, that aimed to different global market and make different success of the different market with diversified productions. Partnered with Starbucks help with Teavana offerRead MoreStarbucks Strategy: Blonde is Beautiful956 Words   |  4 PagesHeather SNHU Starbucks is a strong, ethical company with stores in nearly every corner of the world. They have eighteen- thousand stores in approximately sixty countries (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2012). Starbucks continues to strive to reach more people by creating new products such as Blonde Roast coffee, introduced in the â€Å"Blonde is Beautiful† commercial. In this commercial, a Starbucks employee discusses how the new light and citrusy flavor of this coffee will help connect to customers theyRead MoreStarbucks Marketing Strategy For Starbucks1429 Words   |  6 Pages MARKETING CA1 Dylan Nolan â€Æ' Contents Starbucks Marketing Strategy 2 Starbucks SWOT Analysis 4 Starbucks Macro-Environment Forces 5 Starbucks Target Market Segmentation 6 Starbucks Social and Digital Media 7 Bibliography 8 References 8 Table of Figures 8 DECLARATION 9 â€Æ' Starbucks Marketing Strategy 1) Please expand on the various marketing strategies that were implemented in Starbucks at this time and comment on whether you think these strategies worked, and why? ‘To inspire and nurture theRead MoreStarbucks Case Analysis1433 Words   |  6 PagesStarbucks Case Analysis August 24, 2008 Analysis of Current Situation Environment 1. Economic Conditions: In a time of inflation when the purchase of nonessential items is down, Starbucks is feeling the effects. a. 600 Starbucks locations will close by mid-year 2009 b. This represents 8.7% of the stores nationwide..affecting 44 states..88 locations in California alone. c. 12,000 employees will lose their jobs†¦Starbucks will offer relocation packages to many employees, severances toRead MoreCase Study #1: Starbucks Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesCase Study 1: Starbucks 1. What are the barriers facing Starbucks as they try to â€Å"teach† people to change their consumption habits from tea and instant coffee? a. China is country with a population of about 1.3 billion people. It is considered a tea-drinking nation rather than a coffee-drinking nation. This is partly due to the benefits that tea is believed to offer, which include medicinal qualities that coffee does not have. As a result, Starbucks has the barrier of tradition in their wayRead MoreTarget Market Segments1229 Words   |  5 PagesTarget market segments There are four different market segmentations that Starbucks coffee has targeted to establish its brand equity in the industry. First of all, Starbucks coffee’s demographic segmentation targets men and women in between the age of 25 to 40 years old. (Huff Post, 2013) However, later on the company decided to modify its segmentation to also target students. Starbucks coffee’s geographic segmentation is to target individuals that either goes to the mall, hotel, restaurant andRead MoreThe Starbucks Corporations Marketing Strategy1293 Words   |  5 PagesStarbucks Marketing Strategy: The Starbuck Corporation is considered as the one of the leading firms across the globe in specialty coffee consumption. Since its inception and launch in a market in Seattle, Washington, the company has developed to extent with which it offers quality premium coffees with an excellent level of customer service and at reasonable prices worldwide. The growth and profitability of this company is attributed to its development and use of an effective marketing strategyRead MoreStarbucks s Objectives For Starbucks969 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction:- Starbucks one of most well know coffee house which is based in Australia. There serving world’s best taste coffee based drinks all over the world. Starbucks is specialized in selling coffee. Starbucks world No.1 coffee cafà © they had a good reputation. The sales growth has been increased through their international business and it targeted international markets of Europe, Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia. Organisations vision and mission:- To accomplish its mission, Starbucks has principlesRead MoreEssay about Case Brief- Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service623 Words   |  3 PagesCase Brief- Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service Introduction Starbucks is a successful premium coffee retailer. Its target market sets as well-educated, white- color patrons between the ages of 25 and 44. There are three components of the brand, live coffee, service, and atmosphere. However, its brand image is losing while they focus on retail expansion. SWOT analysis [pic] Define the problem Starbucks loses its original image for target and customer satisfaction. Identify the alternatives

The Impact Of Immigration On The United States Essay

Many People can speculate if the U.S.-Mexican border is truly a significant factor for our government’s safety or just there wasting money, time and land. By allowing the government to fund the border many improvements could be made. Border Safety, can create a safer border environment by facing the multiple Issues and Challenges, like illegal Immigration, Drug Enforcement, and cross-border Transportation, and Technological improvements by Homeland security influence the agents, trying to cease these issues. A vast complication that the United States goes through is the huge illegal immigration. Each year thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States across the U.S.-Mexican border. The result is that the congress has mandated increased efforts, as improved technology, to facilitate border processing of illegal entries and prevent or deter illegal crossing. A major draw for the illegal immigration is the job opportunities that the United States provides. What is the nature and extent of increasing immigration on the border? Most Mexicans who want to be a part of the United States must present documents to the INS inspectors at ports of entry along the border. Of the 915,000 people who were granted there residency, about 15 percent were Mexicans. According to a Brookings institution study, an unknown number of Mexicans, mostly like 1 million, cross over to the United States to work for a short period of time and then later return to their homes. The INS hasShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1301 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The US Coun cil of Economic Advisers on Immigration s Economic Impact. Population and Development Review, 33. 3, (2007), 641. Web. Feb. 2017. Immigration remains the subject of significant public and political debate in the United States. In May and June of 2007, a lot of public attention was concentrated on a debate in the U.S congress on legislation. The bill in front of the senate formally named the â€Å"Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007,† was controversialRead MoreImpact Of Immigration On The United States1017 Words   |  5 Pagespassed during that time that affected immigrants. America’s view at this time reflected that of strong Nativism. Several anti-immigration groups had their fair share of influence in political affairs that had a negative affect on certain groups. This paper will outline the events that led to three pieces of legislation. This paper will also highlight the impact on immigration and how the chosen pieces of legislation contributed to future legislation (if at all). The first piece of legislation highlightedRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1415 Words   |  6 PagesRecent immigration has not only increased since the end of World War 2, but also gained momentum, reaching numbers in the 1990s. The national origin of US immigrants also changed sharply over the past fifty years. Before 1960, the vast majority came from European countries or Canada. Even as late as the 1950s, more than two-thirds of all arrivals were from these countries. During 1960s, however, when family reunification criteria rather than national origin quotas became the basis for allocatingRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States971 Words   |  4 Pagesimmigrants in the United States? What is the impact of immigrants in the United States economic system? How can we define the history of immigration in the United States? According to Nancy Kleniewski, â€Å"It has often been said that the United States is a nation of immigrants. Immigration has been a long-term trend, but both the locations where immigrants settle and the places from which they come have changed over the years† (Kleniewski, 169). For a very long time in the United States, there seemsRead MoreImpact Of Immigration On The United States1283 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a safer border environment by facing the multiple Issues and Challenges, like illegal Immigration, Drug Enforcement, and cross-border Transportation, and Technological improvements by Homeland security influence the agents, trying to cease these issues. A vast complication that the United States goes through is the huge illegal immigration. Each year thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States across the U.S.-Mexican border. The result is that the congress has mandated increased effortsRead MoreImpact Of Immigration On The United States Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pagesharm. Major impacts of immigration can be observed in several forms of a countries economic system such as employment opportunities for both immigrated workers as well as current citizens along with unemployment rates, wages, profit margins, the ability of local and international business’ to grow and the overall GDP of the specific country. For this paper specifically the developed country that will be analysed will be Australia. Considered to be one of the worlds â€Å"major immigration nations† (togetherRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1279 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a safer border environment by facing the multiple Issues and Challenges, like illegal Immigration, Drug Enforcement, and cross-border Trans portation, and Technological improvements by Homeland security influence the agents, trying to cease these issues. A vast complication that the United States goes through is the huge illegal immigration. Each year thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States across the U.S.-Mexican border. The result is that the congress has mandated increased effortsRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1469 Words   |  6 Pagescontaining several scholarly articles such as JSTOR and GALE. Two sources that will be used to preforme OPVL are a personal interbore from a man who worked in downtown Houston during the 1990’s, and an article published examining the influx of immigration into Texas during the 1990’s Summary of Evidence- During the 1990’s there was an influx in foreign born population. In Texas the native born population was approximately 15,462,074 people. The foreign born population was 1,524,436 meaning thatRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On United States1989 Words   |  8 PagesThe Impact of Immigration on United States (U.S.) Economy Introduction In recent times, migration has been a major point of discussion at different international fora. According to the United Nations (UN), more than 175 million people, about three percent of world’s population, live and work permanently outside their countries of birth (UN, 2002). The changing faces of European migration, at the beginning of the new millennium is different from those of fifty years ago. Also, in the late 19th andRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1925 Words   |  8 PagesImmigration is a very broad topic, a topic that has been highly discussed in the past. However, what is the reason that most people think people migrate from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, or Guatemala? Most would say it is because of job opportunities that will better their families. Some say it is because of the higher rate of freedom in the United States. However, not many people look at the hard environments back in the homelands of the immigrants. Maybe a big reason for crossing the border

The Twilight Saga 2 New Moon Chapter 23 THE TRUTH Free Essays

I HAD THE SENSE THAT I’D BEEN ASLEEP FOR A VERY long timemy body was stiff, like I hadn’t moved once through all that time, either. My mind was dazed and slow; strange, colorful dreamsdreams and nightmaresswirled dizzily around the inside of my head. They were so vivid. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 23 THE TRUTH or any similar topic only for you Order Now The horrible and the heavenly, all mixed together into a bizarre jumble. There was sharp impatience and fear, both part of that frustrating dream where your feet can’t move fast enough And there were plenty of monsters, red-eyed fiends that were all the more ghastly for their genteel civility. The dream was still strongI could even remember the names. But the strongest, clearest part of the dream was not the horror. It was the angel that was most clear. It was hard to let him go and wake up. This dream did not want to be shoved away into the vault of dreams I refused to revisit. I struggled with it as my mind became more alert, focusing on reality. I couldn’t remember what day of the week it was, but I was sure Jacob or school or work or something was waiting for me. I inhaled deeply, wondering how to face another day. Something cold touched my forehead with the softest pressure. I squeezed my eyes more tightly shut. I was still dreaming, it seemed, and it felt abnormally real. I was so close to waking any second now, and it would be gone. But I realized that it felt too real, too real to be good for me. The stone arms I imagined wrapped around me were far too substantial. If I let this go any further, I’d be sorry for it later. With a resigned sigh, I wrenched back my eyelids to dispel the illusion. â€Å"Oh!† I gasped, and threw my fists over my eyes. Well, clearly, I’d gone too far; it must have been a mistake to let my imagination get so out of hand. Okay, so â€Å"let† was the wrong word. I’d forced it to get out of handpretty much stalked my hallucinationsand now my mind had snapped. It took less than half a second for me to realize that, as long as I was truly insane now, I might as well enjoy the delusions while they were pleasant. I opened my eyes againand Edward was still there, his perfect face just inches away from mine. â€Å"Did I frighten you?† His low voice was anxious. This was very good, as delusions went. The face, the voice, the scent, everythingit was so much better than drowning. The beautiful figment of my imagination watched my changing expressions, with alarm. His irises were pitch-black, with bruise-like shadows under them. This surprised me; my hallucinatory Edwards were usually better fed. I blinked twice, desperately trying to remember the last thing that I was sure was real. Alice was part of my dream, and I wondered if she had really come back at all, or if that was just the preamble. I thought she’d returned the day I’d nearly drowned â€Å"Oh, crap† I croaked. My throat was thick with sleeping. â€Å"What’s wrong, Bella?† I frowned at him unhappily. His face was even more anxious than before. â€Å"I’m dead, right?† I moaned. â€Å"I did drown. Crap, crap, crap! This is gonna kill Charlie.† Edward frowned, too. â€Å"You’re not dead.† â€Å"Then why am I not waking up?† I challenged, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"You are awake, Bella.† I shook my head. â€Å"Sure, sure. That’s what you want me to think. And then it will be worse when I do wake up. If I wake up, which I won’t, because I’m dead. This is awful. Poor Charlie. And Renee and Jake† I trailed off in horror at what I had done. â€Å"I can see where you might confuse me with a nightmare.† His short-lived smile was grim. â€Å"But I can’t imagine what you could have done to wind up in hell. Did you commit many murders while I was away?† I grimaced. â€Å"Obviously not. If I was in hell, you wouldn’t be with me.† He sighed. My head was getting clearer. My eyes flickered away from his faceunwillinglyfor one second, to the dark, open window, and then back to him. I started to remember details and I felt a faint, unfamiliar blush warm the skin over my cheekbones as I slowly realized that Edward was really, truly here with me, and I was wasting time being an idiot. â€Å"Did all of that really happen, then?† It was almost impossible to reassign my dream as reality. I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept. â€Å"That depends.† Edward’s smile was still hard. â€Å"If you’re referring to us nearly being massacred in Italy, then, yes.† â€Å"How strange,† I mused. â€Å"I really went to Italy. Did you know I’d never been farther east than Albuquerque?† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Maybe you should go back to sleep. You’re not coherent.† â€Å"I’m not tired anymore.† It was all coming clear now. â€Å"What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?† â€Å"It’s just after one in the morning. So, about fourteen hours.† I stretched as he spoke. I was so stiff. â€Å"Charlie?† I asked. Edward frowned. â€Å"Sleeping. You should probably know that I’m breaking the rules right now. Well, not technically, since he said I was never to walk through his door again, and I came in the window But, still, the intent was clear.† â€Å"Charlie banned you from the house?† I asked, disbelief quickly melting into fury. His eyes were sad. â€Å"Did you expect anything else?† My eyes were mad. I was going to have a few words with my fatherperhaps it would be a good time to remind him that I was over the legal age of adulthood. It didn’t matter so much, of course, except in principle. All too soon there would be no reason for the prohibition. I turned my thoughts to less painful avenues. â€Å"What’s the story?† I asked, genuinely curious, but also trying desperately to keep the conversation casual, to keep a firm grip on myself, so I wouldn’t scare him away with the frantic, gnawing craving that was raging inside me. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"What am I telling Charlie? What’s my excuse for disappearing for how long was I gone, anyway?† I tried to count the hours in my head. â€Å"Just three days.† His eyes tightened, but he smiled more naturally this time. â€Å"Actually, I was hoping you might have a good explanation. I’ve got nothing.† I groaned. â€Å"Fabulous.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will come up with something,† he offered, trying to comfort me. And I was comforted. Who cared what I had to deal with later? Every second that he was hereso close, his flawless face glowing in the dim light from the numbers on my alarm clockwas precious and not to be wasted. â€Å"So,† I began, picking the least importantthough still vitally interestingquestion to start with. I was safely delivered home, and he might decide to leave at any moment. I had to keep him talking. Besides, this temporary heaven wasn’t entirely complete without the sound of his voice. â€Å"What have you been doing, up until three days ago?† His face turned wary in an instant. â€Å"Nothing terribly exciting.† â€Å"Of course not,† I mumbled. â€Å"Why are you making that face?† â€Å"Well† I pursed my lips, considering. â€Å"If you were, after all, just a dream, that’s exactly the kind of thing you would say. My imagination must be used up.† He sighed. â€Å"If I tell you, will you finally believe that you’re not having a nightmare?† â€Å"Nightmare!† I repeated scornfully. He waited for my answer. â€Å"Maybe,† I said after a second of thought. â€Å"If you tell me.† â€Å"I was hunting.† â€Å"Is that the best you can do?† I criticized. â€Å"That definitely doesn’t prove I’m awake.† He hesitated, and then spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. â€Å"I wasn’t hunting fot food I was actually trying my hand at tracking. I’m not very good at it.† â€Å"What were you tracking?† I asked, intrigued. â€Å"Nothing of consequence.† His words didn’t match his expression; he looked upset, uncomfortable. â€Å"I don’t understand.† He hesitated; his face, shining with an odd green cast from the light of the clock, was torn. â€Å"I† He took a deep breath. â€Å"I owe you an apology. No, of course I owe you much, much more than that. But you have to know,†the words began to flow so fast, the way I remembered he spoke sometimes when he was agitated, that I really had to concentrate to catch them all†that I had no idea. I didn’t realize the mess I was leaving behind. I thought it was safe for you here. So safe. I had no idea that Victoria,†his lips curled back when he said the name†would come back. I’ll admit, when I saw her that one time, I was paying much more attention to James’s thoughts. But I just didn’t see that she had this kind of response in her. That she even had such a tie to him. I think I realize why nowshe was so sure of him, the thought of him failing never occurred to her. It was her overconfidence that clouded her feelings about himthat kept me from seeing the depth of them, the bond there. â€Å"Not that there’s any excuse for what I left you to face. When I heard what you told Alicewhat she saw herselfwhen I realized that you had to put your life in the hands of werewolves, immature, volatile, the worst thing out there besides Victoria herselfhe shuddered and the gush of words halted for a short second. â€Å"Please know that I had no idea of any of this. I feel sick, sick to my core, even now, when I can see and feel you safe in my arms. I am the most miserable excuse for† â€Å"Stop,† I interrupted him. He stared at me with agonized eyes, and I tried to find the right wordsthe words that would free him from this imagined obligation that caused him so much pain. They were very hard words to say. I didn’t know if I could get them out without breaking down. But I had to try to do it right. I didn’t want to be a source of guilt and anguish in his life. He should be happy, no matter what it cost me. I’d really been hoping to put off this part of our last conversation. It was going to bring things to an end so much sooner. Drawing on all my months of practice with trying to be normal for Charlie, I kept my face smooth. â€Å"Edward,† I said. His name burned my throat a little on the way out. I could feel the ghost of the hole, waiting to rip itself wide again as soon as he disappeared. I didn’t quite see how I was going to survive it this time. â€Å"This has to stop now. You can’t think about things that way. You can’t let this this guilt rule your life. You can’t take responsibility for the things that happen to me here. None of it is your fault, it’s just part of how life is for me. So, if I trip in front of a bus or whatever it is next time, you have to realize that it’s not your job to take the blame. You can’t just go running off to Italy because you feel bad that you didn’t save me. Even if I had jumped off that cliff to die, that would have been my choice, and not your fault. I know it’s your your nature to shoulder the blame for everything, but you really can’t let that make you go to such extremes! It’s v ery irresponsiblethink of Esme and Carlisle and† I was on the edge of losing it. I stopped to take a deep breath, hoping to calm myself. I had to set him free. I had to make sure this never happened again. â€Å"Isabella Marie Swan,† he whispered, the strangest expression crossing his face. He almost looked mad. â€Å"Do you believe that I asked the Volturi to kill me because I felt guilty?† I could feel the blank incomprehension on my face. â€Å"Didn’t you?† â€Å"Feel guilty? Intensely so. More than you can comprehend.† â€Å"Then what are you saying? I don’t understand.† â€Å"Bella, I went to the Volturi because I thought you were dead,† he said, voice soft, eyes fierce. â€Å"Even if I’d had no hand in your death†he shuddered as he whispered the last word†even if it wasn’t my fault, I would have gone to Italy. Obviously, I should have been more carefulI should have spoken to Alice directly, rather than accepting it secondhand from Rosalie. But, really, what was I supposed to think when the boy said Charlie was at the funeral? What are the odds? â€Å"The odds† he muttered then, distracted. His voice was so low I wasn’t sure I beard it right. â€Å"The odds are always stacked against us. Mistake after mistake. I’ll never criticize Romeo again.† â€Å"But I still don’t understand,† I said. â€Å"That’s my whole point. So what?† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"So what if I was dead?† He stared at me dubiously for a long moment before answering. â€Å"Don’t you remember anything I told you before?† â€Å"I remember everything that you told me.† Including the words that had negated all the rest. He brushed the tip of his cool finger against my lower lip. â€Å"Bella, you seem to be under a misapprehension.† He closed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth with half a smile on his beautiful face. It wasn’t a happy smile. â€Å"I thought I’d explained it clearly before. Bella, I can’t live in a world where you don’t exist.† â€Å"I am† My head swam as I looked for the appropriate word. â€Å"Confused.† That worked. I couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. He stared deep into my eyes with his sincere, earnest gaze. â€Å"I’m a good liar, Bella, I have to be.† I froze, my muscles locking down as if for impact. The fault line in my chest rippled; the pain of it took my breath away. He shook my shoulder, trying to loosen my rigid pose. â€Å"Let me finish! I’m a good liar, but still, for you to believe me so quickly.† He winced. â€Å"That was excruciating.† I waited, still frozen. â€Å"When we were in the forest, when I was telling you goodbye† I didn’t allow myself to remember. I fought to keep myself in the present second only. â€Å"You weren’t going to let go,† he whispered. â€Å"I could see that. I didn’t want to do itit felt like it would kill me to do itbut I knew that if I couldn’t convince you that I didn’t love you anymore, it would just take you that much longer to get on with your life. I hoped that, if you thought I’d moved on, so would you.† â€Å"A clean break,† I whispered through unmoving lips. â€Å"Exactly. But I never imagined it would be so easy to do! I thought it would be next to impossiblethat you would be so sure of the truth that I would have to lie through my teeth for hours to even plant the seed of doubt in your head. I lied, and I’m so sorrysorry because I hurt you, sorry because it was a worthless effort. Sorry that I couldn’t protect you from what I an. I lied to save you, and it didn’t work. I’m sorry. â€Å"But how could you believe me? After all the thousand times I’ve told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?† I didn’t answer. I was too shocked to form a rational response. â€Å"I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn’t want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous conceptas if there were anu way that I could exist without needing you!† I was still frozen. His words were incomprehensible, because they were impossible. He shook my shoulder again, not hard, but enough that my teeth rattled a little. â€Å"Bella,† he sighed. â€Å"Really, what were you thinking!† And so I started to cry. The tears welled up and then gushed miserably down my cheeks. â€Å"I knew it,† I sobbed. â€Å"I knew I was dreaming.† â€Å"You’re impossible,† he said, and he laughed oncea hard laugh, frustrated. â€Å"How can I put this so that you’ll believe me? You’re not asleep, and you’re not dead. I’m here, and I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. I was thinking of you, seeing your face in my mind, every second that I was away. When I told you that I didn’t want you, it was the very blackest kind of blasphemy.† I shook my head while the tears continued to ooze from the corners of my eyes. â€Å"You don’t believe me, do you?† he whispered, his face paler than his usual paleI could see that even in the dim light. â€Å"Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?† â€Å"It never made sense for you to love me,† I explained, my voice breaking twice. â€Å"I always knew that.† His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened. â€Å"I’ll prove you’re awake,† he promised. He caught my face securely between his iron hands, ignoring my struggles when I tried to turn my head away. â€Å"Please don’t,† I whispered. He stopped, his lips just half an inch from mine. â€Å"Why not?† he demanded. His breath blew into my face, making my head whirl. â€Å"When I wake up†He opened his mouth to protest, so I revised†okay, forget that onewhen you leave again, it’s going to be hard enough without this, too.† He pulled back an inch, to stare at my face. â€Å"Yesterday, when I would touch you, you were so hesitant, so careful, and yet still the same. I need to know why. Is it because I’m too late? Because I’ve hurt you too much? Because you have moved on, as I meant for you to? That would be quite fair. I won’t contest your decision. So don’t try to spare my feelings, pleasejust tell me now whether or not you can still love me, after everything I’ve done to you. Can you?† he whispered. â€Å"What kind of an idiotic question is that?† â€Å"Just answer it. Please.† I stared at him darkly for a long moment. â€Å"The way I feel about you will never change. Of course I love youand there’s nothing you can do about it!† â€Å"That’s all I needed to hear.† His mouth was on mine then, and I couldn’t fight him. Not because he was so many thousand times stronger than me, but because my will crumbled into dust the second our lips met. This kiss was not quite as careful as others I remembered, which suited me just fine. If I was going to rip myself up further, I might as well get as much in trade as possible. So I kissed him back, my heart pounding out a jagged, disjointed rhythm while my breathing turned to panting and my fingers moved greedily to his face. I could feel his marble body against every line of mine, and I was so glad he hadn’t listened to methere was no pain in the world that would have justified missing this. His hands memorized my face, the same way mine were tracing his, and, in the brief seconds when his lips were free, he whispered my name. When I was starting to get dizzy, he pulled away, only to lay his ear against my heart. I lay there, dazed, waiting for my gasping to slow and quiet. â€Å"By the way,† he said in a casual tone. â€Å"I’m not leaving you.† I didn’t say anything, and he seemed to hear skepticism in my silence. He lifted his face to lock my gaze in his. â€Å"I’m not going anywhere. Not without you,† he added more seriously. â€Å"I only left you in the first place because I wanted you to have a chance at a normal, happy, human life. I could see what I was doing to youkeeping you constantly on the edge of danger, taking you away from the world you belonged in, risking your life every moment I was with you. So I had to try. I had to do something, and it seemed like leaving was the only way. If I hadn’t thought you would be better off, I could have never made myself leave. I’m much too selfish. Only you could be more important than what I wanted what I needed. What I want and need is to be with you, and I know I’ll never be strong enough to leave again. I have too many excuses to staythank heaven for that! It seems you can’t be safe, no matter how many miles I put between us.† â€Å"Don’t promise me anything,† I whispered. If I let myself hope, and it came to nothing that would kill me. Where all those merciless vampires had not been able to finish me off, hope would do the job. Anger glinted metallic in his black eyes. â€Å"You think I’m lying to you now?† â€Å"Nonot lying.† I shook my head, trying to think it through coherently. To examine the hypothesis that he did love me, while staying objective, clinical, so I wouldn’t fall into the trap of hoping. â€Å"You could mean it now. But what about tomorrow, when you think about all the reasons you left in the first place? Or next month, when Jasper takes a snap at me?† He flinched. I thought back over those last days of my life before he left me, tried to see them through the filter of what he was telling me now. From that perspective, imagining that he’d left me while loving me, left me for me, his brooding and cold silences took on a different meaning. â€Å"It isn’t as if you hadn’t thought the first decision through, is it?† I guessed. â€Å"You’ll end up doing what you think is right.† â€Å"I’m not as strong as you give me credit for,† he said. â€Å"Right and wrong have ceased to mean much to me; I was coming back anyway. Before Rosalie told me the news, I was already past trying to live through one week at a time, or even one day. I was fighting to make it through a single hour. It was only a matter of timeand not much of itbefore I showed up at your window and begged you to take me back. I’d be happy to beg now, if you’d like that.† I grimaced. â€Å"Be serious, please.† â€Å"Oh, I am,† he insisted, glaring now. â€Å"Will you please try to hear what I’m telling you? Will you let me attempt to explain what you mean to me?† He waited, studying my face as he spoke to make sure I was really listening. â€Å"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were starspoints of light and reason And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.† I wanted to believe him. But this was my life without him that he was describing, not the other way around. â€Å"Your eyes will adjust,† I mumbled. â€Å"That’s just the problemthey can’t.† â€Å"What about your distractions?† He laughed without a trace of humor. â€Å"Just part of the lie, love. There was no distraction from the the agony. My heart hasn’t beat in almost ninety years, but this was different. It was like my heart was gonelike I was hollow. Like I’d left everything that was inside me here with you.† â€Å"That’s funny,† I muttered. He arched one perfect eyebrow. â€Å"Funny? â€Å" â€Å"I meant strangeI thought it was just me. Lots of pieces of me went missing, too. I haven’t been able to really breathe in so long.† I filled my lungs, luxuriating in the sensation. â€Å"And my heart. That was definitely lost.† He closed his eyes and laid his ear over my heart again. I let my cheek press against his hair, felt the texture of it on my skin, smelled the delicious scent of him. â€Å"Tracking wasn’t a distraction then?† I asked, curious, and also needing to distract myself. I was very much in danger of hoping. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself for long. My heart throbbed, singing in my chest. â€Å"No.† He sighed. â€Å"That was never a distraction. It was an obligation.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"It means that, even though I never expected any danger from Victoria, I wasn’t going to let her get away with Well, like I said, I was horrible at it. I traced her as far as Texas, but then I followed a false lead down to Braziland really she came here.† He groaned. â€Å"I wasn’t even on the right continent! And all the while, worse than my worst fears† â€Å"You were hunting Victoria?† I half-shrieked as soon as I could find my voice, shooting through two octaves. Charlie’s distant snores stuttered, and then picked up a regular rhythm again. â€Å"Not well,† Edward answered, studying my outraged expression with a confused look. â€Å"But I’ll do better this time. She won’t be tainting perfectly good air by breathing in and out for much longer.† â€Å"That is out of the question,† I managed to choke out. Insanity. Even if he had Emmett or Jasper help him. Even if he had Emmett and Jasper help. It was worse than my other imaginings: Jacob Black standing across a small space from Victoria’s vicious and feline figure. I couldn’t bear to picture Edward there, even though he was so much more durable than my half-human best friend. â€Å"It’s too late for her. I might have let the other time slide, but not now, not after† I interrupted him again, trying to sound calm. â€Å"Didn’t you just promise that you weren’t going to leave?† I asked, fighting the words as I said them, nor letting them plant themselves in my heart. â€Å"That isn’t exactly compatible with an extended tracking expedition, is it?† He frowned. A snarl began to build low in his chest. â€Å"I will keep my promise, Bella. But Victoria†the snarl became more pronounced†is going to die. Soon.† â€Å"Let’s not be hasty,† I said, trying to hide my panic. â€Å"Maybe she’s not coming back. Jake’s pack probably scared her off. There’s really no reason to go looking for her. Besides, I’ve got bigger problems than Victoria.† Edward’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. â€Å"It’s true. The werewolves are a problem.† I snorted. â€Å"I wasn’t talking about Jacob. My problems are a lot worse that a handful of adolescent wolves getting themselves into trouble.† Edward looked as if he were about to say something, and then thought better of it. His teeth clicked together, and he spoke through them. â€Å"Really?† he asked. â€Å"Then what would be your greatest problem? That would make Victoria’s returning for you seem like such an inconsequential matter in comparison?† â€Å"How about the second greatest?† I hedged. â€Å"All right,† he agreed, suspicious. I paused. I wasn’t sure I could say the name. â€Å"There are others who are coming to look for me,† I reminded him in a subdued whisper. He sighed, but the reaction was not as strong as I would have imagined after his response to Victoria. â€Å"The Volturi are only the second greatest?† â€Å"You don’t seem that upset about it,† I noted. â€Å"Well, we have plenty of time to think it through. Time means something very different to them than it does to you, or even me. They count years the way you count days. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were thirty before you crossed their minds again,† he added lightly. Horror washed through me. Thirty. So his promises meant nothing, in the end. If I were going to turn thirty someday, then he couldn’t be planning on staying long. The harsh pain of this knowledge made me realize that I’d already begun to hope, without giving myself permission to do 5.0. â€Å"You don’t have to be afraid,† he said, anxious as he watched the tears dew up again on the rims of my eyes. â€Å"I won’t let them hurt you.† â€Å"While you’re here.† Not that I cared what happened to me when he left. He took my face between his two stone hands, holding it tightly while his midnight eyes glared into mine with the gravitational force of a black hole. â€Å"I will never leave you again.† â€Å"But you said thirty,† I whispered. The tears leaked over the edge. â€Å"What? You’re going to stay, but let me get all old anyway? Right.† His eyes softened, while his mouth went hard. â€Å"That’s exactly what I’m going to do. What choice have I? I cannot be without you, but I will not destroy your soul.† â€Å"Is this really† I tried to keep my voice even, but this question was too hard. I remembered his face when Aro had almost begged him to consider making me immortal. The sick look there. Was this fixation with keeping me human really about my soul, or was it because he wasn’t sure that he wanted me around that long? â€Å"Yes?† he asked, waiting for my question. I asked a different one. Almostbut not quiteas hard. â€Å"But what about when I get so old that people think I’m your mother? Your grandmother?† My voice was pale with revulsionI could see Gran’s face again in the dream mirror. His whole face was soft now. He brushed the tears from my cheek with his lips. â€Å"That doesn’t mean anything to me,† he breathed against my skin. â€Å"You will always be the most beautiful thing in my world. Of course† He hesitated, flinching slightly. â€Å"If you outgrew meif you wanted something moreI would understand that, Bella. I promise I wouldn’t stand in your way if you wanted to leave me.† His eyes were liquid onyx and utterly sincere. He spoke as if he’d put endless amounts of thought into this asinine plan. â€Å"You do realize that I’ll die eventually, right?† I demanded. He’d thought about this part, too. â€Å"I’ll follow after as soon as I can.† â€Å"That is seriously†I looked for the right word. â€Å"Sick.† â€Å"Bella, it’s the only right way left† â€Å"Let’s just back up for a minute,† I said; feeling angry made it so much easier to be clear, decisive. â€Å"You do remember the Volturi, right? I can’t stay human forever. They’ll kill me. Even if they don’t think of me tillI’m thirty†I hissed the word†do you really think they’ll forget?† â€Å"No,† he answered slowly, shaking his head. â€Å"They won’t forget. But† â€Å"But?† He grinned while I stared at him warily. Maybe I wasn’t the only crazy one. â€Å"I have a few plans.† â€Å"And these plans,† I said, my voice getting more acidic with each word. â€Å"These plans all center around me staying human.† My attitude hardened his expression. â€Å"Naturally.† His tone was brusque, his divine face arrogant. We glowered at each other for a long minute. Then I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, I pushed his arms away so that I could sit up. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† he asked, and it made my heart flutter to see that this idea hurt him, though he tried not to show it. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"I’m leaving.† He watched me suspiciously as I climbed out of the bed and fumbled around in the dark room, looking for my shoes. â€Å"May I ask where you are going.'† he asked. â€Å"I’m going to your house,† I told him, still feeling around blindly. He got up and came to my side. â€Å"Here are your shoes. How did you plan to get there?† â€Å"My truck.† â€Å"That will probably wake Charlie,† he offered as a deterrent. I sighed. â€Å"I know. But honestly, I’ll be grounded for weeks as it is. How much more trouble can I really getin?† â€Å"None. He’ll blame me, not you.† â€Å"If you have a better idea, I’m all ears.† â€Å"Stay here,† he suggested, but his expression wasn’t hopeful. â€Å"No dice. But you go ahead and make yourself at home,† I encouraged, surprised at how natural my teasing sounded, and headed for the door. He was there before me, blocking my way. I frowned, and turned for the window. It wasn’t really that far to the ground, and it was mostly grass beneath â€Å"Okay,† he sighed. â€Å"I’ll give you a ride.† I shrugged. â€Å"Either way. But you probably should be there, too.† â€Å"And why is that?† â€Å"Because you’re extraordinarily opinionated, and I’m sure you’ll want a chance to air your views.† â€Å"My views on which subject?† He asked through his teeth. â€Å"This isn’t just about you anymore. You’re not the center of the universe, you know.† My own personal universe was, of course, a different story. â€Å"If you’re going to bring the Volturi down on us over something as stupid as leaving me human, then your family ought to have a say.† â€Å"A say in what?† he asked, each word distinct. â€Å"My mortality. I’m putting it to a vote.† How to cite The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 23 THE TRUTH, Essay examples

Enron Scandal free essay sample

Accounting scandals are political or business scandals which arise with the disclosure of financial misdeeds by trusted executives of corporations or governments. These days, not too often, these scandals are splashed as headlines across media. Why? Because there are complex groups of stakeholders who might be seriously affected by the scandals. Enron scam was the most remarkable scandal in 20 centuries by their institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud. The scandal also brought into question the accounting practices and activities of many corporations in the United States. The scandal also affected the greater business world by causing the dissolution of the Arthur Andersen accounting company. This report will reveal the whole story of Enron scam and auditors role from the situation in more depth. It will also include the current situation of those responsible for the fraud. 2. Background of U. S in 1990s The 1990s of U. S were a time of prosperity and this prosperity period is originated from growth in IT corporates and in accordance with increase in productivity as technology develops with IT. We will write a custom essay sample on Enron Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the mid- to late-90s, society’s expectations of what the Internet could offer were unrealistic. Many investors foolishly ignored the fundamental rules of investing in the stock market and instead, investors and entrepreneurs became preoccupied with new ideas that were not yet proven to have market potential. Furthermore, they ignored the blatant signs that the bubble was about to burst. (IT Bubble in 90s) There are two main reasons for the bubble; with investors` optimistic expectation, there were a lot of ‘Window dressing’ in accounting. As Enron collapsed, the growth of the tech sector proved to be illusory, and bubble started to sober. 3. Enron- who are they? Enron Corporation is an energy trading, communications company which was formed in 1985 based in Houston, Texas. Enron marketed electricity and natural gas, delivered energy and other physical commodities. Company branched into many non-energy-related fields as well, including such areas as high-speed Internet bandwidth, and financial and risk management with 21,000 employees at mid-2001. The company reported revenues of $101 billion in 2000. It has stakes in nearly 30,000 miles of gas pipeline, owns or has access to a 15,000mile fiber optic network and has a stake in electricity generating operations around the world. 4. Enron- what they did? The Enron fraud case is extremely complex. There are several main characters who are spearheading the Enron scam. One of them was Jeff Skillng. Jeff Skillng, who was a consultant in Mckinsey, took charge in consulting Enron. He found problems and also potentiality of Enron and he proposed the idea of â€Å"gas bank† to Enron, which is a system that is combining financial system and gas supply and demand system, and taking the margin from the two system(as bank does). This was an ideal idea in theory and Enron asked him to take charge for this business, and later he became the president of Enrons trading operations. Also, he convinced federal regulators to permit Enron to use an accounting method known as mark to market. Using this method allowed Enron to count projected earnings from long-term energy contracts as current income. This was money that might not be collected for many years. It is thought that this technique was used to inflate revenue numbers by manipulating projections for future revenue. The problem is that it doesn`t match realised profit and real cash flow. especially, Enron`s main trading was long term future contract which is hard to make valuation for the future. Use of these techniques made it difficult to see how Enron was really making money. The numbers were on the books so the stock prices remained high, but Enron wasnt paying high taxes. When the telecom industry suffered its first downturn, Enron suffered as well. Eventually, the house of cards began falling. When Enrons stock began to decline, the Raptors began to decline as well. On August 14, 2001, Enrons CEO, Jeff Skilling, resigned due to family issues. Enron chairman Ken Lay stepped in as CEO. 5. One example of fraud Enron`s â€Å"too much Off-Balance Sheet Transactions† Enron used â€Å"off-balance-sheet†technique for anytime, for many purposes, because it would enable Enron to present itself more attractively as measured by the ratios favored by analysts and investors. Skillng used securitisation to supply more liquidity and also to clean up the assets that is hardly generating income from it. He also hided most of the debt by securitisation. So, Enron needed Special purpose entities(SPE) for the securitization purpose. JEDI was one of the SPE. California PERS and Enron invested by $25000m each. As soon as the JEDI established, Enron started to sell energy related stock to JEDI and it grew JEDI by 23% per year on average. It made Skillng`s ECT business bigger and bigger. 6. Consequences for the stakeholders The key stakeholders affected by the collapse of Enron were its employees and retirees. Stakeholders and mutual funds investors lost $ 70billion market value. Banks were also affected by the meltdown of the company. Not only the stakeholder and bondholder lose out, the confidence in the company also fell. This was the major setback for the company. The actions of Enron management left a deep scare for its 4000 employees which lost out their jobs and also impacted others around them. Some blamed Arthur Andersen; Enron’s accounting firm and some blame the board of directors for insufficient oversights. The damage was so big that it was likely to take years for the court to sort the wreckage. The company did not think of its future and took many bad steps just to earn money. The CEO should have looked into the company matters long time ago and took action so that hundreds of jobs could have been saved. The companies who were associated with the big firm were affected on a very large scale. This was the biggest bankruptcy of a firm with $63. 4 billion in assets. 7. Auditors in this scandal, and their role The external auditing body of Enron company was Arthur Anderson LLP, formerly one of the ‘big 5’ accounting firms, providing auditing, tax, and consulting services to large corporations. Andersen definitely Knew Enron Was in Trouble but they overlooked at it and even conspired with Enron to manipulate the financial statements. They knew Enron was in trouble as early as Feb.  2001, a company memo showed, and Andersen debated dropping the collapsed energy firm all together, Reuters reported. Additionally, Andersen knew in mid-August of a senior Enron employees concerns about improprieties in the energy companys accounting practices. Andersen confirmed that a memo dated Feb. 6 recounted a meeting between Andersen executives about whether Andersen should retain the now-b ankrupt Enron as a client. Auditors are responsible directly under the law especially the international standards to report directly to the shareholders on the status of the company’s or a bank’s account at a particular point in time. They heavily misconducted as auditors as they received money and hided about Enron`s truth. 8. Ramifications It is not easy to implement rigorous standards without changing Incentives. This situation can be seen in South East Asian countries like: Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, China. Each country can implement its own accounting standards, but did not implement the substantial institutional changes required to make these standards effective. According to various studies conducted in this area, new standards did not result in better-quality financial reporting.9. Conclusion: In search of better standards and ethics The ENRON Scandal is considered to be one of the most notorious within American history; an unofficial blueprint for a case study on White Collar crime. Enrons behaviour has confirmed that the treatment of off-balance-sheet dodge, American accounting standards are too lax. It is time for another effort to realign the system to function more in shareholders interests. Comp anies need stronger non-executive directors, paid enough to devote proper attention to the job. Enron Scandal free essay sample Enron Corporation was an American energy company based in the Enron Complex in Downtown Houston, Texas. Enron traces its roots to the Northern Natural Gas Company, which was formed in 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. It was reorganized in 1979 as the leading subsidiary of a holding company, Inter North . In 1985, it bought the smaller and less diversified Houston Natural Gas. The separate company initially named itself HNG/Inter North Inc. , even though Inter North was the nominal survivor. It built a large and lavish headquarters complex with pink marble in Omaha (dubbed locally as the Pink Palace), that was later sold to Physicians Mutual. However, the departure of ex-Inter North and first CEO of Enron Corp Samuel Segnar six months after the merger allowed former HNG CEO Kenneth Lay to become the next CEO of the newly merged company. Lay soon moved Enrons headquarters to Houston after swearing to keep it in Omaha and began to thoroughly re-brand the business. We will write a custom essay sample on Enron Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lay and his secretary, Nancy McNeil, originally selected the name Enteron, but, when it was pointed out that the term approximated a Greek word referring to the intestines, it was quickly shortened to Enron. The final name was decided upon only after business cards, stationery, and other items had been printed reading Enteron. Enron traded in more than 30 different products, including the following: * Products traded on Enron Online * Petrochemicals * Plastics * Power * Pulp and paper * Steel * Weather Risk Management * Oil and LNG transportation * Broadband * Principal investments * Risk management for commodities * Shipping / freight * Streaming media * Water and wastewater It was also an extensive futures trader, including sugar, coffee, grains, hog, and other meat futures. At the time of its bankruptcy filing in December 2001, Enron structured into seven distinct business units. Early history As Enron rose to become the largest seller of natural gas in North America by 1992, its gas contracts trading earned earnings before interest and taxes of $122 million, the second largest contributor to the companys net income. The November 1999 creation of the Enron Online trading website allowed the company to better manage its contracts trading business. In an attempt to achieve further growth, Enron pursued a diversification strategy. The company owned and operated a variety of assets including gas pipelines, electricity plants, pulp and paper plants, water plants, and broadband ervices across the globe. The corporation also gained additional revenue by trading contracts for the same array of products and services it was involved in. As a result, Enrons stock rose from the start of the 1990s until year-end 1998 by 311% percent, a significant increase over the rate of growth in the Standard amp; Poor 500 index. The stock increased by 56% in 1999 and a further 87% in 2000, compared to a 20% increase and a 10% decline for the index during the same years. By December 31, 2000, Enron’s stock was priced at $83. 3 and its market capitalization exceeded $60 billion, 70 times earnings and six times book value, an indication of the stock market’s high expectations about its future prospects. In addition, Enron was rated the most innovative large company in America in Fortunes Most Admired Companies survey. Special purpose entities Enron used special purpose entities—limited partnerships or companies created to fulfill a temporary or specific purpose—to fund or manage risks associated with specific assets. The company elected to disclose minimal details on its use of special purpose entities. These shell firms were created by a sponsor, but funded by independent equity investors and debt financing. For financial reporting purposes, a series of rules dictates whether a special purpose entity is a separate entity from the sponsor. In total, by 2001, Enron had used hundreds of special purpose entities to hide its debt. The special purpose entities were used for more than just circumventing accounting conventions. As a result of one violation, Enrons balance sheet understated its liabilities and overstated its equity, and its earnings were overstated. Enron disclosed to its shareholders that it had hedged downside risk in its own illiquid investments using special purpose entities. However, the investors were oblivious to the fact that the special purpose entities were actually using the companys own stock and financial guarantees to finance these hedges. This setup prevented Enron from being protected from the downside risk. Notable examples of special purpose entities that Enron employed were JEDI, Chewco, Whitewing, and LJM. Launching Internet-based trading operation In 1999, Enron launched EnronOnline, an Internet-based trading operation, which was used by virtually every energy company in the United States. Enron president and chief operating officer Jeffrey Skilling began advocating a novel idea: the company didnt really need any assets. By pushing the companys aggressive investment strategy, he helped make Enron the biggest wholesaler of gas and electricity, trading over $27 billion per quarter. The firms figures, however, had to be accepted at face value. Under Skilling, Enron adopted mark to market accounting, in which anticipated future profits from any deal were tabulated as if real today. Thus, Enron could record gains from what over time might turn out to be losses, as the companys fiscal health became secondary to manipulating its stock price on Wall Street during the Tech boom. But when a companys success is measured by agreeable financial statements emerging from a black box, a term Skilling himself admitted, actual balance sheets prove inconvenient. Indeed, Enrons unscrupulous actions were often gambles to keep the deception going and so push up the stock price, which was posted daily in the company elevator. An advancing number meant a continued infusion of investor capital on which debt-ridden Enron in large part subsisted. Its fall would collapse the house of cards. Under pressure to maintain the illusion, Skilling verbally attacked Wall Street Analyst Richard Grubman, who questioned Enrons unusual accounting practice during a recorded conference call. s Though the comment was met with dismay and astonishment by press and public, it became an inside joke among many Enron employees, mocking Grubman for his perceived meddling rather than Skillings lack of tact. Peak and decline of stock price In August 2000, Enrons stock price hit its highest value of $90. At this point Enron executives, who possessed the inside information on the hidden losses, began to sell their stock. At the same time, the general public and Enrons investors were told to buy the stock. Executives told the investors that the stock would continue to climb until it reached possibly the $130 to $140 range, while secretly unloading their shares. As executives sold their shares, the price began to drop. Investors were told to continue buying stock or hold steady if they already owned Enron because the stock price would rebound in the near future. Kenneth Lays strategy for responding to Enrons continuing problems was in his demeanor. As he did many times, Lay would issue a statement or make an appearance to calm investors and assure them that Enron was headed in the right direction. Corporate governance Healy and Palepu write that a well-functioning capital market creates appropriate linkages of information, incentives, and governance between managers and investors. This process is supposed to be carried out through a network of intermediaries that include assurance professionals such as external auditors; and internal governance agents such as corporate boards. On paper, Enron had a model board of directors comprising predominantly outsiders with significant ownership stakes and a talented audit committee. In its 2000 review of best corporate boards, Chief Executive included Enron among its top five boards. Even with its complex corporate governance and network of intermediaries, Enron was still able to attract large sums of capital to fund a questionable business model, conceal its true performance through a series of accounting and financing maneuvers, and hype its stock to unsustainable levels. Risk management Before its fall, Enron was lauded for its sophisticated financial risk management tools. Risk management was crucial to Enron not only because of its regulatory environment, but also because of its business plan. Enron established long-term fixed commitments which needed to be hedged to prepare for the inevitable fluctuation of future energy prices. Enrons bankruptcy downfall was attributed to its reckless use of derivatives and special purpose entities. By hedging its risks with special purpose entities which it owned, Enron retained the risks associated with the transactions. This setup had Enron implementing hedges with it. Enrons aggressive accounting practices were not hidden from the board of directors, as later learned by a Senate subcommittee. The board was informed on the rationale for using the Whitewing, LJM, and Raptor transactions, and after approving them, received status updates on the entities operations. Although not all of Enrons widespread improper accounting practices were revealed to the board, the practices were dependent on board decisions. Even though Enron extensively relied on derivatives for its business, the companys Finance Committee and board did not have comprehensive backgrounds in derivatives to grasp what they were being told. The Senate subcommittee argued that had there been a detailed understanding of how the derivatives were organized; the board would have prevented their use. Financial audit Enrons auditor firm, Arthur Andersen, was accused of applying reckless standards in their audits because of a conflict of interest over the significant consulting fees generated by Enron. In 2000, Arthur Andersen earned $25 million in audit fees and $27 million in consulting fees (this amount accounted for roughly 27% of the audit fees of public clients for Arthur Andersens Houston office). The auditors methods were questioned as either being completed solely to receive its annual fees or for their lack of expertise in properly reviewing Enrons revenue recognition, special entities, derivatives, and other accounting practices. Enron hired numerous Certified Public Accountants (CPA) as well as accountants who had worked on developing accounting rules with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The accountants looked for new ways to save the company money, including capitalizing on loopholes found in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the accounting industrys standards. One Enron accountant revealed We tried to aggressively use the literature [GAAP] to our advantage. All the rules create all these opportunities. We got to where we did because we exploited that weakness. Andersens auditors were pressured by Enrons management to defer recognizing the charges from the special purpose entities as their credit risks became clear. Since the entities would never return a profit, accounting guidelines required that Enron should take a write-off, where the value of the entity was removed from the balance sheet at a loss. To pressure Andersen into meeting Enrons earnings expectations, Enron would occasionally allow accounting firms Ernst amp; Young or PricewaterhouseCoopers to complete accounting tasks to create the illusion of hiring a new firm to replace Andersen. 54] Although Andersen was equipped with internal controls to protect against conflicted incentives of local partners, they failed to prevent conflict of interest. In one case, Andersens Houston office, which performed the Enron audit, was able to overrule any critical reviews of Enrons accounting decisions by Andersens Chicago partner. In addition, when news of SEC investigations of Enron were made public, Andersen attempted to cover up any negligence in its audit by shredding several tons of supporting documents and deleting nearly 30,000 e-mails and computer files. Revelations concerning Andersens overall performance led to the break-up of the firm, and to the following assessment by the Powers Committee (appointed by Enrons board to look into the firms accounting in October 2001): The evidence available to us suggests that Andersen did not fulfill its professional responsibilities in connection with its audits of Enrons financial statements, or its obligation to bring to the attention of Enrons Board (or the Audit and Compliance Committee) concerns about Enrons internal contracts over the related-party transactions. Audit committee Corporate audit committees usually meet for just a few times during the year, and their members typically have only a modest background in accounting and finance. Enrons audit committee had more expertise than many. It included Robert Jaedicke of Stanford University, a widely respected accounting professor and former dean of Stanford Business School; * John Mendelsohn, President of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center * Paulo Pereira, former president and CEO of the State Bank of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil * John Wakeham, former United Kingdom Secretary for Energy * Ronnie Chan, a Hong Kong businessman * Wendy Gramm, former Chair of U. S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Enrons audit committee was later criticized for its brief meetings that would cover large amounts of material. In one meeting on February 12, 2001, the committee met for an hour and a half. Enrons audit committee did not have the technical knowledge to properly question the auditors on accounting questions related to the companys special purpose entities. The committee was also unable to question the companys management due to pressures placed on the committee. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs report accused the board members of allowing conflicts of interest to impede their duties as monitoring the companys accounting practices. When Enron fell, the audit committees conflicts of interest were regarded with suspicion. Accounting scandal of 2001 Enron scandal After a series of revelations involving irregular accounting procedures bordering on fraud perpetrated throughout the 1990s involving Enron and its accounting firm Arthur Andersen, Enron stood on the verge of undergoing the largest bankruptcy in history by mid-November 2001 A white knight rescue attempt by a similar, smaller energy company, Dynegy, was not viable. As the scandal unraveled, Enron shares dropped from over US$90. 00 to just pennies. Enron had been considered a blue chip stock, so this was an unprecedented and disastrous event in the financial world. Enrons plunge occurred after it was revealed that much of its profits and revenue were the result of deals with special purpose entities (limited partnerships which it controlled). The result was that many of Enrons debts and the losses that it suffered were not reported in its financial statements. Enron filed for bankruptcy on December 2, 2001. In addition, the scandal caused the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which at the time was one of the worlds top accounting firms. The firm was found guilty of obstruction of justice in 2002 for destroying documents related to the Enron audit and was forced to stop auditing public companies. Although the conviction was thrown out in 2005 by the Supreme Court, the damage to the Andersen name has prevented it from returning as a viable business. Enron also withdrew a naming rights deal with the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club to have its name associated with their new stadium, which was formerly known as Enron Field. Details about the Scandal: The Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world. In addition to being the largest bankruptcy reorganization in American history at that time, Enron was attributed as the biggest audit failure. Enron was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay after merging Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth. Several years later, when Jeffrey Skilling was hired, he developed a staff of executives that, through the use of accounting loopholes, special purpose entities, and poor financial reporting, were able to hide billions in debt from failed deals and projects. Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow and other executives not only misled Enrons board of directors and audit committee on high-risk accounting practices, but also pressured Andersen to ignore the issues. Shareholders lost nearly $11 billion when Enrons stock price, which hit a high of US$90 per share in mid-2000, plummeted to less than $1 by the end of November 2001. The U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began an investigation, and rival Houston competitor Dynegy offered to purchase the company at a fire sale price. The deal fell through, and on December 2, 2001, Enron filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Enrons $63. 4 billion in assets made it the largest corporate bankruptcy in U. S. history until WorldComs bankruptcy the following year. Many executives at Enron were indicted for a variety of charges and were later sentenced to prison. Enrons auditor, Arthur Andersen, was found guilty in a United States District Court, but by the time the ruling was overturned at the U. S. Supreme Court, the firm had lost the majority of its customers and had shut down. Employees and shareholders received limited returns in lawsuits, despite losing billions in pensions and stock prices. As a consequence of the scandal, new regulations and legislation were enacted to expand the accuracy of financial reporting for public companies. One piece of legislation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, expanded repercussions for destroying, altering, or fabricating records in federal investigations or for attempting to defraud shareholders. The act also increased the accountability of auditing firms to remain unbiased and independent of their clients.

Cancer Treatment Essays (807 words) - RTT, Radiation Therapy

Cancer Treatment In recent years Cancer is disease that has seemed to captivate and frighten Americans. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. with more than 1 million new cases occurring a year. With each day scientific findings aid a better understanding of the causes of the disease. These findings have opened doors to help treat cancer patients more effectively. Scientists have gained a more specific knowledge of individual cancers and now through the wonders of science have found effective treatments for the disease. To treat Cancer doctors and scientist need an understanding of what the disease actually physically does. Cancer is defined as new growth of tissue resulting from a continuing proliferation of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade and destroy other tissues. Cancer is not restricted to what type of cell and tissue it may emerge from. Therefore, they describe the disease as a large number of diseases as opposed to just on single disease. Because Cancer involves cells that can easily enter the bloodstream the disease has the ability to spread rapidly throughout the body making it an even more dangerous disease. Another factor in successful treatment of Cancer is to understand the causes for the disease. It is believed that a combination of several factors produce the disease. Inheritance is said to play a roll in about 20 percent of Cancers. Although it is more prevalent in cancer types such as breast and colon. Viral infections play a large role in cancer of animals. In humans different DNA viruses can cause leukemia and Burkitt's lymphoma. Long term radiation also plays a role in the mutation of DNA that may cause Cancer. Environmental factors are estimated to be responsible for about 80 percent Cancers. Factors such as tobacco smoking are said to cause 30 percent of cancers and diet is believed to cause about 40 percent. Only with a complete understanding of the physical characteristics and causes of Cancer can scientists and doctors begin to develop effective treatments. Currently there are three major ways of treating Cancer; surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The idea behind surgery for treatment of cancer patients is to remove all malignant cells and tumors. With new, more precise, surgical advances, far less tissue is required to be removed thus resulting in a quicker recovery and less chance for serious disability. Surgery is most effective if done in the early stages of Cancer, although it is effective in more developed stages in relieving symptoms. Surgery is also used to make other forms of treatment, such as radiation, more effective. With the reduction of the tumor through surgery radiation treatment may effectively eliminate the tumor. Radiation treatment of cancer uses gamma rays attack Cancer causing tissue. Since tumors are more sensitive to radiation than normal tissue radiation can effectively eliminate or reduce harmful tissues that surgery can otherwise not remove. Since normal tissues are not as easily harmed by radiation, the negative effects on healthy tissue are not as severe. If the tumor is reduced through radiation, it may become possible for a doctor to eliminate the tumor through surgery. Radiation can also sterilize tumors thus preventing or slowing the spread of the Cancer through the body. This can also help doctors remove the tumor more easily through surgery, and provides a much less involved, painful surgery. The combination of radiation and surgery, if effective, can offer a cure with fewer negative side effects to the patient. The final traditional means of treating cancer is Chemotherapy. This form of treatment involves the use of drugs. Chemotherapy is used when Cancer has grown throughout the body and is no longer accessible through radiation or surgery. Although after chemotherapy, surgery is often used to eliminate remaining Caceres tissue. In this treatment drugs are administered and pass through the blood stream effecting Cancer tissue and healthy tissue. Since the drugs affect healthy tissue the patient will become sick from the treatment but because healthy cells divide faster than malignant cells the patient is able to recuperate. Chemotherapy, like all Cancer treatments, is most effective when administered early the early stages of the disease. It is also important that the treatment is consistent and administered frequently in

Defining Rotation and Revolution in Astronomy

Defining Rotation and Revolution in Astronomy Astro-Language The language of astronomy has many interesting terms such as light-year, planet, galaxy, nebula, black hole, supernova, planetary nebula, and others. These all describe objects in the universe. However, those are just objects in space. If we want to understand them better, we have to know something about their motions. However, to understand them and their motions, astronomers use terminology from physics and mathematics to describe those motions and other characteristics. So, for example, we use velocity to talk about how fast an object moves. The term acceleration, which comes from physics (as does velocity), refers to the rate of an objects motion over time.  Think of it like starting up a car: the driver pushes on the accelerator, which causes the car to move slowly at first. The car eventually picks up speed (or accelerates) as long as the driver keeps pushing on the gas pedal.   In Back to the Future a specially outfitted DeLorean was the vehicle that took the movies characters back and forth in time. One of the requirements for the trip was that it had to accelerate at high speed.   Getty Images/Charles Eshelman.   Two other terms used in science are rotation and revolution. They do not mean the same thing, but they do describe motions that objects make. And, they are often used interchangeably. Rotation and revolution arent terms exclusive to astronomy. Both are important facets of mathematics, especially geometry, where geometrical objects can be rotated and their motion described using mathematics. The terms are also used in physics and chemistry.  So, knowing what they mean and the difference between the two is useful knowledge, particularly in astronomy. Rotation The strict definition of rotation is the circular movement of an object about a point in space. This is used in geometry as well as astronomy and physics. To help visualize it, imagine a point on a piece of paper. Rotate the piece of paper while its lying flat on the table. Whats happening is that essentially every point is rotating around the place on the paper where the point is drawn. Now, imagine a point in the middle of a spinning ball. All the other points in the ball rotate around the point. Draw a line through the center of the ball where the point lies, and thats its axis.   This graphic shows Earth spinning on its axis (rotation) as it orbits the Sun (revolution). Image by Tauolunga, via Wikimedia Commons.   For the kinds of objects  discussed in astronomy, rotation is used to describe an object rotating about an axis. Think of a merry-go-round. It rotates around the center pole, which is the axis. Earth rotates around on its axis in the same way. In fact, so do many astronomical objects: stars, moons, asteroids, and pulsars. When the axis of rotation passes through the object it is said to  spin,  like that top mentioned above, on the point of the axis.   Revolution It is not necessary for the axis of rotation to actually pass through the object in question. In some cases, the axis of rotation is outside of the object altogether. When that happens, the outer object is revolving around the axis of rotation. Examples of revolution would be a ball on the end of a string, or a planet going around a star. However,  in the case of planets revolving around stars, the motion is also commonly referred to as an  orbit. The planets and comets of the solar system follow slightly elliptical orbits around the Sun. Moons and other satellites do the same around their planets. This diagram shows the orbits shapes, although it is not to scale. NASA The Sun-Earth System Now, since astronomy often deals with multiple objects in motion, things can get complex. In some systems, there are multiple axes of rotation. One classic astronomy example is the Earth-Sun system. Both the Sun and the Earth rotate individually, but the Earth also revolves, or more specifically orbits, around the Sun. An object can have more than one axis of rotation, such as some asteroids. To make things easier, just think of spin as something that objects do on their axes (plural of axis).   Orbit is the motion of one object around another. Earth orbits the Sun. The Moon orbits Earth. The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way.  Its likely that the Milky Way is orbiting something else within the Local Group, which is the grouping of galaxies where it exists. Galaxies can also orbit around a common point with other galaxies. In some cases, those orbits bring galaxies so close together that they collide.   Sometimes people will say that Earth revolves around the Sun.  Orbit  is more precise and is the motion that can be calculated using the masses, gravity, and the distance between the orbiting bodies. Sometimes we hear someone refer to the time it takes for a planet to make one orbit around the Sun as one revolution. Thats rather more old-fashioned, but its perfectly legitimate.  The word revolution comes from the word revolve and so it makes sense to use the term, although its not strictly a scientific definition. The important thing to remember is that objects are in motion throughout the universe, whether they are orbiting each other, a common point of gravity, or spinning on one or more axes as they move.   Fast Facts Rotation usually refers to something rotating on its axis.Revolution usually refers to something orbiting something else (like Earth around the Sun).Both terms have specific uses and meanings in science and mathematics. Updated and edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Speech Disfluencies in Individuals with Tourette Syndrome Assignment - 1

Speech Disfluencies in Individuals with Tourette Syndrome - Assignment Example The authors concluded that, despite there being no difference in self-reporting, the children with Tourette's syndrome did have a higher level of developmental stuttering, and that this is in line with previous studies. The introduction section of the article provides a basic overview of Tourette's syndrome, which the authors abbreviate as TS. This section of the paper does a good job of setting the current study within the wider conversation around Tourette's syndrome, arguing that "TS and developmental stuttering seem to share a number of other characteristics," suggesting that they share "etiological factors" in their origin (97). The authors also point out that studies on this topic are not widespread, with most studies focusing on other aspects of Tourette's syndrome, and that those which do focus on speech disfluencies often have flaws such as "variations in the definition of studying" or a lack of evaluation by speech-language pathologists (98). It is this lack of direct study on speech disfluency that the authors hope to address. For their study, the authors recruited children with Tourette's syndrome from a clinic at a Toronto hospital which specializes in treating it (98). Specifically, the study focused on 69 children with Tourette's syndrome, ranging in age from 4 to 18 years, and with varying degrees of Tourette's syndrome and other disorders such as Obsessive-compulsive disorder and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (98). Beyond these children, the authors recruited a control group of 27 children ranging in age from 6 to 17 years from the general clinic at the same hospital (98). In order to achieve sensible results, the authors also split the children into age groups. The study itself had two parts. The first of these was filling out a questionnaire for the child to answer questions on "self-reported presence, nature, and familial incidence of speech and language difficulties" such as stuttering, voice problems, and so on (98).

An Outline and Annotated Bibliography for the Final Persuasive Essay - 1

An Outline and Annotated Bibliography for the Final Persuasive Research - Essay Example Parker-Pope, T. (2010, June 6). An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness.  The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainside.html?ref=yourbrainoncomp&_r=0. The article is a well written description of the adverse affects that are being produced as a result of excessive dependence and addiction to technology. The writer gives an intelligent overview of how the personalities of individuals transform as a result of excessive dependence. He also points out how these shifts in personalities go un attended. Shelly, G. B., Vermaat, M., Quasney, J. J., Sebok, S. L., & Freund, S. M. (2012).Discovering computers: Your interactive guide to the digital world : complete. Australia: Course Technology, Cengage Learning. This book, written by multiple authors, provides an interactive view of the digital world human society has turned into. For a novice and for those still virtually living in the stone ages, this book provides a very interesting preview of the components of this digital world and the pros and cons associated with it. The readings in this book were particularly helpful in assessing the terminology of technology overload. It also provided an insight into certain issues that have emerged with the prevalence of technology and also ponders upon their eradication. This book was particularly helpful in asserting the point of view established by reading the first referenced article. A work of multiple authors intelligently put together, the book is appealing and explains its point of view well. The paper highlights the introduction of a particular technology broadband into a firm and previews its affects upon the organizational structure. It also discusses the economic aspects associated with the introduction of technology within a firm with special reference to

Describe a person or event that has had a profound impact on you and Essay

Describe a person or event that has had a profound impact on you and the way you look at the world - Essay Example The simultaneous attacks were the adversaries' ploy to exhibit their competence boldly defying American sovereignty. Sandwiched between these warring nations are innocent lives that are needlessly lost. It was indeed a distressing incident that will forever be etched in the history of mankind. I am deeply moved by the sudden turn of events. The fateful event significantly changed my outlook in life. It's not just the United States of America that was involved in that tragic incident. I awakened to the stark realization that we are presently living in a very harsh world and that we cannot afford to be indifferent. As a youth and international student, I became aware of the responsibilities ahead of me. I know very well that our generation is next in line in molding and shaping a better world. Amidst the incessant controversies, it is very crucial to observe and learn from the things that had ensued. Although disastrous and heartrending, the 9/11 disaster brought forth present-day heroes. I admire the common people who have risked their lives in order to save others. I am in awe of the courageous men and women who chose to lose their lives for the benefit of many.

Behaviour for Learning

Behaviour for Learning The need to manage behaviour has long been an issue within schools. With the push on raising attainment, the development of SEN provision and the increase in policy, to be inclusive of all learners irrespective of their academic level or their social behaviour, as identified that 20% of all SEN learners have SEBD. Current policy has adapted towards a positive approach focusing on the ability of teachers to create a positive learning environment developing positive relationships in order to promote a positive attitude towards learning, steering away from the once punitive approach and not being re-active to negative behaviour but more pro-active as supported by (EPPI) Behaviour management is often flagged as an area that ITE students feel they would benefit from having greater support in when entering the profession of teaching (Buell et al., 1999 cited in EPPI). This has been met by the expectations set by the TTA via the Qualifying to teach, the new standards and requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (TTA,2002). B4L is a concept that has been developed through a review of effective behaviour management strategies. It has been identified that B4L is a result of multitude of influences and not merely the desire of a learner to misbehave and unwillingness to learn. It is important to identify the theoretical principles behind the way in which learners manifest themselves in terms of behaviour, as identified in the rationale for the EPPI systemic review of how theories explain learning behaviour in school context. Behaviour for learning (B4L) identifies the link between students social conduct and behaviour and the way in which they learn. The schools policy clearly states high expectations of students, We expect students to reflect this in their appearance, attitudes and behaviour. We know we are moulding the citizens of the future and will encourage them to care for one another, be open, fair, honest and just. We want them to have a sense of pride in being part of our school community. (School Aims, Staff handbook). Further to this the school s vision is to raise achievement by developing a culture where learning is at the heart of the school community. To achieve this vision the school identifies whole school priorities for 2010/2011 including improving behaviour and attendance. It also stated that the school will focus on incorporating SEAL practice in the classroom, which has been identified as an important key in developing learners emotional intelligence (Coleman, 1996) providing learners with the skill set to monitor and improve their behaviour independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for learning needed to be addressed (appendix 1). This was further reinforced as a high priority area during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher (Appendix 1a), which focused on current issues in lessons and the need to improve B4L. Two key issues that arose were the use of mobile phones within lessons and consistency of sanctions (Appendix 1a). It is interesting to note that these both encompass the teacher and the learner. It is concerning to note that use of mobile phones within lessons is being flagged as a B4L issue and not a sign of disengagement. Understandably there is a close link between the quality of learning, teaching and behaviour, and therefore raises the question can behaviour be improved through improving the quality of learning teaching? The school clearly identifies that there is a need to reinforce their school policies on behaviour for learning. Through initial observation it was interesting to note the level of behavioural issues occurring both in and out of lessons. It poses the question is this a school being pro-active in managing behaviour for learning or re-active to behaviour that had not been managed consistently? This study will focus on the schools current policy on behaviour for learning and how this is implemented on a daily basis. Through a review of the schools current policy and issues this study will hope to suggest future recommendations to improve behaviour for learning. Recent national policy has moved away from a punitive system where students were punished for doing something wrong reactive and are now working towards understanding what causes learners to be off task and display undesirable behaviour pro-active. With the recent development of special educational needs identification and provision it is no longer acceptable to respond in a punitive way. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diversity of learners in schools irrespective of level of achievement or social behaviour (Department for Education Employment (DfEE), 1999). It is important for schools to recognise this and develop strategies to promote B4L as over 20% of SEN provision are learners with social emotional and behavioural disorder (SEBD) (Department for Children, Schools Families, 2008). SEBD learners by nature can display undesirable behaviour unless managed in a positive way, and would it not be deemed unacceptable from an education professionals view for a learner predisposed to display poor behaviour as the result of a recognised disorder, to fall victim to punitive actions. It is therefore important for schools to have a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. Communication between the SEN department and the rest of the school is also essential. (back up with research) too many lessons lack challenge and do not take sufficient account of students individual capabilities or encourage independent learning. Also, quality of marking and feedback generally varies considerably across the school. However, a small minority of parents expressed views that the schools communication with parents could be better, and also that students behaviour was not always as good as it should be. Inspectors found behaviour to be satisfactory overall, but variable. In general, students have a high regard for their school, enjoy their education and appreciate the variety of opportunities on offer to them, both within the curriculum and beyond. They are developing a good range of personal skills that are preparing them well for their education and employment after school. Ensure that lesson activities consistently challenge students of all ability groups to make better progress and develop their independent learning skills, especially at Key Stage 4. Behaviour in lessons is satisfactory, although someinstances of pupils being too boisterous were seen during the inspection. However, there is generally not enough really challenging teaching across the school to ensure that students make consistently good progress in their learning and therefore develop the confidence and ability to work independently. Where teaching is less effective, planning does not take sufficient account of students different capabilities and starting points, and is too teacher-directed. Teachers do provide some clear, detailed and useful written feedback, but this is inconsistent across the school and does not always give specific advice about what students need to do to improve their work a problem which persists since the last inspection.

Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers fc

The origin, traditional Buddhism began in the 6th century BC with the historical personage born Siddhartha Gautama, but better known by a variety of titles including Shakyammi, Tathagata, or most commonly Buddha, the enlightened one. The legend of the Buddha’s life has acquired plenty of variations and embellishments over the years, but the basic facts are accepted as traditional, including the dates of his birth and death (563-489 BC by Western reckoning, 624-544 according to Sri Lankan tradition). The story of Buddha’s birth is encrusted with myth and fable as that of any God-figure in human history. For instance, he is said to have issued from his mother’s womb stating that his cycle of rebirths was about to end. Again, some Buddhists devoutly accept the fables as we in the west accept Christmas narratives, while others choose to focus on the truths beneath the myths. We do know with some certainty that the Buddha was born to a royal family in northern India, in the foothills of what is now Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama led a sheltered existence in the court of his father, Shuddhodana, the king of the Shakya clan, who shielded him from any knowledge of human suffering or religions of the time. Soon after his birth a soothsayer named Asita predicted that he would become either the emperor of all India or if the "Four Passing Sights" should come to pass he would renounced the world and would become the greatest spiritual leader the world has ever known. Shuddhodana, Gautama, a member of the warrior-ruler caste, preferred the royal vocation and provided his son with three palaces located so that his son would not experience the dramatic seasonal changes. He placed at his son disposal anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 dancing girls to keep his mind firmly rooted in the "real" world. He also gave orders that his son should never see t he sick, the aged, dead bodies, and nor should a monk be allowed near his son. But, as so often happens when manipulative fathers groom their sons to take over the family business, Siddhartha rebelled. At 16 he married a beautiful young princess named Yasodhara, by whom he fathered a son, Rahula. Over the ensuing years Gautama, was shielded from the facts of the real world. But legend states the gods intervened with what is now called the "Four Passin... ...He then continued to meditate for a total of 49 days, for it was at this time all Buddhist down through the ages believed, Gautama, first experienced Nirvana: the goal of Buddhism; it means freedom from karma; extinction of all craving; the realization of the true nature of the mind. This is the closest thing in Buddhism to the western world’s idea of salvation, the ultimate goal of all religious faiths. Traditionally, the accounts were committed to writing in Sanskrit and in Pali, a Sanskrit derived Indian dialect within 100 years of the Buddha’s death, but modern scholars places the dates closer to the 2nd and 1st century BC. The written records of his sermons and dialogues are known as sutras. Unlike other major religions of the world the concept of a divine being, as in, Hinduism’s Atman-Brahman, Judaism’s Yahweh, and Islam’s Allah, Buddhism does not proclaim any worship of any god. Buddhist believes that the divine being, per say, is not something you believe in, or worship, or can describe but instead something you experience. Bibliography 1. http://buddhism.about.com/ 2. http://www.buddhanet.net/ 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism