The One Essays - Holocaust Literature, Night,

The One As the dark figures enlarge through the thick fog, He walks towards them, Alone and sheltered overhead. Slowly paced, and soggy footed, he arrives. He is unable to speak or think straight. As he slowly lowers his head something catches his eye. He peacefully stares; Stares at the beautiful flowers. The flowers he and his wife planted along their fence. He could still remember the aching pain of his sore, middle aged back, The smell of his wife's worn out, one-size-too-small gloves as he took them off for her, And watching the huge red sunset as they held each other in their aching arms. They made love that night. From that day on he knew she was the one. That was a beautiful day, he thought. A loud morn awakens him from his daydream. He forgets where he is for a while, but soon remembers. He still cannot believe what is happening. To him it seems unreal. Still with his head down, he is afraid; Afraid to look, Afraid of what he might see. Confused, he begins to wonder. He searches for an answer. He had not accomplished what he had planned. As the man with the white collar speaks, he looks up. Still somewhat sceptical of the spectacle, He is afraid; Afraid to listen. He is afraid of what he might hear. Still with his confidence, he awaits; Awaits for the name of inevitability. Out it comes. A name which he remembers to have known his whole life. A name which he cared so much for. A name which he stood by, through thick and thin. A name which he called his own. He wants to feel sad but is curious. He wonders who cared. He looks up, All in black, Except for the one in red. Tight Ass Fender, was its name. Guitar strings, was its game. "You know the ones in the black pack?" "I'll get them when I get back." All I needed was the last string So I can play and I can sing. "Yes, yes" she said "I'm going out. I'll buy this thing." Monday night she went out She had to go that way too! She came back early, With a pack of blue. "Bring then back!" The Old Man Who Scared Me When I Was Little I went outside to play that day, With my mom by my side, by the way. I slid down slides and played on swings; Every time, I played with those things. On a bench to my right I saw a man, old but bright. He had skin that seemed like brown construction paper, And hair as white as snow. He had these dreamy eyes; But why, I'd like to know. He seemed so helpless wearing that old man hat, And that red flannel shirt that made him look fat. I wondered what he was doing there. I wondered what was going through his mind When I got a water gun, And wet him from behind. Before my very eyes He got up and said "Grandson. You're dead!" He then chased me around, Like a fun little fray. Slowly gaining on me like a tiger on its prey. I could stand no more so I had to say, "Okay, okay!" We stopped running and turned to each other. Red now replaced his brown paper face. With sweat pouring down his cheek he said to me, "In a race, you would win first place!"

UK Investment in Properties

UK Investment in Properties Introduction The term investment has been the topic of discussion among most ‘enlightened’ people throughout the globe. As a result the current globalization rate has made people to venture into various business and finance options in a bid to earn more income. People as well as business enterprises have opted to embark on investment as the better choice of acquiring quick and reliable income.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on UK Investment in Properties specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Investments can be of various types such as capital markets which include shares and bonds, banking and property investment just to mention but a few. All the aforementioned investment options have their own types of risks with the common ones being valuation risks, force of sale risks and the business risks (Ball and Grilli, 1997, p.280). Despite the risks accompanying the investment options, people and corporations still strive to venture into investment business because in most cases if well managed investing is very profitable. A common way of investing is through the investment property which entails purchasing a commercial property or real estate with the aim of gaining returns within a given period of time or even eternity. In most cases the owner of the investment property rarely makes use or occupies the property. In instances where the owner occupies it, they will use only a portion of it and let out the rest. After certain duration of time, the property is completely paid off and the purchaser continues to enjoy the income generated from the property (Ball and Grilli, 1997, p.280). Investment property is a type of investment option that is practiced throughout the globe. This paper is a discussion of how the UK-investment properties have been characterized by booms and crashes and if they go against the efficient market hypothesis as well as advising an investor about investing in propertie s. The Cycles of booms and crashes in the UK investment properties The United Kingdom has been categorized as one of the most developed nations of the world. For a long time UK has been among the stable locations for the investment property market (McGough and Tsolacos, 1995. p.47). However, in the recent past the investment property sector has been characterised by periods of high returns and those of negative returns hence making the sector unstable and unpredictable. This on the other hand has lowered the investor confidence in UK making most investors opt for other locations to invest. The property investment market of UK has been known to boom then suddenly crashes before it booms again. Due to the reason that the property investment market is closely related to the country’s economy, whenever it crashes, the government does all it can to get things back to normal thus it booms. The issue of booms and crashes in the UK property investment market was of concern even in ea rlier years before the globalisation era (McGough and Tsolacos, 1995. p.47). For example, UK is characterised by two major crashes of 1974 and 1990 which had significant impacts on the economic system of the nation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While the 1974 crash caused severe crisis in the banking sector of UK, the 1990 crash led to a reduction in the value of corporate assets. This in turn affected the economy of the nation making it drop down from being among the best world’s economies. Other than the two crashes mentioned, UK has been suffering incidents of crashes due to various reasons which some of them could be the following; Property development restrictions- There could be reasons that could be hindering investors in investing in properties. These could be laid down by the state or municipality officials hence barring potential investors from choosing to invest in real estate property (McGough and Tsolacos, 1995. p.47). Taxation- The tax imposed in materials and services used in the development of properties could be so high making the cost of investing in real estate high. This will again cause a reduction in the number of people investing in properties which in turn negatively affect the market of investment properties thus a crash. Other causes of crashes in the investment property sector could include economic and political instability among other reasons. However, the duration of the crash or rather the amplitude depends on the period of government intervention or self-recovery from the crash (McGough and Tsolacos, 1995. p.48). The famous booms of investment property in the UK occurred in 1989 and 1992. The 1989 boom made the economy of UK to double up thus raising it to the top. Booms occur as a result of favourable conditions in the investment market which would make investors comfortable to develop real estate properties (McGough and Tsolacos, 1995. p.47). These conditions could include fair taxation, favourable political and economical conditions, and high demand in real estate property among other factors. When a boom occurs the investment market generates high income that in turn makes the economy of the nation go up due to the high value of the pound in the global market. Efficient market hypothesis The concept of efficient market hypothesis is very important in the investment sector and especially the property investment market. It entails provision of all the information about the market value being reflected in the prices (Malkiel, 2003, p.1). Efficient market hypothesis is related to the notion of ‘random walk’ which states that a change in price in investments represents a slight move from the previous price of the investment or market share. The coordination of the two implies that a change in price is independent of the previous one and will be immediately reflecte d in the market, thus the disclosure of the information (Malkiel, 2003, p.1). The efficient market hypothesis was used much in the vast ages where most economists and statisticians had the belief that it was difficult predicting the market prices. However, the situation has in the recent past changed given the research of some economists. The economists have argued the fact that it is possible to predict the future market prices. Efficient market hypothesis go further to claim that an investor is only in a position to earn high profits after undertaking high risks. Thus, the term efficiency is controversial with the recent economists arguing that efficiency means having less risks in the market (Scott and Judge, 2000, p.1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on UK Investment in Properties specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the context of the booms and crashes of the UK investment property market, it does not fully repres ent the efficient market hypothesis. This is because a market cannot be fully efficient so that one is able to perfectly predict the future outcome. As mentioned above, efficient market hypothesis indicates that changes in prices of the market will be immediately reflected in the property prices (Malkiel, 2003, p.1). This is not the case in the property investment of UK because; this unlike other investment types is long-term with slow reflection of the market prices. In addition to this, efficient market hypothesis argues that it is not able to predict future market prices, while in property investment market given the cycles of booms and crashes it is able to predict the market prices of the investment properties. This is because, from the trend, property investors would expect that a crash would lead to a boom in the next cycles hence able to predict the price thus the choice of cause of action. Advice to investors on investing in properties Property investment is among the top l ucrative businesses in the United Kingdom and the whole world at large. Because of this, investors have to acquire the best advice from financial advisors lest they make the wrong choice. Since all the investors of the property investment venture in the market with the aim of gaining profit, it is important that they achieve their goal (Hebner, 2007, p. 243). Among the advice given is to ensure that the investor has adequate information concerning the property, the market situation, prices among other factors. This would enable one to make a sound decision based on the information they have got. Choosing the UK market as an investment location is a good idea because of the following reasons; There are available sources of funds from money lending institutions for willing investors who may not have all the required funds. The economy of the United Kingdom has been favourable for property investment despite the little havocs that have affected it (Hebner, 2007, p. 243). The United Ki ngdom has an ideal market of property which investors would be looking forward to investing in. In addition to the stable economy of UK, the nation has a stable and favourable political environment. These are just some of the few reasons as to why one would be advised to invest in the UK property investment market. Nevertheless, given the concerns of booms and crashes, it is important that an investor predicts the market price of property investment before making the decision of investing (Hebner, 2007, p. 265). This is to avoid losses that could occur as a result of negative returns.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion From the above discussion it can be concluded that the fact that the UK investment properties is characterised by periods of high and negative returns is an indication of riskiness in this business. This evidence goes against the efficient market hypothesis because of the reason that the economists have argued that prices of the real investments are partly predictable (Shiller, 1999, p.103). This therefore is an indication that given the right advice, an investor in real estate would be in a position to avoid the risks involved in the venture. Despite the fact that the UK property investment has been characterized by the booms and crashes, it is still a good location for investing because of the opportunity and benefits that come in hand with investing in the UK market (Shiller, 1999, p.103). Last but not least is the fact that, the knowledge of the cycle that is being aware of when a boom or crash is expected would equip one with the instruments of avoiding risks and mak ing profits. Reference List Ball, M. and Grilli, M. (1997) UK commercial property investment: time-series characteristics and modelling strategies, Journal of Property Research, 14, 279Â ± 96. Hebner, T. (2007). Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors, IFA Publishing. McGough, T. and Tsolacos, S. (1995) Property cycles in the UK: an empirical investigation of the stylized facts, Journal of Property Finance, 6(4), 45Â ± 62. Malkiel, B. (2003). The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Critics. Web. Scott, P. Judge, G. (2000). Cycles and steps in British commercial property values. Web. Shiller, R. (1999). Human Behaviour and the Efficiency of the Financial System Handbook of Macroeconomics.

Leadership & Communication Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership & Communication Skills - Assignment Example out this problem, I tried to mediate while at the same time maintaining control, and keeping the lines of communication open rather than closing them simply in reaction. This strategy worked for me, as I was able to reach a compromise after meeting with three of group and separately designing a more formal training and recruitment procedure together. My leadership style is based on patterns of effective decision making and teamwork, as well as principles of communication which value both upward and downward communication within an organization. I think that leadership is an especially important issue for professionals to consider, because in many cases they are perceived as being the effective district leaders, and must present strong leadership skills and a sense of direction in order to optimize employee performance. Too often, different departments of organizations tend to dissolve along lines of ineffective communication in group meetings in which the leader becomes less of a lea der and more of a scapegoat or outmoded mouthpiece of the status quo, and in situations such as these, political infighting and departmental disagreement over issues of funding and allocation make take priority over what should be the clear mission and shared vision of all involved; that is, determining what is best for the customer (or, in my case, the student body) in terms of loyalty and behavior, and implementing programs which bring about success in the organization. The problem that I was facing was that four of the people under my leadership were trying to undermine my authority and add their own charter to the group, which would give them an unfair position. I reached a compromise with the group, as mentioned, convincing three of them instead to overhaul radically the membership training procedures for the group. The fourth member was then left alone in opposition to my leadership. It was unfortunate that this member had to be left alone, but I had to make a decision. A

Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Report - Coursework Example The use of a simple pendulum experiment in the study of motion helps to provide valuable insights into the acceleration of objects due to the gravitation force. In this experiment, a mass is suspended from one end of a piece of string and set in motion to determine the number of oscillations in a particular period. Such an oscillatory motion (to and from motion) is referred to as simple harmonic motion. The time a pendulum takes to swing forth and back is affected by factors such as the pendulum’s length and the acceleration due to the gravitation. A shorter pendulum has a shorter period to complete a single oscillation than a longer pendulum. In view of this, this simple pendulum experiment used the relation between the length applied in the pendulum and the time of oscillation to estimate the value of acceleration due to the gravitation force (Avison & Caribbean Examinations Council, 1988). The simple pendulum experiment was mainly conducted to facilitate the understanding of the relationship between different parameters in an oscillatory system. In addition, the experiment seeks to use its data analysis to facilitate the calculation of a value for the gravitational acceleration (g) and compare this value with the widely accepted value of 9.81 m/s2. If a mass of m hangs from the string in a simple pendulum experiment and sets to swing with small amplitude, the mass will oscillate back and forth in a simple harmonic motion. In this scenario, the mass of the bob becomes the inertia as the tangential component changes the direction every time the bob (mass) passes the center of its swing and hence acting to restore the mass to its midpoint. For this reason, the restoring force, F = - mg sin (á ´â€œ). However, if the angle á ´â€œ is very small, then it is assumed that sin (á ´â€œ) ≈ á ´â€œ, hence, F = - magá ´â€œÃ¢â‚¬ ¦.. Equation (1). The angle á ´â€œ of displacementá ´â€œ can be determined from the equilibrium using the arc length, x,

Importance of Organizational Culture in the work force Term Paper

Importance of Organizational Culture in the work force - Term Paper Example In an environment which is rapidly changing, organizations have started giving a serious thought on how to increase effectiveness within firms. In order to accomplish objectives and goals, organizations are evaluating ways and strategies both for internal and well as external management. Once goals are perfectly aligned with the vision of the company, addressing the cultural type of the organization is essential in order to advance these objectives and goals into actions. A well defined organizational culture also helps in ensuring that necessary changes are successfully implemented. An organization is a platform shared by individuals and teams who perform in a united way with the objective of earning profits for the company as well as the livelihood for them. The working style of each organization is unique and this often ends up contributing to the culture. The beliefs, principles, values and ideologies of an organization constitute its culture. A workplace culture controls employe e behavior within and outside the organization. The overall effectiveness of an organization can be determined through various indicators. Organizational orientation, employee satisfaction, organizational growth performance and organizational culture are few of them. As a result of its influence, organizational culture has started getting importance in business terms and is currently the one of the most analyzed subject for researchers and analysts. In the present study organizational culture will be studied with respect to its various dimensions. Few of the organizational behavior and cultural theories will be discussed in detail. This will helping the overall evaluation will be the base for strategy implementations for managers and business. Culture is known as a wide concept and the various elements differ according to the area of business. Thus, understanding its dimensions and purpose is important for proper implementation of organizational culture in any organization. Many of the success stories link performance with culture of the organization. Organizational culture can be referred as a pattern of shared beliefs and values demonstrated by company employees in their daily behaviors and activities. An organizational cu

Thermal Solutions to Reduce Electricity Costs

Thermal Solutions to Reduce Electricity Costs Executive summary This report investigates and analyses the thermal solutions to reduce the electricity cost for senior school at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School. Approaches of analysis include calculating energy loss, thermal current and comparing current costs and revised costs, as well as the long-term (each term and annual) prediction for power consumption. The annual electricity cost is predicted to be $23064.56. All calculations can be found in the Appendix. Results from calculated data show that 29.09% of the power consumption can be reduced by replacing 36 W lights from 18 W tube light bulbs ($4.90 for two tubes, $44.10 overall) and installing the Hampton thermal curtains ($276 in total) with pelmet boxes ($183) of five years life expectancy. Hence, they are suggested to renovate every five years to maintain the efficiency of thermal curtains. Although these installations will need $503.10 initially, the payback will begin from the 7th month. This report evaluates that the current setting of the classroom in senior school can be altered to protect the environment and minimise electricity costs. Therefore, there are some recommendations: Install the Hampton thermal curtains with pelmet boxes Thermal curtains should be shut all the time in order to achieve the revised cost Small technology devices (e.g. projector, printer, iron and hot glue guns) usage should be minimised to reduce power usage (e.g. turn them off instead of stand-by when not using) There are some weaknesses of the report: Thermal current of furniture in the room is not considered. Monthly temperature data are not exact results, they are based on past average temperature data. Number of classrooms are an approximation instead of counting due to variation in classroom setting (e.g. one air-conditioner, more or less lights, fridge) Key assumptions The power is assumed to be used only on schooldays. The energy loss from the recorded data (the energy required to cool down) is assumed to be the same every day. The room is assumed to be a closed system, so the thermal current of windows is equivalent to the power usage of both air-conditionings. Power Usage Analysis Introduction Thermal (heat) energy always tends to transfer from one hot space spreading to colder surroundings space by conduction, convection and radiation (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and its flow is affected by the temperature difference. Thermal current () is the rate at which heat energy passes through a material, which is calculated as . The thermal conductivity (k) is a measure of how well the material transfers heat; lower values of conductivity indicate better insulating material. Thermal insulators such as thermal curtains and double glazing windows are commonly used in homes or buildings to maintain constant room temperature by prevention of convection current and minimise energy usage. This report will investigate, analyse and recommend thermal solutions for the school to reduce electricity usage and environmental benefits. Investigation and discussion Note: All data refers to Appendix – Calculation The data was collected by using Sparkvue temperature sensors connected to a computer. The first 30 minutes of the data was disregarded due to the sensor being exposed to direct sunlight, leading to the extremely high temperature (especially the peak at 3:19pm at 47.4Â °C) at the beginning of the data (Graph 1). Through analysis and calculations of the data, the internal temperature change had a positive gradient (between 5:04pm and 6:04pm) which indicated the room was gaining energy as the air-conditioning turned off (347.08 W). Current power usage During schooldays, 18 lights were used 1 hour 43 minutes per day and two air-conditionings were used 10 hours daily on average. The lights were found to consume a relatively low amount of energy of 1.11 kWh daily. Since the room was assumed to be a closed system, theoretically, the thermal current of the windows (137.14 kWh) should be equivalent to the power usage of air-conditioners. However, due to the information written on the air-conditioning was its upper most power usage, they would not be equal. In fact, the calculated consumption (Table 2) was less than the given data, which indicated the difference in power usage could be attributed to dissipation through the walls, floors and doors openings. Moreover, the total consumption (139.52 kWh) included the power consumption of lights and technology devices in the room to achieve higher accuracy. Thermal solutions Thermal solutions are reasonable and beneficial to diminish power consumption. The 36 W light bulbs can be replaced by 18 W lights, which each consume 0.56 kWh daily. Furthermore, thermal curtains are the most common thermal products, because more internal thermal convection current will be blocked, especially when the curtains are extended so that it reaches the floor. This would prevent the convection current and reduce energy flow into the room (Figure 9). Double and triple glazing of windows are commonly used as well, due to vacuum between glass panes eliminating losses by conduction and convection; however, installation is expensive, so thermal curtains are the most economic thermodynamic barriers to use in order to reduce the energy usage. Figure 9 – No gap (Rogers A, 2011) From researching thermal curtains, the Hampton thermal curtain is thermal coated which reduces a maximum of 25% energy loss (Energy.GOV, 2012). Only the front windows have contact with direct sunlight; others are all under shelter, so thermal curtains will only cover these. Hence, the Hampton thermal curtain is suggested to be installed for energy reduction, costing $276 in total. Pelmet boxes cost $183 overall, because the side of the front windows have a length of 6.02 m each, it would be reasonable to get two 6.10 m pelmet box on each side(some space for the curtain rod). The life expectancy of thermal curtains is usually five years; it is reasonable for the school to renovate new curtains every five years. It can be seen from Graph 2 that the costs maintain the same and increases by another full cost of $503.1 after renovating at the end of each five year cycle. Furthermore, the power usage with thermal solutions is calculated to be 97.25 kWh, having a 29.09% difference compared with the current settings. CBA – Cost Benefit Analysis The CBA graph (Graph 3) shows the current cost model and revised cost model accumulating over time. The break-even point occurs in the 7th month and when the current cost is approximately equivalent to the revised cost at $1661.8 and $1654.3, the current cost will exceed the revised cost. According to the CPI in Queensland has been fluctuating from 2007 to 2012 (Figure 10), which may continue changing in the next few years. By considering a long-term situation, Graph 4 illustrates an example of revised cost will increase every five years due to renovation of curtains, whilst maintaining a smaller rate of power consumption than the current cost. The power consumption for each term is calculated (Table 3-6) and used to investigate the annual revised cost of $23064.56 and 28.98% of electricity cost will be reduced from current cost in the senior school. If the electricity price increases 5% for both peak and off-peak hours, the trend would stay the same as the current cost has a higher gradient than the revised cost (Graph 4) and the fluctuation has an impact on the overall costs. (Australian Government, 2015) Figure 10 – CPI Annual Change Brisbane Recommendations The ultimate goal of diminishing the energy usage is to protect our environment and minimise energy consumption. Therefore: Thermal curtains with pelmet boxes and light bulbs should be installed. Curtains should be shut all the time in order to achieve the revised cost. It would be the most economical way if all small technology devices are not used at all (e.g. projector, printer, iron and hot glue guns). In conclusion, after installing the thermal solutions it is predicted to spend $23064.56 annually in the senior school, and results in saving approximately $13072 on power usage when all assumptions are valid, which will therefore reduce environment impact.

Modern Day Hero VS. Anglo-Saxon Hero :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Modern Day Hero VS. Anglo-Saxon Hero During the Anglo-Saxon period, people worshiped Hero's. Here are a couple of ways how a modern day hero can be compared to one in the past. Nolan Ryan will be my choice of a classic modern day hero. One of the firsts of a hero's characteristic is that he performs "Outstanding Deeds". On page thirty-five in Beowulf "Higlac's brave follower tearing out his hand of the monster, his hatred rose higher but his power has gone." So to me that could be called an outstanding deed. Now Nolan Ryan is not a War hero but a baseball player. He was forty-five at the time and he had thrown 5,511 strikeouts, witch is a record that will not be broken anytime soon. Another way to be called a hero is to give great speeches. On page 31 of Beowulf "Hail Hrothagi............." Beowulf is very good at this but on the other hand Nolan Ryan is a very humble man. So he never really gave speeches. The third characteristic of a hero is to boast about his feats. Beowulf does a good job of boasting in this next line in Beowulf on page 31, "And I am stronger than anyone in the world." To me that is a very big boast on Beowulf's part. Now for Nolan Ryan he is a very modest man and never had any reason to boast about anything, his numbers did the talking for him. Now the last of the of characteristics that is that he descended from Royalty. Now on page 31 in Beowulf, "Higlac is my cousin and my King." Now on the other hand Nolan Ryan's position in baseball had nothing to do with his family. He was noting more than a country boy from Alvin, Texas. Now all of those were characteristic of an Anglo-Saxon hero that are very different from those of a modern day hero. The first of them is if the Public eye likes the hero to be humble and have good sportsmanship. Nolan Ryan never went around taunting his opponents or talking about how good he is. But on the other hand Beowulf talked very highly of himself. I don't think the public would have liked that very much about him. Another characteristic of a modern day hero is his appearance. Nolan was a good-looking guy. He did wrangler jeans ads. He also did TV commercials for Advil.