Impact of the 2022 World Cup hosting in Qatar Essay

Impact of the 2022 World Cup hosting in Qatar - Essay Example With regard to companies, 32% totally agreed that local companies will have long-term strategies to grow in 2022 while 58% moderately agreed with this. However, 2% totally believed that Local companies will not have long-term strategies to grow in 2022 while 8% also believed that the long-term strategies will be missing. Many Qataris expect working conditions to improve with 94% being very optimistic of better working conditions as compared to 6% who were pessimistic about improvement in working conditions. Organizational structures are also anticipated to change with 84% of participants believing that the strategies of making the organization structure will be affected by the 2022 World cup. On average, 42% of people expect improvement in the managerial environment in Qatar while 50% anticipate improvement in the managerial environment. Only 8% of participants expect no change in the managerial environment. They virtually consider the world cup to be of no benefit to the managerial environment in Qatar. Most Qataris are anticipative that Qatar’s economy will benefit from hosting the world cup with 54% totally agreeing that the event will lead to economic growth, 38% moderately expecting the growth, and 8% believe that the economy will not grow. A whopping 88% of Qataris expect more jobs to be created in the years to the event while only a 12% believe that the level of employment in the country will remain unaffected. Outrageously, 58% of Qataris fully expect inflation to creep into Qatar, 20% moderately expect the inflation, 16% are somewhat not envisioning the risk of inflation and another 6% are self-assured that the world cup will not fuel inflation in Qatar. Still, 52% fully believe that Qatar will have the highest quality of infrastructure in 2022, 26% expect the infrastructure to be top-notch, 18% not expecting any infrastructural improvement and 4% are certain that infrastructure in Qatar is not improving. Since MNCs will flock into Qatar to do

Middle Ages vs Renaissance Art Periods Essay Example for Free

Middle Ages vs Renaissance Art Periods Essay When seeking two art periods to compare and contrast, fewer artistic examples provide a starker depiction of radically changing ideas and mentality than the art of the Middle Ages against that of art from the Renaissance. First, art originating from the Middle Age will be thoroughly analyzed for context. Afterward, art from the Renaissance period art will be analyzed next to it for its departures on from Middle Age techniques and thinking, before the two are finally systematically compared and contrasted. First, art from the Middle Ages, also called art from the Medieval period, characterized a European period of little social change, general poverty, and few scientific advances. The Catholic Church remained an imposing force upon Midieval society, and dominated much of daily life. Art clearly served the role of worship above all else, and the Catholic Church actually commissioned much of the artwork of the period. Much of this art filled churches and monasteries, and took the form of sculptures, paintings and drawings, stained-glass windows, metalwork and mosaics, among other forms. The iconographical nature of the art is substantial, as it above all served the purpose of perpetuating the Catholicism of the early church. It was largely confined to Europe and areas that the Byzantine and Roman empires had once occupied, such as parts of northern Africa. It lasted almost a thousand years, from approximately around 500 C.E. to perhaps as late as 1400 C.E. The depictions within the art reflected its purpose – worship. Religious icons such as saints, the Virgin Mary, Jesus and his disciples, and other depictions provided clarity and images for believers. The images portrayed onto the media arguably reflect the times, lacking in brightness, movement, or attitude. The characters shown rarely appear upbeat. An excellent example that validates some of these generalities is Pietro Cavallini’s The Last Judgment. This painting in the Santa Cecilia in Rome uses drab colours to show what appears to be an angry Jesus overlooked by six angels, three on each side. While a beautiful work of art no doubt, the painting has little passion or movement and does not inspire anything more than fear from a fiery God. This Medieval Art from the Middle Ages contrasts sharply with the Renaissance-era works in many key ways. First, Renaissance Art, while not entirely secular to be sure, had certain overtones of the humanism sweeping Europe. Next, its style exuberates brightness, passion, and an appetite for life that cannot be found easily in Middle Age art. Renaissance Art effectively superseded and ended art period progressing during the Middle Ages, and this mirrored social trends of increasing wealth and prosperity, upward mobility, and technological advances of the time. While no doubt heavily influenced by the preceding art of the Middle Ages and often building off of some of its topic such as Christianity, Renaissance Art has a strong hint of humanism which afflicted its artists. This philosophy sought to change the nature of man’s relationship with God to exist outside the church’s realm, and the â€Å"Renaissance men† often meaning that these artists were not only artists but commonly philosophers and scientists as well. Michelangelo, who was a painter, architect, poet, engineer, and sculptor, exemplified these characteristics. His masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, provides us a great comparison to Cavallini’s work on the same topic and contrasts the vastly different techniques and focuses of the two art periods. While Cavallini’s work lacks a variety of colours and could be described even as plain, Michelangelo’s work gives a clear view into his mind’s eye, filled with numerous angels and men moving through the heavens. While Jesus is still at the top and the Madonna next to him seems to cower in fear at his wrath, many nonetheless are lifted upward. The bright colours, quick movements, and in fact original nakedness of the characters (later covered up, at the church’s request) reflect the technique and thought process of Renaissance-era art. So taking the topic of the Last Judgment, the second coming of Christ as a comparison subject matter for extrapolation between Medieval and Renaissance art periods, the Renaissance’s brightness, liveliness and energy shine clearly. First, we saw that Middle Age art was dreary, using drab colours and little dynamism that reflected the harsh realities of life in Europe at the time. Second, Renaissance Art ended this period with the new opportunities and advances made during the Renaissance, reflected in art from the period. Multitalented Renaissance men of the period such as Michelangelo contributed simultaneously to multiple artistic fields at once. Their art reflected the optimism of the times, the great advances being made philosophically and technologically, and their work captured their excitement for mankind’s newfound humanist relationship with God. What was once seen as an angry God hell-bent on punishment was now an opportunity for a chance into the heavens, and often Renaissance Art was even entirely secular, such as masterpieces like the Mona Lisa. Therefore, the Renaissance period of art departed from the Middle Ages period of Medieval Art not simply in technique or media, but also in subject matter, philosophy, and use. The art periods correspondingly reflected their equivalent time frame as either bleak and dowdy or upbeat and energetic. References Finnan, V. (2013). The last judgement. Retrieved from http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Last-Judgement.html Gortais, B. (2003). Abstraction and art. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences , 358(14-135), 1241-1249 . Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558216 The last judgement. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/8284-the-last-judgement-pietro-cavallini.html

Power and Privilege Displayed in A Woman on a Roof Essay -- Doris Less

Power and Privilege Displayed in A Woman on a Roof  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Doris Lessing’s "A Woman on a Roof," three workmen react differently towards a woman sunbathing on a roof. The men are Harry, who is in his mid-40s, Stanley, who is newly married, and Tom, who is 17. They are engaged in a jovial banter when they spot a woman about fifty yards from where they are standing. She’s on her back, face down on a brown blanket. Stanley is first to comment, "She’s stark naked." Harry agrees, "Looks like it," while Tom cranes his neck so he can see more and replies, "She thinks no one can see." Stanley whistles, but the woman does not look up. She sits, smoking a cigarette (856). This seems to be one of Lessing’s most critically neglected stories. In fact, there are only a few written criticisms about it, and most of these focus on the different reactions of the three workmen. However, the woman, who is not named in the story, is also a very intriguing and interesting character. While many readers see her as an innocent – the sunbather who only wants to be left alone – there is evidence to show that she uses her sexuality through nonverbal communication to show power and privilege. Sociological perspectives suggest that nonverbal communication is of particular importance to women because their socialization to docility and passivity makes them likely targets for social control. Sexuality (masculinity or femininity) is not biologically determined but is part of social learning. In "Womanspeak and Manspeak," Nancy Henley, Mykol Hamilton, and Barrie Thorne have argued that while women’s general bodily demeanor must be restrained and restricted, and that their femininity is gauged by how little (personal) space they take up. In contra... ... Henslin, James. " On Becoming Male." Down to Earth Sociology. Ed. James Henslin. New York: The Free Press, 1991. 126-148. Lessing, Doris. "A Woman on a Roof." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 856-862. Works Consulted Allen, Orphia Jane. " Structure and Motif in Doris Lessing’s A Man and Two Women." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler.NY: Gale Research Inc., 1986. 199. Fitzgerald, Edward. " Retreat From Home." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. New York: Gale Research Inc., 1986. 186. Hardin, Nancy. "Doris Lessing and the Sufi Way." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Carolyn Riley. New York: Gale Research Inc., 1976. 123. Zak, Michele. "The Grass Is Singing: A Little Novel about the Emotions." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. New York: Gale Research Inc., 1986. 206.   

Philosophy Of Science Essay

The topic of essay is â€Å"There is more to seeing than meets the eyeball†. These are words of N. R. Hanson, and I’ll try to show here my point of view. In his work â€Å"Observation† Hanson says that if two different people (for example, microbiologists), look at prepared slide, they give different answers for question what did they see there. It means, they see the same object, but their feelings and understanding of object, as well their definitions regarding it are different. Hanson gives the following answer:† ‘These are different interpretations of what all observers see in common. Retinal reactions to figure are virtually identical; so too are our visual sense-data, since our drawings of what we see will have the same content. There is no place in the seeing for these differences, so they must lie in the interpretations put on what we see. † (Hanson, p. 9) So, everything depends on interpretations of the object – the characteristics are given by us, while seeing the same by different people. Let’s take a picture and will try to find out what can be seen there. Again, some people can see only birds – they see an opened bick of some big bird, the others see horns and antelope. Another question: do the people, who have never seen antelope, see an antelope in this picture? We can see the picture as one shape, then as of another. We interpret it and see it as we interpret it. (Hanson, p. 7) Another idea which Hanson gives is that this kind of interpretation depends on experience. So let’s take as example the picture of an X-ray tube viewed from the cathode. Some experienced physicist will recognize here an X-ray tube, but a small baby and a driver, for example, will have another interpretation based on their visual experience. They see the same object, but have different interpretations. Hanson says:† Seeing is not only the having of a visual experience; it is also the way in which the visual experience is had†. (Hanson, p. 8). A physicist saw this object in school, but from his visual experience he saw only an instrument made of metal and glass. When he studied at the university, he learned about this instrument and saw the construction in the book and had completely another interpretation. The object didn’t change, but the visual experience did. So, in order for driver to see the same what physicist sees, he needs to learn physics. The baby is blind to what driver sees, although he is not blind and sees the same object. Seeing means also some kind â€Å"to have knowledge of certain sorts† (Hanson, p. 11). Let’s take another scientist, Hacking, with his article â€Å"Do we see through a microscope? † He speaks about the ways we get new kinds of perception when we use different objects to manipulate a world we cannot see by our normal eye-sight. Hacking says that â€Å"we don’t see through a microscope, we see with a microscope†. For example, we can use electrons in order to get other results, and by doing this, we are convinced of their existence with their stable properties. It doesn’t mean that we have an entire knowledge regarding those electrons, but we have those properties as known because of our experience. Here comes the slogan:† If you can manipulate them, they must be real. † (I. Hacking, p. 150). So, really, we can make a conclusion that â€Å"There is more to seeing than meets the eyeball†.

Nutrition Information on Food Labels †a Waste of Time and Money?

NUTRITION INFORMATION ON FOOD LABELS – A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY? Nutrition information on food labels is very useful and helpful for consumers; it is not a waste of time. In this essay I will write about the history of food labelling and later I will concentrate on consumers who should read food labels and those consumers who read the food labels. After that, I will focus on the importance and the advantages that information on food labels have. In the last part, I will write about problems that customers have when reading instructions on food labels. Food labels came legally to life in 1906. Everything started in the USA because the Food and Drug Act said that â€Å"food labelling is needed to protect consumers from economic harm to reducing consumer’s risk of chronic disease†. In 1993, the Nutrition Labelling and Education Act (NLEA) required mandatory food labelling on most products excluding coffee, spices, raw foods and take away foods. Regulations apply mostly to processed and packaged foods and require specific information on food labels like: name of the food, list of nutrients (fat, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fibre, proteins, vitamins A and C, some minerals, calories and Kilo calories), the name and address of the manufacturer, the place of origin, serving sizes, expiry date, nutrient content claims, health claims and information about Recommended Daily Intake (RDA) of nutrients while consuming 2000 calories. In the European Union, legislation on food labelling wants to protect, inform and help society to make knowledgeable choices. Every manufacturer should provide the required information to ensure that consumers will be satisfied when buying their products. Food labelling regulations help the consumer to buy safer food. People are more confident when choosing products if they know what a particular product consists of. Nowadays most of the nutritional labels are very advanced and show detailed information about each nutrient and ingredient. Consumers read the labels mostly to improve their intake in good nutrients (proteins, fibre, good fat, vitamins and minerals) and minimize intake of unhealthy nutrients (saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol) that a particular product contains. Those who experience cardiovascular problems, are overweight and obese or have type 2 Diabetes should read nutrition labels very carefully to avoid high intake of nutrients which are significant risk in causing or worsening the illness. Consumers who are allergic to certain foods use nutrition labels to find information about the ingredients that they must not to eat. The most common allergic foods are: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. Some of the above foods may cause instant death or digestive problems like celiac disease or lactose intolerance. Also, the elderly people should read the labels to meet their dietary requirements, which differ from other age groups. Pregnant women should control their Vitamin A intake derived from animal organs and increase their intake in folic acid. Vegetarian and vegan groups will find nutritional labels very useful particularly about the proteins and ingredients derived from animals. Another group of consumer reads information on food labels for personal reasons, for instance to exclude genetically modified foods or religious reasons. Research findings in different countries show that significant amounts of consumers use nutrition information on food labels. Surveys done in the United Kingdom have shown that 58% of those interviewed use nutrition labels. Those people recognize their diet as an important part in their lives. 17% use the labels for nutritional advice. Another study in America has shown that society is interested in nutrition food labels and use them while shopping or at home. The research showed that people with more than high school education are more likely to read the labels. In Canada consumers with small financial income, the elderly and less educated were less likely to use and understand nutrition labels. In Australia and New Zealand, 34% of consumers read the nutrition food labels. Significant groups of parents with young children usually use food labels to check the information about fat and sugar intake. Another advantage of nutrition information on food labels is that consumers look at the labels when buying unknown food products (for example from different parts of the world). It allows people to try exotic and extraordinary cuisines. Nutrition labels are guides to healthy eating and improving diet in beneficial nutrients. They help to avoid bad nutrients and remove bad products from our diets. For instance, manufacturers must inform on food labels that the product contains hydrogenated fat which is more harmful than animal fat. Nutrition food labels draw our attention to healthiness. In America, surveys demonstrated that consumers compare food products to purchase the ones with lower fat and sodium amounts. Information on food labels positively influences consumers that would like to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Those consumers choose low fat and low sugar products. There has been found a connection between reading the labels and losing weight. In other words, people are more aware of what they eat and make their decisions consciously. Scientists from two American Universities estimated that â€Å"the total monetary benefit of decrease in body weight was $63 to $ 166 billion over a 20-year period of the costs of the NLEA†. Food labels also help to reduce deficiency in certain nutrients. For example costumers who lack iron or fibre in their diet can easily choose food which is high in those nutrients while reading information on the back of the packaging. Legislation on food labels has brought another benefit for consumers. Manufacturers have to follow the rules and cannot wrongly label products. The Food Standards Agency in America is responsible to protect customers against dishonest manufacturers. Retailers must label their product appropriately and must describe it correctly. Labelling food is not only good for consumers but also for manufacturers. They recognized that the more information they show on the labels the better product will sell. It is a great deal for consumers who can find out more details about new products. There is a campaign running around the world called â€Å"5 a day†. With these words health organisations try to convince consumers to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Manufacturers and retailers in the UK joined the program and present the information on their food labels. The Information draws consumer awareness and helps them to realize that eating more fruits and vegetables will reduce the risk of certain diseases like cardiovascular disease. Apart from regular nutrition information on food labels on the back of the packaging, manufacturers present some coloured, highlighted instructions in the front of the packaging. This message is much easier for customers to understand than the directions from the back of the product. Usually the information shows the amount in grams per 1 serving and the percentage of daily intake of the nutrient (calories, fat, sugar, protein, sodium / salt). On the other hand, nutrition information on food labels needs some improvements. Food labels should all look the same and equally present the same list of nutrients with the same percentages and amounts. It will be easier for the consumer to memorise one kind of label. Unfortunately, every manufacturer labels their products differently. Consumers do not have time to spend hours in a food store. For example, a co-op retailer in the UK presents its own labels which describe â€Å"high, medium and low† to help consumers to choose healthier products and understand the label more. In fact, industry organisations see it as misleading information considering that these labels could be problematic to sell for example â€Å"fat† in food which is indeed very beneficial to maintain balanced diet. The next problem is that the consumers lack an understanding of the function of different nutrients presented on the labels. The European Heart Network found out that consumers widely read nutrition food labels but do not fully understand them. Often, amounts of nutrients require calculations and consumers do not have enough knowledge about the different nutrients that are important in their diets. The Public Health Nutrition journal informed that converting information from grams to grams per serving size caused difficulties. Nutrition labels should respond to consumer needs and give clear and simple instructions. In conclusion, nutrition information on food labels is not a waste of money. The idea of presenting this information is great because it helps customers to see what packaged food contains and choose the best product that suits them. The information on food labels gives instructions for people who are allergic and have food intolerances. It is also a guide for the consumer on how to start or maintain eating a balanced diet and how to avoid unhealthy and harmful nutrients. However, nutrition information on food labels still needs improvement to enable better public understanding and this is an area that needs to be addressed. References: 1. Angela Shine, Seamus O’Reily, Kathleen O’Sullivan (1997) â€Å"Consumer use of nutrition labels†. British Food Journal, Vol:99, Iss:8, p: 290-296 2. Carolyn D. Berdanier†¦ [et al. ], (2002), â€Å"Handbook of nutrition and food†, California, CRC Press. 3. European Public Health Alliance, (2005) â€Å"Food labelling in the EU: purposes, principles and challenges† URL: http://www. epha. org/a/2006 4. Food and Drug Administration, (2011) â€Å"Food allergies: What you need to know†, URL: http://www. fda. gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm079311. htm 5. Food Standards Agency, 2010, â€Å"Understanding labelling rules, URL: http://www. food. gov. uk/foodlabelling/ull/ 6. Food Standards Australia, New Zealand (2011), â€Å"Labelling of food†. URL: http://www. foodstandards. gov. au/consumerinformation/labellingoffood/ 7. Gill Cowburn, Lynn Stockley (2005). â€Å"Consumer understanding and use of nutrition labelling: a systematic review†, Public Health Nutrition, vol:16. Pg: 695-708 8. Hawkes Corrina (2004), â€Å"Nutrition Labels and health claims: the global regulatory environment†, Geneva, World Health Organization. 9. Howard Moskowitz, Michele Reisner, Jonhn Ben Lawlor and Rosires Deliza, (2009), â€Å"Packaging Reasearch and Food Porduct Design and Development†, Iowa, Wiley-Blackwell A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Publication. 10. Labels and Labelling Data and Consultancy Services Ltd, (1984), â€Å"Guide to food labelling, Part 2 Claims and misleading descriptions† â€Å"Labels-Law and Legislation – England† 11. M. L. Neuhouser, A,R Kristal, R. E. Patterson (1999), â€Å"Use of food nutrition labels is associated with lower fat intake†Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Vol:99, issue 1, pg: 45-53. 12. National Health Service, 2009, â€Å"Buy healthier food†. URL: http://www. nhs. uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/readingfoodlabels. aspx 13. Nayga, R. M. , Lipinski, D. and Savur, N. (1998), Consumers' Use of Nutritional Labels While Food Shopping and At Home. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 32:  106–120. doi:  10. 1111/j. 1745-6606. 1998. tb00402. x 14. Stephen Havas, Jerianne Heimendinger (1995), â€Å"5 a day for better health-nine community research projects to increase fruit and vegetable consumption†, Public Health Reports, vol:110, issue:1, pg:68-79. 15. Variyam, Jayachandran N. and Cawley, John, Nutrition Labels and Obesity (January 2006). NBER Working Paper Series, Vol. w11956, pp. 16. Variyam, J. N. (2008), Do nutrition labels improve dietary outcomes?. Health Economics, 17:  695–708. doi:  10. 1002/hec. 1287 17. Vernal S. Packard, Jr (1976) â€Å"Processed Foods and the Consumer. Additives, Labelling, Standards and Nutrition†. Ontario, Burns ; MacEachern Limited.

Prescription Drugs Advertisement

Prescription Drugs Advertisement Introduction Prescription drug administration requires a personalized and individualized approach. When companies introduce advertisements into the process, they influence the patient’s agenda negatively and lead to the commercialization of a highly sensitive industry. Studies show that half of America’s population takes a minimum of one drug per day.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Prescription Drugs Advertisement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Clearly, something is wrong if this is happening. Pharmaceutical companies should not advertise prescription drugs because the practice will damage the US medical system through poor physician-patient relationships, increased/ unnecessary drug use and excessive health costs. Why prescription drugs advertisement is dangerous Advertisements are not entirely unwelcome in the pharmaceutical industry. Many companies have been advertising over-the-counter drugs for a long time. However, drug authorities prohibited them from engaging in prescription drug advertisements. The FDA changed that rule in 1997 because of the assumption that advertising would provide consumers with much-needed information on their health. However, the reality of this assumption is now heavily contested. Challenges faced by physicians and other medical professionals are increasing. Medical expenditures dominate the country’s pharmaceutical advertisements of prescription drugs to consumers. It is startling that the country’s budget for FDA’s regulatory activities is approximately $2.4 billion, yet pharmaceutical businesses spend about $ 4.8 billion in prescription drug advertising (Gagnon Lexchin 284). If the administrators are complaining about rising health costs or inefficiency in the health systems, then prescription drug advertising could be a clear indication of misplaced priorities. Furthermore, the United States is a highly medicated society ; people use drugs just to get through their daily activities. One needs to analyze whether prescription drug advertisement accelerates this condition or reduces it. All these issues necessitate a thorough analysis of the moral, legal, ethical and economic issues prevailing in such campaigns. The advertisement of prescription drugs would damage physician and patient relationships. When consumers learn about a new drug from their television sets, they still require approval from their doctors to purchase the drug. Some patients become so convinced about a drug’s usefulness that they challenge their doctor’s judgment or credibility.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Instead of treating one’s doctor as an authority in medicine, the patient starts to think of him or her as an adversary. One example was an advertisement for a toenail. In the advert, the sponsoring company claimed that when certain creatures live in one’s toenails, then this would damage that part of the body. The firm essentially asserted that patients need to guard against these toenail complications by using their drugs. If a patient previews information on his or her television screen, and later develops complications with his or her toes, then he or she would be tempted to ask his or her doctor about the drug. The doctor would have to spend valuable time to explain to the patient that the toenail drug is quite risky (with regard to toxicity), immensely expensive, and unnecessary. He would have to convince the patient that no creature exists in his or her toes. It is wiser to spend this precious time on the actual problem behind the toenail complication, which could be diabetes, a vascular complication or a heart related issue rather than spending it on a false alarm. Clearly, these advertisements would undermine patient and physician relations. This woul d increase wastage of time during physician consultations and thus propagate inefficiency in the US medical system (Ziad Lyles 70). Not only does prescription drug advertisement lead to poor patient-doctor relationships, it also increases medical costs in the country. Pharmaceutical companies do not have to advertise affordable drugs because doctors would prescribe them in any case. However, the expensive ones are a different case. In fact, this advertising increases the uptake of expensive medication thus increasing healthcare costs in the country (Atherly Rubin 30). Prescription drug advertisements harm consumer’s health by promoting the use of unnecessary or wrong drugs. Consumers think that a drug advertisement differs from a conventional advertisement because the FDA has probably scrutinized it. Many clients operate under the assumption that the latter authority screens all prescription drug advertisements before publicly displaying them. They also think that the neces sary risks in the advert have all been highlighted. The FDA cannot scrutinize all advertisements; therefore, consumers end up taking drugs that they do not fully understand. Furthermore, one must look at the overall effect of these promotions. The prescription drug industry causes many consumers to believe that they require long term drug treatment for minor complaints. As a result, a number of consumers may continue to use those drugs even when the drugs are not necessary. This leads to drug overuse and an increase in healthcare expenditure, too. The advertisements heighten the demand for drugs based on the effectiveness of their promotional campaigns rather than the country’s health needs. Commercialization of the drug industry would be too detrimental to the health system to ignore.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Prescription Drugs Advertisement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some individuals argue that prescription drug advertisements have an educational value. They claim that the promotions inform the public about all the possible alternatives they can use to cope with or treat their disease. However, this reasoning is inaccurate because the information comes from a non neutral body. Talking about the merits of the drug instead of its risks is in the best interest of the pharmaceutical company. Most of these advertisements tend to downplay the risks associated with their drugs. One only needs to look at case studies of companies that advertise their drugs such as Vioxx. The manufacturer recorded a 20 million increase in sales after advertisements had been commenced. Many Americans responded to the drug advertisements without necessarily understanding all the health implications involved. After this surge in Vioxx use, scientists discovered that the drug increased the risk of getting a stroke or heart attack by one hundred percent. If the advertised information came from a neutra l body that talked about general health conditions, then the point would be valid; however, since the advertisement only focuses on one brand, then the possibilities of bias are simply too high. Companies that advertise their prescriptions do not care much about health-related goals; most of them are profit-driven. These advertisements could never replace a doctor’s guidance and advice. Furthermore, the concerned companies never talk about their state of approval or the stage of drug development. Consequently, consumers may be misinformed about the drugs (Martinez Lewis 110). One also has to look at the nature of those advertisements in order to understand their non educational value. A number of them are highly emotive; instead of appealing to consumer’s rational side, most of them focus on the emotive one, which undermines their legitimacy. It is too difficult to balance the commercial imperative with the public’s needs. In most cases the commercial imperativ e always takes over. Therefore, the educational value of these drug advertisements is highly questionable. Other supporters of prescription drugs also believe that prescription drugs would lead to better technology use in the pharmaceutical industry. They achieve this by informing clients about new treatments or innovations. Therefore, these supporters believe that prescription drug advertising encourages greater innovation. However, this argument is weightless when one looks at current budget allocations in the drug manufacturing industry. Pharmaceuticals in the US dedicate 13.4% of their budget to research and development. Many of them spend 24.4% of their revenue on advertisements and other promotional activities. Therefore, one can argue that these advertisements lead to misplaced priorities. Instead of focusing on better alternatives or products, companies now dwell on marketing their products. This is an inefficient method of using the country’s healthcare resources.Adv ertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion The cost of America’s expenditure is going up because consumers are buying expensive and unnecessary drugs. Furthermore, the advertisements are changing the physician-patient relationship by making it adversarial in nature. This causes wastage of time during healthcare treatment thus promoting inefficiencies. The biased nature of the adverts neutralizes any potential positive effects they create, such as educating the public. Prescription drugs, therefore, undermine the healthcare system by promoting drug overuse and thus commercializing the health system. Audience The audience consists of all those entities that support prescription drug use such as pharmaceutical drug owners as well as drug manufacturing associations, advertising associations, the Food and Drug Administration, some physicians and medical professionals who support prescription drug advertising, and consumer rights groups such as Americans for Free Choice in Medicine. Atherly, Adam Rubin, Paul. à ¢â‚¬Å"The cost effectiveness of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs.† Medical care research and review 2.3(2009): 20-41. CQ researcher. Web. Gagnon, MarcAndre Lexchin, Joel. â€Å"The cost of pushing pills: a new estimate of pharmaceutical promotion expenditures in the United States.† Public Library of Science Medicine, 13(2008): 280-289. CQ researcher. Web. Martinez, Lourdes Lewis, Nehama. â€Å"The role of direct-to-consumer advertising in shaping public opinion surrounding prescription drug use to treat depression or anxiety in youth.† Health Communication 14(2009): 105-123. Print. Ziad, Gellad Lyles, Kenneth. â€Å"Direct to consumer advertising pharmaceuticals.† American Journal of Medicine 13.4 (2007): 67-83. Print.

Assignment the Sperm and the Egg Essays

Assignment the Sperm and the Egg Essays Assignment the Sperm and the Egg Essay Assignment the Sperm and the Egg Essay Fortunately though, there Is sexual arousal, which allows a male and a female to Indulge In their desire to satisfy their sexual urges. Their mere desire to mate and create new life. Before sexual intercourse can even happen, a male and a female must catch sight of one another and either notice something desirable, or just have the need to mate. This most likely starts with a look, a touch, or a kiss and ends with the wish of longing, of being together in the most intense way two creatures can be together. Though still before intercourse, there comes this excitement between the two. This causes blood to start flowing to the lower parts of the male and females bodies. Wealth the male, this causes an erection. An erection happens when blood enters the cylinders within the penis that allow it to stand and stiffen; the scrotum that holds the testicles start to swell as well. Within the female, this causes swelling and lubrication of the vulva (including the clitoris) to begin. This causes the inner vaginal lips to become inflated with blood and the sphincters to tighten. The breasts begin to tighten, enlarge, and the nipples harden. All of this arousal causes both parties to take on a reddish flush; both also begin to breathe harder and louder (some call this panting). This Is the beginning of a male and female getting ready to engage in sexual intercourse. In this phase of coitus, the male takes his penis and slowly presses his penis into the females vagina (Rather, 2005). The males internal sexual organs are the testes, which include the tubes that hold the sperm and other organs that help with producing semen. The females internal organs, which are also part of the reproduction process, are the vagina, the cervix, the uterus, the ovaries, and the fallopian tubes. All of these organs have a specific part within sexual intercourse and reproduction. After the males penis enters the outer walls of the vagina, it begins to thrust in and out of the vagina, creating friction and stimulation for both parties. The vulva is extremely lubricated at this point, making the movements of the penis thrusting in and out easier on both. During arousal, the males penis will drip a clear fluid prior to ejaculating. This clear fluid Is secreted from the Coopers glands and Is much clearer and thinner In substance when compared to semen, though It still contains the sperm needed to fertilize an egg In a male, which can cause pregnancy (Rather, 2005). After an undetermined amount of time from a few minutes to a few hours (depending on the person), the males penis will contract and start ejaculating. Semen; which is made up of sperm and other fluids from the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and the Coopers glands flow out from the tip of the penis (also known as the head) and enter the Internal sexual organs AT ten Tamale. I men, rater two cays time, ten Tatterdemalion process can Deign In ova after being released from the ovaries. Thus beginning the initiation of biological production by insemination in the infinitum (Rather, 2005). And this is where John and Jane come into play. John is a sperm. After being released into the internal sexual organs of the female, he becomes free. John happens to be a very strong swimmer and he knew hed have to be fast so that he could reach the egg first. Looking about his competition he knew this would be a great race and a fight to find his love. The warmth and darkness was comforting to John, but he knew he could not rest for his competition was right behind him. This was his only chance in this three- ay lifespan and he knew that if he did not reach the egg, then one of his competitors would. Luckily, John had an amazing sense of direction for being so small and he knew he would be the first to the egg. He was finding his way Just fine, though the Journey was still long and complicated, as well as crowded, leaving John little space to move forward quickly. But John was a fighter; he was not going to back down from this, even with the mass following after him. John continued to swim his way up. And though he began to feel cold, he continued to swim faster and faster. Keeping his competition close by at all times. And finally, after what seemed like days, he spotted the egg. John looked around taking note that there was no one else there, he took his chance. With every last ounce of his strength, John swam up to the egg. At this first and only glimpse, he knew he was in love. He knew that this was going to be his life mate. Introducing himself he met Jane, the egg. Slowly, John entered Jane and they became one. Thus forming a zygote that immediately began developing. But John didnt come empty-handed and neither did Jane.

Go To Hell In Italian - Va AllInferno

Go To Hell In Italian - Va AllInferno While the sentiment isnt simpatico, sometimes youre forced to proclaim it: Go to Hell! It could be in response to a perceived insult, a misdeed, or an instance of road rage on the autostrada. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself in such a situation, there are a number of nuanced ways, ranging from mild to blasphemous and ironic to literal to express your wrath in Italian. Your Own Personal Hell One thing to keep in mind when considering the insult Go to Hell! are the cultural differences between the United States  and Italy. American English speakers, for instance, should take notice that mentioning Hell is not blasphemous in Italy, where â€Å"Va allinferno! - Go to Hell!† is a milder phrase than Vaffanculo! (Mildly translated as â€Å"Up yours!†). If you want to learn more parolacce, or bad words, read this article: 8 Swear Words to Add Sass to Your Vocabulary in Italian.   TIP: The word parolaccia is formed from parola - word and the suffix -accio, which is used to talk about things that are considered bad or unfavorable. Click here to learn more suffixes like this.   As a native Italian points out with regard to similar terms, Gesà ¹! (Jesus!) is more an elderly ladys pious interjection than a blasphemous one. Cristo!, on the other hand, is not exactly blasphemous, but some people might resent the use of the word as an interjection. Hellish Vocabulary Whenever using any of these Italian expletives- whether mild or harsh- be aware that context is critical. While muttering Va a quel Paese! to your friends wont even lift an eyebrow, some of the more creative turns of phrase listed below should only be used if youre absolutely certain that those within earshot wont be offended. Here are some ways, then, to tell someone to Go to Hell! in Italian: Mild expressions: Va a quel PaeseVa’ a fare un giroVa’... Va a ranare (this is dialect)Va al diavoloVa allinfernoVa in mona (regional Venetian)Va un po...Vaffambagno Less mild expression: Vaffantasca Harsh expressions: Va a farti fottereVa a dar via l culo (regional Northern Italian and is really harsh)Vaffanculo Road Sign For Literary Fame So the next time someone provokes you, youll have a number of ways to express how upset you are. And if for some reason, someone tells you to Go to Hell! in Italian, consider it a directive for success. After all, Dante Alighieri figuratively went to Hell in order to write LInferno, the first volume of his three-part epic La Divina Commedia,  and he became famous for it.

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Accounting - Essay Example that would be distributed to holders of each share of common stock if all assets were sold at their balance sheet carrying amounts after all the creditors were paid off. Book value per share is based entirely on historical costs. The bank should not approve a five-year $500,000 loan to Stephens Company due to the times interest earned and debt-equity ratios. Stephens Company’s times interest earned ratio is 3.5, lower than Stephen’s industry (5). Also, the debt-to-equity ratio is 1.036, greater than 0.8 (industry ratio). Both of these figures show that the company earnings are lower than competitors and also that the company relies too much on loans or debt. The current ratio is higher than competitors and the acid-test ratio is lower than the industry average. Most of the current assets are inventory and prepaid expenses, which cannot be converted to money quickly. The gross margin is lower than the industry average and the ability of company to generate profit is low. This company does not have good prospects the long

The Coming Anarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Coming Anarchy - Essay Example Kaplan argues that all these developments which are a result of natural resource scarcity and overpopulation will lead to a global anarchy where war and crime are indistinguishable. Kaplan cites loss of power of central governments, political borders becoming obsolete and transfer of power to security firms and private armies as the reason for the rise of global anarchy (Kaplan, 1994). Kaplan’s thesis of the coming anarchy has great support not only from other scholars and experts in the field but also from general public and political community. The support for the thesis mainly rises by the fact that it has been very accurate in predicting the current events in Africa. Also it has been praised for its broad range of reasoning and thought provoking style. The thesis is not free of criticism. It has attracted a lot of criticism for its unscholarly presentation and unprofessional approach. It is argued that there are many flaws in the argument along with poor interpretation of the findings and methodological errors. This paper is an argumentative essay that refutes the claim that resource scarcity will lead to anarchy. The supporters of the thesis believe in it for the logical explanation that is used to prove it. The environmental scarcity of resources which is due to increased demand as a result of overpopulation, degradation of resources, unequal distribution, etc will result in civil violence. Ecological marginalisation and resource capture will be the causes behind civil violence and this in turn will lead to social effects such as migration, legitimate institutes become disrupted and agricultural production is constrained (Barbier & Homer-Dixon, 1996). The supporters agree with the end result of these will be the one predicted in â€Å"The Coming Anarchy†. Further explanation is that convinces many of its supporters is that as scarcity of natural resources

Community Health & Social Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Community Health & Social Care - Essay Example This research highlights  obesity is a medical condition that arises as a result of an excess of body fat. Obesity is determined using the body mass index (BMI), which is derived using a person’s weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. A person is overweight when the BMI is greater than 25 while obesity is a BMI value of 30 and over. Obesity reduces the quality of a person’s life and makes a person vulnerable to a lot of serious medical complications. Persons suffering from obesity are highly vulnerable to medical complications such as osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases and certain cancers. With such medical complications within a society, health facilities experience a serious strain as well as high mortality rates.From this essay it is clear that  the World Health Organisation points out that the number of people who are obese is higher than the number of overweight people across the world. Drastic change in lifestyle is the main contributing factor to this phenomenon, where many people have tuned to sedentary lifestyles. This lifestyle does not demand a lot physically. In today’s modern world, majority of people are using personal cars, washing machines, lifts and computers, making them less physically active most of the time. Leisure times such as watching TV while eating foods that have high calorie levels increases further a person’s risk of being obese.

Honor System a Professional Responsibility Essay - 1

Honor System a Professional Responsibility - Essay Example They cannot afford any blunder in their behavior which may lead others to think anything in contrast to the behavior and belief which was expected of that person. This set of rules, this guideline that is there to direct members on how to act or more specifically, how NOT to act, is called the honor code. In simple terms, it is there to uphold the honor of the community by avoiding any action which goes against its teachings. There are majorly two types of honor codes. One is academic and the other is for forces. The academic honor code is highly evolved into becoming perfect now. All major colleges and universities have their own honor codes which have been perfected to their own standards by trial and error. Students have found loopholes in each one of them and when discovered, the holes were filled by re writing the code for the new students. The result is that the present honor codes, though different, are very well defined and do not give any excuse to any student to behave in a way regarded as unacceptable. The honor codes for forces are present for all three, the Naval, Air Force and Military. At the heart of these honor codes, is the military honor code. Being trusted by the public for the welfare and security of that whole country, the military honor code is well defined and comprises of the essence of responsibility. It reads that "A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do." (USAF Academy, 1985) This is all very interesting. Surely it shows how thoroughly the code encompasses the whole idea of the organization. The soldier knows by reading the code what his duties and responsibilities are and how to go about fulfilling them. This will help shape his life at the academies. From the very start he knows what is required of him and he will be following a clear cut path towards becoming the sort of soldier and commander that is required and expected of him by the nation.

Weyco & Child Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Weyco & Child Labor - Essay Example It was observed that numerous workers were successful to quit smoking; however, there were certain workers who failed to do so and ultimately were fired (WELCOA, 2005). Contextually, the anti-smoking policy implemented by Howard Weyers, the CEO of Weyco, can be considered as partially correct and justified as it would help the employees to live a healthier life by quitting smoking habits. Conversely, it can be stated that Weyer’s attempt to regulate employee’s tobacco consumption outside organization which can be considered to be conflicting with the privacy interests of the employees (Lype, 2012). Employees, in this context might feel that their rights-to-privacy are being threatened by a certain extent. From a generalized view, it can be stated that employers do not possess the rights to interfere in employees’ personal affairs with no relation to the organizational interests. However, those criticizing Weyco with similar policies needs to consider that compani es have a legal duty to offer a safe and healthy workplace, which might as well comprise of a smoke free air. Withdrawing the paid and sponsored health care benefits to one and all would be a viable alternative in comparison to firing the employees. Consequently, if a greater number of firms attempt prohibiting smoking inside the workplace, it would be a good thing for corporate America. However, cessation of smoking outside organization might not prove as a viable option with greater chances for companies of being exposed to lawsuits on the basis of discrimination and assault of employee privacy. When faced with similar situation, instead of adopting intrusive means, attempts can be made to motivate the employees in participating voluntarily in such programs (Darrow, 2005). Child Labor Child labor can be considered as morally dangerous as well as legally harmful. However, child labor practices have often been witnessed even in today’s modern day scenario. Such practices are fundamentally forced because of poverty when child labor is considered as the only option for the survival. Contextually, it has often been witnessed that various industries, especially apparel industry contractors in major instances practices child labor which has today led to the polarization of these companies in two distinct groups, one being ethically sound and the other being unreliable on ethical grounds. Consequently, apparel manufacturers as well as retailers often have to witness challenges when opting for strategic alliances with contractors without compromising their ethical responsibilities and profitability. With this concern, manufacturers as well as retailers need to motivate the contractors with rewards in order to attain the objective of ethical business practices and to remain competitive in its long-run (Emmelhainz & Adams, 1999). Additionally, code of conduct can be developed for the contractors that will prohibit the use of child labor by a significant extent. However, USA or any other particular country must not be permitted to â€Å"dictate† other nations to conduct their businesses ethically determining the wage rate in those economies. It is in this context that when such authority will be bestowed upon USA, it will become quite likely that the nation would gain greater power in world politics which might cause dissatisfaction amid international trading associations. USA can instead support and set examples on ethical trade practices for other nations. In this regard, price, performance and productivity are often considered to be of secondary importance. It is utmost important for the firm to take ethical considerations when choosing foreign suppliers which can be executed through legal contracts. Additionally,

Honor System a Professional Responsibility Essay - 1

Honor System a Professional Responsibility - Essay Example They cannot afford any blunder in their behavior which may lead others to think anything in contrast to the behavior and belief which was expected of that person. This set of rules, this guideline that is there to direct members on how to act or more specifically, how NOT to act, is called the honor code. In simple terms, it is there to uphold the honor of the community by avoiding any action which goes against its teachings. There are majorly two types of honor codes. One is academic and the other is for forces. The academic honor code is highly evolved into becoming perfect now. All major colleges and universities have their own honor codes which have been perfected to their own standards by trial and error. Students have found loopholes in each one of them and when discovered, the holes were filled by re writing the code for the new students. The result is that the present honor codes, though different, are very well defined and do not give any excuse to any student to behave in a way regarded as unacceptable. The honor codes for forces are present for all three, the Naval, Air Force and Military. At the heart of these honor codes, is the military honor code. Being trusted by the public for the welfare and security of that whole country, the military honor code is well defined and comprises of the essence of responsibility. It reads that "A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do." (USAF Academy, 1985) This is all very interesting. Surely it shows how thoroughly the code encompasses the whole idea of the organization. The soldier knows by reading the code what his duties and responsibilities are and how to go about fulfilling them. This will help shape his life at the academies. From the very start he knows what is required of him and he will be following a clear cut path towards becoming the sort of soldier and commander that is required and expected of him by the nation.

Why is technology such an important part of academic life Essay

Why is technology such an important part of academic life - Essay Example Companies and individuals apply technology in the daily life to achieve certain goals and objectives since technology has the capacity to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, improved performance, and ease of doing work. The academic sector is one of the sectors that rely on technology to achieve certain goals. Notably, technology is very significant to the students as it helps them in learning, research, interacting among other functions. It is thus clear that nowadays technology has become a very important thing in our daily and academic life, because it makes it faster and easier, useful for students, and tutors to be successful in the education sector. Body Numerous benefits make technology an important part of academic life in the modern world and thus we cannot ignore the significance of technology in this sector. The internet is part of the technologies that we experience in academic life where it acts as a great source of information. The technological networks help in passing academic information between students across the globe. Indeed, because of the internet and the presence of technological networks, the academic can now adopt online education where students in very remote areas can access high quality education across the internet (Williams 1). Through online learning, students can acquire online degrees and training courses, which enhance the rise of literacy levels and professionalism in the world. Online learning allows for a flexible acquisition of education, as students are free to learn when they want while they engage in other endeavors. Because of the World Wide Web, academic information can now reach a wide range of academicians through the computer networks. Moreover, the use of technology has made teaching and learning interesting and thus enhancing overall academic performance. Technology derives flexibility in the academic sector where students and tutors can retrieve entertaining information from the internet with little effort. Such information is equally easy to understand thus motivating students to perform better. Technology, which encompasses computers, has the capacity to store and present information that makes the learning process much easier and more effective (Williams 1). This may come inform of lecture notes, educational CDs, PDFs, and various literatures, which reside on certain websites making the access and sharing of academic information more efficient. Additionally, technology improves learning and academic success among rural, urban, and students of all backgrounds and abilities thus helping them to meet their academic goals (Jobe 1). Technology helps new and potential teachers to research on their subjects of concern thus leading to highly qualified tutors who enhance overall academic performance. In fact, technology helps teachers to upgrade their knowledge, skills, and credentials in core academic subjects (Jobe 1).Technology is also significant to school administrators as it helps them to c ollect and store relevant academic data, which consequently helps them to make decisions and implement educational policies (Jobe 1). Technology also enhances online research which promotes analytical and problem solving skills as students work individually and collectively to gather information and draw relevant conclusions. It also encourages the development of learning skills, such as interpersonal, writing, thinking, reading and math skills, information and communication skills (Jobe 1). Technology contributes to the decline in the number of school dropouts, improves student attendance, and motivates students to learning since it makes the process of learning very entertaining and less challenging. More so, technology allows students in their higher education to establish a

Produce a clear understand of the Coca-Cola Company in Australia Essay Example for Free

Produce a clear understand of the Coca-Cola Company in Australia Essay This report was written to satisfy the pass requirements of Marketing in Principles at Sydney Western International College. This study is aims to produce a clear understand of the Coca-Cola Company in Australia. The analysis of the Coca-Coal company brings an overview of how does the company has achieved its goals, their strategies and future growth. The investigation was also seek to find out how this well populated Coca-Cola products satisfied the customers and how they are different from other companies upon their marketing strategies. In order to achieve the objectives literature search was conducted by using websites, books, newspaper articles and journals. These categories help to compare the general marketing strategies with the Coca-Cola company strategies. Useful information regards to marketing help us to study the environment of the company. The final outcome of the report was that they have followed a complete theory on marketing to achieve its goals. Even the company had to face for the decline stage, the performance of the good management and advertising tools assist the organization to win the market and avoid distractions. The biggest challenge was been the Pepsi company which had a diametrical increase within a short time and populated in all over the world as Coca-Cola changing the whole marketing situation and attracting other companies consumers to their product. In conclusion this research was able to carry out current marketing situation, SWOT analysis, Issue Analysis, Company objectives, Marketing Strategy, Action Programs and Controls of the Coca-Cola Company. Strengths in Coca Cola Company (sponsorships) 1. In August 1993, FIFA working in co-operation with The Coca-Cola Company introduced a ranking system for football (soccer) men senior national teams. The system makes it possible to publish comparisons of the relevance strengths of internationally active teams at regular intervals. Since its introduction, the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking has proved to be a reliable measure for comparing national A-teams. To ensure that the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking always reflects the current status, FIFA primarily evaluates matches played in the 12 months prior to the date on which it is issued. Performance over the previous years is also taken into account, however. Basically, the score obtained from the current 12 months is added to that of the immediately preceding seven years with each previous year being devalued continually. The company help for sports it is a charity work 2. Healthy eating, physical activity what promotes healthy bones in growing children and youth? According to a decade of significant research, a combination of exercise and adequate calcium intake encourages good bone development in adolescents and children. To absorb calcium properly, a child also needs sufficient Vitamin D. Some parents wonder if other food and beverage ingredients could influence bone development. Studies on phosphorous and caffeine both used in small amounts in soft drinks have shown they have no significant effect on bone mass. The U.S. National Institutes of Health, as well as other sources, report no appreciable connection between these nutrients and an individuals calcium balance. This position counters a small body of work that has suggested associations between soft drink consumption and bone fractures in teen girls. The company help for childrens activities 3. Community works Society advances on the strength of community: people sharing their ideas and resources to reach common goals. We seek to strengthen local communities worldwide through our support for education, through partnerships with other organizations and through acts of citizenship by the people of Coca-Cola. We support education because of its power to expand opportunities for individuals and increase understanding between cultures. We partner with national and international organizations to alleviate economic disadvantage and help improve the quality of life in local communities. Together with our local bottling partners, we strengthen communities by giving with our hands and our hearts, as partners in the promise of a better life. (Strength, 2004) Weaknesses in Coca Cola Company. The threat of Coca Cola Company is that as their business too much vast compare to this their branches all around the world are not enough. (Our company, 2004) Opportunities in Coca Cola Company In regard to opportunities of Coca Cola Company are the western Philippines island of Pal wan, poverty-stricken children at rural schools have been known to look for edible plants to eat during recess. The Philippines Division of The Coca-Cola Company has launched a community initiative called NutriBreak to improve the daily nutrition intake of underprivileged children who attend Little Red Schoolhouses. Under the nutrition program, the governments Food and Nutrition Research Institute and Banquet State University have partnered to develop a nutritious snack for the schoolchildren. The snack provides kids with the daily requirement of protein and carbohydrates and is served with our vitamin-fortified Eight Oclock orange juice drink, as a part of the Philippines Divisions Active Lifestyle (AL) program. The Little Red Schoolhouse Project, the flagship program of The Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, has already built fifty schoolhouses in the Philippines remote areas. The NutriBreak nutrition program will ultimately reach all fifty Little Red Schoolhouses They try to expand childrens charity works (our company 2003) THE COCA-COLA COMPANY INCREASES ANNUAL DIVIDEND BY 11 PERCENT 40th Consecutive Annual Increase Atlanta, February 21, 2002 The Coca-Cola Companys Board of Directors today announced it has increased the quarterly dividend from 18 cents to 20 cents per common share, equivalent to an annual dividend of 80 cents per share. This increase reflects the Companys significant free cash flow generation. This is the Companys 40th consecutive annual increase of its dividend. The dividend is payable April 1, 2002, to share owners of record as of March 15, 2002. They increased their board of directors Threats in Coca Cola Company The have only one company to challenge for their products it is Pepsi cola company. But however they have a complete control over it. (Threats, 2004) Action Programs As for as new products are concerned they are looking for health-conscious consumers should as consumers first look to nutrient-rich foods to obtain their daily nutrition. In this regard their Chef Barr Hogen is working out. (New releases, 2004) Four New Products, Super Nutrition The new Odwalla juice beverages Blueberry Smoothie, Protein Tropic ale(tm), Passionate C(tm) and Organic Orange Juice are available in 1.5 litre (50.8 fluid oz.) multi-serve recyclable-plastic bottles. Blueberry Smoothie and Protein Tropic ale(tm) are also offered in a new 11 fluid oz. size bundled into handy 4-packs. Suggested retail price for the multi-serve and 4-packs are $3.99 each, providing an affordable price for such premium juice products. These new products will be stocked in the refrigerated juice case, making it convenient for consumers to find them in the store. Drink It and Thrive At Odwalla, they chosen a variety of great-tasting and nutritious fruits, as well as other ingredients call super foods for these new juice beverages and Smoothie, are for healthiness and Wellness. As health-conscious consumers should first look to nutrient-rich foods to obtain their daily nutrition. Too often, consumers turn to pills and powders for what they think is an easy nutritional fix. Juices, however, are a convenient, flavourful and hydrating form of natural nutrition. Chef Hogens newest product recipes include a line-up of four delicious tasting products: * Odwalla Blueberry Smoothie is a blend of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries combined with oranges, apples and bananas to make a sweet and silky Smoothie. The bluesy blueberries boast a blow to free radicals, with a rhapsody of antioxidants and anthocyanins. This 100% fruit juice blend contains no added sweeteners. * Odwalla Protein Tropic ale is a tantalizing blend of tropical fruit juices and purees such as pineapple, mango and passionfruit, combined with 4 grams of soy protein per serving. * Odwalla Passionate C is a scrumptious sipper of orange, apple, mango, banana, strawberry, and acerola cherry (one of natures highest vitamin C-packed fruits) and passionfruit. Each vibrant 8 fluid oz. serving provides 470% of the Daily Value for vitamin C. * Odwalla Organic Orange Juice, made only from certified 100% organically grown oranges, underscores the companys commitment to sustainable agriculture and natural-resources conservation. The Coca-Cola Company objectives Marketing Objectives The company is dedicated to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for its employees, suppliers, contractors and customers. As the company is large it is hard to continue to grow at a steady space. The competition is higher than ever before. And the forthcoming competition and challenge for the company in the targeting markets leads them to be more accurate and more efficient. The company has faced for the big challenge with its main against competitor Pepsi. Since the time the company met this new competitor it has to change its strategies, directors, distribution methods and promotion system. As consumers are drinking more and more new beverages, coca-cola company plan to improve their products with respect to the prices. The following objectives have been taken into consideration (Coca-ColaCCA, 2003) Market Place * Improve the quality of the product and deliver that quality without any changes to every market place. * Gain the success of suppliers, distributors and retailers who connected with the coca-cola network. * Provide more jobs, facilities, and marketing in the local market as well as in the global market. * Reduce the price but remain the quality of product or increase the quality of the product. * Innovation in the products they offer, the process they use to make them, the package they develop and ways they bring them to the market will change to a proper way and increase the efficiency,. The delivery system will faster than ever before. Work Place * Improve the safety of the work place. * Make it as the most diverse organization on the earth, with talented employees who bring a variety of intellectual, professional, ethnic and cultural perspectives to the company. * Make the policies to foster an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to develop and perform to their fullest potential. Consumer Needs * Improve the tasty and provide more hygienic beverages than today. * Offer a valuable price, which satisfied the customer. * Readily available in every time in the market place, especially where in places that the product is well consumed. * Fulfil the consumers expectation in order to satisfy the consumers and win the market place. *Growth Drivers, which company targeting on, are; -Profitable profit generation -Cost reduction -Customer service improvement -Capital Management -The Coca-Cola company relationship Financial Objectives The company is now focusing on the earning per share. They are expecting to increase the earning per share from 12% to 15%. Also expect to increase the net profit from 10% to 15% and return on capital employed growth from 1pt to 1.5pts. The changes of financial performance over the previous years indicate the future growth of the company (Refer Appendix- A and B and C). Current Marketing Situation ? Market Situation The company has a strong place in the market. The head of the marketing Mr. Sergio Zyman develop the company strategies to promote their product more efficiently than other competitors. From the whole beverage the Coca-Cola Company has achieved market more than 78%. With its indulgency, the company has the best selling and quality assurance comparing to other beverages. ? Service Situation The company performs a standard delivery service, which runs on time basis. Services are spread into every state including NSW, Victoria, Perth, and Queensland. High quality service guarantees that the company product exists in the market better than before. Marketing executives of the company always capable and available to help for their customers and resellers. The company well conducted with their wholesalers and retailers in order to encourage them and to be with them. Attract to another competitor is neglected upon this situation. ? Distribution Situation The company has the best selling images. It reserves more on advertising and its been useful and beneficial to increase their profit and production. Introductions like fast-lane merchandisers are continually increase each period. Agreements with colleges, universities and other public and private sectors help them to keep their product in one whole market and avoid entering of other competitors. (Schermehorn etal, 2004 p 46) Conclusion From all above facts and figure of the company. The strength of the company more than the weakness and likewise opportunities with compare to threats it concludes that company has strong swot analysis, which is a positive sign. As for as Current Marketing Situation is concerned with respect to market situation, service situation and distribution situation is much better than its competitors (Pepsi). The company is dedicated to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for its employees, suppliers, contractors and customers; the coca cola company also have many campaigns in markets. Financial Objectives the Coca-Cola Company objectives are increasing day by day which shows that company will increase its sale ratio annually from 11% of the previous year to 20% in next coming 5 years. Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C KEY FINANCIALS 2003 2002 2001 2000 Change in 2000-2003 Revenue ($ million) 1,882.9 1,776.8 1,675.1 1,558.1 +6.5% Volume (million unit cases) 301.2 285.8 275.1 263.3 +4.6% Revenue per Unit Case ($) 6.25 6.22 6.09 5.92 +1.8% EBIT ($ million) 377.7 317.0 288.9 272.0 +11.6% EBIT margin (%) 20.1 17.8 17.2 17.5 Capex to Revenue (%) 5.2 1.7 3.5 4.8 Reference List Coca-ColaCCA, 2003 the CCA World [online] http://www.coca colacca .com _20020301 .html (Accessed: 29-04-04) My company, 2003 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/whatsnew_20030404 .html 24.2KB in: 1, Coca: 1, Cola: 1, Company: 1, opportunities in.: 25 (Accessed: 29-04-04) New releases, 2004 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2cocacolacom/pre sscenter/nr_20030204_odwalla_new_juices.html (Accessed: 15-05-04) Our Company, 2004 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/whatsnew_20020301 .html 23.5KB in: 1, Coca: 1, Cola: 1, Company: 1, weaknesses in.: 23 (Accessed: 29-04-04) Schermehorn etal, 2004 p46. Marketing Strategies: Ed: 4 New York (29-04-04) Threats, 2004 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2.coca cola.com /our company/whatsnew_20020301.html 23.5KB in: 1, Coca: 1, Cola: 1, Company: 1, weaknesses in.: 23(Accessed: 05-05-04)

A Explanation Of Different Financial Terms Finance Essay

A Explanation Of Different Financial Terms Finance Essay The main objective of the Finance Manager is to manage funds in such a way so as to ensure their optimum utilization and their procurement in a manner that the risk, cost and control considerations are properly balanced in a given situation. To achieve the objective the Finance Manager performs the following functions in the following areas:- The need to estimate/forecast the  requirement of funds  for both the short term (working capital requirements) and the long term purpose (capital investments). Forecasting the requirements of funds involves the use of budgetary control and long-range planning Helps to decide what type of  capital structure  the company needs to have return: whether these funds would be raised: from loans/borrowings or from internal source (share capital) To raise sufficient long term funds to finance fixed assets and other long term investments and to provide for the needs of working capital Investment Decision In projects using the various capital budgeting tools like payback method, accounting rate of return, internal rate of return, net present value. Assets management policies are to be laid down regarding the various items of current assets like accounts receivable by coordinating with the sales personnel, inventory with production Dividend Decision Taking into consideration, earnings trend, share market price trend, fund requirement for future growth, cash flow situation and others. Financial negotiation Plays a very important role in carrying out negotiations with the various financial institutions, banks and public depositors for raising funds on favourable terms. Cash Management The finance manager needs to ensure the supply of adequate, timely and cheap fund  to the various parts of the organization. That there is no excessive cash idling around. Evaluating financial performance To need to constantly review the financial performance of the various units of organization generally in terms of ROI (return on investment. Such review assists management in seeing all the funds have been utilized in the various divisions and what can be done to improve it. Dealing with relevant parties in the Financial Markets Where the company is a listed entity, the need to interact with the Stock Exchange To deal with money markets and capital markets for financing or investment of idling funds To foster relationships with bankers, investors, underwriters of equity and bond issuances and other government regulatory bodies. For those who are uninformed, they tend to think the sole function of this position is that of the head of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, but it goes far beyond that capacity. In fact, the finance manager is in charge of any  financing  and accounting function throughout the company. The role of this position involves that of not only financing functions such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Billing, but it also involves that of budget projections and working with the Chief Financial Officer to make sure that the companys funds are stable and assisting with any budget cuts that become necessary. The finance manager is the head of both the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable areas of the company. As such, he will be the one to set policy and direct procedures for both areas of  business. That includes hiring staff based upon need, following budget guidelines for expenses including staffing, assuring that procedures are followed by all staff members, setting reasonable quota system to assure work is completed in a timely fashion, and interacting with department supervisors on a regular basis in order to stay abreast of happenings within the department. The finance manager will also compile reports that show all of the conditions within his department including expenditures, open invoices, production standards, quality control standards, and timeliness of both payment of invoices and processing of payments. The finance manager is also responsible for the billing operation of the Accounts Receivable Department and making sure that guidelines for timely billing are followed as well. The finance manager also is the one who will work with other executives in order to develop the budget for each year. He will work with the Chief Finance Officer and Chief Executive Officer in order to develop an equitable solution for each years expenditures in both staff, office supplies, and any other needs that the company has including training, business trips, out of town meetings, and staff entertainment expenses. The finance manager has a very important position within a company, and his decisions will determine the financial stability of the company, at least within the areas that fall under his control. It is also his job to make certain that other departments and areas of the company follow their budgets and make the most use of the companys  money  by avoiding frivolous expenses. Nature of Financial Management Financial management is that part of total management which is concerned primarily with the financial affairs of an organization and the translation of actions, both past and proposed, into meaningful and relevant information for use in the management process. It includes the functions of budgeting, accounting, reporting, and the analysis and interpretation of the financial significance of past events and future plans. It sometimes also includes other related functions such as internal auditing, management analysis, and others. It is not primarily concerned with the technical procedures and methodology of those individual functions. Rather, it is characterized by the coordination and correlation of those functions into an effective and broad system of financial control that will assure that they, collectively more than individually, become an integral part of the management of the organization. Financial management involves the art of interrelating data to obtain a perspective of the total financial situation that will assist managers in program planning and decision-making. A very simple operating program may require only a minimum of financial management, and this, in some cases, can be provided by the manager himself. Financial Management is also an important field of Management Sciences. It is a combination of Managerial Finance and Corporate Finance. Managerial Finance concerns with the managerial use of financial techniques, whereas on the other hand, corporate finance deals with corporate financial decisions. In both the cases, it is extremely important for Managers in an organization. Financial Management is used to determine the best way to use the  money  available to an organization in order to improve the future opportunities to  earn  money. Thus the financial managers use techniques such as Valuation, Portfolio management, Hedging and capital structure etc for better decisions about the future of an organization. On the other hand, it is also used to interpret financial results in a given year or time period using financial analysis techniques. This helps in judging the actual performance of an organization in that time period. Financial management helps in proper allocation of costs, anticipate future expense, and budgeting for the future. Retained Earnings The accumulated net income that has been retained for reinvestment in the business rather than being paid out in dividends to stockholders. Net income that is retained in the business can be used to acquire additional income-earning assets that result in increased income in future years. Retained earnings are a part of the owners equity section of a firms balance sheet. Retained earnings also called retention ratio or retained surplus, it is the percentage of net earnings not paid out as dividends but retained by the company to be reinvested in its core business or to pay debt.  Retained earnings are one component of the corporations net worth and increase the supply of cash thats available for acquisitions, repurchase of outstanding shares, or other expenditures the board of directors authorizes. It is recorded under shareholders equity on the balance sheet. It is calculated by adding net income to or subtracting any net losses from beginning retained earnings and subtracting any dividends paid to shareholders, as shown here: Smaller and faster-growing companies tend to have a high ratio of retained earnings to fuel research and development plus new product expansion. Mature firms, on the other hand, tend to pay out a higher percentage of their profits as dividends. In most cases, companies retain their earnings to invest them in areas where the company can create growth opportunities, such as buying new machinery or spending the money on research and development. If a net loss is greater than beginning retained earnings, retained earnings can become negative, creating a deficit. Debenture A debenture is a debt instrument, which is not backed by collaterals. Debentures are backed by the creditworthiness and reputation of the debenture issuer. Besides, a debenture is a long-term debt instrument issued by governments and big institutions for the purpose of raising funds. The debenture has some similarities with bonds but the terms and conditions of securitization of debentures are different from that of a bond. A debenture is regarded as an unsecured investment because there are no pledges (guarantee) or liens available on particular assets. Nonetheless, a debenture is backed by all the assets which have not been pledged otherwise. Normally, debentures are referred to as freely negotiable debt instruments. The debenture holder functions as a lender to the issuer of the debenture. In return, a specific rate of interest is paid to the debenture holder by the debenture issuer similar to the case of a loan. In practice, the differentiation between a debenture and a bond is not observed everytime. In some cases, bonds are also termed as debentures and vice-versa. If a bankruptcy occurs, debenture holders are treated as general creditors. The debenture issuer has a substantial advantage from issuing a debenture because the particular assets are kept without any encumbrances so that the option is open for issuing them in future for financing purposes. Usually, debentures are categorized into the following types and their definitions are also given below: Convertible Debenture:  Convertible bonds  or bonds that can be converted into equity shares of the issuing company after a predetermined period of time. Convertibility is a feature that corporations may add to the bonds they issue to make them more attractive to buyers. In other words, it is a special feature that a corporate bond may carry. As a result of the advantage a buyer gets from the ability to convert; convertible bonds typically have lower interest rates than non-convertible corporate bonds. Non-convertible debenture: Simply regular  debenture cannot be converted into equity shares of the liable company. They are debentures without the convertibility feature attached to them. As a result, they usually carry higher interest rates than their convertible counterparts. Corporate Debenture:   Debentures issued by companies and they are insecure in nature. Bank Debenture:  This type of debentures is issued by banks. Government Debenture:  This includes Treasury Bond (T-Bond) and Treasury Bill (T-Bill) issued by the government. They are usually regarded as risk-free investments. Subordinated Debenture:  This is a particular type of debenture, which ranks below regular debentures, senior debt, and in some instances below specific general creditors. Corporation Debenture:  Corporation debentures are issued by various corporations. Exchangeable Debenture:  They are like convertible debentures, but this debenture can only be converted to the common stock of a subsidiary company or affiliated company of the debenture issuer. Seed Capital Seed capital means the initial capital used to start a business.  Seed capital often comes from the company founders personal assets or from friends and family.  The amount of money is usually relatively small because the business  is still in the idea or conceptual stage.  Such a  venture  is generally  at a pre-revenue stage and  seed capital is needed for  research development, to cover initial operating expenses  until a product or service can start generating  revenue, and to attract the attention of venture capitalists. Seed capital is needed to get most businesses off the ground. It  is considered a high-risk investment, but one that can reap major rewards if the company becomes a growth enterprise. This type of funding is often obtained in exchange for an equity stake in the enterprise, although with less formal contractual overhead than standard equity financing. Banks and venture capital investors view seed capital as an at risk investment by the promoters of a new venture, which represents a meaningful and tangible commitment on their part to making the business a success. Frequently,  capital providers  will  want to wait until a business is a little more mature before making the larger investments that typify the early stage financing of venture capital funding. Seed capital in other words can be said as money used as the initial investment for a new product or service launch. Seed capital enables businesses to launch a new product or service without depending fully on a business loan. The funds for this form of financing are typically provided by private investors who are looking for a high return on their investment of at least 30 percent. The investors look to invest in an industry with a market of at least $1 billion, and they also want an industry with few competitors for the business. Businesses that typically obtain seed capital are young companies around one year of age that have not produced a product or service for commercial sale yet. The companies are so new, so it can be difficult to obtain a regular commercial loan that is sufficient for covering all of the related start up expenses. Cash Credit and Overdraft Cash credit  is  a short-term cash loan to a company.  A bank provides this type of funding, but  only after the required security is given to secure the loan. Once a security for repayment has been given, the business  that receives the loan can continuously draw from the bank up to a certain specified amount. This type of financing is similar to a line of credit. Furthermore, cash credit is a facility to withdraw the amount from the business account even though the account may not have enough credit balance. The limit of the amount that can be withdrawn is sanctioned by the bank based on the business cycle of the client and the working capital gap and the drawing power of the client. This drawing power is determined, based on the stock and book debts statements submitted by the borrower at monthly intervals against the security by hypothecating of stock of commodities and/ or book debts. The excess withdrawal of cash is made generally on demand from the customer and the customer has to pay interest on the excess amount he/she has withdrawn. The cash credit facility is quite useful to those businesses where cash payment like wages, transportation, cash purchases are to be made and the receivables are not realized in time. An overdraft facility is a formal arrangement with a bank which allows an account holder to draw on funds in excess of the amount on deposit. Overdraft facility financing is most commonly used by businesses as a way of making their  working capital  more flexible, although it can also be available to individuals. Banks which offer this service typically have a number of expectations from customers who use it, and it is important to be aware of these expectations before entering an overdraft facility agreement. The idea behind overdraft facility agreements is that sometimes one needs a bit more money than is available on deposit to deal with various expenses. For example, a business which is always slow in March and April might like to use its overdraft facility to make  payroll  and keep current with all accounts and creditors. Or, a business might need to make a big one-time expense which exceeds the funds on deposit. With an overdraft facility, people can repay the funds at their convenience. The bank may charge an overdraft fee for accessing the overdraft facility, and the  interest rate  can be higher than that for other types of loans. The bank also has the right to demand repayment in full. Balancing an overdraft facility wisely can free up capital and make people more stable financially, but unwise use can lead people into a spiral of debt which may be difficult to escape. The amount of an overdraft facility is also curbed; people are not allowed to continually take money out and not repay it. The amount of the overdraft is usually pegged to account history and financial information, with the goal of ensuring that people do not end up borrowing more than they can realistically repay through an overdraft facility. The agreed limit can be negotiated with the bank, and some banks are willing to reevaluate if customers feel that their circumstances have changed. Similar to personal overdraft facilities, a business overdraft is a prearranged spending limit with your bank. Many businesses find an overdraft useful for those times when cash flow is a problem for a short period of time. Overdrafts are not a good option for funding larger needs, such as capital or expansion expenses. For these needs it is less expensive to obtain a separate business loan. Business overdrafts  may also be subject to more fees than a personal overdraft. Examples include fees to open the overdraft, to renew the overdraft, or sometimes even a fee for not using the overdraft. When used judiciously, overdraft facilities can be a great help in managing the occasional financial shortfall. Commercial Paper Commercial paper is a form of financing that consists of short-term, unsecured promissory notes issued by firms with a high credit standing. Generally, only large firms of unquestionable financial soundness are able to issue commercial paper. Most commercial paper issues have maturities ranging from 3 to 270 days. Although there is no set denomination, such financing is generally issued in multiples of $100,000 or more. A large portion of the commercial paper today is issued by finance companies; manufacturing firms account for a smaller portion of this type of financing. Businesses often purchase commercial paper, which they hold as marketable securities, to provide an interest-earning reserve of liquidity. Commercial paper is sold at a discount from its par, or face, value. The size of the discount and the length of the time to maturity determine the interest paid by the issuer of commercial paper. The actual interest earned by the purchaser is determined by certain calculations. Commercial paper is not  usually backed by any form of collateral, so only firms with high-quality debt ratings will easily find buyers without having to offer  a substantial discount (higher cost) for  the debt issue. For the most part, commercial paper is a very safe investment because the financial situation of a company can easily be predicted over a few months. Furthermore, typically only companies with high  credit ratings  and credit worthiness issue commercial paper. Over the past 40 years, there have only been a handful of cases where corporations have defaulted  on their commercial paper repayment. There are two methods of issuing paper. The issuer can market the securities directly to a  buy and hold  investor such as most money market funds. Alternatively, it can sell the paper to a dealer, who then sells the paper in the market. The dealer market for commercial paper involves large  securities  firms and subsidiaries of  bank  holding companies. Most of these firms also are dealers in  US Treasury securities. Direct issuers of commercial paper usually are financial companies that have frequent and sizable borrowing needs and find it more economical to sell paper without the use of an intermediary. In the United States, direct issuers save a dealer fee of approximately 5 basis points, or 0.05% annualized, which translates to $50,000 on every $100 million outstanding. This saving compensates for the cost of maintaining a permanent sales staff to market the paper. Dealer fees tend to be lower outside the United States. Bridge Finance Bridge financing  is a method of  financing, used to maintain  liquidity  while waiting for an anticipated and reasonably expected  inflow of cash. Bridge financing is commonly used when the cash flow from a sale of an asset is expected after the cash outlay for the purchase of an  asset. For example, when selling a  house, the owner may not receive the cash for 90 days, but has already purchased a new home and must pay for it in 30 days. Bridge financing covers the 60 day gap in cash flows. Another type of bridge financing is used by companies before their  initial public offering, to obtain necessary cash for the maintenance of operations. These funds are usually supplied by the  investment bank  underwriting  the new issue. As payment, the company acquiring the bridge financing will give a number of  stocks  at a  discount  of the issue price to the underwriters that equally offset the loan. This financing is, in essence, a forwarded payment for the future sales of the new issue. Bridge financing may also be provided by  banks  underwriting  an offering of  bonds. If the banks are unsuccessful in selling a companys bonds to qualified institutional buyers, they are typically required to buy the bonds from the issuing company themselves, on terms much less favourable than if they had been successful in finding institutional buyers and acting as pure intermediaries. There are 2 types of bridging finance which are closed bridging and open bridging. Closed bridging finance is where there is a date for the exit of the bridging finance and is sure that the bridging finance can be repaid on that date. This is less risky for the lender and thus the interest rate charged is lower. Open bridging is higher risk for the lender. This is where the borrower does not have an exact date for the bridging finance exit and may be looking for a buyer of the property or land. Capital Market A capital market is a market where both government and companies raise long term funds to trade securities on the bond and the stock market. It consists of both the primary market where new issues are distributed among investors, and the secondary markets where already existent securities are traded.  In the capital market, mortgages, bonds, equities and other such investment funds are traded. The capital market also facilitates the procedure whereby investors with excess funds can channel them to investors in deficit. The capital market provides both overnight and long term funds and uses financial instruments with long maturity periods. The financial instruments are traded in this market such as foreign exchange instruments, equity instruments, insurance instruments, credit market instruments, derivative instruments, and hybrid instruments. The primary role of the capital market is to raise long-term funds for governments, banks, and corporations while providing a platform for the trading of securities.  This fundraising is regulated by the performance of the stock and bond markets within the capital market. The member organizations of the capital market may issue stocks and bonds in order to raise funds. Investors can then invest in the capital market by purchasing those stocks and bonds.  The capital market, however, is not without risk. It is important for investors to understand market trends before fully investing in the capital market. To that end, there are various market indices available to investors that reflect the present performance of the market. Every capital market in the world is monitored by financial regulators and their respective governance organization. The purpose of such regulation is to protect investors from fraud and deception. Financial regulatory bodies are also charged with minimizing financial losses, issuing licenses to financial service providers, and enforcing applicable laws.   Capital market investment is no longer confined to the boundaries of a single nation. Todays corporations and individuals are able, under some regulation, to invest in the capital market of any country in the world. Investment in foreign capital markets has caused substantial enhancement to the business of international trade.   The capital market is also dependent on two sub-markets the primary market and the secondary market. The primary market deals with newly issued securities and is responsible for generating new long-term capital. The secondary market handles the trading of previously-issued securities, and must remain highly liquid in nature because most of the securities are sold by investors. A capital market with high liquidity and high transparency is predicated upon a secondary market with the same qualities. Money Market The  money market  is a component of the  financial markets  for assets involved in short-term borrowing and lending with original maturities of one year or shorter time frames. Trading in the money markets involves  Treasury bills,  commercial paper,  bankers acceptances, certificates of deposit, federal funds, and short-lived  mortgage-backed and  asset-backed securities.  It provides  liquidity  funding for the  global financial system. The money market consists of  financial institutions  and dealers in money or credit who wish to either borrow or lend. Participants borrow and lend for short periods of time, typically up to thirteen months. Money market trades in short-term  financial instruments  commonly called paper. This contrasts with the  capital market  for longer-term funding, which is supplied by bonds  and  equity. The core of the money market consists of banks borrowing and lending to each other, using  commercial paper,  r epurchase agreements  and similar instruments. The money market is a subsection of the  fixed income  market. We generally think of the term fixed income as being synonymous  to  bonds. In reality, a bond is just one type of fixed income security. The difference between the money market and the bond market is that the money market specializes in very short-term debt securities (debt that  matures in less than one year). Money market investments are also called cash investments because of their short maturities. Money market securities are essentially IOUs issued by governments, financial institutions and large corporations. These instruments are very  liquid  and considered extraordinarily safe. Because they are extremely conservative, money market securities offer significantly lower returns than most other securities.   One of the main differences between the money market and the stock market is that most money market securities trade in  very high denominations. This limits access  for the individual investor. Furthermore, the money market is a dealer market, which means that firms buy and sell securities in their own accounts, at their own risk. Compare this to the stock market where a broker receives commission to acts as an agent, while the investor takes the risk of holding the stock. Another characteristic of a dealer market is the lack of a central trading floor or  exchange. Deals are transacted over the phone or through electronic systems.   Venture Capital Funds Venture capital  (also known as  VC  or  Venture) is a type of  private equity  capital typically provided for early-stage, high-potential,  growth  companies in the interest of generating a return through an eventual realization event such as an  IPO  or  trade sale  of the company. Venture capital investments are generally made as cash in exchange for shares in the invested company. It is typical for venture capital investors to identify and back companies in high technology industries such as biotechnology and ICT (information and communication technology). A  venture capital fund  refers to a  pooled investment  vehicle that primarily invests the  financial capital  of third-party investors in enterprises that are too risky for the standard  capital markets  or  bank loans. Venture capital funds mean an investment fund that manages money from investors seeking private equity stakes in startup and  small- and medium-size enterprises with strong growth potential. These investments are generally characterized as high-risk/high-return opportunities. Theoretically, venture capital funds give individual investors the ability to get in early at a companys startup stage or  in special situations  in which there is  opportunity for explosive growth. In the past,  venture capital investments were only accessible to professional venture capitalists. While a fund structure diversifies risk, these funds are inherently  risky. Most  venture capital funds  have a fixed life of 10 years, with the possibility of a few years of extensions to allow for private companies still seeking liquidity. The investing cycle for most funds is generally three to five years, after which the focus is managing and making follow-on investments in an existing portfolio. This model was pioneered by successful funds in  Silicon Valley  through the 1980s to invest in technological trends broadly but only during their period of ascendance, and to cut exposure to management and marketing risks of any individual firm or its product. In such a fund, the investors have a fixed commitment to the fund that is initially unfunded and subsequently called down by the venture capital fund over time as the fund makes its investments. There are substantial penalties for a Limited Partner (or investor) that fails to participate in a capital call. It can take anywhere from a month or so to several years for venture capitalists to raise money from limited partners for their fund. At the time when all of the money has been raised, the fund is said to be closed and the 10 year lifetime begins. Some funds have partial closes when one half (or some other amount) of the fund has been raised. Vintage year generally refers to the year in which the fund was closed and may serve as a means to stratify VC funds for comparison. This  free database of venture capital funds  shows the difference between a venture capital fund management company and the venture capital funds managed by them. Present Value Present value means the  current worth  of a future sum of money  or stream of cash flows  given a specified rate of return. Future cash flows are discounted at the discount rate, and the higher the discount rate, the lower the present value of the future cash flows.  Determining the appropriate discount rate is the key to properly valuing future cash flows, whether they are earnings or obligations. The calculation of discounted or present value is extremely important in many financial calculations.  For example, net present value, bond yields, spot rates, and pension obligations all rely on the principle of discounted or present value.   If offered a choice between $100 today or $100 in one year  ceteris paribus, a rational person will choose $100 today. This assumes a positive interest rate for the time period. This is described by economists as Time Preference. Time Preference can be measured by auctioning off a risk free security like a US Treasury bill. If a $100 note, payable in one year, sells for $80, then the present value of $100 one year in the future is $80. This is because you ca