Headcrash Essays - Virtual Reality, Bruce Bethke, Cyberspace

Headcrash By Bruce Bethke It takes place in the year 2005. The world has become a world controlled by computers and large multi-billion dollar companies. Our lead character, Jack Burroughs, has an adventure in Cyberspace (on the Internet). In order to understand the plot, one must understand the technology of the time. While most people today have a dial up TCP/IP connection to the Internet running at speeds up to 56Kbs, the Internet connections at that time where immensely greater then what we have today. In the year 2005, one is able to strap on a Virtual Reality suite and actually browse the Internet in real time, meaning a super fast connection to the Internet Now, where does Jack Burroughs fit into all of this? Well, quite frankly, he doesn't really have much to do with it, except that Jack is an employee of MIS, a branch of an immensely large company. His branch of the company provides hardware, software, data, and network support to all the other subsidiaries. The way that the internet and Virtual Reality relates is the fact that Jack spends a lot time in his mothers basement playing around with his VR headset, and other various accessories, in a virtual, multi user dimensional VirtualBar called Heaven. He masquerades around under the alias, MAX_KOOL with his friend, Gunner, or Joe LeMat. The plot of the story really starts to develop when MAX_KOOL is offered a hacking job by an amorous woman named Amber. He is offered 1 million dollars for the job. Having lost his job with MIS just recently, (oh ya, I forgot to mention that. Oh well, now you know) he accepts it. Jack and Joe decide to work together on this one. They take the $10,000 in money to rent a room in an office. Being a very complicated job, Amber sends Jack some new experimental interface to help him. With all the new interface plugged in (and with the ProctoProd sung in its place), Jack and Joe realize that the new interface makes them "Super Users". Super Users can do thing in Cyberspace that defies the laws of the Internet. They are infinitely fast, strong, and see and do things that no one else can do. After setting up their equipment, Jack gets ready to hack into MIS's computer system with his new equipment (Oh ya, he's first assigned to steal files from his old employer, MIS, which he doesn't mind doing.) Being a natural Cybergeek, Jack has no problems. He gets the files and returns them to Amber. It turns out that this last run was just a test set up to test MAX_KOOL's skills. Satisfied with his performance, they get ready to do the real heist, to acquire evidence that this author stole the only copy of another author's book and published it as his own. With the help of some other folk, Jack and Joe brake into the "Castle Frankistilen". In the castle, nothing goes as planned. They go though many different virtual scenarios, and in the end, the alarms goes off as they get the info and the Nazi guards start pouring in. When Jack gets the info, Amber double-crosses him and takes it. After all this confusion, they are all captured and are taken to a mock trial, (with a teddy bear as a judge and a bird as a defense attorney, etc.). The reason for the trial was that the computers in Cyberspace got mad at all the Super Users and decided that either they are going to control everyone or go to a dessert island. This comes to that and Jack is sent off to the island. It turns out that the "Island" is not and island. Jack walks to the other side and gets a job as a towel boy at some hotel, which concludes our story. In this book, I believe that there weren't many major conflicts. The major conflicts are as follows: Person vs. Person and person vs. self. Person vs. person is shown throughout the book. Jack is always in conflict with something, if it's his mother, all the way to Jack vs. Eliza. The more obvious person vs. person was with Jack and Eliza, or with Jack and Melinda. Since Melinda was Jack's boss, they were always arguing and threatening each other. Eliza actually attacked Jack many times in cyberspace in the book, showing a very obvious person vs. person conflict. Person vs. self is shown through jack's alter ego "MAX_KOOL". Jack secretly longs to be like MAX_KOOL,

Discuss evolutionary explanations of human aggression Essay Example

Discuss evolutionary explanations of human aggression Essay Example Discuss evolutionary explanations of human aggression Paper Discuss evolutionary explanations of human aggression Paper The evolutionary view states that all aggressive behavior is a product of genetic programming and inheritance. Every individual is genetically programmed to maximize their fitness. There are two ways 1) reproducing and generating 2) by avoiding predation or by being successful predator.  There are many types of aggression. Male on female aggression – the men uses the violence to keep the women faithful to him. Miller study show that 55 % of battered wives perceived jealousy as reason for husband’s behaviour. The implication is that 45% of women reported that there was no jealousy so other factor must contribute. This explanation is reductionist , because it assumes that there is only one cause. Shackeford investigated the relationship between a women’s age , her husband’s age and the risk that he will murder het. This study found that older man are more likely to kill the younger women. The implication of this is that younger women are more fertile therefore more desirable. From evolutionary theory point of view this iis a product of men’s evolved sexual proprietaries. A second evolutionary explanation of human aggression is the evolution of homicide. One cause of aggression could be a lack of resources. Daly and Wilson carried out a study in Brazil and found that approximately 40% of victims and killers were men that were unemployed and around 70% of male victims and killers were not married. So, the inability to attract a long term partner and a lack of resources appears to lead to social competition and therefore aggression. The study also only looked at young adults in western culture, therefore the results may not be generalist across HTH human species like the evolutionary explanation suggests they should be. This explanations, and in particular Chalkboards supporting study, has stroll and very useful real world applications. The explanation results from the study, can be used o help predict and indicator partners who are likely to exert aggression through the posits between that and mate retention strategies. There is great value in being at to predict and indicate partners who could become aggressive to partners because it could mean less females may suffer domestic violence. If early warning signs like emotional manipulation are identifiable and associated, it can allow them to have time to leave the relate unships before it comes violent or attend relationship therapy before the situation escalate into physical violence (Adobes+Debase 84). This will reduce the amount Of abusive relate( SSH pips.

Security Assessment Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Security Assessment Report - Assignment Example Every one is seen with an access control ID card. Each of it has a unique face and name of the employee, name of the company and the person specific to the job. Any employee or site visitors who pass around in the authorized sections of the building are seen. This is not enough to avoid adjacent occupancies as the company shares a common ground from the neighboring company. Pedestrian traffic pattern is not appreciative though a preventive measure is suggested in the check list. Visitors parking and illumination is a matter of concern which needs proper demarcation and understanding from neighbors. In most of the cases the cases customer equally suffers with the company if any fire accident occurs. The company has faced severe fire hazard in the year 1999. Since then it has installed NICET certified designs of gadgets. Whose works is The company has a limitation to an extent as there aren’t proper policies set, there is no in-house fire brigade and there is no fire notification plan. These are being worked on and have confidence to come up with good solutions. This system usually enables identification of unfamiliar objects such as inventory items, employees, cards or labels that have entered without labels. This system is based on Anti-Collision algorithm which enables to read a large amount of tagged items at a single go. These gadgets are called UHF RFID readers which are compatible to Electronic Product Code open standards. The policies such as ex-employees information should be wiped off from the data base after two years from termination; expired bank loan’s details, partnership details which are no more followed are usually destructed from the data base but stored in a separate secret disk to retrieve if legal problems occur. Security providers like Armour security services are given this job to do the clean up and training if needed. The company is legally strong in its clearance of land issues, its employee rights, and

Health Program For Latina Immigrant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Program For Latina Immigrant - Essay Example The other most important thing that I should be aware is the mode of greeting in which most of the Latin people are welcoming and mostly use hugs and cheek kisses as a mode of greeting. Knowing this will ensure I behave according to in order to show my gratitude. Politeness is also a key value and thus noting that interrupting someone shows disrespect. I will huddle this during the program period. Religion and family are highly valued and thus being conversant with the Roman Catholic Church doctrines will make it easier not to respect them in my teachings. Most of the Latin Immigrants are not well educated thus using a program in Spanish to suit them, this is better than translating a program made in English. The props used should be also in Spanish and as an educator; I would involve Spanish entertainment and their cultural foods to win their hearts. Since most of them are not well educated, it is wise to ESL approach, which will captivate more interest with all the people that want to learn English. Lastly, I would participate fully with the church thus create an admirable image thus; people would be welcoming and willing to listen to me.Would your program be for the person, extended family, or neighborhood?My program will be for the extended family since the Latin culture values it most. This will make my bonding experience easier since most of the immigrants have no documents and are afraid of being deported. These immigrants will secure to have classes in their homes.

Challenges in the Cereal Market

Challenges in the Cereal Market The purpose of this report is that to let the readers know the challenges and competition in Cereal and Snacks of UK and rest of the world. This report is sculptured on Kelloggs the market leader of cereal and breakfast industry of UK. This report consists of detail company analysis using SWOT* analysis, PESTEL** analysis and using Marketing 4 ps*** and Porter Five Forces to highlight the industry. The objective of the report is to outline the marketing plan of Kelloggs and then critically evaluate the plan making the recommendations. Further then this report is going to highlight effects of technology on Kelloggs operations and how Kelloggs is benefiting from new media i.e Internet. The end of the report some focus is upon the Kelloggs Sustainability plan and recommendations for further improvements. * SWOT Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats ** PESTEL Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal *** 7ps- Product, Price, Promotion and Place Contents Marketing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2) About Kelloggs and market analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3) Kelloggs Marketing Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4) SWOT ANALYIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5) PESTEL Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6) Kelloggs 4 Ps†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7) Kelloggs Product life Cycle†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8) Impact of technology on Future Marketing Plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9) Sustainability and Kelloggs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10) References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Marketing Marketing is the management process of Identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer needs and requirements profitably. Chartered Institute of Marketing So the main functions of marketing is to Identify and Anticipate what are the needs and wants of the customer and analysing what the competitors are providing at the moment and what further new and better product and service the Organisation can provide. The Main aim here is to know and understand the customer so well that product or service fits accordingly to customer requirements and sells itself. Secondly the important aim of marketing is to satisfy the customer. So the companies provide the combination of products and services to satisfy the needs and wants of the customers. Kotler describes marketing as the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. To do this successfully, firms need to embrace a culture of market orientation and put the customer at the forefront of everything they do. Communication of the marketing strategy and plan across the organisation plays a vital part in making this happen. Philips Kotler There is misconception among the people that marketing is all about advertising and selling i.e. Telling and selling, although they are important but they are only the tip the marketing iceberg. Selling and telling occurs after the product is complete and ready to launch to market, in contrast marketing starts long before the company has a product. Marketing is all about assessing the needs of consumers, measure their extend intensity and estimate whether there is a profit opportunity exist. Marketing is of such importance that is continues from the product development to market withdrawal, and its main function during this period is to acquire new customers and keep the current customers locked in by improving product appeal and performance and giving customer a good after sales service with constant product updates. According to the Marketing guru Peter Drucker, The Aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary this is done by understanding the customers so well that the product and service sells itself. Marketing is a five step process; Understanding the Marketplace and Customer needs and wants Design Customer-Driven Strategy Construct a Marketing Programme that delivers superior value. Build Profitable relationship and customer delight Capture Value from customer in return. Kotler one of the famous Marketing author describes marketing as a Process by which companies create value to the customers and build a strong relation in order to capture value from customers in return in the form of Current and future sales, market share and profits. Companies should provide good quality service and superior products to customers to satisfy them and in return win customer loyalty and future sales. To create value for the customer the company should have a Customer-driven marketing strategy and the customer driven strategy looks upon two basic questions, What customers will we serve and how can we serve these customers best. The company must first decide who it will serve, for this company divides the market into segments and selects the segment it will go for. After selecting the target customer then company decides how they are going to differentiate and position itself in the marketplace. One important role of marketing is that to lock the customer with continuou s good quality service and to provide innovative products at regular intervals and once the customer is locked in, and then most important step is to build a profitable customer relationship. Kelloggs About Kelloggs: Kelloggs is a prominent player in the world of Breakfast and produces more than three out of 10 packets eaten in UK. Kelloggs has 42% of UK market share, this makes Kelloggs a market leader and in 2009 it was Britains biggest grocery selling brand with sales of  £550 million and global sales of nearly 12 billion. Kelloggs products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries and it employs around 32000 employees. The Company Products including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles and veggie foods. Kelloggs markets its products under a variety of brands include Rice Krispies, Special K and Nutri-Grain. Vision and Mission Kellogg Companys Vision and Mission statements define our focus upon sustainable growth, our broadened definition of social responsibility and the true strength of our company our people and our brands. Our Vision encompasses the full spectrum of our stakeholders including shareowners, employees, customers, consumers and communities.   Our Mission articulates where we are as a company today and where we wish to be in the future. Our Vision and Mission do not stand alone.   They are integrated with our focused strategy and operating principles as well as the foundations of our business: our K Values, people and commitment to social responsibility. http://www.kelloggcompany.com Kelloggs Marketing Plan and Strategies The cereal giant Kelloggs being the Market leader in the world of breakfast has plans to further increase its market share with the help of new innovative products and new marketing campaigns. Kelloggs chief marketing officer Mark Baynes said in an marketing Magazine We are aiming to create a team inspired, equipped and enabled to drive stronger returns in this increasingly complex consumer landscape. As per Mark Baynes the company marketing plan is to drive stronger returns in the complex business environment as last year Kelloggs reported six per cent drop in the earnings in the third quarter, which is because of increasing competition in the cereal industry, General mills, Nestle being the biggest competitor of Kelloggs followed by Quaker Oats. So the main Marketing and Business plan of Kelloggs is to Leadership in product innovation Strengthening the companys seven largest market segments Continuing to reduce the Cost and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the business processes Investing in new product research and brand building activities Thinking ethically and environmentally. SWOT ANALYSIS The SWOT analysis is an analysis of the companys current position in the light of its strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats. Kelloggs Strengths: Kelloggs biggest strength comes from its 42% market share and being market leader Brand is fully recognised by the customers and the retailers. Providing Quality innovative products with the support of proper marketing campaigns and sound distribution channels. High product demand gives Kelloggs main shelf space in the shops and Retailer like ASDA, TESCO etc. Kelloggs have products targeting childrens, teenagers, adult and even the elders. This gives Kelloggs reputation of proving products for everyone. Social Responsibility: Kelloggs welcomes social responsibility and notes the environment, advocating healthy lifestyles, and promoting diversity as its main responsibilities. Kelloggs Weakness: Slow erosion in Global market share as competitors like Nestle and Wheatabix are providing new and economic valued products. Kelloggs has many demographically different customers which mean many different focuses. This may cause a conflict when it comes to public opinion Kelloggs Opportunities: Kelloggs can slowly diversify and still remain into their core business. This could further increase their profitability and market growth. There can further increase their market share and growth by using better pricing strategy. Major opportunity for Kelloggs is to provide health and more organic products as customers are looking for healthier life-style. Kelloggs Threats: Retailers like ASDA, Tesco are so powerful that they have created their own brand of cereals and corn flakes. Providing cheaper and better quality alternative products. The world economy is suffering, so customers prefer economical n cheap products. Kelloggs charging premium prices can hinder in its growth. Competition in the market is increasing day by day as many companies like Quarters , Nestle wheata bix and other brands are coming with new and healthy breakfast products, this increases pressure on kelloggs to provide even better products with reasonable price. PEST ANALYSIS Political: Social health Conscious†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦fast paced Life style†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ obesity Kelloggs 4 Ps: The main objective of marketing plan is to create a strategy and goals that ultimately satisfy customer needs. The main part of marketing plan consists of its marketing mix, to satisfy customers the company is to provide quality products with suitable distribution channels i.e Place with competitive and reasonable Price with appropriate Promotion. Products: Product is anything that is offered to the market for the attention, acquisition, use and consumption that satisfy the wants and needs of the customer. Kelloggs being the market leader in product innovation by launching new cereals and snacks

Company Analysis Tim Hortons Essay

Tim Hortons is one of North America’s largest developers and franchisors of quick service restaurants with 4,485 system-wide restaurants as of year-end 2013 (Annual Report 2013). Tim Hortons is among the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada by a wide measure. In Canada, they command an approximate 42% share of the quick service restaurant traffic. Tim Hortons Inc. has iconic brand status in Canada and strong consumer awareness in the U.S. market (Annual Report 2013). According to Ready Ratios (2014), the most important financial ratios to assess a company’s financial picture are: 1. Debt to Equity Ratio= Total Liabilities / Shareholders Equity 2. Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividend per share / Total Net Earnings 3. Return on Equity= Net Income / Shareholder’s Equity 4. Net Profit Margin= Net Profit / Net Sales Debt-to-Equity Ratio The debt-to-equity ratio is a quantification of company’s financial leverage estimated by dividing the total liabilities by stockholders’ equity (Bruns 1992). This ratio indicates the proportion of equity and debt used by the company to finance its assets. It is really important to know about what the debt-to-income ratio number indicates. This number needs to be as low as possible. The less debt relative to the income indicates that a company is financially better off because there is extra money to apply towards future goals. Referring to Appendix B, Tim Hortons debt to equity ratio is at 0.34 and has been steady for the past six years. This shows that the corporation has available money on hand to apply toward their financial goals. Dividend Payout Ratio The dividend payout ratio is used to examine if a company’s earnings can support the current dividend payment amount. The statistic is calculated by taking the dividend and dividing it by the company’s total net earnings (Bruns 1992). Investors usually seek a consistent and/or improving dividends payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio should not be too high. Growing companies will typically retain more profits to fund growth and pay lower or no dividends. Companies that pay higher dividends may be in mature industries where there is little room for growth and paying higher dividends  is the best use of profits. Dividends are paid in cash; therefore, high dividend payout ratio can have implications for the cash management and liquidity of the company. According to Little, dividend payout ratios over 100% means that the company is paying out more to its shareholders than earnings received (2014). This is typically not a good recipe for the company’s financial health; it can be a sign that the dividend payment will be cut in the future. According to Appendix B, Tim Hortons dividend payout is at 38.52% and has been consistent over the previous five years. This shows that the corporation has been re-investing profits to meet their future financial goals. Return on Equity (ROE) The return on equity is the amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity (Bruns 1992). The return on equity estimates the profitability of a corporation by revealing the amount of profit generated by a company with the money invested by the shareholders. According to Kennon, a business that has a high return on equity is more likely to be one that is capable of generating cash internally (2014). The higher a company’s return on equity compared to its industry, the better. According to Appendix B, Tim Hortons ROE is currently at 32.46%. The subsequent five years has shown similar percentages except for year 2010. The ROE was actually 53.29%. Looking at Appendix C, the ROE comparison between Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts shows that Dunkin Donuts has been making steady improvements during the past 5 years and as of year ending 2013 has surpassed Tim Hortons ROE. According to Wong, Dunkin Donuts is the second largest coffee chain after Starbucks with over 7000 outlets, far ahead of Tim Hortons and the company is preparing to expand to the western U.S. (28 August 2014). Net Profit Margin The net profit margin is a number which indicates the efficiency of a company at its cost control (Bruns 1992). The profit margin ratio shows what percentage of sales are left over after all expenses are paid by the business. A higher net profit margin shows more efficiency of the company at converting its revenue into actual profit. This ratio is a good way of making comparisons between companies in the same industry, because similar companies are often subject to similar business conditions. Tim Hortons net  profit margin for year 2013 was at 13.04% and for the previous 5 years has been stable (Appendix B). A comparison between Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts (Appendix D), shows that Tim Hortons net profit margin for 2013 was approximately 7% lower than Dunkin Donuts. While Tim Hortons has had a steady profit margin, Dunkin Donuts has increased their profit margin by 14% over the last five years. Conclusion Reviewing the ratios that were presented indicate that Tim Hortons has been a stable profitable company. Their debt to equity ratio has been consistently low, dividend payout ratio has been steady at 38%, return on equity has been consistently between 30 and 50% and the net profit margin has been constant at 13% (appendix B). A review of appendix B shows that the ratios presented have been consistent; however, on August 27 2014 Burger King announced that a deal had been reached to buy the Canadian donut chain (Isidore & Sahadi, August 2014). Many have speculated that the main reason for the merger was to reduce the business taxes paid by the corporation. Looking into the future, the Burger King acquisition may hurt the financial stability of Tim Hortons in the U.S. markets due to loyalty. I think the merger between the two corporations will take a few years to solidify. Until then I would invest due to the constant stability of the company financials and re-evaluate after a year.

Analysis and Questions for the poem Daddy Essay

1. Discuss the poet’s use of apostrophe in its direct address to the father figure. How does Plath stage that address as a kind of declaration of independence in the decisive tone with which she at once judges and dismisses the father? The poem Daddy, written by Sylvia Plath, is a text which reveals to the reader, the nature of the persona’s relationship with her father as well as the impact that her father’s death had on her. Being a confessional poem, the reader can assume that it is about Plath herself. The purpose of this poem is so that Plath can purge herself of her emotions as she feels abandoned by her father after his death. The very title gives away the fact that Plath’s emotional growth has been stunted and that she feels like an abandoned child. Throughout the poem, Plath uses many stylistic devices. She is successful in creating a tone of hatred, disgust, and finality. Relationships with men were not her strong point by any means, and Plath’s negative attitude towards men is clear. One of her stylistic devices is the use of apostrophe. An apostrophe in a poem is a group of words that are spoken to a person who is absent or imaginary, or to an object or abstract idea. In the poem, the speaker’s use of apostrophe illustrates an attitude of power. Apostrophe is the next best thing to talking directly to the father, which is impossible, as he is dead. The speaker has conquered her fears, she was able to kill the father inside of her, and an ultimate demonstration of power is the ability to address someone directly, without having to hide behind the cloak of a method other than the second person. In the last lines, the apostrophe gives more power to the poem. â€Å"Daddy, daddy, you bastard,† has more effect on the audience than, â€Å"Daddy was a bastard.† 2. Consider how the poet’s sing-song rhyme pattern of the opening stanza darkly invokes a childhood world of Mother Goose rhymes appropriate to the poet’s regression back into the role of daughter to the dead patriarch. The structure of the poem is similar to that of a nursery rhyme, which reveals Plath’s child mentality. An analysis of the straight rhyme scheme lulls the reader into a hypnotic state and the language is relatively free from the kind of ominous and dark imagery and terms that will arrive as the poem by Sylvia Plath progresses. This nursery rhyme’s innocence is obliterated quickly with each and with the images and language of Nazism and several weighty references to horrible wars. The first stanza writes: You do not do, you do not do Any more, black shoe In which I have lived like a foot For thirty years, poor and white, In this stanza, the poem starts with the speaker declaring that she will no longer put up with the black shoe she’s lived in, poor and scared, for thirty years. She uses the second person throughout the poem, saying â€Å"you,† who, as we find out, is â€Å"Daddy.† This means that she is comparing her father to a shoe that she has been living in very unhappily, however, she is not going to put up with it anymore. This stanza reminds the reader of a nursery rhyme – the old woman who lived in a shoe. The repetition of â€Å"you do not do† in the first line even makes this stanza sound a little singsong-y. But this is no happy nursery rhyme – the speaker is poor, and won’t dare to breathe or sneeze, meaning that she feels trapped and scared. 3. How does Plath capture the ambiguity of her relation to the dead patriarch in her pun on the word through in the last lines of the poem? The poem reaches its crescendo with the line â€Å"Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I’m through†. The speaker has threatened that she’s through with her father before, in line 68. But the repetition of the word â€Å"Daddy† here, the addition of the word â€Å"bastard,† and the phrase â€Å"I’m through† makes this condemnation final. Before this, the speaker has used the word â€Å"Daddy† only four times in an 80-line poem, not counting the title. Using this affectionate term for father twice in the last line makes it sound almost like she’s beating on his chest to get her point across. The use of the word â€Å"bastard† seems to be what this poem has worked itself up to. The speaker has tried out every way possible to criticize her father – he’s a Nazi, the devil, and a vampire. But, in the end, she just wanted to get out a good verbal punch, calling her father a bastard. Furthermore, in this line, the contrast brings to light the destructive conflict in the speaker’s mind, that of loving and hating her addressee simultaneously. 4. The poem draws an analogy between women’s oppression and that of the Jewish victims of the Nazi death camps. Do you think this analogy is appropriate? The themes prevalent in this poem are oppression and emancipation. The notion of oppression is evident when Plath uses the metaphors Nazi’ and Jew’ to describe her father and herself. This imago connotes that she is dependent on her father for survival as well as the fact that she is battling an internal war inside her and that she at this point, is a victim because of her father’s abandonment. Her mental suffering is further reinforced by the allusions to the Nazi concentration camps, as it reinforces the fact that she is a victim and that she is unable to escape from the psychological hold that her father has on her. This analogy does make sense in the poem however it is a very drastic and dramatic example.