Morning in the Burned House

Morning in the Burned House Margaret Atwood â€Å"Bare child’s feet on the scorched floorboards (I can almost see) In my burning clothes, the thin green shorts And grubby yellow T-shirt Holding my cindery, non-existent, Radiant flesh. Incandescent. † Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood is a poem describing the mind of a burned house and of how it is tormented by pain and evil; and yet, in the midst of this darkness, there is light to guide the soul of the house to safety and into a world of peace and forgiveness.The two stanzas chosen for this analysis are the final two stanzas, in which pain and peace are both shown in different perspectives. â€Å"Bare child’s feet on the scorched floorboards† is metaphorically showing how the house’s soul’s past is connected to the present, how it’s first memories are still in its mind, though everything else is gone. The only thing connecting the house to its past are the footprints on t he floorboards. The â€Å"scorched floorboards† represent the darkness in its life; how darkness has taken over everything in the house’s life and mind.The child’s footprints are also a symbol of guidance; they guide the mind of the house to safety and protection through evil and danger. â€Å"(I can almost see)† describes how the darkness is very thick, the hatred and anger almost hides the light of happiness. The darkness nearly blinds the house’s soul in despair and pain, yet it can faintly see the light of hope on the other side, see that all was well before the tragedy had happened. In my burning clothes, the thin green shorts and grubby yellow T-shirt† is giving the reader a small image of the house itself, of how it is burned to its skeleton, the green shorts being the lawn, the yellow T-shirt being the paint on the walls and the outside of the house. The colors portray the image of happiness and calm, but the word â€Å"grubby† gives it another image. â€Å"Grubby† now tells of how the house, even though it looks fine from a faraway distance, as you move closer, you see there are many flaws, that the house is not as perfect as you imagined.The house is attempting to show its happiness and get over the pain of being burnt and left behind, and yet, in its â€Å"protective shell† there are cracks that grow into crevices over time. â€Å"Holding my cindery, non-existent, radiant flesh† The house’s soul is explaining how these bright colors, though just the outer layer of this house, it holds the real â€Å"house† together, just like the other parts of the house mentioned in the poem such as the spoon, the dishes, and the kettle hold the house together, to keep the house’s mind from collapse and defeat.The flesh is radiant means the core of the house; the â€Å"mind† of the house is still safe, still pure and unsoiled by evil. â€Å"Incandescent† This fin al word of the poem summarizes the whole poem into one word. This one word describes all the positive thoughts, hopes, memories, and wishes of this devastated house, how even at the worst moments and after the tragedy, there is still something good within the house. It represents the goodness of this house, and what it has learned from suffering. But, the word incandescent also represents evil and suffering, because the fire that ruined this house was bright and hot.The fire showed all what pain had done to this house, showed its true feelings. Therefore, incandescent is what completes this poem; it shows both sides of the house’s mind and soul, how it is tortured, and yet, it is still protected by hope. Without incandescence, there would be no fire, and without fire, this poem would never have started, because fire was what caused the house’s soul to discover happiness and learn from pain. The theme of this poem is protection and weakness. Weakness because of torture and consequences, but protection because of hope, belief, and desperation.Most of the poem talks of light or dark, each side representing how the house feels. In the beginning of this poem, you see the bare skeleton of the house, the nakedness without safety. As you read on, and especially into the last stanzas, you feel a sense of protection, as if the house has something more than just its skeleton standing. The final two stanzas (those I have chosen) summarize the house’s feelings, how protection and destruction are linked together, and how one cannot be anything without the other. The last two stanzas also show the character maturing and growing, as they learn to survive.

False memories in bilinguals: The influence of different languages on veridical and false recalls.

Introduction The question of how two different languages can affect the memory of bilingual individuals has consistently been present throughout the literature in psychology (Altarriba, 2003; Marmolejo, Dilberto-Macaluso and Altarriba, 2009; Schrauf, 2000). Researchers have been curious to discover whether these languages are both stored in the same parts of the mind, how they affect the memories of bilingual individuals, what the advantages and disadvantages are of knowing two languages, and whether being bilingual affects the individual’s ability to recognise and recall information. The inquisition of these issues has inspired the undertaking of the present research, which sought to ascertain how bilingualism affects false recall in the memories of the individuals associated with an orientation towards using the Greek and English languages. A false memory is a mental experience which is mistaken as veridical representation of an event from an individual’s past (Johnson & Raye, 1998). False memories can manifest in both minor and major forms, having significant implications both for the individual and for others (Johnson & Raye, 1998).. For example, one may have a false memory as minor as believing that they saw their keys in the kitchen, when in actual fact they are in the living room; or one may have a false memory as major as believing that they were the inventor of a famous idea, or that they were sexually abused as a child (Johnson & Raye, 1998). The nature of false memories is not limited to confusion between reality and imagination. Elements from various perceived events, such as television news and a fictional novel, may also be confused. This is known by psychologists as source confusion or misattribution and can be described through the Source Monitoring Framework (SMF) (Johnson, Hashtroudi & Lindsay, 19 93). The literature highlights the importance of understanding that although memories have been confabulated; it does not mean that the original information was lost. Thus, representations of perception and those which have been constructed by the mind may both be stored in the memory and manifest under different conditions (Johnson, 1981; Reyna & Brainerd, 1995). With regards to language orientation, the knowledge and use of more than one language has been found to be one of the conditions in which false memories are manifested (Sahlin, Harding & Seamon, 2005). Effort has been made to elaborate on this condition throughout this introduction. Researchers have proposed that false memories can cross language boundaries through the findings that conceptual representations of words provide an appropriate climate for false memories to appear in as opposed to specific lexical representations, where errors in memory were found to be significantly decreased (Sahlin, Harding & Seamon, 2005). These findings were tested by the notion that bilingual witnesses are equally as susceptible to post event misinformation, whether it was presented in the same language as the actual event, or in another language that they speak (Shaw, Garcia & Robles, 1997). The fact that language context makes no difference to post event misinformation provides sufficient grounds to inquire whether there are any differences at all in false memory recall between monolinguals and bilinguals. Theory indicates that bilinguals process information in a different way to monolinguals (Bialystok, Craik & Luk, 2012; Martin et al., 2012; Wang et al., 2011). The reason for this has been suggested as the notion that bilinguals tend to encode experiences and information in two languages rather than one (Grosjean, 1989). Where monolinguals utilise only one language in their minds during the encoding process, bilinguals utilise two, which has been found to have a significant effect on memory performance when comparing bilingual and monolingual individuals (Ardila, 2014; Paivio, 2014). For example, bilingual individuals have been found to combine languages, resulting in a more enhanced cognitive performance in recognition and recall of information than monolinguals (Francis, 1999). These findings provide further grounds to investigate the extent to which cognitive processes are at an advantage through bilingualism, and whether bilingualism could result in more false memories than monol igualism. Thus, with reference to the difference that language context could make to one’s memory performance, it has been suggested that language may be used as a retrieval cue when eliciting memories from past experiences (Altarriba, 2003), suggesting that the original language context plays a significant role in the quality and nature of the memories retrieved (Godden & Baddeley, 1975). Consequently, this provides implication for further research as it lays a foundation for the speculation that bilingual individuals may be more susceptible to false memory, signifying a disadvantage as opposed to the enhanced cognitive processing that was suggested by the findings of Francis (1999). It may be suggested that the reason for the differences between monolingual and bilingual recall is due to the functioning of the phonological loop, a short term memory system for auditory information acting as ‘the mind’s voice’ when processing information (Lindberg, 2005). The phonological loop plays a crucial role in learning new words in native and foreign languages (Salame & Baddeley, 1986). Researchers propose that acquisition of a new language expands the phonological loop allowing the individual to access a larger store of sounds and words (Salame & Baddeley, 1986). However, the effects that the cognitive enhancement has on the Long Term Memory and the overall functioning of the Working Memory has been suggested to leave bilinguals at a disadvantage, as the literature also suggests that processing words in a second language consumes additional working memory resources in bilinguals (Service et al, 2002). This suggests that overall memory performance in bilinguals is reduced because of increased concentration on the textual definition and relationship between words (Service et al, 2002). Therefore, it is appropriate to question if false memories could be a result of reduced working memory performance, or whether they are a result of enhanced cogn itive processing in bilingual individuals. In order to understand the concept of working memory of bilinguals better in its relation to false memory, it is relevant to consider how false memories are created. Memories can include errors at the time of encoding becoming distorted (Roediger & McDermott, 1995). According to some, false memories may also be created by external suggestion (Loftus, 1997; Zhu et al, 2010), such as when someone suggests that an event had occurred in early childhood, and this information is retained by the individual as a memory, thus forming the basis of a false memory. This is named the misinformation effect phenomenon, as the misleading information, which is given to the individual, causes them to create false recollections of an event (Loftus, 1979; Loftus, and Hoffman, 1989; Tousignant, Hall, & Loftus, 1986). This phenomenon has also been shown to occur in a number of individuals from various backgrounds (Frenda, Nichols, and Loftus, 2012), including th ose who have been asked to recall events as eyewitnesses (Loftus, 2013; Patihis et al, 2013; Shaw, Garcia, & Robles, 1997). Consequently, the misinformation effect phenomenon may offer one explanation for the creation of false memories in the working memory. With regards to language orientation, experiments provide evidence to show that false memories may also be created because of the events that bilingual individuals recall in association with the words that they have been shown during experiments (Deese, 1959). This idea is pertinent to the creation of false memories in bilingual individuals, therefore, to further investigate this phenomenon, the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm was used as a methodology in which false memories were studied (Deese, 1959; Roediger, & McDermott, 1995). In a number of studies, participants were asked to recall a list of words, associated with one word in particular. For example, sadness may be associated with tears, pain, grief, unhappiness, sorrow, gloom, despondency, desolation, or melancholy. The word sadness is not shown in any of the lists, but the associated words are. The participants are then asked to recall as many words as they can remember. Results of the studies show false memories to be evident in the participants (Cann, McRae & Katz, 2011; Gallo, 2010; Koriat, Pansky & Goldsmith, 2011). This suggests that words hold semantic power and have the ability to influence memories by filling in any ‘gaps’, thus providing support for the notion that false memories are influenced by language. However, these studies may be criticised through the suggestion that individual differences plays a significant role in working memory, and therefore must be considered when studying working memory (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980). For these language and memory studies in particular, it should be considered that individual differences may play a major role in the way that an individual interprets words such as ‘te ars’, ‘pain’, ‘grief’ ‘sorrow’ and so on, as these words may hold different connotations for individuals from different cultural backgrounds.With reference to false memory as a result of bilingualism, studies indicate that language was tested in separate DRM experiments but not manipulated as a factor. It was seen that each language had a different set of lists in the experiments. As a consequence, the comparison of words across languages must be considered with the utmost caution, as lists presented in one language may trigger a higher proportion of false recall that those presented in another language (Marmolejo, 2009). This suggests that bilingual individuals are more inclined to false memories that monolinguals. Therefore, it is essential that when DRM methods are used, these factors be considered as they may affect the results of the experiments. In conjunction, the findings from other studies have shown that where the second langua ge proficiency of the bilingual participants is mixed, higher number of false recalls are evident (Anastasi et al., 2005; Holliday, Kang and Lee, 2003; Marmolejo et al., 2009; Miyaji-Kawasaki, Inoue, & Yama, 2003). Hence, these findings must also be taken into consideration, as they may affect the outcomes of experiments which seek to examine the language recall or recognition of bilingual individuals and the incidence of false memories. Other research shows that false memories in bilinguals may be created due to the Schema Theory (Bartlett, 1932), whereby different schemas in the mind represent different languages. These schemas store the information necessary so that bilingual individuals are able to use various languages. When new information is attained, errors occur when the old information becomes mixed with this (Bransford and Franks, 1971). This process therefore leads to a distortion in the memory, which may be used to explain why false memory recalls are observed when bili nguals are tested using the DRM method. From this knowledge we can expect that the results of the present study will show that bilinguals have a higher tendency towards false memories. Comparatively, Craik and Lockhart (1972) stated that false memory recalls occur due to the levels at which language is processed by the mind. According to the Levels of Processing theory (Craik & Lockhart, 1972), when memories are processed, it is undertaken on different levels. If the levels of processing are shallow, the memories that are created are weaker than those which are formulated on a deeper level (Gallo, 2013). Therefore, if language memories are formulated on a deeper level than new memories, they will be stronger than new ones. However, a number of studies have demonstrated that this is not advantageous as this leads to higher levels of false memory recall (Anderson, 2013; Hunt, Smith & Dunlap, 2011; Thapar & Mcdermott, 2001; Toglia, Neuschatz & Goodwin, 1999). This may be another way th rough which false memories may be created in the working memory of bilinguals. Yet, in opposition, it may be suggested that this is not only limited to bilinguals, and may also occur in monolinguals. However, the speculations for the present study do suggest that false memory will be an occurrence that is more prevalent among bilinguals, not limited to bilinguals.. Others have stated that the reasons for false recall may be found in the way in which sematic representations are strongly linked to language (Cann, McRae & Katz, 2011; Wakeford et al., 2009). Each language has a direct link to representations, thus, when these are presented under experimental conditions, errors are found. When both language memories are being accessed by the participants in DRM experiments (Gallo, 2010), this may cause confusion in their memory. As a result, this could lead to some memories being triggered simultaneously, which in turn causes false recalls or the creation of false memories. This explanat ion of why false memory recalls may occur in bilingual individuals is often referred to as the spreading activation theory (Gallo, 2013) and is with reference to the activation of different semantic networks, which are used to access language memories of bilingual individuals. As the semantic network is activated, its activity spreads out across the brain so that the language related memories might be accessed and recalled. In relation to this, another notion named fuzzy trace theory has also been proposed to explain false memory recalls (Toglia et al. 1999).According to LaTour, LaTour, and Brainerd, (2014), false memories are seen as a result of deficient processing. However, recent psychological research has shown that elaboration and inferences can result in ‘smart’ false memories. These ‘smart’ false memories are explained by fuzzy-trace theory (FTT), which assumes that they derive from comprehension of the meaning of experience. FTT predicts that †˜smart’ false memories should be positively correlated with measured levels of Need for Cognition. (LaTour, LaTour & Brainerd, 2014) Thus, as information is processed and encoded in two different languages the representations, speech and main points of these memories are formed simultaneously in conjunction with each other (Graves & Altarriba, 2014; Reyna & Brainerd, 1995; Reyna & Kiernan, 1994). In accord, the main points of these memories may become related to other familiar representations (Brainerd & Reyna, 2002) so false memories are created as these memories are recalled because they were never actually created in the first instance. For this reason, false memory recall is higher when second languages are learnt as they are often learnt through accessing memories associated with native languages, which have their own schematic representations in the bilingual individual’s memory (Toglia et al., 1999). From this knowledge, it can be expected that the results of t he present study will show that bilingual individuals are more inclined to accumulate false memories. On reflection of the evidence at hand, it the several ways in which false memory recalls are created may begin to be ascertained. Errors in processing may be the cause (Anderson, 2013; Hunt, Smith & Dunlap, 2011; Thapar & Mcdermott, 2001; Toglia, Neuschatz & Goodwin, 1999), receiving inaccurate or false information (Loftus, 1979; Loftus & Hoffman, 1989; Tousignant, Hall & Loftus, 1986) or differing levels of language proficiency (Anastasi et al., 2005; Holliday, Kang & Lee, 2003; Marmolejo et al., 2009; Miyaji-Kawasaki, Inoue & Yama, 2003) may be held accountable. A single explanation which determines how or why false memory phenomena may occur more in bilinguals than in monolinguals does not exist. Therefore, it is important that a number of theories are considered when investigating why false memory recall occurs in bilingual individuals. It is also essential that these notions be examined further, in order for a deeper insight into why false recalls are more prevalent in some situations than in others. This could help to establish which of the notions that have been discussed are more accurate. In turn, this would enable a deeper understanding of how individuals that speak two languages utilise their memories. The present study sought to examine and ascertain how bilingualism influences false memory recall in individuals using the Greek and English languages. The research question at hand asked: To what extent does bilingualism influence the veridical and false memory recalls of individuals when they are asked to remember dissimilar alphabetic scriptsTherefore, the aim of the present research study was to test the effects of bilingualism on veridical and false memory recall when individuals were asked to recall dissimilar alphabetic scripts. In order to test this, the hypotheses were devised in accord to the literature covered suggested thatBilingual indivi duals will falsely recall words in Greek or English as they create false memories;Bilingual individuals will falsely recall different languages in different proportions, depending upon whether it is their native or non-native language; False recalls will occur in non-native languages more than native languages and false recognition will occur more in non-native languages than native languages. These hypotheses were tested through the execution of several experiments. 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Cost Behavior and Allocation Essay

Analyze the complexity of cost behaviors in health care organizations and describe how costs are classified according to their relationship with volume. Health services managers are vitally interested in how costs are affected by changes in volume. Before costs can be managed, one must have an understanding of how and why costs are being incurred. For, example medications dispensed from the pharmacy are variable costs items since the more often medications are dispensed to the patient, the higher to the total medication costs (Lang, 2012). In this example the cost is driven by the prescription of the medication for the patient, which leads to dispensing the medication and incurring the cost. If the medication is not prescribed the total cost would be zero. The salary of the Director of the Pharmacy is a fixed cost, at least over the short run because that person is paid the same salary regardless of how many, or how few, prescriptions they fill. The text defines the relationship between an organization’s total costs and volume as cost behavior or underlying cost structure, is used by mangers in planning, control, and decision making. The primary reason for defining and organization’s underlying cost structure is to provide healthcare managers with a tool for forecasting cost and profits at different volume levels (Gapenski, 2012). The cost structure of both fixed and variable costs- that is some of the costs are expected to be volume sensitive and some are not- is typical in healthcare organizations. Total variable costs increase or decrease proportionately as volume changes, but variable cost rate remains constant as long as volume remains within the relevant range. Fixed, costs, in contrast to total variable costs, remain unchanged as the volume varies. The Academy of Healthcare Management Journal states, when attempting to improve profitability by decreasing or controlling costs, cost behavior is particularly important. If activities are limited or decreased to lower variable costs without consideration of fixed costs profits may actually decrease. In conclusion, total costs are merely the sum of the two. Because total variable costs are tied to volume, total variable costs increase as the volume increases even though fixed costs remain constant. Discuss the importance of cost allocation and how it may be leveraged by health care organizations. Cost allocation is essentially a pricing process within the organization whereby managers allocate the costs of one department to other departments. Cost allocations within healthcare organizations must establish prices that proxy those that would be set under market conditions. Costs within a health services organization must be allocated. Overhead costs of the business, such as those incurred by administrators, facilities management personnel, financial staffs, and housekeeping and maintenance personnel must be allocated to those departments that generate revenues for the organization (Gapenski, 2012). The goal of cost allocation is to assign all of the costs of an organization to the activities that cause them to be incurred. Health services managers track and assign costs by individual patient, physician, diagnosis, reimbursement contract, and so on. Much of the motivation for more accurate cost allocation systems comes from the recipients of overhead services. Mangers at all levels within health services organizations are under pressure to optimize economic performance, which translates into reducing costs. To assign costs from one activity to another, two important elements must be identified: a cost pool and a cost driver. A cost pool is a grouping of costs that must be allocated, while a cost driver is the criterion upon which the allocation is made. Clearly, the proper allocation of overhead costs is essential to good decision making within health services organizations. In conclusion, revenues must exceed the total of both fixed costs and variable costs combines in order for an organization to be profitable.

Analyzing and Comparing the Mise-en-scene of David O'Russel's Three Essay

Analyzing and Comparing the Mise-en-scene of David O'Russel's Three Kings to Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan - Essay Example David O’Russell knew the power of setting a story during the time of war, thus he came up with the most finely tuned, eccentrically conventional film Three Kings. Both Saving Private Ryan and Three Kings have effectively shown war in a resolute way that serves similar aims but achieves this in different manners. O’Russell’s Three Kings clearly uses the narrative device of an ethical story to relate the Gulf War’s moral lessons as well as to rewrite America’s ethical position over the people of Iraq through revising what was viewed as a moral defeat. The film tells a narrative of a gang of four U.S fighters on operations at the Gulf at the end of the dispute as they find out a map to one of the secrete bunkers of Saddam Hussein, containing huge amounts of Kuwait gold, and plan to steal it for their own gains. On the other hand, Steven Spielberg has been criticized for failing to employ narrative action basing on the moral and national purpose in his film Saving Private Ryan. This criticism can be understood in the perspective of the constraints placed on modern cinematic stories of war by the Vietnam syndrome (Andersen 193). Even though Three Kings is developed around a definitely American-based fictional plot, this film typically aims to bring in issues concerning Iraq and addresses it to a certain extent as the film develops. On the other hand, Saving Private Ryan tries to reillusion American national distinctiveness in the wake of Vietnam by presenting a more distant past. The specific ethical justification for starting war and admitting its sacrifices and horrors is found in ethical campaigns against the Nazi plot of Holocaust. Through stitching the Holocaust into the movie, the film takes part in ‘Americanization’ of a memory of Holocaust, avoids Vietnam as a source of distressing memory, produces a redemptive national uniqueness, and constructs a moral usable past in the present. In both films, the use of ima gery has been clearly utilized. Saving Private Ryan starts and ends with a shot of a flag that is faded and desaturated of color. The red colors have turned to pink, white to gray, and the blue colors have lost their color completely. The flag is transparent, moving forth and back in the centre of a cool dusk as the sunlight penetrates straight through it. The reason behind this is that the flag symbolizes a lost time and a fading generation. The American elites who fought to keep such banners were gone and the film was developed for their sake. Such features show that Saving Private Ryan may be the greatest film ever produced about horror and heroism in war situations. It shows how heroic conduct can be unusually difficult, impulsive, lucky, instinctive, and deliberate, all at once. In contrast, Three Kings had mixed receptions on its release. In general, reviews involved praise for technical elements of the film as well as criticism of the way the Gulf War was presented. In the Wa shington Post, Stephen Hunter claimed the style of the film had the feeling second to none, as it re-imagines the past war movie post-modernly. He further concludes that the film was ideologically unremarkable. Similarly, Three Kings uses some sort of imagery in the storyline. At the start of the scene, a discussion goes on between Major Gates and his Staff Sergeant, standing near a helicopter. The image of a helicopter was used as an icon in this film, though not frequently used outside the scene (Andersen 194). At the beginning, when a shot cuts through, it is obvious that the positioning of the characters is to enable the blade to remain at the heart of the screen, right between the

Aggressive Unilateralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Aggressive Unilateralism - Essay Example This essay stresses that the insistence of the US to open markets in the name of â€Å"fair trade† poses dangers to the world trading system, â€Å"for if everything becomes a question of fair trade, the only outcome will be to remove, altogether, the possibility of ever agreeing to a rule-oriented trading system†. The danger starts itself from imposing conditions of what constitutes free trade and yet, not giving other countries the right to define what fair trade is. â€Å"Fairness† is a value-laden concept and more qualitative, rather than say, the concept of efficiency, which is easier to define and can be easily quantified. Moreover, even the American pride in its market openness that it places before the world for emulation by other countries – cannot be absolutely used as standard, as every country is unique in its structural make-up that has bearing on its economy and trade practices. This report makes a conclusion that the international trading system not only operates under free-market assumptions but more importantly, its very purpose through inception of the WTO is to erect legally binding trade agreements that would apply to every member state. The policy of aggressive unilateralism as practiced by the United States makes use of brute political power that circumvents the legality of the global trading system. In slamming this policy as GATT/WTO-illegal, Bhagwati writes, â€Å"honoring a treaty commitment is to reaffirm one’s respects for orderly procedures and the rule of law in dealing with nation states†.

Valuation Financial statement analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Valuation Financial statement analysis - Essay Example The company manufactures and distributes different brands specializing in consumer products including hygiene, nutritional and personal care products. Further, its portfolio has items such as Lipton, Knorr, Magnum, Hellmann’s, Lux, Dove, Omo and Axe. Notably, the company product retails in more than 170 countries around the globe. Financial statement trends Table 1: Unilever financial data from 2008-2012 Â   Â   2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Â   Â   Â   EPS 1.79 1.21 1.51 1.51 1.58 r 15% DPS 0.73 0.77 0.80 0.85 0.89 g 0.05 Residual Earnings 38,785.00 35,354.00 37,924.00 38,813.00 41,625.00 Â   g in RE 0.05 0.07 0.02 0.07 0.06 Â   discount factors 0.87 0.786 0.675 0.592 0.497 Â   Income 39,523.00 39,823.00 44,262.00 46,467.00 51,324.00 Â   Â   Average EPS growth rate5.4% Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Table 2: Unilever PLC financial projections from 2013-2017 Â   Â   2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Â   Â   Â   EPS 1.67 1.76 1.86 1.97 2.09 r 15% DPS 0.93 0.98 1. 03 1.08 1.13 g 0.05 Residual Earnings 44,123.00 46,770.00 49,576.00 52,551.00 55,704.00 Â   g in RE 0.05 0.07 0.02 0.07 0.06 Â   discount factors 0.87 0.786 0.675 0.592 0.497 Â   Income 54,403.00 57,668.00 61,128.00 64,795.00 68,683.00 Â   Average EPS growth rate5.4% Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Forecasting Forecasted Earnings Earning are the net proceeds that a firm gets from its operations. As such, Unilever PLC has reported increased retained earnings from the year 2008 to 2012. The growth in earning ranges from 2% to 7%. Therefore, to forecast future probable earning, the company can use a model of the form:Y= a+bxa, where Y is the forecasted earning, a represent the prior year’s earning, b is the average growth rate, x is the expected earnings. Forecasted Dividends Dividends are issued based on the company’s financial performance. As such, the directors pay dividends when companies make profits. Nevertheless, directors may resolve to pay divide nd from the retained earnings of the prior years.1 Based on the information derived from Unilever PLC financial statements, the company has consistently made profits from the year 2008 and the directors have paid dividends consecutively for all the five years. It is apparent that the dividends have been growing at a rate of 5% every year and as such, the 2012 dividend payout can be forecasted at the same rate to determine the probable dividend to be paid in future. Forecasted cash flows Cash flows are gross revenues that an organization receives from its operations. The information derived from the financial statements shows that Unilever cash flows have been on the increase. The forecasted cash flows can be given by a model of the form: Y=a+bx where Y is the forecasted cash flow, A is the cash flow from the prior year, b is the expected growth rate and x is the expected cash flows. Estimation of parameters of the model The parameters of the model include variables used to determine forecasted earning, dividends and the cash flow. These include; cost of capital, growth rate and any other cost incurred. To start with, the cost of capital is estimated based on the prevailing interest rates at which British financial institution were lending capital. The market

Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention Program (SARV) Essay

Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention Program (SARV) - Essay Example Despite the fact that many stakeholders have taken initiatives directed towards reduction of the challenges of rape, the problem keeps changing from time to time. This has created a need for application of other alternative means. On a personal basis, I believe that these challenges can be reduced through intensive awareness campaigns among the society. It seems that reporting of incidences of rape is challenge that is faced in regard to handling of the problems of rape and sexual assault. I believe that the cause of the problems ascribed to reporting of rape and sexual assault might be as a result of stigmatization as well as intimidation of the victims of rape by the offenders. Stigmatization could be a problem owing to the fact that victims of rape may feel psychologically intimidated or experience shyness hence void reporting of rape or sexual assault. It is imperative that intensive awareness campaigns be undertaken in the modern society in order to facilitate timely reporting that would enable stakeholders to take immediate corrective