William Shakespeare s The London Theatre Records ( Bloom )

Over the next seven years, Shakespeare’s existence and activities are unknown, but countless stories speculate that Shakespeare poached deer from the estate of Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlecote near Stratford and earned a living as a schoolmaster or a soldier until his name emerged in the London theatre records (Bloom). He spent most of his time in London as an actor before he became a playwright, performing many of his own plays, as well as other playwrights, and is credited with revolutionizing the theater. In 1596, Shakespeare applied for his father’s coat of arms and used his earnings from the theater to purchase New Place in 1597, one of the largest houses in Stratford. Shakespeare demonstrated signs of prosperity and success in his early life, but also suffered a heartbreaking loss when his only son, Hamnet passed away in August 1596, at the age of eleven. Over the next twenty years, Shakespeare had a successful professional career in London as an actor, playwright, a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (an acting company), part owner of the Globe Theatre (from 1599) and author of at least thirty-six plays, several poems, and 156 sonnets (â€Å"William Shakespeare† 1333). Shakespeare lived apart from his family for almost two decades except for the occasional visits he made back and forth from London to Stratford. William obtained a respectable fortune and later retired to Stratford in 1612 where he owned property. On March 25, 1616 Shakespeare and hi s lawyerShow MoreRelatedwisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesContribution to Wisdom 4 Humor and Wisdom in Europe: Some Highlights 5 Renaissance Humor: Erasmus, Rabelais, Cervantes, Shakespeare 5 Two European Russians: Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Soloviev 9 Reflections on Humor from Nietzsche to the Theatre of the Absurd 12 Humor and Wisdom in the United States: Lincoln, Beecher, Twain, Sandburg, and Buchwald 17 From The Times (of London) obituary on him (January 19, 2007) that mentioned his â€Å"wit and wisdom† in its title, available at http://www.timesonline

The Articles Of Confederation Was The First National...

Perhaps the greatest service rendered by the Articles of Confederation was the impetus its shortcomings gave to those who favored a strong central government. The first national government of the United States is the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was approved by the Continental Congress in 1777, it was adopted and written by John Dickinson. However, there was a delay in ratifying the articles by the states. It all came down to property out West. States like Virginia and Massachusetts had claimed numerous land stretching from the East Coast all the way to Pacific Ocean as a part of their colonial charters. States like Maryland and Pennsylvania, who did not have these land claims did not agree on ratifying this†¦show more content†¦This is what led them to not create an Executive Branch. In fact, there is no judicial national court system either instead it is a one branch government known as a legislative branch. They had a unicameral congress, a one house congress. Also, every state irregardless of size had one vote per state. Meaning the biggest state being Virginia and one of the smaller states like Rhode Island all had one vote. To change the Articles of Confederation required unanimous consent which meant every state had to agree to make any changes to it and did pass a law, it required a super majority. Nine out of thirteen states needed to agree in order to go into effect which became extremely difficult to accomplish. All in all, the articles was politically so weak in term of not being a powerful central government was due to â€Å"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.† These states were sovereign, they were eligible to act on their own. This was a confederation rather than a strong union. The idea of Federalism is that power is shared between a federal and state governments. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was a federal government but the federal government was so powerless when compared to the power of the states. Politically, the articles were weak because of the experience with England. They intentionally created this weak government. What created difficulty in the 1780s was the economic weaknesses. They had no desire to hand over

Sustainability Policy Implementation Review Free Samples

Question: Describe about the Sustainability Policy. Answer: Introduction The policy implementation has many stages where, the last one is the monitoring of the implementation and revision of the process. This revision of the process includes feedback from all parts of the relevant organization that is affected by the policy and change the policy and the implementation procedure based on those feedbacks. Now days the policy concerning sustainability has many legal trappings of different governments and the environmental agencies and their own restrictions and guidelines regarding the policies. So, the changes that can be implemented by the policies are limited to a severe degree by the different rules and regulations of the policies. There is also some other problems regarding implementation of the policies in the context of any organization. The acceptability of the policy and the steps by which the policy is implemented is also a concern for the people who are affected by the policy (Wallimann, 2013). Feedback The feedback of the staff of the organization is one of the main bases of the review process of a sustainability policy which might come before or after the implementation. The sustainability policy needs to be accepted by the staff of the organization that are affected by the change otherwise the sustainability policy will not be able to make the desired outcome. So, to ensure the success of the sustainability policy there needs to be some form of monitoring of the acceptance of the sustainability policy just after the implementation. According to the staff, the sustainability policy needs some change regarding the ease of working of the employees of the organization and this feedback was given before the sustainability policy implementation. So, the sustainability policy was changed accordingly (Mazmanian and Sabatier, 1981). But after the implementation of the changed sustainability policy it was observed by the management that the operations of the organization were not yielding the expected results because of the staff comfort was given more priority than the original goal of the sustainability policy, which was to raise the sustainability of the organization. Therefore, the sustainability policy needs some further change, which raises the sustainability without decreasing the condition of the workplace and reaches a compromise with the employees about the necessary changes to be implemented. Data analysis methods There are many data analysis methods that can be employed to measure the success of any sustainability policy that is implemented in any organization. There are many data analysis software in the market for the task. Some of the most prominent ones are Maxstat and SPSS are immensely popular among the researchers who have to use data analysis on a regular basis for the different sustainability policy implementation and other reasons (Barr, 2008). These data analysis methods have been tried by the experts and have been successful in many instances and the constant improvement of the software are being made by the companies that produced the software in the first place. So, development of the different methods to analyse the data concerning the implementation of the policies and the revisions required after the implementation based on the feedbacks have helped along the process of sustainability policy implementation immensely. Monitoring of records The constant monitoring of the records of the organization after the sustainability policy implementation is also necessary to make sure any change in the trends seen in the operations of the organization. Any trends that emerge from the implementation of the sustainability policy can be either positive or negative. If the trend that is seen is positive then the cause of the trend needs to be found out and expounded upon to make sure that the continuous improvement in the operations of the organization is done. If the trend that emerges is negative then also the cause of the trend and which part of the sustainability policy is facilitating the trend needs to be found out so that the change that is happening can be stopped in the organization. These negative trends need to be stopped by revising the sustainability policy and changing the part of the sustainability policy that is giving birth to the negative effects (Mazmanian and Sabatier, 1981). Collate all findings Collections of the findings of the facts that are actually the results of the sustainability policy implementation are necessary and an important part of the sustainability policy implementation. It is also the final stage of the sustainability policy implementation as the success and failure of the sustainability policy that is being implemented can be found out from the results of the sustainability policy implementation. In other words the changes in the organization are indicative of the success of the sustainability policy that is implemented in the organization. If the changes that are seen in the organization are positive and yielding positive results after the implementation of the sustainability policy, it can also be seen as some improvement in profitability or any other sector. If there are no visible improvements or the situation declines then it can be surmised that the sustainability policy needs to change as the desired results are not being gained from the implementat ion of the sustainability policy (Iai, Ikkatai and Sawa, 2011). Outcomes The outcome of the sustainability policy is positive in this case as the sustainability policy yielded positive changes in the organization and the result of the implementation of the sustainability policy needs to be informed to the stakeholders of the organization and this can be done in the form of a notice. The notice should inform the stakeholders like the owner and employees about the changes that have been proposed by the sustainability policy and the acceptance level of the sustainability policy by all concerned. The previous stages of the review should help the stakeholders understand the reason of any changes in the sustainability policy and the effects behind the changes. So the information that is given to the stakeholders is complete and decisive about the success or failure of the sustainability policy. Conclusion It is evident from this report that the implementation of the sustainability policy is much different than the model and structuring of the policy. It can also be judged as one of the final steps of the policy as the implementation also includes the final adjustments to the policy and revisions to make it more successful and truncation of the unnecessary of unpopular parts. References Barr, S. (2008). Environment and society. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Iai, S., Ikkatai, S. and Sawa, T. (2011). Achieving global sustainability. Tokyo: United Nations University Press. Mazmanian, D. and Sabatier, P. (1981). Effective policy implementation. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books. Ripley, R., Franklin, G. and Ripley, R. (1986). Policy implementation and bureaucracy. Chicago, Ill.: Dorsey Press. Wallimann, I. (2013). Environmental policy is social policy -- social policy is environmental policy. New York, NY: Springer.

Mayan Calendar free essay sample

The Mayan Calendar is a manifold system of time-tracking developed by the Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica. The calendar was developed using several different mechanisms of tracking time according to the astronomic or mythic events. The Mayans had many different â€Å"calendars† by the time of the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, however, the Mayan Calendar was to be considered the most accelerate. It is known as a clear indication of the educated significance in Mayan culture. There are three different types of dating systems used in conjunction with the Mayan Calendar. The Long Count, The Tzolkin, and the Haab. The Long Count calendar identifies a date by counting the number of days from the Mayan creation date. Long count days were tallied in a modified 20-base scheme. For periods that are meant to be longer than 52 years the Long Count Calendar was used. There is no evidence that the Long Count Calendar is meant to be repeating. We will write a custom essay sample on Mayan Calendar or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This type of calendar can be found carved on Mayan Monuments. The Tzolkin calendar is the sacred moon calendar for the Mayans. The calendar consists of 20 day signs combined with 13 numbers. The 13 numbers tell how many days it takes for the moon to go from new to full and another 13 from full to new. The 260 day calendar is believed to be tied to the woman’s birth cycle. The Tzolkin calendar has also been used for agricultural planning in determining the length of time between planting crops and harvesting. Tzolkin calendar was considered to be the most important of the calendar systems. The Haab calendar is comprised of 18 months of 20 days each. It is preceded by five extra days known as Uayeb thus giving the years length of 365 days. Uayeb was considered to be â€Å"the unlucky period†. The persons born on these days were â€Å"doomed to a miserable life†. The days in of the month used in Haab were numbered 0 to 19 rather than 1 to 20. The use of the 0th day has significance due to the fact that it is believed Mayan’s discovered the number zero centuries before it was discovered in Europe or Asia. The years of the Haab calendar are not counted. The system of the Mayan calendar ended with the fall of the Mayan civilization. The majority of the remaining knowledge of it was destroyed by he Spanish during the overthrow. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that archeologists discovered more extensive knowledge of the Mayan civilization regarding the calendrical system. The Mayans were believed to be skilled mathematicians and astronomers far beyond their time. They had a firm understanding of modular arithmetic. In conclusion, for us the Mayan calendar is a glimpse into the ancient world and how they viewed astronomy, time and dates. The ramification of the Mayan calendar tells experts a substantial amount about their culture or way of life. Due to the Long Count calendar the Mayans believed they would be around for many years. Though pre-Columbian Mesoamerica remains concealed in conundrum, we continuously unveil discoveries and artifacts throughout the years. The discoveries lead us to more knowledgeable understanding of the Mayan calendar. It is considered to be a precious piece of information. Many archeologists and anthropologists proclaim that it is worth the study and pursuit. It is viewed as an open door into a buried history that experts still valiantly try to understand. www. webexhibits. org www. mayancountdown. net

Prayer Of The Refugee The Story of a True Struggle Professor Ramos Blog

Prayer Of The Refugee The Story of a True Struggle TOPSHOT Thousands of migrants and refugees walk through the port of Piraeus after arriving from the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios on February 1, 2016. On average, more than 1,900 people have arrived each day this month on Greek islands on unseaworthy boats from Turkey, according to the UN, which put the total of new arrivals in January at more than 50,000. More than 31,000 people have been registered on Lesbos during that time, the UN added. / AFP / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI (Photo credit should read LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images) When you go shopping for yourself, have you ever wondered where or who made that nice shirt or those pair of shoes you been wanting? The majority of the time, the items we purchase at retail stores usually comes from places overseas made by children that we refer to as refugees. It’s sad to imagine a world where children are being put to work for little to no pay living in unhealthy dangerous camps. Corporations usually do this to create mass productions of their product without having to pay their workers the right amount of money they deserve. Most of the time, these works are people young enough to be your own child or little brother and sister. Think twice before you purchase something that was imported from somewhere overseas. Many refugees flee their country to escape the horrible living arrangements they face in their home country. Even still, they are forced to work in slave-like conditions where ever they flee too. â€Å"Lebanon has a population of just over 4 million people, a quarter of whom are Syrians who escaped the escalating civil crisis in their home country† (Nash 2016). Even when they get to a place where they think is safe, they are still being put to work and forced to live in camps. â€Å"According to a report by Freedom Fund, an antislavery activist group, refugee families are forced to live in tent communities- known as shawish and undertake labor obligations† Syrian internally displaced people walk in the Atme camp, along the Turkish border in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, on March 19, 2013. The conflict in Syria between rebel forces and pro-government troops has killed at least 70,000 people, and forced more than one million Syrians to seek refuge abroad. AFP PHOTO/BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images) (Nash2016). This is the type of reality poor young children are forced to live in and pray for a better change. These refugee camps are unhealthy, dangerous, and horrible way for anyone to be put through, especially children. They contain diseases and unhealthy water sources along with multiple other unhealthy methods that can be even worse than prison. â€Å"In fact, the literature widely documents the association between poor housing conditions, characterized by the presence of humidity/mold, indoor pollutants, infestation, and the absence of a source of heating on the one hand, and reported illnesses by household members, such as dizziness, headache, irritation of eyes and skin, upper respiratory tract infection and an increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases† (Habib p.13). When you compare these living conditions to our prisons, you will see that it seems worse than some prisons out there. These people work hard for no pay and live in these dangerous conditions as if they did something to be punished yet they have done nothing to deserve it. Imagine your young loved one s being put through these conditions every day of their lives just so we can go out and buy the product we have no idea who is making it in the first place. There are some of the refugees out there that are trying to make their way to the U.S. yet, that is difficult to accomplish. Oftentimes, the children have to come here alone and leave their families behind. The ones that do however make it out here may sometimes land in dangerous situations. â€Å"The investigation found that some of the children have ended up in dangerous situations. At least a dozen have been turned over to human traffickers, including six  who were lured by smugglers to Mr. Portman’s state, where they were put to work illegally on an egg farm for no pay. One was 14 years old† (Dickerson 2018).   These children are only trying to find a better life through coming to the U.S. and sometimes still finding the same reality they’re running from. Finding happiness for these innocent people may sometimes seem impossible. â€Å"Children traveling alone surged across the southern border under Mr. Obama in 2014 when border agents apprehended 68,541 trying to enter the United States. About 41,000 have been apprehended in the current fiscal year, a 16 percent increase from the same period in 2017† (Dickerson 2018). Those are the numbers of real children coming onto our land hoping in search for a better future when that may not even be what they actually find. These are the ones slaving away making the majority of the clothing or products we purchase on the daily without realizing it. Any product you purchase from out of our country can have a real story to it and who’s hands they came from. I chose the song â€Å"Prayer of the Refugee† by Rise Against because it is a perfect representation of the lifestyle of a refugee that only wishes for a better life for them and their family. Tim McEllrath (artist of Rise Against) sheds light for those poor individuals by singing this song as it came out of their own mouths and displayed the hardship of an everyday lifestyle of a refugee. This song had so much depth meaning to it and can move you more by the visuals the music video contains. Rise Against is a band that was formed in 1999 with songs that support many great organizations such as PETA, animal rights, and more. Their goal is to shed more light on many important situations in the world that we pay no attention too. Being so blind to many  of these situations or just choosing to not pay attention is was most of us are guilty of and we need to start making a change in the way we live our daily lives. I chose this specific song out of all of their meaningful songs they have because of the simple fact that this crisis is happening to young children who deserve nothing but to be loved and cared for by the people that are taking full advantage of them. These children are no more different than the children in your own life. I just hope one day, these children and families will find the life they deserve and be able to live on with the fact the no one is trying to take advantage of them and use them to make a quick dollar. Annotated Bibliography Syrian Refugee Children in Lebanon Are Working in Slave-Like Conditions: Report.  By:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jenkins, Nash, Time.com, 4/12/2016 This article lays out briefly what the conditions of a Syrian Refugee under â€Å"forced work† with little to no pay. Jenkins explains how they are fleeing their home country and landing at Lebanon for slightly better living conditions. Harboring illnesses: On the association between disease and living conditions in a Palestinian refugee camp: Report. By: Habib Rima R., Basma, Shiraz H., Yeretzian, Joumana S.   International Journal of Environmental Health Research. Apr2006, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p99-111. 13p. 5 Charts. International Journal of Environmental Health Research sheds light on unhealthy living that refugee camps have to offer. Allows the reader to fully understand the hardship the youth of Palestinian have to go through on a daily basis. Gives full detail upon every aspect as well as charts of diseases. An American Tune: Refugee Children in U.S. Public Schools: Report. By: Weddle, Daniel B. Kansas Journal of Law Public Policy. Summer2018, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p434-456. 23p. This article displays the lives of refugee children coming to the U.S. to have the opportunity of a better life. To be able to have an education and a roof over their heads without having to be put through harsh times and slave work. Also shows the hardship they still have to deal with living in the U.S. as a refugee

Top Summer Destinations for Students Approved by Travel Bloggers

Top Summer Destinations for Students Approved by Travel Bloggers â€Å"Travel more† is one of the most popular NY resolutions. However, setting a New Year resolution is only half the work. If you want to walk the talk, you should start doing first steps right away, such as choosing an incredible destination for your holiday. Below, you’ll find the list of eleven summer destinations affordable for a student’s budget. All the places were approved by travel bloggers as wonderful destinations for holidays. All of them are in different countries. If you are looking for something near you, check out our blog post on Best (and Cheapest) Summer Destinations that we previously published. Dubrovnik, Croatia If you want to visit a beautiful place steeped in history, visiting Dubrovnik is a must. While exploring Dubrovniks UNESCO-listed Old Town, you’ll see the locations used in series ‘Games of Thrones.’ The landscapes of Dubrovnik are really impressive and even fit backpacking. Even though harassing heat in summer is very likely, you still can enjoy this place if plan your visiting thoroughly. Advice from Kate McCulley from Adventurous Kate: Albufeira, Portugal Albufeira is known as a resort with an active nightlife. There are many bars, nightclubs, fast-food-joints. However, it’s also a place with nice golden sand beaches bordered by tall cliffs and small cozy seafood restaurant where you can eat and chat. The historic centre is also worth taking a look for its white buildings and beautiful pavement. If you like water sports, you’ll be interested in swimming on kayak or canoe in caves – quite scaring but exciting, right? Advice from Sonja Bolger from Migrating Miss: Migrating Miss on Facebook Migrating Miss on Twitter Migrating Miss on Instagram Karpathos, Greece Mountains, warm waters of Aegean Sea and colorful houses – this is what you will see on this island. Here, you’ll find peace and joy, fascinating natural views and nice villages. There are plenty of beaches on Karpathos where you can just relax or try windsurfing, kitesurfing or scuba diving. If you like different cultural festivals, you should plan a trip to Karpathos in summer as the biggest cultural festival, Tsambouna, takes place. Opinion of Don Stevens From MyGreeceTravelBlog: Agrigento, Italy This city will seem attractive for you for its prices, beautiful sights, ancients ruins, fresh air and delicious seafood! You can explore plenty of diverse ruins here, take a car to get to a picturesque village of Sciacca which lies on the Mediterranean and just chill from your everyday routine! Advice from Jonathan Lessuck From Travels in the 2nd half: Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh is the city that will immerse you into the atmosphere of the Medieval times. Take a tour of historic castles and palaces, mosey along the Old Town, visit galleries to see traditional and contemporary artworks and museums to see unique ancient and modern artifacts. For nature-lovers, there’s also one special place to visit – extinct volcano. Insight from Lucy Dodsworth from On the Luce : Mo’orea One of the most beautiful of French Polynesian islands. Its not as popular as Thaiti, but you can still take an advantage of it. You can spend your holidays much cheaper on Mo’orea, admire charming nature and get rest from noisy cities. The prices for accommodations start from $40. If you want to save even more money, buy food in grocery stores instead of eating in restaurants. The difference in prices is significant. Advice from The Smith Family from Our Family Passport: Oaxaca, Mexico Here, in Oaxaca, you have many things to do, including tasting local food, such as fried grasshoppers; visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monte Albn and the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures; enjoying fascinating architecture of the city. Also, you’d like watching the performances of dancers and signers on the main square, the Zolaco. Advice from HeatherJohn Widmer from Roaming Around the World: Phuket, Thailand Phuket is one more splendid (and cheap!) summer destination for those who adore having rest on the beach. Add to your to-do-list these items: visit Big Buddha; stroll down Bangla Road to experience city’s nightlife; relax on the beach; see Phuket FantaSea Show; visit beautiful Phuket temples. For animal-lovers, there’s one more specific item to visit – Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. It is organized in way that animals are not bothered by visitors. Opinion of Elin Chow: Tbilisi, Georgia The country of tasty cuisine, hospitable people, picturesque architecture and beautiful mountains. Tbilisi is a diverse town in which you can find modern cafes, restaurant, parks and galleries but also you can observe old narrow streets, balconied houses, small churches, 17-centuries-old Narikala Fortress and feel the community atmosphere. Opinion of Shannon O’Donnell from A Little Adrift: Bali, Indonesia Cheap prices, white sand beaches, friendly locals, exotic food – that is all about Bali. Here, you can go hiking or do some water sports, such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming with dolphins and other water inhabitants. Also, you should try unusual cuisine, swim in the ocean or dip into hot springs and get rest from the web. For some people bad internet connection is the worst thing in the world and for others it’s an opportunity to relax from all those informational noise. Bali Advice from Salt in our Hair: Bolivia Bolivia is full of adventures! Have you ever dreamt of paragliding, or extremal fishing, or riding? Bolivia is perfect for that. Try paragliding above incredible La Paz valleys, pull enormous fishes out of the Amazon river or climb the highest Andean peaks. Extreme-lovers would adore this place! If you are not that kind of person, you still have many things to do here, such as observing unique animal species, trying llama tenderloin, and investigating rich culture of the locals. Advice from Flora Baker from Flora the Explorer:

Oz Jet Boating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Oz Jet Boating - Essay Example The competitive low prices offered by Oz jet boating attracts many customers because of its affordability. Adults part with $75, children with $45 and whole family parts with $195 for a boat tour. The purpose of this research paper is to describe Oz jet boating as a tourism company giving details of the products it offers and finally conduct a situational analysis of the company. The target consumer group is a young population. Boat tours appeal the young who are adventurous in nature. Social media, advertisement agencies and internet are the channels used to advertise Oz jet boating to the world. Oz jet boating offers flexible ways of booking for the tourist tours through the email, telephone or any outlets located at the harbour. Oz jet boating is a tourist company based in Australia. The products offered are sightseeing activities at the Opera house, Harbour sides, Shark Island, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Taronga zoo. The major rivals in the tourism industry include Sydney Harbour boat tours, Sydney Harbour and Sydney Harbour cruises. Prestige harbour cruises offer charter boats for hire used in corporate events, weddings and social gatherings (Sydney Harbour, 2014). Sydney Harbour tours are famous for its day guide tours. It also offers fresh food from the sea and beverages at Watsons Hotel. The charges are $129 for adults and $89 for children (Sydney Harbour Boat Tours, 2014). Sydney Harbour Escapes, on the other hand, is a family business started back in 2000 that offers boat services and tour activities (Sydney Harbour Escapes, 2014). Oz jet boating needs to creatively and innovatively offer differentiated and unique products that give it a competitive edge above its rival customers. Proper care ought to be taken in pricing of the products in such manner that it will offer competitive lower prices than rival companies offer but also obtain profits from such prices. The consumer target group should be diversified and not limited to the young population onl y. Touring activities should be designed to include activities that will appeal to the ageing population and by thus doing revenue streams will increase. Advertising channels used must reach myriad people so that the public is familiar with the company and its products.

American history in 1800s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American history in 1800s - Essay Example That social reform movement includes education reforms, religious reforms, alcohol reforms, women reforms and literary reforms (Cobble, 2004). The person/event/ concepts discussed above are related to one another. Harriet was a person who was against slavery, newspaper was a strong platform to project the ideas of Harriet while social reforms educated the people of USA that all men and women are equal and there should be no discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex or religion. The triad is quite helpful in projecting the efforts which were taken in the past to bridge the gap among different ethnic groups living in the country like USA (Murphy, 2003). Fredrick Douglass was an American social reformer and a writer. He was against slavery and also escaped through it. He also served as a leader of abolitionist movement. He was well known for his antislavery writing (Harris, 2004). Jim Crow is a term which is used for the laws which were made after the congressional reconstruction. These laws were quite discriminatory for the Afro-American minority of the country. The law took away many rights which were granted to Afro-Americans during 13th, 14th and 15th century. Congressional reconstruction gave complete rights to the Afro-Americans. Their right to cast vote was also recognized in that reconstruction era (Chused, 1994). There is one thing in common all the three concepts which are discussed above. All three are associated with the major minority group of USA that is Afro-American. These events/concepts/persons reflect that Afro-American had fought hard for their rights through the history. The significance of triad is that reflect s the chronological sequence about the struggle of minorities in USA (Dougherty,

Gucci Handbags Essay Example for Free

Gucci Handbags Essay Gucci handbags are some of the most desired and most attractive handbags available in the market. Synonymous with elegance and quality, the price of Gucci handbags, from the bamboo-handled handbag which catapulted the Gucci brand into international fame in the 1940s (and still used today) to the sleek new collection for 2005, varies from an affordable $100.00 to as high as $3,000.00. The newest line of Gucci Handbags was launched in the latter part of 2004 and the full product list can be viewed through the official Gucci site. The 2004 line of Gucci handbags are still available for purchase. Some handbags from past seasons may still be available, with the more popular designs often priced at higher levels. Gucci History Guccio Gucci, founder of the Gucci brand, was the son of an Italian merchant from Italy’s northern manufacturing region. In his youth, Gucci rebelled against joining his family’s straw hat making business by running away to London where he worked at the opulent and upscale Savoy Hotel. He spent much of his time paying much attention to the baggage of the hotel’s wealthy guests and this was where he gained an understanding of â€Å"cosmopolitan culture, sophistication and aesthetics†. When 39 year old Guccio Gucci returned to Florence in 1921, he set up his own shop, the House of Gucci, at 7 via della Vigna Nuova where he started by selling luggage and horse saddles. He hired the finest craftsmen in the area to work in his atelier, and he personally designed many of the Gucci products sold. His venture turned out to be a success and in 1938, he opened another store in the eternal city of Rome. The Gucci name continued to grow, and in 1947 the company reached even greater heights when they introduced the bamboo-handle handbag, an item that is still used by the company today. Further developments included the red striped webbing, which was derived from the saddle girth. This was incorporated into Gucci products in the 1950s. In 1953, Guccio Gucci passed away and his four sons took over running the company. It was after Guccio Gucci’s death that the House of Gucci broke the international market. Through the leadership of Aldo Gucci, the company opened satellite boutiques in London, Paris and New York. In the late 1960s, the House of Gucci (or Gucci) was able to penetrate the Asian market when they opened stores in Hong Kong and Tokyo. It was during this period that the famous GG logo (Guccio Gucci’s initials) was developed. The 60s also ushered in the Flora silk scarf, often worn by actress Grace Kelly; and the Jackie O shoulder bag, which was made famous by the late Jackie Kennedy, wife of former US. President John F. Kennedy. In the late 1970s, the Gucci Accessories Collection (GAC), composed of small items including make up bags, lighters, and pens were developed to increase the sales of the Gucci Parfums sector. These items, considerably more reasonably priced than the other items in their collection, were well received. Soon, the Accessories division outsold the Parfums division and brought the exclusive Gucci brand to thousands of stores in the United States. Because the Gucci name became more accessible to ordinary people, the brand suddenly lost its exclusive appeal. The name was further damaged by the proliferation of cheap fakes and replicas. In 1989, a third generation Gucci came to the helm of the Gucci Company. Maurizio Gucci, son of Rodolfo Gucci inherited the Company from his father and immediately stated that he wanted to incorporate numerous changes in the company. He invited the celebrated Dawn Mellow to join the business as a creative director. In Gucci America, Domenico de Sole was appointed to take charge. Although designers Geoffrey Beene and Calvin Klein were already part of Gucci’s roster of designers, Dawn Mello, through the urging of his partner Richard Buckley, took in a young designer named Tom Ford. This young designer would make Gucci a byword in the fashion industry once again. In the early 1990s, Gucci went through the poorest time in the company’s history. Due to several wrong decisions, the company experienced heavy losses and, once again, almost went bankrupt. Although Maurizio Gucci loved the family’s business dearly and had noble intentions, he was clearly incapable of leading the company. In 1993, he was forced to sell his shares to Investcorp. Dawn Mellow left a year after Maurizio Gucci’s departure and the position of creative director went to 32 year old Tom Ford. Ford took Gucci’s image towards a new direction. If he was unable to do that under the direction of Maurizio Gucci and Mellow, Forf was finally given the free rein under the supervision of De Sole. De Sole, now CEO of Gucci, realized that Gucci needed a new image if it were to become a profitable company once again. Thus, in 1995 the world saw a new Gucci. With a hip, trendy and bold new image, Gucci products were once again donned by the rich and famous such as Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was also in this year that Gucci Group became a publicly traded company, with listings on the New York and Amsterdam stock exchanges. Since then, Gucci has continued to prosper as an influential element in the fashion industry and a highly profitable business operation. The European Business Press Federation named The Gucci brand as the â€Å"European company of the Year 1998† for its economic and financial performance, strategic vision and management quality. Tom Ford left Gucci in 2004, together with De Sole. After much shuffling, the company is now headed by Frida Giannini and John Ray. Purchasing Gucci Gucci handbags are sold exclusively at Gucci directly operated stores or at authorized franchises and points of sales in select department stores, specialty shops and duty free counters. Authentic Gucci products are not sold through through internet auction sites such as Ebay. The company has forbidden their dealers to advertise or sell on Ebay. However, there are certified dealers of Gucci who have websites where you can purchase the latest lines of Gucci, such www.forzieri.com and www.ashford.com. In such websites, you are 100% assured that you will be buying the â€Å"real thing†. As of the end of 2004, Gucci operates 398 directly operated stores including 198 with Gucci, 60 with Yves Saint Laurent, 65 with Bottega Veneta and the rest with the Group’s other brands. Gucci is presently not seeking to expand its network of distribution. Authentic Gucci Guarantee All Gucci handbags are manufactured in Italy and made with the highest quality materials. Original Gucci products always come with a Gucci authenticity card. To ensure that you get an authentic Gucci handbag, buy only from authorized Gucci dealers or outlets. For a full listing of authorized dealers near your area, visit www.gucci.com

Essay on Shirley Jacksons The Lottery - Effective Use of Character Na

Effective Use of Character Names in The Lottery   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The common curse of mankind, --folly and ignorance† (Shakespeare).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were he alive, William Shakespeare might fully endorse Shirley Jackson’s ideas as presented in The Lottery.   The author, Jackson, very distinctly uses symbolic names for her characters to show the ignorance of the sacrificial lottery, which the small village holds year after year.   These sacrifices, which used to be held to appease the god of harvest, have grown meaningless in their culture.   Jackson uses the characters not only to visualize the story for the reader, but also each one has a meaning, which adds to the ultimate theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the leaders and MOST important MEN of the town is Mr. Summers.   Summer is a season of the year.   It is the season of growing, the season of life.   His name   represents partly the old pagan fertility ritual because the harvest that is being sacrificed to is being grown in the summer.   This is supposedly, according to Old Man Warner, what the lottery held each year was all about.   But, in this case, the harvest should be fine because the setting of the story tells us that â€Å"the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green† (74). Mr. Summers did many things to slowly wean the old tradition, the old harshness, out of the ordeal.   He had the wooden chips replaced with more convenient slips of paper.   He also â€Å"spoke frequently...about making a new box† (75), so, therefore, he also represented new ideas as well as old.   The new ideas that the close-minded village people would not accept.   If given the chance, Mr. Summers would have more than likely accepted and backed the motion to cease the lottery and stop the sacrifice.   Even though... ...haracters names to symbolize meanings that she could not get across to the reader any other way.   She showed how Mr. Graves’ sacrificial killing and Old Man Warner’s strong tradition was too much of a history for Mr. Summers new ideas and young Watson’s realizations.   Mrs. Hutchinson still got her hand in the box and the stone up the side of her head. I AM NOT SURE HOW, BUT YOU CAUSED ME TO LAUGH AT SUCH A SOLOMN STORY.   YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB RESEARCHING YOUR TOPIC AND CITING YOUR SOURCES.   BE CAREFUL NOT TO USE CONTRACTION AND AVOID SLANG TERMS.   I THOUGHT YOUR CONCLUSION WAS A LITTLE ABRUPT, BUT IT WAS NOT BAD.   OVERALL THIS WAS A VERY GOOD PAPER AND I ENJOYED READING IT. Works Cited: Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." 1949 Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.

Fashion Channel

How would you interpret the consumer and market data if you were Dana Wheeler? I would first try to see if I could classify the data into various segments. The fashion channel is very popular among women. Hence, I would differentiate between the women viewers based on age, spending capacity, fashion nerdiness, etc. These will become subsets of the superset â€Å"women viewers†. Once, I determine the segments I would look for any noticeable trends in the segments that will prove profitable for the business.For example, some of the trends in the provided market data were: 1. Approximately, 15% of the women viewers were Fashionistas who give lot of importance to fashion and follow the trends closely. These consumers will spend a lot of money on fashion because they care for it (about 50% have an income more than $100k). 2. About 35% of the women viewers were Fashionistas and Planners/Shoppers. This segment consists of a more diverse consumer base. Serving this segment will defini tely increase the ratings. Q 2) What is the expected outcome of each of the targeting scenarios? SCENARIO 1: Financial and Viewership: Since scenario 1 deals with a broader segment (Fashionistas, Planners & Shoppers, and Situationalists), the viewership is expected to increase. This increase in viewership will attract more advertisement deals. Hence, the overall ad revenue might increase as compared to 2006 (will depend on the rate of CPM). -SCENARIO 2: Financial and Viewership: Scenario 2 deals with a â€Å"laser† specific single segment. The risk associated with this segment is that there will fewer people comprising it.If this number is less than the last year’s viewership, the viewership rating will drop. However, this scenario will attract ad deals which are willing to pay more CPM rates, hence, the net revenue will increase depending on the rating (0. 8% as compared to 1% in 2006). -SCENARIO 3: Financial and Viewership: Scenario 3 is much more balanced than scena rio 1 and 2. Scenario 3 can be considered as the middle of the spectrum in which scenario 1 and 2 occupy the ends. Scenario 3 is neither â€Å"laser† specific nor includes a very wide consumer base.Hence, there are ample chances of increase in viewership (increased to 1. 2% from 1% in 2006). Together with the increase in viewership, it will attract more CPM for ad deals as compared to scenario 1 and hence the net revenue will be more than scenario 1. At the same time, this increase in net revenue might match the net revenue of scenario 3 if the increase in viewers match the deficit caused by the reduced CPM in case of scenario 3. Q 3) Develop a factual analysis of the segmentation options, and evaluate the pros and cons of each. SCENARIO 1: Ad revenue/year saw a marginal increase as compared 2007 base. Cost of programming is the lowest. Pros: Increase in the number of viewers since the channel is catering to a wider audience. Cons: Since, there is no real change in the TYPE o f viewers the ad deals will not have high CPM (thus reducing the net revenue). Also, this scenario will be most prone to the loss in market share when competitors can come up with better programs. -SCENARIO 2: Huge increase in ad revenue couple with increase in cost of programming, which brought down the profit margin.Pros: Segment consists of viewers who show high interest in fashion and hence will attract more CPM. Investing $15 million in improving the programs and related content will increase ratings. Cons: Smallest of the four segments. It is risky to target just this group since viewership depends heavily on novel and interesting programs. Money has to be invested consistently to improve program content. SCENARIO 3: Huge increase in ad revenue couple with increase in cost of programming, which brought down the profit margin.Pros: More wider audience and dual-targeting will ensure more viewership. The CPM is expected to increase from $1. 2 to $2. 5. Cons: Additional $20 millio n investment on program specialization. Q 4) If you were Dana Wheeler, what would you recommend and why? I would recommend scenario 3 for the following reasons: 1) Fashionistas have high interest in fashion and planners and Shoppers will ensure improve viewership. By incorporating both the segments the fashion channel can target both fashion-oriented and regular programming. ) Fashionistas will ensure CPM boost and planners and shoppers will ensure higher rating both of which will have positive influence on net income. 3) Although, additional $20 million was invested in creating new programs, the net income and profit margin was close to that of scenario 2. 4) Focusing on two segments will remove some possible risks associated with focusing on just one concentrate segment such as low ratings, etc. 5) By choosing scenario 3 it is easy convince the present leadership to make changes in the marketing strategy as compared to scenario 2.Q 5) Dana is filling the role of change agent in th is organization. How should she manage the discussion and meeting to be most effective in leading the group to make the right decision? I think Dana should choose scenario 3 over scenario 2. Although, the margins are almost the same for both the segments, it will be hard to convince the leadership to adopt scenario 2. This is because it will be a sudden change from the BROAD marketing strategy they got used to. Once, scenario 3 starts producing better results, it will be easier to convince the leadership to adopt scenario 2.

Mimicking Insider Trading

Introduction Much of the field of finance Is focused on creating abnormal returns?that is to say. Returns that are different from what one might expect them to be based on various characteristics of the investment?by identifying so-called â€Å"inefficiencies† in the stock market. Perhaps one of the most well-known strategies for taking advantage of these Inefficiencies, a strategy widely discussed In academic as well as Industry literature, is following the trades of company insiders.In the united States, company insiders are required to report to the SEC any time they engage in a purchase or sale of their rim's stock. Within two business days following the date of the trade. This Information, once reported to the SEC, Is subsequently made available to the public almost immediately, allowing outsiders to see exactly how insiders are trading.When insiders trade based on material non-public information and earn abnormal returns, it is a violation of the strong form of the Effic ient Market Hypothesis, which itself is not backed by any significant emplace evidence, However, If outsiders are able to earn abnormal returns by mimicking Insider trades, this becomes a violation of the ideal-accepted semi-strong form of the Efficient Market Hypothesis, which states that the price of a stock incorporates all publicly available information.The academic literature contains many studies which attempt to generate excess returns by replicating Insider trades, with varying degrees of success. While some early studies (Gaffe 1994, Finery 1996) claimed that outsiders were indeed able to create a small amount of excess returns, a later study by University of Michigan Professor H. Negate Shun concluded that once these trades accounted for transaction costs, the excess returns would be nearly zero. Later studies by Rezone and Zamia (1988).Line and Howe (1990) and Frederica, Gregory, Mahatma and Tones (2002) have also reaffirmed that transaction costs depleted all the excess returns from these studies. (1)On the other hand, several studies conclude that it is possible to earn excess returns by applying a â€Å"mimicking strategy' selectively. For example, Lakefronts and Lee (2001) conclude that if an investor mimics only large trades and only by the top management of a company (excluding board members, majority shareholders and other company employees), an outsider could in fact generate excess returns.Other theories suggest that It Is possible to successfully replicate Insiders trades by using the strategy in markets outside the US, such as in the Italian, German and Spanish markets. [l] A critical factor in determining whether an outsider will profit from replicating the trade of an insider is the motivation behind the trade. Insiders are likely to engage In Insider trades for a number of reasons, not all of them connected to Inside Information on future firm performance. An Inside trade that Is ambulated by liquidity or diversification needs is unli kely to contain any â€Å"predictive power and exult in any abnormal return for an outsider.While it's relatively obvious that the Insider's motivation In making an Inside trade Is a key factor in determining how successful the outsider's mimicking trades will be, existing academic literature has, for the most part, been unable to take advantage of this factor to increase returns on test portfolios. Were outsiders able to identify the motivation behind the insider's it might become possible to create a portfolio of performance-predicting trades, which would generate abnormal returns. In a 2007 paper entitled â€Å"Decoding Inside Information†, (Cohen et al.Harvard University and University of Toronto professors test an innovative and original approach to mimicking insider trades. By using a simple algorithm, the strategy attempts to separate insider traders into two categories: opportunistic traders and routine traders. Specifically, the algorithm involves analyzing the past three years of an insider's trading history, and identifying as routine traders those who had made inside trades in the same calendar month for three consecutive years. The remaining insiders, approximately, 45% of Cohen et al. ‘s sample, is identified as opportunistic traders.Insiders without three years of trading story are discarded from the sample entirely. Cohen et al. Test whether the trades made by these â€Å"opportunistic traders† contain any predictive power relating to firm performance, and how the trades of â€Å"routine traders† perform in comparison. Methodology In order to test the efficacy of this strategy, the authors construct four test portfolios at the end of month t, comprised of month it's: a) Opportunistic buys b) Opportunistic sells c) Routine buys d) Routine sells At the end of each month, the portfolios are rebalanced to reflect the routine and opportunistic inside trades and buys in that month.The objective of using these oratorios is to test whether or not there is any added value in separating routine traders from opportunistic traders, using the algorithm designed by the authors. In other words, the study tests whether following only those insiders identified by the algorithm as â€Å"opportunistic† could yield a positive alpha, and how this compares to the returns of the â€Å"routine trader† portfolios. As noted above, the SEC requires insiders to report transactions within two business days following the trade (prior to the enactment of Serbians-Solely in 2002, insiders had until the 10th day of the following month to report the trade).In the sample used by Cohen et al. , nearly all of the trades were reported on the day on which the insider made the trade. (2) As such, by the time the portfolios are rebalanced at the end of each month, information on these inside trades would have been publicly available knowledge. Nonetheless, it is important to consider the potential implications of this on the results of the strategy. Predictive Ability of Routine vs. Opportunistic Trades In order to determine whether the â€Å"opportunistic† traders, as defined by Cohen et al. s algorithm, actually contain any predictive power, the authors run pooled aggressions of returns on indicators of routine and opportunistic trades in the prior month, with future one-month returns as the dependent variable. The findings reveal that both the buy and sell opportunistic trades contained much greater predictive power than routine buys and sells. The results reveal that opportunistic buys yield average returns 0. 90 basis points (with a t-statistic of 4. 46), 76 basis points higher than that of routine buys. With a p-value of 0. %, the difference is significant. It is much better indicator than considering all insider buys. Testing opportunistic versus outing sells exhibits similar results, with a coefficient of -0. 78 in the regression of opportunistic sells, and 0. 04 in the regression of routine sells. The difference is again significant with a p-value of 0% (F=29. 30). See Table 1 in Appendix for full results. Alpha The authors test for the presence of abnormal returns using several different asset pricing models, including the CAMP and the Fame-French model, as well as others.While the tests use two different types of portfolios, one value-weighted and one equally weighted, the findings are similar and the results below will therefore focus only on the equally-weighted portfolio. In the case of opportunistic versus routine buys, the results indicate monthly CAMP alphas of 1. 51% (with a t-ratio of 5. 89 and p- value The results indicate that longing opportunistic buys, and shorting opportunistic sells could yield significant excess returns. An equally-weighted portfolio of opportunistic buys and sells yields a monthly CAMP alpha of 1. 81%, and a monthly Fame-French alpha of 1. 41%, with respective t-ratios of 5. 6 and 5. 04. Based on these results, it is evident that by separating routine and opportunistic trades from trades motivated by liquidity and diversification needs, and following only the former, outsiders may be able to significantly outperform the market. Distribution of Returns While the study by Cohen et al. Goes not provide much information on the characteristics of the distribution of returns on the various portfolios used in their study, looking at other sources which study insider trading strategies may provide some insight into this issue. This information is highly relevant to risk-averse investors, to whom the probability of losses may be as important as the expected return. In Investment Intelligence from Insider Trading, H. Negate Shun finds that the probability of loss (defined as earning lower returns than an investment in the market portfolio) on a single mimicking transaction is 49. %, excluding transaction costs, and 51 . 7% when transaction costs are taken into account. (3). When combined with the study findings o n average return, which falls in the 2-3% depending on the minor variations in the study various tests of the strategy, the approximate 50-50 arability of loss indicates a positive-skewed distribution. As such an investor must mimic a large number of insider trades in order to earn returns near the average of 2-3% in Shunt's findings. While the relatively high probability of losses may seem risk averse investors, as it indicates a smaller probability of extreme negative losses.Although there are substantial differences between Cohen et al. ‘s study and Shunt's study?likely the most important of which is that Shun does not differentiate between routine and opportunistic insiders as Cohen et al. Do?the results from Shunt's study may be an indication that the distribution of Cohen et al. ‘s results are positive-skewed as well. Indeed, it is likely that following only opportunistic traders would both reduce the probability of extreme negative losses, as well as increase the probability of extreme positive gains, thereby resulting in an even further positive- skewed distribution.In addition, the high probability of loss illustrated in Shunt's findings would likely also be reduced when following only opportunistic traders. Trading Costs and Refinancing Because this strategy involves relatively active trading, its costs (commission fees and id-ask spreads) will undoubtedly be higher than those of a buy and hold strategy. That said, when the strategy is applied selectively, as is the case in the Cohen et al. Study (I. E. By mimicking only opportunistic insiders rather than all insiders) trading costs can be significantly reduced.In Cohen et al. ‘s study, the test portfolios are rebalanced at the end of every month, based on that month's opportunistic insider trades. In both the opportunistic sell and opportunistic buy portfolios, outsiders would be able to profit by shorting and buying, respectively, holding for a month, and balancing at the end of e very month. Monthly refinancing requires immediacy, and the stocks would need to be purchased and sold using market orders. The outsider would thus incur the additional costs off larger bid-ask spread.Outsiders may potentially be able to rebalanced less frequently, submitting limit orders instead of market orders, holding on to the stocks for longer periods of time, and still profit. According to Shunt's findings,(4) in the case of an â€Å"insider buy', the profits are realized over the course of several months. (5) As such, the outsider may be able to educe refinancing to twice a year, and hold on to â€Å"insider buy' stocks for 6 months. In this case, the outsider could likely afford to submit a limit buy order and wait a few days before it executes.However, this does not apply in the case of an â€Å"insider sell†, as there is no evidence to indicate that these profits are realized over a period of many months. As such, monthly refinancing it necessary. Barriers to Imp lementation In reality, while the strategy would certainly not be difficult to follow for an institutional investor or a sophisticated individual investor, it would perhaps present mom challenges for the average investor. In Investment Intelligence from Insider Trading, Shun advises that an investor mimic close to 100 insiders, in order to reduce the probability of loss to an acceptable level. 6) Granted, applying this to a strategy which differentiates between opportunistic and routine traders would likely require an outsider to follow a smaller number of insiders in order to obtain a reasonably limited probability of loss. Another potential barrier for the average investor is differentiating between routine and opportunistic traders. While Cohen et al. Ere able to accomplish this, as would institutional and sophisticated investors, it resources to successfully differentiate between the two types of insiders.While these issues may not be particularly large obstacles, they do presen t additional considerations and challenges for the individual investor. Insider Trading and Serbians-Solely An interesting point to consider is the impact of changing SEC reporting regulations on an outsider's ability to profit from following insider trades. A Stanford University study (Zealand 2005)(6) tested the success of a generic â€Å"mimicking strategy' in the ears leading up to Serbians-Solely, versus the success of the strategy in the years following the enactment of the new legislation.The study found that in the first 27 months, it was possible to generate excess returns of up to 17. 67%, including trading costs. After this period, however, it was no longer possible to obtain these returns, likely because the market had fully adjusted to this new source of public information. Looking forward, it is possible that any further changes in SEC regulation make information more readily accessible with a smaller delay, will present investors with another opportunity to earn addi tional returns before the market is able to react.Strategy Comparison While Cohen et al. Are the first to attempt to generate excess returns by differentiating specifically between routine and opportunistic traders, a number of studies in the academic literature have sought to increase returns from following insider trading by applying the strategy in various other selective ways. Although the â€Å"routine vs.. Opportunistic† strategy appears to be the most successful thus far, several other versions of the strategy have also managed to create excess returns.A duty conducted in Sweden (Ayatollah and El-Marin, 2005) reveals that replicating insider trades of stocks listed on the A-List and Attract 40 (the Swedish stock indices reserved for larger companies with significant operating history) does not generate abnormal returns at a significant level. On the other hand, replicating buy transactions of â€Å"insider clusters† (multiple firm insiders making similar trades in the same time period) of firms trading on the O-list (designated for companies which lack the requisite operating history or size for listing on the more established lists) could generate abnormal returns up to 33. , excluding transaction costs. By selectively applying a mimicking strategy to smaller companies rather than larger ones, to buy transactions rather than sell transactions, and to insider clusters (numerous firm insiders making same-type trades in a given period of time) rather to individual investors,(7) an outsider may be able to generate excess returns. The study conducted by Shun, which examines 60,000 insider transactions on the NYSE from 1975-1981, reveals similar results. Over the course of 100 days, the buy transactions exhibited excess returns of 3%, while the sell transactions underperformed the racket by 1 . %. In other words, an outsider may have been able to profit by going long â€Å"inside buys†, but not by shorting â€Å"inside sells†. He also found that there has been a greater amount of uninformative sell transactions that have taken place in the ass, compared to the ass-ass(8), it could be that since sass, the amount and frequency of stock compensations has greatly and continuously increased,(9),thus it into routines and opportunistic you would be able to keep the informative transactions and be less affect by this tendency.Shunt's results also indicate that placating insider trades in smaller firms generated higher excess returns than insider trades in larger firms. (10) It may be easier to generate excess returns by replicating insider trades in smaller firms, because these insiders are typically subjected to less scrutiny by analysts and by the media than their counterparts in larger firms. As such, they may be more willing to engage in profitable, â€Å"performance- predicting† trades than insiders at larger firms. However, it's also possible that these trades generate higher expected returns simply bec ause they have increased risk.In order to compensate investors for this risk, investments in smaller firms can be expected to generate higher returns, as reflected in the Fame French model. Similar to the Swedish study, a study conducted by Jenny et al. (1999) (7) also found replicating insider cluster transactions to be more profitable than replicating individual insider transactions. The rationale behind this?that same-type transactions from multiple firm insiders within a given period is likely motivated by insider knowledge rather than by investor-specific needs–is fairly obvious. 11) Cohen at al. Observe similar results in Decoding Inside Information. The study findings indicate that a one- standard deviation increase in the log number of opportunistic sells translates into a decrease in future returns of 29 basis points per month (excluding the specific days each year when firm executives receive stock compensation and subsequently liquidate some of their stake in the f irm). (12) By differentiating between routine and opportunistic traders as Cohen et al. O, outsiders can avoid these routine sells, and mimic only informative inside clusters. Looking Forward Although Cohen et al. And others have illustrated various ways in which outsiders ay be able to generate excess returns by mimicking insider trades, several potential obstacles may stand in the way of this strategy in the future. As with any market inefficiency, increased popularity of the strategy as well as increased accessibility to information on insider trades may cause a decline in future returns.Today, there are already a multitude of web sites that allow outsiders to track insider trades, making information about such trades readily accessible to the average investor. As a growing number of outsiders attempt to replicate these trades, it is likely that it will come increasingly difficult for investors to mimic trades in time to capture any gains. Another potential threat to this strateg y is the proliferation of endowment assurances, which firm insiders use to take advantage of offshore solutions in order to hide their transactions. Insiders are therefore able to trade stocks and derivatives of companies â€Å"anonymously', and avoid reporting insider trades to regulators. This would obviously prohibit outsiders from gaining access to and mimicking insider trades. (13) Lastly, increased penalties for insider trading could also threaten the success of the strategy. Cohen et al. How that during periods with increased cases of investors being prosecuted for insider trading, the number of trades identified as â€Å"opportunistic† decrease. In other words, insiders take seriously the risk of being caught and charged.

Performance Appraisal in Improving Employees Performance

Performance Appraisal in Improving Employees Performance Management Appraisal and Review of Employee Performance In every organisation, there is a need to review employee performance to encourage future growth of the organisation. Performance is defined as the degree of success in achievement of duties that are assigned to an individual. It states how well the employees are meeting their job requirements. Performance appraisal may act as an effective management intervention to improve employee performance in various ways.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Appraisal in Improving Employees’ Performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of such ways is that performance appraisal is crucial in conducting reviews of employees’ presentation to know their capabilities and contribution in relation to the objectives of the organisation. With full recognition of one’s abilities, it becomes possible for an employee to capitalise on areas that he or s he is well talented. However, it is important to note that performance appraisal does not include the evaluation of an employee’s personal characters, which may influence his or her productivity in terms of realisation of his or her duties and obligations. Performance appraisals act as crucial tools for managers to provide effective management. One of the effective approaches of management involves keeping workers in an organisation motivated in the effort to improve their performance. Indeed, effective management is a practice used by managers to help them deal with the problems and difficulties in their organisations. It can also be interpreted as an art of managing things in the correct and satisfactory way by involving employees when it comes to deciding how this goal can be achieved. Employees in most organisations patiently wait for appraisal times with much worry and terror. They feel that results from appraisals will determine if they will retain or lose their job. Al though appraisals should be used to make decisions whether to fire or to keep the employee, the main aim of an appraisal should be directed towards helping the employee improve their performance since this endeavour will automatically translate to excellent organisational performance. Performance Appraisal and Employee Performance Performance appraisal is a critical analysis and a detailed discussion of the performance of an employee that is measured based on the outcome of the employees’ assigned duties and tasks. Performance appraisal is one of the effective strategies, which can be used by supervisors to help in improving workers’ performance.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is a methodology for providing assistance to others to realise their full capabilities besides helping them to succeed in achieving their goals. Performance appraisal boosts communication between employees and managers, which on the other hand promotes the input of the former in terms of participation and concentration. Effective communication in a performance appraisal process is vital in ensuring that areas where employees are deemed ineffective are successfully addressed. A supervisor’s main function is to assist employees in terms of offering support, direction, and giving results to help in correcting their performance weaknesses besides growing their current and new skills to ensure their responsibilities are made bigger. Performance appraisal succeeds when an employee is involved in the process of identifying the problems and/or coming up with ways, solutions, and plans to help in solving the identified problems. This strategy is incredible in improving the performance of employees. Using performance appraisal in determining employees’ input is essential in their preparation for extra tasks, addressing problems related to with perf ormance, and deriving a plan to help in their development. It is also important when workers are not able to use information acquired from training or when they require assistance to improve their performance. Performance appraisal boosts staff morale, confidence, and productivity. In the context of employee performance, performance appraisal is important in employees’ goal setting processes. Performance appraisal is therefore a working strategy whose main agenda is to encourage employees to work positively towards achieving the goals and objectives of their respective organisations.

Is the ACT Hard 9 Key Factors, Considered

Is the ACT Hard 9 Key Factors, Considered SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT is a nerve-wracking test considering the impact scores can have on college admissions prospects. But how hard is the ACT, really? It's intimidating, sure, but it's not as difficult as it seems. The material on the ACT becomes much less challenging if you're familiar with the structure of the test and the way questions are asked. In this article, I'll go over a few aspects of the ACT that tend to make it more or less difficult and provide essential tips on how to get past some of these obstacles and end up with a great score! Is the ACT Hard? At its core, the ACT tests relatively basic concepts, so you're unlikely to see any content that's totally unfamiliar to you. However, it can definitely be challenging depending on how much you prepare and how well you've learned the material in school. The English section tests grammatical and stylistic writing concepts that will be familiar to you based on your work in English classes in late middle school and early high school. The Math section doesn't test any material past the concepts you would have learned in algebra II and trigonometry, classes which many students have taken by the end of their sophomore year of high school. The passages in the Reading section are written at approximately the reading level of an average college freshman, but they don't contain obscure vocabulary words, and most questions rely on basic reading comprehension. The Science section deals with evaluating experimental scenarios and scientific theories that you'll most likely be able to understand if you've taken a high school science class with a lab component. The main challenge of the ACT for most students is its format. You have a very limited amount of time to answer each question, and there's a significant amount of reading involved. You'll need to overcome the challenges presented by the structure of the test before you can successfully apply your knowledge of the content. 5 Factors That Make the ACT Harder There are a lot of considerations that go into answering the question "Is the ACT hard?" Here I'll list a few different qualities of the ACT that might make it difficult for you. #1: Time Pressure The ACT is challenging for many students because of its strict time constraints. On the English section, you'll answer 75 questions in just 45 minutes, which is equal to a mere 36 seconds per question. On the Math section, you'll answer 60 questions in 60 minutes, so you have a minute at most for each question. On both Reading and Science, you'll answer 40 questions in 35 minutes, meaning you get 52 seconds per question. There's no time to linger on difficult questions, so if you're not used to the test, you may run out of time before finishing one or more sections. #2: Lots of Reading The ACT includes long passages in both the English and Reading sections, and the Science section also requires quite a bit of reading (especially for conflicting viewpoints questions). There are four passages (or pairs of passages) on the Reading section that accompany sets of questions. Often, the questions don't include line numbers for reference. This can mean spending lots of time searching through the passage to find the information you need. If you don't have a good reading strategy in place before the test, you might not get to the end of the section. #3: High-Stress Environment As I've mentioned, the ACT is a high-pressure test because it can strongly impact your chances of admission to competitive colleges. Even on a test that doesn't contain extraordinarily challenging content, stress can make everything seem significantly more intimidating. If you're too worried about making mistakes, you might get distracted by anxiety and inadvertently make the test more difficult for yourself. #4: Unfamiliar Data Some students find the science section of the ACT difficult because it asks you to interpret unfamiliar data from types of experiments that you might not have encountered before in class. It can be a challenge to interpret these charts and graphs if the units are in an unusual form or are measurements of things that you can't easily visualize. Here's an example: At first glance, graphs like this are somewhat unintelligible (watts per meters squared? wut?). You can learn to get past all this to locate the core information that you need to answer the questions, but it's tough if you're not used to the test. #5: Some Challenging Math Concepts (And No Formulas) The ACT tests the occasional advanced math concept that you may not have learned yet, including a few questions on basic trigonometry. To make it even tougher, the ACT doesn't provide commonly used math formulas at the beginning of the section like the SAT does. You'll have to rely mostly on memory in that area. However, questions will provide you with the formulas you need to find the solution if they happen to be a bit more obscure. For example, this is always the case when trigonometric identities are involved. You'll probably encounter the less exciting type of pi(e) on the ACT. 4 Factors That Make the ACT Easier Now let's look at the other side. Here are a few factors that might make the ACT an easier test compared to other exams you've taken in school. #1: Consistent Structure and Question Formats The ACT is always structured the same way with the same types of questions. This standardization means it's relatively easy to predict what will show up on the test in what order. It's much simpler to prepare for a test when you know exactly what to expect. Every time you take the ACT, you can be positive that the order of the sections is English, Math, Reading, Science, and optional Writing. Within the Reading section, you can even predict the order of the passages in terms of subject matter. You can learn more about the structure of each section in this comprehensive guide to the format of the test. #2: All Multiple Choice Every question on the ACT (minus the optional essay) is multiple choice. Unlike the SAT, there are no grid-in questions on ACT Math. That means that you don't have to come up with any answers independently. All the correct answers are right there in front of you! You just need to figure out how to eliminate the choices that don't make sense. #3: ACT Science Isn't Really That Sciencey Some people are very intimidated by the Science section of the ACT because it seems like you must have to know a bunch of obscure scientific facts to do well. That's not true! The science section is just reading comprehension and data interpretation combined with basic logic. You don't need to dive back into your notes on electrochemistry or memorize physics formulas. Even if you lack confidence in your academic skills in scientific domains, you can learn to do very well on this section with some practice. #4: No Guessing Penalty The ACT doesn't take points off for incorrect answers, so leaving a question blank and answering it incorrectly are functionally the same. This means that you don't have to agonize over whether or not it's worth it to fill in a random answer bubble on a question that totally stumps you. Provide an answer for every question just in case you get lucky! Commit whatever guessing infractions you want - there's no penalty! 3 Tips to Make the ACT Easier for You I just went over a bunch of fixed qualities of the ACT that might make it easier or harder, but the biggest factor in determining how easy the test will be for you is how you choose to approach it. Here are some tips that will help you manage the challenges of the ACT and reduce anxiety surrounding such an important test. Tip 1: Take Lots of Practice Tests The number one way to make the ACT easier for yourself is by taking practice tests at frequent intervals as a part of your studying. Practice tests help you get used to the format and timing of the real test so you can avoid any unpleasant surprises. As I've said, time pressure is one of the hardest aspects of the ACT, so if you learn to manage your time well on practice tests, you'll already be much closer to a high score. Practice tests also get you accustomed to aspects of the test that appear scary at first glance but are totally manageable once you understand the format better. Tip 2: Stay Calm Test anxiety is the downfall of many students who are otherwise perfectly capable of understanding the content of the ACT. It's important to find strategies to combat the stress that accompanies these high-pressure exams so it doesn't ruin your performance. Mindfulness techniques can be helpful during the test, and being aware of the structure of the exam before you go into it can also alleviate stress. Keep in mind that your fate in life will not be determined by your score on this one exam. You'll have multiple chances to take it as long as you start the process early enough. Tip 3: Make Note of Your Mistakes Always pay attention to where you encounter errors on practice tests so you can focus on improving in those areas. The more time you devote to addressing content areas that you don't understand, the more comfortable you'll feel on test day. If you keep taking practice tests without attending to your mistakes, you'll have the format of the ACT memorized, but you won't fix any of the deeper issues that are causing you to lose points. Ultimately, if you want to gain confidence, you need to take the time to understand where you went wrong and how you can change your strategy to avoid the same mistakes on test day. You should learn to catch yourself before you start taking an incorrect route to find the solution to a question. Bottom Line: How Hard Is the ACT? The first time you take an ACT practice test, you might perceive the difficulty level as challenging, average, or relatively easy depending on your educational background. The ACT may be more difficult for people who have a hard time reading quickly or who aren't as comfortable with some of the advanced math concepts. However, it's always possible to improve your performance by continuing to practice questions that are tough for you, getting more comfortable with the timing and structure of the test, and learning to relax even when things aren't going perfectly. What's Next? For more tips, check out this article on when you should start studying for the ACT based on your goals. Thinking about getting a review book to prepare for the ACT? Read our review of the official ACT prep guide Aiming for a super high score on the ACT? Take a look at this article on how to earn a perfect or close to perfect score with the help of some expert study strategies. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

South West Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

South West Airlines - Research Paper Example The company also seeks to serve the communities it engages with a sense of involvement and diversity, while providing business sustainability to the shareholders (Lauer, 2010). The company has future strategies of expanding regionally, to serve other markets that include Canada and Mexico. The South West Airlines operates in a competitive environment, where the participants in the airline industry are constantly striving to make profits. The challenges facing the company in its operating environment include competition from the other major industry players in the airline industry, the rising costs of fuels, the slow growth of the USA economy and the ever-rising inflation (Evans, 2002). All these environmental factors have served to make the business environment for the airline a major challenge. Nevertheless, with such challenges facing the South West Airlines, one factor has stood out as its single most strength; the South West Airlines organizational culture, which has allowed it t o overcome most of these challenges and rise to become the giant organization it is today. An Introduction to the focus of the report The South West Airlines has emerged as the major focus of the airline industry, owing to its operating culture that has served to enable the organization grow and expand, in an industry that is so dynamic and unpredictable, where major giants emerges and collapses in unpredictable fashion (Wilson, 2004). There are various factors that account for the profit dynamism and unpredictability in the airline industry. First, the airline industry is wholesomely dependent on the economic performance of a country, especially for the domestic-based airline operators, considering that the economic situations of... The South West Airlines operates in a competitive environment, where the participants in the airline industry are constantly striving to make profits. The challenges facing the company in its operating environment include competition from the other major industry players in the airline industry, the rising costs of fuels, the slow growth of the USA economy and the ever-rising inflation. All these environmental factors have served to make the business environment for the airline a major challenge. Nevertheless, with such challenges facing the South West Airlines, one factor has stood out as its single most strength; the South West Airlines organizational culture, which has allowed it to overcome most of these challenges.The South West Airlines has emerged as the major focus of the airline industry, owing to its operating culture that has served to enable the organization to grow and expand, in an industry that is so dynamic and unpredictable, where major giants emerge and collapse in an unpredictable fashion. There are various factors that account for the profit dynamism and unpredictability in the airline industry. First, the airline industry is wholesomely dependent on the economic performance of a country, especially for the domestic-based airline operators, considering that the economic situation of the individuals within a country determines their ability and preference of air travel, at the expense of the other means of travel, such as the road or rail.

The building institute of training and developing Essay

The building institute of training and developing - Essay Example The process of demolishing and rebuilding is a process of perciceness, safety, professional surveying of the project so it is done correctly, and cost effectiveness. It is a basis process which from start to finish of making sure that all regulations are correctly handled, and that the process is done accurately.The process of removing as-pesos must be done with the windows shut so that it does not escape from the house. This then makes it so that you can remove the asbestos quickly from the front door and bring it in a proper disposal unit. Then the stench of asbestos does not remove. The employees removing the asbestos protect their health. Asbestos is a very dangerous problem when inhaled or gotten on the skin, so the overalls must cover every inch of the body, and protect the one that puts the asbestos in the proper dumping mechanism. It must be disposable so that it does not contaminate any area which the clothes may be. Washing the clothes may ruin a washer with putting the che mical in it, so it is policy that the clothes are disposable.Air conditioner sheets must be removed and not reused due to circulation within the air vents of asbestos. This way it prevents any asbestos that gets in the air ducts from contaminating the house. The air conditioner vents must be removed and replaced to ensure that none leaks from the air vent and gets any in the house once the project is finished. The air conditioner parts must be taken down and ready to be cleaned at the end of the project. ... then the overalls and masks used by the personnel are thrown away with the asbestos TASK 2 The type of loads are important. There are relevant loads that must be used. There are the basic parts of the home that must be loaded up along with the different parts of the gutted interior. This would include the basic framework of the innards of the house; which could probably just be brought out the front door. You may want to remove all of the old interiors, all of the floor boards, and correctly tear down the home; leaving loads for the construction. They may want to tear down the floor boards, the roof, and organize it in loads of efficiency. This can then be done problematically and automatically. This process then tears down the home and makes it cost efficient once all of the parts of the home are removed. TASK 3 There are several needed professionals which you must acquire to then commence with building. You must first consult an Architect, who will draw out the basic lay out off the home. You consult with him with how much space you want in the rooms, how many rooms it has, and what you want the basic layout of the house to be like. He will draw out a design trying to meet your specifications. The architect must then work with a residential designer, which scopes out the zoning procedures of the neighborhood in which the house is being built. This will make sure that the lay out the architect has drawn match the houses in the area, and meet zoning restrictions of how you are allowed to build a house in the area. A designer then designs the basic details of the house working with them and the residential designer makes sure the set up

Ford Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ford - Research Paper Example The company is deeply concerned about the community within its business operation. Ford motor company operates in many parts of the world. For example, in Australia the company developed a program that provides support to the community within their plants. Community support and corporate initiatives have been Ford Motor Company responsibility since its inception after 1903. The founder of the company, Hendry Ford supported employees working for his company by providing educational support; he did this by building schools. Additionally, the founder believed and supported environmental sustainability. The founder’s legacy has been taken over by the company (Corporate Social Responsibility, n.d.). General Motors is the main competitor of Ford Motor Company in the U.S. General Motors is the biggest manufacturer of trucks and cars. Well known brands for General Motors are Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Opel, Daewoo and Holden. The company has both local and international operations. However, Ford Motor Company has recently gained more market shares in the U.S. The increase in market share was attributed to consumer preference of their fuel efficient engines. Some of the vehicles of Ford Motor Company in the U.S. that boosted its market share are Fusion, Escape and F-series. Additionally, Ford Motor Company performance currently is well, this evidenced from its rise in New York Stock Exchange by 3%. However, its major rival is down by 16%. The main problem of GM currently is the recalls the company made because of defective ignition switches (Blanc, 2014). Ford is faced with serious competition internationally from Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Honda and Chrysler. The fact is that, most of the competitors’ brands are cheaper and fuel efficient than Ford Motor Company brands. However, recently, the company showed improvement internationally with an international operation contributing to 35% to stock prices (Trefis Team 2010). Ford Motor Company depends on

Overview of Tourette Syndrome

Overview of Tourette Syndrome Nikki Allen Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary motor tics and, sometimes, vocal tics (Walkup, 2013). The syndrome is named after the French medical scholar, Gilles de la Tourette. In 1885, Gilles de la Tourette published an article in the medical journal, Archives de Neurologie, which described â€Å"a bizarre neurological condition that he referred to as ‘maladie des tics’ (Kevin St. P. McNaught, 2010).† In more recent times, researchers have theorized that the disorder has origins in the basal ganglia; specifically in the caudate nucleus area. In Tourette syndrome, the neurotransmitter, dopamine is produced in excess in the nerve cells, causing the caudate nucleus to be inundated with the extra dopamine. This excess causes a reduction in the messages regarding motor control sent from the brain to the other parts of the body creating spurts of involuntary movement. Researchers surmise that the tics are the brain’s method of compensating for and correcting the chemical imbalance the body is experiencing. Other researchers have attributed the uncontrolled motor movements to an underdevelopment of serotonin and norepinephrine (Brill, 2002). Tourette syndrome is believed to be hereditary. It has also been suggested that environmental conditions and infections may play a role in the development of Tourette syndrome, but more research is needed to either prove or disprove that theory (Kevin St. P. McNaught, 2010). For an individual to be diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, the following criteria must be met, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5): have two or more motor tics (for example, blinking or shrugging the shoulders) and at least one vocal tic (for example, humming, clearing the throat, or yelling out a word or phrase), although they might not always happen at the same time. have had tics for at least a year. The tics can occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day, or off and on. have tics that begin before he or she is 18 years of age. have symptoms that are not due to taking medicine or other drugs or due to having another medical condition (for example, seizures, Huntington disease, or postviral encephalitis) (CDC, 2014). Typically, individuals will begin to show signs of Tourette syndrome in early childhood. As the individual ages, other more complex motor tics, and sometimes vocal tics, appear (Samuel H. Zinner, 2014). Tics can be classified as simple or complex. Simple motor tics involve movement of only one body part. Examples include neck twisting, eye blinking, leg jerking, and finger flexing. Complex motor tics involve more than one muscle group. Examples include leaping, twirling, touching other people or things, and biting oneself. Simple vocal tics involve moving air through the nose or mouth to create a noise. Examples include tongue clicking, whistling, throat clearing, and sniffing. Complex vocal tics involve multiple noises or words. Examples include repeating the same phrase as someone else, repeating the last sound or word multiple times, and the less common vocal tic of swearing or using obscenities (Brill, 2002). â€Å"A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study has found that 1 of every 360 children 6 through 17 years of age and living in the United States have been diagnosed with TS based on parent report; this represents about 138,000 children. Other studies using different methods have estimated the rate of TS at 1 per 162 children (CDC, Data Statistics, 2014).† All ethnic groups can be affected by the disorder. Males tend to be affected five times more often than females. Diagnosis occurs more frequently in the 12-17 year old range. Caucasians have twice as many occurrences than Hispanic Americans or African Americans (CDC, Data Statistics, 2014). 90% of individuals with Tourette syndrome have other comorbid conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), anxiety, mood or sleep disorders, and learning disabilities (Samuel H. Zinner, 2014). Two approaches are commonly used once the diagnosis of Tourette syndrome has been made: the behavioral approach and the medication approach. In the behavioral approach, the therapists concentrate on Habit Reversal Training (HRT) or Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). HRT has the most success in adults because its success depends on the person’s awareness of their tics in general, as well as, the sensation just prior to the tic occurring. In HRT, the individual can initiate a competing response to either lessen the appearance of the tic or inhibit the tic from occurring altogether (Martin L. Kutscher, 2014). For example, if the person has a wrist flexion tic, they can perform and sustain a wrist extension until the tic urge passes (Samuel H. Zinner, 2014). Adults have had the most success with HRT because they are more aware of their bodies due to their maturity level. Therapists do not typically try to use this technique with young children. CBIT is consider ed a more comprehensive behavioral approach because it combines education, relaxation techniques, and an individualized approach of recognizing lifestyle factors that exasperate the frequency of tics. This approach has had success in both adults and children. The major drawback to the behavioral approach is the fact that the benefits are not immediate and that it takes commitment from and maturity of the patient to see the most benefits. (Martin L. Kutscher, 2014). In the medication approach, doctors prescribe medications to treat only the symptoms, since there is no medication that will cure Tourette syndrome nor eliminate tics entirely. Catapres and Tenex are most often prescribed when starting a drug therapy program. These drugs can also be helpful with managing ADHD, anxiety, and insomnia. Other medications, such as Risperdal, Orap, Haldol, and Klonopin, can be prescribed for more severe tics. Most medication trials have been performed on adults and the use of these drugs in children are considered off-label, but some younger individuals have had success with drug therapy. Some drawbacks to the medication approach are: unpleasant side effects, difficulty with compliance in regards to patients actually taking their medication, and lack of response from the medication itself in controlling tics (Samuel H. Zinner, 2014). Occupational therapists can contribute to the treatment of Tourette syndrome. The occupational therapist can treat the patient using HBT and CBIT techniques. Education of Tourette syndrome for the patient and caregiver should be addressed prior to any OT intervention. An occupational therapist can help a patient to identify and emphasize their strengths rather than focus on the shame and social stigma that often accompanies movement disorders or vocal tics (Samuel H. Zinner, 2014). Other areas an OT can work on with the patient are: deep breathing and relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation. Implementing a home exercise program (HEP) and encouraging the patient to practice yoga or tai chi have been shown to also be beneficial (Brill, 2002). Works Cited Brill, M. T. (2002). Tourette Syndrome. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books. CDC. (2014, 6 9). Data Statistics. Retrieved 7 3, 2014, from Tourette Syndrome: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/data.html CDC. (2014, 5 29). Diagnosing Tic Disorders. Retrieved 7 3, 2014, from Tourette Syndrome (TS): http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/diagnosis.html#TS Kevin St. P. McNaught, P. V. (2010, 10). 125 Years of Tourette Syndrome: The Discovery, Early History and Future of the Disorder. Retrieved july 5, 2014, from National Tourette Syndrome Association: http://www.tsa-usa.org/aMedical/history.html Martin L. Kutscher, M. (2014). Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Autism Spectrum, Tourettes, Anxiety, and More! Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Samuel H. Zinner, M. (2014). Tourette Syndrome much more than tics. Contemporary Pediatrics , 22-49. Walkup, D. J. (2013, 12). What is Tourette Syndrome? . Retrieved 7 3, 2014, from National Tourette Syndrome Association: http://www.tsa-usa.org/aMedical/whatists.html