How to Preserve a Carved Halloween Jack-o-Lantern

How to Preserve a Carved Halloween Jack-o-Lantern Your carved pumpkin or Halloween jack-o-lantern doesnt have to rot or mold before Halloween! Here is how to use chemistry to preserve a jack-o-lantern so that it will last for weeks instead of days. How to Preserve a Carved Pumpkin Mix up a preservative solution for your carved pumpkin consisting of 2 teaspoons of household bleach per gallon of water.Fill a sink, bucket, or tub with enough of the bleach solution to totally immerse the carved jack-o-lantern. Place the jack-o-lantern in the bleach mixture right after you have finished carving it. Soak the carved pumpkin for 8 hours or overnight.Remove the pumpkin from the liquid and allow it to air dry. Spray the pumpkin inside and outside with a commercial pumpkin preservative or use your own mixture, consisting of 1 teaspoon of bleach in water. Spray the pumpkin once daily, to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.Smear petroleum jelly on all of the cut surfaces of the pumpkin. This will prevent the pumpkin from drying out and getting that puckered, shriveled look.Protect the  jack-o-lantern  from sun or rain, since one will dry the pumpkin out, while the other will promote the growth of mold. If possible, refrigerate your jack-o-lantern when its not in u se. How Pumpkin Preservation Works Bleach is dilute sodium hypochlorite, an oxidizer that kills microorganisms that decay the pumpkin, including mold, fungi, and bacteria. You need to reapply it because it loses its effectiveness fairly quickly. The petroleum jelly locks in moisture so the jack-o-lantern doesnt get dehydrated. Now that you know how to keep it fresh, make a science Halloween jack-o-lantern. More Tips to Preserve Pumpkins Another way to make a pumpkin last is to simply wait until its closer to Halloween to carve it. One idea is to mark the carving for the big event, but not actually cut it. Then coat the entire pumpkin except the areas to be carved with glow-in-the-dark paint. This gives you a glowing pumpkin with dark areas where the carving will go.While bleach reacts with air so that it needs to be reapplied, you can get lasting protection against critters and mold by treating a carved pumpkin with borax. You can either sprinkle borax powder around the interior of the jack-o-lantern and the carved surfaces or you can dip the pumpkin in a solution of borax in water.If youre concerned about the potential toxicity of bleach or borax (or simply dont have them), you can deter rotting and mold using salt. It doesnt matter whether you use table salt or road salt. You can either soak the pumpkin in brine (saturated saline solution) or else rub salt into the cut surfaces and interior of the jack-o-lantern. Again, you can seal the pumpkin with petroleum jelly to keep it from shriveling up. Salt prevents rot by dehydrating cells. While salt is a better preservative, sugar also dehydrates cells. The same techniques used for salt may also be applied to sugar.Another good tip is to use care when selecting your pumpkin. If you can, try to select a pumpkin that is fresh and firm. A freshly cut pumpkin wont have a shriveled stem or soft spots anywhere on the fruit. You have a much better chance of keeping a pumpkin until Halloween if it doesnt have an established colony of bacteria and mold.When you carve the pumpkin, clean the inside as well as possible. If you leave any strings or seeds, youre  providing extra surface area for microbial growth. Its easier to keep a smooth surface clean than a rough one. Fact Facts While a pumpkin may last weeks or months without rotting, once you carve it, the exposed flesh is susceptible to rot.Decay can be minimized by applying a disinfectant or preservative, such as bleach, salt, or sugar.A carved pumpkin can be sealed with oil or petroleum jelly to lock in moisture and minimize puckering.Its important to keep a carved pumpkin cool when its not in use. Increasing the temperature basically incubates mold and bacteria.

Denmark, Incest, and Uncertainty in Hamlet

Denmark, Incest, and Uncertainty in Hamlet Shakespeares tragedy  Hamlet has a number of  major themes, such as  death  and  revenge, but the play also includes sub-themes, such as the state of Denmark, incest, and uncertainty. With this review, you can better understand the dramas wide range of issues and what they reveal about the characters. The State of Denmark The political and social condition of Denmark is referred to throughout the play, and the ghost is an embodiment of Denmark’s growing social unrest. This is because the bloodline of the monarchy has been unnaturally disrupted by Claudius, an immoral and power-hungry king. When the play was written, Queen Elizabeth was 60, and there was concern about who would inherit the throne. Mary Queen of Scots’ son was an heir but would potentially ignite political tensions between Britain and Scotland. Therefore, the state of Denmark in Hamlet could be a reflection of Britain’s own unrest and political problems. Sexuality and Incest in Hamlet Gertrude’s incestuous relationship with her brother-in-law plagues Hamlet more than  his father’s death. In Act 3, Scene 4, he accuses his mother of living â€Å"In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, / Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love / Over the nasty sty.† Gertrudes actions  destroy Hamlet’s faith in women, which is perhaps why his feelings toward Ophelia become ambivalent. Yet, Hamlet is not so angered by his uncle’s incestuous behavior. To be clear, incest typically refers to sexual relations between close blood relatives, so while Gertrude and Claudius are related, their romantic relationship does not actually constitute incest. That said, Hamlet disproportionately blames Gertrude for her sexual relationship with Claudius, while overlooking his uncles role in the relationship. Perhaps the reason for this is a combination of women’s passive role in society and Hamlet’s overpowering (maybe even borderline incestuous) passion for his mother. Ophelia’s sexuality is also controlled by the men in her life. Laertes and Polonius are overbearing guardians and insist that she rejects Hamlet’s advances, despite her love for him. Clearly, theres a double standard for women where sexuality is concerned. Uncertainty In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses uncertainty more like a dramatic device than a theme. The uncertainties of the unfolding plot are what drive the actions of each character and keep the audience engaged. From the very beginning of the play, the ghost poses a great deal of uncertainty for Hamlet. He (and the audience) are uncertain about the ghost’s purpose. For instance, is it a sign of Denmark’s socio-political instability, a manifestation of Hamlet’s own conscience, an evil spirit provoking him to murder or his father’s spirit unable to rest? Hamlet’s uncertainty delays him from taking action, which  ultimately leads to the unnecessary deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. Even at the end of the play, the audience is  left with a feeling of uncertainty when Hamlet bequeaths the throne to the rash and violent Fortinbras. In the closing moments of the drama, Denmark’s future looks less certain than it did at the beginning. In this way, the play echoes life.

Managing Working Capital Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Working Capital - Research Paper Example The net working capital of Syndicate Company is similar to its working capital. To find the net working capital, Syndicate clinic, subtracts the trade accounts payable from the inventories, marketable investment, and cash. The clinic used the net working capital in estimating the growth of the company. From its records, the clinic has a cash reserve to scale up the operation of the business (Gapenski, 2012). On the other hand, the working capital cycle is the time taken to convert the current assets and liabilities of the clinic into cash In the healthcare industry of today, the leaders and executives fight the challenge of lowering costs, while maintaining a quality healthcare. To increase the profit of the company, Syndicate clinic receive cash from the insurance institutions and patients early. To achieve this objective, the revenue cycle of the clinic opens until payment reaches the clinic. The management of revenue cycle is important because it gives one knowledge to lower the potential fraud, streamline the information of the clinic, and improve the client services. Some of the challenges that Syndicate clinic during revenue cycle optimization include the deficiency of flexible workforce, high and seasonal volumes, multiple touch points, lack of transparency and individual performance, and disparate work types in the clinic. The challenges causes troubles for the providers. Additionally, collection of payments from the patients is not an easy task for the providers and the problem only increase the struggle. To offset the challenges the billing professionals of the company and the physician work as a team to make sure that the patients are charged the correct payment. To manage a working capital, Syndicate Clinic need to a cash flow schedule that will be used in showing the cash inflow, cash outflow, and the balance. When the clinic offers services to its patients, there is a possibility that the company

The singer solution to world poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The singer solution to world poverty - Essay Example For this reason, the paper will dwell on the possible and unreasonable solutions stated by Peter Singer as a solution for world poverty. In brief, Singer believes that a person’s action will be judged by its result. As a utilitarian philosopher, he believes that Dora did the right thing in deciding to get the child back. In this manner, the moral issue here is that Dora was haunted by the fact the she was able to see the child, which caused her to feel guilty of her actions. Personal interaction was the most dominant difference between Dora and an American who will be donating. However, Singer cited that if an American chose to donate $200 to charity rather than spending it on unnecessary things, he or she will be able to save five children from dying. In a personal level, the argument of Singer in act donating is agreeable because the expected result would be saving at most five lives of children in poverty. In an average, $200 is a little amount of money to spare in order to help other people, especially a child, to live. It is inevitable to be persuaded by Singer in this part of his argument especially in knowing that this amount will be sufficient for four years to help a sickly child be healthy when he or she comes to the age of six. As a person, Singer’s argument holds much more than the consequences of a person’s action. It exemplifies a person’s capacity to help others, which is more profound rather than buying a new shirt with $200. On the other hand, in the later part of the text, Singer’s argument shifted from $200 to donating almost all of what is left after a family had spent for their necessities. He cited that an American household’s annual income is $50,000, and the annual expenses would be $30,000. Therefore, the average $20,000 left must be donated to charity. Singer’s persuasion in donating had lost its point when he asked for every individual to donate all their extra wealth. In a personal lev el, when Singer’s argument headed on this direction, it became less persuasive because first, it became unfair. For one, donating the money of what is left after spending for necessities is unfair for the person who had worked hard to earn that money. It is by far saying that a person must work hard in order to save the lives of other people and not think of themselves. Yes, the notion is realistic especially in seeing the statistics of death due to poverty. However, it is also necessary to note that an earning person must reward herself or himself every once in awhile. This reward can be as luxurious as having a cruise or as easy as getting massage. Aside from this, it is also beneficial for people to save for themselves. These savings will be essential especially in unavoidable and unexpected circumstances. This is not to say that a person must only think of the lives of the people they love, but this is saying that a person must be realistic enough to prepare for certain c ircumstances. The persuasiveness of Singer’s article was shaken when he injected the argument on giving all that is left to others. The text lost its point and eventually, in a personal level, became illogical to follow. For an average person to donate $200 is acceptable. Donating all the excess money and wealth is already questionable. It is a fact that poverty must be combated with the help of people who are capable of helping. A child living in poverty must be

The North Face Essay Example for Free

The North Face Essay The majority of the company’s products are sold in premium sporting goods retailers, and specialty backpacking, mountaineering, and skiing retailers. The North Face provides gear for professional and amateur athletes and enthusiasts using high-quality, technical outerwear. This company also sponsors major events to maintain and even increase its public profile. In 2010, The North Face sponsored the Ski Challenge, the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France and the Lava redo Ultra Trail in the Italian Dolomite Mountains (Kennedy, 2012). The North Face has very stiff competition from well known companies such as Columbia Sportswear, and Patagonia. However they have fascinating state of the art technology to distance themselves from their competitors. Despite The North Face filing for bankruptcy in the late 90s, profits have risen by 37 percent the past year. This is mostly because of the popularity of the brand in Asia and its sponsorship for the Winter X-Games. It has earned a reputation as the ultimate, authentic outdoor brand. Their slogan â€Å"Never Stop Exploring,† has become popular amongst all athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. This outdoor apparel powerhouse has a very large and loyal fan base, and the demand for outdoor apparel is on the rise. In North America, performance outdoor apparel has grown 19% from 2004 to 2010. This trend is supposed to continue for at least another five years. As The North Face has been creating products with great quality and endurance, they plan to focus toward a greener supply chain and operations. Partnering with the blue sign sustainability standard for textile production, will help separate The North Face from their main market competitors Columbia Sportswear, and Patagonia. By looking at financial records, The North Face surpasses its second largest competitor, Columbia Sportswear, proving that it is the best in the industry. The North Face is named after the coldest most unforgiving side of a mountain, and has helped explorers reach unbelievable heights in the Himalayas. This remarkably powerful corporation is going to continue to design and provide the best for all outdoor enthusiasts, remaining on top for years to come. The North Face was chosen due to its involvement in both the sport and recreation fields. Their mission statement is â€Å"Never Stop Exploring†. Their vision statement as a business is â€Å"Our passion is beyond setting records and achieving fame. For us, its all about changing lives, not just our lives, but also, the lives of those people who inspire us to aim for extraordinary dreams† (Over 40 Years of Innovation and Exploration, 2012). For more than 40 years, The North Face has been distributing an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear. The company’s purpose is to push the boundaries of innovation so their customers can push the boundaries of exploration (Over 40 Years of Innovation and Exploration, 2012). The North Face is extremely proud to be the first choice of equipment and apparel for the world’s most accomplished climbers, explorers, and winter sport enthusiasts. In 1966, Douglas Tompkins and Kenneth Klopp founded The North Face in San Francisco’ North Beach neighborhood. They chose this name of their equipment retail store because the north face of a mountain in the northern hemisphere is generally the most difficult face to climb (Our Story, 2011). By 1968, The North Face was designing and manufacturing its own type of technical mountaineering apparel and equipment. By the end of the 1980s The North Face became the only supplier in the United States to offer a comprehensive collection of high-performance outerwear, skiwear, sleeping bags, packs and tents (Our Story, 2011). The North Face brand was created to give customers exactly what they need and they are concentrating on creating environmental friendly and high sustainability products. They wanted to give the customers huge satisfaction and build trust between them and the brand. By using products, which support better performance and comfort at different locations and climatic conditions, creates a long-term relationship with the customers. In the past innovative product design and consistent development and introduction of new products have always been North Face’s greatest strengths. In 1975 North Face introduced a standard in the outdoor equipment industry with its geodesic dome tent. This design became the standard for lightweight, high-performance tents used in high-altitude and polar expeditions (Our Story, 2011). The geodesic dome also became very popular for general backpacking and camping as well. The same year North Face also introduced another original, sleeping bags incorporating shingled construction of synthetic insulation. Like the dome tent, these sleeping bags have become the industry standard (Our Story, 2011). An â€Å"extreme skiwear† line was later introduced which involved a complete line of severe cold weather clothing. By the late 1980s North Face were the only manufacturer and distributor in the United States of a comprehensive line of premium-grade, high-performance equipment and apparel used in mountaineering, skiing, and backpacking (The North Face Inc, 2009). Currently, Geoffrey D. Lurie leads The North Face team as Chief Executive Officer, and Director (Company Overview of The North Face, Inc. 2011). The North Face is owned by VF Corporation, who is lead by the team of Eric C. Wiseman and Robert K. Shearer (About VF Management Team, 2012). The VF Corporation is a leader in branded lifestyle apparel including jeans wear, outdoor products, image apparel, sportswear and contemporary apparel brands. The principal products and services offered by The North Face are men, women, and children outdoor apparel for hiking, cold weather climates, running, rock climbing, and camping. They offer equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, back packs, and kits for rock climbing, and camping. They offer services such as events throughout the year that give their customers opportunities to enjoy the outdoors while also getting to know the brand. Today, The North Face offers a wide variety of products like outdoor equipment such as thermal tents, and climbing tools. They are very famous on college campuses these days with their outer wear ranging from their jackets to winter hats and gloves. These products meet customers’ needs and wants by providing quality winter and hiking gear. The North Face touches customers emotionally by satisfying their technological needs. Every product they make is made with the thought that â€Å"each consumer is an explorer and they require a product with high quality, comfort and something they would value for the long–term† (Our Story, 2011). They value their customers and stick to their company values of using high quality fabric, testing their products endlessly, and constant improvement (Our Story, 2011). The demand for The North Face products will definitely increase in the future. Global demand for performance outdoor apparel worn by individuals taking part in sports pursuits is outpacing other sectors of the total active sportswear market, according to a new report from just-style, with growth set to soar by 22% over the next six years†(Smith, 2011). In North America, performance outdoor apparel has grown 19% from 2004 to 2010. This trend is supposed to continue for at least another five years. Europe is suppose to have a predicted 18% increase within the next 5 years (Smith, 2011). Outdoor apparel will be very successful in the developed world, but in third world countries they will hardly grow at all. In the past, outdoor retail products were seen more as a luxury rather than a necessity. Lucky for The North Face, the economy hasn’t really impacted the company as a whole compared to the industry in general. The North Face is classified as a â€Å"premium brand†, thus targeting â€Å"high educated individuals†. New stores have continued to open, and plans to grow and expand are emphasized each day. Just like any organization, The North Face has high objectives in regards to their products and services. One objective is to improve the brand value perception from 65% to 85% by the end of the year (2010 Sustainability Report, 2010). Based on a survey that was conducted, 65% of the respondents think that they are getting a great value out of The North Face Products for the amount they pay. Whereas another survey shows that the brand is not too affordable. Another objective for The North Face is to increase customer loyalty from 68% to 85% by the end of 2012 (Over 40 Years of Innovation and Exploration, 2012). Based on the brand research, they found out that only 74% of The North Face customers are more likely to buy its products again. Finally, The North Face plans to expand the product offering of the company from 4 to 6 activities. Their newest targets include runners and bikers. After conducting a survey with their customers, The North Face found that the top activity that respondents participate in, other than hiking, are biking and running. Therefore, The North Face wants to include more gear to accommodate this new market of runners and bikers. In order to reach its goals, The North Face plans on taking steps in order to meet its objectives. To achieve its goals, The North Face plans on creating strong awareness campaigns that emphasize the product technology and value of the products in order to decrease the perception of having prices way too high for a said product (2010 Sustainability Report, 2010). In order to increase customer loyalty The North Face Plans on developing more community outreach programs to engage customers. A simple solution is in place for the running and biking market, just simply begin developing products for that target market. The use of advertisements will help The North Face keep in touch with the customers and constantly remind them of product’s positive values (Over 40 Years of Innovation and Exploration, 2012). Maintaining long-term relationships with happy and satisfied customers will encourage them to continue buying the products. The technology used to make The North Face products is blue sign approved fabric. The blue sign standard guarantees that along the entire production chain products only contain components and pass through processes that are harmless to people and the environment (The Board Room Eco Apparel Environmental Standard, 2012). By supporting the blue sign standard, The North Face can focus not only on creating high performing, quality products but also on assuming greater responsibility for our consumers and the environment by minimizing the ecological impact of their supply chains (Product Responsibility, 2010). In addition to working with their primary suppliers, The North Face works hard to influence additional supply chain partners to partner with the blue sign system in 2010. Viewing the macro-environment surrounding The North Face is very interesting. Many factors influence the production of products, sales, and innovation. Social trends include brand popularity as well as possible body image and health issues. Everyone wants to fit in with the new styles, therefore with The North Face on the rise; sales will increase and become popular among customers. Since The North Face promotes healthy living, healthy lifestyles among consumers will become a huge trend with trying to stay in shape and avoiding obesity. Politically and economically, healthcare bills could determine if people would venture out and do adventurous activities with risk involved. Higher taxes and unemployment rates will pose a huge threat to The North Face due to its high prices. Currently, natural trends that are being used include the use of blue sign fabric technology explained earlier and finding innovative ways to recycle and reuse resources for future products. Technological trends that are being used include partnering with the most innovative leading materials engineers. With this partnership, The North Face creates the technically advanced fabrics needed to develop clothing and equipment that meet their high standards (Our Research, Design ; Development Process, 2011). One great example is the partnership with W. L. Gore, who helped design PacLite, â€Å"the most compressible, lightest weight GORE-TEX shell fabric available† (Our Research, Design ; Development Process, 2011). As The North Face has been creating products with great quality and endurance, they plan to focus toward a greener supply chain and operations. At least 65 percent of the fabric it uses to conform to the blue sign sustainability standard for textile production by 2015 (Guevarra, 2011). After two years of working with major suppliers to apply blue sign guidelines, 27 percent of the fabric used in The North Face products meets the standard (Guevarra, 2011). The further upstream we go, the more impact we have on [easing] the environmental impacts,† Adam Mott, corporate sustainability manager for The North Face (Guevarra, 2011). With that being said, the greatest benefits result by improving the sourcing and manufacturing of prime materials that are used in its products. The North face customers are usually single middle-middle or upper-middle class people, whose main occupation is teaching or having part time summer jobs. They are college or professional customers between 25 to 45 years old (Demographics of The North Face, 2012). Their income ranges between $40,000 to $60,000 dollars. They are consistent users with heavy frequency of purchase and conduct searches on the Internet (Demographics of The North Face, 2012). Surveys and studies show The North Face customers are interested in running in marathons and also environmentally aware. They enjoy being independent and typically purchase high performance products (Demographics of The North Face, 2012). The company targets prospect customers who are trying to explore new locations for outdoor activities like running. The customers are generally people who are trying to fit in the new environment or society. The North Face has very stiff competition from three major well known companies such as Patagonia, Columbia Sportswear, and Nike. Patagonia and Columbia Sportswear are in the same category of â€Å"outdoor† lifestyle brands, and Nike on the other hand targets a much larger variety of customers. Patagonia’s mission statement states: â€Å"Build the best product, do no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis† (Our Reason For Being, 2012). Founded by the mountaineer Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia, like The North Face, is a company that is deeply committed to preserving the earth and creating sustainable products. In 1972, Yvon Chouinard developed the idea of going green mountain climbing after finding out that the climbing gear his company manufactured damaged cliffs (Beginnings and Blacksmithery, 2012). Chouinard later developed aluminum chocks to replace the steel climbing gear. The Columbia Sportswear Company is positioned directly against The North Face and Patagonia. While The North Face and Patagonia target the extreme outdoor adventurers, Columbia Sportswear appeals more to the casual outdoor enthusiast. They believe that â€Å"the outdoors isn’t all about remote expeditions or climbing the world’s highest mountains. Anyone can enjoy the outdoors† (Columbia’s History, 2012). They are definitely aiming to sell to a much larger crowd of customers compared to Patagonia and The North Face. Columbia Sportswear is sold in over 100 countries worldwide. They use state of the art technology known as Omni technology, which focuses primarily on comfort focuses on comfort (Omni-Technology, 2012). Core technologies serve the following functions: thermal comfort, water repellent, lightweight, advanced traction, sun protection, advanced evaporation, advanced cooling, waterproof and breathable (Omni technology, 2012). Nike is the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel. Each product line they offer is branded such as, Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Air Jordan, etc. Nike’s marketing and branding strategy is a key component to their huge success. Nike’s logo, â€Å"The Swoosh†, is one of the most recognizable logos in the entire world. They target the mainstream athletic crowd with their apparel, commercials and sponsorships. Competitively, all four companies have incredibly strong cultures and each has their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. Out of these sport and recreation apparel powerhouses, Patagonia, is the most serious threat to The North Face. However The North Face has some unique features that gives it an advantage over Patagonia and the rest of its competition. The North Face is a very trendy brand, and very popular with college students. It is available in thousands of retails stores for easy access, creating more of a mass market appeal. trendy brand of the two, hugely popular among college students and widely available nationwide in thousands of retail locations. Thus, The North Face has more mass-market appeal. On the other hand, Patagonia only has a handful of retail locations in areas that aren’t as populated. This happens to be part of their marketing strategy. The North Face’s marketing strategy is to focus on the athlete and their performance in The North Face gear. Patagonia focuses more on the clothing it sells, not the model. They place an emphasis on the fabric technology that they use in their marketing and only display their clothing on their website and catalogs. This is an area where both of these companies could improve on. North Face as a whole company is financially healthy. This is determined through the financial ratios provided by the annual report of V. F. Corporation for the year 2012. The North Face is a subsidiary to the VF Corporation and is represented as the stock symbol VFC on the New York Stock Exchange. In order to determine The North Face’s health, profitability ratios and its subcomponents were analyzed. Profitability ratios show the business’s ability to generate revenue as compared to its expenses and other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time (Profitability Ratios, 2012). These ratios include profit margin, return on assets, capital structure, and return on investment. The North Face’s financial ratio for profit margin is 47. 9%. This was determined by taking the net income, dividing it by the corporation’s revenue, then multiplying the quotient by one hundred. The return on assets is 9. 5% which is determined by taking the company’s net income and dividing it by their total assets. The capital structure of the North Face is 24. 3%. To calculate the capital structure, you must take their long term debt, and divide it by shareholders equity plus their long term debt. Calculating the return on investment, you must take the gain from interest; subtract it by the cost of investment, then divide by the cost of investment. The North Face’s return on investment is 14%. The current accounts payable is $868,870,000, current ratio is 1. 91%, the working capital is 1. 2B, and their long term debt is 1. 83B (VF Corporation, 2012). The North Face company is healthy because their working capital is only 300 million less than their long term debt and they have a positive $868,870,000. 00 accounts payable balance. Financial records were not available for Patagonia, The North Face’s top competitor. Columbia Sportswear, The North Face’s second largest competitor, financial ratios were looked at instead. Columbia Sportswear as a company is also financially healthy. This is determined through the financial ratios provided by the annual report of COLM for the year 2012. Specifically we focused on the profitability ratios and its subtopics to determine the health of the company. Their financial ratio for the profit margin is 46%, ratio for return on assets is 7. 5, capital structure -5%, return on investment is 9. 6%, accounts payable is $148,700,000, and their current ratio is 3. 9% (Columbia Sportswear Company COLM, 2012). The North Face exceeds Columbia in all four categories. The North Face’s profit margin is 47. 9% compared to Columbia’s 46%. In return of assets, The North Face comes out on top with 9. 50% opposed to Columbia’s 7. 5%. The North Face’s capital spending is at 24. 0%, way above Columbia’s -0. 05%. In the fourth and final category, return on investment, The North Face closes it out with a 14% to Columbia’s 9. 60%. These ratios are so different because The North Face is more successful and sells more inventory than Columbia. They also get a much larger market draw. The North Faces product and clothing line is helping the company meet its objectives. This is because they are very successful and have nearly a 50% profit margin. In conclusion, The North Face, part of the Vanity Fair Corporation, was founded in 1966 later opening its first retail store in 1968. The company, located in San Leandro, California, brings the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished mountaineers, climbers, skiers and explorers. The majority of the company’s products are sold in premium sporting goods retailers, and specialty backpacking, mountaineering, and skiing retailers. The North Face provides gear for professional and amateur athletes and enthusiasts using high-quality, technical outerwear. Their slogan â€Å"Never Stop Exploring,† has become popular amongst all athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. This outdoor apparel powerhouse has a very large and loyal fan base, and the demand for outdoor apparel is on the rise. As stated earlier, in North America, performance outdoor apparel has grown 19% from 2004 to 2010. This trend is supposed to continue for at least another five years. As The North Face has been creating products with great quality and endurance, they plan to focus toward a greener supply chain and operations. Partnering with the blue sign sustainability standard for textile production, will help separate The North Face from their main market competitors Columbia Sportswear, and Patagonia. By looking at financial records, The North Face surpasses its second largest competitor, Columbia Sportswear, proving that it is the best in the industry. The North Face is named after the coldest most unforgiving side of a mountain, and has helped explorers reach unbelievable heights in the Himalayas. This remarkably powerful corporation is going to continue to design and provide the best for all outdoor enthusiasts, remaining on top for years to come.

Growing Up :: essays papers

Growing Up Short story authors use symbolism to describe particular scenes without actually saying the words, which adds to the interest of the story. In Frank O'Connor's story "First Confession" and John Steinbeck's story "The Chrysanthemums", both authors use symbolism to enhance the readers insight of the story. Also, the symbolism offered by the authors provides the reader with a deeper look into the story, making the reader find more interest throughout. In "The Chrysanthemums", Steinbeck uses a betrayal issue as the basis of the story, where O'Connor's "First Confession" uses a religious basis. Even though there is a wide spread in the subjects, a link is created. Wisdom, spirituality, and frustration are all symbols shared by these unrelated topics. "The Chrysanthemums" main character is Elisa Allen. Elisa is married and loves to work in her garden. While working in the garden, a stranger pulls his wagon into Elisa's yard. The stranger manages to con Elisa by speaking of her flowers, which is Elisa's ultimate soft spot. Elisa gives the man some of her prize Chrysanthemums to give to another woman that he knew. While going to dinner with her husband, she notices her beautiful flowers have been carelessly discarded onto the road. This is one of Steinbeck's main symbols. The discarded flowers symbolize Elisa's beauty and femininity. Because Elisa has no children, she believes that her flowers are her children. She takes care of them better than anything she has in her possession does. When the smooth talking stranger disposes of her flowers, he has taken her children away from her. Elisa is also portrayed as venerable. The stranger takes advantage of this venerability by acting like he liked the flowers and was going to deliver t hem to a lady. The Chrysanthemums were Elisa's life and even her entire being on her isolated farm .Not only her trust was broken, but her faith in people and even herself was broken. She put her faith in the stranger and was betrayed. Elisa's garden was consistent with the Garden of Eden. Her flowers were cast out onto the road as God cast out Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve betrayed God, like the stranger betrayed Elisa's trust in him. In Frank O'Connor's "First Confession", a little seven year old boy named Jackie has been scared by a nun's portrayal of confession. Frightened by this inaccurate encounter, Jackie is nervous about making his first confession.

Secret Window Movie

Secret Window is psychological thrilled about mind that cracks right down the middle and separates two different people with totally two different personalities that is taking over. Mort Rainey is a successful writer going through unfriendly divorce from his wife, Amy. Mort suspicion his wife Amy who is secretly meeting a lover and one night he confirms his fear by following her to a nearby motel and hesitantly walks in to the room while they are in bed. His hesitation was caused by a voice in his head that was trying to persuade him to go home and forget about his suspicion. Mort is alone and bitter in his little cabin, he continues to work on his writing when stranger John Shooter comes up to his doorstep, claim Rainey stole his story. Mort tells Shooter that he wrote his first and he can prove it, but while Mort waits for the evidence to appear, Shooter starts to become more violent. Mort also tries to tell Shooter that his story was published way back before Shooter’s existed. And then he is given three days by Shooter to prove it. Mort had medical attention then maybe he would have gotten treatment for his disorder. The disorder in which I am thinking of is known as dissociation identity disorder (DID) which also called as multiple personality disorder (MPD). This disorder is a psychiatric condition which person role in multiple identities. Each has a different set of unique set of memories, emotions, behavior, and thoughts. Mort’s alter ego which was Shooter is called a â€Å"host personality† this is when he executive control of the body for the greatest percentage of time during a given amount of time. Mort has been taking prescription drugs to stabilize his mental disorder. This problem combined with cigarette and alcohol-induced psychotic disorder with delusions and with onset during intoxication may account for five murders that were committed by one of Mort’s personalities. I have known that in this multiple personality disorder therapy the hypnosis is one of the successful treatment for the person that diagnosis with this disorder. In this hypnosis therapy they ask patient to go back in their mind when traumatic events occurred in their childhood. The treatment helps them belief that those traumatic memories will permit in patient to understand the threats from their childhood is doesn’t exist anymore in their adult life. Neither I can nor has anyone I know that has been related to this movie with multiple personality disorder. I can’t imagine any of my family member or friends going through with this kind of disorder. But I have seen one of the shows on T. V. that was similar to this kind of movie. It was girl who diagnosis with this multiple personality disorder. It was hard for the parents to take care of her and her little brother together. Her brother was only 2 year old and she tries to kill her brother and she go through that traumatic events. Her parent rent another apartment so separate brother and sister from each-other. The director had done really wonderful job with this movie, but there something I see to be end different ways than the way it did end. If I were director of this movie, I would keep the most part of the movie the way it is except for the end part. I was looking for some more to it at the end. I would try to show the treatment to this disorder so it allow to understand more people how patient get treated with multiple personality disorder. And also audience can understand much better to people who deal with mental illness.

Ai WeiWei Essay

Ai WeiWei blurred the lines between the aesthetic and the political. According to the internet, aesthetic is defined as concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. Ai WeiWei used art to â€Å"protest† against the Chinese government. Ai Weiwei was a creative man who thought of ideas how to represent the names of all the children who were killed in a deadly earthquake. A commentator in the movie claimed that Ai WeiWei was doing a job that the government should be doing. A deadly earthquake collapsed many buildings including homes and schools. Thousands of children were killed and were left unrecognized. Ai WeiWei wasn’t going to let this go. He assembled a project, full of volunteers to help him search for the names of the children who were killed in the disaster. He placed every individual name on his wall. The project inspired him to create more pieces of art work to revolt against the Chinese government. Ai WeiWei was a fearless man. Ai WeiWei was very involved with social media. He used twitter to share to the world how corrupt China’s government was. He left China when he said â€Å"Fuck You Mother Land. † Cameras are sometimes forbidden in China. Ai WeiWei was assaulted by a police officer, but that did not stop him from taking pictures in front court houses or of an officer who was at the scene when he was attacked. Ai WeiWei created a wall full of back packs to make other individuals aware of the children that died in the earthquake. During the 2nd anniversary, Ai WeiWei asked his followers to pick a name and record it on tape and share it to the world. Ai WeiWei was sharing his experience in China of the corrupt government with thousands of people around the world. Ai WeiWei made people aware of what was going on in China. Ai WeiWei became well-known through his work of art. He expressed his ideas through his work. Not only did his art make him well-known, Ai WeiWei captured many supporters to revolt against the corrupt system. Ai WeiWei was a man with no selfishness. He looked out for others and he was always looking and searching for ideas that would help him and his followers. Ai WeiWei was not afraid of the consequences, as long as he knew it was for the good.

Niccolo Machiavelli essays

Niccolo Machiavelli essays Niccol Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469 and died on June 21, 1527 in Florence, Italy. He was an Italian historian, statesman, and a political philosopher. He was an upright man, a good citizen, a good father, and a loving patriot. He had five children with his wife, Marietta Corsini. He was basically a well-rounded man. Machiavelli was one of the most important figures in the Renaissance because of his role and his job, his accomplishments that made him significant, and how he changed our lives today in 21st century. Niccol Machiavelli started out working for the government as a clerk. When the Floretine Republic was proclaimed in 1498, Machiavelli started to become known. He then became the secretary of the ten-man council. His job required duties of which he had to carry out such as the missions to the French King, the Holy See, and the German Emperor. In the course of his missions, he had a chance to meet Italian rulers and so he had an opportunity to study their political tactics. When the republic dissolved and the Medici family regained power in Florence in 1512, Machiavellis job was taken away from him and was imprisoned temporarily for presumed conspiracy against the Medici family. When he was released, he retired and started working on his writings that are now famous today. ...

The Anglo-German Naval Race

The Anglo-German Naval Race A naval arms race between Britain and Germany is often cited as a contributing factor in the start of World War I. There may be other factors that caused the war, which began in central and eastern Europe. However, there must also be something that led Britain to get involved. Given this, its easy to see why an arms race between two later warring powers would be seen as a cause. The jingoism of the press and people and the normalization of the idea of fighting each other is as important as the presence of the actual ships. Britain ‘Rules the Waves’ By 1914, Britain had long viewed their navy as the key to their status as the leading world power. While their army was small, the navy protected Britain’s colonies and trade routes. There was huge pride in the navy and Britain invested a great deal of money and effort to hold to the ‘two-power’ standard, which held that Britain would maintain a navy as large as the next two greatest naval powers combined. Until 1904, those powers were France and Russia. In the early twentieth century, Britain engaged in a large program of reform: better training and better ships were the result. Germany Targets the Royal Navy Everyone assumed naval power equaled domination, and that a war would see large set piece naval battles. Around 1904, Britain came to a worrying conclusion: Germany intended to create a fleet to match the Royal Navy. Although the Kaiser denied this was his empire’s aim, Germany hungered for colonies and a greater martial reputation and ordered large shipbuilding initiatives, such as those found in the 1898 and 1900 acts. Germany didn’t necessarily want war, but to browbeat Britain into giving colonial concessions, as well as boosting their industry and uniting some parts of the German nation - who were alienated by the elitist army - behind a new military project everyone could feel part of. Britain decided this couldn’t be allowed, and replaced Russia with Germany in the two-power calculations. An arms race began. The Naval Race In 1906, Britain launched a ship which changed the naval paradigm (at least to contemporaries). Called HMS Dreadnought, it was so large and heavily gunned it effectively made all other battleships obsolete and gave its name to a new class of ship. All the great naval powers now had to supplement their navy with Dreadnoughts, all starting from zero. Jingoism or patriotic sentiment stirred up both Britain and Germany, with slogans like â€Å"we want eight and we won’t wait† used to try and spur the rival building projects, with the numbers produced rising as each tried to outdo each other. It’s important to stress that although some advocated a strategy designed to destroy the other country’s naval power, much of the rivalry was friendly, like competing brothers. Britain’s part in the naval race is perhaps understandable - it was an island with a global empire – but Germany’s is more confusing, as it was a largely landlocked nation with little that needed defending by sea. Either way, both sides spent huge sums of money. Who Won? When the war started in 1914, Britain was held to have won the race by people looking just at the number and size of the ships, which was what most people did. Britain had started with more than Germany and ended with more. But Germany had focused on areas that Britain had glossed over, like naval gunnery, meaning her ships would be more effective in an actual battle. Britain had created ships with longer range guns than Germany, but German ships had better armor. Training was arguably better in the German ships, and British sailors had the initiative trained out of them. In addition, the larger British navy had to be spread over a larger area than the Germans had to defend. Ultimately, there was only one major naval battle of World War I, the Battle of Jutland, and it is still debated who really won. How much of the First World War, in terms of starting and willingness to fight, was down to the naval race? It is arguable that a notable amount can be attributed to the naval race.

Management about BJ's House restaurant Essay

Management about BJ's House restaurant - Essay Example In addition the restaurant has special entrees that offer wide varieties of food products such as grazed chicken, grilled pork, Texas-style chicken fried steak, southern fried chicken and so on. The company also provides various categories of beverages include all types of fruit juices, homemade beers and imported beers, tea milk and coffee. This article provides a critical analysis of the management strategies employed in BJ’s restaurants (BJ Restaurant Inc. 2006). The contemporary business environment is characterized by fierce competition. This requires industries be constantly conscious their performance in the market. As such, most companies try to explore every mechanism to ensure that they stay ahead of their competitors. Employee motivation is one of the tools that can be employed by organizations to compel their workforce to work towards organizational goals. Motivated employees are also willing to go extra mile for the benefit of the company. All the BJ’s restaurants have good and safe work environments. The company also has strict rules that forbid any form of discrimination or workplace harassments. This impacts the sense of safety in employees and gives them the peace of mind when at work (BJ’s Restaurants Inc. 1). In addition, the annual report elaborates that the company has an insurance arrangement that cover workers’ compensation and general liability programs (2014, 17). The company holds the viewpoint that employees are motivated if they are provided with safe working environments that is free from any form of psychological disturbance. Hence, it has gone ahead and structured rules that eliminates the same from workplaces. It also maintains that providing the workers with favorable conditions will generate optimum performance from them. As a result, the company has a created an organizational culture in which the management and the workforce have a favorable working relationship