European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

European Union - Essay Example According to Templeton, the economic impetus behind the euro project can be traced from the relatively poor performance of the European economies over the past twenty years or more (8). Templeton states that Europe has, for a long time, suffered from relatively weak economic growth, persistently high unemployment and weak economic growth (8). In fact, a term, Eurosclerosis, has been coined to describe the dismal performance of the European economy which became more pronounced in the 1980s. In order to correct these problems, European policy making in the last fifteen years emphasized in launching two significant projects: (1) the single European market, with the free movement of goods, labor, services and capital , and (2) the euro project, the plan for European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Chabot pointed out that it is a common misconception that the euro, [or more generally, the European Union] is primarily an economic project (37). In fact, Chabot asserts that the project is intensely a political one that has been entangled in the history of Europe for many years. In short, the project has evolved as an essential step toward the ultimate goal of â€Å"ever closer† political integration first planned in the 1958 Treaty of Rome, and that the language of the subsequent treaties makes it clear that the euro’s introduction is based far more than economic pros and cons (Chabot 37-38). Former Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl viewed that euro’s economic benefits are only secondary.... Chabot pointed out that it is a common misconception that the euro, [or more generally, the European Union] is primarily an economic project (37). In fact, Chabot asserts that the project is intensely a political one that has been entangled in the history of Europe for many years. In short, the project has evolved as an essential step toward the ultimate goal of "ever closer" political integration first planned in the 1958 Treaty of Rome, and that the language of the subsequent treaties makes it clear that the euro's introduction is based far more than economic pros and cons (Chabot 37-38). Former Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl viewed that euro's economic benefits are only secondary and emphasizing instead that "the unification project is the best insurance against a relapse of national egoism, chauvinism and violent conflict" (qtd. in Chabot 38). Chabot continues on that the legacy of two world wars plays a crucial role in the process of European integration (38). Benefits of a Monetary Union In his book, Economics of Monetary Union, Paul De Grauwe asserted that whereas the costs of a common currency have much to do with the macroeconomic management of a country, the benefits are mostly situated at the microeconomic level (60). Eliminating the costs of exchanging one currency into another is certainly the most visible and easily the most quantifiable) gain from a monetary union (De Grauwe 60). The European Commission estimates that the gains derived from the elimination of transaction costs fall between 13 and 20 billion euros per year, one-quarter to one-half of 1% of the Community GDP (qtd. in De Grauwe 60). De Grauwe argues

Compose a report listing the possible ways in which your electronic Essay

Compose a report listing the possible ways in which your electronic files could be lost, stolen, or corrupted, and explain the steps you would take to minimise these threats - Essay Example The most common is intentional action where we purposely delete or remove electronic files from storage or system. The others ways that data may be lost unintentionally could be caused by neglect, failure, force of nature, and theft. a. Neglect – electronic files are often lost because the hardwares that stores them are often neglected. Either the disk or memory stick has been misplaced or the hardware itself was not taken cared of resulting to the corruption of data that was stored in it. b. Hardware, software or systems failure – this often happen when there is an power outage where the work in progress was not saved and thus lost. Files that has been corrupted either by a defective disk or deleted by scan disk are deemed to be hardware and system failure resulting in data loss. c. Force of nature – electronic files can be destroyed by nature too. This can happen when the hardware where the file was stored was destroyed either by a flood, earthquake or other forces of nature. d. Theft – the loss of data by theft is deliberate and often contains sensitive information which has economic value. Loss of data to theft is no different to losing other tangible things to thieves only that the object that was stolen was information. The possibility of losing electronic data cannot be totally eliminated but there are precautionary steps that can be undertaken to prevent such loss. The different type of losing data requires different precautionary measures. In the above category of losing data, the following precautionary measures can be undertaken to minimize the loss of electronic files. a. Neglect – to prevent the loss of data due to neglect, the hardware and the software that contains and enables the electronic file should be taken cared of. A simple maintenance will do such as regular cleaning of the disk that contains the file, scanning system for virus and avoiding usage abuse of

Financing the Short Term Obligations Coursework

Financing the Short Term Obligations - Coursework Example Body Paragraphs Task 1 Short term financing is vital for any kind of business in order to meet its financial necessities in a short period of time. Consequently, there are various sources of attaining short term debts. However, the four primary sources of short term finance available to any business comprise of Trade Credit, Bank Credit, Customers’ Advances and Commercial Paper. Trade Credit implies the allowance of credit businesses by the providers of raw materials and other equipment. In this type of financing, though no cash is allotted to the business, but it is given the permission to holdup the payment for the goods up to the extinction of the credit. Bank Credit is another significant source of short term financing which allows businesses to draw credit at once or in phases. There are various sub-categories of Bank Credit such as Loans, Cash Credit, Overdraft and Discounting of Bill. The third short term financing source is Customers’ Advances in which businesse s ask customers to pay a part of their payment in advance. This is often the case when orders are large as it facilitates the company to overcome its short-term necessities (World Academy Online, 2011). The fourth source is Commercial Paper, which is a short term unsecured obligation set out by a large company to investors, with the purpose of financing its immediate needs of inventories and other materials. Maturities on such papers do not exceed 270 days and the interest rate is usually less than that offered in bank loans. Since it is not a secured instrument of debt, therefore it is only acceptable if issued by credible organizations (Kacperczyk, 2010) Task 2 1. McDonald as well as Burger King have financed their short term needs and requirements largely through Bank Credits and Trade Credits. Both the companies have been borrowing capital from banks to buy inventories and goods which are needed urgently. They have also utilized the facility of Trade Credit through their supplie rs. In case of Burger King, short term obligations form around half of the total liabilities, indicating significant dependence on short term financing (Burger King Holdings Inc, 2012). In contrast to Burger King, McDonald’s short term obligations form around 33% of its total liabilities (McDonald’s Corporation, 2012) 2. Burger King Liquidity Ratios 1. Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities (2011) = 434,000,000 / 473,000,000 =0.91 x 2. Quick / Acid Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventory) / Current Liabilities (2011) = (434,000,000 – 15,400,000)/ 473,000,000 = 0.88 x Efficiency Ratios 3. Debtor Days = Account Receivables / (Sales/360) (2011) = 138,100,000 / (2,502,200,000/360) = 19.87 days 4. Creditor Days = Accounts Payable / (Sales/360) (2011) = (106,900,000) / (2,502,200,000/360) = 15.38 days 5. Stock Turnover Days = (Inventory x 360) / Cost of Goods Sold (2011) = (15,400,000 x 360) / 1,614,800,000 = 3.43 days McDonald Liquidity Ratios 6 . Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities (2011) = 4,368,500,000 / 2,924,700,000 = 1.49 x 7. Quick / Acid Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventory) / Current Liabilities (2011) = (4,368,500,000 – 109,900,000) / 2,924,700,000 = 1.46 x Efficiency Ratios 8. Debtor Days = Account Receivables / (Sales/360) (2011) = 1,179,100,000 / (27,006,000,000/360) = 15.71 days 9. Creditor Days = Accounts Payable / (Sales/360) (2011) = (943,900,000)/ (27,006,000,000/

Marco Polo's Travel Account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marco Polo's Travel Account - Essay Example After having analyzed Marco Polo`s travelogue in detail along with the second hand accounts on his writings written afterwards, a few patterns can be identified conveniently. These accounts suggest that the Mongolian Empire which belonged to the Kublai Khan (1214-1294) was a highly glorified one, in the sense that the architecture of the farfetched land, especially Kublai`s palace was beyond imagination, also the Mongolian culture unlike that perceived by the Westerners is a highly enriched one which escalates the senses of anyone experiencing it. Moreover, though Marco Polo had also mentioned the hardships and distance which he had to face in detail, which implies that the journey was a highly difficult one, even after they possessed the VIP pass, however on experiencing their cultures and having the experience of staying close to Kublai Khan for so long, he finally concludes that the hardships were worth it. However, those who have reflected on the works of Marco Polo have further doubted the credibility of Marco Polo on the account that neither had he learnt the Chinese language during all those years, and adding insult to injury, some of the accounts which he had presented are way too amazing to be true. "When a man is riding through this desert by night and for some reason -falling asleep or anything else -he gets separated from his companions and wants to rejoin them, he hears spirit voices talking to him as if they were his companions, sometimes even calling him by name. Often these voices lure him away from the path and he never finds it again, and many travelers have got lost and died because of this. Sometimes in the night travelers hear a noise like the clatter of a great company of riders away from the road; if they believe that these are some of their own company and head for the noise, they find themselves in deep trouble when daylight comes and they realize their mistake.† ---- Marco Polo  Travels Quoted above is an account from the Marco Polo travels, an excerpt which indicates the hardships which he and even his companions had to face on their way to Cathay. Analyzing the excerpt, like the one quoted above, one may literally experience the intensity of hardships on the way, also the feelings of helplessness and extreme hunger and isolation while there is no way back. One might even start imagining that he is rather accompanying Marco Polo on his journey, given the quality of writings produced by Marco Polo where he has poured his heart out. Since Marco Polo`s father was a great merchant who had visited Cathay early on for trade, he had the honor of having met Kublai Khan, the emperor of Cathay, and thus the emperor had bestowed the merchant with a VIP passport, which allowed them to access horsebacks and other necessities and luxuries when the Polo brothers were to accompany their father. Relying on these where he experienced an adrenaline rush all that time while he was away, having gathered both good and bad tim es with him driving on either extreme like a pendulum. However, his stay in Cathay being close to Kublai Khan was rather more of a compensation for all he had experienced during his journey, and once Kublai Khan died, the miseries of Marco Polo still continued however these miseries contributed towards the writings

United States Supreme Court Case Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

United States Supreme Court Case - Term Paper Example ht to bring claims against the private sector on the neglect of the Clean Air Act if the Environment Protection agency fails in its part in the regulation of the emission of the gases by the power plants1. Connecticut v. American Electric Power Company, Inc. case was since filed by 8 states in 2004. This involved the New York City and 3 private petitioner environmental organizations up against the activities of an assortment of electric service companies. It was asserted by 2 complainants public nuisance under the state common law and the federal law as claims and argued that the natural resources as well as the human health will continue to suffer under the adverse effects of global warming. The plaintiff sought for the courts to have a resolution that would have the companies their carbon dioxide emanations. It was argued by the plaintiff that the power companies infringed on the public rights through the violation of the national common law of interstate nuisance or the alternative state tort law2. The plaintiff sought a decree that would set emissions of carbon dioxide and other green house gases for each of the defendants at the initial cap to be reduced annually. The complainants were dismissed by the district court in New York which was presiding over the case on the view that the case raised political inquiries that were thought to be inappropriate for a judicial resolution. It was argued by the court that the issues on climate change that had been presented by the plaintiff would require a delicate balancing of the environment, foreign, economic policies and the interests of the national security. This, the court argued that would be better handled by the political branch of the government rather than the judicial3, arguing further that ruling on such a matter would be tantamount to the court abrogating the role of the Congress to set legislations and standards for hearing such a case. The Supreme Court in 2007 ruled over the Massachusetts v. EPA, 549

Informal interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Informal interview - Research Paper Example As human resource personnel, Mayjelyn had already encountered different people, personalities, characters, attitudes and more. Moreover, she already faced various challenges and opportunities as human resource development officer in the different companies she worked with. She is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She took up this degree program because of the belief that it is important to study human behavior. She always enjoys studying and observing people because it is here in this aspect of her life she learns more things. Human behavior for her is essential to be studied in every walk of life. She did not end up as psychologist in practice but ended up in the corporate world where hiring and understanding manpower has become more than just a lifestyle and passion of her life. Rationale The underlying principle of the proponent to interview a Human Resource and Development Specialist is the idea that there is substantial information that can be generated out from h er regarding hiring, managing and motivating people prior to the success of an organization. The proponent has in mind that in an organization it is important to understand the basic principle about hiring or recruiting manpower because every company requires different resources and the human resource is one of the most important resources that a company needs. Managing people is another important perspective that is taken into consideration by the proponent. In the corporate world, successful organizations have understood that there must be substantial knowledge to be given on how to manage the human resource. Another important goal of the proponent is to know exactly different strategies and factors that could motivate people. A successful organization is believed to have applied the best ways on motivating the human resource because employees are influenced to do things they are motivated at through taking care of their best interest (Bruce and Pepitone 2). Questions addressed to the interviewee Prior to the actual personal interviewee with the respondent, the proponent developed rapport and this created an impact why the interview had just flowed smoothly, allowing the proponent to generate important information for the following questions. 1. What is your own way of defining Human Resource Development? 2. So far, as HRD Specialist, what are the common problems you encountered? 3. What are the opportunities for Human Resource Development Specialists like you? 4. What do you think are factors that pulling away people to be motivated? 5. What do you think are the best strategies or options to motivate people? 6. How to enhance people’s learning and skills? Comments and Learning The proponent learned from the respondent that a Human Resource Department is a company’s portal to hiring, recruitment and taking care of the organization’s well being (Pasaol). The respondent encountered different problems within her four-year experience as huma n resource personnel. According to her, most of the difficulties she encountered are in line with hiring personnel and motivating them. According to her, it is difficult to hire excellent employees because excellent job applicants prioritize top calibrated organizations. On the other hand, organization is always faced with difficulty when it comes to motivating manpower. According to her this puts the Human Resource and Development Department in a substantially high pressure to think of different possibilities. Even though

Myth as a Precursor to History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Myth as a Precursor to History - Essay Example History is something different altogether, history is not used to explain natural phenomenon's or uncover aspects of daily life. History is fact that typically cannot be augured. It has evidence, it is fact. Ken Dowden states "History is what myth isn't.What history tells is true or else it would not be history, only failed history. What myth tells us is in some way false or it would be history"2 Myths can be said to have graduations of credibility, Dowden uses the example of the myth of Athena being born from Zeus head and compares it to Agamemnon's expedition to Troy to show that there are different levels of credibility in myth. As obviously there was never a women born from a man's head. Yet it is suggested that there was a Trojan War and Agamemnon's expedition to Troy has a place in history. In the example of Dowdens, we can see that myth can be a herald to history, as many believed that Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, was based not on a historical reality, but on mythical heroes. Heinrich Schliemann held a different view, believing in Homers war, he combined studies of Homeric text and fieldwork and published observations about Mycenae and the location of Troy in 1869.Although Schlie mann's arcelogical techniques were brought under criticism by many, ("Schliemann's excavations at Troy were not a good model of archaeological technique. Only solid structures were noticed and recorded, and they were rapidly demolished to reveal earlier features."3) Schliemann's aim was to identify the geographic setting of Homers Iliad only from literature and he brought the Greek Bronze Age and its antecedents to light for the first time. Not content with his identification of Troy, he also dug at Mycenae and revealed an unknown prehistoric civilization. The Japanese creation myth started out with the earth being a formless void of nothing but muddy water. From that water a green shoot sprung and inside it was the first god, who made all the other gods. Out of all he created though, Izagami and Izanami were the most perfect. The islands of Japan were formed when Izagami poked his staff through the clouds to see what was on the surface of the earth. As he lifted the staff from the muddy water, clumps of mud fell on top of the water and formed into the islands of Japan. The pair went down to the earth, and everywhere they went, flowers and plants sprouted. They had four children. One was the sun, one was the moon, one lived in the water and created storms and such, and from the fourth, the line of the emperors of Japan was established. In the Egyptian creation myth, most of the details are very similar to the Japanese myth. The world starts out covered in water, from one god all the others are created, and two of the gods, Osiris and Isis, sort of led all the rest. From them came all the rulers of Egypt, just like how in the Japanese myth Izanami and Izagami had a child who eventually had a child who was the first emperor of Japan. In the African origin myth of how leopards became spotted, the leopard invites fire over for dinner.