Macroeconomics Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macroeconomics Discussion - Essay Example Money supply is the money circulating in the economy which is created by the FED, the depositors, and investors. Each of the 12 Federal Reserve banks perform the following: a. clear checks; b. issue new currency; c. withdraw damaged currency from circulation; d. administer and make discount loans to banks in their districts; e. evaluate proposed mergers and applications for banks to expand their activities; f. act as intermediaries between the business community and the Fed; g. examine bank holding companies and state-chartered banks; h. collect data on local business conditions; i. use their staff of professional economist to research topics related to monetary policy (Mishkin 369- 370). The money supply can be changed by increasing our deposits held by banks. This money creates a repercussion of effects in the economy when borrowed by companies who use this for their operations. Through the money multiplier, the invested money could increase employment an output more than its actual value. (3.) You are appointed as the chair of FRB. Congratulations! Chair, economy is in recession what are the policy measures you will undertake to push GDP toward potential GDP What are the problems of implementing monetary policy in practice Under an expansionary policy, the central bank must increase the money supply and lower the short- term interest rates. The Fed can engage in the following: a. open market purchase which expands reserves and monetary base; b. lower the discount rate which encourages borrowing by banks; or c. lower the reserve requirements among banks. Part Three: write a few sentences summarizing what you have learned and how learning this will help you personally. :) Thanks!! The most important thing which I have learned so far is the interdependence of the players in an economy. It is very important to note that the action of one player can have a tremendous effect in other sectors. Learning the functions of money, how money is controlled and managed, and how it can be used to stimulate or slow down the economy is really something very interesting to me. Knowing that my actions can influence the economy, I can now align my decisions in order to help the FED to achieve its economic goals. This is very important noting the forecasted downturn in the US economy in the coming future. Part Four:What is money supply, M1 and M2 which definition of money supply is more liquid and why M1 is the narrowest measure of money which includes currency, checking account deposits and travelers checks. The M2 includes the M1 plus other assets that have check-writing features such as small-denomination time deposits,

Roles of Managers and Individuals Essay Example for Free

Roles of Managers and Individuals Essay There is one thing that is a constant within any organization which is change. Change is undeniable and inevitable. Change is what leads to progress. Structures, procedures, systems and policies and systems or just a few forms of change which an organization will use when utilizing change. When an organization undergoes goes there is a focus on the behaviors as well as the results based production delivered by its employees. When employees engage themselves in the change process while taking ownership of the processes in place, the organization will obtain value. Management at the executive level to the supervisors on the front line will all play a role in the process of change. The following will examine the roles of managers, change agents that are used, as well as the management’s role in combating resistance, and championing change. Roles of Managers â€Å"The ultimate goal of change management is to engage employees and encourage their adoption of a new way of doing their jobs.† (Change Management Learning Center, 2014). There are several key management roles in the change process such as a project team, intermediate level managers and supervisors and finally executives and senior management. Senior-level managers and executives have many roles such as visibility and participation throughout the entire duration of the project, communicate with employees, manage resistance and build a group of strong leaders for the future. An effective way to predict the success of a project is through strong leadership. Front line supervisors and intermediate-level managers also manage resistance in addition to the roles of coaching, advocating, communicating and acting as a liaison for upper management to the  individuals. Employees prefer hearing the risks and rewards that come from change and how it will affect the staff on a day to day basis from their direct manager as this is who they built a report with. Managers act as the voice of the organization and must be advocates of change whether they agree with it or not. The manager’s job is to prevent resistance from employees, take direction while providing feedback to the team and helping with the individual transitions of the employees. When dealing with the change process, the role of the individual is the acceptance of altering the day to day operations while using the solutions of change. The employees are in charge of controlling the changes and alterations in their particular division or area. The employees also act as the main source of feedback regarding the changes as they are on the â€Å"front line† and see all of these changes first hand. Change Agents Whether the organization is large or small, it will need a change agent to undergo the change process. A change agent is defined as â€Å"individual or group that undertakes the task of initiating and managing change in an organization† (Lunenburg, 2010). A change agent will either be internal, which consists of managers, supervisors or any employee that is in charge of the over-sight of the change, or external, which consists of any third party firms or consultants. Internal Change Agents Internal change agents consist of individuals that provide training, knowledge, personal perspectives, procedures in problem solving, skill building, data gathering to evaluate processes and assistance with team learning within groups. Internal changes agents will invest themselves personally in the change and have knowledge of the organization’s culture, issues, employees and environment. External Change Agents External change agents are used to make large organizational overhauls and massive changes. These change agents are brought in from outside the organization and are used to provide an unbiased perspective of the situation and push the organization to think outside of the norm.The draw-backs of external change agents are availability ( as they will have other clients), cost, and time ( to become familiar with the way the organization runs its business). Combating Resistance The first step in combating resistance is to realize that not all employees are going to resist the changes. Once the employees who do resist are identified it’s important for management to identify how each employee will respond best when feeling resistant. Managers would be best served looking for signs of resistance that include sabotage, blaming and intimidation. Once these symptoms have been identified management must utilize the correct approach with which they use for the employee. Some of these approaches include: Resistance Cycle- This approach includes the psychological stages such as resistance and denial. Situational Approach- This is a combination of six methods that range from communication to education to implicit and explicit coercion. Thought Self-Leadership- This process involves leading through persuasion using the thoughts of the individual. Successful leadership involves identifying and understanding the differences between the two styles of resistance, passive and active. Once this is done, action may be taken to squash any resistance the employees have created. Championing Change Championing change begins in the hiring and grooming process. Organizations are committed to choosing the best available candidates that will flourish and blossom into the leaders of the future. The organization must identify the changes they are looking to make and then choose employees that will best format to those changes, Once the employees have been selected, they must be given all the tools needed to transition the organization to where it wants to go, this includes training and education. Finally, feedback needs to be given throughout the process to ensure that all agreed upon changes are being completed successfully and are accomplishing desired  objectives. There is one thing that is a constant within any organization which is change. Change is undeniable and inevitable. Utilizing change agents, having active leadership and management with the ability to communicate, and sustaining a positive relationship with the employees are sure fire ways to ensure a seamless transiti on through change. References Change Management Learning Center. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-job-roles-mod2.htm Lunenburg, F.C. (2010). Managing Change: The role of the change agent. International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, 13(1), 1-6. Retrieved from http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C. %20Managing%20Change%20The%20Role%20of%20Change%20Agent%20IJMBA,%20V13%20N1%202010.pdf

Analysis And Comparison Of Diageo And Sab Miller Marketing Essay

Analysis And Comparison Of Diageo And Sab Miller Marketing Essay This case study aims to analyse, compare and contrast strategic financial management of Diageo plc and SAB Miller plc. The analysis also identifies and explores the factors which are responsible for the current financial position and development of both the companies and critically evaluate the factors involves in future growth, development and change. To evaluate the performance of each company and compare them the financial analysis tools used are SWOT, the profit impact of market strategy (PIMS) and some comparison continued thereafter. In the end there is a conclusion for taking the summary of involved companies into consideration as to which company can be concluded to be more successful. Diageo plc Diageo is known for one the of world leading manufactures in liquors market. It is manufacturer of branded beer, premium spirits and wine products. Diageo market its premium alcohol beverages in more than 180 markets around the world. Its 17 brand range comes in the top 100 premium distilled spirits brands worldwide. Diageo produces premium spirits under brands including Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Baileys, JB, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Guinness, and Crown Royal. Diageos wine brands include Blossom Hill, Sterling, Beaulieu, Chalone, Navarro Correas, Rosenblum Cellars and Santa Rita. There are few other beer brands of the company include Harp, Smithwicks, Tusker and Red Stripe. Diageo operates in four mail markets are: Asia Pacific, Europe, International and North America. Diageo sees a revenue of  £12,958 million ($20,491.8 million) during the financial year ended June 2010 (FY2010), an increase of 5.5% over FY2009. Hence contribute to operating profit of the company to  £2,574 million ($4,070.5 million) in FY2010, an increase of 6.5% over FY2009. The net profit was  £1,629 million ($2,576.1 million) in FY2010, an increase of 1.5% over FY2009. (www.datamonitor.com) SWOT Analysis for Diageo plc Strength Adequate range of brand in premium spirits segment Due to involvement in various area of operations leads to less business Weakness Debt is a huge burden for this company The way legal procedure goes in this firm that may affect corporate image in bad manner Opportunities A great increase in demand in global spirits market Buying new companies, widen the market space and range of product as well Wine market growth also a positive sign Threats High degree of competition Very strict advertising rules Unavailability of cheaper labour SABMiller plc SABMiller is also a worlds biggest giant in liquor industries who has spanned across the six continents around the world. This company has more than 200 brands under its belt and market it across 75 countries. SABMiller operation mainly involves across producing beer and soft drinks. SABMiller offers premium beers brands such as Draft, Grolsch, Miller Genuine, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell. It also markets a range of local brands such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow and Tyskie. Additionally, the company is engaged in the bottling business, and is one of the largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products. SABMillers operates in: Latin America; Europe; South Africa; Africa; Asia; and North America and headquartered in London, which employs about 70,131 people. SABMiller earned revenues of $18,020 million during the financial year ended March 2010 (FY2010), less than of 3.7% as compared to 2009. The operating profit of the company was $2,619 million in FY2010, less than of 16.8% as compared to 2009. The net profit was $1,910 million in FY2010, an increase of 1.5% over 2009. (www.datamoitor.com) SWOT Analysis for SABMiller plc Strength Top runner globally diversified brewer especially in African and Latin American countries Huge range of international and local brands Impressive cash productivity Weakness Less involvement to the Asian beer market though important player in China and India Opportunities Tie up with big retailers for distribution. Latin American acquisition to expand operations To improve the business and financials so restructuring initiatives Threats Huge competition Margins can be affected by hike in raw materials Bad perception pertaining to health in terms of beer as compared to wine PIMS (Profit Impact of Marketing Strategy) Analysis of Diageo Plc vs. SAB Miller Plc Competitive Position: Diageo is worlds top 10 premium spirit brands having volume of 55% in market and leads among each segment of beverage alcohol. Diageo focus on essential market taking that parts bigger economies in consideration. Diageo manage these markets are under four geographical areas: North America (United States and Canada), Europe (Great Britain, Ireland, Continental Europe, Iberia and Russia). The International business area comprises Latin America and the Caribbean (including Mexico), Africa and the Global Travel and Middle East business. The Asia Pacific business area comprises India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian markets, Australia and New Zealand. North America accounts for the largest proportion of Diageos operating profit. (www.diageo.com) C:UsersHimeshDesktopDia.PNG Source: www.diageo.com On the other hand when we compare the market share of SABMiller with that of Diageo, SABMiller operating brewing and distribution across six continents and is involves in over 55 countries. They have over 200 owned brands and six of their brands are among the top 50 in the world. In South Africa, where SAB Ltd began the year with the loss of a major premium brand to a competitor, overall volumes remained level while mainstream volumes grew satisfactorily by mid-single digits. (www.sabmiller.com) Production Structure: Diageo establishes its most of the product as world premium brands, regional brands and segmented brands. In the market the major player for Diageo is its world premium brands which are responsible for its growth. Commenting on Companys operational performance in a conference of the US analysts (2008), Chief Executive, Paul Walsh mentioned, Weve reported another year of strong organic growth, with net sales up 7% and operating profit up 9%, with free cash flow of  £1.25 billion. Our return on invested capital increased 50 basis points to 14.9%. We have returned  £1.9 billion to shareholders, with dividends of  £857 million and share buybacks of  £1 billion. And were recommending a full-year dividend per share of 34.35p, which will be up 5% on last year. (www.diageo.com) As we talk about SAB Miller, the firm grown to some US$1,978 million (2008: US$1,191 million) by simultaneously investing huge budget. This investment also improves manufacturing and selling to take full advantage of the market. Investment also increased due to the some key market currency strengthening as compared to US dollar. (www.sabmiller.com) In Morgan Stanley Conference, held in New York (2008), the company announced that they will continue to invest for growth while re-examining costs and CapEx. This includes continued investment in brands, packaging and innovation, new capacity being commissioned over coming year, cost productivity remaining a focus and re-examining all capital expenditures. (www.sabmiller.com/files/presentations) Attractiveness of the served market: Diageo long term goal aims at the continuous growth and increase shareholder value. When merger of Grand Metropolitan Public Limited Company (GrandMet) and Guinness PLC (the Guinness Group) took place Diageo was formed and simultaneously take over some companies and sold non-profit properties with the strategy of mainly focusing on premium brand. In the period from the merger in December 1997 to 30 June 2009, the group has received approximately  £10.5 billion from disposals (including  £4.3 billion from the sale of Pillsbury,  £1.9 billion from the sale of General Mills shares and  £0.7 billion from the sale of Burger King) and spent approximately  £5.6 billion on acquisitions (including  £3.7 billion in relation to certain Seagram businesses). (www.diageoreports.com) According to report of Chief Executive in the annual report (2009) of SAB Miller Group, This year has seen another strong performance with results continuing the trend of several very strong years. Adjusted earnings per share grew by 19%, bringing the compound annual growth rate over the last six years to some 20% per annum. At 143.1 US cents, our adjusted earnings per share have very nearly trebled since 2002. In the annual report of SAB Miller they have highlighted their key area of focus is to improve their routes to market both to remove costs and to ensure that the right products reach the right outlets in the right condition, accompanied by the right messages and merchandising material. Comparison of Financial Strategies of Diageo Plc and SAB Miller Plc Diageo Plc Diageo operates worldwide with its premium drinks and one of few companies who involves in beer, spirit and wine market. Diageo stood 8th of the worlds top 20 premium spirits brands on profit and business basis. Diageos produce world famous beer like Guinness, and contribute to approximately 22% of net sales while wine comes approximately 6% of Diageos net sales. Diageos size adds to low cost in production, selling and marketing. Due to this cost cutting they concentrate on cost effectiveness of the product and betterment of consumer services The most important it retains and attracts talented individuals who contribute for betterment of the strategies and increase business through organic sales hence profit as well acquisition of premium brands that valuable to the shareholders. (www.diageo .com) According to Bender and Ward (2004), if a key competitive strength of the existing business is built on the current product attributes or strong branding which have created very local customers, a strategic thrust for continued growth could be based on umbrella branding of new products with comparable attributes. From the above discussion it is clear that Diageos strategy is focused on its strength. SAB Miller Plc Within the span of 20 years SAB Miller expended its business from its base South Africa to the world, following is the list of their strategic priorities: Creating a balanced and attractive global spread of businesses: As in recent years SAB Miller acquired new companies leads to world market approach and introduced to emerging market not sticking on a particular part of the world. Few of the achievement are 7% organic volume growth and 9% group revenue growth. Developing strong, relevant brand portfolios in our local markets: Main motto to produce a good brand range that meets every consumer type and brings new improvement in terms of premiumisation, and growing demand for beer female consumers. To match with this demand a strategy is needed which tells each market dynamics and produce right range of brand for that particular market to grab the opportunity which leads to positioning of the distinct brand. Constantly raising the performance of local businesses: The greatest strength of SABMiller is operational performance. It is clearly shown by EBITA that their standard increasing day by day. At local level they are joining hand with big retailer to increase the performance. C:UsersHimeshDesktopsab.PNG Source: www.sabmiller.com Comparison of Current Position and Performance of Diageo Plc and SAB Miller Plc Diageo Plc consisted with 9% organic operating profit growth for the 30 June 2010. For 9 month span till 31 March 2010 Diageos organic net sales growth was 7% (Appendix 2), where as the growth seen in the first half on 30 June 2010. Hence no change in terms of financial position for the company. The return of cash to shareholders through the payment of dividends and the continued share buyback programme led to a reduction in net assets from  £4.2 billion at 30 June 2009 to  £3.9 billion at 31 March 2009. Paul Walsh, Chief Executive of Diageo commented: Trading in the third quarter continued in line with the first half and we are therefore maintaining our guidance for 9% organic operating profit growth for the current fiscal year. We continue to believe that the diversity and strength of our brands, the success of our marketing campaigns, our superior routes to market and our global reach will be key in delivering our performance. (Reuters, 2009) SAB Miller Plc In the year ending 30 June 2009, according to Graham Mackay, Chief Executive of SABMiller, The group recorded 1.5% growth in larger volumes. As expected organic volume performance was subdued, with larger volumes down 1.6% following the extraordinarily high growth of 13% in the prior year comparative period and reflecting lower volumes in China and the moderation of consumer spending in some markets. Group revenue growth has remained firm and financial performance in the quarter was in line with the groups expectations, although the challenging trading environment in South Africa impacted financial performance there. In the year ended 31 March 2009, the group reported US$3,639 million in adjusted pre-tax profit and revenue of US$21,410 million. (www.hemscott.com) This attitude towards good corporate governance is echoed in a statement made by Howard Davies, the chairman of the Financial Service Authority of the UK, who said in my view, investment in good corporate governance arrangements, and good regulation all those arrangements, is among the most effective and rewarding investment a developing market can make, and there are figures to prove it. (Davies, 2002) Diageo Plc vs. SAB Miller Plc Future growth and Development change Diageo Plc Looking at the current performance of Diageo Plc, they should invest to take leadership positions in every category, market and consumer occasion in which they choose to compete. They should drive brand growth by exploiting complete category participation opportunities, rather than solely focusing on individual brands within categories. Key categories include Scotch whisky, vodka and rum. In order for Diageo to grow the brand, they should ensure that they have personnel to grow. They can chose to add another brand or expand into another market segment but they need to be certain that they have a brand that they can expand upon. As mentioned by Saunders (2008) Carefully consider your existing brand. Does it evoke stability? Flavour? Health? In order to successfully expand your brand, you have to give people the same feeling they had when you first established it in the first place. Dont rush the process. Use a thesaurus to come up with like words and turn to compendiums of famous quotes and common phrases. Next step towards growth is to invest more resources into these and other brands with the best growth prospects. For this they are searching for opportunities in emerging markets. With European markets becalmed and continued economic uncertainty in the US, the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China have assumed even greater importance for Diageo. (Woodard, 2006) Though on year ending 30 June 2009, the only growth witnessed was in the top line 2% as they gained share in China and expanded in India and the markets of South East Asia. Finally, they should seek out selective acquisitions to support their brands growth. One of the key development for Diageo Plc this year is its deal with the United Spirits as United Spirit negotiates a deal with Diageo Plc for picking up a 14.9% stake. The total value of the deal works out to be around INR 18 billion. (www.businessweek.com) SAB Miller Plc SABMillers net profits climbed to 2.023 billion dollars (1.3 billion euros) in the 12 months to March 31, compared with the groups performance in 2008/09. This strong outturn to the year is particularly pleasing given the scale of the challenge we faced at its outset, with exceptional prior year comparatives, rising input costs and an increasingly competitive environment in many of our markets, SABMiller chairman Meyer Kahn said in the earnings statement. (www.uk.biz.yahoo.com) SABMiller is expected to produce a mixed bag of results with global volumes already reported to be 10% higher, led by South America, Europe and Africa/Asia, all ahead by more than 10%. The downside would be Miller in North America, which had suffered falling volumes and forecast lower earnings as higher costs like aluminium bite, analysts said. In addition, earnings growth from South Africa would be held back by the rand, which is 13 % down against the dollar from the previous year. We see the outlook statement as reassuring. The key point is SABMillers continuing confidence that it can fully offset these cost increases through price and mix improvements, said Cazenove analyst Matthew Webb. He raised his provisional earnings forecast for the year to March 2009 by 5 % to 162 %. (Reuters, 2009) The key development for SAB Miller in the current year is its decline in sales volume for the third quarter ended December 2009. The company recorded a 22% decline in the sales volume of its beer in Russia in October-December 2009 compared to the same period of 2008 due to a drop in purchases by distributors. The company sales in Europe fell 1% in the period, while global sales edged up 1%. Also, SABMiller plc may plan to make acquisitions. (www.businessweek.com) CONCLUSION According to the consolidated balance sheets (Appendix 2 3) of Diageo Plc SAB Miller Plc respectively, one can easily interpret that with an increase of revenue from last year by 14.47% for SAB Miller, gross profit has also gone up by 14% however when compared with that of Diageo Plc, it has shown an increase of only 7.53% in revenue and 7% in gross profit. From the balance sheet of both the companies it is clear that increase in the Net asset value of SAB Miller (24%) is almost double than that of Diageo Plc (12%). Diageo, under whose belt are Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka, fails to gain the trust of the North American and European consumer. This can be understood by as the profit without tax dipped from  £1.41bn to  £1.39bn in the first half on 31 December. There is an increase in Net sales by 3% however downfall of 2% due constant currency basis. Except from Guinness all world premium brand sales fell. SAB Miller showing great growth in world market (Appendix 1) especially in South Africa where it originated from. According to Jones (2008) British drinks giant Diageo and Dutch brewer Heineken agreed to strengthen their ties in South Africa and take on dominant domestic brewer SABMiller by building a brewery there by end-2009. Heinekens chance to expand in South Africa came in March 2007 when an International Chamber of Commerce court ruled to terminate SABMillers license to brew and distribute Heinekens Amstel beer in South Africa. Amstel dominated South Africas premium market, accounting for 9% of the national beer market and SABMiller said the license loss would cost it $80 million in annual profits. Therefore it can concluded that though looking at the current position (Appendix 1) SAB Millers performance is better than that of Diageo Plc, however it has threat from Diageo and its other competitors when we look at their upcoming acquisition strategies. Appendix 1.Share price comparison between Diageo plc, SABMiller plc and FTSE 100 C:UsersHimeshDesktopCapture.PNG Source: Yahoo UK IRELAND FINANCE In the share price chart the blue line represents SABMiller, green line Diageo and red line FTSE 100 respectively. The graph above shows share price comparison of SAB Miller plc Diageo Plc with FTSE 100 for the last 2 years. Appendix2. Consolidated Balance Sheet for Diageo plc (Source: Yahoo FINANACE) C:UsersHimeshDesktopBalance Sheet.PNG Appendix3. Consolidated Balance Sheet for SABMiller plc (Source: Yahoo FINANCE) C:UsersHimeshDesktopBalance Sheet2.PNG

Kazakhstan’s Most Problematic Factor for Doing Business Essay -- educat

In the period of globalization today Kazakhstan is known as a competitive and pressing towards to be economically developed country, due to its determination and activeness in the world area of global problems. The world economic forum report on global competitiveness for 2012-2013 shows that Kazakhstan is appreciated as ready for competitiveness and it has taken 51 position from 126 ones, which is actually reputable result for such country like Kazakhstan. The country is ahead from Russian Federation and India 16 and 8 positions respectively, which is also unquestionably perfect development, providing that GDP of these countries is 9 times greater than Kazakhstan’s GDP. The report for competitiveness represents that Kazakhstan’s most problematic factor for doing business is inadequately educated workforce, which was the first consequence for Kazakhstan to invest money in education. As state program of education development for 2011-2020 illustrates, one of the main priorities in â€Å"Kazakhstan-2030† strategy is going to be an education. Education is acknowledged for Kazakhstan as precondition of economic success and as the important role in entering to the club of the most competitive 30 countries in the world, which is mentioned in â€Å"Kazakhstan-2050† strategy. In major educational policy documents, the expressions such as ‘to create a competitive national education system’, or ‘to foster innovation and create a productive basis for a modern, competitive economy’ is referred as education purpose. The Europe-2020 strategy key point is human capital and its significance in an economic development. T he World Bank’s Education Strategy 2020 entitled ‘Learning for all: Investing in people’s knowledge and skills to promote development’ is f... ..., International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System." Soviet Union (former) Education, Health, and Welfare - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System. The Library of Congress Country Studies; CIA World Factbook, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Volkov, Michael. "Corruption, Crime & Compliance." Corruption Crime Compliance. Adrian Dayton&Company, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. "The Report and EFA | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization." The Report and EFA | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Markowitz, Eric. "Bill Gates: Education System Needs More Entrepreneurs BY Eric Markowitz." Inc.com. MANSUETO VENTURES, 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

A Critical Examination Of My Lover In White :: essays research papers

After reading "My Lover in White," for the first time, I thought of a poem written by Shakespeare that seemed to be in some ways similar in content. The mention of the fair maidens outside the gate and the poet's observation that his love is not with the rest reminds me of Shakespeare's Sonnet CXXX. The poem is about the poets love of a woman that is not the most beautiful in comparison to most fantasy women; she is not perfect, but in his eyes she is all that he could possibly want. It seems that the content of this poem also reflects a devoted love to a maiden that may not be the fairest of them all, however she gives him all the delight he needs: "She alone gives me delight". The note at the end of the poem comments that 'the man praises his lover..., contrasted with beautiful maidens...'. This seems to support the insinuation that perhaps his maiden is not of the same entirety as the other dating maidens. The poet does not need anything other than the love he receives from this one maiden. It is possible that the lines that state she is not there outside the gate could be referring to something more literal. It could perhaps be literal in the sense that something has happened to her, which is why she is not out there. The note at the bottom of the poem clarifies that the gate in the poem refers to the eastern gate of the capital of Zheng. The significance of the eastern gate seems to be important to the meaning of the lines, however that importance is unclear to the uninformed reader. The two stanzas of the poem are repetitive yet with subtle differences. It seems common throughout many traditional Chinese poems that the first two lines of each stanza are very much alike and repetitive, while the following lines show more of a distinction. The first line reads "outside the eastern gate," while the first line of the second reads "outside the outer gate". The next line compares maidens to clouds, while the second line of the second stanza compares them to blooms. The poet uses nature in both stanzas to compare the fairness of the maidens. The fourth lines of each, say in different ways that his love is not where all the other maidens are.

In Search of Virtue in Honors Essays -- Aristotle Friendship Philosoph

In Search of Virtue in Honors Of the three forms of friendship discussed by Aristotle—the useful, the pleasant, and the good—the ideal seminar most resembles the perfectly good friendship between â€Å"good men who are alike in excellence or virtue† (Aristotle 1156b). A seminar, the Swarthmore website reads, unites faculty with â€Å"small groups of dedicated and accomplished students† committed to â€Å"independent learning† and â€Å"dialogue with peers, teachers, and examiners.† In light of Aristotelian and neo-Aristotelian thought on friendship, virtue and practical wisdom, this discussion will first examine how an ideal seminar promotes student virtues and then proceed to evaluate an e-mail I wrote in response to an imperfect seminar. Aristotle contends that friendship is instrumental for acquiring and maintaining moral excellence: †¦the friendship of good men is good, and it increases with their meetings. Also, it seems, they become better as they are active together and correct one another: from the mould of the other each takes the imprint of the trait he likes, whence the saying: ‘Noble things from noble people.’ (1172a) Similarly, a seminar composed of individuals with student virtues—including diligence, intelligence, curiosity, patience, and humility—can best maintain and encourage virtue. Rosemary Volbrecht’s â€Å"Mutual Apprenticeship in moral development,† Nancy Sherman’s â€Å"Making a Necessity of Virtue,† Laurence Thomas’ Living Morally and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics outline the means by which friendship encourages moral virtue. An extrapolation from moral virtues to student virtues frames their discussion in the context of an honors seminar at Swarthmore. Volbrecht highlights the importance of role models in experie... ..., but I erred in the delivery. A wiser, more amenable route may have included individualized messages. The real problem, however, was imperfect information and my lack of familiarity with the nuances of my classmates’ personalities. Aristotle writes, â€Å"[e]ach man can judge competently the things he knows† (Aristotle 1095a). His counsel offers little comfort when combined with rigorous epistemological standards. If flawless practical wisdom requires perfect information, then any decision by imperfect moral agents requires a search not for truth, but for the lesser evil. In my case, I hope the damage done was not too great. Works Cited Aristotle. Ethics. Sherman, Nancy. Making a Necessity of Virtue. Thomas, Laurence. Living Morally. Volbrecht, Mary Rose. â€Å"Friendship: Mutual Apprenticeship in Moral Development.† Journal of Value Inquiry, vol. 24 (1990).

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Sister Elizabeth Ann Seton was born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28th, 1774 in New York City to wealthy parents. Elizabeth suffered many losses early in life starting with the loss of her mother when she was just three years old, and a younger sister two years later. She was raised Episcopalian by her mother and stepmother. Her father was a humanitarin who taught his daughter to love and be of service to others. Elizabeth had a great interest in reading and particularly liked reading the bible and scriptures in which she found great comfort.In 1794 at the age of 19, Elizabeth married William Seton and together they had five children. Four years into their marriage William's father died leaving Elizabeth and William in charge of caring for his many brothers and sisters. A few years after that, Elizabeth's father died. Not long after that, William's business began to fail along with his health. William and Elizabeth thought that a sea voyage to Italy would h elp him to feel better. William died while in Italy and Elizabeth became interested in the Catholic faith during that time to which she later converted.She felt a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin having lost her own mother at such an early age. To support her children Elizabeth opened a school for girls in Baltimore. After joining the Catholic Church in 1805 Elizabeth devoted her life to God's will for her. In 1809 she took her religious vows and became known as Mother Elizabeth Seton. She formed a community of sisters called the Sisters of Charity which included one of her daughters. Mother Seton died on January 1st, 1821 from tuberculosis the same thing that killed her husband.She was just 46 years old when she died. Elizabeth is known as the patron saint for the loss of parents. Her feast day is celebrated on January 1st. Mother Seton became the first american saint to be beatified in 1963 and then later canonized in 1975. Mother Seton told her follow sisters, â€Å"The fi rst end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will. †