Movie Review Mike O Donnell Essay - 1641 Words

Mike O’Donnell, a thirty-seven year old Caucasian man, is the character we will be focusing on throughout this paper. He is a father of two kids, Maggie and Alex, and currently going through a failing marriage to his high school sweetheart Scarlet. Mike is also employed in a dead end job where he has no hope of moving up the corporate ladder. Due to his failing marriage and struggles at work, Mike has become very unhappy with how his life has turned out. Miraculously, Mike is given the opportunity to become a teenage again. He is now nearly the same age as his children; which causes certain issues and realizations throughout the movie. Many issues play out throughout the movie due to Mike not initially being able to fit in with the adolescents. Another common issue that is seen throughout the movie is the faulty relationship he currently has with his family. Throughout the movie he slowly begins to repair the relationship with his families. In the end of the movie, Mike realiz es how great his life really was. He is able to become his actual age again, and vastly improves his relationship with his family. Many different concepts can be applied to Mike O’Donnell’s life throughout the movie. A major concept Mike O’Donnell displays is self-esteem. According to the notes provided in class, self-esteem is based on how someone sees their self worth as well as how others perceive them. During high school Mike was use to being seen as one of the most popular kids in the school.

Infectious And Deadly Diseases An Indispensable Approach...

Research paper Infectious and deadly diseases have been known to spread over social networks of people and animals. Network epidemiology has been proved as an indispensable approach for understanding epidemics of infectious diseases and is often used in medical epidemiology and network science. The most famous and practical example of network epidemiology is the GLEAMviz platform, which succeeded in forecasting the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, saving millions of lives. Behind network epidemiology, one can assume that there is a link (i.e. contact) between two or more individuals is a way for contagion. This is a strong simplification of reality as there is already data processing temporal information of the event of a contagious disease between humans and other animals. SocioPatterns is one of the many data processors that collects and analyzes data. As humans constantly use digital media and computational devices in their daily lives, more and more digital traces are left behind. With the ad dition of mobile devices, the amount of data left behind has been exponentially growing. This data is essential to identify the networks that are made between people. SocioPatterns is a research collaboration that adopts a data-driven methodology with the aim of uncovering fundamental patterns in social dynamics and coordinated human activity. This is very hard for them because with the ever changing population and characteristics, technology must be evolved. To achieve its scientific goals,

Hbs Case “Marriott Corporation the Cost of Capital” free essay sample

HBS case â€Å"Marriott Corporation: The cost of capital† 1)Are the four components of Marriotts financial strategy consistent with its growth objective? In my opinion, the four components of Marriotts financial strategy are consistent with its growth objective. As we find in the case, the four components of Marriotts financial strategy: Manage rather than own hotel assets, Invest in projects that increase shareholder value, Optimize the use of debt in the capital structure, and Repurchase undervalued shares; are aligned with the growth objective. Marriott wants to remain a premier growth company. This means aggressively developing appropriate opportunities within our chosen lines of business—lodging, contract services, and related businesses. In each of these areas, their goal is to be the preferred employer, the preferred provider, and the most profitable company. 2)How does Marriott use its estimate of its cost of capital? Does this make sense? In the case is stated that Marriott required three inputs to determine the opportunity cost of capital: debt capacity, debt cost, and equity cost consistent with the amount of debt. The cost of capital varied across the three divisions because all three of the cost-of-capital inputs could differ for each division. This is the most logical approach due to the fact that the projects related to a particular division should be evaluated using the division’s WACC rather than the corporation’s WACC. 3)What is the Weighted Average Cost of Capital for Marriott Corporation? In order to calculate the WACC for Marriott’s Corporation I’m going to use the following formulas: 1. Weighted Average Cost of Capital: 2. Levered Beta: Marriott’s structure: D= 60% E=40% Marriott’s corporate tax: Tc= 175. 9 / 398. 9 Tc=0. 441 Marriott’s Pre-tax cost of debt: Debt rate premium above government= 1. 30% U. S. Government Securities Interest Rates: Maturity 30 years = 8. 95% Kd = 0. 0895 + 0. 013 Kd= 0. 1025 Marriott’s after tax cost of equity: Leverag. TcAsset BetaEq. Beta MARRIOTT 41%0. 4410. 7991. 11 MARRIOTT 60%0. 4410. 7991. 47 Ke = rf + Beta * (MRP) Rf=8. 95%(U. S. Government Securities Interest Rate) MRP=7. 43%(Exhibit 5) Ke = 8. 95% + 1. 47 * ( 7. 43%) Ke=0. 20 WACC = (1 0. 44) * 0. 1025 * 60% + 0. 2 * 40% WACC=0. 1139 The Weighted Average Cost of Capital for Marriott Corporation is 11. 9% a)What risk free rate and risk premium did you use to calculate the cost of equity? Risk free rate †¢30 years Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rate (8. 95%) Risk Premium †¢Spread between SP 500 Composite returns and long-term U. S. government bond returns between 1926-87 (7. 43%) b)How did you measure Marriotts cost of debt? I calculated Marriotts cost of debt adding Marriott’s debt rate premium above government (1. 30%) to the 30 years Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rates (8. 95%). 4)What type of investments would you value using Marriotts WACC? I will use Marriott’s WACC to evaluate projects that do not refer to a single division. This can be projects that add are related to the whole company and affect each division. In example, a project related with branding that will increase Marriott overall reputation and value 5)If Marriott used a single corporate hurdle rate for evaluating investment opportunities in each of its lines of business, what would happen to the company overtime? Using a single corporate hurdle rate for evaluating investment opportunities in each of its lines of business will lead to accept bad projects and reject profitable projects. In the case that the IRR of the return was slightly above Marriott WACC you would accept the division’s project although you might be operating bellow the division’s WACC and loosing money. 6)What is the cost of capital for the lodging and restaurant divisions of Marriott? In order to calculate the cost of capital for the lodging and restaurant divisions I will use the same formulas than in question 3. Hotels ReturnEq. BetaLeverageRevenuesAsset Beta HILTON HOTELS CORPORATION13. 30. 7614%0. 770. 697 HOLIDAY CORPORATION28. 81. 3579%1. 660. 435 LA QUINTA MOTOR INNS-6. 40. 8969%0. 170. 397 RAMADA INNS, INC. 11. 71. 3665%0. 50. 667 Average0. 549 Restaurants ReturnEq. BetaLeverageRevenuesAsset Beta CHURCH’S FRIED CHICKEN-3. 21. 454%0. 391. 417 COLLINS FOODS INTERNATIONAL20. 31. 4510%0. 571. 365 FRISCH’S RESTAURANTS56. 90. 576%0. 140. 550 LUBY’S CAFETERIAS (Operates cafeterias. ) 15. 10. 761%0. 230. 756 McDONALD’S22. 50. 9423%4. 890. 805 WENDYâ€⠄¢S INTERNA TIONAL4. 61. 3221%1. 051. 149 Average1. 007 LodgingRestaurant D/V50. 0%75. 0% E/V50. 0%25. 0% Tc44%44% Kd10. 05%8. 70% Rf8. 95%6. 90% Rprem1. 10%1. 80% Ke15. 31%29. 74% Eq. Beta0. 8562. 696 Asset Beta0. 5491. 007 Rf8. 95%6. 90% EMRP7. 43%8. 47% Sales % from total41. 00%13. 00% WACC10. 6%11. 08% a)What risk-free rate and risk premium did you use in calculating the cost of equity for each division? Why did you choose these numbers? Risk free rate Lodging division †¢30 years Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rate (8. 95%) †¢Is a long-term investment Risk Premium Lodging division †¢Spread between SP 500 Composite returns and long-term U. S. government bond returns between 1926-87 (7. 43%) †¢Is a long term investment Risk free rate Restaurants’ division †¢1 year Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rate (6. 90%) †¢Is a short-term investment, and the next available option is a 10 years rate which is too long. Risk Premium Restaurants’ division †¢Spread between SP 500 Composite returns and short-term U. S. Treasury bill returns: between 1926-87 (8. 47%) †¢Is a short-term investment, and I used a 1 year Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rate as the risk free rate. b)How did you measure the cost of debt for each division? Should the debt cost differ across divisions? Why? I calculated each division’s cost of debt adding the division’s debt rate premium above government to the U. S. Government Interest Rates that best represented the divisions behave. Risk free rate Lodging division 30 years Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rate (8. 95%) Risk free rate Restaurants’ division †¢1 year Maturity U. S. Government Interest Rate (6. 90%) The debt cost should differ across divisions because each one operate as independent business with different behavior. c)How did you measure the beta of each division? In order to measure the beta of each division, I got the average Asset Beta of the companies that where more similar to the division, and I leverage it with the capital structure of the particular division. 7)What is the cost of capital for Marriotts contract services division? How can you estimate its equity cost of capital without publicly traded comparable companies? In order to calculate the cost of capital for the contract service division I will use most of the formulas I stated on question number three. Additionally, as we do not have data of similar companies that we can use to extract the contract service division’s Asset Beta, I will calculate the WACC for the contract service division using the following formula: Marriott’s Asset Beta = (Lodging Asset Beta * division’s % of total sales) + (Restaurants Asset Beta * division’s % of total sales) + (Contract services Asset Beta * division’s % of total sales) Cleaning the equation in function of the Contract services Asset Beta, you find the Contract services Asset Beta. MarriottLodgingRestaurantContract Services D/V60. 0%50. 0%75. 0%60. 0% E/V40. 0%50. 0%25. 0%40. 0% Tc44%44%44%44% Kd10. 25%10. 05%8. 70%8. 30% Rf8. 95%8. 95%6. 90%6. 90% Rprem1. 30%1. 10%1. 80%1. 40% Ke19. 87%15. 31%29. 74%21. 91% Eq. Beta1. 4700. 8562. 6961. 772 Asset Beta0. 7990. 5491. 0070. 964 Rf8. 95%8. 95%6. 90%6. 90% EMRP7. 43%7. 43%8. 47%8. 47% TA %100. 00%41. 00%13. 00%46. 00% WACC11. 39%10. 46%11. 08%11. 55% The contract service’s WACC is 11. 55%

The Theme of Humanity in the Poem Hawk Roosting Essay Example

The Theme of Humanity in the Poem Hawk Roosting Paper Hawk Roosting is one of Ted Hughes many poems which describes nature and animal savagery. In this particular work, Hughes details the characteristics of a regal hawk, ruling over its domain. Although it may seem to be a simple descriptive piece, Hawk Roosting actually maintains a duality throughout each verse. Not only is it a vivid description of a living being, the poem is Ted Hughes critique on humanity. Beneath its surface is a stark reminder of how our weaknesses are degrading us into common animals. The first verse paints a scene of a hawk resting on the treetops: I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed Inaction, no falsifying dream We will write a custom essay sample on The Theme of Humanity in the Poem Hawk Roosting specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Theme of Humanity in the Poem Hawk Roosting specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Theme of Humanity in the Poem Hawk Roosting specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Between my hooked head and hooked feet: Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat. Straight away the poem asserts the dominance of the bird. The words Top of the wood suggests the hawk is a predator, high up in the food chain. It is also an animal that lives for hunting as every day it will rehearse perfect kills and eat in its dreams. Similarities can be drawn which shows that we are just like the hawk. Humans dominate the world and we constantly invent new ways of simplifying our lives. At the most basic level, we kill and eat like all animals do. The writer uses this verse to establish the hawk as a symbol of all humanity. Therefore, when he further illustrates the hawk later on, he is actually pointing out our habits and tendencies. The allegory of the hawk symbolizing humanity continues into the second and third verses: The airs buoyancy and the suns ray Are of advantage to me; And the earths face upward for my inspection. It took the whole of Creation To produce my foot, my each feather: Now I hold Creation in my foot. These verses further develop the idea that the hawk is a supreme creature. It looks down on its realm and controls all the animals. Therefore, it is able to hold Creation in my foot. On the other hand, as the hawk actually represents us, the writer is also commenting on mankind. The airs buoyancy and the suns ray correspond to natural resources and how they are of advantage to us. Instead of letting the course of nature take over our lives, we control the Earth as it face upward for our inspection. The phrase It took the whole of Creation suggests that humans see themselves as the ultimate species. Overall these two verses emphasize the fact that we are the rulers of the Earth. The world is metaphorically our oyster, a small thing that is easily held in our grasp. As the poem progresses into the fourth verse, the hawk awakes from its stillness and takes flight: Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly I kill where I please because it is all mine. There is no sophistry in my body: My manners are tearing off heads - Firstly the writer projects an image of the hawk flying above with a birds-eye view as the world revolves. Interestingly, it is the hawk that is doing the revolving. All of its dominion merely orbit around it. The hawk also owns its territory so it can kill where I please. These first two lines is a link to the last verse which further underlines the hawks supremacy. Similarly, we exploit the Earth because we believe it belongs to us. Although we consider ourselves a civilised race, the writer points out that some of our methods are far from graceful. In fact, he describes our way of living as tearing off heads. For example, we factory-farm animals for profit and we invade other countries to quench our thirst for fuel. As we become the masters of our planet, we grow insensitive to the fact that our greed is causing us to regress back to savages. The poem turns even more chilling as it enters the fifth verse: The allotment of death. For the one path of my flight is direct Through the bones of the living. Here the hawk is a metaphorical grim reaper. Its job is the allotment of death. From this verse we also perceive an image of the hawk swooping down on its prey as it flies through the bones of the living. The writer describes this as the one path of my flight that is direct. He is implying that the only constant element in a hawks life is to kill. Just like the hawk, we can allocate death as well because the earth is our domain. During our lifetimes we sacrifice the lives of many other creatures to fulfil our desires. We kill animals for food and we hunt exotic species for commodities. We are not that different from the hawk, after all. The final verse stresses the permanence of the hawks reign: The sun is behind me. Nothing has changed since I began. My eye has permitted no change. I am going to keep things like this. The phrase the sun is behind me implies that even the sun is a supporter of the hawk. Here the writer conveys yet another image to us. The suns rays are chasing after the hawk as if following a great leader. Nothing can unseat it from power. On the other hand, this verse also criticises the human aversion to change. For example, people still pollute the planet even though they know it can cause climate change and natural disasters. The last three lines highlight this fact. We have not done anything in the past to amend our mistakes Nothing has changed since I began. We are unwilling act now My eye has permitted no change. We will not abandon our methods in the future I am going to keep things like this. This is the heart of Ted Hughes criticism. We humans, as the masters of this world, are continuously destroying our planet because we are reluctant to change our wicked ways. In the end, Hawk Roosting is fundamentally an illustration of a magnificent creature. Nevertheless, Hughes masterfully embedded his critique on humanity into the poem. Just like the hawk, we are predators. However, our prey is nature and its resources. We are no better than cruel savages. Hawk Roosting is Hughes attempt at making us aware of this fact. Ultimately, his wish is that we preserve a better world for future generations.

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag (No Freezer Needed)

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag (No Freezer Needed) You can make ice cream in a plastic bag as a fun science project. The best part is you dont need an ice cream maker or even a freezer. This is a fun and tasty food science project that explores freezing point depression. Materials 1/4 cup sugar1/2 cup milk1/2 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)1/4 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla flavoring (vanillin)1 (quart) zipper-top baggie1 (gallon zipper-top baggie2 cups iceThermometer1/2 to 3/4 cup sodium chloride (NaCl) as table salt or rock saltMeasuring cups and spoonsCups and spoons for eating your treat! Procedure Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup whipping cream, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla to the quart zipper  bag. Seal the bag securely.Put 2 cups of ice into the gallon plastic  bag.Use a thermometer to measure and record the temperature of the ice in the gallon bag.Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup salt (sodium chloride) to the bag of ice.Place the sealed quart bag inside the gallon bag of ice and salt. Seal the gallon bag securely.Gently rock the gallon bag from side to side. Its best to hold it by the top seal or to have gloves or a cloth between the bag and your hands because the bag will be cold enough to damage your skin.Continue to rock the bag for 10-15 minutes or until the contents of the quart bag have solidified into ice cream.Open the gallon bag and use the thermometer to measure and record the temperature of the ice/salt mixture.Remove the quart bag, open it, serve the contents into cups with spoons and enjoy! How It Works Ice has to absorb energy in order to melt, changing the phase of water from a solid to a liquid. When you use ice to cool the ingredients for ice cream, the energy is absorbed from the ingredients and from the outside environment (like your hands, if you are holding the baggie of ice!). When you add salt to the ice, it lowers the freezing point of the ice, so even more energy has to be absorbed from the environment in order for the ice to melt. This makes the ice colder than it was before, which is how your ice cream freezes. Ideally, you would make your ice cream using ice cream salt, which is just salt sold as large crystals instead of the small crystals you see in table salt. The larger crystals take more time to dissolve in the water around the ice, which allows for even cooling of the ice cream. Substances That Separate Into Particles When Dissolving You could use other types of salt instead of sodium chloride, but you couldnt substitute sugar for the salt because (a) sugar doesnt dissolve well in cold water and (b) sugar doesnt dissolve into multiple particles, like an ionic material such as salt. Compounds that break into two pieces upon dissolving, like NaCl breaks into Na and Cl-, are better at lowering the freezing point than substances that dont separate into particles because the added particles disrupt the ability of the water to form crystalline ice. The more particles there are, the greater the disruption and the greater the impact on particle-dependent properties (colligative properties) like freezing point depression, boiling point elevation, and osmotic pressure. The salt causes the ice to absorb more energy from the environment (becoming colder), so although it lowers the point at which water will re-freeze into ice, you cant add salt to very cold ice and expect it to freeze your ice cream or de-ice a snowy sidewalk (water has to be present!). This is why NaCl isnt used to de-ice sidewalks in areas that are very cold.

Clovis, Founder of the Merovingian Dynasty

Clovis, Founder of the Merovingian Dynasty Frankish King Clovis (466-511) was the First Merovingian. Fast Facts: Clovis Known For: Uniting several Frankish factions and founding the Merovingian dynasty of kings.  Clovis defeated the last Roman ruler in Gaul and conquered various Germanic peoples in what is today France. His conversion to Catholicism (instead of the  Arian  form of Christianity practiced by many Germanic peoples) would prove a landmark development for the Frankish nation.Also Known As: Chlodwig, ChlodowechBorn: c. 466Parents: Clovis was the son of the Frankish king Childeric and the Thuringian queen BasinaDied: Nov. 27, 511Spouse: Clotilda Occupations KingMilitary Leader Places of Residence and Influence EuropeFrance Important Dates Became the ruler of Salian Franks: 481Takes Belgica Secunda: 486Marries Clotilda: 493Incorporates territories of the Alemanni: 496Gains control of Burgundian lands: 500Acquires parts of Visigothic land:  507Baptized  as a Catholic (traditional date): Dec. 25,  508 About Clovis Clovis succeeded his father as ruler of the Salian Franks in 481. At this time he also had control of other Frankish groups around present-day Belgium. By the time of his death, he had consolidated all the Franks under his rule. He took control of the Roman province of Belgica Secunda in 486, the territories of the Alemanni in 496, the lands of the Burgundians in 500, and portions of Visigothic territory in 507. Although his Catholic wife Clotilda ultimately convinced Clovis to convert to Catholicism, he was interested, for a time, in Arian Christianity and was sympathetic to it. His own conversion to Catholicism was personal and not a mass conversion of his peoples (many of whom were already Catholic), but the event had a profound influence on the nation and its relationship to the papacy. Clovis convoked a national Church council at Orlà ©ans, in which he participated significantly. The Law of the Salian Franks (Pactus Legis Salicae) was a written code that most likely originated during the reign of Clovis. It combined customary law, Roman law, and royal edicts, and it followed Christian ideals. Salic Law would influence French and European law for centuries. The life and reign of Clovis were chronicled by Bishop Gregory of Tours more than half a century after the death of the king. Recent scholarship has revealed some errors in Gregorys account, but it still stands as an important history and biography of the great Frankish leader. Clovis died in 511. His kingdom was divided among his four sons:  Theuderic  (born to a pagan wife before he wed Clotilda),  and his three sons by Clotilda,  Chlodomer,  Childebert, and  Chlotar. The name Clovis would later evolve into the name Louis, the most popular name for French kings. Clovis Resources Clovis in Print Clovis, King of the Franks by John W. CurrierBiography from Ancient Civilizations by Earle Rice Jr. Clovis on the Web Clovis: Fairly extensive biography by Godefroid Kurth at the Catholic Encyclopedia.The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours: Abridged translation by Earnest Brehaut in 1916, made available online at Paul Halsalls Medieval Sourcebook.The Conversion of Clovis: Two accounts of this significant event are offered at Paul Halsalls Medieval Sourcebook.

Business Economics Referred Coursework Assignment Essay

Business Economics Referred Coursework Assignment - Essay Example Middle East suffered a decline of wheat production of 7.4 million tons or about 19 percent because of the worst drought the country had experienced in 2008. (Commodity Intelligence Report, 15 December 2008) China and Iran, had each, reported worse effects of droughts to wheat crops. Drought in China as of October, 2010 had affected 7.73 million hectares of wheat plantation (China Daily). Iran estimated a decline of their 2008 production by 20% due to effects of drought (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. 15 December 2008). A decline in production would mean a gap in supply and demand that raises price. The price of wheat is also affected by the weakening US dollar because this will mean a decline in the purchasing power of a dollar. The U.S. dollar is a world trading currency; meaning all prices of commodities are linked to its price, and devaluation would have a great impact to international trade. In anticipation of devaluation, all countries will immediately raise their prices. Co mmodities such as wheat, oil, coffee, etc. will now set their price records to protect their investments. Farmers know that the dollars they are receiving for the wheat is declining in purchasing power, so they have to adjust their prices in anticipation for the devaluation; that is why we have a higher price of wheat now. As an example, if the US dollar declines by 30%, and the farmer has $1 million in wheat, his million dollars will now be able to buy $700,000 worth of goods or services, so he lost $300,000 in purchasing power. 2. Identify the factors that determine the demand for goods and services in general? Consider how these factors affect the demand for wheat. In general, determinants of demand are income, tastes, prices of related goods and services, expectations and the number of buyers. We know that if we lower the price of a good without altering its quality or quantity, people will flock to you to buy as this the law of demand. We will illustrate the law of demand by ex ample in demand for wheat. The law of demand applies to a well defined good – the wheat. Then the second phase indicates that people must not only want to purchase the wheat but must be able to purchase the wheat in order to be counted as part of demand. But although willing, consumer is not able at the price of $111.00, so buyer thinks of something else to replace the need for wheat. The next step is to think of the price and quantity demanded; that is as the price rises, the quantity demanded falls, and as the price falls, the quantity demanded increases. 3. What are the major factors increasing the demand for wheat? [Make sure you use the concept of income elasticity of demand for wheat (Ardy, 2010, p. 5). The factors that increase demand for wheat are price, price of substitute goods; preferences, population and income. These factors are discussed in the following paragraphs. Price. As the price of wheat increases, assuming that all other factors remain equal, less people would demand for wheat. The demand slope is downward looking . As the price of wheat increases, people would naturally avoid consumption and look for substitute products that they would value more. The price of substitute goods. A substitute product is a good or service which may be bought instead of another when the price of the latter changes or if it becomes unavailable. For instance, the increase in wheat price will increase in the demand for corn,