Financial Analysis Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Essay

We will be comparing two companies; both are strong and have great credibility. Ideally with a solid competitor we want to show differentials and make a solid contrast. In this case we want to compare at least two years of financial data. A great way to exemplify this is to compare Coke to Pepsi. To say which one is better to drink is debatable, but what we are looking at is which is better to invest in. We will analyze the information provided in the appendixes and make a conscience decision as to which company is stronger, therefore a smarter investment choice. After all, I wouldn’t want you to throw your money down the drain. The three main characteristics used to determine a company’s success are liquidity, solvency, and of course profit. The aspects, when analyzed, can help you decide which is more successful and financially honored as a better investment. This can also help someone decide which is more successful and financially stable. While we look at these statements I would like to keep in mind how good it is to look at trend over time. This opens our next concept which is vertical and horizontal analysis. By taking a step back and going over the ratio analysis which is composed of the three main characteristics, we are able to see what has happened during the time period we compare with. Hence us making our intelligent investment decision. Going back, ratio analysis is where we divide two numbers in order to get a percentage which we will compare to the competitor. First characteristic is liquidity. This is where we see the company paying their debts, and on time. This is very similar to an individual person’s credit score. Are they paying their bills? This shows financial responsibility and that is a very important component in investments. The information is typically shown as a ratio or percentage of the liquid assets. The higher the ratio the bigger the safety margin is in which the corporation will fulfill their debts. You wouldn’t rent a home to someone with bad credit. Nor would you loan someone money if they had a bad tendency to not be responsible with money. Going back to business mind state, we can look at the potential ability to turn a good or service into profit. This is crucial to investing. It’s also crucial to compare companies within the same industry. It seems logical initially but there are ratios and formulas that are used that operate most efficiently when comparison is done within similarities. So, let’s get on with the fun stuff already! PepsiCo’s Balance Sheet and Liquid Ratio (Remember, we are dividing the current asset with the liabilities for both years, not dividing the annual comparison. Meaning; do not divide the two numbers next to each other. This is the essential difference between horizontal and vertical analysis. ) Current ratio 2005=10,4549406=1.11 Current ratio 2004= 86396752=1.28 Just to make a quick observation before we move on the ratio of 2005 is 1.11:1 and in 2004 it is 1.28:1. We now have the ratios; let’s get the percentage of total assets from cash and equivalents. Then we will do Coca-Cola’s and compare. Percentage of cash for 2005=1716 (cash and equiv)10454 (total assets)= .1641 Percentage of cash for 2004=12808639= .1481 That’s 16.41% for 2005 and 14.81% for 2004. This is solid statistic and I don’t really see much room for improvement based on the information found. It seems to be a solid bet, but we are far from done. Coca-Cola’s Balance Sheet and Liquid Ratio (Again, remember to divide the total asset with total liability.) Current ratio 2005=10,2509,836=1.042 Current ratio 2004=12,28111,133=1.103 So the ratio is 1.042:1 for 2005 and 1.103:1 for 2004. Don’t feel discouraged, we will take this information and further discuss. I would like to mention that liability ratio lowering isn’t a bad thing and can mean potential growth. That being said, I sense improvement. Now that we have our ratio numbers for both companies and both years we will determine the percentage of total assets from cash and the equivalents. Now we will get the percentages of total assets and compare with PepsiCo. Percentage of cash for 2005=4701 (cash and equiv)29427(total assets)= .1598 Percentage of cash for 2004=670731441= .2133 That’s 15.98% for 2005 and 21.33% for 2004. I’m not sure about you, but if my percentage of cash went down 5.35% I would fret. Now, that’s not to say I wouldn’t invest just yet, but it does raise concern. Unless this cash is being used to pay off debts or re-invest into the company however, one should raise concern. Now that we have our calculations let’s make our comparison. In 2004 PepsiCo’s ratio was 1.28:1 then in 2005 it was 1.11:1. Whereas Coca-Cola had 1.103:1 for 2004 and 1.042:1 in 2005. We can divide the total current assets and of the liabilities for the two years giving us the increase or decrease for the same company. Simply divide the total current asset or liabilities for the two different years. We can find the increase or decrease for asset or liabilities. This furthers our comparisons. Let’s get back to solvency. It is a comparison of current assets and current liabilities. It is determined by dividing one with another. This gives an investor a ratio, which is explained earlier, that provides the investor with good information. That being, how does the company do with long-term responsibility? Also how likely will it act in the future with obligations and goals? The lower the ratio is, the less likely they are to have the follow through we are looking for. A high ratio provides the investor with an imminent outlook on the corporation being free of debt and how the company chooses to re-invest its profit. Profitability can allow an investor to monitor the corporation’s ability to produce assets in comparison to the expenses they must pay off. To put it bluntly, if a company has a higher profit ratio or margin than another company than they are doing better. We can do the same thing with profit that we did with liquidity as far as percentages and ratios go. When looking at profits we must be sure to compare annually because many companies have a season where they are selling more product. What the intended affect would be is to get the average and avoid the fluke statistics. When investing, it is a good idea to take a good step back. Like looking through the window of a candy shop. One candy might look good but you take a step back you can admire the entire display and see what is really going on. The big picture. Horizontal analysis can be utilized to provide the investor with the corporation’s financial data over a monthly or annual progression. It can be expressed using a balance sheet, an income statement, or retained earnings statement. When an investor evaluates the horizontal analysis they can determine the stability of the corporation, giving them solid insight. First we will apply horizontal analysis to PepsiCo’s assets and liabilities. We start by dividing the difference of total current assets between 2004 and 2005. As I have provided the spreadsheet earlier with the information it won’t be necessary to repeat. We are still dealing with those highlighted numbers; this will make it easier to locate the correct statistics. 10454 assets of 2005 – 8639 (assets of 2004)8639 (assets of 2004) = .210 We can then turn this into percentage which would be 21% (technically 21.01%) total current asset increase from one year to the next. Now we’ll do the same with liabilities. 9406 liabilties of 2005- 6752 (liabilties of 2004)6752 (liabilties 2004)= .393 Let’s do this in percentage form, 39.3%. That’s increase of liabilities during the time span of 2004 to 2005. By analyzing this information we are provided with the fact that there is an increase in current assets. This can be done by obtaining loans and gaining credibility as a corporation. On the counterpoint here there is a possibility that debt has increased. Keep in mind that while numbers are increasing and numbers don’t lie, it’s the person analyzing them that puts things in perspective. Let’s make a comparison now with Coca-Cola. 10250 assets of 2005- 12281 (assets of 2005)31441 assets 2004= -.064 We made the horizontal analysis to see if Coca-Cola has gone through increase or decrease with assets and liabilities between the two years of information we were given. When we translate our answer from decimal to percentage we get -6.4% which is a decrease. Let’s divide liabilities for Coca-Cola now. 9836 liabilities of 2005- 11133 (liabilities of 2004)11133 (liabilties of 2004)= -.116 This gives us -11.6% decrease in liabilities from 2004 to 2005. Translating that to English, this means that while assets were low it seems they were clearly paying off debts. This is a responsible and promising thing for a corporation to act on. A good investor will recognize debts being paid off and see that they are making profits and creating a solid foundation for the future. By judging the company’s percentage of growth we can easily separate the stronger competitor. Now, let’s do PepsiCo’s vertical analysis. Year 2005=1716(cash and equiv)31727 (total asset)= .054 Year 2004=1280 (cash and equiv)27987 total asset= .046 In 2005 the percentage is 5.4% while in 2004 it was only 4.6%. Let’s now figure out how much of the assets are currently in possession of the company, first with 2005. Oh, and imagine how nice it would be if we could do that with people we’ve loaned money to. Year 2005=10454 (current asset)31727 (total asset)= .3295 Year 2004=8639 (current asset)27987 (total asset)= .3087 So, we have 32.95% in 2005 and 30.87% in 2004. Meaning that PepsiCo’s assets in possession went up 2.08% in a year. Promising, right? Well, what about Coca-Cola’s? Year 2005=4701 (cash and equiv)29427 total asset= .160 Year 2004=6707 (cash and equiv)31441 (total asset)=.213 In 2005 the percentage is 16% while in 2004 it was 21.3%. Interesting, huh? Let’s figure out the assets Coca-Cola owned in possession. This is where investor’s ears perk up and we can get to some real solid numbers that will eventually define our final decision. Year 2005=10250 (current asset)29427 (total asset)= .348 Year 2004=12281 (current asset)29427 (total asset)= .391 In 2005 the percentage is 34.8% while in 2004 it was higher with a 39.1%. One can easily come to the conclusion that Coca-Cola may have fewer assets in possession, but keep debts in mind. Investors are looking for exactly this. Sure, they own less but they are also being financially responsible. In conclusion with all that has been said and analyzed I would like to conclude this intense and considerate examination. Many statistics were provided by the appendix and several calculations were made to come to a logical and sound conclusion. By viewing over the ratios and percentages we can determine that Coca-Cola is a stronger company. With the fact they do have low assets, we consider how many debts are being paid off due to the profits that are made. The CEO clearly had a strong head on their shoulders and even though these numbers are but six years old, I can only imagine their consistence has stayed the same. Reason being, the corporation has remained out of debts and re-invested th eir profits into future proceedings which allow a positive outlook for investors. Resources: Hill, M.G (2009). Financial Accounting

Article Critique Its a Flat World, After All by Thomas Friedman

Article Critique Its a Flat World, After All by Thomas Friedman Friedman (2005) argues that technology adoption is resulting in the transformation of geo-economics and lives of individuals. Indeed, there are different angles in which the technology has transformed the lives of people, ranging from deployment of technology in production to the revolution in information technology.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Critique: â€Å"It’s a Flat World, After All† by Thomas Friedman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The tone of the argument presented in the article shows concern over the pace at which technology is taking shape in the contemporary world. Friedman notes that technology has grown at a pace that has left many people unable to comprehend. One thing that is pointed out in the article is that a technological revolution took place immediately after September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. It was hard for people to realize the revolution i n technology as they had diverted a lot of time and focus on analyzing and assessing the September 11 incidence. Arguing that the concentration on the September 11 attacks impeded people from realizing a revolution in technology, especially information technology is not up to the point. Contrary to this argument, it is argued that the September 11 attack in the United States is a factor that sparked the use of technology to enhance safety and security of people. Sporadic communication was witnessed after the attack as people sought to ensure that other people were safe (Azari, 2003). Another perspective of technology as presented in the article is that the dot com burst and Enron could be viewed as an end to globalization. However, that was the beginning of globalization and the realization of a more compact world, enabled by availability of technology. This is notable in the way the author explains his visit to India. The realization by the author about the possibility of making mu ltiple transactions at the same place led him to realize the tremendous development in the field of technology (Friedman 2005). Technology had attained a high level of transformation with the ability to engage different stakeholders from different regions on a single information technology platform in one destination. Therefore, ability to transact makes the world smaller and more compact, thereby enhancing business.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the article, Friedman notes that the development and deployment of technology in the world accelerated in the bubble era. The bubble era was marked by a revolution in information and communication technology as a result of the spread of internet technology and the development of the World Wide Web, which saw a lot of people use the World Wide Web in enhancing transactions. An example is the growth of the dot com generation, where a lo t of sites were developed on the World Wide Web to aid in exchange of information globally. It can be argued that Friedman’s observations are a real account of the global trend in the development of technology as applauded by several other researchers who have been investigating the development of technology, especially in the 21st century. Another critical feature in the development of technology across the world that is featured in the article is the massive investment in the development of broadband connectivity across the globe. Friedman argues that the early years of the 21st century saw hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in the development of the internet, a vital tool in which information technology is enhanced. Indeed, there was a rapid explosion in the development of technology in the world with the realization that technology was the core basis on which the achievement of a global village could be attained. Information technology was and has remained cri tical in the realization of a global virtual village, which is marked by the ease of access to information from all corners of the world and the ability to make transactions irrespective of the distance that prevails between the parties involved. What the author fails to bring out in his argument is that tremendous achievements in technology had already been made in most of the western countries, which were the main stakeholders in fostering the spread of internet technology in the developing regions of the globe as they pressed for globalization. As brought out in the article, the contemporary information technology environment across the world is because of the increase in access to the internet.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Critique: â€Å"It’s a Flat World, After All† by Thomas Friedman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is, therefore, irrefutable that the developments that were staged in the bubble era, as the spread of undersea fiber cables has aided is speeding up the technology platform in the developing world by speeding the pace of internet connectivity. Moreover, there is immense increase in the speed at which data is transferred and accessed via the optic cables. During the bubble era, there was a lot of rationalization on the mechanisms of broadening adoption and use of technology in global transactions. According to Friedman (2005), one of the solutions that were reached by critical stakeholders in the technology industry was to make it easy for people to access technology tools as a way of ensuring that benefits of technology are realized across the globe. Prices of computers were dropped, thereby enabling massive shipment of computers from the developed world to the developing world. Computers could be easily afforded by people in the developing world at such prices. With the scale of computer access having risen in the developing world, it was easy fo r information technology companies like Google and many other software companies to launch their activities in the developing world, just as they had established their operations in the developed world. However, there is one thing that ought to be noted when talking about the reduction in prices of computers and shipping of computers across the world. It is essential to talk about the state of computers that are shipped from the developed to the developing world, even as the world seeks to enhance growth and development in technology to realize the benefits of globalization. It is argued that a relatively colossal gap still stands between the developing and the developed world in regard to the nature of computers and computer technologies available in both worlds. One reason that is given for this, which is perhaps linked to the article, is that computers that were spread to the developing world were already outdated; thereby offering them at lower prices is just one of the means of disposing them off. Such developments have continued to take shape as the developed countries continue to develop more sophisticated and efficient computers and computer technologies and releasing computers and computer technologies that they consider outdated to the developing world. Therefore, it is worthwhile to note that access to advanced and sophisticated technology tools is still largely determined by financial capabilities.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The fact that most people in the developed world are financially stable gives them the advantage of acquiring sophisticated technologies. This is the opposite referring to the developing world. However, one thing that has been noted is that the techniques are availed by firms in all regions of the world, which means that people who are financially stable in the developing world can still access the best technology tools and services. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the move by people from the developing world to access more sophisticated technology tools has also broadened with liberalization of the global environment where people can now easily travel from one region of the world to the other. Friedman also notes in the article that there was an explosion of email. The explosion of email is just one of the many developments that are attributed to the spread of the internet via the fibre cables and other emerging information technologies. With the growth and spread of internet has been the development of different software engines like Google and other applications that enable people to easily access and exchange information irrespective of the distance and the source of information. Therefore, according to Friedman, one can easily develop remotely by utilizing the internet and technology tools that are attributed to the internet. However, it should be noted that internet tools and technologies are provided by given companies. Therefore, as much as attaining remote development through the use of these technologies has been made possible, control and administration of these technologies and tools is a factor that needs to be explored. Cases of inaccessibility are reported More often than not, with suppliers of these technologies being critiqued for imposing controls and limiting the pace at which people use the techniques. The other thing that comes out in the article is the issue of intellectual work and intellectual property. According to the argument in the article, intellectual work can be quickly delivered courtesy of information technology tools and applications. With technology, it is easy to disaggregate, distribute, deliver, and share different kinds of information. This has given people freedom to advance different pieces of work. The contribution of technology to the freedom of people to develop intellectual work is an issue that draws a lot of reactions from different analysts. It cannot be denied that technology has provided an open space where people can easily access a wide variety of information. People can work on their private developments efficiently due to the ease of accessing information, resulting in generation of works or new pieces of information. However, the whole issue of intellectual work is complex. The complexity of the problem comes from the fact that intellectual work is a piece of work that needs to be right protected. Information technology has resulted in technologies that help people to explore a wide range of information on diverse databases that can be accessed on the internet. However, protection of intellectual work has become quite challenging because of issues of security, which has become one of the main concerns as far as protection of mental work is concerned. One ethical issue that is raised as far as the development of intellectual work is concerned are the modalities that are deployed by people when seeking information to aid them in developing certain pieces of work; intellectual work. There is a resounding alarm about stealing of information through the unauthorized access to specific databases by the same people developing intellectual work. Therefore, this can be termed as the first drawback when it comes to development and deployment of technology in the contemporary world. The ease of delivering intellectual work to interested persons across the world ought to be applauded. However, the main concern over the issue revolves around permission to access and di stribute that work on the internet. According to Azari (2003), breaches in information access and use are commonly reported, raising a concern about the possibility of using technology to protect technology. Research denotes an increase in the efforts of technology experts to develop protective technologies when it comes to the use and protection of personal information, which falls under intellectual property. A wide range of technologies has been developed, for instance data encryption and the use of passwords, to protect people from unauthorized access to information. However, the fruits of such technologies are yet to be realized as the world continues to witness an increase in the number of incidences of information breaches on the internet. The conclusion that can be adopted at this point is that as much as technology contributes to the development of intellectual work, it is also the same technology that kills the urge to develop intellectual work through the persistent growt h in issues of information security (Azari 2003). According to Wilson (2004), leveling the playing ground as exhibited by the growth and transformation of technology in the world is something that needs not is overemphasized. Friedman observes that countries that were considered to be underdeveloped, like India, have scaled up their level of competitiveness through adoption and development of technology. The ability of such countries to compete in global knowledge has risen. Whether this is a danger to the developed world is an issue that is subject to debate. Technology adoption and development in the emerging economies is cited as the reason why these countries have been able to broaden the level of production, thereby compounding the level of competition in international markets. A notable example is the high pace of adoption and development of technology in a number of Asian countries, particularly the Asian Tigers. A perfect example is China, where technology has been vital in transforming the size of the economy. China has grown to become one of the largest economies in the world, matching and tempting to surpass the economy of the United States, which has been one of the leading industrial economies in the world for more than a half a century. The contemporary scale of adoption and deployment of technology in the developing world, just as observed by Friedman, is that the current trend of development in the emerging economies has posed severe threats to the heights of competition that have been enjoyed by the developed countries like the United States for a long time. Therefore, I concur with the argument by Friedman that the playing field in technology is being flattened. There is bound to be a tilt in favour of the emerging economies when it comes to future deployment of information technology as these countries pace up their efforts to bridge the competition gap between them the developed economies (Wilson 2004). Reference List Azari, R 2003, Current security management ethical issues of information technology, Idea Group Inc., Harrisburg, PA. Friedman, TL 2005, ‘Its a flat world’, after all’, The New York Times, April 03 2005. Web. Wilson, EJ 2004, The information revolution and developing countries, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Career Change Consider These 5 Ways to Reinvent Yourself

Career Change Consider These 5 Ways to Reinvent Yourself Looking for a new job? Don’t pigeon-hole yourself by only considering opportunities similar to your established career path or what your degree says you are qualified to do. If you are going in a totally new direction with your career, it may require reinventing yourself, utilizing hidden skills and talents, and setting a goal to enjoy your new job more than you ever thought possible. As the poet Robert Frost wrote, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.† So your new path may not be the most obvious one to take, but forging in a new direction can be very rewarding.How to Reinvent Your CareerIf you are looking for a change in employment; a job that will be rewarding and actually make you excited about heading to work each day, that job you seek may not even be on your radar.Reinventing your career requires thinking outside of the box (another job skill, by the way). Focus more on your hidden talents and the skills you have acquired through your work experience, in your personal life, or through volunteer work. Look down a different path, rather than the obvious direction of your work history or what you majored in college.What Skills Does a New Employer Seek?You have hidden skills and talents. Whether you mastered creating extraordinary PowerPoint presentations or your were in charge of entertaining your company’s clients while they were in town, you acquired extra skills along the way.So how do you identify these hidden talents and use them to find a new job or career? Here are the basic steps to reinventing yourself and finding a new career path.First, think about any skills you learned at other jobs, especially the ones that were never part of your job description, yet were required for you in order to succeed. This is a tough one because it requires really thinking about what was expected of you in moments where probably not a lot of recognition was given. These were side-skills and until now, nobody paid attention to them.Now begin writing a skill list and include all of your soft-skills as well as hard skills. While it is great that you are a PowerPoint guru, employers want to know that you have the insight to know what should go into a presentation that will reach the audience, motivate a client, or entice a customer. Write down instances where critical thinking and being keenly aware of underlying messages were something you tapped into.Add to your list any examples of being a persuasive public speaker. According to Prinstonreview.com, strong public speaking or presentation skills are vital for many career paths you might take. Think of it as the ability to sell or influence others, which could apply to a myriad of career options.Think about the research skills you have developed through your experience. Whether a career in law, marketing, teaching, politics or public relations, having a solid understanding of research methods will be a val uable asset for employers.If you are skilled at writing and communication then you are in luck. One of the top skills employers look for is good communications skills. If you can write or edit copy, there are many opportunities in which to use these skills. Above all, employers are looking to hire candidates with outstanding communication skills and who are team players, according to results of National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2013 survey.Finally, consider out of the ordinary experiences you have had on the job. This is a vast topic because there are so many ways you may have developed creative skills or sharpened organization capabilities. Have you excelled in illustration and design activities at work? Perhaps you were placed in charge of planning and orchestrating your company’s elaborate 10th-anniversary dinner party or an awards banquet?Creative or organizational skills like design or event management are needed in so many different forms of employment. Never leave those little extra talents you possess, like creativity or your ability to manage multiple tasks, off of your list.Think that focusing on your experience and expanded skill-set will not net you a solid job offer? Think again. According to a survey conducted by NACE, a vast majority of employers look more to hands-on experience and those extra skills, the ones most people don’t think twice about, when they are considering applicants.Now you are ready to consider new job opportunities, utilizing additional skill-sets and talents that you previously might have overlooked when searching for a new job. If it is time to explore new career possibilities, sign up with TheJobNetwork, include any hidden-skills that you possess on your resume, and head down a new path to your future.

Health of the UK Automobile Industry Research Paper

Health of the UK Automobile Industry - Research Paper Example The automobile industry contributes 0.73% of the entire UK GDP but over the last decade, the industry has not been witnessing as much growth as the other sectors (Jones 1983; NAIGT 2008). The survey by the New Automotive Innovative and Growth Team (NAIGT) suggested a few success factors. (NAIGT, 2008) The survey revealed that one of the success factors of the industry was the low level of unionization and the flexible working hours that were allowed in the automobile industry that reduced labor costs. In addition, it was discovered that although the UK government does not necessarily provide more subsidies than do governments in Western Europe, they do however provide a sufficient number of them and most of the subsidies are direct i.e. in the form of grants which helps the industry to function better in the region. Furthermore, the report said that the quality of the R&D resources in the UK was very high and that in relation to Western Europe and the BRIC countries the UK offered better after sales service. In comparison to the rest of the countries in the EU, the UK government has a system of lower taxation as well as R&D tax benefits in terms of tax rate relaxation. To this end, the scope for investing in the UK Automobile Industry increases especially since England offers a more hassle-free way of exiting the industry, given lower barriers to closing down. The NGAIT team collected a variety of information about what industry professionals thought was the drawbacks faced by the companies in the sector. Firstly, they all agreed that there was a shortage of skilled labor specific to the industry. Mostly, companies suffered from lack of skilled mid-level management and engineers. It came to be understood that most of the university an college going students do not opt for engineering and those of them who do predominantly take jobs in the financial rather than the manufacturing sector. Trends over the last decade show that although, as mentioned in the success factors, the quality of the R&D resources in the UK is very high, contrariwise, the expenditure on R&D has declined. In the UK, Ford, Jaguar, and Land Rover together spend about $1 billion annually on R&D, which accounts for 80% of the industry investment.

Walker Evans photographs in the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men Essay

Walker Evans photographs in the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - Essay Example Most of Walker’s work were in the 1930s and were even incorporated in some of the documents of the Great Depression. However, these issues did not only concern the 1930s tribulations but also reflected on modern films, literature and traditional visual arts. Although this particular book is presented as documentary and true critics say that the pictures were somewhat posed for technical and aesthetic reasons. This has led to number of controversies over the truth of historical records (Kaja, 2008). Evans pictures are photographic, very direct and even appear to be literal. Perhaps the most remarkable picture in this book is the third, the picture of Mrs Gudger. It shows a woman with a beautifully bony face, thinning black hair, sunken or perhaps bitten-in mouth and sun-narrowed eyes. The face is a single concentrated phrase of suffering; you are bound to have an immediate outgoing impulse toward it, but this is at once hemmed in, at once made careful and respectful, by what the camera does. It is significant that, like all the pictures in the book, this is a portrait; it was "sat for" and "posed" and not only does the pose tell more than could be told by unconsciousness of the camera but the sitter gains in dignity when allowed to defend herself against the lens. The gaze of the woman returning our gaze checks our pity; and it is further checked by the cameras observance of the strands of jetty hair, of the sharp horizontals of eyebrows, eyes and mouth which are repeated in th e three parallel shadows of the clapboard wall behind, and by the cameras light emphasis on the early wrinkles and the puckered forehead, which are delicately repeated in the grain of the wood. And this is true of all of Evans pictures of the Gudger, Woods and Ricketts families. The entire hullaballoo about the photos; the rocking chair being moved, about the time on the clock, about the time the photos, about objects being added or removed is much fuss over

POS 202 - International Relations - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

POS 202 - International Relations - - Essay Example The author is assuming that the traditional means of bringing order have become ineffective. As much as it sounds hard, leaders should start cultivating the new kind of bringing order. The author’s assumptions are valid, and I agree with his line of argument. It is in line with the Balance of Power theory, which states that when secondary states are given a free will to choose on whom to side in an international system’s two coalitions, they will always side with the weaker side (Waltz 127). It is to avoid being threatened by the stronger side. It is the reason most of the Middle East countries have sided with Palestine over Israel. The only way to control Hamas is by working with moderate Palestinians, and they will thus help Israel control Hamas. Israel faces so many non-state actors, and Hamas, a political group that advocates violence is the main one. Hamas interacts with state of Palestine through its institutions and populations which in turn help them in planning attacks and violence (Papp 102). Hamas can even teach radical Palestine civilians on making homemade drones and rockets. The only way that the state of Israel can curtail the Hamas’ drones and rocket threat is by the Gaza Palestinians demanding the rockets to stop. The only way that the Palestinians can demand that is when the state of Israel works with them. At times, national interest should supersede sovereignty (Papp 88). It is at times preferable to accept freedom of action constraints in order to achieve a wider benefit. Israeli government must be able to let some pride go for the sake of a wider benefit. It must be able to work closely with the Palestine authorities; the same tactic America applied in Iraq, to have lasting peace. Liberty must at times be limited for it to be possessed (Papp 52). States should move from their roles of hedging risks and preservation of failing status quo to shaping a

Is Microsoft a monopoly Essay Example for Free

Is Microsoft a monopoly Essay In order to understand if Microsoft is a monopoly one must first know the definition of a monopoly. A monopoly is a firm that is the sole seller of a product that has little or no substitutes. This automatically should arouse many thoughts in the minds of â€Å"us† as consumers. For all these years have we been monopolized by a producer of a product just because there were limited sources in the same fields? Yes and no should be the floating answer. Microsoft for years has been the producer of almost every necessary component associated with our electrical devices. Microsoft is the developer of multiple operating systems or OS that first entered the market in 1981 but did not officially appear until 1984. In 1984, the Applesoft Basic for Apple Computers was introduced by Bill Gates. Due to the fact that the Apple system was first in this technologically advanced field it was set in the direction of being a monopoly. This is the evident sign that lack of other operating systems would set both Bill Gates and Microsoft in a monopolistic state. So if this monopolistic sign was so evident then why wasn’t it stopped by the government? This is a direct form of a government-created monopoly. Government-created monopolies exist because of patents and copyrights. The government has allowed Microsoft to exist because it was seen to be within the best interest of the public. The government does not actually predict whether a producer or firm will be a monopolist, it only allows a firm or producer to own the rights to the specific fields that they want to create. The communications field often has their own set of economical rules which is commonly set at the understanding that every must benefit from the product. Microsoft has often perfected this with their operating systems by staying consistently up to date with the consumer’s way of life. So what exactly allowed Microsoft to become a monopoly? Microsoft (Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Tim Patterson) would create and enforce universal data interaction standards for computer systems. The timing for this was perfect because businesses were in a technological era that the computer was in necessary and high demand. Microsoft became one of the largest monopolies because of their ability to be in almost every market that had use of a computer system. This was a great thing for Microsoft and for users but it was also a bad thing for users as well. Since the market was so unregulated it would allow Microsoft to not produce a quality product. This was allowed because of their monopoly. This monopoly would be out of the control of the government because breaking up the Microsoft Company into little companies would only cause damage to the consumer. In this I mean you the consumer would have to purchase multiple operating systems in order to maintain computer interacting standards. This would not be the best interest of either the government or the consumer. So unfortunately this monopoly would be allowed to carry on its position in the computer operating fields. Just think by chance that the government did break this monopolistic company up? This would allow so many small companies to produce the same product under the same outdated set of rules. So question, if the same set of bendable rules applied what would stop those small broken up companies from becoming a monopoly as well? Exactly nothing. So the government sees it better for consumers to have to deal with one monopoly compared to multiple. A company like Microsoft falls into a classification of a large monopoly. There are many smaller monopolies that go unnoticed. Some of these companies are Nike, Reebok, New Balance, etc. You may hear about some of these companies monopolistic traits, but choose not to pay much attention because they are not as large as a company as Microsoft. Let’s face it we tend to have a thought that they are just brands. Just a thought, when you walk into your local retail store are you looking for a pair of shoes or a certain style of shoe by name (i. e.Nike Jordan’s, Converse All-Stars or commonly known as â€Å"chuck taylors†, Reebok Zigtechs, New Balance 855’s)? These are the monopolies we do not pay much attention too because they are mainly companies that are in deep competition with one another. In order to compete in their respective fields the company must make a shoe or an article of clothing that is unique whether it carries a label or not. So what exactly makes Microsoft a monopoly instead of a competitive market? Since Microsoft is the only producer in the operating system market it has the ability to set and stay with its own price. Microsoft in recent years have gained a few other competitors that are making their way up the ladder with free trial periods or just general free use with things like email, search engines, and even software purchases through computer brands, printers, etc. A common name that we all use on practically a daily basis is Google. Google Inc. has won a growing number of customers for its Google Apps software, a collection of word processing, email, spreadsheet and other tools that are hosted and accessed online. The company is also reportedly preparing an expansion of its solutions marketplace, to sell software to businesses that can augment Apps. When confronted with questions of their products, an all too modest Google made no response. Unlike Microsoft, Google tends to not make broad promises of software updates until they have perfected the process. This is what commonly makes Google a most used search engine. Google also offers Gmail which carries its own form of complete virus software which sets it in a field of its own unlike Yahoo mail that only offers a low version of spyware with a premium account purchase. Other competitive companies that are climbing on the Microsoft ladder are Oracle Corp. and LotusLive iNotes. When Microsoft was confronted if any of these companies were the reason behind the downed sales of their â€Å"Microsoft Office† version they replied with it is unclear if they had a hand in the matter. This is another â€Å"big headed† response because Microsoft does not want to even think at this time that they could possibly have competition. When a monopolistic company is confronted with competition you will usually see a drop in product prices that may or may not go unnoticed. It is my opinion that this competitive edge brought to Microsoft will not go unnoticed. With the growing state of these other companies, I cannot wait until Microsoft has to become a competitive market instead of a monopoly. Another way to tell whether a company is a monopoly or not, is to follow its revenue. Since a company like Microsoft does not have their â€Å"books† out their like public records, we have to follow media theories and articles. When you see an increase in the company revenue this means that their output has went up. This means that they are producing more and making more because the demand has gotten higher. When revenue has dropped then the company has lost money and no longer producing because the demand has dropped. All too commonly you may see a drop in price because the company is wanting to sell their items rather than taking a complete loss on them. The will also set their prices above marginal cost. This will tend to be a seasonal thing because annually they try to place newer products on the market. Now noticing that other companies like Windows, Macintosh, and Linux are in competition with Microsoft is a huge deal to us as the consumer. To Microsoft this is no real big threat because of the huge market share that they own. This allows a monopolistic company to carry on their threat of being the â€Å"big man† on the block. In this I mean that they are allowed to place what seems to be ridiculous price because they do not see the competition as a true competitor. Consumers frequently take notice to this when they are in the market for the produced good of computer systems. Consumers commonly watch for the better deals while taking â€Å"name brand† and â€Å"off brand† into high consideration. Even though Sony may be the better brand, it is possible that Acer could sell more because of the consumers desire to pay less and receive more. This is just the way that things go in a time of economic struggle. The only time that things like this change is if the consumer has a specific desire for a certain brand over the lesser price. So as a monopoly could Microsoft force these other competitive companies out of their market? Yes they could and it has been accused that they have in the past. To include the list of companies that Microsoft has bought out in order to maintain at the top would be completely ridiculous but to name a few would be ok. Microsoft has purchased companies like Skype, Nokia, and of course we all heard of the Microsoft-Apple buy out in order to stop them from sinking. There is a lot of talk about what should be done to the Microsoft Company with the Department of Justice, Attorney General’s, and Microsoft. Many think that breaking the company up would be a mistake while a majority agree that it would also make them list a fairer price and focus on a better product. This in my opinion is not to the judgment of anyone. Is Microsoft wrong for being the best in their business? In my opinion, absolutely not. It is at the decision of the other competitive companies whether to stay in or back out. Many people think that the treatment they receive while purchasing items from the producer is unfair. I would like to disagree because if you need the item bad enough then whatever dollar amount the producer places is the dollar amount the consumer will pay. Take gas for instance, when gas was hitting its record highs two years ago. All I heard were complaints of how ridiculous it was, we should petition, protest, or even not purchase for days. Where were their complaints when they were driving to McDonalds to get a burger instead of cooking at home? People only complain about the abuse that they cannot control. This is the same with items like the personal computer. Everyone wants to complain about the price they paid for their computer but not the eBay items they are purchasing while they use that same computer. This reminds me of a conversation between the course instructor and myself. He asked one time if there was a sale on hamburger at the store but you really wanted steak which would you choose? I replied with I am going to choose steak because it is what I want. I chose this answer because regardless of the price of hamburger if I want steak, then ultimately steak is what I will get. This is my choice. I choose to not complain about the items that I cannot control because at the end of the day I still need it. So in conclusion, if you ask me if Microsoft is a monopoly or not, my answer will still remain yes and no. Yes, because they are the primary holders of operating systems and they are getting filthy rich. No, because they have made themselves the best. If the other companies want to be on top then they need to fight to be on top. But also in the mean time they shouldn’t complain about the actions that Microsoft takes in order to remain the best. References Mankiw, N. G. (2012, 2009). Principles of Microeconomics (Sixth ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Mankiw (2012, 2009) Fisher, G. A. (2000, May 30). Why is Microsoft a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. zaimoni. com/George/MicrosoftMonopoly. htmFisher (2000) South-Western College Publishing (2003). Is Microsoft a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www.swcollege. com/bef/policy_debates/microsoft. htmlSouth-Western College Publishing (2003) ThisNation. com (2008). Is Microsoft a monopoly? If so, why does it matter? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. thisnation. com/questions/027. htmlThisNation. com (2008) Albro, E. N. (2007). Eight Years Later, Is Microsoft Still a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. pcworld. com/printable/article/id,139458/printable. htmlAlbro (2007) Jackson, E. 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