The use of narrative in film Essay Example For Students

The use of narrative in film Essay The use of Narrative in film and other forms of media is commonplace; it has become such that the media viewer has not only come to expect it but rely on it somewhat. There are two elements in narrative film today that combine in the engaging of the audience; story and production elements. One example in the Australian film industry of the use of production and story elements in such a way as to engage the audiences attention is the film Two Hands. The film Two Hands was directed in 1999 by Gregor Jordan, a then virtual nobody. The film boasts an all-Australian cast and is full of Australian humor and irony. It is a film that was loved by critics and the public alike and has been affectionately dubbed The Australian answer to Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The film isnt your standard linear narrative in the sense that the beginning, middle and end dont necessarily go in that order. We will write a custom essay on The use of narrative in film specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In the film the lead character Jim (Heath Ledger) gets himself mixed up with Pando (Brian Brown) and his gang of Kings Cross thugs when $10,000 of Pandos money goes missing, money that Jim had been given to deliver. Jim is then forced to rob a bank in a desperate attempt to replace Pandos money however he still manages to fall in love with the sister of one of his friends, Alex (Rose Byrne). The opening sequence to the film establishes through both Production and story elements the following:By showing us the characters of Pando and his gang in what appears to be a secluded section of scrub late at night, holding a bloodied and bruised Jim at gun point sets the scene for the genre of film we are about to see. The lighting, more accurately the lack of proper lighting, further implies that the people we are seeing arent your average clean-cut businessmen; as the majority of this lighting is being provided by a handheld flashlight. The dialogue in this scene is the most helpful in terms of establishing the storylines and grabbing the attention of the viewer. We learn that Jim owes Pando $10,000 for which he will soon be killed, we learn that Jim will give Pando $15.000 if he lets him go (â€Å"Im doing a job tomorrow. Let me go and Ill give you 15), we learn that Pando is willing to give Jim a chance by letting him try 013, and that Pando really doesnt want to have to kill him but it seems like he has little choice (sorry Jimmy). The next section of the opening sequence takes us back to what is seemingly the beginning of the film, to the heart of Kings Cross. Jim is standing out the front of a strip joint with a friend of his. It seems the two are employed by the club to entice male passer-buyers into the club. Through their dialogue the viewer can deduce that Jim intends on doing some work for someone name Pando, who incidentally is someone you dont want to get mixed up with. The viewer may also conclude that Jim is unhappy with his current line of work and wishes to move up through the Kings Cross ‘hierarchy, so to speak, by doing this job. During this scene Jims relationship with Pando and Alex are established, or re-established in the case of Pando. Jims first impressions of Alex, an Alexs first impressions of Jim are evident through the production elements involved. Through the use of cuts between and the visual composition of the shots of the pair it is shown to the viewer that these two fancy each other at first glance. The shots cut from a shot of Alex looking at Jim then looking away when Jim notices, to a shot of Jim looking at Alex and giving a smile when he realizes she was looking at him. For the most part of the establishment of their relationship they will be on opposite sides of the screen to each other when filmed in close up. When this is used and with cuts between the two, the viewer is able to further associate them as a couple. .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 , .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .postImageUrl , .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 , .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:hover , .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:visited , .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:active { border:0!important; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:active , .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52 .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u967eee286c26f9b275d2581508560c52:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Salem Witch Trials Essay PaperAdversely when Jim meets Pando in this scene the emphasis is on how different they both are to each other. Pandos car, the first time we see him in The Cross, slowly moves past the camera stopping at the front passenger seat window to the sound of heavy metal music. The camera is low down, looking up at the face of Pando who slightly pauses for effect before speaking. Jim moves toward the car and bends respectfully to speak into the open window. The sounds we can hear are those of the running engine when Pando first arrives and the conversation between he and Pando afterwards. Through introducing the viewer to the characters of Pando and Jim and the idea of the missing $10,000 it not only interests the viewer in watching on in order to find out what happens to Jim or how he got into the situation in the first place, it effectively gives more meaning to the following scene. The events of the following sequence are intended to further interest the viewer into watching the remainder of the film. The main contributor to this is the storyline elements yet to be resolved/further explored. The closing sequence, for the purpose of this essay can be said to be from the time Jim walks through the corridor into Pando’s office until the credits. A lot of the closing sequence is directly linked to the opening sequence in such a way that unless the middle has been left out a lot of the imagery goes unnoticed. The most obvious example of imagery in this sequence is the angle at which the camera is looking at Jim when he walks into the corridor leading into Pando’s office. The camera is on the floor looking up at Jim as he walks giving him a look of height and of being in a position of power. This is a direct contradiction to the opening sequence in which Jim is being held at gunpoint and the camera is looking up at Pando who is clearly in the position of authority. Jim, having gotten the money is now in the position that the viewer has been anticipating the whole movie. Another feature of this particular scene that conjures up the image of power and control is the music playing in the background. The music is loud, brassy, big-band-type music and it is such that it adds to the effect that the camera work is providing. Once in the office Jim is instantly pounced upon by Pando’s men. The following minute or so is a struggle between Jim and Acko, one of Pando’s men. In the struggle Jim is trying to get the $10,000 from down the front of his pants while Acko is trying to strangle Jim with the cord from the telephone. The scene consists of numerous almost instantaneous cuts between the faces of Jim, Acko, Pando and the rest of his gang. This scene is quick and is a prime example of production elements being used to draw the viewer into the film. After Jim has returned the money not only have the attitudes of Pando and his men completely been reversed, but all of the storyline elements from the opening sequence that were left unanswered have now been explored if not resolved. The next scene, the scene after Jim returns to his apartment and is seen at the airport with Alex is another example of storyline elements being resolved. The way in which the pair were portrayed in the Kings Cross scene implied that their relationship in the film would be more than just friends. The assumptions from the scene in the cross made by the viewer have been developed as the movie progressed. .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 , .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .postImageUrl , .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 , .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:hover , .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:visited , .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:active { border:0!important; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:active , .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768 .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub6748e33966353b89fb594b335737768:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Pop Culture WarsReligion The Role of Enterta EssayTo conclude I would simply like to add that all the things I have been talking about have been purposefully put into the film. None of these things have been done so accidentally as it was the Director, Gregor Jordan’s intention to make the viewer more interested through incorporating the aforementioned combination of Production and Story elements. Bibliography:

Business Ethic and Profit Essay Example

Business Ethic and Profit Essay Example Business Ethic and Profit Essay Business Ethic and Profit Essay Many companies owners suggested hat successful business depend on how profitable the business is, instead of their ethical responsibility to the society. On the other hand, From a business owner perspective, practicing business ethic is time-consuming and costly. However,many multinational companies, including HSBC, Coca-Cola Company, Visa. embed business ethic into their operations.The truth is a business with poor business ethic is a poor kind of business, since it affect the reputation of the company, violation of law and employee performance. Is good reputation vital to companies, since customers and investors ought to purchase goods and doing business with well-known companies. Having a bad reputation is more than notorious image , but also sales loss, or even a big chunks off a companys share price. For instance :Exxons share price plunged 20% after the Exxon Valdez incident, which is caused by a tank ship, Exxon Valdez.In addition,after the scandal of Hoi Tin Tong which about selling mouldy Jelly and Jelly with almost no urtle shell is revealed; most citizens criticized the management of the company, most of them even claimed for refund for the coupons they purchased, this not only post a great harm to sales, but also the stock market price. A variety of laws and restrictions were instituted by government and NGOs for how a companies should be run. Companies which disobey or violate them often face large fines and other penalities.Eg: McDonalds legislation A typical case of influencing the lawmakers to enact legislation that serve their own selfish and haem society. In 1972, The company founder ,Ray Kroc, made a rare donation of 250,000 to Nixons reelection campaign in exchange for the legislation of allowing companies paid teenager employee 20% less than federal minimum wages. Later, it was classified as McDonalds most disastrous cases of bad business ethics and spawned tons of negative publicity. Moreover, The Mattels crisis of manufacturing Hazardous dolls. A citizenship in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti- corruption.

Harriet Martineauâ€Biography and Works

Harriet Martineau- Biography and Works Born in 1802 in England, Harriet Martineau is considered to be one of the earliest sociologists, a self-taught expert in political economic theory  who wrote prolifically throughout her career about the relationship between politics, economics, morals, and social life. Her intellectual work was grounded in a staunchly moral perspective that was influenced by her Unitarian faith (although she would later become an atheist). She spoke out against slavery and was fiercely critical as well of the inequality and injustice faced by girls, women, and the working poor. As one of the first women journalists of the era, she also worked as a translator, speechwriter, and novelist. Her acclaimed fiction invited readers to consider the pressing social issues of the day.  She was known for her keen ability to explain complicated ideas in an easy-to-understand manner, presenting many of her theories about politics, economics, and society in the form of appealing and accessible stories. Early Life   Harriet Martineau was born in 1802 in Norwich, England. She was the sixth of eight children born to Elizabeth Rankin and Thomas Martineau. Thomas owned a textile mill, and Elizabeth was the daughter of a sugar refiner and grocer, making the family economically stable and wealthier than most British families at the time. The Martineaus were descendants of French Huguenots who fled Catholic France for Protestant England. They were practicing  Unitarians  and instilled the importance of education and critical thinking in all of their children. However, Elizabeth was also a strict believer  in traditional gender roles, so while the Martineau boys went to college, the girls did not and were expected to learn domestic work instead. This would prove to be a formative life experience for Harriet, who bucked all traditional gender expectations and wrote extensively about gender inequality. Self-Education, Intellectual Development, and Work Martineau was a voracious reader from a young age,  was well read in  Thomas Malthus  by the time she was 15, and had already become a political economist at that age, by her own recollection. She wrote and published her first written work, â€Å"On Female Education,† in 1821 as an anonymous author. This piece was a critique of her own educational experience  and how it was formally stopped when she reached adulthood. When her father’s business failed in 1829, she decided to earn a living for her family  and became a working writer. She wrote for the  Monthly Repository, a Unitarian publication, and published her first commissioned volume,  Illustrations of Political Economy, funded by publisher Charles Fox, in 1832. These illustrations were a monthly series that ran for two years, in which Martineau critiqued the politics and economic practices of the day by presenting illustrated tellings of the ideas of Malthus,  John Stuart Mill,  David Ricardo, and  Adam Smith. The series was designed as a tutorial for the general reading audience. Martineau won prizes for some of her essays, and the series sold more copies than did the work of Dickens at the time. Martineau argued that tariffs in early American society only benefited the rich and hurt the working classes both in the U.S. and in Britain. She also advocated for the Whig Poor Law reforms, which shifted assistance to the British poor from cash donations to the workhouse model. In her early years as a writer, she advocated for free market economic principles in keeping with the philosophy of Adam Smith. Later in her career, however, she advocated for government action to stem inequality and injustice, and is remembered by some as a social reformer due to her belief in the progressive evolution of society. Martineau broke with Unitarianism in 1831 and adopted the philosophical position of freethinking, whose adherents seek truth based on reason, logic, and empiricism, rather the dictates of authority figures, tradition, or religious dogma. This shift resonates with her reverence for  August Comtes positivistic sociology and her belief in progress. In 1832 Martineau moved to London, where she circulated among leading British intellectuals and writers, including Malthus, Mill,  George Eliot,  Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Thomas Carlyle. From there she continued to write her political economy series until 1834. Travels Within the United States When the series was completed,  Martineau traveled to the U.S. to study the young nation’s political  economy and moral structure, much as  Alexis de Tocqueville  had done. While there, she became acquainted with  Transcendentalists  and abolitionists, and with those involved in education for girls and woman. She later published  Society in America,  Retrospect of Western Travel,  and  How to Observe Morals and Manners- considered her first publication based on sociological research- in which she not only criticized the state of education for women but also expressed her support for the abolition of slavery due to its immorality and economic inefficiency as well as its impact on the working classes in the U.S. and in Britain. As an abolitionist, Martineau sold embroidery in order to donate to the cause and also worked as the English correspondent for the  American Anti-Slavery Standard  through the end of the American Civil War. Contributions to Sociology Martineau’s key contribution to the field of sociology was her assertion that when studying society, one must focus on all aspects of it. She emphasized the importance of examining political, religious, and social institutions. By studying society in this way, she felt, one could deduce why inequality existed, particularly that faced by girls and women. In her writings, she brought an early feminist perspective to bear on issues such as race relations, religious life, marriage, children, and home (she herself never married or had children). Her social theoretical perspective was often focused on the moral stance of a populace and how it did or did not correspond to the social, economic, and political relations of its society. Martineau measured progress in society by three standards: the status of those who hold the least power in society, popular views of authority and autonomy, and access to resources that allow the realization of autonomy and moral action. She won numerous awards for her writing  and though controversial, was a rare example of a successful and popular working woman writer of the Victorian era. She published over 50 books and over 2,000 articles in her lifetime. Her translation into English and revision of  Auguste Comte’s  foundational sociological text,  Cours de Philosophie Positive, was received so well by readers and by Comte himself that he had Martineau’s English version translated back to French. Period of Illness and Impact on Her Work Between 1839 and 1845, Martineau became housebound due to a uterine tumor. She moved out of London to a more peaceful location for the duration of her illness. She continued to write extensively during this time but due to her recent experiences shifted her focus to medical topics. She published Life in the Sickroom, which challenged the domination/submission relationship between doctors and their patients- and was viciously criticized by the medical establishment for doing so. Travels in North Africa and the Middle East In 1846, her health restored, Martineau embarked on a tour of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. She focused her analytic lens on religious ideas and customs and observed that religious doctrine was increasingly vague as it evolved. This led her to conclude, in her written work based on this trip- Eastern Life, Present and Past- that humanity was evolving toward atheism, which she framed as rational, positivist progress. The atheistic nature of her later writing, as well as her advocacy for mesmerism, which she believed cured her tumor and the other ailments she had suffered, caused deep divisions between her and some of her friends. Later Years and Death In her later years, Martineau contributed to the Daily News and the radical leftist Westminster Review. She remained politically active, advocating for women’s rights during the 1850s and 60s. She supported the Married Women’s Property Bill, the licensing of prostitution and legal regulation of customers, and women’s suffrage. She died in 1876 near Ambleside, Westmorland, in England, and her autobiography was published posthumously in 1877. Martineaus Legacy Martineau’s sweeping contributions to social thought are more often than not overlooked within the canon of classical sociological theory, though her work was widely lauded in its day, and preceded that of  Ãƒâ€°mile Durkheim  and  Max Weber. Founded in 1994 by Unitarians in Norwich and with support from Manchester College, Oxford, The Martineau Society in England holds an annual conference in her honor. Much of her written work is in the public domain and available for free at the Online Library of Liberty, and many of her letters are available  to the public via the British National Archives. Selected Bibliography Illustrations of Taxation, 5 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Illustrations of Political Economy, 9 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Society in America, 3 volumes, Saunders and Otley, 1837Retrospect of Western Travel, Saunders and Otley, 1838How to Observe Morals and Manners, Charles Knights and Co., 1838Deerbrook, London, 1839Life in the Sickroom, 1844Eastern Life, Present and Past, 3 volumes, Edward Moxon, 1848Household Education, 1848The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte, 2 volumes, 1853Harriet Martineau’s Autobiography, 2 volumes, posthumous publication, 1877

WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (continuity and Term Paper

WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (continuity and discontinuity) - Term Paper Example Similar advancement derailment could happen at any of the successive psychosexual stages resulting differently to anal retentive personal traits or, subsequent, to an Oedipus intricate. These concepts have a reflective effect on the western culture, more so on the concept that mature personality is considerably formed in the initial stages of the childhood and that the foundational causes of many mature problems must therefore be met and therapeutically revealed in the childhood happening (Woods, 2005). A corollary conclusion was that each point relied on the other. This needed the successful conclusion of each preceding stage. Knowledge of the internal logic in each stage would allow prediction of the later stages (Khalakdina, 2008). There was also an assumption that, the initial stages of child advancement would have a decisive effect on all the later development and the outline of an adult and his conduct (Constantineau, & McLuhan, 2010). The persistence of this conviction in the decisive effect of initial knowledge can be viewed in the normally held notion amid the contemporary middle class parents that they will achieve their children’s development without the concern of the stage of such children As it has already been discussed above, the idea of the continuity is so intensely ingrained in the modern observations of human advancement that is regularly merely assumed. In spite of its foundation being found in the Aristotle and other western scholars, it remains clearly a contemporary idea (West, 2008). Prior to the contemporary era, the prevailing observation of people’s lives was religious rather than secular. Augustine confessions afforded a vivid and compelling appearance of this sacred western view on the fundamental course and connotation of human existence a master narrative of its vital themes and matters. According to the master narrative, people come into the world together with burden of the new sins and the liberty and the

Team Synergy and Team Spirit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Synergy and Team Spirit - Essay Example We have worked with various corporate organizations in this filed with wonderful results. Out if our good job, we have been able to maintain a loyal client base over the years. We have experience in both outdoor and indoor team building activities ranging from one day to one week. Normally, such activities are tailor-made to meet the requirements of the client and ensure that clients get good value for their money. The experienced team at our organizations are also good in coming up with ingenious ways of helping organizations meet their goals with low budgets. Therefore, we try as much as we can to fit out programmes within the budget of a client so as to enable them to get goods results without compromising the quality of their services rendered. Therefore, you can be sure that your budget of $25,000 will be well utilized to give you value for your money. Over the last one year, we have been able to work with over 50 corporate of varying sizes, addressing various team building needs and all have recorded a huge success. On average, the teams we have worked with have experience an increased productivity are of up to 20 percent and staff turnover has dropped by an average of 5 percent. However, we have heard only three cases where productivity of employees still continued to fall or remain level even after our programmes. We believe that the reason for such could be more to do with the structures of the organization rather than the level of cohesion or team building skills of the employees in question. We have designed a number of activities to be undertaken during the team building exercise. The activities are geared towards helping your employees attain various competencies that will enable a cohesive team to b built. Given the chance, we hope that the following results will be attained by the team: One thing that helps teams to perform better is strategic thinking; a sense  of being forward-looking. It is only by being prepared for that future and the challenges that that future may bring about that individuals realize their own weaknesses which they need to work upon.  

Introduction to K Means Analysis for Stock Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Introduction to K Means Analysis for Stock Portfolio Essay 1. Background[1] Investment decisions are about making choice. Investors need to decide what asset to be invested. This is an important decision because these assets are the means by which investors transfer today’s purchasing power to the future. In effect, investor must decide on a portfolio of asset to own. A portfolio is simply a combination of assets designed to serve as store of value. Poor management of these assets may destroy the portfolio’s value, and investor will then not achieve their financial goals. There are many assets like stocks, bonds, derivatives that investors may include in the portfolio. In Hong Kong, stock portfolio is the most common investment. But what stocks have higher return? What stocks are risky? What stocks in the portfolio that it has higher return? Many investors may use fundamental analysis to analysis financial data for answering above questions. In the last decade, some researches applied data mining techniques on financial market. Data mining is the process of automatically discovery useful information in large data repositories. It can be used to support a wide range of business intelligence applications such as customer profiling, targeted marketing, store layout. 2. Motivation In America, there are some research papers[2] about applying clustering technique on America financial market. For example, using Self-organizing map(SOM) to cluster stocks and financial ratio for fundamental analysis, using SOM to find the valuable stock. These all researches want to find the characteristic of the stocks. However, most these researches use SOM clustering technique, and focus on America financial market. It seems that few researches do similar thing in Hong Kong stock market. Moreover, these researches only want to find the characteristic of stocks. In real case, investors will not only purchase one stocks. They will construct a stock portfolio to eliminate the risk. So I want to apply similar approach on Hong Kong stock market and change the clustering technique to K-means, not SOM. And I not only want to cluster the stocks, but also the portfolio. I want to cluster many combinations of the portfolio as I can to find the characteristic of different combinations of the portfolio. I am interested in investment, and I study information technology in university. I want to combine two aspects for my final year project. And I believe this project is very useful for my future career. I have read relative books, papers for getting the basic idea and concept of portfolio and data mining. In this project, I use many technical skills, methods and knowledge learnt from City University of Hong Kong in the past three years. Java programming is used to do the data preprocessing like normalization, financial calculation. It is also used to generate the combination of the portfolio and the simulation of K-means. MYSQL database is used to store the data of stocks and portfolio. The simulation result is also stored in the database. 3. Objectives In this final year project, there are several objects: 1. To investigate the characteristic of stocks in Hong Kong stock market. 2. To investigate the characteristic of different stock portfolios in Hong Kong stock market. 3. To determine that different combination of stocks how to affect the performance of the portfolio. 4. To investigate the strength and weakness of applying K-means on financial data. 4. Report outline  There are total 6 chapters in this report. Following this Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Literature Review refers to related theories applied on the simulation, result analysis and discussion. Chapter 3 Simulation presents the methodology, project flow chat of the simulation. Chapter 4 Result Analysis will do the data processing of the result from the simulation. Chapter 5 Further Development will discuss the further development and improvement of the project. At the end, Chapter 6 Conclusion will do the conclusion of the whole project. 5. Chapter Summary This chapter mentions the background of the project. It also presents the motivation of this project and give the objective, report outline to the readers for better understanding of the project.

The Mozart Effect Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Mozart Effect Ever since human intelligence has been a factor for survival, people have been trying to think of new, innovative ways to increase their mental capabilities. In the past, people have taken pills, prepared home-made concoctions, and have even shaven their heads to clear their minds. Even now, new ideas, such as magnetic mattresses for better blood circulation to the brain, are patented and sold promising mental wellness and stability – and making money for the inventor. When scientists find something that enhances intelligence the general public is interested. This is perhaps why a small study out of the University of California, Irvine procured so much attention. In 1993 Gordon Shaw, a physicist, and Frances Rauscher, a former concert cellist and an expert on cognitive development, studied the effects the Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major had on a few dozen college students. They performed this study to see whether "brief exposure to certain music could increase a cognitive ability" (3). They study took thirty-six college students and divided them up into three groups. Each group spent ten minutes listening to different sounds: the first group listened to the afore mentioned Mozart sonata, the second group listened to a tape of relaxation instructions and the third group sat in silence. Directly following these ten minutes the students were tested on spatial/temporal reasoning (more specifically the Stanford-Binet Test). Simply put, the "subject has to imagine that a single sheet of paper has been folded several times and then vario us cut-outs are made with scissors" (3). The object for the students is to correctly guess the pattern of cut-outs if the paper were unfolded. In the end, the scores o... ... widely shared by the media and the general pubic. The new inventions centered around Mozart's music are becoming more scarce, and it's much harder to find "Mozart for the LSATs" at an average CD retailer. After spending almost a decade in the spot light, The Mozart Effect is beginning to loose ground, and will soon be replaced by a new study proving that skittles stimulate the right-frontal lobe and every parent will be happy to give their kids some candy. References 1) http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9908/25/mozart.iq 2) http://parenting-baby.com/Parenting-Baby-Music-Research/index1.html 3) http://www.musica.uci.edu/mrn/V7I1W00.html 4) http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf? file=/nature/journal/v400/n6747/full/400826a0_r.html&filetype=&dynoptions= 5) http://skepdic.com/mozart.html 6) http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-08-19-mozart_x.htm

Ellb3 King Lear Theme of Power

Explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents attitudes to power in this passage. In your answer you must consider how the playwright uses literary, linguistic and rhetorical devices and conventions to create specific dramatic effects. The theme of power is explored extensively in the play and in this first scene the theme is already established. This scene takes place after Kent and Gloucester's conversation about Gloucester's illegitimate son Edmund, the dark subplot within the play draws out the theme of power in the main plot, for example the power Gloucester asserts as a father is parallel to the power King Lear has.Power is an important theme within the play because many of the characters abuse their power and use power as a tool for manipulation and control, other characters on the other hand, desire power and authority but ultimately power corrupts all. This scene is set in the king’s court and this extract is an example of family talk which at times is intimate but i t is also an example of public talk, the language in this passage is purely for regulatory and performative purposes.This highly formal public context creates tension and the speech itself opens with an important topic, the audience know that king Lear intends to divide his power and kingdom among his three daughters but demands they publicly profess their love for him. â€Å"Conferring them on younger strengths, while we unburdened crawl toward death†, the imagery in the opening of the scene here is of a feeble old man indicating King Lear's retirement and the loss of his power suggesting he is weak and vulnerable like an infant.Due to the public context the register throughout this passage is formal and the king’s speech appears to be rehearsed. In this passage the king is the primary speaker because he establishes the topic of conversation and sets the agenda, â€Å"meanwhile we should express our darkest purpose, give me the map there†. As we would expect hi s is the character with the most status and authority and his role as King allows him to open his speech with this imperative sentence. Furthermore, the modes of address used by the characters on stage also reveal more about the theme of power.Lear’s daughters address him as â€Å"Sir†, â€Å"your majesty† and â€Å"your dear highness† suggesting he is not only asserting his power as a king but as a father. We have character revelation here as Shakespeare reveals Lear's hamartia, by having his daughter quantify their love for him indicates that he is arrogant and hubristic. Lear takes the most turns and his utterances are generally longer than the other characters as he speaks for the longest amount of time. His short response to Cordelia â€Å"nothing, nothing will come of nothing† indicates that the he is trying to maintain control over the conversation.The adjacency pairs here are broken because â€Å"nothing† is a non-expected response, this suggests that this is an unsuccessful conversation and reveals more about their relationship. In this conversation the adjacency pair is subverted by Cordelia creating tension on stage: Lear and Cordelia are both flouting Grice's maxim of quantity as Lear says too much and Cordelia says too little which is further evidence of their conversation being unsuccessful. Goneril and Regan clearly abuse their father’s power as they try to deceive him.The declarations of love made by the two daughters have been crafted to flatter Lear, they are exaggerated and the insincerity of this is shown through Shakespeare's use of poetry. A good example of this is, â€Å"sir I love you more than word can wield, the matter dearer than eyesight, space and liberty. † In other words, the substance of Goneril’s love is too great or weighty to be expressed. Similarly, the phrase, â€Å"a love that makes breath poor and speech unable† is hyperbolical as Goneril again tries to make her love seem priceless.Regan’s declarations are even more exaggerated than her sisters', â€Å"I am made to that self mettle as my sister and price me at her worth†. She tells her father that her own pleasure lies solely in the enjoyment of his love but her sister’s love is only a means to an end. The synthetic language used here to manipulate Lear's vulnerability reveals that Regan desires to gain more power and control. It is clear that both their speeches are insincere and this creates tension because the audience can see that when the daughters declare their love for their father, they are in fact declaring their greed.This is then juxtaposed by Cordelia’s simple and minimal responses; â€Å"I love your majesty according to my bond, no more nor less† showing that she speaks of her love more honestly. Cordelia's asides allow her to build a relationship with the audience. These asides may appear spontaneous but Shakespeare has carefully cr afted them for her speech to appear sincere and honest. When Cordelia is asked to express her love towards her father, she answers with â€Å"nothing†. Lear’s interrogative reply â€Å"nothing? suggests her simple answer has comes as a shock to him and the court, this response instantly changes both the mood and the tone within the scene. The short exchanges between Cordelia and Lear and the caesura in this line disrupts the iambic pentameter and the regularity of the blank verse creating dramatic tension on the stage. Lear orders Cordelia to â€Å"speak again†, this imperative reveals frustration and anger at which point his volume would increase. Cordelia delays her speech as she refuses to take part in Lear’s ceremonial ‘love test' suggesting that she has some degree of power.Her long pause creates an awkward silence on the stage and adding further to the tension between the characters and creating suspense. Lear's attitude to power is clearly o ne of pride and arrogance which prevents him from seeing the true nature of Goneril and Regan’s appearances and their hypocrisy. He foolishly believes their excessively sweet and sentimental declarations and this is what makes this passage so dramatic. The power he asserts in this passage blinds him as he rejects the truthful Cordelia who he has banished from the kingdom.

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Business and society are interdependent. The wellbeing of one depends on the wellbeing on the other. Companies engaged in CSR are reporting benefits to their reputation and their bottom line. We cannot build the case for CSR solely because of its economic benefits – an ethical case must be made for companies taking responsibility for the impact of their relations with society and the environment, otherwise the foundations of CSR will be far too narrow. However, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming an increasingly significant category by which a company’s reputation is evaluated. A variety of social and environmental issues across a broad spectrum of industries have recently been covered in the media – all of which directly affect a company’s reputation and all of which can be considered part of the larger CSR equation. Whether CSR is considered merely the latest trend in business management or whether it is laying the foundation for a newly advanced way of doing business, a brief overview of recent business news and corporate communications shows that CSR is certainly a relevant factor for how a company positions itself in the marketplace. CSR There is no universally agreed statement of just what CSR means and implies, and ideas on the subject are still developing. All the same, a common body of policy has now taken shape and won general approval among those who favors the approach. According to this way of thinking, a combination of recent changes on the world scene and pressures from public opinion now requires businesses to take on a new role, a newly defined mission. They should play a leading part in achieving the shared objectives of public policy and making the world a better place. In doing so, they should embrace the notion of ‘corporate citizenship’. They should run their affairs, in close conjunction with a group of different ‘stakeholders’, to pursue the common goal of ‘sustainable development’. Sustainable development is said to have three dimensions-‘economic’, ‘environmental’ and ‘social’. Hence, companies should set objectives, measure their performance, and have that performance independently audited, in relation to all three. They should aim to meet the ‘triple bottom line’, rather than focusing narrowly on profitability and shareholder value. All this applies to privately owned businesses in general and in particular to large multinational enterprises. Only by acting in this way can companies respond to ‘society’s expectations’. Making such a positive response is presented as the key to long-run commercial success for individual corporations in today’s world. This is because profits depend on reputation, which in turn depends increasingly on being seen to act in a socially responsible way. Thus taking the path of CSR will in fact be good for enterprise profitability: it will bring and sustain support and custom from outside the firm, and make for greater loyalty and keenness from its employees. To embrace corporate citizenship represents enlightened self-interest on the part of business. There is also a wider dimension, going beyond the individual corporation. The adoption of CSR by businesses generally is seen as necessary to ensure continuing public support for the private enterprise system as a whole. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility is necessarily an evolving term that does not have a standard definition or a fully recognized set of specific criteria. With the understanding that businesses play a key role on job and wealth creation in society, CSR is generally understood to be the way a company achieves a balance or integration of economic, environmental and social imperatives while at the same time addressing shareholder and stakeholder expectations. CSR is generally accepted as applying to firms wherever they operate in the domestic and global economy. The way businesses engage/involve the shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and other stakeholders is usually a key feature of the concept. While business compliance with laws and regulations on social, environmental and economic objectives set the official level of CSR performance, CSR is often understood as involving the private sector commitments and activities that extend beyond this foundation of compliance with laws. From a progressive business perspective, CSR usually involves focusing on new opportunities as a way to respond to interrelated economic, societal and environmental demands in the marketplace. Many firms believe that this focus provides a clear competitive advantage and stimulates corporate innovation. CSR is generally seen as the business contribution to sustainable development, which has been defined as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†, and is generally understood as focusing on how to achieve the integration of economic, environmental, and social imperatives. CSR also overlaps and often is synonymous with many features of other related concepts such as corporate sustainability, corporate accountability, corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, corporate stewardship, etc. CSR commitments and activities typically address aspects of a firm’s behavior (including its policies and practices) with respect to such key elements as; health and safety, environmental protection, human rights, human resource management practices, corporate governance, community development, and consumer protection, labor protection, supplier relations, business ethics, and stakeholder rights. Corporations are motivated to involve stakeholders in their decision-making and to address societal challenges because today’s stakeholders are increasingly aware of the importance and impact of corporate decisions upon society and the environment. The stakeholders can reward or punish corporations. Corporations can be motivated to change their corporate behavior in response to the business case, which a CSR approach potentially promises. This includes: 1)Stronger financial performance and profitability (e. g. hrough eco- efficiency), 2)Improved accountability to and assessments from the investment community, 3)Enhanced employee commitment, 4)Decreased vulnerability through stronger relationships with communities, 5)Improved reputation and branding. Historical context The view that a business can have obligations that extend beyond economic roles is not new in many respects. Throughout recorded history, the roles of organizations producing goods and services for the marketplace were frequently linked with and include political, social, and/or military roles. For example, throughout the early evolutionary stages of company development in England (where organizations such as the Hudson Bay Company and the East India Company received broad mandates), there was a public policy understanding that corporations were to help achieve societal objectives such as the exploration of colonial territory, setting up settlements, providing transportation services, developing bank and financial services, etc.. During the nineteenth century, the corporation as a business form of organization evolved rapidly in the US. It took on a commercial form that spelled out responsibilities of the board of directors and management to shareholders (i. e. fiduciary duty). In this later evolutionary form, public policy frequently addressed specific social domains such as health and safety for workers, consumer protection, labour practices, environmental protection, etc. Thus, corporations responded to social responsibilities because they were obligated to comply with the law and public policy. They also responded voluntarily to market demands that reflected consumer morals and social tastes. By the mid-point of the twentieth century, business management experts such as Peter Drucker and being considered in business literature were discussing corporate social responsibility in the US. In 1970, economist Milton Friedmann outlined his view that the social responsibility of corporations is to make profits within the boundaries of societal morals and laws (but cautioned that socially responsible initiatives by corporations could lead to unfocused management directions, misallocations of resources, and reduced market competition, opportunity and choice). CSR emerged and continues to be a key business management, marketing, and accounting concern in the US, Europe, Canada, and other nations. In the last decade, CSR and related concepts such as corporate citizenship and corporate sustainability have expanded. This has perhaps occurred in response to new challenges such as those emanating from increased globalization on the agenda of business managers as well as for related stakeholder communities. It is now more a part of both the vocabulary and agenda of academics, professionals, non-governmental organizations, consumer groups, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and nvestors. Diversity of Perspectives The following summaries of perspectives of different organizations serve to indicate the diversity of views on CSR that exist in Canada and around the world. They reflect the challenges and opportunities for both the public and private sectors to effectively operationalize and align CSR between domestic, continental and international levels. They also indicate the challenges and opportunities to develop the most appropriate relationships between shareholders and other stakeholders as well as to use the optimal policy mix of legislative and voluntary instruments.

Pro Death Penalty essays

Pro Death Penalty essays For the victims families, and Oklahoma City, and many Americans alike wanted to see the perpetrator of the Oklahoma City bombings have the same fate that Mr. Timothy McVeigh executed on the month of May in year 1995. This man was sentenced to death after being incarcerated for less than four years being put on death row. Did this man deserve to die on the behalf of over 150 people, including nineteen children? Does this justify his killing? In some peoples minds it did, and thats why the death penalty should be allowed to stay in rotation for serious criminals for the heavy crimes they commit. The use of death in the situation, say a murder or a serial rapist defender should be based on a number of factors. A few to suggest are how the murder was committed, how sincere or brash the criminal is, what his or her record is and should the man or woman be sentence to execution or a life sentence. Opponents to the death penalty say that those who support the death penalty see it as a solution to violent crime. Granted the facts that those who are put to death are serious offenders, in reality, executions are seen as appropriate punishment for these certain criminals committing serious crimes as so the US Supreme Court and advocates of the death penalty say. Even though most people would agree on that two wrongs dont make a right that the opponents equate execution or murder. This position that the opponents take is highly irrational. So if then execution is equal to murder, is the legal repossession of a car to satisfy a debt the same as auto theft? Both result in loss of property. Are kidnapping and constitutional incarceration the same? Both entail imprisonment against ones will. As you can see that the death penalty is been granted the facts that it is highly legitament and reasonable. As murder is ...

An Introduction to Tax

tax rate schedule, how much federal tax will he owe? What is his average tax rate? What is his effective tax rate? What is his current marginal tax rate? Chuck will owe $14,875 in federal income tax this year computed as follows: $14,875 = $4,750 + 25%($75,000 – $34,500)). Chuck’s average tax rate is 19. 83%. Average Tax Rate = [pic]=[pic] = 19. 83% Chuck’s effective tax rate is 17. 50 percent. Effective tax rate = [pic] = [pic] = 17. 50% Chuck is currently in the 25 percent tax rate bracket. His marginal tax rate on increases in income up to $8,600 and deductions from income up to $40,500 is 25 percent. 35) [LO3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Chuck earns an additional $40,000 of taxable income, what is his marginal tax rate on this income? What is his marginal rate if, instead, he had $40,000 of additional deductions? If Chuck earns an additional $40,000 of taxable income, his marginal tax rate on the income is 27. 36 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 27. 6% If Chuck instead had $40,000 of additional tax deductions, his marginal tax rate on the deductions would be 25. 00 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 25. 00% 36) [LO3] In reviewing the tax rate schedule for a single taxpayer, Chuck notes that the tax on $75,000 is $4,750 plus 25 percent of the taxable income over $34,500. What does the $4,750 represent? The $4,750 represents the income tax on $34,500 – i. e. , $850 + 15% ($34,500 – 8,500). 42) [LO3] Scot and Vidia, married taxpayers, earn $240,000 in taxable income and $5,000 in interest from an investment in City of Tampa bonds. Using the U. S. tax rate schedule for married filing jointly, how much federal tax will they owe? What is their average tax rate? What is their effective tax rate? What is their current marginal tax rate? Scot and Vidia will owe $56,654. 50 in federal income tax this year computed as follows: $56,654. 50 = $47,513. 50 + 33%($240,000 – $212,300). Scot and Vidia’s average tax rate is 23. 61 percent. Average Tax Rate = [pic]=[pic] = 23. 61% Scot and Vidia’s effective tax rate is 23. 12 percent. Effective tax rate = [pic] = [pic] = 23. 12% Scot and Vidia are currently in the 33 percent tax rate bracket. Their marginal tax rate on increases in income up to $139,150 and deductions up to $27,700 is 33 percent. 43) [LO3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Scot and Vidia earn an additional $70,000 of taxable income, what is their marginal tax rate on this income? How would your answer differ if they, instead, had $70,000 of additional deductions? If Scot and Vidia earn an additional $70,000 of taxable income, their marginal tax rate on the income is 33 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 33. 00% If Scot and Vidia instead had $70,000 of additional tax deductions, their marginal tax rate on the deductions would be 29. 98 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 29. 98% 47) [LO3,LO4 PLANNING] Fergie has the choice between investing in a State of New York bond at 5 percent and a Surething bond at 8 percent. Assuming that both bonds have the same nontax characteristics and that Fergie has a 30 percent marginal tax rate, in which bond should she invest? Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the tax exempt State of New York bond is 5 percent. The Surething bond pays taxable interest of 8 percent. Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the Surething bond is 5. 6 percent (i. e. , 8% interest income – (8% x 30%) tax = 5. 6%). Fergie should invest in the Surething bond. 8) [LO4 PLANNING] Using the facts in the previous problem, what interest rate does the state of New York need to offer to make Fergie indifferent between investing in the two bonds? To be indifferent between investing in the two bonds, the State of New York bond should provide Fergie the same after-tax rate of return as the Surethi ng bond. Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the Surething bond is 5. 6 percent (i. e. , 8% interest income – (8% x 30%) tax = 5. 6%). The state of New York needs to offer a 5. 6 percent interest rate to generate a 5. 6 percent after-tax return tomake Fergie indifferent between investing in the two bonds. 1) [LO5] Song earns $100,000 taxable income as an interior designer and is taxed at an average rate of 20 percent (i. e. , $20,000 of tax). If Congress increases the income tax rate such that Song’s average tax rate increases from 20 percent to 25 percent, how much more income tax will she pay assuming that the income effect is descriptive? What effect will this tax rate change have on the tax base and tax collected? Under the current income tax, Song has $80,000 of income after tax. If the income effect is descriptive and Congress increases tax rates so that Song’s average tax rate is 25 percent, Song will need to earn to $106,666. 7 to continue to hav e $80,000 of income after tax. After-tax income = Pretax income (1 – tax rate) $80,000 = Pretax income (1 -. 25) Pretax income = $106,666. 67 Song will pay $26,666. 67 in tax ($106,666. 67 x . 25). Accordingly, if the income effect is descriptive, the tax base and the tax collected will increase. 52) [LO5] Using the facts from the previous problem, what will happen to the government’s tax revenues if Song chooses to spend more time pursuing her other passions besides work in response to the tax rate change and earns only $75,000 in taxable income? What is the term that describes this type of reaction to a tax rate increase? What types of taxpayers are likely to respond in this manner? If Song only earns $75,000 of taxable income, she would pay only $18,750 of tax under the new tax structure (i. e. , $75,000 x . 25). Thus, the government’s tax revenues would decrease by $1,250 (i. e. , $18,750 – $20,000). This is an example of the substitution effect, which may be descriptive for taxpayers with more disposable income. 60) [LO5 PLANNING] Congress would like to increase tax revenues by 10 percent. Assume that the average taxpayer in the United States earns $65,000 and pays an average tax rate of 15 percent. If the income effect is in effect for all taxpayers, what average tax rate will result in a 10 percent increase in tax revenues? This is an example of what type of forecasting? This analysis is an example of dynamic forecasting. Based on the information above, the average taxpayer pays $9,750 of tax (i. e. , $65,000 x 15%), leaving $55,250 of income after tax. A 10 percent increase in revenues would mean that the average taxpayer pays $10,725 in tax ($9,750 x 1. 0). With this new tax amount, we can solve for the tax rate that would generate this tax amount. After-tax income = Pretax income x (1 – tax rate) After-tax income = Pretax income – (Pretax income x tax rate) After-tax income = Pretax income – Tax Substituting information from the problem results in: $55,250 = Pretax income – $10,725 Pretax income = $65,975 We can use the above formula to solve for the new tax rate. After-tax income = Pretax income x (1 – tax rate) $55,250 = $65,975 x (1 – tax rate) Tax rate = $10,725/$65,975 = 16. 26% An Introduction to Tax tax rate schedule, how much federal tax will he owe? What is his average tax rate? What is his effective tax rate? What is his current marginal tax rate? Chuck will owe $14,875 in federal income tax this year computed as follows: $14,875 = $4,750 + 25%($75,000 – $34,500)). Chuck’s average tax rate is 19. 83%. Average Tax Rate = [pic]=[pic] = 19. 83% Chuck’s effective tax rate is 17. 50 percent. Effective tax rate = [pic] = [pic] = 17. 50% Chuck is currently in the 25 percent tax rate bracket. His marginal tax rate on increases in income up to $8,600 and deductions from income up to $40,500 is 25 percent. 35) [LO3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Chuck earns an additional $40,000 of taxable income, what is his marginal tax rate on this income? What is his marginal rate if, instead, he had $40,000 of additional deductions? If Chuck earns an additional $40,000 of taxable income, his marginal tax rate on the income is 27. 36 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 27. 6% If Chuck instead had $40,000 of additional tax deductions, his marginal tax rate on the deductions would be 25. 00 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 25. 00% 36) [LO3] In reviewing the tax rate schedule for a single taxpayer, Chuck notes that the tax on $75,000 is $4,750 plus 25 percent of the taxable income over $34,500. What does the $4,750 represent? The $4,750 represents the income tax on $34,500 – i. e. , $850 + 15% ($34,500 – 8,500). 42) [LO3] Scot and Vidia, married taxpayers, earn $240,000 in taxable income and $5,000 in interest from an investment in City of Tampa bonds. Using the U. S. tax rate schedule for married filing jointly, how much federal tax will they owe? What is their average tax rate? What is their effective tax rate? What is their current marginal tax rate? Scot and Vidia will owe $56,654. 50 in federal income tax this year computed as follows: $56,654. 50 = $47,513. 50 + 33%($240,000 – $212,300). Scot and Vidia’s average tax rate is 23. 61 percent. Average Tax Rate = [pic]=[pic] = 23. 61% Scot and Vidia’s effective tax rate is 23. 12 percent. Effective tax rate = [pic] = [pic] = 23. 12% Scot and Vidia are currently in the 33 percent tax rate bracket. Their marginal tax rate on increases in income up to $139,150 and deductions up to $27,700 is 33 percent. 43) [LO3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Scot and Vidia earn an additional $70,000 of taxable income, what is their marginal tax rate on this income? How would your answer differ if they, instead, had $70,000 of additional deductions? If Scot and Vidia earn an additional $70,000 of taxable income, their marginal tax rate on the income is 33 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 33. 00% If Scot and Vidia instead had $70,000 of additional tax deductions, their marginal tax rate on the deductions would be 29. 98 percent. Marginal Tax Rate = [pic]= [pic] = 29. 98% 47) [LO3,LO4 PLANNING] Fergie has the choice between investing in a State of New York bond at 5 percent and a Surething bond at 8 percent. Assuming that both bonds have the same nontax characteristics and that Fergie has a 30 percent marginal tax rate, in which bond should she invest? Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the tax exempt State of New York bond is 5 percent. The Surething bond pays taxable interest of 8 percent. Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the Surething bond is 5. 6 percent (i. e. , 8% interest income – (8% x 30%) tax = 5. 6%). Fergie should invest in the Surething bond. 8) [LO4 PLANNING] Using the facts in the previous problem, what interest rate does the state of New York need to offer to make Fergie indifferent between investing in the two bonds? To be indifferent between investing in the two bonds, the State of New York bond should provide Fergie the same after-tax rate of return as the Surethi ng bond. Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the Surething bond is 5. 6 percent (i. e. , 8% interest income – (8% x 30%) tax = 5. 6%). The state of New York needs to offer a 5. 6 percent interest rate to generate a 5. 6 percent after-tax return tomake Fergie indifferent between investing in the two bonds. 1) [LO5] Song earns $100,000 taxable income as an interior designer and is taxed at an average rate of 20 percent (i. e. , $20,000 of tax). If Congress increases the income tax rate such that Song’s average tax rate increases from 20 percent to 25 percent, how much more income tax will she pay assuming that the income effect is descriptive? What effect will this tax rate change have on the tax base and tax collected? Under the current income tax, Song has $80,000 of income after tax. If the income effect is descriptive and Congress increases tax rates so that Song’s average tax rate is 25 percent, Song will need to earn to $106,666. 7 to continue to hav e $80,000 of income after tax. After-tax income = Pretax income (1 – tax rate) $80,000 = Pretax income (1 -. 25) Pretax income = $106,666. 67 Song will pay $26,666. 67 in tax ($106,666. 67 x . 25). Accordingly, if the income effect is descriptive, the tax base and the tax collected will increase. 52) [LO5] Using the facts from the previous problem, what will happen to the government’s tax revenues if Song chooses to spend more time pursuing her other passions besides work in response to the tax rate change and earns only $75,000 in taxable income? What is the term that describes this type of reaction to a tax rate increase? What types of taxpayers are likely to respond in this manner? If Song only earns $75,000 of taxable income, she would pay only $18,750 of tax under the new tax structure (i. e. , $75,000 x . 25). Thus, the government’s tax revenues would decrease by $1,250 (i. e. , $18,750 – $20,000). This is an example of the substitution effect, which may be descriptive for taxpayers with more disposable income. 60) [LO5 PLANNING] Congress would like to increase tax revenues by 10 percent. Assume that the average taxpayer in the United States earns $65,000 and pays an average tax rate of 15 percent. If the income effect is in effect for all taxpayers, what average tax rate will result in a 10 percent increase in tax revenues? This is an example of what type of forecasting? This analysis is an example of dynamic forecasting. Based on the information above, the average taxpayer pays $9,750 of tax (i. e. , $65,000 x 15%), leaving $55,250 of income after tax. A 10 percent increase in revenues would mean that the average taxpayer pays $10,725 in tax ($9,750 x 1. 0). With this new tax amount, we can solve for the tax rate that would generate this tax amount. After-tax income = Pretax income x (1 – tax rate) After-tax income = Pretax income – (Pretax income x tax rate) After-tax income = Pretax income – Tax Substituting information from the problem results in: $55,250 = Pretax income – $10,725 Pretax income = $65,975 We can use the above formula to solve for the new tax rate. After-tax income = Pretax income x (1 – tax rate) $55,250 = $65,975 x (1 – tax rate) Tax rate = $10,725/$65,975 = 16. 26%

How you would personally lead a team in times of changes Essay

How you would personally lead a team in times of changes - Essay Example Everything has changed over the time, and this has had a great impact on the way organizations function. As a leader, the responsibility of adopting the right strategy in these times of change fundamentally rests upon the shoulders of the leader. Change in leadership is inevitable. A leader is frequently exposed to circumstances that generate the need for change. A leader must be intelligent and proactive enough to adapt to these changes and make the wisest decision considering the needs of the changed circumstances. The experiences I have shared in this paper discuss what strategies I have employed to deal with the challenges arising as a consequence of changes that took place, and how those strategies helped me achieve my objectives. Each experience that I have shared demonstrates a different kind of change and accordingly, a different strategy I adopted to lead my team to success. Questions that I intend to answer by discussing my personal experiences of change and leadership incl ude but are not limited to; What type of change it was?What were the constraints and how they impacted my ability to lead the group? What was the best course of action to adopt in that change? Â  What rationale did I have to adopt that course of action in those circumstances? How have I incorporated the theoretical concepts of leadership in practice?What were the limitations of my leadership?The behavior of a leader plays a decisive role in the success of the leader as well as the followers.