DEBATE THE PROPOSITION THAT RE essays

DEBATE THE PROPOSITION THAT RE essays DEBATE THE PROPOSITION THAT REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS WERE A MAJOR CAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE OLD REGIME Financially, France was in crisis. It owed millions of livre to other nations as a lot of money was borrowed to support the luxurious and extravagant lifestyle of the first and second orders. An example of the un-necessary spending is that the queen at the time, Marie Antoinette, was given the Trianon as a gift from the king. She then spent over 150,000 livres on changing the gardens to resemble English gardens. She also built an expensive theatre which only presented one play also costing a lot of money. Her extravagance only served to fuel the grievances of a population kept in poverty. Revolutionary ideas formed where the population started to demand political rights and economic freedom. It is said that King Louis the Sixteenth did not have a strong character and was often overpowered by emotions. He did not have the knowledge to run the country correctly and was influenced greatly by those around him. He was not the right person to get the nation out of financial ruin because he did not have the knowledge to do so. For example, he would simply make a law and then it was up to the leaders of the provinces to interpret the law and implement it. He also had a system of taxation in place that was extremely complex and inefficient. The kings decisions of waging wars in foreign countries caused a further financial burden on the country. Thus, his inadequacy as a ruler of France can be seen as a major cause for the need of a revolution. Prior to 1789, France was a nation in crisis both financially and politically. The king at the time, Louis the Sixteenth, was said to not have the knowledge to run a country properly. In terms of equity, the nation was un-just in that only a small percentage of the population were wealthy while the rest struggled to survive and all of these grievances were to contrib ...

Top 5 Reasons Why You DIdnt Get Hired

Top 5 Reasons Why You DIdnt Get Hired Want to know some red flags that will make hiring managers toss your resume to the bottom of the pile? Tim Sackett over at Eremedia offers these 5 dealbreakers- if you see one you recognize in yourself, make a quick fix before you enter  the job market. 1. Messy personal organizationIf a hiring manager  asks you for a copy of your  resume and you  reach into your  briefcase or portfolio (or pocket) and pull out anything crumpled, ripped or otherwise falling apart, it’s a safe inference that your organizational skills and priorities aren’t up to par.2. A troubling social media presenceIf your  social media presence features statements that would reflect poorly on a company or seem to indicate prejudice of any kind, you will more than likely be given  a hard pass.3. Disinterested interview mannersIf you  can’t even muster up enough enthusiasm to interview with some personality, what makes a manager  think you’ll bring your A-game to a regul ar dreary Tuesday?4. Fixation on an ex-employerWhile it’s just as bad to be shifty and mealy-mouthed about your  last employer, if you go on and on about  how your  last job was amazing, someone across the table is likely to be thinking, â€Å"So why are you interviewing with us†5. Bad manners to service employeesIf  you’re  snotty to a  receptionist or unleash a tirade on the barista, you’re likely to be shown the door. An inability to be a good customer speaks volumes about your ability to be a good employee, a good representative of a company, and probably a good person, too.Are you on Mobile? Click here to sign in to your account.  Five Clear Signs You Really Shouldn’t Make That Job Offer  Read More at www.eremedia.com

Why have Turkey's leaders found it hard to accomodate the aspirations Essay

Why have Turkey's leaders found it hard to accomodate the aspirations of many of the Kurdish population. Has there been Significant development on this since 1970 - Essay Example e development of a reasonable solution.1 This essay tries to determine the reason Turkey’s leaders found it hard to accommodate the aspirations of many of the Kurdish population. This essay argues that the strong nationalist tendencies within Turkey are the primary reason for the failure to resolve the Kurdish issue. The analysis looks at the development in Turkish-Kurdish relations since the 1970s. Without successfully resolving the Kurdish issue Turkey will continuously fail in its attempt to become a full member of the European Union (EU). Turkey will be forced to change its oppressive ideological foundations, and may fail to realise its full economic capability. But specifically, the country will continue to be engaged in its undying commitment to secure the nation. The capacity of Turkey’s leaders to resolve the Kurdish conflict has been impeded by too much politicisation that viewed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a persistent hazard to the country. The Kurdish conflict aggravates the progressing inflation in Turkey and is the primary root of human rights abuses, and the greatest threat to the Turkey-EU relationship. In spite of the forceful Turkish military attempt and several substantial achievements in dealing with the PKK rebellion, the struggle continues. Turkey’s leaders realised that the European political system had been evolving. Thus, they understood the need to reform the country’s political structure to align it with the emerging European political system. In short, they know that the successful conclusion of the customs union relied on Turkey’s success in the arena of human rights, parliamentary democracy, and the Kurdish question.2 Thus, Turkey carried out definite reforms to abolish several anti-democratic policies, which had been established by the military regime. Furthermore, several reforms were instigated so as to advance the country’s human rights condition and to find a solution to the Kurdish issue. More

Critically analyse and evaluate (Human resources) Essay

Critically analyse and evaluate (Human resources) - Essay Example This fact appears to contradict the real significance of this department as evident in many business organizations. Human resource functions and decisions ought to drive positive performance gains in terms of personal efficiency and financial gains (Becker & Gerhart, 1996:782). The procedures by which HR functions and decisions develop sustainable value are intricate and difficult to fully comprehend. Instruments such as the resource based view are critical in evaluation of HR significance. Resources which are uncommon, unique and valuable can offer sources of sustainable competitive edge. Many people have argued that, HR practices no matter the uniqueness can not be fully relied on to offer a competitive advantage since they can be copied. Nevertheless, a point noteworthy is that effective human capital has the capacity to contribute largely to the development of a sustainable competitive advantage (Wright, Dunford, & Snell, 2001:704). Professionally crafted strategies which are deeply entrenched within an organization’s structure are not easy to imitate. This is because, it is not easy to fully comprehend the real approaches through which interaction between HR practices and procedures accrue value. Without the capacity to understand the interacti ons between elements of an intricate system, it is just impossible to imitate it. The resource based view remains to be considered a fundamental factor contributing to the intangible and hypothetical development of human resource study (Kirsch, 2007:3). Despite the contradicting perceptions regarding HR practices and function, the truth is that organizations that invest on innovativeness and unique HR practices will always testify to its benefits as both of these articles

The Price of Peace Essay Example for Free

The Price of Peace Essay I saw some children playing in our neighborhood the other day and the simplicity of how they lived their life amazed me. Here were two kids belonging to relatively the same age group; one had a Popsicle stick and the other had a pack of cookies. Now, I am sure both of them were quite curious as to what the other child had since they would look curiously at each other. Finally, after about a minute or so, the child with the pack of cookies approached the other child. At that point I wish I had the ability to speak the language of children because I have no idea what was said but when the child with the pack of cookies reached for the Popsicle, the other child simply gave him the liberty to taste it. What is even more astonishing is the fact that when the other child offered a cookie without any hesitations! Looking back at this, I would say it was a sublime experience for me. At that point, the world suddenly made sense to me. I thought to myself, â€Å"This is how life should be! † It’s simply living in utter understanding of your fellow man. I have no idea how the course of history shaped humanity into the beasts we are today. We put ourselves on a pedestal and think that our society has reached the pinnacle of success when in fact; we continue to spiral towards decadence. We have left a trail of war, violence, prejudice, and discrimination in our history and yet all we can say is that we have evolved into a more civil society! It is a false consciousness that has become the fabric of our world. Moreover, we have resorted to power and domination as tools to bring about what we refer to as â€Å"peace. † This is quite saddening but nonetheless, it is the reality we are faced with. As we grow and develop into the so called responsible individuals’ society demands, we continually lose the purity and simplicity we possessed as children. As we mature we become more jaded and as a result the lines of what is right or wrong blur before us. We lose touch of the most basic of values; that is to say, loving one another. A basic command left to us by Christ and the key to a utopian society. I came to realize that the world has been reduced to the tangible things; materials and objects have become what define a man. Consequently, it has also made us ego-centric. Our world has become about what I want and what I need†¦we have become apathetic to the plight of others and have been raised to be callous. We no longer have a sense of social equity or justice. As I reflect more on this, I become increasingly convinced that this is the root of all the chaos we have. No wonder we seek to engage in war and look to send our own people to foreign lands just to get slaughtered in the name of â€Å"democracy† and peace! You see peace may be an abstract thought to us simply because we have forgotten about how tangible it can be. It isn’t always about what makes us feel good or what benefits us. It’s about looking at a grander scheme wherein other people, regardless of color, race or creed become a part of who we are. This is a consciousness we must internalize and reintroduce into the fabric of society. Plato, Aristotle and Socrates spoke of this in varying degrees. It is about the common good. Not I but we. Looking back at the two children, it wasn’t about bartering or what one could get from the other. It was simply about understanding the needs of the other person. Applying this rudimentary ideology would be the key to a better society. What would I pay to achieve peace? Not millions in monetary value, not just because I don’t have this†¦well no one could actually put a price on peace. In the end, the price is simple; I would give-up my civil liberties in order for others live more comfortably. Quite a sacrifice, but it is a higher level of understanding we all have to achieve and one I would gladly pay in order to attain peace. After all, if everyone lived in this manner then establishing a world of peace would be child’s play so to speak!

Essay --

What’s better: Fast Food vs. Healthy Food? Although today, the vast majority would argue that eating healthier foods would be more advantageous to one’s health, the question is whether it is conducive to the faster pace lifestyle of today’s individual and family? Today’s family dynamic is normally made up of two hardworking individuals with equally busy children. For each individual and family members, we know that a healthy lifestyle is dependent on plenty of exercise and nutritious foods. Advertisers for health and diet foods retailers sell a variety of healthy foods to help customers stick to their diets. Products can range from supplements and vitamins to vegetables and protein. Some health and diet foods can be found in supermarkets. Usually they have their own aisle, and are coupled with the organics section. They can also be found in the fruits and vegetables sections. But many health and diet foods have their own specialty shops aimed at getting people to lose fat, inches, and weight. Losing excess weight and improving your overall health via exercise and wise eating cho... Essay -- What’s better: Fast Food vs. Healthy Food? Although today, the vast majority would argue that eating healthier foods would be more advantageous to one’s health, the question is whether it is conducive to the faster pace lifestyle of today’s individual and family? Today’s family dynamic is normally made up of two hardworking individuals with equally busy children. For each individual and family members, we know that a healthy lifestyle is dependent on plenty of exercise and nutritious foods. Advertisers for health and diet foods retailers sell a variety of healthy foods to help customers stick to their diets. Products can range from supplements and vitamins to vegetables and protein. Some health and diet foods can be found in supermarkets. Usually they have their own aisle, and are coupled with the organics section. They can also be found in the fruits and vegetables sections. But many health and diet foods have their own specialty shops aimed at getting people to lose fat, inches, and weight. Losing excess weight and improving your overall health via exercise and wise eating cho...

Unified Threat Management System

`Unified Threat Management System’s What is Unified Threat Management System? Unified threat management system is the emerging trend in the network security market. Utm appliances have evolved from traditional firewall/VPN products into the solution with many additional capabilities . i. e Spam blocking, Gateway antivirus, Spyware Prevention, Intrusion prevention, URL filtering. (guard, n. d. ) All these functions were previously provided and handled by multiple systems.UTM systems also provide integrated management, monitoring and logging capabilities to streamline deployment and maintenance. How Unified Threat Management Systems works? Unified Threat Management eliminates the need for machine to machine protection. It is the combination of multiple security features integrated into one single hardware platform. Therefore offering layers of security features within a corporations network. The Machines UTM Machine is what provides multiple solutions to an entire network of mac hines.It works off the assumption that blended threats cannot be abated under one solution alone. Even with the use of multiple solutions there seems left a hole within the security of the network. When there is the use of multiple different solutions there seems a confusion as well as the need for updates and monitoring of several different brands of security measures which lead to problems within an organization. With the introduction of Unified Threat Management in 2004, this idea was taken and turned into one system solution for businesses on the small to medium level.The idea of this solution was to take the need for multiple brands of solutions and combine it into a multilayer solution for the security needs of an organization. (jaringankita, 2012) Data Security services in cloud computing is still mystery for the customers although service providers have implemented all standard technologies that you can imagine: state ful inspection firewalls, Intrusion Detection and Prevent ion devices, Web services firewalls, Application firewalls, Spam filters, Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, Gateway Level File Inspections, etc.But customers are not able to specifically identify the controls applicable on their files/folders because they do not know the physical location of them (as you must be knowing, files get distributed into multiple virtual machines spread across multiple data centres). In this context, a new concept is evolving. It is called â€Å"Unified Threat Management System (UTM System)†.In UTM, a separate service provider builds a lot of controls for the customers that can be shared through â€Å"subscription model† (similar to the cloud computing model) and can assure security for the customer’s assets by seamlessly integrating their UTM solutions with the Cloud hosting service providers. The customer just needs to buy a leased line connection to the UTM provider and will get all the controls applicable on their hosted environments Curren tly, cloud computing service providers are operating in three different modes – Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).However, a fourth mode is emerging rapidly to provide security solutions on cloud computing infrastructures – Unified Threat Management as a Service (UTMaaS). Unified threat management (UTM) service for cloud hosting users is a rapidly emerging concept in which, the security controls for the end users are managed by a third party, that allow the user sessions from thousands of clients through their systems and ensure optimum protection and personalization.Their services span from network security controls to application security controls. Cloud hosting customers may need a Leased Circuit Connection to the UTM provider, that serves as a backhaul connection to the Cloud Hosting provider with appropriate peering between the security controls and the infrastructure maintained by the cloud provider and the corresponding client environment for the customers. (etcoindia, 2012) Works Cited etcoindia, 2012. cademic research on new challenging in it. [Online] Available at: http://etcoindia. blogspot. com/ [Accessed 15 November 2012]. guard, w. , n. d. unified threat management system. [Online] Available at: http://www. watchguard. com/why/utm. asp [Accessed 21 November 2012]. jaringankita, 2012. knowing unified managemnet system. [Online] Available at: http://www. jaringankita. com/blog/knowing-unified-threat-management-utm [Accessed 21 November 2012].

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Phrenology Essay

After fMRI was first introduced, it has been under criticism that it is not hard science. The most common technique, the BOLD (blood oxygen level-dependent) fMRI, measures the increase in regional cerebral blood flow in response to increased metabolism, which is to be caused from heightened activity of neuron firing (Menon & Kim, 1999). Some neurologists believe that this is an indirect way of measuring brain activity, and is not sufficient to support any idea. By many scientists fMRI is often compared to phrenology, a study that once gained popularity in the 19th century. Phrenology is based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules (Fodor, 1983). This is similar to fMRI practitioners’ attempts to localize brain structure, matching the divided parts of the brain with certain functions. Judging whether fMRI is a new form of phrenology concerns two points: fMRI’s similarities to phrenology, and fMRI’s significance to be admitted as the ‘new form’. This will also lead to the question of whether fMRI scan is meaningful to be presented as evidence in court. The logic of fMRI is straight-forward. Brain parts that light up to a certain stimulus, is related to the function provoked by the stimulus. The fMRI machine measures increase in blood flow in brain regions. The regions with increased blood flow appear in brighter colors, in red or yellow (Dobbs, 2005). fMRI’s logic of relating higher blood flow and function is similar to that of phrenology, which relates size of lump to function. From this analogy we can say that fMRI can be considered some form of ‘phrenology. ’ Another reason that fMRI is compared to phrenology is for its limitations (Menon & Kim, 1999). MRI’s problem rise from the fact that it does not show interactions between parts. It takes a univariate approach to the brain, implying that only one factor is considered as variable. The current fMRI shows voxels’ activity as one sum, meaning that it cannot collect relational or sequential information of brain parts (Dobbs, 2005). Many neurologists believe that brain parts’ interaction is an important aspect, and fMRI’s lack of capacity to do so results in criticism. Compared with the old phrenology, fMRI shares the same view that brains have localized functions. However, fMRI takes a more scientific approach than the old phrenology. Although it has its limitation in presenting spatial information, it does contribute in relating brains structure and the mind’s function. Although the ‘old’ phrenology is labeled ‘pseudoscience’ and no longer acknowledged in the field of science anymore, it has had its contributions. It sparked the idea that mind can be localized, such as language and memory. In the same context fMRI can contribute, only much more than the ‘old’ phrenology. Although fMRI’s blood flow measurement and the actual neural activity do not perfectly correspond with each other (Dobbs, 2005), significant correlation can be drawn from the fMRI scanning. As for the usage as court evidence, I see fMRI scan valuable as evidence, for fMRI does show some level of correlation of parts of brains and certain activity. fMRI should not be criticized and banned from court just because of its possibility of erroneous conclusion (Hughes, 2010). Even witnesses’ testimonies are bound to be wrong, but their testimonies are accepted as evidence. Thus fMRI should be allowed to be presented as evidence in court. However, the juries should be made aware that fMRI scan is an arbitrarily interpreted output, and contain risks of erroneous conclusions. I believe fMRI will gain stronger grounds in the court later in the future though, with the advance of technology as mentioned above. Some compare neurologists with fMRI to molecular biologists with light microscopes (Jaffe, 2004), for the reason that the capacity of fMRI is not sufficient for neurological study. It must be taken into account that later light microscopes evolved to electron microscopes, meaning that also fMRI will offer improved spatial and temporal information in the future. Its potential must be acknowledged, and in the meantime there should be efforts to find complementary analysis methods (Hubbard, 2003).

Every AP Chemistry Practice Test Available Free and Official

Every AP Chemistry Practice Test Available Free and Official SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What's the best way to study for AP Chemistry? Practice, practice, practice. This article will provide you with links to every practice test and quiz for AP Chemistry that's available online, including full official and unofficial tests, shorter quizzes that cover each topic area, and other prep services you can access with a subscription! Official AP Chemistry Practice Exams Official exams are the best practice materials because they help you make accurate predictions of your performance on the real test. They will also get you used to the test format so that you're not caught off guard by the structure of the final exam. Unfortunately, for AP Chemistry, most of the available official practice materials are for the old version of the test (pre-2013), but these can still be useful for practice. You should be able to get newer practice tests from your teacher or through review books. I'd recommend starting with the unofficial practice materials listed later on in this article and then using official tests in the final stages of your studying. That way you'll be in the best position to estimate your ultimate AP score, and you won't squander limited resources. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Old Official Released Exams: 2008 AP Chemistry Exam 2002 AP Chemistry Exam (multiple choice only) 1999 AP Chemistry Exam 1994 AP Chemistry Exam These official exams come from before 2013 (when significant changes were made to the AP Chemistry curriculum), so they're formatted slightly differently from the current test. They have 75 multiple-choice questions (there are now 60) and six free-response questions (there are now seven). There are also five answer choices for each multiple-choice question, whereas now there are only four. The old AP Chemistry exam emphasized calculations and factual knowledge over a strong understanding of fundamental concepts and mastery of scientific practices. The questions on these tests will still help you practice your skills; just make sure you also use more recent materials for an accurate preview of what to expect on test day. Current AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description (multiple choice practice included) Go to page 126 of this course description to review sample multiple-choice and free-response questions for the current exam. This is not a full practice test (it only has 26 multiple-choice questions and four free-response questions total), but it's directly from the College Board, so it's the most accurate representation of the format and content of the test in 2016. Free-Response Questions 2014-19 These free response questions are from the most up-to-date version of the test. I would advise you to save most of them for later on in the year when you're more serious about practicing for the real AP exam. There are seven questions from each year. Free-Response Questions 2006-13 These free-response questions are from the old version of the AP Chemistry exam. As I mentioned in my description of the out-of-date practice tests above, you'll notice that there used to be six free-response questions on the test instead of seven. You should also know that the questions that ask you to write balanced equations are not on the new version of the test (doesn't mean they're not good practice, though!). Practice Tests from Your Teacher Since there aren't any full AP Chemistry practice tests available online that reflect the current format of the exam (well, any that I can legally link to in this blog post), you can also ask your teacher for additional practice materials. AP teachers have access to extra practice tests from the College Board that are available for classroom use. Oh, you need more practice tests? Maybe you should have thought of that before you interrupted all of my lectures with unnecessary questions about when I'm planning on "breaking bad." I don't even watch that show, Eric. You are a nightmare. Unofficial Free AP Chemistry Practice Exams There are also a bunch of unofficial resources for AP Chemistry practice questions on various online learning platforms and independent sites. Few of these offer complete tests in the same format as the real exam, but they do provide a large repository of practice questions (mainly multiple-choice). These are great if you're looking for questions in specific topic areas or are studying early on in the year and want to avoid certain concepts that you haven't learned in class yet. Just be wary of using these resources too much in your studying, and make sure you supplement them with official College Board materials at regular intervals. Unofficial practice questions often lack many of the nuances of real test questions. In a lot of cases, they will test straightforward factual recall whereas on the real test you'll have to do more complex analyses of unfamiliar experimental scenarios. Barron's AP Chemistry Practice Test This is a full test in the same format as the up-to-date AP exam (free response and all!). There's automatic online scoring for multiple-choice questions, and free-response answers are provided so that you can check your responses. Varsity Tutors Diagnostic Tests There are six diagnostic tests here with 50-60 questions each at varying difficulty levels. You'll also be timed as you take the tests so you can get a better sense of your pacing. Questions are multiple-choice only, so this won't give you any free-response practice. I'd also recommend trying out their AP Chemistry practice app (it's free). Albert Quizzes This site includes quizzes for each concept broken down according to the Big Ideas of the course. This site will track your progress and tell you what percentage of questions you got right from each difficulty level (questions are organized into easy, medium, and hard categories). You can also access over 200 additional questions, including free-response, if you pay $25 to set up an account. ScienceGeek Here you'll find tons of review questions and activities, with lengthy practice quizzes for each unit of the course. This is one of the few resources that has non-multiple-choice questions that you can check automatically online. PracticeQuiz This quiz includes 58 free AP Chemistry practice multiple-choice questions. ChemmyBear There's a lot of stuff here, but if you're just looking for practice tests, you can find them at the end of the list of resources for each unit. There are multiple-choice and free-response tests for most units with accompanying answer keys. Chemmy bear? Actually, there is some interesting chemistry behind how gummy candies are made. Unofficial Paid/Subscription AP Chemistry Practice Exams Here are some additional resources that will cost you some money, but they might be worth it because they provide full properly-formatted AP Chemistry practice tests. Peterson's ($29.95) Two full-length practice tests (up to date format and content) Answer explanations Automatically tells you what you still need to study based on your results 90-day access Sterling Test Prep (price varies) On this site, you can buy individual practice tests for each topic in AP Chemistry. All of them together cost almost $100, so that might not be feasible, but you can get each specialized practice test for less than $3 each (most have around 60 questions). You can also just get the Sterling book of practice questions, which many students seem to find helpful. Review Books (price varies) Review books can be great resources because many of them include instructions for how to structure your studying in addition to focused content overviews. For AP Chemistry, I recommend the 5 Steps to a 5 and Crash Course books. You can click on the link in the title of this section to read my full article on the best review books for this course. You can also get review books as e-books on your Kindle or whatever, but that's much harder to represent visually. Do you guys even know what you're looking at here? Do people under the age of 20 still read physical books? Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. How to Use AP Chemistry Practice Tests Practice tests are great study tools for AP tests, and they're especially helpful for a subject like Chemistry that involves a lot of calculations and experimental analysis. In the next couple of subsections, I'll tell you how to use practice tests throughout the school year to prepare for the AP Chemistry exam. First Semester: Using Practice Tests for Your Class It's not practical to take full practice tests during the first semester of AP Chemistry because you haven't covered enough of the course material yet. Focus on official free-response questions and unofficial topic-specific practice tests that address aspects of the curriculum that you've learned already. It's a great idea to start early and do consistent reviews so that your knowledge base remains strong throughout the year. Since chemistry is a subject that builds on the fundamental concepts learned in the first few months of class, it's vital that those early lessons are solidified in your memory. This way, more complex material that you learn second semester won't fly over your head. You can also consider getting a prep book; most of them have practice questions organized by chapter for selective review of different concepts. Second Semester: Preparing for the AP Test During your second semester, you can start to take full practice tests to predict your AP score-range. At this point, you've learned most of the material that will be covered in the class, so your scores should accurately reflect your abilities. Every time you take a full practice test, keep track of the areas where you need more practice. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I would recommend saving the most up-to-date official practice materials for later in the semester so that the format of the current test stays fresh in your mind. As you take each test, circle any questions where you were unsure about your answer. Even if your choice ends up being correct, you should still plan to go over these concepts, so you don't feel shaky about them on the real AP test. After you've finished taking the test (with realistic time constraints!), categorize your mistakes by topic area, and use their distribution to inform the rest of your studying. The purpose of taking practice tests is to diagnose your weaknesses so you can address them as efficiently as possible. DON'T go from one test to the next without taking a deeper look at what went wrong! You'll end up wasting your time, and your second practice test is unlikely to demonstrate much improvement. Spend at least a couple of hours after each practice test doing practice problems and reviewing concepts that you didn't quite understand when they came up on the test. When you feel satisfied that you have a better handle on the background information and solution methods, you can take a second practice test to see how much you've improved. The process as a whole should work like this: Take and score first practice test (4 hours) Evaluate mistakes (1.5 hours) Practice problems and study content to improve weak areas (2.5 hours) Take and score second practice test (4 hours) Reevaluate your progress and repeat steps if necessary! One cycle through all of these steps will take around 8-10 hours, but you can repeat the steps ad infinitum until you're satisfied with your scores. If you find that you're not improving between practice tests, you'll need to reevaluate your study strategy. To master a complex subject like chemistry, you need to have a strong grasp of the fundamental concepts. Then, you can build on that understanding for more difficult problems. Be sure to do lots of practice problems where you're required to justify your answers! The smug dude on top is you after studying with these practice tests! Just mentally replace the 1 with a 5 so that your smugness makes sense on the AP scale. Conclusion Practice tests are essential study tools, especially for AP Chemistry. Doing practice problems that align with the format and content of the real exam will help you to gain familiarity with the material and feel less stressed on test day. Try to start your studying with unofficial practice tests to build up a strong knowledge base, and then move onto official practice tests when you're ready to estimate your real AP score level. As you take practice tests, assess your mistakes and plan out your study time according to which areas need the most work. Make sure you start with basic concepts and then work your way up to more complex problems. Use these practice materials to detect gaps in your knowledge, and fill them before you take the test! What's Next? Want to learn a bit more about the test before you start practicing? Read our expert guide to the AP Chemistry exam, which includes sample questions and study tips! If you want a complete overview of the concepts that will be covered on the test, check out our ultimate study guide for AP Chemistry. We also have a specific guide to balancing chemical equations, if that's something you need extra help with. Do you plan on taking the Chemistry SAT Subject Test as well? Find out the differences between AP tests and SAT Subject Tests, and check out our Chemistry SAT II study guide article. Wondering how you can see chemistry in action in your day-to-day life? If you're looking for chemistry you can taste, we recommend these articles on vegetable oil substitutes and pozole (Mexican corn soup). If you're thinking more along the lines of something to play with, we have three different recipes for homemade slime. And if you need to clean things up afterwards, be sure to read our article on muriatic acid and how to safely use it. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Making Money from Farm Magazines

Making Money from Farm Magazines After publishing an article in  N.D. REC  magazine about  Toy Farmer  magazine, the TF editor asked if I would write for them. I said no; I knew green was John Deere equipment and red was International Harvester, but I knew almost nothing about farm toys. â€Å"Doesn’t matter,† editor Cathy Scheibe said. â€Å"Just be accurate.† Just be accurate! Of course! Accuracy is the hallmark of any article if you want to get it published and make money at writing. She named two collectors within ten minutes of me. How could I refuse? Thus began a working relationship that morphed into writing for a dozen other farm-related magazines, relationships which continue today, thirty years later, half my writing income every month, at ten cents a word to $350 an article, depending on which magazine, pay-on-publication. Writing for  Toy Farmer  at that time required photo sessions at farm homes of collections of thirty to a thousand toy tractors, combines, plows, and other miniature equipment, ranging from about 1.5 inches long to 18 inches long. Or toy trucks, which led to articles in  Toy Trucker Contractormagazine. Invariably after the session farmers would say, â€Å"Let me show you my other toys,â€Å" leading me to a Quonset filled with a dozen or two or more, real, big, tractors. Another opportunity, which led to articles in magazines featuring the big tractors:  Red Power, Green Magazine, Polk‘s Antique Tractor Magazine, Antique Power, Steam Traction, Farm Show, Farm Times, and  Farm Ranch Living. But the real steady money-makers were Gas Engine (68 articles, and counting,)  Farm Collector, (233 articles, and counting,) and the granddaddy of them all,  Toy Farmer  (293 articles, and counting.) As well as seven books about farm toys and tractors. The key to success at selling to these markets is threefold: 1. Finding the collectorsnot as difficult as it seems. Rather than going from farm to farm as I used to, now the simplest way is attending thresher shows or toy shows, held all over the U.S. Or finding neighbors or friends who collect. 2. Taking publishable pictures of collections at the shows, and if possible, getting the telephone numbers of collectorsnot always easy as they are often busy elsewhere in the show. These photos alone, or plus a quick chat with a collector at the show, if possible, is your research for your query letter to the magazines. Sometimes the pictures you take don’t become an articlethe life of a writer. Right now I have 59 sets of photostaken at a series of shows ready to query to my regular magazine editors. Judging Collectors often help with photos; for example, with my latest piece with Farm Collector, the interviewee revealed he owned a very rare tractor he hadn’t had at the show. He provided photos. 3. Set up telephone interviews. You’ll discover farm collectors are very passionate about their collections. They often tell great stories you can use: â€Å"As kids, my brother got mad at me, grabbed my cast-iron tractors, and smashed them on the sidewalk one These markets require basic information about the collection and collector, which they are more than willing to give. After you’ve studied a couple of the magazines, give them a try. The field is wide open. Farm Magazines: Farm Collector Magazine,  www.farmcollector.com Farm Show Magazine,  www.farmshow.com Gas Engine,  www.gasenginemagazine.com Green Magazine,  www.greenmagazine.com Red Power Magazine,  www.redpowermagazine.com Toy Farmer Magazine,  www.toyfarmer.com Toy Trucker Contractor Magazine,  www.toytrucker.com

Financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial management - Essay Example Dividends are the consequences of performances actual or expected. The market’s perception with regard to the change in dividend policy will have impact on the investment decisions of the investors which will reflect in stock prices. Therefore, dividend per se is not the dominant determinant factor, but it constitute as a signal to the performance of the company when it is changed and this perception is the key driver for performance of the stocks in the markets. Dividend policy The dividend decisions are guided by various factors relating to the business at the discretion of the management. Similarly, the motives behind the change in dividend policies could be influenced by taxation policies of the government, influence of major shareholders in dividend decisions, structure of the management, retention of management control, fulfilling the expectations of the market or simply meeting the guidelines already given. On many occasions the process of price discovery in market is f rustrated by earnings management or insider trading in relation to declaration of dividends. However the fundamental factors governing dividend policy in a company are stability in earnings, growth in profitability, opportunities available for reinvestment of the profits made based on marginal efficiency of additional capital and type or composition of the shareholders and their expectations. However, any increase in the rate of dividends is generally appreciated by the market and the prices of the shares react positively to such announcements. For a meaningful analysis of dividend policy the dividend history of the companies in relation to earnings (EPS) and dividend yield over years, leverage or debt to equity ratio and the management policy in distribution of earnings needs to be studied. Also, comparison with the industry standards will reveal the relative position of the company in the industry. Different types of investors will react differently to the dividend policy. For exa mple, retired people expect consistency in payment of dividends since they need regular income from their investments in the absence of earnings from employment or other sources. Therefore, any negative change in dividend payout will adversely affect the stock prices. Relevance of dividends to market value of the stocks highly correlated in such cases. Determinants of dividend policy The question of whether a company's dividend policy is relevant or irrelevant to its market value has implications in firming up the dividend policy of a company. Primarily the question has to be analyzed with regard to the motives behind the changes in dividend policy from the perspective of the management of the companies taking into account the market expectations, future capital investments proposed, the earnings guidance already given and the tax considerations involved. The companies have to formulate their dividend policies in tune with the needs for the development of the business since the shar eholders are the most important stakeholders in the business. Future expansions, mergers & acquisitions could be easily managed if the shareholders’ confidence on the company is maintained at the highest level. It is very important to note that the policy does not focus primarily on distribution of dividends per se. It is

Basic knowledge of Contract Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Basic knowledge of Contract Law - Case Study Example Shiny Ltd. faces the prospects of grappling with breach of contract cases after three separate retailers found the orders delivered to them deficient. The purpose of this paper is to advise Shiny Ltd. of its legal position on these cases, which suggest breach of contract. Retailer 1 - Mohammed personally placed an order for 75 pieces of the orange plastic buckets that he saw at the display room of Shiny Ltd. He specified that he wanted the handles of the same buckets to be replaced with metal ones. The retailer learned that these buckets were the last items of that type and color that Shiny Ltd. had in stock. When Shiny Ltd. agreed to the additional specification, Mohammed paid for the order in cash with the understanding that delivery will be made the following week Retailer 2 - At about the same time, another retailer by the name of Navraj telephoned Shiny Ltd. to order 120 black buckets. The supplier had 180 of such black-colored buckets stored in its warehouse and informed Navraj that his order would be sourced from that stock. Delivery was arranged for the following week with payment to be made within 10 days of delivery. Immediately after the telephone call, the manager of Shiny Ltd. went to the warehouse and made a separate stack of 120 black buckets from the 180 in stock. The stack of 120 black buckets was then labeled: "Property of Mr. Navraj." Before any delivery was made to either Mohammed or Navraj, however, there was a fire at the supplier's warehouse that, before it was put out in time, completely burned the 120 black buckets destined for Navraj and partially destroyed the 25 orange buckets ordered by Mohammed. The stack of 60 black buckets that was separated from Navraj's order was rescued from the fire. When informed of the accidental fire, Navraj and Mohammed indicated that they wanted Shiny Ltd. to fulfill their orders. Retailer 3 - The third retailer, Oliver, ordered and paid for 100 lightweight plastic buckets without specifying any color, to be delivered the very next day. Shiny Ltd. duly loaded the buckets onto a lorry owned by an independent carrier for delivery to Oliver. When the buckets arrived at Oliver's premises he found that a number of the bucket handles had been damaged. The buckets apparently sustained the damage because they were not properly secured in transit. Oliver wanted to return his order to Shiny Ltd. and get his money back plus damages. Legal Principles The term breach of contract is defined in law as the "failure without legal reason or legal excuse to comply with the terms of a contract or to perform any promise which forms the whole or part of the contract." Shiny Ltd. definitely has the "legal excuse" for failing to meet the terms of the three aforementioned purchase orders, which represent the breached contracts. The firm may have fallen short of the retailers' expectations on three counts, failing to deliver the orders of Mohammed and Navraj on time and having partially damaged goods delivered to Oliver. However, no willful conduct and gross negligence were involved at all in these shortcomings of Shiny Ltd. In the US and many other countries, punitive damages are awarded on breach of