The Role of Race to the Caribbean People's Sense of Identity Essay

The Role of Race to the Caribbean People's Sense of Identity - Essay Example 64) are all mixed up, making it almost impossible to give it a single description. And third, as the fight against racial discrimination positively gains ground worldwide, most especially in the land of the whites and as this so-called ‘race ideology’ is increasingly negated by the requirements of globalization. These considerations make ‘race’ an issue to ponder in the Caribbean people’s identity, compelling one to define it in different ways. One way to understand the role of race in the Caribbean peoples’ sense of identity is to group the people based on the main language most people used, as what Safa (1987) did in her article: â€Å"Popular culture, national identity, and race in the Caribbean,† thus the distinction between the Anglophone Caribbean, referring to its English-speaking nations and the Hispanophone Caribbean, referring to its Spanish-speaking nations. ... rly predominant Eurocentric orientation; in the Hispanophone Caribbean, the people’s national identity has remained grounded more on language, religion and other aspects of Spanish culture than on race (Safa, 1987). According to Brodber (1987), this shift in the Anglophone Caribbean’s thinking is greatly influenced by the positive changes in the Euro-American attitudes towards black people during the 1950’s and ‘60s, resulting from the black’s violent struggle against apartheid. This increasing recognition and acceptance of an Afro-orientation by the Afro-Jamaican middle class (the literate class), which traditionally has identified itself only with its European lineage, and the popularization of Afro-orientation primarily through music (e.g. Bob Marley) further broadened the acceptance of the Afro-orientation in the Anglophone Caribbean (pp. 147-149, 156-157). Furthermore, Safa (1987) explains that after achieving their political independence, polit ical expediency left no recourse to the mulatto Creole elite – who identified themselves with European white against their African heritage – but to accept the predominantly black masses of its population as its political constituents. The governing on the basis of white superiority, as how the former colonial society was ruled, will never gain the trust and cooperation of the black masses. Thus, there is the need to favor racial solidarity and to recognize black pride. Given this long waited opportunity, the Afro-orientation, which has long been held and survived in the oral tradition of the black population (the illiterate lower class), unstoppably surges. Today, a greater part of the Anglophone Caribbean regards ‘blackness’ as the symbolism of its nationhood. However, this consensus does not hold true

Impact of Dermatology Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Impact of Dermatology Conditions - Essay Example Its presentation ranges from open or closed non inflammatory comedones in mild or moderate cases to inflammatory lesions consisting of papules, nodules and cysts in severe cases (Webster 2002). Acne (also called as pimples, zits, blemishes) mostly tend to appear on face, neck, upper chest, shoulders and back. The reason behind this localization is the abundance of sebaceous glands in these areas of the body. The condition is not curable, but it is certainly manageable to a great extent. At times, the lesions can regress to almost none in cases managed properly. Socially, acne has been a source of low self esteem, shame, embarrassment and often depression. It becomes a hindrance in making friends and getting along with people socially as the individuals tend to seclude themselves to avoid feeling further low about themselves. Acne vulgaris is basically an inherited condition (Liddel 1980). Even though the pattern of inheritance has not been identified yet, but 3 of 4 children are likely to have acne if both parents happen to suffer from the disease. The sebaceous glands become activated at puberty to produce sebum under the influence of sex hormones. This along with the follicular epidermal hyper proliferation, results in plugging of the pilosebaceous follicular ducts with sebum and dead skin cells. Superimposed by bacteria, this results in the formation of a microcomedone, which is the precursor of open and closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads respectively) and eventually the non inflammatory and inflammatory lesions. Acne vulgaris can be classified on the basis of its severity. The mild to moderate variety includes whiteheads, blackheads, papules and pustules. The pores that are completely blocked by sebum and dead skin cells form closed whiteheads. Blackheads are the are pores partially blocked by sebum, dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria draining to the surface.

Food Choices And Meal Patterns In India Media Essay

Food Choices And Meal Patterns In India Media Essay The chapter will present the findings, in the form of themes and categories, which was seen from the analysis of the interviews with the participants. The themes are recurring instances of responses occurring across all the interviews and which are important and relevant to the research. The themes were carefully organized into over-arching relevant categories. The themes have also been separately discussed as sub-themes, which were based on the responses of the participants and listed in their own voice, so as to enable a better understanding of their thoughts, knowledge and responsiveness. Category I: Changes in Food choices and Meal patterns The themes and sub-themes talk about the changes in food choices and meal patterns that took place amongst the Indian students in Leeds Metropolitan University and understanding what it meant to them. Theme 1: Food choices and Meal patterns in India Sub-theme A: I had more different a type of Indian food earlier at home than it is here. Yes, there is quite a bit of difference in the type of food that I have here and that I am used to having in India. I donot get the traditional foods that I liked a lot but once in a while I do get Indian food here as well, which is as close to home that I can get. The consumption of food showed a great degree of variation from different regions of the country. They were also dependent on the types of sides that were eaten with the meals. Also, the fact that most of the students reported that, irrespective of where they came from in India, the choices available for them regarding traditional food, were more than they get here. I had rice for all the meals. Thats what people do there. Bread is not that common, may be occasionally, however the most common was rice, which we could have with any side. It was seen that rice was considered as not only the staple ingredient but also something that they could have with most of the side dishes. Due to certain religious beliefs that they grew up in, there was apparent absence of meat and meat products in the responses of some participants. My family had always eaten wheat for atleast one meal of the day. I guess it may be because of the fact that we lived in the North of the country and also that it was cheaper and easily available. The consumption of wheat by these participants was because it was less costly and also that it was easily available in the region. Also, wheat formed the dietary resemblance to the cultural associations of that region. Also, amongst the meat and meat products, chicken was seen as the acceptable option, even during the religious and cultural gatherings. The Indian diet consisted of heavily spiced dishes ranging from vegetables, meat or fish. Sub-theme B: We ate more regular meals and had a balanced diet All the participants said that they had a more regular meal pattern with 2-3 meals in a day and most of it was home cooked. They also brought up the idea of a proper meal, wherein they had food that was specific with that meal of the day. Before I came here, I used to have proper three meals in a day, but here I may only end up having two meals in a day. Also, here the meals are not balanced and quite irregular. The participants felt that the meals they have here were not similar to the ones they were used to having back home. The participants said they were used to having lavish and complete meals, which consisted of variety of dishes. I had a very good eating habit at home. I had a set meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with occasional snacks in between them. Eating regularly, as I used to before is the key to keeping healthy. All the participants talked about the importance of having traditional meals atleast twice or thrice a day. They felt that the breakfast was one of the important meals of the day and that it results in healthy eating habit. It was also seen that they found proper afternoon snack and a filling dinner was healthy, with long term health benefits. Sub-theme C: When we were back home, we never used to eat out often, even though it was fun to eat out. I used to eat at home for most of the times in a week. May be once or twice, I would go out with my friends for dinner bit then that was also not that frequent. The participants talked about the fact that most of the times they preferred to eat at home and did not want to spend money or get worried about the quality and hygiene related with the food. Also, they felt that eating away from would mean going against the normal home cooked food. Also, they perceived junk food as something that was not a part of the meal and not to be healthy, even though it presents itself as an important aspect if the Indian culture and religious festivities. Theme 2: Food choices and Meal patterns in United Kingdom Sub-theme A: Foods that I eat here are very different from what I am used to. The participants showed signs of change in their eating habits after moving to Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. The participants said that they found it difficult to have breakfast, as they were used to back home and even if they did, it was more of ready to eat foods like cereals. There were less consumption of traditional Indian food items and more consumption of canned food items, fruit juice, cheese, snacks like sweets and chips. The meals usually consisted of food from other ethnic origins as well like Mexican, Continental, Italian, which were eaten at local restaurants in Leeds. The participants said that they had to plan towards their meals here and they felt that it was difficult to retain their traditional food habits because of the time constraints faced by the students. I have to plan my own meals here. But at home, it was my mom. My meals here are not consistent. I donot have time to cook the things that I am used to eat back home, as most of the traditional dishes require planning, energy and time, which is difficult here. So I eat whatever is easy to cook and less time consuming. The participants also said that, though most of the time they have non-traditional food, however during the weekend or holidays, they try to stick to traditional Indian food. They felt that for them Indian food enabled them to maintain their cultural associations. Sub-theme B: My eating habit is very irregular here. Most of the participants said that their eating patterns were irregular after they came to the United Kingdom. Most of them said that they never or rarely had time to have breakfast. They could only have a proper meal for dinner, wherein they could cook traditional Indian food for themselves. My food habits have changed after coming here. I skip meals as I donot get the time and energy to cook for me. Most of the times I am at the university and I eat whatever I get at that point of time. However, for dinner, I try to cook some traditional Indian food. It makes a difference to have dinner as a complete meal. The analysis of the responses shows that the participants had an irregular food pattern, which was mainly due to the pressures of the new life here and the lack of time to plan and prepare a complete meal. Also, it was reported that they found the local food not to their liking all the time and hence it resulted in skipping entire meals. Sub-theme C: I eat out a lot here, more than I used to in India. Here, I tend to eat out with my friends most of the times. Even when I am in the university, I would go to the vending machine and pick up something to eat. I also eat many snacks here like sweets, chips. It is even more than I used to at home. The participants talked about their habit of snacking of food items like sweets, chips etc as it was easily available to them and also that they cost-low. The inability by them to invest time towards cooking for themselves and at times resulting in them completely skipping or replacing their meals with snacks or fast-food options. The participants also perceived that the snacks they had in India were low in fat content and hence better than the ones here. I donot have time to go home and cook an Indian meal for myself. I usually gout to eat or do some takeaway. It is all about convenience for me and usually I donot have an alternative. The participants said that for them eating out or at restaurants in India were considered a luxury, however here they feel it as imperative because of its convenience and easy availability as compared to the traditional meals. They felt that a healthy Indian meal is one that would have less cream, oil and cooked at home. However, even though the participants were not extremely interested in eating non-traditional food, but also felt that there were wide range of options available here, something that they did not find easily in India. Category II: Factors affecting Food habits Theme 3: Food habits and perceptions regarding Food habits Sub-theme A: I wish I cooked at home so that I knew how to cook. There were interesting perceptions that were reported by the participants towards knowledge and cooking skills. Most of the women participants said that they did most of the cooking at home however; they found the same difficult here as they had busy schedules with lectures, university. Whereas, the men were unanimous in their response; they found cooking a meal difficult without any previous knowledge. I never took interest in cooking. I did not have to worry about how much to make and if it is healthy or not. After coming here, I tried to cook but it was not easy. Most of the times I would make something that is easy like ready to eat or frozen food. The differences in responses could be due to the traditional beliefs that are related to the role that a man and a women play in the Indian society. In most cases, the Indian meals were mostly enjoyed in the local Indian restaurant. The male participants talk about their lack of skills to prepare Indian meals that makes it difficult for them to have a traditional diet. Also, the female participants, even though most of them said that they had the required skills to cook, showed preference to non-traditional food habits, due to the lack of time needed to cook Indian meals as well as the limited availability of ingredients required to make a traditional meal. My eating habits have changed a lot here. I donot eat traditional Indian food anymore and at times I donot even cook. However, I feel if I knew how to cook, it would have helped. Sub-theme B: I find the food here very different from what I am used to. All the participants said that they found the food here as convenient food due to its easy availability and ease to prepare. However, they thought that these food were not important to be considered as a complete meal, as most of them were artificially prepared with preservatives in them. Some of the participants said, contrary to the general opinion, that they found the non-traditional food healthier than the ones they used to have at home in India. Even though I have eaten Indian food throughout my life, I find the options here like the sandwiches, soups, salads as healthier than the Indian counterparts. I find them to be light and fresh. I cook Indian food at times, but they are time consuming and tend to be oily and greasy, especially if I am going to a restaurant. But the non-traditional foods tend to be more nutritious because they are prepared in ways to preserve their nutritive value, with less oil and cream. The participants also described the opportunity staying away from home as a way to be more experimental in their food habits, breaking away from the traditional diet to try something new. I have always had Indian food. The fact that now I can actually try new things and to be adventurous with my food habits is a nice feeling. At times, I will make pasta, sandwich or Mexican and they taste good too. Sub-theme C: I find it difficult to always have a traditional diet here. Many students talked about factors that affected their traditional way of eating. One such was that of financial considerations, which greatly influenced food and eating habits during their stay in the United Kingdom. They found that the local food to be more reasonable as compared to the traditional Indian food. I donot spend much on food, tend to eat whatever is cheaper. I never ate beef in India, would never think about it, however after coming here, I got to know that it is difficult to always live by traditions. I decided to accept the change rather making it a problem. The participants described their accepting the change in their food habits as a way to be accustomed and accepted by the new culture here. Also, some of the participants talked about their exposure to the Western diet in India, which had played an important role towards them accepting the change in food habits that happened here. Sub-theme D: My diet has changed considerably with time that I am here. Certain participants said that the duration that they have been in the United Kingdom have resulted in changes to their dietary habits. For them, they felt that a reason to come here was the freedom of making choices regarding their eating habits, wherein they ate out often, which they felt as an enjoyable experience. I think my diet is more or less the same here but then it is not definitely the way it was in India. I live alone and hence to eat what is easier and faster to cook.

Hrothgar spake, helmet-of-Scyldings :: Poetry Poems Essays

Hrothgar spake, helmet-of-Scyldings: "Ask not of pleasure! Pain is renewed to Danish folk. Dead is Aeschere, of Yrmenlaf the elder brother, my sage adviser and stay in council, shoulder-comrade in stress of fight when warriors clashed and we warded our heads, hewed the helm-boars; hero famed should be every earl as Aeschere was! But here in Heorot a hand hath slain him of wandering death-sprite. I wot not whither,[1] proud of the prey, her path she took, fain of her fill. The feud she avenged that yesternight, unyieldingly, Grendel in grimmest grasp thou killedst, -- seeing how long these liegemen mine he ruined and ravaged. Reft of life, in arms he fell. Now another comes, keen and cruel, her kin to avenge, faring far in feud of blood: so that many a thane shall think, who e'er sorrows in soul for that sharer of rings, this is hardest of heart-bales. The hand lies low that once was willing each wish to please. Land-dwellers here[2] and liegemen mine, who house by those parts, I have heard relate that such a pair they have sometimes seen, march-stalkers mighty the moorland haunting, wandering spirits: one of them seemed, so far as my folk could fairly judge, of womankind; and one, accursed, in man's guise trod the misery-track of exile, though huger than human bulk. Grendel in days long gone they named him, folk of the land; his father they knew not, nor any brood that was born to him of treacherous spirits. Untrod is their home; by wolf-cliffs haunt they and windy headlands, fenways fearful, where flows the stream from mountains gliding to gloom of the rocks, underground flood. Not far is it hence in measure of miles that the mere expands, and o'er it the frost-bound forest hanging, sturdily rooted, shadows the wave. By night is a wonder weird to see, fire on the waters. So wise lived none of the sons of men, to search those depths! Nay, though the heath-rover, harried by dogs, the horn-proud hart, this holt should seek, long distance driven, his dear life first on the brink he yields ere he brave the plunge to hide his head: 'tis no happy place! Thence the welter of waters washes up wan to welkin when winds bestir evil storms, and air grows dusk, and the heavens weep. Now is help once more with thee alone! The land thou knowst not, place of fear, where thou findest out that sin-flecked being. Seek if thou dare! I will reward thee, for waging this fight, with ancient treasure, as erst I did, with winding gold, if thou winnest back." [1] He surmises presently where she is. [2] The connection is not difficult. The words of mourning, of acute grief, are said; and according to Germanic sequence of thought, inexorable here, the

Hunting laws Essay

Year after year in the hunting industry people have argued that crossbows should be legal for everyone during hunting season. Finally a few years ago the national hunting board of admnistratives passed a law stating, anyone can use a crossbow during the archery part of deer season. this new law take all the sport out of bow hunting, it makes illigally poaching deer tremendously easy, and also it teaches the newer generation of hunters the wrong way to hunt. As far back as hunting goes one of the hardest ways to kill an animal has been the bow. its an adrenaline rush pulling the bow back on a big whitetail. now their taking that thrill away by allowing the use of a crossbow. its taking all the sport out of bow hunting, with a regular bow a hard shot was 25 to 30 yards now thay have crossbows out that will shoot out to 85 yards. making it basicallly like a gun theres no pull back, its a trigger like a gun. as stated in NABC (North American Bowhunting Coalition) ( Crossbows are not bows. Crossbows have mostly rifle-like characteristics such as a gun stock for shoulder mounted shooting, trigger safety, optical sights, locked anc cocked at full draw by a mechanical device, carried loaded and ready to shoot, rigidly controlled internal ballistics, minimal movemnetn to shooting position and can be shot from a rest. ) Its not fair to the sport of hunting, used to it took a skilled archer to kill a deer, now a toddler could pull the trigger and kill one. The relaxed restriction on rossbow hunting makes poaching deer illigally much easier. Poacher have to fire off a gun, which was incredibly loud, which would scare deer off and let any game warden within 10 miles aware that something illigal was taking place. now we have givin poachers an easy route, a virtually silent killing machine. A poacher can kill a deer in a natioal park and no one would ever know they was there. However, some might say people could still poach with crossbow before they legalized them, and this is true, but now everyonne having crossbows in there truck on there way back from hunting puts a whole lot more pressure on the fact that they can take a long quite shot on a big deer on the side of the road. Its always in the back of every hunters mind when they see a deer on the side of the road, but now were giving every hunter the ultimate tool of being able to illigally shoot a deer with ease. Lastly but not least its teaching our newer genereation the improper way of hunting. Now were implying in our kids heads that its okay to shoot a deer at 80 yards with a crossbow. thats not right, they should hae to shot a regular bow and earn the deer instead of just pulling the trigger with these new crossbows. Its extremely inmportant to teach our kids good hunting skills like when to pul the bow back, how you have to make sure the deer isnt looking at you, but with corssbows it doesnt matter they just pull the trigger like a gun. I think we are abusing the right to use them. I think people with a physical disability should be the only ones legal to hunt with crossbows. not giving one to a teenager who just wants to go kill 20 deer just to say he did. Make kids and for that matter everyone go out and learn the right way with a real bow and arrow. I think we are ruinging the sport of hunting by allowing anyone use a crossbow to hunt deer. Its taking all the sport out of hunting, making illigally poaching deer like a walk in the park, and also teaching the newer genereations of hunters the wrong way to hunt.. There a lot of facts to support my claims, its a no brainer that the national hunting assosoation made the wrong decicsion by passing the law that crossbows are legal for anyone.

Diversity in the Workplace Essay

Do you think corporations and government agencies should offer diversity training? If so, how can we develop diversity training that fosters mutual respect? Can you suggest practical ways to develop workplaces undivided by gender and race-ethnicity? Yes, I believe that government agencies as well as corporations should offer some type of diversity training. Through diversity training you can ensure a health and warm and inviting workplace. Since the workplace is already filled with stereotypes on the keys to success diversity training will help with the competitiveness that always thrives inside the work place. It will help teach the employees how to get along, work cooperate, get along, and work in sync with different age groups, the opposite sex, and ethnicities. â€Å"Diversity training has the potential to build bridges (Henslin, 2013). † The function behind offering diversity training is to help foster community. A healthy well managed work environment that will foster and increase the work output. It’s to help educate the employees on how to develop connections to people of various ages and backgrounds. Another key function is how to draw upon your co-workers aspect and work ethics to smooth out business production through shared unity. Though even with good intentions conflicts can exists. Some manager whose been told he has to take a course of diversity training may feel as though it’s a punishment. They may feel like in their job they have wronged someone and they are being reprimanded; thus they have to take diversity training. What you need to be aware of in diversity training is not to encourage or develop stereo types. The intention of diversity training is to encourage and develop understanding and unity in the work place. Role reversal and having participant make derogatory comments to the other my inflict scars and demote rather than promote understanding. So stay clear of antagonistic role play (Smart, 1997). Instead of role play do course match up. Match up employees from various levels in their career, age, sex, and ethnicity into groups. These groups should be assigned a unified task to complete during the diversity training. Have them get to know one another likes and dislikes and so forth. Assign them common tasks to complete jointly that exist within the corporation (Skills, 1968). Let them assign key task amongst each other that play upon each person strengths. Have them present their project at the end of the training session before the rest of the groups (Skills, 1968). Judge them by their ability to play upon the other’s strengths and the completeness of their projects. At the end of the diversity training session have them do peer assessment’s on one another. The symbolic aspect of this is they have meet new people they normally do not work with in their department. They work with new people from various skill levels. It fosters development in understanding of various backgrounds and ethnicity. It encourages unity and mutual respect for peers. Everything that you are trying to aide and foster through the diversity training can be reached by group project assignments. ? Bibliography Henslin, J. M. (2013). Essencial to Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach tenth edition. Pearson. Skills. (1968). International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences. Volume 6, pp. 296-302. Smart, W. (1997, September 1). Businessmanagementdaily. com. Retrieved August 11, 2013, from Business Management Daily: www. businessmanagementdaily. com

Sue Hendrickson - A Profile of the Famous Fossil Hunter

Sue Hendrickson - A Profile of the Famous Fossil Hunter Name: Sue Hendrickson Born: 1949 Nationality: American Dinosaurs Discovered: Tyrannosaurus Sue About Sue Hendrickson Until her discovery of an intact skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex, Sue Hendrickson was hardly a household name among paleontologistsin fact, she wasnt (and isnt) a full-time paleontologist at all, but a diver, adventurer, and collector of insects encased in amber (which have found their way into the collections of natural history museums and universities around the world). In 1990, Hendrickson participated in a fossil expedition in South Dakota led by the Black Hills Institute of Geologic Research; temporarily separated from the rest of the team, she discovered a trail of small bones that led to the almost complete skeleton of an adult T. Rex, later dubbed Tyrannosaurus Sue, that catapulted her to instant fame. After this thrilling  discovery, the story becomes much more complicated. The T. Rex specimen was excavated by the Black Hills Institute, but the U.S. government (prompted by Maurice Williams, the owner of the property on which Tyrannosaurus Sue was found) took it into custody, and when ownership was finally awarded to Williams after a protracted legal battle he put the skeleton up for auction. In 1997, Tyrannosaurus Sue was purchased by the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for a little over $8 million, where it now resides (happily, the museum later invited Hendrickson to give a lecture about her adventures). In the two-plus decades since her discovery of Tyrannosaurus Sue, Sue Hendrickson hasnt been much in the news.  In the early 1990s, she participated in some high-profile salvage expeditions in Egypt, searching (unsuccessfully) for the royal residence of Cleopatra and the sunken ships of Napoleon Bonapartes invasion  fleet.  She wound up moving out of the U.S.she now lives on an island off the coast of Hondurasbut continues to belong to various prestigious organizations, including the Paleontological Society and the Society for Historical Archaeology. Hendrickson published her autobiography (Hunt for My Past: My Life as an Explorer) in 2010, a decade after receiving an honorary PhD degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago.

How The Irish essays

How The Irish essays Thomas Cahills book How the Irish Saved Civilization, is called the untold story of Irelands heroic role in maintaining western culture, from the fall of the Roman Empire until the European dark ages. The main point of this book, as specified in the books title, is how the Irish saved civilization. How they allegedly did that is the real meaning of this book. The author, Thomas Cahill, makes his views very clear throughout the entire book with the use of many facts, statistics and details. He clearly explains how Romes power crumbled and created chaos and anarchy all over Europe. Mr. Cahill does a magnificent job describing how European culture changed from the Roman to the medieval civilization, a civilization with a system of landlords and serfs. Other points of interest, which he made, are the spread of Irish missionaries and the study of St. Patrick. He covers two centuries of the early Middle Ages (5th and 6th) and he makes it enjoyable to read. First he starts the book by explaining to us how reliable history really is. Mr. Cahill doesnt necessarily agree with writer Emil Ciorans remark that history proves nothing because it contains everything (Cahill pg. 5). He says instead that every age writes history anew, reviewing deeds and texts of other ages from its own vantage point (Cahill pg. 5). He explains that todays historical accounts were largely written by Protestant Englishmen and Anglo-Saxon Protestant Americans; many historians have been discovering that not all of these works are always 100 percent reliable. He says that many of these historians have neglected the fact that without the contribution of the Irish monks of the past European civilization would not be the civilization, which we know today (Cahill pg. 5). Mr. Cahills main purpose is to explain how the Irish saved civilization, but first he sets the stage by explaining how a...

1979 Seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca

1979 Seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca The seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979 is a seminal event in the evolution of Islamist terrorism. Yet the seizure is mostly a footnote in contemporary history. It shouldnt be. The Grand Mosque in Mecca is a massive, 7-acre compound that can accommodate some 1 million worshippers at any one time, especially during the annual hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca centered on circling the sacred Kaaba in the heart of the Grand Mosque. The marble mosque in its current shape is the result of a 20-year, $18 billion renovation project began in 1953 by the House of Saud, the ruling monarchy in Saudi Arabia, which considers itself the guardian and custodian of the Arab Peninsula’s holiest sites, the Grand Mosque topmost among them. The monarchy’s contractor of choice was the Saudi Bin Laden Group, led by the man who in 1957, became the father of Osama bin Laden. The Grand Mosque, however, first came to wide Western attention on November 20, 1979. Coffins as Weapons Cache: Seizure of the Grand Mosque At 5 that morning, the final day of the hajj, Sheikh Mohammed al-Subayil, imam of the Grand Mosque, was preparing to address 50,000 worshipers through a microphone inside the mosque. Among the worshipers, what looked like mourners bearing coffins on their shoulders and wearing headbands made their way through the crowd. It wasnt an unusual sight. Mourners often brought their dead for a blessing at the mosque. But they had no mourning in mind. Sheikh Mohammed al-Subayil was shoved aside by men who took machine guns from beneath their robes, fired them in the air and at a few policemen nearby, and yelled to the crowd that â€Å"The Mahdi has appeared!† Mahdi is the Arabic word for messiah. The mourners set their coffins down, opened them up, and produced an arsenal of weaponry that they then brandished and fired at the crowd. That was only part of their arsenal. An Attempted Overthrow by a Would-Be Messiah The attack was led by Juhayman al-Oteibi, a fundamentalist preacher and former member of the Saudi National Guard, and Mohammed Abdullah al-Qahtani, who claimed to be the Mahdi. The two men openly called for a revolt against the Saudi monarchy, accusing it of having betrayed Islamic principles and sold out to western countries. The militants, who numbered close to 500, were well armed, their weapons, in addition to their coffin arsenal, having been stashed gradually in the days and weeks before the assault in small chambers beneath the Mosque. They were prepared to lay siege to the mosque for a long time. The siege lasted two weeks, though it did not end before a bloodbath in underground chambers where militants had retreated with hundreds of hostagesand bloody repercussions in Pakistan and Iran. In Pakistan, a mob of Islamist students enraged by a false report that the United States was behind the mosque seizure, attacked the American embassy in Islamabad and killed two Americans. Irans Ayatollah Khomeini called the attack and the murders a great joy, and also blamed the seizure on the United States and Israel. In Mecca, Saudi authorities considered attacking the hold-outs without regard for the hostages. Instead, Prince Turki, the youngest son of King Faisal and the man in charge of reclaiming the Grand Mosque, summoned a French secret service officer, Count Claude Alexandre de Marenches, who recommended that the hold-outs be gassed unconscious. Indiscriminate Killing As Lawrence Wright describes it in The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, A team of three French commandos from the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) arrived in Mecca. Because of the prohibition against non-Muslims entering the holy city, they converted to Islam in a brief, formal ceremony. The commandos pumped gas into the underground chambers, but perhaps because the rooms were so bafflingly interconnected, the gas failed and the resistance continued.With casualties climbing, Saudi forces drilled holes into the courtyard and dropped grenades into the rooms below, indiscriminately killing many hostages but driving the remaining rebels into more open areas where they could be picked off by sharpshooters. More than two weeks after the assault began, the surviving rebels finally surrendered. At dawn on Jan. 9, 1980, in the public squares of eight Saudi cities, including Mecca, 63 Grand Mosque militants were beheaded by sword on orders of the king. Among the condemned, 41 are Saudi, 10 from Egypt, 7 from Yemen (6 of them from what was then South Yemen), 3 from Kuwait, 1 from Iraq and 1 from the Sudan. Saudi authorities report that 117 militants died as a result of the siege, 87 during the fighting, 27 in hospitals. Authorities also noted that 19 militants received death sentences that were later commuted to life in prison. Saudi security forces suffered 127 deaths and 451 wounded. Were the bin Ladens Involved? This much is known: Osama bin Laden would have been 22 at the time of the attack. He would have likely heard Juhayman al-Oteibi preach. The Bin Laden Group was still heavily involved in the renovation of the Grand Mosque: the company’s engineers and workers had open access to the mosque’s grounds, Bin Laden trucks were inside the compound frequently, and bin Laden workers were familiar with the compound’s every recess: they built some of them. It would be a stretch, however, to assume that because the bin Ladens were involved in construction, they were also involved in the attack. What’s also known is that the company shared all maps and layouts they had of the mosque with authorities to facilitate the Saudi Special Forces’ counter-attack. It would not have been in the bin Laden Group’s interest, enriched as it had become almost exclusively through Saudi government contracts, to aid the regime’s opponents. Just as certainly, what Juhayman al-Oteibi and the â€Å"Mahdi† were preaching, advocating and rebelling against is almost word for word, eye for an eye, what Osama bin Laden would preach and advocate subsequently. The Grand Mosque takeover was not an al-Qaeda operation by any means. But it would become an inspiration, and a stepping stone, to al-Qaeda less than a decade and a half later.

Applying Theory to Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Applying Theory to Practice - Essay Example Applying Theory to Practice Globally the nursing profession was facing a great number of problems in patients. Pain was just one of the many complaints but it was a significant and widespread one. Pain was a physiological complaint which distressed patients by the unpleasant sensation with affective experience (Peterson and Bedrow, 2008). In spite of pain assessment, appropriate management, evaluatory monitoring and educational research having been included in important guidelines like those from the Joint Commission and the National Guidelines ClearingHouse, the under-treatment and negligent management of acute and chronic pain were still evident (Bines and Paice, 2005). The words of Gillaspie (2010) conveyed the depth of the problem: â€Å"The delivery of effective pain management has become a pressing national issue in healthcare†. Patients had a right to be managed for pain relief (Zalon, 2008). The problem of pain management has thereby been identified by me as my practic e problem. The nursing profession has several theories by which the problems in patient care were managed. Similarly I would be employing a theory to execute effective pain management in my hospital. The theory would be logical for application and concurrent with observations made daily. It would be similar to those previously used in successful programs. Past research would have supported this theory (Croyle, 2005). It would contain the highlights of the nursing profession. Foundations for nursing practice would be made. Generation of better knowledge would be remembered. The direction into which the nursing profession was to develop would be indicated. Patient care would be made better, professional growth would be enhanced, interpersonal communications among the nurses would be motivated for improvement, and guidance would evolve for education and research. The multidisciplinary approach to health care would be targeted. Criteria which improved the quality of care would continuou sly be identified. Middle-range theories promoted nursing practice by helping to understand the behavior of the client, suggesting useful interventions and offering credible explanations for the efficacy of the interventions (Peterson and Bedrow, 2008). The practice theory could be built up from the critical reflection of experiences. The purpose of the paper is to identify a middle range theory for my selected practice problem of management of pain and then use a borrowed theory to manage the same symptom of pain. Rationale for selection The commonest reason for patients seeking help from nurses was pain. The unpleasant sensation could cause the patient to even lose consciousness. The overwhelming effect could produce long-term adversities (Peterson and Bedrow, 2008). Wound healing became delayed and the immune system lost its activity. Metastasis of tumor cells could also occur. Acute pain was noticed in wounds or injuries, following surgery, in labor and in sickle cell crisis. Ch ronic pain was evident in skeletal muscle illnesses and gastrointestinal conditions. Hospital procedures like lumbar puncture, venipuncture and removal of chest tubes were accompanied by pain (Peterson and Bedrow). Infants suffered from pain in critically ill conditions or when close to death. The enormous extent of pain faced by the nursing profession was an indication for nurses to learn all the methods of relieving it. Clinical pain had a holistic and emotional

Do you believe that the choice of research method is simply based upon Essay

Do you believe that the choice of research method is simply based upon the type of information you wish to collect or do differe - Essay Example Qualitative on the other hand is better when the researcher wants to describe, understand or explore phenomena. Therefore, there is a great deal more to research than just the answering of questions or testing hypothesis. This paper will largely discuss the choice of research methods and the methods themselves in light of their compatibility with social reality. There are two methods used by researchers to gather the required information or test hypothesis: quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative is more positivistic and deductive with qualitative being phenomenological and inductive. Qualitative is more of a holistic approach while the other is particularistic (Bryman & Bell, 2011). Qualitative is discovery and process oriented and explanatory while quantitative is verification and outcome oriented and confirmatory. Quantitative Method This is a method which offers a chance for statistical analysis as data is provided as measurements or counts. This method is credited for being quite objective as the research follows laid down procedures as well as analysis. There are also procedures that dictate how a researcher is to report their findings. This method is mostly used where comparison of variables is of essence. Statistics form the basis of analysis where meaning is attached to results that are in form of numbers (Blankie, 1993). The results, findings or conclusions are standardised data and numerical in form. A researcher employing quantitative methods starts by observing or asking questions through interviews or questionnaires. The questions asked should not demand for open answers but rather fixed ones. The second step is tabulation of results of the observation and questionnaires. Then data collected is analysed and lastly conclusions are made on whether the hypothesis is true or not and whether the fundamental question of the research has been answered. Qualitative Methods This method applies where quantitative method may not obtain the require d insights. It is also more than just non-numerical research. The data collected is nonbiased and mostly on natural occurrences and their interaction with the project’s subject (May, 2002). Due to the aim of describing quality, words are used in place of numbers. Here structured interviews as well as unstructured ones are utilised. It is however important to note that the results of qualitative research are usually generalisations of observations made unlike the specific ones of the quantitative research. The researcher starts by observing and asking open ended questions. Recording is then made and there after results interpreted. More time is spent on further observations and questioning where observation and recording take place again. Theorisation is then done after which final conclusions are drawn. Epistemological stance denotes one’s assumptions regarding the world around them. This assumptions guide researches and influence how researchers work with the collecte d data (Blankie, 1993). In this respect there are two separate extremes one whereby the researcher takes a disjointed relationship with data found and the other is where the researcher and their data are one and the same thing. The former extreme is more objective and the researcher aims at uncovering the truth. The latter extreme is at times regarded as relativistic as researchers believe that meaning is observer

Presentation diagnostic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Presentation diagnostic - Essay Example In this presentation, there was no room for the audience to have doubts regarding essentiality of the product. In terms of benefits, there existed a strategic explanation of the product’s advantages o to the purchasing managers. There was a demonstration of various benefits, which departments would accrue by taking the product as one of their lines of operation. I also demonstrated cost benefits to the managers in relation to the prices that they will charge to their respective final consumers. There was also a demonstration regarding the maintenance simplicity of the product, which will be a benefit to the firm. In practice, an organization results to adopting products that will provide maximum benefits in terms of costs. My benefits captured all the necessary cost issues that would allure purchasing managers to adopt the product. There was also efficient way of dealing with the objections of the clients in different ways with the intention of the distributing department main tain the firm’s reputation. This is via availing probable visual presentation of some of their questions and trying to offer answers though the audience had the chance to inquire for more expounding. This is especially applications of the specific product in real life situation whereby the audience intended to know. The use quotes of some of the management practitioners also provided a ground to win the attention of the purchasing managers. Additionally, efficient application of research work to challenge any objection of the audience also made a fundamental part towards my success though not much compared to what I had expected. The other way that was applicable in my presentation encompassed adopting a convincing tone with the intention of convincing the audience to accept my point of argument. 2.3 Past experience in presentation in relation to performance and communication orientation I have had the experience of presenting in one of the famous contests. This was my first experience where I presented about Beatles and rolling stones, which took a long period while trying to prepare myself appropriately. Before the real presentation, I experienced bouts of fear and nervousness due to the fact public presentation has not been my favorite until I tried it with Beatles and rolling stones. This enabled me to gain essential skills in presenting, which encompassed knowledge on how to win audience’s trust while on the stage. The real task while on stage taught me varied aspects on how to handle each presentation so that in future they will turn out to be successful. This is especially through comments, which I received in the first presentation that helped me in evaluating my weaknesses while addressing the audience. One of the evaluators who attended the presentation commented on my dressing in the earlier presentation. 2.4 Motley’s presentation strategies Motley who is communication practitioner identified some elements that might not be nece ssary when performing visual presentation. Among these factors encompassed memorization of a representation known as an inevitable aspect for any presenter in shunning common mistakes when selling his or her idea to respective audience. Motley cited the mastery of content is necessary but memorization will be like proving of facts in communication. Therefore, presentation ought to flow naturally in order to heighten

Critical Response Paper 1 Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Response 1 - Research Paper Example A Third Cinema, in this case, is described as an ongoing phenomenon that the filmmakers still apply in themes like politics and aesthetics. The Battle of Algiers is a film about the real events that led Algerian war of independence. The film narrates the story of the National Liberation Front (FLN), a movement that posed a danger to French occupation in Algeria (Mellen 16). The French troops defeated FLN during revolutionary movements. However, the movement strengthened and united other liberation movements throughout Algeria, which made them defeat French troop in 1962. The Battle of Algiers is a representation of Fanon’s arguments about violence and veil as an accepted means of anti-colonial struggle. Pontecorvo, producer of Black Skin, White Mask, is specifically concerned with how the Algerians achieved their independence and dignity through violent struggle. The Battle of Algiers is a justification of Fanon’s theory that the war and violence, during the anti-coloni al struggle, help people to gain their independence and dignity (Stam & Macmillan Films 11). It portrays French settlers as brutal and ignorant. The French colonial institution portrayed itself as a body that cannot be negotiated with through non-violent movements like the National Liberation Front. ... Therefore, the use of force and violence in this case should be perceived as mechanical but not brutal. Additionally, the use of violence does not entail any scorn as in the case of Colonel Mathieu, who lit cigarette after successfully launching a bomb attack that killed several members of FLN. In the Battle of Algiers, official representatives and settlers of French colonial power are not concerned about the well-being of Algerians. They mistreat and abuse men, women, and children. This is reflected during a private party organized by French police officer, his colleagues, and their wives. The French officer, at that moment, was organizing a large bomb attack on civilians in the Arab quarter of Algiers, the Kasbah (Stam & Macmillan Films 26). Light classical music played in the background during the party contributing to a relaxing atmosphere. The wealthy, lightness, and beauty of French lifestyle displayed in the movie leaves the audience to question their dark side of politics of its colonial organization. The party scene then smoothly transforms to the bombing scene, representing settlers’ brutal encounters with the colonial politics. This implies that the French colonial institution perceived the killing of civilians as a habitual and normal activity. This scene also creates a non-hermetic structure, where it gives the audience the opportunity to deconstruct the party scene as a positive self-representation of French colonizers as â€Å"uncivilized group†. This is because the way in which they plan bomb attacks against Algerians is perceived as an â€Å"uncivilized† behavior (Mellen 27). Similarly, the manner in which Frantz Fanon develops a non-hermetic structure that does not present a self-enclosed universe in Black Skin, White Mask, can

Maritime Technology 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maritime Technology 1 - Essay Example This physical quantity has been associated with randomness by Boltzmann who believes that in a confined system, the disorder that is produced is actually entropy. On the other hand, Shannon considers positive information that is produced in message transmission as entropy. Conversely, there is one more interpretation given to the term which is very much opposite to the former. Brillouin associates entropy with deficiency of information. This can also be stated as uncertainty and doubt and something which cannot be predicted. Ignorance is also one part of the mentioned interpretation of Brillouin. In addition, finally, there are some authors and theorists who consider freedom as entropy; freedom to evolve from one state to the other (Brissaud, pp. 69-70, 2005). Entropy is, basically, a fundamental and core value of modern physics that could be easily linked with different areas like metaphysics, biology and even economy. For these reasons, every interpretation and explanation of the t erm has its own importance in these diverse fields and they should be made to use in order to learn more about the phenomenon. Let the paper analyse each interpretation separately. When they say that entropy is the disorder, it means that when heat is produced in a closed system, the molecules gas molecules would, automatically, move randomly in any position. This would create more work and energy in the system than the energy which was initially present. This chaos and disrupt is termed as entropy. Moreover, considering the second and third interpretations, the lack of information, actually, refers to uncertainty and indefiniteness. An outsider can never predict where and how the gas molecules would spread when heat energy is produced in a closed system. This tendency of not being able to predict the present and future positions of molecules makes entropy associated with uncertainty and lack of information. However, for the same closed system, considering it from the inside, the mo vement and change is actually an information which is referred to as positive and beneficial adding up to the knowledge. Likewise, the gas molecules have maximum freedom to move rapidly in whatever directions, which increases with time (Brissaud, pp. 70, 2005). However, many theorists and authors disagree with the association of entropy with disorder. These theorists claim that the agitation is more a result of temperature than of entropy as a whole. This confusion exists because of the reason that all these three quantities and values are closely in connection with each other. Heat, temperature, and entropy have so close relations that the source of disorder and agitation is not observable clearly and precisely. When defined accurately, temperature, according to the modern and classical thermodynamics, is the value given to the molecular agitation that happens after heat is produced in a closed area. Furthermore, heat is termed as the disordered energy creating the chaos. Therefore , these three core principles in thermodynamics are closely linked with one another and are the source of the concepts of agitation and disorder that are associated with entropy (Brissaud, pp. 82, 2005). Thus, temperature is the real phenomenon associated to chaos and disorder since low temperature systems are always said to under order and less agitated. This is the reasons theorists disagree with that interpretation. Heat production and the

The Scientific Method Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Scientific Method - Lab Report Example The quantity of oxygen dissolved would be controlled by beginning from 20ppm and twenty fish. After this the amount of oxygen would be lowered slowly up to 0ppm. In this instant, as per the hypothesis set, there would be zero fish within the water. The control variable for this experiment would be temperature of water. This is so because for accurate results of this experiment, the temperature of water needs to be kept constant. Otherwise it will alter or give out biased the results of the experiment. For this data set, a line graph would be most appropriate representation. This is so because line graphs are normally used in making comparison and representing data that have a time series. This graph is the most appropriate for this data, because it displays a clear magnitude change. In this observation, we hypothesize that the rate at which the plant grows depends on the quantity of sunlight. The null Hypothesis for this observation would be; the rate at which a plant grows is not controlled by the quantity or degree of sunlight. The approach used would be moving the plant around the specific room. The dependent variable shall be the plant growth whereas the independent variable shall be the sunlight amount. The control variable for this observation shall be a plant placed in the shade. Data shall be collected using a pencil, stopwatch, ruler and a clipboard. Presentation of data shall be done using a bar graph. This data would be interpreted using an excel program or an SSPS program. In this observation, we hypothesize that the Bank tellers having brown hair with brown eyes certainly would be taller in height. The null Hypothesis, in this case, shall be the bank tellers height has no relationship with their eye or hair color. The approach of experimentation to be used would be observing tellers who work at different banks. The dependent variable for this observation is the bank teller’s height and the independent variables are the bank teller’s

Maritime Technology 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maritime Technology 1 - Essay Example This physical quantity has been associated with randomness by Boltzmann who believes that in a confined system, the disorder that is produced is actually entropy. On the other hand, Shannon considers positive information that is produced in message transmission as entropy. Conversely, there is one more interpretation given to the term which is very much opposite to the former. Brillouin associates entropy with deficiency of information. This can also be stated as uncertainty and doubt and something which cannot be predicted. Ignorance is also one part of the mentioned interpretation of Brillouin. In addition, finally, there are some authors and theorists who consider freedom as entropy; freedom to evolve from one state to the other (Brissaud, pp. 69-70, 2005). Entropy is, basically, a fundamental and core value of modern physics that could be easily linked with different areas like metaphysics, biology and even economy. For these reasons, every interpretation and explanation of the t erm has its own importance in these diverse fields and they should be made to use in order to learn more about the phenomenon. Let the paper analyse each interpretation separately. When they say that entropy is the disorder, it means that when heat is produced in a closed system, the molecules gas molecules would, automatically, move randomly in any position. This would create more work and energy in the system than the energy which was initially present. This chaos and disrupt is termed as entropy. Moreover, considering the second and third interpretations, the lack of information, actually, refers to uncertainty and indefiniteness. An outsider can never predict where and how the gas molecules would spread when heat energy is produced in a closed system. This tendency of not being able to predict the present and future positions of molecules makes entropy associated with uncertainty and lack of information. However, for the same closed system, considering it from the inside, the mo vement and change is actually an information which is referred to as positive and beneficial adding up to the knowledge. Likewise, the gas molecules have maximum freedom to move rapidly in whatever directions, which increases with time (Brissaud, pp. 70, 2005). However, many theorists and authors disagree with the association of entropy with disorder. These theorists claim that the agitation is more a result of temperature than of entropy as a whole. This confusion exists because of the reason that all these three quantities and values are closely in connection with each other. Heat, temperature, and entropy have so close relations that the source of disorder and agitation is not observable clearly and precisely. When defined accurately, temperature, according to the modern and classical thermodynamics, is the value given to the molecular agitation that happens after heat is produced in a closed area. Furthermore, heat is termed as the disordered energy creating the chaos. Therefore , these three core principles in thermodynamics are closely linked with one another and are the source of the concepts of agitation and disorder that are associated with entropy (Brissaud, pp. 82, 2005). Thus, temperature is the real phenomenon associated to chaos and disorder since low temperature systems are always said to under order and less agitated. This is the reasons theorists disagree with that interpretation. Heat production and the

A Guide in Analyzing Movies Essay Example for Free

A Guide in Analyzing Movies Essay Watching movies is one of the best ways to relax, enjoy, and learn. Some people watch movies for recreational purposes, while others do this to learn new ideas or things. However, as a movie progresses into its climax, one would notice that he or she is getting involved in the movie by thinking how the conflict will be resolved. After watching the movie, a reaction or feedback is drawn as one tries to communicate or narrate the story to someone who has not watched the film. Reactions are mostly about the content of the movies and little on its technical aspect. This is true especially if the movie is based on a real life story, romance, or a story of nationalistic concern. If the theme of a movie is scientific or an adaptation of a fictional novel, most audience critics the film based on the technical aspect of the production. Whether the audience is reacting positively or negatively on the content of the movie or whether the audience is critiquing the film’s technical production, he or she is already in the process of analyzing the film. There are different approaches from which to analyze a movie, and these approaches may depend on the genre of the film one had watched and wanted to analyze. Yet, in order for one to write a movie analysis, he or she must first know the different components of a film which include the theme, story, plot, characters or actors, acting, cinematography, and technical aspect such as lightning, music and sound effects, camera shots, and editing. Feedback about the film depends on the mixture of these components; such mixing is done by the film director. He or she acts as if he or she is cooking a delicacy that will be judged by his or her customer. This essay discusses the basic guideline on how to analyze a film and how meaning in the film should be interpreted. Again, this guideline may vary depending on the type of the movie one is trying to analyze. A cine-magazine, for example, contains different topics; thus, there is little unity on the scenes. Uniformity of style and treatment are not given too much consideration because cine-magazine contains different stories. The scenes in an educational film, on the other hand, have greater unity because it is normally devoted to a single subject, such as the evolution of man or the process of respiratory system. A documentary film, in contrast, goes further. It has a single subject that presents or advances an argument. Having these in mind, the critical consideration when analyzing a movie lies on the theme (message or relevance of the film), story (which include the plot, storylines and dialogues, characters, and other symbolic elements such as costume and set up), cinematography and screenplay, and technical components like music, lights, camera shots, and transitions due to editing. Analyzing the Content of a Movie In analyzing the content of a film, critics must look deeply into the movie’s theme, story, plot and storyline and dialogues. Moreover, he or she must also consider the characters and their relationship with the story and other actors, the setting where the shots took place, and the sequence of scenes. The Theme The theme is important, for this shows the relevance of the film in the current time. This also represents the purpose of the director or the goal that the film is trying to communicate to the audience. Boggs and Petrie (2008) identified some goals the movies try to convey. This includes entertaining the viewer, providing a character sketch of a renowned personality, or increasing the audiences awareness on a certain issue of nationalistic or personal concern. Meanwhile, if the movie is in abstract terms wherein the movie tends to create confusion on its theme, one may just describe or narrate the movie to someone who has not watched it, and the theme will come out. As Boggs and Petrie (2008) put it, when an audience narrates a story they have just read or watched, the tendency is that they will describe first the events that made the strongest effect or impression to them. Aside from the major theme, some movies have minor themes which are not substantive enough to be regarded as a full theme. Movie critics call this motif. Motifs are ideas or symbols which are repeated throughout the movie but are not identified as a major theme. Examples of motifs are personalized advertising, identity recognition, technology validation, and symbols which embody all-seeing beings. These are mostly evident in a company or organization-sponsored movies. In the movie â€Å"Knowing† which stars Nicholas Cage as John the Cosmology professor, the major theme is about knowing or predicting events (usually accident or tragedy) that will occur in the near future. Events are predicted through the use of a number arranged in a pattern on a written paper. After decoding this pattern, John tasked himself to solve the mystery, warn the public, and stop the predicted tragedy from taking place. Motifs seen in the film are the repeated appearance of unusual beings (aliens who look like human) and the appearance of black stones. The repetitive appearance of these two could not be regarded as a major theme such as alien invasion; instead, they serve as a clue for John to solve the mystery (Blumenthal, Tisch, Black Proyas, 2009). The Story After identifying the theme of the movie, the critic can now proceed to dissecting the story that the film is trying to narrate to the audience. A film story is composed of the plot, the characters, and the symbolic element. In analyzing a movie story, one must carefully and critically look at the storyline and dialogues that were used in the movie. Moreover, to analyze a story is to look whether the plot flows easily from one scene to another, thus making the film realistic or believable. According to Boggs and Petrie (2008), in analyzing a plot, one should explore the time element used in the movie (linear, nonlinear) and the relationship of the scenes portrayed in the climax and in the ending of the film. Are the use of time element and the scenes believable? Does the plot convey a universal truth about the world or human nature, or is it just a fantastic adaptation of truth? One should also take into account if the actors are being realistic on their actions, facial expressions, delivery of dialogue, and manner of wearing their costume. Are the characters credible in making the audience believe that they are part of the whole reality? This is important because even if the movie has a fascinating and catchy cinematography, the movie will result in a catastrophe if the dialogues are not appealing or interesting and the dialogue delivery by the actors is poor and not convincing. In the film â€Å"Knowing,† the plot was presented in a linear (time) manner in which the scenes developed from less complicated to more complex portrayal. The film was able to explain how the conflict arrived (this was narrated in the first part of the movie), and the solution to the conflict, as expected, was presented in the denouement. However, the incorporation of the alien beings in the story makes it unbelievable, and the given solution to the problem was not viable. In the film, aliens were portrayed as the savior of mankind. They are the ones predicting the occurrence of the tragedy or accident and communicating it to human beings with the use of numbers. They were also the ones to decide who will die and who will be saved to continue the race of the living (Blumenthal, Tisch, Black Proyas, 2009). On the other hand, the characters in the movie are presented effectively such that their actions and dialogues depict the theme and the story of the movie that the filmmakers are trying to relate to the audience. John is a cosmology professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His son is Caleb, a seven-year old boy with a hearing defect so he is using hearing aid. John’s wife died in a fire tragedy, which made him believe that in the randomness of the occurrence of events, meaning that there are no specific relationships of events; everything that happens is purely coincidence. He lived with this belief until the day Caleb received the letter written by Lucinda Emerly (a gifted girl who was used by aliens to predict the future) from the time capsule buried in Caleb’s school 50 years ago. This letter was composed of numbers arranged in a pattern. As John was trying to decode the numbers, he found out that the numbers represent the dates, specific locations, and number of people who died in different tragedies, but there were events that are yet to happen. This urged him to solve the mystery. In the process of unraveling the mystery behind the numbers, John sought Diana, the daughter of Lucinda. Incidentally, Abby, daughter of Diana, also happened to inherit her grandmother’s gift, and like Caleb, she can also hear the voice of the aliens who seemed to be whispering into their heads. Thus, in the movie, the portrayal of the characters was in accordance to what is needed by the prophecy. John is an intelligent professor of science and Caleb is a gifted boy, while Diana and Abby are both related to Lucinda, the one who wrote the numbers. The story of Knowing revolves around these characters each of who play a part in solving the mystery. The two men have the intelligence or information that could be helpful in solving the problem while the two ladies have the history of Lucinda (Blumenthal, Tisch, Black Proyas, 2009). The setting or background used in the film is also important to analyze. A film with a fascinating story, good characters, appealing dialogues, and uniform scenes but was shot in a location not adequate to its portrayal is a disaster. Thus, film directors are careful in choosing shot locations which would enhance not only the cinematography of the film but also the story as a whole. Scientific films mostly have research laboratories as setting; environmental films are set in forest and seas; and horror films are shot in a scary location such as a haunted house. Familiar locations could made films appear realistic and could also establish relationship with the audience. To analyze the setting, one must look at the storyline and the portrayals of actions. Lastly, symbolisms are used in the film to add depth to the story or reinforce the film’s theme. According to Boggs and Petrie (2008), symbols are repeated to emphasize the theme of the film. They could be metaphoric in nature, for their value in the story surpasses the value they normally signify. In films, actors can give specific value of an object to increase its significance to the audience. Critical reception of symbolism in movies depends on whether the symbol is novel or a cliche. In the movie â€Å"Knowing,† numbers are symbols of components (date, location, number of victims) of events that need to be interpreted by actors and the audience. Moreover, the black stones are signs where the solution for the given problem could be found. The hearing aid of Caleb malfunctions when the aliens are near him and when they are trying to communicate something. The Genre To find out whether one is doing the right thing in analyzing the film, one should take into consideration the genre of the film. Genre classification of film could be science fiction, action, comedy, horror, drama, romance, character sketch of a renowned personality, and social or political representation of an issue, among others. The recognition of a film’s genre can help the film critic to distinguish the truths presented in the movie. For film critics, a movie which has lots of symbols and metaphors, is not novel (same old stories), has no originality, and relies too much on cliches is merely a junk. It is also important to note that there are films which cannot be categorized into one particular genre. The movie â€Å"Knowing† falls under the genres science fiction, drama, and action (Blumenthal, Tisch, Black Proyas, 2009).

Democratic Peace Theory and Georgia

Democratic Peace Theory and Georgia Georgias decision to launch an offensive attack against Russian personnel occupying the contested regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia seems to contradict the theoretical underpinnings of the Democratic Peace Theory. However, further analysis of Georgias and Russias regimes reveals some of the criticisms of the theory itself and their impact on the Intelligence Communitys (IC) ability to provide warning in the region. The Democratic Peace Theory states that democratic states do not go to war with each other, or at least, are much less likely to. The basis of this theory is two-fold: first, that democracies are like-minded in fiscal and political polices and that democratic political culture makes going to war less likely, and second, that political constraints on leaders of democratic states discourage the use of force as a foreign policy option.[1] In his book, Democracy and International Conflict: An Evaluation of the Democratic Peace Proposition, James Lee Ray further describes the cultural and structural explanations of democratic peace: Disputes between states do not escalate to war because the leaders expect, on a basis of common culture, to be able to work out their differences, and that greater decisional constraints [i.e., political structure] on a leader produce a lower probability that a dispute involving the state will escalate to war.[2] Additionally, studies have argued that when dem ocratic leaders do choose to escalate international crises, their threats are taken as highly credible, since there must be a relatively large public opinion for these actions.[3] In August 2008, Georgia and Russia, both democratic countries, went to war over two disputed regions within the borders of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, that had long been sources of conflict. South Ossetia and Abkhazia also have established, democratic governments, although Georgia does not recognize the government of South Ossetia as legitimate. Prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union, all had coexisted relatively peacefully under Soviet control. Conflict over the desire for independence by the territories and nationalism by Georgia had erupted after the break-up and had been simmering since then, with Russia quietly supporting the regimes in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in a covert attempt to assimilate first the population, then the territory into the Russian Federation.[4] The conflict impacts stability in the region, which has implications for the safety and control of major oil pipelines, roads and railways between Russia and Armenia and between Georgia and Russia through South Ossetia. Support to Georgia, as an emerging democracy in the region and a member of the coalition in Afghanistan, puts the U.S. at odds with Russia, which is counterproductive to stability in the region and even globally. Given the cultural and structural explanations of the Democratic Peace Theory, the conflict between two democratic states can be explained through criticisms of the theory. First, one of Dean Babsts four indicators of a democracy is the country must have been independent.[5] Georgia was part of the Soviet Union until gaining independence in 1991, and the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is not agreed upon by the international community. Georgia, despite its independence, is still in the process of establishing state sovereignty within an ethnically divided nation. Next, the vulnerability of democracy is a criticism of the theory.[6] President Mikheil Saakashvilis election in 2008 was hotly contested, and it threatens to unhinge the real progress Georgia has made towards institutional, democratic and economic reform from 2004.[7] Additionally, the leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church has proposed a constitutional Monarchy to guarantee stability.[8] Therefore, Georgias infant dem ocracy, after it spent years under a communist regime, is far from security. Finally, Spencer Weart stated wars have never occurred between well-established democracies.[9] However, he does not delineate what constitutes a well-established democracy. Georgia has operated as a democracy for almost two decades and fulfills Babsts other three indicators of a democracy.[10] While Russia is fundamentally structured as a representative democracy, Freedom House lists Russia as not free based on the Kremlins stage-managed parliamentary election campaign, Putins move to Prime Minister after two terms as president, and an alarming increase in state power over civil society.[11],[12] The point at which Georgia and Russia can be considered democracies that will not go to war with each other is vague. Therefore, the United States and the IC cannot apply the Democratic Peace Theory to the conflict in Georgia. In order for the IC to assess the threats to U.S. interests in Georgia, analysts must predict Georgias willingness to resort to armed conflict with Russia over the disputed regions. Georgia has troops in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and they are politicking heavily to become part of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).[13] In this sense, they are striving to become part of the international democratic community. If Georgia is part of the EU and NATO, then any action they take against Russia would require support on the part of other member nations. The United States assisted Georgia in their efforts against Russia, specifically through airlift. However, U.S. combat and combat support forces did not deploy to the region due to undesirable outcomes from United States combating Russian forces. While Georgia continues to present itself as a U.S. ally, the IC needs to provide warning to U.S. policy makers of any impending conflict in the Russian occupied regions. President Obama needs to use other national instruments of power to resolve the dispute or stabilize relations between Georgia and Russia in order to avoid going to war with Russia over a civil conflict within a sovereign state. The Democratic Peace Theory seems to be well supported when applied to states which have both the cultural and structural aspects of democracy. However, it falls short of establishing criteria to consider a country truly democratic despite giving indications of democracy. Georgia and Russia, both newly democratic states, cannot be viewed through the lens of the theory, especially in light of the recent trend towards authoritarianism by Russia. With Russia occupying regions in Georgia and declaring them independent states, the IC must continue to analyze relations between the two states and provide warning to policy makers in the United States. References James Lee Ray, Democracy and International Conflict: An Evaluation of the Democratic Peace Proposition (Studies in International Relations), p. 30, Columbia: Univ Of South Carolina Pr, 1998. Ibid. Democratic Peace Theory , Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_peace_theory (accessed November 30, 2009). The Georgia-Russia conflict: lost territory, found nation, Open Democracy, http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-georgia-russia-conflict-lost-territory-found-nation (accessed November 30, 2009). Ray, Democracy and International Conflict, p. 12. Ray, Democracy and International Conflict, p. 204. Robert Parsons, Mikheil Saakashvilis bitter victory. Open Democracy (January 2008), http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/conflicts/mikheil_saakashvili_bitter_victory (accessed November 30, 2009). Giorgi Lomsadze Time for a King for Georgia? Eurasia Net (October 2007), http://www.eurasianet.net/departments/insight/articles/eav 101207a.shtml (accessed November 30, 2009). Ray, Democracy and International Conflict, p. 35 Ibid., p 12. Russia, Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia (accessed November 29, 2009). Freedom in the World Russia (2008), Freedom House, www.freedomhouse.org/inc/content/pubs/ fiw/inc_country_detail.cfm?year=2008country=7475pf (accessed November 30, 2009). Ambassador Batu Kutelia (lecture, National Defense Intelligence College, Washington, D.C., October 5, 2009)

George Orwells Animal Farm :: Animal Farm Essays

Pigs walking on two feet, horses and sheep talking. This is how George Orwell satirizes human nature in his classic novel Animal Farm. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The title of the book is also the setting for the action in the novel. The animals in the story decide to have a revolution and take control of the farm from the humans. Soon the story shows us how certain groups move from the original ideals of the revolution to a situation where there is domination by one group and submission by all the others. The major idea in this story is the political corruption of what was once a pure political ideal. Orwell uses satire to ridicule human traits in his characters such as Napoleon and Squealer. There are several different characters in the novel utilizing animals as symbols of people in real life during the Russian Revolution. Napoleon is the leader of the pigs that ultimately come to dominate the farm. The characteristics that we associate with pigs , lazy, greedy, and pushy are meant to symbolize the characteristics that the leaders of the Russian Revolution exhibited. Napoleon is admired by all of the animals because he is their leader. All of the animals believe that their leader wants to fulfill all of their needs. They also are convinced that Napoleon’s decisions are made the best interest of the animals. Napoleon’s piglike qualities are shown throughout the story. He exhibited greediness when he sold the dying horse, Boxer to a slaughterhouse for money so that he and the other pigs could purchase whiskey. Orwell ridicules human nature through Napoleon in the sense that he is trying to show how the greedy and power hungry eventually end in corruption. Squealer is short, fat and nimble. Just the image of a pig. Squealer is so persuasive that he could turn black into white! This is just what he does again and again throughout the story. Every time that the pigs take more power and money Squealer persuades the animals to think that the decisions are being made are absolutely necessary for the well being of all. When things are scarce, he proves that production has increased- with figures that the animals can not read of course.He is also the one who makes the changes in the Seven Commandments. The characteristics that Squealer has in his personality are not admirable in a human being because Squealer is accurately portrays the propaganda agent that he represents.

The Problems Defining Genre :: Literature Essays Literary Criticism

The Problems Defining Genre Genre denotes a systematic way to categorize literature. The term might be considered academic jargon; however, it produces up a set of expectations that allow us to judge literature. These expectations or criteria also allow us to compare with other literature in the same as well as different genres. In spite of these expectations, genre does not dictate a set of rigid rules; in fact, genre is more descriptive than prescriptive. Problems in defining genre often arise because there are frequently sub-genres: romantic comedy might be considered a sub-genre of comedy, revenge tragedy of tragedy and gothic horror of horror. It becomes increasingly difficult to see where one sub-genre ends and another begins. Also these categories are seldom pure. For example, Hamlet, a revenge tragedy, includes aspects of romance and even a comic scene or two. Our popular culture makes defining genre challenging because what is vital one day might disappear the next. An example of this is the current insistence upon a happy ending. Since tragedy is often characterized by an unhappy or "right" ending, according to Aristotle, popular culture no longer welcomes the tragedy with the relish it did at other times in history. Our Town being the exception that comes to mind, as well as the one-man shows. Poetry makes frequent use of this voice. In Daddy by Sylvia Plath, the author address "Daddy" throughout the poem. Shannon Chamberlain's use of Aesop's fable The Parrot and his Cage was another example of this single voice narrative. A second voice option is the drama or dialogue that involves talking between two characters with no narration. All of the plays we are reading in class fit this category as well as Stacy Burleson's example of Merlin as a legend in film. Finally, the combination of the narrator plus dialogue is just as it seems, a narrator talks to the audience (or reader) but the characters talk to each other. The TV shows The Fugitive, Dragnet, and Twilight Zone come to mind as examples of this. Narrative genre, by contrast, focuses on the storyline or plot. Tragedy frequently introduces a problem, there is struggle for control, finally a realistic and often unhappy ending that resolves the problem.

Financial Analysis of Carrefour

Chapter 5 Carrefour S. A. Teaching Note Version: March 2007 Introduction The Carrefour case is a financial analysis case. Carrefour S. A. is one of the world’s largest retailers. During the first half of the 2000s, the company’s share prices steadily declined, despite the fact that the company reported above-average returns on equity. Students are asked to analyze Carrefour’s financial statements and segment data to find explanations for the company’s poor share price performance and to make recommendations for the future. The discussion of the financial analysis is preceded by a discussion of Carrefour’s strategy and accounting.Both the accounting analysis and the financial analysis are affected by Carrefour’s switch from French GAAP reporting to IFRS reporting in 2005 but specialist knowledge of French GAAP and IFRS (and first-time adoption) is not required. Questions for students 1. 2. Analyze Carrefour’s competitive and corporate s trategy. What are the key risks of the company’s strategy? Analyze Carrefour’s accounting (including the effects of Carrefour’s switch to IFRS-based financial reporting). Are any adjustments to Carrefour’s financial statements necessary?Analyze Carrefour’s operating management, financial management and investment management during the years 2001 to 2005, making use of both financial statement data and segment data. What are the primary drivers of the company’s poor share price performance? Summarize the key findings of the financial analysis and provide recommendations for improvement to Carrefour’s management. What actions could management take to regain the confidence of Chrystelle Moreau and her fellow investors? 3. 4. Case analysis Question 1 Key characteristics of Carrefour’s strategy and the associated risks are the following: – Competing on price and product.Carrefour follows a strategy that combines some elements of a differentiation strategy with elements of a cost leadership strategy, especially in its hypermarkets. Specifically, the hypermarkets differentiate themselves from competitor supermarkets (1) by offering a much broader assortment (more product categories (food and non-food) as well as a wider choice of brands within one product category (including its own brands)) and (2) investing in customer loyalty programs (e. g. , the â€Å"Pass† card). This strategy is backed up by a strong marketing campaign.At the same time, however, Carrefour realizes that—especially during economic downturns—its customers have low switching costs and are relatively price – sensitive. The company therefore wishes to keep the prices in its hypermarkets at economic levels. The way in which the company can achieve this is by: o Keeping a close eye on what consumers want (through customer surveys and building a â€Å"customer behavior database† using data gathered through , for example, the company’s customer loyalty card) and by timely adjusting its assortment and pricing to changes in consumers’ preferences. Having a well developed logistics network. This keeps turnover high and helps to control costs. o Benefiting from economies of scale, not only in logistics but also in purchasing of supplies (aggregation of purchasing; international negotiations with suppliers). o Selling low-priced products under Carrefour’s own brand name. An important risk of following a combination of strategies is that Carrefour’s hypermarkets become â€Å"stuck in the middle. † The planned changes that Jose Luis Duran—the new CEO—announced after replacing Daniel Bernard suggest that this happened during the first half of the 2000s.While many of Carrefour’s competitors, such as Leclerc, Auchan, Aldi, and Lidl, were able to aggressively lower their prices during the economic downturn, according to Duran Carrefour had f ocused too much on differentiation and improving its margins per square meter of store space (which mixes percentage margins and asset turnover). Consequently, the company lost its competitive edge to price discounters (by losing its reputation for low prices), which slowed down Carrefour’s growth and harmed its domestic market share. International growth.When large companies such as Carrefour start to obtain a dominant position in their domestic markets, they may be â€Å"forced† to expand overseas or enter other industries. Carrefour’s corporate strategy is to expand overseas rather than diversify. More importantly, as indicated above, achieving growth is an essential part of Carrefour’s strategy because (international) growth helps the company to obtain economies of scale in purchasing, logistics and the development of Carrefourbranded products. For example, Carrefour sells its own branded products in the same packaging worldwide (of course printed in different languages).The company’s overseas retailing operations are, however, more risky than its domestic operations. First, to some extent retailing remains a local business because consumers’ tastes differ substantially across countries. Profitable expansion outside Carrefour’s domestic market is only possible if the company has good knowledge about local customers’ preferences and tastes. Consequently, a slightly safer way to expand abroad is to acquire local supermarket chains. A disadvantage of this strategy is, however, that acquisition premiums have to be paid, which can also drive down profits.Second, many of Carrefour’s â€Å"intercontinental† hypermarkets are located in countries where the economic environment is risky: consumers in economically less developed countries are likely to be more price sensitive; East Asian and South American countries tend to have more bureaucracy and stronger government protection of local firms. Th ird, in several countries, Carrefour has to compete with other multinationals such as Tesco and Wal Mart, who are trying to gain a strong market position (mostly through severe price competition).In sum, Carrefour’s overseas operations tend to be in countries where consumers are likely more price sensitive, several multinationals engage in severe price competition, and the economy is less stable. Note, for example, that Carrefour generated 10 percent of its fiscal 2005 profits (before interest and taxes) in South America and East Asia, although the company generated close to 15 percent of its fiscal 2005 sales in these areas. Question 2 In 2005, Carrefour changed its accounting policies from French GAAP to IFRS.This change affected the company’s financial statements and, consequently, could affect the analysis of Carrefour’s historical performance. More specifically, to improve comparability across years the analyst must assess how Carrefour’s pre-2004 pe rformance and financial position would have been under the newly adopted accounting standards. When doing so, the following changes are important to consider: – Under French GAAP, Carrefour was required to amortize goodwill. IFRS does not allow goodwill amortization but requires companies to regularly test goodwill for impairment.The elimination of goodwill amortization increased Carrefour’s net profit in 2005 by close to 25 percent (and ROA by 0. 8 percentage points). Pre-2004 earnings figures might be understated because of goodwill amortization charges. However, amortization charges may have replaced/prevented impairment charges in these years. Hence, the net effect on net profits is likely to be (significantly) less than 0. 8 percent of total assets. – French GAAP based earnings did not include an expense for stock option grants to Carrefour’s employees.Because such a grant imposes costs on Carrefour’s shareholders, IFRS requires that the Black & Scholes value (or the value from another accepted option valuation model) of these option grants is recognized as expense in the income statement during the vesting period. In 2005, Carrefour’s stock option expense had a negative effect on net profit of 1. 4 percent (and a negligible effect on ROA). – The switch from French GAAP to IFRS has resulted in negative adjustments to both inventories and cost of sales in 2004.The reason for these adjustments (which was not explicitly mentioned in Carrefour’s 2005 financial report) is that under IFRS, inventories include amounts for (inventory-related) services that Carrefour billed to its suppliers. That is, instead of recognizing the amounts as revenues in the period of billing (as the company did under French GAAP), Carrefour now delays the recognition of these to the period in which the associated inventories are sold. This change of treatment reduced end-of-year inventories in 2004 by 10. 2 percent (and equity by 5. 7 percent).In addition, cost of sales in 2004 increased because the amounts billed for services related to the beginning-of-year inventories were smaller than those related to the end-of-year inventories. More specifically, the adjustment reduced net profit by 3. 3 percent. During years in which Carrefour’s inventories (as well as the services that Carrefour provides to its suppliers) increase, the IFRS treatment will most likely result in higher cost of sales than the French GAAP treatment. In the 3 years immediately prior to 2004, inventories decreased by fairly small amounts.It is therefore unlikely that during these years the French GAAP treatment of inventories had created significant differences between reported net profits and net profits that would have been reported under IFRS. The French GAAP treatment did, however, result in higher inventories (and equity and deferred tax liabilities) than those that would have been reported under IFRS. Assuming that during the se years, the overstatement of inventories due to the immediate recognition of revenues from services provide to suppliers has been around â‚ ¬500 million, the overstatement of equity has been in the range of 4-5 percent.Under IFRS Carrefour has to recognize (slightly) greater employee benefit obligations and classify (slightly) more leases as finance leases (hence reported on the balance sheet) than under French GAAP. In 2004, employee benefits have resulted in a negative adjustment of end-of-year equity (by close to 4 percent) and a positive adjustment of end-of-year non-current liabilities (by close to 3 percent). Financing lease adjustments affected primarily non-current assets and current liabilities.In addition to the changes mandated by IFRS, Carrefour made one voluntary change in its estimates of the economic useful lives of buildings: the company increased the depreciation period from 20 to 40 years. Assuming that this change was justified, depreciation of buildings prio r to 2004 was overstated. In particular, Note 15 indicates that the difference between restated accumulated depreciation and â€Å"original† accumulated depreciation on buildings at the end of 2004 was â‚ ¬158 million. This suggests that depreciation in 2004 was initially overstated by â‚ ¬158 million, resulting in an understatement of ROA of close to 0. percentage points (all under the assumption that the new policy is correct). In summary, under French GAAP, return on (total) assets may have been â€Å"understated† by, at maximum, 1. 2 percentage points because of â€Å"overstated† goodwill amortization and buildings depreciation. In addition, under French GAAP equity may have been â€Å"overstated† by at maximum 8 percent because of its accounting for inventories and employee benefits, but, at the same time, may have been â€Å"understated† because of (an unknown amount of) â€Å"overstated† goodwill amortization.Note that the adjus tments that Carrefour made to its financial statements because of the change in estimates are not the same as the adjustments that an analyst would make if he/she would assume that Carrefour had always depreciated its buildings over a period of 40 years. Carrefour does not â€Å"restrospectively† adjust its financial statements, but uses the new 40-year depreciation period only for 2004 and later fiscal years. At the end of 2005, Gross Buildings equaled â‚ ¬8,031 million.Unfortunately, the carrying value of Net Buildings is not disclosed, making it impossible to derive the average age of Carrefour’s buildings and forcing the analyst to make a crude assumption. Under the assumption that the average age of Carrefour’s buildings is 5 years, the carrying value of Net Buildings would have to be increased by an amount of â‚ ¬1,004 million ((5/20 – 5/40)x8,031) to retrospectively adjust Carrefour’s financial statements.Similarly, under the assumptio n that the average age of Carrefour’s buildings is 10 years, the carrying value of Net Buildings would have to be increased by an amount of â‚ ¬2,008 million ((10/20 – 10/40)x8,031) to retrospectively adjust Carrefour’s financial statements. In addition to the overly conservative depreciation rate on buildings, Carrefour’s noncurrent assets may be understated because the company has operating leases. At the end of 2005, Carrefour had large operating lease commitments. Exhibit TN-1 estimates the net present value of these commitments.The estimated NPV of Carrefour’s operating lease payments is approximately â‚ ¬3. 1 billion, which is equivalent to slightly more than 48 percent of Carrefour’s net non-current debt in 2005 (3,121/[10,443 – 226 – 3,773]) and implies an understatement of Carrefour’s non-current tangible assets by approximately 18 percent (3,121/[13,864 + 3,121). The use of operating leases is not abnorma l in the retailing industry. For example, at the end of the fiscal year ending on February 26, 2006 (labeled fiscal 2005), Tesco, one of Carrefour’s U. K. based competitors had operating leases for an estimated amount of ? 2,718 million, which was equivalent to slightly less than 75 percent of Tesco’s net non-current debt in 2005 (2,718/[4,958 – 1,325]) and implied an understatement of Tesco’s non-current tangible assets of approximately 15 percent (2,718/[15,882 + 2,718). – In summary, Carrefour’s non-current tangible assets appear to be understated by an amount in the range of â‚ ¬4 – 5 billion (or 22 – 27 percent (versus 15 percent for Tesco)). Question 3 Carrefour versus Tesco Exhibit TN-2 displays a set of ratios for Carrefour and Tesco.The ROE decomposition indicates that Carrefour has lower operating profit margins than Tesco but higher asset turnover. The net effect is that Carrefour has a moderately lower operating ROA than Tesco. Although Carrefour’s Operating ROA is lower than Tesco’s, Carrefour has a higher return on equity than Tesco, both in 2005 and 2004. The reason for this is that Carrefour is more leveraged than Tesco. Note that operating returns on assets are substantially greater than returns on assets. This is because both Carrefour and Tesco make much use of vendor financing, which makes their working capital negative.This emphasizes the importance of recasting the financial statements and using the alternative approach to ROE decomposition. The differences in the components of ROE between Carrefour and Tesco may find their origin in the strategic differences between both companies. However, they may also reflect differences in the effectiveness of operating management, investment management and financing decisions. We will discuss each of these sources below. Strategic differences. – Carrefour focuses more on creating a reputation for low prices and engages m ore in price competition with discounters than Tesco.Consequently, Carrefour’s profit margins are likely to be smaller at the benefit of higher asset turnover. – Tesco has a lower presence in non-European markets (such as Asia and South America) than Carrefour. Especially in these markets, entering multinational retailers such as Carrefour, Tesco and Wal Mart strongly compete on price to become the dominant market player. Operating management. – As indicated, Carrefour’s net operating profit margin is lower than Tesco’s, possibly because Carrefour engages in price competition more than Tesco. The ratio Cost of materials/sales indeed confirms this.In 2005, this ratio was 3. 6 percentage points higher for Carrefour than for Tesco, which illustrates the margin-reducing effect of price competition. Possibly because Carrefour competes less on product and services than Tesco, its personnel expenses as a percentage of sales were 1. 2 percentage point lowe r than Tesco’s. Depreciation and amortization charges as a percentage of sales are approximately equal for both competitors. Investment management. – The PPE/Sales ratio suggests that Tesco has invested a substantially larger amount in property, plant and equipment.There are various reasons for this difference: o Part of the difference between Carrefour and Tesco is due to the fact that Carrefour has a slightly greater proportion of its PP&E financed under operating lease agreements. Tesco’s decision to sell and leaseback a substantial proportion of its property suggests that Tesco’s management believes that Tesco does not yet optimally benefit from lease financing. In addition, Carrefour’s depreciation of buildings has been overly conservative in the years prior to 2004. Consequently, Carrefour’s understatement of non-current – – angible assets is estimated to be approximately 10 percent greater than Tesco’s (see also q uestion 2). o Statistics disclosed in the notes to the financial statements suggest that Tesco owns significantly more expensive stores (possibly at significantly more expensive locations) than Carrefour. In particular, the cost price of Tesco’s land and buildings per square meter equals ? 2,778 p. sq. m. (14,247/5. 129), or â‚ ¬4,086 p. sq. m. , whereas the same statistic equals â‚ ¬1,005 p. sq. m. (11,141/11. 08) for Carrefour (in fiscal 2005). o Sales per average square meter in fiscal 2005 was â‚ ¬6,850 (76,496/[0. x11. 08 + 0. 5Ãâ€"10. 671]) for Carrefour versus ? 8,140 p. sq. m. (39,454/[0. 5Ãâ€"5. 129 + 0. 5Ãâ€"4. 565]), or â‚ ¬11,972 p. sq. m. , for Tesco. Hence, although Carrefour’s square meters of store space are substantially less expensive, Carrefour needs, on average, more square meters than Tesco to generate a euro of sales. Although Carrefour’s PPE/Sales ratio is substantially lower than Tesco’s, the companies’ net no n-current asset/sales ratios are almost equal. (Note that part of the remaining difference is explained by the fact that Carrefour’s non-current assets are more understated than Tesco’s. The explanation for this is that Carrefour has a much greater amount of goodwill recognized on its balance sheet. This amount of goodwill has primarily arisen from the acquisitions of Compoirs Modernes (1998/99: â‚ ¬2,356m), Promodes (1999: â‚ ¬3,032m), GS (2000: â‚ ¬3,136m), and GB (2000: â‚ ¬1,128m). The negative effect of goodwill on asset turnover illustrates that Carrefour (past) strategy of growth through acquisitions has a downside: organic growth is typically more profitable than growth through acquisitions (see also question 2). Carrefour’s working capital turnover is substantially lower than Tesco’s.More specifically, it takes Carrefour approximately twice as much time as Tesco to sell its inventory. For a retailer, this is important because inventor ies comprise a large proportion of the company’s assets. This may be due to a difference in strategies: the company that sells relatively more non-food products will also have lower inventory turnover. Historically, Carrefour has been the European leader in selling a mix of food and non-food products. During the past decade Tesco has added more and more nonfood products to its assortment.Although both companies are not very open about their reliance on non-food sales, there are some (older) statistics available. In 2004, about 46 percent of Carrefour’s hypermarket sales came from dry grocery, 16 percent from fresh food, 17 percent from consumer electronics, 7 percent from apparel, and 14 percent from general merchandise. In comparison, 22 percent of Tesco U. K. sales came from non-food sales in 2004. Under the assumptions that (1) Carrefour sold its non-food products only in hypermarkets (which generated 8 percent of total 2004) and (2) Tesco sold a similar percentage of non-food products in its non-U.K. markets, the contribution of non-food products to the companies’ total sales is fairly comparable: 22 percent (0. 58 x [7% + 17% + 14%]) versus 22 percent. Carrefour’s trade receivables turnover is also substantially lower than Tesco’s. An important reason for this difference is that Carrefour’s financing company provides consumer credit to Carrefour’s customers. This credit has been extended to Carrefour’s customers through point-of-sale financing (offering a credit facility that enables customers to amortize the cost of their purchases over a longer period) or private credit cards.The short-term portion of this credit has been classified as trade receivables. Point-of-sale financing and private credit cards were common especially in Carrefour’s domestic market, France. Carrefour may therefore need to supply these financial services in order to effectively compete with its French industry peers. F inancial management. – Carrefour is more leveraged than Tesco. Carrefour’s degree of leverage is, however, not abnormal for a retailer. This is illustrated by the fact that Tesco has planned to sell and leaseback a substantial amount of property (more than ? billion) and return the proceeds of this transaction to its shareholders. The net effect of these transactions will be that Tesco’s leverage will get closer to Carrefour’s. In addition, Carrefour’s interest coverage ratios are—although lower than Tesco’s—sufficient, indicating that Carrefour experiences no problems to meet its interest obligations. Carrefour’s performance over time When analyzing Carrefour’s financial performance over time, the analysts has to take into account that Carrefour applied IFRS for the first time in 2005.A pragmatic approach to account for this is analyze year-to-year changes in ratios that are based on the same accounting standards (change in 2005 = IFRS-based change from 2004 to 2005; change in 2004 = French GAAP-based change from 2003 to 2004). Exhibit TN-3 displays the year-to-year changes in various ratios. The following changes are noteworthy: – Operating management. Both personnel expenses and cost of materials as a percentage of sales have increased during the past two years. As indicated, this most likely illustrates the margin-decreasing effect of severe price competition. – Investment management.In 2004, Carrefour managed to increase asset turnover, which mitigated the negative effect of the operating margin decrease on operating return on assets. In 2005, both margin and turnover decreased, suggesting that Carrefour has been unable to effectively compete on price. – Financial management. Leverage (as well as Carrefour’s financial leverage gain) decreased for three consecutive years. This seems inefficient because Carrefour’s spread is still positive and its intere st coverage is still sufficient. On the other hand, Carrefour’s financial spread, and with that the benefits of leverage, has decreased over the past two years.Analysis of Carrefour’s segment information Exhibit TN-4 displays several ratios that have been calculated using Carrefour’s segment information. Based on the segment analysis (at least) the following conclusions can be drawn: – The comparison of Carrefour’s with Tesco’s asset turnover illustrated that Carrefour’s sales per square meter of store space was substantially less than Tesco’s. The segment analysis shows that this difference in turnover is primarily caused by the underperformance of Carrefour’s stores outside France: o In 2005, sales per square meter was â‚ ¬10. 6 thousand in France versus â‚ ¬5. 90 thousand, â‚ ¬3. 13 thousand, and â‚ ¬3. 55 thousand in the Rest of Europe, South America, and Asia, respectively. o In 2005, fixed asset turnove r was 4. 51 in France versus 2. 18, 2. 62, and 2. 59 in the Rest of Europe, South America, and Asia, respectively. – EBIT margins were also much lower in Carrefour’s foreign markets than in its domestic market. However, like turnover, Carrefour’s profit margins declined in its domestic market after 2003. – There has been a strong decline in sales per square meter in France after 2002.This decline can possibly be attributed to Carrefour’s loss of market share in its domestic market. – During the first half of the 2000s, Carrefour primarily invested outside France. – It is puzzling that sales per square meter is substantially lower in hard discount stores (where one would expect low margins and high turnover) than in hypermarkets. Analysis of Carrefour’s cash flow performance Exhibit TN-5 displays Carrefour’s standardized cash flow statements. Between 2002 and 2005, Carrefour’s operating cash flow before working cap ital investments ranged from â‚ ¬3. 6 billion (in 2005) to â‚ ¬3. 9 billion (in 2003).In 2006, Carrefour will have (at least) the following uses of its cash flows: – Carrefour’s management announced in the company’s 2005 financial report that capital expenditures in the years 2006-2008 would be close to â‚ ¬3. 3 billion per year (on average). – Dividend payments equaled â‚ ¬758 million in 2005. Given the pattern of dividend increases over time, dividend payments in 2006 are likely to exceed â‚ ¬800 million. If in 2006 operating cash flow before working capital investments will be similar to historical values, Carrefour will need additional sources of cash to finance its investments and dividends.The question therefore arises as to what sources of cash flow might be available to the company: – Carrefour’s management is likely resist cutting dividends or raising new equity as this may put further pressure on the company’s share prices. – Like in previous years, the amount of net investments in non-current assets will be less than the amount of capital expenditures. This is so because Carrefour will divest stores that are underperforming. However, as restructuring progresses cash inflows from divestments can be expected to decrease. This illustrates the necessity for Carrefour to improve its cash flow from operations.As argued above, possible ways to do this is by improving margins outside France or by regaining market share in France. In addition, the company may reduce its investments in inventories either by improving logistics or by improving knowledge of customer preferences. Question 4 Analyst Chrystelle Moreau could use the following summary of key issues (and potential recommendations) arising from the analysis of Carrefour’s (and Tesco’s) financial statements: 1. The analysis suggest that Carrefour’s management should take actions to improve operations management. In particular: a. Carrefour’s low inventory turnover (relative to Tesco’s) suggests that the company needs to improve logistics. This would improve asset turnover, improve cash flow from operations and help the company to more effectively compete on price. b. Carrefour could also make better use of vendor financing. The company’s trade payables turnover is relatively high compared to Tesco’s. Vendor financing may help the company in lowering its net debt (and interest expense). 2. Compared to Tesco’s, Carrefour’s sales per square meter is too low: a.The decrease in France suggests that management should take action to regain market share in France (in accordance with its announced intentions). b. The observation that sales per square meter (and margins) are especially low in Carrefour’s foreign markets suggests that in those markets operations need to be improved. 3. It is questionable whether a focus on growth by adding stores is the most appropriate strategy for the near term. Given the low level of sales per square meter, a less expensive way of growing might be to focus on improving sales levels in Carrefour’s current stores.In addition, as indicated, asset turnover could be improved by improving logistics and, consequently, increasing inventory turnover. Finally, a substantial proportion of Carrefour’s net assets consists of goodwill. Adding more goodwill would probably have a further negative effect on the company’s abnormal profitability. One way to provide a powerful positive signal to investors about Carrefour’s future cash flow generating ability is to follow Tesco’s example in selling and leasing back a substantial proportion of the company’s property. (Analysts estimate Carrefour’s property to be worth â‚ ¬25 billion. The proceeds from this transaction could then be used to return cash to investors. Because future lease payments discipline managemen t’s actions and forces management to improve operating performance (see cash flow analysis), the transaction would signal management’s confidence in Carrefour’s future performance and has the potential to put an end to the company’s share price decline. Subsequent developments Carrefour continued the refocusing of its growth strategy under the adagio of â€Å"more square meters in fewer countries†. Carrefour expanded its store network primarily in Europe (especially outside France).The company disposed of its stores in underperforming markets, such as Mexico, Japan, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and South Korea and increased its store space in well-performing markets such as Poland, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Brazil, China and Taiwan. For example, in December 2006, Carrefour acquired all of Ahold’s Polish supermarkets and hypermarkets for the amount of â‚ ¬375 million. In September 2006, Carrefour announced its earnings for the first half year o f 2006. Both sales and net profit had increased relative to the first half of 2005. In particular, net profits had increased from â‚ ¬637 million to â‚ ¬706 million.The increase in net profits was, however, lower than analysts expected. On January 12, 2007, Carrefour announced that its fourth-quarter sales in 2006 had decreased by 1. 5 percent in comparison with fourth-quarter sales in 2005. Following this announcement, Carrefour’s share price decreased by 5 percent to â‚ ¬44. 50. On March 8, 2007, Carrefour’s President of the Supervisory Board (and protege of the company’s primary shareholder, the Halley Family), Luc Vandevelde, resigned, possibly as a result of a disagreement with the Halley Family. Vandevelde was replaced by Robert Halley.On the same day, private equity investor Bernard Arnault and US Fund Colony Capital acquired a 9. 8 percent stake in Carrefour. Analysts expected that they were planning to force Carrefour to sell (and lease back) i ts valuable property (estimated to be worth â‚ ¬25 billion). – – – – Exhibit TN-1 (1) Calculating the interest rate implicit in finance leases (implicit rate = 9. 6%) and (2) calculating the present value of operating lease payment using the implicit rate of 9. 6% Year Reported Payment finance leases â‚ ¬52 196 in 5 y. 196 in 5 y. 196 in 5 y. 196 in 5 y.PV Assumed PV PV Reported Assumed Payment factor finance Payment Payment operating finance leases operating operating leases leases leases leases â‚ ¬52 0. 9552 49. 7 751 751 717. 4 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 39. 2 8. 2 0. 8715 0. 7952 0. 7255 0. 6620 0. 6040 0. 5511 0. 5028 0. 4588 0. 4186 0. 3819 0. 3485 0. 3180 0. 2901 0. 2647 0. 2415 0. 2204 0. 2011 0. 1834 0. 1674 0. 1527 34. 2 1780 in 5 y. 31. 2 1780 in 5 y. 28. 4 1780 in 5 y. 26. 0 1780 in 5 y. 23. 7 1780 in 5 y. 21. 6 2670 in 7. 5 y. 19. 7 2670 in 7. 5 y. 18. 0 2670 in 7. 5 y. 6. 4 2670 15. 0 2670 13. 7 2670 12. 5 2670 11. 4 2670 10. 4 9. 5 8. 6 7. 9 7. 2 6. 6 1. 3 372. 6 in in in in in 7. 5 7. 5 7. 5 7. 5 7. 5 y. y. y. y. y. 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 178 310. 3 283. 1 258. 3 235. 7 215. 0 196. 2 179. 0 163. 3 149. 0 136. 0 124. 1 113. 2 51. 6 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 196 in 5 y. 2012 and 557 in 14. 2 y. subsequent (557/39. 2) 557 in 14. 2 y. 557 in 14. 2 y. 557 557 557 557 557 557 557 557 557 557 557 557 in in in in in in in in in in in in 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 14. 2 y. y. y. y. y. y. y. y. y. y. y. y. 3,132. 1Exhibit TN-2 Carrefour versus Tesco 2005 IFRS Traditional Decomposition of ROE Net profit margin (ROS) Asset turnover =Return on assets xFinancial leverage =Return on equity (ROE) 1. 9% 1. 61 3. 1% 5. 52 17. 1% 2004 IFRS 2. 2% 1. 73 3. 8% 6. 06 22. 9% Carrefour 2004 2003 French French GAAP GAAP 1. 9% 1. 86 3. 6% 5. 16 18. 4% 2. 3% 1. 80 4. 2% 5. 51 23. 0% Tesco 2002 French GAAP 2. 0% 1. 77 3. 5% 5. 88 20. 7% 2001 French GAAP 1. 8% 1. 60 2. 9% 5. 89 17. 2% 2005 IFRS 4. 0% 1. 75 7. 0% 2. 41 16. 7% 2004 IFRS 4. 0% 1. 68 6. 7% 2. 34 15. 6% Distinguishing Operating and Financing Components in ROE Decomposition Net operating profit margin 2. % 2. 6% 2. 3% xNet operating asset turnover 3. 55 3. 91 4. 65 =Operating ROA 8. 1% 10. 1% 10. 9% Spread 6. 0% 7. 7% 7. 0% xFinancial leverage 1. 50 1. 67 1. 07 =Financial leverage gain 9. 0% 12. 8% 7. 5% ROE = Operating ROA + Financial leverage gain 17. 1% 22. 9% 18. 4% Asset Management Ratios Operating working capital/Sales Net non-current assets/Sales PP&E/Sales Operating working capital turnover Net non-current asset turnover PP&E turnover Accounts receivable turnover Inventory turnover Accounts payable turnover Days' accounts receivable Days' inventory Days' accounts payable . 8% 4. 37 12. 4% 8. 3% 1. 28 10. 6% 23. 0% 2. 7% 4. 09 10. 9% 6. 4% 1. 54 9. 9% 20. 7% 2. 6% 4. 00 10. 5% 4. 9% 1. 35 6. 7% 17. 2 % 4. 2% 2. 69 11. 3% 9. 6% 0. 56 5. 4% 16. 7% 4. 2% 2. 56 10. 9% 8. 8% 0. 54 4. 8% 15. 6% -9. 2% 37. 3% 18. 6% -10. 9 2. 7 5. 4 12. 8 9. 6 7. 0 28. 1 37. 5 51. 5 -10. 1% 35. 7% 18. 0% -9. 9 2. 8 5. 5 15. 2 10. 1 8. 2 23. 7 35. 5 43. 8 -11. 7% 33. 2% 17. 7% -8. 5 3. 0 5. 6 23. 8 9. 1 7. 5 15. 2 39. 7 48. 1 -10. 0% 32. 9% 17. 4% -10. 0 3. 0 5. 8 22. 2 9. 6 7. 7 16. 3 37. 5 46. 7 -9. 5% 33. 9% 18. 0% -10. 5 2. 9 5. 5 21. 8 9. 3 8. 0 16. 38. 7 44. 8 -10. 3% 35. 3% 19. 6% -9. 7 2. 8 5. 1 23. 6 9. 1 7. 3 15. 3 39. 5 49. 3 -8. 3% 45. 5% 40. 3% -12. 0 2. 2 2. 5 44. 2 20. 2 3. 2 8. 1 17. 8 113. 9 -9. 2% 48. 3% 42. 9% -10. 9 2. 1 2. 3 44. 0 19. 3 2. 9 8. 2 18. 6 122. 6 Exhibit TN-3 Carrefour’s performance over time 2003 to 2004 2004 to French 2005 GAAP IFRS Common-sized Income Statement: percentage point changes in†¦ Sales 0. 0% 0. 0% – Cost of Sales -0. 2% -0. 3% – SG -0. 1% 0. 1% – Depreciation and Amortization 0. 3% 0. 0% – Other Operating Income, Ne t of Other Operating Expenses -0. 4% -0. % – Net Interest Expense or Income 0. 0% 0. 1% – Investment Income 0. 0% 0. 0% – Tax Expense 0. 0% 0. 0% – Minority Interest 0. 0% 0. 0% Net Profit -0. 3% -0. 4% Pro forma income statement items: percentage point changes in†¦ – Cost of Materials (nature) -0. 2% -0. 3% – Personnel Expenses (nature) -0. 5% -0. 2% – Depreciation and Amortization 0. 3% 0. 0% 2002 to 2003 French GAAP 0. 0% -0. 1% 0. 3% 0. 1% -0. 1% 0. 2% -0. 1% -0. 1% 0. 1% 0. 3% 2001 to 2002 French GAAP 0. 0% 0. 2% 0. 3% 0. 1% -0. 2% 0. 1% 0. 0% -0. 2% 0. 0% 0. 2% -0. 1% -0. 1% 0. 1% 0. 2% 0. 1% 0. 1%Distinguishing Operating and Financing Components in ROE Decomposition: percentage (point) changes in†¦ Net operating profit margin -0. 3% -0. 5% 0. 2% 0. 0% xNet operating asset turnover -9. 1% 6. 6% 6. 7% 2. 2% =Operating ROA -2. 0% -1. 5% 1. 5% 0. 4% Spread -1. 7% -1. 3% 1. 9% 1. 5% xFinancial leverage -10. 4% -16. 4% -16. 9% 13. 5% =Financial leverage gain -3. 8% -3. 2% 0. 7% 3. 2% ROE = Operating ROA + Financial leverage gain -5. 8% -4. 6% 2. 2% 3. 6% Asset Management Ratios: percentage (point) changes in†¦ Operating working capital/Sales 0. 9% Net non-current assets/Sales 1. 6% PP/Sales 0. % Operating working capital turnover 10. 1% Net non-current asset turnover -4. 4% PP turnover -3. 1% Accounts receivable turnover -15. 7% Inventory turnover -5. 5% Accounts payable turnover -14. 9% Days' accounts receivable (change in days) -1. 2 Days' inventory (change in days) 4. 4 Days' accounts payable (change in days) 2. 1 -1. 8% 0. 4% 0. 4% -15. 2% -1. 1% -2. 0% 7. 2% -5. 6% -2. 8% -1. 1 2. 2 1. 3 -0. 5% -1. 1% -0. 6% -4. 8% 3. 2% 3. 6% 1. 7% 3. 3% -4. 0% -0. 3 -1. 2 1. 9 0. 9% -1. 4% -1. 6% 9. 1% 4. 1% 8. 9% -7. 6% 1. 9% 10. 0% 1. 3 -0. 7 -4. 5 Exhibit TN-4 Segment analysis France 4. 1% 5. 50% 6. 00% 5. 88% 5. 55% 5. 16% 3. 62% 4. 51 5. 09 5. 23 5. 17 4. 95 4. 57 4. 11 2. 22% 2. 45% 2. 29% 1. 73% 2. 26% 2. 00% 4. 04% Rest of Europe 4. 22% 3. 94% 3. 73% 3. 37% 3. 31% 3. 69% 2. 15% 2. 18 2. 31 2. 19 2. 01 1. 93 1. 55 1. 88 4. 40% 3. 72% 4. 58% 5. 18% 6. 49% 6. 10% 14. 00% Latin America 2. 62% 1. 06% 0. 28% 0. 43% 0. 63% 2. 47% 3. 48% 2. 62 2. 33 2. 26 2. 48 2. 16 1. 73 1. 44 4. 89% 4. 89% 6. 39% 5. 13% 4. 38% 5. 19% 19. 25% Asia 3. 22% 2. 92% 3. 08% 3. 04% 2. 93% 2. 49% 1. 54% 2. 59 2. 56 2. 44 2. 37 2. 20 2. 19 1. 50 6. 63% 6. 59% 9. 40% 7. 65% 6. 96% 9. 02% 23. 10%EBIT margin 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 Fixed asset turnover CAPX to sales Exhibit TN-4 Segment analysis (continued) France Sales per sq. m. 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 10. 96 11. 69 12. 23 12. 62 12. 64 12. 62 NA Rest of Europe 5. 90 6. 36 6. 39 5. 70 5. 90 5. 84 NA NA Latin America 3. 13 2. 55 2. 43 3. 00 4. 73 5. 58 NA Asia 3. 55 3. 41 3. 78 4. 41 5. 08 5. 21 Hypermarket 6. 18 6. 12 6. 39 6. 56 7. 23 7. 40 7. 49 Supermarket 5. 71 5. 64 5. 57 5. 80 6. 38 6. 59 5. 65 Hard discount 3. 85 3. 97 3. 93 5. 03 4. 8 5. 01 4. 58 Sales per store 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 21. 38 23. 41 24. 66 26. 49 26. 41 19. 80 20. 50 6. 61 7. 09 7. 08 6. 94 6. 95 5. 64 4. 83 6. 21 5. 52 5. 67 7. 72 12. 98 16. 72 18. 98 13. 55 15. 00 23. 30 37. 72 43. 50 43. 99 32. 47 52. 21 53. 08 55. 45 57. 60 62. 40 67. 04 66. 83 8. 73 8. 75 8. 63 8. 63 10. 29 10. 26 10. 20 1. 49 1. 35 1. 41 1. 74 1. 66 1. 67 1. 46 Sq. m. per store 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1. 95 2. 00 2. 02 2. 10 2. 09 1. 57 NA NA 1. 12 1. 12 1. 11 1. 22 1. 18 0. 96 NA 1. 98 2. 17 2. 34 2. 57 2. 74 3. 00 NA 3. 82 4. 40 6. 17 8. 54 8. 56 8. 45 . 45 8. 67 8. 68 8. 78 8. 64 9. 06 8. 93 1. 53 1. 55 1. 55 1. 49 1. 61 1. 56 1. 81 0. 39 0. 38 0. 36 0. 35 0. 34 0. 33 0. 32 Exhibit TN-5 Cash flow analysis 2005 IFRS Net profit Profit before taxes minus Taxes paid After-tax net interest expense (income) Non-operating losses (gains) Non-current operating accruals Operating cas h flow before working capital investments Net (investments in) or liquidation of operating working capital Operating cash flow before investment in non-current assets Net (investment in) or liquidation of non-current operating assets Free cash flow available to debt nd equity After-tax net interest expense (income) Net debt (repayment) or issuance Free cash flow available to equity Dividend (payments) Net share (repurchase) or issuance Net increase (decrease) in cash balance 2004 IFRS 2004 French GAAP 1,509. 1 2003 French GAAP 1,737. 6 2002 French GAAP 1,539. 4 2001 French GAAP 1,438. 5 1,943. 0 263. 6 (206. 0) 1,564. 0 3,564. 6 175. 0 3,739. 6 (2,617. 0) 1,122. 6 (263. 6) 428. 0 1,287. 0 (758. 0) 88. 0 617. 0 1,723. 0 279. 7 (103. 0) 1,939. 0 3,838. 7 875. 0 4,713. 7 (2,148. 0) 2,565. 7 (279. ) (1,723. 0) 563. 0 (677. 0) (368. 0) (482. 0) 317. 7 (117. 9) 2,102. 2 3,811. 1 841. 2 4,652. 3 (2,146. 6) 2,505. 7 (317. 7) (1,675. 0) 513. 0 (608. 9) (367. 6) (463. 5) 368. 9 (253. 7) 2,066 . 0 3,918. 8 323. 0 4,241. 8 (1,966. 2) 2,275. 6 (368. 9) (855. 4) 1,051. 3 (522. 5) 17. 3 546. 1 453. 4 (344. 6) 1,950. 0 3,598. 2 (149. 0) 3,449. 2 (3,163. 7) 285. 5 (453. 4) (1,541. 1) (1,709. 0) (475. 5) 300. 4 (1,884. 1) 550. 3 (1,193. 9) 2,537. 8 3,332. 7 837. 9 4,170. 6 (1,005. 6) 3,165. 0 (550. 3) (559. 4) 2,055. 3 (424. 6) 183. 7 1,814. 4