...Analysis of "Still I Rise" Initial Thoughts I have always enjoyed Maya Angelou's poetry. After reading "Still I Rise" I have a feeling of joy and pride. I picture the struggles she must have gone thru throughout her life. I imagine the pain and hurt she has endured and yet she is still a confident, secure, black woman. I feel as though she is taunting and chastising those that have ridiculed her: "Does my sassiness upset you?," "Does my haughtiness offend you?," and "Does my sexiness offend you?". I picture her speaking these words to those that have hindered her with a smile on her face, filled with confidence. I rejoice in her strength. I applaud her for standing up for herself and others that have gone thru the same suffering. I love how she states an insult that she has received and comes back with self assurance and a relentless stance: "still I'll rise." The wittiness is comical and clever: "'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room," "'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard," and " That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?" Historical Context Angelou, a Postmodernism poet, wrote "Still I Rise" in 1978. Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1928 as Marguerite Johnson (Biography.com). Angelou grew up during an age with racial prejudice and gender inequality in the United States. African Americans did not get the right to vote until 1965. Even to this day, there are still racial tensions...
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...Running head: Analysis of “Still I Rise” 1 Analysis of “Still I Rise” When reading, “Still I Rise”, by Maya Angelou, I immediately get a sense of perseverance and pride. The author seems to be addressing her adversaries directly through her words. I love the imagery used in this poem. I can almost see the dust rising and can feel the swelling of the black ocean that the author mentions. “Cause I walk like I got oil wells pumping in my living room”(Angelou, 1978), and, “Laugh like I’ve got gold mines diggin’ in my own back yard” (Angelou, 1978), tells me that the author feels that her life is joyous and priceless, and can’t be taken away. As the phrase, “I Rise” (Angelou, 1978), is repeated again and again, it’s as if I can hear the author’s voice becoming louder and louder, declaring that her spirit will not be broken. It is the voice of someone who has not only persevered, but has triumphed and now thrives! “Still I Rise” was published in 1978, during the postmodern era. This was a period that saw much political and social change, particularly for African Americans. The 60’s brought about desegregation and the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Maya Angelou lived in the South, Arkansas, for a time during her childhood. There was much white resistance to the ending of segregation in the Southern states. During the 60’s and 70’s, many American cities were swept by race riots. Civil Rights activists organized marches and protests around the country...
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...“Still I Rise” Maya Angelou I could tell right away from the poem’s description, imagery, and repetition that she was directing her thoughts towards someone who was trying to hurt her. “Still I Rise” and “I rise” were her saying over and over you can keep trying to put me down but I’m going to keep getting up. She portrays a strong woman with supreme attitude and stresses that the person didn’t like her how she was. She identifies that she has a strong attitude with words like “sassiness”, “haughtiness” and “sexiness”. Her self-described attitude can be compared to today’s reference of a “Diva”. I am interested in her strength in an era where the woman’s movement was just beginning. She was so far ahead of her time and willing to talk about it. I can tell in her words that she has been brought down in the past by this person. She describes being shot down by their words, being glared at and having hate directed at her. She keeps telling the other person that I will not let you bring me down and every time you do, I will get stronger and stronger. She references that she creates waves like the moon and the sun, that she is challenging and the other person doesn’t like it. She felt the other person was trying to break her down and be dominating but she was a strong woman and would not let that happen. In the end, she says she is leaving all her negatives in the past and focusing on the future. She is a wanted person and she has pride. Maya Angelou was an author...
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..."The rise in disposable income and the change in government policy has created an environment for global companies to enter the Chinese market." we will focus on luxury products Question - How has the income levels changed in the Chinese economy and what factors contribute to the change in the income levels. Also what factors (from an income standpoint) should western firms keep in mind when deciding to serve the Chinese market. As per the Mckinsey Global Institute (MGI), in 1985, 99 percent of the household lived on income less than 25,00 reminbi, or $3019 per year. An estimated 116 million people in china were living less than $1 a day, by 2004 this number has been by 53 percent to just under 54 million. This has been a historical achievement in one generation. Chinas pro-market reforms and integration into the global economy has enabled China to achieve such success. As real average disposable income for households has grown 3.2 times over the past 20 years to 25,348 renminbi today, china has developed a structure of distinct income levels and the rise of the middle class. Even though there remains a huge income gap between the rural and urban population. The disposable income for people living in the rural and urban population is increasing. The diagrams on the right depict the rise in their disposal income level in urban and rural households. Due to the rapid pace of urbanization in China, the annual disposable income per capita for urban households is climbing...
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...Financial Analysis The purpose of my paper is to make financial comparisons between PepsiCo, Inc., and Coca Cola. I will be using Vertical and Horizontal analysis, and as Ration Analysis to form my opinion. PepsiCo, Inc. and Coca Cola have been a part of American life for so long that both companies are both taken for granted even though PepsiCo, Inc and Coca Cola are both internationally know the public does not know much about the history of the two corporate giants. Because I am doing a financial comparison of the two, I wanted to know a little history of each company. Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola are two of the world’s best known cola distributers. They have both become strong in the international marketplace. A little knowledge about the history of each company is in order. Pepsi Cola was founded in the late 1890s’ by a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham from North Carolina. In 1961 the Frito Company founded in 1932 merged with the H.W. Lay Company, founded in 1932, to form Frito-Lay, Inc. 1965 Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cols merged to become PepsiCo, (Our History, 2009). In 1886 in Atlanta Georgia John Pemberton, a pharmacist trying to make a new flavor for a fountain drink invented Coca-Cola. A few doors down at Jacobs Pharmacy he added Carbonated water and started selling his drink for five cents a glass. Pemberton’s book keeper wrote the script still used today. Pemberton passed away just two years later and in 1888 businessman Asa Griggs Candler bought the rights and turned Coca-Cola...
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...Introduction | 4 | Company Analysis | 5-7 | Event Analysis | 8-10 | Competitors Analysis | 11-13 | Conclusion | 14 | References | 15 | | | Executive Summary: Marks and Spencer has been described in the "FTSE UK Series, which measure the performance of the 100 largest companies traded on the London Stock Exchange that pass screening for size and liquidity, as a nationally recognized, well-established and financially secure company" (FTSE.com). Although Marks and Spencer has a good financial position and reputation in the market, there are times where the price of its shares fluctuate as on the 27th February UBS – a financial services company - included Marks and Spencer to its “buy” list, as a result the share price of Marks and Spencer raised from 353.4 to 360.1 (Financial Times (a)) and there was a fall in the share price in the beginning of October, mid November and at the launch of March caused by the fall in the market value. The increase in Marks and Spencer share price on the 27th February and the UBS decision to put M&S on its buying list could be linked to announcement of the Interim Management Statement on the 10th of January which indicated the glowing performance that M&S done in the 3rd quarter of its financial year. Marks and Spencer have many competitors, Sainsbury’s as they offer same standard of Marks and Spencer food and NEXT for the same quality of clothing. Sainsbury’s share price tend to have almost the same rises and falls of Marks...
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...Business Analysis Last four digits of student ID #: Name of the business: More Vino LTD. Nature of the business: Wine/Alcohol Retailer, Bar and Restaurant, Wholesaler, and Delivery Marketing analysis: In early 2005, Christian and David Stone founded More Vino LTD in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The Stone brothers strived to become one of the leading distributors and retailers of the finest local and imported wines. Considering that there were few others who had yet penetrated this industry, they have the competitive advantage of carrying a very wide and exclusive selection of alcohol products. The island of Trinidad is a very well known year round vacation spot for tourists and locals. Demand for this company is typically seasonal and increasing in the peak times of both summer and winter. The foundation for their increasing sales growth is highly dependent on strong economic conditions of Trinidad, as well as its thriving levels of tourism. Sales growth increases by 101% between 2006 and 2007. This growth is mainly attributed to the retail consumption, rather than the expected wholesale and delivery portion of the company. An increase in inventory was necessary to accommodate the increase in demand for that sector. With that said, the Stone brothers found it crucial to find funding to expand their retail business. Increases in sales further suggest that their marketing strategies are efficient and helping to give their business more recognition. Wine tasting events and special...
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...economy in all of Latin America. On a global scale, Brazil has the world’s seventh largest economy and is predicted to become one of five largest economies in the near future. The Brazilian economy is sustained by the country’s abundant natural resources and impressively large labor force. (Rhoter, 2010) The following paper will examine this nation’s currency, the Brazilian real, against the United States dollar in order to perform an accurate macroeconomic analysis. The exchange-traded fund for Brazil, EWZ will be studied over the five year period ending in 2010. Starting in January of 2005, the exchange-traded fund (ETF) consistently remained in the low 20s (in U.S. dollars). February saw a slight rise in the value as the EWZ reached over 25 dollars before dropping again to the low 20s in March and April. As 2005 continued, the currency began again rising, but this time did not stop in the mid 20s. August saw the EWZ value reach almost 30 and by the end of the year the ETF was already in the mid 30s. It continued to rise in the new year, reaching an all-time high above 46 dollars before dropping back into the 30s in late May. The value further recessed in June back to values of the previous year before rebounding and remaining in the mid 40s for the final two months of the year. Should have a chart here to provide a visual aide and not just rounded off numbers presented as text. 2007 was perhaps the most prosperous year for the economy of Brazil, as the EWZ value stagnated...
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...1. Incremental cash flows are ultimately the relevant cash flows to be used in project analysis. It is the difference between the cash flows the firm will have if it implements the project, and the cash flows the firm will have if it rejects the project. Although they are a cash expense, interest expenses are not included in project cash flows. We discount a projects cash flows by using its weighted average cost of capital (WACC), which already includes the cost of debt. Therefore, we do not include interest expenses in cash flows because it would essentially be counting them twice. 2. The $150,000 test marketing cost should not be included in the analysis because it is a sunk cost. A sunk cost is an outlay related to the project that was incurred in the past and cannot be recovered in the future. It has already been paid for and does not qualify as an incremental cost, thus making it irrelevant for the analysis. 3. The offer from Cranberry Association to lease the space for $25,000/year over 20 years can be incorporated in as an opportunity cost. Opportunity costs relate to assets that the firm already owns. Cranfield is using an unused space in the factory that they own for this new project. They are saving an X amount of dollars by already having that space available to them at no extra cost. However, the opportunity to lease for that $25,000/year over the next 20 years acts as an opportunity cost in this case. If the project is rejected, Cranfield could receive that...
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...Horizontal analysis is an approach used by potential investors who want to examine the trend in profitability of a specific company. Investors could look at items such as sales and see a rise or decline but most prefer to look deeper into the company, as horizontal analysis is “only a first indication of the financial position of the company” (Hann, P. 2011). Because of this, vertical analysis is often required as more evidence to back up these claims. Generally the first item looked at on the Horizontal Analysis is Revenues. For Xerox, going back three years, it appears as though they have an upward trend in sales right now. They jumped from 102.9% in 2011 to 103.5% in 2012. The rise in sales in both upward and steady. Next, an investor might be likely to look at the Horizontal data for Gross Profit for a firm. Here the investor will discover that the percentage in profit has dropped from 2011 to 2012. It was a large dip from 99.57% to 94.20% at last tally, in 2012. This means the company is experiencing a downward trend. To discover the reasons why, the investor might then want to take a look at the cost of sales for Xerox. The cost of sales in Xerox’s case is significantly higher than their actual sales, and this has been an upward trend as well, since the cost of sales for this company also appears to be steadily climbing. Cost of sales is an important piece of information for an investor to have. “Professional investors pay close attention to the cost of sales because...
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...Wal-Mart?! I am sure everyone has gone there at least one time. Wal-Mart is a multi-million company, and some people have stock with the company. I actually worked for Wal-Mart for almost three years. I believe I can inform people on whether to invest in this company. Wal-Mart: Big Business Sam Walton is the mastermind behind Wal-Mart. Mr. Walton created Wal-Mart in 1962. He declared that tree policy goals would define his business: respect for the individual, service to customers, and striving for excellence (www.walmart.com). Wal-Mart keeps their prices low by reducing cost by the use of advanced electronic technology. It also negotiates deals for merchandise directly from manufactures, eliminating the middleman (Vance, 72). Wal-Mart currently has 1,093 supercenters, 502 Sam’s Club, 31 Wal-Mart Neighborhood stores, and 1,183 international stores. The Wal-Mart stores offer “one-stop shopping”. As I stated previously, you can find everything at Wal-Mart groceries, health and beauty aids, and apparel. SWOT Analysis Trying to determine whether or not I should invest in Wal-Mart, I need to gather as much information I can get in order to make the right decision. I thought that one of the things I could do was a SWOT analysis of the company. By gathering information for the SWOT analysis, I can determine the important factors that will help me decide to invest my money in Wal-Mart. Strengths I am a former employee of Wal-Mart, and I can tell...
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...avail our special discount packages. You can also add me on Skype ghostwritingmania or email me ghostwritingmania@yahoo.com for any further discussion...Looking forward to working together on long term. Project Objectives and Research Approach: The topic I selected for my BSc RAP is ‘The Business and Financial Performance of an Organization over a three year period.’ Reasons for choosing the Topic: For any organization to breath it is essential that it copes with environment through its strengths and strategies and manages finance effectively. An organization’s Business & Financial performance plays a leading role in deciding its position in the industry. That’s why I chose this topic as it is even more important to know an organization’s performance during a Global Economic meltdown when markets have been declining. Even more, this has been the major part of my studies and I had a chance to enhance my knowledge and develop practical skills in the area. Reasons for choosing the Industry: I chose automobile industry as it is a major sector of the country having a major contribution to the economy. Secondly, I wanted to know about challenges being faced by the auto sector during the financial crisis. Thirdly, I was curious to know about the key players of the industry and to find out about one’s performance. Reason for choosing the Company: Honda Atlas is a joint venture between Honda Motor Company Japan and the...
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...for increasing your sales. The analysis and recommendations below are based on the data you provided, which covers a period from May 2004 through June 2006. The analysis below is based on this data alone. Therefore, our recommendations should be tempered by your knowledge of business realities and your market. Please let us know if we can answer any questions concerning the analysis or the recommendations provided. ANALYSIS 1 : Salesperson Performance Data Analysis Analysis of salesperson performance data over a 2 year period shows that your bottom 5 sales producers are in order from most sales to least sales: 1. King 2. Callahan 3. Dodsworth 4. Suyama 5. Buchanan Although King’s sales before discount were the highest of the bottom 5, his sales after discount were slightly lower, while Callahan’s sales stayed about the same before and after discounted sales. Dodsworth again didn’t have much variation between his before and after discount sales. Suyama had higher sales after discounts than before, while Buchanan had lower sales after discounts than before. The top 4 sales performers are in order from most sales to least sales: 1. Peacock 2. Leverling 3. Davolio 4. Fuller Peacock and Fuller’s sales were approximately the same before and after discounts, while Leverling and Davolio’s sales were actually higher after discounts. Graphic Recommendation After analyzing the data provided I would recommend that a bottom sales...
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...Comparative Analysis: NYPD & DHS - Homegrown Terrorism”: Richard A. Myers HSM421: Research & Analysis in Homeland Security (CAI1325A) Instructor: Dawn Brown July 8, 2013 This paper will serve as a comparative analysis on the research techniques between The New York Police Department (NYPD) Radicalization Report of May 2007, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Right-wing Extremism Report of April 2009. The NYPD introduces a framework supporting the progression of impressionable, alienated individuals in the United States progressing into radical extreme Islam with the propensity for terrorism. The DHS takes a look back in comparison to the 1990s and the similar factors that may be influencing a potential rise in activity and recruiting of white supremacy groups and militias. The New York Police Department Intelligence Division explored the extreme Islamic radicalization process of “unremarkable” individuals living in the West since September 11, 2001. The NYPD compared and assessed cases from the Madrid attack of March 2004, Amsterdam’s Hofstad Group, London attack of July 2005 to The Toronto 18 Case, discussing the reference points of the al-Qaeda inspired ideology against the homegrown terrorism cases of Lackawana, New York, Portland Oregon, Northern Virginia, New York City’s Herald Square Subway, and The AL Muhajiroun Two of New York City. The NYPD analyzed the framework; pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination to full blown...
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...Cola Wars Strategy Case Analysis Executive Summary: Together, Pepsi and Coke have historically dominated the carbonated soft drink (CSD) market while competing fiercely with each other for market share in the U.S. Until the late 1990s, CSD consumption in the U.S. grew at a healthy annual rate of 3% - 7%, and both Coke and Pepsi were able to prosper. However, largely due to health issues related to the consumption of soft drinks, consumption of CSDs in the U.S. has been declining since the late 1990s. A five forces analysis of the soft drink industry (Exhibit 1) shows that focusing on the CSD market is not likely to be a highly profitable strategy going forward. I recommend that Pepsi focus on continued innovation and expansion into “non carbs” in both the U.S. and in emerging markets where Coke does not already have a dominant presence. Key Questions/Issues: Pepsi and Coke focused on producing concentrate, or flavor base, for the beverages while leaving the bottling function to nationwide networks of franchisees. The concentrate business was much more profitable than bottling due to lower fixed costs, lower operating costs, and the well-known brands of the concentrate producers. The concentrate industry had a low threat of entry, low bargaining power for suppliers and low to moderate bargaining power for buyers (whereas bottlers faced very high bargaining power from their suppliers—Coke and Pepsi), and a market with healthy levels of growth. In the 1980s...
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