Antebellum families and women generally(base on the book I list in Essay

Antebellum families and women generally(base on the book I list in details) - Essay Example He notes that the Celias defense questioned the role of the white man as the protector of women within southern society, analyzing the concept of male honor, a key factor of the Souths social system. It highlighted the plight of young female slaves who were sexually manipulated. The case had a major significance in that it created boundaries of slavery in Missouri. Celias story generally portrays a political and legal system that condoned rape and sexual abuse of female slaves in Antebellum families. In the 1800s, slavery became an ingrained economic and legal institution (Williamson and Cain, 1). In Antebellum families, owning slaves was prestigious, a measure of wealth. Bales notes that slaves cost around $40,000 in Antebellum at the time. Robert Newson viewed his slaves as a perfect reward for the years he had spent laboring (McLaurin, 8). Slaves were used and abused by their master, and Newton’s relations with Celia were no different. Newton raped his new slave on their trip home, an indication that he hoped to use her as a sexual tool following his wife’s death (McLaurin 18). Newton employed her as the house cook, a possible cover up of his sexual relations with Celia. She was exposed to continuous sexual exploitation by her master (McLaurin 22) who considered sexual relations with her his privilege (McLaurin 28-29). He granted her favors due to their sexual relationship. She owned her own cabin very close to the family house - a very rare occurrence in Antebe llum America. She bore two children, believed to be fathered by Newton. Slaves were regarded as insignificant. They were powerless and defenseless. Gordon-Reed (p.50) highlights the paradoxical role of sexual relations between masters and slaves, despite the stigma attached to slaves. When George, a fellow slave fell in love with Celia, he was so frustrated that he could not protect Celia from the man who owned them both (McLaurin 25). Slaves were their owners’ property. George and Celia were

Symbols of a Worn Path Essay Example for Free

Symbols of a Worn Path Essay Phoenix Jackson; an old negro woman that partakes on a journey to take medicine to her sick nephew that is off in another town. Phoenix is old and through the story there are many accounts that I think are symbolic to being of age. Being one with nature Phoenix Jackson is determined to travel through the forest to tend to her sick nephew. The story itself was full of symbols, some that where more noticeable then others. Phoenix’s face was said to look like a tree with burning glow under it. Pretty much saying she was one with nature, that she was in touch with the natural side of things. And her name is Phoenix which is the same name of the mythical Egyptian bird that lives for 500 years, and then dies but for 500 years it regenerates itself. Her name symbolizes in her old age she lives on. In her old age she is also in touch with nature as her tree trunk like face shows. There are many times she talks to the animals: â€Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animal! Keep out from under these feet, little bob-whites. Keep the big wild hogs out of my path. Don’t let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way†(1) as in touch she is with nature, there are many instances that the forest showed signs of death when she seen a buzzard sitting on a dead tree, then she seen a scare crow. That also represents death, but she ended up dancing with the scare crow like she was dancing around death. So far through the journey Phoenix came upon many different things. She even had a symbolic dream; which had her reaching for a marble cake from a young boy which symbolized her living for a longer period of time. It also had a simple reason, just her hallucinating because of old age. But along the way Phoenix came across a well that she drank from that meant longevity. A lot of the symbols in the story had to do with her age or death. Soon after she was done drinking from the spring, a black dog came at her growling which symbolizes death once again. She hit the dog and it ran away. After the encounter with the dog Phoenix stumbles in falls into a ditch. Where she douses off and has a dream of her reaching and nobody pulling her up. Which symbolizes God looking down at her but does not reach for her because it is not her time to go to Heaven. After she wakes up from her dream she gets out the ditch and comes across a white hunter with two growling dogs. In her whole Journey she had many encounters with symbols of death, but made it through the forest to get the medicine to her sick grandson. â€Å"Critical discussion of A Worn Path largely has been concerned with thematic interpretation of the work, particularly the storys racial, mythological, and Christian motifs.† (2) Sometimes even called a Christian pilgrimage, because of the times God is mentioned and how she is still holding on to life. And he going through that forest sacrificing herself could go back to the scarifies Jesus did. But even with those things in it, there were still symbols of the mythological creature. As Phoenix walked through the forest she struggled with bad vision and hallucinations but still made it to the hospital to help her grandson. â€Å"The combined effects of her old age, her poor vision, and her poetic view of the world heighten the lyricism and symbolism of the narrative.† (2) Which made the story more interesting to the readers. Every hardship had a different meaning, and brought her closer to her goal.

Antigone: A Woman Who Believes In The Power Of Women :: essays research papers

A Woman Who Believes In The Power of Women Scene I: The Trial Introduction At the law firm of Theban Associates, one of the lead partners is Antigone, she is a hard worker whose intentions usually consist of reaching a compromise between the government and her client. As a defense attorney, her line of work is quite demanding and difficult since she is a female working in a male dominated world. While being placed in this position, Antigone is able to appreciate how difficult things are for a woman in society, even in today's world. She realizes that regardless of the anti-gender bias laws that have been passed, society still views women as baby-machines and they are constantly degraded and viewed as inferior to man. Antigone's new client, Medea, is responsible for the brutal murder of her two children and of her husband's new bride to be. Although Antigone disagrees with Medea's actions, she takes the case because she feels that it is a way to show the world that even today, in the new millennium, women's actions are still measured harsher than those of men. In other words, Medea claims that she took drastic measures in order to retaliate against her husband for leaving her alone in the world, but it was the only way that she could truly finish him and make everyone think about they way the world is run today. When the case is taken to trial Antigone takes an excessive amount of criticism and beating from her friends and colleagues as well as the media. She is said to be inhuman and her prerogative to why she has chosen to defend this demand woman, Medea is questioned. In addition, her place in society as a prominent "female" attorney is disregarded because her moral and ethical values are questioned. Yet, despite these terrible things, Antigone holds her head up high and walks into the courtroom determined to defend her client as best she could. In this courtroom it is inexplicable to anyone how somebody could murder her own children to teach her husband a lesson, every individual has forgotten their oath and placed their own personal opinion into their work, including Judge Good. Before starting, Antigone turns to the Chorus for moral support. In reply they tell her to do her job as she has in the past, and to remember what is the true reason why she has decided to take this case.

Resume Example Essay

Objective: To obtain a challenging post at your reputable organization that will utilize both my educational background and professional experience to contribute to the organization’s noble and humanitarian goals and simultaneously provide excellent opportunities for career development and personal growth. An aspiring team worker, hard working and dedicated professional who wants to meet the challenges posed in the industry and to contribute towards the growth of the organization along with self-motivation. Work Experience: Export documentation (CMA CGM Shipping India Pvt Ltd, Chennai) (Apr 2012 to May 2013) – Functional Tasks * Prioritize keying of the Shipping Instructions based on ACI / AMS and Vessel Closure deadlines. * Ensure all Customer Requirements are followed as per Reference Guide / SOPs * Escalate any concerns and job-specific queries through the team Supervisor. * Only genuine queries are raised to the Area offices and simultaneously and moved to the pending folder. * Check the draft bill against the Shipping Instruction and make necessary corrections. * Ensure Accuracy and Turn time of bill is maintained as per standard * Achievement of targets based on set standards. – Reporting & Reviews * Record the daily productivity / count in Internal CMA CGM application. * Ensure daily count tallies with the weekly figure. * Ensure he/she is aware of his/her errors and takes constructive effort to reduce them. Quality Analyst (Source HOV, Chennai) (Aug 2011 to Mar 2012) * Functional task of preparing reports to the companies throughout of process, it involves their individual productivity, project standardization, TAT, SLA. Over all 18 projects had concentrated and prepared reports for company owned Citrix software and MS Excel. The reports are in Paratoo chart, Pie chart and mainly using MIS (Management Information System) Concepts to implement the quality analyzing structure Hands on experience in Workflow design and deployment. Additional Qualification: * English Typewriting Junior Grade. * Pursed CCNA, RHCE, CWNA training course in ICA computer education, Coimbatore. Educational Qualifications: * Master of Computer Applications (MCA) with an aggregate of 76% from Coimbatore Institute of Management and Technology, (Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore) in the year of 2008-2011. * Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) with an aggregate of 73% from SVN College, (Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai) in the year of 2005-2008. * Higher secondary education with an aggregate of 60% from M.N.U.J. N Hr. Sec. School, Madurai. * Secondary education with an aggregate of 64% from M.N.U.J.N Hr. Sec. School, Madurai. STRENGTH * Works well among team. * Positive Attitude. * Free to learn, quick learner.

Marketing of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai Essay

For the successful completion of our report, we would like to express our deep gratitude to all the people who give us help and advise. First and foremost, we are going to give our appreciation to Mr. Wang, the Assistant Sales Director of the Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai. He spent his personal time replying our email to answer our questions and gave us a lot of valuable information and instructions which keep our report going in the right direction. Secondly, we would like to thank our Marketing lecturer, Miss Medico, she provided us with many useful resources and guidance at every stage of writing the report. Clearly, we cannot finish this report smoothly without her help. Last but not least, we would like to thank all our friends for their suggestions and inspiring. Contents Introduction Nowadays, with the rapid development of the hospitality industry in Shanghai, more and more hotels are demanded and built that brings more fierce competition to the hotels. Whether a hotel could capture market share, the most important thing for the hotel is marketing strategies. Correct marketing strategies could make a hotel winning in the competition. Our report is written based on the research of the marketing actuality of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai and focused on analysing its marketing strategies to study how it promotes its product and services. The report is divided into three sections. In the first section, we introduce and give some detailed background information about the hotel including its history, stage in the lifecycle and the product and services the hotel is offering. In the second section, we identify the hotel’s target market and analyse their characteristic. In the last section, the information about the promotional tools or marketing strategies which the hotel is using are given related some examples. After that, it is the findings and analysis of the tools or strategies and our own opinions. Background of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is invested by Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited Company and managed by a very famous hotel brand, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. It is ideally located in the heart of Shanghai’s downtown, adjacent to Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road which are famous as the business, entertainment and shopping centers of Shanghai. It was built in October 2002. The internal and external design of the hotel is blended of Chinese and Western concepts to provide the guests special feelings. Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai has a total of 439 rooms. All of them are comfortably, elaborately decorated and well-equipped with modern guest amenities. The food and beverage products feature Chinese, Japanese and Western style. There are three restaurants, Si Ji Xuan, Shintaro and Steak House, offered three different types food to satisfy all kinds of the guests’ needs. In addition, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is well-known for many important events hold there cause the amazing ballrooms. Health & Fitness Center is including an indoor heated Swimming Pool, Gym, Steam Room, Sauna and Massage. The hotel provide the guests all kinds of services even some of them you cannot imagine! For example, the hotel provide couple guests the couples’ service which is including offering silky pyjamas, classic love stories on DVD and so on. Anyway, the hotel think of everything the guests may need and offer it before guests asking. Therefore, a lot of guests are attracted to stay Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai to have a unforgettable experience. The Lifecycle Stages of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai As a modern city hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai does not have a long history. But only for one decade developing, it has successfully acquired its a mount of fixed customer groups of business leaders, political leaders and super stars. It is inseparable from the adaptable marketing strategies used during different lifecycle stages of the hotel. According to the research they did, there was few Chinese knew Four Seasons Hotels and resorts before Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai built cause that Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is the first Four Seasons Hotel in Chinese Mainland. So during initial developing stage, the primary tasks for its marketing are target market positioning and brand promoting which purpose to build reputation, create the right image of hotel and introduce the product and services to the target market. Through the extension in initial stage, a basic sales network are built and the hotel turns into growth stage. In this stage, the hotel increases spending on advertising, sales promoting and public relations to improve reputation, image and guest loyalty. Now, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is in Maturity stage due to the favorable accumulation of capital and customer groups in initial and growth stages. The operations are on the right track; the market occupancy and profit level are quite high and the product and services are competitive. Therefore, the current work for them are seeking more wide target market and keeping the guest loyalty already gained. Target Market By accurately positioning target market, the hotel could better determine how many potential guests they have; adjust their product and services to preferably satisfy guests’ needs and draft their marketing strategies appropriately. ï ¼Ë†Data offered by Marketing Department of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, 2012ï ¼â€° According the data which shows the proportions of six different types guests offered by Mr. Wang, we create the pie chart above to make the data intuitional. It shows that Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai’s main target market consists of corporate guests, convention guests, government guests and travelers in 2011. The special location of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is the biggest reason for that corporate guests are the first target market. It is located in the CBD where are full of the top 500 Global enterprises such as Exxon Mobil, Morgan Stanley and Pepsi. So there are many business leaders visiting this area. The second target market is convention guests who always look for the hotels have excellent meeting rooms with large space and various modern meeting equipments. Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is exactly the one can offer all the things they are looking. There are twelve meeting rooms separated into four different size to satisfy all kinds of guests’ needs. The owner of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited Company, is established by Shanghai Government. As the most luxury hotel of its industries, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai are always used for entertaining officials. So the government guests is a big part of target market. In addition, a lot of travelers particularly the leisure travelers select Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai for their stays in Shanghai. The various leisure and entertainment facilities such as Health & Fitness Center, Spa and Club, provide them with relaxed and comfortable experience. Moreover, the wonderful food and beverage product and service is another reason for their visit. The Promotion Mix of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai As a member of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts which is one of the most famous and successful hotel groups all over the world, Four Season Hotel Shanghai concluded many effective and efficient marketing strategies to make itself survived from such a competitive condition. Advertising Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for & usually persuasive in nature, about products (goods & services) or ideas by identified sponsor through various media. ( Arens, 2010) Publishing pamphlets and magazines Like other hotels, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai usually promotes its products and services by publishing pamphlets and magazines. The different kinds of magazines can reach different groups of readers. † We just select the magazines which can reach our target markets to promote our products. Determining the way of advertising based on the target markets makes the advertisement more effective and spending less.† ( Wang, 2012) But pamphlets are used more widely than magazines in Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai. Because it can reach and promote more directly to the guests who even have lived in the hotel. For example, during Mid-Autumn Day, the hotel elaborately prepares all kinds of moon cakes for guests. While moon cakes are ready for selling, the Marketing Department designs a pamphlet for promoting the moon cakes and publish the pamphlets. Then the pamphlets appear to everywhere guests could reach. Guests can see it at reception when they are doing check-in or check-out; they can see it on the bed when they arriving the room and on the table of restaurant when they are eating. How big the effects could be by promoting in this way! Online advertising Nowadays, marketing and advertising have been much affected by technology. Online advertising exactly is a outcome of the effect. There are many types of online advertising such as ads on search engine pages, email advertising and banner advertising. Four Season Hotel Shanghai is using the search engine advertising now. The ads of Four Season Hotel Shanghai are delivered on the search results pages of BAIDU which is the biggest search engine in China. Therefore, when people searching some key words related to † hotels in Shanghai† or † restaurants in Shanghai†, the link of official website appears on the right side of the results pages. if people are interested and click the link, page will jump to the official website to make them could reserve the rooms or restaurants. The online advertising communicates much widely and costs lowly. And the effects of advertising can be gathered statistics. Public Relations † Public relations is the technique of communicating favorable information about the operations to the public to create a positive impression. Its ultimate purpose is to create goodwill and increase the number of guests.† (Jack D.Ninemeier, 2010) †Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.† ( PRSA, 2011) So the key to the success of your operation is creating good relations to the guests, local communities, governments and media. Communicating with public by Internet Today, hotels including Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai try to communicate with public by Internet. Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is using a way called WEIBO which is the most popular social communication tool in China now. The functions of WEIBO are uploading words or pictures or videos to show some fresh informations about the hotel, such as the new promotions, new facilities or products, upcoming events and something else could improve reputation, image and guest loyalty. What’s more, the guests can leave comments to the hotel no matter if they are satisfied and the hotel can reply the comments. That’s an amazing way to communicate and interact with guests even cost nothing. Participate in public service Participating in the social and sponsored public service is an opportunity to improve the social impact and reputation of hotel and win the understanding and praise from the public. On April 28th 2011, to make a long-term commitment to global sustainability, the employees of Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai began a tree-planting campaign to contribute to the company’s 10 Million Trees initiative. With the support of Children Health Foundation and Oriental Land, the Hotel’s tree-planting campaign fund will be donated to help Chinese children who suffer from congenital malformations and heart disease.† Our employees in Shanghai are inspired by and fully involved in the company’s commitment to global sustainability.† ( Peter Weber, 2011) Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai enters its ninth year with its original pioneering spirit, setting an example of corporate social responsibility and renewing its commitment to improving the lives of children. ( Hotel News, 2011) Sales Promotion Sales Promotion consists of short-term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. It includes a variety of promotional tools designed to stimulate earlier or stronger market response. ( Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism, 2010) Hotel packages promotion As the first competitive factor in guests’ mind, the price always plays an important role in sales promotion. For hotel packages promotion, the price of package is lower than the total price of the products or services with the same qualities included in the package. So hotel packages promotion strongly stimulates the purchase desire of guests and used widely in various types hotels. Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai designs all kinds of packages for various target markets. For instance, the Romantic Wedding Package is prepared specially for the newlywed holding their wedding in the hotel. To leave a lifetime of memories to the newlywed, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai sets a specially designed ice carving in the ballroom to match the wedding theme. Then during wedding time, the hotel will prepare a champagne tower and a wedding cake which could create a happy wedding atmosphere. After the wedding, a couples spa treatment at Qin Spa is ready for the newlywed to relax. If the newlywed prefer to stay in the hotel for their wedding night, a romantic decoration suite is free for them including a breakfast for two people the following morning. Another amazing thing is that Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai provides the newlywed a gift certificate to celebrate their first anniversary in a restaurant at the hotel chosen by themselves. Anyway, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai offers various packages for different target markets to satisfy their needs. Discount To attract more guests, discount is the way most direct and acceptable. But it is different from other hotels that Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai nearly never use discount to promote their products even in the off season. As Mr. Wang said, Four Season Hotels and Resorts is one of the most luxury and famous hotel brands in the world and target markets for them are the leaders of business and political circles and super stars but not the middle class or less level. The low price is not the primary reason for their target markets to make their choice cause they do not want to see so many middle class or less level people around them in the hotel. Instead, no discount is another way to attract more high level people. And for Four Seasons, there are actually some things more important than revenue like the reputation and loyalty of target market. Conclusion The report explained some information which is necessary to know for Four Season Hotel Shanghai. As a world class hotel, Four Season Hotel Shanghai has gained high reputation since it was built . To maintain the status and revenue level, promoting the products from various channels and ways to improve and expand public relations and strengthen the products’ promotion is very important for the future development of Four Season Hotel Shanghai. Although its reputation have covered all over world, it must keep working hard on marketing in order to attract and retain the guests. Moreover, doing the programs for public good and communicating with guests are very ideal promotional tools also are useful to improve favorable image for Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai. Reference Cultural China.com. (2008). Four Seasons Hotel [online]. Available at: . [Last accessed on 12.03.2012] Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. (2012). Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai [online]. Available at: . [Last accessed on 12.03.2012] Hotel News. (2011). Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai Participates in 10 Million Trees Campaign [online]. Available at: . [Last accessed on 13.03.2012] Sohu Weibo. (2012). Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai [online]. Available at: . [Last accessed on 13.03.2012] Nolo.com. (2012). Define a Target Market for Your Business [online]. Available at: . [Last accessed on 14.03.2012] Wikipedia.org (2012). Online Advertising [online]. Available at: . [Last accessed on 14.03.2012] Mark A. Rosso & Bernard J. Jansen, 2010, ‘ Brand Names as Keywords in Sponsored Search Advertising’, CAIS, vol.27. Rocco M. Angelo & Andrew N. Vladimir, 2011, Hospitality Today. 7th Edition, AH&LA. Philip Kotler, John T. Bowen & James C. Makens, 2010, Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism. 5th Edition, Pearson. Ninemeier, J, 2005, Management of Food and Beverage Operations. 5th Edition, AH&LA. John Wilmshurst & Adrian Mackay, 2002, The Fundamentals and Practice of Marketing. 4th Edition. Woburn, MA, Butterworth. 4th Edition, Butterworth – Heinemann.

“Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards Proving That the Plate Tectonic Theory Is Valid” Discuss the Extent to Which You Agree with This Statement (40). Essays

â€Å"Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards Proving That the Plate Tectonic Theory Is Valid† Discuss the Extent to Which You Agree with This Statement (40). Essays â€Å"Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards Proving That the Plate Tectonic Theory Is Valid† Discuss the Extent to Which You Agree with This Statement (40). Essay â€Å"Volcanic and Seismic Events Are Major Pieces of Evidence Towards Proving That the Plate Tectonic Theory Is Valid† Discuss the Extent to Which You Agree with This Statement (40). Essay â€Å"Volcanic and seismic events are major pieces of evidence towards proving that the plate tectonic theory is valid† Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement (40). The theory of plate tectonics explains the structure and motion of the Earth’s lithosphere. The theory states that the Earth’s crust is split into large sections called tectonic plates, and these move relative to one another creating boundaries at which the plates converge, diverge or move past each other. These plates are either continental or oceanic and are powered by convection currents, which is the circular movement of magma that comes from within the mantle. These currents are powered by the core, which heats the magma, causing it to rise, cool and fall back down. This circular motion causes the plates, which float on the mantle, to move. In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, was the first man to state that the continents were once joined in a super continent called Pangaea, conversely he couldn’t explain why and what happened to cause the plates to move apart. He based his theory on the extraordinary fit of the South American and African continent coastlines. Notably the eastern edge of South America and the western edge of Africa showed very similar geological features suggesting that at some point in the Earth’s history the landmasses were joined together. Another indicator that the continents were once distributed differently was geological evidence of glaciations in India – it is unlikely that glaciers could ever reach such low latitudes, but this problem can easily be explained by the theory of continental drift. Fossil distribution also provided some of the earliest evidence for plate tectonics. Interestingly, plant and animal fossils were found on the matching coastlines of South America and Africa. These are now widely separated by the Atlantic Ocean, therefore he reasoned that is physically impossible for most of these organisms to have swum or have been transported across the wide oceans. From this he suggested that the plates were once connected. Unfortunately, at the time of Wegner’s work many of the geophysical tools that are used today did not exist making the theory much more difficult to support. Since the original theory in 1912, newer evidence has appeared which supports the theory. In 1962 Hess studied the age of rocks around the mid-Atlantic ridge. He discovered that the newest rocks were closest to the ridge and the oldest were towards the USA and Caribbean. He therefore reasoned that the earth’s crust was expanding along the oceanic ridges, so it must be shrinking elsewhere. According to Hess, the Atlantic Ocean was expanding while the Pacific Ocean was shrinking. The old oceanic crust was consumed in the trenches causing new magma to rise and erupt along the spreading ridges to form a new crust. He explained why the earth doesn’t get bigger with sea floor spreading and why there is so little sediment accumulation on the ocean floor, and why oceanic rocks are so much younger than continental ones. Paleomagnetism is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for plate tectonic theory and was developed to convince scientists of the theories validity. Basalt lava forms volcanoes when it rises to the surface, cools and then forms land. When new crust is formed certain minerals align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field. Fascinatingly, new technology has shown that the magnetic field of the Earth is known to reverse every few hundred thousand years. So this implies new material is constantly being produced and the sea floor is spreading. However, as the Earth is not changing in size, material is being destroyed in other areas which are called subduction zones, and the position of the Earth’s crust must be constantly changing. Seismic activity can also tell us a great deal about plate tectonics. Plotting the locations of large earthquakes allows us to see where they most frequently occur. Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates. The plates move past each other which causes friction causing pressure to build up resulting in sudden jolts. This only happens on plate boundaries meaning areas that lie on them experience the most intense earthquakes. The fact that earthquakes appear in connected lines as opposed to clusters is good evidence for the theory of global plate tectonics. Volcanic events are also useful as they provide good evidence for the theory of plate tectonics. Similarly to earthquakes, plotting the locations of active volcanoes on a map of the world will also be useful as it will show a similar pattern. The three main places where volcanoes are created are at subduction zones, constructive plate boundaries and in hotspots, with around 75% of the world’s volcanoes being located on the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’. The area where two plates converge is called a subduction zone, here one plate is pushed underneath the other due to differing in density. This results in magma rising up to form volcanoes or volcanic island arcs. At constructive plate boundaries, new material is created by magma rising through the crack. The fact that volcanoes in certain areas have different types of eruption provides good evidence for plate tectonic theory. All the above reasons suggest that the theory is valid. However, there are some anomalies which go against the theory. Not all volcanoes occur on plate boundaries, some occur on hotspots which are areas where the mantle is particularly hot, causing it to rise and create volcanoes on the crust above. This suggests that plate tectonics theory may not be valid as volcanoes can exist without the theory being correct. Hawaii is a notable example of an active hotspot – the islands are volcanic yet lie in the middle of the Pacific plate. It is part of a chain of extinct volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean which decrease in both age and size as you move north-west. Since the hotspot is created by the underlying mantle this suggests that the crust is moving over this hotspot meaning the volcanoes eventually become extinct and eroded away. Since Wegener’s first theory, there is now a great deal of evidence to support the theory of plate tectonics. Seismic and volcanic events can provide lots of evidence to support the theory, although much of it requires tools which were not available when the theory was first developed such as accurate methods of mapping earthquakes. This made it difficult to prove the theory of plate tectonics as there were no hard facts. Although others may disagree, there are large amounts of evidence to prove the theory and so in my opinion the theory is a valid method.

Predictions to Support Reading Comprehension

Predictions to Support Reading Comprehension As a teacher, you know how important it is for students with dyslexia to make predictions while reading. You know it helps aid in reading comprehension; helping students both understand and retain the information they have read. The following tips can help teachers reinforce this essential skill. Supply students with a predictions worksheet while reading. You can create a simple worksheet by dividing a piece of paper in half, long ways, and writing Prediction on the left hand half and Evidence on the right hand half. As students read, they stop from time to time and write a prediction on what they think will happen next and write a few key words or phrases to back up why they made this prediction. Have students review the front and back of a book, the table of contents, the chapter names, subheadings and diagrams in a book prior to reading. This helps them gain an understanding of the material before reading and think about what the book may be about. Ask students to list as many possible outcomes of a story as they can think of. You might make this a class activity by reading a portion of a story and asking the class to think about different ways the story might turn out. List all the ideas on the board and review again after reading the rest of the story. Have students go on a treasure hunt in a story. Using a highlighter or having students write clues on a separate paper, go through the story slowly, thinking about the clues the author gives about how the story will end. Remind students to always look for the basics of a story: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. This information will help them separate the important and nonessential information in the story so they can guess what will happen next. For younger children, go through the book, looking at and discussing the pictures before reading. Ask the student what he thinks is happening in the story. Then read the story to see how well he guessed. For non-fiction reading, help students identify the main topic sentence. Once students can quickly identify the main idea, they can make predictions about how the rest of the paragraph or section will provide information to back up this sentence. Predictions are closely related to inferences. To accurately make predictions students must understand not only what the author said, but what the author is implying. Help students understand how to make inferences while they are reading. Read a story, stopping before you reach the ending. Have each student writ e their own ending to the story. Explain there is no right or wrong answers, that each student brings their own perspective to the story and wants it to end in their own way. Read the endings aloud so students can see the different possibilities. You can also have students vote on which ending they think will most closely match the authors ending. Then read the rest of the story. Make predictions in steps. Have students look at the title and the front cover and make a prediction. Have them read the back cover or the first few paragraphs of the story and review and revise their prediction. Have them read more of the story, maybe a few more paragraphs or maybe the rest of the chapter (based on the age and the length of the story), and review and revise their prediction. Continue doing this until you have reached the end of the story. Make predictions about more than story endings. Use a students previous knowledge about a subject to predict what concepts are discussed in a chapter. Use vocabulary to discern what non-fiction text will be about. Use knowledge of an authors other works to predict writing style, plot or the structure of a book. Use the type of text, for example a textbook, to predict how information is presented. Share your predictions with the class. Students model teachers behaviors so if they see you making predictions and guessing about the en ding to a story, they will be more apt to employ this skill as well. Offer three possible endings to a story. Have the class vote on which ending they think matches the authors. Allow for plenty of practice. As with any skill, it improves with practice. Stop often in reading to ask the class for predictions, use worksheets and model predictions skills. The more students see and use predictions skills, the better they will be at making predictions. Â   References: Helping Students Develop Strong Content Area Reading Skills, 201, Joelle Brummitt-Yale, K12Readers.com Tips for Teaching: Comprehension Strategies, Date Unknown, Staff Writer, LearningPage.com

Is an internship to permanent position a sure thing

Is an internship to permanent position a sure thing What risks are you willing to take in your job search†¦? A few months ago, one of my clients (I’ll call him Adam) got a graphic design job he was very excited about. This job was at a company that works with government and military contracts (aptly for Memorial Day). It was officially an internship, but was guaranteed to convert to a full-time position after three months if the client performed well. At the same time as Adam got that offer, he also received an offer for an interview at another company. Adam chose to turn down the second interview and to accept the internship with the company he loved. I was thrilled for Adam, and also a little concerned. Was it a good idea for my client to stop his job search before receiving an actual full-time job offer? I expressed my concern but Adam was confident he had made the right choice. Question for thought What I like about the way Adam made this decision is that it shows clarity of purpose and a willingness to take risks in pursuit of what he loves. I also recognize that if he had been playing it safe, he would have gone on that interview and accepted an offer if extended by the second company, even though it would have meant leaving his internship early and breaking that agreement. What would you have done in Adam’s situation? Would you have taken a risk like that, turning down an interview when all you had was an internship and the promise of a job in three months? Job on the line Two and a half months later, Adam had been giving his all on the job and making a positive impression, he thought, on the company. But the next thing he knew, the promised job was eliminated. Adam called me in upset, distraught yet still hoping to convince the company to extend his internship. He was not willing to give up without a fight. What are your thoughts now? Do you think Adam made the right decision in accepting this position? Don’t go down without a fight Just a few days after his initial call to me, Adam called me again to tell me some good news: His externship was extended for six more months. What are your thoughts now? Did Adam make the right choice? From my perspective, he absolutely did. He showed his current company that they were without a doubt the company he wanted to work for. And in six months, he will have nine months of great experience to put on his resume and to bring to his next position. He will be more marketable to any company seeking a graphic designer, and perhaps his current company will value him enough that they will find a permanent place for him there. Or, perhaps the other company who offered him an interview might have a position available. Who knows what might be possible? One thing is for sure: Without a willingness to risk, and without a willingness to fight, Adam might not have a job at all. I am tremendously proud of his commitment and tenacity, and believe these traits are some of the most important qualities any job seeker, employee, or intern can bring to the table. Please share your thoughts on any part of this story in the Comments below. Category:Job SearchBy Brenda BernsteinMay 28, 2012

Why Is Cultural Diversity a Concept Diversity That Businesses Today Term Paper

Why Is Cultural Diversity a Concept Diversity That Businesses Today Should Value - Term Paper Example Cultural diversity can be defined as the cultural differences and cultural variety that exist around the world, society, nation, or an institution. It is important for business organizations to understand the role and challenges that cultural diversity plays in influencing economic success. In a World Report titled, investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue, the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) explains the importance of diversity; in a highly globalized marketplace, the ability of organizations to diversify their products according to various consumers adds significant value to the brand image, and product value of the business. This paper, therefore, seeks to outline the benefits of cultural diversity to a business. Analysis Today, Cultural diversity plays a major role in the marketing strategies, brand image, and conceptions of products that successfully hit the global market. Multinational organizations that make it in the global marke t customize and diversify their products to meet the expectations of the various international markets they intend to capture. Cultural diversification is the answer to cultural isolationism, the development of intercultural skills in organizations, and the means to reducing imbalances in world differences. Business corporations need to understand the concept of cultural diversity and incorporate this concept into business operations due to its various benefits (Laroche, 2003). Advantages of Cultural Diversity in Business Business Communication Cultural diversity enables the organization to understand the cultural norms, taboos, biases in political, social and spiritual issues of other people, regions, countries, or continents. Business organizations must understand the cultural eccentricities of their competitors before making contact with foreign clients of other subcultures. Cultural diversity also enables businesses to understand verbal and non-verbal cues appropriate to various international business dealings; this is on the basis of subcultures relevant to the foreign countries (Ingram, 2013). Access to Domestic and International Markets Human beings are of various ancestries and languages. Cultural diversity, therefore; Opens up new market networks at a local, regional and international level Enables businesses to serve and understand an increasingly dynamic clientele. Provides the business with crucial language skills, cultural understanding and knowledge. Provides the business with vital information regarding protocols, and practices in overseas markets. Provides business with low cost intimate details regarding consumer tastes and preferences in overseas markets (Diversity Council Australia, 2013, 1). Productivity and Innovation A business can maximize the efficiency and productivity of its personnel through; Improving cross-cultural communication and understanding thus fostering cohesive efforts at work. Identifying and embracing the full range skil ls of employees, eliminating obstacles in the working processes, and capitalizing on the skills of the workforce. Research shows that, businesses that encourage innovative ideas from a cross-cultural workforce, meet their product launch dates 47% more often, and revenue targets 46% more often than their competitors (Diversity Council Australia, 2013, 1). People from India and China benefit companies in the United States with their stellar quantitative skills while European workers do very well in high-level jobs (Laroche 2003). Valuing Cultural Diversity Enables the Business to Capture the Best Talent Cultural diversit

Why managers may face difficulties when managing employees in a Essay

Why managers may face difficulties when managing employees in a cross-cultural context - Essay Example factory manager who moved to Mexico in order to raise the productivity of his firm factory in the State of Mexico. He apparently was not able to understand main cultural points and his management was a complete failure which led to a 500.000 $ loss for his company. The culture in which each of us lives influences and shapes our feelings, attitudes, and responses to our experiences and interactions with others. Because of our culture, each of us has knowledge, beliefs, values, views, and behaviors that we share with others who have the same cultural heritage. These past experiences, handed down from generation to generation, influence our values of what is attractive and what is ugly, what is acceptable behavior and what is not, and what is right and what is wrong. Our culture also teaches us how to interpret the world. From our culture we learn such things as how close to stand to strangers, when to speak and when to be silent, how to greet friends and strangers, and how to display anger appropriately. Because each culture has a unique way of approaching these situations, we find great diversity in cultural behaviors throughout the world. According to this definition, culture is made of all that defines our background and this is exactly why, as it is stated, we find great diversity in cultural behaviors throughout the world and this is the exact reason why managers may face cross-cultural p... As they have different cultural i.e. different knowledge, beliefs, values, views and behaviors, they will not have the same approach regarding a work, a problem, a situation. According to DuPraw and Axner3 (1997) there are six fundamental patterns of Cultural Difference: Communication Styles, Attitude towards conflict, Approaches to completing tasks, Attitudes towards disclosure, Approaches to knowing. From a culture to another, even if they share the same language, the meaning of words change and doesn't convey the same ideas and the importance of non-verbal communication is not the same. Conflict, depending on the culture, can be seen as a bad or good thing. Western countries often consider conflicts as being undesirable and often do all that is possible to tackle the issues immediately, whereas some other cultures don't have the same considerations on conflicts and believe that it is profitable for both parts. Another aspect of the conflict is the way to tackle it. Some cultures are accustomed to settle a conflict by a written exchange, contrary to the western face-to-face confrontation which can be embarrassing for them. How to complete task also differs from a culture to another because they will consider the same approach to complete it and also the way to work in teams are not the same. The process to make a decision in the working process is also submitted to variation depe nding on the cultural background. In some countries there is only one decision maker for the entire working process whereas in others the there must be a common agreement on what to do. Expressing feelings can also be an issue because it may be considered rude in some

Mind Map and a Critical Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mind Map and a Critical Review - Essay Example They argued that the management of the disease requires a combined effort of several groups of individuals involved in the health sector such as the nurses, dieticians, podiatrist and those dealing with retinal screening services and the patients are also not left behind in the bid to take charge of the disease. Funding towards the control of diabetes in New Zealand is mainly done by an organization known as CarePlus which offers finances to key organizations that are charged with the responsibility of taking care of people who suffer from terminal illnesses as well as chronic conditions (GUTHRIE, D. 2002, 67). The study demonstrated that preliminary consultations with the nurses consisted of physical examination of the patients, proper distribution of health records of to other health professionals, referrals, timely completion of checklists before the patients had opportunity to meet with other healthcare service providers. Thus the nurses played a very vital role in taking care as well as managing the patients owing to the fact that they are the ones who are deeply concerned with the consultation aspect of the patients. The main challenge that faced the nurses is that they felt overburdened by the amount of responsibilities that were geared towards them and too many expectations from the patients as well as other medical practitioners. The authors finally concluded that the role of the nurses reliable but was however misguided by the duration of time that was needed to have them complete all their tasks within the stipulated time. The article confirms the works of previous writers on th e role of nurses in the management of diabetes patients but disagrees on the need to have them do most of the tasks that may seen overwhelming to them (RICE, R. 2006, 09-45). The author aimed at detailing the role of nurses in the management of people who are suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. She argued that the nurses are in a better

Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Existentialism - Essay Example Levinas claimed that human existence in terms of Holocaust is rather a descriptive than prescriptive. Thus, Levinas claimed that humans were unable to oppose to a dreadful Holocaust. There can be no religious solution to the phenomenon of Holocaust. Therefore, these philosophers question the existence of God. Such an awful historical whip has made these philosophers reevaluate their attitude to God and religion. The reasons for God’s actions cannot be interpreted. Auschwitz existence cannot be removed from our history; nevertheless it is possible to prevent its future occurrence. With this regard, the essence of its existence should be found out. Concerning the basic concepts of a human existence, such as freedom†, â€Å"responsibility† and â€Å"suffering†, Frankl suggests an interesting interpretation of these concepts from existential perspective. Frankl considers freedom from an existential perspective and he considers it together with the concept of re sponsibility. Existential freedom of a person exists in spite of the fact whether he is politically free or not. Frankl relates freedom and responsibility in the following terms: "Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual" (Frankl).

Political and Economic Factors, than influence ICT Developments in Assignment

Political and Economic Factors, than influence ICT Developments in Greece - Assignment Example This paper presents a brief informative analysis of the current level of ICT utilization in Greece economy. The economy of the world exudes deep influences from developments in ICT. This is evident as indicated by the fact that every contemporary business in the world focuses on the integration if ICT in order to obtain some of the benefits that they offer. For the success of e-commerce in Greece, it would be necessary for the government to develop policies that encourages the implementation of ICT through the adaptation of the technological applications into the various activities. The Greek economy has a lot of microenterprises and SMEs, which consider ICT as unnecessary. The reason for the exclusion of ICT by the enterprises is that the immediate benefits of the integration might seemingly not outweigh the investments in the ICT infrastructure. In order for the government to get involved in the development of a suitable framework for the achievement of economic growth, it decided to operate within the framework of the European Union, which has some programs specifically for enterprises. The government ensures that it takes advantage of ICT initiatives through training the members of staff, which ensures an indisputable acquisition of ICT benefits to the economy. The disadvantage of this is that funding for the training programs is in adequate The political factors that have an influence on the development of ICT in the Greek market are somehow related to the economic factors.

Charles Manson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Charles Manson - Research Paper Example The presence of malice aforethought as implied by the conduct of the accused constitutes murder; thus, without malice the homicide becomes manslaughter. Apart from malice being a statutory requirement for murder, the unlawful killing must be of a human being; even though, what constitutes a person is controversial issue in law in US since the fourth amendment of the constitution does not recognise foetus as a person yet some states recognise foetus as human being (Carper, McKinsey and West 2008). Charles Manson was notoriously linked to the slaying Sharon Tate an actress and other Hollywood residents even though he was not convicted of carrying out the murders himself; moreover, he was associated with the famous ‘Tate-La Bianca’ killings that immortalised him as the embodiment of the evil. Manson together with his loyal disciples are believed to have carried out at least 35 killings that mainly were never tried because of the lack of proof or because the architects were sentenced for life for the Tate/La Bianca killings. At his birth, he was named as Charles Milles Maddox by his mother, who was at the time, was an alcoholic and a prostitute. The mother later got married to William Manson; nevertheless, the marriage was short-lived and Charles ended up in a boy school. Charles came back to his mother, but she was not interested in him and soon Charles commenced a street life surviving on petty crime (â€Å"Charles Manson†, n.d.). Probation reports revealed that he was suffered from high degree of rejection, psychic trauma and instability thus the struggle for a status; moreover, the reports indicated that he was dangerous, unpredictable and only safe under supervision. Since 1958, Manson was arrested and released for various offenses such as passing of stolen checks and ‘pimping’ which sent him to McNeil Island prison for ten years. While Manson was incarcerated, he discovered his creative talent, gained knowledge in reading musi c and playing guitar, and finally freed in March of 1967. The next year, Manson organized a murderous operation that made him a considerable figure in criminal history. Therefore, Manson indicates a personality trait of passion associated with cult groups, which emerged in 1960’s. He pathologically believed that he was the forerunner of doom regarding the future of the planet similar to the way cult and evangelistic figures claim prophetic knowledge of the end of the world. Drugs, artworks, and music that prevailed at the time influenced Manson; moreover, Manson had strong belief and interest in the concept of the Armageddon in the bible (â€Å"Charles Manson†, n.d.). The first victims of Manson’s criminal activities were guests at a Beverly Hills home that included Sharon Tate an actress of who was seven months pregnant, where Manson gathered most of his devoted followers to accomplish the task. Moreover, the next day, Manson initiated another killing spree at the home of a wealthy couple Leno La Bianca and his wife, for this task, Manson chose his most obedient comrades. Even though, Manson was never directly involved in the killings, he manipulated his disciples and taught them to kill (â€Å"Charles Manson†, n.d.). Developmental life-course considers crime as a product of developmental process that begins prior to birth and progresses throughout an individual’s life. The developmental-life course theory considers the interaction of individual factors like personality and social factors like

Political and Economic Factors, than influence ICT Developments in Assignment

Political and Economic Factors, than influence ICT Developments in Greece - Assignment Example This paper presents a brief informative analysis of the current level of ICT utilization in Greece economy. The economy of the world exudes deep influences from developments in ICT. This is evident as indicated by the fact that every contemporary business in the world focuses on the integration if ICT in order to obtain some of the benefits that they offer. For the success of e-commerce in Greece, it would be necessary for the government to develop policies that encourages the implementation of ICT through the adaptation of the technological applications into the various activities. The Greek economy has a lot of microenterprises and SMEs, which consider ICT as unnecessary. The reason for the exclusion of ICT by the enterprises is that the immediate benefits of the integration might seemingly not outweigh the investments in the ICT infrastructure. In order for the government to get involved in the development of a suitable framework for the achievement of economic growth, it decided to operate within the framework of the European Union, which has some programs specifically for enterprises. The government ensures that it takes advantage of ICT initiatives through training the members of staff, which ensures an indisputable acquisition of ICT benefits to the economy. The disadvantage of this is that funding for the training programs is in adequate The political factors that have an influence on the development of ICT in the Greek market are somehow related to the economic factors.

The Aftermath of World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Aftermath of World War II - Essay Example In the words of Cordtz, "Six years of the worst carnage ever inflicted on mankind. That was World War II. Between 35 million and 60 million were killed, and far more wounded. Property damage was literally incalculable" (par. 1). In terms of geopolitics, the aftermath of the war was a bi-polar world in which two Superpowers faced off from opposite sides of the world and of the ideological divide. The Cold War and nuclear arms race that followed the Allied victory constituted an incredibly costly military buildup that ended up diverting economic resources of the major countries of the world that might otherwise have been used for the betterment of humanity through education, economic growth, and cultural enrichment. All of these factors must be accounted for in any audit of the negative effects of World War II. The first and most important consideration in evaluating the consequences of World War II was the human toll, both civilian and military. From the six million victims of the Nazi extermination program to twenty-five hundred American service personnel who were lost at Pearly Harbor to the hundreds of thousands of Japanese whose lives were snuffed out by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it defies understanding to think about the potential each of those lives had to affect the world for the better. There are no words to describe the anguish suffered by so many loved ones who lost their family and friends during the war. Families were permanently shattered, and relationships were severed by the war. The moral cost of the war was also staggering. Not only did the German death camps obviously illustrate a new level of human degeneracy, but killing of civilians in the name of military necessity became and acceptable standard in the conduct of warfare, an unfortunate development that continues to be reflected in combat operations to this day. Richman contends that "area bombing of Germany and Japan set a new standard in the indiscriminate killing of civilians under color of combat" (par. 7). Thus, when evaluating the human cost of the war, it is essential not only to count the number of people whose lives were lost, but also to consider the impact on the moral standards of those who remained. The Economic Toll World War II was simply devastating from an economic perspective. The sheer destruction of entire cities had left little or no infrastructure to support economic stability of nearly every major economic power in Europe, as well as others around the globe. Nevertheless, the destruction left in the wake of the war ended up prompting a reconstruction and recovery effort known as the Marshall Plan that ultimately led to a far stronger global political and economic foundation than would otherwise have been possible. According to Cordtz, "even the losers ultimately emerged from the destruction and humiliation far better off than before. The people of Japan and Germany (most of it at any rate) escaped from totalitarian captivity to erect sturdy democratic political systems. Both countries rebuilt such powerful industrial machines that they can now successfully challenge their military conquerors. And both were able to accomplish all this in large part because of American assistance" (par. 4 ). The Marshall Plan was perhaps the most generous and successful foreign economic aid program in the history of the world. Without it,

Graduation Speech Essay Example for Free

Graduation Speech Essay ?It’s a rare opportunity to be given this privilege to talk to young minds like youthe youth whose minds and thinking are ideal, pure and filled with enthusiasm. Our theme is The Graduate: A Partner Towards Transformational Society, An Answer to Societal Change. We cannot effect social change if we ignore the social problems that are in our midst nowadays facing our very eyes. We should dig deeper to the root causes of these social problems. Every day, every hour, and every minute of our lives, we hear, we see the social problems besetting our country and our community. There is poverty, corruption in the government, violence, drug addiction, crimes, injustice and so on as if they are here to stay. Are there no more solutions for these ills of society? How and when can we stop this? The real root causes of these problems are the values of the people which they were brought up. Diploma is nothing without moral values. We have intelligent people in our society but they do not possess the right values. They think only for themselves. We have intelligent graduates but they ended up as greedy politicians and greedy businessmen. We have intelligent graduates but they are also indifferent, self-centered, irresponsible and lazy. What the society needs now are graduates who are disciplined, hardworking, honest, hospitable, makiKapwa, makaDiyos at Makabayan, not intelligent alone. Graduates, I encourage you to participate in our Sangguniang Kabataan actively in all its programs and activities. Let us always relive the bayanihan spirit and start it with the SK. It’s alright to aim for success in life. But true success is not only with becoming rich in material respect but rich with moral values. To our graduates, let’s not forget our Filipino values. Let’s keep our moral fibers intact as we go along the ladders of success. We know we cannot transform our society overnight. We know we cannot do it alone. As the future leaders of our society, you, graduates, should start now in your own little ways. Parents, and teachers, let’s us be a model to them and help our graduates in directing their path—to the path that is noble and worth living. To the graduates, congratulations, and may God Bless you.

The Pearl :: essays research papers

The Pearl By John Steinbeck   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting of the story was primarily in an impoverished Mexican-Indian community in La Paz, roughly around the 1900s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kino is a prime example of a developing character. From beginning to the end, he develops drastically. At the beginning, he was thought out to be a good loyal husband, but as time went on, he became a selfish, greedy individual who would do anything for money. Juana was Kino’s young wife. She was respectful, and very tolerant towards Kino. Coyotito was Kino and Juana’s only child. Juan Tomas was Kino’s brother, and Apolonia was his wife; both had four children, and very little is known about both of them. The doctor was a very stout, and greedy man, and didn’t heal, or treat his patients if they didn’t have money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conflict began when a scorpion stung Coyotito. He became very ill, and the doctor refused to cure Kino’s son for the reason that they had no money. On that very same day, Kino found the pearl that would change his life, as well as the people around him. The pearl brought great danger to Kino and his family. Everybody in the community knew about Kino’s finding, which resulted in everybody desiring the pearl.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since King Midas' lust for gold, it appears to be that man has acquired a greed and appetite for wealth. Kino, Juana, and the doctor have all undergone a change due to money. They’re all affected by their hunger for wealth and are the base for their own destruction, and the destruction of society. The theme of The Pearl is mainly of man's self-destruction through greed, and the hunger for wealth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several different symbols in this story. The scorpion that stung Coyotito could simply mean the vulnerability and the possibility of danger that Kino and his family face ahead. The pearl may also symbolize evil, and how it brought the radical change in Kino and his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pearl was thought to be the stability and prosperity that Kino hoped for his family. However, there were also alternate feelings of jealousy and greed in the community. The pearl was intended to solve all of Kino’s problems, but it ended up destroying his life, dreams, and the death of his son.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kino lived with his wife Juana, and his baby son Coyotito in a brush hut. Coyotito got stung by a scorpion, and got very ill.

Wide Ivory Woman :: Antigone Sophocles Plato Statue Papers

Wide Ivory Woman You are a wide woman sculpted out of one large solid block of ivory colored, lightly butterscotch speckled stone; you are distinctly and beautifully human, yet larger than life. I look up at you but do not know precisely what it is that you urge me to question. You are a maiden of Menedi, a statue presumably molded of Greek hands in the mid-fourth century B.C. You are seated at a thickly cushioned throne fashioned of the same ivory marble as that of your body, your head titled downward, your figure slightly crouched. Your profiled torso and the throne together are about four feet in height and two in width; your throne rests on a pedestal that I estimate to be still another two feet high. To take you in, then, I must tilt my head upward, as I do now. I can see that you are clearly distinguishable from the uncut granite behind you; your surface is smooth, as is that of the throne. You are veiled and wear over your frame a single covering, cut quite low on the neck, which flows over the crevices of your broad body. You make shadows with your veil, which creases and folds and drapes over your limbs and the throne itself. You are ample in feature and abundantly large, even imposing, in stature; you are maidenly, silent, reservedly pensive. You appear rounded, while the throne at which you sit is austerely rectangular. Your right breast protrudes through your clothing, very round, the nipple palpable and huge. Your distinctiveness is not one of elaborate detail: your face has no eyeballs, your skin no wrinkles, your body no bones. I stand before you and, humbled, read that you once presided over the grave of a warrior, but I cannot comprehend what you mean to war. You are too tranquil for spears and blood and armor, sitting there on your softly padded throne in that otherworldly gentle manner of yours. I see, then, that you are larger than war. I see that you tell of what comes of battle, of the ancient Greek concept of afterlife, of classical women and deity and strength. Your white eyes without their eyeballs are huge and empty, but very open; your slightly parted lips are thick. You are dressed in a long, flowing garment that ripples over your flawlessly smooth body. Features such as these are characteristic of Egyptian royal and divine iconography of the Hellenistic period, the era that produced you. Wide Ivory Woman :: Antigone Sophocles Plato Statue Papers Wide Ivory Woman You are a wide woman sculpted out of one large solid block of ivory colored, lightly butterscotch speckled stone; you are distinctly and beautifully human, yet larger than life. I look up at you but do not know precisely what it is that you urge me to question. You are a maiden of Menedi, a statue presumably molded of Greek hands in the mid-fourth century B.C. You are seated at a thickly cushioned throne fashioned of the same ivory marble as that of your body, your head titled downward, your figure slightly crouched. Your profiled torso and the throne together are about four feet in height and two in width; your throne rests on a pedestal that I estimate to be still another two feet high. To take you in, then, I must tilt my head upward, as I do now. I can see that you are clearly distinguishable from the uncut granite behind you; your surface is smooth, as is that of the throne. You are veiled and wear over your frame a single covering, cut quite low on the neck, which flows over the crevices of your broad body. You make shadows with your veil, which creases and folds and drapes over your limbs and the throne itself. You are ample in feature and abundantly large, even imposing, in stature; you are maidenly, silent, reservedly pensive. You appear rounded, while the throne at which you sit is austerely rectangular. Your right breast protrudes through your clothing, very round, the nipple palpable and huge. Your distinctiveness is not one of elaborate detail: your face has no eyeballs, your skin no wrinkles, your body no bones. I stand before you and, humbled, read that you once presided over the grave of a warrior, but I cannot comprehend what you mean to war. You are too tranquil for spears and blood and armor, sitting there on your softly padded throne in that otherworldly gentle manner of yours. I see, then, that you are larger than war. I see that you tell of what comes of battle, of the ancient Greek concept of afterlife, of classical women and deity and strength. Your white eyes without their eyeballs are huge and empty, but very open; your slightly parted lips are thick. You are dressed in a long, flowing garment that ripples over your flawlessly smooth body. Features such as these are characteristic of Egyptian royal and divine iconography of the Hellenistic period, the era that produced you.

Joking Apart Essay

Joking Apart is a BBC television sitcom written by Steven Moffat about the rise and fall of a relationship. It juxtaposes a couple, Mark (Robert Bathurst) and Becky (Fiona Gillies), who meet and fall in love before getting separated and finally divorced. The twelve episodes, broadcast between 1993 and 1995, were directed by Bob Spiers and produced by Andre Ptaszynski for independent production company Pola Jones. The show is semi-autobiographical; it was inspired by the then-recent separation of Moffat and his first wife. Some of the episodes in the first series followed a non-linear parallel structure, contrasting the rise of the relationship with the fall. Other episodes were ensemble farces, predominantly including the couple’s friends Robert (Paul Raffield) and Tracy (Tracie Bennett). Paul-Mark Elliott also appeared as Trevor, Becky’s lover. Scheduling problems meant that the show attracted low viewing figures. However, it scored highly on the Appreciation Index and accrued a loyal fanbase. One fan acquired the home video rights from the BBC and released both series on his own DVD label. (more†¦) Recently featured: Stonewall riots – Hippopotamus – Ten Commandments in Roman Catholicism

Children Act 1989 Essay

Task 1 links to learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1. Produce an information sheet which outlines the following:  · the current legislation for home based childcare †¢ the role of regulatory bodies. The two most important pieces of legislation covering home-based childcare are the Children Act (2004) and the Childcare Act (2006(. Children Act (2004) This influential piece of legislation which arose from ‘Every Child Matters’ and identifies five outcomes for all children: * Be healthy * Stay safe * Enjoy and achieve * Make a positive contribution * Achieve economic well-being These outcomes should underpin all practice of a childminder. Childcare Act (2006) This Act introduced the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum into England and Wales, and place a statutory duty on the local authority to work towards ensuring the five outcomes set out in the Children Act (2004) are being met. Other relevant legislation of importance is: Equality Act (2010) The intention of this Act is to combine the fragmented discrimination legislation, bringing together the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Race Relations Act (1976), and DDA (1995). Promotion of equal opportunities in all settings is essential, and relevant policies and procedures should be developed, monitored and assessed. Education Act (1997) This Act incorporates all previous Acts since 1944. It recognise the rights of parents regarding their children’s education and set a time frame on the legal process for identifying and assessing a child’s needs as set out in the Code of Practice. Public Health (Control of Disease) Act (1984), RIDDOR (1995) and Health Protection Agency Act (2004) All these legislations are focused on protecting people’s health, covering notification and exclusion periods for certain infectious diseases and reporting of certain accidents and incidents. OFSTED is the regulating body for England & Wales. Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They report directly to Parliament and are independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Their aim is to promote improvement and value for money in the childcare services they inspect and regulate, so that all children and young people, parents and carers, adult learners and employers benefit. OFSTEDs job is to check places where children and young peopleare looked after the people who look after children and young people schools and colleges adult learning and training how teachers are trained

Fedex Annual Report 2012

to stay ahead, we go beyond FedEx Annual Report 2012 â€Å"I wIll make every Fedex experIence outstandIng. † — The Purple Promise When the going gets tough, FedEx shows the spirit and determination that have always set us apart. FY12 was a year of challenges marked by economic and political disruptions and lagging growth around the globe. To stay ahead, we go beyond — in the way we manage our business, deliver the quality service our customers expect and create solutions for a more sustainable world. A good or acceptable experience doesn’t cut it for us.We share a goal to deliver outstanding FedEx experiences, a commitment we call the Purple Promise. Our team members around the world add up to a powerful advantage for FedEx. One that goes beyond the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary. When We go beyond, our customers and communities thrive. each year we honor the best of the best of our team members with the Purple Promise Chairman’s Award. Meet three of the recipients, from left: Joe Reedy, supervisor, Fedex Custom Critical; Megan hershberger, supervisor, Fedex Custom Critical; William davis, customer advocate representative, Fedex TechConnect. o to fedex. com/annualreport2012 to read their stories. 1 to stay ahead, we lead the way Three things that differentiate FedEx — our people, our strategy and our focused networks — will allow us to achieve this goal. STRATegiC diSCiPline How a business responds during difficult times is a true measure of its resilience and a test of its strategy. In a volatile marketplace, dedicated FedEx team members turned in a world-class performance last fiscal year. Their dynamic, disciplined approach to some pretty stiff headwinds defines FedEx at its best.Our long-term strategies are working, and we believe we will improve our competitive position and our financial performance over the next several years, as a result. To do so, we must take advantage of our scale to improve our efficiency. And second, we must remain nimble and responsive to our customers. We try to manage the critical balance between the two every day. In this regard, our flexibility kept FedEx profitable during the 2008-2009 recession, and we emerged stronger. In the same vein, we recognize many residual challenges are ongoing and require us to run a lean and flexible organization.All companies, including FedEx, face many rising costs they cannot directly control, be it health care or energy. This, in turn, requires relentless focus on quality, which has been embedded in our culture since our first day of operations. Utilizing our Quality Driven Management system, we are confident we can reduce costs while simultaneously improving service levels. To Our Shareowners, FedEx showed real grit in FY12. We committed to a strong performance, and we delivered — no small feat, given the year’s challenges.Our earnings per share increased 40 percent, and annual revenues exceeded $42 bi llion, a 9 percent increase, despite political gridlock in the United States, financial turmoil in Europe, a slowing Asian economy and volatile fuel prices. Despite these issues, we managed and improved yields across all of our transportation businesses, allowing us to continue enhancing the services and technology that make our customers more successful and more productive. FedEx Ground had a stellar year, delivering 18. 4 percent operating margins and accounting for more than half of FedEx operating profit.Online shipments spurred record volumes. More than one quarter of our FedEx Ground lanes are now faster in terms of transit times than the competition, boosting service and customer satisfaction to unprecedented levels. As a result, including FedEx SmartPost, our overall U. S. ground parcel-market share has increased to nearly 30 percent, doubling over the last decade. The rapid transformation of FedEx Freight, which basically reinvented the LTL freight industry a little more th an a year ago, is paying off with a strong eturn to profitability. Revenues grew 8 percent year over year. Offering both priority and economy service options and industry-leading transit times have made FedEx Freight a market share leader, and customers are delighted by our LTL value proposition. Global uncertainty, a slowdown of Asia exports and weakness in the technology sector challenged FedEx Express in FY12. Although U. S. domestic and international priority package volumes were down, yield improvements helped FedEx Express maintain profitability.We’re taking advantage of the flexibility we’ve built into our system to match our capacity to the demand; we’ve accelerated the retirement of older, less efficient aircraft and are replacing them with more fuel-efficient planes; and we are taking other actions to increase FedEx Express margins in the future, despite the low-growth environment. 2 FoCuSed neTWoRkS Our customers’ expectations and needs evolve constantly, and so must we. The Roman statesman Marcus Aurelius summed it up best: â€Å"Nothing happens without change. † That’s why our operating companies relentlessly adjust their networks to meet traffic flows and levels.Each network is discrete so it can optimize its business without compromise. Hence our competitive advantage of speed and flexibility: FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight are superior networks with industry-leading service levels. Superior networks translate into superior solutions for customers. That’s real value. Take as an example the global rise of online buying, now growing at three to four times the rate of retail sales growth overall. For FedEx, that means more deliveries, whether a product is purchased or returned. It’s the perfect fuel for growth, internationally and in the United States.Retailers want a range of shipping options that satisfies their customers’ various expectations for cost and service. In t he U. S. we offer express service, customized ground home delivery, and FedEx SmartPost, our most inexpensive shipping option. The low cost of FedEx SmartPost allows retailers to offer free shipping as a marketing tactic. In fact, consumers â€Å"We’re keeping our eye on the ball — loWering costs and improving our efficiency for continued success. † chose the free-shipping option for half of holiday ecommerce transactions last November and December, according to omScore, a firm that analyzes online commerce. As noted earlier, our QDM philosophy and methods are built on the proven premise that higher quality lowers costs, improves service levels, and enhances the customer experience. It’s a three-legged stool that supports our long-term growth strategies. We apply QDM principles to our sustainability decisions, just as we do to our business decisions, because it’s good business and good for the planet. The FedEx Express vehicle fleet is ahead of pla n to be 20 percent more fuel efficient by 2020 than it was in 2005.To support our air fleet modernization program, we have recently agreed to purchase additional Boeing 767 aircraft that are substantially more fuel efficient than the aircraft they will replace. In FY12, we invested about $4 billion in capital expenditures, about half related to modernizing our air fleet. We think such initiatives are an integral part of this year’s No. 6 ranking on fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list and No. 7 on the Reputation Institute’s list of the most socially responsible companies in the United States.FedEx provides the efficient access that businesses of all sizes need to succeed, build prosperous communities and raise living standards worldwide. Just ask a British mother who redesigned a simple handbag. In just three years this FedEx customer turned her product into a $3. 3 million global business called Cambridge Satchel Company. Or talk to the founder of OtterBox, a company that makes protective cases for mobile devices. Thanks to the mastery of global supply chains, he grew his business from $5 million to almost $169 million in just three years, while creating more than 500 jobs in his hometown of Fort Collins, Colo.We believe we can continue to improve FedEx’s financial performance in fiscal year 2013 and beyond based on the strategy and initiatives discussed above. But we understand our achievements rely on the trust of our customers, shareowners, and team members and we will continue to earn their confidence by conducting our business with integrity, dependability, and commitment every day, every transaction. That’s our Purple Promise. Sincerely, WoRld-ClASS SoluTionS Growth in the U. S. and Europe is moderate, but there are positive signs worldwide because of the strength of emerging markets.Countries such as China, India, Mexico and Brazil are quickly becoming consumers as well as producers, driving increased demand. The long-term future for global trade remains solid, and we are committed to providing solutions for businesses — large and small — to effectively compete in this important market. Air express will continue to grow long term as the integration of the world’s economies generate more small shipments moving directly from the point of production to the end user. That’s why the unique capabilities of our Boeing 777Fs are a distinct advantage for us.Their long range and nonstop capabilities provide shippers more time to process shipments each day. Concurrently, air freight shipping is becoming more episodic. High-value technology products make up a large portion of this market these days, and more of these goods are being shipped as part of large new product launches. As a consequence, it often takes a large fleet of wide-body aircraft like ours to quickly flex capacity up and down. If a customer asks us to add extra flights, FedEx can do it better than our competitors because we have the largest all-cargo fleet in the world.These trends are reinforced by improved production scheduling, reliability, and logistics information systems. Better visibility into supply chains allows greater use of ocean transportation to ship customers’ commodity freight, a distinct advantage given higher fuel prices. As a result, we’ve been expanding our FedEx Trade Networks capabilities. Since 2008, we’ve opened 47 freight-forwarding offices worldwide to help businesses reach their markets via ocean or air. It’s a key part of our strategy to provide customers with the world-class solutions they need to compete.Despite the slowdown in Europe last year, our business there continues to grow. To better serve customers, FedEx Express is opening stations across Europe. We’ve also recently completed acquisitions of transportation companies in Poland, France, and Brazil to provide customers in those markets with better domes tic service and improved access to global markets. innovATion AT WoRk As we grow, we know we must continue to connect the world responsibly. It starts with the Purple Promise, which FedEx team members deliver millions of times a day worldwide: â€Å"I will make every FedEx experience outstanding. If the Purple Promise is our heart, Quality Driven Management (QDM) represents our hands — it’s how we do things at FedEx. Frederick W. Smith Chairman, President and CEO MORE > fedex. com/annualreport2012 3 to stay ahead, we change the game As the speed of global change accelerates, the difference between leaders and followers is defined by one word — agility. We not only have the ability to quickly react to changing economic conditions and customer needs, but also the agility to anticipate and effect change. FedEx is redefining our industry as we continually reshape and refine our focused networks to gain speed and efficiency.When we change the game, our customers win . ACCeleRATing ACCeSS gAining SPeed FedEx Express is the largest all-cargo airline in the world and the largest express transportation company. Our long-range Boeing 777F aircraft directly link global markets, speeding customers’ shipments door-to-door. In the last two years, we’ve improved global access by completing acquisitions in India, Mexico, Poland, France and Brazil. To accommodate evolving customer needs, the global offices of FedEx Trade Networks offer end-to-end shipping services, including air and ocean freight forwarding supported by customs brokerage.FedEx Ground continues to delight customers by shortening transit times throughout the U. S. and Canada. Businesses can reach more locations faster than with any other ground carrier. Convenient FedEx Ground home delivery and FedEx SmartPost services support the growing consumer trend to buy online, which grew by double digits in each of the last two years. In the United States, Cyber Monday online sales rose 22 percent, to $1. 25 billion last year — the largest online shopping day ever, boosting holiday shipping volumes to record levels.CuSToMeRS ARe in The FAST lAne thanks to a dedicated Fedex ground team that continually fine-tunes the ground network, much like a race car, to enhance speed, safety and reliability. From left: kimberly Whigham, managing director, vehicle Maintenance; Jeff grimm, managing director, linehaul Planning; brian neal, manager, Safety Process Management; Steve griffin, vice president, linehaul; Rich Sturges, senior manager, linehaul engineering. go to fedex. com/annualreport2012 to read their story. 4 ShiFTing geARS innovATing SoluTionSFedEx Freight is the first carrier to offer less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping customers two choices: priority and economy. In an industry where most shipments are processed manually, we’re automating much of the shipping process, improving customers’ productivity and earning their loyalty. We’ve also made it much easier and faster for shippers to classify freight with Freight Central, our convenient online resource for LTL shippers. Combined with industry-leading transit times, these changes have made FedEx Freight a market leader in the U. S. LTL industry, a $31 billion market in 2011.FedEx Services transforms our superior technology and delivery services into shipping and business solutions for customers. Their choices are based on what’s most important to them today. That’s why our portfolio includes air and ocean freight forwarding solutions to complement our express and air cargo services. Meanwhile, at FedEx Office locations, we installed 8,000 pieces of printing equipment in the last two years. The technology can deliver a variety of signage and over-sized prints for customers ranging from big-box retailers with multiple locations to large corporations to small businesses. uperior netWorks deliver game-changing customer solutions. MORE > fedex. com/annualre port2012 5 to stay ahead, we do what’s right A passion for quality drives FedEx team members worldwide. Our culture of continuous improvement embraces change and drives innovation. In turn, we enhance the lives of our customers and their communities so that our customers remain among the most satisfied and loyal in the industry. Whether it’s the transportation services we provide, the information technology we support or the sustainable solutions we implement, when we do the right thing, we earn their trust.QuAliTy dRiven MAnAgeMenT is how we successfully respond to the pressures of today’s business environment. In a recent improvement effort, we’ve reduced lost and damaged shipments, demonstrating our commitment to service excellence and saving millions of dollars. Global teams also worked on behalf of customers to continue improving the customs clearance process. More accurate clearance documentation, technology improvements and better collaboration amo ng global regulatory authorities give FedEx customers an edge in the marketplace. inFoRMATion about a shipment is as important as the shipment itself.Whether it’s an overnight holiday gift or a supply chain that stretches across the globe, our customers stay in-the-know thanks to our superior technology. The new Colorado Springs Enterprise Data Center is the heart of a cutting-edge IT transformation to hybrid cloud architecture. This innovative technology enables FedEx to be more productive and efficient by accessing computer resources even as data expands at 40 percent per year. The size and scope of the implementation is one of the largest within a commercial real-time system. iF knoWledge iS PoWeR, Fedex customers have a competitive advantage thanks to he Fedex Trade networks team that manages My global Trade data. They’re dedicated to providing the quality tracking and reporting that are essential to managing international freight forwarding shipments. From left: R enee brown, product specialist; Paul kirkeby, senior programmer analyst; Chauntisse Foster, senior product advisor; Alan hunt, iT manager. go to fedex. com/annualreport2012 to read their story. 6 SuSTAinAbiliTy and innovation go hand in hand at FedEx. We call it EarthSmart — FedEx solutions for a more sustainable world.Our customers can now neutralize their carbon emissions when they ship their documents by taking advantage of our new FedEx carbon-neutral envelope shipping. FedEx Express is the first global express transportation company to offer the program to customers at no charge. We’re modernizing our aircraft fleet with Boeing 757s, 767s and 777s, which are delivering significant increases in fuel efficiency and reduced operating costs and emissions. After only six years into our 15-year plan, we have completed 69 percent of our goal to reduce aircraft emissions intensity 20 percent by 2020.Because we’re ahead of plan, our goal is to now reduce aircraft em issions intensity 30 percent by 2020. At FedEx Office, more than 5 million pounds of paper were recycled in 2011, saving tens of thousands of trees. FedEx Office built independent paper-recycling systems into all of its North America locations, because many communities have inadequate recycling or none at all. FedEx is closing in on our vehicle fleet fuel-efficiency goal — making our vehicle fleet 20 percent more fuel efficient by 2020 — years ahead of schedule.Our strategy has been to reduce the number of vehicles that we need by continually making our routes more efficient and then selecting the most efficient vehicle for the job. We’re adding 87 all-electric trucks to the fleet to bring the total to 130 in the United States, Asia and Europe. About 11,000 Sprinter vans will also be added. Each is 70 to 100 percent more fuel efficient than the truck it replaces. MORE > fedex. com/annualreport2012 7 OPERATING MARGIN 2008(4) 2009(3) 2010 2011(2) 2012(1) 5. 5% 2. 1% 5. 8% 6. 1% 7. 5% financial highlights 2008(4) DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE $3. 60 $0. 1 $3. 76 (in millions, except earnings per share) 2012(1) Percent 2011(2) Change 9 34 140bp 40 40 – 17 22 9 (1) (3) 2009(3) 2010 2011(2) REVENUE 2012(1) Operating Results Revenues $ 42,680 $ 39,304 Operating income 3,186 2,378 Operating margin 7. 5% 6. 1% Net income 2,032 1,452 Diluted earnings per common share 6. 41 4. 57 Average common and common equivalent shares 317 317 Capital expenditures 4,007 3,434 Financial Position Cash and cash equivalents Total assets Long-term debt, including current portion Common stockholders’ investment $ 2,843 29,903 1,667 14,727 $ 2,328 27,385 1,685 15,220 in billions) $4. 57 $6. 41 2008 2009 2010 $38. 0 $35. 5 $34. 7 RETURN ON AVERAGE EQUITY 2011 (4) 2008 2009 2012 (3) 2010 2011(2) 2012(1) 8. 3% $39. 3 0. 7% $42. 7 8. 6% 10. 0% 13. 6% OPERATING MARGIN DEBT TO TOTAL CAPITALIZATION 2008(4) 2009(3) 2008 2010 5. 5% 2. 1% 12. 1% 5. 8% 15. 9% 12. 3% 10. 0% 10. 2% 2011(2) 2012 2009 2010 2011 2012 (1) 6. 1% 7. 5% DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE 2008(4) 2009 2010 STOCK PRICE (May 31 close) $91. 71 $55. 43 $83. 49 2008 (3) 2009 2010 $3. 60 $0. 31 $3. 76 COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN* 120 $110 $100 $90 $80 $70 $60 $50 $40 5/07 5/08 5/09 5/10 5/11 5/12 2011(2) 2011 2012(1) 2012 $93. 64 $4. 57 $89. 14 $6. 41 RETURN ON AVERAGE EQUITY 2008(4) 2009(3) 2010 2011(2) 2012(1) 8. 3% 0. 7% 8. 6% 10. 0% 13. 6% DEBT TO TOTAL CAPITALIZATION 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 12. 1% 15. 9% 12. 3% 10. 0% 10. 2% FedEx Corporation S&P 500 Dow Jones Transportation Average *$100 invested on 5/31/07 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. fiscal year ending may 31. (1) results for 2012 include a $134 million ($84 million, net of tax or $0. 6 per diluted share) impairment charge resulting from the decision to retire 24 aircraft and related engines at fedex express and the reversal of a $66 million legal reserve initially recorded in 2011. (2) results for 2011 include charges of approximately $199 million ($104 million, net of tax and applicable variable incentive compensation impacts, or $0. 33 per diluted share) for the combination of our fedex freight and fedex national ltl operations and a $66 million reserve associated with a legal matter at fedex express. (3) results for 2009 include a charge of $1. billion ($1. 1 billion, net of tax, or $3. 45 per diluted share) primarily for impairment charges associated with goodwill and aircraft. (4) results for 2008 include a charge of $891 million ($696 million, net of tax, or $2. 23 per diluted share) recorded during the fourth quarter, predominantly for impairment charges associated with intangible assets from the fedex office acquisition. STOCK PRICE (May 31 close) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 $91. 71 $55. 43 $83. 49 $93. 64 $89. 14 COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN* 8ManageMent’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL SECTION The financial section of the FedEx Corporation (â€Å"FedEx†) Annual Report (â€Å"Annual Report†) consists of the following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition (â€Å"MD&A†), the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and Other Financial Information, all of which include information about our significant accounting policies, practices and the transactions that underlie our financial results.The following MD&A describes the principal factors affecting the results of operations, liquidity, capital resources, contractual cash obligations and the critical accounting estimates of FedEx. The discussion in the financial section should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this Annual Report and our detailed discussion of risk factors included in this MD&A. our reportable segments.Our FedEx Services segment provides sale s, marketing, information technology, communications and back-office support to our transportation segments. In addition, the FedEx Services segment provides customers with retail access to FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipping services through FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. (â€Å"FedEx Office†) and provides customer service, technical support and billing and collection services through FedEx TechConnect, Inc. â€Å"FedEx TechConnect†). See â€Å"Reportable Segments† for further discussion. The key indicators necessary to understand our operating results include: > the overall customer demand for our various services based on macroeconomic factors and the global economy; > the volumes of transportation services provided through our networks, primarily measured by our average daily volume and hipment weight; > the mix of services purchased by our customers; > the prices we obtain for our services, primarily measured by yield (revenue per package or poun d or revenue per hundredweight for LTL freight shipments); > our ability to manage our cost structure (capital expenditures and operating expenses) to match shifting volume levels; and > the timing and amount of fluctuations in fuel prices and our ability to recover incremental fuel costs through our fuel surcharges. ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATIONOur MD&A is composed of three major sections: Results of Operations, Financial Condition and Critical Accounting Estimates. These sections include the following information: > Results of Operations includes an overview of our consolidated 2012 results compared to 2011, and 2011 results compared to 2010. This section also includes a discussion of key actions and events that impacted our results, as well as our outlook for 2013. > The overview is followed by a financial summary and analysis (including a discussion of both historical operating results and our outlook for 2013) for each of our reportable transportation segments. gt; Our financial condition is reviewed through an analysis of key elements of our liquidity, capital resources and contractual cash obligations, including a discussion of our cash flows and our financial commitments. > Critical accounting estimates discusses those financial statement elements that we believe are important to understanding certain of the material judgments and assumptions incorporated in our financial results. > We conclude with a discussion of risks and uncertainties that may impact our financial and operating results. The majority of our operating expenses are directly impacted by revenue and volume levels.Accordingly, we expect these operating expenses to fluctuate on a year-over-year basis consistent with the change in revenues and volumes. Therefore, the discussion of operating expense captions focuses on the key drivers and trends impacting expenses other than changes in revenues and volume. Except as otherwise specified, references to years indicate our fiscal year ended May 3 1, 2012 or ended May 31 of the year referenced and comparisons are to the prior year. References to our transportation segments include, collectively, our FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight segments. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESSWe provide a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through companies competing collectively, operating independently and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Our primary operating companies are Federal Express Corporation (â€Å"FedEx Express†), the world’s largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (â€Å"FedEx Ground†), a leading North American provider of small-package ground delivery services; and FedEx Freight, Inc. (â€Å"FedEx Freight†), a leading North American provider of less-than-truckload (â€Å"LTL†) freight services.These companies represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (â€Å"FedEx Services†), form the core of 9 management’s discussion and analysis RESULTS OF OPERATIONS CONSOLIDATED RESULTS The following table compares summary operating results (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) for the years ended May 31: Percent Change 2011(2) 2010 2012/2011 2011/2010 2012(1) Revenues $ 42,680 $ 39,304 $ 34,734 9 13 Operating income 3,186 2,378 1,998 34 19 Operating margin 7. 5% 6. 1% 5. 8% 140bp 30bp Net income $ 2,032 $ 1,452 $ 1,184 40 23 Diluted earnings per share $ 6. 1 $ 4. 57 $ 3. 76 40 22 (1) Operating expenses include an impairment charge of $134 million resulting from the decision to retire 24 aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express and the reversal of a $66 million legal reserve associated with the ATA Airlines lawsuit which was initially recorded in 2011. (2) Operating expenses include $133 million in costs associated with the combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations, effective January 30, 2011, and a $66 million legal reserve associated with the ATA Airlines lawsuit against FedEx Express.The following table shows changes in revenues and operating income by reportable segment for 2012 compared to 2011, and 2011 compared to 2010 (dollars in millions): Revenues Dollar Change Percent Change 2012/2011 2011/2010 2012/2011 2011/2010 $ 1,934 $ 3,026 8 14 1,088 1,046 13 14 371 590 8 14 (13) (86) (1) (5) (4) (6) NM NM $ 3,376 $ 4,570 9 13 Operating Income Dollar Change Percent Change 2012/2011 2011/2010 2012/2011 2011/2010 $ 32 $ 101 3 9 439 301 33 29 337 (22) 193 (14) – – – – – – – – $ 808 $ 380 34 19FedEx Express segment(1) FedEx Ground segment FedEx Freight segment(2) FedEx Services segment Other and eliminations (1) FedEx Express segment 2012 operating expenses include an impairment charge of $134 million resulting from the decision to retire 24 aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express and the reversal of a $66 million legal re serve associated with the ATA Airlines lawsuit which was initially recorded in 2011. (2) FedEx Freight segment 2011 operating expenses include $133 million in costs associated with the combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations, effective January 30, 2011. 0 management’s discussion and analysis Overview Revenues, operating income and operating margins increased in 2012 due to the exceptional performance of our FedEx Ground segment, improved profitability at FedEx Freight and increased yields across all our operating segments, despite moderating global economic conditions. Our results for 2012 include the impact of certain charges and credits as described below, which favorably impacted our year-overyear results by $0. 15 per diluted share, after considering the effect of variable incentive compensation accruals.In addition, our results significantly benefited in 2012 from the timing lag that exists between when fuel prices change and when indexed fuel surcharges automatically adjust. We also benefited from a milder winter, as our 2011 results were negatively impacted by unusually severe winter weather. 26 related engines, as well as six Boeing MD10-10 aircraft and 17 related engines. The decision to retire these aircraft will better align the U. S. domestic air network capacity of FedEx Express to match current and anticipated shipment volumes.Our 2011 results include one-time costs associated with the combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations of $133 million, including $89 million of impairment and other charges. Our results for 2011 reflected the momentum of improved global economic conditions and strong demand for our services, which drove yield growth and volume increases across all our transportation segments, particularly in International Priority (â€Å"IP†) package shipments at FedEx Express. Our FedEx Ground segment delivered strong results through increasing volume, yield and operating ma rgins.The FedEx Freight segment returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2011, primarily due to higher LTL yield. All of our transportation segments benefited from our yield management initiatives in 2011. The combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations was completed in 2011. Our combined LTL network increases efficiencies, reduces operational costs and provides customers both Priority and Economy LTL freight services across all lengths of haul from one integrated company.Our 2012 results include the reversal of a $66 million reserve associated with the ATA Airlines lawsuit at FedEx Express. This reserve was initially recorded in 2011 when a loss was deemed probable as a result of an adverse decision in the lawsuit. We reversed this reserve during 2012 when FedEx Express won the appeal of this case and the appeals court overturned the prior ruling (See Note 17 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements).Additionally, our 2012 results inclu de a noncash impairment charge of $134 million due to our decision to retire from service 18 Airbus A310-200 aircraft and 11 management’s discussion and analysis 3,000 3,000 2,603 2,603 2,638 2,638 2,684 (1) (1) FedEx FedEx Express(1) Express(1) Average Daily Package Volume Average Daily Package Volume 2,684 3,000 2,577 FedEx Express(1) Average Daily Package Volume 2,638 2,684 4,100 FedEx FedEx Ground(2) Ground(2) Average Daily Package Volume Average Daily Package Volume 4,100 (2) (2) FedEx Ground( Average Daily ,907 3,907 FedEx FedEx Ground Ground FedEx FedEx Express Express 2,500 2,500 2,500 The following graphs for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight show selected 3,900 3,900 (in thousands) for the years ended May 31: volume trends Average Daily Package Volume 3,900 Average Daily Package Volume Average Daily Package Volume 2,000 Average Daily Package Volume 2,000 2,000 3,000 1,500 2,500 1,000 3,000 2,000 500 2,500 1,500 0 2,000 1,000 1,500 500 1,000 0 500 0 3,000 2,603 1,500 2,500 1,000 3,000 2,000 2,603 475 500 2,500 1,500 0 2,000 2009 1,000 2,577 2,603 ,100 2,577 FedEx2,603 2,638 Express(1) 2,684 2,577 1,500 2,577 Express(1)2,638 2,684 FedEx Average Daily Package Volume Average Daily Package Volume 523 2,603 2,638 475 575 523 2,638 2,684 575 2,684 559 2,577 1,000 500 559 2,577 475 523 575 4,100 4,100 3,700 3,700 3,900 3,900 4,100 559 4,100 3,500 3,500 3,404 3,700 3,900 3,300 FedEx Ground(2) FedEx Ground(2) 3,700 Average Daily Package Volume Average Daily Package3,907 3,907 Volume 3,523 3,523 3,404 2009 3,523 2010 3,404 3,523 2009 2010 3,404 3,523 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 3,746 3,746 3,500 3,907 3,300 3,907 3,404 ,746 3,746 3,523 0 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2009 575 575 559 559 523 523 U. S. domestic package 475 475 U. S. domestic 1,500 U. S. domestic package package IP package IP package 500 2009 2010 1,000 0 2009 475 500 0 2009 575 559 575 559 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 523 523 475 U. S. domestic package package IP package IP package U. S. domestic 3,700 3,900 3,300 2011 2012 2009 3,500 3,500 IP package 3,404 3,700 3,700 3,300 3,500 3,300 2009 3,500 3,404 3,300 3,523 2011 2010 3,746 2011 3,746 2012 2012 2009 2010 2) 2011 2012 2011 2012 FedEx2009 2010 Freight2011 FedEx 2010 Freight FedEx2009 2010 Express and FedEx Ground(2)FedEx Express and FedEx Ground2009 FedEx and FedEx Ground(2) 2012 Express 2010 2011 U. S. domestic package package IP package IP package Volume U. S. domestic Total Average Daily Package Volume AverageLTL Shipments Total Average Daily Package Volume Total Average Daily Package Average Daily Daily LTL Shipments 3,300 2012 FedEx Freight Average Daily 7,800 7,600 7,400 7,800 7,200 7,600 7,000 7,800 7,400 6,800 7,600 7,200 6,600 7,400 7,000 7,200 6,800 7,000 6,600 6,800 7,800 7,600 7,800 (2) (2) 7,538 7,6007,538 90. 0 7,538 0. 0 86. 0 86. 0 90. 0 FedEx FedEx Express and FedEx Ground Express and FedEx Ground Total Average Daily7,353 7,353 Volume Total AveragePackage Daily Package Volume 7,4 00 7,400 (2) FedEx Express and FedEx Ground(2) FedEx Express and FedEx Ground7,200 7,200 7,600 Total Average Daily Package 7,538 7,538 Total Average Daily Package Volume Volume 7,002 7,002 7,800 7,353 85. 0 90. 0 80. 0 85. 0 FedEx FedEx Freight Freight 84. 9 84. 9 85. 0 Average Daily LTL Shipments Average Daily LTL Shipments 82. 3 82. 3 90. 0 80. 0 7,000 7,800 7,400 6,780 6,800 7,600 7,200 6,600 7,400 2009 7,000 6,780 7,002 2009 2010 6,780 7,002 2009 2010 6,780 7,002 ,353 7,353 7,000 7,002 6,800 7,538 7,538 7,002 2010 7,353 2011 7,353 2012 2011 6,600 6,780 85. 0 90. 0 75. 0 80. 0 85. 0 70. 0 85. 0 74. 4 90. 0 75. 0 FedEx FreightFreight86. 0 FedEx 80. 0 86. 0 Average Daily LTL Shipments 84. 9 Average Daily LTL Shipments 84. 9 74. 4 82. 3 82. 3 86. 0 86. 0 84. 9 2009 2010 82. 3 74. 4 2010 2011 82. 3 2011 2012 70. 0 75. 0 84. 9 2012 2009 74. 4 82. 3 2012 2009 2010 2011 7,200 6,780 6,800 7,000 6,600 2009 6,780 6,800 80. 0 85. 0 70. 0 2012 2009 74. 4 75. 0 75. 0 80. 0 80. 0 70. 0 75. 0 7 0. 0 74. 4 2009 75. 0 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 74. 4 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 012 70. 0 70. 0 6,600 6,600 The following graphs 2010 FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight show selected yield trends for the years ended 2011 31: for May 2011 2009 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2012 2012 FedEx FedEx Express Express Revenue per Package – Yield– Yield Revenue per Package (1) (1) FedEx Express Revenue per Package – Yield (1) FedEx FedEx Ground Ground Revenue per Package – Yield– Yield Revenue per Package $9. 25 (2) (2) (2) (2) FedEx Ground ( Revenue per P $70. 00 $60. 00 $50. 00 $70. 00 $40. 00 $60. 00 $30. 00 $70. 00 $50. 00 $20. 00 $60. 00 $40. 00 $10. 00 $50. 0 $30. 00 $40. 00 $20. 00 $30. 00 $10. 00 $20. 00 $21. 00 $10. 00 $20. 00 $19. 00 $21. 00 $18. 00 $20. 00 $21. 00 $17. 00 $19. 00 $20. 00 $16. 00 $18. 00 $19. 00 $17. 00 $70. 00 $57. 81 $60. 00 $70. 00 $57. 81 $53. 10 (1) (1) $56. 08 $53. 10 FedEx FedEx Express Express Revenue per Package – Yield– Yield Revenue per Package $50. 00 $50. 00 $40. 00 $57. 81 $60. 00 $30. 00 $70. 00 $50. 00 $30. 00 $70. 00 $60. 83 $60. 83 $57. 81 $60. 00 $56. 08 $9. 25 $53. 10 $56. 08 $8. 75 $9. 25 $8. 25 $8. 75 $9. 25 $7. 75 $14. 61 2010 $15. 59 $8. 25 $8. 75 $7. 25 $9. 25 $60. 83 $8. 75 FedEx FedEx Ground Ground $8. 77 $8. 77 $8. 5 Revenue per Package – Yield– Yield Revenue per Package FedEx Express(1) FedEx Express(1) $60. 83 $40. 00$60. 83 $57. 81 Revenue$53. 10 Package – Yield– Yield Revenue$53. 10$56. 08 $56. 08 per per Package $16. 21 $57. 81$14. 61 $53. 10 2009 2010 $15. 59 $14. 61$56. 08 $53. 10 2010 2011 $60. 83 $17. 12 $17. 12 $20. 00$60. 83 $16. 21 $15. 59 $56. 08 $10. 00 2011 2012 2012 2009 $9. 25 $8. 25 $20. 00 $16. 21 $57. 81 $60. 00 $40. 00 $10. 00 $50. 00 2009 $30. 00 $8. 75 $9. 25 $7. 70 $7. 75 $17. 12 FedEx Ground (2) FedEx Ground (2) $8. 25 $8. 17 $8. 17 Revenue per Package – Yield– Yi eld $8. 77 Revenue per Package $8. 7 $7. 70 $7. 73 $7. 73 $8. 17 2009 2010 $7. 70 $7. 73 2010 2011 $7. 73 $8. 17 $8. 17 $8. 77 2011 2012 $8. 17 $7. 75 $8. 77 $7. 25 2012 2009 2010 $7. 70 $7. 73 U. S. domestic $17. 12 $40. 00 U. S. domestic package package IP package IP package $17. 12 $20. 00 $16. 21 $16. 21 $15. 59 $14. 61 $15. 59 $14. 61 U. S. domestic package $8. 25 $8. 75 $7. 25 2011 2012 2009 $7. 70 $7. 75 $7. 75 IP package $8. 25 $8. 25 $30. 00 $10. 00 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2009 $17. 12 $17. 12 $20. 00 $16. 21 $16. 21 $15. 59 $14. 61 U. S. domestic package U. S. domestic package $14. 61$15. 59IP package IP package $21. 00 $21. 0 $10. 00 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2009 $20. 00$19. 57 $20. 00 $19. 57 U. S. domestic package package IP package IP package U. S. domestic $19. 07 $19. 07 $19. 07 $19. 00 $21. 00 $19. 00 FedEx Freight FedEx FedEx Freight Freight Average Fuel Cost per Gallon Gallon Average Fuel Cost per $7. 25 $7. 25 $7. 73 $7. 70 $7. 70 $7. 73 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 $7. 75 $7. 75 LTL Revenue per Hundredweight – Yield– LTL Revenue per Hundredweight – Yield LTL Revenue per Hundredweight Yield FedEx FedEx Freight Freight LTL Revenue per Hundredweight – Yield– Yield LTL Revenue per Hundredweight $18. 24 $17. 7 $4. 50 $7. 25 $4. 00 $4. 50 $7. 25 2009 $4. 00 $19. 57 $4. 50 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 $3. 80 2012 2012 Average Fuel C 2012 $4. 00 Average Fuel Cost per Gallon Gallon $3. 80 Average Fuel Cost per $3. 04 $3. 25 $2. 69 $2. 66 $3. 25 $3. 31 $3. 50$3. 31 $2. 66 $3. 80 $3. 04 $2. 69 $2. 15 FedEx FreightFreight FedEx $18. 24 $18. 24 LTL Revenue per Hundredweight – Yield– Yield LTL Revenue per Hundredweight $18. 00$19. 57 $18. 00 $20. 00 $19. 57 $19. 07 $21. 00 $17. 00 $19. 00 $20. 00 $19. 07 $16. 00 $18. 00 2009 $19. 00 $17. 00 $19. 07 $17. 07 $17. 07 $18. 24 $19. 07 2009 2010 $17. 07 2010 2011 $17. 07 $18. 4 $18. 24 $17. 00 $19. 57 $19. 57 $16. 00 2011 2012 2012 2009 2 010 2011 $3. 50 $3. 50 $3. 04 $4. 50 $4. 50 $3. 00 $3. 00 $2. 62 $4. 00 $4. 00 $2. 50 $2. 50 $4. 50 $4. 50 $3. 50 $3. 50 $3. 04 $2. 00 $2. 00 $4. 00 $4. 00 $3. 00 $3. 00 $2. 62 $1. 50 $1. 50 $3. 50 2012 $3. 50 2009 $2. 50 $2. 50 $3. 04 $3. 00 $2. 00 $2. 50 $1. 50 $2. 00 $1. 50 Average Fuel Cost per Gallon Gallon Average Fuel Cost per $3. 00 $2. 62 $2. 69 $3. 04 $2. 15 $2. 15 $3. 25 $2. 69 $2. 66 2010 $3. 25 2011 $2. 15 $2. 69 $2. 66 $2. 15 2010 2011 Jet 2010 2011 Jet $3. 25 $3. 31 $2. 50 $3. 80 $2. 62 $3. 31 $3. 80 $2. 00$3. 80 $2. 66 $1. 50$3. 1 $3. 25 $3. 31 2011 2012 2012 2009 Jet $2. 66 Jet Vehicle 2010 $2. 62 $2. 69 $18. 00 $18. 00 (2) Package statistics do not include the operations of FedEx SmartPost. $17. 07 $17. 07 $16. 00 $16. 00 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 $17. 00 $17. 00 (1) Excludes international domestic operations. $18. 24 2009 2010 $3. 04 $2. 15 Vehicle $3. 00 Vehicle $2. 00 $2. 62 $2. 69 $2. 62 $2. 15 2009 2010 Vehicle Vehicle $2. 50 $1. 50 2009 $2. 00 $ 1. 50 2009 2011 2012 Jet 2011 2012 Jet 2012 12 $16. 00 $16. 00 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2009 2010 Vehicle Vehicle 2012 management’s discussion and analysis evenue During 2012, revenues increased 9% due to yield growth across all our transportation segments. At FedEx Express, revenues increased 8% in 2012 led by higher U. S. domestic and IP package yields. However, U. S. domestic package and IP package volumes declined due to weakening global economic conditions. Revenues increased 13% during 2012 at our FedEx Ground segment due to higher yields and strong demand for all our major services. At FedEx Freight, revenues increased 8% during 2012 due to higher LTL yield as a result of higher fuel surcharges and yield management programs, despite a decrease in volume.Revenues increased 13% during 2011 due to yield increases and volume growth across all our transportation segments. Yields improved due to higher fuel surcharges and increased base rates under our yield i mprovement programs. At FedEx Express, revenues increased 14% in 2011 led by IP volume growth in Asia, as well as U. S. domestic and IP package yield increases. At the FedEx Ground segment, revenues increased 14% in 2011 due to continued volume growth driven by market share gains and yield growth at both FedEx Ground and FedEx SmartPost.At FedEx Freight, yield increases due to our yield management programs and higher LTL fuel surcharges, and higher average daily LTL volumes led to a 14% increase in revenues in 2011. impairment and Other Charges In May 2012, we made the decision to retire from service 18 Airbus A310-200 aircraft and 26 related engines, as well as six Boeing MD10-10 aircraft and 17 related engines. As a consequence of this decision, a noncash impairment charge of $134 million ($84 million, net of tax, or $0. 26 per diluted share) was recorded in the fourth quarter.The decision to retire these aircraft, the majority of which were temporarily idled and not in revenue se rvice, will better align the U. S. domestic air network capacity of FedEx Express to match current and anticipated shipment volumes. Operating inCOme The following tables compare operating expenses expressed as dollar amounts (in millions) and as a percent of revenue for the years ended May 31: 2012 2011 2010 Operating expenses: Salaries and employee benefits $ 16,099 $ 15,276 $ 14,027 Purchased transportation 6,335 5,674 4,728 Rentals nd landing fees 2,487 2,462 2,359 Depreciation and amortization 2,113 1,973 1,958 Fuel 4,956 4,151 3,106 Maintenance and repairs 1,980 1,979 1,715 (1) (2) Impairment and other charges 134 89 18 Other (3) 5,390 5,322 4,825 Total operating expenses $ 39,494 $ 36,926 $ 32,736 (1) Represents charges resulting from the decision to retire 24 aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express. (2) Represents charges associated with the combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations, effective January 30, 2011. 3) Includes the 2012 reversal of a $66 million legal reserve associated with the ATA Airlines lawsuit which was initially recorded in 2011 (See Note 17 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements). Percent of Revenue 2012 2011 2010 Operating expenses: Salaries and employee benefits Purchased transportation Rentals and landing fees Depreciation and amortization Fuel Maintenance and repairs Impairment and other charges Other (3) Total operating expenses Operating margin 37. 7% 14. 9 5. 8 5. 0 11. 6 4. 6 0. 3(1) 12. 6 92. 5 7. 5% 38. % 14. 4 6. 3 5. 0 10. 6 5. 0 0. 2(2) 13. 5 93. 9 6. 1% 40. 4% 13. 6 6. 8 5. 6 8. 9 4. 9 0. 1 13. 9 94. 2 5. 8% In 2011, we incurred impairment and other charges of $89 million related to the combination of our LTL operations at FedEx Freight. In 2010, we recorded a charge of $18 million for the impairment of goodwill related to the FedEx National LTL acquisition, eliminating the remaining goodwill attributable to this reporting unit. (1) Represents charges resulting from the dec ision to retire 24 aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express. 2) Represents charges associated with the combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations effective January 30, 2011. (3) Includes the 2012 reversal of a $66 million legal reserve associated with the ATA Airlines lawsuit which was initially recorded in 2011 (See Note 17 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. ) Our 2012 operating income increased 34% and operating margin increased 140 basis points driven by higher yields across all our transportation segments due to higher fuel surcharges and our yield management programs. Our results lso significantly benefited in 2012 from the timing lag that exists between when fuel prices change and when indexed fuel surcharges automatically adjust. FedEx Ground segment operating income increased $439 million in 2012 driven by higher yields and strong demand for all our major services. At our FedEx Freight segment, operating income increased $337 million due to higher LTL yield and efficiencies gained from the combination of our LTL operations in 2011. Additionally, our year-over-year comparisons were favorably impacted by several items as described above in the â€Å"Overview† section. 13 anagement’s discussion and analysis FedEx Ground (2) Revenue per Package – Yield Salaries and benefits increased 5% in 2012 primarily due to higher $9. 25 incentive compensation costs and the full reinstatement of 401(k) $8. 77 company-matching contributions effective January 1, 2011. Purchased $8. 75 transportation costs increased 12% in 2012 due to volume growth and higher fuel surcharges at FedEx Ground, costs associated with the $8. 25 $8. 17 expansion of our freight forwarding business at FedEx Trade Networks $7. 73 and higher utilization of third-party transportation providers in interna$7. 0 $7. 75 tional locations primarily due to business acquisitions at FedEx Express. $7. 25 The following graph for our transp ortation segments shows our average 2009 2010 2011 2012 cost of jet and vehicle fuel per gallon for the years ended May 31: Salaries and employee benefits increased 9% in 2011 due to the reinstatement of merit salary increases, increases in pension and medical Average Fuel Cost per Gallon costs and the reinstatement of full 401(k) company-matching contributions effective January 1, 2011. Purchased transportation increased $4. 0 20% in 2011 due to volume growth, higher fuel surcharges and higher $3. 80 $4. 00 rates paid to our independent contractors at FedEx Ground, as well as costs associated with the expansion of our freight forwarding business $3. 31 $3. 25 $3. 50 $3. 04 at FedEx Trade Networks. Maintenance and repairs expense increased $3. 00 $2. 69 $2. 66 $2. 62 15% in 2011 primarily due to an increase in maintenance events, as a $2. 50 result of timing, and higher utilization of our fleet driven by increased $2. 15 volumes. Other operating expense increased 10% primarily due t o $2. 0 volume- and weather-related expenses. $1. 50 2009 2010 2011 2012 Vehicle Jet costs, and increased maintenance and repairs expenses had a negative impact on our performance for 2011. Costs related to the combination of our FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL operations also negatively impacted our 2011 results by $133 million. Unusually severe weather in the second half of 2011 caused widespread disruptions to our networks, which led to lost revenues and drove higher purchased transportation, salaries and wages and other operational costs.Additionally, a $66 million reserve associated with an adverse jury decision in the ATA Airlines lawsuit against FedEx Express was recognized in 2011. Fuel expense increased 19% during 2012 primarily due to price increases. Our fuel surcharges, which are more fully described in the â€Å"Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk† section of this MD&A, have a timing lag and are designed to pass through the price of fu el not included in our base shipping rates to our customers.Based on a static analysis of the impact to operating income of year-over-year changes in fuel prices compared to changes in fuel surcharges, fuel surcharges significantly exceeded incremental fuel costs in 2012. If fuel prices remain at current levels, that effect is expected to reverse in 2013. Our analysis considers the estimated impact of the reduction in fuel surcharges included in the base rates charged for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground services.However, this analysis does not consider the negative effects that fuel surcharge levels may have on our business, including reduced demand and shifts by our customers to lower-yielding services. While fluctuations in fuel surcharge rates can be significant from period to period, fuel surcharges represent one of the many individual components of our pricing structure that impact our overall revenue and yield. Additional components include the mix of services sold, the base pr ice and extra service charges we obtain for these services and the level of pricing discounts offered.In order to provide information about the impact of fuel surcharges on the trend in revenue and yield growth, we have included the comparative fuel surcharge rates in effect for 2012, 2011 and 2010 in the accompanying discussions of each of our transportation segments. In 2011, operating income increased 19% primarily due to yield and volume increases across all our transportation segments. Higher compensation and benefits, including retirement plans and medical Fuel expense increased 34% during 2011 primarily due to increases in the average price per gallon of fuel and fuel consumption driven by volume increases.Based on a static analysis of the net impact of yearover-year changes in fuel prices compared to year-over-year changes in fuel surcharges, fuel had a positive impact on operating income in 2011, predominantly at FedEx Express. Other inCOme and expense Interest expense decr eased $34 million in 2012 due to debt maturities, an increase in capitalized interest related to the timing of progress payments on aircraft purchases and lower financing fees. Interest expense increased $7 million in 2011 due to a decrease in capitalized interest related to timing of construction projects and progress payments on aircraft purchases. nCOme taxes Our effective tax rate was 35. 3% in 2012, 35. 9% in 2011 and 37. 5% in 2010. Our 2012 rate was lower than our 2011 rate primarily due to favorable audit developments. The 2011 rate was lower than our 2010 rate primarily due to increased permanently reinvested foreign earnings and a lower state rate driven by favorable audit and legislative developments. Our permanent reinvestment strategy with respect to unremitted earnings of our foreign subsidiaries provided a 1. 3% benefit to our 2012 effective tax rate.Our total permanently reinvested foreign earnings were $1. 0 billion at the end of 2012 and $640 million at the end of 2011. Our current federal income tax expenses in 2012, 2011 and 2010 were significantly reduced by accelerated depreciation deductions we claimed under provisions of the Tax Relief and the Small Business Jobs Acts of 2010, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, and the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. Those Acts, designed 14 management’s discussion and analysis to stimulate new business investment in the U. S. accelerated our depreciation deductions for new qualifying investments, such as our new Boeing 777 Freighter (â€Å"B777F†) aircraft. These are timing benefits only, in that the depreciation would have otherwise been recognized in later years. The components of the provision for federal income taxes for the years ended May 31 were as follows (in millions): Current Deferred Total Federal Provision 2012 $ (120) 947 $ 827 2011 $ 79 485 $ 564 2010 $ 36 408 $ 444 OutlOOk We anticipate revenue and earnings growth in 2013 despite only modest growth in the global economy. We believe U.S. domestic and global economic conditions will be impacted by the European debt crisis, slowing growth in Asia, and the uncertainty these issues create on the global economy and the demand for our services. These weaker global economic conditions have driven a shift by our customers from premium services to our deferred services, and we expect that trend to continue in 2013. For 2013, we expect our effective tax rate to be between 37. 0% and 38. 0%. The actual rate, however, will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and source of operating income.We also expect our current federal income tax expense will increase in 2013, possibly significantly, due to lower accelerated depreciation benefits than in prior years. Additional information on income taxes, including our effective tax rate reconciliation and liabilities for uncertain tax positions, can be found in Note 11 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Business aCquisit iOns During 2012, we continued to expand our FedEx Express international network. On July 25, 2011, we completed our acquisition of Servicios Nacionales Mupa, S. A. de C.V. (MultiPack), a Mexican domestic express package delivery company, for $128 million in cash from operations. Last year, FedEx Express completed the acquisition of the Indian logistics, distribution and express businesses of AFL Pvt. Ltd. and its affiliate Unifreight India Pvt. Ltd. for $96 million in cash on February 22, 2011. The financial results of these acquired businesses are included in the FedEx Express segment from the date of acquisition and were not material, individually or in the aggregate, to our results of operations or financial condition.Substantially all of the purchase price was allocated to goodwill, which was entirely attributed to our FedEx Express reporting unit. Our anticipated earnings growth in 2013 is predicated on continued improvement in profitability at our FedEx Freight segment from y ield growth and efficiency improvements and the sustained strong performance of our FedEx Ground segment. International revenue growth and network efficiency improvements at FedEx Express should also contribute to our earnings growth in 2013.However, significant cost headwinds in pension expense will hamper earnings growth in 2013 as a historically low discount rate at our May 31, 2012 measurement date will increase these costs by approximately $150 million. During 2013, we will continue to evaluate actions and opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and adjust our networks to match anticipated demand. Initial actions were taken in 2012, as we made the decision to retire 24 aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express to better align the U. S. omestic air network capacity to match current and anticipated shipment volumes. In addition, we remain focused on modernizing our aircraft fleet at FedEx Express by adding newer aircraft that are more reliable, fuel efficient and technologically advanced, and retiring older, less-efficient aircraft. As a result of these efforts, FedEx Express is shortening the depreciable lives of the following aircraft and related engines: 31 additional Boeing MD10-10s, 18 additional Airbus A310s, four Boeing 727s (â€Å"B727†) and one Boeing MD10-30.This will accelerate the retirement of these aircraft to align with the delivery schedule for replacement Boeing 767-300 Freighter (â€Å"B767F†) and Boeing 757-200 (â€Å"B757†) aircraft. The accelerated depreciation on these aircraft is expected to total $69 million in 2013, with a partial offset from the avoidance of depreciation related to the aircraft retirements (described in the â€Å"Impairment and Other Charges† section above).FedEx Express is also developing an operating and cost structure plan during 2013 to further improve its operational efficiency. Our capital expenditures for 2013 are expected to decrease to approximately $3. 9 billion , with fewer aircraft deliveries in 2013. We will continue to evaluate our investments in critical long-term strategic projects to ensure our capital expenditures generate high returns on investments and are balanced with our outlook for global economic conditions. On June 29, 2012, FedEx Express entered into a upplemental agreement to purchase nine additional B767F aircraft, exercised ten B767F options available under the December 2011 agreement and purchased the right to 15 additional options. In conjunction with the supplemental agreement to purchase B767F aircraft, FedEx Express converted four B777F aircraft deliveries to equivalent purchase value for B767F aircraft purchased under the supplemental agreement. For additional details on key 2013 capital projects, refer to the â€Å"Capital Resources† and â€Å"Liquidity Outlook† sections of this MD&A.Subsequent to year-end, we completed the following acquisitions: > Opek Sp. z o. o. , a Polish domestic express packag e delivery company, for $54 million in cash from operations on June 13, 2012 > TATEX, a French express transportation company, for $55 million in cash from operations on July 3, 2012 > Rapidao Cometa Logistica e Transportes S. A. , a Brazilian transportation and logistics company, for $398 million in cash from operations on July 4, 2012Based on the timing of the completion of these acquisitions in relation to the date of issuance of the financial statements, the initial purchase price accounting was not completed for these acquisitions. The financial results of these acquired businesses will be included in the FedEx Express segment from the date of acquisition and will be immaterial to our 2013 results. These acquisitions will give us more robust transportation networks within these countries and added capabilities in these important global markets. 5 management’s discussion and analysis Our outlook is dependent upon a stable pricing environment for fuel, as volatility in fue l prices impacts our fuel surcharge levels, fuel expense and demand for our services. Historically, our fuel surcharges have largely offset incremental fuel costs; however, volatility in fuel costs may impact earnings because adjustments to our fuel surcharges lag changes in actual fuel prices paid. Therefore, the trailing impact of adjustments to our fuel urcharges can significantly affect our earnings either positively or negatively in the short-term. NEW ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE New accounting rules and disclosure requirements can significantly impact our reported results and the comparability of our financial statements. During our fiscal year, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued new guidance to make the presentation of items within other comprehensive income (â€Å"OCI†) more prominent.The new standard will require companies to present items of net income, items of OCI and total As described in Note 17 of the accompanying consolidated financial comprehensive incom e in one continuous statement or two separate statements and the â€Å"Independent Contractor Matters† section of our consecutive statements, and companies will no longer be allowed to FedEx Ground segment MD&A, we are involved in a number of lawsuits present items of OCI in the statement of stockholders’ equity. This new and other proceedings that challenge the status of FedEx Ground’s standard is effective for our fiscal year ending May 31, 2013. wner-operators as independent contractors. FedEx Ground anticipates continuing changes to its relationships with its contractors. The nature, We believe there is no additional new accounting guidance adopted but not yet effective that is relevant to the readers of our financial timing and amount of any changes are dependent on the outcome of statements. However, there are numerous new proposals under develnumerous future events. We cannot reasonably estimate the potenopment which, if and when enacted, may have a signi ficant impact on tial impact of any such changes or a meaningful range of potential outcomes, although they could be material.However, we do not believe our financial reporting. that any such changes will impair our ability to operate and profitably REPORTABLE SEGMENTS grow our FedEx Ground business. See â€Å"Risk Factors† for a discussion of these and other potential risks and uncertainties that could materially affect our future performance. seasOnality Of Business Our businesses are cyclical in nature, as seasonal fluctuations affect volumes, revenues and earnings. Historically, the U. S. express package business experiences an increase in volumes in late November and December.International business, particularly in the Asia-to-U. S. market, peaks in October and November in advance of the U. S. holiday sales season. Our first and third fiscal quarters, because they are summer vacation and post winter-holiday seasons, have historically experienced lower volumes relative to other periods. Normally, the fall is the busiest shipping period for FedEx Ground, while late December, June and July are the slowest periods. For FedEx Freight, the spring and fall are the busiest periods and the latter part of December, January and February are the slowest periods.For FedEx Office, the summer months are normally the slowest periods. Shipment levels, operating costs and earnings for each of our companies can also be adversely affected by inclement weather, particularly the impact of severe winter weather in our third fiscal quarter. FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Services, form the core of our reportable segments. Our reportable segments include the following businesses: FedEx Express Segment FedEx Ground Segment FedEx Freight Segment FedEx Services Segment gt; FedEx Express (express transportation) > FedEx Trade Networks (air and ocean freight forwarding and customs brokerage) > FedEx SupplyCh ain Systems (logistics services) > FedEx Ground (small-package ground delivery) > FedEx SmartPost (small-parcel consolidator) > FedEx Freight (LTL freight transportation) > FedEx Custom Critical (time-critical transportation) > FedEx Services (sales, marketing, information technology, communications and back-office functions) > FedEx TechConnect (customer service, technical support, billings and collections) > FedEx Office (document and business services and package acceptance) 6 management’s discussion and analysis FEDEX SERVICES SEGMENT The FedEx Services segment operates combined sales, marketing, administrative and information technology functions in shared services operations that support our transportation businesses and allow us to obtain synergies from the combination of these functions. For the international regions of FedEx Express, some of these functions are performed on a regional basis by FedEx Express and reported in the FedEx Express segment in expense line i