14-year old girl was found unconscious near Expo Center Essay Example for Free

14-year old girl was found unconscious near Expo Center Essay KARACHI: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 on the Richter scale rocked the coastal city of Karachi and adjacent areas late on Monday night. According to the seismic center, the epicenter of the quake was 10 kilometers deep in Hub, Balochistan he police on Monday night identified those six deceased people whose bodies were found dumped . Khan was strangled to death by unknown people along with his wife Nadia Amer and three sons Roman Khan, Adam Khan and Haider Khan and his 24-year-old servant. According to sources, Ameerullah Khan, a millionaire, was the the owner of real estate worth millions of rupees in Peshawar. Reportedly, he was not only engaged in a dispute with his brother and brother-in-law over the ownership of the property but was also receiving threats from land mafia. KARACHI: Eid-ul-Azha today (Tuesday) is being celebrated in Saudi Arabia besides Gulf, European, Far Eastern countries, US and Europe, Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Pakistan tomorrow Wednesday, while the Pakistani expatriates in US and Europe like our northern areas would also be celebrating two eids, as some of them slaughtering sacrificial animals on Tuesday, while others would be doing so on Wednesday. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay ISLAMABAD: Pakistani troops early Tuesday morning responded to the unprovoked firing by Indian forces across the Line of Control (LoC) and reduced them to silence, The sources further said that Pakistans tit-for-tat retaliation forced the enemy to retreat to its bunkers. LONDON — Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who wasshot in the head by the Taliban for her advocacy of girls’ education, was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on Thursday by the European Parliament. Ms. Yousafzai was chosen as the winner of the $65,000 Sakharov Prize by the heads of the political groupings in the 766-member European Parliament. LONDON — The Pakistani police arrested Pervez Musharraf, the nation’s former military ruler, on Thursday, opening a new criminal prosecution against him that frustrated plans by his supporters to fly him out of Pakistan. Muhammad Rizwan, a senior Islamabad police official, told reporters that Mr. Musharraf would remain under house arrest at his villa outside Islamabad, where he has been confined since April. It is not clear, however, whether the court order represents a major obstacle to Mr. Musharraf’s plans to leave Pakistan, or a temporary one. deadlysiege of the Red Mosque in Islamabad in 2007. A Pakistani court granted bail on Wednesday to Pervez Musharraf, the country’s former military ruler, clearing the way for him to leave the country as early as Thursday, his lawyers said. Mr. Musharraf, 70, has been under house arrest at his villa outside Islamabad since April, facing criminal charges in three cases related to his nine years in power, from 1999 to 2008. Mr. Musharraf had already been granted bail in two of the three cases, and the decision on Wednesday to grant bail in the third — related to the death of Akbar Khan Bugti, a Baluch nationalist leader killed in a military operation — opens the door for him to avoid prosecution entirely. Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said that his bail payment of $20,000 could be processed as early as Thursday morning; he could then leave Pakistan immediately.

The Accumulation of Slack :: Slacking Slack Slacker papers

The Accumulation of Slack I want to begin with an apology. This paper may be little more than a tissue of puns punctuated by obscure cultural texts. It was composed quickly: after a late cancellation from this panel, I volunteered to pick up the slack. (Yes, that was the first pun.) Now, in proper Freudian fashion, I will follow that apology with an accusation: in 2003, the topic of "slacker culture" sounds dangerously close to out of date, or at least out of fashion. We critics must have become slackers ourselves, content to re-analyze stale fads when we ought to be braving untrammeled new ground with the gender politics of Eminem, or the fetish scene of "American Idol." But fortunately things are not so simple. There is an advantage to a certain historical distance taken from one's subject, as it is especially easy for cultural criticism to get caught up in fad-chasing. Rather than striving for a tauter, tighter connection to the current moment, then, let's enjoy the historical slack that has already accumulated between "slacker culture" and ourselves. If we wish to create "more a description of men than manners" (35), then for us as newly outdated slacker scholars the same doctrine applies that Sir Walter Scott famously gave about the setting of his Waverley: "Considering the disadvantages inseparable from this part of my subject, I must be understood to have resolved to avoid them as much as possible" (35). Unlike Scott we may not do this "by throwing the force of my narrative upon the characters and passions of the actors" (35) as Scott did. Instead, let's fix for a moment on a question. What is "slack"? What is this substance that those devilishly ironic slackers so earnestly want to accumulate? What are the structural characteristics of slack, considered as a substance circulated in a metaphorical or real economy? Should we seek slack, or avoid it? It seems to me that this set of questions is the best way to approach a political and economic evaluation of the slacker phenomenon. I want to suggest a few answers by reading different representations of the economy of slack, along with some familiar Marxist cultural criticism. The question of the political economy of slack is an excellent example of a broader dynamic in cultural studies, in that the initially tempting, apparently orthodox cultural-studies reading of slack (which I am about to construct) will turn out to be precisely wrong in its zeal to construe slack as a form of liberation.

Starbucks Financial Analysis

Starbucks is a strong competitor in the service sector and a leader in the gourmet coffee industry. With a continued growth rate in store openings and maintaining successful profitability of its operations, Starbucks has demonstrated its ability to sustain a reliable and steady growth. Starbucks’ ability to contend with the vulnerability to current financial threats such as economic recession, higher interest rates, and global competition, is constantly proven by its incomparable brand image, its continual product innovations, and its exceptional customer service. This also proves to be its strongest investment strategy.One strategic way to evaluate the vulnerability of Starbucks to current financial threats is to execute a SWOT Analysis. A SWOT analysis is a situation analysis in which the strengths and weaknesses of an organization, and external opportunities and threats it faces are examined to chart a strategy (Business Dictionary, 2012).SWOT is the acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to assess what an organization can and cannot do in addition to evaluating the potential opportunities and any financial and economical threats it may face.Over the years, Starbucks have developed much successful strengths. Here are a few of the most recognizable strengths: The quality of their coffee is considered the highest in the world. They engage with customers and the communities to provide better business.Starbucks has over 17,000 stores globally in convenient locations to attract more customers. Starbucks have expanded their product line to sandwiches, pastries, and natural tea-blend drinks. Starbucks have loyal employees who are valued, motivated, and hard-working and are provided a pleasant working environment.They have exceptional relationships with all suppliers which helps them exceed as industry market leaders. Over the past several years, Starbucks has received several award and recognitions such as â€Å"No. 1 Best Coffee† and â€Å"No. 1 Most Popular Quick Refreshment Chain† by Zagat’s Survey of National Chain Restaurants, one of â€Å"The Best 100 Companies to Work For† by Fortune Magazine, one of the â€Å"World’s Most Ethical Compamies† by Ethisphere, and one of the â€Å"World’s 50 most Innovative Companies† by Fast Company. With all companies, where there are strengths there are weaknesses.Starbucks have noted and viable strengths, but they have weaknesses that could overshadow the success of these strengths placing them a step or two behind their competitors. Here are some of their weaknesses: The size of the company is larger than most of their competitors, lack of internal focus because much focus is on expansion and not on the diversification of other sectors, product pricing is overstated because of their premium brand coffee, which demands premium pricing, and excessive dependency on coffee-alone produ cts.Starbucks have willed many opportunities to become the most valuable gourmet coffee leader in the world. They have already succeeded in expanding their product line by introducing the world to cold coffee beverages, flavored herbal drinks, and hot sandwiches and salads for lunch.So, now they have the opportunity to continue to expand in their development overseas, continue their innovation and commitment to product development, and possibly co-brand with other manufacturers of food and drinks to help expand their product line.The competition in gourmet coffee in general has proved to be more advanced than one would imagine. So, it’s no surprise that the competition would be one the most highly doable threats. With coffee sellers ranging from coffee houses to restaurants and fast-food carry-outs such as McDonald’s, Starbucks has to contend with ensuring that they maintain their perfection in coffee and customer service to avoid such threats. Another major threat is the economy. The state of the economy today, particularly in the future depends especially on consumer spending.This would play a key role in Starbucks’ sales growth and profits. Factors such as increased debt service levels resulting from interest rate changes, downturn in the housing market, and the increase in oil and gas prices would affect optional spending.Now that the assessment of the SWOT analysis has been completed, it’s time to determine the financial performance of Starbucks over the past three years and predict how it will perform in the future by using financial ratio analysis. This will be determined by examining the Income Statement and Balance Sheet as of FY 2011.Consolidated Statements Of Earnings (USD $)12 Months EndedIn Millions, except Per Share data Oct. 02, 2011 Oct. 03, 2010 Sep. 27, 2009 Net revenues: Company-operated stores $ 9,632.4 $ 8,963.5 $ 8,180.1 Licensed stores 1,007.50875.2795 CPG, foodservice and other 1,060.50868.7799.5 Total net re venues 11,700.4010,707.409,774.60 Cost of sales including occupancy costs 4,949.304,458.604,324.90 Store operating expenses 3,665.103,551.403,425.10 Other operating expenses 402293.2264.4 Depreciation and amortization expenses 523.3510.4534.7 General and administrative expenses 636.1569.5453 Restructuring charges 053332.4 Total operating expenses 10,175.809,436.109,334.50 Gain on sale of properties 30.200 Income from equity investees 173.7148.1121.9 Operating income 1,728.501,419.40562 Interest income and other, net 115.950.337 Interest expense 33.3-32.7-39.1 Earnings before income taxes 1,811.101,437559.9 Income taxes 563.1488.7168.4 Net earnings including noncontrolling interests 1,248948.3391.5 Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 2.32.70.7 Net earnings attributable to Starbucks $ 1,245.7 $ 945.6 $ 390.8 Earnings per share – basic $ 1.66 $ 1.27 $ 0.53 Earnings per share – diluted $ 1.62 $ 1.24 $ 0.52 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 748.3744.4738.7 Diluted 769.7764.2745.9 Cash dividends declared per share $ 0.56 $ 0.36 $ 0In reviewing the Income Statement for Starbucks from 2009 to 2011, it is evident that the company has successfully increased its profitability through performance each year by almost 10%. Its income from operation has almost tripled from 2009. Based on Starbucks’ continued plan of expansion, this financial progression depicts a continuous trend.As noted in the financial statement above and pictured in the chart below, Starbucks obtains the majority of its revenue from its company-operated stores. This proves that if Starbucks continues its expansion of retail stores, the revenue from these sales will continue to rise as it has in the past 10 years. The company’s share earnings have also spiked in the last three years by almost doubling between 2009 and 2010 and up 31% in 2011.The financial ratio analysis will provide an assessment of the stability and profitability of Starbucks and allow investors and shareholders to determine the probability of a profitable future. Below is a chart of different financial ratios used to describe the different criteria for Starbucks and to evaluate the past three years. Profitability – Revenue201120102009Gross Profit 57.7%   58.4%   55.8% EBIT Ratio 15.5%   13.4%   5.7%The first set of ratios measures the profitability of Starbucks. These ratios measure the effectiveness of Starbucks capital. A high profitability could be attributed to effective competency. This chart shows that Starbucks have maintained an elevated profit margin, which indicates its ability to manage its largest assets costs.The other ratio, EBIT measures the overall operating efficiency. The next chart shows the liquidity ratios of the firm which indicates how efficient Starbucks handles its short-term obligations. Short-term liquidity includes items that are to be received or paid in cash within a year.A ratio of 2 is the ideal rate for a good standing company using the current ratio. This indicates that the company can pay its creditors and that it has more current assets than current liabilities. A current ratio below 1 signifies trouble for the company and that they may have problems meeting their creditor obligations. The difference between the current ratio and quick ratio is the use of inventory.Financial Condition 2011-2010Debt/Equity Ratio 20%   25% Current Ratio 1.831.55 Quick Ratio 0.190.17The below chart illustrates what kind of return Starbucks receives on its investments. These ratios give investors a clear mind of how well the investments are performing. The ROE ratio illustrates the returns that stockholders are earning on their investments in Starbucks. In prior years, Starbucks have consistently increased this ratio percentage and continues to rise. The ROA ratio tells investors how much profit Starbucks generated for every dollar in assets.Investment Returns % 2011-2010Return on Equity 28.4% 25.7% Return on Assets 18.1% 13.8%Based on the ratios above, it appears that Starbucks is continuing to progress successfully in profits and its ability to increase leverage and maintain a reasonably stable trend in the future. Starbucks can increase leverage by repurchasing outstanding stock and increasing debt financing. Based on the recent benchmarks over a 12 month period, Starbucks is still in line with the industry. â€Å">

Why Aerate Wine Science Behind Letting Wine Breathe

Aerating wine simply means exposing the wine to air or giving it a chance to breathe before drinking it. The reaction between gases in the air and wine changes the flavor of the wine. However, while some wines benefit from aeration, it either doesnt help other wines or else makes them taste downright bad. Heres a look at what happens when you aerate the wine, which wines you should allow breathing space and different aeration methods. Chemistry of Aerating Wine When air and wine interact, two important processes occur evaporation and oxidation. Allowing these processes to occur can improve the quality of the wine by changing its chemistry. Evaporation is the phase transition from the liquid state to the vapor state. Volatile compounds evaporate readily in air. When you open a bottle of wine, it often smells medicinal or like rubbing alcohol from the ethanol in the wine. Aerating the wine can help disperse some of the initial odor, making the wine smell better. Letting a bit of the alcohol evaporate allows you to smell the wine, not just the alcohol. Sulfites in wine also disperse when you let the wine breathe. Sulfites are added to wine to protect it from microbes and to prevent too much oxidation, but they smell a bit like rotten eggs or burning matches, so its not a bad idea to waft their odor away before taking that first sip. Oxidation is the chemical reaction between certain molecules in wine and oxygen from the air. Its the same process that causes cut apples to turn brown  and iron to rust. This reaction occurs naturally during winemaking, even after it has been bottled. Compounds in wine which are susceptible to oxidation include catechins, anthocyanins, epicatechins, and other phenolic compounds. Ethanol (alcohol) can also experience oxidation, into acetaldehyde and acetic acid (the primary compound in vinegar). Some wines benefit from the changes in flavor and aroma from oxidation, as it can contribute fruity and nutty aspects. Yet, too much oxidation ruins any wine. The combination of diminished flavor, aroma, and color is called flattening. As you might guess, its not desirable. Which Wines Should You Let Breathe? In general, white wines dont benefit from aeration because they dont contain the high levels of pigment molecules found in red wines. It is these pigments that change flavor in response to oxidation. The exception might be white wines that were intended to age and develop earthy flavors, but even with these wines, its best to taste them before considering aeration, to see if it seems like the wine might benefit. Inexpensive red wines, especially fruity wines, either dont improve in flavor from aeration or else taste worse. These wines taste the best right after they are opened. In fact, oxidation may make them taste flat after half an hour and bad after an hour! If an inexpensive red smells strongly of alcohol immediately upon opening, one simple option is to pour the wine and allow a few minutes for the odor to dissipate. Earthy-flavored red wines, especially those which have been aged in a cellar, are the ones most likely to benefit from aeration. These wines may be considered closed right after they are uncorked and open up to display a greater range and depth of flavors after they breathe. How To Aerate Wine If you uncork a bottle of wine, there is very little interaction through the narrow neck of the bottle and the liquid inside. You could allow 30 minutes to an hour for the wine to breathe on its own, but aeration greatly speeds the process so you dont have to wait to drink the wine. Taste a wine before aerating it and then decide whether or not to proceed. The easiest way to aerate wine is to attach an aerator to the wine bottle. This aerates the wine as you pour it into the glass. All aerators are not the same, so dont expect the same level of oxygen infusion from each type available on the market.You could pour the wine into a decanter. A decanter is a large container that can hold the entire bottle of wine. Most have a small neck, to allow easy pouring, a large surface area, to permit mixing with air, and a curved shape to prevent wine sediment from getting into the glass.If you dont have an aerator or a decanter, you can pour the wine back and forth between two containers or simply swirl the wine in your glass before drinking it. Theres also a practice called hyper-decanting, which involves pulsing wine in a blender to aerate it.