Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ireland Irishes Essay Example For Students

Ireland Irishes Essay Like most Americans, my family is made up of many different ethnic groups. Mymoms side is Irish Protestant descent. My dads side is mostly Englishdescent and a little of Native American descent from his mother. There is somein which I do not know because my dad does not know who his dad is. He wasadopted by a man named David Mitchell, this is where my last name comes from. Mygrandmother died and never told my dad who his dad was. My dad could find outfrom his birth certificate, which is sealed in Albany, who his dad is. He has nodesire to do that though. Over the summer, I tried to find out about myfamilys ancestry. I only searched on my moms side since it is easier. Thisis for two reasons, first my moms parents are still alive. Second becausethey came to the United States only about one hundred years ago. Both mygrandparents families came from Northern Ireland. My grandparents were bornin the United States. My grandfather brought me over my cousins house becauseshe had a copy of my great grandmothers birth certificate. This told me whattown she was from. I also found out that I had other cousins that live in Canadathat were from Northern Ireland. Many Irish people immigrated to Canada becauseit was cheaper than going to the United States. She told me that they would havemore information of family that lives in Northern Ireland. My grandfather gaveme a book called The World Book of Craigs which is his last name. Itgave me places to write to for further information and also gave me addresses ofall the Craigs all over the world. I learned that my grandmothers familyis from Belfast and my grandfathers family is from a town called Bellymena. They are both located in the county of Antrim in Northern Ireland. Theydescended from Presbyterian Scots who settled in Northern Ireland in theseventeenth century. In doing further research I found that the Irish, bothProtestant and Catholic, was the largest immigration group in the United States. At one point there were more Irish in the United States than in Ireland. TheIrish immigrated in two waves. The first wave was Scotch Irish from 1760 1775. They found it easy to sustain old world ways because they came over in such alarge group. This is because they settled into towns. They were fleeing fromeconomic distress and religious distress since Irish laws favored Anglicans overPresbyterians and Catholics. They wanted to obtain land and to make a profit inthe New World. The second wave came around 1845 1849. They were IrishCatholics. The reason that they migrated to the United States in such massnumbers is because first of overpopulation and then because of the Great Famine. The failure of the staple crop, the potato, caused many Irish to starve todeath. When my ancestors migrated to the United States around the turn of thecentury, like most immigrants they came for a better way of life. At the time inhistory, Ireland was slowly getting over the Potato Famine and struggling withEngland for independence. My family had an easy transition in the United Statesbecause they already had family in New York and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unlike Catholics which faced discrimination, my family didnt because theywere Protestant. The Catholics were discriminated because of fear that theunskilled Irish Catholic would displace American craftsmen. Also because theslums inhabited in part by the Irish were undermining the nations values. .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b , .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .postImageUrl , .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b , .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:hover , .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:visited , .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:active { border:0!important; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:active , .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udbe33bbe9b18fbc5d0bd6f987e2add2b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Doll House Essay On How Torvald Treats NoraEvery social problem from immortality and alcoholism to poverty and economicupheaval was blamed on immigrant Irish Catholics. The country was Protestant biased. On my fathers side, I know very little. I have learned that myancestry runs all the way back to the seventeenth century from England. Theywere one of the first people in the New World looking for wealth andopportunity. I had ancestry that fought in the American Revolution. I also haveNative American ancestry from Cherokee and Iroquois. My grandmothers lastname was Partington, which is a name of nobility in England. They wereloyalists. There was a Partington that died in the Civil War at the Battle ofGettysburg. There was another ancestor by the name of Terry that was a commanderin the Civil War. This is all I know about my fathers family. I think thatall or most of our traditions are Americanized. We go to a Protestant church,have turkey on Thanksgiving, put a real Christmas tree up at Christmas time andget together on birthdays. Our family just does not have that many bigtraditions that stand out. Though on Christmas Eve we go over my parentsfriends house and we eat German food, even though we are not German. BibliographyMoody, T.W. (1995). The course of Irish history. Boulder: Robert Rinehart. Vaughan, W.E. (1989). A new history of Ireland 1801-1870. New York: OxfordUniversity Press. Reeves, P. (1991). Ellis Island. New York: Michael FriedmanPublishing Group. (1968). Encyclopedia of Ireland. Dublin: Allen Figgs. Ernst,R. (1949). Immigration life in New York City 1825-1863. New York: Octagon Books.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Twitter for Small Businesses Is it Worth it

TWITTER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: IS IT WORTH IT? Have you heard yourself saying something similar to this: Social media isn’t for me or my business. Twitter is just for kids. My clients don’t care about that kind of stuff. Well, think again. Nielsen NetRatings just published a surprising research study: Teen’s don’t Tweet. That’s right, 84% of Twitter’s recent growth is due to users aged 24 and up. Chances are you already know someone – a client, a friend, a neighbor, a family member – who’s addicted to Twitter. Read the full article here. So the big question Should you or your business get on the Twitter bandwagon? The answer is yes, probably. You’ll join the ranks of successful companies like Dell, Comcast, and Southwest Airlines that effectively use Twitter to boost sales and keep customers in the loop – heck, even Obama’s on Twitter. But surprisingly, Twitter has been most successful for one group: small businesses. Why? Well, Twitter is FREE (great for businesses with little or no marketing dollars to spend), easy to use, and can connect you with thousands of users that might not otherwise know about you and your business. Users love it because it gives them instant updates, tips, and news about the things they care about. The idea behind Twitter is simple and sweet: 140 characters, send out your news, anyone has the option to follow you or ignore you. Some Ideas to Get You Started on Twitter A lot of people might be thinking â€Å"Oh, I just don’t have anything to Tweet about.† My response is: well of course you do. Surely something cool is happening in your life or your business – did you just get a new shipment in? Did you find a cool article online that relates to your business or clients? Do you have an event coming up? The New York Times’ recent article about Marketing Small Businesses With Twitter outlines some great ways that small businesses are using Twitter to bolster sales and connect with other industry professionals. Their new uses for Twitter may surprise you – like the street vendor who uses his Twitter account to let followers know where his location is for the day, and what flavors of crà ¨me brà »là ©e he’s featuring. Need help getting started? I’ve put together 9 ways small businesses can take advantage of a Twitter account: †¢ Industry news and updates †¢ Company updates from the CEO (a big pull for investors) †¢ As a hub for customer service communications †¢ Networking with other businesses or users †¢ Market research – directly ask your readers questions about what they think! †¢ Event updates †¢ As a communication tool for your team (like chatting, but more mobile since you can do it easily from a smartphone) †¢ Deals/specials of the day/week/month †¢ New products/services/features you’re offering What do you think – are you convinced, or not? Send us your questions about Twitter and your most difficult business idea: we’ll see if we can figure out an angle for you Twitter profile. And check back soon for my next blog on Twitter Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts!

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Good Life Groundhog Day Essay Example For Students

The Good Life Groundhog Day Essay What is the good life? As a child I believed that the definition of a good life was one in which I finished college, got a good job and went on to raise a family. It would be a life without hardships or conflict, filled with nothing but contentment and joy. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that a good life was more than that because living meant more than just a preconceived notion of a good life. I think the meaning of what a good life is can be found in Alasdair McIntyre, a Scottish philosopher, claim that â€Å"the good life for man is the life spent in seeking for the good life for man, and the virtues necessary for seeking are those by which will enable us to understand what more and what else the good life for man is†. There is no better way to grasp what he is saying than by analyzing the fantastical movie Groundhog Day. Phil Connors, the lead character in the movie, is a TV weatherman who goes to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day event. We will write a custom essay on The Good Life Groundhog Day specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now When Phil tries to leaves after completing his assignment he finds he can’t and that he is now stuck in a time loop where he is subjected to living out the day of February 2 over and over again. At first Phil is portrayed as a sort of Machiavellian character. He detaches himself not only from conventional morality but from society as well. He makes statements throughout the beginning of the moving showing just how cynical his views are about people as a whole. As the time loop begins Phil dives into all the vices he can possible imagine, including robbing an armored truck and deceiving woman in order to have sexual relations with them but as time draws on Phil realizes that his actions are not giving him a sense of pleasure any longer and at this point he attempts to connect with Rita Hanson, the news producer that has accompanied him on his assignment. He tries to become the man he believes Rita wants by acting out the virtues and characteristics she values but the attempt ends with Rita slapping him. At this point in the movie Phil still didn’t understand that the act of being virtuous is more than just the act of being virtuous. You have to embrace the belief and values behind the act otherwise you are being insincere and dishonest. As the movie progresses we begin to see a different man emerge. Phil starts to live out a purpose filled life in which he engages with others around him. He becomes an active part in society and he realizes the things he placed as important no longer are, like his fame, because at the end of the day all of those things are washed away and he has to begin again the next day like the day before never happened. At the end of the film, one the last day that repeats we see a man who embraces being virtuous, not because he is expected to but because he wants to. He wakes up and starts his day trying to be a better man than he was the day before, not for others or to end the curse but for himself and for the feeling of contentment he receives in being a better man. The result is that the curse finally ends. Was that the lesson the universe trying to teach Phil? Is it the same thing that MacIntyre claims? That to live a good life is more than just about fame and money, it’s about connecting with others and seeking out virtues that not only better ourselves but better those around us. But it’s more than that, we also have to embrace the beliefs behind the virtues we seek, not just simply committing the act of being virtuous. So ask yourself this, do you attempt to live a better life every morning you wake or do you simply move forward through life doing as you believe others expect you to and not what is necessary to living a truly good life?

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Enhancing Employability in Marketing The WritePass Journal

Enhancing Employability in Marketing Introduction Enhancing Employability in Marketing ). Current trends also include co-marketing in which various brands allied in a particular field come together in marketing campaigns such as consumer, trade and press events for mutual benefit. Complementary businesses create partnerships which enable them to benefit from economies of scale, and enables increased exposure to new audiences (Gruber 2004). Also included among current trends are in-store merchandising which include posters, branding, brochures, product displays and the securing of valuable shop floor space for merchandise; in-house expos that are used to showcase product portfolio and entire brand to trade and press; product placements in movies, sitcoms, games and other media; direct marketing and public relations; and outdoor media campaigns targeting key commuter areas and areas with greater potential consumer reach which result in increased web traffic and enquiries by consumers (KTLLC report 2012). The traditional marketing platforms such as newspaper ads, magazine placements, and commercials on television and radio are still quite effective but are, however, challenged by the emerging technologies and are slowly losing the significance that they have had in the past (Roberts 2007). There are contemporary (non-traditional) forms that have emerged with the success of emerging technologies but these platforms are yet to gain prominence and therefore are not yet highly effective though they have huge potential (KTLLC report 2012). These are inclusive of mobile marketing which entails mobile advertising, as well as, the use of marketing apps and branded apps on mobile to reach consumers with brand messages; crowd sourcing which is an open innovative model pioneered by sites such as Threadless.com in which customers are engaged to design and vote on new product designs; and geotargeting which entails the use of popular tools such as local websites offering discounts and review opportunities making it easy for consumers to find deals and engage with the businesses in their neighbourhoods and beyond creating local marketing campaigns which are highly targeted (Ebling 2007). During my placement, I was also tasked with the management of databases containing customer information while ensuring the smooth and effective operation of general processes and procedures pertaining to the Brand Management team. These processes include the coordination of general Public Relations activities; magazine subscriptions; implementation of new policies into the department; cross-brand trade promotion analysis and the maintenance of cross-brand expenditure tracking tools such as the advertising log, among other expenses. With regard to Brand Specific activities, I was tasked to assist Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s brand managers with specific brand activities such as the devising of strategy and alignment of messages for the commute and leisure cycling categories, new product launches, overall brand building, trade and consumer communication, and the implementation of an integrated marketing plan. Employability Various selection methods are used by recruiters, employers and agencies in the search for individuals to form organization’s workforce and to enable these organizations to achieve their success and objectives. The traditional method is the form in which written applications are sent either directly to employers or to agencies which is followed by robust interviews to screen candidates for appropriate fit to the organization’s objectives (Srinivasan 2009). Registration with job recruitment agencies or job search firms, as well as the personal network/word of mouth is more prominent as employers through their relationship with the agency or its network are able to gain valuable insight into the track record on current or previous roles of a candidate and thereby avoid the rigor associated with screening for appropriate candidates (Jacoby 2005). Temporary staff recruitment by employment agencies is also a method of recruitment in which an agency recruits and offers individuals for employment in organizations on a temporary basis (CBI report 2009). ­Ã‚ ­ Choice of candidates from work placement candidates and interns is also prominent in some organization’s hiring activity as these individuals are deemed to have gained valuable experience and have been observed at work, tried and tested for appropriateness (Salary Market Insight report 2012). Advantages of work placement The main advantage of a year-long work placement for second year undergraduates is that it gives the individual useful experience of the job market and valuable experience on what goes on in the business environment or in various organizations (CBI report 2009). It also enables an individual to make appropriate decisions on their career path before they actually make necessary decisions regarding coursework paths, the areas that they would like to continue with as their chosen careers.   Work placement also enhances the chances of finding work with the respective companies as the individuals who have had gained experience on work placement are deemed more valuable than new recruits who would require extensive time-consuming training (CBI report 2009). Disadvantages of work placement A disadvantage arises from the increase in time spent in college, with the addition of a full year to enable the year-long work placement program. Also a disadvantage is the timing, as in second year, a student is not quite adequately informed about their career choices and paths and this might affect their choice of work placement programs (Brown 1998). Ease of obtaining work placement Organizations and employers in the modern day are cautious and risk averse, concerned with keeping the headcount within consistent which causes a dip in hiring activity. This caution also affects the work placement programs as these are paid positions which should contribute to the overall objective (Salary Market Insight report 2012). Getting work placement in this regard is therefore not easy under these circumstances and constraints. Organizations continue to seek specialist skills that will make immediate tangible impact on their bottom lines fighting for the high calibre, high quality candidates often in a limited talent pool. This has necessitated the use of screening and elimination processes to acquire the best fit with successful candidates often being those who have previous relevant and valuable experience (Salary Market Insight report 2012). This locks out candidates from the work placement category as this constrains opportunities for entrants into the job market with low skills and a huge requirement for training, therefore, making the finding of work placement opportunities a challenge. However, employers and universities have a duty to prepare tomorrows workforce through the development of their skills and attributes such as self-management, team working, understanding of key drivers for business success, problem solving, communication and literacy, entrepreneurship, and a positive attitude among other skills and attributes. In light of the limited talent pool and the difficulty in finding people with specialized skill sets, it is essential that organizations create work placement opportunities that enable the development of these desired skill sets and traits (CBI report 2009). This endeavour therefore eases the finding of work placement opportunities overall and enables companies attract quality graduates and post graduates with the desired skill and trait sets. Work placement fit in my career plan In the development towards my career in marketing, work placement at Fisher Outdoor Leisure Limited fits very well in my plan as it has given me invaluable insight and practical experience with regard to the marketing and advertising field. This opportunity has also enabled me to develop a number of skills and attributes that are often required in the job market and that enhance my chances in the job market upon graduating. The various tasks that I engaged in during my work placement covered a huge part of what marketing entails and were representative of the actual tasks that would comprise my future role in my career. My intention in preparing myself for the job market and enhancing my chances therefore includes identifying my skills sets and desirable attributes and those that I lack so as to further my personal development and employability. The skills that I intend to develop include entrepreneurship which includes risk taking, creativity and innovation which my work placement at Fisher Outdoor Leisure greatly helped me develop through the engagement in the marketing tasks. An attribute also developed at Fisher Outdoor Leisure Ltd. is communication through my involvement in developing marketing messages and general communication with trade and customers which required effective listening and questioning; problem solving skills through the situations in my particular responsibility and daily tasks with the requirement for creative thinking in developing advertising programs and strategies. It is evident therefore that my work placement was very important in development towards my future career. In my development towards my career, I need to develop self-management trait better in terms of developing flexibility, resilience, readiness for any responsibility and tasks, as well as, assertiveness; and to generally develop a positive attitude, openness to new ideas and a drive to achieve that will enable success in my chosen career path and contribution in my particular job. I would also need to develop number skills and the application of numbers that would be useful in analysis and evaluation of various data and information in the markets and in my particular professional field. This would require that I develop an understanding on the application and use of various Information technology tools and software, as well as taking relevant professional courses upon completion of my undergraduate studies that would build my capacity for such analysis and evaluation appropriate for my career. After graduation, I would also seek short term volunteer positions or internships that would enable to gain in understanding of key drivers for business and to fill up idle time that will result with the completion of my undergraduate study. This endeavour would benefit me in enhancing practical experience gained, adding on to my track record and overall skill thereby improving my employability and ease in getting a hiring. Conclusion This report has detailed my work placement which was undertaken at Fisher Outdoor Leisure Limited, a UK cycle distributor. My tasks and duties as Brand Assistant in the company entailed engagement in communication with trade customers, Market analysis, Corporate Brand development, enhancement of operational effectiveness in the marketing department, and involvement in Brand specific activities generally. The report has also delved into current trends in the Marketing and advertising industry taking an overview of the various platforms including social media and the online platform, the traditional print, TV and radio and the emerging contemporary platforms such as mobile marketing, crowd sourcing and geotargeting. It has also discussed the ease of obtaining work placement identifying the advantages and disadvantages of such work placement in second year undergraduate; overall employability and the skills and attributes that enhance such employability; and my personal endeavour towards employability and the development towards my future career. References Ataman, M., C., Mela, and H., Van Heerde, 2008. Building brands. Marketing Science, forthcoming. Burgess, S., and J., Steenkamp, 2006. â€Å"Marketing renaissance: How research in emerging markets advances marketing science and practice.† In: International Journal of  Research in Marketing, 23 (4). CBI Employability Report, 2009. Graduate employability – CBI/UUK Report. Jacoby, S., 2005. The Embedded Corporation. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. KTLLC communications report, 2012. Creative Solutions for Converging media. Salary and Market Insight Report, 2012. Michael Page. Roberts, J., U., Kayande, and S., Stremersch, 2007. Impact of marketing science on practice. European Marketing Association Conference Presentation. Srinivasan, S., and D., Hanssens, 2009. Marketing and firm value, Journal of Marketing  Research, forthcoming. Brown, S., and K., Eisenhardt, 1998. Competing on the Edge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Gruber, M., 2004. Marketing in new ventures: Theory and empirical evidence. Schmalenbach Business Review, 56(April 2004), 164-199. Ebling, C., and D., Klapper, 2007. Dynamic effects of promotions in choice data: Differences with respect to whether, what and how much to purchase. Marketing Dynamics Conference 2007. Delre, S., et al., 2007. Targeting and timing promotional activities: An agent-based model for the take-off of new products. Journal of Business Research, 60 (8), 826-835.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Genital Warts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genital Warts - Essay Example Being a sexually transmitted disease, the risk factors in venereal warts is directly related to the sexual lifestyle of a person. Genital warts are most prevalent in persons who practices unprotected sex with multiple sex partners. Others include "having has another sexually transmitted disease, having sex with a partner who has an unknown sexual history, and becoming sexually active at a young age (Genital Warts 2007)." Treatment of genital warts should always be undertaken by a physician with this expertise. Over the counter medications used to treat common warts are not suitable for the moist tissues in the genital area. The treatment of genital warts includes medical prescriptions and surgery. Some of the chemicals which are directly applied onto the skin are: imiquimod which boost the body's immune system to fight the warts, podofilox which destroys the genital warts' tissues, and trichloroacetic acid which burns off genital warts. Surgery is often the best option if larger warts are to be removed that they do not respond to medications or if the infected person is pregnant which exposes the baby to risk of infection during delivery.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

FINAL PROJECT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FINAL PROJECT - Assignment Example It is no surprise that the running theme of 21st century literature is escapism. Escape from our stresses and limitations; freedom from the normalcy and structure of our day to day lives. Popular novels, short stories, and tales of all ages, which has been directly reflected in films and television as well, center on the lives of wizards with a destiny greater than themselves, romantic vampire tales that promise things like immortality and â€Å"plenty of time† to do as we please, fairy tales, science fictions, and superheroes. Anything that separates people from their own existence as it is, even if only for a time. Paige Bradley’s sculpture, â€Å"Expansion,† is a stunning and thought-provoking piece that captures the modern human need to free itself from all the restrictions of life, even those of the body. The sculpture captures that moment when ones inner light, soul, spirit, or inner essence, however you preference to perceive it, breaking through the flesh. At the same time the peaceful expression and meditative pose of the figure shares with us that this experience is enlightening, not painful or unpleasant. It is a desired occurrence, perhaps a needed one. As stated before we all have a need to be acknowledged, respected, and appreciated for our inner selves not just our external existence. The artist herself explained that she fears that, â€Å"†¦ we are more defined by the container we are in, rather than what we are inside.†("Paige bradley," 2012) That said, this piece captures the human need to escape from the restrictions, be they physical, economical, or social that bind us. These are the same restrictions that encourage us to seek the same escapism in our modern

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Time Value of Money Essay Example for Free

Time Value of Money Essay The application of the time value of money theory is very useful in the case of making a decision about obtaining a loan or rejecting it. According to the theory of time value of money, the rule of thumb for making down payment is: if your bank account pays lower rate than the loan, than use your money in the bank account as down payment. This rule is based on the realization of the fact that the value of the money which has been placed on the deposit is going to decline with time, and the percent rate on the deposit which the bank offers is not going to ensure that the value of the person’s money is kept on the same level. At the same time, the person could benefit from making a down payment for a car or any other object because the value of the money would reduce with time and thus he would be paying less for the object which he bought as the result of the loan. Despite the fact that the statements of the time value of money theory are obvious, the author of the article â€Å"Should You Pay Cash for a New Car?† in Los Angeles Times seems to regard all of the issues connected with consumer loans in a different light. Most of the points which he makes in the article are either completely incorrect or need to be altered in order to correspond with the statements which theory of time value of money makes. First of all, the author marks that it is always much better for consumers to obtain loans at the bank instead of investing their own money which they have in deposits. He mentions that consumers did not have computers in order to calculate the benefits of obtaining loans. If they had, â€Å"they might otherwise have seen the advantage in borrowing without taking anyones word for it†. However, as the rule of thumb states, it is profitable to make a down payment for the loan only in that case when the bank account pays a lower rate than the loan. The author does not take this rule into consideration and makes a statement that all of the consumers need to obtain loans, despite the differences between the rates of interest on deposits and loans. The point of view which he is trying to express is that no matter what, obtaining a loan will always be the best possible solution for the consumer. The author mentions the rule which Frank Sperling, vice president at Security Pacific National Bank gives in order to guide consumers in making a choice for or against consumer loans: if a consumer is able to obtain at least half of the interest rate on the investment in comparison with the interest rate on the loan, he is going to make a correct choice by obtaining a loan. This rule is quite similar to the rule of thumb which is being used in the theory of time value of money but it is too concrete of a case. It is impossible to make a conclusion about the interest rate on investment being exactly half of the interest rate on the loan for the deal to be beneficial for the consumer. The benefits of the consumer can be relatively larger if the gap is increased but the consumer can make a down payment for the item which he wants to buy whenever the rate on the loan excesses the yield on investment. The author also states that there can be differences between the rule applications for different types of loans but it is not true because the rule can be applied for any type of loan. It is based on the general objective principles on the theory of time value of money which are universal. Besides, the approach which the author describes does not work in any economic environment. The consumer needs first to realize in what environment the country’s economy is functioning at this point. This can be either the environment of increasing interest rates or of decreasing interest rates. If the interest rates are going to decline in the future, the consumer will need to consider an option of refinancing the loan in the future. If the interest rates are increasing, the consumer might think of obtaining a loan with a lower interest rate now and investing his funds in securities which a higher interest rate in the following periods of time. He also needs to consider the possibilities of obtaining a fixed interest rate for the loan in order to ensure that his payments on the loan are not increasing and invest in floating-rate securities in order to benefit from the interest rate fluctuation in the future. Without the analysis of the economic environment, there is no possibility to make a conclusion about the best possible way of buying a car or any other item. The author also makes an incorrect statement that the major difference between making an investment and obtaining a loan is that the percent rate is calculated on a different basis. According to him, the percent rate on the loan is being compounded only annually and the rate of interest on the investment can be compounded monthly: â€Å"Keppel†¦ calculated that 48 months of interest on a 14.2 percent loan of $8,239.05 would be $2,607.62, while the same principal invested at 8 percent, compounded monthly would earn interest of $3,095.06- a profit of $487.44†. However, this rule is going to be true only in the case when both the loan and the investment have the mentioned characteristics. It is not the general case because interest rates on loans as well as on any other assets can be compounded in any number of ways. It is impossible to say that the investment is going to bring profits to Keppel only due to the different techniques of interest calculations because it is very far from the truth. The question is whether he will be able to obtain the loan and make the investment according to the terms which are favorable for him. The author of the article has expressed complete ignorance in the knowledge of the finance and particularly their theory of time value of money. In order to make a correct decision about the way of purchasing an item, consumers need to make sure they take all of the issues of this theory into consideration.