References

Riis, Jacob A. How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Libraries, 2011. Print

 Dick Weissman.Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution: Music and Social Change in America. Backbeat Books, 2010 print

Yochelson, Bonnie, Jacob A. Riis, and Daniel J. Czitrom. Rediscovering Jacob Riis: Exposure Journalism and Photography in Turn-of-the-Century New York. New York: New Press, 2007. Print.

            What We Really Miss About the 1950s

            Question 1

            Based on Coontz, what we miss in regard to 1950’s is the family targeted social and economic surrounding. This provided individuals with long-term prosperity sense.  Those this that are not currently missed is sexism which was based on gender inequality as well as racism. Additionally, the era was associated with high incest cases as well as spousal abuse (Colombo, 56).

            Question 2

            The government was involves I individual living especially via government welfare programs.  Those that were involved in government programs received numerous benefits and those that earned minimum had more than enough to take care of their families.  Government projects provided employment to most of the individuals and higher learning was fully subsidized and the government was engagement in loan paying for those that wished to purchase a house. This era was viewed as a better era because past the WWII it was the most prosperous period that permitted families to live a much better life (Colombo, 59).

            Question 3

            The 1950s’’ Coontz in her composition argues the 1950’s myths.  She states that the comparison between 1950’s and the 21st or the 20th century would generate ridiculous results.  Most of the chances that were developed in this era were most due to being involved in government and its surrounding (Colombo, 60).  This is completely different from 20th and 21st centuries societies as discrimination based on race has drastically reduced.  Individual’s political power is additionally not determined by their government involvement extent. 

            Question 4

            The modern family myth that existed in the 1950’s is still present in the modern society.  However, the power of this myth is being challenged by events such as gays.  In the recent years, gender equality has been promoted in all most every house. In addition, children are being treated as independent individuals who are permitted to make their individualized decisions contrary to before modern society is no longer characterized by racism as individuals have changed (Colombo, 58).

            Question 7

            Yes, I do agree with Coontz as nostalgia encourages political agendas harm. In addition, it also leads to social political threats which caused social political unpredictability. Nostalgia may result in a society that holds no responsibility where equality does not even count (Colombo, 57).

            Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt by Melvin Dixon

            The poem that holds the thought that all types of individuals whose death is resulted in by Aid should be recalled. Ida is Junie’s grandmother and she remembers junie by ensuring that in all her special clothes she cuts his name’s letter from each and hen combines t in guilt (Colombo, 150).

            In her making, she states that she feels and heard Junie giggling with happiness.  An additional idea that is presented by the poem is that when one is involved in something that they love everything about the world is forgotten and it no longer matters (Colombo, 151). 

            When the idea was developing the guilt she completely forgot that the clothes really mattered to her, she did develop any pain.  The general point of the story is a remembrance and how feeling can be changed by those that were dear (Colombo, 150).

            The theme of the poem is essential in addressing societal issues of stigma as well as the issues surrounding Aids.  Junie died at not because he did nothing wrong but because he got sick through the mother. At the young age, he did not deserve that and therefore the cause of one’s death should not determine how one is to be remembered. Everyone deserves a good remembrance (Colombo, 150).

            Quality Time, Redefined" Alex Williams

            Question 1

            My family members utilize phones, laptops, I-pad, Games devices, television, radio and magazines.  This costs them roughly three to four hours every evening when everyone is sited in the sitting room being engaged in technological sites.  If William visits my home stated he would refer it as a cyber-cocoon because everyone is fully engaged in their own business.

            Question 2

            The presence of four different screens in the same room means that individuals are living in different realities.  I do believe that media is dominating quality times of families.  The family is extremely consumed by media because they are not engaged in any physical connection. Despite the fact that the individuals are in the same house and the room they are completely far apart in terms of emotion or senses.  Williams thought of family time is based on attention.  The idea of what quality time consists of has changed with time as everyone is involved in fulfilling their individual interests as family goals are no longer set (Colombo, 94).  Physical connection holds great authority in building a family but this does not mean that emotional connection is not necessary.  William argues that quality time has been replaced by technology and its meaning is no longer the same. According to Williams asserts that family quality time has gradually changed.  Families no longer engage in a conversation or any activity together as the world of technology has taken away the ability to communicate and do things together as a family (Colombo, 95).

            Question 3

            Middle-class and working-class families are affected in almost similar ways by technology. This is because despite the fact that most of them spend the entire day working the little time that they have as a family is not utilized properly.

            Question 5

            Both paintings are used to depict a similar subject which is individual’s life in America.  However, the painting of Rockwell focuses more on racism thus making them different.  These paintings are therefore important in illustrating how families operate in America due to the social and technological transformation taking place.

Work Cited

            Colombo, G. Rereading America, Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 2013. Bedford, 9^th Edition.

NYC Architecture- Houston Street between Sixth Avenue and West Broadway

Houston Street in general is the central east west street in Manhattan downtown, which runs across the town.  It is a street that runs from east to west in Manhattan south. The street was developed across 1930’s in the aim of permitting tunnels constructions the subway independent system[1]. The street serves as a boundary that exists between neighborhoods. Houston Street was named as so after William Houston. Rapid architectural changes are happening in streets across major cities and towns[2].  These transformations are mainly fueled by necessities as well as innovative development. Houston street is not an exception as it has been continuously been involved in developmental changes.  This can be viewed from the street reconstruction design and expansion thus proving that from reports that the street’s changes before and after 1930 can be observed and analyzed.

I observed that Houston Street serves as a one way bound which has two lanes as well as blocks parking.  The rest of the street’s sections are all dual directional with at least three traveling lanes and in every direction being separated using a median.  Houston Street was reconstructed with the partnership of DOT and DDC. This major reconstruction of the west street involved the development of transportation, enhancement of landscapes as well as upgrading utility. The evaluation for the Houston street reconstruction began at least three years prior to its major  construction which took place from 2002 July to 2005 June. The eastern part of Houston Street was reconstructed and completed in 2013.  The reconstruction took place from bowery section to FDR. Houston Street creates a great separation of two major parts of the initially south village termed neighborhood.  The street was increased in a way that was considerable in 1940 leading to several building destruction which were located on the southern side.

The geometry roadway of Houston Street was involved in critical transformations. The moving lanes number was transformed from the initial three up to two along Houston’s Eastbound Street that is located amid west Broadway and Sixth Avenue in accommodating greater sidewalks and median on Houston street south location. DOT was involved in removing parking that existed along Houston’s west bound street in order to generate a wider traveling lane as well as increase the sidewalks on Houston Street’s south direction.  Before the reconstruction occurred there were several important huge vehicles cashing on the wait of making a turn.  This resulted in increasing the median along the street to solve the traffic issues. This was performed amid Broadway and Sixth Avenue in permitting the left turn inlets inclusions.  This median based on my observation of the street’s maps developed pedestrian’s safety through discouraging individuals from participating in mid-block cession. In addition this provided the opportunity for the landscaping of the street due as it acted as the solution.

In addition Houston Street was also involved in changes through the creation of triangle Bedford Park which was developed at Houston’s and Bedford’s intersection.  This was aimed at developing safety as well as intersection.  An additional improvement of safety involved pedestrian’s island installation as well as ramps and pedestrians neck downs.  This helped in developing older individual’s movements along the street. The installation of neck downs helped in decreasing the walking distance for the pedestrians and also to slow the drivers during the streets turns. The historical amenities made significant architectural transformation on Houston Street.

Viewing at archival records changed and supported my personal experience of Houston Street.  This is because I got to experience that Houston street s among the major street that is involved in major and frequent developmental changes.  My experience was not so good while viewing the street due to the exiting traffic harassments as well as the many developments that are taking place.  This experience is supported by the archival records since the population of individuals along the street is growing rapidly.  This factor has therefore contributed to the many architectural transformation as well as improvement.  In addition the street based on my experience is characterized by traffic.  I was able to learn about transportation, initiatives as well as community developments from the viewing of Houston Street. This effect is mainly influenced by urbanization and industrial development in Manhattan.

Based on my opinion, it is clear that the future of Houston Street is brighter. This is because of its increasing convenience and this may ensure that the street gets among the most developed streets.  It was a great experience to view Houston Street under the non-stopping adjustments and developments from the past to the existing. However I observed that despite the fact that the street had developed numerous initiatives in the quest to solve traffic issues this has not been accomplished effectively. This is because traffic issue is still harassing the streets development despite the measures which ranges from safety to accommodation of a wider range of vehicles and pedestrians. One Allen Center is one of the major blocks on Houston street which calls for less attention.  The building is developed on a complex pattern grid which has been utilized on most buildings across the world.  The block is well understood for its nonconformity. The building is part of the street physical changes based on its location as well as design.

In the comparison between the analysis of Houston Street and the research conducted by Nash on London’s regent street, the projects are similar as they are based on major streets in established cities. London and New York are well established and therefore observing developmental changes made on the street is important.  In my opinion Nash would say that the street is well developed but it still requires several changes. The projects are different as they Nash project is based on elevation plans while tis paper is aimed at generating an analysis of Houston street architectural changes.

References

Fisher, Lewis F., and Maria Watson Pfeiffer. 2013. Traditions and visions San Antonio architecture. San Antonio: Trinity University Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1158968.

City Map. 2005. Houston Map. Retrieved from http://www.rususa.com/city/images/citymap_houston_tx.gif

University of Texas. 1922. Houston Historical Map. Retrieved from http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/houston_nw22.jpg

[1] Fisher, Lewis F., and Maria Watson Pfeiffer. 2013. Traditions and visions San Antonio architecture. San Antonio: Trinity University Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1158968.

[2] Fisher, Lewis F., and Maria Watson Pfeiffer. 2013. Traditions and visions San Antonio architecture. San Antonio: Trinity University Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1158968.

American History from the years 1865 to 2000

America industrial rose between 18th to 19th centuries during which the era was mostly critical as it was experienced by the countryside societies in America in order to become industrialized and metropolitan. Before the revolution of manufacturing most of the production occurred in homes in which hand tools and simple and fundamental machines were used (Meyer, 15). The industrialization growth in America continued steadily through that American civil war still it continued after the war. Typically the American industry was small as there was a limitation of industries capacity to produce. Most of the business back then served as small markets and they also lacked capital for the business expansion (Meyer, 54). After the civil way in America, the American industry changed drastically as hand labor was replaced by machines in which manufacturing increased and the capacity of production was tremendous.

Industrialization did not just happen as many strategies were put together to see it happen. To begin with, there was the construction of railway network that was used to distribute the goods far and wide. The first transcontinental railway had begun earlier but due to the civil war it was delayed in 1865 and was completed in 1869 (Meyer, 156). Inventors did also play a very important role as they invented and developed new products that the vast majority of the American market wanted which made the business make the products in large quantities. There was also a revolution in the banks as they supplied the investors with the huge amounts of money that were used to expand the inventor's operations (Meyer, 54).

By the year 1880 American industries were employing thousands of workers on a daily basis. There was a transformation of life as there was a light bulb, artificial lighting, ready-made clothing, canned food and other numerous advances were experienced as a result of industrialization as well as open market transaction (Bensel, 356). Being the pioneers of industrialization the country started experiencing huge numbers of immigrants that resulted to cheap labor. As a result, products become easy to make to the mechanization of the industries in which the laborers were only required to do repetitive work which made it easier to replace them in case of any injury.

In the 19th century, there was a rise in a number of cities, more railway lines, ports facilities were expanded in which the progress was visible. Large business come up in which they required managers, clerks, white collar works, and accountants (Bensel, 289). This demand made a huge progress in the people’s lives in America as the middle class prospered better than way before. Despite the challenges that faced industrialization, there were reforms taking place. Working hours were reduced increasing leisure time for the workers. In 1882 September 2nd there was a celebration that marked the first Labor Day in the city of New York.

In the 19th century, there was there was a new aristocracy in America that was driven by industrialization. The industrialist had great captains in the industry that made them have sufficient power to bridle them from the government as they ensured that there was freedom that was meant to protect the people from the moneyed aristocrats (Bensel, 355). The rise of industries in America led to a transformation of the country from an agriculture one to a more industrialized one that has led to urbanization of the society. America industrialization has led to significant changes making America a super power nation that any countries emulate up to date.

Work cited

Bensel, Richard F. The Political Economy of American Industrialization, 1877 - 1900. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000. Print.

Meyer, David R. The Roots of American Industrialization. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003. Print.

History and Religions of Ancient China and India

            Introduction

            Indian and Chinese culture shares a relationship and history that is old in nature.  Through the initial millennium, both states were religious and spiritual activities centers. Both nations struggled with colonialism from the western (Wright, 2011). Despite the political relations amid the two nations are not many because based on philosophy it was principally from India.

            Question 1

            The four early Chinese dynasties are Xia, Shang, Zhou and Qin dynasty. These dynasties are characterized by different events which are utilized in describing their occurrences (Wright, 2011).  Shang dynasty is a single dynasty of San Dai dynasties which mainly involves Zhou, Xia, and Shang.  These dynasties are believed to be the major marks of the civilization of Chinese. The dynasty is therefore characterized by the system of writing, divination exercise, cities development, the technology of bronze and the utilization of chariots that were drawn by horses (Wright, 2011).

            The Zhou dynasty is a social and political hierarchical system that was characterized by the royal house of Zhou (Wright, 2011). In this dynasty power was subjected to the families that were aristocratic. This dynasty is mostly compared to the feudalism of the European as it gave it the ancestral cult’s hierarchical order.  This system later developed a power competition between autonomous semi-rivals. This resulted in the eruption of autumn and the spring period as well as the warring period (Wright, 2011).

            The Qin dynasty was the dynasty that led to the creation of state’s unitary and it imposed an administration that was centralized as well as measures, writing scripts and weights standardization. This was not for its oppressive methods of ruling which included dissenting ideas dominance. Qin dynasty is characterized by the event of Chang’a Xian present day as well as the death of Qin Shihuangdi (Wright, 2011). 

Question 2

            The three major Chinese early arts are characterized poetry, calligraphy as well as painting.  Calligraphy is described as the handwriting art (Powers, & Tsiang, 2016).  The Chinese ancient considered the art of writing as an important part of their culture.  The ancient calligraphers were hence involved in long-term practices of art writing that were characterized with style and perfection.  This, therefore, meant that the characters had to be developed in unique and a precise way.  This is relevant to the culture as well as the values of the Chinese because handwriting and writing styles are highly valued. Chinese writing is associated with uniqueness and complexity which is highly regarded as an important aspect of their culture (Powers, & Tsiang, 2016).

            Painting, on the other hand, was mainly influenced by the art of calligraphy as well as poetry.  The art of painting was a significant cultural element for the ancient Chinese.  Most of the Chinese paintings involved the art of landscapes. These paintings were therefore used in featuring birds, trees, homes, mountains as well as water.  The arts were thus utilized as a form of cultural heritage.  This reflects the values and the culture of Chinese as they highly value the surrounding. Through painting their values are expressed in an open and a concise way (Wright, 2011).

            Moreover, poetry was an essential art form.  Those poets that were termed as great were all famous during the general empire period and this, therefore, meant that all those individuals who were educated were necessitated to be involved in poetry writing. Poetry is highly connected to the values and culture of Chinese because it is utilized in the expression of both political and cultural surroundings (Powers, & Tsiang, 2016).

            Question 3

Decade’s years ago Aravillis land was referred as Tethys and with time the land of Himalayas was developed from the sea (Stein, & Arnold, 2010). With time continuity the rise of a huge land that was characterized by water flow was developed which resulted in modern India formation. The enormous fertility in turn attracted individual from different lands. Indian culture is, therefore, a collaboration of different tribes and Himalayas is mainly associated with its progress. The Aryans transformed the Indian culture in ways that were uncountable. This mainly occurred through the introduction of castles and horses, Aryan language and gods. Before the Aryans arrived individuals were living in sophisticated agricultural existence which additionally involved the development of arts (Stein, & Arnold, 2010).

            Question 4

            Rock art is one of the early Indian arts. The art involves rock carvings, paintings as well as rock engraving (Om, 2005).  In India, the presence of rock art sites is estimated to be around one thousand three hundred. Temple painting is relevant to the Indian values and culture as it is a form of a religious symbol. In addition, the Maurya empire art illustrates the form of governing that existed in the empire period.  This is a form of both religious and cultural representation.  This was also used as a representation of power decentralization as well as authority possession.  Writing arts were additionally utilized as a form of storytelling. This type of art was accomplished through the use of Buddhist sculpture. Script’s writing is important in India as it illustrates both religious and cultural values (Om, 2005).

            Question 5

            Chinese culture was enveloped different philosophical and religious system that was practiced in china before the evolution of communist (Powers, & Tsiang, 2016).  Confucians and traditional Taoism provided moral directions to suitable behaviors for individuals in china.  Taoism aimed at promoting individuals inner peace and Confucius was based on ethical writings and teachings that were aimed at teaching individuals the proper manners of society’s behavior (Powers, & Tsiang, 2016).  Communist, Christianity, and Buddhism were additionally involved in china’s cultural development as they aimed at ensuring that individuals behaved appropriately in the societies. Confucius was crucial as he provided the responsibilities and the functions of every societal member in order to encourage harmony (Powers, & Tsiang, 2016).

            In India Hinduism acted as the basic element and principle of the Indian culture. India is termed as the most religious state in its culture and society is highly guided by religion.  Hinduism provided the philosophical approach which influenced the creation of Indian culture (Stein, & Arnold, 2010). Through the philosophical Hinduism, guidance individuals were taught how to play their roles in families as well as in the society.  This, therefore, influenced the culture formation as it determined the conduct and practices of individuals in India (Stein, & Arnold, 2010).

            In summary, both India and china have close relations despite the few diplomatic contradictions between them.  Both the historical background of the two nations they are fully focusing on growth which makes them mutual despite their cultural dissimilarities.

            References

            Om, P. (2005). Cultural history of India. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Limited, Publishers.

Powers, M. J., & Tsiang, K. R. (2016). A companion to Chinese art.

Stein, B., & Arnold, D. (2010). A history of India. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell.

Wright, D. C. (2011). The history of China. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.

World War II

Primary sources

1. The start of World War II

This picture talks a thousand words.  These are residents saluting Hitler as he entered Sudetenland in the year 1938. The author of this article was an eyewitness when the world way began. The author Schmidt who was Hitler’s interpreter tried to establish the real situation at the time the way was happening and the difficulties that the people went through (Schmidt, 1951). The audience was meant to be any human being that was living in order to show them what transpired during this time. The document emphasizes on how Hitler was aggressive in acquiring the territory of the Germany district in Rhineland.  The document is reliable as it portrays a true picture of the happenings and the unpreparedness of the Germany troops as they were poorly equipped and they had to treat the French troops.

The document was written shortly after the war was over and all the recordings of the way were well analyzed. The document illustrates every single activity that happened and how countries such as France and Britain teamed up to support Poland (Schmidt, 1951). The author was inspired to write the story as he was a victim and witnesses everything. The article is worth of a study due to its significance and immense contribution to what transpired then.

2. America’s front line soldier

The picture was made by Bill Mauldin (1945) as he was a famous cartoonist. The two are Willie and Joe who were American combat soldiers. The author witnessed the front line fighters who were citizens long to go home back to their normal lives. Bill Maudlin clearly knows the background of the soldiers. The author sought to accomplish what he was fond of. He had an artistic talent of cartoon that had developed early in his life. During the time of the fight he was not able to do much due to depression as a result of the environment around him. By using his artistic skills he intended to capture a vast majority of audience despite the age. He emphasizes about the battle soldiers and how they wanted to return from the battle fields (Mauldin, 1945). The paper is not biased as it is able to achieve objectivity by portraying the right picture of the battle soldiers and how they behaved towards the outsiders.

The document illustrates the way and the life of the combat people during the war time. Mauldin was inspired by his talent in order to pass knowledge of how the soldiers worked together as a family in order to comfort each other (Mauldin, 1945). The document is insightful as it sheds some light about the European history that makes it easy to understand how it was like making the document worthy of studying.

3. The liberation of Paris

Mac van John (1979) witnessed the liberation of Paris. The author sought to establish that there was resistance among the fighters as they armed themselves as the liberation troops approached Paris. The document is objective as from the picture a family is seen to seek shelter from the sniper bullets. During the time of publication the world war had come to an end and most nations were recovering from what transpired. The picture shows that there were consequences of the way such as families fleeing for security (John, 1979). The author was influence by the fact that there were some strange incidences in the square and people were dying and there was the need to show people what transpired passing on the knowledge about the European history thus making it a history document worthy to study.

Secondary sources

1. World War II Story

The author of the article is Frank Richard (2015) who has the rights to write the story of survival, resilience and the redemption of the World War II survivor. The author source of information is an American history journal where by the author thesis is the unbroken despite the challenges that came with the war. The author tries to prove that there are those that did survive the war despite the many who died in the battle fields. The author has clearly defined his scope that has avoided any contradiction. The article is quite significant as it includes the Japanese involvement, the prisoners and the personal narrative of the American army in the war together with the Louis Zamperini’s experience of the World War II (Frank, 2015).

2. Monty method

The author of the article is Moody Simon (2016) who had the rights to the document as he is affiliated to the King’s college in London UK. The author’s source of information is the War in History. His thesis tried to prove that the post military war in the field Marshal was more progressive than it was initially suggested by the British Military. The author has been clear and has avoided contradiction by a close inspection of the public, private writers and Montgomery’s official that has revealed how the Field Marshal were quick to acknowledge the rapid change in character (Moody, 2016). It is valuable for study as it has shown the important consideration that pertain the size and the composition of the tactical doctrine, land forces, battlefield techniques and land forces were reconceptualized.

Reference

Frank, R. (2015). Unbroken/Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II/ Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Journal Of American History, 102(1), 317-321. doi:10.1093/jahist/jav215

Mac Vane, John, On the Air in World War II (1979); Blumenson, Martin, Liberation (1978). The Liberation of Paris, 1944," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2008). Retrieved from  http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/parisliberation.htm

            Mauldin, Bill, Up Front (1945); Mauldin, Bill The Brass Ring (1971); Stars and Stripes European Edition, "Cartoonist Bill Mauldin, friend of GIs as creator of 'Willie and Joe,' dies at 81" (January 23, 2003). "America's Front Line Soldier, 1944," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2006). Retrieved from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/mauldin.htm

Moody, S. J. (2016). Was There a ‘Monty Method’ after the Second World War? Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery and the Changing Character of Land Warfare, 1945–1958. War In History, 23(2), 210-229. doi:10.1177/0968344514552348

Schmidt, Paul, Hitler's Interpreter (1951); Shirer, William, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960); Taylor, A.J.P., The Origins of the Second World War (1962)."The Beginning of World War II, 1939," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2004). Retrieved from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ultimatum.htm

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

            The terrible art works and the architecture and which are referred to as the Seven Phenomena of the Early Domain acts as a proof of inventiveness, thoughts and the absolute effort of the individuals who have the skills.  These art works are also portraits of the people’s way of disagreement, destruction and mainly the elaboration. Immediately after the early writers made an incline of the seven phenomena, it caused a great discussion through which the attainments needed attachment. Finally the humans had a connection with the natural forces to demolish one of those wonders.  Thus is it most likely that one of those wonders do not exist.  All of the seven wonders still exist and are renowned as some of the extraordinary produces that were made from the creativity and the capabilities of the early cultures (Adams, 2011).   

The Boundless Pyramid in Egypt

            The boundless pyramids were situated at Giza at the west row of the River Nile which was in Egypt and at the North of Cairo.  These pyramids are the only wonders that still exist up to now.  The Great Pyramid consists of three pyramids including Khufu, Khafra and the Menkaura and was all built between 2700 and 2500 B.C and were made as king ossuaries. Khufu is the largest and attracting pyramid and has an area of more than ten acres and is known to carry in it more than a million blocks of stone and that each of the stone weighs about 30 tones. For the past many decades, Khufu has been the largest and the tallest building in the universe. The pyramids that were built the same as these were built with no assistance of the contemporary building implements or any plotting devices.  Researchers believed that the builders used breakers made from logs to transfer the stones in the suitable places. The ramparts which were slopped were planned to copycat the emissions of the sun divinity and were later made as ladders and were packed with sandstone.  These pyramids are believed to stay for more than 250 years before completion (Adams, 2011). 

The Floppy Grounds of Babylon

            These gardens were fabricated adjacent to the River of Euphrates by the King Nebuchadnezzar II during the 600B.C.  These gardens were built 75 feet in the air and the king’s reason of building the gardens was to make it easy for his lover’s sickness for her ordinary beauty of her family in the northwest area of the current Iran.  Researchers have proofed that for the survival of these gardens they had to be irrigated with a pump system for it to transport water from the Euphrates numerous bases up in the inflight.  These gardens are believed to survive and show the part of the most amazing and the well-known imaginary account.

Sculpture of Zeus at Olympia

            The famous sculpture was made by the Sculptor Phidias who was an Athen and was finished and put in the Zeus shrine at Olympia which was a spot of the early Olympics.  The statue portrayed the thunder god seated with his chest bare at timber sovereignty.  This sculpture was ornamented with gold-leaf and ivory.  It was 40 bases tall in that it closely touched the topmost of the sanctuary. Conferring to the tales of the statue, the sculptor asked Zeus to indicate his agreement after he completed it, but quickly after it; the sanctuary was hit by the lightening.  The sculpture of Zeus worshipped the sanctuary until the fourth span A. D when the Christian ministers swayed the sovereign of Rome to remove the temple.  During the era, the sculpture was relocated to a shrine in Constantinople where it was later devastated by a fire (Adams, 2011).

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

            These kinds of temples were many whereby there were numerous platforms and shrines which were devastated and build up again on the similar location in Ephesus.  The utmost amazing of these buildings were the two sandstone temples that were constructed on 550B.C and 350B.C.  The earliest was constructed by the Chersiphron who was a Cretan designer while his sons decorated it with other designers.  There is a disagreement on if the structure had an exposed air ceiling or its top was made of thatches made from wood.  In 262A.D, the temple was demolished by the Ostrogoths until in the 1860’s where the archaeologists excavated up the major remains of the shrine pillars at the bottommost of the River (Adams, 2011.)

Tomb at Halicarnassus

            This was situated in the Southeastern of Turkey which was a grave that was constructed by the Artemisia for her partner Mausolus who was the ruler of Carnia. It was built in 353B.C. The King’s wife was shocked by the death of her husband where she variegated his ashes and mixed them with rainwater and swallowed them which was a way of ordering the construction of the grave.  This tomb was made from white sandstone and it is believed to be of 135 feet tall.  The construction had a complicated design having three layers which are rectangular in shape and it is believed to have been built that way so that there would be reconciliation among the Lycian, Greek and the Egyptians styles of designing.  The tomb was hugely demolished by a tremor in the 13^th century and its remnants were castoff in the fortress fornication (Adams, 2011). 

Giant of Rhodes

            The Giant of Rhodes was a huge figure construction of the sun divinity and was constructed for more than 12 years. The town was the aim of the Macedonian obstruction and this made the Rhodians sell the tools and the devices that were left by the builders so as to pay for the Titan.  The building was the highest being 100 feet and which was the highest in the early domain.  It was finished at 280B.C and it stayed for sixty years till it was destroyed by a huge earthquake.  The building has been believed to have stood on one leg on each of the harbor’s side in that the legs were built closely so as to support its huge weight (Adams, 2011).

Lighthouse of Alexandria

            It was positioned on a minor landmass known as Pharos which was close the Alexandria city.  It was planned by an architect from the Greek who was known as Sostratos and its construction was finished around 270B.C. The Lighthouse was used as a help guide of the River Nile vessels to and fro of the city’s port.  Scientists have initiated the earlier silvers in which the lighthouse was exemplified and from these coins they proofed that the structure had three layers.  The lighthouse was finally destroyed during many earthquakes that happened from 965 to 1323 where several of its residues have been exposed at the extremity of the River Nile (Adams, 2011). 

Reference

Adams, Laurie Schneider. Art Across Time, Volume I. 4th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2011. ISBN-978-0-07-735373-5

The Black Death Plague

            This was an overwhelming epidemic that hit Europe in the mid and late fourteenth centuries where it caused the death of many Europeans.  A huge epidemic happened in many areas of Asia and Middle East showing that the plague was a multi- regional epidemic.  The Black Death was a name that was derived from a symptom of a disease which was known as acral necrosis whereby those who were infected, their skin turned black due to subdermal internal bleeding. Thus the tern black meant a deadly disease (Person, 2010). 

            Several areas of the humanity such as religion and economy were affected within the European culture.  The plague altered the economy in that it disrupted trade and put the innovations on a standby as the artists who were more skilled and other merchants were killed. Art and the literature in the era were the areas of humanity that was seen as the main cultural effect.   The customers who bought their products were also killed.  Due to the less population that was left, workers who needed farmers had to negotiate for wages which led to drought (Person, 2010).   

            On the religious basis, people did not understand what was happening.  This plague in Europe struggled with the failure of their belief in that the church was unable to save the public from the plague and this caused them to doubt their beliefs.  In that period, doctors did not also understand the cause of the disease and how it was communicated thus people believed that the paranormal powers were in control of their land.  People saw the plague as a punishment of their sins.  Thus this changed the culture in religion as the malfunction of the church not protecting their people from the deadly disease led to the loss of power and influence (Person, 2010). 

Reference

Person, S. (2010). Bubonic plague: The Black Death. New York: Bearport Pub.

History of globalization infused with universal humanism

The third session of the conference was covering the rising concerns of the transition of the universal humanism from the 20^th to the 2st century in the history of globalization. The session started took a period of one hour from 2 to 3 pm at Seton University (Kabbara, 2014). With globalization becoming the core connection between people of different races, tribes and cultures around the world, much has been achieved in businesses and entrepreneurship. It was seen that there exists human possibilities that have been defined by the globalization theorists which have continually brought people together. For instance business people have gained interest in carrying out businesses in Luca Pacioli’s Neighborhood. This is an indication that the world is typically promoting human toleration and hence cultural boundaries have lost its power when matters of business and globalization are concerned (Kabbara, 2014). The discussion of Bollywood as a global business has also been covered whereby the various opportunities as well as the challenges that face the Indian global film as a global business. On the same note, the discussion has dug into the historical context of the Bollywood and how it was able to dominate the global film industry. Additionally, the topic of venturing of the Islam was also highlighted and also the issue of doing a business alongside the British East Indian company. Generally, the conference highlighted the key areas that have evolved through the history of globalization in relation to the infusion of the universal humanism across national and cultural boundaries (Kabbara, 2014).

With the rapidly evolving global economies, Muslim countries have started to align their economies so that they remain compatible to the current trends. The alignment efforts in return have impacted the global various sectors such as accounting, and other dockets concerning how they are conducted.  However, the influence of how the Islamic accounting is conducted is categorized into two interests, riba and zakat. The riba influence is basically based on the structure of the company’s capital which much of the influence leading to the exposure of almost all the practices of the enterprise. The influence of zakat on the other hand lies on the measurement ad the process of evaluating accounting. Nevertheless, the countries are bound to the Shari’a and specifically to all the accountants while dictating their accountability in discharging (Kavoossi, 2000).

It is important to note that riba means expansion or growth. This implies that the economic growth and the globalization progress is achieved as a universal objectives. However, riba defines that the growth and expansion are strictly guided by the principles of justice such as hard work and sharing. Unfairness in obtaining income such as gambling are strictly restricted and therefore all the Islamic companies are expected to restrain from riba-associated activities. This makes the capital structures of the Islamic companies to be very different from those of Western counterparts. Zakat on the other hand is a tax that all the Muslim who has wealth that exceeds a certain level is required to pay. It is a religious tax that has been adopted b the companies of the Islamic countries. The companies are held reliable for breaking any of the zakat requirements. From this analysis, the major difference between riba and zakat is how the different interests of economy are handled (Kavoossi, 2000).

Federal Reserve System policies in an era of globalization

This is the last session of the conference which took about one and three quarter hours. The major highlight of the conference was the FED policies as well as the objectives with regard to the evolving era of globalization. This covered a narrowed but detailed review of the simple-based monetary policy which aims to yield excellent economic performance. Among the subtopics that were covered include the repercussions and the implications of the monetary policies across the globe and more specifically on the economic development. In addition the conference also discussed the matters of development of an automobile safety recall index. This is a set of policies that ensures that the imported vehicles from various countries into Australia have met the safety standards for the purpose of maintaining a safe and secure environment. The conference want ahead to briefly analyze to discuss the support of the department in ensuring that competition and customer commission are ensured in the road vehicle recalls and monitoring. The conference meeting finally was able to conclude that the simple rule-based monetary policy has shown to be a good tool towards a good economic performance in the globalized world economy.

With reference to the safety automobile index recall, the need to set goals has arisen at a tremendous rate because o the increased number of deaths. The ratio of the number of deaths to the total population in the United States has been recorded to be 14.97% in 2005 (Weis, 2014). This is a significant decrease from the previous record of 1979 hence indicating some improvement at the beginning of 2005 (Weis, 2014). FED has laid down strategies that shall carry forward its goals concerning safety of the transport sector. First, FED has goal of gradually minimizing the number of deaths that get experienced through road accidents. The simple rules and policy of the FED policy have put more emphasis that have lead to decline of fatal risks in the year 2012. Vehicles have therefore been instituted with improved structural designs, mixing of vehicle types and additional of features that enhance safety to the passengers. Following the implementation of the simple safety rules, 2012 has recorded the highest decline of more than 7, 700 fewer deaths with much being expected in the fulfillment of the goals (Weis, 2014).

The next goal of FED is the approach to zero plans. This is a goal of totally eradicating totally the crash deaths which was initially as Vision Zero policy. To manage and achieve the goal, the plan entitled as “Towards Zero Deaths” was unveiled in 2009 by the Governors Highway Safety Association (Weis, 2014). It aims at completely eliminating all the traffic deaths and the policy has been working fairly in Sweden. However, this is a long process that requires the adjustments of road designs, the public policy and the overall improvement of vehicles’ safety features so as to fully protect all the road users. The plan towards zero is currently developing and achievements are achieved gradually from time to time. This indicates that its accomplishment is still valid and FED should continue to put up plans that will bring the goal into accomplishment (Weis, 2014).

Refrences

 Weis M., (2014) The Federal Reserve’s Role in the Global Economy: A Historical Perspective FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF DALLAS https://www.dallasfed.org/assets/documents/institute/annual/2014/annual14h.pdf

Top of Form

Kabbara, A. H. S. (2014). The Foundations of Islamic Economics and Banking.

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

Kavoossi, M. (2000). The globalization of business and the Middle East: Opportunities and constraints. Westport, Conn. [u.a.: Quorum.

Bottom of Form

History Answers

1. To warn the South that any of their territories that had not surrounded by January 1^st, 1863 would lose their slaves if the U.S won the war. The purpose of this act was not to free slaves throughout the United States, but to convince the South to surrender as opposed to risking the loss of their labor force.
2. A fleet of US warships commanded by Admiral Farragut steamed past the confederate fortifications, allowing troops to attack the city from the rear. The result was that the Mississippi River was now open to a U.S attack.
3. True
4. When Santa Ana and his Mexican army approached the Alamo, he was in violation of the Monroe Doctrine, as he was descended from the Duke of Weselton (of a small country in Europe). This violation of the sovereignty of the US Sphere of Influence caused an immediate pro-Texan reaction in Congress.
5. He would end slavery when he became president, and would fight for equality among all races.
6. President Monroe announced a Doctrine in which the United States declared Latin America as part of the US. Sphere of influence and he also promised to defend Latin America from any European invasion.
7. The US would use their navy to blockade all southern ports (to end southern attempts to resupply by sea and would use their army to surround the confederacy from the west and north; slowly squeezing the confederacy into submission.
8. President Washington acknowledged that the United States should assist the French and immediately declared war on most of Western Europe (except for France of course).
9. US Ambassador John Jay Successfully negotiated a trade agreement with England (France’s Enemy) before any similar trade agreement was made with France.
10. According to Douglas citizenship should only be given to those of European ancestry.
11. The United States authorized an Army and Navy for the first time since the revolutionary war. This resulted in six new warships, a Marine Corps and a small army which was able to defeat the Barbary States by 1805 and convinced the French to be more respectful to avoid another war.
12. South Carolina threatened to secede from the United States if Jackson did not cancel the import taxes, Jackson responded by threatening war if the South Carolina did not comply with federal laws.
13. He hoped to start a race war in the South by arming slaves.
14. The confederate army was attempting a major invasion of the North for the first time in 1863, as they desperately needed supplies. This event showed the extent to which the anaconda plan was working.
15. Told a story of Uncle Tom, who led a slave rebellion in North Carolina, The result was that the treatment of slaves in the south became much more stringent.
16. Debates in congress over whether newly settle territories would allow slavery such as the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 (because “American culture” to some citizens included slaves and to others it did not).
17. Attacks upon American ships by the Barbary States in the Mediterranean Sea.
18. Whiskey producers were able to apply for tax exemption to a new constitutional government for the first time in US history. This allowed for tax reduction and the returns of profits for the whiskey producers which led to the end of the rebellion.
19. Congress authorized the merchant marine, which put soldiers on US merchants’ ships. It was hoped that these soldiers would be a deterrent to pirate attacks.
20. Africans are less likely to plan for their future which justified enslaving them (for their own good).

Historical Ethical Dilemma

            Introduction

            Nortel Networks Company is commonly known as Nortel was an international company whose origin was based in Canada.  At its peak during the beginning of 2000’s the company had comprised more than one-third of the general valuations of all the corporations that had been listed on the stock exchange of Toronto (Knox, Payne, Ryals, Maklan, Peppard, 2007).  The corporation was established in 1895 in Quebec, Montreal with the manufacturing centers being situated at Ontario, Mississauga.  The corporation was involved in the manufacturing of networking data equipment together with the offering of telecommunication services. The company had employed approximately ninety-four thousand and five hundred workers internationally (Knox, Payne, Ryals, Maklan, Peppard, 2007).

            The downfall of the corporation started when the company failed to live up based on the expectations of their investor.  The financial situation of the corporation, therefore, failed to support the statements that were provided by the management.  As a result, the price of the stock took a dive nose. This, therefore, resulted in the investors losing huge sums of money.  Most of the investors were therefore forced to withdraw their investments from the corporation thus leaving Nortel on bankruptcy verge (Knox, Payne, Ryals, Maklan, Peppard, 2007).  However the corporation continued to operate by debt means financing and since the damage had already been created in 2009 the company fell into liquidation.  In this analysis report, I will be utilizing topics such as unethical business behaviors in explaining the importance of ethics in conducting business.  Ethical decisions development would assist in the operations of the business based on ethical traits.

            Question 1

            The Nortel corporation rise was rapid and quick similarly to its downfall.  The top position era that was held by Roth resulted in drastic changes to the corporation’s fortunes.  From the ethical view, it is clear that several reasons are associated with the shooting up and spiraling down of the corporation (Knox, Payne, Ryals, Maklan, Peppard, 2007).  The first task that was conducted by Roth after becoming the Nortel CEO was to expand the business into the line of internet Nortel acquired 17 distinct companies across the United States and Canada. During this period Roth was utilizing media and press power to his own interests and advantage. This was, therefore, unethical.  Despite the fact that the corporation was developing at a slower pace, Roth utilized the advantage of the media channel in exaggerating financial reports and projections. This unethical conduct, therefore, resulted in attracting huge investments which resulted in the increased growth of Nortel (Knox, Payne, Ryals, Maklan, Peppard, 2007).

            Once the corporation had started attracting more investors and developed its fund's sources, Roth together with his team decided that their investors did not require selling their shares in higher return pursuit on other bases thus choosing to hold the investors stocks to Nortel (Mallin, 2016). The management, therefore, acted in an unethical manner as they started to report in financial performances that were optimistic which indicated the highest earning for the shares. The investors, therefore, were attracted by the growing deal and continued to invest in more shares.  This can thus be illustrated as a mistake that was developed by the company and resulted in the company’s growth thus becoming one of the most authoritative corporations in Canada (Mallin, 2016).

 An additional issue that is related to the corporation fall due to the unethical conduct was the executive’s compensations which stood higher despite the fact that the rise of the shares was declining (Mallin, 2016). In an ethical perspective, it would be necessary for the corporation directors to avoid attaining the bonuses that were highly rated as well as other incentives that were involved as the corporation was slowly losing its credibility thus the business operation side was faced with debt crunches. This was, however, a different case in Nortel as the management officers like Roth was receiving high rates bonuses which were viewed to be more as compared to the norm of the industry.  The unethical conduct of the management, therefore, becomes the center of the corporation's downfall.  In ethical nature, the management was expected to utilize the GAAP concepts in stating all the per share earnings instead of utilizing pro forma strategy which was unethical.  The conduct was, therefore, unfair because it focused on benefiting the company thus falling to consider the investors which eventually resulted in communication failure in Nortel (Mallin, 2016).

            Question 2

One of the major mechanisms would be the use of organization decisions in emphasizing on ethical conducts in the company’s dealings (Wright, Siegel, Keasey, & Filatotchev, 2013).  Maintaining ethical conduct is a crucial guideline in conducting business which can impact the corporation’s sustainability as well as growth. Based on the suggestions made by most theories it is thus clear that ethical conduct application amongst the individuals in the management of any corporation is essential in creating a responsibility sense towards the corporation’s stakeholders. This, therefore, implies that if in Nortel there would have been ethical conduct from the start the management would therefore not have acted in unethical ways as it did. This would, therefore, help the company in growing continuously and remaining healthy to the present.  Another distinct mechanism that can be utilized is developing executives limit set in order for them to earn in equivalent t the norms of the industry thus offering the executives with better options of shares which would thus eliminate the urge of the management to engage in manipulation of operations as well as the general accounts (Wright, Siegel, Keasey, & Filatotchev, 2013). The utilization of these mechanisms would help in ensuring that the management interests are well aligned with the shareholders interest thus creating growth.

            Question 3

The Nortel corporation collapse is associated with different reasons which are mainly characterized by unethical conduct.   Most of the fall reasons lie in the wide   category of inappropriate actions as well as mismanagement which was taken by the executives of the corporation in operating the company.  Partially the fall of Nortel blames mainly lies within the actions utilized by individuals in the corporation in the general operations as well as management (Boubaker, & Nguyen, 2012).  However, the factor of individual is not fully responsible for the meltdown of the corporation. The capital market that was there additionally played a role in the meltdown as this assisted the management in regard to faulty company operation. One of the major factor that related to the failure o the management was based on the executives being entitled  to a particular  certain once they held a particular position in the company. This was therefore conducted in the quest of upholding the agency success theory. This, therefore, enabled the executives to become large stakeholders thus requiring them to earn more in order o enable them to avail their significant high returns on the holdings sales.  The human nature, as well as their conscience of the management executives, impaired their reflections and judgment thus making them acts in an unethical manner.  This was therefore conducted in pursuit of increasing the company’s stock market and increases the growth of the organization (Boubaker, & Nguyen, 2012).

            Question 4

            What occurred to Nortel corporation is equal to what  happened to Enron and WorldCom  in the beginning of 200’s  as well as to  City group, Lehman brothers as well as  other different banks during the financial  crisis of 2008.  This, therefore, raises the question on why most individuals in the world of business keep repeating the same mistake.  Ethical responding the major issue to the reoccurrence of the issue is due to greed. For instance based on Enron case fraud was utilized by the members of the corporate in order t gain capital.  This is the same ethical problems which applied to the WorldCom corporate members who acted in fraud thus failing to observe ethical practices (Wright, Siegel, Keasey, & Filatotchev, 2013).

            Ethics can thus be described as the set of principles which can be utilized by an individual in establishing whether an action can be termed as bad or good. Another reason as to why individuals in business tend to repeat the same mistake is because they are not perfect and thus tend  to get  comfortable with an event which a results in unnecessary mistakes. The business world is characterized by surrounding pressures due to frustrations as well as adversity. This, therefore, makes the business individuals to make hasty decisions which are opposed to evaluating all the situations appropriately.  This practice, therefore, results in mistakes which are costly as they are irregular (Wright, Siegel, Keasey, & Filatotchev, 2013).  The business pressures and economic expectations should be kept in achievable ranges to ensure that the mistakes are not repeated.

            Question 5

            Business education should be prioritizing to ensure that the corporate members clearly understand the ethical practices in business as well as the consequences of unethical conduct.  Regular education would thus help in ensuring that the conduct of the business is viewed as the essential basis of the general operations in the business (Fernando, 2009).

The management should, therefore, work on ensuring that the corporation practices are based on regular examinations.  Regular accounting checks priority helps in ensuring that manipulation of accounts, as well as the financial statements, do not occur at all (Fernando, 2009).  This should thus be accompanied by  regular punishments as well as incentives based on individuals conduct and performance regular punishments works in shaping individuals  conduct while incentives are developed to provide motivation. I believe that prioritize should be based on ethical practices which should be communicated through operations rules and corporate decisions.   Additionally, I believe that performance management would be essential in shaping corporate ethical practices which help in facilitating overall growth and development.

            References

Boubaker, S., & Nguyen, D. K. (2012). Board directors and corporate social responsibility.

            Fernando, A. C. (2009). Corporate governance: Principles, policies and practices. New Delhi: Pearson Education.

            Knox.  , S., Payne, A., Ryals, L., Maklan S., Peppard, J. (2007). Customer relationship management. Routledge. Copyright

Mallin, C. A. (2016). Corporate governance.

            Wright, M., Siegel, D. S., Keasey, K., & Filatotchev, I. (2013). The Oxford handbook of corporate governance.

Sherwin Williams (SHW) and PPG (PPG)

Introduction

            Sherwin Williams is an organization that was established in 1866 and its main objective is to manufacture as well as distribution of coatings and also related products. The company has had increment in their annual dividends over the years since 1979. Their target is on professionals, industries, businesses and retail customers both in North and South of United states. Also they focus on carrying business in the Caribbean, Europe as well as in Asia region (SHW 2015). They have around 40706 employees and their stock style is regarded as one with a large growth. PPG Company is one of the competing companies that compete in the market with the SHW. Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) is a company that was established in Pennsylvania in 1883 and is currently a global business that deals with global supply of paints; ophthalmic products, coatings, field supplies, glass and also strong glass (PPG 2015). This corporation focuses on a management in modernization, sustainability and paint and ensures that they develop more exteriors in better methods than any other enterprise through helping their customers who include a wide range of aftermarkets, construction markets, consumer goods, transportation and industrial. The company has around 47000 employees all over the world. The company operates in 70 different countries in the world and is among the American fortune forty companies (Plunkett et al 2006). This paper therefore will make comparisons between the two companies basing on their current financial reports. It will also focus on the analysis of the two financial companies so as to determine which company is better than the other in their performance. It will also discuss on some of the recommendations that would help the poor performing company so that the company can be able to attain its superior financial performance. Also it will focus on what the better performing company can improve on so as to continue doing better.

Financial analysis of SHW

            According to the2015 financial report of the SHW industry, the company increased its cash dividend by 21.8 % thus one share cost $2.68 and the company was able to procure 3.58 million shares in the market. The average common shares that are diluted amounted to 94 million. The net sales amounted to $11.339 while the net income amounted to $1054 while the shareholders equity amounted to $868 with a net working capital of $517 and the total assets amounted to $5792 while the total number of shares is 92,197 thousands and cash dividends of $2.68. The returns on sale amounted to 9.3%. The numbers of shareholders who are recorded amounted to 6,987 with a total number of 40,706 employees while the sales of $279 thousands per employee. The corporation’s monetary status, liquidity and cash flow has sustained to be strong especially due to the net operating cash that was crowned $1.000 billion due to the improved operating results in the painting stores. As compared to the 2014 report, the net income has increased up to $630.9million due to the decrease in liabilities and the increment in the current asserts. The short term debts have decreased with $640.0 million as a result of the resilient cash flow and the giving out of the long-standing debt. The net functioning money amounting to $365.9 million increased to $1.447 billion in 2015 while the working capital reduced to $188.9 million because of the timing of payments. Due to the strong net operating cash, the company has been able to capitalize in new-fangled stocks, industrial as well as supply facilities, renovation and payment of dividends to the shareholders. The company has been able to use cash and cash equivalents on hand so as to buy treasury stock of $1.035. The free cash flow amounts to $963,476 (SHW 2015).

Financial analysis of PPG

            According to the 2015 financial report of PPG Company, the company’s dividends had amounted to $383 million while the latest quarterly dividend of 36 cents was sanctioned by the board of directors on 21^st January 2016 and would be payable in 11^th March 2016 by the shareholders in the record as at 19^th February 2016. The dividend per share was $1.41.The number of shareholders of the common stock was seen to be 14,435 in 31^st January 2016. The net sales in the company amounted to $15,330 while the income from the continuing operations amounted to $1,405 while that from discontinuing operations amounted to $1. The return on average capital amounted to $15.8 while the operating cash flow from the continuing operations amounted to $1,837 while the capital spending amounted to $796 and their shareholders equity amounted to $4,983. As compared to the 2014 report, the net sales decreased by $30 million while the cost of sales excluding depreciation and amortization reduced by $200. There was increase in the cash flow due to the increase in the continual of operations and income from acquired investments. Operating working capital had reduced by $113 million (PPG 2015).

Results from the analysis

            Basing on the financial analysis that has been done in the above section of the paper, it is quite clear to say that SHW Company has demonstrated a positive pattern of technical signs though it has been undervalued due to its price level. The company has proved to have a good long term investment as it has shown it’s capable due to its defensive nature and this means that there is an opportunity for further appreciation in price in the company.  However, PPG has more power than SWH this is attributed by the high dividend yield.

            The PPG has also larger revenue as compared to SHW Company while it also produces more revenue per each employee as compared to the SHW Company. The PPG Company also produces $1.16 in revenue for every $1 of the expense while that of the SHW produces only $1.12 which is lower than that of PPG. PPG has more levered free cash flow as compared to that of the SHW incorporation. However, the SHW Company has higher growing revenue while the PPG company revenue is shrinking and therefore the stock price in the market cap is higher for SHW and lower in PPG Company. This has therefore attributed to a higher rating for the SHW Company. Therefore the SHW has shown greater performance as it has higher cash flow ratio to the total debts as compared to PPG and has higher interest coverage as compared to PPG. SWH Company is the best performing as its debts compared to the value of the business is lower than that of the PPG. It is therefore recommended that the company should improve on the quality of their products so as to increase their sales. Innovation is another recommendation that should be implemented in the business and this will enhance the companies to be able to reach out to the customers who are interested in the new and modified products. Employees ought to be encouraged through appreciations during high sales so as to motivate them for their good work and continuous motivation will enable them to improve on their services and hence their yield. The companies should also advance their technology so as to enhance them reduce on some expenses such as cutting off of some employees, saving on advertisements and quality and fast operations through the new and advanced technology. All these practices will see the companies yield increasing and hence they will be able to clear off their debts, purchase more assets, increase on the payment of returns to shareholders through payment of dividends and increase in returns and profits in general.

Conclusion

            PPG and SHW have proven to be two competing companies that are determined to succeed. They have all offered wide opportunities for employment and they have all contributed towards the growth of the society. Their performances differ and this makes the difference in their sales and ratings. The two companies were started many years ago and they have showed great improvement in their operations over time and the annual growths that they have been able to have over those years. It is evident that the future if these two companies will involve a lot of changes in their organizations and this will result to their success. The two companies have debts which they pay as they operate in their business. Financial analysis is important as it enables the companies to be able to rate their performances and their financial standpoint.

References

            Plunkett, J. W., & Plunkett Research, Ltd. (2006). Plunkett's engineering & research industry almanac 2006: The only comprehensive guide to the engineering & research industry. Houston, Tex: Plunkett Research.

            PPG. (2015). Annual Report 2015.

            SHW. (2015). Annual Report.