Graduation Speech: The Opportunity to Make a Difference :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Over the past year or so some dreadful events have occurred at high schools, alarming the American public while they have talked about increased security, clinging to images of guns, blood and typical-looking teenagers committing unthinkable crimes. The media has focused on these incidents without giving attention to all of the potential and talent that is flourishing throughout our high schools. I invite them to recognize the inspired pupils who are propelling themselves beyond standard and motivating others around them. That is what I want the American public to be talking about. As young adults we have the opportunity to make a difference. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids and future generations. I would like to tell everybody about someone who has made the most of his opportunity. Many of you guys know him, and he's actually a very close friend of mine. He's my dad, Mark Reiman. My father was blessed with the disease ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. For those of you who don't know what this disease is about, it weakens your muscles until you are unable to function. It can affect your voice, your mobility, and it can even affect how well you chew your food. Seventy five percent of people afflicted with this disease only live 2 to 5 years after their diagnosis. My father has now lived with it for almost eight years. Many of you are probably wondering why I used the word blessed. My dad, and my family also, have come to the belief that he contracted this illness for a reason. That reason is he has been given the opportunity to change peoples' lives. He's given people hope when they thought there was nothing left to hope for. He's loved people when they thought they were unlovable, that because they no longer had the physical abilities they once had, they were a nuisance. Believe me, you can accomplish so much with your mind and touch so many people with your heart. He's also taught people that every day we have is a blessing. We need to make every second count, because life is great. I mean life is awesome, you guys. If I have learned anything through my dad's affliction or from our years at Tates Creek, it's that I love life -- and want to experience as much of it as possible. Now my dad is just one guy, and look what he's done. We are individuals.

Discussion Post Essay

New Format Requested this week While the format is to be changed thisweek, you are still required to make 3 postings; one original post and comment on two other student’s post. ORIGINAL POST REQUIREMENTS: You are to apply the major topics covered in the course (finance/accounting, economics, marketing) to your company and provide an â€Å"analyst’s report†. 1) (Apply Marketing techniques to:) create an interesting, unique or otherwise attractive catch line (humor works great for me! ) as your post title. Make a recommendation (can be here AND in your subject line) (some of you may not feel you have enough â€Å"experience† where your opinion (i. e. , recommendation) is â€Å"worth something in this world†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. however note, you may have more experience NOW than some analysts at major investment banking houses! (scary I know! )) 3)(Use your corporate report to:) provide certain and specific quantitative analysis of your company. DON†T repeat your entire report†¦. but provide highlights†¦.. as some examples: Net Income rose 20% from 2008-2011 to $1. 35 billion Expenses dropped†¦.  by 15% Shareholder equity (highlights mean â€Å"outlyers† of data†¦.. especially NEGATIVE information 4) (Use some economics learned†¦. predict macro and micro â€Å"futures†)†¦.. describe what Macro world events have affected your company (global eco slow-down†¦. price of oil) †¦.. even micro events (consumption among consumers w as down due to†¦. )provide sensitivities for world events on your corporation and how it will affect that company’s future activities. Provide predictions about future macro economic events and how your company will react going forward. The Network & Space Systems segment is engaged in the research, development, production and modification of products and services to assist its customers in transforming their operations through network integration, information, intelligence and surveillance systems, communication, architectures and space exploration. The Global Services & Support segment is engaged in the operations, maintenance, training, upgrades and logistics support functions for military platforms and operations. The Boeing Capital Corporation segment facilitates, arranges structures and provides selective financing solutions for its commercial airplanes customers. In the space and defense markets, it primarily arranges and structures financing solutions for its Boeing Defense, Space & Security government customers. Its portfolio consists of equipment under operating leases, finance leases, notes and other receivables, assets held for sale or re-lease and investments. The company was founded by William Edward Boeing in 1916 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. http://www. marketwatch. com/investing/stock/ba/profile 2) The Boeing Company has a long history of providing complex systems and integrated assembly’s to its customers. 3) The Boeing Company is headquartered in Chicago IL. In 1997 Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged to form what is the Boeing Company of today. This was approximately 1 year after Boeing acquired Rockwell Corporations Space and Defense division. The company has over 249 subsidiaries. The largest competitor on the commercial side is Airbus a division of EDS and the largest competitor on the Defense, Space and Security side is Lockheed Martin with many other companies lining up for second place. In order for Boeing to maintain it’s market share the company has had to continually research and develop new products in both major business units. Notes for special consideration† 1. Cash and cash equivalents increased from $5,359 billion to $10,049 billion from 2010 to 2011 2. Retained Earnings rose from $24,784 billion to $27,524 billion during the period of 2010 to 2011 3. Net Earnings rose from $1.3 billion in 2009 to $4. 02 billion in 2011 4) Boeing is a company that is always going to be challenged. The challengers for the Defense, Space and Security market typically have come from within the US but that is starting to change. EADS which is the largest defense business in Europe is continually trying to enter US ma rkets. Also Airbus which is a subsidiary of EADS is the most prominent competitor in the commercial segment but many countries such as Japan, China, Brazil and Canada are working very hard to position themselves as challengers to the commercial market. This will be a challenge for Boeing and Airbus for the next several decades. Commercial airline customers and airlines will continue to demand enhancements and improvements to the commercial airplanes and the service / cost associated with the. This will continue to drive performance by the manufacturers including Boeing which is the industry leader. The US government acquisition may decline depending on the outcome of the presidential and congressional elections. Boeing and it’s competitors in those markets will look toward no US markets to sell their products. Continued increase in energy and material cost will drive Boeings focus on keeping costs down. 5) Research and development are the single most important factor in keeping Boeing relevant for the future. Research and development expense amounted to $3. 9 billion, $4. 1 billion and $6.5 billion in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. In 2009 this included $2. 7 billion alone for the new 787 commercial aircraft. Research and development costs also include bid and proposal efforts related to governme nt products and services, as well as costs incurred in excess of amounts estimated to be recoverable under cost sharing research and development agreements. Bid and proposal costs were $332 million, $355 million and $343 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009 respectively. R&D within the Defense, Space and Security business unit is primarily focused on supporting customer requirements and providing new technologies to meet the needs of military, security and space agencies.

What are the main origins of the Cold War and why? Essay

The Origins of the Cold War are widely regarded to the relationships between the Soviet Union and the allies (the United States, Great Britain and France) during the period of 1945–1947. Those events led to the Cold War which lasted for over half century. The first origin must be the beginning of Russian Revolution. In WWI, the US, Britain, and Russia had been allies until the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in November 1917. Then, Russia withdrew the WWI and turned into communism. Later, Soviet Russia found it was isolated in international diplomacy as what said by Leader Lenin that ‘the Soviet Union was surrounded by a â€Å"hostile capitalist encirclement’. Moreover, the ideologies of the USA and the USSR are opposite since that time. The Soviet Russia sought to establish a socialist economy, in which the market economy would be abolished. It placed the interests of Soviet Russia ahead of those of any person or group of persons. And, the working class was the only one class ruled the basis of the Soviet state. By the contrast, the USA, like other capitalist countries, believed in the free market system and industries were owned by the individuals. Because they against each other’s policies, the seed of hostil e was planted and grew up overtime. After the WWII, the USA and the USSR are the only two superpowers left in the world. The other European powers were weaken a lot during the war. Although the USSR’s economy was not as strong as USA’s, its Red Army was the most powerful one with the largest scale in the world. The tendency of polarization was always regarded as the basic condition to form the Cold War by experts. Another important factor that led to the formation of the Cold War was the policy of balance. For example, the pattern of direct opposition, the USSR introduced the Warsaw Treaty Organization after the USA became the leader of NATO, both of them were military organizations against each other. Besides these, in the 1940s, there were several events could be known as the origins of the Cold War. In February 1946, George F. Kennan’s Long Telegram from Moscow helped articulate the growing hard line against the Soviets. The telegram argued that the Soviet Union was motivated by both traditional  Russian imperialism and by Marxist ideology; Soviet behavior was expansionist, posing a threat to the United States and its allies. Later writing as â€Å"Mr. X† in his article â€Å"The Sources of Soviet Conduct† in Foreign Affairs (July 1947), Kennan drafted the classic argument for adopting a policy of â€Å"containment† toward the Soviet Union. On March 5, 1946, the ‘iron curtain’ speech that given by the Churchill stated that the world was divided into two groups, leading by the USA and the USSR. Nowadays, many historians regarded this speech as the beginning of the Cold War. In summary, the ideology was the core reason for the start of the Cold War. The USA and the USSR untrusted and fear the power of each other, so they used policies to maintain their own statuses and gain more interest for themselves.