Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Financial Reporting and Analysis Literature review
Financial Reporting and Analysis - Literature review Example The company should try to increase this net profit in the future as it has fallen below the industryââ¬â¢s operating profit margin of 19%. Return on capital employed is way below the industry average for the company. It is 9.8% in 2009 which is very low. Although it has increased slowly to 10.83% in 2010, it is still way below the industry average of 20%. The company must try to increase this return drastically in the future by decreasing their liabilities. The companyââ¬â¢s Return on equity measures the efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholderââ¬â¢s equity (BRIGHAM, Eugene F. and Ehrhardt, Michael C., 2010). The companyââ¬â¢s Return on equity shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth (CORREIA, Carlos et al., 2007). And the companyââ¬â¢s Return on equity has increased from 2009-2010 from 5.27%-6.12% which is a very good sign but it is still on the low side. The Companyââ¬â¢s return on the asset is neither too high nor too low. It is 8.86% in 2009 and has just increased slightly to 9.89% in 2010. Although, an increase is a good sign but the company must try and further increase this ratio in the ratio by decreasing their asset usage and to increase their net profit even further. Liquidity ratios illustrate the companyââ¬â¢s ability to pay off obligations in the short term (CHANDRA, Prasanna, 2008). Current asset ratio and acid-test ratio are observed closely when liquidity is in question. The company is in a fairly good position in both of these parameters. The current ratio of the company has increased drastically from 1.46 in 2009 to 2.73 in 2010. In 2010 it is above the industry average of 2.5 which is a good sign for the company. It shows that a fair amount of assets are available to finance the liabilities of the company and that a company can pay off its short term liabilities quite easily. The Quick
Monday, October 28, 2019
Martin Luther King Essay Example for Free
Martin Luther King Essay America was experiencing a situation of chaos in the 1950s when the African Americans and the people of color began to rise for the fight of equality and freedom, and racial differences were realized. Initially, blacks and colored were widely discriminated. There were separate restaurants for white and the colored; separate educational institutes and likewise, separate hotels and motels and other public places. Blacks were not given employments on the basis of race and color and the ratio of black working men was almost negligible. They were not even given the right to vote. Cases of police violation on blacks were tremendous. As a result, gradual frustration began bottling up in the blacks. Finally, much to their relief, a decision by the Supreme Court, Brown v. Board of Education was issued in favor of the blacks. This decision given on May 17, 1954, recognized the discrimination against blacks in the field of education and declared that separate educational institutes resulted in unequal educational opportunities. Thus, it ordered all states to combine the blacks and white into same classrooms. However, the country, particularly the Southern part of America, was reluctant in carrying out the court order and hence, many years passed but the order failed to be put into operation. That is when Martin Luther King Jr. appeared. King had been working for equality and justice of blacks for a long time and was one of the prominent leaders in this movement. In order to spring the court order into action and protest for freedom, King along with other more than 250,000 individuals led a march to Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, also known as the March on Washington. This rally included many other eminent characters such as actor Sidney Poitier, and labor leader Walter Reuther. All these influential heads addressed the audience and expressed their feelings individually; however, it was Kingââ¬â¢s speech; ââ¬ËI have a dreamââ¬â¢ marked a landmark in civil right movement history. (Wikipedia, 1) About Martin Luther King Jr Born in January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Martin Luther King was the son of Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and a brother of two siblings. He earned his Bachelors degree in 1948 in sociology and then completed his Bachelor of Divinity degree afterwards. In 1955, he did his PhD from Boston University. Afterwards, he became a Baptist minister but then turned his focus towards the civil rights movement and fighting for the freedom of the blacks. He contributed to the establishment of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and also led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He was the orator of the memorial speech ââ¬ËI have a dreamââ¬â¢. He received Nobel Peace Price for his efforts to eliminate racial discriminations. He was also declared ââ¬Å"Man of the Yearâ⬠by Times Magazine. King was shot dead on April 4, 1968 in Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was later established in his memory. (Wikipedia,1) Analysis of the Speech Style There is an element of emotional appeal in Kingââ¬â¢s speech. Rich in vocabulary, it is drenched in symbolism. The speech begins with an attention-grasping phrase and positive connotations. In fact, in the entire speech, whenever the future of blacks is mentioned, King has used strong and healthy words reflecting hope and an optimist approach. The first half of the speech; however, exposes the horrible reality the blacks faced. It narrates the story of thousands of blacks who were divested of their basic rights because of their coloring. King has made use of several phrases to describe the gloomy life of African Americans such as ââ¬Å"the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. â⬠(Alvarez, 339) Kingââ¬â¢s background as Baptist also came useful in his speech as it reminds many of the blacksââ¬â¢ Baptist sermons. It contains references from Bible; for example, his sentence, ââ¬Å"It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivityââ¬â¢ in the second stanza indicates to Psalm 30:5. Other allusions are found from Amos 5:24 and Isaiah 40:4. â⬠(Wikipedia, 1) At the same time, the speech also reflects the Abraham Lincolnââ¬â¢s style in his Gettysburg Address when he uses the term, ââ¬ËFive score years agoââ¬â¢. (Public broadcasting service,1) Here again, the purpose of alluding to Lincoln in the commencing lines of speech is symbolic that is, he refers back to a leader who had fought the Southern states over the issue of slavery. In this way, King is reminding the whites that the slaves of in the 19th century and the blacks of 20th century shared a similar tragedy and the same repressive power. After emptying out his feelings of sorrow and despair for the African Americans, the speech then moves to the phase mirroring hope and about demanding their rights. Here, King uses the term ââ¬Ëcheckââ¬â¢ to refer to their rights. (Heath, 146) His expressions such as ââ¬Ëbank of justiceââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëriches of freedomââ¬â¢ compel any man of heart to melt and feel their pain. (Heath, 148) They are also an evident of his literacy exposure and knowledge which was rare in blacks at that time. Plus, these words depict a feeling of hope thriving in the speech. The way King demands for blacksââ¬â¢ right is purely beautiful and saintly as he says, ââ¬ËAnd so, weââ¬â¢ve come to cash this checkââ¬â¢. (Alvarez, 352) Next, the speech emphasizes the significance of democracy and need to work together to achieve that state of democracy. Here, ââ¬ËNow is the timeââ¬â¢ has been accentuated four times in the entire paragraph to demonstrate the critical requirement of acting promptly, without any further delay. (Alvarez, 355) He then refers this discrimination as a weakness of America that needs to be removed in order to achieve the nationââ¬â¢s mutual objectives. Here, King has used the technique of reaching the subconscious by using such words such as ââ¬Ëchildren of Godââ¬â¢ which itself defines that all blacks and whites are brothers. (Wikipedia 1) Hence, in this way, he didnââ¬â¢t have to say it directly and the message was also conveyed. While he talks of brotherhood and the need to put aside the differences and work together, he also issues a warning for the conflicting parties of the consequences if such circumstances failed to occur and promises the nation that they will struggle to fight and rebel until they were not granted their rights. This is evident from this sentence, ââ¬ËThe whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. ââ¬â¢ (Alvarez, 338) Nevertheless, King was against violence and sermonized the message of peace. Hence, the main objective of King in this rally was also to communicate his message in a non-violent manner. After encouraging the blacks to continue the fight, the speech moves to its second half ââ¬â the part about his dream ââ¬âan American dream. Here, ââ¬ËI have a dream today! ââ¬â¢ is repeated at intervals to indicate that the dream must be accomplished immediately and not in some future time. The most popular phrase of this speech ââ¬ËI have a dreamââ¬â¢ is repeated eight times. (Wikipedia, 1) In this part of the speech that is about his dream, he has offered the image of a united country; a country free of discrimination and hatred; a liberal state. This part is highly rhetorical and lulls the audience into another world the world he yearns to create. His words carry such weight that the audience is bound to share his dream even if they deny it. At the end of the speech, he has named several different states of America. The reason was to make it clear that they want respect, dignity and equality in not just some parts of America but in fact, the entire country. This point was explicitly a clear indication for the Southern states. The concluding stanzas contain a stimulating phrase, ââ¬ËLet freedom ring! ââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËFree at last! ââ¬â¢ (Alvarez, 351) The absorbing aspect of this speech is its rhythmical flow. The speech begins with a background of the black citizensââ¬â¢ existing situation and the crisis they are facing. It then proposes the solution to their dilemma; followed by the explanation of the reason of why this solution should be implemented. For this part, King uses number of tools such as facts and emotional appeal. At the end, in order to provoke the feeling of urgent execution of his solution, he shares with the audience a stirring dream i. e. his vision of the ideal situation that would prevail if his proposed solution was put into practice. Techniques Used The climax of the speech is distressing yet uplifting. The beginning stanzas reveal the sad state of blacks in America but the approach of the speech is highly optimistic and inspires the blacks to continue their struggle and the whites to bury their axes and embrace their black brothers. The technique of anaphora has been widely employed. Anaphora is the repetition of same word or phrase again and again at the beginning of sentences. For example, the most extensively used anaphora, also the title of this speech, is ââ¬ËI have a dreamââ¬â¢. Similarly, other examples of this tool are ââ¬ËOne hundred years agoââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËLet freedom ringââ¬â¢, and ââ¬ËWith this faithââ¬â¢, along with many others. (Wikipedia, 1) The speech is filled with metaphors. For instance, ââ¬Ëlong night of their captivityââ¬â¢ refers to their sufferings and ââ¬Ënationââ¬â¢s capital to cash a checkââ¬â¢ points to their purpose of protest. At the same time, ââ¬Ëthis nation will rise upââ¬â¢ is again an indication of the coming revolution. Similarly, ââ¬ËI have a dream that my four childrenââ¬â¢ refers to the black community in reality and the word my gives it a personal touch. (Heath, 160) In fact, King has personalized the entire message by using the words you, my and me. The wealth of this speech is its exquisite vocabulary. Words are skillfully manipulated in such a way that they attach a new meaning to every phrase. The popularity of this speech also owns to this factor. In addition, the quantity and quality of information and words reveal Kingââ¬â¢s extensive research done before delivering the speech, plus his vast knowledge since it contains references from the Bible, The Gettysburg Address and the US Declaration of Independence. (Public broadcasting service,1) Hence, King has used various techniques and tools in this address including facts, anaphora, metaphors, motivation, visualization, arguments and persuasion. The entire speech is highly figurative and symbolic. In fact, the rally outside the Lincolnââ¬â¢s Memorial is symbolic in itself: they were standing outside the steps of Lincoln Memorial i. e. the memorial of a leader who abolished slavery in the Southern states. (Wikipedia, 1) Conclusion The most distinguished fact about this march was its non-violent approach and this speech is its leading example. While its majority of audience was black; its main target was the white people. While he talked of revolution; his speech contained a message of peace. It was able to answer the meaningless questions of the opposing parties and warn them of the consequences of denying the blacks their rights without any form of hostility. In other words, it instilled in the whites a feeling of guilt and humbleness which proved to be enough to achieve their objective. At the same time, it prodded the colored citizens to keep their hopes high and not to rest until they were ââ¬Ëfree at last! It also motivated President Kennedy to extend his support for this issue. The context of the speech and of the surroundings also became one of the reasons for the popularity of the speech. His speech articulated the feelings of all colored citizens and his voice became the voice of all black citizens. To sum up, Kingââ¬â¢s speech ââ¬ËI have a dreamââ¬â¢ touches the depth of the hearts and captures the minds. Its words were able to bring tears in the eyes at that time and carry a captivating effect on the readers even today. With tools such as anaphora and metaphors employed, the speech holds an air of charisma. It shakes the souls of the slumbering and the unjust alike. All in all, the linguistic power of the speech is what makes it stand out from the rest and gain the status of one of the most influential speeches ever delivered. Bibliography Alvarez, Alexandra. ââ¬Å"Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËI Have a Dreamââ¬â¢: The Speech Event as Metaphor,â⬠Journal of Black Studies 18 1988: 337-57. Heath, Robert. ââ¬Å"Black Rhetoric: An Example of the Poverty of Valuesâ⬠Southern Speech Communication Journal 39 1973: 145-60
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Communication Problems in the Workplace Essay -- Personal Narratives C
Communication Problems in the Workplace I work at Geneva Ace Hardware. My most important job, among my many duties, is to help customers. Usually everything goes ok, but there are always a few customers that can be hard to deal with. Iââ¬â¢ve had to deal with Mexicans who can barely speak English. Iââ¬â¢ve had to deal with Mexicans who use their 5 year old children/grandchildren as translators. I once had to deal with a Canadian couple whose accent was so rich; I would have about a 30 second delayed response to try to convert their English into my English. Then there are the people who just wonââ¬â¢t accept my help because Iââ¬â¢m only a kid. None of these people compare to the dude that was deaf. About a month ago I was standing in the main aisle of Ace chatting with Lambert, one of my coworkers. As we were talking, I noticed a guy approaching us. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw him stare right into my eyes, so I knew he needed some help. This was a big guy. He must have been 5ââ¬â¢10â⬠and 350 pounds, but it wasnââ¬â¢t exactly like he was fat. He was the kind of guy that had a lot of muscle, and then he had a layer of fat over that. This dudeââ¬â¢s forearms were bigger than my lower legs. He had short, brown hair with a receding hairline. He had on work clothes, and he was sporting a big pair of wire-rimed glasses. These are the kind of glasses my grandpa would wear. This guy was probably in his late 40ââ¬â¢s, but his karma made him appear much older. Anyway, as heââ¬â¢s approaching, I asked him if...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Why society is unfair with teen male?
The way in which my son is branded and spoken of is very exaggerated and unfair. Through the past month he experienced a difficult time going through a split with his fellow peer. He tried to reach for help through his teachers and a social worker, hoping to find a way to cope and instead he was abused with statements such as ââ¬Å"this young man Is experiencing significant mental health Issues. â⬠This all occurred because he dared to cry and show sorrow when he was told by the peer that she felt uncomfortable talking to him.Furthermore, after this incident that occurred on March 24, 2014, the peer contacted my son first on the same day. Approximately two weeks after, I was phoned at work by the principal, informing me that she would call the police if I was not able to come and pick up my son after school. I asked her to wait for me around 5-10 minutes, and moments after we had finished our conversation, she called the police nonetheless. She had also told my son that she wou ld not call the police unless he left the school.He did not leave and the police was still called. My son was escorted by the police to the RE per the principals statement that my son was having a ââ¬Å"suicidal crisis. The principal came to this conclusion based on a Faceable conversation between my son and the peer which was shown to the principal by the peer. Recently, I read the messages In which my son stated ââ¬Å"I'm always going to be there for you. â⬠These words obviously show no intentions to commit suicide. My son was assessed by the RE team by DRP.Doe, a psychiatrist at Hà ¶tell-Died Grace Hospital where he was escorted by the police. He was released in the same night from the hospital as the RE team claimed that he was not in a crisis. The psychiatrist had not considered he needed any follow-up appointments or medication. He was not diagnosed with ant mental health illness. I communicated all of the results to the principal; however, she didn't accept my son to go back to school for a week now, though he was not suspended.During the ten school years of his life, I never once heard a complaint from any of his teachers regarding his behavior. His average mark Is over 90%. He has won numerous awards for his academic success and he was only ever praised by his teachers. Please help me rehabilitate my son's reputation at school and gain fair treatment by his principal and social worker at school. This incident was a small part of his school fife and his great sorrow was misinterpreted as a mental illness.Based on this event we cannot throw away and ignore all his years of hard work, and great behavior. Why society is unfair with teen male? By conspire ââ¬Å"this young man is experiencing significant mental health issues. â⬠This all occurred was shown to the principal by the peer. Recently, I read the messages in which my intentions to commit suicide. My son was assessed by the RE team by DRP. Doe,a communicated all of the results to the principal; however, she didn't accept my son to regarding his behavior. His average mark is over 90%. He has won numerous
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Why Should the Factor of Political Stability Be at the Very Top of the List of Criteria Used to Evaluate the Attractiveness of Potential Foreign Investments?
Why should the factor of political stability be at the very top of the list of criteria used to evaluate the attractiveness of potential foreign investments? There are several issues that should be considered when evaluating the attractiveness of a potential foreign investment. Among them we can stress three main groups of criteria: general market risks, commercial risks and political risks (the ones in focus in this essay).Political risks are caused by changes in a countryââ¬â¢s political structure or policies and, according to Hollensen (2007) ownership, operating and transfer risks are the main types that a marketer can face. Restrictions in repatriation of profits, change of government party, civil strife, revolution and wars can threat the attractiveness of a certain market. J. Eli Margolis (Estimating State Instability 2012) tried to create a method that could help warning such problems as the ââ¬ËArabic Springââ¬â¢.As we know today, it is not merely cheap labor that F DI is constantly seeking: political considerations must join the economic ones so the investment has the chance to be succeeded. As an example, we can talk about the Solomon Islands: after serious civil turbulence, law and order were restored and political and economic situation started improving gradually. However, political instability remained a challenge and so, a key obstacle in attracting foreign direct investment into the country. Trade Policy review-WTO). Despite all this evidence we can always find different opinions. According to Peter D. Bennett and Robert T. Green (JMR 1972), political instability can be considered as a primary consideration in foreign investment decisions only within combined contexts of region and economic development and not as a general reason. Risk is not just about the possibility of losing market share or profits. Politic stability is extremely important.Taking the Irish case as an example, their aspiration to be free from British dependency resul ted in a policy of strong macroeconomic stability and honest bureaucracy. As a result, nowadays more than half of the Irish economy is foreign owned. There is political risk in every nation but also a wide range of procedures that countries can adopt to become more attractive to foreign investment ( E. g. Ease or resolve instability through humanitarian or government aid ââ¬â S. Korean/ N.Korean 1999). In conclusion, I can say that terrorism and corruption are great threats for FI but there is always a way to face the situation and succeed. A detailed analyses of the host market and anticipation of certain risks is essential for the success of the investment and that is why the factor of political stability should be at the very top of the list of criteria used to evaluate the attractiveness of potential foreign investments. Filipa Florencio 26/03/2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
How to Refer to Time
How to Refer to Time How to Refer to Time How to Refer to Time By Mark Nichol Itââ¬â¢s time to talk about time: specifically, how to write references to units of temporal measurement. This post will note style for increments from seconds to centuries. Time of Day Imprecise times of day are generally spelled out: ââ¬Å"six-oââ¬â¢clock news,â⬠ââ¬Å"half past one,â⬠ââ¬Å"a quarter to three,â⬠and ââ¬Å"eight thirty,â⬠as well as ââ¬Å"noonâ⬠and ââ¬Å"midnight,â⬠which are preferable to ââ¬Å"12 pmâ⬠or ââ¬Å"12 am,â⬠because technically, these times are neither post meridiem (ââ¬Å"after middayâ⬠) or ante meridiem (ââ¬Å"before middayâ⬠). Another solution is to write ââ¬Å"12 noonâ⬠or ââ¬Å"12 midnight,â⬠although the latter term could refer to either the very beginning or the very end of a given day. The style for precise time is ââ¬Å"12:34,â⬠though one-hour increments can be written with or without double zeroes as placeholders: Write ââ¬Å"1:00 p.m.â⬠or ââ¬Å"1 p.m.,â⬠though the former style is often seen as punctilious. Much of the world uses a twenty-four-hour clock system, so that the U.S. notation ââ¬Å"1:23â⬠is rendered almost everywhere else as ââ¬Å"1323,â⬠without a colon. This system is used occasionally in the United States, as in military and technological usage. Months and Days and/or Years References to dates consisting of the month and day require no comma (ââ¬Å"October 10 is tomorrowâ⬠), but set off an appended year with commas (ââ¬Å"October 10, 1960, dawned clear and brightâ⬠). (Donââ¬â¢t abbreviate the name of the month except in statistical arrays such as graphs and charts or to preserve direct quotations.) A subsequent mention of a day of the month (in which the month is known but not expressed again), however, should be spelled out in ordinal form (ââ¬Å"The 11th, by contrast, was dark and grayâ⬠); note that the ordinal should not be styled in superscript form. Omit a comma before and after the year when the month but not a specific date precedes it: ââ¬Å"January 2010 was an unusually wet month.â⬠A note to writers of American English: Keep in mind that much of the world uses day-month-year notation (ââ¬Å"25 December, 2010,â⬠and ââ¬Å"25-12-10â⬠as shorthand for that date), so make sure international readers are clear about which number-only notation you use. Years Years are almost always rendered in numerals. One major exception honors the convention of not beginning a sentence with a number, but itââ¬â¢s better to recast a sentence than to write, ââ¬Å"Two thousand eleven began auspiciously.â⬠Another end run around this problem is to precede the year at the beginning of a sentence with the phrase ââ¬Å"The year,â⬠but this strategy introduces nonessential wording and creates an inconsistency if other years are mentioned in the same content. Years can also be abbreviated (ââ¬Å"the spirit of ââ¬â¢76,â⬠ââ¬Å"the panic of ââ¬â¢29â⬠), but note that the elision marker is an apostrophe, not an open single quotation mark. Decades Decades are displayed in numeral form or spelled out. However, no apostrophe is needed in the former style (ââ¬Å"2010s,â⬠not ââ¬Å"2010ââ¬â¢sâ⬠), although some publications retain this archaism. Do, however, precede the elided version of a decade with an apostrophe, just as in informal references to specific years, as mentioned in the previous post. Phrases that include more than one decade generally use complete numbers for all decades (ââ¬Å"the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940sâ⬠)â⬠but elision is acceptable in informal usage. Lowercase spelled-out versions (ââ¬Å"the ninetiesâ⬠) unless the number is part of the signifier of a cultural era (ââ¬Å"the Roaring Twentiesâ⬠). Ten-year ranges of decades are divided one of two ways: ââ¬Å"2000-2009â⬠(or ââ¬Å"2000-09â⬠), or ââ¬Å"2001-2010â⬠(or ââ¬Å"2001-10â⬠). If your writing project includes multiple references to decades and you mix decade ranges and spelled-out names of decades throughout, make your preference for when a decade starts known, and stick with it. Note that the first two decades of any given century cannot logically or gracefully be rendered in numerals or words: ââ¬Å"1900sâ⬠already applies to the entire century, and ââ¬Å"1910sâ⬠is inelegant because the numbers between 10 and 20 do not have the same naming patterns as the larger numbers; meanwhile, ââ¬Å"the oughtsâ⬠(or ââ¬Å"aughtsâ⬠) and ââ¬Å"the teensâ⬠are widely considered clumsy solutions. Centuries and Eras Spell out or use numerals for names of centuries consistently depending on what style you use for other periods of time, but lowercase the word century. BCE and CE (ââ¬Å"before Common Eraâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Common Eraâ⬠) are acceptable secular alternatives to AD (anno Domini, or ââ¬Å"the year of our Lordâ⬠) and BC (ââ¬Å"before Christâ⬠), but the traditional forms prevail. Note that syntactically, AD precedes the year, while BC follows it. (Youââ¬â¢ll often see these abbreviations rendered in small caps diminutive versions of uppercase letters but this practice is fading in frequency.) Also, although the second number in a range can usually be elided to two digits (ââ¬Å"2001-10â⬠), when used with BC or BCE, the full form should be used to avoid confusion because, in these cases, the range falls rather than rises. (In other words, ââ¬Å"175-50 BCâ⬠is the full expression of a 125-year range, not one of a single generation in which the second number is elided.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund PhrasesProbable vs. PossibleThe Uses of ââ¬Å"Theââ¬
Monday, October 21, 2019
Taking a Little Break from LinkedIn - A Wedding Roast for Mom
Taking a Little Break from LinkedIn - A Wedding Roast for Mom My family has a long history of writing lyrics for every big family event, to the tune of Woody Guthrieââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Hey Lolly.â⬠Hey Lolly consists of rhyming lines, with ââ¬Å"Hey lolly lolly loâ⬠sung after each line and a longer refrain sung after each section. The job (or joy, should I say?) of writing these roasts used be owned by my creatively gifted dad. Since his death 20 years ago, Iââ¬â¢ve carried on the tradition in my own way. I wrote songs for my two nephews when they were Bar Mitzvahââ¬â¢ed (one to the tune of ââ¬Å"The Rainbow Connection,â⬠and the other to Pharrellââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Happyâ⬠). Iââ¬â¢ve written wedding roasts for other friends, too. Up until now, never a Hey Lolly. But then my 75-year-old mom got engaged to be married, and it was time. A few months ago, I started thinking of everything I knew about my mom and her fiancà ©, asking them sneaky questions, and putting the best bits into rhyming couplets- which my family and I delivered last Saturday at her wedding. It will help you, as you read, to know a few things: My dad went to Yale and attended just about every Yale-Harvard Game that was hosted at Yale. My sister and her husband combined their names when they were married, to ââ¬Å"Gostein.â⬠My mom drinks kombucha like itââ¬â¢s water, and itââ¬â¢s not unusual to find an entire shelfful of the stuff in her fridge. The wedding took place in Austin, TX, where my mom moved to join my sister several years ago. The wedding had a cowboy theme and the fare was Texas barbecue. Now imagine that my family and I are on stage facing an audience of 200+ guests, with my mom and her fiancà © in centrally located chairs facing the stage. My nephew is on the piano and each of the rest of us is singing a part that were appropriately assigned. I hope you enjoy! Hey Lolly for Marcia and Arnold ââ¬â March 25, 2017 We gather here with joy and laughter To celebrate forever after Arnold, Marcia, now itââ¬â¢s time To roast you with a little rhyme. HEY LOLLY Arnold Lo ââ¬â o ââ¬â pez Cepero Is our taleââ¬â¢s swashbuckling hero And Marcia Bernstein is our queen Or should we call you Marcia Lopestein? HEY LOLLY Arnold ââ¬Ëfore he met his new belle Spent many hours playing Free Cell, Passionate ââ¬Ëbout his trips to India, Head filled up with loads of triviaâ⬠¦ He likes to study all things quizzical Especially the astrophysical. Marcia spent her hours singing And hugs to her grandchildren bringing She built a life she loved in Austin, With family, friends, and temple tossed in. And what could you count on to sate her? Kombucha in the ââ¬Ëfrigerator. HEY LOLLY Both bride and groom led splendid lives, But something lacked on their insides In both their hearts there was a cavern And so each headed to a tavern. ââ¬ËTwas ââ¬Ëround the middle of November A day we always will remember Marcia got a hunch and came To watch the Yale Harvard Game Arnold showed up too and met A lady he would nââ¬â¢er forget That day this coupleââ¬â¢s fate was sealed While Ivies battled on the field. Itââ¬â¢s strange that game was so much funâ⬠¦ ââ¬ËCuz Yale lostâ⬠¦ but these two won! One problem ââ¬â Arnold had no number He couldnââ¬â¢t call her ââ¬â what a blunder! But in the end his Yalie smarts Found a way to Marciaââ¬â¢s heart. HEY LOLLY Two plus years have passed and now Each has made a faithful vow, He puts sushi on her plate, And often keeps her up too late, She has curbed his too-sweet tooth, And brought him to the fount of youth. Theyââ¬â¢ve traveled to exotic lands, And always come back holding hands Masada brought them sacred blessing Just one step toward their cowboy wedding. Letââ¬â¢s wish them joy that overflows, And love that grows and grows and grows. HEY LOLLY So, that is what The Essay Expert does when Iââ¬â¢m not writing about LinkedIn, resumes, or big life lessons. I could write one of these for anyone if I were provided enough material, so let me know if you would like to enlist my assistance. Iââ¬â¢d love to have the chance to use this different part of my brain more often. Iââ¬â¢d also love to hear your favorite stories and traditions for weddings and other family events. Please share in the comments! Save Save Save Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinMarch 27, 2017 1 Comment Liz Lynn says: March 28, 2017 at 5:06 pm Mazel tov to all of you!!! So nice to have good news! Log in to Reply
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