Netflix Project

NETFLIX INC FORMReport) 10-K (Annual Filed 02/01/13 for the Period Ending 12/31/12 Address 100 WINCHESTER CIRCLE . LOS GATOS, CA 95032 408-540-3700 0001065280 NFLX 7841 – Video Tape Rental Broadcasting & Cable TV Services 12/31 Telephone CIK Symbol SIC Code Industry Sector Fiscal Year http://www. edgar-online. com  © Copyright 2013, EDGAR Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distribution and use of this document restricted under EDGAR Online, Inc. Terms of Use. Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D. C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One)ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number: 000-49802 Netflix, Inc. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) 77-0467272 (I. R. S. Employer Identification Number) 100 Winchester Circle Los Gatos, California 95032 (Address and zip code of principal executive offices) (408) 540-3700 Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Name of Exchange on which registered Common stock, $0. 001 par value Preferred Share Purchase Rights The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of Class) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.Yes No No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the precedi ng 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( §229. 05 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files. Yes No Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a no n-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of â€Å"large accelerated filer,† â€Å"accelerated filer† and â€Å"smaller reporting company† in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer (do not check if smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) Yes NoAs of June 30, 2012, the aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing sales price for the registrant’s common stock, as reported in the NASDAQ Global Select Market System, was $3,278,134,336. Shares of common stock beneficially owned by each executive officer and director of the Registrant and by each person known by the Registrant to beneficially own 10% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliate s. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purpose.As of January 31, 2013, there were 55,993,477 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0. 001, outstanding. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Parts of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for Registrant’s 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Table of Contents NETFLIX, INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I Item 1. Item 1A. Item 1B. Item 2. Item 3. Item 4. PART II Item 5. Item 6. Item 7. Item 7A. Item 8. Item 9. Item 9A. Item 9B. PART III Item 10. Item 11. Item 12. Item 13. Item 14. PART IV Item 15.Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 39 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance Executive Compensation Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director In dependence Principal Accounting Fees and Services 38 38 38 38 38 Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities Selected Financial Data Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk Financial Statements and Supplementary Data Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure Controls and Procedures Other Information 17 19 20 34 35 35 35 37 Business Risk Factors Unresolved Staff Comments Properties Legal Proceedings Mine Safety Disclosure s 1 5 15 16 16 16 Table of Contents PART I Forward-Looking Statements This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws.These forwardlooking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: our core strategy; the growth of Internet delivery of content; the gro wth in our streaming subscriptions and the decline in our DVD subscriptions; the market opportunity for streaming content; contribution margins; contribution profits (losses); liquidity; free cash flows; revenues; net income; legal costs; operating cash flows; impacts relating to our pricing strategy; our content library and marketing investments, including investments in original programming; significance of future contractual obligations; realization of future deferred tax assets; seasonality; method of content delivery; and international expansion. These forwardlooking statements can be identified by our use of words such as â€Å"expects†, â€Å"will†, â€Å"anticipate†, â€Å"may†, â€Å"could†, â€Å"would†, â€Å"should†, â€Å"intend†, â€Å"continue†, and derivatives thereof.These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ. A detailed di scussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included throughout this filing and particularly in Item 1A: â€Å"Risk Factors† section set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to us on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to revise or publicly release any revision to any such forward-looking statement, except as may otherwise be required by law. Item 1. About us Netflix, Inc. â€Å"Netflix†, â€Å"the Company†, â€Å"we†, or â€Å"us†) is the world’s leading Internet television network with more than 33 million members in over 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including original series. For one low monthly price, our members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nea rly any Internet-connected screen. Additionally, in the United States (â€Å"U. S. â€Å"), our subscribers can receive standard definition DVDs, and their high definition successor, Blu-ray discs (collectively referred to as â€Å"DVD†), delivered quickly to their homes. Our core strategy is to grow our streaming subscription business domestically and internationally.We are continuously improving the customer experience – expanding our streaming content, with a focus on programming an overall mix of content that delights our customers, including exclusive and original content, enhancing our user interface and extending our streaming service to even more Internet-connected devices while staying within the parameters of our consolidated net income (loss) and operating segment contribution profit (loss) targets. Contribution profit (loss) is defined as revenues less cost of revenues and marketing expenses. We are a pioneer in the Internet delivery of TV shows and movie s, launching our streaming service in 2007. Since this launch, we have developed an ecosystem for Internet-connected devices and have licensed increasing amounts of content that enable consumers to enjoy TV shows and movies directly on their TVs, computers and mobile devices.As a result of these efforts, we have experienced growing consumer acceptance of and interest in the delivery of TV shows and movies directly over the Internet. In September 2010, we began international operations by offering our streaming service in Canada. In the past two years, we have continued our international expansion and now also offer our streaming service in Latin America, the United Kingdom (â€Å"U. K. â€Å"), Ireland, and the Nordic countries of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Prior to July 2011, in the U. S. , our streaming and DVD-by-mail operations were combined and subscribers could receive both streaming content and DVDs under a single â€Å"hybrid† plan.In July 2011, we separa ted the combined plans, making it necessary for subscribers who wish to receive both DVDs-by-mail and streaming content to have two separate subscription plans. Business Segments Beginning with the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company has three operating segments: Domestic streaming, International streaming and Domestic DVD. The Domestic and International streaming segments derive revenues from monthly subscription services consisting solely of streaming content. The Domestic DVD segment derives revenues from monthly subscription services consisting solely of DVD-by-mail. For additional information regarding our segments, see Note 10 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . Domestic Streaming 1 Business Table of ContentsThe Domestic streaming segment provides our more than 27 million members with access to a broad range of exclusive, non-exclusive and original content delivered over the Internet to a host of connected devices – including PCs and Macs, game cons oles such as PlayStations, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, home theater systems, Internet video players such as Apple TV and Roku, digital video recorders, and mobile devices. We have a leading market position in domestic streaming, having grown by more than 5 million subscriptions in 2012 – an increase of 25% from 2011. International Streaming The large numbers of pay television and broadband households outside the U. S. provide our International streaming segment with a large long-term growth opportunity through significantly expanding our base of potential subscribers. From our initial international market launch in Canada in September 2010, our international streaming service has grown to be available in more than 40 countries outside of the U. S. as of December 31, 2012.We believe that international markets will be a significant source of growth and cash flow in the long term, and as a result we are strategically investing internationally today. Our focus in international ma rkets is to provide a compelling service offering to subscribers, which allows us to gain market share in the near term. We view long-term international success as consumer adoption and contribution margins at the levels of our domestic market. Domestic DVD Our Domestic DVD business launched in 1999 with DVD-by-mail subscription plans. As technology has changed and consumer preference has shifted, we have seen subscribers move away from DVD rental and toward streaming their video content. Competition The market for entertainment video is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change.Many consumers maintain simultaneous relationships with multiple entertainment video providers and can easily shift spending from one provider to another. Our principal competitors vary by geographic region and include: †¢ Multichannel video programming distributors (â€Å"MVPDs†) with free TV Everywhere applications such as HBO GO or Showtime Anytime in the U. S. and SkyGo or BBC iPlayer in the U. K. , and other on demand content from cable providers, such as Time Warner and Comcast; direct broadcast satellite providers, such as DIRECTV and Echostar; and telecommunication providers such as AT&T and Verizon â€Å"Over-the-top† Internet movie and TV content providers, such as, Amazon. com's Prime Video, Hulu. om and Hulu Plus, LOVEFiLM, Clarovideo, Viaplay, and Google's YouTube Transactional content providers, such as Apple's iTunes, Amazon's Instant Video, GooglePlay, and Vudu DVD rental outlets and kiosk services, such as Blockbuster and Redbox Entertainment video retailers, such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Amazon. com †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Competitive Strengths Netflix differentiates itself from the competition and has been able to grow its business through the following demonstrated unique competitive strengths: Leading Scale Advantage Builds Compelling Content – Leveraging our substantial scale and significant content budget, Netflix has bu ilt a broad and deep content library.Our licensing teams are expert programmers informed by more than a decade of rich data on viewer preferences and viewing habits which uniquely enables them to license a compelling mix of TV and movie content to efficiently provide Netflix members with compelling content. To further differentiate our content offering from our competitors, we have increasingly licensed exclusive and original content. Outstanding Member Experience Attracts and Retains Subscribers – We provide our members with innovative and effective user interfaces that enhance their Netflix experience and help increase engagement. Netflix leverages its large global scale and billions of hours of subscriber viewing data and algorithms in order to tailor the Netflix recommendations and merchandising to each individual user.We believe that, our user experience, driven by our focus on innovation and technology, help drive subscriber viewing, engagement, retention, and overall c ustomer satisfaction. Relative to the competition, we believe we are further along the experience curve when it comes to improving our user interface and delivering great quality streaming. Brand Clarity and Focus Increases Pace of Innovation for Members – We are focused on making subscription streaming video great. Nearly all of our notable competitors in the space today have many other product lines and services that require management attention and resources. We believe that our focus on streaming video will help us innovate faster and 2 Table of Contents satisfy our consumers better than our competition.We also believe that our focus will provide a level of clarity to our brand that will help consumers more easily discover, understand and appreciate our service offering. Growth Drivers Our core strategy is to grow our streaming subscription business domestically and internationally, and is built upon the following drivers: Investment in Streaming Content – We belie ve that our investments in streaming content lead to more subscriber viewing, delight, and positive consumer word-of-mouth. This, in turn, leads to subscriber acquisition and revenue growth, which allows us to invest in more streaming content, which enables the growth cycle to continue. With more than 33 million global ubscribers and our increasingly exclusive and original programming that differentiates us from competitors, we believe we are well positioned to capitalize upon this virtuous cycle. Continuous Service Improvements – We've found that incremental improvements in our service and quality enhance our member satisfaction and retention. We continue to refine our technology, user interfaces, and delivery infrastructure to improve the customer experience. For example, using our â€Å"adaptive streaming† technology we automatically and constantly optimize the streaming bit-rate to each user's Internet speed. This minimizes loading and buffering times, delivering t he best click-and-watch experience.We have added programs in Super HD and with Dolby Digital Plus 5. 1 surround sound for a high quality, immersive entertainment experience. We believe that improvements such as these will help us build a great streaming service Overall Adoption and Growth of Internet TV – Domestically, cable and satellite pay TV subscriber numbers have stagnated, while DVR penetration has continued to climb. We see this as indicative of consumers desiring more control and freedom in their ability to watch what they want, when they want, where they want, and how they want. We are leading this wave of consumer change and growth of Internet TV by providing broad, click-and-watch video entertainment video.Future of the Consumer Electronic Ecosystem: â€Å"Internet on Every Screen† – We intend to broaden our already expansive partner relationships over time so that even more devices are capable of streaming content from Netflix. By making Netflix acc essible on a broad array of devices, we believe that we enhance the value of our service to subscribers as well as position ourselves for continued growth as Internet and mobile delivery of content becomes more popular. We are pioneering the use of tablets and smartphones as second-screen choosing devices for TV viewing, and are actively engaged with all of our device partners in evaluating how Netflix can enhance and improve the user experience in conjunction with their product innovations.International Market Expansion – The international streaming segment represents a significant long-term growth opportunity as people around the world discover the benefits of Netflix. We plan to continue our international investment strategy of upfront investment in content and marketing to build out scale required for profitability. We believe that scale advantages increase barriers to entry for our competitors. Today, 18% of all of Netflix's global streaming subscribers are outside of th e US. Operations We obtain content from various content providers through streaming content license agreements, DVD direct purchases and DVD revenue sharing agreements.We market our service through various channels, including online advertising, broad-based media, such as television and radio, as well as various strategic partnerships. In connection with marketing the service, we offer free-trial memberships to new members. Rejoining members are an important source of subscriber additions. We utilize the services of third-party cloud computing providers, more specifically, Amazon Web Services, and utilize both our own content delivery network (â€Å"Open Connect†) and third-party content delivery networks, such as Level 3 Communications, to help us efficiently stream content in high volume to our subscribers over the Internet. We also ship and receive DVDs in the U. S. from a nationwide network of shipping centers.Seasonality Our subscriber growth exhibits a seasonal pattern that reflects variations when consumers buy Internet-connected devices and when they tend to increase video watching. Our domestic subscriber growth is generally greatest in our fourth and first quarters (October through March), slowing in our second quarter (April through June) and then accelerating in our third quarter (July through September). We expect each market in our international segment to demonstrate more predictable seasonal patterns as our service offering in each market becomes more established and we have a longer history to assess such patterns. Additionally, the variable expenses associated with shipments of DVDs are highest in the first quarter due to the seasonal nature of DVD usage. 3 Table of ContentsIntellectual Property We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, domain names, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as important to our success. We use a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws and confidential agreements to protect our proprietary intellectual property. Our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights is subject to certain risks and from time to time we encounter disputes over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property. We cannot provide assurance that we will prevail in any intellectual property disputes.Employees As of December 31, 2012, we had 2,045 full-time employees. We also utilize part-time and temporary employees, primarily in our DVD fulfillment operations, to respond to the fluctuating demand for DVD shipments. Our use of temporary employees has decreased significantly due to decreased DVD shipments in 2012, as well as increased automation of our shipment centers. As of December 31, 2012, we had 384 parttime and temporary employees. Our employees are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good. Other information We were incor porated in Delaware in August 1997 and completed our initial public offering in May 2002.Our principal executive offices are located at 100 Winchester Circle, Los Gatos, California 95032, and our telephone number is (408) 540-3700. We maintain a Web site at www. netflix. com . The contents of our Web site are not incorporated in, or otherwise to be regarded as part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, â€Å"Netflix,† the â€Å"Company,† â€Å"we,† â€Å"us,† â€Å"our† and the â€Å"registrant† refer to Netflix, Inc. Our investor relations Web site is located at http://ir. netflix. com. We use our investor relations Web site as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.Accordingly, investors should monitor this portion of the Netflix Web site, in addition to following press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls an d webcasts. We also make available, free of charge, on our investor relations Web site under â€Å"SEC Filings,† our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing those reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. 4 Table of Contents Item 1A. Risk Factors If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed.In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Risks Related to Our Business If our efforts to attract and retain subscribers are not successful, our business will be adversely affected. We have experienced significant subscriber growth over the past several years. Our ability to continue to attract subscribers will depend in part on our ability to consistently provide our subscri bers with a valuable and quality experience for selecting and viewing TV shows and movies. Furthermore, the relative service levels, content offerings, pricing and related features of competitors to our service may adversely impact our ability to attract and retain subscribers.Competitors include multichannel video programming distributors (â€Å"MVPDs†) with free TV Everywhere and other on demand content, Internet movie and TV content providers, including both those that provide legal and illegal (or pirated) entertainment video content, DVD rental outlets and kiosk services and entertainment video retail stores. If consumers do not perceive our service offering to be of value, or if we introduce new or adjust existing features or change the mix of content in a manner that is not favorably received by them, we may not be able to attract and retain subscribers. In addition, many of our subscribers are rejoining our service or originate from word-of-mouth advertising from exis ting subscribers.If our efforts to satisfy our existing subscribers are not successful, we may not be able to attract subscribers, and as a result, our ability to maintain and/or grow our business will be adversely affected. Subscribers cancel their subscription to our service for many reasons, including a perception that they do not use the service sufficiently, the need to cut household expenses, availability of content is unsatisfactory, competitive services provide a better value or experience and customer service issues are not satisfactorily resolved. We must continually add new subscribers both to replace subscribers who cancel and to grow our business beyond our current subscriber base.If too many of our subscribers cancel our service, or if we are unable to attract new subscribers in numbers sufficient to grow our business, our operating results will be adversely affected. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors in both retaining our existi ng subscribers and attracting new subscribers, our business will be adversely affected. Further, if excessive numbers of subscribers cancel our service, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate to replace these subscribers with new subscribers. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business will be adversely affected. The market for entertainment video is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change.New technologies and evolving business models for delivery of entertainment video continue to develop at a fast pace. The growth of Internet-connected devices, including TVs, computers and mobile devices has increased the consumer acceptance of Internet delivery of entertainment video. Through these new and existing distribution channels, consumers are afforded various means for consuming entertainment video. The various economic models underlying these differing means of entertainment video delivery include subscrip tion, transactional, ad-supported and piracy-based models. All of these have the potential to capture meaningful segments of the entertainment video market.Several competitors have longer operating histories, larger customer bases, greater brand recognition and significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. They may secure better terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote more resources to technology, fulfillment, and marketing. New entrants may enter the market with unique service offerings or approaches to providing entertainment video and other companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions. If we are unable to successfully or profitably compete with current and new competitors, programs and technologies, our business will be adversely affected, and we may not be able to increase or maintain market share, revenues or profitability.The increasingly long-term and fixed cost nature of our content acquisition licenses may limit our operating flexibility and could adversely affect our liquidity and results of operation. In connection with obtaining streaming content, we typically enter into multi-year licenses with studios and other content providers, the payment terms of which are not tied to subscriber usage or the size of our subscriber base (â€Å"fixed cost†) but which may be tied to such factors as titles licensed and/or theatrical exhibition receipt. Such contractual commitments are included in the Contractual Obligations section of Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations .Given the multiple-year duration and largely fixed cost nature of content licenses, if subscriber acquisition and retention do not meet our expectations, our margins may be adversely impacted. Payment terms for streaming licenses, especially programming that initially airs in the applicable territory on our service (â⠂¬Å"original programming†) or that is considered output content, will typically require more up-front cash payments than other licensing agreements. To the extent subscriber and/or revenue growth do not meet our expectations, our liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected as a result of content licensing commitments and accelerated payment requirements of certain licenses.In addition, the long-term and fixed cost nature of our streaming licenses may limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to changes in our 5 Table of Contents business and the market segments in which we operate. As we expand internationally, we must license content in advance of entering into a new geographical market. If we license content that is not favorably received by consumers in the applicable territory, acquisition and retention may be adversely impacted and given the long-term and fixed cost nature of our commitments, we may not be able to adjust our content offering q uickly and our results of operation may be adversely impacted.Changes in consumer viewing habits, including more widespread usage of TV Everywhere or other similar on demand methods of entertainment video consumption could adversely affect our business. The manner in which consumers view entertainment video is changing rapidly. Digital cable, wireless and Internet content providers are continuing to improve technologies, content offerings, user interface, and business models that allow consumers to access on demand entertainment with interactive capabilities including start, stop and rewind. The devices through which entertainment video can be consumed are also changing rapidly. Today, content from MVPDs may be viewed on laptops and content from Internet content providers may be viewed on TVs. Although we provide our own Internet-based delivery of content allowing our subscribers to stream ertain TV shows and movies to their Internet-connected televisions and other devices, if other providers of entertainment video address the changes in consumer viewing habits in a manner that is better able to meet content distributor and consumer needs and expectations, our business could be adversely affected. If we are not able to manage change and growth, our business could be adversely affected. We are currently engaged in an effort to expand our operations internationally, scale our streaming service to effectively and reliably handle anticipated growth in both subscribers and features related to our service, as well as continue to operate our DVD service within the U. S. As we expand internationally, we are managing our business to address varied content offerings, consumer customs and practices, in particular those dealing with e-commerce and Internet video, as well as differing legal and regulatory environments.As we scale our streaming service, we are developing technology and utilizing relatively new third-party Internet-based or â€Å"cloud† computing serv ices. We have also chosen to separate the technology that operates our DVD-by-mail service from that which runs our streaming operations. If we are not able to manage the growing complexity of our business, including maintaining our DVD operations, and improving, refining or revising our systems and operational practices related to our streaming operations, our business may be adversely affected. If the market segment for online subscription-based entertainment video saturates, our business will be adversely affected.The market segment for online subscription-based entertainment video has grown significantly. Much of the increasing growth can be attributed to the ability of our subscribers to stream TV shows and movies on their TVs, computers and mobile devices. As we face more competition in our market segment, our rate of growth relative to overall growth in the segment may decline. Further, a decline in our rate of growth could indicate that the market segment for online subscrip tion-based entertainment video is beginning to saturate. While we believe that this segment will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, if this market segment were to saturate, our business would be adversely affected.If our efforts to build strong brand identity and improve subscriber satisfaction and loyalty are not successful, we may not be able to attract or retain subscribers, and our operating results may be adversely affected. We must continue to build and maintain strong brand identity. We believe that strong brand identity will be important in attracting and retaining subscribers who may have a number of choices from which to obtain entertainment video. To build a strong brand we believe we must continue to offer content and service features that our subscribers value and enjoy. We also believe that these must be coupled with effective consumer communications, such as marketing, customer service and public relations. If our efforts to promote and maintain our brand ar e not successful, our ability to attract and retain subscribers may be adversely affected.Such a result, coupled with the increasingly long-term and fixed cost nature of our content acquisition licenses, may adversely affect our operating results. From time to time, our subscribers express dissatisfaction with our service, including among other things, our title selection, pricing, delivery speed and service interruptions. Furthermore, third-party devices that enable instant streaming of TV shows and movies from Netflix may not meet consumer expectations. To the extent dissatisfaction with our service is widespread or not adequately addressed, our brand may be adversely impacted and our ability to attract and retain subscribers may be adversely affected.In 2011, we made a series of announcements regarding our business, including the separation of our DVD-by-mail and streaming plans with a corresponding price change for some of our customers, the rebranding of our DVD-by-mail service , and the subsequent retraction of our plans to rebrand our DVD-by-mail service. Consumers reacted negatively to these announcements, adversely impacting our brand and resulting in higher than expected customer cancellations, which negatively affected our operating results. While we have seen significant improvements to our brand since the events of 2011, we nonetheless believe that it will continue to take time to repair our brand to the levels we enjoyed prior to the events of 2011. 6 Table of Contents With respect to our expansion into international markets, we will also need to establish our brand and to the extent we are not successful, our business in new markets would be adversely impacted.Changes in our subscriber acquisition sources could adversely affect our marketing expenses and subscriber levels may be adversely affected. We utilize a broad mix of marketing programs to promote our service to potential new subscribers. We obtain new subscribers through our online marketi ng efforts, including paid search listings, banner ads, text links and permission-based e-mails, as well as our affiliate program. We also engage our consumer electronics partners to generate new subscribers for our service. In addition, we have engaged in various offline marketing programs, including TV and radio advertising, direct mail and print campaigns, consumer package and mailing insertions.We also acquire a number of subscribers who rejoin our service having previously cancelled their membership. We maintain an active public relations program, including through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, to increase awareness of our service and drive subscriber acquisition. We opportunistically adjust our mix of marketing programs to acquire new subscribers at a reasonable cost with the intention of achieving overall financial goals. If we are unable to maintain or replace our sources of subscribers with similarly effective sources, or if the cost of our existing sourc es increases, our subscriber levels and marketing expenses may be adversely affected.We may not be able to continue to support the marketing of our service by current means if such activities are no longer available to us, become cost prohibitive or are adverse to our business. If companies that currently promote our service decide that we are negatively impacting their business, that they want to compete more directly with our business or enter a similar business or decide to exclusively support our competitors, we may no longer be given access to such marketing channels. In addition, if ad rates increase, we may curtail marketing expenses or otherwise experience an increase in our marketing costs. Laws and regulations impose restrictions on or otherwise prohibit the use of certain acquisition channels, including commercial e-mail and direct mail.We may limit or discontinue use or support of certain marketing sources or activities if we become concerned that subscribers or potentia l subscribers deem such practices intrusive or damaging to our brand. If the available marketing channels are curtailed, our ability to attract new subscribers may be adversely affected. If we become subject to liability for content that we distribute through our service, our results of operations would be adversely affected. As a distributor of content, we face potential liability for negligence, copyright, or trademark infringement or other claims based on the nature and content of materials that we distribute. We also may face potential liability for content used in member reviews. If we become liable, then our business may suffer.Litigation to defend these claims could be costly and the expenses and damages arising from any liability could harm our results of operations. We cannot assure that we are indemnified to cover claims of these types or liability that may be imposed on us, and we may not have insurance coverage for these types of claims. If studios and other content prov iders refuse to license streaming content to us upon acceptable terms, our business could be adversely affected. Our ability to provide our subscribers with content they can watch instantly depends on studios and other content providers licensing us content specifically for Internet delivery. The license periods and the terms and conditions of such licenses vary.If the studios and other content providers change their terms and conditions or are no longer willing or able to license us content, our ability to stream content to our subscribers will be adversely affected. Unlike DVD, streaming content is not subject to the First Sale Doctrine. As such, we are completely dependent on the various content providers to license us content in order to access and stream content. Many of the licenses provide for the studios or other content providers to withdraw content from our service relatively quickly. Because of these provisions as well as other actions we may take, content available throu gh our service can be withdrawn on short notice. In addition, the studios and other content providers have great flexibility in licensing streaming content.They may elect to license content exclusively to a particular provider or otherwise limit the types of services that can deliver streaming content. For example, HBO licenses content from studios like Warner Bros. and the license provides HBO with the exclusive right to such content against other subscription services, including Netflix. As such, Netflix cannot license certain Warner Bros. content for delivery to its subscribers while Warner Bros. may nonetheless license the same content on a transactional basis. Conversely, content providers may license the same content to multiple subscription-based services and may do so on different terms and conditions.As such, Netflix and its competitors may offer consumers many of the same content titles but license these at different rates. As competition increases, we may see the cost for programming increase. As we seek to differentiate our service, we are increasingly focused on securing certain exclusive rights when obtaining content. We are also focused on programming an overall mix of content that delights our members in a cost efficient manner. Within this context, we are selective about the titles we add and renew our service. If we do not maintain a compelling mix of content, our subscriber acquisition and retention may be adversely affected. 7 Table of ContentsIf we are unable to secure and maintain rights to streaming content or if we cannot otherwise obtain such content upon terms that are acceptable to us, including on an exclusive basis in some cases, our ability to stream TV shows and movies to our subscribers will be adversely impacted, and our subscriber acquisition and retention could also be adversely impacted. We rely upon a number of partners to offer instant streaming of content from Netflix to various devices. We currently offer subscribers the ability to receive streaming content through their PCs, Macs and other Internet-connected devices, including Blu-ray players and TVs, digital video players, game consoles and mobile devices.We intend to continue to broaden our capability to instantly stream TV shows and movies to other platforms and partners over time. If we are not successful in maintaining existing and creating new relationships, or if we encounter technological, content licensing or other impediments to our streaming content, our ability to grow our business could be adversely impacted. Our agreements with our consumer electronics partners are typically between one and three years in duration and our business could be adversely affected if, upon expiration, a number of our partners do not continue to provide access to our service or are unwilling to do so on terms acceptable to us, which terms may include the degree of accessibility and prominence of our service.Furthermore, devices are manufactured and sold by entities other than Netflix and while these entities should be responsible for the devices' performance, the connection between these devices and Netflix may nonetheless result in consumer dissatisfaction toward Netflix and such dissatisfaction could result in claims against us or otherwise adversely impact our business. In addition, technology changes to our streaming functionality may require that partners update their devices. If partners do not update or otherwise modify their devices, our service and our subscribers' use and enjoyment could be negatively impacted. If subscriptions to our Domestic DVD segment decline faster than anticipated, our business could be adversely affected The number of subscriptions to our DVD-by-mail offering is declining, and we anticipate that this decline will continue.We believe, however, that the domestic DVD business will continue to generate significant contribution profit for our business. In addition, we believe that DVD will be a valuable co nsumer proposition and studio profit center for the next several years, even as DVD sales decline. The contribution profit generated by our domestic DVD business will help provide capital resources to fund losses arising from our growth internationally. To the extent that the rate of decline in our DVD-by-mail business is greater than we anticipate, our business could be adversely affected. Because we are primarily focused on building a global streaming service, the resources allocated to maintaining DVD operations and the level of management focus on our DVD business are limited.We do not anticipate increasing resources to our DVD operations and the technology used in its operations will not be meaningfully improved. To the extent that we experience service interruptions or other degradations in our DVD-bymail service, subscribers' satisfaction could be negatively impacted and we could experience an increase in DVD-by-mail subscriber cancellations, which could adversely impact our business. If U. S. Copyright law were altered to amend or eliminate the First Sale Doctrine, our business could be adversely affected. Under U. S. Copyright Law, once a DVD is sold into the market, those obtaining the DVD are permitted to re-sell it, rent it or otherwise dispose of it. This is commonly referred to as the First Sale Doctrine.While the vast majority of our DVD content acquisitions are direct from content providers, the First Sale Doctrine provides us with an option to acquire content from other third parties should the content providers refuse to deal with us on acceptable terms. If Congress or the courts were to change or substantially limit this First Sale Doctrine, our ability to obtain DVD content and then rent it could be adversely affected. Increased availability of new releases to other distribution channels prior to, or on parity with, the release on DVD, and/or the delayed availability of such DVDs through our service, could adversely affect our business. Ove r the past several years, we have seen content providers adjust and experiment with the various distribution channels and content release timing.Further, our licensing agreements with several studios require that we do not rent new release DVDs until some period of time after such DVDs are first made available for retail sale. These shifting distribution channels, their associated timing and/or the delayed availability of such DVDs through our service may negatively impact subscribers' perception of value in our service, which could adversely affect our business. Moreover, if we are unable to negotiate favorable terms to acquire DVDs, our contribution profits may be adversely affected. Any significant disruption in our computer systems or those of third-parties that we utilize in our operations could result in a loss or degradation of service and could adversely impact our business.Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve our subscribers is dependent upon the reliable performance of our computer systems and those of third-parties that we utilize in our operations. Interruptions in these systems, or with the Internet in general, could make our service unavailable or degraded or otherwise hinder our ability to deliver streaming content or fulfill 8 Table of Contents DVD selections. From time to time, we experience service interruptions and have voluntarily provided affected subscribers with a credit during periods of extended outage. Service interruptions, errors in our software or the unavailability of computer systems used in our operations could diminish the overall attractiveness of our subscription service to existing and potential subscribers.Our servers and those of third parties we use in our operations are vulnerable to computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins and similar disruptions and periodically experience directed attacks intended to lead to interruptions and delays in our service and operations as well as loss, misuse or theft of data. Any attempt by hackers to disrupt our service or otherwise access our systems, if successful, could harm our business, be expensive to remedy and damage our reputation. We have implemented certain systems and processes to thwart hackers and to date hackers have not had a material impact on our service or systems however this is no assurance that hackers may not be successful in the future. Our insurance does not cover expenses related to such disruptions or unauthorized access.Efforts to prevent hackers from disrupting our service or otherwise accessing our systems are expensive to implement and may limit the functionality of or otherwise negatively impact our service offering and systems. Any significant disruption to our service or access to our systems could result in a loss of subscribers and adversely affect our business and results of operation. We utilize our own communications and computer hardware systems located either in our facilities or in that of a third -party Web hosting provider. In addition, we utilize third-party Internet-based or â€Å"cloud† computing services in connection with our business operations. We also utilize our own and third-party content delivery networks to help us stream TV shows and movies in high volume to Netflix subscribers over the Internet.Problems faced by us or our third-party Web hosting, â€Å"cloud† computing, or content delivery network providers, including technological or business-related disruptions, could adversely impact the experience of our subscribers. In addition, fires, floods, earthquakes, power losses, telecommunications failures, break-ins and similar events could damage these systems and hardware or cause them to fail completely. As we do not maintain entirely redundant systems, a disrupting event could result in prolonged downtime of our operations and could adversely affect our business. We rely upon Amazon Web Services to operate certain aspects of our service and any disruption of or interference with our use of the Amazon Web Services operation would impact our operations and our business would be adversely impacted.Amazon Web Services (â€Å"AWS†) provides a distributed computing infrastructure platform for business operations, or what is commonly referred to as a â€Å"cloud† computing service. We have architected our software and computer systems so as to utilize data processing, storage capabilities and other services provided by AWS. Currently, we run the vast majority of our computing on AWS. Given this, along with the fact that we cannot easily switch our AWS operations to another cloud provider, any disruption of or interference with our use of AWS would impact our operations and our business would be adversely impacted. While the retail side of Amazon competes with us, we do not believe that Amazon will use the AWS operation in such a manner as to gain competitive advantage against our service.If we experience difficultie s with the operation and implementation of Open Connect, our single-purpose Netflix content delivery network (â€Å"CDN†), our business and results of operation could be adversely impacted In addition to general-purpose commercial CDNs, we have enabled Internet service providers (â€Å"ISPs†) to obtain our streaming content from Open Connect, a single-purpose Netflix content delivery network that we have established. Given our size and growth, we believe it makes economic sense to have our own specialized CDN. We will continue to work with our commercial CDN partners for the next few years, but eventually we expect the vast majority of our streaming bits will be served by Open Connect. Open Connect will provide the Netflix bits at no cost to the locations the ISP desires, or ISPs can choose to get the Netflix bits at common Internet exchanges.To the extent ISPs do not interconnect with Open Connect or if we experience difficulties in operating the Open Connect CDN serv ice, our ability to efficiently and effectively deliver our streaming content to our subscribers could be adversely impacted and our business and results of operation could be adversely affected. Failure to implement Open Connect could require us to engage third-party solutions to deliver our content to ISPs, which could increase our costs and negatively affect our operating results. If we are unable to effectively utilize our recommendation and merchandising technology or develop user interfaces that maintain or increase subscriber engagement with our service, our business may suffer. Our proprietary recommendation and merchandising technology enables us to predict and recommend titles and effectively merchandise our library to our subscribers.We also develop, test and implement various user interfaces across multiple devices, in an effort to maintain and increase subscriber engagement with our service. 9 Table of Contents We are continually refining our recommendation and merchand ising technology as well as our various user interfaces in an effort to improve the predictive accuracy of our TV show and movie recommendations and the usefulness of and engagement with our service by our subscribers. We may experience difficulties in implementing refinements or other, third party recommendation or merchandising technology or interfaces may become more popular with or useful to our subscribers.In addition, we cannot assure that we will be able to continue to make and implement meaningful refinements to our recommendation technology. If our recommendation and merchandising technology does not enable us to predict and recommend titles that our subscribers will enjoy or if we are unable to implement meaningful improvements thereto or otherwise improve our user interfaces, our service may be less useful to our subscribers. Such failures could lead to the following: †¢ †¢ our subscriber satisfaction may decrease, subscribers may perceive our service to be of l ower value and our ability to attract and retain subscribers may be adversely affected; and our ability to effectively merchandise and utilize our library will be adversely affected.We rely heavily on our proprietary technology to stream TV shows and movies and to manage other aspects of our operations, and the failure of this technology to operate effectively could adversely affect our business. We continually enhance or modify the technology used for our operations. We cannot be sure that any enhancements or other modifications we make to our operations will achieve the intended results or otherwise be of value to our subscribers. Future enhancements and modifications to our technology could consume considerable resources. If we are unable to maintain and enhance our technology to manage the streaming of TV shows and movies to our subscribers in a timely and efficient manner and/or the processing of DVDs among our shipping centers, our ability to retain existing subscribers and to add new subscribers may be impaired.In addition, if our technology or that of thirdparties we utilize in our operations fails or otherwise operates improperly, our ability to retain existing subscribers and to add new subscribers may be impaired. Also, any harm to our subscribers' personal computers or other devices caused by software used in our operations could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Changes in U. S. Postal rates or operations could adversely impact our operating results and subscriber satisfaction. We rely exclusively on the U. S. Postal Service to deliver DVDs from our shipping centers and to return DVDs to us from our subscribers.Increases in postage delivery rates could adversely affect our Domestic DVD segment's contribution profit. The U. S. Postal Service increased the rate for first class postage on January 23, 2013 to 46 cents. It is expected that the U. S. Postal Service will raise rates again in subsequent years, which would result in increased shipping costs. If the U. S. Postal Service were to change any policies relative to the requirements of firstclass mail, including changes in size, weight or machinability qualifications of our DVD envelopes, such changes could result in increased shipping costs or higher breakage for our DVDs, and our contribution margin could be adversely affected.For example, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia recently instructed the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to remedy discrimination by the Postal Service in the processing of DVDs by mail, or to explain adequately why such discrimination is reasonable. While we do not anticipate any material impact to our operations arising from this case, if the PRC institutes a remedy that results in an increase in postage rates or changes the manner in which our DVD shipments are processed, our contribution margin could be adversely affected. If the U. S. Postal Service were to imple ment other changes to improve its financial position, such as closing mail processing facilities or service reductions, such changes could lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction and our results of operations could be adversely affected.If government regulations relating to the Internet or other areas of our business change, we may need to alter the manner in which we conduct our business, or incur greater operating expenses. The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to the Internet or other areas of our business could limit or otherwise adversely affect the manner in which we currently conduct our business. In addition, the growth and development of the market for online commerce may lead to more stringent consumer protection laws, which may impose additional burdens on us. If we are required to comply with new regulations or legislation or new interpretations of existing regulations or legislation, this compliance could cause us to incur additional expenses or alter our business model.The adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the Internet, including laws limiting Internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our subscription service and increase our cost of doing business. For example, in late 2010, the Federal Communications Commission adopted so-called net neutrality rules intended, in part, to prevent network operators from discriminating against legal traffic that transverse their networks. The rules are currently subject to legal challenge. To the extent that these rules are interpreted to enable network operators to engage in discriminatory practices or are overturned by legal challenge, our business could be adversely impacted.As we expand internationally, government regulation concerning the Internet, and in particular, network neutrality, may be nascent or nonexistent. Within 10 Table of Contents such a regulatory environment, coupled with potentially significant politi cal and economic power of local network operators, we could experience discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede our growth, cause us to incur additional expense or otherwise negatively affect our business. Changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travel across their networks could adversely impact our business. We rely upon the ability of consumers to access our service through the Internet.To the extent that network operators implement usage based pricing, including meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses and our subscriber acquisition and retention could be negatively impacted. For example, in late 2010, Comcast informed Level 3 Communications that it would require Level 3 to pay for the ability to access Comcast's network. Given that much of the traffic being requested by Comcast customers is Netflix streaming content stored with Level 3, many commentators have looked to this situation as an example of Comcast either discriminating against Netflix traffic or trying to increase Netflix's operating costs.Furthermore, to the extent network operators were to create tiers of Internet access service and either charge us for or prohibit us from being available through these tiers, our business could be negatively impacted. Most network operators that provide consumers with access to the Internet also provide these consumers with multichannel video programming. As such, companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision have an incentive to use their network infrastructure in a manner adverse to our continued growth and success. For example, Comcast exempted certain of its own Internet video traffic (e. g. , Streampix videos to the Xbox 360) from a bandwidth cap that applies to all unaffiliated Internet video traffic (e. g. , Netflix videos to the Xbox 360).While we believe that consumer demand, regulat ory oversight and competition will help check these incentives, to the extent that network operators are able to provide preferential treatment to their data as opposed to ours or otherwise implement discriminatory network management practices, our business could be negatively impacted. In international markets, especially in Latin America, these same incentives apply however, the consumer demand, regulatory oversight and competition may not be as strong as in our domestic market. Privacy concerns could limit our ability to leverage our subscriber data and our disclosure of subscriber data could adversely impact our business and reputation. In the ordinary course of business and in particular in connection with merchandising our service to our subscribers, we collect and utilize data supplied by our subscribers. We currently face certain legal obligations regarding the manner in which we treat such information.Other businesses have been criticized by privacy groups and governmental bodies for attempts to link personal identities and other information to data collected on the Internet regarding users' browsing and other habits. Increased regulation of data utilization practices, including self-regulation or findings under existing laws, that limit our ability to use collected data, could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, if we were to disclose data about our subscribers in a manner that was objectionable to them, our business reputation could be adversely affected, and we could face potential legal claims that could impact our operating results.As our business evolves and as we expand internationally, we may become subject to additional and/or more stringent legal obligations concerning our treatment of customer information. Failure to comply with these obligations could subject us to liability, and to the extent that we need to alter our business model or practices to adapt to these obligations, we could incur additional expenses. Our reputa tion and relationships with subscribers would be harmed if our subscriber data, particularly billing data, were to be accessed by unauthorized persons. We maintain personal data regarding our subscribers, including names and, in many cases, mailing addresses. With respect to billing data, such as

Praise Song for the Day – Interpretation

Praise Song For The Day November 26, 2012 This poem, Praise Song for the Day by Elizabeth Alexander, is one of the most memorable poems that have been recited within the last 20 years. Immediately after President Obama was sworn into office, Elizabeth Alexander recited her poem to the masses that had gathered on that cold winter day in January. The piece is full of symbolism, with the tone being hopeful, inspiring and thankful.The poem begins with a description of daily life which is filled with the daily grind of hard working individuals, often doing the work that drives this great nation of ours†¦small businesses, blue-collar laborers, honorable professions such as teaching. The possibility of coming together as a people in spite of our differences is expressed in terms of our words (â€Å"spiny or smooth†¦words to consider, reconsider†). From will to words to concrete results (e. g. , highways), we interact with each other–past and present.The boundary of a highway may inspire someone today to go further and see what else is possible, keeping hopeful aspirations alive by â€Å"see(ing) what’s on the other side. At the same time that we fear the uncertainties of the future (which also divides us), we can envision it in terms of its possibilities (â€Å"We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see†). I think she is trying to say that we should also honor the sacrifices of poor, immigrant laborers of the past who made our present reality possible as well as the modern immigrant laborers who continue to build upon the dreams of their ancestors. â€Å"Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of†) The resolution of conflicts between people has many routes. Fo r families it may be â€Å"figuring it out at kitchen tables† while other conflicts require political movements, struggle, and protest. This poem is a song of praise for such peaceful resolutions and for this historical inaugural day which would not have been possible without the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.The religious belief systems of different peoples that allow us to get along with other peoples differ in degree. The poem presents an even stronger concept of love that goes beyond â€Å"Love thy neighbor as thy self†, and even beyond â€Å"marital, filial, national. † Some believe the way to unity is to avoid being selfish, not hurting others, and treating others as you would your compatriots, your kin, or yourself. This poem suggests there is a love that extends beyond those whom we are familiar with to include â€Å"a widening pool of light. Finally, in relation to the present day, there is a sense of the immense possibilities (â€Å"anything can be made, any sentence begun†). This is contained in the words that may inspire others to action that may bring such a love closer toward reality. From disunity (â€Å"walking past each other†) to blindly â€Å"walk[ing] into that which we cannot yet see,† this poem now suggests the alternative of â€Å"walking forward in that light† guided by a new vision of a love that may unite us. I focused on the symbolic element of the poem, because I liked the presentation and how it flowed.It made me think about how far we’ve come in this country. I believe that Elizabeth draws the reader into the poem just I was drawn, by suggesting that we as a nation that was literally built off the labor of slave labor and indentured servants, has evolved into a country that elected its first African-American President. Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each other’s eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues.Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair. Someone is trying to make music somewhere, with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum, with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice. A woman and her son wait for the bus. A farmer considers the changing sky. A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin. We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed, words to consider, reconsider. We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of some one and then others, who saidI need to see what’s on the other side. I know there’s something better down the road. We need to find a place where we are safe. We walk into that which we cannot yet see. Say it plain: that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked th e cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of. Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign, the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself, others by first do no harm or take no more than you need. What if the mightiest word is love? Love beyond marital, filial, national, love that casts a widening pool of light, love with no need to pre-empt grievance. In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, any thing can be made, any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp, praise song for walking forward in that light. Alexander, E. (2009, Feb). Retrieved Nov 26, 2012, from Poetry Foundation. org: http://www. poetryfoundation. org/poem/244896

Jeremy Bentham Biography Essay

â€Å"Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher† that â€Å"is primarily known† for his philosophical contribution, the ethical theory of utilitarianism (Sweet). Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that brings about the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people (DeGeorge 44). Specifically, Bentham was a hedonistic utilitarian arguing that â€Å"what ultimately motivates us is pleasure and pain† (Sweet). Bentham over the course of his life gave a lot to the field, whose influence is still seen today. Jeremy Bentham was born into a line of attorneys on February 15, 1748, in the town of Houndsditch, London (Sweet). Bentham studied so intensely, â€Å"often eight to twelve hours a day†, that when he reached the age of sixteen he had already graduated from Queen’s College at Oxford and was continuing in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps to becoming an attorney by studying law at Lincoln’s Inn (Sweet). Although Bentham was qualified, he never practiced law, but instead chose to write on the philosophy of law and focused on â€Å"critiquing the existing law† and was a strong advocate for legal reform (Sweet). In 1785, Bentham along with his brother worked on a project called ‘Panopticon’, that he hoped would garner the attention of the Czarina Catherine the Great (Sweet). Unfortunately, the project, which Bentham hoped would be â€Å"a model prison where all of the prisoners would be observable by (unseen) guards at all times†, was not a great success (Sweet). Even though Bentham was not largely appreciated, he was still able to continue his writings and work with the financial stability afforded to him from an inheritance. Bentham’s most notable writing seems to be, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Three of the biggest principals that run throughout the book, as well as most of Bentham’s works are: â€Å"the greatest happiness principle, universal egoism, and the artificial identification of one’s interests with those of others† (Sweet). Bentham’s fundamental principle, the greatest happiness principle, says that human beings motivated by pleasure and deterred by pain is what determines the degree of happiness, which Bentham also calls â€Å"the principle of utility† (Sweet). This principle adds a level of objectivity to a very subjective discipline, allowing it to be clearer, more observable, and measurable (Sweet). Bentham also had strong views on the concept of natural rights. According to Bentham, rights or a lack thereof are formed through the law or â€Å"within a legal system where the law is silent† and therefore â€Å"the term ‘natural right’ is a ‘perversion of language† (Sweet). Jeremy Bentham has made a large contribution to the field of ethics through his lifelong dedication to his theory and principles. Bentham coming from a back ground of law was able to quantify ethics in a way that others did not do, allowing it take into consideration the greatest number of people. Works Cited De George, Richard T. Business Ethics. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Sweet, William. â€Å"Jeremy Bentham (1748—1832).† Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 11 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. .

Statement of Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Statement of Purpose - Essay Example I felt proud of our growing financial status. The farm was everything that our family had and our lives completely depended on it. However, I realized that growth of our farm was greatly influenced by the ebb and flow of the world economy. In 1997, disaster struck Southeast Asia’s economy. South Korea was strongly affected by this crisis, and our government had to be bailed out by the IMF. Korea’s currency fell in value which slowed down the economy. Few people were buying or selling anything, and prices had destabilized. As a result, our business suffered and we had to lay off two workers that my father had hired. Later, the news of a Free Trade Agreement between Korea and US, which would open up Korean markets to the US-imported beef, drove down the price of Korean beef. It was surprising to see that a simple anticipation could impact the Korean economy so strongly. Fortunately, my family’s hard work and proper financial management saved our farm. These difficu lt times convinced me that economy is a powerful and predictive language shared by the world. The global economy is a complex web of cause and effect that influences everyone in the world. I learnt the value of understanding the interactions of international economy. Hence, my goal is to understand global economy. I aim to gain a deep understanding of how global economy functions, and help businesses and governments to make better decisions regarding their finances. A degree in economics from the University of California will help me in taking the first step towards achieving this goal. Hence, I wish to take the course of ‘Introduction to International Business - Undergraduate Business Administration’ and ‘International Trade – Economics.’ These courses will help me in understanding international trade and business, and also in completing my research. The topic of my senior thesis will be ‘Globalization and success of Korean beef in the world.à ¢â‚¬â„¢ The research question that I wish to undertake is ‘Globalization and success of Kobe beef and Black Angus in the world’. I will research ‘Globalization and success of Kobe beef and Black Angus in the world’ in English language, and ‘Globalization and success of Korean beef in the world’ in both, Korean and English. I plan to go to graduate school in Korea after completing my undergraduate

Research paper about Pitney Bowes Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

About Pitney Bowes - Research Paper Example As a leader in the provision of software and hardware capabilities relating to information, the organization faces the need to institute new and improved ways of operations in order to realize its objectives. The organizational development plan, therefore, seeks to shed light on some of the most critical areas of action in addition to offering the new strategies that should be adopted by the organization in order to realize these transformations. Introduction and scope of the plan The major purpose of this organizational development plan is to bring about change and transformation at Pitney Bowes and improve the performance of the organization in the various sectors, as spelled in this plan. Specifically, the plan seeks to enable the organization to realize its objectives as spelled out in the strategic plan, achieve its vision and to transform the overall performance of the organization towards the better. In the context of managing mails, the company seeks to revolutionize the indu stry, as it has always done. More importantly, the plan seeks to ensure that the organization lives up to its mission statement of delivering shareholder and customer value through the provision of quality services in the market. Essentially, this is a document geared towards steering the development of the organization taking consideration of the fact that the present business environment has become almost uncertain and, hence, organizations must always strive to achieve and deliver the best in the market (Pederson, 2010). The plan will further monitor the realization of these goals through a systematic process that links up to the very expectations of the clients and other stakeholders of the organization. The plan is anchored on the Pitney Bowes organizational culture which stresses on the empowerment of staff and building the confidence of the organization’s customers scattered across the world (Lusterman, 2001). It s important to realize that any tangible organizational success can only be realized if the strategies and objectives of the organization are spelled out well and understood by all stakeholders. Everybody should be in the capacity to clearly understand their duties and roles towards the overall development of the organization. Background Pitney Bowes has always pursued a range of activities geared towards the development of the organization since its formation (2006). Much of these changes have always revolved around the establishment of a proper organizational structure that can ensure easy management and decision making. In addition, globalization and the new options brought about by technology have compelled the organization to radically transform its operations in order to comply with these demands of time. This is realized in the areas of research, development and technology where huge investments have been made in the recent past in order to improve operations and facilitate global operations. Indeed, the organization development p lan presents a good basis for the organization to effectively coordinate its operations and manage its increasing affairs across the world. The concept of organizational development is no longer a conventional affair in the business world. It requires proper strategies and sufficient resource allocations in order to succeed. Pitney Bowes has always been a leading provider of services and products in communication across

The Biggest Issue Facing The American Correction System Research Paper

The Biggest Issue Facing The American Correction System - Research Paper Example The correctional system in the US continues to suffer serious problems that hamper its smooth operations. These problems include but not limited to; overcrowding, the radicalization of inmates, prisoners deviant behaviors, funding, litigation, negative coverage from the media, mental conditions affecting inmates, lack of staff morale from the prison officers, and lack of proper training of prison officers and guards (Cole, 2015). The radicalization of inmates has become a growing concern in the correctional system today. Members of organized gangs, terrorist groups, and religious sects are quietly and rapidly recruiting inmates into their outfits. The usage of contraband mobile phones inside the prisons is also a contributory factor. The proliferation of violence and other deviant behaviors in prisons is also a problem. It is estimated that about 60 percent of all incarcerated persons in the US is violent (Cole, 2015). This behavior leads to confrontations between inmates and officer s. Funding has also been highlighted as one of the bottlenecks the correctional system is facing. Federal budget cuts targeting the prison system affects programs such as staff training, consequently affecting job morale. However, overcrowding is the arguably the biggest issue affecting the American correctional system today. Overcrowding, of all issues bugging the prison system, has been cited as the biggest and most troubling. In the US today, over 2 million Americans and other foreign individuals have been incarcerated.

Refle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Refle - Essay Example My future career plans My future career plan involves opening and running a finance company in Qatar. The company will deal in brokerage of financial securities in the entire country. The business scope will involve the purchase and sale of listed public companies’ securities as well as securities for credit facilities. The business activities will include service delivery to investors through their brokers and offering advice on trends in security prices for clients’ informed investments decisions. The finance company will also offer credit services to people to facilitate entry into, and growth in the financial market industry and the services will be charged independently. My future study plans My future study plans include completing a Masters program in accounting and I plan to do this in the United States. My plan for further academic potential is a factor of the competition in the job market and my career objectives of establishing a private enterprise. With the current competitive environment in which graduates enter the market at a higher rate than the rate of job creation, employers are increasing their recruitment standards for entry positions and for career development within organizations. A Masters degree will therefore facilitate my competitiveness in the job market for successful mobility and promotions within organizations. The future study plan will also be significant to my objective of establishing my enterprise because gained knowledge and skills will be fundamental to the enterprise’s operations and management. Steps that I have taken to facilitate future goals Achieving my future goals requires personal initiatives and I have taken diversified steps to ensure that I qualify for the Masters program and that I gain the capacity to establish a brokerage financial company. Hard work in my academic ventures has been one of the steps towards my academic plans as well as the entrepreneurial venture. My desire to develop a ca reer in accountancy has led to diligence in studies from elementary level. By high school, I was determined to excel, qualify for an accounting course at undergraduate level, and then proceed for a Masters program. I have similarly worked hard in college and I am confident of surpassing the minimum grade for the Masters program in accounting. Some of the particular initiatives that I have undertaken to boost my final college grade are private research into the course concept, consultations with lectures, and group discussions. I have also consolidated funds for the program. I have similarly made efforts to facilitate my future entrepreneurial initiatives through conducting research into the financial industry in Qatar. I have determined the legal environment and understood the required formalities for establishing the type of venture. I have similarly explored the market and its competitive forces and established high probability of success. My initiatives into the venture have also evaluated required resources for the

Noise in the workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Noise in the workplace - Essay Example This research will tackle the effects of Noise exposure on the people mainly on workers. According to Acton, W. I. (1982) constant exposure to loud noise have an effect on millions of workers, including factory and heavy-industry workers, construction workers, farmers, military personnel, and entertainment professionals. This research will discuss the health effect of noise. The financial effect of noise to the business and workers will also be discussed. Noise at occupation can present a health hazard in many business activities. Causes of workplace noise might comprise: machines, for instance in factories, engineering workshops, mills and foundries; plant, for instance in construction, agriculture and forestry; and loud music, for instance in bars and discos. According to Buck, K. and Parmentier, G. (1996) the health effects of noise exposure vary on the level of the noise and the duration of the exposure. Hearing loss is one of the most apparent and simply quantified effects of excessive exposure to noise (Gooday, Scanlon and Devine, 1994). Its progression, though, is insidious, in that it typically develops slowly over a long period of time, and the harm can reach the handicapping stage prior to an individual is aware of what has happened. While the losses are short-term at first, they turn into permanent after continued exposure, and there is no medical treatment to counteract the effect. When combined with presbycusis, hearing loss obviously occurring with the aging process, the result is a premature impairment that cultivates inexorably with age. In addition to hearing loss, working in a noisy office raises the possibility of dying from a heart attack. This raise in risk appears to be caused by the physiological effects of environmental and work noise (Singal, 2005). The workplace protection for noisy workplaces should be reconsidered. According to Alberti, P. W. (1979) constant noise exposure was a threat factor for high blood pressure and that it was the actual sound which rooted the problem rather than getting annoyed regarding it. Even though people thought they had got used to living near a busy road or working in a noisy environment, their health could still be injured. The effects of noise are determined generally by the extent and level of the noise, but they are also influenced by the frequency (BSI. 1994). Long-lasting, high-level sounds are the largely damaging to hearing and commonly the most annoying. High-frequency sounds tend to be more dangerous to hearing and more bothersome than low-frequency sounds. The way sounds are distributed in time is also significant, in that irregular sounds appear to be to some extent less damaging to hearing than constant sounds for the reason that of the ear's ability to revive throughout the intervening quiet periods. On the other hand, intermittent and impulsive sounds tend to be more annoying for the reason that of their unpredictability. Non auditory health effects are considered one of the psychosocial stressors in the aetiology of coronary heart disease (Passchier-Vermeer and W.F. Passchier 2000); it is hypothesized that noise directs to perturbation in hormonal balance and autonomic nervous system which lead to chronic disease. For instance, the inherent function of hearing is to notify and produce normal stress reaction throughout the sympathetic

Literary Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Literary Analysis - Essay Example The transformation of Oedipus from a quester to sinner in the play can be seen as a dramatic device to reveal the tragic flaw, hamartia, of the protagonist. From a man who was in search of his true identity, Oedipus ends up being the King of Thebes where he remains unaware of the very horrors present in his life, from which he was trying to run away. Even though it can be argued that the sins committed by Oedipus can be the outcome of his ignorance, the years he spent in Thebes without any effort to find out the people whom he came across in the life he chose shows the extent to which he was blinded by power. In fact, the moment he became the king of Thebes distanced him from his search for identity. Tiresius’s accusations from the perspective of Apollonian reasoning and piety explore the irrational and irresponsible actions of Oedipus which were once considered heroic. When insulted by Oedipus for his blindness and alleged inability to foresee the future of Thebes, Tiresius retorts: Oedipus can be seen as belonging to that aspect of Greek culture which operated on the pragmatic aspects of life which included action at the expense of introspection though the element of piety was a major element in their day-to-day existence. In a broad analysis, it is possible to analyze Oedipus as a Dionysian representation in Greek terms, exhibiting sudden action, excesses, violence, ruthlessness, and so on. The Apollonian representations, on the contrary would depict contemplative action with due emphasis on intelligence over impulse. Terry Eagleton, in his Holy Terror (2005) observes how in Sophocles’s Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus â€Å"is transformed into a tutelary deity, protecting the citizens of Athens from assault† (15) and states that the Dionysian impulse for violence is normally a reaction to â€Å"lack of piety† (Eagleton, 16). In Oedipus the King, the question of morality is not strictly the concern of its

Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance - Essay Example "Virulence" and "pathogenicity" refer to the ability of bacteria to cause disease. "Bacteria are complex (while viruses must "live" in a "host" (us), bacteria can live independently) and so are easier to kill" (Antibiotics, Bacteria and (usually not) Viruses 2007). The traditional criteria for establishing that a bacterium is responsible for a disease have been Koch's postulates, which were developed in 1882. Although serving well for many years, these postulates have limitations: (1) not all bacteria can be cultured, (2) not all members of a species are equally virulent, and (3) adequate animal hosts are not always available. Host susceptibility is an important virulence factor for bacteria. The first important step in bacterial pathogenesis is adherence to a host cell. This occurs by means of pili, which consist of long rods that extend out from the bacterial surface. The tips of the pili contain proteins that attach to host cell receptors. In some cases, "pilin, the protein subuni ts of the pilus shaft, attach to the host cell's receptors. In addition to pili, bacterial surface proteins called adhesins attach firmly to the host cells" (Walsh 2003, p. 34). Sometimes the host makes antibodies against pili or adhesin proteins, and this induces the bacteria to make different types of adhesins. Only Gramnegative bacteria make adhesins; the mechanism of how Gram-positive bacteria attach to a host cell is not known (Walsh 2003). The virulence of many bacterial pathogens is due to the toxins they produce, which disrupt normal cell functions and cause cell death. Scholar and Pratt (2000) explain that "exotoxins are proteins that are excreted by dividing bacteria. Exotoxins that attack a variety of cell types are called cytotoxins" (p. 76); those that attack a particular cell type or tissue have specific names, such as neurotoxin, leukotoxin, hepatotoxin, or cardiotoxin. Exotoxins can be associated with a specific bacterial disease. In addition to toxic proteins, pathogenic bacteria also produce hydrolytic enzymes that degrade host tissues and disseminate bacteria within the host. Heat-shock proteins produced by bacteria stimulate autoimmune responses so that host antibodies and T-cells attack healthy host cells (Scholar and Pratt 2000). The essential property that differentiates antibiotics from antiseptics is that they are sufficiently selective to allow their use within the body, rather than just on the surface. This selective toxicity is not absolute but it is quantifiable as we shall see in chapter 6. There is, therefore, always room for improvements and developing drug licensing regulations seek improvements in the comparative safety of antibiotics. "Antibiotics work by destroying either the proteins that build a bacterium's cell wall or the protein-producing ribosomes" (Greene 2000, p. 23). The drug must inhibit the target bacteria at lower concentrations, usually much lower, than those concentrations that produce toxic effects in humans. Some antibiotics can be given in very high doses without toxic effects, e.g. penicillins, but others may produce serious toxicity at levels that are not much above those required for treatment of infection. Many alterations to antibiotics have been made to improve this select ivity; though with some antibiotics this is virtually impossible to achieve. The most selective antibiotics tend to be those that inhibit a process in bacteria that does

Art and technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art and technology - Essay Example Many classrooms have highly integrated both photography and video production or editing. This is through using technology in order to find better ways of helping students to improve their learning skills. Pijnappel (2000) points out that educator should find varied ways of integrating technology in the classroom in order to help students improve their learning of art skills. This is because use of technology in arts is vital as it enables students to meet acceptable standards concerning video production, editing and photo shopping. The impact of digital use has transformed varied artistic activities such as designing, editing, painting and sculpture work into virtual reality. This has highly become recognized in the artistic practices. The use of technology in art and design work such as film production has significantly increased its use in the contemporary society. The digital artists employ varied electronic sources of information in producing creative work. It is easier for stude nts to generate acceptable and valuable artistic features through the use of technology. For instance, students can be able to generate valuable work when they display visual art features on a monitor and mathematically translate information into the accepted computer graphics. This is essential because it will reflect on the way they may draw, using the pencil and piece of papers, valuable designs. The images displayed on the monitor will be easier to translate on the virtual environment; thus increasing the ability for photographing. Technology integration in classrooms has enabled teachers to reach the required standards of state regarding art study. It has allowed many educators to educate students easily because it makes students understand easily on varied artistic issues. In the contemporary society, many students are nowadays using computer technology for varied activities. This is because technology makes the work simpler. For instance, students use technology outside their classrooms for varied activities such as playing video games, listening to music, connecting with their friend and other varied activities. Therefore, integrating technology in art classrooms would be beneficial to both students and their educators. Teacher should address the significance of technology in creating varied art features. Integrating technology into varied art programs can be extremely beneficial to students. This is because it can enable students to design perfect shapes and improve their art skills (Braun, Gromling and Bleher, 2005). Providing students with a chance to use technology in designing photographs will be very useful in improving their drawing skills. Therefore, teachers will educate students on the way to apply technology in video art. For instance, educators can assign students to use computers in designing artistic features. This is essential because it will enable students become familiar with the use of technology in designing varied artistic features . Problem Statement Art is becoming one of the new literacy subjects that are is more valued in the society. Since the medieval era, art and design was valued because it donates more revenues to the country. This is through distribution of art collections to various places, which form tourist attraction centers; thus, generating revenues to the country. Therefore, incorporating technology in the art classroom is significant because it enables the

Community Assessment Essay Example for Free

Community Assessment Essay A community assessment gives emphasis on evaluating agencies, community members and systems so as to learn more about circumstances within such community. The goal of community assessment is to gather pertinent information from a personal walk or drive through the community, from different people and groups within the community as well. This paper will focus on a community in the state of New Jersey called Parsippany Troy Hills aka Troy Hill Parsippany, Parsippany. The goal of this paper is to assess the Parsippany Troy Hills community and the assessment will focus on aspects of the community including health and safety. Parsippany Troy Hills lies in the Newark piedmont basin in a county called Morris county. The community was first formed by European settlers in the 18th century which before was occupied by Native Americans. The name Parsippany came from a Native American word â€Å"parispanong†, which means â€Å"the place where the river winds through the valley. Parsippany-Troy Hills township is located at 40 °51†²35†³N 74 °25†²24†³W40.859636 °N 74.423348 °W (40.859636,-74.423348). According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.394 square miles (65.771 km2), of which, 23.563 square miles (61.029 km2) of it is land of which is covered with city streets, restaurants, parks, shopping centers, schools, houses that range from old and condemned to new and expensive and 1.831 square miles (4.742 km2) of it (7.21%) is water. As of 2010, the population of the community was 53,238 reflecting an increase of 2,589 from the 50,649 counted in the year 2000 census which had in turn increased by 2,171 from 48,478 counted in the 1990 census. As of the year 2000 which marked the total population mentioned above, 19,624 households and 13,167 families were residing in the community. The population density was 2,115 people per square mile. There were also 20,066 housing units with the density of about 838.1 per square mile. The Township usually has a humid climate with cold winters and very warm hot summers. It is usually cooler compared to other communities in the state of New Jersey at night and early in the morning with record lowest temperature recorded at -29 Í ¦ F and record high of 104 Í ¦ F. The township of Parsippany has everything a community needs to survive so most people do not even travel outside the community. Most of the businesses in the community are independently owned and run by the members of the community. Troy hills have been a very quiet and peaceful community according to community members apart from the issue of domestic violence among a focused group in the community. My overall impression about the community is a positive one because my family owns a house there and I visit there often and from my experience, it is very peaceful and quiet compared to my other community in New York. Most people have lived in the community for years without travelling outside their township. When I asked some â€Å"why†, the response I got was there is everything in Parsippany so why go outside the community to get something. There is pretty much every store and restaurant that one can think of in the township, lining up along the towns major street (route 46). Driving along route 46 I came across supermarkets like Shoprite, Wall mart, Costco, Bravo and a couple of other small supermarket s. There is also a long stretch of department stores like TJ max, marshals, Sims, Burlington coat factory and many others. There is also a mall (Morris Hills Mall) which is 10 minutes drive that has other shops like clothing stores, and movie theaters. Also along route 46 and Beverwyck road which are the 2 main roads of the community, I came across some Laundromat’s and dry cleaners where some members of the community do their laundry. There weren’t many people in these Laundromat’s because most people in the community own washers and dryers in their homes so they do their laundry at their homes which I think was very good because it prevents overcrowding in the Laundromats. I also came across some beauty salons and barber shops in the community where some people were getting their hair cut and done and others were getting their nails and feet done (manicure and pedicure). Parsippany also has multiple parks where people go exercise, play sports, host picnics and barbeques and also hung out. At one of the parks that I visited, I saw a group of Indian residents playing volley ball and another mixed race group of blacks, Latino and Chinese young adults playing basket ball which I joined to play with them. There were other people also exercising, some running others doing push and pull ups. Parsippany also has a lot of organizations whose leaders are stakeholders in the community. Most of these organizations are there to offer help and support to community members in need. Three out of the many organizations that really gained my interest were the Women’s Club of Troy hills, Puzzle Pieces – A divorce and separated support group and the Panic and Anxiety club. I became very interested in these three organizations because they hosted a joint meeting at the united Methodist Church which is located at 903 S Beverwyck road, to talk about issues on domestic violence. I found it very shocking that host of the leaders and members were actual victims of domestic violence. I had the opportunity to attend that joint meeting and was very shocking to hear some of the stuff these women actually go through. They were very supportive of each other. In terms of religion, Roman Catholicism is the largest faith followed by Anglican Church and other Christian faiths including Baptist, Church of God and Pentecostal. Other religions include Islam, Hinduism, Jewish, Buddhism, and some Eastern religions. The community has incorporated all these different faiths and has helped provide places of worship for these various religious groups. When it comes to the issue on transportation, the main means to get around is by driving so therefore most residents own a car. The community also has a free transit system for residents which operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. Two buses run on the hour starting from the main shopping center (Morris Hills Mall) to Brookside senior center. The buses run both East and West routes respectively. Troy Hills Parsippany host educational facilities starting from elementary level to college level. These are some of the schools I came across in the community: Troy Hills elementary school, Rockaway Meadow elementary school, North Vail elementary school, Mt Tabor elementary school, Mt Tabor elementary school, Lake Parsippany elementary school, Littleton elementary school, Knollwood elementary school, Lake Hiawatha elementary school, Intervale elementary school, Central middle school, Brook lawn middle school, Parsippany High school, Parsippany Hills high school and Morris County Community college. Also the community has an adult learning center which provides adult and community. In Parsippany, health authorities see to it that they provide quality service to ensure quality life among the residents. Parsippany benefits from an extensive medical area, world class medical institutions and research facilities. The objective of Parsippany healthcare system is to ensure the health of its residents. Parsippany public health system conducts different programs and activities to integrate relevant health indicators. Parsippany has two major healthcare facilities which are the Hillside Medical center and the Morris Town medical center. Hillside medical center provides great care in cardiac services that includes heart stat, an interactive heart center and arrhythmia treatment center. They also have an emergency department that handles level 2 trauma cases. The Morris town medical center is a facility that provides urgent care, workers compensation and a board range of occupational health and preventative services. They also specialize in burns, wound healing, animal bites and dermatological problems. The community also has other healthcare centers which focus on specific areas of health. I came across health centers like Immediate Care Psychiatric Center and Greystone Park psychiatric center which focuses only on issues related to mental health. The community also has agencies both private and government run who provides care for the elderly and sick in home settings and nursing homes. As mentioned earlier, the community covers about 29.394 square miles of city streets, shopping centers, parks, schools, healthcare facilities and houses. Parsippany is a unique area because of the diversity of land usage. Most of the houses have large yards and are neatly kept by landscaping companies. Going west, the houses reduce in size but still appear well kept. In the northwest area which is along route 46, the houses turn into stores and fast food restaurants. Almost every street I came across or drove on in the community was tarred and the sidewalks were neat and well maintained. Sanitation in the community was a big problem 5 years back according to one local resident due to the increase in restaurants along N Beverwyck road which is occupied mostly by the Indian population in the community. According to a resident who lives among the Indian population, â€Å"there has been a rapid increase of the Indian population which led to increase in businesses being opened, most of which are restaurants†. This led to increase in roaches and rats around that vicinity due to left over foods form the restaurant not being properly disposed and less garbage pickups. The usual trash pickup in the community used to be twice a week (Mondays and Fridays). This problem was brought to the mayors (Mayor Barberio) office and a meeting was conducted with restaurant owners and policy makers which led to a decision being made to increase pickups. The community was the divided into 6 districts and a schedule for pickup was developed. The schedule changes month to month. Below is the actual schedule for garbage pickup for the month of December; The Parsippany police department is a civic service organization consisting of over 100 sworn in police officers. The department is divided into four main divisions: Patrol, investigative, support services and professional standards. Each division is led by a captain and supported by the following chain of commands: lieutenants, sergeants, patrol officers and civilian personnel. According to one police officer I spoke to, most calls the department receives were linked to domestic violence which he mentioned is high among the Indian population in the community. The Parsippany fire department is also working 24/7 to protect the lives and properties of the people of Parsippany and surrounding communities as well. The primary responsibility of the Fire Prevention Bureau is to enforce the New Jersey State Fire Code, ensuring that the residents and firefighters of Parsippany are given the proper level of protection. The Bureau, through public education, code enforcement and emergency respo nse, provides the public with protection of life property and the environment. Troy Hills Parsippany is a multiracial and very cosmopolitan in many ways. The racial makeup of the community is about 74% white, 4% African Americans, 0.5% Native Americans, 18% Asians (mostly Indians), 2% pacific Islanders and about 3% Hispanic. Herein English is the official and most common language and other languages spoken include Hindi, Bengali, Chinese, Spanish, French and Akan. The most people I men in the community were adults between the ages of 22 to about 45. I also met some teenagers who were between the ages of 13 to 18 and also children ages 3 to about 8.Most of these people were among the group of people I met on the playground. I walked to one of the community’s playgrounds and I met a large group of adults (mostly Indians) playing volley ball. I also saw a group of African American and Hispanic teenagers and adults playing basket ball which I joined to play with them. In Parsippany the difference in economic status lies in a wide range of educational levels income and occupation. About 68% of the population is employed with about 2 1,000 males and 12,000 females holding some form of employment status. The most popular profession if the community is in management of professional occupations. Second largest career field is in sales and secretarial work. Other occupations include maintenance, healthcare, transportation e.t.c. The median household income is about $107,144. According to the residents, living in the community makes them feel safe and secure. In addition to the financial stability of the community, the residents are enjoying a state of the art with regards to their healthcare facility needs. Each service offered is given efficiently and responsible healthcare workers see to it that patients or healthcare seekers are satisfied with service offered. According to one senior citizen I came across, living here has given him the security when it comes to assuring health and quality living. Most of the local business owners (restaurant owners) were also happy with living in the community because business is good as most of the m responded due to the increase in the population a long the location of their businesses. Troy Hills Parsippany offers numerous service organizations in the community. Mew Directions in an organizations that helps with providing housing and career developments for the unemployed and needy to find jobs whiles Partners in placement another organization helps everyone over 18 years in finding employment. The Upper room Empowerment helps senior citizens with low income, nursing home residents and orphanage children by providing financial assistance, food and clothing. The Parsippany Troy hills women’s club offers assistance to women in the community especially victims of domestic violence or abusive relationships. Puzzle Pieces – A divorce/ separated support group also helps people faced with divorce and separations in their marriages who were mostly victims of abusive relationships. Other organizations consist of Lifeblood, Lupus foundation of America, National alliance of the mentally ill (NAMI), YMCA and YWCA. Not only are these service organizations but most of these organizations are also allowing community volunteer. For example, vo lunteers can be counselors to help guide the YMCA and YWCA, The Upper room for Empowerment and the New Directions. These organizations bring to the attention issues in the community and make change by involving the community. One organization that has a large impact not only on the Parsippany community but communities all over is Lifeblood. Lifeblood is a nonprofit blood center with objectives to reduce dependency on paid donors, establish a pre deposit blood assurance program, work toward a more even flow of donations and develop roster of donors with rare types of blood. The two main healthcare facilities which are The Hillside Medical center and Morristown Medical center are being operated by the state government. So is the Graystone park Psychiatric center. There are also a large variety of privately owned and operated clinics and agencies that also provide care for the community. The Song Medical clinic owned and run by an Asian physician Dr Song who also is a resident of Troy hills. The mobile diagnostic testing of NJ LLC is also a private organization whose main focus is diagnostic testing . There is also a private rehabilitation center called the Morris rehabilitation and physical therapy center which specializes in chiropractic, physical, speech and occupational therapy, automobile accident care. They also provide treatments for lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, motor vehicle accident injuries, sports related injuries etc. The Morris Pediatric Care LLC is another healthcare agency found in the community which is committed to providing excellent medical care for infants, children and adolescents. This healthcare facility is privately owned and run by Dr Aradhana Rajkumar. The facility although is privately run, has affiliations with other hospitals. There are also homecare agencies that help provide assisted living and total care for older adults both in nursing homes and patient homes. Some of these agencies are A Place for mom and dad, Synergy home care, Brookside senior center, Cheshire home etc. There is also a door to door and fixed route transportation offered by the Morris area paratransit system (MAPS) to senior citizens and the sick for them to go up and down, to doctor’s appointments and so on. There is also Access a Link transportation system offered by the NJ transit which operates in the same manner. Being able to live in a community which is considered to be a quality and stable community not only in the state if NJ but the country as a whole is a great honor for its members. With great healthcare system which sees to it that the community members and neighboring communities receive quality care. Even though the residents are happy in their community, there is one big problem which causes a strain on the community and that is the rise in domestic violence among a specific focused group which happens to be the Indian population in the community. Domestic violence in short has been part and fabric of many societies and culture worldwide. It is so commonplace, in fact, that is has often gone unnoticed and failed to receive the level of attention it deserves in light of the devastating effects it can have on children and families. It is normally hard to get a clear picture when it comes to issues on domestic violence since most cases go unreported in the community with common reason relating to issues like immigration status and cultural beliefs. According to the Parsippany police department, the number one crime in the community is domestic violence. Between 06/12/0212 and 10/28/2012 there has been 12 reported cases leading to three deaths which were linked to domestic violence. Domestic violence is rising so rapidly to the extent that the next lines of businesses are law firms focusing on cases of domestic violence. Just by walking through the community, I came across about 15 different law firms with their banners stating almost the same thing â€Å"We specialize in domestic violence and abuse cases†. Most of the cases in the community have to do with physical forms of abuse but domestic violence in general can be psychological, emotional and sexual as well. As a nurse in this community, working with victims of domestic violence to resolve and eradicate this strain will be my number one priority and this can be done using the different levels of population health care (primary, secondary and tertiary prevention) and health promotion. Primary Prevention: The goal of primary prevention is to intervene before domestic violence occurs by removing the cause and preventing the development of risk factors. This is mostly done through teaching. My main focus will be introducing the Indian population in the community to new thinking processes, coping mechanisms (since stress is a causative factor), and relationship skills that does not incorporate violence and that’s will promote healthy non violent, trust and supportive growth of relationships. Also using the media and hosting forums in schools, churches and community centers to create awareness and the effects of domestic violence and also to show community how to respond to domestic violence situation if they should face it. Secondary Prevention: This level of prevention is very beneficial because as a nurse in the community I would arrange home visitations high risk families and provide support for family members identified as being at high risk of preparing or becoming victims of domestic violence. Also offering crisis support and individual counseling to individuals exposed. Also identifying exposed individuals at earliest possible level and providing appropriate services essential. Provision of services for children exposed to domestic violence, including age-appropriate counseling, supportive services, and services for the nonabusing parent that support that parents role as a caregiver, which may, as appropriate, include services that work with the non-abusing parent and child together. Also providing assistance in developing safety plans, and supporting efforts of victims of domestic violence, to make decisions related to their ongoing safety and well-being is very essential. Tertiary Prevention: At this level, special services will be offered for those identified with domestic violence example home visitations with abuse victims and their children, and also providing temporary housing for victims and protection orders against abuser because they need some time off from tho se abusive relationships to heal emotionally. Children who bear witness to domestic violence often show emotional and behavioral problems and it is my responsibility as a community nurse to provide mental health services to address underlying trauma. Also involving the community is very relevant to addressing issues on domestic violence. Intensive police, court and community collaboration to address situations on domestic violence is very beneficial. Also referring victims to support groups in the community such as the Women’s Club Troy Hills, Puzzle pieces and The Panic and Anxiety groups which provides support for domestic violence victims. I strongly believe that with these measures in place, domestic violence which it the biggest strain of the people of Troy Hills Parsippany will be a thing of the past just like the sanitation issues on the community has become.