Racial Disparities Within The Criminal Justice System

America has become one of the most diverse and wealthiest countries in the world. Although the United States is wealthy, not all individuals have benefited from that wealth. Throughout society, African American communities have become marginalized, with areas of poverty, high crime rates, discrimination and few opportunities for advancement. These areas are often locations where racial and cultural minorities live. Racial disparities exist within the criminal justice system and have shown many problems of inequality between the white and black race. In addition to having inequality within the criminal justice system, the criminals also have impacted their family members in different ways due to being incarcerated. The media has misrepresented African Americans by emphasizing African Americans participating in crimes while ignoring crimes committed by whites. People in society are assuming that only black people commit crimes, which is unfair because the incidences of people committin g crimes are about equal between the races. Racial disparity favors white people over black people in the criminal justice system. Therefore, society must reevaluate the way society portrays who commits crimes, and where they are committed. Throughout many decades of history, black people had been discriminated against and treated as second class citizens in American society, even though they participated equally in the workforce. Discrimination has happened from slavery until present times. ForShow MoreRelatedRacial Disparities Within The Criminal Justice System Essay2026 Words   |  9 PagesWhat are racial disparities in the criminal justice system? Racial disparities in the criminal justice system can be defined as â€Å"the proportion of a racial or ethnic group within the control of the system is greater than the proportion of such groups in the general population† (NCJRS, 2016.) There is an enormous racial disparity between African Americans and Whites in the United States criminal justice system. What are the racial disparities in the criminal justice system? This paper will show theRead MoreThe Criminal Justice System Has Served As A Focal Point Of Much Of Societal Racism993 Words   |  4 Pageswhiteà ¢â‚¬  (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)). These studies propose that while criminal behavior cuts across race and class lines, the common response to these behaviors may significantly influence the course of a potential criminal career. Decisions concerning the most effective balance of responses by law enforcement, social services, and community intervention are critical in determining many of these outcomes. Bias within the criminal justice Historically, the criminal justice system has served asRead MoreRacial Inequality919 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is racial inequality? Racial inequality is discrepancies in the opportunities and treatment of people based solely on their race. Racial inequality is a serious issue that is often discussed in the American criminal justice system. Although racial discrimination is present in the criminal justice system, some people use the words inequality, discrimination, racism, and profiling loosely and do not understand how truly complex it is to prove that there actually is racial inequality present inRead MoreRacial Impact Statements : Considering The Consequences Of Racial Disproportionalities On The Criminal Justice System964 Words   |  4 Pagestitled, Racial Impact Statements: Considering the Consequences of Racial Disproportionalities in the Criminal Justice System, the article addresses how the American Criminal justice system has been suffering from the dramatic increase in mass incarceration and the uneven rates of racial disproportionalities and disparities. These disproportionate impacts with minorities within the criminal justice system are all impacted from neutral laws, policies and practices. Statements made with racial impactRead MoreCriminal Justice: Racial Disparity and Discrimination and O.J. Simpson768 Words   |  4 PagesCriminal law is based on the principle of actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea. The principle is to the extent that a man is not guilty of his acts, actus in the absence of a guilty conscience, mens rea (Gardner, 2009). To this end, criminal law justice provides that the person alleging the commission of a crime must proof beyond reasonable doubt that the accused person(s) possessed mens rea, if the court is to hold a criminal liability against the accused. In the case of People of the State ofRead MorePolicy Process Essay1222 Words   |  5 PagesSociety relies on the criminal justice system to maintain order withi n communities and to maintain a safe environment for community members. Society expects the criminal justice system to provide justice by separating the guilty from the innocent, to incapacitate dangerous individuals, to promote deterrence to law-breaking individuals, and to rehabilitate offenders. An important expectation of the criminal justice system is to provide fair and just consequences to criminal offenders and assist theRead MoreRacial Profiling: Is it Intentional? Can We Correct it? Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesRacial profiling is a wide spread term in the American justice system today, but what does it really mean? Is racial profiling just a term cooked up by criminals looking for a way to get out of trouble and have a scapegoat for their crimes? Is it really occurring in our justice system, and if so is it done intentionally? Most importantly, if racial profiling exists what steps do we take to correct it? The answer to these questions are almost impossible to find, racial profiling is one of many thingsRead MoreAfrican American And Other Ethnic Groups Incarcerated Versus Whites1553 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction When we hear the words â€Å"justice system† we should be thinking about fairness, justice, honesty, righteousness. However, contrary to what comes to mind in reality the justice system is rife with inequality, injustice, corruption and dishonestly. The definition for institutional inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group of society (about.com) and this is what people of color are facing on a daily basis. OnRead MoreBlack Americans Receive A Stricter Punishment Than White Americans Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pagescounterparts (Kerby 2).† Portrayals in the media have depicted black men as thugs and common criminals; these negative stereotypes demoralize men of color and allow society to believe and internalize this destructive thinking. The racial disparities that exist in the criminal justice system are an indirect consequence of the portrayals of African American men that circulate in soci ety. Because of racial disparities that occur in the United States it consequently threatens communities of color by â€Å"disenfranchisingRead MoreThe Ratio Of African American And Other Ethnic Groups1531 Words   |  7 PagesWhen we hear the words â€Å"justice system† we should be thinking about fairness, justness, honesty, righteousness, but in contrary what comes to mind is inequality, injustice, corruption, dishonestly. The definition for institutional inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group of society (about.com) and this is what people of color are facing in a daily basis. On this project I intend to research about the ratio of African

The Assassination Of John F. Kennedy - 2481 Words

Article ONE It was, and still remains, one of the most controversial cases in American history. There are plenty of conspiracy theories, philosophies, and thoughts on what happened that fateful day, but one-question remains; who really killed President Kennedy? John F. Kennedy was born in Massachusetts on May 29, 1917 where he grew up in a large family with eight brothers and sisters (â€Å"John F. Kennedy,† 2009). John was a popular student and actively participated in many sports, and although he wasn’t the smartest student, his father always believed he’d become someone great. Kennedy graduated from Harvard in 1940 and would soon join the Navy, which is when his political career would begin (â€Å"Life of John,† n.d.). During his time in the Navy, John lost his brother Joe in a plane crash, which changed everything for him. When he returned from the Navy after the war ended he was awarded the Marine Corps Metal for his leadership and courage (â€Å"Life of John,† n.d.). These events influenced Kennedy to think about what he wanted to do as a lifelong career, and his older brother soon convinced him to run for Congress (â€Å"Life of John,† n.d.). After serving his term in Congress, Kennedy qui ckly became popular with both his peers and the people, and on July 13, 1960 the Democratic Party nominated him as a candidate for President. President Kennedy would be the youngest and first Catholic President of the United States. During his Presidency Kennedy wanted to achieve great things andShow MoreRelatedThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy982 Words   |  4 Pages O’Reilly and Dugard’s book, Killing Kennedy, is about the events leading to President John F. Kennedy being shot, as well as what happened after the assassination. This book also describes the rise and fall of John F. Kennedy. The authors also wrote about the Cold War, Kennedy dealing with communism, and threats of crime. January of 1961, the cold war was growing stronger and Kennedy was struggling with communism. During all of this happening, he was learning what it meant to be a president. HeRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1620 Words   |  7 Pages Ever since the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, there has been controversy over whether the true gunman was held accountable. The United States Government claimed that it was an easy, open and closed case. They found Lee Harvey Oswald, close to ground zero, with a freshly fired riffle, immediately after JFK was shot. Contrary to the governments report, skeptics argue a vast scope of conspiracies to shed light on what they believe happened that day; ideas ranging from magic bullets, multipleRead MoreThe Kennedy Assassinations By John F. Kennedy Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pages Decades later, the Kennedy assassinations and surrounding mysteries continue holding public interest. Although their notoriety as charismatic leaders is a significant contribution, other factors regarding societal psychology deserve consideration whilst exploring this phenomenon. With these events occurring during a time that allows living witnesses, modern accessible evidence, various media covera ge, and visible modern impact, the mysterious Kennedy assassinations have the capacity to encourageRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy Assassination1618 Words   |  7 PagesJohn F. Kennedy Assassination Was John F. Kennedy’s assassination a single shooter or was it a conspiracy? Since November 22, 1963 people around the world have wondered who it was that shot President Kennedy, and what for. So many questions have formed around this event, not just about who the shooter was, but also questions like what might the world have been like today if the shooting didn’t happen? The Kennedy assassination has been a mystery for many years. A lot of people hear about the differentRead MoreAssassination Of John F. Kennedy1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Assassination of John F. Kennedy â€Å"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.† President Kennedy stated in his commencement speech at American University on June 10, 1963. John F. Kennedy was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 to his assassination in November 1963. There are numerous conspiracy theories involving Kennedy’s assassinationRead MoreAssassination of John F. Kennedy931 Words   |  4 PagesThe John F. Kennedy assassination is believed to be one of the most controversial and debated topics in American History. JFK was one of the most beloved presidents of our time. Other assassinations of presidents didn’t have as many Conspiracy theories compared to the JFK assassination on November 22nd, 1963. Some of the theories include a Government cover-up, Mafia influence, and Cuban President Fidel Castro (Stern). T he assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, raised many questions thatRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1500 Words   |  6 PagesOn November 23, 1963, three shots were fired at President John F. Kennedy’s limousine in Dallas, Texas. The first shot went through the president’s neck, the second was the fatal shot that would ultimately end Kennedy’s life. There is a lot of speculation about what really took place in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Many people believe that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone, but there are many people across the nation who think differently. Many theories can both support and disprove that LeeRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1626 Words   |  7 PagesThe Assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963 at 12:30 p.m Central Standard Time in Dallas, Texas while riding in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza.[1] Kennedy was fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while he was riding with his wife, Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally s wife, Nellie, in a presidential motorcade. A ten-month investigation by the Warren Commission from November 1963 to September 1964Read MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesThe book I chose to read is The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by Lauren Spencer. It was published in 2002 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. It contains 64 pages. This book not only provides information on the killing of President Kennedy, but also information on his life, the arrested murderer s life, and more interesting background information and details. This books main objective is to go deeper into the case of John F. Kennedy s assassination, to discuss personal information about suspectsRead MoreAssassination of John F Kennedy1119 Words   |  5 Pagessixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building. However, did Lee Harvey Oswald, a crazy lunatic act alone in the assassination of President Kennedy. Both first – hand knowledge and visual evidence allows people to re – examine the events of this day and prove that there were other gunmen involved in the bombardment of our youngest elected president. John F. Kennedy was depicted as a nationwide hero to many Catholics living in the U.S. during the early 1960’s. He was idolized by several

Steel and Surface Preparation free essay sample

What is meant by the tenn sliver? What is a hackle? Name two other tenns that could be used for anchor pattern? What are the main advantages of using Testex papers for measuring profiles? What is meant by the tenn grade. relating to a blast finish? What are the main factors governing the grade f a blast finish? Can the grade of a blast fmish be detennined by using the surface comparators to BS 7079 Pt C3? What profile range can be measured using X coarse Testex? What profile range can be measured using coarse grade Testex? What are the two theories of adhesion? Briefly describe the mechanisms of the two theories of adhesion. How many microns are in Ithou? Give three different names for the cross section of a blast. What is the approximate speed of abrasives leaving a venturi nozzle? What is the most common cause of flash rusting on a blasted substrate? What would be considered to be an ideal shot grit mix? What is the purpose of mixing shot and grit? Which abrasive would have the effect of work hardening a substrate? Name three methods of measuring or assessing a profile. We will write a custom essay sample on Steel and Surface Preparation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What is the most common cause of rogue peaks on a substrate? In what situation would it be better to use steel grit in preference to copper slag abrasives? If cracks or laminations are found on a substrate after blasting what steps should be taken? Using comparators to ISO 8503, what are the three main profile assessments? What are the other two assessments when the above three are not appropriate? What would be size of copper slag needed to give a protile of 50 to 75 urn? 3. 2 copynght

The devil in Christianity Essay Example

The devil in Christianity Essay The devil in Christianity, also given the names: Satan and Lucifer was first created as an angel an Anointed Cherub anointed means to be set apart for Gods Divine purpose alongside other meanings similar to this. However Lucifer wanted exalt himself above God rather than just be an angel of God. Consequently after he and some of his followers tried t over-throw Gods authority God cast him out of heaven and is now is roaming the earth so some branches of Christianity teach. In brief, Satan is a fallen angel who rebelled against God.During the middle ages the church put great emphasis on the devil being a real power. He was often exemplified as having horns and goats hind quarters and carrying a pitch fork and having a forked tail. Features that carry an air of bat like wings and talons, goat like features were in the bible the goat is seen as less important than sheep, said that man will place a sheep on his right side whereas he will place a goat on the left; it presumably headed for eternal damnation. Menacing images like this did the job of frightening people to go to Church. The churches way of coercion people: to make them believe and behave control.Even today some groups of Christians still take the Devil as being an, actual power a real physical being. Christians with these traditional views still in place, are those of whose entire lives are revolved around resisting Satan . In this respect music, video games and any there possible influences which they believe to contain satanic ideas are banned. A common example of such acts and beliefs which happened not long ago was the controversy on the Harry Potter series. Some Christians deemed the novels to contain occult or satanic subtexts. Over all everyone has free will to judge whether the devil is real or not; nevertheless some Christian groups teach that he does while others teach that he does not. We are well advised to be on our guard.The Bible says in Ephesians 6:11-12 that we should: Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church teach that Satan is a real power, likewise Evangelicals teach the same thing. They take the bible literally and the devil is five times resisted and exorcised. On of the tales in the bible that shows Satan is when he goes to test Job. He goes to God and says Job only believes in God because is life is made really easy by God and he thinks that if things began to go wrong for Job (the devils doing) the devil could get Job to curse God to his face: curse you to your face. In reply God tells the devil that he can do whatever he likes but hecannot kill Job. In the end Job carrys on believing in God and does not say what Satan predicted. In this passage the devil is described as a presence proof that he really existed, he causes suffering on propose. He is expressed as being evil and powerful and has control over what happens to people and how he can meddle and cause mayhem and trouble, tempting people away from God. He is also shown as tempting Jesus himself, again in this passage he is shown as a physical presence. In several other places in the bible Satan is shown in other forms such as a Dragon or a snake that the very beginning when the original sin happened.Those who still believe that the devil is an actual power assume that the devil rules a host of his fallen angels his demons. They spend their days causing physical and mental afflictions. Jesus often cured such people in exorcism and some religions still believe in it and attempt to cure it likewise. In addition to this they say that Satan rules over governments, religions and sciences that go against Christianity and its beliefs: humans evolved from apes. Furthermore it is taught that the De vil and his followers are able to posses and control humans; for this reason the Catholic Church occasionally performs exorcisms and some evangelicals do so regularly. Satan is also responsible they believe for granting spells and magic powers to sorceress and witches, this belief has been thought since the middle ages.Alternatively more commonly today not all Christians believe that Satan is a real person. Some people say hes a poetic way of explaining how people feel pulled in different directions want to do wrong. It is a way of explaining why we sin that it is just in human nature to do wrong after all no all are perfect. In addition Christians, whobelieve this, agree that the devil could not possibly exist if god is omnipotent and loving. If God is all that than we wouldnt let such an evil creature be created or even exist, hence forth the devil cannot be a real being. The question that comes up from this agreement is why is their suffering in the world then. no one knowns the certain answer to that however there are reasonable proposed answers: maybe God has a loving purpose to out suffering. Or otherwise for all the sins we cause and hurt we cause to one another maybe god chooses to be powerless. Third possibility maybe God knows so much he can see the whole picture. Lastly: maybe its our view of God thats wrong? Arguing against this comes the passage: Lucifer was created perfect in all his ways, but iniquity was found in him. It was not put there by God. Lucifer created it. (This is found in Ezekiel 28:15) Like man, the angels were created perfect, and with a free will.To conclude this essay I make the judgement that Lucifer does not exist in a physical form. I see the bible as a set of guidelines rather than text that recollects what has actually happened. In this respect I think that the bible was written to help people understand and teach people things that now we can understand more clearly through science; if you told someone straight on some of the facts andscience we known today to a person from Jesus time they would not understand; through stories however you get the ideas and teachings and information across more simply. For example the original brothers Grime stories have been written more simply for younger eyes to understand, and the big proper ones are left until they grow up. Over all my belief is that although I may refer to things as being the devils doing in truth I do not believe that he is a real being just an expression to help teach and understand evil and wrong doings and actions like deceit, intentional suffering, tempting.

The Debate of the Single Currency Concept Essays

The Debate of the Single Currency Concept Essays The Debate of the Single Currency Concept Essay The Debate of the Single Currency Concept Essay The Euro argument is intensely emotional. Whilst on the one manus Trichet describes the Euro as [ T ] he coronating accomplishment of the individual market ( 2001, p.7 ) , others believe that the Euro is nil less than a confederacy to make an ( immorality ) European super-state. There can be no uncertainty that this is an of import issue, peculiarly in the United Kingdom given its authorities s definitely-maybe positions on the Euro. Consequently this essay will see the Euro inquiry with peculiar mention to the UK. First, it will see the statements for and against the UK come ining the Eurozone. Section 2 sets the scene by sketching a brief history of the Euro. Section 3 so describes the celebrated five trials set by Gordon Brown to enable a determination upon the annoyed inquiry of whether Britain should fall in the Euro. Section 4 considers the political facets of the argument, which this author sees as the existent issue in this argument. Section 5 examines life outside the Euro, and its deductions for the UK. Finally, subdivision 6 draws decisions on the Euro argument. 2. A Brief History of the Euro The route to the Euro began in the Maastricht Treaty [ 1991 ] , which agreed upon a common currency. The so British authorities ( Major s conservative authorities ) , nevertheless, was profoundly doubting about this, seeing pecuniary brotherhood as a measure towards federalism. Britain hence negotiated an opt-out clause ( as did Denmark ) . Maastricht run into troubles ( notably, rejection in the Danish referendum ) , but despite this the Euro-bulldozer rolled inexorably frontward, traveling from aspiration to world. A European Central Bank was established in Frankfurt. And in 1999 the Euro became the national currency of the bulk of EU provinces. 3. Brown s Five Trials In 1997 Gordon Brown, the British Chancellor, set out a series of five trials, designed to enable a determination upon the annoyed inquiry of whether Britain should fall in the Euro. These trials give a clear reply: decidedly, possibly. These trials are, foremost, whether there can be sustainable convergence between Britain and the economic systems of a individual currency ; secondly, whether there is sufficient flexibleness to get by with economic alteration ; thirdly, the consequence on investing ; fourthly, the impact on our fiscal services by and large ; and fifthly, whether it is good for employment. ( 1997 ) 3.1. Convergence This trial asked if the UK s economic system was sufficiently convergent with the remainder of Europe ( presumptively the Chancellor remembered Black Wednesday ) . It was non met in 1997, and failed once more in 2003. As Schwartz commented: Giving up its ain pecuniary policy to be ruled by EU pecuniary policy will expose it to involvement rate motions that are non appropriate to its economic state of affairs and can immerse it into recession. ( 2000, p.68 ) But although one can surely reason there is deficient convergence, Howell points out that: [ I ] f the UK gives a strong signal that it wishes to fall in in a set clip frame, UK involvement rates, merely like Italy s or Portugal s are likely to meet towards the nucleus provinces. ( 2002, p.31 ) 3.2. Flexibility This trial aims to analyze whether there is sufficient flexibleness to get by with economic jobs that might emerge. This trial was non met in 1997, a decision repeated in 2003. 3.3. Investing Clearly there are differing positions on the consequence of the Euro upon inward investing. However, it was held that this trial was met. 3.4. Financial Services The fiscal services industry has ever been important to the UK s fiscal wellbeing, and Brown evidently felt the demand to underscore this. Again, there is conflicting grounds upon the consequence entry into the Euro would hold on the City. Ultimately though, it was held that this trial was met. 3.5. Growth, Stability and Employment Brown held that growing, stableness and employment must be considered a trial held to be met. With merely three of the five trials met, Brown was non obliged to inquire the state its positions on the Euro ; handily for Brown, given that sentiment polls systematically show British public disfavor of the Euro. It is unsurprising, nevertheless, given that the trials are sufficiently intangible to guarantee that they can be met, or non, as political expedience demands. Brown has stated unambiguously that there will be a referendum before the Euro is adopted, stating: [ B ] ecause of the magnitude of the decisionaˆÂ ¦ , whenever the determination to enter is taken by Government, it should be put to a referendum of the British people. ( 1997 ) Therefore, whilst it is clear that a referendum can non be won, the authorities will claim the five trials have non been fulfilled, forestalling them from contending an unwinnable referendum. But if in the hereafter the electorate is more unfastened to the Euro, the authorities can state the trials have been met, and keep a referendum. 4. The Political Arguments By admiting the demand for a referendum Brown sidelong refers to the existent issue: the political facet of the determination. The determination will travel to the bosom of a province s sovereignty although Brown denies this: If a individual currency would be good for British occupations, British concern and future prosperity, it is right in rule to fall in. The constitutional issue is a factor in the determination, but it is non an overruling one. Rather, it signifies that, in order for pecuniary brotherhood to be right for Britain, the economic benefit should be clear and unambiguous. [ accent added ] ( 1997 ) But these constitutional issues can non be swept off so readily. As Gamble provinces, the economic instance by itself will neer be conclusive or decisive. It is the political pick that counts. ( 2000, p.4 ) Joining the Euro is lasting. It takes off, everlastingly, one facet of a province s independency. This is no little issue, and it should non be treated as one. Whilst a province remains outside the Eurozone, its options remain unfastened. Entry will, needfully, restrict its options. Once in it would be highly hard ( and lawfully doubtful ) to go forth. Further, there can be no uncertainty that the common currency is a move towards a federal province for, as Issing points out, a individual currency is used as a pace-setter towards political integrationaˆÂ ¦ ( 1996, p.20 ) This may, of class, be no bad thing. One Euro protagonist ( who, remarkably for a pro-Euro author, acknowledges its profound political impact ) suggests that fall ining the Euro would intend connection: [ a ] societal democratic EuropeaˆÂ ¦ , a trade brotherhood EuropeaˆÂ ¦ , a citizens Europe ( Gamble, 2000, pp.4-24 ) Ultimately, the issue of whether or non to fall in the Euro will ever be political. As Jones points out, authoritiess are political existences: Governments regard the pick for pecuniary integrating from a self-interested instead than an selfless position. Their concretion is subjective instead than objective. ( 2002, p.4 ) It is absolutely possible to supply a solid instance for fall ining the Euro. Equally, a convincing instance for staying outside the Eurozone can be made. Ultimately, the existent determination is political, non economic. It must, nevertheless, be emphasised that whether or non the United Kingdom enters the Eurozone, a pick is still being made. Inactivity is here every bit positive an act as activity. As Huhne points out: Britain can non simply choose out and feign that nil is go oning. ( 2001, p.96 ) There is no simple reply to this inquiry. It is a political inquiry that continues to resound in Westminster. 5. Life Outside the Euro: A Lucky Escape or an Opportunity Missed? When provinces accede to the European Union, they are explicitly accepting the full organic structure of European jurisprudence, the acquis communitaire. They are, hence, accepting that when their economic system meets the Euro s demands, they will fall in the Euro. In order to make this, they will necessitate to fall in the Exchange Rate Mechanism for a two twelvemonth period, and maintain their exchange rate within the ERM s bounds. After this, they will go members of the Eurozone. The diagram below explains this procedure. Integration of the AC into the pecuniary brotherhood through the ERM-II ( Krawczyk, 2004, p.3 ) Phase I Phase II ( at least two old ages ) Phase III EU accession and the ERM II rank Convergence appraisal and ( finally ) following the Euro The accession provinces do non hold an absolute timetable for fall ining the Euro zone. But in clip they will fall in it. The Euro, hence, is set to turn. In the interim, Britain and Denmark retain their opt-out rights vis-a-vis the Euro, and Sweden has yet to travel to it. It should be noted that there is some concern about the accession states fall ining the Eurozone. Indeed, Mr Koch-Weser, a Germany finance ministry functionary, has advised the future Member States that they should first beef up their economic systems. ( 2003 ) Given that the Euro will merely spread out, what will go on to those provinces that remain outside the Eurozone? Will their currency be relatively smallaˆÂ ¦.squeezed between the great tectonic home bases of Europe and America ? ( Huhne, 2001, p.96 ) It is alluring to presume that they will be isolated, but is this truly the instance? Once once more, this essay will concentrate upon the UK. Whilst many governments emphasise the troubles which will be faced by the UK staying outside of the Euro, others argue that the UK s involvements are really best served by staying outside the Eurozone. Indeed, Ferguson and Kotlikoff go every bit far as to propose that the Euro might non itself survive: What matters is whether the full pecuniary brotherhood will keep together in the old ages in front. The Euro s medium-term hereafter will turn out much shakier when Europe is hit by the financial crises looming for the bulk of the Euro zone s member states. ( 2006, p.111 ) 6. Decision There can be no uncertainty that, as persons, we might salvage money when traveling on vacation should Britain fall in the Eurozone. But there are many jobs which will confront the Euro over the following 10 old ages in peculiar those of enlargement, and the entry of less financially sound economic systems into the Eurozone. This leaves open the possibility that instead than enduring outside the Eurozone, the UK s economic system may even surpass the European economic system. As Eddie George points out: The UK, overall, has suffered no ill-effects from maintaining the lb, while the Euro-zone economic systems have done less good than expected, and, in many respects, less good than the UK. These economic phenomena are about surely structural, non transeunt. ( 2000 ) It is possible that if Britain continues to decline to fall in the Euro we will be left chill, whilst other provinces bask in the heat of the Euro-glow. But it is every bit possible that Britain will, on the whole, turn out to be better off by declining to fall in the Euro. Ultimately, Britain may turn out to be the lone individual processing in measure.

Ozraptor - Facts and Figures

Ozraptor - Facts and Figures Name: Ozraptor (Greek for lizard from Oz): pronounced OZ-rap-tore Habitat: Woodlands of Australia Historical Period: Middle Jurassic (175 million years ago) Size and Weight: About nine feet long and 100 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; bipedal posture About Ozraptor Sometimes, a single leg bone can be enough to shed light on a creature that lived 175 million years ago. Thats the case with the Australian Ozraptor, the partial tibia of which was first identified as belonging to a Jurassic turtle, and then reassigned to a new (and relatively early) genus of theropod (meat-eating dinosaur) closely related to the South American Abelisaurus. Until more fossil specimens are identified, though, thats all we may ever know about this distinctively named dinosaurand you should know that many experts are extremely skeptical about the existence of various dinosaur families, such as tyrannosaurs and ornithomimids (bird mimics), in the lands Down Under. One thing you we can definitely say about Ozraptor is that it was not technically a raptor, the family of dinosaurs typified by the North American Deinonychus and the central Asian Velociraptor (somewhat confusingly, paleontologists love to attach the raptor root to non-raptor dinosaurs, such as Gigantoraptor and Megaraptor). Raptors were a distinctive family of theropods that lived during the middle to late Cretaceous period, and were characterized, among other things, by their presumed coats of feathers and single, oversized, curving claws on each of their hind feetthus ruling out the middle Jurassic Ozraptor, whatever type of dinosaur it turns out to be!

Project Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Management - Term Paper Example enities, lease deadlines and renewal arrangements, lease and vendor contracts, correspondences for lease arrangements and tenant payment history together with their contacts. The system will therefore automatically detect upcoming vacancies in the apartment block well in advance to facilitate timely reservations and ensure seamless flow of revenue. For a successful implementation of this project, there must be in place human, physical and financial resources. With regards to the required human resource, software developers will be hired on a contractual basis. This is because the core business is property management and therefore software developers’ services will only be necessary until the fully implemented after which a technician’s services will be sought for system maintenance purposes. Room must be availed for the installation of the necessary hardware such as server, computers and other relevant accessories. All these will require financial resources for both the development of software, purchase of hardware and training of staff on the new system. Milestones will be measured through a proper reporting channel to the project manager from all the involved teams. The project will be divided into individual activities with each activity headed by a team leader. All the component activities will follow a strict time and progress reporting guideline. Software development should take a month during which the installation of the required hardware shall be complete. Since these two activities are independent, they can be undertaken simultaneously. Upon completion of these two significant activities, a test run of the system shall be done to verify the compatibility of the soft and hardware. Success of this activity will provide the green light for training of staff on how to use the new system which should last 14 days. During the training period, the new system will run alongside the existing one before a full crossover to the new system. A monitoring and

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Essay Example She is therefore the opposite of what a woman should be, especially one that is a nurse, and, as such, she represents the castrating female that men might fear. Argument We meet Nurse Ratched when she comes upon the black boys, who are, throughout the novel, a kind of background chorus, nameless and faceless, but always a part of the action. The boys are not doing anything particularly wrong, just standing around and talking. Nevertheless, Ratched descends upon them in fury - â€Å"she knows what they been saying, and I can see she's furious clean out of control. She's going to tear the black bastards limb from limb, she's so furious. She's swelling up, swells until her back's splitting out the white uniform and she's let her arms section out long enough to wrap around the three of them five, six times...† (Kesey, 1962, p. 5). What is interesting is the hyperbole that Kesey uses to describe the nurse – that she is large as a tractor, that her head is huge. This is told from the perspective of the Chief, and it is clear that the largeness of the nurse is symbolic of her degree of intimidation over the men. The description also makes her seem not just womanly, but not human. She seems more monstrous. This is symbolic, too, of her castrating female, as a monster is somebody who would represent somebody who might castrate a man. Nurse is somebody like a Medusa, who can turn men to stone just one glance. Therefore, it is obvious that Kesey wants us to see that Nurse Ratched is not just not maternal or caring, but that she is downright evil. Then, the description of the nurse changes, as she puts on her face for the people of the ward who might view her. It is obvious that she puts on a facade for people, as she does not want the world to view who she really is. When the other patients come out from their rooms to investigate what the commotion is, she immediately puts on her facade of sweetness - â€Å"smiling and calm and cold as usual† (Kesey, 1962, p. 5). Her actual physical features are very feminine - â€Å"face is smooth, calculated, and precision-made, like an expensive baby doll, skin like flesh-colored enamel, blend of white and cream and baby-blue eyes, small nose, pink little nostrils – everything working together except the color on her lips and fingernails, and the size of her bosom† (Kesey, 1962, p. 5). In other words, what the Chief perceived before – the nurse as big as a tractor, with arms long enough to wrap around the men six times, etc. - that represented the nurse's true self, which is that of the castrating female. The outward appearance, on the other hand, represents the face that she puts to the world, which is that of a feminine woman who is not controlling, authoritative or castrating. Like a sucubus, the mythical beautiful woman who may harm or kill men through their seductive ways, Nurse Ratched hides her true demon under a facade of beauty, which makes her all the more insi dious and all the more likely to be successful in castrating men. Her allure is on the outside, while her demonic side is on the inside. The power struggle with McMurphy represents the struggle with a man that she essentially cannot castrate, and this leads not only to her undoing, but McMurphy. Ratched has effectively neutered every other man who is under her umbrella of power, so that they do what she says, but McMurphy is different. He is different from the time that he presented himself into the ward - â€Å"

Shakespearian and Spenserian Essay Example for Free

Shakespearian and Spenserian Essay Sonnets are poems about different types of love, they are about, romantic love, were the love is equal, both partners love one another, unrequited love where the love is only one sided, you love someone but they do not desire you in the same way, and then there is bereavement, when you are grieving the death of a loved one. The poets who write these sonnets try to explain the impossible, what is love? By expressing what they feel for their partner on paper, whether it be exaggerated or just honest. But in order for us to recognise what these poets are trying to express, they use similes, images and symbols so the readers can relate to what the poets are trying to say. Sonnets have a rule that they must be fourteen lines long. There are three different types of sonnets, Petrarchan, Shakespearian and Spenserian, and they have different structures, for example Petrarchan sonnets have an Octet Sestet structure with Octet being the first eight lines on the first idea and the Sestet being the last six lines on a variation on the first idea, while Shakespearean and Spenserian sonnets have a Quatrain Quatrain Quatrain Couplet structure, the first four lines on the first idea, four lines on second idea, four lines on development of previous idea and the two line Conclusion. Also the sonnets have a rhyming scheme in which Shakespearean sonnets are written as ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, Spenserian is written ABAB BCBC CDCD EE and Petrarchan has an ABBAABBA CDCDCD, though the Petrarchan rhyming scheme isnt always CDCDCD but can have a regular pattern CDCDEE. The Garden of Beauty is written by Edmund Spenser, in which he compares his lovers beauty to nature, and says that she is far greater than anything he has ever seen. Spenser has compared his lover to flowers like roses and lilies Her ruddy cheeks like unto roses red his telling us that his lovers cheeks are as red as roses, he also goes on to say Her breasts like lilies ere their leaves be shed her breasts are as white as lilies and Her lips did smell like unto gilliflowers that her lips are sweeter than flowers. Spencer then ends his statement that she is more beautiful than nature itself, that she is perfect. However in sonnet Sonnet130 one of Shakespeares is the complete opposite to The Garden of Beauty because Shakespeare does not exaggerate the truth of his lovers beauty, but instead is more honest about her looks but says that he still loves her. Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks If hair be wires, black wires grow on her head he says her breath is not as sweet as any perfume, and her hair is not smooth but is like wire but then he concludes his sonnet to say And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As she belied with false compare he is saying he loves her for who she is and that his love is true that he is not blinded by false compare. Surprised by Joy was inspired by the death of William Wordsworths daughters death, he is grieving her death and trying to come to terms with it Knowing my hearts best treasure was no more he calls her his heart, she was his most treasured joy and now she is gone, he is finding it hard to accept, he is finding it impossible to be happy when the thing that makes him happiest most is gone. He feels guilt because he was being happy for once, and he had forgotten his heart, but then he remembers and punishes himself for doing so, in a twisted sort of way he gets pleasure for feeling guilty, a guilty pleasure as if punishing himself is the right thing to do, as if it would be what his daughter would want him to be doing for him to never experience happiness again. In Remember Rossetti says that she would rather people forget and be happy and to enjoy them selves rather than to remember and have a frown upon their face Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad she just wants everyone to be happy and move on with their lives and not stay in one place and be miserable with sad memories. The sonnet I prefer is Remember for the simple fact that it is true to forget once in a while and have a good time than to punish your self. Unrequited love is when you love someone and they do not love you back. The red and white roses in Red and White Roses by Thomas Carew represent, the passion and the coldness, the red rose for the passion he feels for his love and the white rose represents to coldness his love interest has towards him. The fire and ice in My Love is Like Fire to Ice also represents the passion and coldness, the fire is the passion like the red rose and the coldness is the ice like the white rose. The fire and ice expression is more effective than the red rose and white rose because the fire is not extinguished by the ice not is the ice melted by the fire, in fact it seems the more she rejects Spenser he the more he wants her his fire only grows with the ice. Such is the power of love in gentle mind, That it can alter all the course of kind he is saying his love for her is breaks the laws of nature and is stronger than any science. My favourite sonnet overall is the Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare because although it is honest, Shakespeare Is too honest in that it becomes kind of comedic in the way that he loves his lover even if she is not perfect in beauty but is perfect in mind.

Guilded Age :: essays research papers

There are many different views on whether or not business should be regulated during the Guilded Age. The rich who controlled the government at the time were against any kind of regulation of business. They wanted one hundred percent capitalism. The workers on the other hand wanted the business to be regulated, and the legalization of unions. I am going to support the ideas of the business owners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many wealthy business owners who believed in the gospel of wealth. This was the idea that God made the rich rich and the poor poor. This was a common thought process of the Guilded Age. Andrew Carnegie was a major follower of this thought. This is shown in his speech â€Å"Wealth.† In this speech he says that rich and poor are necessary for the race. It also describes how it is survival of the fittest. The ideas of the gospel of wealth are a scary concept today. If you look at it with a revisionist viewpoint the idea that rich are rich because God said so leaves us open for so much discrimination. The thoughts of this time were not able to see this, and the business owners wanted to keep the power in their hands. Document E also has a touch gospel of wealth in it. It talks about a preacher telling his parishioners to go out and make money. It says that it is the person’s job to go out and become rich. It also talks about how the rich are the most honest of all people. That because they have money you are the least likely to lie because you don’t have too. Many people of the era said that the money would be there even if the rich weren’t there, but Document G contradicts this idea.

Grace Nichols Essay

In the poem by Grace Nichols ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘Realities’ of black women’, this poem contains certain splits which reflect upon her experience as an immigrant moving from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom and how she collaborates her two worlds together, by using both Creole, the language from her homeland and Standard English. She resists the notions of the black women in a contemporary society through her poetry and is rather fond of her Caribbean heritage and also still being proud of her European custom and seeing it as belonging to her. This space ‘in between’ of being a writer between two worlds, are all geographical, cultural and personal and there is a split that is caused not only by physical migration but by the adoption of new cultural customs, and the personal rifts of identity and agency. Grace Nichols strived to find her voice in London to write about her homeland Guyana, and the pressing issues of bla ck women ideologies. She strives to be true to the inner language of her voice by fighting against these dogmas that conflictingly were being imposed from the colonial power that is her current homeland, the United Kingdom and she achieves this by creating something new. In her poem ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘Realities’ of black women’ she defeats the black women stereotypes by refusing the historical legacy of the grotesque and patronizing colonial structures of the black women and the black women as ‘frail victims.’ 1 She gets this message across in the poem when she states: â€Å"Maybe this poem is to say, that I like to see we black women full-of-we-selves walking Crushing out with each dancing step the twisted self-negating history we’ve inherited Crushing out with each dancing step,†2 this is a split that is caused by the physical migration into a colonial country and her need to express the issue caused by colonial powers. Fortunately, by being a black British writer, her voice is heard much greater by those with fixed ideologies of black women. And, additionally she signifies that she has not lost her roots and the Caribbean blood still pumps within her veins, she continues to be the voice of her ancestors. In the essay by Stuart Hall, ‘Cultural Identity and Diaspora’ he states that identity is seen through visual arts and cinemas are â€Å"resources of resistance and identity, with which to confront the fragmented and pathological ways in which that experience has been reconstructed within the dominant regimes of cinematic and visual representation of the West.† 3  Hence a poem that wants to achieve this requires the experience to tell it. He is also implying that people of the diaspora need to take back their identity as it has been told for too long through the dominant cinema. Thus, Nichols’s splits of geographical displacement have had a profound impact on her writing across two worlds and she has a strong sense of agency, to be able to go against the norms of her current geographical content and speak out to those ideologies influenced by dominate powers and the â€Å"abused stereotypes already in their head.† 4 Referring to the Western systems, the tone in this poem portrays the ignorance of the West. Not only has her diaspora caused geographical splits in her literature but also produced cultural splits. Nichols expresses a diversity of cultural experiences of her migration to Britain and the constant intervention of a black British identity. Her poem signifies the split of cultural identity, we can see this within her writing on her experience, in the opening lines of the poem she states â€Å"Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘Realities’ of black women†5 we get the idea that the industry requests her to write poems about what they assume the black women to be. Thus, asking her to subscribe to those cultural norms, however Nichols resists this request by saying â€Å"I say I can write no poem big enough to hold the essence of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman.†6 Nichols’s message is apparent here, that there is no fixed label of a black woman and that the ‘black women’ comes in many different forms not one specific shape. By doing so she challenges the concept of the basic racial or gendered identity. The ‘Green women’7 is used by Nichols to show the significance of color, that it is not necessarily about black and white but more focused on woman in general, that the focus should not be on the color of skin. Hall states that, â€Å"We all write and speak from a particular place and time, from a history and a culture which is specific. What we say is always ‘in context’, positioned.†8 Nichols’s separation from her homeland encourages her to resist the norms of the West and to use her experience and her new cultural knowledge of her new custom to confront the so called experience of the black women that has been reconstructed by the West through cinematic and visual representations. She finds her identity as a black British writer and also uses her multicultural identity, along side with her diaspora experience to her advantage to articulate herself and represent her  image as an authentic writer with strong agency. Nichols embraces the noti on of split selves and her multicultural identity and it is evident in her poem when she mixes her mother tongue, Creole, her foreign tongue and Standard English. We capture this essence in line 39-41 â€Å" a piece-a-pussy/ that see the pickney dem/ in the grip-a-hungry-belly†9 she uses a mixture of both Creole and English to send her message across that she will always remain true to her traditions and that she is reclaiming her heritage whilst respectively passing on the legacy. These two languages were constantly interacting and Creole was considered as the inferior language by the colonial power, thus she deliberately uses Creole in her work to defy hierarchical systems and her sense of agency is manifest. Furthermore, Nichols’ personal rifts from her diaspora have left her with an endless desire to return to her lost origins, she scarcely achieves this through her poetry â€Å"and yes we cut bush to clear paths for our children and yes we throw spat to catch whale.†10 She shifts between two identities, therefore one cannot say that identities are stable but rather that â€Å"diaspora identities are those which are c onstantly producing and reproducing themselves anew, through transformation and difference.† Nichols is a writer across two worlds as she is constantly interacting between her past Caribbean culture, and her present British culture, she finds common ground between both. Therefore, her personal rifts of yearning, separation and nostalgia are also what characterize her diaspora experience in her poem. Grace Nichols’s geographical, cultural and personal rifts are what depict her diaspora literature, from physically moving to London from the Caribbean and finding her voice in a place where they are considered a minority, toward learning to conform and adapt to the new cultural values and norms of the British. Whilst, at the same time remembering your motherland’s traditions and values. We do not lose the sense that she is a Caribbean writer throughout her poem â€Å"Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘Realities’ of black women†, because she fuses Creole and English together to form her new identity as a black British writer. I relate to her experience, as I too am a person in between two worlds, straddling two cultures and I too have desires for my motherland Iraq, and the stereotypes of our culture forces one to find a ‘space in between’ to discover an identity suitable in both worlds. Her poem has a sense of hope and delight that one of a diaspora  identity can explore and is free to be more than one person, that the black women is a myth, although black women are still exposed to slavery, their courage may lead to a promising future. Bibliography Hall, Stuart. â€Å"Cultural identity and diaspora.† Identity: Community, Culture, Difference. Ed. Jonathan Rutherford. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1990. 222-237. Nichols, Grace. â€Å"Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘Realities’ of black women† Lazy Thoughts of a Lazy Woman. London: Virago, 1989.

Memoirs of a Geisha Book and Movie Analysis Essay

I. Introduction Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup, and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men’s solicitude and the money that goes with it. In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl’s virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction—at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful—and completely unforgettable. II. Comparison and Contrast After reading a lot of positive critique about the novel, I bought a copy and read it eagerly the moment I took hold of it. I’ve seen the movie long before I read the book. It was the movie that captured my interest and based on my experience, the books are always better than the movie, except for The DaVinci Code which I think, doesn’t have any difference with the book, that’s why I decided that it is a must to read the novel. The characters were vividly described. I was carried away by the emotions of the characters especially Nitta Sayuri, who was at the beginning, known as Chiyo, the girl from a poor coastal town who was sold to an okiya to be trained to become a geisha. It was focused on how a geisha is trained, about the life of a geisha. I always felt myself controlling my emotions especially on trying sequences in the novel. I was controlling my emotions just how Sayuri did, the way a geisha should. The character of Hatsumomo, on the other hand, made me feel mixed emotions. I was angry because of her cruelty to a helpless child but I also pity her because she knows that this very young helpless girl can eat her alive if she will get proper training as a geisha. The first real kindness that she experienced from the â€Å"Chairman† touched her deeply and gave her hope, a sense of purpose which vanished totally after she failed to meet her older sister when they planned to runaway and go back to their home. The book showed me that geishas are not prostitutes. They are well-trained, professional entertainers and although they, most of the time, manipulate men’s emotion for their own welfare, they know where their stand and that those men’s money were reciprocated by services enough that they don’t mind spending them. Communities depended greatly on Geishas, not directly but through the income they get from how the Geisha’s business operates. The book made me understand how hard it is to be a Geisha, how a woman gives her virginity to the highest bidder and how loving does not have a space in a woman’s life if she really want to succeed in her career. The movie did not do much explaining as the book but it was good. It did not show how meticulous it is to tie an obi. I did not feel overwhelmed by the dance scene as I felt reading how it was described in the book. They also changed how Hatsumomo left. In the book, she got so angry on a client that she bit him and after that, she was kicked out of the okiya but in the movie, she burned their okiya. I think it was a major turning point and should not be changed. It was also mentioned in the book how it felt strange when Hatsumomo was not living there in their okiya anymore. It was a good chance to play at the emotions of the viewers. But there were good things about the movie such as perfect soundtrack which carried on the mood and emphasized the emotions felt in different scenes, the casting was perfect although I would have chosen a prettier Mameha, and the colors were vivid, and some scenes made me go through the same emotions again as when I read it in the book such as the distant romance between the Chairman and Sayuri. I would also like it better if it was shown in the movie how the Chairman became Sayuri’s danna and that the two of them moved to NYC and Sayuri decided to put up her own teahouse there. III. Reaction The movie is a great supplement for the book. It was good by itself but reading the book will make you understand more, not only about being a Geisha but the culture in China, the complexity of the difference in economic status, the traditions that remained well-kept, and the depth of the kind of relationship that Sayuri and the Chairman had. The characters were well presented in the books as well as the settings and scenes. I love reading and I don’t get easily bored with books but it is also rare that I feel heavy in the chest to just put a book down. â€Å"Memoirs of a Geisha† is one of my favorite novels and although the movie did not make it to my list, it is a must-see if you read the novel. It would be much better if you read the book first because the movie will just help you visualize although that would not be needed because everything was vividly described by Arthur Golden in the novel the same way Rob Marshall precisely recreated the scenes that preserved the novel’s beautiful tragedy.

Tupac Amaru Shakur essays

Tupac Amaru Shakur essays There are many obstacles that this great African American man has defeated and conquered. This thug lays down for no one and has been a sign of courage to just not only me but to many other African Americans and colored people around the world. Tupac is an icon to the music world but to me, a lyrical genius that knows how to work this specific formula of voicing out what you have to say plus using your own points of views and past encounters in his music. Tupac has taught me to be strong and to never back down. The year of 1991 is when the voice of Tupac was first heard and is also the time that gangsta rap was just beginning. Tupacs only intent was to show the world his poetry in the form of music. Tupac raps about the street life, being a thug, selling drugs to get by, and basically doing what you have to do to get by in the ghetto world that he lived in. His music is inspiration to not only me but to lower economically challenged people, especially young teenagers, both boys and girls, and to gangsters around the United States of America. Some of his songs like Baby Dont Cry, Keep Yo Head Up, and Dear Mama deal with teenagers that hate their personal world because of where they are or who they messed with. These songs tell you that everyday may be hard and you got to do what you have to do to get by, but in reality, life does get better, and with each better day brings a new happiness. Songs like California Love and War Stories tell you about his love of his ghetto home and his past dealings with his hard fought life with the gang members in his teenage years. All in all Tupacs music has shown that shining yellow ray of hope to his people and to people that have no hope in general, no matter what shape of trouble they are in. Tupac is a personal hero of mine because he is a mix of two very important people that have battled for the...

Biography of Cotton Mather, Clergyman and Scientist

Biography of Cotton Mather, Clergyman and Scientist Cotton Mather was a Puritan clergyman in Massachusetts known for his scientific studies and literary works, as wells as for the peripheral role he played in the witchcraft trials at Salem. He was a highly influential figure in early America. As a leading scientific mind of his day, Mather was one of only two colonial Americans (the other being Benjamin Franklin) admitted to the prestigious Royal Society of London. Yet as a theologian, he also believed in non-scientific ideas, in particular the existence of witchcraft. Fast Facts: Cotton Mather Known For: Early American Puritan clergyman, scientist, and influential authorBorn: March 19, 1663 in Boston, MassachusettsDied: February 13, 1728, age 65Education: Harvard College, graduated 1678, received masters degree 1681Key Accomplishments: One of two American scientists named to prestigious Royal Society of London. Author of hundreds of works, ranging from pamphlets to massive works of scholarship and history. Early Life Cotton Mather was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 19, 1663. His father was Increase Mather, a prominent citizen of Boston and a noted scholar who served as the president of Harvard College from 1685 to 1701. As a boy, Cotton Mather was well educated, learning Latin and Greek, and was admitted to Harvard at the age of 12. He studied Hebrew and the sciences, and after receiving a degree at the age of 16, intended to pursue a career in medicine. At 19 he received a master’s degree, and he remained involved in the administration of Harvard for the rest of his life (though he was disappointed to never be asked to serve as its president). His personal life was marked by recurring tragedies. He had three marriages. His first two wives died, his third went insane. He and his wives had a total of 15 children, but only six lived to be adults, and of those only two outlived Mather. Minister In 1685 Cotton Mather was ordained in the Second Church in Boston. It was a prestigious institution in the city, and Mather became its pastor. From the pulpit his words carried weight, and he thus had considerable political power in Massachusetts. He was known to have opinions on just about any issues, and was not shy about expressing them. Title page of Cotton Mathers The Wonders of the Invisible World, a book on witchcraft.   Library of Congress / Getty Images When the notorious trials of accused witches began in Salem in the winter of 1692-93, Cotton Mather approved of them, and by some interpretations actively encouraged them. Eventually, 19 people were executed and many more jailed. In 1693 Mather wrote a book, Wonders of the Invisible World, which made the case for the supernatural, and seemed to be a justification for the events at Salem. Mather later recanted his views on the witch trials, eventually considering them to have been excessive and unjustified. Scientist Mather had a deep interest in science since his childhood, and as books about discoveries by scientists in Europe reached America, he devoured them. He also corresponded with scientific authorities in Europe, and though positioned in the American colonies, he managed to stay up to date with the works of men such as Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle. Over the course of his life, Mather wrote about scientific subjects including botany, astronomy, fossils, and medicine. He became an authority on common diseases, including scurvy, measles, fevers, and smallpox. One of the major contributions Cotton Mather made to science in early America was his support for the concept of vaccinations. He was attacked and threatened for advocating that the public receive vaccinations for smallpox (a disease which had killed some of his children). By 1720, he was the foremost American authority on vaccinations. Author Mather possessed boundless energy as a writer, and over the course of his life he published hundreds of works, ranging from pamphlets to hefty books of scholarship. Perhaps his most significant written work was Magnalia Christi Americana, published in 1702, which chronicled the history of the Puritans in New England from 1620 to 1698. The book also serves as something of a history of the Massachusetts colony, and it became a cherished and widely read book in early America. (The copy owned by John Adams can be viewed online.) Title page of Magnalia Christi Americana, by Cotton Mather. Cotton Mather / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons   His writings show his typical wide range of interests. A book of essays, Political Fables, was published in 1692; Psalterium Americanum, a work in which he set the psalms to music, was published in 1718; and The Angel of Bethesda, a medical manual, was published in 1722. Bonifacius, Or Essays to Do Good, which Mather published in 1718, gave practical advice for doing good works. Benjamin Franklin credited the book as having influenced him as a youth. Legacy Cotton Mather died February 13, 1728, at the age of 65. By creating so many written works, Mather left an enduring legacy. He inspired Benjamin Franklin, who pursued simultaneous careers as writer, scientist, and political activist. And later American writers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne all acknowledged debts to Cotton Mather. Sources: Cotton Mather. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 10, Gale, 2004, pp. 330-332. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Mather, Cotton. Colonial America Reference Library, edited by Peggy Saari and Julie L. Carnagie, vol. 4: Biographies: Volume 2, UXL, 2000, pp. 206-212. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Comparison Between Macroeconomic and Microeconomic Essay

Comparison Between Macroeconomic and Microeconomic - Essay Example Macroeconomics also analyses some sub aggregates like spending on consumptions and investments and their components. These are also treated to be the components of GDP or Gross Domestic Product. The effect of fiscal as well as monetary policy is under the purview of macroeconomics. It can be characterized as modeling of sectors on the basis of some micro components. The factors that can shed its impact on the long term growth prospects as well as can affect the level of national income fall under the domain of macroeconomics. The factors that have such kind of potential include modifications in technology, the rate of capital accumulation and augmentation of the labor force (Cencini, 2005, p. 2). The models of macroeconomics can be used to find out the trends in some specific sector and forecast or anticipate the future results. These forecasted results determined using those models are used by the government as well as for the large ownership corporations as this kind of analysis wi ll help them in their path of development and build new strategies of business that suites their purpose. Some of the famous macroeconomic models include Aggregate demand, the Aggregate supply model and the ISLM model. The once divided fields of monetary policy and the business cycles led to the emergence of macroeconomics. The contribution of J.M. Keynes to macroeconomics cannot be ignored. His book â€Å"General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money† depicts the key concepts of macroeconomics. He offered a modern theory of economics which dealt with the problem on why the market is not clear and eventually a school of economists evolved who seemed to follow the Keynesian theory (Andolfatto, 2005, p. 2). Microeconomics deals with the basic elements in the economy. The households and the firms are treated to be the agents involved in the circle of microeconomics.

Molecular basis of aging in relation to fertility Essay

Molecular basis of aging in relation to fertility - Essay Example Aging is defined as â€Å"a progressive, time-dependent deterioration of an organism’s capacity to respond to environmental changes, which ultimately makes it susceptible to death† (Allen and Balin 4). It is a widely-accepted idea that aging is a natural process that occurs in all living organisms. Since the process of aging most likely would be affecting an organism’s overall body functions, it would also greatly affect its capacity to reproduce, eventually leading to a decrease or the loss of fertility of the said organism (Liu and Case 1169). At present, there are numerous links between chromosomal and DNA damage not just to the aging process of an organism but also on fertility. A female’s capacity to conceive and give birth, or a male’s capability to contribute in conceiving a child is called fertility (Masoro 161). In order to proliferate the species well into numerous and succeeding generations, organisms must be able to produce as much offsp ring as possible that are able to adapt to the current environment that they live on. For that to happen, the process called natural selection takes place (Torday and Rehan 12). Also, the energy that flows within the organism is appropriated in such a way that during the process of reproduction, most of the energy from the consumption of food is distributed to the body’s reproductive systems, mostly to the rapidly-dividing cells called the gametes. However, once the organism starts the process of aging, the energy being exerted for reproduction is reduced and more focus is given to the maintenance of the organism’s body, especially when there is the presence of a rapid breakdown of cells as well as the decline of cell-to-cell communication within the systems and organs (13). Not only is the production of cells affected by aging, but also the process of DNA replication and repair as well. Due to the proliferation of damaged DNA especially in the sex cells of the organis m, it would eventually contribute to the creation of deformed or dysfunctional oocytes or spermatozoa that would eventually be the cause of the loss of reproductive capability or infertility among aging organisms (Sikka 78). Among pregnant women, the imbalance of antioxidants and pro-oxidants may result to oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could affect DNA production when in excess, or affect cell-signaling pathways when deficient (Dupont, Cordier and Junien 25). Also, due to the age-associated decline of female fertility can be attributed to the abnormalities found in the oocytes themselves. Due to the abnormalities in the folding of the DNA and eventually, the abnormalities in the alignment of the chromosomes during meiosis and diakinesis which can be attributed to the mutations in the microtubules, preimplantation of embryos or aneuploidy in the fertilized egg may cause spontaneous abortions among older pregnant females (The Practice Committee of the Am erican Society for Reproductive Medicine (PCASRM) 248). Male fertility is also greatly affected by ROS, wherein the spermatozoa membranes would be highly-susceptible to oxygen damage due to the peroxidation of lipid membranes, damaging the sperm and rendering them incapable of fertilizing the ovum (Sikka 78). Also, the presence of errors in the DNA called nicks could also contribute to male infertility due to loosely-packed DNA and chromatin disorganization (Sakkas, Urner and Bizzaro 11). These nicks may be attributed to age-induced DNA

Summary of complexity and contradition in architecture Essay

Summary of complexity and contradition in architecture - Essay Example This is because Venturi’s main argument stated that natural rules to the entire architectural domain are able to be realized through rational thinking (Venturi & Museum of Modern Art, 2007). Venturi uses political interest and debates that arose from the enlightenment of philosophers. Optimism is the greatest concern expressed by Venturi  in this text claiming, â€Å"Everything is for the best in all possible worlds.† Therefore, despite all the hardships that Venturi  goes through, he believes in God’s proclamation and trust in him sees his dream come true at the end. The expressive nature is in a reductively simplified version of the philosopher’s whom Venturi  went to seek advice from when overwhelm about his true destiny. Even Venturi  endures disappointment of his previous feelings about successfully overcoming the stress he was enduring. The architecture employed in Venturi’s argument was a vast asset for fostering the American intellect and administrating the state and republic. According to Venturi’s argument, Monticello will be grounded on the limitless liberty of humanity. He also thought that a reasonable system of or der administrated the natural world, and by applying scientific policies, man’s condition could be greatly

Samurais Values In The Tale Of Genji English Literature Essay

Samurais Values In The Tale Of Genji English Literature Essay The Tale of Genji is one of the greatest works in Japanese and world literature. It was created at the turn of X-XI centuries, in the era of rapid formation and flowering of Japanese culture.  Its author was a lady, known as Murasaki Shikibu. This books tells about the life of that period in Japan, having some historical incidents, including the life and traditions of samurai. It tells about the life of  Genji, a son of the  Japanese emperor, also known as Hikaru Genji. The tale concentrates on his romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time. Genjis was a well known man, respected and honorable, and also a good looking. His most important personality trait is the loyalty, the trait he shows to all the women in his life. Once Genji found a house on Gojo, over the roof of which he saw a green vine, with beautiful white flowers called yugao the twilight beauty. Soon Genji got acquainted with the lady of the house, they fell in love with each other, and he visited her every night. However, their happiness did not last long, as an evil spirit possessed Yugao and she suddenly died. Genji was so upset, he blamed himself for the death of his love. There is no telling how depressed and disappointed he was!. ( Puette, William J, 78) At the same time he kept everything in a secret, not to let anybody know what had happened, as it was a question of his reputation. With the help of Koremitsu, his confident, Yugaos funeral was held secretly, but with all due respect. One evening, one of Yugaos servant ladies Ukon told Genji who her mistress really was. Although she had blue blood in her veins, Yugao lost her parents when she was little. So shy and humble was Yugao that she would hide everything behind her sorrowful smiles. But her memories would never perish from Genjis heart. It is important to point out, that the main character was a samurai, so he had certain values. An outlook of Samurai Bushido is the unwritten code of conduct of Samurai in the society, it is a set of rules and norms of the true ideal of a warrior. Bushido means the way of the samurai, the warrior, in addition the word is also translated as duty, morality. Thus, bushido is samurai morality, virtue, moral and ethical code. Bushido is a practical morality, samurai believed it is method of improving mental and physical health.   Bushido was designed to teach proper life in feudal Japanese society.  It combined  a theory of existence and the study of the human psyche, and solved issues related to the notion of the essence of the individual, its role in the world,   meaning of life, good and evil, moral values and moral ideal. Samurai was keenly aware  of their moral duty, in particular their personal responsibilities in relation to overlord, had to assess their own actions and deeds,  morally condemn themselves if misconduct, breach of duty.( Puette, William J, 145) The main value of samurai, first of all, was loyalty to overlord, expressed in service to overlord, to be of service is to put another above yourself. Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person or cause. It relied the provisions of loyalty, drawn from Shinto, Buddhist belief in impermanence of all earthly things, which strengthened from a samurai spirit of sacrifice and do not fear death, and philosophy of Confucianism, which made loyalty of the first virtue. Near loyalty was the principle of duty. (Shirane, 45) One of the key value of Samurai was personal courage, unbending courage. True courage is to live, when lawfully to live, and die when lawfully to die. Samurai should go to the death with a clear consciousness of what to do and that is not worth his dignity. The sense of honor is also very important. The consciousness of self-esteem is brought up in Samurai from childhood.  Warriors strictly guarded their good name, a sense of shame was for the samurai hardest.  We can see at in the book, while Genji always behaved with sense of honor, he said : I should weigh every word and always ask myself, is it true that Im going to say. Also Genji was polite with women, he showed his good attitude and manners to all the women in his life, as he never abandoned any of them.  He had  the true goodness of the mind and spirit, the unbiased kindness to do good. Honor and glory valued higher than life for samurai, . In all his actions samurai was supposed to come from considerations of the higher justice and fairness. A true samurai had only one judge of his honor himself, as you cannot hide from yourself. It is important to point out such value as the Wisdom of Honesty, as honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthfully, related to truth as a value, and Genji tried to be honest, and first of all with himself. So The Tale of Genji is one of the greatest works in Japanese literature, as it truly depicts life and traditions of samurai in that time. The tale of Genji shows socio-philosophical traditions of the society, it is devoted to samurai tradition, existed for thousands of years.  Those looking fierce and tough warriors, ready at any time to resort to his sharp shiny swords, were stern and ascetic life, full of inner discipline and poetry. Their whole life comes down to, to die with dignity, while maintaining their honor. Their world is based on honor, generosity, service, courage, sacrifice and a highly developed culture. Love theme is reflected very touching in the book, and sad heartfelt poetry with oriental motifs emphasizes the dramatic, romantic atmosphere and a samurai love theme of the book. Feel the deep meaning, a philosophy, and enjoy the overall beauty of the book, and also learn a lot from the eastern people patience, generosity, diligence, discipline, ability to appreciate every moment of life lived Work cited: Puette, William J.  Guide to the Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. Rutland, (1983) Shirane, Haruo.  Envisioning the Tale of Genji: Media, Gender, and Cultural Production. New York: Columbia University Press(2008) Morris, Ivan.  The World of the Shining Prince. New York, 1994. Mostow, Joshua S. Picturing   The Tale of Genji.  The Journal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese.  April 1999. (1-25)

The Louisiana Purchase :: essays research papers

The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of the French province of Louisiana by the United States in 1803. The province stretched from the Mississippi River westward to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico northward to Canada, covering an area equal to that of the United States, prior to the purchase. Except for the Mississippi River on the east and Canada on the north, the boundaries were indefinite. The United States also claimed West Florida between the Mississippi and Perdido rivers as part of the purchase, but Spain denied the claim. As a result of the purchase, the port of New Orleans and the entire Mississippi system were secured for American shippers, and the country was free to expand toward the Pacific Ocean. The price wa $15,000,000 for an area of 828,000 square miles (2,145,000 km) - less than 3 cents an acre. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte got Spain to return it by a secret treaty. Napoleon planned a French empire in the New World, with its center at New Orleans. President Jefferson was alert to the dangers of a powerful nation controlling the mouth of the Mississippi. He instructed the American minister to France, Robert R. Livingston, to open negotiations to buy New Orleans and some territory east of the city. A treaty would have to satisfy the financial claims that some United States citizens had against the French government. Finally the French continued to claim that the province still belonged to Spain. Jefferson sent James Monroe to help with the negotiations, and authorized him to spend no more than $10,000,000. Napoleon offered Livingston and Monroe the entire province of Louisiana in a treaty dated April 30, 1803. The American negotiators agreed to pay $11,250,000 to France and $3,750,000 for the French debts to United States citizens. The purchase forced Jefferson to give a broad interpretation to the Constitution, which did not specifically grant authority for acquiring new territory.

Compensation Package Proposal

Compensation is a very important aspect of the employee of a company; it seems important a well-defined compensation package is in place. â€Å"Compensation involves direct cash payments, indirect payments in the form of employee benefits, and incentives to motivate employees to strive for higher levels of productivity. † (Cascio, 2010, p. 413) It seems a compensation package will be different for each different career type but must always meet the needs of the employees and the organization. A proposal for a total compensation package for the information technology employees of Wal-Mart needs to be written.This proposal will include a description of the job group, a salary table for specific positions, a placement policy, benefits packages, and the way the plan is implemented by the organization. Job Group Information Technology Employees Information technology seems to be a field with rapid growth; according to Taylor (2010), careers in the IT world expects to grow 32% by 20 18. It appears every company has some kind of computer related work involved to help the company succeed. â€Å"A strong background in the technical fundamentals of computer science and programming languages like Java, Microsoft.NET, and C++ are obviously important for success in the field. But a creative brain and an ambition to stay updated on the newest advances in the field — whether through books or training — are also key† (Taylor, 2010, para. 4). Information Technology also involves strong communication with others, creativity, the ability to work in a team, and a strong undergraduate background. Although much knowledge is need to succeed in IT, it appears the pay scale and advancement opportunities will pay off.Positions within this area of work include cyber-security, graphic design, technology architects, web page developers, and software engineers. Wal-Mart seems to be in search for technology employees. Technology is use in Wal-Mart to run the global market. Wal-Mart (2012) states that â€Å"[The company] is focused on developing new technologies to transform the way customers’ shop†¦we’re helping to improve operations, back-room systems and Wal-Mart’s world-class logistics network, speeding products to customers across the globe† (para. 1).Wal-Mart’s technology department makes up of 3,500 employees in the United States and 2,000 globally (Wal-Mart, 2012). Wal-Mart (2012) states that a career in the technology department of the company will offer an employee exciting projects, investments in new technology, training, development, and exposure. Wal-Mart seems to offer careers such as Software Quality Engineers, Sr. System Engineers, Software Developers, and Project Managers. Salary Table This salary table is created for the job group and specific positions offered by Wal- Mart.To determine where an employee would fall within the salary category, the guidelines are list below: Minimum- Thi s is the entry level, this means the person fulfills the minimum job requirements. Level A- The employee has the experience and knowledge to master most of the duties in an independent manner. Usually, employees who fall in the Minimum and Level A stage are in their developmental phase because they are still learning. Level B- This employee is highly experience and his or her level of productivity exceeds the job requirements.Employees whose salary fall in an Level A and B are in the maturity phase because they have mastered the skills. Maximum- The employee is continuous producing results that are above the requirements. Employees in the level B and Maximum are in the leadership phase. They have demonstrated superior leadership skills and strong commitment to the organization. ProfileSoftware Quality EngineerMinimumLevel ALevel BMaximum Entry- Level $44,497$49,036$54,023$58,869 Mid- Level$54,498$60,978$68,095$76,144 Senior- Level$70,429$78,825$88,047$96,980ProfileSystems EngineerMi nimumLevel ALevel BMaximum Entry- Level$46, 419$50, 843$55,702$62,267 Mid- Level$56,277$62,815$69,996$77,381 Senior -Level$69,723$77,109$85,221$94,213 ProfileSoftware DevelopersMinimumLevel ALevel BMaximum Entry- Level$41,844$47,393$53,488$59,942 Mid- Level$54,916$62,019$69,821$78,016 Senior- Level$71,549$79,009$87,202$95,965 ProfileProject ManagerMinimumLevel ALevel BMaximum Entry- Level $42,248$50,143$58,815$68,409 Mid- Level$57,560$66,878$77,113$88,150 Senior -Level$70,110$79,759$90,356$102,019 Placement PackagesProper compensation is essential for members, staff, and organization so that it is a field of education and professional title of Employment Placement Specialist. Often times there can be an imbalance of effort in the workplace; qualified candidates need to be met with sufficient recompense. Pay structures can vary by hourly wage, tier, grade, salary or levels. Wal-mart’s employee compensation will be set at hourly rates depending on beginning and intermediate exp erience level and transition to salary for at the junior and senior levels.The range of experience with respect to compensation is as follows Beginner Zero-Two Years of Experience; High School Diploma or GED IntermediateTwo-Five Years of Experience; High School Diploma or GED; previous work experience; on the job experience Junior Five-Ten Years of Experience; High School Diploma or GED; College Degree; previous work experience; on the job experience Senior 10+ Years of Experience; High School Diploma or GED; College Degree Master’s level; previous work experience; on the job experience Compensation ranges will be discussed during interview process.Once a candidate is select, a definite wage will be set for beginning and intermediate positions. For junior and senior level a series of predetermined work related questions, including levels of education, work experiences, and qualifications will determine the salary offered. Employees will receive medical benefits and bonus or m erit packages. Compensation levels and packages will be present to executive staff managers for approval or change, and incorporate necessary changes. In addition communication with HR is necessary for successful implementation and effective monitoring of process along with proper literature.Benefits Package As with any organization, Wal-Mart provides their employees with benefits packages that suit the needs of those who are involve. Some of the most popular benefits are those indirect and not of monetary value the way a salary or hourly pay is. Some of the more popular benefits are insurance, overtime, leave, flexible timing, and retirement. These options are more widely offered because of the long- term benefits of job stability and employee retention. When an employee offers a benefit that they may use in the future or take advantage of more often he or she may be more likely to appreciate his or her position.Perhaps the most important indirect benefit that many people take adva ntage of is insurance. By having coverage through their employer an individual would not have to worry about finding a third party and paying more for health care costs. â€Å"Insurance coverage, for instance, is often terribly expensive, so the company that offers medical and/or life insurance to employees as part of its benefits package is bestowing significant savings on those employees and their families† (Reference for Business, n. d).If Wal-Mart were to offer their full- time employees coverage that was affordable and widely accepted it is believe that many of their employees would have a better experience with their jobs. Although benefit packages, direct or indirect, are offers to employees as a positive incentive they can create obstacles when accepted. For instance, if an employee considers salary, exempt, they are not required to be paid overtime even if he or she has worked the hours. This might cause a problem between the employee and management because he or she are being overwork for no pay.Being paid overtime considers an indirect benefit because many employees, as with Wal-Mart, are not expected to work more than 40 hours a week. This same kind of issue may arise with an employee choosing to use the company insurance, which is a benefit for him or her. They may have needs, not covered in the policy that provides, and still have to pay more out-of- pocket than expected. The best way to avoid issues with indirect compensation is to be sure everything is explain, in writing, to the employee so that the employer is not at risk in the future of acquiring a fair labor law suit brought upon him or her.Wal-Mart should create a detailed benefits package for their employees to read and sign in acknowledgement. This will ensure that everything is understood and that all questions regarding the indirect compensation are asked and addressed appropriately. Conclusion Compensation was once the foremost attraction to a workplace. People traveled the tr aditional roadways of education with the ultimate destination of a first-rate job in their field with best reward.Today with elevated unemployment rates, a world crammed with terrorist, cancer, and other illness invasions, natural disasters, and plain old trigger happy citizens; qualified, unqualified, and over qualified candidates alike are seeking two for the price of one. A job to make ends meet while enjoying life and all its positive proffers. Whatever the reason is necessary that organizations meet the needs of its qualified candidates with fair and appropriate compensation be hourly wage, tier, grade, salary or level. Employees which are fairly compensate perform better in the workplace and in their personal lives. Work is not man's punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure. † –George Sand ? References Cascio, W. (2010). Managing human resources (8th ed. ). New York , NY: McGraw-Hill. Taylor, M. (2010). The wall street journal. Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001 424052748704358904575478133397664058. html Reference for Business (n. d). Employee benefits. Retrieved from http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/small/Di-Eq/Employee-Benefits. html Wal-Mart (2012). Retrieved from http://careers. walmart. com/careers-in-technology/ http://humanresources. about. com

The Blackstone IPO

Q1. What are the built-in tensions with a public private equity firm? How does Blackstone's structure attempt to reconcile them? 1. Transparency (disclosures of financial statements) The reason why investors are willing to let the required rate of return decrease is the lower concerns about asymmetric information due to the disclosures of financial statements. In the past, in order not to be subjected to Investment Company Act of 1940, Blackstone once analyzed its operations and concluded that it was not an investment company.The SEC subsequently reviewed the conclusions and did not object. However, if it goes public, it will face problems such as its financial reporting, which should compliant with the GAAP. Therefore, Blackstone hired Jasvinder Khaira and tried to consider the business scope and to create the best business model. Nevertheless, we think that as an IPO company, Blackstone must fully disclose its financial statements and it is also the must-pay and tradeoff to lower t he costs of capital.This is also the problem that Blackstone couldn't wholly resolve from purely adjusting the financial structure. 2. Risk of employees resigning triggered from the change of compensation package Before going IPO, underwriters raised the concerns from unitholders: ‘though it will bring benefits to the existing LPs as the managing of closed deals from employees, it may also let them neglect the growth of company from developing new deals. ’ Part of carried interests, as proposing closed deals, should be converted into units and withdraw in the coming eight years.As a result, the benefits of both unitholders and employees can be adjusted into the same direction. However, the lock-up eight years of the units will face the volatility risk of stock price, which will also trigger the possibility of resigning trend. Therefore, the management team came up with the idea that the other part of closed deals should be converted into unpaid carried interests, which can be converted into shares immediately without withdrawing in the coming eight years.Then, employees can both care about the benefits of unitholders and LPs. [Note] Additionally, in order to compensate the shares dilution of the existing partners when going public, Blackstone established a pool of unissued shares and kept the shares in the pool at the 15% level of shares outstanding. Whenever employees get promotion in the future, shares will be taken from this pool as rewards and motivation for employees to work hard with the company and lowering the resigning risk. [Note]The risks of professionals resigning mainly come from the following two parts: (i) Locking up for eight years of all carried interests will let them face the volatility risk of stock price and consider of quitting jobs; (ii) If converting all carried interests into units and vested immediately, employees will cash all of them out from the market and quit jobs as well. In order to get the balance, the hybrid way as mentioned above was adopted. 3. Volatility of stock price After going public, stock price will be influenced by not only the disclosure of quarter financial reports but also the macroeconomic environment.It may cause the panic to investors as well. Investors may overweight the short-term performance and ignore the long-term value of the company. Blackstone still targeted on the benefits of Limited Partners, which meant it still cared more about the long-term rather than short-term performance. This investment strategy made its short-term profitability more volatile, which could be explained by the essence of private equity. That is, if there is a significant business/case done in one specific season, the earnings of the season will be much higher that the others. As a consequence, the stock price might volatile significantly.To reassure unitholders who might be disconcerted by the unevenness of private equity returns, and the resulting volatility in the stock price, Blackstone of fered a guaranteed annual dividend of $1. 20 per unit through 2009. The firm would pay more if possible, and the dividend would occur before any distributions were made to other equity owners. As our point of view, though IPO will lead to short-term ups and downs of stock price, it will eventually reflect the real values of the company in the long run, consisting the stock price with its long-term performance.4. Short-term losses from the change of compensation package after going public With the shares vesting in the future, Blackstone expected to face deferred cost approximated $13 billion. It may record significant net losses for a number of years following without paying any interests or dividends hereafter. As a result, Blackstone developed a metric called â€Å"economic net income,† which excluded the impact of income taxes, noncash charges related to the vesting of equity-based compensation, and amortization of intangible assets.By using the economic net income metric, the Blackstone‘s executive team argued that this metric was justified, as the future noncash charges reflected an extraordinary situation, incurred only because of the one-time event of the firm’s listing. Moreover, the stream of income against which these expenses would be offset was uncertain but highly likely to be more than enough to cover these costs. Furthermore, the management team also thought that this $13 billion expenses was based on the extreme assumption that all the employees would not leave their jobs in the coming eight years.If they left the firm before their vesting period was up, they would forfeit unvested shares. Therefore, the current assets were very likely to produce more than enough futures revenues to cover the costs. 5. Two-tiered taxation problem Take limited company as an example, profits taxed at the corporate level and then again at the level of the recipient when paid out as dividends. As a consequence, Blackstone decided to adopt the Ma ster Limited Partnership (MLP) structure.In this way, the taxation at the corporate level can be wiped out and profits will only be taxed at the recipient level based on the units he/she gets. 6. Interference of management If Blackstone had adopted the limited company structure, investors (i. e. , shareholders) would get voting rights and have the chance to influence the company’s strategies. The MLP structure retained the limited partnership form of governance, allowing the existing management tame to continue to run the firm. Unitholders had only limited voting rights and could not elect the general partner or directors.That is, the MLP structure would permit Blackstone a governance structure that resulted in minimal change from that currently in place and minimized its ability to continue to focus on the best interests of the LPs in its investment funds. Therefore, Blackstone can ease the tensions about interference of management and governance after going public. Q2. If y ou were an LP in Blackstone, how would you view the structure Blackstone has put in place to go public? We think that there are some advantages and disadvantages after the changes in corporate structure worthour concerning: Advantages: 1. The Reputation Of The Company A public offering company can easily raise their reputation and earn the investor's awareness, and regular disclosure of financial statement will make the outsider have more comprehensive understanding about how the company operates. Therefore, we can likely receive more cases and stand a leading position in the market. 2. Acquisition Of Cheaper Capital Companies expect the P/E ratio to be around 20 after the public offering, this also implies that you can use 5% interest rate for financing.Comparing with those companies in history with ROI hovering around 30% to 35%, we can earn the significant spreads and increase our capital scale, which also help us win more cases. Disadvantages: 1. Losing Talented People Under the current operation structure, the company can successfully combine employee's effort and pay in the Fee and Carry Interest framework. However, in the open market, professional managers can choose when to sell their own stock shares and it will decrease the incentive that they will do their best for the stockholder's interest.It might also bring to the result with the decline in investment performance and negative influences on the limit partner's interest. 2. Transparency There are quite a few matters required by the government after the company was public offered. While the companies must act in line with a number of related laws and regulations , they may have to comply with these requirements and make adjustments to the company's operations. In addition, the financial statements should also be published to both the public and the competitors. 3. Whether The Management Echelon Is Still Under ControlAfter the public offering of the company, we have to take active shareholder issue into consideration when the investors are selling their shares or executing their right to vote. The company must take the cost of solving problems between the shareholders and the management echelons as well. 4. Still Focus On The Long-term Investment Or Not Since the company has set its orientation as a long-term investment target, will the company adjust their operation strategy to meet those investors who prefer the stock's short-term performance?Q3. Would you rather be a unitholder in Blackstone or a limited partner? As a financial supporter, Limited Partner mainly profit from the performance of the fund handled by the company. Also, Limited Partner would distribute related fee and carry interest, according to the performance of the fund, to the company. On the other hand, Unitholder plays a role similar to that of a stockholder, except that Unitholder has neither the right to participate in direct decision-making, nor the right to vote.Unitholder, however, has the claim to the fee and carry interest, granted by the Limited Partner, of the company. Given the difference between this two roles and the reasons listed below, we'd rather be a limited partner of Blackstone in the short term: 1. Outstanding achievements of Blackstone: Considering that the limited partner's profit is highly dependent on the performance of the fund, compared to the profit of the unitholder, we believe that if we are to directly take part in the excellent returns of Blackstone, our best choice is to become a limited partner instead of a unitholder.Inevitably, the IPO of Blackstone would, in some degree, alter the structure of the company, however, we believe Blackstone, can still retain its operating-flexibilities through modification of policy. Simply put, we think Blackstone possesses the competence to maintain, or even surpass, its current performance, and by becoming its limited partner, we can gain a share of the profit, maximizing the value of our mutuality with Blackstone. 2 . Option of transforming into another formIn terms of the by-laws of Blackstone, a limited partner would be endowed with the right to switch him/herself to a unitholder, even in several years. That is, we can choose to turn ourselves into a unitholder if we'd like to carry our claims with less liquidity risk. This system would grant us the option of transforming ourselves, so is our asset and the risk we'd be bearing in another form. In other words, it would be like holding an option, which offers us the right, but not the obligation to exercise our contract.As a result, we'd be able to manage our asset in a more flexible way than we could otherwise have. Q4. As a potential employee, how do you evaluate the Blackstone compensation package against a commensurate offer from a similar large-scale private equity firm that was not public? With IPO, the stock price will reflect value of Blackstone more efficiently and objectively. The MLP employees of Blackstone can get not only salaries but also carried interests depending on their performance and promotion, which could transfer to units after a lock-up period.This compensation package will encourage their employees to work harder because the value of the units they hold on hand are bounded with the performance of company. Furthermore, the number of employees in Blackstone is fewer than that of similar large-scale equity firm which was not public, the unit’s gain of per employee is larger. Last but not the least, when Blackstone went IPO, not only does it mean that Blackstone would face more regulations than before, it also pointed out that Blackstone, heading to become a well-known public listed company, would face more potential pressure from outside investors.To abide by the regulations of the state, and keep investors’ confidence toward Blackstone, the company itself would be less likely to exploit the right of its employees. If it does any harm to workers under their roof, the negative impression s toward the company would soon be spread around the financial market, causing damages to itself. Hence, by working under the public listed company such as Blackstone, employees could be more confident that their rights and benefits would be partly, if not all, guaranteed. These factors make Blackstone an attractive choice to workers.