Saturday, December 28, 2019

Walt Disney Biography - 2085 Words

[pic] By : Riezditya Andara Rachmad 1040000245 Binus Business School – Applied Finance Walter Elias Disney – Founder of Walt Disney Co. By : Riezditya Andara Rachmad (1040000245) I. Introduction Walter Elias Disney was born on the 5th of December, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. His father Elias Disney was of Irish/Canadian descent and his mother Flora Call Disney was of German/American descent. Walt Disney had three brothers and one sister. The Disney family were raised on a farm in Missouri, USA where the young Walter developed an interest in drawing and trains. The Disney family moved back to Chicago where Walt attended the McKinley High School and took night classes at the Chicago Art Institute. At sixteen years of age Walt†¦show more content†¦But Disney has a spirit and believes that he could make his dream come true. And there were some character he had that brought Disney become big today and it described as below. †¢ Personality of Leadership Walt Disney was a leader who exemplified many leadership capacities throughout his 43-year Hollywood career. He demonstrated a strong moral purpose and worked hard to make a difference in the lives of everyone who had interactions with Walt Disney Productions. His moral convictions were instilled in him by his parents at a young age. Walt was always striving to make people happy. His first priority was always to his family. Although he struggled to balance work and family at times, he was always there for his wife and daughters. Walt also had a strong commitment to his employees. He knew each person by name and insisted that everyone call him Walt. Throughout his life, and since his death, Walt Disney did more to touch the hearts and minds of millions of Americans than any other person in the past century. †¢ Knowledge of the Business After the failure of the Iwwerks-Disney Commercial Artists venture, Walt did not give up and went to Hollywood. Walt realized that creativity and enthusiasm were not enough in the business world and then he went into partnership with his brother Roy and started what would eventually become the Walt Disney Company. His friend and previous business partner Ub Iwerks also came to Los Angeles and playedShow MoreRelatedEntrepreneur Biography - Walt Disney3092 Words   |  13 PagesKenneth Uy 500438690 Entrepreneur’s Biography – Walt Disney Childhood Walter Elias Disney, commonly referred to as Walt Disney, was born on December 5th, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois (Walt Disney Family Museum, 2012). His father Elias Disney was an Irish-Canadian and his mother, Flora Disney, was of German and English descent. His family settled in a village known as Norton Disney in the country of Lincolnshire at the time of birth (Disney, 2000). At the age of four, Disney and his family moved to a farmRead MoreWalt Disney Biography Essay1172 Words   |  5 Pagesimagine a world without Walt Disney. A world without his magic, whimsy, and optimism..†(Brad A.) Well all know Walt Disney as the creator of Mickey Mouse and the man who made the first Disney movies and cartoons famous. Walt Disney did so much more than just make Mickey Mouse. He touched hearts and made a positive impact on so many people’s lives. He also made Disney famous around the world. Today there is Disney themed parks in Hong Kong, Paris, and Tokyo. Along with the famous Di sney Land in CaliforniaRead MoreA Brief Biography of Walt Disney890 Words   |  4 PagesWalt Disney was born in Chicago on December 5, 1901. Because of the violence in Chicago and because it was hard to make money, in 1906 his father Elias Disney purchased forty-eight acres of farmland in Marceline, Missouri. It was northeast of Kansas city. Every single family member was expected to do chores on the farm. Walt was amazed by the ducks, pigs, and hens his dad raised and thought of them as personal friends. The memories of these animals greatly influenced how they were portrayed withRead MoreA Brief Biography of Walt Disney921 Words   |  4 PagesDonald Duck, or Pluto? The man behind all of these characters is Walt Disney. Walt was one of the greatest influences to American entertainment. His childhood abuse and home life led him to pursue a standard of perfection to animation as well as create one of the most well known amusement parks in the world. Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, IL. His interest in art started early on in his life. Disney doodled animals and nature as a child and also sold these sketchesRead MoreWalt Disney Biography Essay1414 Words   |  6 PagesWalt Disney is a legend, a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based on imagination, optimism, creation, and self-made success in America. Walt Disney did more to touch the hearts, minds, and emotions of millions of kids and adults than any other person. He brought us closer to the future, while telling us of the past. It is certain, that there will never be such as great a man, as Walt Disney. Walter Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois. Walt was oneRead MoreWalt Disney Biography Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagestrue, Walt Disney. Disney made a reputation of brilliance and [t]he combination of Disneys desire to try new techniques and his striving to make a better product set him apart from most other animators (Nardo 25). How could anyone forget classics like Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fox and the Hound, the Little Mermaid, and many more all created by Disney? He created a cast of memorable animated and live-action characters that have been forever associated with the Disney nameRead MoreA Brief Biography of Walt Disney702 Words   |  3 Pages ​Walt Disney was more than just the creator of the Disney Company. Walt Disney made theme parks, animations, screenplays, and other businesses. He was a very influential icon in the 1900’s for his works that impacted all walks of life. He had a 64 year life full of glory but eventually he died from chain smoking complications. (He was never seen smoking in public though.) Walt Disney was one of the most influential entertainers in the 1900’s for his numerous awards, his work in popularizing animationRead MoreWalt Disney, a Brief Biography Essay1203 Words   |  5 Pages Walt Disney once said, â€Å"All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.† One man’s dream changed the world. Walt Disney is known worldwide for his ingenuity and creativity. He is also recognized for one of the biggest corporations worldwide. So what has made him stand out? All through Walt’s life, he worked hard to rise above his circumstances, determined never to give up, and above all to never stop dreaming. Walt Disney is among the top most successful businessmen of hisRead MoreWalter Elias Disney Had A Great Impact On American Television And Entertainment All Over The World Essay1138 Words   |  5 Pages Walter Elias Disney had a great impact on American television and entertainment all over the world. Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 just outside of Chicago, Illinois (â€Å"Walt Disney Biography†). Walt Disney moved to Missouri when he was five years old, where he began to develop a love for drawing (â€Å"Walt Disney’s Life†). When Disney was sixteen, he dropped out of school and was sent to France with the American Red Cross (Nix, Elizabeth). In 1919, Disney moved to Kansas City to become a newspaperRead MoreThe Exceptional Life Of Walt Disney1710 Words   |  7 PagesElias Disney â€Å"All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them†- Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney has made one of the greatest impacts in the entertainment industry and popular culture around the world (Walter Elias Disney, 2015). From his most famous creation, Mickey Mouse, to his invention of Disneyland, and to all his achievements made in the movie industry, Walt has changed the world. Few individuals have had the ability to impact the world they way Walt Disney did and

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Integrated Marketing - 3215 Words

Running head: INTEGRATEDMARKETINGSTRATEGY Integrated Marketing Strategy Joey Willoughby OMM615 Integrated Marketing Communications/Advertising/Public Relations and More Instructor: Dr. Janis McFaul September 29, 2014 Integrated Market Strategy Introduction: This research document will encompass an integrated market strategy for the Toyota Tundra. It will embody such descriptives as an overview/executive†¦show more content†¦Toyota encountered voluminous retractions of its vehicles in 2009 due to faulty accelerator problems. This phenomenon resulted in Toyota being scrutinized both inside and outside the organization, and as a direct result has emanated more Herculean in nature from the exigency which was encountered. Toyota has since become more centralized on the consumers and safety issues due to the organization having gone through this particular crisis. The organization’s strong reemergence is also largely due to the prompt and efficient actions of Toyota Motor Company in correcting this problem with the retracted vehicles. This researcher strongly suggests that Toyota continues in its efforts to ensure the utmost in safety, and should an unfortunate perplexity such as the faulty accelerator recur that the respo nd promptly to the problem and take corrective actions to ensure that all faulty vehicles are repaired. A reactive public relations response is also warranted for damage control. Describe the product/service and desired brand image: As an owner of a 2013 Toyota Tundra, this researcher can describe Toyota’s Tundra truck as a (4 door) truck with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It can comfortably seat six and is a V-8 E Flex –fuel vehicle. This vehicle is also four wheel drive. The fuel economy in the city is classed at 13 mpg and on the highway is classed at 18 mpg. Consumer rating on the 2013 Toyota Tundra is 5 star. The intrinsic warranty is quoted as 3Show MoreRelatedIntegrated Marketing Communication1469 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrated Marketing Communication Introduction ‘Integrated marketing communicating is a concept that companies coordinated their marketing communication tools to deliver a clear, consistent, credible and competitive message about the organization and products. The objective is to position product and organizations clearly and distinctively’. (Jobber, 2007) ‘Integrated Marketing Communications†¨(IMC) is a new trend in business planning†¨Ã¢â‚¬â€œ combining different communication instruments suchRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communications1456 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction to Integrated Marketing Communications An Integrated Marketing Communications program is based on the foundation provided by the communication model. IMC programs have been described in several ways; the consensus is to define them as follows: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, and sources within a company into a seamless program that maximizes the impact on consumers and other end users at a minimalRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communication1462 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment : Brand building through an Integrated Marketing Communications program. Topic : A FMCG Brand ( Asian Paints ) [pic] Company Introduction : Asian Paints is India’s largest paint company and Asia’s third largest paint company, with a turnover of Rs 77.06 billion. The group has an enviable reputation in the corporate world for professionalism, fast track growth, and building shareholder equity. Asian Paints operates in 17 countries and has 24 paintRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communication4170 Words   |  17 PagesASSIGNMENT | GLOBAL INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION Assessment for 2009/10 Term 3 Title: Critical Evaluation of Current Marketing Communications Practice Theoretically Underpinned Marketing Communications Plan Selected Retail Organization: Nordstrom Date of Submission: Submitted To: Submitted By: INTRODUCTION Company’s overview Nordstrom is a sophisticated departmental store that offers a pleasant shopping experience to all who step on its floor. Nordstrom’s target marketsRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communications4706 Words   |  19 PagesChapter 1 Integrated Marketing Communications Communication is defined as transmitting, receiving, and processing information. The parts of a communications model are displayed in Figure 1.2. Components that should be discussed include: †¢ Sender—the person(s) attempting to deliver a message or idea. †¢ Encoding processes—the verbal (words, sounds) and nonverbal (gestures, facial expression, posture) cues that the sender utilizes in dispatching the message. †¢ Transmission device—all of the itemsRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communications (1554 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Discussion of the concept Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is highly debatable with many varied views. This paper aims to discuss then main definitions, issues, dimensions benefits and barriers surrounding the concept/process. Definition of IMC The definition of integrated marketing communications continues to evolve and there is no shared agreement or meaning. Duncan and Everett (1993) claimed that it is hard to reach a definition of IMC because it is a process and conceptRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Program1164 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿INTEGRATED MARKETING PROGRAM ASSIGNMENT Background CoverGirl is a leader in the cosmetic market and with consumers. It is the number one consumed cosmetics brand in Canada. According to AC Nielsen, CoverGirl ranks number one cross the key consumer measures; it is the brand in the most number of households, the brand with the highest loyalty and highest purchase frequency. The LashBlast boutique is the number one boutique in the mascara category and accounts for 20% of CoverGirl’s businessRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communication1157 Words   |  5 Pagesyears have contributed to the clutter the world is experiencing today. This has lead marketers to integrate their marketing communication tools in order to break through the barrier of noise and reach the target market, â€Å"marketing overload is forcing corporations to shout even louder† (keller 2001). In 1993 Shultz, Tannenbaum and Lauterborn introduced a new concept called Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). This concept has generated a great interest among academics and practioners, although researchRead MoreIntegrated Marketing Communications757 Words   |  3 PagesïÆ'Ëœ Integrated marketing communication mix helps to coordinate various marketing and promotional tools in order to create efficient marketing strategy. FMCG: ïÆ'Ëœ FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) are the products which are used daily. FMCG products are prone to quick sales and these products are very vulnerable and need quick sales and advertisement. ïÆ'Ëœ As marketing manager of FMCG Company, I would coordinate more with the IMC tools. ïÆ'Ëœ The tools which I will be using are advertising, direct marketing,Read MoreIntegrated Marketing Communication8054 Words   |  33 Pagesco-ordination and cohesion Lynne Eagle, Philip J. Kitchen. European Journal of Marketing. Bradford: 2000. Vol. 34, Iss. 5/6; pg. 667 Abstract (Summary) The concept of integrated marketing communication (IMC) has received considerable coverage in the literature, but even its most ardent supporters have noted problems in translating the concept into reality. Reports on an extensive two-phase study of the New Zealand advertising and marketing industry, undertaken as part of an international series of studies

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Effects Of Social Awkwardness On Students - 1407 Words

Social awkwardness is something that a lot of people have, but is it affected more when a students parents are divorced? This topic is important to know because it shows how students interact with each other and when they meet new people. The purpose of this study was to see if a students would be more socially awkward if their parents are divorced. For my survey, I tested guys and girls ranging from each grade level, so 14- 18 year olds and I allowed anyone to take it, so race wasn’t part of it. I tried to get at least 5 students from each grade, but ended up surveying 26 students. The population was the student body and the sample was the students from each grade level. The survey itself was composed of 12 questions plus age,†¦show more content†¦The two students that put â€Å" other† also live with their mom and one student that put â€Å" no† for the divorce question lives with their dad. Then that leaves the last 18 students live with both parents. For how the students relationship is with their parent or parents is that there two, one who lives with both and one that lives with their mom, that said their relationship was terrible. There was one student that lives with both had said other to their relationship with their parents. Nine students that live with both said that their relationship with their parents was healthy along with two students whose parents who are divorced and one student who said other. The rest of the students had a pretty stable relationship with one or both parents. For when the students have friends over one was annoyed, one was awesome, one was other, two students were nervous, three were happy, five were embarrassed, twelve of them felt fine, and one student felt all of the above plus scared and angry. According to Moira Szilagyi â€Å" During the divorce, schoolwork may seem unimportant to children and adolescents, and school performance often worsens.†, with the results I got, I don’t believe that is fully true. There was one student whose relationship with his parents affected him in a negative way in school (1) , two students, one with divorced parents and one without, have a semi- negative way in school, and the rest of the students have been affected in a neutral (3), semi

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Effect Of Drugs On Juveniles - 961 Words

The Effects of Drugs on Juveniles The growth of juveniles using and selling drugs has expanded tremendously over the years. The use of drugs by juveniles has affected juveniles academically, in relationships, health, and the rise in delinquency. Juveniles experimenting drugs often lead to long term use, and is often used in adulthood. It has been found through studies, that the rise in juveniles and drugs have significantly grown more rapidly than the rise in adults. Crime rates has risen, more children are being admitted into Substance Abuse Treatment Programs due to the use of drugs and it’s very disappointing. Within that growth and expansion, drugs has taken a immoral impact on the juveniles involved. As an individual, drugs can take a tremendous toll on a person, let alone a young and undeveloped youths. Mental health problems such as; depression, development lags, apathy, withdrawal, and other psychosocial dysfunctions frequently are linked to substance abuse among ado lescents (Drug Identification and Testing in the Juvenile Justice System, 1998). Drugs can also affect ones emotional state. Drug abuse can cause juveniles to develop mood swings, depression, anxiety, withdrawal, poor hygiene, missing money, and obtain suicidal thoughts. Drug use by juveniles can create emotional problems which can eventually create behavioral problems. A juvenile who uses drugs habitually are more at risk for social problems; such as social development and violentShow MoreRelatedDrug Abuse And Its Effects On The Criminal Justice System900 Words   |  4 Pagesall of the efforts put fourth in attempting to better educate and stop drug use in America studies show that drug use by juveniles has substantially increased within recent years. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) juveniles as young as eighth grade are using drugs such as marijuana on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most of these juveniles have also experimented with alcohol at this age a s a gateway drug to start using marijuana and so forth. (NIDA) There are many aspects thatRead MoreJuvenile Delinquents and Drug Abuse Essay examples1501 Words   |  7 PagesDoes only the juvenile drinking or drugging up suffer, or do others get involved? The answer is, not only do the users suffer, but so do their family, friends, and the community. However, due to the rise of juveniles becoming involved in substance abuse, the juvenile justice system has resulted in an increased burden. Over the past fifteen years, the fad of drug use among kids has steadily been increasing. Persistent substance abuse among youth is often accompanied by an array of problems, includingRead MoreJuvenile Justice And Juvenile Delinquency1675 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile Justice has been a work in progress from the beginning of the program because of the evolving mentality of the generations. The purpose of Juvenile Justice was to correct the behavior of the juvenile delinquents and rehabilitation through a probationary period monitored by an individual who paid for bail and periodically reported behavior changes to courts. (Mulligan 2009) We do justice to the youth offenders by understanding the history of Juvenile Justice restorative programs, the alternativesRead MoreJuvenile Smoking and Marijuana Use1622 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile Smoking leading to use Marijuana (Research Methods for Criminal Justice) Name: Institution: Abstract Research has found that teenagers who used cigarettes were twelve times more likely to graduate to marijuana use. A similar study conducted by Denise Kandel (1992) revealed that use of marijuana affects dopamine levels in the brain in a similar way to nicotine. Cigarette smoking facilitates consumption of other substances. Smoking cigarettesRead MoreJuvenile Offenders And Juvenile Delinquency1610 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is participation in illegal behavior by minors8. A juvenile delinquent in the United States is a person who is typically under the age of 17 and commits an act that otherwise would have been charged as a crime if they were an adult. Depending on the type and severity of the offense committed, it is possible for persons under 18 to be charged and tried as adults. Juvenile crimes can range from status offenses (such as underage smoking), toRead MoreWhy Marijuana Is The Common Juvenile Crime Performed By The Youth1525 Words   |  7 Pagescommon juvenile crime performed by the youth. Marijuana abuse was ranked to be #6 in their list. Teens are being involved to marijuana use for diverse reasons and this includes poor supervision and communication of parents, family problems, lack of self- discipline, lack of discipline from parents or guardians, and family history of marijuana or drug abuse. Other risk factors would be physical and sexual abuse, emotional problems, curiosity, and peer pressure (GlobalYouthJustice, n.d.). Drugs haveRead MoreJuvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Research Paper718 Words   |  3 Pages 21st Century Treatments for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Lanie Cantrell Kennesaw Mountain Magnet Program 21st Century Treatments for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Introduction Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis is a disease in children 16 years or younger that causes inflamed joints. (Haines, 2007) JIA includes 2 or more of these symptoms; ability of motion is impaired, motion causing pain or tenderness, or increased warmth in a joint and occurring in more than one joint for 6 weeks orRead MoreTeens And The Contrivenation Program In The Juvenile Justice System1138 Words   |  5 Pagesdiversion program and the effectiveness it had in helping drug abusers. They observed 127 clients total, ages 13-17. They found that the diversion program they used with these adolescents was not effective and led to negative self-labels and more deviant behavior. They found that some adolescents that were sent to this program were not heavy drug users and had family issues, but due to the program being drug based it led to the negative self-label of drug abuser. This program didn’t have many restorativeRead MoreUnique Juvenile Situations Faced by Correctional Officers1315 Words   |  6 PagesRUNNING HEAD: UNIQUE SITUATIONS WHEN DEALING WITH JUVENILES Unique Situations When Dealing With Juveniles Corrections Professor Sunshine Richards Juvenile crime rates have been a main concern for law enforcement officials throughout the past several decades. â€Å"Over the past several decades, the number of juvenile arrests have been relatively stable except for increases in juvenile violent crime, as murder arrests for juvenile offenders increased by 93 percent during the 1980s and arrestsRead More Juvenile Crime Essay528 Words   |  3 Pageswith is juvenile crime. The reason experts feel juvenile’s commit crimes is because of risk factors when they were younger but experts still have not found the main reason why juvenile’s commit crimes. Some risk factors associated with juvenile crime are poverty, repeated exposure to violence, drugs, easy access to firearms, unstable family life and family violence, delinquent peer groups, and media violence. Especially the demise of family life, the effect of the media on the juveniles today, and

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Different Types of Leadership Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Review of Different Types of Leadership. Answer: Literature Review According to Nanjundeswaraswamy Swamy (2014), the leaders that lack in supervising the employees falls under the category of Laissez-Faire, as the employees do not provide feedbacks to the leaders. Most of the employees are trained and experienced and know what their responsibilities are within the organization. Zhu et al. (2013) also stated that the leaders also make their decisions based on the feedbacks that they get from the employees, which helps them in controlling the employees so that they can be managed in a better manner in the work place. The autocratic style of leadership as per the author helps the leaders in monitoring the work of the employees. The authors Choi, Kim Kang (2017) have recently stated that the participative style of leadership is best suited for the organization, as the leaders are able to take better decisions based on the feedbacks that are provided by the employees. The decisions that are taken are mainly positive in nature, which helps in boosting t he morale of the employees. The authors were also of the view that transactional style of leadership rewards as well as punish the employees according to the responsibilities that they are carrying out within the organization. The transformational style of leadership according to Zhu et al. (2013) is better, as the leaders focus on a better level of communication, which helps the employees in achieving the goals that are set by the company. These leaders try to motivate the employees on a constant manner by communicating efficiently with them. References Choi, S. B., Kim, K., Kang, S. W. (2017). Effects of transformational and shared leadership styles on employees' perception of team effectiveness.Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal,45(3), 377-386. Nanjundeswaraswamy, T. S., Swamy, D. R. (2014). Leadership styles.Advances in management,7(2), 57. Zhu, W., Newman, A., Miao, Q., Hooke, A. (2013). Revisiting the mediating role of trust in transformational leadership effects: Do different types of trust make a difference?.The Leadership Quarterly,24(1), 94-105.

Monday, December 9, 2019

So Much to Tell You free essay sample

So Much to Tell You – Exposition The author, John Marsden, of the novel ‘So Much to Tell You’, definitely explores the concepts of growth and change. These concepts are illustrated through the main character, Marina, who transforms from an antisocial girl suffering from ‘anorexia of speech’ to a more self-assured and happier, outgoing character. Marina’s development highlights her growth and change. Her transformation was documented through a journal; a book where she journals her thoughts and feelings, a book which holds the secrets that are hidden behind Marina’s mask. At the beginning of the novel, Marsden portrays Marina as an isolated and unhappy figure who doesn’t speak. Marsden uses the technique, anonymity, to convey her privacy and detachment from the rest of the world. She believes she has a condition known as â€Å"anorexia of speech†, which was brought on by an accident which involved her father. The author uses the metaphor, to symbolise that she is starved of communication, and that she has an undesirable illness. Marina begins as an unconfident teenage girl which is exposed through the use of the simile when she is describing her voice, â€Å"like a plastic bottle burning in a fire†. This simile represents that her voice and thoughts have been snuffed out. From her journal, you see that she is changing and becoming more confident. Marsden uses the technique, exclamation, â€Å"I did it! I did it! † after Marina, gave one of the girls in her dorm, Cathy, a birthday card and a present. This symbolises that she is more confident and isn’t afraid to show how she feels. Marina gave Cathy, a wombat [the present], which also suggests that she wants to come out of her ‘burrow’, this also signifies her growth. Growth happens in time. Marina came to Warrington, as a gloomy character whose true features are hidden by her phantasmagoria. But as time goes on, and certain happenings occur, some of her phantasmagoria shatters and it allows people to view some of Marina’s true emotions. The author, Marsden uses the metaphors, â€Å"I hadn’t known if I could still cry†, â€Å"something†¦seemed to break in me† to indicate that some of her phantasmagoria has shattered and fallen off and her true emotions are revealed. Marina thought that she couldn’t cry, in other words she thought she couldn’t express herself, but hen she cried she was expressing herself. The tears exposed her emotions and allowed the audience to see her growth. The use of epistolary form, when Cathy wrote to Marina, after Marina had given Cathy the present, â€Å"You seem happier lately: we’ve all noticed that†. When Marina first came to Warrington, she wanted to be invisible, however gradually she has reached out to the girls in her dormitory, and in return the girls have noticed Marina’s growth. Marina is still self-doubting and uncomfortable around others but she is starting to allow herself to think about forming friendships with those around her. Change isn’t always easy. Throughout the novel, Marden explores the concepts of change. Marina wants be able to communicate verbally again buts she worries that her months of isolation and silence may not be important anymore and she also fears that her phantasmagoria, her source of protection might be lifted. In order for Marina’s recovery from a traumatic event and to break her prison of silence, Mrs Ransome, the school councillor encourages Marina to resolve her feelings about her parents and herself because if she doesn’t she will not progress. Mrs Ransome tells Marina that the ‘cure’ to her ‘anorexia of speech’ would involve looking at feelings that had been too hard to think about. Marsden uses the metaphor ‘cure’ to represent that the key to her prison of silence might be painful to cope with. Marina is scared of facing her fears, which is shown through the use of tactile imagery, â€Å"wild birds beating their wings in a flurry inside my chest†. With Mrs Ransome, Marina begins to let down her guard, which is a form of growth and change. When Marina starts to confront her thoughts about her relationships with her family, she picks up a pen and draws a picture of â€Å"a head behind bars†, which the author uses to symbolise how Marina feels about herself and her father. The head behind bars expresses that Marina is, figuratively speaking, imprisoned in her own silence while her father is imprisoned physically. Due to Marina’s engagement with Mrs Ransome some of Marina’s mask has been lifted. Her experience with the school councillor highlights that sometimes in order for change you might have to face things that are painful to cope with. Awareness is a form of growth and change. When Marina first arrives at the boarding school, Warrington, she feels as though she is the only one who suffers, but soon she starts to recognise other people suffer as well. When Mr Lindell, her English teacher, asked the class to draw an abstract portrait, Marina was astonished by the things that girls drew. Marina noticed that many of the girls â€Å"drew things showing them on their own†¦ feeling isolated, with the group against them†. After seeing the girls’ drawings she questions herself, â€Å"I wonder if they know what isolation is. Perhaps they do† Through the use of tactile imagery, we realise that the other girls feel isolation at some point, and Marina is beginning to understand this. When Marina saw Lisa violently crying she was shocked, but when Lisa went into the bathroom and came out laughing and joking. Marina understood that she was the only who could see through Lisa’s facade. â€Å"That is her mask, I guess, just as mine is silence†. This discovery, allows Marina to realise that everybody wears a phantasmagoria in order to try hide their pain, which also allows Marina to understand that â€Å"we’re all the same†. Marina is beginning to be aware of other people’s pain that is ongoing around her, which is a form of growth and change. In conclusion, the novel ‘So Much to Tell You’, explores the concepts of growth and change through the ideas that change isn’t always easy and growth happens in time. These ideas are portrayed throughout Marina’s encounters at Warrington.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Gerrymandering Elections and United States free essay sample

They wanted to control how state legislative and congressional district boundaries would be drawn, so they set about to control the redistricting process. Therefore, even thou a majority of Americans voted for Democrats in the Presidential election†¦ the Republicans ended up controlling the house. They not only gerrymandered but, changed voting rules in the states and districts they controlled, and the ones they didn’t control they challenged the voting rules in court. [Gerrymandering- what can be done about it? First we should define just what gerrymandering is. Gerrymandering is redistricting; which is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census†. â€Å"To gerrymander is to divide an area into election districts giving one political party a majority in many districts. The word gerrymander is a portmanteau from the name of Elbridge Gerry and salamander . Gerry was the governor of Massachusetts when he signed a bill in 1812 to redraw the district boundaries to favor the Democrats and weaken the Federalists, who had better numbers at the voting booth. The shape of the district he formed was likened in appearance to a salamander, and political cartoonists emphasized that appearance to denigrate the Democrats. Gerry did not sponsor the bill in question and was said to have signed it reluctantly, but his name has gone into history as that of a villain. The word gerrymander is first found in 1812 (History)†. â€Å"In his satirical volume The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce (1911) defines politics as the â€Å"strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles; [t]he conduct of public affairs for private advantage. Nowhere is this definition more applicable than in the act of delimiting legislative districts, often seen as an opportunity for clever politicos to use insider knowledge in ways that manipulate future electoral outcomes (Cox 2006). Bullock (2010) goes so far as to call redistricting â€Å"the most political activity in America. † â€Å"Redistricting in the United States is the act of modif ying legislative boundaries in response to changing population conditions. The process is informed by the decennial census and designed to make districts equal in population and more reflective of intercensal demographic shifts. In most administrative units the responsibility of redrawing the lines is granted to the legislature itself (Tolson 2010; Bullock 2010; Cox 2006). Thus there are a number of reasons to expect some form of politically anticompetitive behavior, as self-interested legislators rationally endeavor to protect their incumbency and minimize political threats (McDonald 2004). Jurisdictions in the United States are granted considerable discretion in choosing the method by which they redraw their political boundaries following a decennial census. Two common methods are allowing legislatures to redistrict or creating a citizen commission to perform the task. Yet each of these processes frequently results in gridlock and/or political gerrymandering (Holden 2010). ] The recent proposals by some lawmakers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and elsewhere to apportion electoral votes in presidential elections based on congressional district rather than being awarded in the current winner-take all fashion by popular vote is outrageously undemocratic and would ignore the will of the voters in these states. In light of redistricting, which has created legislative districts in which one political party is overwhelmingly favored; creating a proportional system based on the results by congressional district would be fundamentally unfair especially a system pushed specifically to help one political party. Proposals for proportional apportionment of electoral votes based on percentage of the vote are also severely problematic. While allowing the national popular vote to determine the president as a wholesale alternative to the Electoral College system would be an idea at least worth debating, splitting electoral votes only in certain states in this case, states in which voting majorities tend to support Democratic presidential candidates would unfairly slant the playing field toward the other major partys advantage. Its a naked power grab, and an exploitation of electoral victories which should allow winners to serve their terms but not rig the system for the foreseeable future. Not dissimilar to attempts to suppress voting rights and ballot access in certain communities, these reforms are unacceptable and would do tremendous harm to American democracy. [In light of the long histories of racial violence, discrimination, and organized protest by racial and ethnic minority groups in both the U. S. and across established democracies, it is increasingly imperative to examine how minority groups achieve democratic inclusion, particularly greater voice in the regular channels of the democratic process. The growing literature on minority group politics focuses chiefly at the level of the â€Å"grassroots. † Previous research asks how racial and ethnic minorities achieve a critical mass, win numerical representation, and realize their policy goals (Browning 1984; Gurin 1989; Hero 1992; 1998; Tate 1994; Leighley 2001). † â€Å"Race relations in the U. S. and U. K. have been quite different, and remain unique, even as Great Britain has witnessed since World War II increasing racial diversity. Representing only one percent in 1961, by the 1991 Census approximately five percent of the U. K. opulation was â€Å"non-White,† and this proportion is currently estimated to have grown to 10 percent. The largest minority groups in Britain are Afro-Caribbean, African, Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi (Saggar 2000). The U. K. ’s expanding diversity has been accompanied by new restrictions on immigration, racially-motivated violence against minority residents, and race riots. Despite their strikingly different racial histories, including the long enslavement of Blacks in the U. S. , minorities in both countries has organized politically to press for greater political rights. The campaign for Black political empowerment took off in the 1970s in the U. S. as the civil rights movement formally ended (Smith 1981; Tate 1994). British minorities engaged in a similar campaign for greater inclusion in the 1970s in the U. K. , a campaign that has since gained additional momentum. Although significantly more muted than campaigns in the U. S. , Britain stands out in comparison with other continental European nations for its relatively higher level of ethnically-based mobilization (Nelson 2000; Saggar 2000). Broad similarities make the U. S. nd Britain ripe for comparison on this issue. The two nations share common Western values, historical political trajectories, and levels of socioeconomic development. Politically, both hold elections under single-member district systems where the winner of the plurality of votes takes office. In both cases, these electoral rules have yielded two-party systems, although in the British case the persistence of a third party makes i t a â€Å"two-and-one-half-party system. † The legal system in the U. S. certainly contributed importantly to Blacks’ political gains. The civil rights movement led Democratic Party leaders to make new laws and policies that advanced Blacks politically. Yet, these actions were not independent of the external environment, and indeed, one could argue that they only came about because of the great political pressures the civil rights movement and the threat of litigation created. The affirmative racial gerrymandering that Democrat party officials engaged in either in response to litigation or the threat thereof in part explains how Black Americans made significantly greater strides in winning elective office than minorities in the U. K. have been able to. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act was passed by a nearly all-White Congress (there were five Black members in Congress out of 535 members at that time) because of President Johnson’s leadership as his response to the civil rights movement. The judiciary ruled that election systems that are shown to discriminate against minorities are unconstitutional only when minorities can show that they were purposefully created with a racial animus against them. Voting rights activists responded to a more liberal judicial environment by pressing for the modification of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in 1982 (Grofman, Handley, and Niemi 1992; Pinderhughes 1995). The modification expressly prohibited voting procedures that afforded minorities â€Å"fewer opportunities. (Grofman, 1992; Davidson and Grofman 1994). Democrats in Congress were most likely reluctant to amend the Voting Rights Act but nevertheless went along fearing further intra-racial strife and litigation within the party. Republicans also went along with the amendment in 1982 because of the electoral benefits to their party in drawing new minority-majority congressional districts. In their effort to gain representation in mainstream party politics, minorities in Britain also utilized litigation. Minority litigants brought suit against political parties, claiming barriers to the election of minorities included unclear, ad hoc selection rules, and inherent ethnic biases in the selection criteria. The litigants argued that because minorities, in aggregate, lack the resources and connections of the traditional party nominee, they are at a disadvantage in the process. In Ishaq v McDonagh, an employment tribunal ruled Labour’s selection procedures discriminatory. Likewise, in Sawyer v Ashan a tribunal ruled that Race Relations Act, designed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of nationality, applies to candidate selection. Notably, the British cases have not been nearly as extensive in the United States, and the British claims have been framed in terms of equal opportunity employment, rather than political rights. Minorities in the U. S. , however, possess a strong base of constituents on the basis of race and ethnicity than do women on the basis of their gender (Tate 1997). Thus, in contrast to women, minority candidates, while lacking greatly in personal wealth, have political advantages over women in having this ready-to-mobilize constituency. Moreover, the power no mination in the hands of party gatekeepers means that these activists have the power to discriminate against minority candidates. In a study of Conservative Party selectors in the early 1980s, Bochel and Denver (1983) found evidence that selectors perceived minority candidates as an electoral handicap for their party. Furthermore, the Conservative Party has publicly recognized discrimination within the electorate and has sent special instruction to selectors to minimize bias in the selection process. The greater strides made by minorities in the U. S. lend support to the superiority of the open primary system in gaining numerical representation. However, pressure on parties to nominate more women took the form of adopting gender quotas in several European democracies (Caul 2001). Quotas for minorities is presently politically infeasible, and thus, opening up the nominating pressure to control by the electorate is the most likely way minorities are to win greater numerical representation in government. The two-party system that emerges under majoritarian electoral systems, which characterizes both the American and British party systems, is another factor that impedes minority political incorporation. As Paul Frymer (1999) argues, in a two-party system, minority voters lack alternatives to and are therefore made captives of the more liberal party precisely because the parties on the Right (i. e. , the Republican Party) do not want their votes. As a consequence, the Labour and Democratic parties do not necessarily have to reward minority voters for their loyalty by offering them more seats. The two-party system does not mean that minority voters are entirely ignored by party leaders. Presidential candidates in the U. S. n the left and right must publicly embrace minority voters because of their expansion in the national electorate. This is vividly demonstrated at recent presidential nominating conventions, and in the conscious efforts of recent presidents to ensure minority representation in their administrations. ] So, it is evident that the American people have to take necessary steps, on the platforms of all political parties, to further stop this erosion of our voting process; especially, in predominately minority communities across America. Republicans certainly have been given a dim outlook as to their continued existence and they are pulling out any trick they can†¦ such as changing the electoral rules to make it easier for a Republican candidate to win the presidency despite them losing the popular vote. The Republicans controlled the redistricting process after the 2010 census in a lot more states than the Democrats; as a result, they gained an unfair advantage in the battle for control of the House of Representatives, because†¦ even thou the Democratic candidates outpolled them the Republicans kept control of the House. It has now become clear that in order to stop this further erosion of our civil, voting and freedom rights we have to expand upon our getting out the vote efforts by: 1. Making sure all minorities and the elderly are registered to vote 2. Changing the laws that once a felon has served his time that their full rights of citizenship are restored, including voting. 3. Educating felons in certain states that do restore voting right; however, don’t tell them that they have to re-register to vote. 4. Establishing a grass-roots initiative across America to assure that every American registered†¦ has a chance to vote, unencumbered by roadblocks thrown in the way. 5. Expanding every option available, absentee ballots, voting early, voting by mail, provisional ballots and making sure that the polls are manned and opened the same amount of hours nationwide†¦ even opening additional stations for precincts with heavy voter turnout. 6. Making the voting laws a mandate by the Federal government and not subject to individual interpretation by the states. 7. Allowing citizens to update their registration, and register to vote online or at the polls. In addition to all that I have cited in this report, I think one stands out†¦ and that is the voter ID laws that are being used to suppress votes in minority and elderly communities across the nation†¦ college, welfare, state, military, driver’s license, any I D that has your picture, address and age should be valid. We need to establish blanket laws governing our voting rights with immediate consequences for violation, I, for one, would favor life in prison for ordinary citizens and death for elected official†¦ the later would include corporations and individuals who contribute large sums of money (lobbyist). We would also repeal all Citizens United initiatives and the ruling giving them personhood; on, to a fairer, and more equitable United States. Works Cited Browning, Robert P. , Dale Rogers Marshall, and David H. Tabb. 1984. Protest is Not Enough. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press Caul, Miki L. 1999. â€Å"Women’s Representation in Parliament: The Role of Political Parties†. Party Politics 5(1): 79-98. Caul-Kittilson, Miki. 2001. Challenging the Organization, Changing the Rules: Women, Parties, and Change in Western Europe, 1975 to 1997. Unpublished dissertation thesis. University of California Irvine Christiano, Thomas. 996. The Rule of the Many: Fundamental Issues in Democratic Theory. Boulder: Westview Press. Davis, et al. v. Bandemer, et al. 478 US 109 (1986) Friedman, John N. , and Richard T. Holden. 2008. Optimal Gerrymandering: Sometimes Pack, but Never Crack. American Economic Review 98 (1):113-144. Frymer, Paul. 1999l Uneasy Alliances: Rac e and Party Competition in America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Grofman, Bernard, Lisa Handley, and Richard G. Niemi. 1992. Minority Representation and the Quest for Voting Equality. New York: Cambridge University Press. Holden, Stephen (14 October 2010). Gerrymandering (2009), The Dark Art of Drawing Political Lines. New York Times Moves Reviews (New York Times). Retrieved 31 August 2011. Hout, Eliora van der, and Anthony J. McGann. 2009. Proportional Representation within the Limits of Liberalism Alone. British Journal of Political Science 39:735-54. McGann, Anthony J. , Department of Political Science, University of California, Irvin, 6/12/12 Pitkin, Hanna Fenichel. 1967. The Concept of Representation. Berkeley: University of California Press. Richard Vieth, et al. v. Robert C. Jubelirer, President of the Pennsylvania Senate, et al. 541 US 267 (2004).

Monday, December 2, 2019

Richard The Lion Hearted Essays - Greek Underworld,

Richard The Lion Hearted Greek Mythology played a very key role in the lives of the Greeks. Through the many legends about the gods, the Greeks were able to find reasons for all the laws of nature in a supernatural form. These legends were passed down from generation to generation until the spread of Christianity. On top of giving the Greeks reasons for nature's action, their religion also gave them a faith that thing were going to be okay, which is something that all humans crave. The Greeks had 13 major gods. They often used these gods in their myths and prayed to them for particular needs. The head of the gods was Zeus who was also the god of the sky. Whenever Zeus spoke, he was listened to and his word was always final. Zeus had two brothers, Poseidon and Hades. The three brothers drew straws to decide who would control the skies, who would control the seas, and who would control the underworld. Zeus gained control over the skies and became king of the gods. Zeus used his mighty thunderbolts to punish all those who disobeyed him. Zeus married Hera, making her the queen of the gods. The sky god was extremely unfaithful to his wife and slept with women from queens all the way down to peasants. Since Zeus was king of the gods Hera could rarely force Zeus to do any penance, so she took out her wrath on the women Zeus slept with. Zeus's symbols were thunderbolts and eagles. When the three brothers drew straws to determine what area they would control Poseidon got the sea. His wife was Amphritrite who was a Nereid. Like Zeus, Poseidon was not very faithful to his spouse and had many affairs with the nymphs. Poseidon fathered several children who were extremely cruel and wild. Among his children were Orion the giant and the Polyphemus Cyclops. In art, Poseidon is generally featured holding a trident and accompanied by a dolphin. Also, Poseidon was said to have created many animals. He accidentally created such animals as the zebras while perfecting the horse. Hades was the god of the dead. When he and his three brothers divided up the universe, he ended up with the underworld. Hades rarely came out of the underworld to Mount Olympus, the place where the gods resided, because he was not welcome there. Persephone, whom Hades had abducted in order to get her to the underworld, was Hades' queen. Hades was a pitiless god who never paid attention to prayer or sacrifice. But Hades was not an evil god. He was often referred to as the Lord of the riches because his kingdom was believed to be the reason for precious metals and crops. Hades wore a helmet and a cape that made him invisible. Hera was the queen of the gods. She was both the wife and sister of Zeus. Hera was a jealous goddess who never forgot an injury and always remembered to retaliate at the source of the injury with vengeance. She was the mother of Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. Hera was extremely displeased at the way that Zeus often treated children. Hera was the protector of marriage, married women, and children. Many people think that Hera was an ugly god that had no life outside of harassing here husband about his other relationships, because she was always after Zeus's mortal partners, but this is not true for she was thought to be one of the most beautiful gods, and many god were attracted to her. Demeter was the goddess of harvest. When her daughter, Persephone, was abducted to the underworld, Demeter became depressed. As a result Demeter produced no harvest and caused a famine. Zeus had to step in to correct the situation. Zeus ordered Hades to allow Persephone to be released. Hades obeyed his brother but before he let Persephone go, he forced her to eat pomegranate seeds that would cause her to come back to him for four months each year. So during the months Demeter was with her daughter she produced great crops; during the months Hades was with Persephone there was only death among the crops. Hestia was the goddess

Thursday, November 28, 2019

20 Largest Book Publishers in 2019 That Every Author Should Know

20 Largest Book Publishers in 2019 That Every Author Should Know The Largest Book Publishers in 2019 Modern publishing is a tricky game - especially when trying to figure out the biggest names within that game. Most major publishers are part of a larger media conglomerate, and a search for the year's largest book publishers will often yield companies that work with  other forms of content rather than books.So to help you zero in on the prize, we've published this guide to the largest contemporary book publishers - i.e. no companies that mainly publish magazines or highly specialized materials, such as instruction manuals. We have included educational and journal publishers, which are often linked to traditional literary publishers and may be relevant to our readers. But other than that, all these companies work with the kinds of books you’d find in bookstores.Without further ado, here they are: the 20 largest book publishers in 2019 according to recent data, along with brief profiles of who they are and what they do. (To learn how to get published by one of them, check ou t this post.) Who are the biggest book publishers in the game? Find out here!  Ã°Å¸â€œâ€" The 20 largest publishers in 20191. Penguin Random House (Big 5 Publisher)💠° Annual revenue: $3.3 billion 📇 Notable imprints: Alfred A. Knopf, Crown Publishing, Viking Press 📚 Biggest titles of 2018: Becoming by Michelle Obama, Educated by Tara Westover, and  Born a Crime by Trevor NoahFormed in 2013 through the merger of Penguin Books and Random House, Penguin Random House (PRH) is not only a Big 5 publisher - it's considered to be the biggest publishing house in the industry. It has over 200 divisions and imprints, in addition to those listed above. PRH itself is jointly owned by multinational companies Pearson PLC and Bertelsmann, accounting for a rather substantial sum of their finances each year. In terms of actual publishing stats, PRH puts out over 15,000 books a year and sells about 800 million copies of print, audio, and ebooks annually.2. Hachette Livre (Big 5 Publisher)💠° Annual revenue: $2.7 billion 📇 Notable imprints: Grand Central Publishing, Little, Brown and Company, Mulholland Books 📚 Biggest titles of 2018: The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, Calypso by David Sedaris, and In Pieces by Sally FieldHachette Livre is another Big 5 publisher, the largest in France and one of the most prominent publishers in all of Europe. It’s owned by the Lagardà ¨re Group and encompasses over 150 imprints. Hachette Livre was officially formed in 1992, when the publishing assets of Hachette SA (its former parent company) were collected into a single subsidiary. HL has been growing ever since and currently publishes about 20,000 books a year - even more than PRH, for those keeping score.3. Springer Nature💠° Annual revenue: $1.9 billion 📇 Notable imprints: BioMed Central, Nature Research, Palgrave Macmillan 📚 Biggest titles of 2018: Academic journals on a range of scientific topicsSpringer Nature is a research and educational publisher formed through the merger of several groups, including Macmillan Education and Springer Science + Business Media. For those who think the former sounds familiar, Macmillan is another Big 5 publisher, just like the first two entries on our list. That’s why Springer’s assets are so sizable, despite being so recently established.Springer mostly publishes academic journals, but as with many educational publishers, it’s still closely linked to traditional publishing - namely, in the form of Macmillan Publishers proper (see #10 on this list).

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Racial discrimination in US

Racial discrimination in US In discussions that touch on race relations, understanding what is meant by specific terms is important. Race implies that the origin of human beings is common and that they originate from a common species. As a result, human beings are equal and any variations in what they achieve are based on economic, geographical, social, historical and cultural factors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Racial discrimination in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Racism is described as any attitude or deed done either consciously or unconsciously with the intentions of subordinating individuals or groups on the basis of race or the color of their skin. It can be perpetrated institutionally or at an individual level. Racial discrimination is therefore the act of treating an individual or groups of individuals on the basis of their race. Power is critical in racial discrimination because the practice relies on the capacity to withho ld or deny facilities, opportunities, social benefits and services that individuals are entitled to. Racial discrimination is a problem that has existed in the US for many years. The victims of the practice have always been the colored communities who include Native Americans, Asian Americans and African Americans. The practice has caused these groups of people to suffer by being denied privileges and opportunities they deserve. There are many factors that have been contributing towards the practice both from within the communities and outside. The first factor is competition for resources. Due to the large number of members of the communities in the US, competition for the scarce resources has been stiff. As a result, some communities have been discriminating against the colored individuals in order to deny them opportunities and privileges. The second factor that leads to racial discrimination in the US is historic prejudice. Prejudice is the prior judging of individuals or formin g wrong opinions about them without full knowledge about them or understanding them fully. In the US, there has always been prejudice against the colored population. These individuals have been discriminated on the basis of their color without trying to understand them and what they are capable of doing. This racial discrimination has caused them to suffer as a result of being denied privileges enjoyed by other Americans.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third factor that has been encouraging racial discrimination is the need for certain groups of people to dominate the colored population and make them less influential. Domination over them has been associated with social, economic and political benefits for the dominant groups. This has caused the religious and spiritual traditions among the communities to take the issue seriously hence they have been looking for ways of re ducing it. Religion has been a powerful way of dealing with racial discrimination because it has been influencing many people In a bid to deal with the problem, religious bodies in the US have been campaigning for the need to treat colored communities equally. One of the ways through which they have been conducting the campaigns has been through educating members of the particular communities the need to co-exist as brothers and sisters without discriminating one another. In order to fight discrimination from the other individuals, it has been important for them to counter the practice from within. They have been able to do this by agitating for their rights through different channels including the media. In addition, there are government policies that have been guaranteeing all citizens regardless of their color the privilege to enjoy the rights enjoyed by the rest of the citizens. By doing this, they have been able to reduce racial discrimination to a great extent. Reference Jaime s, A. (1992). The State of Native America: genocide, colonization, and resistance. New York: south End Press.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Family History and Meaning of the Surname Richardson

Family History and Meaning of the Surname Richardson Richardson is a patronymic name meaning son of Richard. The given name Richard is Germanic in origin and means powerful and brave, composed of the elements ric,  meaning power and hard, meaning hardy or brave. Example: Richard the Lion Hearted Richardson is the 76th most popular surname in the United States. Richardson is also popular in England, coming in as the 55th most common surname. Alternate Surname Spellings:  Richards, Richardsen, Richerdson Famous People With the Surname Richardson Natasha Richardson - British actress.Henry Hobson Richardson - American architect.Calvin Richardson - American RB music artist. Where Is the Richardson  Surname Most Common? The Richardson  surname is most prevalent in the United States, according to surname distribution information from  Forebears, where it ranks as the 76th most common surname in the country. Within the U.S., Richardson is found most frequently in South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Indiana, Vermont and Alabama. Richardson is also a very common surname in England (64th) and Australia (76th). Surname distribution maps from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  show that Richardson is especially common in the northern part of England, particularly in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, as well as in York. Richardson is also especially common in Australia (particularly Tasmania and Northern Territory) and New Zealand (Clutha, Gore, and Grey districts). Concerning the Richardson Family Crest... Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Richardson traditional family crest or coat of arms for the Richardson surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Connecting With the World of Richardson Individuals with the Richardson surname, and variants such as Richards, Richarson, Richerson, Riches, Richeson, Richison, Ritchardson, Ritcharson, Ritcheson, are invited to join  this project to  work together to find their common heritage through DNA testing and sharing of information. There is a free message board is focused on descendants of Richardson ancestors around the world available through Genology.com. This allows you to search the Richardson forum for posts about your Richardson ancestors, or join the forum and post your own queries.   Similar to Geonology.com, FamilySearch.com allows you to explore over 12  million  results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Richardson surname on their free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One can also join a free mailing list designed for researchers of the Richardson surname and its variations. This mailing list includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. GeneaNet.org has compiled archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Richardson surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. For genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Richardson surname you can visit the comprehesive website Richardson page at Genealogy Today. Perhaps the most well-known genealogy page is Ancestory.com, where you can explore over 11 million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Richardson surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How Many Questions Can You Skip for a Good SAT Score

How Many Questions Can You Skip for a Good SAT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Every year students fight to get the SAT score they want. For manystudents, completing all the questions before running out of time is a serious challenge. If you're one of those who struggles to finish the test in time, skipping can be a real asset. But how many questions can you skip for a good score on the SAT? In this article, I’ll let you know how many questions you can skip or get wrong for 1280 out of 1600. I qualify 1280 as a good score since it is approximately between the 81st and 85th percentile for all test-takers. However, exactly what a good score is for you depends on what college you hope to attend. For guidance on how to determine what SAT score you should shoot for, check out our guide to calculating your target score. Even if your goal isn't exactly 1280, this guide can help you understand how many questions you can afford to skip to achieve the score you want. How Is the SAT Scored? To calculate how many questions you can skip for 1280, you need to know how the SAT is scored.Below, I’ll provide a short explanation, but if you’re interested in reading a more in-depth explanation, check out our guide tohow to calculate SAT score. NOTE: The essay is not factored into your composite SAT score (400-1600 scale), so I will not discuss it further in this article. However, for more information on the new SAT essay, read our other guide. On the new SAT, there is no penalty for incorrect answers (no minus points), so skipping or answering a question incorrectly results in the same score. You get one point for every right answer since there is no wrong answer penalty, soyou should bubble something in for every question. When Idiscussskipping in this article, I really mean guessing randomly because you should not leave any bubble blank. For the Math section, you simply get a raw score, which is just the number of questions answered correctly (if you answered 40 correctly, your raw score is 40). For the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, you get two raw scores: one for the Reading portion and one for the Writing and Language portion. Again, your raw scores are just the number of questions answered correctly. Each raw score is then converted into a scaled score- the exact conversion varies by test date. However, the College Board provides this example chart from their SAT practice test as an estimate: Once you convert your Math raw score to scaled score using the conversion chart, you have your final section score. For example, if you got a raw score of 53 in Math, your final section score would be 740. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing is slightly more complicated. You first need to convert your two raw scores into scaled scores using the chart. For example, if you had a raw score of 44 in Reading and 41 in Writing, your scaled scores would be 35 and 37, respectively. You then take these scaled scores add them together and multiply by tento get your section score: (35 + 37) x 10 = 72 x 10 = 720 Now that we have covered the basic scoring, let’s return to the original question. Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. How Many Questions Could You Skip/Get Wrong and Still Get 1280 if You Got All of the Others Right? NOTE: As I mentioned earlier, since there is no penalty for wrong answers, skipping or answering a question incorrectly results in the same score. Therefore, you can skip or answer incorrectly the same number of questions to receive 1280. Also, as I said before, each test date has a unique conversion scale from raw to scaled score, meaning each test date has a different answer, so the answer to this question is not exact. To find the typical number of questions you can skip for 1280, I analyzed eight real SAT practice tests and found the number of questions you could skip to get 640 in each section. I put my findings in this table: Section Math Reading Writing Total Test 1 15 13-14 9-10 37-39 Test 2 18 12-13 9 39-40 Test 3 19 13-14 43-44 Test 4 21 -12 10- 42-44 Test 5 16 10- 10- 36-38 Test 6 16 10 37 Test 7 14 -12 9-10 34-36 Test 8 18 9-10 9 36-37 From the above table, the average number of questions you can skip/get wrong to get 1280 is 38. However, it is important to note that the number of questions you can skip/get wrong to get 1280 depends on the section in which you are skipping the questions. For Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, you can skip/answer incorrectly on average 9 questions on the writing portion and 12 questions on the reading portion. For Math, you can skip/answer incorrectly on average 17 questions between the calculator and no-calculator sections. REMEMBER, this is if you got every single other question correct, which is very difficult. I don’t recommend you skip this many questions, as you can’t guarantee you get every other question correctly. I’ll explain more about this strategy below. What Does This Indicate About Skipping/Answering Questions Incorrectly? If you’re not seeing improvements in your SAT prep and are barely finishing the sections in time, just bubbling in random answers for certain questions may be a better strategy for you. You also can create an exact plan of attack according to your strengths and weaknesses. For your unique plan, consider what section you are struggling the most in whether it is Math, Reading, or Writing. Try to skip the maximum number allowed in that section. Make sure you always bubble in a random guess for those questions (you’re not penalized for guessing, and if you randomly guess right, you get free points!). Make sure you plan to skip/bubble in the harder questions in that section: If you struggle in Math, you should know on the Math section that the multiple-choice questions are ordered from easy to hard, and the grid-ins restart with easy questions and then move towards harder questions at the end of the section. You should try to spend your time trying to answer the easier questions in Math correctly (the beginning questions of the multiple-choice and grid-ins), and consider just bubbling in a random answer for the harder questions (since you’re not penalized for guessing). Make sure if you use this strategy that you’re answering enough questions to get your score desired score. For example, if you’re aiming for 1280 (640 in Math), I’d recommend answering at least 50 questions and then bubbling in random answers for the other eight questions. This way you give yourself a cushion; you can answer five questions wrong and still get 640. As I said, answer the easier questions, and bubble in the harder questions (end of multiple-choice) and consider skipping the end of the grid-ins (since you won’t be able to guess on those since they’re not multiple choice). On the Reading test, you should spend your time trying to answer easier questions correctly and consider just bubbling in a random answer for the harder questions. Make sure if you use this strategy that you’re answering enough questions to get your score desired score. For example, if you’re aiming for 1280 (640 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing), you can afford to skip five hard questions and just bubble in random answers for the harder questions. If you answered four or five incorrectly, you’d still get a 640. On the Writing test, you should also spend your time on easier questions first and bubble in at least a few of the harder questions randomly, rather than spending the time to think them through. If you use this strategy, you need to double check that you’re answering enough questions to get your score desired score. For example, if you’re aiming for 1280 (640 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing), you can afford to skip four hard questions and just bubble in random answers. Even if you answer three or four other questions incorrectly, you’ll still get a 640. WARNING: You need to incorporate this strategy into your preparation! Do not just plan to skip the day of the exam without practice. In your practice, start by trying to skip/bubbling in randomly the maximum number allowed and see how it affects your score. If the first result is positive, and you see score improvement, simply continue skipping that amount of questions. If at first you get a lower score, try skipping half the number of questions allowed and see how that shifts your score. Keep adjusting until you find the maximum number you can skip to get your desired score. Focus on getting the questions you do answer right! If your section score is under 500, it’s well worth skipping a substantial chunk of questions. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or more? We've put our best advice into a single guide. These are the 5 strategies you MUST be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download this free SAT guide now: What’s Next? Trying to get a perfect score? You should check out our SAT study guide. Taking the test in the next month and need to improve your score in a hurry? Read our cramming guide. Aiming for the Ivy League? Read our guide to getting in! Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Environmental Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Environmental Law - Essay Example These are all very crucial points that are focused on in the body of this research. There is the utilization of many books and journal articles to bring a scholarly interpretation into the idea of developing nuclear energy. The conclusion that is evidently reached is split 50/50 as there are pro's and con's to a conceptualization such as this. Until the entire known obstacles can be minimized and proper ways for the disposal of left over nuclear waste can be correctly implemented then it is not something that the world considers very ideal and useful. However, the final points this research discovered was that, the many adversities posed by this technology have not prevented a percentage of countries from continuing their studies in turning uranium and other radioactive materials to energy. In fact, it showed some countries are on the verge of fine tuning this very type of energy, but is it in the best interest of the world The idea of nuclear power capabilities has been being experimented with for a number of years now. Nevertheless, even through all of the experimentations that have been done and the nuclear power plants that have been properly constructed there have been adverse elements that have placed numerous negative theories, which have been overshadowing the positive possibility of a flourishment in nuclear energy for many countries spanning out across the globe. There are many countries though that do have a slight use of nuclear energy yet, it is very minute compared to the traditional forms of energy that are produced. Nevertheless, there are countries that continue to dabble in nuclear energy as they state it is the cleanest source of energy there is. Even so, there still leaves the problem of disposing of the remnants of nuclear waste which has been a major concern of this form of energy regardless of whether it is more economical or not. However there are pro's and con's to be found in this type of ideology. In past years there have been countries who have suffered due to misjudgement in control of nuclear energy facilities. For example, going back in history we find that in 1986, within the Russian town of 1Chernobyl there was an incident where a nuclear reactor at a nearby plant exploded. Although the death toll from this was minimal, it was not and is not the only concern medical experts and nuclear specialists were pessimistic about, and possibly to this day are still feeling the repercussions from. Matter of factly, this one small occurrence placed fear in millions of people all around the globe, and many believed that it would put the thought of attempting to develop nuclear energy to rest because the risks were far too great. For awhile it did because the points were made that nuclear technology is extremely dangerous and it only takes one small incorrect twist of a bolt here or there to set the stage for a nuclear explosion. Chernobyl was only one example of what can happen when mistakes are made, whether by accident or not. When working with nuclear materials there is no room for accidents, which is one of the major issues surrounding the concept of adapting to the possibility of nuclear energy. However, at this same time there are those who claim Environmental law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12 Environmental law - Essay Example The principle of good neighborliness indicates that it is the duty of a state to inform and discuss with other states, when it intends to engage in a programme such as construction of a power plant, which is likely to harm the neighboring states environment. In addition, it advocates for each state to encourage international co-operation by exchange of scientific knowledge and technology (Hunter et al, 1997). The principle of due diligence or due care-the obligation to protect rights of other states, with respect to the environment and natural resources is one of the basic principles of environmental protection and preservation law. Apart from steady monitoring there is an increasing emphasis on the duty of states, to take protective actions to maintain the environment. The principle requires states not to use the lack of full scientific certainty as a basis for postponing procedures to forestall ecological deprivation in situations where there are threats of grave damage (Hunter et al, 1997). Conventionally, natural resources located wholly within national boundaries have been considered to be within the national law, but resources shared by different nations such as rivers or migratory wildlife there is a need for international guidelines. A state has complete sovereignty over resources within its borders, but when resources do not fall entirely within the territorial control of one State, but overlap common political border, the concept governing collective resources is the universal obligation for equitable exploitation of such resources (Hunter et al, 1997). In conclusion, much of international environmental law relates to an obligation to cooperate are more specific duties relating, for example, the exchange of information and the requirement to coordinate international scientific research. Thus, the duty to inform and cooperate promotes a swap of information. Periodic reporting requirements are one of the

LAssessing Public Library Services to Homeschoolers Thesis

LAssessing Public Library Services to Homeschoolers - Thesis Example Other objectives will be to investigate how libraries attempt to respond to the needs of homeschoolers, the challenges for libraries in delivering services to homeschoolers, and discerning what might constitute best future service improvements for librarians. The level of services offered to homeschoolers is uneven in the United States; this may be due to the philosophical or political stance of institutions, personal bias, resource availability, lack of information or absence of a communicated need. Requests by homeschoolers for library services are occasionally denied and homeschoolers do experience a negative reception in some cases. This research will seek to gain an understanding of how homeschoolers use and perceive the public library. It will also look at how effectively library staff responds to the needs of homeschoolers as a user group. Proposals and recommendations for service improvements are also included. Participatory observation of participants and staff, over an eleven-week observation period, during which, a six-session targeted homeschooling program was conducted, at Manross Memorial Library was used. A questionnaire for participants in this program was also administered on-site at the beginning of the observation/program period. The sample population consisted of 21 children and 10 families. I would like to thank the faculty and staff of Aberdeen Business School for their responsiveness and helpfulness during the course of my degree program—absolutely priceless to a distance learner from across the ocean! I am especially grateful to Dr. Peter Reid who went to bat for me more than once when it counted. Thank you. I would also like to thank my advisor Roddy Smith for his advice and feedback during the dissertation process. Homeschooling is generally defined as the home-based education of a preschool or school-age child, by a parent or guardian,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Classical political economists Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classical political economists - Assignment Example Karl Marx (1818-1883) is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time, and a lot of modern day economics are based on his theories. One of his notable contributions is the modern political economic theory. Karl Marx spent a lot of time studying the capitalist system, after which he viewed it as one that deprives the working class off their rights and advocated for a commun ­Ã‚ ­ist system (Hunt 17). One of the most notable characteristics of Marx’s theories is the influence Smith and Ricardo had especially when it came to theories about value and profits. According to Marx, most thinkers lacked historical perspective. He held the idea that production was a social activity taking various forms and modes based on the formation of social organization as well as their corresponding production techniques (Hunt 36). All epochs of production had similar characteristics, and their failure to differentiate what they had in common and what they did not have led to confusions and distortions among the thinkers. Most important among them was the claim that capital among all production systems it was a universal element and that all economic activity could be reduced to a series of exchanges. This was because capital had one feature that was universal in all production and one feature particularly specific to capitalism â€Å"production†. Marx admitted that the claim (capital was a universal production element) was not possible without an instrument of production nor their production without stored up past labour. Capital is among other things, also an instrument of production, also objectified past labour. Therefore capital is a general, eternal relation of nature; that is, if I leave out just the specific quality, which alone makes â€Å"instruments of production† and â€Å"stored up labour† into capital†(Hunt 73). Karl used this dialectal materialism theory to describe capitalism in that, within the dominance of the social class their

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Sociology - Essay Example While adult crime rates remains comparatively stable, the number of violent crimes committed by juveniles has skyrocketed over the recent decades. Thus, between 1988 and 1994 the rate of juvenile arrests for violent crimes has risen by 75 percent, which makes many experts project doubling of the rate by the end of this decade (Snyder, Sickmund, and Poe-Yamagata, 1996). Crime is potentially preventable – or at least controllable – social phenomenon, but the only key to its prevention is knowledge of the causes of youthful offending. Impressive number of studies performed up to date reveals that although many factors contribute to the making of a delinquent child, negative peer associations always remain arguably the major source of juvenile delinquency (Andrews, Hoge, and Leschied, 1994: 556). The present study aims to empirically establish and measure correlation between negative peer associations and high occurrence of delinquent behavior in teenagers. Although the potential findings of this research are of minor theoretical importance – comprehensive expert studies have already established and explained the nature of both short- and long-term correlation between negative peer associations and juvenile delinquency – their practical value in predicting juvenile delinquency rates and defining risk groups should not be diminished. The correlation may significantly vary depending upon many factors, such as religion, age, traditions, etc., and only data relating to concrete environment has reliable predictive power and can be used for prevention of juvenile delinquency. Positive correlation between juvenile delinquency and negative peer associations has been explored in many studies. The most common approach adopted by the scholars is the social learning theory: behavioral patterns are learned from social interactions (direct learning) and observation (indirect learning) (Bandura, Ross, and Ross, 1961). In studies of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Security and Loss Prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Security and Loss Prevention - Essay Example The risks and dangers involved, both on-the-job and off-the job determine job selection. The time of exposure to the risk, safety and precaution measures in place to enhance personal safety serve as an enticement to the job (McKay, 2007). In the case of an Executive Protection Officer, the minimization of risk exposure by the availability and allowed use of bulletproof vests gives an assurance of safety. The carrying of a concealed automatic weapon would further ensure both on and off the job security, just in case the security situation gets out of hand. The main aim of working constitutes the need and desire to get spending money (McKay, 2007). The salary and allowance package attached to the job need to reflect the commitment, dedication and risk involved. Further, in cases of loss prevention jobs, the remuneration needs to take into consideration the involved goods, services or property. In cases of Executive Protection, the extra training, putting life on the line for the execut ive and the extra hours spent with the executive, at the expense of family, require consideration to ensure a pleasurable package. The doing of perfect and satisfactory jobs relies much with the satisfaction of the workers involved (McKay, 2007). Job satisfaction drives workers to enjoy the job and its surroundings and make them to forward to another day at the workplace. Personal satisfaction, and not fate or lack of any other occupation, goes a long way in determining on-the-job performance.  

World Com and Accounting Ethics Essay Example for Free

World Com and Accounting Ethics Essay Current business and regulatory environments are more conducive to ethical behavior due to many new laws that have been put into effect in recent years. For many companies, especially small ones, the checks and balances are not put into place as well as they should be. With new laws in effect and more and more accountants paying attention to their clients’ accounts, ethical behavior is on the rise although it will take a long time to recover from the scandals that rocked the world beginning with Waste Management in 1998 and following with Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, Freddie Mac, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bernie Madoff and Saytam in 2009. For 10 years unethical behavior and choices almost brought our country to its knees and even now many people are losing their homes and their jobs because the economy has still not fully recovered. In 1983 in a small coffee shop in Hattiesburg, MS, the business concept that would become WorldCom was born. The company was to become one of the largest telecommunications companies that would one day rival ATT. WorldCom began as a small long distance telephone company and through an aggressive acquisition strategy, evolved in the second-largest long distance telephone company in the United States and one of the largest companies handling worldwide Internet data traffic. WorldCom achieved its position through a large number of acquisitions and between 1991 and 1997, WorldCom spent almost $60 billion in the acquisition of many of these companies and accumulated $41 billion in debt. With each acquisition, WorldCom’s stock continued to rise as the company became more noticeable, rising from pennies per share to over $60 per share in 1997. As the company grew people sat up and took notice and Wall Street investment banks as well as analysts and brokers began making buy recommendations to investors worldwide. All of this would have ended well if WorldCom had obviously played by the rules but alas, that was not the case. As with any acquisition, let alone 65 of them in six years, management at the top level requires considerable attention to make the merging of the two companies run smoothly. Secondly, the accounting of the financial aspects of each merging company must be accomplished through the application of generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP). WorldCom’s merger with MCI was the beginning of the end. Bernie Ebbers (CEO) paid little attention to the details of the operations and many things began deteriorating, mainly customer service. Customers were told they were not customers, computer systems conflicted with each other and billing systems were not coordinated – a recipe for disaster. Although WorldCom had an immense talent for buying competitors, it was not up to the task of merging them. WorldCom also used their own interpretation of accounting rules when preparing financial statements. â€Å"In an effort to make it appear that profits were increasing, WorldCom would write down in one quarter millions of dollars in assets it acquired while, at the same time, it â€Å"included in this charge against earnings the cost of company expenses expected in the future. The result was bigger losses in the current quarter but smaller ones in future quarters, so that its profit picture would seem to be improving.† (Moberg) WorldCom managers also made their own assumptions regarding accounts receivables which if the money customers owe the company. They chose to ignore the accounts receivables because this allowed for a lower assumption of non-collectable bills which in turn required a smaller reserve fund. The end result allows for higher earnings. All of these practices could continue as long as WorldCom continued to acquire additional companies, using those companies as their â€Å"merry-go-round† to utilize poor accounting practices. Not only poor practices but unethical. In 2000, the merry-go-round stopped when the government refused to allow WorldCom to merge with Sprint. Another accounting practice that that was uncovered was the allowance of the board of directors to authorize loans to senior executives. Mr. Ebbers received a $341 million loan authorized by the board of directors which is the largest amount any publicly traded company has lent to one of its officers in recent memory. This brings concerns about conflict of interest and breach of fiduciary duty but nevertheless WorldCom was not the only company allowing this practice. And on top of that the loan interest rate was as low as 2% which was not much of a return for the company that loaned him that large of an amount. WorldCom’s unethical accounting practices were found by Cynthia Cooper who worked as an internal auditor for WorldCom. Cynthia and her team became suspicious of a number of peculiar financial transactions and began their own private investigation. What they found were multiple entries that were misallocated and unauthorized to the tune of $4 billion dollars in capital expenditures. It appeared the company was trying to represent operating costs as capital expenditures in order to make the company look more profitable. By allowing these kinds of practices and attempting to have others following the same kind of unethical behavior, moral and trust were at an all time low within the company. Beginning in 2002 everything began to unravel. The SEC began an investigation on the company and WorldCom was trying to avoid filing for bankruptcy. Within months they laid off more than 17,000 employees, almost 20 percent of their workforce. By the time it was all said and done, 30,000 employees lost their jobs and investors lost over $180 billion dollars. WorldCom improperly booked $3.8 billion as capital expenditures which improved cash flow and profit over a 5 quarter period. This disguised the actual net loss for 2001 and the first quarter of 2002. It is possible that the accounting irregularities go back to 2000. In simple terms WorldCom did not account for expenses when it incurred them, but hid the expenses by pushing them into the future, giving the appearance of spending less and therefore making more money. This apparent profitability pleased investors who pushed the stock up to a high of $64.51 in June 1999. When WorldCom was stopped from acquiring Sprint they had to find a way to hide their large expenses so that the price of the stock would not go down. They did this by treating $7 billion of line costs as capital expenditures. These line costs were basically rental fees paid to other phone companies to use their phone lines. Up until 2001 these fees (expenses) had always been properly expensed in previous years but when WorldCom placed them in the capitalization category the expense was delayed to future periods which in turn boosted current-period profits. The accounting guideline that made this decision fraudulent was materiality. Materiality refers to the impact of an item’s size on a company’s financial operations. Materiality states that if an item would not make a difference in decision-making, the company does not have to follow GAAP in reporting the item. In this case, $7 billion dollars in expenses makes a huge difference so GAAP guideline should have been followed. Consequently profits for 2001 and 2002 were overstated greatly. This ethical breach could have been avoided long before it became a huge problem basically by maintaining the accounting system from the very beginning. Because WorldCom was more interested in acquiring companies than in merging them properly, accounting systems from various companies did not work together well. After a time and more and more acquisitions it became a huge mess and nobody really had any idea what was right and what was wrong. Senior management used that disorganization to conceal their fraudulent activities. This large of a fraud should have been easily detected by doing a routing comparison of the actual physical assets with a list of the physical assets shown in the accounting records. Following the scandal of WorldCom which closely followed the Waste Management Scandal in 1998 and the Enron scandal in 2001, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, introducing the most sweeping set of new business regulations since the 1930s.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Types of Life Insurance: Advantages and Disadvantages

Types of Life Insurance: Advantages and Disadvantages Overview Life insurance is one of the most popular types of insurance that people purchase. Life insurance is basically insurance that you purchase and will pay money to your beneficiaries if you die. One of the main reasons why people purchase life insurance is to protect their family financially. Life insurance will help pay for burial costs, debt, mortgages, and any other income losses that will occur if someone dies. Life insurance is paid for just like automotive insurance is. It can be paid by a monthly, quarterly, or annually premium for as long as the policy goes for (Types of Insurance Policies, 2011). There are several different types of life insurance policies that people can purchase that will best suit their needs. The main types are term life insurance, whole life insurance, variable life insurance, and universal life insurance. In this research paper, I will explain the advantages, disadvantages, time lengths, and how each of the types of life insurance fit different people. It is very important to understand how these insurance companies calculate premiums for different people. Their main goal is to assess the risk of someone dying during the policy. Just like other types of insurance, the more risk you have, the higher your premium will be. Some of the factors that are used to determine premiums are gender, age, occupation, height, weight, medical history, lifestyle, and if you smoke (Types of Insurance Policies, 2011). Recently I had to do a project in class where you had to find different premiums on life insurance. Some other things that I was asked were if I recently had any DUIs, if any relatives have died before the age of 60, if I have recently been hospitalized, and if any diseases run in my family. All of these factors do give the insurance companies a better understanding of someones risk, but it is nearly impossible to be able to determine the chances of someone passing away. It is also difficult to estimate the cost of each of the different types of life insurance because it is different for every individual. Term life insurance is very affordable, and that is why it is growing in popularity. Term life insurance is basically a life insurance policy that covers a person if they die during the length of their insurance. Term life insurance policies can be anywhere from 1 to 30 years. These policies are known as temporary because once the policies are over, you are no longer covered. For example, if you purchase a 10 year term life insurance policy, and you die the year after your policy expires, your beneficiaries wont receive any money. This also means that if you stop paying your premiums, you will no longer be covered. There are many different reasons how people decided on how long they want their life insurance policy to cover their family. A lot people that purchase term life insurance decide to make their contract until they retire. Another popular way people decide on their term is to remain covered until their children have turned 18. This is a very smart way to insure that your children will be financially protected until they are adults (Life Insurance Wiz, 2006). Another good reason to purchase term life insurance is if you are involved in risky or potentially fatal activities. Even though these factors will increase your premium, it is still worth it in case something terrible happens. The cost of term life insurance all depends on a persons risk and the length of the policy. There are several different types of term life insurance, and it is important to know the differences when selecting the best type. Annual renewable term life insurance means that each year a person may renew their term life insurance. However, each year you renew your term life insurance, the premium will go up in cost because of your age. Renewable term life insurance means that after your specific term is up, you are allowed sign a new term life insurance contract. Level premium term insurance means that your premium will not change throughout the length of the contract. This type of term insurance is good because as you get older, you dont have to pay more money for your life insurance. Convertible term insurance means that you are allowed to convert your term insurance into another type of life insurance, like universal or whole life (Life Insurance Wiz, 2006). There are advantages and disadvantages to term life insurance. Some advantages are that you get to choose how long you want to be covered for, most policies can be changed or renewed to other policies, and your beneficiaries are paid a specific amount upon your death which is decided when you start your policy. Some disadvantages are that if you pass away after your term life insurance policy, no benefits are giving to your family, and it doesnt offer as much protection as other life insurance policies offer (Life Insurance Wiz, 2006). Whole Life Insurance Whole life insurance is exactly what it sounds like, a life insurance policy that last for someones whole life. Upon death, the beneficiary receives the value of the account. Whole life insurance is also known as permanent life insurance. The main difference between whole life and term life is that whole life insurance grows in value over time. Whole life insurance is similar to a retirement account where you are putting money toward the future, except in this case it is toward your death. An interesting fact about whole life insurance is that you can actually borrow money out of your account, which you cannot do with term insurance (Life Insurance Wiz, 2006). To be able to borrow money out of your account, there must be a set minimum of money already invested into the account. Most whole life insurance policies mature when a person turns 100 years old, so if that person is still alive they will receive the face value of their account (My Life Insured, 2007). The main reason why peop le choose whole life insurance over term life insurance is because they want to be insured for the rest of their life. For this reason, whole life insurance is more expensive than term insurance. There are several different types of whole life insurance. Non participating whole life insurance means that you do not receive dividends for your policy. On the other hand, participating whole life insurance means that you do receive dividends. Level premium whole life insurance is just like level term insurance, where you pay the same premium throughout the length of the policy. Purchasing a life insurance policy with a fixed premium is a great choice because once you retire, you wouldnt want your premium to increase every year due to the loss in income. Single premium whole life insurance is a policy where you pay a large sum of money in the begging of your policy, which than eliminates having to pay premiums. This type of policy is not very popular due to the reason that you would need a lot of money up front. Intermediate whole life insurance means that your premiums change over time depending on your status (New York State Insurance Department, 2011). In the past couple years, a significant amount of people lost their homes because of adjustable mortgages, so I think that this type of whole life insurance is not a good choice. Some advantages of Whole life insurance are that they are usually fixed premiums, the beneficiaries will receive money whenever the policy holder dies, there are tax benefits, and most of the money will be returned if the policy is cancelled. The money that accumulates in your policy is tax free, which attracts a lot of people to purchase a whole life insurance policy over a term life insurance policy. Some disadvantages of whole life insurance is that it is costly compared to term insurance, and it is much more complicated than term life insurance (New York State Insurance Department, 2011). If you are interested in purchases a whole life insurance policy, it is important to know which type it is so you know you will be able to afford it for the rest of your life. Universal Life Insurance Universal life insurance is very similar to whole life insurance. A universal life insurance policy will cover someone for their whole life, so it is also considered a permanent life insurance policy. Universal life insurance policies also grow in cash over time, which is tax deferred. The interest rates increase and decrease like the money market, so there is a chance to make a lot of money in this type of life insurance (My Life Insured, 2007). The main advantage that universal life insurance has over whole life insurance is that there is more flexibility in the policy. The cash value and the death benefits parts of your policy are broken up, so a person can decide how much of their money will go in each part (Life Insurance Wiz, 2006). The policy holder can also increase and decrease their premium depending on their situation. However, the insurance companies do have a target premium, so if you pay less than it, you may be penalized (Life Insurance Wiz, 2006). This type of life in surance policy would be best for someone who wanted to be covered for the rest of their life, and would want to be able to adjust their policy to be suit their needs. Advantages of Universal life insurance are it is the most flexible, you are able to take out loans, you can adjust your premiums due to your situation, and the cash you earn in interest can be used toward your payments. Some disadvantages are that your cash value isnt guaranteed like it is with whole life insurance and it more costly than term and universal life insurance policies (Life Insurance Info, 2011). Variable Life Insurance Variable life insurance is also considered a permanent type of life insurance. It is considered a pure investment policy because the insured has completed control of how their money is invested (My Life Insured, 2007). They can decide to invest their cash account into bonds, stocks, or any other money market funds (My Life Insured, 2007). For this reason, variable life insurance is the most risky out of all the types of life insurance. If a person makes poor investment choices, they risk losing a substantial amount of their money. On the other hand, if good investments are made, the policy holder can receive a significant profit. Due to the risk of this type of life insurance, it is the most expensive one. This type of life insurance policy is only a good choice for people that understand the money market, and will remain active in watching their investments.