Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Periodic Law Definition in Chemistry

The Periodic Law states that the physical and chemical properties of the elements recur in a systematic and predictable way when the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number. Many of the properties recur at intervals. When the elements are arranged correctly, the trends in element properties become apparent and can be used to make predictions about unknown or unfamiliar elements, simply based on their placement on the table. Importance of Periodic Law Periodic Law is considered to be one of the most important concepts in chemistry. Every chemist makes use of Periodic Law, whether consciously or not, when dealing with the chemical elements, their properties, and their chemical reactions. Periodic Law led to the development of the modern periodic table. Discovery of Periodic Law Periodic Law was formulated based on observations made by scientists in the 19th century. In particular, contributions made by Lothar Meyer and Dmitri Mendeleev made trends in element properties apparent. They independently proposed Periodic Law in 1869. The periodic table arranged the elements to reflect Periodic Law, even though scientists at the time had no explanation for why properties followed a trend. Once the electronic structure of atoms was discovered and understood, it became apparent the reason characteristics occurred in intervals was because of the behavior of electron shells. Properties Affected by Periodic Law The key properties that follow trends according to Periodic Law are atomic radius, ionic radius, ionization energy, electronegativity, and electron affinity. Atomic and ionic radius are a measure of the size of a single atom or ion. While atomic and ionic radius are different from each other, they follow the same general trend. The radius increases moving down an element group and generally decreases moving left to right across a period or row. Ionization energy is a measure of how easy it is to remove an electron from an atom or ion. This value decreases moving down a group and increases moving left to right across a period. Electron affinity is how easily an atom accepts an electron. Using Periodic Law, it becomes apparent the alkaline earth elements have a low electron affinity. In contrast, the halogens readily accept electrons to fill their electron subshells and have high electron affinities. The noble gas elements have practically zero electron affinity because they have full valence electron subshells. Electronegativity is related to electron affinity. It reflects how easily an atom of an element attracts electrons to form a chemical bond. Both electron affinity and electronegativity tend to decrease moving down a group and increase moving across a period. Electropositivity is another trend governed by Periodic Law. Electropositive elements have low electronegativities (e.g., cesium, francium). In addition to these properties, there are other characteristics associated with Periodic Law, which may be considered properties of element groups. For example, all of the elements in group I (alkali metals) are shiny, carry a 1 oxidation state, react with water, and occur in compounds rather than as free elements.

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Tom Sawyer - 1438 Words

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the theme of individual identity, especially contrasted against mob mentality and assimilation, is present in almost every chapter of the novel. Throughout the novel, the characters within the story, especially Huck as the protagonist, make decisions regarding which type of mentality they will use, which then affects their relations with other characters, such as Tom Sawyer. In the book, Twain uses both Huck s idealization of Tom and Tom, the physical being, as secondary characters to help the reader understand how Huck falls into both of these mentalities and how his identity as individual changes throughout the novel. This insight allows the reader to better understand Huck s character by showing Huck s response to the pressure to assimilate to mob mentality, mainly through his relationship with Tom, and development in his ability to think for himself by contrasting his behavior in Tom s presence and absence along with the reasons this develop ment occurs. Tom Sawyer, as a physical boy in the story, plays the role of mob leader in Huck s life. When the two boys are together, Tom pressures Huck to follow him, and therefore assimilate to mob mentality, by repeatedly dismissing Huck s ideas. For example, when Huck questions Tom s story of the genies, Tom says Shucks, it ain t no use to talk to you, Huck Finn. You don t seem to know anything, somehow (Twain, 19). Here, Tom casts aside Huck s questions by essentially callingShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures Of Tom Sawyer And The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essay2196 Words   |  9 Pagescompletely ban the book from libraries and classrooms? This controversy is relevant towards Mark Twain, a world-famous author well-known for his novels titled The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Huck Finn). As stated by an English professor at Texas State University, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can be recognized as â€Å"the most famous, most beloved, and most controversial novel featuring a prominent black character and written by a white author† (Tally Jr. 97)Read More Comparison of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain665 Words   |  3 PagesComparison of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were both characters created by Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer is the main character in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn is the main character in the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer were alike in many ways but they were also very different. One way in which Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are alike is that they are bothRead MorePlot Summary Of Tom Sawyer And The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn953 Words   |  4 Pages Plot Summary: (Include elements of plot, most importantly the climax). Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn take place in St. Petersburg, Missouri- and most of it occurs at different destinations along the Mississippi River. In the book preceding Huckleberry Finn, Huck and his friend Tom Sawyer found a stash of money left by a thief. Huck took in the money and was adopted by Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson. Huck is growing tired of his clean and comfortable life with theseRead MoreMark Twain s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer1654 Words   |  7 Pagesreleased 100 years after his expiration. Out of the numerous writers in America, Mark Twain is the enigmatic stand-out. ​Mark Twain- also known as Samuel Clemens- was an author known best for his fictional novels: â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† and â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.† His field of profession, being an author, was precarious at best. Writing, especially fictional stories, was and is a talent, not a taught skill. An imaginative, creative, and original mind with the ability to properlyRead MoreMark Twain s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer1226 Words   |  5 PagesMark Twain, American humorist and novelist, captured a world audience with stories of boyhood adventure and with commentary on man s shortcomings that is humorous even while it probes, often bitterly, the roots of human behavior. His writing, Shelley Fisher Fishkin who is one of the leading scholars on the work of Mark Twain in American culture and literature observes, involves an entreaty to rethink, reevaluate and reformulate the terms in which one defines bot h personal and national identityRead MoreMark Twain : Seeing America s Flaws1593 Words   |  7 PagesTwain: Seeing America’s Flaws â€Å"You don’t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain and he told the truth, mainly. There was things he stretched, but mainly he told the truth† (qtd. in Jones 237). That was the very first line in Mark Twain’s controversial book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Samuel L. Clemens, as a young boy, grew up on the Mississippi and learned the ways of southern societyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1103 Words   |  5 PagesDmitri Van Duine Jr English Mr. Nelson November 27th The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Written by Mark Twain filled his stories with many examples of satire as to convey a message while also writing an interesting story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn revolves around the adventures of a young boy called Huckleberry Finn, who is about thirteen years old. Tom Sawyer is Huck’s best friend and around the same age as Huck. He is onlyRead MoreThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer600 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A novel written by Samuel Langhorne Clemens also more commonly known as Mark Twain. Samuel was born in 1835 in what he called â€Å"the almost invisible village† in Florida, Missouri. In his younger years he and his family moved to Hannibal Missouri on the Mississippi River. He later used this town as his fictional town of St. Petersburg in â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer†. While Samuel Clemens was savoring all of his fame he and his family were living in Hartford, ConnecticutRead MoreThe Ad ventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1510 Words   |  7 PagesHuckleberry Finn, a Dark Tale The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the more serious and immersive books I’ve personally had the pleasure of reading. Its â€Å"prequel† The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is so much lighter. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there is a tone of sadness. His life is so vastly different from his friend, Tom’s. Huck’s life is full of adventure and so is Tom’s, but Huck’s life is more dark and depressing. Huck experiences things at a young age noRead MoreAnalysis Of The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 1679 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of an Important Character Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a story about growing up, facing the world, and fighting for what’s right. Huckleberry Finn matures greatly throughout the book, and Tom Sawyer plays an important role in showing this change. His character allows the reader to see Huck’s increase in maturity throughout the story. Tom is the constant, his immaturity not changing from the beginning to the end of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, while Huck is the changing variable

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Greed Essay †Enron and Northern Rock Corporate Collapse Free Essays

string(65) " taking advantage of the lack of information that he cultivated\." Abstract The spectacular collapse of both Enron and Northern Rock illustrate two very distinct methods of errant policy that deserve continual study.This essay examines and compares the roles of both companies during their respective period of failure in order to determine the fundamental causes that led each of these companies to ruin. The evidence presented outlines a pattern of greed, ambition and poor policy that combined to drive the entities to failure. We will write a custom essay sample on Greed Essay – Enron and Northern Rock Corporate Collapse or any similar topic only for you Order Now This research will be of value to any person looking into corporate collapse. 1 Introduction Failure in business comes in many forms making continual evaluation beneficial. The cases of the spectacular collapse of both Enron and Northern Rock illustrate two very distinct methods of errant policy. This essay examines and compares the roles of both companies during this period of failure in order to determine the fundamental causes that led each of these companies to ruin. With a focus on the role of fraud, market value accounting, fraud and creative accounting this study will identify and evaluate the underlying causes that have been credited with defining business risk in the modern age. In the end, this essay examines and evaluates the fundamental factors associated with the collapse of Enron and Northern Rock with the stated goal of determining the best methods of avoiding such a scenario in the future. 2 Corporate Collapse 2.1 Overview Enron was once considered a blue chip investment with the inherent capacity to bolster any portfolio during the 1990’s until the collapse of 2001 (Khan, 2011). Once regarded as a premier investment, Enron became associated with a wide range of questionable accounting practice, fraud and insider trading during their term of operations. Over the course of 1990’s, Enron was cited and held up as a pillar of innovation and performance with many institutions attempting to emulate their professed success (Arnold and Lange, 2004). This early idolization of the rising company seems to have increased overall investor interest and expectation. With a platform based on gas and electricity and a long list of associated enterprises including online and investment services utilized by nearly every other energy entity of the period, Enron was the acknowledged leader in the international energy industry (Solomon and Solomon, 2004). With a broad based system of investors, there was subst antial fallout when the final collapse of the company was announced in 2001, with many in the industry decrying the lack of oversight amid the opportunity for fraud (Khan, 2011). The rise and fall of Enron, even on basic level is a reflection of a company’s ability to build and play upon investors’ expectations, which indicates a willingness on the part of the investors to risk their money in a questionable investment. Northern Rock was once considered a leading voice in the UK banking industry (Marshall et al, 2012). Created as a result of a merger between the North East Building Society and the Northern counties Permanent Building Society and the Rock Building Society, the Northern Rock Building Society was in an ideal position to create and further their own business interests. A key area of concern for investors was the fact that Northern Rock derived its capital from depositors until the deregulation efforts of the 1980’s (Marshall et al, 2012). With the relaxation of oversight, it became possible for entities such as Northern Rock to consider and implement alternate solutions for revenue increase that included heavy investment in the stock market and mortgage industry. Complementing the perception of leadership and dedication to the market were statistics that cited Northern Rock as one of the leading mortgage lenders during the period of the early 2000’s (Mclean and Elkind, 200 3). With a wish to capitalize as much as possible on the conditions of the growing market, which included the American mortgage market prior to 2008, Northern Rock leadership opted to invest heavily in the subprime market that generated so much profit during this period (Dawley et al, 2012). This argument suggests that the old industry region that was home to the company’s operations had a direct impact on the initial success and eventual failure of the Ban. This initial overview demonstrates that there was a real drive to produce revenue on the part of both of these companies, which in turn fuelled their need to succeed at any cost. In both cases, Enron and Northern Rock began with a legitimate business foundation, yet desired a continual increase in power and revenue which led to poor decisions and policy implementation. In a very real way, this brief illustration suggests that the success factor prompted these companies to act in the selfish and rash manner that brought about their downfall. 2.2 Companies 2.2.1 Enron The manner in which leadership creates, endorses and implements a company policy is a critical component to any entities day to day operations (O’Connell, 2004). In this case Enron leadership including Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling and Andy Fastow were primarily credited with first leading the company to incredible heights, and then engineering the massive failure due to their own incredible greed. Perhaps a leading indicator of the manner of leadership Ken Lay found appealing lay in his continual support of the oil trading company headed by Borget that was deemed acceptable as long as there was a profit, regardless of method (Swartz and Watkins, 2003). Organizational culture built on greed and corruption will continue to breed these same elements throughout any organization (Solomon et al, 2004). In this case Enron leadership’s goal of creating a nature gas stock exchange was driven by the desire to increase market share and revenue. In the beginning this form of innovatio n and aggressive marketing were deemed acceptable, but with subsequent discoveries of accounts including M. Yass, or My ass, created by Borget there was an acknowledgement of corruption (Fox, 2003). Despite Enron initially endorsing Borget and his practices as the scope of the losses mounted, Ken Lay actively denied any wrong doing, taking advantage of the lack of information that he cultivated. You read "Greed Essay – Enron and Northern Rock Corporate Collapse" in category "Essay examples" The lack of any serious form of financial oversight allowed Enron to create questionable forms of accounting and bookkeeping that extended their perception of propriety (Solomon, 2004). During deregulation effort of the late twentieth century, there was serious contention on the part of the business community that there was a need to reduce regulation in order to benefit the consumer. Leadership at Enron eagerly campaigned on the notion that deregulation would actively increase the capacity for the worker (Swartz et al, 2003). Blaming regulation for higher electricity the lobbyists were largely successful in their drive to remove any meaningful oversight in the industry. This push included a state by state approach that allowed Enron to utilize their regional positions to great advantage, thereby ensuring a smoother experience (Boje et al, 2004). Skilling created concept of an asset lite strategy, or not actually owning the assets, simply bundling and selling the energy, which in turn provided Enron with a potential method to drastically increase revenue with little to no paper trail (Solomon et al, 2014). The summer of 1998 witnessed a bonanza for Enron as there was a perception of volatility that enabled them to drastically capitalize on the market, leading to the perception that Skilling was a genius (Swartz et al, 2003). During this period following deregulation many of the Enron’s greatest profits were made by employees finding loopholes and exploiting these accounting or business practices to the utmost in order to increase revenue (Arnold and Lange, 2005). Again, this policy of attempting to end run regulation only promotes the false ideal that the company or its employees was smarter than the system. Enron has been credited with employing many questionable accounting techniques during their period of operation in order to bolster expectations (Gordon, 2002). This drive to provide a continuous profit for the company led the leadership to adopt accounting practices that did more to obstruct the revelation of negative data in order to maintain profits. A combination of being at the right place in the form of evolving deregulation and belonging to a culture of greed and corruption created the atmosphere that prompted these increasingly poor accounting practices (Macey, 2003). At the heart of Enron’s trouble rests a lack of strong corporate governance and an increasing disregard for public regulation and investor welfare (Vinten, 2002). Beginning with methods that merely bent the rules, the accounting practices at Enron had to become larger in order to account for the burgeoning debt that was being created (Parker, 2005). This form of creative bookkeeping suggests that there was a strong knowledge that operations at the company were not only limited in scope, but there was a need to make as much money as possible at any cost. This form of accounting was illustrated in the Mark to Market accounting expansion that served to misinform investors on accurate valuations, thereby increasing Enron’s value (Shelly, 2011). While essentially legal, the stretching and reinterpretation of the rules allowed Enron to create a wide margin of profit on paper. Further, the use of limited partnership and outside parties increased the level of secrecy and uncert ainty that surrounded every Enron valuation process including the Credit Default Swaps and Collateralised Debt Obligations (Swartz et al, 2010). These measures became necessary in order to provide the company with the means to maintain expectations, bonuses and pensions. From the outset, Enron was out to make money (Jennings, 2002). Each innovation was aimed at delivering the most revenue to the leadership, not the investors. Each decision and example of culture illustrates the greed and ambition of those behind the Enron debacle. In the accounting profession a fair presentation is regarded as an accurate representation of a working operation, creative accounting is identified as flexible practice that best serves the interests of the clients, with fraudulent accounting made up of those that blatantly step outside the law (Buckley, 2011). Enron has displayed an initial fair value accounting method that degenerated into a fraudulent accounting method with evidence that paints a portrait of unrestrained greed, propped up by poor regulation and aided by tacit indulgence of success. There is a clear need to conduct ethical business in order to sustain opportunities (Gill, 2009). This was does not seem to have happened in the case of Enron. This evidence suggests that no matter how Enron had attempted to compensate for poor practice, there could have been no other plausible outcome than failure. 2.2.2 Northern Rock Initially specialising in residential and commercial mortgages Northern Rock quickly became an industry frontrunner under the leadership of Adam Applegarth in 2001(Marshall et al, 2012). This form of leadership actively profited from the prior methods of operation, utilizing the past profit to invest in the present stock market, primarily the growing sector mortgage securities. Linsley and Slack (2013) argue that prior to 2001 Northern Rock projected a ethic of care, which in turn was cited for the intense feelings of betrayal following the collapse of the Bank. There was a sense that leadership of the Bank was overly ambitious in their efforts to capitalize on their existing assets by putting all of the previous savings at risk (Marshall et al, 2012). This suggests that the clientele of Northern Rock expected their leadership to take greater care and substantially less risk. Three primary points including Northern Rocks previous existence as a building society, the local or regional nature of the bank and the appearance of the Northern Rock Foundation bolstered the perception of a caring institution that was out to serve the populace (Linsley, 2013). With the change in policy brought about by a new leader, there was a palpable sense of anger and disillusionment with both Northern Rock and the direction of their investments. It very much seems as if was this effort from the previous eras, the caring and attentive attitude that served to amplify the negativity as the bank began to crumble under the weight of poor leadership and management. With the onset of the subprime collapse in the United States and the massive international recession that followed, it became impossible for Northern Rock to meet its financial obligations, which in turn prompted the failure of the bank (Linsley et al, 2013). The innovative nature of the investment pattern such as the ‘Together’ investment scenario set out by Northern Rock was a stark departure from the mutualisation process of previous eras (Nesvetailova and Palan, 2013). With the ambitious investment goals set out by Applegarth, it became necessary for the bank to move from the 75% per cent income from depositors to a much more modest 25% with the remaining balance being accounted for by investment and loans (Nesvetailova, 2013). As reflected by consumer discontent with the policy decision, the entire process became disliked and heavily blamed for the eventual run on the bank. The new pattern of investment required Northern Rock to pursue securitization in a fashion that created special purpose vehicles in order to allow these securities to become liquid and thereby tradable (Deegan and Unerman, 2011). This process allowed Northern Rock to obscure their accurate worth by essentially hiding these accounts offshore (Scott, 20 08). With an accounting practice that was creative and innovative at the time, Northern Rock utilized this method in order to expand their projected revenues, thereby further enhancing their operations. In order to continue lending at the bank level, mortgages could be sold, or further funds borrowed on the mortgage securities, which in turn kept Northern Rock liquid initially (Gaffikin, 2008). This culture of greed no matter the cost fuelled the leadership drive to not only continue this practice, but expand it to incorporate up to 50 per cent of the Northern Rock operational platform (Deegan et al, 2011). Depending too heavily on any volatile market has the potential to put any operation at risk at any time (Domhoff, 2013). This evidence suggests that Northern Rock was substantially impacted by the subprime mortgage collapse and the inability to borrow money from the lenders. With a business model that was directly dependant on the interbank lending process, this sudden halt of funding was a severe and crippling blow, only enhanced by the need for the bank to have these funds on hand in order to shore up fading public support. The perception of dismay and lack of trust only increased as Northern Rock found itself undercut by rivals with better loan rates (Deegan et al, 2011). With no ready pool of funding available and no one to purchase the securities, some of which were frozen due to questionable value, the internal situation deteriorated to the point of collapse nearly overnight. Regulation and lack of effective constraints in the financial process has been cited as an element of the Northern Rock collapse (Nesvetailova, 2013). There was a sustained feeling that the explosive pattern of growth quickly overwhelmed any regulation effort, which in turn led to unsatisfactory testing and performance assessments. The caring culture that once benefited operations at Northern Rock was transformed to increased discontent with the announcement of the government bailout, which in turn fuelled the run on the bank (Deegan, et al, 2011). This evidence suggests that it was the very elements of safe investment that had given Northern Rock the opportunity for investment initially and that the prudent course of action would have been to maintain a pattern of considerate investment rather than an all-out bid for industry leadership. With the nationalization of the Northern Rock entity, the government became the only remaining investor, shouldering the substantial loss that had once been a thriving multi-generational company (Deegan et al, 2011). 3 Conclusion Both Enron and Northern Rock exhibited similar and distinctly different traits as this study as illustrated. Each of the companies possessed leadership that was very focused on success and revenue. This culture of greed and ambition served to initially propel both companies into positions of leadership which was demonstrated by their drastic increase in value and recognition during the early phases. While both companies began with fair trade accounting methods, there were driving forces behind each entities operation after that period. Enron began to employ outright fraud in their accounting practices, in some cases going so far as to completely create fictional assets in order to maintain viability. In contrast Northern Rock employed creative accounting methods to legally utilize their existing assets to invest in the subprime mortgage market. While Northern Rocks leadership made poor choices, there was no element of blatant fraud as perpetrated by Enron. There was a distinct organisational culture gap between Enron and Northern Rock. The ethic of care environment enacted a perception of interest in the consumers of Northern Rock aided the long term business efforts and sustained operations over generations. Enron was focused on profit and the means to increase profit from the point of inception, creating management techniques that encouraged a liberal interpretation of any regulation, placing revenue generation above the need to present a high level of honesty during operation. A similarity that binds both companies together was the leadership intention to use the open market to increase their net assets. Further, there was a directed action by both management institutions to hide the debt from the consumer and investors in order to prop up their image and brand. Once considered pioneering, creative and innovative the combination of deregulation, massive growth and complex rules provided a wide range of opportunities that these compa nies chose to exploit for their own gain. Each of these entities found itself in the position that required them to borrow money in order to meet expectations. Lacking the means to borrow money was the death knell for both of these enterprises. Northern Rock found itself caught in the subprime mortgage collapse and Enron found itself the focus of scrutiny concerning their assets and true valuation. In the end both Enron and Northern Rock exhibited poor policy decision as well as experiencing bad luck. While there is no guarantee in the business world, large scale deception and fraud will eventually come back to roost. It was the utilization of questionable practice, greed and ambition that served to derail these companies, teaching us all that honesty is indeed the best policy. 4 References Arnold, B. and De Lange, P. 2004. Enron: an examination of agency problems. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 15 (6), pp. 751–765. Boje, D. M., Rosile, G. A., Durant, R. A. and Luhman, J. T. 2004. Enron spectacles: A critical dramaturgical analysis. Organization Studies, 25 (5), pp. 751–774. Buckley, A. 2011. Financial crisis. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Dawley, S., Marshall, N., Pike, A., Pollard, J. and Tomaney, J. 2012. Continuity and evolution in an old industrial region: the labour market dynamics of the rise and fall of Northern Rock. Regional Studies, (ahead-of-print), pp. 1–19. Deegan, C. and Unerman, J. 2011. Financial Accounting Theory: European Edition, 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill. New York, NY. Domhoff, G. W. 2013. The myth of liberal ascendancy. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers. Fox, L. 2003. Enron. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Gaffikin, M. 2008. Accounting Theory: Research, Regulation and Accounting Practice, Pearson Education. New York, NY. Gill, M. 2009, Accountant’s Truth: Knowledge and Ethics in the Financial World, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1(1). Gordon, J. N. 2002. What Enron means for the management and control of the modern business corporation: some initial reflections. The University of Chicago Law Review, 1(1) pp. 1233–1250. Gordon, R. W. 2002. New Role for Lawyers: The Corporate Counselor after Enron, A. Conn. L. Rev., 35 p. 1185. Jennings, M. M. 2002. Primer on Enron: Lessons from a Perfect Storm of Financial Reporting, Corporate Governance and Ethical Culture Failures, A. Cal. WL Rev., 39 p. 163. Khan, M. A. 2011. The Reasons Behind a Corporate Collapse: A Case Study of Enron.Available at SSRN 1923277. Linsley, P. M. and Slack, R. E. 2013. Crisis management and an ethic of care: the case of Northern Rock Bank. Journal of business ethics, 113 (2), pp. 285–295. Macey, J. R. 2003. Efficient capital markets, corporate disclosure, and Enron. Cornell L. Rev., 89 p. 394. Marshall, J., Pike, A., Pollard, J. S., Tomaney, J., Dawley, S. and Gray, J. 2012. Placing the run on Northern Rock. Journal of Economic Geography, 12 (1), pp. 157–181. Mclean, B. and Elkind, P. 2003. The smartest guys in the room. New York: Portfolio. Nesvetailova, A. and Palan, R. 2013. Minsky in the Shadows Securitization, Ponzi Finance, and the Crisis of Northern Rock. Review of Radical Political Economics, 45 (3), pp. 349–368. O’Connell, B. T. 2004. Enron. Con:â€Å"He that filches from me my good name†¦ makes me poor indeed†. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 15 (6), pp. 733–749. Parker, L. D. 2005. Corporate governance crisis down under: post-Enron accounting education and research inertia. European Accounting Review, 14 (2), pp. 383–394. Richardson, S. 2011. From the Invisible Hand to CEO Speak: Enron and a Rhetoric of Corporate Collapse. Russell, D. 2013. Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance and Sustainability, Vol. 3Business and Sustainability: Concepts Strategies and Changes. International Journal of Law and Management, 55 (1), pp. 74–76. Scott, W. R. 2008 Financial Accounting Theory, 5th Edition, FT Prentice Hall. Solomon, J. and Solomon, A. 2004. Corporate governance and accountability. New York: John Wiley. Swartz, M. and Watkins, S. 2003. Power failure. New York: Doubleday. Vinten, G. 2002. The corporate governance lessons of Enron. Corporate Governance, 2 (4), pp. 4–9. How to cite Greed Essay – Enron and Northern Rock Corporate Collapse, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Caesar And Brutus Essay Example For Students

Caesar And Brutus Essay Brutus was a trusted friend of Caesar and an honorable man, or so you thought. In William Shakespeares The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus is presented as aloyal companion to Caesar showing himself as honorable only to turn around andbetray his friend by death. This to me does not sound like the act of anhonorable man. Can a man who is honored, be honorable? Brutus was a noble man inRome and a good friend to the leader Caesar. Many looked up to Brutus as anhonest man, and a person to trust and confide in. Trust is a basis in afriendship, and the one thing that failed to enter the relationship betweenCaesar and Brutus, leading to the one thing to drive their friendship apart. Hemay be looked apon as honored but was definitely not an honorable man. Someonewho kills one of his own because he was persuaded to by the thoughts and ideasof others is easily manipulated and therefore cannot be thought of as honorable. He does not have strong character if he does not have faith in himself. Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face while I do run apon it.(Shakespeare The Tragedy of Julius Caesar 5. 3. line 49) These were words Brutusspoke moments before killing himself, dying full of shame. How could a man whodoes not have the strength to carry on with his life, be considered honorable?Half of having the title of being honorable, is having faith in yourself, aquality which Brutus showed he did not have by timorously taking his own life. Inner weakness portrays itself in an outer manifestations of lies and anger. Howcan these characteristics be considered honorable? Like a chameleon, Brutuschanged his words and ideas to fit the political climate, betraying Caesar, hiscountry, and eventually himself. Brutus, having no self-assurance, or confidencehe resulted to being a follower right down to his death. These are all signs ofa weak person. With so much going for him, he lost it all to an easy way out ofa difficult situation. We are all presented with effortless ways to get out ofcomplicated circumstances, but its not always the best. As loyal andtrustworthy as Brutus was first thought to be, his true side was eventuallyshown in the end. He was no friend to Caesar, or anyone else. Betrayal, lies,suicide, and murder were result of a weak and deceitful man. This man showed hewas anything but honorable in anyway. On who is honored cant always behonorable.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Climate Changes Snowpack

Climate Changes Snowpack One of the Most Urgent Environmental Issues Environmentalists have been trying to draw public’s attention to the problems associated with the climate change for decades. Nonetheless, people used to turn their backs on this problem as they kept saying that scientists were exaggerating. Now lots of people can literally feel the changes which have been taking place.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Climate Changes: Snowpack specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most conspicuous illustrations of the climate change is the amount of snowpack in the world, and in every part of the globe. According to a variety of surveys and researches, snowpack is steadily declining due to a number of reasons. Importantly, even those, who claim that some estimates are erroneous and somewhat exaggerated, admit that the problem exists and it needs to be addressed. Thus, snowpack is steadily declining and this has a number of effe cts as it negatively affects such businesses as ski resorts and, what is more, it has a negative impact on farming as water supplies are decreasing. Declining Snowpack A hundred years ago, people could hardly predict that their descendants would lack for snow. In the twenty-first century, it is an alarming reality. For instance, the USA has been witnessing a dramatic change in snowpack throughout the last 50 years (see Fig. 1). Thus, Oerlemans claims that glaciers have retreated significantly since the beginning of the twentieth century (â€Å"Worldwide Glacier Retreat† n.p.). It is possible to take a closer look at a particular example. A glacier on Mt. Baker, which is in Washington D.C., can be such an example as the increase of temperatures of only 1 °C results â€Å"~2 km retreat of the glacier terminus† (â€Å"Worldwide Glacier Retreat† n.p.). Another estimate is also quite alarming. According to research conducted by an Oregon State University, the †Å"average snowpack in the Cascades has declined 50 percent since 1950 and will be cut in half again in 30 years† (â€Å"Has Pacific Northwest Snowpack Declined?† n.p.). Notably, the estimate has raised a lot of questions as it focused on a specific (and quite limited) territory and only a few variables were taken into account. However, researchers agree that the trend does exist and it is vital to start addressing the problem.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 1. N. American Summer Snowpack (1967-2011) Kunkel et al. also note that the extreme snowfalls have been changed as extreme low-percentile snowfalls become a norm for many US states (6215). The researchers note that the estimate is rather rough and the data obtained can be regarded as statistically insignificant (Kunkel et al. 6215). Nevertheless, the research reflects certain trends which e xist in the USA as well as in other parts of the globe. Therefore, it is important to start addressing the problems associated with the decrease of amount of snowpack. Possible Causes for the Snowpack Decline Admittedly, many people keep saying that global warming (or rather the level of carbon dioxide) is the major reason of the snowpack decline. However, the problem is more complex and there are many factors contributing to the decrease of snow. Of course, increased global temperature is one of the major reasons of the change in the amount of the snowpack. Clearly, temperatures have increased since the beginning of the twentieth century (see Fig. 2). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Climate Changes: Snowpack specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fig. 2. National (Contiguous U.S.) Temperature It is necessary to note that the increased level of carbon dioxide has a significant impact on the snowpack as the rise of temper atures leads to snow melting. The temperatures have increased considerably since the middle of the twentieth century and it is impossible to ignore the increase in carbon dioxide emissions (see Fig. 3). The correlation between the global warming and the level of carbon dioxide is obvious. Fig. 3. Global Average Temperature and Carbon Dioxide Levels It is necessary to note that the change had started long before the 1950s as such periods as the Industrial Revolution and especially the beginning of the twentieth century were characterized by the increased levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Though, it is also necessary to note that increase in CO2 emission has never stopped and started rocketing in the 1960s (see Fig. 4). Many argue that the increase of the level of carbon dioxide is not caused by human activities but is rather a consequence of certain global processes. However, many researchers claim that though the amount of carbon dioxide emission produced by people is not crucial , deforestation has contributed to the aggravation of the problem (Le Quere n.p.). Admittedly, there are some global processes that lead to carbon dioxide emissions, but forests are global tools to diminish the negative effects of this increase. People’s activities have led to considerable decrease of forests, which, in its turn, has contributed to the increase in the level of carbon dioxide on the global scale.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 4. Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxide It is also necessary to note that the decrease of snowpack is also caused by some natural processes. For instance, researchers note that in the Middle Ages there was the so-called â€Å"Medieval warm period† which was characterized by warm temperatures (â€Å"Worldwide Glacier Retreat† n.p.). Therefore, a variety of possible causes for the change should be taken into account. However, it is also clear that it is no time to hesitate as people are now experiencing negative effects of the decrease of the amount of snowpack. The Impact At present, people feel the lack of snow. Such businesses as tourism and business offering some leisure activities are vulnerable to the change of the snowpack (Callaghan et al. 38). Thus, people who run ski resorts have losses due to the lack of snow. Researchers and business people agree that it is crucial to be able to analyze the existing trends and try to foresee the amount of snowpack in f uture. Clearly, if there is no snow, people will not go to the ski resorts, which will lead to bankruptcy of many ski resorts. However, the lack of snow has even more serious implications as it can lead to shortage of drinking water. This is already a problem in the USA and many other countries; it can become a serious issue in all parts of the world. The lack of water will also negatively affect farming and people will be unable to produce enough food. Conclusion To sum up, it is necessary to note that the amount of snowpack has declined significantly since the beginning of the twentieth century, and this decrease can cause many serious issues in such sectors of economy as tourism, recreation business and farming. Researchers provide rather different estimates and make a variety of predictions. However, the researchers agree that it is time to start addressing the problem as it exists and can lead to really serious issues. People should understand that if snow vanishes, it will be the end of life on the planet. Callaghan, Terry V.; Johansson, Margareta; Brown, Ross D.; Groisman, Pavel Ya.; Labba, Niklas; Radionov, Vladimir; Bradley, Raymond S.; Blangy, Sylvie; et al. Multiple Effects of Changes in Arctic Snow Cover. AMBIO 40.1 (2011): 32-45. Print. Has Pacific Northwest Snowpack Declined? Yes. 2007. Web. Kunkel, Kenneth E., Michael A. Palecki, Leslie Ensor, David Easterling, Kenneth G. Hubbard, David Robinson, and Kelly Redmond. Trends in Twentieth-Century U.S. Extreme Snowfall Seasons. Journal of Climate 22.1 (2009): 6204-6216. Print. Le Quere, Corinne. How Much of the Recent CO2 Increase Is Due to Human Activities? Real Climate 2005. Web. Worldwide Glacier Retreat. 2005. Web.

Friday, November 22, 2019

GM Acquiring Ford Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

GM Acquiring Ford - Research Paper Example For the year 2011, Ford Corporation had contracted $714 million of committed unsecured credit facilities with financial institutions due in 2014, as well as $7.9 billion of contractually-committed liquidity facilities provided by banks, from which $4.3 mature in 2012, and the rest in 2014. Ford Corporation classifies its long-term debt on the two sectors i.e. financial services and automotive sector. An overview of the amount registered for debt and long-term commitments is provided in the following tables. Taking into account that debt securities register the higher amount of the financial services debt, it is important to analyze the maturity structure of the debentures. The figure no. 1 depicts the term structure of these debentures. General Motors went through a process of reorganization in 2009, and liabilities from that period are still considered in the structure of GM’s debt. The following table depicts the description of debt for General Motors, considering also the amounts for Old GM. As in the case of Ford, GM classifies its long-term debt by considering the automotive and financial sector. For the automotive sector, the long-term debt registers $ 3613 million and a total of liabilities of $ 96792 million (as it can be seen long-term debt is a small portion of the total). The financial sector totals liabilities of $ 8820 million; a structure of these sector facilities is provided in the following

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

History of a Winery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of a Winery - Research Paper Example The high quality wine that is produced by the company is among the list of 150 top brands in Burgundy region. Some of the notable brands includes white Bourgogne Aligotà © , red Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains , Crà ©mant de Bourgogne, Crà ©mant de Bourgogne blanc de noirs, and AOC Bourgogne Pinot Noir among others. The company is known for its reputation of producing high quality wine and this has been successful due to the acquisitions of vineyards in 1980s up to 1990s (Fred, 2013). Maison Louis Jadot has more than 300 acres that belong to the family. This makes the company to yield high profit since the 300 acres belong to the family and thus the company management takes effective control of it. As a result, the company supplies large quantity of wine that is of high quality. The company management has been authorized to negotiate for the grape requirements with other growers with non binding agreements (Boehm, 1987). They sign agreements like willing seller willing buyer so as to strengthen the relationship between the company and the growers and finally they attain a collaborative partnership. The good terms of trade between the company and the growers of grapes makes the company to maintain the supply of grapes thus making it easy to attain a consistency in the production of its brands. Louis Jadot has specialized in wine making for almost 150 years and has been expanding to other wine making facilities and making contracts with growers to meet the demand of high quality wine. Louis Henry Denis Jadot is the man behind the Maison Louis Jadot, when he founded it in 1859 though the first vineyard was established in 1826 by Jadot family. The company is known for producing Burgundy wine in the market under the leadership of Jadot family. The family has its own vineyards. Because of large consumption of wine in the area, the company buys grapes from estates such as Domaines Lapalu, Medoc,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Business Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Business Decision Making - Essay Example The move can result in either being positive or negative depending on the approach used in the new market segments. There are 3 groups that are likely to benefit from this study. The first lot consists of the company employees who may gain skills in pitching new customers in the new market niche. Identifying customer trend may help them to take the necessary actions to coup with challenges that may arise in the event of initiating business activities in the new markets. Through sharing this knowledge, the employees can act as machines to aid management in implementing appropriate marketing strategies. The second group is the employers who automatically gain insight as to how new market can actually be managed having consumer preference data. Finally, business analysts can use these findings as valuable guide whenever advising Appalachian PLC. Through analysts, the firm can be in a position to determine whether they will have a significant profit income or not. The study was limited to the real income and age of clients in China from a merchandise firm in the UK; the interest was on the type of prices that can be charged and the levels of income in China. For the purpose of this study, what constitute pricing is determined by the employer. This study was restricted to customers based in China. This sample included a range of customers evenly distributed within China Republic. Barden, a freelance writer specializing in new business ventures and a former managing editor of Commerce and Accounting, stated the importance of through market research and gave specific examples of new markets that have successfully been reached. The Company that was used in undertaking the research activity currently makes huge profits for every furniture sale by offering services such as customized furniture according to customer need, amount of cash, and customer locality.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Use Of Celebrities In Advertising Cultural Studies Essay

The Use Of Celebrities In Advertising Cultural Studies Essay In my third and last year as an Office Management student I had the assignment of writing a paper for the International Marketing course. I could choose one of the teachers topics or find one myself. I have decided to pick the topic: the differences between Western and Asian culture. This was one of the many subjects offered by the teacher. There is a lot to say about this aspect, which is why I have decided to pick two countries and to dig deeper in their culture, and their point of view regarding to advertisement. The United States and Japan will be discussed in this document and I will add several examples to give a better view on the subject. I have chosen these two countries because they are totally different from each other, what makes it the more or less easy to spot differences. The United States is for me the place to be when it comes to celebrity endorsement. Even though the two cultures are not the same, there is a link and this will be explained in the paper. I expect to receive better understanding of the two cultures but also have a look behind the scenes. I am anxious to learn whether the use of celebrity does have impact on the brand and if that impact is positive for the brand. The paper will be handled in English. I have chosen to do so, because the course and my exam were in English, and the fact that the teacher did an effort to speak in English during the course, I have found it disrespectful not to make the same effort and write this paper in English. Before starting with my main subject I would like to explain some basic things. The term celebrity is widely used for every person that comes on TV. But for companies and brands, they are more than that. Furthermore I will start with the use of celebrity, mainly in the States and tackle the marketing strategy a little bit. My paper consists of two countries, that is why Japan will come next. The differences between these two countries will be tackled by the end along with some examples. A celebrity isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Also called a celeb and it is a person that is generally recognized in a society or a culture. People can become famous in different ways: through their profession, appearances in the mass media, beauty and even crime. Through mass media, starting in the 19th and 20th century, celebrities are known in a relatively short time nationally or internationally. This can sometimes occur very fast. Like Neil Armstrong being the first man walking over/on the moon in 1969, got famous in a nick of time. Celebrities appear in public in a different way, you and me can walk on the street unnoticed without anybody carrying. For celebs it is the other way around, they are walking advertising poles. From head to toe fans analyse the clothes and brands they are wearing. Furthermore they appear in public when fulfilling their jobs, like a tennis player in front of an audience. And also while attending events, like the Academy Awards, premieres of movies, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The news, fashion magazines and even tabloids provide second source information concerning their private life. Besides doing what they do, they also endorse a brand, and act as spokespeople in advertising and on events to promote their brand. Or should I say the brand they work for. The most logical question is does this celebrity endorsement do some good to the brand? A study of Till, Stanley, Priluck in 2008 explains us that celebrity endorsement is used in marketing, because it is believed that the consumers perception of the product improves. According to McCracken (1989) a celebrity endorser is an individual who has gained public awareness and uses this awareness in commercials and advertisements on behalf of consumer products. The use of celebrities in advertising: the States When Nike started collaborating with golf icon Tiger Woods, there was a lot of scepticism about the introduction of NIKE to the golf market.  Indeed, the image of NIKE was not consistent with the image of the elite sport of golf.  It is through the use of Tiger Woods in the marketing strategy that NIKE could successfully position itself in the golf market. Nike is one of the many multinationals which makes use of celebrity endorsers in its marketing strategy. Other famous brands that call upon a celebrity to endorse are Pepsi with David Beckham. The famous advertising commercials of Nepresso where we admire a charismatic George Clooney. For companies it is very interesting to make use of celebrity endorsers since advertisements with celebrities, creates more attention than ads or commercials without celebrities.   The celebrity endorser is not necessarily an actor or a movie star, there may for example also be considered athletes, musicians, artists and politicians. Although he passed away a long time ago, in this ad we see one of the United States most popular president, John F. Kennedy for an Omega advertising. However it is not so that celebrity endorsement guarantees success.  The success of using this marketing strategy depends on the values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹that the celebrity endorser gives to the product.  It is even possible that the celebritys own image and values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹can be transferred to the product. Not only theory but also practice has shown us that the use of celebrities generates a lot of publicity. Yet these endorsements can cost a lot of money to companies. For instance Venus Williams has signed a five-year contract worth 40 million dollars, to promote and endorse Reebok. Back in the days when he was the most popular athlete in the World, Michael Jordan had signed a contract for 20 million dollars with NIKE. This proved to be very lucrative for Nike, because the AIR Jordan was for a long time very famous and every teen on the block bought the shoe. All of these celebrities gain more from endorsement contracts than from the sport they practice. That is why celebrity endorsements increase every year. In 2007, celebrities in the United States were used in 25% of all TV commercials. What is marketing communication? A company has many audiences. Consumers and other customers are only a small part of the target groups. Marketing communication can be described as getting in touch with trade and or consumers to influence their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in a direction that is favourable for the marketing policy. The different marketing communication tools are used to influence positively the choices of the (potential) consumers. These marketing tools can be deployed at different levels. A distinction is made between the cognitive, affective and conative phase. Within the cognitive phase, the goal is to familiarize the customer with the product or the company. The affective phase is aimed at the emotions. Within this phase the customer needs to develop emotions and feelings towards the product or the company. The conative and affective phase can often be combined. In the conative stage, the customer actually makes a purchase. It is obvious that all companies aim to fulfil the last phase. A little bit of marketing strategy In this part of the paper I will dig a little bit deeper in the marketing strategy. The celebrity needs to match the brand, they are not randomly chosen by companies, just for fun. It is a whole strategy and a detailed process that comes along. I will also talk about what is important to guarantee the success of the brand and on what companies focus when choosing their celebrities. It can be said that celebrity endorsement is widely used because research indicates that the impact of celebrity endorsement is a positive investment in the marketing of a brand. However, it is not always successful. It is important for companies that they use celebrities in an efficient way in their strategy. The question is whether celebrity endorsement is the way to go when introducing new products into the market. Research indicates that about half of the marketing budget is spent on marketing when launching new products. Companies are willing to spend a lot of money, because on average 40% of product launches fail. Because so much money is spent on the marketing of new products, there is a greater chance that many companies will opt for celebrities in their commercials and ads (advertisements). This is one of the most expensive options within marketing communications. The focus is therefore on the impact of celebrity endorsement in marketing strategies of new products. With the introduction of new products, consumer uncertainty is relatively higher than the existing products. This consumer uncertainty should be removed with a good marketing policy. With high consumer uncertainty, new products should be brought more to the attention of consumers than already existing products. So that the consumers uncertainty is no longer present. It may also be noted that consumers dealing with new products still have no awareness of the product and thus no positive attitude is yet developed. This is necessary because it leads to purchase intent. Two dimensions: Attractiveness and credibility If companies want their brand to be successful throughout the help of a celebrity, there are two dimensions that they must take into account. The two dimensions of interest are namely the attractiveness and credibility of the celebrity. Several studies indicate that these two dimensions may be crucial for the success of celebrity endorsement in marketing strategy. In addition to these dimensions they also take a look at the match-up principle and the ability to use multiple celebrities in an add or advertisement. The match-up principle will be treated in this paper as this is a generally accepted principle in the choice of celebrity endorsement. Attractiveness of the celebrity The first dimension is to take into account the attractiveness of the celebrity. If an attractive celebrity is used, it is more likely that awareness is created among the target audience than when using an unattractive celebrity. This awareness is eventually to be transformed into a positive attitude of the brand. The attractiveness of the celebrity has namely a positive effect on the attitude of consumers towards the brand or product advertising .The dimension attractiveness of the celebrity is formed by the physical appearance, intelligence, athletic ability and the lifestyle of the celebrity. Based on these factors the company should decide which celebrity is suitable for his or her product or brand. Credibility of the celebrity The second dimension concerns the credibility of the celebrity. Credibility is divided into two factors: expertise and trustworthiness. Expertise of the celebrity is perceived by consumers on the basis of the allegations that the celebrity is doing in advertising. Reliability, however, is perceived as to whether the celebrity can achieve the results from the advertising or ad in his real life. Research shows that companies with good credibility factors interact within the advertising, as the celebrities generally are regarded as credible. This is crucial because the credibility of the celebrity can affect the opinions, attitudes and behaviour of the target group. The match-up principle The success of the collaboration between celebrity and the brand or product depends to a large extent on the match-up principle. The match-up basically revolves around the congruence (being suitable and appropriate) between the celebrity and the brand or product. With congruence, I mean the consistency between the characteristics of the celebrity and the product attributes. This is particularly important because the celebrity can convey its values on the product or brand without changing the product or brand image. A good match-up creates a more positive attitude of the consumers. I personally hate to see ads that use celebrities when it is obvious that the celebrity does not match the brand at all. To explain the match-up principle better, I will briefly discuss the three phases: Phase 1: In this stage, a number of values are associated with the celebrity. These values occur on the basis of the celebs appearances in the (mass) media. Consumers understand the significance and reflect it on the celebrity. Phase 2: In this phase, the values and image of the celebrity are associated with the product, through an official endorsement. Phase 3: During this phase, the values, by working with the brand or product, clearly belong to the consumer. Because the consumers associate the values of the celebrity with the values of the product they will proceed to purchase and consume the product. Multiple celebrities in an advertising or promotional One way to merge the above factors is the use of several celebrities in an advertisement or promotion. The company must then choose celebrities who complement each other within the advertising or ad. This could be, for example, the attractiveness of the celebrities chosen for an athlete and someone with an intelligent mind. To ensure credibility, a knowledgeable person and a trustworthy person can be used. Gillette, for example, is a company that applies several celebrities in its ads by using Roger Federer, Thierry Henry and Tiger Woods. An important argument for the choice of several celebrities in the marketing of a company, in these ways different audiences can be reached on the basis of a celebrity who fits in this group. When using multiple celebrities, multiple values will be linked to the product. The risks of celebrity endorsements Although there are examples that indicate that celebrity endorsement can be a good idea, there are the necessary risks. When it is assumed that all conditions of the right person for the right product are satisfied, there are two points to worry about. The greatest risk is the celebrity itself. Celebrity branding is all about transferring the value of a person on a product. The two concerns are: How long will the fame remain, and can the celebrity retain its status? The second concern is the life of celebrity, his personal integrity. If he is embroiled in a scandal, that could destroy the brand. Before Michael Jackson ended in a scandal, he had a successful deal with Pepsi. Naturally Pepsi had to stop the contract in order to prevent damage to the brand. Also O.J. Simpson was once the face of a car rental company. After the accusations of the murder of his wife, his contract was also stopped. It is very bad for a brand to be associated with an alleged murderer or paedophile. Although there are brands that hire intentionally stars with a wrong image, this is a risky step. Pepsi made again a wrong decision, by taking this risk to use hip-hop star Ludacris in its campaigns. Ludacris disrespectful attitude and his rap songs full with cursing did not match-up with the brand. After a campaign was started by a conservative politician against this endorsement, Pepsi was forced by public pressure to stop the deal with Ludacris. Although one should avoid bad publicity, it is a fact that on the international market celebrity endorsements are very suitable to create a distinctive brand. That the rules of celebrity endorsement in Japan differ from those of the West is largely due to the difference in culture, more on that later. Brands must be careful with the choices they make. When they choose a celebrity with the right personality traits, these characteristics will also be awarded to the brand and the brand will take advantage from it. If the wrong person is chosen his or her personality traits will be awarded to the brand causing the end of the brand. Very well accepted and attractive super stars like Bruce Willis and Whitney Houston failed in turning their endorsements into success. Simply assuming that a person just has to be famous to represent a brand is incorrect. A considerable number of failures prove the opposite. In the figure below you can see some of the endorsements that turned out to be a success or a failure. Lets go Asian: Japan and its celebrity endorsement In East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, many celebrities are used in advertising. In Japan, 70 % of TV commercials use a celebrity from the sports, music, film, and fashion or entertainment business. Celebrities are used as endorsers with a statement about the quality of the product / brand or are shown only in relation to the brand /product. The idea is that the values and associations of the celebrity will be transferred to the brand and the brand by the user. Moreover, it is a form of product differentiation as other awards from competing brands is not possible or desirable. But why is the use of celebrities in Japan so much greater than in the United States and Europe? In Japan they do not only use Western and Japanese celebrities, but also talents. These are young Japanese who are on their way to the top in the worlds of fashion, music, film and entertainment. Advertising for these talents is their way to fame. Japanese advertising does not only use the reputation and associations of established celebrities, but also creates celebrities. And this goes a step further than the ads in the States. Japanese talents are normal people like you and me. They are slightly good looking, pretty much the girl or boy next door. They form a peer group with which one can easily identify. In a collectivist culture belonging to a group or identifying with that group is very important. In Japanese advertising values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹related to face and harmony lead to an indirect communication style. They feel uncomfortable with a commercial that takes that emphasise on situations or facts. A direct approach is seen as an insult to the intelligence of the consumer. The goal of advertising in the Japanese ads is to make the consumer your friend, to win his trust and respect. This goal can be achieved by entertaining the audience. Identification of the brand, the company name or product in the commercial is less important than the pleasant voices of consumers. Japanese advertisers generally use much of the time in the commercial for building trust, understanding and dependence. The result is a kind of advertising that appeals to the imagination and few to the facts. Advertising show usually no product attributes, the fun of advertising is more important. In Japanese commercials you see serenity, and nature symbols. The tone of voice is indirect, subtle, with lots of symbolism. Comparative advertising is a confrontation and is therefore seen as denigrating the competition. This is in conflict with the Asian value of harmony. The style and manner of presentation is important. A pretty picture, a story or a poem can be important parts of the advertisement. Values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹and appeals found in their advertising are respect for elders. The relationship of man with nature / the unity with nature is often the subject of advertising. Japanese are crazy about celebrities. A product is often associated with celebrities, who often represent the target. If Western models, celebrities or situat ions are used, it is only as a symbol of prestige and status: they are not intended to illustrate the western values. In Japan, a part of television and popular culture is strongly linked to the entertainment world. Songs are often especially composed for use in commercials. Differences between Western and Asian cultures There are several cultural differences that may explain the use of celebrities. While the American culture is characterized by individualism, in Japan it is more the collectivist culture. In a collectivist culture they emphasize on conformity, adaptation and obedience. We, the European and American see this as negative values, but in Japan, this is well appreciated. Celebrities fit better in a collectivist than an individualist culture. In Japan they highly look up to celebrities, especially a Western celebrity. You will also see many Western celebrities in Japanese advertising, which I will explain later on. The power distance is quite large. The statements of celebrities are followed uncritically because they are not famous for nothing. Their values rays on the brand that they support, and also on the user of that brand. Power distance and individualism-collectivism are the key explanations for the difference between East Asian and Western countries. These are two of the four Hofst ede dimensions of culture. For the other two dimensions (uncertainty avoidance and masculine-feminine) there is no large difference, even though Japan is the most masculine country in the world. In a masculine country performance and success are central, in a feminine country caring for others and quality of life is more important. Advertising is strongly influenced by culture, especially in comparisons between East Asia, Europe and North America. But even between Asian countries there are cultural differences. Some campaigns may be used in several countries, but in most cases adaptation is necessary to make an effective campaign. And in many cases adaptation is inadequate and separate campaigns must be developed for each country taking into account the national culture. View of Western culture on celebrity endorsement Celebrities and marketing go well together. There is indeed a lot of money to distribute. A study of GMI revealed that consumers, especially in the Western world are almost insensitive to the advertisements with celebrities. The celebrity endorsement, according to the agency GMI might not be as effective as many believe. In certain western markets, the strategy used did not succeed to increase the value of the product nor to persuade the consumer to buy the product The researchers note that the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in promoting brands depends on the local culture. In the Western world they are the most indifferently towards the use of celebrities in advertising, tells GMI. In the United States 79% of the respondents indicated that a celebrity has no effect on the way they think about a product. Only 13% admitted that through celebrity endorsement the value of the brand increases. But in Japan, it is a completely different situation, said GMI. In Japan, 60% thinks that celebrities give a product more value. The study also shows that consumer find other techniques such as free samples, mouth-to-mouth are more efficient than celebrity endorsements. These techniques influence their buying behaviour slightly more. In the United States 34% of the consumers think this way. In Japan, 29% of those surveyed found advertising after the free samples the most efficient way to convert to a purchase. It took word-of-mouth advertising only 12%. Celebrity endorsement has proved most successful, implying that celebrities played an important role in their purchasing decision. Global media can create global stars. But consumers are much more sophisticated and less inclined to swallow simple, uniform marketing messages. The great indifference of consumers in the West may even be a sign that celebrity endorsement can have the opposite effect and repel consumers. American finest celebrities head to Japan Many American stars earn large sums of money by linking themselves to brands as a spokesperson by recommending certain products. Others appear nowhere in advertising because they do not want their fans to think they are selling out. However, many of these stars cannot resist the temptation to go abroad and appear in commercials and ads. Nowhere is this truer than in Japan. Even the richest and most famous people do not just say no to advertisers who pay them one to three million U.S. dollars for a couple of hours of work. And this is for a commercial that lasts 15 to 20 seconds. Mega stars like Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford received millions to appear in a Japanese commercial. Meg Ryan makes recommendations for cosmetics and tea, Brad Pitt promotes tins of coffee and jeans, and Demi Moore tries to persuade the Japanese audience to purchase protein drinks. Ford received several millions to appear shirtless on ads and commercials for Kirin Beer (see below). Sometime s stars are even forced to change their image and personality to better suit the style of advertising, this is needed to fit the Japanese companies. Even the Japanese public has a different flavour than people in the West are used to have. What we, in Europe and the U.S., perceive as cheap is seen in Japan as a very normal and effective way to advertise. In a commercial for shampoo, famous actor Dennis Hopper appeared in a bathtub player with a rubber duck. There are several reasons why Japanese companies are willing to pay large amounts for these stars. Many Japanese are fascinated by the American culture and American stars. It also gives a brand an American international star status. In Japanese commercials, style and atmosphere are more important than dull product information and testimonials. Japanese are very sensitive to entertainment. Because a commercial in Japan only last 15 seconds, a western star is easily recognized and the attention of the viewer is directly captured, w hich is more worth than money. American film studios also encourage celebrities to appear in Japanese commercial lay. In this way it is easier for American films to attract the Asian population. Often the release of a new film and the appearance of the star of this film in Japanese ads fall together. While many stars go abroad for advertising, they all try to protect their image at home. There are even clauses in the contracts stating that the commercial must not be shown outside of Japan and sometimes even be discussed. With the growth of the Internet it is possible that stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger secrecy about their advertising activities are likely to remain unnoticed for the American public. Above you have just read why Japanese are less picky when it comes to match-up than for example in America. Also it seems that the credibility aspect is less of an issue in Japan. If you are a celebrity, youre in Japan, by definition, credible, match up or not. Yet it is true that these endorsements in Japan are inde ed profitable. The public in Japan is in the long term a lot more loyal than the audience in the West. If a celebrity in Japan is loved, this will remain even if the celebrity has disappeared from the spotlight. The website japander.com made an index with all of American celebrities that appear in Japanese advertising. Conclusion I can now say with proud that I have chosen the right countries to tackle this difficult but at the same time interesting topic. I am sure that many students would think that it is easy to discuss this subject, because there is a lot of information on the internet and in books. Well I can tell them that a lot of information makes it harder to write something, because it is up to the writer to eliminate unnecessary information and to write in a way that is readers friendly. My hardest task was to make sure that I removed what is not relevant and to dig deeper in the part that was relevant. Thanks to experienced authors such as Grant McCracken, Stanley and many others it became easier for me to understand what I was writing about. Their view on culture and celebrities and the way they explain it was a relief to me. This paper taught me that celebrities take a big bite in the budget of a company. Nevertheless this kind of technique in marketing is increasing and will remain because stud y does show us that it is very profitable for a brand to use a celebrity. Even though in Japan they do not strictly follow the rule of match-up, I strongly believe that a match-up is needed to make an advertisement successful. Commercials, advertisements and endorsements where the celebrity has got absolutely nothing to do with the product is for me a no go. And in that match-up, according to me the most important aspect is credibility. I am not the first one to go and buy a product once a celebrity tells me to do so, but I could slightly get more interested in the brand if I notice a strong credibility in the ad. After reading several studies, information and documents I can conclude that the use of celebrities, when respecting the two dimensions I discussed in the paper, could have a very positive impact on the brand and the reputation of the company. I know I am supposed to thank in the beginning, but I have decided to do it know. I rather want the teacher to read my paper, so she could notice for herself what I am capable of, before I thank her for the support and counseling throughout the school year. Sources BOOKS Margolis J., Garrigan P., Guerrillamarketing voor dummies, 2008, Pearson Education Benelux, Amsterdam Kotler P., Marketing: de essentie, 2009, Pearson Education Benelux, Amsterdam De Mooij M., Wereldmerken : hoe reclame omgaat met cultuurverschillen, 1998, Alphen aan den Rijn, Samson WEBSITES Joyce Huijsman, Humor doesnttraval: Frank Sinatra spaghetti, (http://joycehuijsman.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/frank-sinatra-spaghetti/) University of Texas at Austin, Celebrity Advertising in Japan and Korea Doing it the Asian Way, PDF, (http://www.perfspot.com/docs/doc.asp?id=110674) The free library, Cultural differences in television celebrity use in the United States and Lebanon, (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cultural+differences+in+television+celebrity+use+in+the+United+States-a0208956138) Fred van Raaij, Beroemdheden en cultuur, (http://www.swocc.nl/column/beroemdheden-en-cultuur.php) Managing21, Westerling ongevoelig voor beroemdheden?, (http://managing21.skynetblogs.be/archive/2005/01/24/westerling-ongevoelig-voor-beroemdheden.html) McCann People, Sterren in reclame verleiden niet altijd, (http://mccannpeople.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/sterren-in-reclame-verleiden-niet-altijd/) The Pop history dig; JFK, Pitchman?, (http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=politicians-advertising) Colombia Business School, Celebrities impact on branding, PDF, (http://worldlywriter.com/images/portfolio/Proposals/Celebrity_Branding.pdf) Martin Stam, De invloed van celebritiyendorsement in de marketingcommunicatie strategie van nieuwe producten, PDF, (http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=116167) Bart Sikkema, Who will be your next celebrity endorser?, PDF, (http://essay.utwente.nl/58467/1/scriptie_B_Sikkema.pdf) Japander, Celebrity advertising, (http://www.japander.com) IMAGES All of the images were copied from Google (www.google.com) à £Ã†â€™Ã‚ Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ã‚ ªÃƒ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ã†â€™Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ã¢â‚¬ ° International Marketing Celebrity endorsement Hollywood

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Capital Punishment Is Wrong Essay -- Death Penalty Crime Essays

Capital Punishment Is Wrong To this date, Seven hundred and seventy two criminals in the U.S. alone have been subject to Capital Punishment. (Executions USA 2002). Using specific examples such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Timothy McVeigh execution, capital punishment is seen as inhumane, wrong and an unusual punishment. The death penalty is greatly rejected and discouraged by many countries and states. There are more than one hundred countries who have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, while the United States has increased the rate of executions and the number of crimes that are punishable by death (The Death Penalty†¦2000). Many politicians claim that they are tough on crimes, but they should spend ninety four percent of criminal justice money on preventing crimes instead of after the crime was committed (Get the Facts†¦2000). Protocol No.6 to the European Convention on Human Rights to Abolish is an agreement to abolish the death penalty in peacetime. The other two protocols, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty, provide for the total abolition of the death penalty but allows states wishing to do so to retain the death penalty in wartime as an exception (Facts and Figures†¦2000). There are several different procedures that are used to execute such as hanging, the electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection and the fire squad, which is still used in Idaho and Utah (The Death Penalty, 2000). The death penalty is abolished for all crimes under the Human Rights because it is believed to be inhumane, cruel and degrading, but it is still enforced today. The death penalty should also be abolished because the failure to prevent the execution of the innocent and the cost for executions are outrageous. In the eyes of those who are for the death penalty, they believe that the criminal should lose all rights once they commit a heinous crime and they also believe that the cost of imprisoning someone for life without parole is extremely higher than just putting them to death. They also take into consideration that the death penalty is okay by their religion. They believe that God was for the death penalty and they claim that He once killed men who crosse... ... http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/factsinnocence.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cruelanddegrading.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cost.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/violationofhrs.html Amnesty International. (2000). The Death Penalty in the U.S.A. (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/rightsforall/dp/index.html Amnesty International.(2000). Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty(Online). http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/imtcam/dp/dpfacts.htm Civil Liberty. (9 May 2001). Don't Kill McVeigh (Online). http://www.civilliberty.about.com/ CUADP. (2000). Get the Facts, Then Decide (Online). http://www.cuadp.org David McReynolds. (27 April 2001). The Case of Tim McVeigh & Capital Punishment (Online). http://www.zmag.org/mcveigh.htm ECADP. (30 April 2002). Executions USA 2002 (Online). http://www.ecadp.org/forall/cont_exec.html Human Rights Watch. (2000). The DEATH PENALTY(Online). http://www.hrw.org/about/initiatives/deathpen.htm Capital Punishment Is Wrong Essay -- Death Penalty Crime Essays Capital Punishment Is Wrong To this date, Seven hundred and seventy two criminals in the U.S. alone have been subject to Capital Punishment. (Executions USA 2002). Using specific examples such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Timothy McVeigh execution, capital punishment is seen as inhumane, wrong and an unusual punishment. The death penalty is greatly rejected and discouraged by many countries and states. There are more than one hundred countries who have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, while the United States has increased the rate of executions and the number of crimes that are punishable by death (The Death Penalty†¦2000). Many politicians claim that they are tough on crimes, but they should spend ninety four percent of criminal justice money on preventing crimes instead of after the crime was committed (Get the Facts†¦2000). Protocol No.6 to the European Convention on Human Rights to Abolish is an agreement to abolish the death penalty in peacetime. The other two protocols, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty, provide for the total abolition of the death penalty but allows states wishing to do so to retain the death penalty in wartime as an exception (Facts and Figures†¦2000). There are several different procedures that are used to execute such as hanging, the electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection and the fire squad, which is still used in Idaho and Utah (The Death Penalty, 2000). The death penalty is abolished for all crimes under the Human Rights because it is believed to be inhumane, cruel and degrading, but it is still enforced today. The death penalty should also be abolished because the failure to prevent the execution of the innocent and the cost for executions are outrageous. In the eyes of those who are for the death penalty, they believe that the criminal should lose all rights once they commit a heinous crime and they also believe that the cost of imprisoning someone for life without parole is extremely higher than just putting them to death. They also take into consideration that the death penalty is okay by their religion. They believe that God was for the death penalty and they claim that He once killed men who crosse... ... http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/factsinnocence.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cruelanddegrading.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/cost.html Amnesty International. (2000). Death Penalty Facts (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/violationofhrs.html Amnesty International. (2000). The Death Penalty in the U.S.A. (Online). http://www.amnestyusa.org/rightsforall/dp/index.html Amnesty International.(2000). Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty(Online). http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/imtcam/dp/dpfacts.htm Civil Liberty. (9 May 2001). Don't Kill McVeigh (Online). http://www.civilliberty.about.com/ CUADP. (2000). Get the Facts, Then Decide (Online). http://www.cuadp.org David McReynolds. (27 April 2001). The Case of Tim McVeigh & Capital Punishment (Online). http://www.zmag.org/mcveigh.htm ECADP. (30 April 2002). Executions USA 2002 (Online). http://www.ecadp.org/forall/cont_exec.html Human Rights Watch. (2000). The DEATH PENALTY(Online). http://www.hrw.org/about/initiatives/deathpen.htm

Monday, November 11, 2019

Music for the Mind Analysis and Response

Music for the Mind The purpose of this essay was to inform and explain to individuals all of the several ways for people to enjoy music as well as to explicate that the readers should strive for a more active type of listening. It showed the impact music can have on the lives of people. Aaron Copland said that even â€Å"One note is enough to change the atmosphere of the room† (599). This essay was written for just about everybody, with hearing of course, because most everyone listens to music. Even for the few that do not listen to music often, this could perhaps persuade them to listen to music .This was presented in a creative essay type format. The different types of music and conclusion of this essay are examples of evidence to support the purpose. Copland mentioned â€Å"We all listen to music on three separate planes†¦ (1) the sensuous plane, (2) the expressive plane, (3) the sheerly musical plane† (599). Copland also says that the reader should strive for a more active kind of listening regardless of what type of music you listen to (603). However, the author also mentioned that many people who would normally consider themselves qualified music lovers abuse the first plane when listening.This author effectively uses these appeals very effectively with logic. This author used a more objective type of language in his essay. The evidence in this essay supports the claims through practices people experience while listening, writing, or performing music. The evidence covers the perspectives associated with the 3 planes, but nothing else. I felt this article was very well written. I enjoyed the essay, as I was engaged during it. Anyone who listens or performs music can very easily relate to this essay and become engaged into it. The organization of this essay also helps people to be absorbed by this essay.The language throughout this article is not too formal, but not terribly informal. It was the perfect median in which you could read thro ugh and easily relate to the essay. Copland was very descriptive throughout this essay. I agree with this essay. This essay very much allows you to think and appreciate music in a way that you may have never thought about before. Personally, as a musician, I occasionally tend to listen to music in the third, musicality plane. I enjoy listening to the small details in songs and pieces of music. Without the small details in songs, they would not sound as aptivating as they are. However, I did not realize I was listening to music in this third plane until I read this article. I agree with the author when he claims that some people abuse the sensuality plane of listening by going to concerts in order to lose themselves. These individuals use music as a consolation of an escape. They enter a world where one does not have to think about reality. Of course, these individuals are not even thinking about the music. Instead, they dream because of and incidentally of the music yet never quite listening to it (599).I can relate to the author when he begins to talk about the second plane, the expressive plane. All music does have expressive power. Of course, some music will have much more than others, behind all of the notes, lyrics, is what the music is all about. Copland states that there is a meaning to music, however he cannot state that meaning. I agree because all music is going to have different meanings. A lack in appreciation of music sometimes disables one’s ability to connect with the music. The third plane, the sheerly musical plane, also relates to me.While taking music theory I and II in high school, we were told to compose our own songs, which allowed me to understand how the sheerly music plane works much better. Many listeners are not aware of this third plane when they are enjoying their music. Sometimes, I will stop and think about how the notes are put together, and try to guess the intervals between notes. Aside from the physical notes, other pa rts of the sheer musicality are rhythm, dynamics, scales, and much more. It is important to become more alive to music on its musical plane.This essay was the most enjoyable to read because of how well I was able to connect to it with a past comprised so much of music. Before reading this article, I did not quite think about all of the different planes of listening to music and how they all correlate to each other. I found myself, after reading this article, able to connect with each and every plane of music that Copland mentioned. I, of course, will often listen to music and enjoy it in the sensuous plane. I also can look at music from a composer’s point of because I have written and recorded my own song.However, along with this, I agree with the author in which many performers do not get into the music entirely because they are too worried about the notes and rhythms, they seem to forget what the song is all about. Finally, I can also relate to the third plane because I hav e a past with music and I can pick out certain notes, rhythms, and details in songs that add so much detail to the song. Overall, I believe Copland did an outstanding job in the writing of this essay. Works Cited Copland, Aaron. The Norton Reader. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Power Corrupts in Animal Farm

Power is authority and strength, which is any form of motive force or energy, ability to act, or control. When too much power is given, a dictatorship government can form, in which all decisions are made by one authority. In the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell the author portrays how â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely†. From the death of Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer replaced him. At first things started off pretty well; the harvest was very good the first year and the reading and writing system had helped some, but had limited success on others.In time, the leaders of animal farm started to have mixed feelings. Snowball and Napoleon were in constant disagreement. An important meeting that was held ended with an astonishing outcome. One decision that was made was concerning the windmill project and the most important decision made was who would be the head animal. Snowball and Napoleon each gave their input on what needs to be done around the farm. â€Å"Snowball stood up and, though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep, set forth his reasons for advocating the building of the windmill.Then Napoleon stood up to reply. He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it†. At this time, Snowball jumped back up to convince the people that it was a good idea to build a windmill. Then Napoleon sent his dogs after snowball and they chased him off the farm. Since Snowball had been expelled, Napoleon took over â€Å"The Manor Farm† which led to food shortage, hard labor, and deaths. He used his knowledge and education to take over the farm.With all the pigs and dogs on his side Napoleon had absolute power. The pigs were the brains of the farm and the dogs were the military force of the farm. Napoleon had complete control over the farm. Napoleon’s power corrupted the whole idea of Animalism & The Seven Commandments, which the farm fi rst started with. The power that the three pigs obtained had corrupted them and, then Napoleon received absolute power, which corrupted the society as a whole. Throughout the story Napoleon’s power continually increases, but he’s never quite satisfied.Napoleon is always greedy for more power. Napoleon's standards are that he must have complete power and rule over everyone, though he becomes corrupt because he gains absolute power over everyone on the farm. Stalin loses power because he is always hungry for more power, and is never satisfied with the power that he has. As Stalin dies Russia is completely corrupt because the power was not evenly distributed, and the citizens did not count as people. No power is given to the people under Stalin’s rule.Only him, and a few other privileged individuals live with power and respect in the community. In conclusion, history has proven that power is the root of all evil in a communism style government or congregation. In A nimal Farm, the animals tried to be equal, but in time, some animals had certain views and different opinions and some gradually became more powerful. No matter how hard in society we try, equality will never truly be reached by mankind for the reason that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely† (Lord Acton).

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Learning the Alphabet in German

Learning the Alphabet in German German has often been viewed by non-Germans as a harsh sounding language. That may be due in part to the more guttural pronunciation of certain German alphabet sounds and diphthongs and perhaps even a still lingering effect of old WWII movie stereotypes. Once non-German speakers familiarize themselves with German’s different sounds, however, another kind of poetic beauty will unfold before them that has been revered worldwide in the works of many German greats, such as Goethe  and Schiller through prose and song. Unique Characteristics of the German Alphabet More than 26 letters in the alphabet - German has a so-called extended Latin alphabetThe extra letters are , à ¶, à ¼ and ßThe pronunciation of some of these letters do not exist in the English languageSeveral letters are pronounced more from the back of the throat: g, ch, r (though in Austria the r is trilled).The W in German sounds like the V in EnglishThe V in German sounds like the F in EnglishMost of the time the S in German sounds like Z in English when placed at the beginning of a word followed by a vowel.The letter ß will never appear at the beginning of a word. Das Deutsche Alphabet (The German Alphabet) Click on the following letters to hear them pronounced. (Audio saved as .wav files.) Buchstabe/ Letter Aussprache des Buchstabenamens/ Pronunciation of letter name Aussprache des Buchstaben - wie in/ Sound of Letter - as in Beispiele/ Examples A a ah astronaut der Adler (eagle), Januar (January) B b approximate: bay baby der Bruder (brother), aber (but) C c approximate: tsay creative, Celcius (soft c sound in German sounds like ts) der Chor, der Christkindlmarkt (south German term for der Weihnachtsmarkt/ Christmas market), Celcius D d approximate: day dollar Dienstag (Tuesday), oder (or) E e approximate: ay elegant essen (to eat), zuerst (first) F f eff effort der Freund (friend), offen (open) G g approximate: gay gorgeous gut (good), gemein (mean) H h haa hammer der Hammer, dieMà ¼hle (mill) I i eeh Igor der Igel (porcupine), der Imbiss (snack), sieben (seven) J j yot yellow das Jahr (year), jeder (each) K k kah camel das Kamel, der Kuchen (cake) L l ell love die Leute (people), das Land (land) M m em man der Mann, die Ameise N n en nice nicht (not), die Mà ¼nze (coin) O o oh oven Ostern (Easter),rot (red) P p approximate: pay party die Polizei (police), der Apfel Q q koo coral das Quadrat (square), die Quelle (source)Note: All German words start with qu (kw - sound) R r approximate: er rich der Rà ¼cken (the back), der Stern (star) S s es zoo, shine, mouse summen (to hum), schà ¶n (pretty, nice), die Maus T t approximate: tay tyrant der Tyrann, acht (eight) U u ooh ou sound in you die Universitt (university), der Mund (mouth) V v fow father der Vogel (bird), die Nerven (nerves) W w approximate: vay van die Wange (cheek), das Schwein (pig, wieviel (how much) X x ix sounds like kz das Xylofon/ Xylophon, die Hexe (witch)Note: There are hardly any German words that start with X Y y uep-si-lohn yellow die Yucca, der YetiNote: There are hardly any German words that start with Y. Z z tset sounds like ts die Zeitung (newspaper), der Zigeuner (gypsy) Umlaut ß Aussprache des Buchstaben/ Pronunciation of Letter Beispiele/ Examples sounds similar to the e in melon hnlich (similar), ghnen (to yawn) à ¶ sounds similar to the i in girl Ãâ€"sterreich (Austria), der Là ¶we (lion) à ¼ no equivalent nor approximate sound in English à ¼ber (over),mà ¼de (tired) ß (esszet) double s sound heiß (hot),die Straße (street)