Explain the difference between quantitative easing(QE) and credit Essay

Explain the difference between quantitative easing(QE) and credit easing(CE) and discuss the theoretical channels through which they may affect financial markets - Essay Example One of the policies that were adapted in the wake of the financial crisis was the quantitative easing (QE) and the credit easing (CE). According to Ishi et al. (2009), in simple definition terms, Quantitative easing (QE) entails the direct and unsterilized purchases securities owned by the government which is usually done by the central bank. The main aim is under normal circumstances to lessen the benchmark yield curve and enhance economic activity. Most of the times, it is used when the monetary transmission is impeded seriously and the policy interest rate are falling towards near zero. It can be used to ensure that the inflation does not go below the specified target. On the other hand, Credit easing (CE) is the direct or indirect provision of credit by the central bank to specified borrowers possibly called for by the breakdown of credit marketers enhancing credit can be mainly seen as the intention of meeting macroeconomics objectives. The key aim is to reduce credit spreads in specific sectors that are usually of high macro finance importance. These purchases raise the monetary base in a way that is related to a purchase of government securities. Many Central banks have adopted the QE and CE policies. A look at such a bank is the federal bank of the United States. It has employed both the QE and CE policies which are discussed below respectively. The financial crisis and its repercussions that have been experienced recently have proven to be a great task for the Federal Reserve. Towards the end of 2008, in reaction to the economic and financial conditions that were hastily weakening, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) pushed the federal funds rate target near to zero. As the conditions deteriorated, the Fed turned to policies that were nontraditional to strengthen financial market conditions. Such policies comprised the purchases of large-scale asset which were in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars for

Narrative Essays Are a Great Read Essay Example for Free

Narrative Essays Are a Great Read Essay Narrative essays and Descriptive essays can be similar but they are different in nature. The narrative essay â€Å"I Want a Wife† is more compelling than the descriptive essay â€Å"Homeless† because the narrative essay has a point of view, uses humor and satire, and uses tone and language that can draw the reader in. â€Å"Narration is storytelling from the perspective of a narrator and the story may be true, false, imaginary, or a combination. A narration can be about past, present, or future events, and it can be short or the length of a novel† (Connell Sole, 2013, sec. 6.3). A narrative can draw in the audience by telling the reader the story just how it happened or how they pictured it to be without losing someone in thought because they may not understand what they mean when they are using words to describe it a certain way. â€Å"Description is a pattern of writing that can be defined as painting pictures with words† (Connell Sole, 2013, sec. 6.4). A descriptive essay uses very expressive words to describe specific details. See more: what is narrative writing The reader will have to use the five sense in order to understand what the writer is trying to convey and may get lost especially if the reader doesn’t understand one of those descriptive words. The two essays in this paper that are being compared and contrasted are â€Å"Homeless† by Anna Quindlen and â€Å"I Want a Wife† by Judy Brady. Both essays are being told by the author but through someone else’s eyes but on what the author sees. The beginning paragraph from the narrative essay â€Å"I Want a Wife† reads, â€Å"Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred  to me that I, too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife† (Brady, 1971)? This paragraph started off the essay with author’s point of view because she too is a wife. The author was able to identify this by what she does as a wife, how she acted and how she is treated. This can also be the point of view of a man because some men may feel that this is what a wife should do or how a wife should act or maybe someone else who is a wife, because it’s what they do. She made the essay seem like a wife is such a huge deal and that they have such a big job to complete throughout each day. This essay makes the reader stop and think about if this is the way they want their wife to be or if they want to be this way if they are a wife. The descriptive essay â€Å"Homeless†, the author tells her point of view because of a homeless lady she wanted to ask questions to. She perceived her point of view about homeless people from a portrait the lady showed her and what she sees when she looks at the lady and the picture. Both essays have a point a view a reader may agree or disagree with. Not everyone sees a wife as a person who does everything for the household, such as cook all meals, clean the whole house, take care of the kids, and take care of the man. Back in 1971 when the essay was written this may have held true, but in 2014 there are house-holds where the woman is the bread winner and the man will stay home and take care of everything. There are also other relationships where the house hold is 50-50. The husband and wife share duties. As far as homeless people, someone’s point of view may be different than when the author said: â€Å"People find it curious that those without homes would rather sleep sitting up on benches or huddled in doorways than go to shelters† (Quindlen, n.d. para. 7). That was her point of view of what she thinks other people think but in reality, the homeless people may not be able to get shelter so they have no choice but to sleep on benches. With these two essays, the point of view is stronger in the narrative essay beca use most people are wives, or they have a wife and can see this essay as true. The descriptive essay, not everyone is homeless or they may not be around homeless people or know how they interact so they may not understand the point the author is trying to make. The tone of â€Å"I Want a Wife† is written in a humorous, ironic mood. This is what makes this essay enjoyable to read and it’s not boring to the reader. The essay has a â€Å"sarcastic tone which is produced when someone uses heave-handed verbal irony. Verbal irony occurs  when one expresses the opposite of what one actually means (Connell Sole, 2013). The narrative essay is also of great humor and satire. To any woman reader and maybe some men, they may look at this essay and laugh. The reader may sense the sarcasm in the author’s words. For example, the author says â€Å"If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one† (Brady, 1971, para. 8). This paragraph alones makes you mad but makes you laugh. The whole essay in itself is also written in sarcasm. The writer depicts what a wife should be but is sarcastic in her approach of how she writes it. She always started off with â€Å"I want a wife who will†, and then talks about what she would want her wife to do if she wanted a wife, and how a wife should act. If you did not know the author, you would have th  ought this was written by a man. At the end of the essay, Brady (1971) states â€Å"My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?† shows that this whole essay was of great irony and satire because she talks about what she wants in a wife when she is a wife. This quoted sentence shows exaggeration, just like the rest of the essay. There was no irony or sarcasm or anything to make me laugh in the descriptive essay â€Å"Homeless†. Because of the nature of the essay, there wouldn’t be any humor or satire since it could be considered a sad essay. The authors tone in â€Å"Homeless† is very serious, yet tranquil. It is serious because the subject is also very serious subject, but serene because she knows that there is a solution for these problem s. Quindlen uses this tone to get through to the reader in order to deliver the purpose. The tone is also sad because of the problems of homelessness in the world today. The reader may feel a sense of sympathy when reading this essay because it can be controversial. There is some hyperbole language the author is using in homeless like: â€Å"It was like a thousand houses in a hundred towns, not suburb, not city, but somewhere in between, with aluminum siding and a chain-link fence, a narrow driveway running up to a one-car garage, and a patch of backyard (Quindlen, n.d. para. 2). Brady also uses different figurative language such as exaggeration and repetitiveness in her essay. Through the language you often felt the emotion of the essay especially if you are a wife because you may think about if you have done the things she is stating a wife does. This essay has an emotion appeal to it. It â€Å"has a purpose, its honest and not attempting to mislead, and not used just for  effect or for gratuitous reasons† (Connell Sole, 2013, sec. 7.3). It is not making personal attacks on wives, but showing how a wife is treated as such and how they are not appreciated. The narrative essay gave a more clear understanding as to the point the author was trying to get a cross. The narrative essay also used a descriptive writing pattern. The language was carefully and particularly chosen and it also evoked emotions to the reader. The narrative essay was of great humor and satire but it also made you think about life as a wife, as to where the descriptive essay was a serious essay that talked about a world issue and the attempt to take action to solve that problem. It lacked the senses a descriptive should have. There was no emotion and no feelings relating to the topic, because the descriptive essay was more of a journalistic essay that talked about problems that needed to be solved. It did not have many words to paint the picture of how homeless people live and what they look like, or how they smell how they get by day to day. The narrative essay had this creative tension that kept the reader interested in what a man or another woman may think of what a wife could be. It kept the writer of this essay interested because she is too, a wife. References Brady, J. (1971). I want a wife. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument4e/content/cat_020/Brady_I_Want_a_Wife.pdf Connell, C. M., Sole, K. (2013). Essentials of college writing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Quindlen, A. (n.d.). Homeless. Retrieved from http://pers.dadeschools.net/prodev/homelesstext.htm

Hammurabis Code :: essays research papers

Hammurabi’s Code The formers of the Hammurabi’s Code of Laws surely created strict rules with severe punishments for their violation. In fact, these laws played a big role in organization of Mesopotamian society. Reading these laws, reader may learn about ideals people of Mesopotamia had about crimes, their attitude to the lower and higher social classes, and legal rights between men and women. Reading the laws I noticed that many crimes were punished by death penalty. Many laws tell that guilty person has to pay the same price for the physical harm one did to another person or one’s relative. For instance: law 196 states (encyclopedia.com): â€Å" If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.† In addition, at that time, people were penalized to death for many crimes or wrongdoings that almost never would be penalized with capital punishment at a modern time. Among such felony and misdemeanors are stealing, robbery, accusation, adultery, and desertion. Hammur abi’s Code also, reveals inequality between social classes. Slaves were not treated by the laws the same as free-born people. According to the Code of Hammurabi, women had some legal rights, but these rights were not equal to men’s. Married women had a right to divorce as well as men. In fact, in order to acquire the right for divorce, a woman has to find a reasonable explanation for her desire, and only than the divorce could be possible. Overall, the Hammurabi’s Code of Laws showed that crimes in Mesopotamia were followed by severe punishments. Very often these punishments were death penalty. The laws were not equal between social classes, and slaves were subjected to the harsher punishments than free-born.

Endurance of the Human Spirit

Endurance Of The Human Spirit The Iliad and the movie Precious, based on the novel Push by Saphire, both share a common theme where the main characters depict an uncommon endurance of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Although in The Iliad, war is horrible and bloody, the spirit of Achilles is never broken by this adversity because, like Precious, who suffers physical, mental, and sexual abuse at the hands of her parents, their human spirit is the driving force behind their desire to overcome their challenges. As a result, the endurance of their human spirit is strengthened and they emerge victorious.These two characters reflect the uncommon strength of the human spirit because when their body is defeated, or their mind is loaded with emotion, this drive within them pushes their limits. A character analysis of Achilles and Precious is farfetched because they are two very distinct characters in two very different worlds. According to Greek Mythology Achilles' character existe d long before the biblical Jesus Christ. This means he lived more than 3000 years ago, whereas Precious, is a an illiterate, obese 16-year-old girl with two children who lives in the New York City ghetto of Harlem.However, these two distinct characters have commonality when we look beyond their physical being and look within their souls. Here, Achilles and Precious possess an unyielding human spirit that serves as an engine that keeps them moving forward in the face of impossibility. From a superficial analysis, Achilles and Precious are both warriors in their own ways. It is obvious that Achilles is a warrior because he is one who fights in the armies of Kings and battles enemies for gain. He is no ordinary fighter, but a fearless and skilled one who is recruited for his physical strength and success.Agamemnon enlists him to fight for his army when he goes to war with the Trojans because he is aware of his exceptional skill. Therefore, in his own eyes and in the eyes of others, Ach illes is a warrior. This characterization is not as obvious when we analyze Precious. Precious is a warrior even though she does not know it and others do not regard her as one. She became a warrior because she was born into a family of physical and sexual abuse. At the age of 3, her father started to sexually abuse her and her mother's constant humiliation only served to degrade her.However, it was due to this unfortunate circumstance the she developed into a warrior. Precious is battling her drug addicted, alcoholic, and emotionally unstable mother. In the movie there is a scene where she is at the top of the stairs in her home, with her mother below tossing a pan at her while telling her that she is â€Å"stupid bitch (Precious). † In this case, her parents are the enemies she has to defeat to survive. This can destroy you unless you have a strong will. Each has a reason to develop a drive to prevail.It is this strong desire to overcome in the face of physical impossibilit ies that sets them apart from ordinary people. Achilles and Precious have an inner human spirit that drives them to overcome the obstacles in their lives. Achilles continually strives to be a great fighter because he wants to be remembered after one-thousand years. This is partially his motivation and he demonstrates this when he utters, â€Å"You talk of food. I have no taste for food – what I really crave is the slaughter of blood and the choking groans of men. † (Homer 495).Here, after a successful battle, Agamemnon is commanding that a feast be prepared for the soldiers. Achilles strongly rejects his gift and says that there is no time for eating when he has rage for fighting in his heart. Achilles has only one thing on his mind and that is to fight because his drive is his desire to be recognize. This does not completely characterize Achilles because towards the end of the movie, when he kills Hector, and Priam is begging Achilles for his body, he says, â€Å"No more, old man, don't tempt my wrath, not now! Don't stir my raging heart still more.Or under my own roof I may not spare your life, old man †¦ suppliant that you are †¦. † (Homer 606). It is obvious that Achilles has many characteristics. Here, he is fearless, selfish, and at the same time compassionate. Unlike Achilles, whose human spirit was driven by selfish reasons to be grand and recognized, Precious was motivated by a desire to be remembered. Initially, Precious is an insecure, weak and helpless person. Her father rapes her and cannot depend on anyone to defend her. This incestuous relationship is a heavy weight for her to carry.However, she does eventually gather the strength and stands up for herself. This is very evident when she states, â€Å"The other day I cried. But you know what? Fuck that day. That's why God, or whoever, makes other days. â€Å"(Precious). Here, we have a powerful statement by Precious who has endured so much emotional and physical a buse. By the time she makes this statement, she has given birth to two children by her own father and has endured enormous mental abused by her mother. Her mother states, â€Å"Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you. (Precious). This type of abuse can cause anyone to commit suicide. It is a crippling experience for most people, but Precious build up the strength to defeat the abuse and believes there is another day. Even though she has given up on the notion of God, she still believes in herself. This is Precious' reflection that her human spirit will survive anything. It may appear that Achilles and Precious do not have anything in common because almost everything about these characters is different, but as their characters develop, we learn otherwise.First, we have one character who physically survives and the other one dies. However, each one is a warrior in their own way and in their own world. As warriors they must choose between fighting or giving up. What makes both of these characters extraordinary is their inner will to fight challenges that appear insurmountable. Achilles is recognized as a great warrior, but his spirit develops even stronger than his own physical body due to his experience in the battlefield.Precious also develops into a warrior as she fights the sexual and physical abuses of her parents. She demonstrates that she is a strong person because she ends up being a survivor and not a victim of her parent's abuse. Both of these characters demonstrate that the human spirit does not surrender and will overcome just about anything in life. Works Cited Precious. Dir. Lee Daniels. Perf. Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey. 2009. Film. Troy. Dir. Wolfgang Petersen. Perf. Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom. 2004. Film.

Fast Food in School Cafeterias Essay

Buckley, Cara. â€Å"A Proposal to Separate Fast Food and Schools.† New York Times [New York] 20 04 2009, n. pag. Web 26 April. 2012. . The author explores research done that suggests that the closer a fast food restaurant is to a school, the higher is the obesity rate of the children there. Eric N. Gioia is a city councilman from Queens and he wants to ban any fast food restaurants from opening within a tenth of a mile from any schools. According to the report â€Å"The Effect of Fast Food Restaurants on Obesity† done by researchers from The University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia, when fast food restaurants open a quarter mile or more away from schools there is no change in the obesity rate, but when they are open within a tenth of a mile from schools obesity rates rise. The study also found that the daily caloric intake could increase 30 to 100 calories a day depending on the proximity of fast food chains to schools. The study even showed that pregnant women are more likely to gain a lot of weight of they live within a mile of fast food chains. This article from the New York Times explores the side of a ban on fast food restaurants near schools. Buckley did an in depth analysis on the ban of fast food near schools and what the effects of having fast food chains near schools has on the children. She used many reliable sources to support her research. The only problem that I see with this article is that it does not explore the other side of the argument enough. Overall I gained a lot of useful information from this article, and learned a lot of useful facts. Harris, Karen. â€Å"Fast Food in California’s High Schools: Popular, Profitable, Contributing to Teen Obesity?.† California Center for Health Improvement . n. page. Web. 26 April. 2012. This article talks about fast food in California High Schools and the reasons they are sold more than the healthy options. There are many schools that sell taco bell in school. The student’s say that these food options taste better. Also, the schools sell them ‘A la Carte’ so they can profit and use the money for school activities and such. This article also discusses how the school environment can take away from anything that parents try to teach their kids about healthy eating. Many school districts allow private corporations to advertise in their schools, promoting eating unhealthy food. This article gave me a good idea of what fast food actually in schools is like. It is obvious that kids are going to go for the more unhealthy option of the foods they have to choose from, because it tastes better, they can get it faster, and it is usually cheaper. This article was a good source of information but it even says in the beginning that the source of their data is a little bit unreliable because it is just the schools mailing in their information about what food they serve and not all schools reported their information. Over all this is a good source for basic information about fast food in schools, but not all of the data is reliable. Do fast-food chains cluster around schools? MSN.com. 26 April 2012 This article addresses the problem of having fast food restaurants located near schools, and says that the corporations do this strategically. This makes it very hard to eat healthy for kids when they are being tempted with cheap, quick food. This article says that nearly 80 percent of Chicago schools studied had at least one fast food restaurant within a half mile. It also discusses how when a child eats fast food they consume more calories fat and sugars than they would eat fruits and vegetables. Burger King wouldn’t answer any questions about the placement of their stores, and McDonalds denies that schools have anything to do with where they place their stores. This article is a lot like the first one that I read, but had more research into the amount of fast food restaurants in proximity to schools. I like  that they did the research in a city like Chicago, and it says that these findings are similar in other cities across the nation. This article could help me in my research because it shows that it is proven that fast food chains cluster around schools. Eisler, Peter, Blake Morrison, and Anthony DeBarros. â€Å"Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches .† USA Today. 9 12 2009: n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. . In this article, the authors explore the fact that the meat we eat at schools does not go through the same standards that the meat served at fast food restaurants. The government is supplying schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that aren’t good enough for many fast food chains to serve. The authors say that the standards that Jack in the Box uses for its food is ten times more stringent than what the USDA sets for the meat served in schools. When it comes to chicken, schools are being supplied with thousands of tons of meat from old chickens that fast food restaurants don’t use. The standards are not the same, and that is very alarming. I really like this article because it is different from the other ones that I have read. It shows the downfalls of cafeteria food, instead of the bad things about fast food. It really opened my eyes that we never really know where our food comes from, and sometimes even when we think we are eating healthy we are consuming old, gross meat. This is extremely useful to my research because it shows the downfalls of the USDA and proves that school foods are not always better than fast food. Denver, Kusa. â€Å"‘Pink slime’ eliminated from fast food, but not school lunches .† USA Today. 09 03 2012: n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. . This article talks about Pink Slime and how it is still being served in schools, but fast food restaurants have decided not to use that meat anymore. The U.S. Department of Agriculture told an online newspaper that it is buying 7 million more pounds of the Pink Slime to serve in school lunches across the country. But at the same time the USDA says that, â€Å"All USDA  ground beef purchases for the National School Lunch Program must meet the highest standards for food safety.† This slime is made of cow intestines and other by-products that we really don’t want to eat. This meat is more prone to E. Coli and salmonella. I definitely think this article is useful to me because it is yet another example of the food we are being served in schools. It is not held to the same standards that fast food chains hold their food to. I think the research used reliable sourced such as the USDA and the U.S. department of agriculture. Childhood obesity and obesity in general are some of the biggest problems facing the United States. We as a country are trying to educate everyone on how to eat properly and live a healthy life. We blame fast food chains for the obesity in our country, when in reality they are not the main problem. It is a culture change that is hard to wrap our heads around, and one that people don’t know how to deal with. The economy is bad, therefore we go for the cheaper food, and fast food chains are everywhere, and convenient. The food in schools should be held to a much higher standard than it is, and advertisers are targeting kids in schools and tempting them to eat unhealthy foods. There are many problems between schools and fast food. The proximity of a school to fast food restaurants has shown to have an impact on the weight of the children in the surrounding schools. This makes perfect sense to me because it makes it more convenient. Burger Kings always have signs about deals on burgers or fries. They are directly advertising to the young kids in those surrounding schools. The advertisers know that kids are tight on cash, and want to get their food quick. Some researchers say that there is no correlation between obesity and having fast food restaurants near schools, but I think there definitely is. If there is no McDonald’s right across the street from a school, those kids won’t have a choice of eating it and might make a better choice. I know that people should have the will power to say no and try and eat something healthier, but I believe that the government should be doing something to try and make it easier for Americans to live a healthy, after all shouldn’t the health of  their country be important to them? I think that laws should be passed against having fast food chains within a certain distance of schools, because that is just escalating the problem of obesity in America. Another link to schools and obesity is the advertising and availability of fast food in a school cafeteria. It is hard for a 12 year old to choose grilled chicken and broccoli over a cheeseburger when given a choice. Ads that show happy kids eating McDonalds are directly targeted at young kids, showing them that they will be happy if they eat fast food. Childhood obesity is on the rise and advertising in schools is a huge reason. It is ridiculous that schools allow this and even that the government doesn’t prevent it. Kids are victims in this situation because they have no say about what kinds of advertisements they are exposed to. You would think that the adults in this country would see this problem and try to fix it, but instead we just serve McDonald’s and Taco bell in the cafeteria instead of having delicious healthy options. It is so counter productive to teach kids about the food pyramid and tell them to be active and eat their fruits and veggies and then offer t hem fries and a hot dog. That is not fair, its almost like we are setting the children up for failure and obesity, exactly what we say we are trying to prevent. The most shocking thing that I found throughout my research was the lack of quality in the meat that is being served in school cafeterias. According to a few of the articles that I read fast food chains would not serve the quality of meat that the government is giving to schools. The USDA is supposed to be protecting us as consumers when in reality they are giving schools beef with pink slime and old chicken meat that fast food chains wouldn’t even serve. The meat that our children are eating is more likely to have E. Coli or salmonella. All the blame is being put on fast food chains for the unhealthy country we are becoming when in reality many school lunches are just as bad or worse for us than fast food. With all of this being said, fast food is having a huge impact on modern day schooling and our society in general. Schools are changing because now we have to make it part of the curriculum to teach children about healthy  eating and living, when in previous time periods that was the parent’s job. It has now become the school’s job because even the generation of parent’s isn’t living a healthy life. This can take away from teaching more important things to the curriculum such as math science and reading. Also, the schools can now be blamed for the rise in obesity because they are not always serving healthy foods, and they are allowing fast food chains into their cafeterias.

All living things use some way to survive and defend themselves

All living things use some way to survive and defend themselves. Frogs use their skin in many ways for these reasons. So how do frogs use their skin, color and poison to survive and defend themselves? In this paper you will learn how frogs use their skin to live, survive and defend themselves.Frog skin is thin and naked. It has no scales, no hair, and no feathers. However, the skin of a frog is critical to their survival. Through it, they both drink and breathe. They also use their skin to absorb all the moisture they need through their skin because they do not swallow. Although frogs do have lungs, they rely on the extra oxygen they absorb through their skin, especially when theyre underwater. Frogs must keep their skin moist. Otherwise, oxygen cant pass easily through their skin and they suffocate. Frog skin secretes a mucus that helps them keep moist. Even so, their skin tends to dry out which is why they usually stay near bodies of water. They rely on dew for moistur e or burrow themselves underground in moist soil. Although they rely on their skin for a lot of purposes they do rejuvenate themselves by shedding their skin once a week. This process consists of a lot of twisting, bending and stretching to loosen the skin. Once the frog has loosened !it enough it pulls the skin over its head like a sweater and usually eats it.I have been describing simple and logical reasons for the importance of frog skin. However, there are more reasons to make it all the more fascinating. In frogs, pigmentation or skin color depends on the presence of specialized cells and the resulting optical phenomena. These cells are differentiated from the so-called neural crest during the stage when the brain and the spine are being formed and then migrate to the surface of the skin. The evolutionary history of the biology of pigmentation may be dry material, but it is the basis for the dazzling ...

Free Essays on Wild Bill

James Butler Hickok, better known as â€Å"Wild Bill,† is possibly the most famous and greatest gunfighter during the Western era. He was also known for being a scout during the Civil War, a frontiersman, an Indian killer, a marksman, a sheriff, and a gambler. Despite all the attention he has been given, there is very little known about the life of this quick-drawing cowboy. Rumors about Wild Bill extend from of the hundreds of men he has killed, to his rumored affairs, all the way to the mystery of his death. So, â€Å"Who really was James Butler â€Å"Wild Bill† Hickok?† Was he a common cowboy or a mythical hero whose life was blown out of proportion? James Butler Hickok was born in Troy Grove IL on May 27, 1837. His father was Alonzo Hickok, his mother was Polly Butler, and he had five siblings, three brothers and two sisters. As a child, James Butler worked on a neighboring farm with his family after running an unsuccessful general store. Wild Bill, along with his brothers, also assisted his father with the work on the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape from the South to the free North. This was this that helped develop the courage, his wisdom, and resourcefulness that he used later in his life. Due to his excitement towards guns, James Butler would hunt for wolves while his family worked on the farm. He left his home at the age of 18 in the spring of 1856 to farm in Kansas and it was there that he became involved in the Free State (anti-slavery) movement. While working as a Union teamster in 1861, at Rock Creek (Nebraska Territory) he gunned down Dave Tutt, or was it Dave McCanles, or was it Dave Ross? History is unclear at to who he really gunned down. Why was the man’s name never actually discovered? Historians have not been able to come up with an answer for that question. Historians don’t know what James Butlers Hickok’s role was during this fight and several different stories have been made ... Free Essays on Wild Bill Free Essays on Wild Bill James Butler Hickok, better known as â€Å"Wild Bill,† is possibly the most famous and greatest gunfighter during the Western era. He was also known for being a scout during the Civil War, a frontiersman, an Indian killer, a marksman, a sheriff, and a gambler. Despite all the attention he has been given, there is very little known about the life of this quick-drawing cowboy. Rumors about Wild Bill extend from of the hundreds of men he has killed, to his rumored affairs, all the way to the mystery of his death. So, â€Å"Who really was James Butler â€Å"Wild Bill† Hickok?† Was he a common cowboy or a mythical hero whose life was blown out of proportion? James Butler Hickok was born in Troy Grove IL on May 27, 1837. His father was Alonzo Hickok, his mother was Polly Butler, and he had five siblings, three brothers and two sisters. As a child, James Butler worked on a neighboring farm with his family after running an unsuccessful general store. Wild Bill, along with his brothers, also assisted his father with the work on the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape from the South to the free North. This was this that helped develop the courage, his wisdom, and resourcefulness that he used later in his life. Due to his excitement towards guns, James Butler would hunt for wolves while his family worked on the farm. He left his home at the age of 18 in the spring of 1856 to farm in Kansas and it was there that he became involved in the Free State (anti-slavery) movement. While working as a Union teamster in 1861, at Rock Creek (Nebraska Territory) he gunned down Dave Tutt, or was it Dave McCanles, or was it Dave Ross? History is unclear at to who he really gunned down. Why was the man’s name never actually discovered? Historians have not been able to come up with an answer for that question. Historians don’t know what James Butlers Hickok’s role was during this fight and several different stories have been made ...

Battle of Seven Pines in the Civil War

Battle of Seven Pines in the Civil War The Battle of Seven Pines took place May 31, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and represented the farthest advance of Major General George B. McClellans 1862 Peninsula Campaign. In the wake of the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, a series of changes commenced in the Union high command. The following month, McClellan, who had won a series of minor victories in western Virginia was summoned to Washington, DC and tasked with building an army and capturing the Confederate capital at Richmond. Constructing the Army of the Potomac that the summer and fall, he commenced planning his offensive against Richmond for the spring of 1862. To the Peninsula To reach Richmond, McClellan sought to transport his army down the Chesapeake Bay to Union-held Fortress Monroe. From there, it would push up the Peninsula between the James and York Rivers to Richmond. This approach would permit him to flank and avoid General Joseph E. Johnstons forces in northern Virginia. Moving forward in mid-March, McClellan began shifting around 120,000 men to the Peninsula. To oppose the Union advance, Major General John B. Magruder possessed approximately 11,000-13,000 men.   Establishing himself near the old American Revolution battlefield at Yorktown, Magruder built a defensive line running south along the Warwick River and ending at Mulberry Point. This was supported by a second line to the west that passed in front of Williamsburg. Lacking sufficient numbers to fully man the Warwick Line, Magruder used a variety of theatrics to delay McClellan during the Siege of Yorktown.   This allowed Johnston time to move south with the bulk of his army. Reaching the area, Confederate forces swelled to around 57,000. The Union Advance Realizing this amounted to less than half of McClellans command and that the Union commander was planning a large-scale bombardment, Johnston ordered Confederate forces to retreat from the Warwick Line on the night of May 3. Covering his withdrawal with an artillery bombardment, his men slipped away unnoticed.  The Confederate departure was discovered the following morning and an unprepared McClellan directed Brigadier General George Stonemans cavalry and infantry under Brigadier General Edwin V. Sumner to mount a pursuit.   Slowed due to muddy roads, Johnston ordered Major General James Longstreet, whose division was serving as the armys rearguard, to man a section of the Williamsburg defensive line to buy the retreating Confederates time (Map). In the resulting Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, Confederate troops succeeded in delaying the Union pursuit. Moving west, McClellan sent several divisions up the York River by water to Elthams Landing. As Johnston withdrew into the Richmond defenses, Union troops moved up the Pamunkey River and established as series of supply bases. Plans Concentrating his army, McClellan routinely reacted to inaccurate intelligence that led him to believe that he was significantly outnumbered and displayed the cautiousness that would become a hallmark of his career. Bridging the Chickahominy River, his army faced Richmond with about two-thirds of its strength north of the river and one-third to the south. On May 27, Brigadier General Fitz John Porters V Corps engaged the enemy at Hanover Court House. Though a Union victory, the fighting led McClellan to worry about the safety of his right flank and made him hesitant to transfer more troops south of the  Chickahominy.   Across the lines, Johnston, who recognized that his army could not withstand a siege, made plans to attack McClellans forces. Seeing that Brigadier General Samuel P. Heintzelmans III Corps and Brigadier General Erasmus D. Keyes IV Corps were isolated south of the  Chickahominy, he intended to throw two-thirds of his army against them. The remaining third would be used to hold McClellans other corps in place north of the river. Tactical control of the attack was delegated to Major General James Longstreet. Johnstons plan called for Longstreets men to fall upon IV Corps from three directions, destroy it, then move north to crush III Corps against the river.      Armies Commanders: Union Major General George B. McClellanaround 40,000 engaged Confederate General Joseph E. JohnstonGeneral Gustavus W. Smitharound 40,000 engaged A Bad Start Moving forward on May 31, the execution of Johnstons plan went badly from the start, with the assault beginning five hours late and with only a fraction of the intended troops participating. This was due to Longstreet using the wrong road and Major General Benjamin Huger receiving orders that did not give a start time for the attack. In position on time as ordered,  Major General D.H. Hills division waited for their comrades to arrive. A 1:00 PM, Hill took matters in his own hands and advanced his men against Brigadier General Silas Caseys IV Corps division. Hill Attacks Pushing back the Union skirmish lines, Hills men launched assaults against Caseys earthworks to the west of Seven Pines. As Casey called for reinforcements, his inexperienced men fought hard to maintain their position. Ultimately overwhelmed, they fell back to a second line of earthworks at Seven Pines. Requesting aid from Longstreet, Hill received one brigade to support his efforts. With the arrival of these men around 4:40 PM, Hill moved against the second Union line (Map). Attacking, his men encountered the remnants of Caseys division as well as those of Brigadier Generals Darius N. Couch and Philip Kearny (III Corps). In an effort to dislodge the defenders, Hill directed four regiments to attempt to turn IV Corps right flank.   This attack had some success and forced Union troops back to the Williamsburg Road. Union resolve soon stiffened and subsequent assaults were defeated. Johnston Arrives Learning of the fighting, Johnston advanced with four brigades from Brigadier General William H.C. Whitings division. These soon encountered Brigadier General William W. Burns brigade from Brigadier General John Sedgwicks II Corps division and began pushing it back. Learning of the fighting to the south of the Chickahominy, Sumner, commanding II Corps, had commenced moving his men over the rain-swollen river. Engaging the enemy to the north of Fair Oaks Station and Seven Pines, the remainder of Sedgwicks men were able to halt Whiting and inflict heavy losses.       As darkness approached fighting died out along the lines. During this time, Johnston was struck in the right shoulder by a bullet and in the chest by shrapnel. Falling from his horse, he broke two ribs and his right shoulder blade. He was replaced by Major General Gustavus W. Smith as army commander. During the night, Brigadier General Israel B. Richardsons II Corps division arrived and took a place in the center of the Union lines. June 1 The next morning, Smith resumed attacks on the Union line. Beginning around 6:30 AM, two of Hugers brigades, led by Brigadier Generals William Mahone and Lewis Armistead, hit Richardsons lines. Though they had some initial success, the arrival of Brigadier General David B. Birneys brigade ended the threat after fierce fighting. The Confederates fell back and fighting ended around 11:30 AM. Later that day, Confederate President Jefferson Davis arrived at Smiths headquarters. As Smith had been indecisive, bordering on a nervous breakdown, since Johnstons wounding, Davis elected to replace him with his military advisor,  General Robert E. Lee (Map). Aftermath The Battle of Seven Pines cost McClellan 790 killed, 3,594 wounded, and 647 captured/missing. Confederate losses numbered 980 killed, 4,749 wounded, and 405 captured/missing. The battle marked the high point of McClellans Peninsula Campaign and the high casualties shook the Union commanders confidence. In the long term, it had a profound influence upon the war as Johnstons wounding led to the elevation of Lee. An aggressive commander, Lee would lead the Army of Northern Virginia for the remainder of the war and won several key victories over Union forces. For over three weeks after Seven Pines, the Union army sat idle until the fighting was renewed at the Battle of Oak Grove on June 25. The battle marked the beginning of the Seven Days Battles which saw Lee force McClellan away from Richmond and back down the Peninsula.

Comparison and Contrast between Michelangelo and Picasso Term Paper

Comparison and Contrast between Michelangelo and Picasso - Term Paper Example The paper "Comparison and Contrast between Michelangelo and Picasso" helps to understand the contrast between two artists: Michelangelo and Picasso. Michelangelo and Picasso are two of the most popular artists in the world who belong to two different periods. Michelangelo studied anatomy to attain the perfection in form which is manifested in many of his art works. He lived during the Renaissance period, the dawning of a new cultural movement, and had produced many works. Picasso was born during the 19th century and passed away just in the 20th century. He is one of the pioneers of an art form called Cubism. Having lived in the modern times, his form and style has the influence of modernism. Many would know him as a great painter who adorned the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. He was multi-talented, and wanted to be an engineer, builder of churches and palaces, sculptor. His devotion to his art works can be considered as extreme. While sculpting the statue for Julio II, he slept with his working clothes and boots that caused his legs to swell and had to be cut together with his flesh. He is very proud of this family and blood lineage, and his family devotion can be compared to that of a religion. Although his family had wealth, he would live and eat as if impoverished that his father warned him to take care of his health. Michelangelo received apprenticeship in art early in life. He first studied literature but later shifted to the study of the arts, and at 13 years old apprenticed under to Domenico Ghirlandaio. for three years (Michelangelo par. 1). Domenico was highly impressed with the performance of Michelangelo, and thus recommended him for tutorship under Lorenzo the Magnificent (par. 1). When he later frequented the San Marcos of Lorenze where antique statues are found, he met Pico della Mirandola (par. 1). He then studied sculptor under Donatello’s disciple, Bertoldo (par. 1). He sculpted two famous works, â€Å"The Virgin on the Stairs† an d â€Å"The Battle of the Centaurs† (par. 2). He would make study drawings before sculpting the medium (Michelangelo par. 2). Although he made earlier works, such as those from Giotto and Masaccio, as his models, his art works manifested more idealism and strong vision (par.2). In 1494, he met Aldrovandi when he moved to Bologna, and sculpted for him â€Å"Angel† for Noah`s Ark in Santo Domingo (Michelangelo par. 2). He completed the unfinished works of the early Renaissance sculptor Niccolo dell'Arca (par. 2). Going to Rome, he initially made the sculpture â€Å"Young Bacchus† (par. 2). He traveled between Florence (due to nostalgic predisposition) and Rome a number of times (par. 2). In 1501, while in Rome, banker Jacopo Galloi purchased his painting â€Å"Young Bacchus† which Cardinal S. Dionigi commissioned Michelangelo to do (par. 2). His objects traversed between profanity and sacredness which duality is manifested in his works â€Å"Bacchus† and â€Å"The Centaurs† on the one hand, and the â€Å"Pieta† and â€Å"Virgin of the Stairs† on the other (par. 2). He did â€Å"Pieta† (the only one that he affixed his signature) in 1498 from the request of French Cardinal Jean de Lagraulas (par. 2). Back in Florence (between 1501 and 1504), Michelangelo met Leonardo da Vinci where he got some inspiration (par. 2). He was not inclined to scientific inquiry like Leonardo but engaged in the study of

EMF and Internal Resistance Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

EMF and Internal Resistance - Lab Report Example This paper describes electric current as the manner in which the electric charge flow in a circuit in order to transfer energy portions to regions of resistance like resistors, buzzers, or bulbs) in the circuit. The circuit gets the energy at the start of the circuit where dry cells are producing electrical energy from chemical energy. The batteries available in today’s markets are mostly constructed from materials that possess negligibly small internal resistance. Real batteries do not only provide voltage to the circuit but they also offer some internal resistance. Any device that produces the voltage purely is called an electromotive force (E.M.F.) Which battery is the total energy that is changed electrical energy during the passage of a unit charge through the production point? It forms a voltage and reflects the total amount of energy supplied through the circuit. The terminal voltage a battery produces at a point without the flow of current is the EMF. The units for mea suring EMF is volts. All batteries/cells lose energy as heat when they are dissipating current because of the presence of their internal resistance. The voltmeter is used in the circuit to get the emf values. The addition of a resistor in the circuit drops the reading on the voltmeter voltage, v. Meanwhile, voltage does not experience full transfer in the circuit but a portion of it is wasted due to the presence of internal resistance within the battery. The dry cell only possesses internal resistance which converts the energy present into heat. The dry cells EMF together with its internal resistance can alternatively be calculated by other methods. A plot of terminal voltage versus current can help achieve the above. V varies inversely with changes in I to produce a straight line graph. The line equation of y=mx+c, is applicable to the formula of electromotive force, E= Ir.

Your Own Franchise, Part 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Your Own Franchise, Part 2 - Assignment Example In this paper, the researcher will focus on issues like legal rights of the franchisee, financial obligations of franchisees, market segments for this franchise, factors involved in determining a site for the franchise, possible challenges and current phase of franchisee. Background of Allstate Insurance Company will be briefly discussed in the next section in order to develop situational framework for this paper. Allstate Insurance Company & Franchise Model Allstate Insurance Company was founded in 1931 and became publicly traded in the year 1993 (Allstate, 2013a; Bond, 2012). In USA, Allstate Corporation is regarded as largest publicly held insurance company that offers both personal lines property and casualty insurance services (Allstate, 2013a). As of 2011, total asset of the company is hovering over $125 billion while it was ranked 93 in Fortune 500 list. Allstate Insurance Company business model focuses on developing chain of franchise owners’ or entrepreneurial individ uals who are ready to act as â€Å"Allstate Exclusive Agents† and sell wide range of financial and insurance products of Allstate Insurance Company to customers such as auto insurance, property insurance and investment services (Allstate, 2013b; McCarthy, 2010). ... ce*, Allstate*, and Esurance† while promoting and marketing Allstate Insurance products like life insurance cover, retirement insurance cover, health insurance covers, fixed deposits, auto insurance, home insurance and fixed deposits (Bond, 2012). Legal Rights as a Franchisee In case of working under the trademark Allstate Insurance Company, individual agents holding the rights to sell Allstate Insurance products are being classified as franchisee owner while Allstate Insurance Company can be classified as franchisor. From 2000 onwards, Allstate Insurance Company converted all of its existing franchisee as independent operation in order to get tax advantages while legal rights of these franchisees are being governed through ‘independent contractor’ norms (Napaausa, 2013). Although, Allstate Insurance Company converted its franchisee owners to independent agents but job description remained unchanged. Therefore, legal rights of independent contractor or franchises r emained disregarded in case of franchisee-franchisor relationship for Allstate Insurance Company. As par Employee Agent (EA) agreement, franchisee owners are needed follow all the employee responsibilities on behalf of Allstate Insurance Company yet they would not be liable to get compensation like federal unemployment compensation or contract compensation (Napaausa, 2013). As par Section XVII, Section XVII.B.2 and Section I.A of the EA Agreement, franchisee contract can be terminated without payment of commission or non compliance of responsibilities mentioned by Allstate Insurance Company (Judiciary, 2012). Legal rights of franchisee is being dominated in EA Agreement while some undue favor has been given in favor of the franchisor such as minimum accountability for supporting actions of franchisee,

Passage Identification and Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Passage Identification and Explication - Essay Example What reverses may attend the remainder is in the hand of Providence; but, if they arrive, the reflection on past happiness enjoy'd ought to help his bearing them with more resignation. To Temperance he ascribes his long-continued health, and what is still left to him of a good constitution; to Industry and Frugality, the early easiness of his circumstances and acquisition of his fortune, with all that knowledge that enabled him to be a useful citizen, and obtained for him some degree of reputation among the learned; to Sincerity and Justice, the confidence of his country, and the honorable employs it conferred upon him; and to the joint influence of the whole mass of the virtues, even in the imperfect state he was able to acquire them, all that evenness of temper, and that cheerfulness in conversation, which makes his company still sought for, and agreeable even to his younger acquaintance.†Ã‚  Telling the story of his life, Franklin desired to share the precious lessons he gai ned in his journey from being a hard-working man to the simplicity of his life amidst his many achievements. Being one among the founding fathers of the United States, Franklin influenced the nation which until this time reflects the virtues he taught his countrymen, loving the luxuries of freedom, being able to improve oneself in proportion to an individual’s efforts and determination. Writing his autobiography was not merely telling his achievements but was directed to the learning of his biological son as well as his American sons from the virtues he himself learned from other people as he dealt with them, disciplining himself to embrace what he considers are virtuous, becoming an example to his people. As to virtue, this could be a... The researcher states that Thoreau presented his ideas strongly first, by getting the attention of his audience through questions just as he did in the verse that was extracted from his controversial essay, founded from a fact that is equally or even more controversial. Though all forms of government one way or another prove to have unjust laws, the essayist particularly spoke about the democratic United States of America which presented to him the absurdity of human laws. Through his questions, he thus then encourages his audiences to think about how they should react, whether they obey the laws, change them or violate them all at once because if the laws were right. These questions, though rude they may appear to an individual, should be reconsidered as to how one should react. Thoreau sought the meaning of life in this adventure he imposed upon himself, fearing to die and find out that he never lived but that he wanted all of what life could offer, enjoy them all and in the end, s ay to himself, he lived life to the fullest. He considered himself a god in his own Olympus that he found in Walden Pond, able to reign in his small world and not dictated by other people, their laws and other influences that could hinder the life he considers effectual. It is then concluded that the personality of the philosopher reflects the freedom one enjoys in the land of the free, enabling a person to live as he desires as long as he is not going against any law and endanger others in the process.

Operation Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operation Managment - Essay Example n the period of five years, as stated in the case, the number of fire alarms had increased by 96%, putting a strain on the City Fire Departments budget and other resources. Resource allocation, police violence and corruption were some of the problems in the New York Police Department. Resource allocation was also the issue for the ambulance services. In the Fire Project, real life simulation was used as the major model in order to look at the situation. Also, methods such as queuing models for fire company availability, Bayes approach to alarm forecasting, and integer linear programming of fire company relocations. In the Police Project, real life simulation was also used along with optimization and queuing models in order to provide with staffing alternatives. As for the ambulance services, simulation analysis was also used. For the Fire Project, the major solution that was proposed was the closing of 24 fire company locations and disbandment of ten fire companies. The fire company locations were determined in relation with the area they covered, and dependent on their distance to the area that they could service. With the use of management science models, it was found out that in order for the NYC to cut down on costs in relation to the effectiveness of the company, this solution was vital. Also, as for deployment, staffing alternatives were created in order to address the issue of the mismatch between the number of fire companies on duty during peak times of fire alarms. The solution was successful that the NYC government sought the use of management scientists in addressing other problems of resource-allocation and deployment. For the Police Project, staffing alternatives were created from the optimization and queuing models in order to determine the allocation of patrol cars and police officers in different locations of the city that demanded the police services. As for the ambulance services, the solution was to tie up the ambulances to the areas with

(Choose the Topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(Choose the Topic) - Essay Example Huxley is correct though when he comments that â€Å"the release of atomic energy marks a great revolution in human history† (Huxley, 1946, xi). When Huxley wrote Brave New World, nuclear energy had yet to be used in warfare. However, later in his foreword Huxley does mention of America’s use of nuclear bombs the year before in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Huxley was at least correct in saying that nuclear fission would change the way that wars are fought in the future, and this has proved to be the case. Huxley also predicted that the â€Å"politicians and generals of Europe consciously resisted the temptation to use their military resources to the limits of destructiveness or to go on fighting until the enemy was totally annihilated† (Huxley, 1946, xii). As World War II had just ended when Huxley was writing his foreword, he could not have predicted that the European Union would be formed. What Huxley did get right was that the horrors of the two world wars taught leaders and politicians to not get involved militarily. Since the end of World War II, many European nations have attempted to diffuse conflicts through negotiation and as such there have not been any major wars in Western Europe. Huxley also talked about the shifts in political and economic power that would occur in the future. â€Å"To deal with confusion, power has been centralized and government control increased† (Huxley, 1946, xiv). Over the last eighty years there has been increased centralization in the major economies of the world, and this has been facilitated through international trade. Trade unions have made the world smaller and also kept political and economic power in the hands of the few. To combat this, Huxley correctly surmises that â€Å"only a large-scale popular movement toward decentralization and self-help can arrest the present tendency toward statism† (Huxley, 1946, xiv). Perhaps Huxley underestimated the control that governments and

Operation Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operation Managment - Essay Example n the period of five years, as stated in the case, the number of fire alarms had increased by 96%, putting a strain on the City Fire Departments budget and other resources. Resource allocation, police violence and corruption were some of the problems in the New York Police Department. Resource allocation was also the issue for the ambulance services. In the Fire Project, real life simulation was used as the major model in order to look at the situation. Also, methods such as queuing models for fire company availability, Bayes approach to alarm forecasting, and integer linear programming of fire company relocations. In the Police Project, real life simulation was also used along with optimization and queuing models in order to provide with staffing alternatives. As for the ambulance services, simulation analysis was also used. For the Fire Project, the major solution that was proposed was the closing of 24 fire company locations and disbandment of ten fire companies. The fire company locations were determined in relation with the area they covered, and dependent on their distance to the area that they could service. With the use of management science models, it was found out that in order for the NYC to cut down on costs in relation to the effectiveness of the company, this solution was vital. Also, as for deployment, staffing alternatives were created in order to address the issue of the mismatch between the number of fire companies on duty during peak times of fire alarms. The solution was successful that the NYC government sought the use of management scientists in addressing other problems of resource-allocation and deployment. For the Police Project, staffing alternatives were created from the optimization and queuing models in order to determine the allocation of patrol cars and police officers in different locations of the city that demanded the police services. As for the ambulance services, the solution was to tie up the ambulances to the areas with

Is Hip-Hop Dead Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Hip-Hop Dead - Assignment Example As the paper outlines, since its genesis in New York City in the mid-1970s, rap has spread to other parts of the world. A lot of research on rap has focused on chronicling its emergence and rise as a social movement. Listeners of rap have conspicuously been left out in prior research on the area. In the beginning, rap listeners were largely Latino and Black but Whites joined in later. Rap has criticized politics and racism since its emergence. However, though, rap has invited criticism from political and religious circles. These criticisms have not put down rap fans (Sullivan 232). Surveys showed that Blacks were leading in the impact of rap on its listeners. White supporters of reported that their racial views had been changed by rap. African Americans have a wider knowledge of rap than whites do. There are racial and gender dimensions in the preference for rap. Rap listeners differ in terms of the reasons as to why they listen to it. African American adolescents may listen to rap a s an element that helps in identity formation while white adolescents listen to it as a source of entertainment. Rap may not act as an effective interracial socializer because it might give White adolescents a skewed perception of the African American culture, diversity and it may entrench stereotypes. Many aspects need researching in regards to rap. These include urbanicity, age, class and listeners’ impacts on hip-hop. Listeners’ interpretation of rap and its message has not been researched adequately, through inquiry into this aspect can help unearth the basis of the differences between the various ways in which rap listeners of different races appreciate the genre (Sullivan 236). This article underscores the importance of listeners when considering rap. Considering the reasons why different rap listeners embrace the genre is insightful because it helps demystify the conception that there is homogeneity in the appreciation of rap. It is helpful to note that rap alon e might serve as a multiracial socialize and though one would have thought that the music suffices to instill an accurate view of African American culture, it is enlightening to know that the knowledge that the music imparts is not complete. The article has instrumentally shown that the racial difference in regards to the preference for rap music is reducing.  

Crime in the Information Age Essay Example for Free

Crime in the Information Age Essay Its not difficult to gauge what the popular notions of crime in the United States are. Engage in any polite conversation over dinner or cocktails and one is likely to hear similar themes: crime is out of control, its just not the same world we grew up in, its not safe to walk down the street anymore, its a mean world out there, etc. The underlying theme that can be drawn from these notions is fear. There is a widespread conception that crime is a rampant problem in this country and that violent crime and others are on the rise. However, these beliefs are not supported at all by the facts, even those put forth by our own law enforcement agencies. So why then, are most Americans so concerned with the threat of violent crime in particular? While the answer to this question is a complex one involving many contributors, the focus of this essay is concerned with the impact of popular media on these perceptions, because the media, it would seem, is one of the most influential contributors to the social construction of crime in this country. The coverage of crime, and particularly violent crime, in the news media has increased in frequency of coverage and sensationalized reporting despite statistical proof that violent crime has been decreasing for many years. This phenomenon is of great concern because how we arrive at our perceptions of our world should be critically examined so policy solutions react to truth not manipulated reality. As of 2001 homicides made up one to two-tenths of one percent of all arrests, yet made up 27-29% of crime coverage on the nightly news (Dorfman and Schiraldi). Still one of the most shocking statistics from Dorfman and Schiraldis study states that, Crime coverage has increased while real crime rates have fallen. While homicide coverage was increasing on the network news by 473% from 1990 to 1998, homicide arrests dropped 32. 9% from 1990 to 1998. We can see one indication of the effects of this unrealistic reporting in 1994 when, for example, in a Washington Post/ABC poll respondents named crime as their number one concern (far more than any other issue) with 65 percent of those who responded as such saying that they learned about this issue from the media (Jackson and Naureckas). The fact is, however, that violent crime has been on the decrease for roughly thirteen years and is estimated to be at a roughly thirty year low (U. S. Department of Justice). The following graph rom the De partment of Justice shows a dramatic decrease in the rates of violent crime beginning in the early nineties: ? The National Criminal Victimization Survey, which is conducted differently than the more common Uniform Crime Reports, shows a decrease in violent as well as property crimes in the United States for more than a decade (qtd. in Torny 118). The evidence seems to be overwhelming; no matter what the method used for measuring crime rates there is an obvious decrease in crime, especially with respect to violent crime in the United States. These are just a couple of the statistics researchers and academics have compiled over recent years addressing the discrepancy between media coverage of crime and actual crime statistics. So in light of these multiple studies using different methods, how and why is it that media coverage of violent crime has grown exponentially? Surette explains that crime is both an individual and cultural product (237). There is a correlation between media consumption and support for more harsh criminal justice policies and perceptions of the mean-world view (Surette 196). This supports the theory that the more news a person consumes, particularly television news, the less they know about the actual state of the world. Surette explains that while the media certainly does have an impact it is not the only factor in creating this culture of the fear of crime and impacts those who live in a more isolated environment and consume higher levels of media (200). He also notes that research suggests that those who watch a good deal of television have trouble differentiating between the television world and the real world (204). The media has a relationship with fear that can correlate with fear fore some viewers (Surette 206). One example of this relationship with fear that the media seems to have can be found in a 1994 article in US News and World Report where the authors, despite noting briefly that violent crime by all statistical accounts is actually down, names the previous year as the scariest year in American history seeming to assert that the numbers dont matter (Jackson and Naureckas). The article also makes a good point about the contradiction between perceptions of crime and the reality of crime: the drumbeat of news coverage [that] has made it seem that America is in the midst of its worst epidemic of violence ever. That sense is not supported by the numbers (Jackson and Naureckas). Throughout the rest of the article similar contradictions abound and it is difficult to tell exactly what conclusion should be drawn from it. The causes of crime, as with most crime reporting, are not dealt with in the article while random violence is examined closely (Jackson and Naureckas). Most violent crime is perpetrated by someone whom the victim knows yet the theme of random violence receives much more attention in the media (Jackson and Naureckas). The US News piece illustrates how the media engages in a form of doublethink where despite knowledge of factual evidence indicating a decrease in crime they continue to put forth images that depict violent crime as an epidemic and continue to support perceptions of fear, distrust, and cynicism. This fear mongering often plays into preconceived notions of crime and violence such as racism, ageism, and classism held by some. A 2001 study by Dorfman and Schiraldi found that crimes against African Americans were underrepresented in reporting and overrepresented as perpetrators, white victims tended to receive more lengthy coverage as well. In Los Angeles television news African Americans were 22% more likely to be shown on TV committing violent crimes than non-violent ones despite the fact that arrest reports indicate that African Americans in Los Angeles commit both types of crime almost equally (Dorfman and Schiraldi). The study also shows how youths are also disproportionately covered: 7 out of 10 local TV news stories dealing with violent crime in California had youths as the perpetrators despite the fact that youths commit only 14. 4% of violent crime in that state. Furthermore, half of the stories dealing with minors for any reason involved violence even though only 2% (though due to unreported crimes the actual number may be higher) of California youths have been victims or perpetrators of violent crime (Drofman and Schiraldi). The study also found by looking at news reports over the last decade that in Hawaii there has bee a 30 fold increase in the number of youth crime stories despite a steady decrease in youth crime over that same time period. This increased focus on youth crimes has led to increased support for treating juvenile offenders as adults and, especially in instances of more serious crimes, applying the same retributive punishments previously not applied to young offenders (Glassner 73). These findings show how not only are the medias sensationalized reporting of crime contributing to a false sense or reality for many people, but are also einforcing stereotypes and bigotry. Utilizing these preconceived ideas also intensifies the impact of fear based coverage. This sense of fear that the media is able to conjure up in certain situations can easily be manipulated by politicians and policymakers looking to gain some support. According to Glassner, the more fearful people are of crime the more lik ely they are to support more punitive justice systems instead of rehabilitation programs. This is especially true with respect to juvenile offenders (72). Glassner further argues that it is interesting that as we cut into funding for educational, medical, and antipoverty programs we begin to grow more concerned about crime and there seems to be what he calls unacknowledged guilt about why crime now seems inevitable (72). While the media is often the target of criticism and blame it has been argued that largely the media mirrors public opinion and can be controlled by it (Gans 76). There is evidence however that particularly brutal crimes or large amounts of coverage of crime can shift public opinion somewhat. For example, polls show an increase in support for the death penalty following news of horrifying crimes (Gans 76). Gans believes that despite the fact that the news media is often thought of as having more power than it actually does it may have long-term effects on public opinion (88). So, even though the media of course cannot shift public opinion overnight in the long run a shift in coverage of sensationalized crime coverage can have long lasting effects of the political climate around crime policy. If the tone of the media is largely controlled by previously held notions of media consumers then how might the news media correct the public when its beliefs are erroneous? Chiricos examines the effect of moral panics which something or someone becomes defined as a threat to societal values or norms (2). Moral panics are signaled by a rapid increase in the volume of media reporting and are often followed by political action as the public feels that something must be done (Chiricos 60). Every so often crime and violence becomes the subject of a moral panic in America. Chiricos examines two moral panics occurring in the early to mid nineties: crack cocaine and violent crime. Both of these stories where covered in much the same way: as inner-city problems leaving the ghettos and threatening the middle-class way of life (63). When this issue was framed as a direct threat to suburban America a moral panic followed. When crime was confined to urban areas and ghettos there was little to worry about until the perception became that crack and violence was spreading into areas that were considered to be safe. During this time 49 percent of Americans then said that crime was the most important issue facing the country compared to only 9 percent before the moral panic began to set in (Chiricos 64). The panic was further compounded by reports that these issues were spreading to children which Chiricos notes is a common component of the rise of a moral panic (65). The reaction to these panics was unsurprising. Panics are viewed as sudden problems and treated with fundamentally inappropriate solutions such as sending more people to prison and building more of them (Chiricos 67). Following moral panics, according to Chiricos, commands are issued by the public (71). The policy ramifications from these moral panics included 9. 7 billion dollars for more prisons, Californias three strikes program, and various repressive laws aimed at adults and children alike in many states (Chiricos 71). These examinations of the medias relationship with public opinion point out how in this age of information the media is an important factor in how we carry out our democracy and decide what issues are important. If this has become the case than there are serious concerns for how the media is serving democracy. Lawrence sees the media as an arena where problems are constructed and there is constant struggle between elites, groups, and the public seek to define and address problems (3). What constitutes a problem is socially constructed. This is also true of crime problems. Lawrence is concerned with how problems are socially constructed in the media because when something is defined as a problem facing the country power is conferred upon the social institutions we would likely look to deal with it (5). So, in the arena of the media if crime is framed by elites as stemming from the degradation of society or loss of opportunities for many people then programs and institutions organized for supporting the poor and communities will be empowered. However, the usual winners in this clash of frames typically define crime as an epidemic problem fueled by a justice system which is too soft on criminals. With this frame politicians must appear tough on crime and power is given to more punitive crime control policies and the prison-industrial complex flourishes as more and more money is spent on warehousing offenders. This further disempowers social welfare institutions as money spent on police and prisons cannot be spent on education, healthcare, or welfare programs. This struggle to define problems can be looked at as a clash of differing realities where vastly different takes on issues exist but one is adopted by the media and then disseminated to the public (Lawrence 5). Lawrence says that the prevailing reality held by the most successful definers typically comes from officials within the government (5). There exists a close relationship between government officials and the news media. They are the primary definers and therefore the strongest factor in how we construct the reality of crime (Lawrence 5). This is unhealthy because, with the issue of crime in particular, officials are quick to define crime as an epidemic issue filled with fearful imagery and then act against criminals in draconian ways. When they construct a reality where they are needed to protect their constituents justice in harmed for the sake of political capital. This manipulation of reality and fear for the sake of power is addressed by Entman but with respect to the war on terror instead of crime and justice. He argues that the elite exert control by hegemony and indexing (4). Hegemony refers to the way officials release only information that supports the narrow reality that they seek to perpetuate and indexing is how the media reflect this narrow debate among elites quite closely (Entman 5). With this control over public perception it is relatively easy for officials to frame issues such as crime or terrorism. When they win the battle to define a problem obvious remedies arise. If terrorism is framed as an attack on our way of life rather than a consequence of our projection of power across the globe then it follows that the remedy is defense and war. Similarly, if elites succeed in defining crime not as a consequence of lost economic opportunities but as a result of naturally deviant personalities then the reaction that follows is to lock up these defective personalities and isolate them from the rest of â€Å"normal† society. The way in which we think about various issues and problems directly affects how we deal with them. Most in society would say that the solution to problems is obvious because it is. What is missed however is the fact that how we think about problems can completely shift the ways in which we deal with them. In order to change policy then the first step is to change the perceptions and the reality surrounding it for officials and the public alike. Lakoff tells us that if we can reframe issues we can create social change (XV). When we change the way the public sees the world, largely through the media, and alter that perceived reality we can change the policies that follow. So why then does the media seem to be so concerned with violent crime and creating feelings of fear and anxiety in its consumers? The reason seems to be sensationalized journalism meant to increase viewership and a system where officials control our perceptions through the media. It needs to be understood that passive consumption of the media is unhealthy and we should think critically about how reality is constructed by elites and the media because, that subjective reality directly affects the solutions that are used to deal with our problems. While so many people are given the impression that crime is rampant the underreported fact is that crime has been decreasing for many years. In order for there to be rational crime control policy in the United States we need to have accurate information about the reality of crime in this country. In order for this to happen the media must provide an accurate depiction of crime that is constructed by a fair debate in the public arena of the media. There is a lot at stake in how we perceive the world around us and how we think about crime and punishment.

The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Walter Ralegh Essay -- American Am

The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Walter Ralegh Sir Walter Ralegh, unlike his Spanish counterparts, lusted for land not precious metals. Ralegh used the promise of gold to entice his investors and hire his crews, but his real goal was English colonization in the New World. He experimented first in Ireland with his brand of colonization which brutalized the existing inhabitance and exploited the natural resources. He wanted to establish English colonies in order to cultivate new products (tobacco, potato), to increase the power and prestige of the crown (Queen Elizabeth) and to spread the Protestant doctrine to the New World or at least export the unwanted English Catholics and other religious rogues from English soil. Ralegh achieved his goals by his political activity, military escapades and poetic writings. Ralegh's desire for land stems from his aristocratic background. Although his father was a squire in the sea side town of East Budleigh, Ralegh's immediate family owned no land. The estate that his father farmed, Hayes Barton, was leased. Ralegh's vantage point was one of privilege without the common commodity to support it: land ownership. He was a Renaissance man without the money to live like one. This duality between his heritage and his financial situation created, in Ralegh, a desire to own land.(Lacey, 16) His desire for the sea may have come from his half brothers John, Adrian and Humphrey Gilbert who were "sea-crazy youths".(Lacey, 17) His father, in addition to being a squire, was a religious leader for the devout Protestants in East Budleigh. This factor of Ralegh's upbringing may have contributed to his ideas of implanting Protestant people into new lands and shipping the unwanted Catholics out of Engla... ...thrown into the fire before your eyes; then your head to be strucken off from your body, and your body shall be divided into four quarters, to be disposed of at the King's pleasure; and God have mercy upon your soul." (Sale,245) Ralegh had died as he had lived: in a violent world where religion was an excuse for any action. Ralegh left his mark on history and on the worlds in which he collided. Bibliography 1. Lacey, Robert, Sir Walter Ralegh, Atheneum, New York, 1974 2. Pollard, A.F., The Political History of England, Greenwood Press Publishers, New York,1969 3. Rodriguez-Salgado, M.J., England, Spain and The Gran Armada, Barnes and Nobel Books,Savage Maryland, 1990 4. www.devon-cc.gov.uk/tourism/pages/woodbury/raleigh.html Sir Walter Raleigh, of Hayes Barton 5. Sale, Kirkpatrick, The Conquest of Paradise, First Plume Printing, New York, 1990

The Best Candidate for the Presidency :: American America History

The Best Candidate for the Presidency As this election 2000 is coming, each candidate is working very hard. They are doing debates, electoral campaigns all over the country in order to get more popular votes and therefore get the electoral votes they need to be the next president of the United States. In all of the inquiries that the media did in most of the states, Al Gore seems to be the favorite one, because he knows what he is doing, he has enough experience to rule our country, and he also has very interesting positions in the issues that he proposed to the American people. Albert Gore, Jr., was born in Washington D.C on March 31, 1948. His mother was Mrs. Pauline Lafon Gore and his father was Albert Gore, Sr. As Governor Bush, Al Gore has a father who was in the political business; his father was a Democratic congressman and senator from Tennessee. Gore graduated from Harvard University in 1969 with a Bachelor's degree in government. While he was studying in Harvard, he was linked with drugs like marijuana that made his father mad at him, and he almost lost everything he got, so he decided to quit and never do that again. Although Gore opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, he accepted induction into the United States Army and served as a military reporter. Upon his return home, and until 1976, he worked as an investigative reporter and editorial writer for the "The Tennessean" a Nashville newspaper. Gore married Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson on May 19, 1976 and they have four children. Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives se veral times and he also was elected to the U.S. Senate and as member of Congress, he earned a reputation as an authority on arms and environmental issues. After that, Gore ran unsuccessfully for the democratic presidential nomination 1988. In 1992 Al Gore was the running mate of Bill Clinton, also in this year he wrote "Earth in Balance" which is a book that talks about environmental issues. Clinton defeated the incumbent Republican President, George Bush, and Al Gore became Vice-President in 1993, finally they were reelected in 1996 and in 1999 Gore announced his candidacy for President in the 2000 election. Al Gore has stated his position on a number of issues; some of his position more important are in education, health care, taxes, and Social Security.

Psy 322 Week 1 Assignment Essay

How do people measure, or know or how goods will be accepted? Consumer psychology is how people relate to the goods and services they use in their daily lives. Consumer psychology studies people and by doing so provides what factors are important in the decision making of purchases and the value of services. By having this knowledge of consumer’s organizations, businesses and retailers improve their marketing. First of all there needs to be an understanding of why the consumer buys in the first place. Is it for a need or a want or is it to fulfill something? The buying process can be very basic or very complex and have many influences from external to internal reasoning. There are many things that factor in to understanding the entire process and the best way to understand them is through consumer psychology. Decisions to buy can be emotional. Emotions can lead a person to shop. Feelings are people’s primary way to make judgments and decision making. A woman can be upse t at her husband, need a break from the kids, or she could be happy and want to spend impulsively. A marketer only has a chance to contend with commercials and ads to penetrate the feelings of the consumer. Consumer personal behavior is influenced by many, family, culture, environment, competition and social attitudes. These are factors to be evaluated and how they are used for persuasion. Friends and family influence the clothes one wears. Culture and family are a persons or peoples area of up bring that can influences the way services are done and the way products are purchased. After taking a deeper look into the whole idea of consumer psychology there are lot of new approaches that are on the horizon that could possibly take effect. Image is a factor into today’s society whether we believe it or not. There is always the clichà © that â€Å"size doesn’t matter† but in all honesty people are always trying to find a way to become healthier. Well according to the New York Times grocery stores have thought of an idea to get people to have realization while walking the stores by putting mirrors in the shopping cart that will allow them to get a glance of themselves before consumers chose to put junk food in the cart. Marketers feel it might help them to reconsider groceries if they have to take a good at themselves before putting their items in the cart then maybe wiser decisions will be made. Another area that has changed psychological views of consumers is the economy. We have been in a recession for quite some time and have seen that people aren’t going out and buying as much. In an article known as â€Å"From buy, buy to bye-bye: The recession will have a lasting impact on the way people shop† there is much indication that in many different areas those sales have plummeted and continue to do so. The consumer psychological view is to save money and prices of any type of sales keep rising without any le-way for the consumer. If marketers do not learn make bargains for their consumers’ bucks then there will be a better chance for the economy to buy instead of saying bye-bye to buying. All in all, the consumer is looking for options that will help them in their lives to better themselves. Although sometimes the mechanism that marketers use to persuades the consumer to make choices that are more convenient and might not be as good for them. Consumer psychology is at a very vulnerable state in today’s society because everyone wants to be a part of something big or new that is how the market communicates with them. Therefore the understanding is that sometimes consumers have no hope in area of choice because the market is always there to persuade them to try new things. REFERENCES: MOSS, MICHAEL. Copyright 2013. Nudged to the Produce Aisle by a Look in the Mirror Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/dining/wooing-us-down-the-produce-aisle.html?_r=0 The Economist. Copyright 2009. From buy, buy to bye-bye: The recession will have a lasting impact on the way people shop. Retrieved from, http://www.economist.com/node/13415207

Strategic Lenses Essay

There are 4 strategic lenses: Strategy as Design Strategy as Experience Strategy as Variety (Ideas) Strategy as Discourse Strategy as Design: Is the view that strategy development can be a logical process in which economic forces and constraints on the organization are weighed carefully through analytic and evaluative techniques to establish clear strategic direction and in turn carefully planned in its implementation is perhaps the most commonly held view about how strategy is developed and what managing strategy is about. It is usually associated with the notion that it is top management’s responsibility to do this and that top management led the development of strategy in organizations. Strategy as Experience: Here the view is that future strategies of organizations are based on the adaptation of past strategies influenced by the experience of managers and others in the organization; and are taken for granted assumptions and ways of doing things embedded in the cultural processes of organizations. In so far as different views and expectations exist, they will be resolved, not just through rational analytic processes, but through processes of bargaining and negotiation. Here, then, the view is that there is a tendency for the strategy of the organization to build on and be a continuation of what has gone before. Strategy as Variety (Ideas): This lens emphasizes more the potential variety and diversity which exists in organizations and which can potentially generate novelty. Here strategy is not so much seen as planned from the top but emergent from within and around the organization as people cope with an uncertain and changing environment in their day-to-day activities. New ideas will emerge; but they are likely to have to battle for survival against the forces for conformity to past strategies that the experience lens explains. Drawing on explanations from evolutionary and complexity theories, the ideas lens provides insights into how this might take place. Strategy as Discourse: This view consists in making choices between different possibilities and then inspiring confidence for the choice taken. This view is very high on legitimacy and low on rationality and innovation. Strategy as discourse sees strategy development in terms of language as a â€Å"resource† for managers by which strategy is communicated, explained and sustained and through which managers gain influence, power and establish their legitimacy as strategists.

Political philosophy Essay

1)How does an agent reason about Lock’s options in a single-play dilemma? In the state of nature, there are four preferences. The first preference is to attack and not be attacked. The second preference is to not attack and not be attacked. The third preference is to Attack and be attacked. The fourth preference is to not attack and be attacked. 2)Was Bramhall justified in calling Hobbes’ Leviathan a â€Å"rebel’s catechism†? Yes. According to Bramhall, if everyone where to decide when to obey the sovereign and when to disobey the sovereign, then we would let ourselves be ruled over at our own pleasure. If at anytime we felt it was inconvenient to be ruled over because we felt threatened, then there is no stability, and thus we have a rebel catechism, or a doctrine and reason for us to rebel due to Hobbes rebellion cause of being able to succeed when threatened. 3)Why would agents in a Lockean state of nature want to leave it for a civil society? 4)What does Locke’s law of nature require of rational beings? Locke’s law of nature requires that you a being must preserve yourself at all costs and at all times. 5)How des Locke differ from Hobbes on the question of whether there is property in the state of nature There is no property in the state of nature in Hobbes, it is just man vrs man. For Locke, you can have a property in the state of nature, which is from the labor of your hands. Locke has two conditions which is you must leave as much and as good for others and you must not take more of God’s creations than you need. 6)What is the â€Å"paradox of being governed† and does Locke’s theory suffer from it? The paradox of being governed is how can a group of people being unruly, promote a person to rule them, if that person was original from that group of unruly people. Another point is how the people can be ruled by a ruler if they themselves appoint a ruler. Are you truly being ruled if you can hire an fire a person who is ruling you. Locke does not suffer form this relationship. 7)How does the agent reason about his options in a coordination game? A coordination game is a scenario in which society wins rather people win individual. Driving on the right side of the road is an example. 8)What is Hampton’s notions of a governing convention and how does such a convention come about? The governing convention comes about when you solve the coordination game. It comes of War and Majority vote and maintains unless it is undermined by the majority rule. It comes about when people come together. 9)In Hampton’s theory, what is the difference between convention consent and endorsement consent? Convention consent is I support Obama, he doesn’t win, but I still approve of the government Endorsement consent is I support John McCain, he wins, and I continue to support him. 10) What is Hampton’s Stratification solution to the paradox of being governed?

Business Negotiations in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Negotiations in China - Essay Example Kam-hon, Yang and Graham (2006, p. 623) say that family orientation is a very important value in the Chinese culture. This is demonstrated by the fact that Tom and his team were bombarded with questions about their family and personal lives. The fact that Barb Morgan was divorced must have portrayed a negative picture on the team. Because the Chinese value family bond they are usually more interested in personal information on business partners. The value of interpersonal relationships in the Chinese culture shows that the American negotiation team should have been more interested in socializing with the Chinese and make friends with them instead of paying more attention to the formal business negotiation process. Woo, Wilson and Liu assert that the Confucianism theory further explains the cultural basis of Chinese behavior as being motivated by the high values that the Chinese put into hierarchy and seniority. As a result, male business partners are considered more important in busi ness negotiations. In the Chinese culture men are considered more significant than their female counterparts and for this reason, men occupy most of the senior managerial positions in business organizations. The issue of seniority and gender in business culture is illustrated by the fact that the Motosuzhou Team talks with Barb Morgan while their eye contact was focused on Tom Sherman and Mark Porters because they were male and their opinion was thus considered of more value by the Chinese than that of Barb Morgan. This ruined the relationship of Morgan with the Chinese later during the negotiations and hence showed a negative image on the team by the Chinese who value good relationships. The American culture is very different from the Chinese culture as explained by Al-Khatib, Vollmers and Liu (2007, p. 84). Firstly, the Americans value formal relationships in business negotiations and activities and personal relationships are not considered necessary in doing business. On the othe r hand the Chinese consider business negotiations as personal interaction rather than interaction between companies or business firms. Because of these differences in culture the Electrowide team viewed the negotiations as two companies trying to strike a deal while the Chinese viewed the process as relationships between individuals. These differences must have caused disharmony between the Americans and the Chinese and hence contributed to the eventual failure of the negotiation process which was aimed at creating a joint business venture. Kam-hon, Yang and Graham (2006, p. 625) add that the western culture does not uphold physical expressions such as handshakes while the Chinese value physical expressions because they act as a sign of appreciation and respect. Question 2 According to Graham & Lam (2003, p. 82) strategic corporate plans of a company are crucial to the management decision of two companies which are trying to negotiate for a joint venture. Therefore, lack of compatib ility in two companies whi