How Conservative Hollywood Became a Liberal Town

While it may seem as though Hollywood has always been liberal, it hasn’t. Very few people today realize that at one point in the development of American cinema, conservatives ruled the movie-making industry. Even today, conservative celebrities make successful movies for their millions of fans. Santa Monica College Professor Larry Ceplair, co-author of The Inquisition in Hollywood, wrote that during the ‘20s and ‘30s, most studio heads were conservative Republicans who spent millions of dollars to block union and guild organizing. Likewise, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Moving Picture Machine Operators, and the Screen Actors Guild were all headed by conservatives, as well. Scandals and Censorship In the early 1920s, a series of scandals rocked Hollywood. According to authors Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, silent film star Mary Pickford divorced her first husband in 1921 so that she could marry the attractive Douglas Fairbanks. Later that year, Roscoe â€Å"Fatty† Arbuckle was accused (but later acquitted) of raping and murdering a young actress during a wild party. In 1922, after director William Desmond Taylor was found murdered, the public learned of his lurid love affairs with some of Hollywood’s best-known actresses. The final straw came in 1923, when Wallace Reid, a ruggedly handsome actor, died of a morphine overdose. In themselves, these incidents were a cause for sensation but taken together, studio bosses worried they would be accused of promoting immorality and self-indulgence. As it was, a number of protest groups had successfully lobbied Washington and the federal government was looking to impose censorship guidelines on the studios. Rather than losing control of their product and face the involvement of the government, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of American (MPPDA) hired Warren Harding’s Republican postmaster general, Will Hays, to address the problem. The Hays Code In their book, Thompson and Bordwell say Hays appealed to the studios to remove objectionable content from their films and in 1927, he gave them a list of material to avoid, called the â€Å"Don’ts and Be Carefuls† list. It covered most sexual immorality and the depiction of criminal activity. Nevertheless, by the early 1930s, many of the items on Hays’ list were being ignored and with Democrats controlling Washington, it seemed more likely than ever that a censorship law would be implemented. In 1933, Hays pushed the film industry to adopt the Production Code, which explicitly forbids depictions of crime methodology, sexual perversion. Films that abide by the code received a seal of approval. Although the â€Å"Hays Code,† as it came to be known helped the industry avoid stiffer censorship at the national level, it began to erode in the late 40s and early ‘50s. The House Un-American Activities Committee Although it was not considered un-American to sympathize with the Soviets during the 1930s or during World War II, when they were American allies, it was considered un-American when the war was over. In 1947, Hollywood intellectuals who had been sympathetic to the communist cause during those early years found themselves being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and questioned about their â€Å"communist activities.† Ceplair points out that the conservative Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals provided the committee with names of so-called subversives. Members of the alliance testified before the committee as friendly† witnesses. Other â€Å"friendlies,† such as Jack Warner of Warner Bros. and actors Gary Cooper, Ronald Reagan, and Robert Taylor either fingered others as â€Å"communists† or expressed concern over liberal content in their scripts. After a four-year suspension of the committee ended in 1952, former communists and Soviet sympathizers such as actors Sterling Hayden and Edward G. Robinson kept themselves out of trouble by naming others. Most of the people named were script-writers. Ten of them, who testified as â€Å"unfriendly† witnesses became known as the â€Å"Hollywood Ten† and were blacklisted – effectively ending their careers. Ceplair notes that following the hearings, guilds, and unions purged liberals, radicals, and leftists from their ranks, and over the next 10 years, the outrage slowly began to dissipate. Liberalism Seeps Into Hollywood Due in part to a backlash against abuses perpetrated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and in part to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1952 declaring films to be a form of free speech, Hollywood began to slowly liberalize. By 1962, the Production Code was virtually toothless. The newly formed Motion Picture Association of America implemented a rating system, which still stands today. In 1969, following the release of  Easy Rider, directed by liberal-turned-conservative  Dennis Hopper, counter-culture films began to appear in significant numbers. By the mid-1970s, older directors were retiring, and a new generation of filmmakers was emerging. By the late 1970s, Hollywood was very openly and specifically liberal. After making his last film in 1965, Hollywood director John Ford saw the writing on the wall. â€Å"Hollywood now is run by Wall St. and Madison Ave., who demand ‘Sex and Violence,’† author Tag Gallagher quotes him as writing in his  book,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"This is against my conscience and religion.† Hollywood Today Things are not much different today. In a 1992 letter to the  New York Times, screenwriter and playwright  Jonathan R. Reynolds  lament  that â€Å"†¦ Hollywood today is as fascistic toward conservatives as the 1940s and 50s were  liberals †¦ And that goes for the movies and television shows produced.† It goes beyond Hollywood, too, Reynolds argues. Even the New York theater community is rampant with liberalism. â€Å"Any play that suggests that racism is a two-way street or that socialism is degrading simply wont be produced,† Reynolds writes. â€Å"I defy you to name any plays produced in the last 10 years that intelligently espouse conservative ideas. Make that 20 years.† The lesson Hollywood still has not learned, he says, is that repression of ideas, regardless of political persuasion, â€Å"should not be rampant in the arts.† The enemy is repression itself.

In the short stories in ‘The Bloody Chamber’, Carter is...

In the short stories in ‘The Bloody Chamber’, Carter is excessively interested in violent instincts’. How far do you agree with this view? In the short stories in ‘The Bloody Chamber’, Carter is excessively interested in violent instincts, this viewpoint is correct to an extent but Carter has a feministic approach to her stories, which at some points more apparent. I find that her stories are in a literal sense driven by violent instincts but optimistic outlook of Carter that humans are capable of change is still evident. Violence is already embedded in fairytales and by bringing this to the surface; she is only catering to her adult audience. The violent instincts portrayed by the characters shows what happens when we give in to the†¦show more content†¦Carter comments on this often in her short stories in ‘The Bloody Chamber’. Secondly, Carter is suggesting that while society remains its patriarchal self, violence will always be present and this is reflected in her short stories. Carter appears to be excessively interested in violent instincts because she wanted to explore the human nature. In the Company of Wolves, the narrator addresses the reader, from the perspective of someone involved in the story In ‘granny’s bed between the paws of the tender wolf’ suggests that this story is based on little red riding hood. The juxtaposition of tender and wolf, shows how Carter creates dominant male characters which though are presented as evil are also seen to be partly victimised by their role which they are trapped within. Although carter uses intertexuality and makes exospheric references to other folk tales, in ‘the company of wolves’, it is actually hinting at what it is like for females to go out into the world and immediately be in danger from men and the traps that they la y for them, ‘You are always in danger in the forest’. The forest is perhaps an allegory for society and in a sense women must use the strength that has derived through their female lineage e.g. Mothers, Grandmothers to face obstacles. Angela Carter presents a feminist agenda in which women are presented as controlling their own

English 2 †Literary Response Free Essays

My Singular Irene Literature is, by my understanding, a means to critic society and individuals or the way the world is behaving. Writers of Literature write literature to provide a new way of seeing things that might be different from our point of view. In other words, writers use tools of literature story like: symbolism, point of view to help them is making the literature story to be more exciting and clear to us, the reader. We will write a custom essay sample on English 2 – Literary Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now The author helps us to see the frailty or other bad deeds and good things about this life in this world as we seldom see those things with our own eyes. A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings and My Singular Irene is a very good example for this literature reading, because it is very rich in literature concept and devices, like: symbolism or point of view. The main character in this story is said to be alienated, repressed and silenced in the story. I will prove this statement by retelling the main point on the story that supports this statement. A very old man refers to an old angel that is cast ashore into earth because of inability to keep up with the heavy rain. e can see that the angel is alienated from examples that shown this statement, such as : †They found the whole neighborhood in front of the chicken coop having fun with the angel, without the slightest reference, tossing him things to eat through the openings in the wire as if he weren’t a supernatural creature but a circus animal. †(Gabriel Garcia Marquez 36). the angel is alienated because It is treated differently from the others. The others are having f un with the angel rather than socializing with the angel. The angel is also repressed and silenced. There is a quotation that shows this statement: â€Å"Pelayo watch over him all afternoon from the kitchen, armed with his Bailiff’s club, and before going to bed he dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the wire chicken coop. †(Gabriel Garcia- Marquez 36). From this statement, we can derive that the angel is â€Å"caged† from it’s freedom and its freedom is repressed by the caged that Pelayo given it, thus the angel is silenced from the freedom. My Singular Irene is also a good example for this literature reading. Irene is reputed to be alienated is true in this story. Irene is treated differently from other people. From the story we know that Ilene’s husband( the first person view in the story) isolated Irene from the outside world by buying Irene very expensive â€Å"stuff† to lure Irene to stay in the house isolated from the outside world. Irene is also axiomatic to be repressed and silenced. We know from the story that Irene is considered as a â€Å"thing† to her husband, because her husband wants Irene to act like he wants. So, in order to satisfy his ego, Irene is inhibited and muted by many ways, like: not allowing Irene to go to the outside world, forbidding visitors to meet Irene. Irene too, like the Angel is constrained from freedom. A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings and My Singular Irene are an example of story that has a symbol of contemporary alienation and triumph over it. First, I am going to express about A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings. The angel in the story is alienated or make indifferent. It is derived from the behavior of the people that found the angel. It is treated like mere goods than divine figure. So, it is true that it is a contemporary alienation. Later in the story, we know that the angel has his most precious tool that can bring him back to his divine status. That tool is its wings, when its wings grows back, he immediately leaped up to the sky and clapped its wings and fly to the horizon of freedom. The angel is reputed to be a triumph over alienation. Second, My Singular Irene is also a symbol of alienation. Irene is also made hostile like the angel. She is isolated or â€Å"caged† by her husband; there is an interesting point in this story in my point of view. To me, Irene seemed to be speechless or not a living thing. The author writes the story in such a way that us, readers, grabs the alienation theme in the story. Irene is also considered as a triumph over alienation. There is a quotation from the story: Horrifying! Irene changed into a horrendous butterfly! I stood up and fell again, powerless now. She would leave me; she would take flight and leave me. The gigantic Irene Butterfly smiled at me, diminished, and disappeared with the others. I am at the site of the events, waiting for Irene’s return. She has no return. She cannot deny me the peace that her company always offered me. (AlmAnzar, JosE AlcAntara 45) From this quotation, I interpret it that Irene’s freedom does also mean she has a higher status in the relationship with her husband now. What I meant by higher status of relationship is the one that always try to get the relationship going is the one that has a lower status, in this case, her husband. Irene’s triumph over alienation is expressed by the author of Irene transformation into the most beautiful butterfly that can fly anywhere it wants. It is very interesting that these two stories have a similar thing. They both define freedom by flying leaving the thing that binds their way to freedom. The following paragraph below tells a story about human needs for personal freedom and community. There is certainly no argument in this world that can be used to defy human needs for socializing and personal freedom. Human always seek out a way to grab that freedom. Kingdom falls, kingdom rises, Leader of a faction dies, and assassin was born. All of these examples are made because of the need to obtain and maintain personal freedom and the ability to communicate freely with communities of choice. There is an interesting story below those talks about human’s desire for personal liberty. This story is about the struggle of African-American communities in the United States to obtain their right of personal freedom and human needs for sociality. United States also known as the land of the free and the brave has been well known for its freedom. It has a lot to offer, such as: the freedom of speech, the right to work, etc. But, in contrast to all of those things, there is a little dispute inside this great country in the era of slavery. African American is the target for this matter. African American arrived in the United States as Indentured Servants via Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. They could earn their so called â€Å"personal freedom† by working as slave to their chosen master. As time goes by, the other majority in the United States made a conduct for slaves called â€Å"Slaves Codes†. This Slave Codes constrained African American in the Unites States from their liberty. They did fight for it until the Majority pushes another harsh rule for any slaves that disobey its masters. From this point, we can see human’s needs for personal freedom. Human fights for freedom risking everything they had, like: their lives, treasure, relatives. There is also a story of a president that fight for part of his citizen’s needs for personal freedom, his name was Abraham Lincoln. He was a farmer boy that born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. His parents were both born in Virginia. Abraham was well known for his strength and cleverness in farming skills. In not so long time he began to be very famous in the community because of his skills in socializing. Not so long after that, he became the president of the United States. He saw this great calamity of slavery and intends to abolish this calamity for good. To pursue this personal freedom, Abraham had gone through a lot of obstacles from his own family until his own citizen in the south. Alas, not so long a civil war broke out between the north and the south. But, the good always wins; Abraham with the North wins the Civil War by diplomacy. And thus the period of reconstruction began. Unfortunately Abraham was killed by an assassin in April 14, 1865; Lincoln was killed at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth. This story has greatly described to us the importance of human need for community and personal freedom. In conclusion, these two stories, My Singular Irene and A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, tell us about the importance of personal freedom and need of interaction with other people. They also told us, no matter how hard human is pushed to abandoned their personal freedom; human always emerges to fight their way to obtain freedom even though they have to put their lives on the line to achieve their goal, personal freedom. How to cite English 2 – Literary Response, Papers

General Characteristics Of Network Governance Commerce Essay Example For Students

General Characteristics Of Network Governance Commerce Essay Modern societies went in recent decennaries through a destabilization period of the traditional government mechanisms which led to the outgrowth of new administration agreements ( van Kersbergen A ; van Waarden, 2004, p.143 ) . This so called shift in administration occurred because of several grounds ; the ideological displacement towards markets, the outgrowth of new public direction, globalization and the ideological displacement towards private histrions duty are illustrations of this. This means that administration has become more and more of import the last twosome of decennaries, but despite this there are assorted significances of the construct administration and a clear significance is losing. A clear common is that they all refer to dealingss among persons, groups and organisations and that they describe and analyze so called shifts in administration ( van Kersbergen A ; van Waarden, 2004, p.144 ) . The displacements in administration have occurred at three degrees ; the macro, micro and meso degree. The macro degree refers to the degree of the province. In this manner the construct of administration refers to the promotion of solid and sustainable economic development which consists of an efficient authorities, an effectual civil society and a successful private sector. The micro degree is more specific and refers to the degree of an organisation. It comprises a set of procedures, imposts, policies, Torahs and establishments which affect the manner a corporation is managed. Besides the relationships among the stakeholders which are involved is of import in this. The last degree, the meso degree is besides called the inter-organizational degree. It refers to the guidance of society through the coordination of public and non-public histrions in web constructions and is a typical illustration of the development from authorities to administration ( Klok, 2011, HC1-sheet5-7 ) . In t his paper the focal point will be on the municipality and the possible cooperation with public and non-public histrions in the specific policy field. Therefore the focal point in this memo will be on the meso-level of administration. At the meso degree three manners of administration can be distinguished as is being argued by new wave Heffen and Klok ( 2000 ) . They refer to manners like hierarchies, markets and webs as action spheres. The hierarchy is characterized by a uni-centric action sphere which consists of governments and citizens. In this instance the governments have the freedom to do determinations assigned to place by constitution legal regulations which are in conformity with processs. The citizens on the other manus have the freedom to utilize their civil rights besides in relation to governments. A market action sphere is characterized by Sellerss and purchasers where there is the freedom to move on ain belongings which is limited merely by constitutional and general legal regulations. In this instance the collection is a bilateral understanding and self-generated through single action and monetary value scene. Following to this a market is characterized by a exchange of goods through payment and i s produced by personal involvement. The last manner of administration are webs which are characterized by members and non-members. The boundaries of a web can be restrictive or non-restrictive, this depends on the determinations members make. In a web members with specific places can hold specific authorization, but members are largely included in corporate determinations. Non-members have no specific authorization, merely as a citizen. A web is besides characterized by interconnection among the members and a mix of common ( members merely ) and personal involvement ( Van Heffen A ; Klok, 2000, p.4 ) . If a closer expression on networking is proved, it can be said that networking refers to the ability of histrions to develop comparatively stable, sometimes informal, dealingss. With these dealingss it will be possible for the histrions to do determinations or to organize actions by dialogue and consensus edifice. In this manner histrions can do the strategic pick to web because of common dockets or because of the fact that corporate action can carry through specific ends. Another of import feature of networking is the fact that the web members contribute different resources to go more effectual or efficient which is sometimes aimed towards legitimacy and invention ( van Heffen A ; Klok, 2000 ) . Outline1 Which factors should play a function in make up ones minding to put in web administration ( or non to make so ) ?2 Which benefits might be expected from web administration, but besides which jobs might happen?3 Which facets should be considered when doing existent agreements for web administration, in order to maximise benefits and minimise jobs? Which factors should play a function in make up ones minding to put in web administration ( or non to make so ) ? There are different factors which determine for an histrion, in this instance the municipality, whether to web or non to web. This can depend on the other histrions involved, on which activities an histrion wants to web and to what extent or the degree of liberty an histrion is prepared to web ( Hay A ; Richards, 2000, p.17-18 ) . Other illustrations of factors which determine whether an histrion is prepared to web are effectivity, efficiency and legitimacy. An of import facet of these factors is that they are driven by the construction vs. bureau argument. This argument is approximately two sort of ways how webs are created. On the one manus it is argued that webs are created from structural dealingss between histrions, besides called resource or result mutuality. Given these conditions, web constructions will develop and histrions will move harmonizing to these constructions. In this manner webs can be seen as objects and they have an consequence on an histrion s public presentati on. On the other manus it is argued that webs are created from the strategic picks histrions make in make up ones minding to web or non. In this context, webs develop because of histrions picks to put in the webs and act harmonizing to the web s logic. Networks are because of this seen as procedures in action and are, in contradiction to the construction position, the dependant variable ( Klok, 2011, HC2-sheet14 ) . The Rise And Fall Of Hitler Re EssayIn footings of answerability web administration can besides take to jobs. With the entrance of new histrions in a web it might be ill-defined who is responsible for what and it will go more hard to keep the responsible organisation accountable for its actions. As new wave Kersbergen and van Waarden province in their article a effect of the displacements in authorization of and within administration mechanisms might be that traditional instruments for control of power may go less effectual ( van Kersbergen A ; van Waarden, 2004, p.157 ) . Because of this ground it is as a municipality of import to find how to cover with this facet of answerability and in which extent you want to be accountable for the actions of another histrion in the web. Which facets should be considered when doing existent agreements for web administration, in order to maximise benefits and minimise jobs? After it is being decided to web, it is of import to pay attending on how the web should looks like and which facets should be considered when doing existent agreements for web administration. Provan and Kenis ( 2007 ) supply a model on this in which they provide three signifiers of administration. The first signifier of administration is a participant-governed web in which administration is extremely decentralized, all organisations are equal and no distinguishable administrative entity is present. The 2nd signifier of administration is a lead organization-governed web in which one organisation is the lead organisation which coordinates all network-level activities. The 3rd manner of administration is a web administrative organisation ( NAO ) . In this web an administrative entity is established to regulate the web and is hence extremely brokered, with the NAO as the web agent, and externally governed by the NAO ( Provan A ; Kenis, 2007, p.6-8 ) . The pick on which administration s ignifier to take for a web depends on several factors like trust, the figure of participants, end consensus and the demand for network-level competences. Shared administration is for illustration the most suited signifier of administration when there is a high denseness of trust, there are a few participants, the end consensus is high and the demand for network-level competences is low ( Provan A ; Kenis, 2007, p.9 ) . Besides Sydow and Windeler ( 2003 ) argue which aspects should be considered when doing existent agreements for web administration but alternatively of Provan and Kenis ( 2007 ) they focus more on the requirements of organizing a web. These requirements are trust, control and cognition, which go manus in manus with each other and each requires the being of the other. However, the relationship between these requirements is besides characterized by tensenesss and contradictions. To exemplify this interrelation of trust, cognition and control Sydow and Windeler ( 2003 ) make usage of the structuration theory. The dealingss between trust, cognition and control are mutual and can hold a positive every bit good as a negative influence on each other in the manner that it enables and restrains the capableness of agents to move. Because of this direction of the tensenesss and contradictions between the requirements is important for effectual web administration ( Sydow A ; Windeler, 2003 ) . Besides the old described facets which should be taken into consideration when doing existent agreements for web administration, it is besides of import to pay attending to the facet of citizen engagement. Particularly for a municipality it is of import to promote citizen engagement and affect citizens in webs. Lowndes et Al ( 2006 ) provide in their article a diagnostic tool which describes the factors act uponing citizen engagement. This diagnostic tool is based on the CLEAR-model, which states that citizen engagement is most effectual when several demands are met. The first demand is that citizens can take part, this means they have the resources and cognition to take part. The 2nd demand is that citizens like to take part in the manner that they have a sense of fond regard that reinforces engagement. The 3rd refers to the fact that citizens are enabled or have the chance to take part. The 4th demand is that citizens are asked to take part by official organic structures or volunta ry groups. The last demand refers to the fact that there is being responded to citizens engagement, this means that citizens see grounds that their positions have been considered and their input is being appreciated. Particularly for a municipality it is of import to pay attending to these demands when one wants to promote citizen engagement and affect citizens in webs. By making this, besides legitimacy as being discussed earlier can be increased ( Lowndes, Pratchett A ; Stoker, 2006 ) .

Words That Mean The Most To Me free essay sample

Everyone has an inside joke or saying with their friends or family; so they all know that that joke is even funnier when someone does not understand the story behind it all. People will beg you to know what you are laughing about, but you know giving away the secret would be like spending your leftover birthday money on a cheap toy; in the end it is not worth it. My family and I have inside jokes and sayings we bring up from time to time, and even my friends share a few laughs with me over the silliest of things we remember doing. Inside jokes and old sayings bring smiles to everyone, but it is the ones that nobody will ever understand that makes them all worthwhile. â€Å"Crappa, I have missed you!† That is not your everyday greeting to your grandfather, but for some odd reason my family will never be able to call him otherwise. We will write a custom essay sample on Words That Mean The Most To Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The story goes all the way back to when I was just learning how to talk, and â€Å"baby words† were all that would come out of my tiny, never quiet, mouth. Everyone has heard the words â€Å"dadda† and â€Å"momma,† but I was making my own dictionary since age two. I had used creative words like â€Å"chubba† for ‘brother’ and â€Å"teeta† for the word ‘sister,’ but the family favorite word I created was the still-popular â€Å"crappa.† I would call him this name everwhere we went, and the funny looks we got never seemed to bother us. In all of my grandfather’s birthday cards, we cross out the word ‘grandpa’ and change it to his real name, or at least what we consider it to be. To this day there is no explanation for my abnormal word choice, but it somehow found its way to be in the family list of sayings. Now whenever we see my grandpa, we do not call him like most people would call their grandf athers; we call him â€Å"Crappa.† Being the little girl that I was, you would expect me to ask for something like a new Barbie or a tea-set for Christmas, when actually I was beyond thrilled receiving the simplest gift anyone could ever get. That is why that Christmas ended up being one of the most memorable times in our family, and â€Å"shoelaces† would never be taken the same way again. When I was about eight or nine years old, I aimed to be exactly like my older sister, Brianna; I wanted to go to the same school as her, talk like her, and even dress like her. Bri had bought black tennis shoes, along with a pair of shoelaces covered in hot pink stars to match perfectly. Now, if she would have worn those today, I would be embarrassed to be around her, but back then, I wanted nothing more than to have what she had, wardrobe included. My mom got me black tennis shoes so I could match Brianna, but left out the best part, those black and hot pink beauties. Of course I was still happy to be almost like Brianna, but because they didn’t stand out like hers, they were just another pair of boring, black tennis shoes. Christmas time came around, and I was filling out my wish list. On that list you could find the Hilary Duff clothing line from Target or the new Barbie doll, but at the very top of my list wrote the most ridiculous item a little girl could want, â€Å"black shoelaces with pink stars on them, like Bri’s,† capitalized and in bold to emphasize my need for them. My family kept telling me that they were sold out and could not be found anywhere, which lowered my expectations for them until I believed I would not find them under the Christmas tree to be unwrapped that year. Christmas Eve came around and we all sat by the tall, glowing tree, ready to open presents. Everyone was there: my siblings, parents, grandparents, and even my cousins who had come all the way from Minnesota. There was a tiny gift under the tree with my name on it from my sister. I had a feeling I knew what it was, but I did not want to get my hopes up. Excitement filled my eyes as I unwrapped the gift and noticed a hot pink star. Before I could even finish removing the gift wrap, I jumped off my seat and shouted at the top of my lungs, â€Å"shoelaces!† My family had never seen me so excited over something so little. Next thing you know, I was running around the couch and up and down the stairs, waving my new shoelaces around. I immediately went and grabbed my black tennis shoes and started changing the laces. That was one of the best Christmases of my life. Now, whenever someone gets a gift they had been wanting, we scream â€Å"shoelaces!† like that Christmas had just been replayed. Even though none of us are related, I like to consider my dance team my family as well; I am with them every day, and we have the best of times together. There are a countless number of inside jokes we share together, a lot of them even we cannot describe. One of our all-time favorites took place at the dance studio on an early Saturday morning, when â€Å"we knew what to do.† We danced non-stop on Saturdays from eight in the morning to three in the afternoon, so every week was a new and hilarious memory to look forward to. We were in the middle of our drink break, when everyone went out into the lobby to refill their water bottles from the water jug. After a few minutes of filling bottle after bottle, the five-gallon jug became a dry, empty five-gallon jug. As we sat there drinking and breathing heavily in order to catch our breath, the desk attendant, Paige, brought out another jug. All of a sudden, we heard a â€Å"thump† and a â€Å"splash.† Just as Paige wa s flipping the new jug into the dispenser, water shot out of some unnoticeable cracks in the container, spilling all over the floor. Before we could react to the mess, water was seeping into the corners of the walls and under our seats. Every girl’s motherly instincts set in as we raced to the storage unit to grab whatever we could find: towels, napkins, tissues, anything that would soak up the water. Within seconds, every dancer from ages four to eighteen was on her hands and knees cleaning up the flooded mess. After twenty minutes of non-stop drying and mopping, we all sat down, looked at each other, and started laughing harder than we have ever laughed before. Our teacher came out and stated, â€Å"Wow, you guys knew what to do!† Then the little girls repeated her, saying, â€Å"Yeah, that was funny but we knew what to do,† followed by the older girls laughing and stating, â€Å"At least we knew what to do.† For the next thirty minutes, the only words you heard were â€Å"It is okay, we knew what to do!† Words cannot explain why we still say it today, but no matter what happens, we just look at each other and say, â€Å"We know what to do.† My favorite thing about an inside joke or old saying is when you can bring it up at any moment and still be able to laugh about it. You could be bringing up something someone said almost ten years ago or something that had just happened and it will still put a smile on everyone’s faces. Whether it is a family saying or an old memory with your closest friends, it is something that will stick with you forever. Special moments like those bring you and your loved ones closer than ever before and call for even more amazing memories to be made later on.

The Lord of The Files by William Golding.

The Lord of The Files by William Golding. Of Savages and InnocentsIn William Golding's Lord of the Flies, it is apparent the author is trying to get across the point that evil is inside of each of us.In all cultural stereotypes, even today, anyone who may be different from the typical American white man can be labeled as savage. Man's original sin is overlooked and all the negative energy is focused on the "evil" differences of other cultures. For example, in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, the author wrote a fictional account of Crusoe and his attempt to civilize a savage. The savage in the story, was an evil creature who did not know the difference between yes and no, and was intent on finding the graves of two dead men and, "making signs to me that we should dig them up again, and eat them". In the story, Crusoe taught the man morals and clothed him, for which the story made him a hero, when all he really had done was rip a man away from his homeland.Mohawk VS GoldingsAnother example is Rudyard Kipling, who wrote the poem "The White Man's Burden" in response to the increased amount of Philippine people in America. Because the people of the Philippines had different customs, values, and looks, they were thought right away to be savages. Kipling wrote his poem to the United States as if to say "now you have to deal with this load of savages". He wrote about the Philippine people in a negative manner of the savages, calling them "your new-caught, sullen peoples, half devil and half child", perfectly reflecting the definition of definition of savagery at the time.Golding's Lord of the Flies was a radical objection in the face of prejudice, stating that white men were just as savage of those others that...

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Research Paper Example The Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002 is actually named â€Å"Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act†. As such, the act sought to change the way in which top management, accounting firms, and investors interacted with one another. By certifying the legitimacy of information, the framers of this act sought to correct many of the issues that had seemingly plagued auditors and oversight committees for years. The first of these changes can be described with regards to the creation of a public company accounting oversight Board (PCAOB). Much as the name implies, this particular entity is required as a means of providing a level of oversight with respect to the registration and analysis of compliance that audits and auditors are able to put forward. Through such an entity, the overall level of oversight that auditors and committees can affect is drastically increased; tangentially leading to a situation in which the potential for abuse is subsequently reduced. A further core component of Sarbanes-Oxley is with respect to what is known as auditor independence. By establishing key standards for auditor independence that help to limit conflicts of interest and promote the overall truthfulness, veracity, and reduction in bias, this particular complement of Sarbanes-Oxley is directed at restricting the level of integration that key firms can provide to another. For instance, prior to Sarbanes-Oxley, it was perfectly legal that a particular accounting firm could also serve the joint function of consulting with the same firm that they were hired to analyze and recommend key accounting practices/approaches (Gupta et al., 2013). Naturally, the conflict of interest within such a case is profound and creates a situation in which either the accounting procedures and/or the consulting would be adversely affected by the conflict of interest

Current Pop Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current Pop Culture - Essay Example The current pop culture exercises its control over the thought of the people by generating the aspect of â€Å"opinion† through mass media. That is to say it becomes an artistic expression of the people, thus creating solidarity, as Kidd (2007) explains (Fedorak 3). To enhance the role played by pop culture in the lives of the people, I would undertake the examples from television and film fraternity. The television series The Sex and the City and the film The Hunger Games, both adapted from the book series, not only explain the blatant influence created by the pop culture, but also cover the wide genre of pop culture, namely literature and technology, in order to generate a striking effect on the mass consumption. The Sex and the City (1988-2004) is generally applauded for showing the prevalent theme of individualism and the society that rules our lives. It features single women as strong, honest, independent and happy, who are striving to find their individual identity in th e facets of societal foundations. The show is regarded as a post feminist exploration of single women living in New York City. It is a show about women and their friendships, their sex lives and their experiences. It is perhaps because of the issues like identity, the relation between an individual and society, and the underlying theme of sexual sovereignty that The Sex and the City can be used as the foremost example in explaining the workings of the pop culture. The protagonist Carrie Bradshaw is a sex columnist for the fictional paper The New York Star; it is through the lens of her columns that each episode is shaped. This characterization is quite important for the consumer. He meets an individual who is not only a strong, independent woman with a critical point of view, but also a sex columnist discussing sex lives of women, thus claiming sexual sovereignty. Her honesty and imperfection highlight the general thought of the public that make them identify with her. Other female characters, Miranda, a cynical attorney, asserts her independence as a woman reconciling with her motherhood and her marriage; Charlotte, a hopeless romantic lives in a world of fairy tales but eventually realizes the stark distinction between fantasy and reality; and Samantha, the self-proclaimed sex- loving, hyper sexualized old woman dealing with her state of menopause, different yet embodiment of feminism, gives a glimpse of different shades of a modern woman. They are reflection of an era where women were exercising control over their lives without the male interference. They highlight the concept of choice where an independent woman is free from the bounds of motherhood and marriage, where parents are never seen and the family mentioned is of female friendship, thus highlighting the notion of pop culture as an indicator of shared value. The Hunger Games (2012) is the most recent example of human identity being shaped by the interplay of media and individual choice in construct ing personality. It showcases the tenuous division between reality and fabrication through a violent competition in which children and teens are

An in Depth Look at the Role of Forensic Science and its Impact on Dissertation

An in Depth Look at the Role of Forensic Science and its Impact on Justice - Dissertation Example lso examines the potential for injustice in terms of the CSI effect and the contamination of evidence in the collection and analyses of forensic evidence. It is suggested that attending problems associated with the pitfalls of the use of forensic science are outweighed by its positive role in and impact on the administration of justice. Table of Contents Abstract 4 Table of Contents 5 Chapter One 7 Introduction to the Study 7 Introduction 7 Research Questions 9 Aims and Objectives of the Study 10 Significance of the Study 11 Research Methodology 12 Ethics 13 Organization of the Study 13 Chapter Two 14 A Review of the Literature 14 Introduction 14 The Effective and Efficient Use of Forensic Science in the Administration of Justice 15 Factors Compromising the Effective and Efficient Use of Forensic Science in the Administration of Justice 19 The CSI Effect 19 The Collection, Analysis and Presentation of Forensic Evidence 26 Conclusion 31 Chapter Three 31 Case Studies: The Role of Foren sic Science in the Administration of Justice 31 Introduction 31 Stephen Lawrence 32 Case Background 32 Trial 34 Amanda Knox 38 Case Background 38 The Trial 39 The Appeal 41 Steve Wright 44 Case Background 44 The Trial 46 Mark Dixie 48 Case Background 48 The Trial 48 Colin Pitchfork 50 Case Background 50 The Trial 51 Shirley McKie 52 Case Background 52 The Trial 54 O.J. Simpson 54 Case Background 54 The Trial 55 Chapter Four 59 Research Findings 59 Chapter Five 70 Conclusion/Recommendations 70 Conclusion 70 Recommendations 73 Chapter One Introduction to the Study Introduction In the course of a trial, contemporary forensic science comes under greater scrutiny than any other form of evidence (Saks & Koehler, 1991). Methods of collection and analyses of forensic evidence are typically... This research study also examines the potential for injustice in terms of the CSI effect and the contamination of evidence in the collection and analyses of forensic evidence. It is suggested that attending problems associated with the pitfalls of the use of forensic science are outweighed by its positive role in and impact on the administration of justice. In the course of a trial, contemporary forensic science comes under greater scrutiny than any other form of evidence (Saks & Koehler, 1991). Methods of collection and analyses of forensic evidence are typically challenged by the party against whom the evidence is tendered (Saks & Koehler, 1991). Therefore when forensic science stands up to rigorous scrutiny and challenge it is typically the highest standard of evidence (Koppl, 2005). On the contrary, erroneous calculations, analyses, cross contamination and poor collection procedures can render forensic science meaningless and at times detrimental to its goal of finding the truth (Saks et. al., 2001). According to Saks et. al. (2001) practice and standards of collection and analyses of forensic evidence is the key to the reliability of forensic science. When forensic evidence is reliably collected and analysed, the role of forensic science in the administration of justice is to â€Å"extract the truth† (Koppl, 2005, p. 255). It therefore follows that when forensic science is used properly and appropriately, its primary impact on the criminal justice system is to ensure that culpability is reliably assessed and innocent persons are exonerated. Jayewardene (1988) puts the role of forensic science in simple terms.

Food Scarcity in Djibouti

Food Scarcity in Djibouti Djibouti is a small arid country in Eastern Africa. It has extremely important and convenient transshipment facilities at the mouth of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its terrestrial neighbors are Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. Maritime neighbor is Yemen. Djibouti has a convenient geographical position in means of trade. Its capital and main port Addis Ababa transports about 60 percent of Ethiopian export goods. Djibouti has a lot of problems. Its climate is arid. There are few fertile lands in Djibouti. Neighboring Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia impose additional tension in the region. Conflicts between Somalia and Eritrea adversely affect Djibouti. Bilateral ties between Djibouti and Eritrea were suspended in the period of 1998-2000. Such instability harms Djibouti and aggravates its economic lagging. Djibouti’s population comprises two main ethnical groups: Muslim tribe Issai with Somalian origin and Afars with Ethiopian origin. Scarcity of food and water are the most severe problems in Djibouti. There is also lack of expertise in dealing with these problems (Zoungrana, 2013). High unemployment and high food prices exacerbate the situation. The local government is seemed to be unable to improve the situation. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) reports, that Djiboutis urban centers like Balbala, Radiska, and Baulaos suffer food insecurity. Moreover, rural areas encounter food insecurity, too. Imed Khanfir, a programme adviser with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reports, that about 42,600 people are severely food insecure with 24,300 others moderately food insecure in Djibouti. An overall population is 774,389 citizens by 2012. USAID provide Djibouti with food aid for 150,000 or one-fourth of the overall Djibouti’s population. Unstable economic situation is aggravated by the instant threat of the civil war between the tribes of Issais and Afars. Thus, the leader of ethnic groups dealt to share positions in the government. When the president is Issais’ representative, the prime minister must be of Afars’ origin. The Cabinet of Ministers positions also ought to be distributed among Issais and Afars. In 1990s Issais managed to usurp the whole government. This fact caused Afars’ outrage and provoked a civil war in Djibouti. Another Djibouti’s problem is an undemocratic and authoritarian tendency. Djibouti’s president Ismail Omar Guelleh has already served two terms as a president of the country, but 2010 Constitutional amendment allowed him to be reelected for the third term. Nevertheless, international community and U.S. are seemed to tolerate such situation because of the Guelleh’s agreement to erect US military base and anti-terrorist center in Djibouti. U.S. military base brought stability in the region, but did not eliminate all problems and threats. On the one hand, Djibouti was severely affected by the drought which hit the region in 2011. The number of drought influenced people rose from 120,000 in 2010 to 206,000 in 2011. Drought impact was aggravated by a large influx of refugees fleeing the conflict and drought in Somalia and other neighboring countries. This adds enormously to the burden on the already overstretched social service system. Another huge problem in Djibouti is its government inability to respond quickly the situation due to the elections. Every election makes government stagger and implement different initiatives very slowly. Electoral process makes government inactive and unable to solve the urgent needs of its people. Every new election causes a wholesale reorganization of the government, which initiates a set of new government initiatives which also had the effect of decreasing the government responsiveness. On the other hand, GDP growth remained relatively sufficient though it dropped short of expectations in 2011. The average GDP growth in period of 2005-2010 was around 5%. After five years of growth, economy slowed to 4.6% growth in 2011 against a predicted rate of 5.1%. The main guarantees for growth were foreign direct investment (FDI), mainly from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, into projects located around the port and construction and in the tourism sector. Concerning per capita income, the growth of the economy reached 1263 USD in 2010, qualifying Djibouti for middle income country (MIC) status under international classification. Military presence of France, the USA and Japan guarantee Djibouti’s economy additional significant revenue. Population growth is estimated at 2.18 percent every year. Djibouti Human Development Index was 0.430 in 2011, ranking the country 165 out of 187 countries. In 2010, life expectancy was 58 years, while mean years of school education was 3.8. UN still possesses no data concerning the scales of poverty in Djibouti in 2013. According to the period of the past five years, the situation did not improve, but deteriorated further in 2013. The overall amount of people living below the national poverty line more than doubled between 2002 and 2009 while the rate of people living below the nationwide extreme poverty line increased similarly over the same period. It is obvious that the economic growth of the recent past has not yet affected the poverty reduction for the large part of the population. The Government is seemed to neglect all the possibilities in expanding the humanitarian assistance taking into account the military presence in the country. New middle income country status has closed access to many grant and concessionary lending. MIC status is very unstable according to a huge amount of people living below extreme poverty line. There are no new international NGOs established operations since 2011 despite the drought emergency. The government should take more care about involving international NGO. As a result, Djibouti’s government keeps relying on UN support for technical assistance in key strategic spheres related to poverty alleviation. UN help the Djibouti’s government to accumulate resources from donors to address humanitarian needs of the most unprotected groups, influenced by the recurrent droughts. As a result, Djiboutian households keep experiencing strong food related economic pressures. The average cost of the basic food basket in 2011 remained well above the average cost for the previous five years. In 2011, the drought emergency that hit the region of Djibouti, Somalia and Ethiopia further aggravated the uneasy situation of the most vulnerable segments of the population, particularly those residing in the rural areas. The drought provoked the continued accumulation of livestock losses (close to 80 percent of the cattle in some areas) with a similar influence on the livelihoods of the nomadic population. Rural dwellers keep migrating to the urban areas swelling urban unemployment (60%) and poverty (42.1% extreme poverty). As a result, the UN Country Team had to devote an increased amount of time to accumulate resources to support humanitarian interventions in 2011. Furthermore, the drought and worsening insecurity in South Somalia kept provoking increases in the number of refugees infiltrating Djibouti. The quantity of refugees in the Ali Addeh camp rose from 12,000 to more than 14,000 over the course of 2010 and to 19,500 refugees at the end of 2011, a significant increase for a country of 818,159 people. In addition, the influx of migrants from Ethiopia, rushing towards Djibouti City, in seek of employment, and Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia) via the Bab el-Mandeb Straits also continued, and reached spectacular figures at certain points in the year. The civil war threat follows Djibouti since 1991. Afars’ minority struggled with Issa-dominated government. The conflict ended by signing a peace agreement in 1999 and electing a new president. Thus, recurrent influx of new refugees and immigrants from the neighboring countries reignites the conflict time after time. Peace agreement did not eliminate local violence. Ethiopian military operation in Somalia affected Djibouti negatively. Population was divided in their support of the belligerents. Djibouti has a significant number of people infected by HIV/AIDS. About 1 percent of the population lives with HIV (approximately 7,700 citizens [6,200-9,400]). The most vulnerable group is children, born by HIV/AIDS infected mothers. The UN Refugee Agency prescribes the main objectives and targets for 2014 for Djibouti. Among the main goals is refusal in refoulement and access to the refugee camps in Djibouti. Every month there are up to 400 new refugees in Djibouti from southern Somalia. About 2,700 refugees from Ethiopia and Eritrea also seek for asylum in Djibouti. The UN bodies provide regular trainings for Djibouti’s staff in order to help boarder guards and law-enforcement officials. All refugee children must be provided with birth certificates. Djibouti’s government with the UN Refugee Agency assistance ought to provide basic needs and essential services to the refugees. Basic needs include sanitation and hygiene conditions. The Holl-Holl and Ali-Addeh camps were provided with about 2,000 family latrines and 200 garbage pits. At least once a month UN employees conduct hygiene-awareness campaigns and camp clean-ups. Sanitation interventions must be frequent in order to protect refugees from he alth hazards. Djibouti’s problems are seemed to make vicious circle. On the one hand, arid climate and absence of oil deposits complicate enormously the economic growth in Djibouti. Regional instability, civil war, excessive immigrants’ influx aggravate the situation. The government has no financial resources to instigate industrial development let alone the environment protection issues. 40 percent of citizens live below the extreme poverty line. 1 percent is infected by AIDS/HIV. Djibouti’s GDP grows, but the positive result is erased by the loans’ repayments. . Djibouti imports almost 90 percent of its food and 100 percent of its fuel, which makes it even more vulnerable to the droughts and food prices on the world market. The country is seemed to be hostage of its own climate and lack of mineral resources and oil. Budget income grows due to transshipment and port fees, Djibouti’s monopoly to export goods from Ethiopia by railroads to the port Addis Ababa. Another positive factor is a military presence of France, the USA and Japan. Military bases pay taxes to the state budget and help fighting terrorism in the region. International Monetary Fund praises Djibouti for almost 5 percent GDP growth per annum. Nevertheless, the aforementioned factors burden the economy and oblige to raise taxes. International humanitarian assistance is still insufficient for the overall welfare in Djibouti. IMF recommends the government of Djibouti to implement reforms in the public sector and avoid unnecessary budget expenditures.   Works cited â€Å"United Nations Development Group† .http://www.undg.org/unct.cfm?module=CoordinationProfilepage=CountryCountryID=DJIfuseaction=UN%20Country%20Coordination%20Profile%20for%20Djibouti The World Factbook.Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 29 Dec. 2013. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dj.html>. The Vital Port of Djibouti Receives International Aid Read more: Djibouti: Geography, History, Politics, and More | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/country/djibouti.html?pageno=2 Zoungrana, S. Food insecurity looms in Djibouti. 15 07 2013. Web. 29 Dec. 2013. http://www.irinnews.org/report/98408/food-insecurity-looms-in-djibouti>. Resident Coordinator Annual Report 2011 for Djibouti. n.d. n. page. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. http://www.undg.org/rcar2011.cfm?fuseaction=RCARctyIDC=DJIP=1625>. â€Å"Djibouti: Fifth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility – IMF.† 19 May. 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2012/cr12197.pdf â€Å"2013 UNHCR country operations profile – Djibouti.† Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e483836

Talking Back to Civilization Essay -- Frederick E. Hoxie American Indi

Talking Back to Civilization Talking Back to Civilization , edited by Frederick E. Hoxie, is a compilation of excerpts from speeches, articles, and texts written by various American Indian authors and scholars from the 1890s to the 1920s. As a whole, the pieces provide a rough testimony of the American Indian during a period when conflict over land and resources, cultural stereotypes, and national policies caused tensions between Native American Indians and Euro-American reformers. This paper will attempt to sum up the plight of the American Indian during this period in American history. American Indians shaped their critique of modern America through their exposure to and experience with â€Å"civilized,† non-Indian American people. Because these Euro-Americans considered traditional Indian lifestyle savage, they sought to assimilate the Indians into their civilized culture. With the increase in industrialization, transportation systems, and the desire for valuable resources (such as coal, gold, etc.) on Indian-occupied land, modern Americans had an excuse for â€Å"the advancement of the human race† (9). Euro-Americans moved Indians onto reservations, controlled their education and practice of religion, depleted their land, and erased many of their freedoms. The national result of this â€Å"conquest of Indian communities† was a steady decrease of Indian populations and drastic increase in non-Indian populations during the nineteenth century (9). It is natural that many American Indians felt fearful that their culture and people wer e slowly vanishing. Modern America to American Indians meant the destruction of their cultural pride and demise of their way of life. American Indians associated many t... ... the â€Å"advancement of the Indian race† in a Euro-American-dominated society. These endeavors bring us back to the meaning of the title, Talking Back to Civilization . The fundamental of American government that was the greatest aid to the American Indians in their plight was their freedom of speech; without it, it is questionable whether American Indians would have been so progressive in finding justice. Convicting and compelling, words can be a powerful asset. In a way, words and voice were used to preserve the American Indian's distinctive identity; they were used as a weapon to hold on to whatever culture they had left. Words also documented the American Indian plight so people in the future (like us) could understand how distinctive they really were. Works Cited Hoxie, Frederick E., ed. Talking Back to Civilization . Boston: Bedford, 2001.

Directing Act II †the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet Essay

Romeo and Juliet was originally a play written by William Shakespeare, who was a talented and popular playwright in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century. As there was no cinematography in his time, his plays were performed in theatres.  As I am directing Act II – the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet, I have many advantages. In this day and age, we have the latest equipment and techniques for filmmaking. As a director I have to consider many technical factors such as camera angle, lights, effects, props and costumes. I am not going to muddle with the story line, but will make some changes, which will differentiate my scene from the original. To present a good performance, I will have to take some imperative factors into account. Such as the place the scene has in the overall structure of the play, historical background, the setting, development of character, themes and the use of language. Let me begin by describing the place the scene has in the overall play. Originally before Act II in Act I, we are introduced to the feuding families of the Montague and the Capulet’s. We learn that Romeo a youth, who is in despair with his unsuccessful love for a girl Rosanline, is the Montague’s son. Eventually Romeo is persuaded by his friend Benvolio and Mercutio to go uninvited to a Capulet ball. There he meets Juliet who is the Capulet’s daughter and falls in love with her at first sight. The events in Act II describe what follows with this new love story. This scene infact is the turning point of the play. The plot begins to thicken from this scene on. I have decided that I will stick to the basic story line and begin my film with similar events. The next factor I have to consider is the â€Å"historical background†. Originally the story is based in Verona, Italy. Verona is a city-state, which is governed by a prince, such as present day boroughs and counties administered. In Verona there are two very powerful and wealthy families the Capulet’s and the Montague’s. They have an ancient family feud between them of blood loss and killing. They are like cats and dogs always quarrelling with each other. My film will be based in Delhi, India. This is a huge district and is under the control of the commissioner of police. In Delhi there are two very powerful and rich industrialists who have a long aged feud between them. They would try to cause harm to each other at any cost. The â€Å"setting† is the factor, which will differentiate my scene from the original. As I have set my play in India. I will also set it in the modern era unlike the original, which was set in the seventeenth century. I will use modern day spoken English and not the original Shakespeare English. Modern day clothes will be worn, modern day props and environment will be used. I will have to keep factors such as camera angle, lights and effects in mind throughout the shoot of the scene. The set will be a massive mansion, which will be the Capulet’s house. This will just be a part of the house where Juliet’s balcony projects out. There will also be projections out of the wall where flowerpots will be kept and there will be creepers on the wall. This will eventually help Romeo to climb up to Juliet’s balcony. The filming of the scene takes place in the same manner as it took place in the original play. The shoot will take place at dawn, so that the dialogues correspond. The scene takes place like this; Romeo jumps over a wall and finds himself in a compound, which has a garden. He finds no one as it is early morning but sees the lights in Juliet’s room switched on. He tries to climb up to the balcony when suddenly Juliet appears. He remains quiet and listens to what Juliet is saying to herself. As Juliet is leaning on the balcony Romeo breaks his silence. Then both them become engaged in a romantic conversation. Then suddenly the nurse interrupts them. Juliet then becomes worried and excited tries to complete the conversation hastily. Eventually the they exchange vows and Romeo cautiously sneaks out of the Capulet’s mansion. The next factor is the â€Å"development of character†. As a director this is a factor I will have to stress upon in order to make my performance an attractive and successful one. In Act II – The Balcony Scene there are many changes in the character of Romeo and Juliet. Basing my scene on the original, I will use the original lines to signify the change in character. Romeo at the beginning of the scene is immature and foolish. After seeing Juliet at the ball and falling in love at first sight, he tries to encroach into the Capulet’s house to meet Juliet. This was foolish of him as he was walking into a pit. Then when he is spying on Juliet, he expresses his feeling for Juliet to himself. He is idealistic about Juliet, for example † It is the east and Juliet is the sun!† Then eventually he becomes romantic and poetic, for example â€Å"It is my lady, O it is my love!† and â€Å"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp† and â€Å"Her eyes in heaven, Would through the airy region stream so bright, That birds would sing and think it were not night.† He is very elaborative in his views about Juliet, such as â€Å"O speak again bright angel, for thou art†. When Romeo meets Juliet he carries on the conversation delivering his dialogues in his poetic, romantic and idealistic way. At a point in the scene Romeo even wishes for physical desire. For example â€Å"O wilt thou leave me so unsatisdfied?†Eventually at the end of the scene he becomes mature and plain in his expressions. For example â€Å"By the hour of nine†, he says this when Juliet asks him what time they should get married. Overall Romeo’s character is unbalanced and not focused. He is immature in his approach and gradually matures by the end of the scene. Most of the time he expresses his love for Juliet in an idealistic, poetic and romantic way. He likes to flirt and tries to touch the sentiments of Juliet. On the other hand Juliet is a person who is mature in her views. From the beginning till the end of the balcony scene she remains sober and focused about her views and expression. Her character remains being practical and down to earth. She shows passion towards Romeo at all times but with control emotions and feelings. In the beginning of the play she sardonically refers to Romeo’s and her self’s parents acting as wall between their love. For example â€Å"Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not be but sworn my love; And I’ll no longer be a Capulet†. She also goes on describing the significance of their names in their love affair, for example † ‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thyself, though not a Montague†. When Romeo breaks his silence and when they meet, Juliet becomes puzzled and curious about his presence, but she is also pleased within as for the effort he made to come. She refers by saying â€Å"How cam’st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore; The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art†. As the scene progresses Juliet’s character remains as same, being practical and focused about her views. She replies to Romeos elaborated comments with control emotion and lucidness. For example â€Å"O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable†.

Emotional Intelligence & Its Importance For Leaders Essay

Much has been written about leadership and the qualities that fuel leadership such as intelligence, toughness, determination, credibility, vision, etc. Often left off are the lists softer and more personal qualities, but recent studies have proven that they are equally important. Researchers have proposed a new term called ‘Emotional Intelligence’, and it may well help differentiate the outstanding leaders from the merely adequate ones. Emotional Intelligence must somehow combine two of the three states of mind: cognition and affect, or intelligence and emotion. It has been described by many as the ability to understand and perceive emotions and to be able to generate emotions in order to aid the thought process, and to be able to effectively regulate emotions so as to ensure intellectual and emotional growth (â€Å"EI†). Both nature and nurture feed into emotional intelligence, which is what management literature suggests. Emotional intelligence if deployed wisely and compassionately, spurs leaders, the followers, and the entire organization to superior performance; conversely, if naively or maliciously applied, it might paralyze leaders or allow them to manipulate followers for personal gain, which would lead in employee dissatisfaction and lack of commitment. Mayor and Salovey proposed a four step EI model which can assist leaders in integrating emotion and thinking. Identifying Emotions is the first step which is the ability to recognize how you and those around you are feeling (â€Å"EI†). Using emotions to facilitate thought which is the ability to generate an emotion, and then reason with this emotion, (also called Emotional Facilitation of Thought, or Assimilating Emotions) comes second(â€Å"EI†). The last two are Understanding Emotions and managing them. Understanding Emotions not only includes understanding complex human emotions but also emotional â€Å"chains†, i. e. how emotions transition from one stage to another, whereas, Managing Emotions allows you to manage emotions in yourself and in others(â€Å"EI†). However, according to Daniel Goleman, there are five components to emotional intelligence; †¢ Self-awareness †¢ Self-regulation †¢ Motivation †¢ Empathy †¢ Social skill (Goleman, 1998) Self-awareness is the trait where emotional intelligence actually begins, leaders with higher degree of self-awareness are never hesitant to talk about and discuss their weaknesses and it is this attitude that later brings upon a positive change in them as they are able to improve upon their weaknesses with time. This helps a leader in bringing about change as he is someone who knows his limitations and knows when and where he can actually stand-up and deliver for the rest of the workforce and be a motivator for them, i. e. when can he lead by example. Thus he knows which tasks and changes can actually be brought about in an organization and which ones cannot be. The second trait is self-regulation, and that leaders with this trait can control their emotions and impulses better and channel them for good purposes. This brings about an openness to change in their attitude and behavior, and increases their trustworthiness and integrity, and also helps them remain comfortable in ambiguous situations and scenario. It has a trickle down effect, as no one would want to be known as a hot head in an organization where the boss is known for his cool and calm attitude. Motivation is perhaps the most important trait and the most obvious one that a leader is judged upon. It’s the motivation abilities of a leader that gives the sub-ordinates the notion that the leader has a strong drive to achieve. It portrays the optimism of the leader to the followers, such that they know that their leader would still be optimistic when facing failure, so it has to do more with the mind than anything else. It is the positivity of the mind, it emanates from the mind of the leader and leads its way to the minds of the followers. For a leader empathizing does not mean conforming to other people’s emotions. Rather, it is the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. Empathy is the trait that enables a leader to be an expert in building and maintaining talent. It enables him to treat people according to their emotional reactions. With the businesses and economies globalizing, leaders have to lead and manage people belonging to different cultures which is the major reason why change management in such a scenario is very difficult, however, if only a leader can empathize with his followers, it makes the job half as difficult as before. Good leaders generally maintain a large circle of acquaintances. They start off with smaller network of acquaintances and build newer acquaintances from the existing circle. Thus they are not only good at building networks but also finding common ground between individuals in difficult situations and scenarios and build rapport with them. This also improves their persuasiveness and the ability to build and lead teams. True emotional intelligence is not about manipulating people. Emotional intelligence means knowing what you and others are feeling and acting ethically, with a social conscience. Leaders with higher EQ seem to have â€Å"it† together; they are a graceful balance of intellect and emotion. Such leaders possess the ability to inspire their followers, and make them feel good about themselves. All of which is achieved while maintaining their own integrity and sense of personal worth. Hence, no one is diminished by being in their presence. Leadership combines courage with emotional intelligence, courage to ask tough questions, challenge people’s assumptions about strategy and operations, eliminate the existence of the bias caused by conforming to other people’s beliefs and hence risk losing their goodwill. All of this demands commitment, commitment to serving others; skills required for diagnostic, strategic, and tactical reasoning, the resilience to get under the surface of tough realities; and the heart to take criticism and grief, and remain optimistic all the way. A leader has to be aware that surviving will be difficult if one gets into the trouble of a dissonance existing between the inside and the outside – something that is referred as a â€Å"disconnect†. If a single theme runs through this issue, it’s the importance of keeping the two aligned. Every leader ought to want a more supple emotional intelligence, and â€Å"Leading by Feel† is a great place to begin (Mayer, 2004). REFERENCES 1. Goleman, Daniel (1998). What makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review 2. EI. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from emotionaliq. org Web site: http://www. emotionaliq. org/EI. htm 3. Mayer, John (2004) Leading by Feel. Harvard Business Review

Orwellian - Definition and Examples

Orwellian s To describe something as Orwellian is to say that it brings to mind the fictional totalitarian society of Oceania described in George Orwells novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In Orwells novel, all citizens of Oceania are monitored by cameras, are fed fabricated news stories by the government, are forced to worship a mythical government leader called Big Brother, are indoctrinated to believe nonsense statements (the mantra WAR IS PEACE, SLAVERY IS FREEDOM, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH), and are subject to torture and execution if they question the order of things. The word is sometimes used to describe a particularly anti-libertarian government policy, but it is also sometimes used to describe the peculiar, nonsensical thought process behind Oceanias social structure- a thought process in which ideas that are obviously self-contradictory are accepted as true based on the fact that an authority figure is asserting them. Orwellian Policies The Bush administrations No Child Left Behind program (which is unfunded and therefore technically leaves children behind) and Clear Skies Initiative (which weakens anti-pollution regulations and therefore technically makes skies less clear) are often cited as examples of Orwellian policies, but so are Londons omnipresent surveillance cameras and North Koreas patriotism indoctrination camps. The best way to understand what does and does not constitute Orwellian policy is to read Nineteen Eighty-Four itself. Secondhand descriptions of Oceania do not do justice to the oppressive, mind-wracking atmosphere described in the novel.

How Madison Proposes to Solve the Problem of Factions Essay

How Madison Proposes to Solve the Problem of Factions - Essay Example In response to these challenges Madison proposed a number of solutions. This essay considers Madison’s proposed solutions to the problem of factions, and considers how the contemporary legislative branch of government comports to these Madison’s insights. How Madison Proposes to Solve the Problem of Factions There are a number of means by which James Madison proposes to solve the problem of factions. He begins this discussion by first indicating that are two major ways that the causes of factions can be removed; in these regards, he states, â€Å"the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests† (Madison). He continues his discussion indicating that in removing the first faction would be a sincere travesty, as liberty is as important as air. In regards to the second method of eliminating faction, he indicates that while this might be the prefe rred approach, it is entirely impracticable. In these regards, Madison’s main contention is that the essence of factions are so deep-rooted into the souls of humanity and the fabric of the nation that removing them is warranted next to impossible. While Madison indicates that removing the causes of factions is impossible, he argues that in dealing with factions they must be managed and controlled with knowledge of the general human motivation that underlies their existence. For Madison, the problem then becomes structuring this managing of governing body in a way that preserves the rights of individuals that may not currently be in majority power. While it is easy to consider the nature of a pure democracy in these regards, it’s clear that Madison is indicating such a governing structure based on majority vote would ultimately result in factions and subsequent violence. Madison also indicates that it is impossible to simply rely on an enlightened leader to manage this form of factional structure, as it will result in them ultimately capitulating to majority concerns. Through acknowledging the impossibility of a pure democracy, Madison goes on to consider the aspects of the democractic structure that fail to address factionalism and the means by which these problems can be amended. In these regards, Madison proposes a Republic. Within the Republic structure, Madison indicates that an appropriate number of representatives will be appointed to guard against factional interests of the majority. As a wide-variety of citizens will be voting on the potential representatives, Madison argues that it will be much more difficult for these representatives to resort to treachery that oftentimes becomes individuals of power. In these regards, Madison gives great consideration to the proportion of representatives to the number of electors, as, â€Å"enlarging too much the number of electors, you render the representatives too little acquainted with all their l ocal circumstances and lesser interests; as by reducing it too much, you render him unduly attached to these, and too little fit to comprehend and pursue great and national objects† (Madison). He argues that the proposed Constitution presents a powerful articulation of this

Contracts and Employment Agreements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contracts and Employment Agreements - Essay Example There are exceptions that have become a trend and offer a lot of fortification to at will discharge. These trends comprise public policy, implied contracts and implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. I understand that, in public policy, employees need a â€Å"just cause† for discharge. They need the same to guarantee managerial processes that define whether there is an unbiased cause for discharge. Implied contract entails all that an employee has done in a company, those that show good reputation. It is more significant in employees that have served for a long time without facing lots of critics. On the other hand, implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing comprehensively entails insincerity in a contract. This is vivid when an individual employee does what is in contrary to the laws stipulated in the signed agreement.There is a group of people that are basically not subjects to the earlier stated rule, â€Å"at-will†. This includes contractors and union ized workers, of which Barnes is one. In trying to argue cases that find them, there are certain exceptions that come in an implied contract. As it is indicated in the study, in chapter seven, there is a mode of acceptance that should be followed to the latter in a contract (Gibson & Lindley, 2010). These require adequacy in consideration, in order to explicate the mode of contracts. Arguments arise when Barnes and Pentrix go to court. To justify himself, one of the parties, Barnes says what he was told during an interview.

Economic Development of Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economic Development of Greece - Essay Example Economic development attempts to find the reasons behind the labour differences between countries or it may analyse why certain countries have higher levels of foreign investments compare to others. (Gills, 1996) Government policies normally involve efforts made by the government of the day to improve overall economic indicators. Governments can do this with the aim of reducing high unemployment rates, increasing their tax rates, instituting stable prices within the economy or expanding the tax rates. Governments can achieve this through tax policy adjustments, regulating their financial institutions and changing their fiscal policies for the better. Infrastructural policies on the other hand normally involve the use of programs aimed at making public services and infrastructure better. This is done through building affordable houses, introducing better educational facilities, reducing crime rates, building roads and many others measures./ Lastly, economic development can also be achieved through employment creation. Governments normally need to direct their efforts towards specific industries in any of the following areas; marketing, business expansion, business retention, real estate development, finance, technology transferred among other things. (Todaro, 1997) During the decade 70s, The Greek government em... They started with the introduction of uranium exploitation efforts in the northern part of their country. Their mission was to develop this sector so that they could reduce their inflation rates. Additionally, the Greek government wanted to improve their financial status through this project. By developing their natural resources, the country would curb the need to import some of these minerals and they would also get an outlet for generating more revenue. Greece was endowed with a number of resources. First of all, the country had oil reserves; secondly, it was rich in lignite. But before the seventies, Greece was not taking full advantages of these two mineral resources. The government passed laws that would facilitate greater exploitation of those minerals. These aggressive measures caused decreased balance of payments and inflation rates. This is because the country minimised its dependence on imports and substitute these with its own products. In relation to this, Greece decided that their currency would not be measured against the United States dollar. Proponents of this change claimed that they were trying to make their local currency stronger. On top of this, it was also supposed to include other development partners in the Greek currency. The decision to de-link the US dollar from their currency was made in the year 1975. (Embassy of the United States, 2007) In the next decades (1980s and 90s), the Greek government decided to move towards privatisation. In the early nineties, these efforts paid off, the country recorded a Gross Domestic Product of thirteen and fifteen percent. That period of time saw the transformation of twenty eight companies from public to private institutions. At that time, the government tried to

Water Is Invaluable Essay Example for Free

Water Is Invaluable Essay â€Å"Water is the driving force in nature.† The importance and beauty of water in our body There are many benefits water could offer to our body: It can give us healthy skin Our skin is always hungry for water and we must always provide it in order for it not to be looking dry, dull and no life. Water has proven that it can remove lines on our skin because if you feed your skin with water, it now hydrated and if it is hydrated, the cells will be awakened and will look young and radiant. That is why people who’d rink plenty of water have a radiant and glowing skin. It even made them younger looking. If you also want to correct your complexion, drink plenty of water. It will not change your complexion suddenly but it will make it even that will look even better. Water could also brighten our eyes and can avoid us from looking tired and exhausted. A simple cold compression could decrease eye inflammation brought by fatigue, lack of sleep and eye strain due to work. Make it a habit that every night you must cold compress your eyes in order for you to look fresh and radiant all the time. It can help us achieve a healthy body One reason that a person looks fat and heavy is mainly because of water retention brought by the foods they eat most especially salty and junk foods. Water accumulates in the certain parts of their body and would form a cellulite which is not good to look at. So, if you want to minimize cellulites and extra weight, avoid eating salty instead, drink plenty of water because you may still excrete it. Soaking in a hot bath or having a hot shower could lead to a better and  relaxing sleep as well because it relaxes our nerves and system that will lead to a good night’s sleep. Improves hair Drinking enough water could improve dryness of the hair because it could add to the hair moisture. Due to too much pollution, dust and humidity, we cannot really avoid that we could get a dry and coarse hair. But with the help of water, our hair could still improve its shininess and texture. It could contribute to a better digestion Drinking a lot of water could facilitate a good digestion which will lead to a normal bowel elimination. A normal bowel elimination considered to be healthy because you take out all the toxins and bad bacteria in our body. Now, you have discovered the beauty and importance of water in our lives. Starting now, we should not take for granted water because it could really work wonders for us and could contribute to the total wellness of our body. It could really make a difference in our lives because it works beautifully.

Systematized Integration of Credit Reference Agencies

Systematized Integration of Credit Reference Agencies Table of Contents (Jump to) Abstract Introduction The Problem Case Studies/Examples Nigeria Tanzania Kenya Uganda Solutions/Synthesis Conclusion With unprecedented growth and an increasingly competitive global community on the horizon, Africa’s economic revolution is intimately linked to their fiscal capabilities. It is within this broad spectrum of economic expansion that businesses and individuals are directly linked to their capacity to borrow and reinvest capital into sustainable endeavors. African nationals have endured centuries of political and economic turmoil, finally reaching a precipice from which to launch a reformative program which supports internal growth and global competition. Credit reference agencies play an intricate role in this restructuring, as provision of finance is entirely dependent on their historic records and the collaborative efforts of the loosely knit African banking community. This paper explores examples of internal frailties within the credit system and proposes solutions towards overcoming inadequate resources through systematized integration of credit reference agencies. As the British and French colonists sailed away from Africa’s northern shore, they left behind their legacy, one of tumult and uncertainty. The development of Africa’s political and economic structure in the wake of colonial oppression has been a difficult and war-stricken path, one which remains uncertain and ambiguous today. Ultimately, however, in order to support some of the world’s most populated regions, the foundation for economic security and opportunity must be laid and supported. Recognizing that the incidence of poverty throughout Africa is unacceptable and consistently counterproductive, the inefficiencies within the African conglomerate system demand revision; and through dramatic reform mechanisms, sustainable industry and globally directed participation will ensure that African nationals are given an opportunity to escape their impoverished existence. Yet there remain a wide range of conflicting solutions, many of which are directly related to the very colonial heritage which placed African countries in this predicament to begin with. The future of economic growth for these citizens is directly linked to the available funding which can be proffered for development of business and expansion of industry. Currently, funding methods are limited to informal requisition stemming from the family and friends of entrepreneurs seeking materials and startup capital. As banks hoard their capital in light of the extremely high number of historic defaults which they have endured, the industry must turn to more strategic methods of evaluating the potential recipient and continue to expand their lending operations. There is a pervasive lack of credit reference agencies throughout the African continent which continues to detract from bank confidence levels and the availability of funding for activation of economic growth. Given the competitive nat ure of the global environment, inspiring industrial advances should be at the forefront of governmental strategy as in order to maintain the recent financial successes which have sustained incremental poverty reduction, participation on a global scale is becoming a necessity. In spite of the hesitation and challenges which surrounds the creation of translatable credit reference agencies, the future of the African national depends on the wealth of information which they will come to retain. As enterprise is directly dependent on available investment funds, participants continue to seek methods of revenue generation, and through well-informed credit outlets, the participative nature of expanding economics will enable entrepreneurs and businesses to expand their berth and actively compete on a much more even playing field. As Africa as a whole continues to struggle against rampant economic instability, popular theories recognize a variety of insufficiencies, including lack of available infrastructure, inadequate educational facilities and programs, and limited health care opportunities as main failures within the collaborative regime. There is, however, another piece of the African economic puzzle which has yet to evolve to meet modern competitive expectations, and that is the systematized inclusion of credit reference agencies and their foundation support mechanisms in the development of commerce and private finance. From a historic perspective, the early development of credit initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa was entirely localized to a protective function of selective credit allocation. It was within this framework that central banks and government controlled credit mechanisms were strictly regulated, leading to substantial economic decline in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s (McDonald and Schumacher, 2007). Ultimately, banking institutions were used as a domestic funding mechanism for government programs and initiatives; however, this reduction of financial resources meant a limited availability of capital for private borrowers and desirous businesses. As developing economies evolve rapidly through a structure of industry generation, perhaps the most important component is found within the definitive walls of small to medium enterprise (SME’s), and their inclusion in growth and capital contribution is essential to stabilize a burgeoning economy (Quintyn, 2008). African economies developed in spite of lackluster credit programs, as government borrowing reformed dramatically to include the much more liquid and readily available foreign capital market in addition to foreign aid. Beraho (2007) cites the colonial legacy as a direct determinant of the modern economic frailties of Sub-Saharan Africa. Ultimately, the influence of colonial overseers was immediately entrenched in the assumed economic structure during periods of instability following the post-colonial independence. The extreme poverty which accompanied post-colonial activity left African nations rich in natural resources but limited in capacity for export and financial generation. In response, domestic debt, a form of government sustenance, has been credited with substantial reduction of available capital for lending purposes. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the ratio of debt to broad money has held constant at 40%, dramatically reducing available financial resources for financing and supp orting private initiatives (Christensen, 2004). Escaping the confines of such imbalances has been a slow and difficult process; however, as foreign aid programs and the World Bank become increasingly involved, reform is slowly achieved. Mylenko (2008) notes that given the stabilization of the African macroeconomy as well as lower inflation and improved government treasury monitoring and regulation, banks have been increasingly able to turn towards lending opportunities. Africa is represented by the world’s most rapidly growing, yet equitably expiring population, and is limited by inefficiencies in their structural systems as they are characterized as â€Å"the world’s hardest working yet least productive† people (Kolo, 2006, p. 596). It is from this inefficient system that severe poverty has overwhelmed a diverse and frustrated people and continued limitations spawn from inappropriate fiscal programs and activities. There is a sustained movement towards more supportive programs, and much of the fiscal evolution over the past decades in Sub-Saharan Africa has been regulated and guided by intra-national monetary unions. Participants in the WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. Other monetary unions include the WAMZ (West African Monetary Zone) represented by Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, as well as the CEMAC (Economic and Monetary Union of Central Africa) inclusive of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is extremely important to recognize these collaborative monetary efforts given the expanding nature of modern credit reference agencies, as bank collaboration intra-monetarily is a direct representation of the expansionary reality which demonstrates potential for additional corroboration. Analysis of performance in dicators over the history of these African Monetary Unions offers substantial implications for other developing nations. Comparatively, the average inflation differential equates to between 8 and 10 percentage points lower in comparison to other low to medium income nations (Gosh et al., 2006). Interestingly, researchers equate the majority of this reduction to monetary discipline, while approximately twenty percent is relative to international confidence levels given the combinative national participation (Gosh et al., 2006). The development of private finance over the past decade has occurred as a direct result of revised fiscal policies throughout the African continent including the combined efforts of multi-national partnerships. There remains, however, a significant piece of the credit market puzzle which has yet to evolve into a supportive and extensively viable practice, and that is the creation and practice of credit reference agencies. The nature of such entities is one from which both consumer and lender confidence is fully integrated into the business cycle and default is directly undermined by the framework of the system itself. Data demonstrates that the issuance of private sector credit in Sub-Saharan Africa declined in a period between 1980 and 2004 from 15.6 percent of GDP to 15.1; comparatively, growth rates in Asia more than doubled, elevating private sector credit levels to over 40 percent of GDP, and in Latin America, incidence grew by over 50 percent, elevating levels to over 20 percen t of GDP (â€Å"Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa,† 2008). There exists a pitfall of significant registry deficiency which continues to detract from the participative efforts of banks and credit reference agencies. Given the nature of Africa’s structural evolution, emphasis has slowly begun to shift towards national registries which incorporate accurate reference for mortgages and property data so as to accurately integrate collateral data into the developing structure of credit agencies (Sacerdoti, 2005). Ultimately, these registries are essential to establishing a standardized framework of collateral and credit reform. McDonald and Schumacher (2007) have determined that there is a complimentary relationship between credit issuance and the strength of creditor rights, namely the culpability and recoup potential given the incidence of default. As much of African credit heritage is characterized by default, there is little room for modern programs to allow continued systematic failures. The nature of credit reference agencies opportune an evolve structure from which to ensure compliance and stabilize a deviant legacy of poor payment history. The challenges which face Africa begin with its current lack of structural capacity, namely registration, standardized policy and legislation, and the volatile nature of government organizations. To overcome the credit crisis and define an effective program, evolution of African economic structures including opportunities for entrepreneurs and SME’s will be essential parts of the rehabilitiation. One method which has already generated support and shown long term successes is that of microenterprise and microfinance loans. Rhyne and Otero (1994) recognize that in spite of the arbitrary nature of its definition, that microenterprise is generally accepted as a company with less than ten employees and is relegated to the non-agricultural sector of the business community. Additionally, these businesses are oftentimes a source of income which arise where no alternative method for financial gain is available. Given the extreme impoverishment within the African borders, implementing s upportive programs is an essential tactic, one which will offer long term stability and positive reform mechanisms for a needy and desirous population. This paper seeks to identify some of the more prominent systematic failures within specific African infrastructures through specific case studies and devise strategy for evading, manipulating, and evolving such systems to meet financial demand and overcome the credit dilemma. Ultimately, the solutions herein recognize the necessity of credit reference agencies and through the integration of such programs, solutions can be drawn from which to prioritize their sustainability. As integrating credit bureaus and agencies into a frail infrastructure is a long term goal, identifying the key areas of potential failure prior to inception is essential to prudent and productive creation. Ultimately, the findings of this paper determine that given the nature of globalized capitalism, credit reference agencies offer a singular solution from which to pull Africa from the depths of poverty and define its prosperous multinational future. While foreign aid and government reform will assist to waylay many of Africa’s social problems, the only true option for overcoming extreme economic difficulties is through supportive initiatives which redistribute opportunities for wealth among the people who truly need sustainable financial sustenance. In order to ensure that such distribution is appropriately allocated, the historic nature of the credit reference agency will ensure that banks and credit corporations have adequate reference from which to offer the necessary funds for generation of commerce and industry. The following section represents a sample set of a diverse grouping of African participants. Each of these nations has undergone periods of remarkable recovery yet remains limited in this credit reference agency participation. While developmentally exploiting both natural and human resources to overcome the throes of poverty, these nations have yet to fully extract their legacy from the limiting factors which have undermined social and economic efforts for the past decades. Nigeria Nigeria represents a nation of over 144,700 million inhabitants of which over 54 percent currently live in abject poverty (World Bank, 2008). Endeavoring to stabilize their vacillating economy, government leaders have embarked upon a process of economic reform and consolidation over the past decade with decidedly positive results. Much of the evolution of this economy owes its legacy to the rising oil prices and increased exports in this area as demand continues to pay dividend to a resource rich Nigerian population. Unfortunately, there are other limiting constraints which continue to undermine rapid economic evolution on a broad scale, and as the population continues to grow at an annual rate of over 2.4%, there remains significant opportunity for developing internal modes of sustenance and advanced and sustainable industries to push the Nigerian economy forward (World Bank, 2008). Exemplary of the limiting factors now facing the Nigerian people, the lack of a substantial credit system, and importantly, credit reference agency, has historically undermined entrepreneurial efforts and small to medium enterprise, the keys to sustained economic growth. Before the 2005 consolidation period, over 20% of loans made by Nigerian banks were non-performing, as opposed to the remarkable decline of this negative incidence to just over 8.4% in 2007 (Corbett, 2008). It is a direct result of this negative outlook towards loan participants that the Credit Reference Company of Nigeria has been created in past years which utilizes a network of 11 banks to standardize the systematic handling of customer information and credit history. Pre-consolidation Nigerian banks could not fund long term projects due to their short term capital capabilities, in recent years, this process has now evolved to include 10-20 year loans, thereby enabling infrastructural development and social reform (Corbett 2008). As the majority of Nigerian nationals have limited desire to trust their savings to the banking system, much of the evolution over the past years has required significant adjustment in public perspective and a necessary increase in consumer confidence. In Nigeria, private sector credit and banking deposits have doubled since the 2005 banking consolidation and the number of banking branches have increased by over one third (IMF Country Report, 2008). As a testament to the efforts at financial modernization, the expansion of this banking network is a direct indication of a necessitated communication network, one which has the capacity to share consumer information and at the same time, retain the privacy of these participants. Indicative of the evolving perception regarding credit and modern purchasing methods, in 2004, Nigeria recorded less than 50,000 credit card transactions per month as opposed to the remarkable growth to over 51,000,000 per month that were recorded in March of 200 8 (â€Å"Nigeria; The Rise of the Card Payment System,† 2008). Yet these charges are not representative of an extension of credit and simply attest to the acceptance of electronic payment processing as inhabitants continue to support alternate modes of payment. Unfortunately, in spite of bank and economic reform, poverty levels are holding at approximately 55 percent of the Nigerian population, further exacerbated by limited resources available given the rising population and under capitalized infrastructural reform (IMF Country Report, 2008). It is within the incapacitated growth mechanisms that Nigerian credit reference agencies are most needed, as funding unprecedented reform requires the capabilities which can only be imbued through finance and bank funding mechanisms. Recognizing the SME’s hold a key to Nigerian development, there is continued support for credit based initiatives from which to extend financial opportunities to these developing industries. The IFC (International Finance Corporation), a World Bank affiliate continues offer its partnership as Nigeria strives to develop and maintain consumer data, their efforts intimately linked with the economic future of the nation. Tanzania Tanzania, a much smaller nation than Nigeria, is represented by a population of over 39.5 million inhabitants, over 36 percent of whom live below the poverty line (World Bank, 2008). Equally representative of the reformation efforts of developing African countries, Tanzania has endeavored to undergo structural evolution in the past few decades, actively pursuing economic opportunity for its population who continues to expand by around 2.6 percent annually. One of the most significant failures within the Tanzanian system has been the lack of property registry. The World Bank (2005) reported that 90 percent of nationals could not be located through property registry and only had six national offices at their disposal for registry purposes, each fraught with unnecessary and â€Å"irrelevant red tape.† Given this lack of registry foundation, there is little collateral leverage to be gained by participating in government registration programs, therefore, citizens do not find overwh elming motivation or desire to legalize their claims to land. Additionally, the World Bank (2005) notes that there is limited liquidity of property rights for similar reasons of registration difficulties and obscure transference policies, therefore, entrepreneurs have limited opportunity to leverage their properties and gain the initial financing needed for startup capital. Characteristic of more widespread African credit issues, only 4 percent of respondents in a recent survey claimed access to trade credit as a source of start-up finances, thereby placing all required resources directly at the informal level and limited to a partnered initiative between friends and private investors (Sharma and Upneja, 2005). This failure within the credit system is directly related to the lack of credit reference agencies and the supportive information they could provide; however, given the state of the Tanzanian recording structure, there seems to be a much more pressing issue of registry and records to overcome before such projects can become a reality. In addition to the failure to support corporate trade credit, there is an overall limitation which is obvious when considering the widespread state of Tanzanian credit. More formal data recognized private credit initiatives at 8 percent of GDP in 2005; however, comparatively Kenya’s private credit in the same period was over 23 percent of GDP (World Bank, 2005). The lack of lending directly correlates to the lack of creditor rights and available, traceable collateral for loans. As default rates continue to undermine any efforts towards credit system evolution, there remains a substantial field of doubt which overwhelms banks and their lending efforts. Given the disconnect between small businesses and reception of credit from Tanzanian banks, the ability to start and maintain a business in the modern environment is extremely limited and continues to be undermined by a lack of capital. Most concerning is that given the lack of external funding, disposable income or working capital is thereby reintegrated into the business and utilized for daily refurbishments as available. Tanzanian business owners are therefore limited by both the economic factors which drive the success of their business, and their own personal integration into the business operations through consummation of personal finance, lack of new equipment and materials, and inability to improve upon current models to evolve standards to more modern efficiencies (Sharma and Upneja, 2005). These failures are a direct result of the Tanzanian credit crisis and requite the inclusion of a well positioned credit reporting agency in order to ensure that SME’s have sustaine d opportunities for generating much needed investment capital. One of the most remarkable advances which has sustained the fleeting, but evolving stability that is becoming visible within the Tanzanian infrastructure is the adjustment of government funding from domestic lending to foreign sources and foreign aid (Sharma and Upneja, 2005; World Bank, 2005). Eliminating this form of consequential taxation on bank reserves has expanded the Tanzanian opportunity for investment and greater private funding. Unfortunately, characteristic of other African nations, a lack of any form of credit reference agency prevents broad based credit dispersion among citizens and thereby limits loans to corporations and larger scale economic participants. Tanzania currently has plans to develop and establish an operational credit reference databank by the end of June, 2009 in order to extend credit into the private sector. The extension of private credit is currently projected to increase around 22 percent per year yet is entirely linked to governmental stability and internal mechanisms of fiscal policies (â€Å"United Republic of Tanzania: Third Review Under the Policy Support Instrument,† 2008). The nature of finance is derived from available resources which can be distributed for a nominal return. Given the current state of government spending, this opportunity is more realistic today than it has ever been; however, the Tanzanian government must evade the pitfalls of internal borrowing in order to enable these funds to be distributed among industrial participants, thereby facilitating the expansion of industry and inclusion of additional commerce in the resource limited business sector. Kenya Kenya is a nation of similar size to Tanzania, boasting a population of just over 36.6 million people, yet over 55.5 percent of these inhabitants live below the poverty line (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Most significant in Kenya’s modern history, political unrest and lacking economic growth have continued to undermine efforts of reform and population support mechanisms. Credit considerations are simply another indication of the limited capabilities which a tumultuous nation has to overcome its financial and social deficits. In 2003, over one third of all bank loans were considered non-performing (NPL’s), directly undermining the lending power of institutions, as well as enhancing the proclivity for default among participants (â€Å"Kenya: Bankers Unveil Plan to Keep Tabs on Borrowers,† 2007). In spite of the frail political economy, currently the development of a credit reference bureau is in its advanced stages, as recognizing the merits of such collabor ative information sharing, Kenyan banks actively seek to minimize risk and improve their loan to repayment ratios. Remarkably, in Kenya, over recent decades exceptional opportunities have evolved for entrepreneurial credit extension as startup capital and materials costs represent a substantial portion of business success ratios. Kenyan extension of credit is significantly higher than other African regions as over 85 percent of businesses currently have opportunity to borrow from their providers (World Bank, 2004). These surveyed corporations, while a representation of Kenyan businesses, offer an optimistic perspective on the future of industry and finance. Given the relative youth of the Kenyan population with 4 out of every 10 citizens being under the age of 15, there is substantial opportunity to ensure that financial resources are available for these growing future business owners (Population reference Bureau, 2008). Ultimately, Kenya presents a fairly optimistic outlook for the future of credit extension and opportunities for broad scale industrial financing; however, the completion and full integration of their credit reference bureau stands to offer the most reliable statistics after its inception later this year. Uganda Uganda, a nation of 29.9 million citizens, has continued to experience substantial population growth over the past decade, holding near 3.2 percent, a number significantly advanced from other referenced African nations (World Bank, 2008). Of significant concern to the development of a progressive Ugandan infrastructure, trade credit plays an intricate part in sustaining emerging business and defining industrial evolution. Current statistics demonstrate that only 60 percent of firms have access to this capital as material providers must, themselves, be supplied with the external financial means from banking institutions to extend such credit (World Bank, 2004). When firms are afforded the opportunity to borrow directly from banking institutions, the interest fees associated with such loans are oftentimes overwhelmingly costly and therefore, detract from the efficacy of such endeavors. Overwhelmingly, the inadequacies within the Ugandan credit structure can be directly attributed to a lack of credit tracking mechanisms, and thereby, the capacity for benchmarking and substantiation of creditworthiness. Researchers note that over 40 percent of all loans held in Uganda have a maturity date of one year or less; and of those firms who to receive loans, over 60 percent of all participants are required to post collateral as a loan prerequisite (World Bank, 2004). Essentially, this extreme precedence of default aversion represents an obvious inadequacy in the Ugandan credit reporting system, as given more stringent standards and a confluence of bank participants, protection mechanisms would become fully integrated with the reporting system, providing a deterrence net to reduce defaults through natural and appropriate fiscal processes. Characteristic of many African nations, the pervasive nation of credit doubt in terms of default and repayment potential is an indication of the necessity for credit reference agency construction. As lenders seek to develop new streams of available capital, Ugandan SME’s represent an expanding opportunity, however, they will require support from struc tural evolution in order to ensure their continued operation. There are extreme challenges presented by the African credit woes, most of which will not be overcome through foreign aid or current infrastructure development programs. Indicated by the nations herein, there is substantial need for integration of credit reference agencies into the structure of these modernizing nations; specifically, there is a need for support of small to medium enterprise and the merits of developing an economy through advanced and evolving industry. Ultimately, determining a singular solution to the credit crisis is impossible, however, by coupling several key zones of evolution into a targeted plan of action, the potential for sustained advancement becomes a much more plausible reality. Quintyn (2008) noted that other developing nations who have evolved through similar credit challenges have utilized a form of hub and spoke credit agency system from which to operate these units with limited startup capital required for each branch. In its â€Å"Regional Economic Outlook† (2008), the IMF recognizes that there is a need for leveraged reference agencies, specifically those who are sustained by a technologically advanced central hub yet localize their economy of scale operations in areas of public access. Given the limited nature of credit agencies, a hub and spoke system would reduced the cost of a credit report by $ 2-5 and allow firms the opportunity to extend credit more freely given the support base of their regional offices. The IMF (2008) also recognizes that current credit offerings are only 200,000 people out of every 15 million, a direct result of a lack of credit data and agency interaction within the modern banking structure. In order to overcome the geographical, political, and economic constraints which undermine the constructs of a successful African credit program, the continuity of credit reporting policies across geographic lines must be maintained. While banking unions have taken the initiative to link participants, there remain additional opportunities for broad scale communication expansion and technically advanced sharing techniques which protect both the consumer and the bank from fraud. In spite of the banking cooperatives which are integrated into the Western and Central African economic structures, there remains a difficult framework for monetary exchange outside of these conglomerates. Pervasive in widespread Sub-Saharan fiscal analysis, the necessity of a central banking structure continues to challenge unorganized methods of bank-dominated financial systems. The application of such a combinative operation is one which would assist in the integration of regional credit reference agencies with centralized control mechanisms. This transformation of the informal structure into a more systematized and coordinated pragmatism would generate synergies between monetary policy and banking oversight, thereby establishing a supervisory committee while propagating a bank dominated industry (Quintyn, 2008). The central oversight which is lacking in terms of African banks is basically a function of communicable objectives, a framework which is essential when considering the n ature of investing in economic futures. African capacity for growth is readily foreseeable, however, there must be an active pursuit of this evolution, one which directly integrates the unique partnerships of a banking network and captures communicative data which is readily available across geographic lines. There is a continued deficit within the African lending structure, one which demands reform and challenges banks to contin