Enron: the smartest guys in the room Essay

Enron Corporation was an energy, commodities, and service company out of Houston, Texas founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985. Lay built natural gas power energy in East Texas which helped Enron’s stock rise. Louis Borget, Andrew Fastow, and Jeffery Skilling were the top management executives from 1985 until 2001. Each helped to bring about the demise of the company in multiple ways. One of the first scandals in Enron involved President Louis Borget and two traders were discovered betting on Enron Stocks. The company books were altered to inflate profits so that the company appeared to be more profitable that it actually was. Borget was diverting company money into personal offshore accounts. Auditors tried to uncover the problem, but Borget and the traders had a separate set of books that they kept from the auditors. Kenneth Lay, who was aware of this unethical practice, and encouraged Borget to continue â€Å"making us millions†, two months later the separate set of books we re brought to the investigators and Enron fired the two traders and Borget had to serve one year in jail. After his biggest money maker was put behind bars Lay needed to find him a new money maker. So Lay hired Jeffrey Skilling to be the CEO. Jeffrey Skilling would only accept job if Enron adopted a mark-to-market accounting strategy. Mark-to-market accounting allowed the company to book potential profits on certain projects immediately after contracts were signed, regardless of the actual profits that the deal would eventually make. This gave Enron the ability to look like they were a profitable company. Skilling put together a performance review committee that graded employees and fired the bottom fifteen percent each year which made the employees very competitive and created a very tough working environment. Traders were very aggressive and they made it to where if you wanted to be in the market you didn’t have a choice to deal with Enron. Trading became the main reported profit for Enron. Skilling hired two guys that became his top lieutenants Lou Pai and Cliff Baxter. They were known as the â€Å"Guy with Spikes†. Baxter was a very smart guy and was Enron’s Chief deal maker. He was manic-depressive and best friends with Skilling. Pai was the CEO of Enron Energy Services. He was  very mysterious guy who employees say was never in the office. Pai only seemed to care about two things, money and strippers. He would bring strippers into the office and would put everything he spent in the strip clubs onto an expense reports to be reimbursed by Enron. All of Pai’s time in the strip clubs caught up to him and caused him to get a divorce. Once he got a divorce he sold all of his stock and resigned from Enron. He came out of Enron better than anyone cashing in his stock and receiving approximately two hundred and fifty million dollars. The division of Enron that Pai ran lost a total of around one billion dollars which was covered up by Enron. Enron had success in the bull market brought on by the dot-com bubble. Enron’s stock prices increased to record prices. The games was called â€Å"pump and dump† top executives would pump up the stock prices and then sell their million dollar options. Everyone at Enron was consumed with the stock price. Stock prices were even posted in the elevators for everyone to see. Enron launched a PR campaign to make itself look profitable even with all aspects of the company operating poorly. Skilling’s philosophy was to take high risks because these deals would make more money. One of these high risk deals was building a power plant in India, which nobody wanted to do because India could not afford the high prices. The company lost a billion dollars on this project but that fact was covered up by Skilling. The company paid out multi-million dollar bonus to executive on non-existent profits. Enron bought out Portland General Energy which gave them access to the deregulated market of California. All of the employees in PGE had bought their stock so when Enron took over all of the stock PGE stock became Enron. The Portland General Energy workers had always invested their 401k into stock which converted to Enron. These employees continued to purchase stock because of their trust in Enron. Enron’s main motivation for buying the company was to operate in California since they held the highest demand for energy in the United States. Enron’s traders would trick California’s electricity supply and export the energy to another state causing California to have blackouts. By California having these black outs they raised the energy rate in the state. Although Enron’s stock prices were steadily rising, the company was losing a lot of money. Skilling turned the company  into cyber space. They attempted to use broadband technology to deliver movies on demand and â€Å"trade weather† like a commodity. Both of the marketing strategies failed miserably. By using mark-to-market accounting they booked 53 million dollar in earnings on a deal that didn’t make a penny. Once they figured out they could not hide the company’s losses, the top executives started selling their stock. Enron was named the â€Å"most admired† corporation by Fortune magazine for the six years in a row. Jim Chanos, an Enron investor, and Bethany McLean, a Fortune reporter, both questioned the company’s financial statements and stock value. McLean tried to talk to Skilling about the irregularities but Skilling went on the defensive calling McLean unethical. Skilling sent three executives to meet with her and Fortune’s editor including CFO Andy Fastow. Andy Fastow was the main one keeping Enron running. He was cooking the books making it look like Enron was making a profit even though the company was more than 30 billion dollars in debt. Fastow created two limited partnerships, LJM1 and LJM2, for the purpose of buying Enron’s poorly performing stocks to improve its financial statements. Fastow had to go before the board of directors to get an exemption to run these two companies as well as Enron. This was a definite conflict of interest. He also had personal financial stake in these company’s either directly or through a partner. He made millions of dollars defrauding Enron. He pressured the investment banks such as Merrill Lynch, Citibank to invest by threatening them with loss of Enron’s bus iness if they did not. He had analysts fired who threatened to report Enron for wrong doings. A good sound ethics policy was established when Enron was formed. The problems occurred when the policy was not followed. By not following the ethics policy put in place, employees and management were encouraged to take risks thereby encouraging unethical behavior which ultimately brought down the company. Enron went bankrupt in 2001 due in large part to widespread fraud in company operating policies. The top executives were the main ones practicing unethical behavior in the company. By the top executives behaving unethically lower level employees followed their example. As long as Enron was making money no one cared how they went about doing it. In 2001, these unethical actions over the past decade and half caught up with Enron’s top executives and employees. Twenty thousand employees lost their job, medical insurance and employees also lost1.2 billion in retirement funds. Enron’s top executives were paid bonuses totaling 55 million and cashed in their stock at approximately 116 million dollars. Even though some of the executives mad e money in the deal they had to face criminal charges which placed some in prison and some still have pending cases. If Enron has survived their collapse in 2001 and I were to be a consultant for Enron, I would make sure that the code of ethics booklet that all employees read and signed before taking the job at Enron were followed. Employees and executives would have to take part in ethics training to be sure that they understand the book completely. Enron would have to have commitment from all of the executive positions to follow these rules and also enforce them even if the unethical actions were making the company more money. There would have to be a zero tolerance rule in place that everyone understood. All employees acting inappropriately would be reprimanded as established in the code of ethics booklet. Work cited Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. Dir. Alex Gibney. By Alex Gibney, Peter Elkind, Bethany McLean, and Peter Coyote. Magnolia Pictures, 2005

Eight Elvises Essay

Following the times of the middle 1950’s Abstract Expressionism sparked an interest for Andy Warhol, and during the 60’s Andy, and Roy Lichtenstein created a new realism of America. This new realism was called Pop Art which expressed daily life in America as it was being lived. Warhol was born in 1928 as Andy Warhola, he grew up with a curiosity in commercials, and after a very successful life he became the main figure associated with Pop Art. His art is some of the most well known art of all time, and he is considered one of the best artists of all time, his greatest painting was done on canvas in 1963 called the Eight Elvises and is worth one hundred million dollars, which this amount is in the likes of Jackson Pollock, and Pablo Picasso’s work. Andy Warhol has many accomplishments during his life, and he was inspired by many different people and things. His talent led him to many opportunities including movies and artwork. Growing up Warhol was diagnosed with chorea which is a disease of the nervous system that causes movements that are involuntary. This disease is correlated with scarlet fever, causing Andy to grow up primarily bed-ridden, and this is where he listened to the radio and collected pictures of movie stars which helped him gain his own personality and attributes. After his struggle he spent his time at Carnegie School of Fine Arts Institute in Pittsburgh, he studied hard and showed his artistic capability early while he studied commercial art. Warhol was quickly offered a position in New York drawing advertisements for a shoe company. This is where his whimsical colors started to be portrayed in his drawings of those shoes. While working with the shoe company he was recruited to illustrate the vinyl album covers for band by record labels who at the time were booming with musical talent. In 1952, while Warhol was doing shoe art he was also doing his own art on the side. He wanted to show his early work to the public, so after pitching his idea he got his first art show in New York at the Hugo Gallery. All of his works during these times are very interesting to me, because he used his art to represented life as it was in America every day. Warhol took these everyday things as simple as Campbell’s soup cans, or Coke Cans and turned them into monumental items in America’s life. These items sell over 3 million products a day; these companies’ should be thanking Andy for making their business boom Worldwide. Warhol stated â€Å"You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca-Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca-cola, and just think, you can drink Coca-Cola, too† (Art). This art of the soups and cokes form analytic lines the way he stacks cans precisely and mathematically as he draws, which takes extreme precision and measurement on his part to make sure that everything is straight and perfect. After these paintings were produced, Warhol began getting very well known in the New York art world. This art led him to moving on to what was called â€Å"The Factory† where many creative minds ranging from actors, writers, musicians, and other artists would drop by and lend their inspiration. The Factory† is where Andy let his ability shine, he decided to get rid of a difference between high and low art, and make known that art can be found anywhere. High art being art that has history and low art being art that has no history, but Andy wanted to clear high and low all together. Warhol liked the factory because it had a crazy atmosphere that fit his life style. He produced all of his work during the time at factory while he was working there. Including in 1963 piece that had the most impact on me which was the silkscreen painting Eight Elvises because the unusual thing about this silkscreen is that it is unique. Warhol had many other silkscreen’s that were produced sometimes in the hundreds, and Warhol only made one Eight Elvises. This 12 ft canvas shows from left to right Elvis in cowboy attire with his gun drawn in his right hand with seven repeat images on the left of his body finishing off with a full body view with left hand in sight as his body fades away. Warhol was known as a primary visual artist and this art is an example of that. Silkscreen is a stencil method of printmaking in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. Warhol did not bother to clean up the imperfections of the print including slips of the screen, uneven inkings of the roller, and general graininess. I believe that this artwork and the artists represent America because Warhol used American icons such as items and faces to secure a place for these in history. For these reasons this is why I have chosen this artwork. I like that he used a popular person Elvis and put his pop art twist on him turning him into eight western Elvises ready to draw his weapon, I think this means that he is a dependable hero for America to lean on. Warhol uses high and low art through his artwork giving it a desirable product. During the sixties his art was very distinct and powerful which in turn Warhol gained mass popularity, and people that had known him had been driven away from him due to his success. In 1968 a woman that worked for Warhol on occasion found him and shot him in the stomach, stating that â€Å"He had to much control over my life† (Art). He survived the gunshot, but was injured horribly and was required to wear a bandage on his stomach for the rest of his life. After this incident Warhol returned to the art world creating some more of my favorite art because of the way that he uses colors on the faces of American icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Mr. and Mrs. JFK, even Jimmy Carter, Mick Jagger, and Elvis. After the assassination attempt he also began publishing a magazine called â€Å"Interview† which is still published today. This magazine was dubbed as â€Å"The Crystal Ball of Pop (Interview. com) due to Warhol’s style of running the magazine, Andy would take pictures of famous people or items and by adding his color schemes he would make the entire magazine look like his art. A portion of this magazine is still dedicated to Andy’s style of work. His hard work ethic led him to many art shows getting his work extensively in museums and galleries around the world until he died during a gall bladder procedure that was deemed a safe procedure. His work of almost forty years has secured his position as one of the most influential talents of all time, and one of the greatest artists in the world. Warhol grew up with tough conditions leading to his confused life and very awkward personality type, these factors contributed to his choice of being a homosexual and his ambition of wanting to only make rich people richer by putting their pictures in the art world for more people to look at this is why he did so many self portraits. He wanted everyone to remember what he did and to this day I would say he made a big impact.

A Chip of Glass Ruby Responses

A Chip Of Glass Ruby Written Responses 11. I would describe Bamjee as aloof and proud. Aloof because he doesn’t show his emotions very much or say how he’s feeling or talk to his stepchildren very much. Showing his true feelings only this one time, Bamjee reveals his opinions when the police come to arrest his wife for participating in and promoting a cause that he is opposed to. Before and after that outburst of his though he really is rather distant and detached from his family and what’s going on.As aloof as Bamjee is, he is also quite proud. He is proud that wealthy and influential people are coming and going through his house, but he is even more proud of his ethnicity. He is proud because he is Indian which means he is of a higher social status than the Bantu. 12. When Mrs. Bamjee was taken away by the police she reminded Bamjee about Ismail’s, Mrs. Bamjee’s daughter Girlie’s fiance’s, engagement party.This shows that even in the midst of the arrest she keeps her cool and remains the good and normal wife that Bamjee fell in love with by reminding him of something as insignificant as an engagement party. Protesting and promoting equality, she is still a simple Indian woman who wants the best for her family and to respect the values of others (in this case, making sure not to offend Ismail by not showing up to his party). 13. In South Africa the social classes are prominent barricades from equality in the country.Having the highest social status, the whites remain the most powerful while the Indians, like Bamjee, are below them and even lower are the Bantu, the native people of South Africa. Bamjee considers himself better than the Bantu and this is showed in the story when he snaps at her â€Å"There you are! That’s what you’ve got for it. † ‘It’ referring to her helping organize the protests and getting involved in the issues of the Bantu. Another part of the story that dem onstrates Bamjee’s belief of his superiority over the Bantu is after Mrs.Bamjee has been arrested and gone for two weeks. Bamjee is talking to himself out of rage saying â€Å"For a crowd of natives who’ll smash our shops and kill us in our houses when their time comes. †, â€Å"She will starve herself to death. †, â€Å"She will die there. †, â€Å"Devils who will burn and kill us. † Clearly he believes that his wife must not be acting so ridiculous for people she is better than and clearly he believes the Bantu to be devilish creatures.

Career Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Career - Research Paper Example US department of labour gives a mean hourly rate of $ 45.14 and a mean annual wage of $ 93,900 (US department of labour web). Louisiana is the second paying state for civil engineers with an annual average of $ 111,980 with an hourly average of $ 53, 84. The trend of construction engineers is that this occupation will grow at an average rate to all occupations in California. This is the case nationally because of road repairs, road construction, bridge construction and other structures are expected to rise. Construction engineers work in different environments. When designing projects entrusted to them, they work in a quite office environment. However, if a project is in a remote area, construction engineers have to bear with the cold or hot environment in such areas. Physically they are supposed to be fit to lift up some construction items here and there. In addition, they should have good eyesight to see details at a close range, Knowledge of tools, methods, and materials used in construction. Most construction engineers work full time and in most cases on overtime to complete contractual

Mini Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mini Project - Assignment Example The cost of debt refers to the effective rate in which a firm pays to use debt finance. The value is considered to be the proportion of interest on the entire debt value. However, this can be viewed in two approaches namely cost of debt before tax and cost of debt after tax. As such, cost of capital before tax will therefore refer to the effective rate an organization pays for it to use debt finance without incorporating tax while cost of debt after tax will refer to effective rate in which an organization will pay to use debt finance while considering tax. In relation to GE, the company pays 5.56% for its debt finance annually before tax. The value will translate to 5.35% cost of debt after tax. This implies that the proportion of interest on entire debt value before considering tax is 5.56% while the proportion of interest considering tax is 5.35%. Also, the measure of the cost of debt reflects the risk level of an organization when compared to others. Therefore, when a company rec ords a higher rate in its cost of debt than another, then it means investing in that company will be more risky. Therefore, a firm that has a cost of debt before tax greater than 5.56% and cost of debt after tax greater than 5.35% is more risky to invest in than GE. Cost of capital is another element that factors greatly in evaluating company performance. Cost of capital refers to the theoretical return an organization will pay for its equity finance as compensation for the risk they undertake in investing in that firm. Currently, GE has a cost of equity rate of 8.81%. The value is averaged by summing the risk free rate with measures of the reward for bearing systematic risk. Therefore, this implies that GE pays 8.81% annually over the long term as compensation to their equity finance providers. However, computing the rate using CAPM has some inherent flaws. The reason behind this view is that the approach uses S&P

Motivation and Job Design Theories Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Motivation and Job Design Theories - Case Study Example The experience that Peter Gibbons has on the highway is most likely a source of his lack of motivation. Because he cannot effectively get his vehicle into a moving lane, he gets demoralized. There is jam on the highway and he is most likely to arrive late at work. As he tries to move from one lane to another that appears to be moving relatively fast, the lane eventually stops moving when he has already joined the queue. He is thus unable to satisfy a lower need of getting a moving lane thus is most likely to relapse to a lower needs hierarchy level. He is unmotivated because he cannot attain the level of self actualization, which is finding a fast-moving lane. Clayton P. Alderfer's ERG Theory isolates three fundamental human needs that determine the behavior as concerns existence, relatedness and growth of an employee. Existence needs comprise of basic necessities for existence. These are psychological and safety needs in Maslow’s model. Relatedness focuses on the need for int erpersonal relationships, which conforms to Maslow’s social needs. Lastly, Alderfer distinguishes growth needs, which is inherent aspiration for individual development. The ERG model acknowledges that the order of significance of the three needs categories differ from one employee to another. Further the ERG model recognizes that the failure to achieve a higher need may make an individual to regress to lower needs that are relatively easier to meet, which is referred to as frustration-regression principle. Frustration-regression principle considerably affects the motivation of a worker. In the video clip, Peter Gibbons is apparently unmotivated in his job because he cannot achieve his target of finding a moving lane. Every time he tries to swerve to another lane, the new lane stops moving. This works him up and he appears to be focused on individual maintaining ground beside the highway. Because he is not achieving his mission, he is regressing to a lower need (relatedness) b y focusing his attention on the ground worker. Q2. The company, Initech, should establish a reward and recognition program. This would help the company to avoid situations where employees fell oppressed and that their contribution is not acknowledged. Peter Gibbons is depressed by how his boss treats him. The boss does not recognize Peter’s contribution, which leads him to develop an attitude of not caring about anything in the workplace. As such, establishing an effective reward and recognition of employee’s efforts would help to motivate Peter Gibson in the future. According to the theory of equity, employees who develop a notion that they are being underpaid or over-rewarded usually become distressed. This distress usually makes them to pursue how to restore equity in their work. Equity tries to link the contribution of employees to the rewards that they get. The theory holds that an employee will become angry when he feels underpaid while overpayment will also lead to a sense of guilt. Peter Gibson is required to turn up for the job even during weekends, which can be so demoralizing, especially when his relationship with the manager seems to be on the wire. By issuing reward and recognizing Gibson’s efforts, he is likely to be motivated in his work in the future. The management of Initech Company can also include employees in decision-making process, especially on matters that directly affect them. For example, Peter Gibson is unexpectedly

Why Tom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Tom - Essay Example This story show us that dreams have limits and have their own laws which is something Jay Gatsby learns to his unfortunate detriment at the end of the story. This is why Daisy chose Tom: she realized that Gatsby was too poor and too delusional. Daisy is a character who grows throughout the story and realizes what dreams can do. Gatsby may be rich, but in a way he is living a dream. He thinks he can go back in the past and make the wrong things right again, he thinks he can make Daisy love him again. In a way Gatsby is delusional. He has bought into a dream that financially rewarded him, but the substance of the dream is gone—all that is left is the material husk, shiny and rich, but with nothing real inside it. He has bought the shape of the dream, but not the American dream itself. Tom and Gatsby are different kinds of men. While Tom is outwardly more successful, he has less ambition than Gatsby. Gatsby wants to succeed even if that lie is a success. America is known as the new world, a land of immigrants. So many people came to America, leaving their poor old lives behind. They came from countries with few economic opportunities, with little freedom. Some came with only five dollars in their pocket. In America, because of capitalism, they could become almost anything if they worked hard and had a good idea. In one generation a family could change from peasants or paupers to a rich and well-heeled family. There was enough money for almost everyone. This was all part of the good side of the American dream: that if you worked hard you could achieve anything for yourself and your family. Tom is one of the lucky American who has been born into everything and doesnt have to work hard or be ambitious. However, there is also a sadder, darker side to the dream. The side that Gatsby represents. Some people fall in love with the dream

Quastions ch 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quastions ch 3 - Essay Example ndispensable to fathom those political philosophies besides influencing economic, and social activities may contribute to stable practices internationally and locally. Contemporary profile trends of political systems involves democracy and totalitarianism. Totalitarianism constitutes non-democratic government political spectrum with issues such as dictatorship, communist, fascist, and authority. Democratic government profile remains reactionary, liberal, radical, and conservative. Other profile trends in political systems revolves around engines of democracy and third wave of democracy issues. Third wave democracy issues and engines of democracy constitute the modern trends in contemporary political systems. Third wave democracy relates to the main surge of democracy in history. The surge results from vast international push towards democracy in the 21st century. Engines of democracy constitute developments that drives success of modern political systems including improved communications technology and failure of totalitarian regimes in delivering economic progress. Another engine of democracy for contemporary political trends includes economic dividends of increasing political freedom. Political risks entail perils faced by corporations, investors, and governments during economic relations. The risks also involve political decisions or events within a nation that may adversely affect sustainability or profitability of investments. Management of political risks consists of a three-step process that includes identification of fundamental perils, measuring political influence on performance, and determination of the appropriate method of managing the risks. Identification involves risk managers scanning horizons for political risks and developing inventory of specific risks types. The next step involves assessment and quantification of potential impacts of political risks. Quantification may involve the use of discounted cash flow method to estimate financial

Role Of HR In Developing Talent At Work Literature review

Role Of HR In Developing Talent At Work - Literature review Example Human resource department needs to groom the talent of the workforce in order to improve the productivity of the organisation both in the short run as well as in the long run. Talented employees would not only reduce the cost of the organisation but it would help in enhancing the productivity of the company and for this human resource department needs to assure that the existing leaders of the organisation are competent and have the qualities to lead the organisation and at the same time develop and train future leaders (Farley, 2005). Farley has focused on the long term growth and success of the organisation and he has identified talent management as an important tool that can be crucial in achieving long run success. Grossman (2007) has emphasized on the concept of talent management as well and he has given considerable importance on this subject. Grossman (2007) has defined talent management as how an employee enters the organisation and moves across from one department to another and from one organisation to another. He believes that organisation should pay attention on managing talent however it must ensure that the overall organisational structure and organisation design must not be hurt. He feels that it is important for an organisation to not neglect any of these important aspects i.e. talent management and organisational structure as an organisation without proper organisational structure would not be able to succeed in the long run. It shows that organisation should focus on talent management however in order to manage talent proper, HR department of an organisation should not ignore the importance of organisational structure and organisational design. Grossman (2007) has also focused on rewarding talented individuals which is an important aspect because by rewarding such employees, the motivation level of employees would increase and they would put an extra effort to increase the level of productivity or at least maintain their productivity level. Th us, all in all it would be helpful in improving the organisational productivity. Farley (2005) has emphasized that there should be a link between the business goals and workforce needs. Farley in his article tried to form a linkage between the people who are working in the organisation and the business processes and have made an attempt in identifying the areas from where an organisation earns its revenues so that the organisation should focus on areas from where it is generating more revenue. His article sends a message that human resource department is not just only for recruitment and evaluating performance of employees, but the role of human resource management is very broad than what it has been considered in the past. Today, human resource department needs to be responsible for effective human resource planning, succession planning, training, career development and talent management. HR department needs to identify the talent who would be able to take on the challenges to lead the organisation in future. So, as talent management with which the organisation would identify future leaders, its importance cannot be ignored. The main idea behind Farley’s article is to that human resource department needs to take more responsibility in facilitating the productivity of the organisation by helping employees to be more productive and identify areas from where the company earns its revenue. Such an article is important in today’

A Brief Discussion and Analysis into the Definition and Importance of Term Paper

A Brief Discussion and Analysis into the Definition and Importance of such a Concept within the World of Operational Management - Term Paper Example Whereas asset management is necessarily one of the primal duties that any manager must necessarily engage in, asset management cannot and should not be understood as something of a monolithic term. Accordingly, both long and short term assets exist. Oftentimes, within the realm of asset management, the reader or individual is led to the belief that nearly all asset management must necessarily be long-term However, the fact of the matter is that short-term asset management is a process that requires a far higher percentage of the manager’s time than does long-term asset management. Although the planning and implementation stage of long-term management is something that necessitates careful analysis, short-term asset management is a process that must be engaged with each and every day and at almost every juncture of the business process.. In such a way, in order to understand this continual process of short-term asset management, the preceding analysis will review, define, and p roject the ways in which short-term management of assets takes place within a typical firm and the means by which its comes to be of extreme importance. Through such an analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more definitive understanding of what short-term asset management means and the way in which they can have both a positive and detrimental impact upon the level to which a given firm/entity/organization can hope to compete within the current market. Within its most basic definition, a short term asset is an asset that is to be sold and converted into liquid currency within the space of one year’s time. Although there are exceptions to this â€Å"one year† rule, the broad majority of industry and business ascribes to this calendar year definition as a means of delineating short term assets from long term assets. As can be seen by such a broad definition, the level of asset management that must necessarily be engaged with as a means of dr awing a degree of profitability from such a practice is necessarily of dire importance. Moreover, whereas the long term asset management process entails a high degree of planning and forethought, short term asset management must be concentric upon key timing and a perennial awareness of how financial actions and decisions will ultimately affect the bottom line of the firm (Hay & Lourie, 1996). Within this particular understanding, the analyst/reader is able to come to the conclusion that short term asset management encompasses a very large part of the day to day financial decision making structure that defines the way in which a manager or firm integrates with the outside world and the business process/resources at her/her disposal. Whereas all assets facilitate the financial structure and process of a business in one way or another, the reality of the matter is that the day to day liquidation and management of short term assets is one of the most effective means by which liabilitie s and debts can be managed by incremental decisions made to leverage the way in which short term assets are handled and applied. Within such a scope of understanding, short term assets can be defined as cash, inventory, prepaid expenses, accounts receivable, marketable securities, and a variety of other items. As can be seen from the shear scope of the list, the level to which effective management of each of these tools is of vital importance with regards to deciding whether or not a firm or entity will be viable. From an even broader perspective, it can be noted with regards to business management that many times an entity succeeds or fails not based upon its overall level of profitability, as a percentage of overall investment, but as a function of the fact that effective budgeting, tracking of income and outflow is not managed correctly. As such, short term management necessarily lends the reader to understand a certain level of the importance of cash flow as a means of keeping a ny business or entity viable (Mouritsen, 2011). Although the preceding list is helpful in understanding

A brief look in the world of serial killers Essay Example for Free

A brief look in the world of serial killers Essay Often people get confused between a serial killer and a mass murderer. A mass murderer is a person who kills several people, all at once or within a short period of time. A serial killer on the other hand is one who kills several people over a long period of time, sometimes spanning several years. Technically, a serial killer is someone who kills at least three people with a break or free period between the killings. A mass murderer may have victims who cannot be generalized to fit into any category, as these victims are generally those who happen to be present at the time of the incident. However, the serial killers select their victims according to some preferred type or class, like sex, age, looks etc. Generally serial killings occur for sexual gratification, but there are also cases where victims have been selected with the sole intent of killing. Just like any other criminals, serial killers can also be profiled. The FBI has developed a Behavioral Science Service Unit in 1978 at Quantico, Virginia to study and establish profiles of serial killer suspects. The profiles attempt to predict the age, race, sex, and habits etc. of the serial killers. Although all serial killers wont fit a same profile, most killers can be characterized by a general profile. The general profile of a serial killer suggests they are mostly white males of 25 to 35 years of age, and have a similar type of victims (CCMC, 2007). These killers are thought to have an above or average intelligence, suffered child abuse or have had a troubled childhood and have little or no social attachments. Serial killers are also thought to return to the scene of killings or burials and keep body parts of their victims as souvenirs. Playing with fire, bed-wetting and cruelty to animals are some important childhood traits of a serial killer. Serial killers are generally associated with a pattern, because of which they are ultimately tracked down by the police. Such patterns may include either their method of killing, location, motive or the profile of victims. Serial killers have existed for several centuries. Four types of serial killers are (Holmes and De Burger, 1988) a) The Visionary type who believe that they are guided to kill by an inner voice or vision. b) The mission oriented type who believe they have to eliminate a particular group or class of people from the society. c) The hedonistic type of killers who get pleasure from the killings they carry out. d) The control or power driven type who derive sexual satisfaction by controlling their victims. In addition to this the FBI has identified two more categories of serial killers namely the organized type of serial killers and the disorganized type of serial killers. The organized killer is intelligent, socially acceptable, uses restraints and targets strangers. These organized killers are likely to hide the victim’s body, leaving little or no evidence; they keep a track of the developments in crime through the media, while anticipating questioning by the police (David, 2001). The disorganized killers on the other hand are socially withdrawn, generally know their victims and kill instantly without planning. These disorganized killers do not follow crime on the media, despite leaving evidence on the crime scene The serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr. was a big businessman, liked and admired by many. He frequently hosted parties for friends and neighbors, dressing up as a clown. He also entertained children at local hospitals, and associated himself with groups like Jaycees, working for the improvement of the community. Everyone knew him as a devoted, hard-working man dedicated to he cause of friends and family. However Gacy had another side, a very dark unknown side, and when that side became known, he was known as the ‘clown who killed’. John Wayne Gacy Jr. was born as the second child and the first son to a Chicago’s Irish couple in 1942. His older sister Joanne was about two years older to him, while his younger sister Karen was two years junior to him. The three children attended catholic schools. Gacy, like any other boys of his age, took up part time jobs and scouting activities while at school. He worked as a bag boy and a clerk in a grocery store. Gacy’s childhood was absolutely normal except for his relationship with his father. He had a very deep relationship with his mother and sisters. The senior Gacy was an abusive alcoholic, who beat his wife and verbally abused his children (Bell and Bardsley). Although his father was not a pleasant man, young Gacy loved his father and wanted to get close to him. He longed for his father’s affection and love, but never got it. All his teachers, friends, and co-workers liked him very much and he was indeed popular. When Gacy was eleven, he was hit in the head by a swing while playing, which caused a blood clot in his brain. This blood clot was only discovered at the age of sixteen. Between eleven and sixteen, he suffered several blackouts as a consequence of his blockage. At seventeen, he was found to have a heart ailment, for which he was hospitalized several times. However, he suffered no major health problems due to this. After attending several schools and not being able to graduate, he dropped out from school and left for Las Vegas. He worked as a part time janitor in a mortuary, with which he wasn’t satisfied and again left for Chicago. He joined a business college and learnt the skills of a good salesman. A mature salesman, capable of handling all sales situations, he joined as a management trainee with a shoe company in Chicago. Thanks to his excellent performance on the job, he was soon promoted and transferred to take over the men’s apparel outlet in Springfield, Illinois. Gacy married and relocated and to Waterloo, Iowa in 1966 when his wealthy father-in-law asked him to manage the family’s chicken restaurant. Gacy’s first encounter with the law was in 1968 when he was arrested for homosexual acts and sodomy. He was arrested on felony charge of forcing a male employee to join in homosexual acts. Gacy who was by then a father of two infants, pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to ten years in prison. His wife filed for divorce and parted ways. After 18 months, he got parole and went back to Chicago where he started his own construction business and married a recently divorced woman. In 1971, he was charged with the attempted rape of a man, but was freed of the charges when the victim did not turn up to press the charges. A shrewd businessman, he beat his rivals by hiring very young school age like employees, to cut costs. His second wife too divorced him in 1976 when she realized his passion for homosexual magazines. His minor role in party politics even got him photographed shaking hands with the wife of President Jimmy Carter. It was in December 12, 1978 when the police required to have a closer look at Gacy and his background. A teenaged boy working with a pharmacy had gone missing and Gacy was the last person seen with him. His background check revealed that he had spent time for sodomy. During a search of his house they found a ring belonging to another teenager who disappeared a year back. When investigators got to the sprawl space beneath his home, they sensed a foul smell, which they initially attributed to sewage. They then left his house and called him again for interrogation the next day. Since they had nothing incriminating, they let Gacy go. However Gacy was under 24 hour surveillance. Further investigation and lab work on the items confiscated, gave critical evidence on Gacy. Realizing the importance of the developments, investigators obtained a second search warrant to search Gacy’s home. Among the items confiscated at his home, there was a box containing marijuana and rolling papers, seven erotic movies, nitrate and valium pills, a stained rug, a pair of handcuffs with key, a eighteen inch rubber dildo and nylon ropes. Knowing that his dark game was over, Gacy confessed to the police that he had killed about 33 men, all young over the last seven years. He showed the locations to 28 graves under his house and garage. He also revealed that he had dumped five others into the river. He confessed that he had his first victim in January 1972, second one in January 1974. He revealed that he would lure his victims with the promise of marijuana, drinks or employment. He would then play with them and trick them into getting handcuffed and then sexually assault them. He would stuff an underwear or socks into their mouths to muffle their screams. He killed them by pulling a rope or board across their throats while he raped them.

Black And White Marriage Essay Example for Free

Black And White Marriage Essay Barbara Stanton has been my friends for fifteen years. You might say that she is my best friend. We’ve dated and double-dated, but not once did we ever date outside our own race. About a year ago, Barbara came to me announcing that she was getting married to her boyfriend Paul. I hadn’t seen her for a while because we both began to grow in different directions and I’m ashamed to admit that we didn’t even keep in touch to have a deep conversation. Just some hello’s and goodbyes. When she called to tell me she was getting married, once again she omitted something that may have seemed inconsequential to her, but quite significant to her family and friends. She was marrying a black man. Maybe it’s not so crazy, but in the past few years we’ve seen more black and white couples than ever before. Maybe it’s because children of today’s world don’t even see color, or maybe it’s because of the rappers and hip hop entertainers that we somehow have as role models. Who knows? All that is certain is that where at one time this was totally unacceptable, today it is gaining more and more popularity. On a luncheon that we had with a few friends a few weeks before the wedding, the issue of race was brought up. Barbara had all the statistics. She argued that although race has often been contentious in childrens literature, from controversies over Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to Bannermans Little Black Sambo, to Keatss The Snowy Day, to Herrons Nappy Hair. How race is portrayed and who portrays it have been crucial for many critics. ( Sands-OConnor, Karen Why Are People Different? ) She related to us about some of the history of racism, and we had to admit that it seemed rather ridiculous the way the people of old handled it. In the sixteen hundreds, for example, Maryland banned interracial coupling because it wasn’t sure if the offspring of the black slave and white person would be considered a free person or a piece of property. Barbara knew a lot about black history. She told us that many blacks had white ancestry and who are we, the smug whites, as she called us, to not see this. She let us know in no uncertain terms that there were so many white slave ‘owners’ that took advantage of their female slaves that there was an abundance of mixed children born throughout those years. It is estimated that as many as seventy percent of African Americans are descendants of interracial coupling. These include Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Frederick Douglass. Each one of these mentioned are of black and white ancestry, including her intended. Denise, one of Barbara’s cousins brought up the fact that it just wasn’t common for blacks and whites to marry because of the long-term effects. But Barbara had the numbers right there in front of her. She told us that according to the Census Bureau, the number of mixed-race marriages rose from three hundred thousand in 1970 to one point two million in 1990. Between 1960 and 1990, the percentage of African American marriages involving a white spouse more than tripled. She wasn’t alone. Barbara looked at the six of us. â€Å"Of course we realize that we are of different ethnic backgrounds, but we are in love and intend to be married and really don’t care who objects. That is, of course, except the parents and relatives. Somehow, we always care what family says. But, what is interesting about America and it’s occupants is that even though people define their deliberations of interracial marriage in terms of â€Å"culture,† what really bothers them is race. We laughed as she told us that they didn’t tell the family that there was a difference in ethnic background. They just said, ‘guess who’s coming to dinner? ’ and they walk in the door, totally shocking the pants off all in the room. Her family, of course, pretended to be polite and welcoming until the couple left. Then, Barbara said she could imagine her mother’s hand going to the heart and the drama began. This, of course, is with both families, black and white. Barbara and Paul are sure that all through the courtship there will be innuendos right into the wedding day. Paul, in consoling Barbara as the big day approached, told her that friends of his that married interracially had similar problems. Some families give in and actually convince themselves that this is okay. Others really are okay with it and still others completely betray their own feelings. Their family did consent and did seem pleased. However, Barbara really didn’t want to know if these were feelings for show or not. She admitted that they had to face many decisions before the big day, such as the way they’ve handled difference of opinions thus far and religious upbringing of the children. They needed to voice whether they were willing to compromise on some of these issues and most importantly, how they see the role of husband and wife in this marriage of difference. In my opinion, like all marriages, things can lead to disaster or they can be worked on effortlessly, and Barbara and Paul firmly examined their path well before they made the decision to wed. Traditionally, African-American weddings include vivid colors, elaborate costumes and meaningful rituals. Whereas the white wedding embraces a more toned down dress. White bridal gown and pastels usually are chosen for the bride and the maids. The men are usually in black or white tuxedos depending on the time of day the wedding takes place, whereas the black groom sometime chooses a costume designed to the custom of his people. Ironically, in order to avoid all of this, Barbara has chosen to have a civil ceremony in the chapel at city hall and a small dinner at one of the area’s best restaurants. All decisions regarding custom have therefore been eliminated. The night before the wedding, they had a talk with both parents. The question of the future was brought up and the constant changes the human life goes through. They ask the couple how they are going to feel ten to twenty years down the road about this relationship and the offspring of this relationship. They do understand that everyone changes their ideas and opinions and although today they agree on most things, life is funny when it wants to throw bones. If a couple of the same race marries, when each one goes through changes, it is not going to be related to race. This is a big deal. There will be racial slurs on both sides of the family and friends sharing opinions. They will eventually have to deal with school and the black and white mom and dad. The family that evening pointed out that as sad as it is, the child will always be looked upon as ‘different’ because of his or her genetics. However, this was something Barbara and Paul did not agree on. They pointed out that in today’s world, unlike when their parents were growing up, the rivalry between races isn’t as potent. They agreed that some whites looked upon themselves as superior to blacks and in reality there would always be some type of racial issue as long as we have a democracy. It’s just different opinions. These things have a way of working themselves out and as for their children, they will know as soon as they recognize the difference in mom and dad that they are mixed. Growing up with it is certainly not the same as finding out spontaneously when their older. Since that’s impossible, the race issue may be resolved with the age of reason. The next morning, the wedding went off as scheduled. The whites in the chapel at city hall were noticing the difference in the people across the isle and the blacks were noticing the same things. But, they smiled at one another in a friendly gesture of approval. But, Barbara and her new husband knew that you couldn’t take the hand-me-down prejudices out of the older people in the chapel and they knew that there would be difficulties and differences from the get-go. However, they felt this would be a long lasting relationship and they were not willing to give up their future for the likes of racial interference. At the words, ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’, the whole family changed. Now there is a white girl in our family†¦. says one. Now there is a black man in our family†¦. says the other. Life has changed for them all. It’s been five years and the marriage is still going strong. I visited them and their twin boys, two years old who have brought the whole family together and they are loved to pieces by both sides. The children are mixed, but they have the blue eyes of the mother and the full lips of the father. Their color is the color of coffee with milk in it and their hair is a mixture of straight and curly. Perfect. They happen to be absolutely the most beautiful children imaginable. And they know it. There is so much love in that family that no one would guess there is a racial difference. Now, the families admit that they still see color, but only on the outside of the family. They see no color within. As far as the parents go, both couples realized they have a fondness for poker, hence the Thursday night poker club. In conclusion, we see that today, there are few communities with any claim to being racially pure; in modern society there has been a considerable amount of intermarriages which has blurred any such distinctions even further. (Pinsent, Pat: Race and Ethnic Identity pg. 91) So, are we going to get caught with our pants down if we don’t start building our country with the knowledge that all men are indeed created equal? No one actually takes a look-see inside the obviously different race to find out that we are not so different after all. Our wishes and hopes are exactly the same. Our love for our children is bountiful on both sides and our country is important to us all. How than, for a matter of a color, can we be so negative toward one another? I believe it is simply a fact collector. Get the facts on the person. Compare those facts with your own and voila’ we’re all God’s creatures. Barbara and Paul taught us all a lesson. The readers of this essay may have racial differences as well. If so, maybe we should stop and smell the roses and if not†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦how did they smell? CITATIONS BOOKS Sands-OConnor, Karen Why Are People Different? † Pinsent, Pat: Race and Ethnic Identity pg. 91

A Comparison of Freedom in Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest :: comparison compare contrast essays

Theme of Freedom in Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest   Freedom as defined in Websterà ­s dictionary is liberation from the control of another person or arbitrary power, a being able to act or move without hindrance or restraint.   My definition of freedom is altered from this due to the various experiences I have had. These experiences affect my perception of life and influence how I define freedom, just as another person would view freedom differently than me.   Freedom, as I perceive it to be, is the ability to live a life without any restrictions or limitations imposed on you by others.   You must have complete control over every aspect in your life.   Most people think of freedom only in the realm of the physical, but I believe that freedom is emotional as well.   In order to be considered free, you must be separate from your past.   You need to acknowledge your past and realize what has happened, but at the same time you need to move on.   You cannot allow your life to be lived according to what has happened in your past, or a cycle will ensue.   This cycle comes from making choices while à ¬freeà ®.   During a life lived in freedom, inevitably a wrong decision will be made and you will be forced to deal with the repercussions.   Some people become slaves to these choices, which results in an emotional bind.   Therefore, from freedom comes entrapment and enslavement to the choices made while à ¬freeà ®.   People end up being extremely attached and emotionally affected by their past, such as the characters in Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckooà ­s Nest, that they will never live a à ¬normalà ® life again.   The theme of freedom is evident in both Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.   Every character in both of these texts is affected by freedom in some way or another.   In Toni Morrisonà ­s Beloved, Schoolteacher acts as the catalyst who takes away his slaveà ­s freedom, where as in One Flew Over The Cuckooà ­s Nest, Nurse Ratchet plays this role by infringing upon all of her patientà ­s freedom.   Sethe, in Beloved, suffers from both kinds of freedom.   As a slave she has physical restraints placed on her as well as emotional ones.   All slaves are confined to the land of their owners, which is an obvious violation of a personà ­s freedom.   Sethe was unable to leave the plantation and go where she desired.

Essay --

1) Identify synthesis methods that are used to make the nanomaterials for your application (1 separate synthesis method per team member). Briefly describe how each synthesis method works, and classify each as top-down or bottom-up. For drug delivery, numerous processes exist that incorporate nanotechnology. A very common procedure for promoting drug delivery, is through the use of nanoparticles. This allows for a controlled drug release. By using nanoparticle technology, drugs can be placed inside a vehicle which helps decrease the rate at which said drug will metabolize. Targeted drug delivery is also possible, due to specific nanoparticles releasing the drug once it reaches its destination. This reduces total drugs needed as well as the side effects, due to a more efficient transporting mechanism. Lowering the costs is another benefit as well. Anything smaller than 100 nm is considered a nanoparticle. Four common nanoparticles used are silica (SiO2), gold (Au), magnetite (Fe3O4), and quantum dots. Silica nanoparticles are very inert so they can be used with very reactive drugs. Due to the nature of the shape, size, and arrangement of these nanoparticles, they can bypass the RES (reticuloendothelial system). The drugs will then not be recognized as foreign and can thus be delivered to their target with minimal issue. Silica nanoparticles can also be mesoporous, which has pore sizes of 2-50 nm.2They can have a unique arrangement with a core shell architecture which allows a nanoparticle to have two different properties due to the different materials. Due to these pores, drug loading ability can be customized. Another trendy nanoparticle is gold. They are used due to their special photo thermal effect; one can send in light a... ...um. Nanosphere lithography is the second best because it is used when polymers cannot be accessed. Metals are made as spheres but shapes are limited by the crystal group chosen as the glass substrate material. Sol-gel has tons of potential but it can only make hydrophobic materials. Microfluidization is easily the worst because it is way too expensive for such low yield. Research is being done to optimize this. All of these drug delivery synthesis methods can be performed fairly quickly and are currently being used commercially, with various levels of popularity. Radical polymerization also has the largest range of crystal properties possibilities, being able to be hydrophilic or hydrophobic. This is very unique, especially when considering it being used as a drug vehicle. Being hydrophilic can allow hydrophobic drugs to enter the body for extended amounts of time.

Essay --

SARATU ELRUFAI M4 DANGOTE PLC Provides us with our needs†¦. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Board of directors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Strength†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Weakness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. INTRODUCTION Dangote is one of the largest and most successful companies in Africa. The company is owned by the famous billionaire Aliko Dangote .The business is controlled by a great management team which consists of the President Ali`ko Dangote, Vice president, Sani Dangote, Executive director, Abdu Dantata, chief operating officer, Okakunlew Alake and other group directors. It has a reputation for outstanding business operation and products ‘quality. (Dangote, 2013) .The headquarters is in the western part of Nigeria, Lagos. The company’s enterprises include salt, sugar, cement, flour, pasta, real estate, noodles, fertilizer, spaghetti, oil, gas, steel, macaroni, logistics and poly products and runs in fourteen African countries. The following are their brands: Dangote sugar Dangote cement Dangote macaroni Dangote spaghetti Dangote Noodles Dangote flour Danvita Petit tomato paste Dangote salt Dangote snacks Mowa water Ziza milk Dansa juice Dangote rice STREGHTS The company has the second largest sugar refinery in the whole world. Dangote is the only company in Nigeria that provides all those goods and Nigeria depends on the company a lot. People in Africa prefer dangote because of their good quality products and that is the main advantage they have to others. The group consists of a good management team, which is also strength to them. The main character the group shows is loyalty. Dangote is well ... ... [online] Available at: http://www.blackentrepreneurprofile.com/profile-full/article/aliko-dangote/ [Accessed: 19 November 2013]. African Business Review (2013) Company Reports: Dangote cement plc.[online] Available at: http://www.africanbusinessreview.co.za/reports/dangote-cement [Accessed: 19 November 2013]. Dangote (2013). Dangote Group [online] Available at: http://dangote.com/aboutus/managementteam.aspx [Accessed: 19 November 2013]. Mail and Guardian (2013)Nigeria’s dangote uses $3.3bn loan to build Africa’s biggest oil refinery .6:23.Available at: http://mg.co.za/article/2013-09-05-dangote-33bn-refinery-to-turn-nigeria-into-oil-exporter [Accessed: 5 September 2013] Cement china (2013). Dangote invests $28M in Ghana cement packaging plant.[Online]Available at: http://www.cementchina.net/news/shownews.asp?id=7442[accessed November 21 2013]

Problem Solving. Younger Sibling Problems Essay

Younger siblings can be a problem that will lead to a bigger problem, your parents being angry at you for never being home. My younger brothers, CJ and Colin, are obnoxious and very annoying. CJ is six years younger than me and Colin is eight years younger than me. You wouldn’t think that they would be a problem to me since there is such an age difference between us, but they are. Since my brothers annoy me I am rarely home; my parents get angry with me for it, but there is not much I can do when both of my brothers get on my nerves; most of the time they do it at the same time. A big problem for me is that my brothers annoy me so much that I have to leave and go somewhere that does not involve my brothers, which causes my parents to be mad at me. CJ, the older brother, is so mouthy. He always has something to say to me when I try talk to him; most of the time it is not nice, it is usually something rude. It seems like he was raised not to be respectful, but he wasn’t r aised that way. For example, one day I asked him nicely to grab my cellphone and his reply was â€Å"why don’t you get up and get it yourself, both of your legs work, right?† I do not know why he acts the way he does, but it gets on my nerves. CJ and I always argue about everything. For instance, when I am in the living room watching TV he will try to play the Xbox, but I tell him that he can wait after the show is over, so he decides to tell our mother then has a fit about it. If he doesn’t get what he wants he gets furious and starts to have little fits; sometimes the fits are out of control. Also, he always talks back to our mother; that is the most annoying thing to me. When he talks back to our mother it makes me irate. I usually want to leave whenever he gets that way, but sometimes I do not have anywhere to go. When I leave I go to my friend’s house or I will go to the store such as Wal-Mart, the Dollar Store, or just somewhere that I can get away from him when he acts that way. Colin, the younger brother, is too hyper active for me. He is always jumping off the walls. It is like he cannot sit still. When he acts like that I just want to leave and go somewhere peaceful. I cannot go in my room because I can hear him in there too. The only time it is quiet at my house is when he is at his friends, watching TV, playing the Xbox, playing on the computer, or sleeping. When I ask him to stop nicely he does it again just to get on my nerves. I know he  does it on purpose because when he does it he laughs about it; nothing makes me angrier than that. If he has a friend over I cannot be home because when he and his friends are together they act like they are insane. For example, around Fourth of July his friend Preston was at our house and he lit fireworks off inside our house when my mother was sleeping; she was upstairs sleeping and they were downstairs in our living room, so she could not hear them. I was not home at the time and neither was my father. She found out the next morning and was furious with them. You would think that my brother Colin would have told him not to do it, but he was right along with Preston. There was burn marks in our white carpet. There was no reason for him to act like that with his friends. He should be more responsible whenever situations like that happen. Colin is too hyper active for me to handle, so when he acts up I cannot stand being around him; I usually leave whenever he acts like that. Solving a problem that involves emotions is difficult. I could solve the problem by trying to avoid the situations and ignoring my younger brothers. When CJ begins to say rude comments to me I could leave the room instead of leaving the house so my parents do not get angry at me for never being home. I could remove myself from the situation; maybe whenever Colin starts to act up I could go outside or do something I enjoy such as reading or listening to music. When I listen to music it calms my nerves down. If I do that then I would not leave my house as much as I usually do. If I remove myself from the situation by doing something that relaxes me could solve the problem an efficient and effective way my parents would not be as frustrated with me. I would be home a lot more than I usually am and that would cause my parents to be very happy with me, especially if I am home more to help my mother clean the house or help her with whatever she needs help with. In brief, younger siblings can be a problem that can lead to another problem that involves your parents. My brothers, CJ and Colin are both very annoying to me and that causes me to leave my house; when I leave my house my parents get angry at me because I am never home. CJ always talks back to everyone in my house and that irri tates me. When he does that I get annoyed and I go somewhere that doesn’t involve him. I try to leave the house and go wherever I can get away from the annoyance of my brothers. Colin is an extremely hyper child; he is always jumping up and down. When he does that it really gets on my nerves  and I leave the house whenever he acts like that; I cannot handle it sometimes. I like to go to a place where I can have peace. To solve these problems I can calm myself down by doing something I enjoy like reading or listening to music. It would be effective if I removed myself from the situations my brothers cause. If I remove myself from the situations instead of leaving all the time my parents would not be as frustrated with me. It would be a win-win situation; I would not be as annoyed with my brothers and my parents would not be as frustrated with me for leaving the house. I would be home more often and could help my mother more around the house. In conclusion, to avoid my parents being angry with me I could do something that calms me down instead of leaving the house beca use my brothers annoy me.

Abigail Adams by Janet Whitney

Throughout our lives we have heard how women throughout history strived to become the best. We have heard stories about women going against society to gain equal rights and we have read about woman with extraordinary character that pursued the history of this world. One of these women is Abigail Adams, the only woman so far to be both wife and mother of a president. Sadly, however, â€Å"Abigail Adams† by Janet Whitney is far from being a biography of her life. Janet Whitney arranges her material in chronological presentation. She starts from how Abigail Adams and John Adams fell in love and got married. She continues on with the biography describing how John Adams came to presidency as Abigail Adams gave birth to his kids one by one. The author chose wisely to arrange her material in chronological order; it helped better understand that time period. Janet Whitney didn’t make any assumptions about the knowledge of the reader, therefore carefully describing each and every event during the life of Abigail and John Adams. The events were detailed and included many direct quotes from the diary of John Adams. Therefore, it was easier to visualize the majority of the important events during the American Revolution. In society (the modern world especially) more and more females are looking to research on historical female figures that had an impact on the world. Janet Whitney intended to write this book for the female population but failed to interest them in the midst of the biography. The title of the biography is enough to attract and spark an interest in the reader, but as the reader continues reading, he/she will be filled with nothing but questions and disappointment. Up until the middle of the biography, Abigail Adams is mentioned only when she becomes pregnant with John Adam’s babies. The rest of the first half of the biography is an in-depth illustration of John Adam’s accomplishments. Abigail Adams is mentioned as merely a sidekick to John Adam’s success and a great companion. She is described as the most intellectual woman John Adam’s has ever met. Throughout the book the author describes in great depth and detail about the history that took place during the time of John and Abigail Adams. She seems to have great knowledge on the American Revolution and describes many detailed descriptions about John Adams life. Although the author does describe the events leading up to the American Revolution, the author fails to depict the role of Abigail Adams in the lives of her husband and others. I believe that the author thinks of Abigail Adams as an unflattering topic, which is ironic because the author decided to write a biography about her. The author wrote the biography in a way that seems like John Adams is the highlight of the life of Abigail Adams and that Abigail Adams was a small influence in the road to presidency for John Adams. The opinions of the author are not directly states in the biography. But there are certain parts of the book that shows an indirect opinion of Abigail Adams. As quoted in the biography, the author writes, â€Å"She freely expresses her longing to see him†¦she freely expresses her reliability on him†¦and the extent to how much she needs him in her life. † (Whitney page 113). The author believes that Abigail Adams felt like she needed John Adams in her life because she relied on him so much. Nowhere in biography does the author cite specific evidence as to why and where Abigail would say this. This also highlights the statement I said previously, the author believes Abigail to be an unflattering topic. The quote above describes Abigail as a needy, un-intellectual woman. The majority of the information the author used were from letters and diaries and biographies of other important historical figures such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Thomas Hutchinson. Most of the biography was filled with quotes from first hand sources as the diary of Thomas Jefferson and letters written by John Adams. The quotes mostly described the setting of the time period rather than the important details. For example, it described the physical appearances of Abigail and John Adams and described the major and minor details of the houses and towns they lived in. The author did an excellent job at giving the reader a window into the time in which Abigail Adams lived. The historical documents used as a reference for the writing of this biography were constantly quotes to give us a visual as to what events were taking place. The author wrote pages describing a single certain event. Janet Whitney would not only quote from her first- hand sources, but she would describe and explain the quote as well to prevent any confusion. For example, Janet Whitney quotes in the biography, â€Å"The flame is kindled and like lightning it catches from soul to soul. Although the mind is shocked at the thought of shedding human blood, more especially the blood of our countrymen and a civil war is of all wars the most dreadful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This creates a visual picture inside the reader’s head of how gory and gruesome the battles and fights were. Overall, I did not enjoy reading this biography. I was looking forward to learning about Abigail Adams and her influence on American history but as I read I was constantly disappointed. I didn’t realize that the whole book would be based on John Adam’s and how much of an effect he had on Abigail Adam’s life rather than how much of an effect Abigail Adam’s had in America. The biography was also written in an un-interesting way. It felt as if the author was just throwing information inside the text without putting effort into making it sound interesting. While reading the biography I would read over numerous mentioning of dates, times, cities, towns and names of random village men who are irrelevant to the life of Abigail Adam’s. This biography was a complete disappoint to its feminist audience. Throughout our lives we have always heard about how much of an extraordinary person Abigail Adam’s was but none of that is depicted in this biography. I look forward to reading an actual biography of Abigail Adam’s: a biography that doesn’t portray Abigail Adam’s as someone who’s constantly reliant on her husband.

American graffit

Film review of American Graffiti American Graffiti shows the life in early 1960s and it's made by George Lucas in 1973. The movie shows a summer night which happened in a small town called Modesto in California and it describes the adventure night about the teenagers who were graduated from high school. There are four main characters in the film called Curt, John, Terry and Steven. It's describe a life at the end of the summer in a small town called Modesto in 1962. There was a evening about the four best friends and they were graduated from the high school.Curt and Steven decided to leave the town and moved to another places and Curt got the scholarship from the local school, but he had the another though about leaving. When Curt was in the car, he saw a beautiful girl with blonde hair and drive a T- Bird said † I love you† to him, he was so excited and wanted to find the girl while he tried to escape from the gang. Finally, he asked the Wolfman for help, the Wolfman rep ort what Curt wanted to say and the girl called him.Steven was the class president, he also wanted to leave the town but it means e needed to leave his girl friend called Laurie who was the head of cheerleader and Curt's sister, at that night, they tried to talk with each other to solve the problems. At the same time, Terry and John were cruise around the town in the evening, Terry got the car from Steven and he got the confident to try to give a deep impression on Debbie. John, who is seen as the best of the race with his yellow car, he drove the car with Carol who was a passenger by mistake.Bob Falfa wanted to have a race with John because he tough he was the fastest in the village, but he lose the race. The strengths of this film is it shows the culture in the early 1960s, people can knew what's the life about at that time and it shows the decision about their future of these four people. For example, Curt got the scholarship from the local high school, at first he did not want t o leave the town but steven persuaded him to leave the town to see the world how big was, Curt believed steven said and decided to leave. The weakness of this film is involved some violence and about the gang bully people.For example, he gang in the local village saw Curt while he was sitting at their car, they wanted to bully Curt and did some bad things with him. In the car park, they fght with Curt and John saw that to help Curt. Some of the people would imitation what they see on the TV or film, so it's not good for the teenagers. In conclusion, American Graffiti is a good film for us, the story is very funny and it can attracted more teenagers to watch it, let more people to know the culture of early American life and after watch the movie, people can make a good decision about their future. american graffit By cyiu

Communication Gap Among the Generations

Executive Summary: This report is an analysis of the different communication styles among Baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y/Millenials. The report discusses the different mindsets, values, and goals among the different generations. The differences above make it hard for organizations to place emphasis on the real issue; the communication gap among the different generations due to different communication styles. The report recommends ways for organizations to integrate the different communication styles to create a more driven, cohesive, and successful organization.The research enforces the fact of the differences in communication styles among different generations causes a communication gap in organizations, making organizations less effective. The research further reveals the gap in communication amongst the different generations makes it difficult to manage Baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y/Millenials. The research shows that bridging the communication gap wil l decrease misunderstandings and motivate the different generations to be more interdependent and team oriented.Finally, the research reveals integration of the different communication styles among the generations will create effective and successful organizations. According to the research communication is the most intricate part of any successful business relationship. There is a 20 year gap between each generation. Organizations’ inability to bridge the 20 year gap will be a cost factor, make organizations less efficient, and dismiss interdependency amongst the different generations. It is recommended: Organizations need to ensure the employees’ goals are aligned with the organizational goals * Ongoing training and workshops to ensure all employees are knowledgeable of the organization’s product Closing the Communication Gap Communication is the most intricate element of any type of relationship; whether business or personal. In corporate America the differen t styles of communication among Baby-boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y has caused a communication gap in today's organizations.Integrating the different communication styles across generations will improve the effectiveness of communication in organizations, bridging the communication gap to create a more driven, cohesive, and successful organization. The communication gap among the different generations has made communicating difficult for individuals to work effectively and efficiently. The lack of attention organizations give the communication gap among generations makes organizations less capable of reaching their organizational goals.From my experience when communicating with Baby Boomers I receive pushback, Generation X is more receptive, and Generation Y/Millennial will receive the message, yet look for an incentive. Many organizations are unable to attract motivated or driven employees due to unsuccessful attempts to integrate the different communication styles among t he different generations. For example, the wages, benefits and incentives offered to the different generations differ due to the time each group entered the workplace.The younger generations are not attracted to organizations who are not trying to bridge the gap of communication among the different generations. The younger generations aren’t attracted to businesses that aren’t trying to bridge the gap because they know that there are thousands of other businesses that are up to date with the current technology. Example, Verizon and Apple give their employees devices to help with training. By doing so, employees will have more of a hand on training, versus reading multiple books on the device(s).Baby boomers and Generation X make up the largest part of the workforce, because Baby boomers were born in a rich economic era filled with job opportunities and stable their work ethics and moral are stronger than those of Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial. Baby boomers a re more self absorbed, and individualized. Baby boomers are not fans of teams and have to be trained to work in a team environment. Baby boomers prefer a directive leadership style approach. They want to know exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Generation X is more innovative, team oriented, and self sufficient.This generation will research an issue and make a decision based upon their knowledge and good judgment; they are entrepreneurs. Generation Y/Millennial brings back to the workforce a strong sense of self worth. They welcome feedback because it helps advance their career to the next level. Generation Y/Millennial communicates openly and is always looking for ways to improve the work process. Baby boomers live to work, Generation X work to live, and Generation Y/Millennial work to satisfy personal goals; the different work characteristics and birth eras makes organizational communication difficult.Baby boomers do not trust authority therefore they avoid commun ication with superiors; Generation X has an informal approach to superiors they are not afraid to voice their opinions or refutes, and Generation Y/ Millennial communicate openly. The different styles of communication among the three generations cause different perspectives, thoughts and problem solving methods to arise when organizations are trying to complete a task. Organizations bridging the communication gap among the generations will enhance the values and knowledge of their employees.By doing so, this motivates them to align their personal goals with the goals of the organization, which contributes success of the organization. The different views on communication causes the generation to take focus off of the goals the organization is trying to achieve and put more focus on how the company is communicating the goal. Once organizations find a way to integrate the communication styles of the different generations the organization will be able to motivate their employees to be m ore driven towards achieving the goals of the organization.If employees feel they are not receiving the information they need to fulfill the role of their position. Organizations have to find a way to get Baby boomers onboard with electronic communications. Most Baby boomers shy away from text message, email, social media and other electronic communications. Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial prefer the electronic communication; concise and saves time. Organizations do not consider the communication gap when considering the elements that are causing the organization to fail.Organizations do not realize ineffective communication among the different generations affects the quality of the teams and causing confusion among the members. Baby boomers are workaholics, while Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial do what is required and go home. Baby boomers will stay until the project is complete; Generation X and Generation Y will leave the work for the next day. Organizations hav e to learn how to deal with the differences among the generations to improve the drive of the members.To get everyone to focus more on bringing the different generations together, organizations have to stop categorizing people into groups based on their birth era. Organizations need to understand employees who are more driven will produce more high quality work. To put the drive in employees organizations have to know what motivates all their employees and how it affects them personally. Organizations have to close the communication gap among the difference generations to effectively deliver feedback and receive feedback from employees.To create team cohesiveness, organizations must bridge the communication gap so the different generations will be interdependent on one another. The generation gap eliminates team cohesiveness because some team members are unable to effectively express themselves or are to self absorbed to ask for understanding of a problem. The different styles of co mmunication among the generations can cause individuals to be stubborn towards change, while others welcome change and see change as an opportunity for growth.Bridging the communication gap will prevent manipulation of the organizational system for self gain and put more focus on developing the team. An organization must have great communication skills to be successful. Organizations must be willing to put forth the extra effort to successfully communicate among the different generations. Organizations have been unsuccessful in many ventures due to lack of loyalty, lack of productivity, and lack of respect caused by the gap in communication. The gap in communication has caused organizations to downsize and lose customers.Organizations have to give individuals the cause and effect of successfully integrating the different communication styles. The organization has to let the employees know how the integration of communication styles can be a benefit for them. Due to the birth era dif ferent generations are comfortable communicating face to face versus using an electronic source. Organizations have to respect the difference in the styles of communicating and create a work environment where people aren’t afraid to voice their opinions to make the organization successful.Organizations inability to accommodate different communication styles and promote open communication has caused them to be unsuccessful Organizations have experienced cost issues due to the communication. The cost associated with resolving the communication gap is minimal. Changing the way things are viewed is a key component to organizations being successful. Promoting organizational communication among the different generations will assist organizations with successfully integrating the different communication styles. The organization has to be more aware and put them in a position to apply the strengths of each generation.Once organizations understand the different styles of communication the gap will begin to close. Organizations have to do their research to understand the communication styles of the different generations. Organizations will need to establish a relationship among the generations to integrate the different communication styles, increase employee drive and be more successful. In order to save highly efficient employees, organizations will need to take more time to construct plans to integrate the different communication styles. Today Corporate American employs various generations across different departments.The mixture of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y has caused conflicts with communication due to misunderstanding. Implementing a plan or strategy that will capture the key values and personality of each generation is a way to avoid challenges due to the communication gap among the different generations. The different communication styles of the generations is more difficult to understand or respect the difference among the generations. In 2011, Hahn stated understanding generational differences can be a source of creative strength and an opportunity or a source of stifling stress and conflict (p. 20). Communication is the most intricate element of any type of relationship whether business or personal. In corporate America the different styles of communication among Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y causes a communication gap in today’s organizations. Integrating the different communication styles across generations will improve the effectiveness of communication in organizations, bridging the communication gap to create a more drive, cohesive, and successful organization. Management would really need to step it up when it comes to managing multiple generations.The different generations will be able to gain a better understanding of the values, work characteristics, and customs of each other’s generation if organizations are able to bridge the communication gap. Bridging the communication gap will decrease misinterpretation of information at meetings and will create a more driven organization. According to the article â€Å"Managing Multiple Generations,† familiarization with the characteristics and core values of each generation will help organizations to better understand the differences in the communication style of the generations and lead to improved team work (Hahn, 2011, p. 20). Once corporations gain an understanding of the differences in communication style among the generations and begin to implement work processes bridging the communication gap they will be able to attract and retain quality employees. According to the article, â€Å"Managing Multiple Generations,† the outcome of bridging the communication gap among the different generations will decrease workplace stress and tension creates a stronger more driven organization (Hahn, 2011, p. 120). Remember that your research has to be tied to your specific problem.Baby boomers make up most o f corporate America, are very loyal and are very serious about their careers or job duties. According to the article, â€Å"Managing Multiple Generations,† this population grew up in a time of economic prosperity (Hahn, 2011, p. 120). Baby boomers are now being managed by people who are the ages of their children. For example, I have a friend and her manager is 15 years younger than she is. When her manager instructs her to do a task she hesitates due to the age gap and the difference in communication style.She reacts this way because she feels the younger generation does not take the time to weigh the pros and cons of a situation, they go with what is good for right now, which isn’t good for the organization. By being a Baby Boomer, she’s resistant to change and feel as if a thirty year old is experienced enough to be a manager. She enjoys working independently and defines herself through her work title. Today many corporations gravitate to team environments; B aby boomers are unfavorable to team environments. Baby boomers have strong work ethics and measure work with self worth and fulfillment.Baby boomers are the group that arrives early to work and views overtime as a moral obligations (Hahn, 2011, p. 120 Organizations identifying the different communication style among the generations help them use the correct tools and sources to effectively communicate with their employees. Once an organization implements an effective communication style accepted by Baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y/Millennial have overcome the obstacle that has caused many organizations to lack cohesiveness and the communication gap due to ifferent generations in the workplace. Organizations are more successful when they effectively integrate the different communication styles across generations. Without great communication skills an organization will fail. According to Gibson, Greenwood, and Murphy (2010) organizations have effectively integrated the dif ferent communication styles among the different generations when they are able to identify the unique characteristics and values of each generation (p. 40).Once the unique characteristics and values are indentified, the organization creates processes that manage and reconcile the differences in the communication styles among Baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y/Millennial (Gibson, Greenwood ; Murphy, 2010, p. 42). I have noticed in my workplace how management has implemented different ways to bridge the communication gap among Baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y/Millennial. For example, they will send out an email advising they are having refresher courses on the different electronic communication applications.Sending out a mass email to everyone in the organizations does not stereotype a particular group; it allows anyone the opportunity to attend a training class to become more familiar with the different media applications. According to Gibson, Greenwood, and Mur phy (2010) by doing the refresher trainings organizations are able to reconcile the different styles of communications among the different generations, and understand the strengths of each generation (p. 42).The refresher courses also prevent generational exclusivity (Gibson, Greenwood ; Murphy, 2010, p. 43). Once the company effectively integrates the different communication styles among the different generations, they’ll be able to send the right message to the right channel to each generation; therefore, creating a more successful organization. Effective communication is the key in any successful relationship; an organization, just like a marriage, will fail if there’s a gap in communication.According to Gibson, Greenwood ; Murphy (2010) understanding and accommodating value differences, organizations can effectively close the communication gap among the different generations and eliminate the barriers to attaining a successful organization (p. 43. ) The ultimate qu estion is, what would we need to do in order to bridge the gap? According to all the data and research, an organization would need to make sure the employee’s goals and way of thinking is in line with the company’s organizational goals.The company should also conduct workshops to help the employees bring efficiency to the organization. Motivation and incentives also play a big part in generation gaps. An example would be, some generations would be motivated by higher salaries and/or bonuses, while other generations would be motivated by recognitions/awards. Another factor would be, technology. As I stated earlier in the paper, Verizon and Apple gives more of a hands on training, rather than administering paper manuals/test. Technology is the key in this age, and technology will make or break a company’s success.The younger generation IM (instant message), send text, and/or emails as their source of communication (indirect). On the other hand, the older generatio ns would choose more of a direct source of communication. With the job markets changing, the demands for all generations are needed. The key would be to balance the generations to utilize all the advantages. References: Bailey, A. , ; Ngwenyama, O. (2010). Bridging the Generation Gap in ICT Use: Interrogating Identity, Technology and Interactions in Community Telecenters. Information Technology For Development, 16(1), 62-82. oi:10. 1080/02681100903566156 Hahn, J. A. (2011). Managing Multiple Generations: Scenarios From the Workplace. Nursing Forum, 46(3), 119- 127. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1744-6198. 2011. 00223. x Murphy Jr. , E. F. , Gibson, J. , ; Greenwood, R. A. (2010). Analyzing Generational Values Among Managers and Non-Managers for Sustainable Organizational Effectiveness. SAM Advanced Management Journal (07497075), 75(1), 33-55. Ochs, L. , ; Adams, R. (2009). Generational stereotyping and group communication. Radiation Therapist, 18(2), 155-158.

Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots

Imagine all of your insecurities and fears manifested into an entity, one that will remain with you your entire life. You have no way to get rid of it or hide. This character is called Blurryface. Released in 2015, twenty one pilots’ album, Blurryface, opened up a new form of music. A mix of pop, rock, and rap, the lead singer, Tyler Joseph, does it all to portray Blurryface within him. Through his lyrics, you’ll also realize how relatable the situations are to your own personal life or even the life of someone you may know, separating it from the usual songs about teenage angst. Twenty one pilots is a two man band formed by Tyler Joseph in Ohio. He is the lead vocalist and the only singer of the group. The other member is drummer, Josh Dun. Everything began in 2009 within a little town and since then, things have been getting better for the duo. They went from selling tickets in front of a Chick-fil-A at the mall, to having two nearly sold out shows at Madison Square Garden. Twenty one pilots even have two songs, â€Å"Ride† and â€Å"Stressed Out,† that made it to the Billboard. Blurryface also earned multiple awards such as the Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Album and the iHeartRadio Music Award for Alternative Rock, making it quite the accomplishment for Josh and Tyler. This album is different from the previous one, Vessel, which had a cheerful tune. The constant use of piano chords swapped with ukulele strumming, and the soft, muffled synths are now replaced with a sharp, cold tone. Both changes can be heard through the songs â€Å"The Judge† and â€Å"Fairly Local† from Blurryface. â€Å"The Judge,† opens with a ukulele which plays through the rest of the song and â€Å"Fairly Local† starts with a beat that sounds like the buzzing within a light bulb and even includes a short section of low, grumbly vocals that belong to none other than Blurryface itself. Although the differences found in Blurryface are a huge comparison to Vessel, it is what makes Blurryface so unique in its musical style. The significance of the lyrics found in Tyler’s songs also plays a role. If you pay close attention to the song â€Å"Goner,† you’ll realize that Tyler Joseph is referencing the feeling of being trapped between his two identities, Blurryface and himself. This relationship can also be compared with a teen’s fight for identity when deciding who they are in public or in private. â€Å"I’ve got two faces,† Tyler sings in defeat,† Blurry’s the one I’m not.† This tone really allows the listener to understand what he is going through in the song. Blurryface spreads a powerful message through its heartfelt lyrics and, at the same time, has you jamming out to the music playing in the background. But in the end, the two sounds blended together will definitely have you feeling less â€Å"stressed out† than before.