The Worlds Newest Countries Since 1990

The Worlds Newest Countries Since 1990 Since the year 1990, 34 new countries have been created, many as a result of the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. and Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Others became new countries as a result of anticolonial and independence movements, including Eritrea and East Timor. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Fifteen new countries became independent when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) dissolved in 1991. Most of these countries declared independence a few months before the Soviet Union officially collapsed: ArmeniaAzerbaijanBelarusEstoniaGeorgiaKazakhstanKyrgyzstanLatviaLithuaniaMoldovaRussiaTajikistanTurkmenistanUkraineUzbekistan Former Yugoslavia Yugoslavia dissolved in the early 1990s into five independent countries: June 25, 1991:  Croatia  and SloveniaSeptember 8, 1991:  Macedonia (officially The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) declared independence on this date, but wasnt recognized by the United Nations until 1993 and the United States and Russia until February of 1994.February 29, 1992: Bosnia and HerzegovinaApril 17, 1992:  Serbia and Montenegro, also known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Other New Countries Thirteen other countries became independent through a variety of circumstances, including independence movements: March 21, 1990:  Namibia became independent of South Africa.  Previously, Namibia was known as South West Africa when the latter was officially a German territory.May 22, 1990:  North and South Yemen merged to form a unified Yemen.October 3, 1990: East Germany and West Germany merged to form a unified Germany after the fall of the Iron Curtain.September 17, 1991:  The Marshall Islands was part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (administered by the United States) and gained independence as a former colony. On this date,  Micronesia, previously known as the Caroline Islands, also became independent from the United States.January 1, 1993: The Czech Republic and Slovakia became independent nations when Czechoslovakia dissolved. The peaceful separation was also known as the Velvet Divorce, after the Velvet Revolution which had led to the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia.May 25, 1993: Eritrea, which was part of Ethiopia, seceded and gained independence. The two nat ions later became involved in a violent war over disputed territory. A peace agreement was reached in 2018. October 1, 1994: Palau was part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (administered by the United States) and gained independence as a former colony.May 20, 2002: East Timor (Timor-Leste) declared independence from Portugal in 1975 but did not become independent from Indonesia until 2002.June 3, 2006: Montenegro was part of Serbia and Montenegro (also known as Yugoslavia) but gained independence after a referendum. Two days later, Serbia became its own entity after Montenegro split.February 17, 2008: Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia. The representatives of the Kosovo people unanimously agreed that the country would be independent of​ Serbia despite the objections of eleven representatives of the Serbian minority.July 9, 2011: South Sudan peacefully seceded from Sudan following a January 2011 referendum. Sudan had been the site of two civil wars, and the referendum received near unanimous approval.

Red and White Mulberry Information and Identification

Red and White Mulberry Information and Identification Red mulberry or Morus rubra is native and widespread in the eastern U.S. It is a rapid-growing tree of valleys, flood plains, and moist, low hillsides. This species attains its largest size in the Ohio River Valley and reaches its highest elevation (600 meters or 2,000 feet) in the southern Appalachian foothills. The wood is of little commercial importance. The trees value is derived from its abundant fruits, which are eaten by people, birds, and small mammals. The white mulberry, Morus alba, is native to China and has several differences including size, foliage, and color of fruit. Fast Facts: Red Mulberry Scientific name: Morus rubraPronunciation: MOE-russ RUBE-ruhFamily: MoraceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 3a through 9Origin: Native to North AmericaUses: Bonsai; shade tree; specimen; no proven urban toleranceAvailability: Somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree Native Range Red mulberry extends from Massachusetts and southern Vermont west through the southern half of New York to extreme southern Ontario, southern Michigan, central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota; south to Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, central Kansas, western Oklahoma and central Texas; and east to southern Florida. It is also found in Bermuda. Description Size: 60 feet tall; 50 foot spreadBranches: Dense branches that droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for clearance; should be trained to a single leader.Leaf: Alternate, simple, broadly ovate to roughly orbicular, pointed, 3 to 5 inches long, serrate margin, even base, rough and fuzzy undersidesTrunk and Bark: Showy trunk; Gray colors with flattened and scaly ridges.Flower and Buds: Small and inconspicuous flowers with off-center buds; usually dioecious but can be monoecious (both male and female flowers on different branches); male and female flowers are stalked axillary pendulous catkins and appear in April and MayFruit: Reddish black and resembling blackberries; reach full development from June to August; composed of many small drupelets developed from separate female flowers ripening togetherBreakage: Susceptible to breakage either at the crotch due to poor collar formation, or the wood itself is weak and tends to break. Special Uses Red mulberry is noted for its large, sweet fruits. A favored food of most birds and a number of small mammals including opossum, raccoon, fox squirrels, and gray squirrels the fruits also are used in jellies, jams, pies, and drinks. Red mulberry is used locally for fence posts because the heartwood is relatively durable. Other uses of the wood include farm implements, cooperage, furniture, interior finish, and caskets. In landscape use. the species is considered invasive and fruits cause a mess on walks and driveways. For this reason, only fruitless cultivars are recommended. Differentiating White Mulberry When compared to red mulberry, the white mulberry has several key differences:Size: Smaller, at 40 feet tall and 40 foot spreadBranches: Less dense with fewer branchesLeaf: Brighter green, smoother, and more rounded with uneven basesTrunk and Bark: Brown with thick and braiding ridgesFlower and Buds: Centered budsFruit: Less sweet, smaller, and lighter in color, with creamy brownish white berries that start as green, purple, or even black; only females bear fruit Red and White Mulberry Hybrids Red mulberry hybridizes frequently with white mulberry, which has become naturalized and somewhat more common than its native sister throughout parts of the Eastern United States.

Buyer behaviour mkt 2240 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Buyer behaviour mkt 2240 - Essay Example "If a marketer can identify consumer buyer behaviour, he or she will be in a better position to target products and services at them. Buyer behaviour is focused upon the needs of individuals, groups and organisations." (Consumer Buyer Behaviour. 2007). Buyer behaviour is a result of the needs of the consumers. The behaviour of a buyer is his urge to satisfy his needs. The needs of a human being are classified into five by Abraham Maslow. The classification of needs by Maslow is Physiological, Security, Social, Esteem and Self Actualisation needs. According to him physiological need that is the need to satisfy his basic requirements such as food, water, cloth and shelter is the first need of a person. After that the need for safety arises and then the social, esteem and self actualisation needs arises. He says that person will show the urge for a particular need only when his lower level need is satisfied. There are also various other theories that speaks about buyer behaviour. There are many factors that constitute the behaviour of the buyers. Those factors are personality, culture, social groups, perception, attitude, social classes, reference groups etc. The needs of a person and the factors that affect the buyer behaviour are very closely related. If the marketers are really aware of what the needs of the consumers are they can launch their product in the market without any risk of slow movement of goods in the market. A careful and detailed market research will help the companies to understand the behaviour of the buyers properly. The basic motive behind all the buyer behaviour is to lead a better lifestyle. This research work looks into buyer behaviour on a different perspective. Here the interest of the persons for different modes of transport is studied in order to examine the different buyer behaviours. For this purpose of a sample of families from various background is taken to understand the factors that constitute various behaviours. The behaviour of the family is analysed on the basis of ego, attitude, reference groups, personality, attitudes, social classes and personality. Mode of transport is a good means to study how the behaviour of various persons changes at different situations. The choice of the mode of transport generally changes on the basis of the financial background and social status of the persons. Influence of the group that one belongs will also have very good influence on the choice of the mode of transport. Age is also a factor that leads to difference in the choice of mode of transport by different persons. Above all the ego of a person also influences his choi ce of the mode of transport. The different theories that are related to buyer behaviour are seen in brief in this report. Then the different factors that lead to the behaviour of the buyers are seen. After carefully analysing those factors and theories it is integrated into the case of the chosen families to study how the buyer behaviour and the choice of mode of transport are interrelated. Brief accounts of the demographic element of the families are also given later on in the report. Literature framework The main theory that explains the human needs and buyer behaviour theory is Abraham Maslow's 'Need Hierarchy Theory'. Abraham Maslow classified human needs into 5 levels. Beginning from the lower level it is classified as

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory - Essay Example Furthermore, it is evident that the US, possesses negative relation with certain countries that has led towards ineffective foreign policy and decision-making. On the other hand, there are also many nations having positive relation with the US and hence, lead to effective development of foreign policies and decision making regarding the elimination of terrorism from the world. Thus, from the evidences and the arguments of the research, it is asserted that the states’ identity in foreign policy and decision-making has led to limited efficiency in demolishing terrorism from the world. The objective of the research emphasizes identifying the identity of the US with regard to its active participation in the fight against terrorism. More elaborately, it intends to discover the role of the US in combating terrorism. The report also focuses on discovering the importance of foreign policies and decision making along with the international relationship in soliciting global power for combating terrorism. It is expected that by accomplishing these objectives, the report would lead to the development of a comprehensive understanding regarding the role of the US and correspondingly, its identity in designing foreign policies and decision-making. Hence, the discussion would lead towards soliciting global support, which would be further effective in combating terrorism. Several studies have been conducted with regard to the research topic, as elaborated in the following sections of the paper. These studies were highly successful with regard to the identification of state identity in fighting against terror groups. Research studies have also been concentrated on extensively considering the foreign policies and decision-making in soliciting global support to combat terrorism from the world. However, there are very little evidences of research studies that consider both these aspects. Therefore, the rationale behind the study is to grasp the opportunity of

A Second Chance Essay Example for Free

A Second Chance Essay It was my chance to prove myself; I was about to go out there and audition for a talent show through singing and playing the piano. I was so sure that I would do it, since I knew the judges personally and they were already aware that I had the talent. I haven’t actually practiced the song as much as I was supposed to, but I was certain that I would know it properly since I have practiced before several times. I was waiting for my turn, and while I was waiting, I was starting to get nervous and tense about the whole thing. When I was up, I took a deep breath and started playing the song. The first thing I did wrong was mix up the notes. The first time was excused as it was thought to be normal and that everyone makes mistakes. The second time was also excused, the third, the fourth.. It was starting to get irritating. Other than the note mix up, when I started to sing, my voice went too high and I started to get out of breath. In addition to this, I forgot and mixed all the lyrics of the song. This made me stop in the middle of the song excusing myself for all the mistakes that I’ve done. Since the judges were my friends, they were totally understandable; they realized that I was nervous and that I am good at this, despite my failed efforts. This made me feel miserable. I have failed to preform something I have known and been playing for almost a year. I couldn’t sing the song without making a word mixup every now and then. I informed the judges the next day that I would like to audition again, and this time I was going to do it right. The minute I told them I was going to audition again, I went home searching for a completely different song to preform, and this time I was going to focus on singing it only. I found the perfect song, and once I did I started practicing on it. I have noticed that the last time I auditioned, I was nervous when my turn was up, so I decided to ask different people I knew to hear me out, and anytime I would get nervous I would randomly start singing, to try and overcome my fear of preforming in front of a crowd. When the day of my second audition finally arrived, I was assured that I would do it this time, given the fact that I have practiced beforehand and tried to overcome my fear. The minute I preformed, I felt a tinge of nervousness, but then It was like I was preforming to myself, not scared at all. I was confident enough and because of this I did a good job and the judges loved it. This made me realize that once you set your mind on something, even if you fail it once, you can always achieve it. If you have the will to do it, you will succeed. The second thing I realized was that you should always, ALWAYS make sure you are prepared for any situation that may arise, even if you think you know how to handle it. After all, practice makes perfect. This has made me believe that I should never give up on where I want to study, and even if I don’t get accepted the first time, I can work harder and apply again, I have nothing to loose. I should believe in myself and prepare myself for what’s ahead and will hopefully succeed.

Doomed From the Start Essay -- Harper Lee Kill Mockingbird Essays

Doomed From the Start Throughout the course of history, blacks have always been second to the whites. Even after the Civil War, segregation and racists groups were at large. During this time, white men were disrespectful towards black men. Groups like the K.K.K. wanted nothing less than white supremacy, and they would stop at nothing to obtain this goal. Many blacks were lynched, or even killed only because of the color of their skin. The following are examples of this; the Scottsboro case, lynching by the Klan, and many forms of segregation from the 1920’s till 1930’s. Also in Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson never has a chance to plead innocent because of his black skin. During the 1930’s, nine young black men were falsely accused of raping two white women on a freight train near Paint Rock, Alabama. Ruby Bates and Victoria Price accused Charlie Weems, Ozie Powell, Clarence Norris, Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Haywood Patterson, Andy and Roy Wright, and Eugene Williams of this crime. The boys were arrested on March 25, 1931. All but Roy Wright were sentenced to the death penalty. They were all convicted on very little evidence. It came down to two white women’s words against the black men’s. After many lawyers failed to win the defendant’s release in 1936, a plea bargain was arranged where four of the defendants were released. However, the remaining five continued to carry out their sentence. Because there was no real evidence to keep them in jail, the last defendant was freed in 1950 (Kelly 1-2). After the Civil War, lynching was practiced by the K.K.K. Lynching is the legal execution of a person by a mob. On November 7, 1837, Elijah Parish Lovejoy, the editor of the Al... ...he balcony. This proved that the whites thought that they were better than any black man. Finally, the jury was all white. Since a white man would never believe a black man word over a white women’s word, Tom Robinson just like the Scottsboro Boys, were doomed from the start. Work Cited Kelly, Robin. "The Case of The "Scottsboro Boys"." Online posting. 23 Jun.1996. . 12 March, 2001. <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/scottsboro.html>. Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1982. Reich, Steve. "Implementation of Segregation." Online posting. 22 Feb.1996. . 12 March, 2001. <http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~south/archives/threads/segregation.html>. Simkin, John. "Lynching." Online posting. . . 12 March, 2001. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAlynching.htm>.

The Importance of Having Dreams

Dreams! Goals! Ideals! They all mean the same. These things are what fill every human alive. They are part of life and human nature. We all have the inbred desire for a good life. Dreams are vital to the life of every person. Without dreams, there is nothing to plan or look forward to; therefore, no reason to live. Dreams are what keep each and every one of us going. The definition of a dream is ‘hope’; an inspiration; an aim. Every human being dreams, the dreams differ greatly from person to person, some being small while others unrealistically large. But why is it important?Dreams keep us going – motivating us to never give up on life. You may say you don’t have a dream, however, that’s impossible – just by wanting to have something can also be considered as a chimera. Whenever you start to give up on life your dreams will become your energy drink that will keep you going. Living a life is like running a marathon. You run halfway and start t o feel your muscles tensing then after a few runs you start to give up – exactly how life works. Life isn’t just filled with rainbows and gumdrops; it will never be filled with just happiness.Like in a marathon you will experience some bumpy rounds that will pulls you down, the bumpy roads that will cause you to think of giving up. However, in running a long distance race there will always be a place to get some refreshments, refreshments that will give you a boost [ think of Popeye when he eats spinach, he becomes macho and starts to save the damsel in distress ]. If you relate it with life, those refreshments are represented by your dreams – chimeras that power you up to never be trampled down by despair and urge to give up.Dreams give meaning to our lives and making us who we are. Have you ever felt so lifeless as if nothing around you ever mattered? Or the feeling of boredom and uselessness that questions you at the back of your mind about your existence? We ll I did, and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I felt as if I was being sucked in a pit of emptiness. I felt so empty, alone and weak. I even questioned myself why I was alive and it even came to the point when it didn’t matter to me if I die. Fortunately, does days didn’t last long.When the thought of my dreams came to mind I realized what life actually means to me. It gave me a different view of life; telling me that I can’t die not until I achieve my dreams. Furthermore, our chimera makes us who we are. Everyone has a different dream and these dreams are what influence our whole lives. Without dreams a person has no motivation – there would be no point in going to school or getting a job, since no one would dream of having a career or family. Dreams are what motivates us and keeps us going through the hard times.We dream of something better than we presently have and it is a dream like having a successful job and a family; that motivate us to succe ed in achieving our goals. â€Å"Men are born to succeed, not fail. â€Å", said by Henry David Thoreau. Our chimeras are there to make sure that we succeed in life. We created them to give us hope and to aim for a better life in the future. We strive harder each day for the sake of fulfilling our dreams so that one day we can proudly tell ourselves that we have no more regrets in life. You wouldn’t want to die with regrets right?Since you might not be happy in your next life filled with regrets in not being able to achieve any of your dreams. Did you know that dreams can turn a lifeless criminal into one of the most hardworking man that you’ve ever met? Dreams are powerful things, especially when you believe and put your heart in them. Dreams change as we get older and some are less important than others, but no matter how trivial or small the dreams are, they are still important since it brings some sense into our lives, giving it some sort of purpose. Without thes e dreams our lives would be empty and meaningless.

Fraud Case

THE NATION’S NEWSPAPER BS2003-01b Collegiate Case Study Adelphia founder, 2 sons, 2 others arrested in fraud By David Lieberman and Greg Farrell www. usatodaycollege. com Accounting fraud Part II: The results â€Å"Creative accounting† is not a new technique, but it can certainly be a costly one. Businesses feel the pressure to appear profitable in order to attract investors and resources, but deceptive or fraudulent accounting practices often lead to drastic consequences. Are these so-called creative practices always illegal or can they ever be justified? This case study will present examples of companies who have used inappropriate accounting practices, the results of their deceptions and the government's plan to avoid future incidents. WorldCom scandal brings subpoenas, condmnation By Andrew Backover and Thor Vladmanis Andersen’s partners chart firm’s future today By Greg Farrell Client-starved Arthur Andersen cuts 7,000 jobs By Greg Farrell Dominoes hit WorldCom partners, clients By Michelle Kessler Adelphia plans to file Chapter 11 Cable firm expected to seek bankruptcy protection today NEW YORK — The waiting should be over today. Adelphia Communications plans to file for bankruptcy protection, nearly three months after the onceproud No. 6 cable operator first disclosed dealings with the family of founder John Rigas that turned it into a symbol of corporate scandal. The company is expected to announce that it has raised as much as $1. 5 billion from banks led by J. P. Morgan Chase and Citigroup to keep operating while a bankruptcy judge decides how creditors will be paid. A Chapter 11 filing — the biggest in cable history — could help efforts to find a buyer for some, or all, of Adelphia's systems, which serve 5. 7 million subscribers. The court can protect an acquirer from unexpected liabilities, including those stemming from several shareholder lawsuits and investigations into Adelphia's finances by two grand juries and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company could pay off its estimated $19 billion in debt if it can sell systems for $3,500 per subscriber, roughly the industr y norm. But stockholders could lose their entire investments. Adelphia shares closed Friday at 15 cents in over-the-counter trading. Case Study Expert: John D. Martin, Ph. D. Professor of Finance, Baylor University USA TODAY Snapshots ® Politicians role in monitoring business Opinion leaders1 say government should be more involved in oversight and regulation of private enterprise2: 52% 45% Agree Disagree Source: Edelman Public Relations Worldwide/ StrategyOne Research survey of 400 respondents. 1 – College educated 35- to 64-year-olds with household incomes of more than $100,000 2 – Does not add up to 100% due to rounding By Darryl Haralson Marcy E. E. Mullins, USA TODAY By Darryl Haralson andand Marcy Mullins, USA TODAY Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2002 And a sale may devastate Coudersport, Pa. , where Adelphia is headquartered. It's by far the largest employer in the rural, mountain town of 3,000. Meanwhile, Adelphia will tr y to reassure its subscribers. â€Å"Adelphia is committed to reversing its admittedly difficult present financial situation,† it wrote last week to 3,500 franchise officials. â€Å"Most importantly, there should be no change in service to Adelphia customers as a result of these developments. † Adelphia's downfall began on March 27, when it disclosed that a Rigas family partnership had borrowed $2. billion using company assets as collateral. The amount has since been raised to $3. 1 billion. That stunned analysts, who believed that the operator was already too deeply in debt. Barraged with questions, Adelphia put off release of its 2001 annual report. More questions were raised when it was confirmed that the SEC was investigating. As the stock plummeted, Nasdaq weighed delisting Adelphia shares. T hat took effect on June 3. After acknowledging that it would have to restate its earnings, Adelphia put several cable systems on the block. The company defaulted on bank loans and failed to make interest payments on bonds. And Rigas and sons Timothy, Michael and James were forced to relinquish their jobs and board seats. Then new interim CEO Erland Kailbourne stunned company watchers by disclosing a series of cases where the Rigas family allegedly used Adelphia for private gain. Among other things, the company paid for their apartments in New York, built a golf course on Rigas-owned land, helped the purchase of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team, created a Rigas-run investment firm and subsidized a documentary film. Cover story Adelphia founder, 2 sons, 2 others arrested in fraud Investigators say company was ‘personal piggy bank' By David Lieberman and Greg Farrell USA TODAY NEW YORK — For 50 years, John Rigas lived the American Dream. Half a century ago, the son of Greek immigrants left a job making TV picture tubes at Sylvania. The World War II veteran bought a small movie house and a newfangled business — a cable TV company — in the remote town of Coudersport, Pa. , and was on his way to making a fortune. But his oversized ambitions led him this week into an American Nightmare. Wednesday, Manhattan U. S. Attorney James Comey accused 77-year-old Rigas and two sons — Timothy and Michael — with â€Å"one of the largest and most egregious frauds ever perpetrated on investors and creditors. † Rigas attorneys were unavailable for comment. With TV cameras capturing the humiliating moment, the founder of Adelphia Communications, the No. 6 U. S. cable company, was led away in handcuffs here. He became the first CEO arrested in the latest wave of corporate accounting scandals and the most vivid symbol of whitecollar crime since Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky in the 1980s. Two other former Adelphia executives, James Brown and Michael Mulcahey, were picked up in Coudersport. Later in the day, Adelphia itself — which filed for bankruptcy-court protection last month — charged Rigas and his family with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, in a filing in Federal Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 2 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2002 Bankruptcy Court in New York. The Rigases could be forced to pay three times any damages the court finds. The lawsuit alleges about $1 billion in damages. Behind their â€Å"small-town facade,† the Adelphia lawsuit says, the Rigases â€Å"used their domination and control of Adelphia, and their isolation from the scrutiny of the outside world, to engage in one of the largest schemes of selfdealing and financial wrongdoing in American corporate history. † The Justice Department and the U. S. Postal Inspection Service charged the five executives with securities, wire and bank fraud, saying they â€Å"looted Adelphia on a massive scale† and used it as a â€Å"personal piggy bank. Rigas private funds sloshed with Adelphia's in the same cashmanagement system. A U. S. judge set bail for the Rigases at $10 million apiece, secured by cash and property. Allegations against the Rigases range from big schemes to hide financial problems at the cable company to relatively small-scale thievery. For example, Timothy was accused of using a company jet for an African safari vacation in 2000. Adelphia's lawsuit adds that John's daughter, Ellen, used company planes to bring guests to her wedding to Peter Venetis, who became an Adelphia board member. The couple's cozy position enabled them to save $150,000 since 1998: They lived rent-free in two Adelphia-owned apartments on Manhattan's swank Upper East Side, the lawsuit says. In less than four years, the Rigases â€Å"stole hundreds of millions of dollars, and through their fraud (and) caused losses to investors of more than $60 billion,† Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson says. The defendants could face jail time in the criminal case. By filing a complaint instead of a full-fledged indictment, the grand juries weighing evidence in the case can remain empaneled to approve charges against others. They have 10 days to indict those arrested, and 20 days to charge others. Also Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit in U. S. District Court that's similar to the criminal complaint, and includes a third Rigas son, James. The SEC would bar the defendants from serving any publicly owned company. It also wants them and Adelphia to pay restitution and fines. Adelphia said in a statement that the claim against it would â€Å"only have the effect of further penalizing the company's stakeholders who were the victims of the Rigas' improper conduct. The Adelphia cases are low-hanging fruit for prosecutors eager to show that they're getting tough on white-collar criminals. â€Å"This is an old fashioned hand-in-the-till case that's easier to prosecute than an esoteric fraud like Enron,† says Jack Coffee, who teaches securities law at Columbia University. â€Å"To prosecute Enron, you're going to have to teach the jury an intermediate college course i n accounting. † Jacob Frenkel of Smith Gambrell and Russell agrees. â€Å"This could be sexiest of all the cases,† he says. â€Å"Here, you're talking about corporate looting. Every guilty disposition arising out of this indictment should become a show-andtell in all business schools as the antithesis of public company management and stewardship. † Talking tough, getting tough The arrests came as House and Senate negotiators agreed on tough measures, including jail time, for executives convicted of fraud. And Wall Street was impressed after weeks of growing fearfulness about a possible tsunami of corporate scandals. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 489 points Wednesday. That's the second biggest one-day point gain ever. That contrasts with the 179-point drop on July 9, when President Bush called for a new era of corporate responsibility. The arrests aren't â€Å"about Democrats and Republicans,† says Lynn Turner, former chief accountant of the SEC under President Clinton. â€Å"This is about investors, and they like what they're seeing now. † Even people who aren't obsessed with stocks seem to like the idea of big shots getting a comeuppance. â€Å"We are angry, and we have every right to be angry,† says futurist and consumer expert Marian Salzman of Euro RSCG Worldwide. There's a feeling that we need to kick out the evil-doers in the industry. † But some might recoil at the image of a dignified old man being led before the cameras in handcuffs. â€Å"They're actually going to look sympathetic,† says Robin Cohn, author of The PR Crisis Bible. â€Å"Why would you Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 3 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, THURSDAY, JU LY 25, 2002 handcuff an old man? He's not a murderer and a rapist. That's not to say they aren't crooks. But I think the public would rather see somebody they know in handcuffs — like (former Enron CEO) Ken Lay. And the incident could make the government look somewhat silly, she says. â€Å"I can't imagine Saturday Night Live not doing anything with this. † Corporate crime is in the spotlight these days. Last month, federal prosecutors arrested former ImClone CEO Sam Waksal on charges of illegal trading on inside information and obstruction of justice. Their investigation has expanded to include friends and family of Waksal, who also might have illegally traded on inside information about ImClone last December. Investigators are trying to determine whether any inside information was passed to Waksal's friend Martha Stewart, who sold her ImClone stock just before a Food and Drug Administration announcement, denying an application to market a cancer-fighting drug, drove the stock price down. In coming months, the Justice Department is expected to charge top executives of Enron and WorldCom with fraud. The department's Enron Task Force won one court battle last month when a Houston jury found auditor Arthur Andersen criminally guilty of obstruction of justice. It appears, though, that officials wanted to start off with a bang as they arrested the Rigases. â€Å"What's unusual here is the level of detail included in the criminal complaint, and the number of defendants arrested simultaneously,† says former prosecutor Robert Mintz, now at McCarter & English. â€Å"Usually, the government builds a case slowly, with eventual defections among defendants. Here, it has leveled a wide range of allegations against upper management. That suggests that the government believes it has strong case and that they expect a rush to the prosecutor's door by defendants who will vie to strike deals. The cases build on information that began to come out in late March. Adelphia disclosed then that the Rigases had used assets of the already debt-heavy company to secure loans to private, family-run partnerships. That borrowing is now put at $3. 1 billion. Independent directors forced the Rigases out of their executive positions and board seats, installing f ormer banker Erland Kailbourne as interim CEO. When they investigated the company's condition, they found and disclosed case after case in which the Rigases made no distinction between their personal funds and businesses and Adelphia's. Bad news gets worse But Adelphia was already in a tailspin. Investors lost confidence. Auditors refused to certify the company's financial reports. And lenders cut it off, leading the company to miss interest and dividend payments. Among the charges leading to the Rigases' arrest: u That the family began using Adelphia as collateral for private loans in 1996, even though the company â€Å"was one of the largest junk bond issuers in the United States. † Investors weren't told. u That the Rigases secretly inflated Adelphia's cable TV subscription numbers to make investors think it was still growing at a healthy pace. In 2000 they began to count subscribers from systems in Brazil and Venezuela, where Adelphia owns a minority stake. In 2001, Adelphia began adding customers who just ordered high-speed Internet services from the Rigases' non-Adelphia systems. And earlier this year, they folded in people who ordered home security services from Adelphia. u That they used accounting legerdemain to disguise Adelphia's actual expenses for digital decoder boxes. In 2001 the company claimed that it sold 525,000 boxes for $101 million to an unaudited Rigas-owned company that has no cable systems. That, starting in 2000, Adelphia spent $13 million to build a golf club on land mostly owned by John Rigas. u That in 1999, they told analysts that Adelphia could provide two-way communications to 50% of its customers. The real number was 35%. u And that the Rigases took more than $252 million from Adelphia to pay for margin calls on their purchases as the company's stock price fell. Contributing: Michael McCarthy R eprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 4 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY NEWS SECTION, FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2002 WorldCom scandal brings subpoenas, condemnation Accounting rumors rattle Wall Street By Andrew Backover and Thor Valdmanis USA TODAY The accounting scandal that enveloped WorldCom reverberated through Wall Street and Washington on Thursday. u Congress subpoenaed top WorldCom executives. u President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill separately railed at corporate wrongdoers. u Unfounded rumors of accounting problems hit stocks of other companies. WorldCom on Tuesday revealed what could be one of the biggest accounting frauds ever. Company officials said $3. billion in expenses had been hidden in financial statements, inflating profits in 2001 and the first quarter of 2002. The Securities and Exchange Commission has since charged WorldCom with fraud. Bush, at an economic summit in Canada, said he is concerned about the economic impact from â€Å"some corporate leaders who have not upheld their responsibility. † O'Neill, a former chief executive of Alcoa, said in an interv iew on ABC's Good Morning America that the people responsible should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. WorldCom has raised fears and rumors about more business accounting scandals. Trading was halted for General Motors stock Thursday afternoon because of rumors of accounting irregularities. GM said they were untrue. Broadcast giant Clear Channel Communications denied it is under an SEC investigation, yet its stock fell almost 13%. The House Financial Services Committee set a July 8 hearing into the WorldCom case. Subpoenas went to: u Current WorldCom CEO John Sidgmore. u Former chief financial officer Scott Sullivan, who was fired this week. * Former WorldCom chief executive Bernie Ebbers, who was ousted in April and who owes WorldCom $408 million for personal loans. Salomon Smith Barney telecom analyst Jack Grubman. Once one of WorldCom's most bullish supporters on Wall Street, he has been criticized for possible conflicts of interest. His firm collected millions of dollars in fees as a WorldCom financial adviser. WorldCom spokesman Brad Burns declined comment on whether Sidgmore would invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. Ebbers and Sullivan couldn 't be reached. Salomon says Grubman â€Å"will fully cooperate. † And there could be more investigations. The House Energy and Commerce Committee told WorldCom to turn over financial records by July 11. WorldCom, strained by $30 billion in debt, will cut 17,000 jobs, or 21% of its workers, starting today. Workers will get severance pay, Burns says. Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 5 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2002 Andersen's partners chart firm's future today By Greg Farrell USA TODAY NEW YORK — Arthur Andersen's U. S. partners will huddle in a nationwide teleconference today to determine the firm's immediate future. At issue: who should lead the firm's U. S. operations on an interim basis, and what steps Andersen should take to remain in business. According to senior partners briefed on the meeting's agenda, Andersen's 1,700 U. S. par tners will decide whether to ask Paul Volcker to assume control of Andersen's domestic operations. In February, Andersen CEO Joseph Berardino asked the former Federal Reserve chairman to head an oversight board dedicated to fixing the firm. A month later, a federal grand jur y indicted Andersen on a charge of obstruction of justice for its role in shredding Enron documents last October. Friday, in a last-ditch effort to stanch client depar tures and restore confidence in Andersen, Volcker offered to lead Andersen if its top par tners asked him. On Tuesday, Berardino resigned. Managing partner C. E. Andrews will meet with Volcker today to discuss his takeover plan. While many obser vers think Volcker's arrival could persuade the J ustice Depar tment to drop the indictment, some Andersen partners are wary of being the subject of an idealistic experiment in transforming the accounting industry. The partners will also discuss, and probably adopt, a â€Å"Renaissance† program aimed at returning Andersen to its roots as a highly regarded auditing firm. This proposal, supported by Andrews, has gained support among older partners who want to stay and rebuild the firm. In other developments: u At federal cour t in Houston, Contributing: Thor Valdmanis J ustice Depar tment lawyers will respond to Andersen's motion to halt further grand jury testimony prior to a May 6 trial. If Judge Melinda Harmon sides with Andersen, it will make the government's obstruction of justice case against Andersen more difficult to win. u Andersen's top global partners will meet Tuesday in London to pick an interim CEO. Andersen's global operations continue to fragment. Its Japanese affiliate, Asahi & Co. , announced plans to merge this fall with rival KPMG. Andersen has also discussed selling affiliates to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Wednesday night, Deloitte spokesman Matthew Batters suggested the firm was only interested in hiring individual Andersen partners and picking up clients leaving the firm. Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 6 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2002 Client-starved Arthur Andersen cuts 7,000 jobs Long expected, layoffs offer first tangible sign of firm's distress By Greg Farrell USA TODAY WorldCom has engaged in what could be one of the bArthur Andersen fired one partner in January for his role in shredding Enron documents. On Monday, the auditing firm announced it will lay off 7,000 of its 26,000 U. S. employees because of the consequences of that shredding. The job cuts at Andersen have been expected for weeks, ever since the Justice Department unsealed an indictment against the firm for its role in destroying its paperwork just as a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into Enron was about to begin. Since the indictment, unsealed on March 14, scores of clients have deserted Andersen. As Andersen partners leave the firm for opportunities at other Big Five rivals, more clients are expected to migrate. So far, Andersen has weathered the crisis without filing for bankruptcy protection. But the layoffs, announced Monday, are the first tangible sign of financial distress at the firm. Of the 7,000 employees being let go, the vast majority are auditing staffers and managers, as well as administrative personnel. A small number of Andersen's 1,700 U. S. partners are also being let go. According to managing partner Grover Wray, most partners are still needed to serve Andersen's remaining clients. Rather than hand out severance checks to laid-off employees, Wray says Andersen is implementing a program called â€Å"salary continuation. † nder this plan, laid-off workers will continue to be paid for a certain number of weeks, depending on how long they've been with the firm. During that period, these employees will keep their benefits and be free to use their office space to search for new jobs. We are trying to treat our people with a level of dignity,† Wray says. In addition to client defections, Andersen also faces major liabilities for the role it played in Enron's collapse into bankruptcy last fall. Plaintiffs lawyer Bill Lerach filed an expanded complaint Monday against Andersen and former Enron managers in federal court in Houston. But the expanded lawsuit, on behalf of a major Enron shareholder — the Unive rsity of California system — adds nine Wall Street investment banks and two law firms to the list of defendants. Representatives from the banks — JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, CS First Boston, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Lehman Bros. — either declined comment on Monday or denied the complaint's allegations of complicity in Enron's collapse. Notably, Lerach's complaint leaves out two key players in Enron's demise — Michael Kopper, who headed some of the special purpose entities that kept Enron liabilities off the company's balance sheet, and Ben Glisan, the former Enron treasurer accused of facilitating some of Enron's dubious accounting practices. Glisan is now believed to be cooperating with the Justice Department probe of Enron's activities. Lerach would not comment on whether the pair supplied his investigators with information. But Larry Finder, a former U. S. Attorney now in private practice in Houston, doubts either is helping Lerach. Finder says that if either of them is providing information, it would be to the Justice Department first, where they face criminal liability. And the Justice Department wouldn't necessarily welcome a decision by a witness to cooperate in civil litigation. Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 7 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2002 Dominoes hit WorldCom partners, clients Unpleasant ripple effect also spreads to vendors, charities, sponsored events By Michelle Kessler USA TODAY The WB television network, PGA Tour and Texas Parks and Wildlife service aren't in telecom, but they've already been hurt by the WorldCom scandal. That's because they all did business with WorldCom, as did thousands of other companies. Now they're all trying to figure out where they stand with the struggling giant — and coming up with backup plans. This is not going to be pleasant for a lot of companies,† says Kerry Adler, CEO of WorldCom customer Webhelp. Among those affected: u V e n d o r s . WorldCom repor ted that its capital expenditures dropped 42% to about $1. 3 billion in the first quarter from a year ago, yet it remained a big customer for many telecom equipment makers. While it's unclear how accurate WorldCom's numbers are becaus e of the accounting scandal, what is clear is that its spending has slowed. The hardest hit is Juniper Networks, says Banc of America Securities analyst Christopher Crespi. WorldCom provided about 10% of Juniper's annual revenue, including â€Å"less than $7 million† this quarter, Juniper says. If WorldCom stops buying, that could dampen Juniper's forecast for the year. â€Å"It could easily subtract $50 million or $60 million off their top line,† says Soundview Technology analyst Ryan Molloy. Customers Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks and Redback Networks could also get stung, but WorldCom accounts for just a small percentage of total sales, says U. S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray analyst Edward Jackson. All telecom equipment makers could be affected in coming months, even if they didn't do business directly with WorldCom, analysts say. WorldCom was known for buying the latest, most high-tech equipment, forcing competitors to do the same if they wanted to keep up. With WorldCom out of the picture, spending could lag. u Contractors. In 1999, when consulting firm EDS signed an 11-year, $6. 4 billion contract to provide technology services to WorldCom, telecom was a growing industry. EDS is stuck with the deal and a related pledge to buy $6 billion worth of telecom services during that period. Now, EDS says it no longer wants to spend that much with WorldCom. It's in talks to work out a deal. RMH Teleservices has a five-year contract to provide customer service for WorldCom's MCI division. That accounted for 19. 5% of RMH's revenue from October to March. â€Å"While we cannot predict the future . . . we expect to continue to provide these services for MCI,† RMH leader John Fellows said in a statement. u Business partners. Last year, WorldCom pledged to buy millions of dollars in advertising from AOL Time Warner over several years. The exact terms were not disclosed. Now, that deal could be off, meaning fewer ads for Time magazine, cable's TBS and the WB television network. WorldCom also provides service to the company's AOL Internet division. AOL says it has backup providers in case WorldCom service is disrupted. Satellite cable provider DirecTV is holding meetings to determine how to handle its 4-month-old partnership with WorldCom. WorldCom was to provide the underlying network for part of DirecTV's high-speed Internet access service. Similar questions are being asked at Internet Security Systems, a software company that agreed in May to provide security services to WorldCom customers. The value of the two deals was not disclosed. * Sponsored events. Last week's Fourth of July fireworks Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 8 AS SEEN IN USA TODAY MONEY SECTION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2002 celebration on the Mall in Washington was supposed to be paid for by WorldCom, which has sponsored part of the festivities for five years. But the company pulled out. The National Parks Foundation scrambled to find new funding from AT. Also in Washington, the MCI Center arena might soon be looking for a new sponsor and name. The WorldCom Classic, an annual PGA Tour stop in Hilton Head, S. C. , is in the same situation. u Charities. Each month, about 10,000 teachers receive free training in math, science and the arts from the MarcoPolo project, which is sponsored by WorldCom's charity arm. Now, program administrators and partners — including the National Geographic Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science and The Kennedy Center — are tr ying to make the proj ect independent of the struggling company. Last week, they pulled WorldCom's logos from the MarcoPolo Web site. They're applying to make it a â€Å"public charity,† says Caleb Schutz, president of WorldCom Foundation. There's a lot to lose if the company . . . pulled the plug. † For now, WorldCom still funds MarcoPolo. u Customers. The Texas Parks and Wildlife department spent last week printing temporary fishing and hunting licenses as a quick contingency plan. The department relies on a WorldCom computer network to transmit license information to 2,500 vendors. †Å"We certainly have to consider what might happen to our contract,† says Suzy Whittenton, a wildlife director. Webhelp, which outsources customer service for companies such as Microsoft, uses WorldCom to connect its overseas technology specialists with help-seekers in the USA. Because of a contract, Webhelp can't switch providers but was forced to get a backup provider in case WorldCom fails. That means twice the bills. â€Å"It's expensive, and at the end of the day, our clients pay for that,† says CEO Adler. Reprinted with permission. All rights reser ved. Page 9 Behind the Story: A Reporter’s Notebook The collapse of Enron and WorldCom, precipitated by revelations that both companies had misrepresented how profitable they were, threatens the health of the the nation’s stock markets. If investors can’t believe earnings numbers issued by the biggest companies in the USA, they won’t put their money into the market. And when investors take their money out of the market, as they’ve been doing for more than two years, businesses suffer. They can’t invest, they can’t grow as quickly and they can’t afford to hire more people. Greg Farrell Money reporter USA TODAY As the Enron and WorldCom examples demonstrate, there’s no room in a public marketplace for â€Å"creative accounting. † Once a few cheaters are revealed, the integrity of the entire marketplace is open to question. Greg Farrell is a reporter in USA TODAY’s Money section. He writes about fraud and white collar crime. In the past year, he has been reporting on Enron, Arthur Andersen, Martha Stewart and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Page 10 For discussion ADELPHIA PLANS TO FILE CHAPTER 11; ADELPHIA FOUNDER, 2 SONS, 2 OTHERS ARRESTED IN FRAUD (LIEBERMAN AND FARRELL) 1. Adelphia Corporation was the sixth largest cable company at the time of its collapse. The company was accused of a number of fraudulent activities including the manipulation of its financial reports. Specifically, the firm was accused of misreporting its cable subscription numbers in order to give the impression that the firm was growing faster than it was. For example, they counted subscribers from systems in Brazil and Venezuela where the company owns a minority stake in the company’s total subscribers. They also counted customers who ordered high-speed Internet services from companies owned by the Rigas family and clients that ordered home security services from Adelphia. Why would Adelphia’s management engage in what appears to be blatant misrepresentation of their number of subscribers? 2. When CEO John Regas of Adelphia was led away in handcuffs on racketeering charges, some complained that the justice department was making too public a display of its tough stance on white-collar crime. This type of treatment is normally associated with murderers and rapists. How do you feel about the importance of making a public spectacle of white-collar criminals? 3. The Adelphia lawsuit stated that the Rigases â€Å"used their domination and control of Adelphia, and their isolation from the scrutiny of the outside world, to engage in one of the largest schemes of self-dealing and financial wrong doing in American corporate history. Financial economists refer to this type of behavior as an agency cost since corporate executives are the agents of the firm’s owners or principals. How can stockholders protect themselves from the potential for self-dealing by corporate executives? ANDERSEN’S PARTNERS CHART FIRM’S FUTURE TODAY (FARRELL) 1. Arthur Andersen was once the premier public accounting firm but a string of high profile financial reporting disasters that culminated with the failure of Enron caused the demise of the once proud firm. Andersen’s failure highlights the fact that the principal asset of a public accounting firm is the firm’s reputation. Once the firm’s â€Å"credibility† is challenged its clients are no longer willing to pay for its auditing services. What is it that a public accounting firm does that requires it to have a sterling reputation for honesty? 2. Anderson’s initial lay off was 7,000 of its 26,000 employees before the firm completely collapsed and all employees lost their jobs. However, all of Andersen’s clients still needed auditing services so in many instances the employees continued to audit the same firms they had audited for Andersen, just for another auditing firm. If the employees just moved from one firm to another, was there really a layoff? Did Andersen employees really suffer from the demise of Arthur Andersen? Isn’t this also true of the Adelphia, Enron, and WorldCom employees? For more information, log on to http://www. usatodaycollege. com Page 11 Future implications WORLDCOM SCANDAL BRINGS SUBPOENAS, CONDEMNATION (BACKOVER AND VALDMANIS); DOMINOS HIT WORLDCOM PARTNERS, CLIENTS (KESSLER) The financial press coverage of the failures of Adelphia, Enron, and WorldCom have focused principally on stockholders who have lost everything they invested and creditors who stand to lose a portion of what they have loaned the company. However, other important consequences of these high profile failures are often overlooked including: (1) the financial and emotional losses suffered by employees who lose their jobs and face the prospect of a lengthy period of unemployment and possibly the dislocation costs of moving to another community to find work, (2) the local community public services and school systems who lose valuable tax revenues, and (3) the budget crises created for local charities and the arts that depend on corporate contributions for their continued survival. Bankruptcy courts focus on the contractual obligations of the firm to creditors and suppliers. It has been argued that the corporation is a â€Å"guest† of the society and as such has obligations to the entire web of stakeholders that have a financial stake in the firm’s survival. Should the claims of these â€Å"silent stakeholders† also be considered when a firm fails? About The Expert John D. Martin,Ph. D. Professor of Finance Carr P. Collins Chair Hankamer School of Business Baylor University From 1980 until 1998 John Martin taught at the University of Texas at Austin where he was the Margaret and Eugene McDermott Centennial Professor of Finance. Currently holding the Carr P. Collins Chair in Finance at Baylor University in Waco, Dr. Martin teaches corporate finance and financial modeling. His research interests are in corporate governance, the evaluation of firm performance, and the design of incentive compensation programs. Dr. Martin publishes widely in both academic and professional journals. Included among his academic publications are papers in the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Finance, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Financial Management, and Management Science. Professional publications include papers in Directors and Boards, Financial Analysts' Journal, Journal of Portfolio Management, and Bank of America Journal of Applied Corporate Finance. u Dr. Martin co-authors several books including the following: u Financial Management, 9th edition (Prentice Hall Publishing Company) u Foundations of Finance, 4th Edition (Prentice Hall Publishing Company) u Financial Analysis (McGraw Hill Publishing Company) u The Theory of Finance (Dryden Press) Dr. Martin consults with a number of firms including Citgo, Hewlett Packard, Shell Chemical, Shell E, Texas Instruments and The Associates. Additional resources Working Paper Series — Financial Engineering, Corporate Governance, and the Collapse of Enron http://www. be. udel. edu/ccg/research_files/CCGWP2002-1. pdf For more information, log on to http://www. usatodaycollege. com Page 12

The Pieta by Michelangelo

The Pieta by Michelangelo Free Online Research Papers At 22, a relatively unknown artist by the name of Michelangelo created a marble sculpture that continues to be seen by people around the world in the Vatican City of Rome. This piece named The Pieta has been sculpted from a single slab of marble from the Pits of Carrara. In Germany during the 13th-Century, the earliest representation of The Pieta was created into a polychromed wood sculpture. In Italy during the 14th-Century, The Pieta was mostly painted on side panels of altarpieces devoted to the Passion. In 1498, Michelangelo was commissioned to do a life size representation of The Pieta measuring 1.74m x 1.95m. He sculpted four versions, but only finished one. It took him two years to finish this magnificent sculpture. His interpretation of the Pieta was far different than the ones created previously by other artists. Various painters and sculptures have created the Pieta, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of her son Jesus Christ after his death, in many different forms. In Michelangelo’s Pieta, the Virgin Mary is seen as a youthful, serene, and celestial young woman indifferent to the classic style of a broken-hearted, old woman. This is especially important when you consider that the sculpture is of a mother holding her dying son in her arms. To emphasize Mary’s empowerment over her son’s dead body, Michelangelo sculpted her very large and angelic like, with her clothing draping down like a waterfall. Her son, who just suffered through the crucifixion, seems to show no signs of the Passion as his face is serene and absent of any facial wounds. The only signs that the crucifixion actually took place are that of the wounds on his side, hands and feet. Michelangelos work always gives me a very pleasant feeling when I look at it. He shares his opinions through his work without any regret. Michelangelos sculpture of The Pieta depicts a very informal view of Mary holding Jesus Christ after his death. The overall mood of the sculpture is very enlightening and angelic. If I had no idea who these two people are in the sculpture, I would look at this picture and see a loving mother holding her dying son in her arms. The warmth in Marys eyes pulls you down to her son’s body, and then the draping around the bottom pulls you down to the floor. The cloth that is draped over Mary and over the bottom of the sculpture looks almost real. The softness and the detail of it make you believe that you are seeing the real thing. In conclusion, I believe that The Pieta by Michelangelo is one of his most magnificent pieces of sculpture. All elements of the compositionthe position of the left arm of Jesus, the angles formed by his knees, and the folds of Marys draperywork toward a gentle unity of design that contrasts sharply with earlier versions of the subject. I believe that Michelangelos Pieta transformed the late medieval devotional image into a monumental statement on the meaning of Christian Sacrifice. This magnificent sculpture will be seen throughout the future as a very influential and inspirational piece of artwork. Research Papers on The Pieta by MichelangeloMind TravelHip-Hop is ArtAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Spring and Autumn19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Fifth HorsemanMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Hockey GameAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings

Why You Should Stop Smiling So Much at Work

Why You Should Stop Smiling So Much at Work Everybody knows it’s useful to smile and be positive, especially in an interview situation- and even sometimes when speaking on the phone. But there is such a thing, if you can believe it, as smiling too much. Studies suggest that people who appear super, super happy all the time can often appear naà ¯ve. Or people assume that extremely happy people tend to be overly trusting and shelter themselves from negative realities.That’s a problem. But the bigger problem is that people in your office might be more apt to take advantage of you if they think they simply can. You might be used to help a coworker look better at your expense, or you might get more easily exploited when it comes time to divvy up projects and tasks.You should also try and cut back on the smile wattage in the interview process as well- just to be safe. Don’t be negative or cold in any way, but maybe don’t go in grinning ear to ear and keep it up for the entire process.Try to find a happy medium between a big wide grin and a joyless pout. Don’t be so animated that you overwhelm people and make it seem like you’re performing. But don’t be so closed off that you risk not showing your enthusiasm and warmth.Find a happy medium and you should be a-okay.

Acquisition strategies in the plastic pipes industry - the case of Dissertation

Acquisition strategies in the plastic pipes industry - the case of Wavin Group - Dissertation Example One of the most important challenges for modern organizations has been the identification of the strategies that can help towards the stabilization of the organizational performance – either in the short or the long firm. Acquisitions have been proved an effective strategic tool for the support of a firm’s position in its market. However, the success of acquisitions is not always guaranteed; there is always the risk of failures especially if the relevant plans are not well designed or in case they are not effectively executed. For this reason, it would be wise for strategic managers to use acquisitions along with other strategic options in order to secure the stabilization (at a first level) and the growth of a particular organization. An indicative example of such methodology is the strategic framework used by AXA (Consultancy Firm) when handling the re-structuring of PWPipe – a leading firm in the plastic pipes industry of USA; in the case of PWPipe the consult ants of AXA decided to implement primarily a series of strategies for supporting the firm’s existing operations – this was mainly achieved through the update of the firm’s IT systems; at the next level, acquisitions were used in order to stabilize the firm’s growth (AMX International, 2011). The proposed study focuses on the use of acquisitions as strategic option by firms in the plastic pipes industry; reference is particularly made to Wavin Group, a key player in the global plastic pipes industry.... h firm, aiming to increase its influence within the global market (Builders Merchant Journal, 2007, Wavin Labko, 2008); in 2010, the expansion of the firm was continued through the acquisition of the Swedish firm KWH Pipe (European Plastic News, 2010). It is made clear that acquisitions has been extensively used by Wavin Group in order to improve its position in the global market; in accordance with ‘Michael Del Pero - vice president in FocalPoint Partners LLC - a lot of plastics M&A announcements were expected in the second half of 2010 because of the tax changes in USA’ (Esposito, 2010). However, in the case of Wavin, the tax rules cannot be considered as the only criterion for choosing acquisitions as a key strategic option – taking into consideration the firm’s relevant activities in the last decade, as explained above. In any case, the plastic pipes industry is a prominent market sector; in fact, in accordance with a relevant report, the specific indus try is expected ‘to advance at the fastest pace up to 2014’ (Bombourg, 2010). The identification of the potentials of acquisitions to support the further growth of the particular industry would be particularly important indicating the potential value of the specific strategic option for firms operating in other industries – which face severe pressures due to the expansion of the globalization and the recession. C. Literature Review The use of acquisitions as a strategy for achieving a continuous growth or for facing the strong market pressures has become a common phenomenon the last three decades (Hitt et al. 2009, 183). In practice, acquisitions can be described as ‘the use of cash outflows for purchasing the net assets or property plant, and equipment of the acquired business’ (Tortiorello 2008,

Motivation in the Work place Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Motivation in the Work place - Dissertation Example This further enhances the challenge that organizations face. With the aim to ascertain how motivation affects the performance of employees in the workplace, three objectives and several research questions were presented in Chapter I. Based on a quality study comprising of secondary data, all the study objectives have been achieved. The study finds that the primary motivation factors continue to be financial incentives regardless of age and sector. However, once the basic needs are satisfied, individuals differ across their needs and consequently, motivation and thereby performance. This is where managerial competence is required. The study also finds that managers themselves are either ill-equipped or not satisfied with the motivation they receive. Nevertheless, they try to apply the same motivation techniques with their subordinates, which they themselves aspire. These include autonomy, authority in decision making and transparency. The study also finds that linking financial incent ives to performance usually do not work and other reinforcing factors such as appreciation, recognition, challenging assignments and clarity of job role have a role to play in positively impacting employee performance. In addition, effective communication, involvement, higher expectations motivate and lead to higher performance. Training is also critical to motivation and consequently employee performance. Transformational leadership has been identified as critical to managing employee motivation. The study concludes that motivation would differ across sectors and industries; it would also differ across individuals and their level of maturity. Therefore, there cannot be predefined motivation tools and techniques. However, managers would need to evaluate individual needs, talent and what drives them to enhance their performance. The study finds a definite correlation between motivation and employee performance. However, financial incentives are superior to other forms of incentives i n the beginning of an individual’s career. It is therefore recommended that managers should focus on individual employee needs and motivation. Effective communication, transparency, employee involvement, sharing of information and honesty could help managers understand employee needs and implement the most suitable motivation technique. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background