The Negro Digs Up His Past Essay Example

The Negro Digs Up His Past Essay Freedom is a powerful word, embodying all of the yearnings of the human heart and soul, yet only those who have been deprived of freedom, and ultimately gained it through life-changing struggle, could ever fully realize its value.   The modern struggle for freedom is epitomized by the trials and tribulations of the African-American people as a whole.   Indeed, no better record of this struggle exists than the classic works of African-American literature, which stand as historic records, folklore, and a lasting lesson of both the exhilaration of freedom and the senseless human tragedy of slavery.   In this research, many of the pivotal works of African-American literature will be discussed in an effort to explore the compelling themes of slavery and freedom. African-American Literary Tradition, Slavery and Freedom When one takes a scholarly look at the African-American literary tradition, there is no truer statement than the finding that this literature not only existed because of the life-altering experiences of slavery and freedom losses but also in spite of it. Undoubtedly, slavery for the African-American, in addition to taking away all essences of freedom in any form, also created a new class of person- in becoming a slave, the African-American instantly became a member of a class which was seen as not only much less than human, but also irrelevant to the whole of â€Å"civilized society† beyond the value of the products of the labor that they produced as enslaved individuals (Favor).   This, basically considered as a loss of class freedom, inspired many of the literary figures of the time to put forth many volumes which dispelled the notion of class deprivation by showing that before their days of slavery, African- Americans already had a well-established culture, complete with religious traditions, folk songs, legends that were handed down from generation to generation and the like (Gates).   One of the major obstacles to overcome was the fact that this cultural tradition was largely an oral one, with the tales, songs and les sons being passed from person to person and generation to generation via the spoken word.   However, slavery changed all of that- when African-Americans were relegated to a farm of plantation for the balance of their lives, this isolation made it a distinct possibility that oral traditions could not be shared beyond the borders of the property upon which they were forced to work (Gates).   Therefore, a form of written history was born, whereby African-Americans were able to commit their recollections to paper- also, the birth of the African-American literary tradition. We will write a custom essay sample on The Negro Digs Up His Past specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Negro Digs Up His Past specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Negro Digs Up His Past specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Through the literary medium, a proud history was able to be shared, despite the restrictions that slaves faced on a daily, and in many cases lifelong basis.   This history was also, at this time however, being influenced by   current events.   The centerpiece of the foundations of African-American literature was the idea, pathetic as it may be, that for all of the praises of freedom, and the value that Americans placed on it, these same people were involved in the ownership of other human beings for their own gain.   In a sense, these people were given a high level of freedom at the expense of the freedom of an entire race of people (Prahlad). What remained to be done was for not only slavery to be erased from the American landscape, but also for freedom to be achieved for African-Americans once and for all.   However, in retrospect, this would prove to be easier said than done. Freedom Granted? Eventually, African-Americans were released from the bonds of slavery, but not until a bloody civil war was fought, nearly bringing the United States to destruction and dividing the young nation on the issue of slavery (Favor).   Although this was an important milestone in the advancement of African-Americans toward the ideal of equality, freedom, which is to say true freedom, still remained elusive.   In â€Å"The Souls of Black Folk†, W.E.B. Dubois made a very important point that draws an important distinction between the demise of slavery and the achievement of true freedom.   When slavery was taken away as a matter of federal mandate, the assertion that African-Americans were â€Å"free† was put on paper and glibly stated by government officials and the American majority, seemingly giving those who previously were guilty of keeping slaves a sort of absolution from the sins of the past.   However, this process of redemption was not fully complete in the true st sense of freedom, as the plague of racism soon took the place of slavery as a means of holding back African-Americans from the achievement of their full equality. Scholars Attempt to Right the Wrongs of the Past With the emergences of the ugliness of racism taking the place of slavery in America after the Civil War, a new obstacle to African-American freedom in its pure form began to take shape.   Therefore, it was clear that for African-Americans, something needed to be done in order to conquer racism and allow for freedom to ring at the same level of volume for all Americans, regardless of race.   One of the most formidable obstacles to this possibility was organized hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, which gained large acceptance by white supremacists around the turn of the 20th century (Locke). Literature, it can fairly be said, came to the rescue of the oppressed African-Americans in some ways.   Through literature, it was realized that African-Americans had a proud tradition before slavery, and indeed, would be able to build a wonderful new future (Bowser).   How this future would unfold, however, would have to be pondered by other literary figures. Schomberg Links the Past and Present The past and the present of African-Americans, as research has indicated thus far, are unchangeably intertwined, for without the deprivations of earlier generations of African-Americans, the fire would not have been ignited to ultimately abolish the practice of slavery in the modern era.   This link of past and present, conversion of slavery to freedom, and the rebirth of the possibility of equal opportunity for African-Americans is embodied in the writings of one author above all others- Arthur A. Schomberg.   In his classic essay, â€Å"The Negro Digs Up His Past†, Schomberg lays out both the history of the practice of slavery which took every freedom away from the African-American, and the abolition of slavery which did not instantly restore completely equal opportunity and livelihood to former slaves, but rather, made it possible for these people to take the availability of freedom and mould it into a new beginning for an entire race of people. How Schomberg wrote his essay, which is to say the arguments that he makes within the text of the essay, logically constructs an explanation of not only what slavery’s demise does for the future of African-Americans, but also why the horrible past of those who had to live as slaves is extremely important, akin to those who cannot learn from history being doomed to repeat it.   First, Schomberg makes the assertion that while other groups of people have the luxury of being able to assimilate into a new life in the United States, regardless of their past, the African-American has no such luxury (Schomberg).   The reason for this, Schomberg goes on to explain, â€Å"For him (the freed slave), a group tradition must supply compensation for persecution, and pride of race the antidote for prejudice. History must restore what slavery took away, for it is the social damage of slavery that the present generations must repair and offset. So among the rising democratic millions we find the Negro thinking more collectively, more retrospectively than the rest, and apt out of the very pressure of the present to become the most enthusiastic antiquarian of them all† (Schomberg, p. 1). What is meant by this text is that African-Americans who underwent the oppression of slavery must always remember the journey of the struggle that led them to a nation without slavery where before it prospered.   By doing this, considering that Schomberg’s essay was written in the time that saw the generation that experienced slavery first hand standing at the threshold of passing to the next generation not only a relation of their experiences, but also a sense of tradition which says that the next generation inherits not only this history of those of their race who lived under, and then lived without slave status, but also the chance, and obligation, to move forward as keepers of the history of the past, but also as shapers and caretakers of the future. Schomberg does not simply make empty claims that African-Americans should strive to new levels of greatness and freedom simply because in the past they were not free.   Rather, he cites a history of the race which shows that slavery did not define the entire negro race, but was an injustice waged on a people who could count among themselves many outstanding individuals from many walks of life.   To quote Schomberg, he wrote this about the value of African-Americans beyond menial slave labor: â€Å"But weightier surely than evidence of individual talent and scholarship could ever be, is the evidence of important collaboration and significant pioneer initiative in social service and reform, in the efforts toward race emancipation, colonization and race betterment. From neglected and rust-spotted pages comes testimony to the black men and women who stood shoulder to shoulder in courage and zeal, and often on a parity of intelligence and public talent, with their notable white benefactors† (Schomberg, p.2). Finally, Schomberg makes it abundantly clear that African-Americans played a pivotal role in the effort to crush slavery and took up the fight for abolition, rather than simply being prisoners waiting for a merciful end to their bondage when slave owners simply felt that it was an admirable thing to cease the ownership, use and trade of African-American slaves.   By making this important point, Schomberg proves that not only are African-Americans worthy of equality and freedom, but also that they this worthiness came in large part due to their own perseverance and efforts to aid in the goal of their own freedom. Conclusion In recent times, the saying that â€Å"freedom isn’t free† has casually passed from the lips of those in favor of the war waged by the United States against terrorism and international crime.   What many of the people who use the slogan do not realize is that the concept of true freedom is in fact quite costly.   This has been illustrated in this research- by discussing the past trials and tribulations of African-Americans, including the humiliation and deprivation brought about by slavery, one very important point have been made.   That point is that freedom can be highly elusive, and even a promise of freedom means little without decisive action to make the freedom a reality.   With the help of the pioneers of African-American literature, who built upon the fascinating oral histories of their past, an entire race of oppressed people has been given a chance to be truly free.   While African-Americans still face racism and discrimination in many instances, the progress that has been made since the abolition of slavery is a tribute to the strength of the spirit and resolve of all people to enjoy real freedom.

Waiting for Lefty essays

Waiting for Lefty essays Every now and then an innovative play will come a long and astound the theatre world. Sometimes the play will triumph for pleasant or ghastly reasons, but only a choice few will be earmarked as an immortal classic. The plays that end up being a classic are plays that frequently focus on a universal and ageless topic that will help this play attain the enduring excellence that qualifies it as a landmark masterpiece. One such play is Waiting for Lefty, written by Clifford Odets in 1935. In Waiting for Lefty", Clifford Odets tells the story of a taxicab strike in 1934. Clifford Odets wrote the play in three days in a hotel room. The taxi strike had enormous political consequences for America in 1935. America was just recovering from the Great Depression and everyone was suffering. The farmers were suffering and starving but it was the workingman, the common man, the taxi driver who was crippled the most as unemployment rose in New York City. Working for less than what they were worth, the taxicab drivers went on strike. Although the play is set after the Great Depression in 1935, the play does more than dealing with the plight of taxicab workers. Clifford Odets uses his mastery of dramatic elements to make the play universal. He brilliantly uses the following, the use of dramatic elements, the use of agitprop, dialogue, symbolism and characterization, time and location. Furthermore, he uses an existing social problem of a strike as a background for the development of the plays major themes: those who have and those who do not have, the corruption of big business, proletariat vernacular, breaking down of theatrical boundaries. and the struggle for human dignity, especially for the common man in our society. Throughout the play, the central focus is constantly reiterated. The plays major conflict between those who have and those who do not have is introduced early on in the Joe and Edna scene. Joe has ...

Narrative Essays Examples

Narrative Essays Examples When you are assigned to write a narrative essay, you can be puzzled if you have never written such a kind of assignment before. Indeed, story writing is not a very popular practice in schools and in colleges. However, it can be a very interesting experience for you. As for your teachers can assess your knowledge of grammar and punctuation and enjoy reading an interesting story (if you manage to produce something interesting!). Well, what to start with? To have a better idea of what you need to do, read some narrative essays examples that you can find online. These texts will vary greatly in style and themes; however, you might find something useful for yourself. If you are not fond of writing, you believe that you are not creative enough to produce original stories, or you are loaded with work and have other assignments to do, contract our company. We have been writing original papers for students for several years already. Many of students became our habitual clients, which is the best recommendation an academic writing company can ever have. Where to look for narrative essays examples and how to use them? There are a lot of student-written samples online. You can read them to learn how other students cope with this task, and you can come across an idea for you own story. However, if you want to buy a ready-made story for little money, this is not a very good idea. Many of the online-sources of free, so there is no need to pay for the paper that has been sold to other students many times. How to invent a topic? This is perhaps the most difficult task. One recommendation that can be useful is to write about something, which you know very well. You might think that there is nothing especially interesting in your life, but you should remember that your life experience is unique. There is of course something special about your life that can be interesting to read. For instance, you can recollect an anecdote from your childhood, or write about your dog. It can be a funny story from school pr from your vacation. Just give yourself enough time to think, and you will surely find a good topic. Which tone to use? Your assignment belongs to creative writing. So, there are no strict rules concerning style or tone. You can use humor to add zest to your narration. However, as you might have learnt from online narrative essays examples, your work is still an academic paper. That means, avoid colloquial language, slang, short word forms etc.

Conflict in America Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper

Conflict in America Legalizing Marijuana - Research Paper Example During the previous government, this drug was illegal; however, when Obama’s government took power, it legalized marijuana and several states followed suit. This did not amuse the federal government, who were opposed to the move; it criticized the act and even went forth to pronounce legal action on those states and people found trading marijuana. Since this is an issue that may threaten national stability in the United States, it can be resolved by having the two bodies harmonize and come up with the best solution, rather than living with disputes. Keywords: Marijuana, State Laws, Federal Laws Every new government in the US comes with its own laws that favor it; the laws made reflect the promises of the new government and its political party. During the reign of President George W. Bush between the years 2001 to 2009, the government had enforced laws against marijuana. It took actions against those who dealt with the drug. However, when the government of President Obama took office, there was a different approach on marijuana; the government no longer took actions against those who were trading on the drug. According to Morgan (2011), the attorney general announced that the government was no longer going to deal with issues of marijuana peddling anymore. The announcement caused a lot of uproar from those who did not support the idea. The memorandum by the attorney general acknowledged the presence of conflict on marijuana between the federal and the state laws. As at present, the federal laws prohibit all deals on marijuana and according to the US drug enforcement administration, marijuana lacks a safe way of using it and has a high potential of becoming abused (Morgan, 2011). On the other hand, the state laws do not conform to the federal laws. An example of this is California, which became the first state to legalize marijuana, and 15 other states soon followed it. The many conflicts surrounding marijuana are not only found at federal and state domain s. This issue is also present in the medical domain; there are two contrasting arguments of medics concerning marijuana, with one group arguing that the use of marijuana has no effect to the body and the other arguing that it has effects. The American thoracic society reported that most marijuana users had no increased lung infections, while the British lung foundation had filed a report in 2002 citing the adverse effects of marijuana in the human body (Morgan, 2011). Conflict on marijuana is a major issue and of great concern. The greatest effect to Obama’s government is in the political arena. This is because most of those who are opposed to the move could use this chance to ambush an attack to the government, especially given that during the reign of the Republican Party, Marijuana was banned. Democrats’ risk losing their popularity among anti-marijuana citizens and organizations. Most international organizations and nations classify marijuana as a drug and in most countries, its use and trade is prohibited and punished by law. Permission by American government to its citizens to trade and use marijuana offers risks to the country; these include risks of losing reputation amongst international communities among others. In the New York Times, Savage (2012) informs that, â€Å"Several had cautioned that the issue had raised several legal and complex issues†. The complex issues were based on international antidrug

Women Progress In The 20th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women Progress In The 20th Century - Essay Example China went through a nationwide reform in the 20th century. Plagued by the traditional pressures and cultural values, it was difficult for women to embrace freedom and modernity immediately. However, the internal rebellions, political changes, an introduction of new reformsetc., brought an end to the dynasty system. China strived to step up and gain its position in the international arena, for which they had to embrace the inevitable, modernity. Chinese scholars believed that in order for their survival in the modern world they had to form national citizenry which focused upon modernity and nationalism. Modernity suggested the acceptance of women as an important part of the process by acknowledging their significant contribution to the upholding of their cultures, traditions, and the economy. Women thus played a key role in shaping the modern China of today which is known for its strong societal and economic standing(Rudolph, n.d.). Marriage laws supported individual choice more than suppressed obligation to marry and the family structure changes highly. With women becoming more independent, the joint family system was replaced by a highly individualistic living culture with small families. The one child law gave women more time to do something other than child rearing and thus, many resorted to completing their education and seeking active careers. However, culture did play a significant role in the re-shaping of the one-child rule to a two-child one for the purpose of obtaining a son in a family(Hershatter, 2007).

Adolescent Substance Essay Example for Free

Adolescent Substance Essay In my teen age, I was exposed to a different atmosphere from Mark Spencer’s. For example, my parents who were very strict about my welfare did not accord me any freedom as Spencer’s parents do. Further, my parents were very concerned about my associates and therefore never accorded me any free time to go anywhere without their permission. They tried to make sure that all their views were imposed onto their children. Due to their strictness, my siblings and I used to clandestinely slip to the neighborhood. We would then enjoy the little free time we acquired via sneaking. This phenomenon had a lot of significance with regard to what activities we engaged in as well as whom we associated with. Although we used to hang around with girls, I used to make sure that my parents never discovered this for such awareness could cause a lot of negative consequences to my wellbeing as well as to my relationship with my associates. If a familiar grownup met me in such funny corners, and I could make sure that they did not report me to my parents because it was suicidal to have been caught in such places. As time went by, I became rebellious to my parent’s so-called rules. I thus started to secretly take drugs at some funny hideouts until I got addicted l. Eventually, I could not hide my drug addiction any longer. Consequently, my parents tried to groom me by the use of the cane but this was of no use to me for I had been hardened with this kind of habit. My parents thus had to send me to a rehabilitation center but again, this action was not significant to me. After spending a year at the center, I pretended to be reformed and was sent back to my parents. At home, I joined some of my old friends and we started to rob people of petty objects. We could then sell such items so that we could sustain our drug habit. I was arrested and taken to child custody where I was reformed and thus became a good teen. At the age of 17, I had reorganized my life and could systematize myself well. The problem that is seen in Mark’s kind of world is that his parents are providing all that he asks for. They erroneously think that denying him some privileges can cause disaster. This is the reason why he is given a car and is allowed to go out on his own. Further, the parents are not aware of the kind of people that Mark is associating with (Steinberg, Fletcher Darling, 1994). Such parental oversight has caused him to indulge in drugs to the extent of bringing drugs into the house. Conversely, due to the strictness of my parents, rather than seeking appropriate ways to curb my defiant behavior, they caused my hardening. It is notable that my case only needed to be addressed with love, understanding, and support from my parents (Gallo Matthews, 2006). In my time, I could not do anything without first consulting my peers. I was thus always struggling not to displease them. In my world, I could not be allowed to go to any overnight party, a privilege which was awarded to Mark (DiClemente et al. 2001). The influence brought about by the environment that I was growing in made my life to change. I thus became a hard nut to crack. This development was brought about by the strict environment in which I grew. Due to Mark’s associates segregating him, because he does not associate with them, he feels rejected by the whole world (Coleman, 196I). This viewpoint makes him to have a negative opinion about all people a disposition that makes him to be very bitter. Further, Mark does not want to be under any authority. The act of purchasing a car for Mark by his parents facilitates him to get back to his friends. Moreover, he is willing to do anything so as to please the associates. Mark therefore starts to take drugs when his parents allow him the freedom to go out with his friends. Instead of the parents in both cases offering guidance to us, they started devising alternative mechanisms to curb our behaviors. This was just a straight way of strengthening our bond with our â€Å"good friends† who were teaching us the so-called â€Å"good habits†. In both cases, parental neglect caused failure in school performance since it made myself to be jailed, while to Mark, it seems boring to go to school (Mak Kinsella, 1996). This disposition has made Mark’s performance to greatly drop from an above average student to merely maintain an average of grade C. References Coleman, J. S. (196I). The adolescent society. The social life of the teenager and its impact on education. Psychoanalysis Quarterly, 32, 126-128. DiClemente, R. J. et al. (2001). Parental Monitoring: Association with adolescents risk behaviors. Pediatrics, 107, 1363-1368 Gallo, L. C. ; Matthews, K. A. (2006). Adolescents attachment orientation influences ambulatory blood pressure responses to everyday social interactions. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68, 253-261. Mak, A. S. ; Kinsella, C. (1996). Adolescent drinking, conduct problems, and parental bonding. Australian Journal of Psychology, 48, 15-20. Steinberg, L. ; Fletcher, A. ; Darling, N. (1994). Parental Monitoring and Peer Influences on Adolescent Substance Use. Pediatrics, 93 1060-1064.

Hybrid Cars: The Slow Drive To Energy Security Essay -- Gasoline Elect

Hybrid Cars: The Slow Drive to Energy Security The hybrid car market is slowly ramping up. In the past five years the number of hybrid sales in the U.S. grew tenfold from 9,500 in 2000 to 100,000 in 2004. By the end of 2005, the number of hybrid cars on American roads will grow to 300,000, represented by about seven or eight hybrid models, including the two-door Honda Insight, which will have sales of about 2,000 in 2005. The increasing sales numbers are encouraging, but must be viewed in the context of the overall car market. The 100,000 hybrid car sales in 2004 represent about one-half of one percent of the 17 million new cars sold this year. If every new hybrid driver effectively (and optimistically) doubled fuel economy from 20 mpg to 40 mpg for 40 miles of daily driving, then a gallon per hybrid car would be saved every single day. That's a whopping 100,000 gallons per day chalked up to hybrid car drivers. But, we've only reduced our daily U.S. consumption from 360 million gallons to 359,900,000 gallons. Market forecasters predict a continued annual doubling of hybrid car sales for the next few years. We could reach the major milestone of one million hybrid cars on American roads somewhere in the 2007 or 2008 timeframe. Again, this is cause for celebration, until you consider that there are approximately 200 million cars in America today—and over 700 million vehicles worldwide. If car numbers keep increasing at the present rate, there will be more than a billion cars and trucks on the road across the world in 20 years. Vehicles are now driven two trillion miles each year in the U.S., and there are more cars than adults. Nevertheless, with the proven success of the Toyota Prius, which won every possible accolade... ...nsumers of hybrid cars have demonstrated, with their pocketbooks, their commitment to reducing oil dependency. In marketing lingo, they are considered â€Å"influencers† — the segment which is more educated, more affluent, and older — and which shapes the buying decisions of the rest of America. Hybrid owners sit behind the wheel of their hybrid everyday, and wonder what more they could do. Unfortunately, hybrid drivers and alternative energy supporters are now splintered and their efforts are diffuse. In order to put enough pressure on the automakers to stop resisting the change that must come, hybridcars.com is trying to galvanize hybrid drivers and develop partnerships with advocacy groups to develop the most effective strategies for promoting greater fuel efficiency in our cars and trucks. The environment, the economy, and our national security hang in the balance.

Dell Computer Corporation †Share Repurchase Program Essay

1. Why do companies use stock options to compensate employees? What are the advantages of stock options relative to cash compensation? What, if any, are their disadvantages? 2. What, if any, risks do Dell’s shareholders face from Dell’s stock option program? Draw terminal payoff diagrams to illustrate the risk. Is this risk something that shareholders of Dell expect to bear when investing in Dell? 3. How does Dell remove, or hedge, the perceived risk of the stock options program for shareholders? Draw terminal payoff diagrams to illustrate. 4. Why does Dell transact in both call and put options? Use put-call parity to reformulate the put and call positions that Dell takes in terms of Dell’s stock and borrowing. What effectively does Dell’s call and put positions accomplish? Is risk management the primary motivation for Dell’s actions? A stock option is an offer by a company that gives employees the right to buy a specified number of shares in the company at an agreed upon price (usually lower than market) by a specific date. The benefit of granting options to employees is viewed as a good thing because it (theoretically) aligned the interests of the employees (normally the key executives) with those of the common shareholders. If a material portion of a CEO’s salary were in the form of options, she or he would be incited to manage the company well, resulting in a higher stock price over the long term. The higher stock price would benefit both the executives and the common shareholders. Substituting options is supposed to keep executives eyes on the long term since the potential benefit (higher stock prices) would increase over time. Also, options programs require a vesting period (generally several years) before the employee can actually exercise the options. This is in contrast to a â€Å"traditional† compensation program, which is based upon meeting quarterly performance targets, but these may not be in the best interests of the common shareholders. For example, a CEO who could get a cash bonus based on earnings growth may be incited to delay spending money on marketing or research and development projects. Doing so would meet the short-term performance targets at the expense of a company’s long-term growth potential. Stock options creates a financial stake of employees in the firms growth. The executive stock options allows the employees to participate in the upside performance of the firms, incenting them to work harder. Although there is a cost associated with the use of employee stock options. The equity holders do not earn same level of returns as they would have if the firm would not have issued executive stock options to its employee. This loss of return in the form of dilution is the cost that equity holders have to pay for having the employee stock option program. However, this cost is mitigated by the fact that if the market value of the firm’s asset decreases, the employee shares the downside as well, thereby absorbing some of the impact of the market value decrease from equity holders. Another cost that the equity shareholders bear is the liquidity cost. The employees are usually paid a higher market value of stock options then they would otherwise receive solely through wages due to the fact that the options they received cannot be traded or realized until a particular date. The use of executive stock options transfer some of the market risk from the equity holders to the employees thereby reducing the beta of the equity. At the time of case, companies are not required to report any compensation expense in their publicly filed financial statements when they grant stock options. However, when certain options are exercised, companies receive a tax deduction, which can provide significant income tax savings. There are two arguments that you’ll commonly find against the use of stock options: Dilution of ownership and overstatement of operating income. When an employee exercises her stock options, the company has to either issue new shares or go out on the open market and purchase shares. If new shares are issued, then your ownership is diluted. If the company purchases shares on the open market, then the company, which only receives the exercise price from the employee, has to pay market price for the shares it purchases. This results in a net cash outflow for the company. Since the impact of the compensation deduction that a corporation can claim for tax purposes is not included in a company’s GAAP income, many take the view that using options enables the company to overstate its income. Risks to Dell shareholders: Dell Share holders bear the risk in the form of cost of potentially issuing the stock at below market values if the employees do convert the options into stock when the options are in-the-money. However, if the options expires out of the money, the shareholders realize equally better benefits. In this case, the firm obtains labor from employees without having paid for the labor by issuing shares. The employee stock options provides a cushioning from the full burnt of the downside of a firms poor performance while taking a share of the upside benefits also. There is essentially a risk transfer from shareholders to employees through the use of employee stock options. The share holders pay a fair cost to incent employees to be more productive. The executive stock options seem to counteract some of the risk that shareholders naturally bear when they buy a stock. Hedging the risk of Stock options: By issuing employee stock options, Dell presumably takes a short call position on its stock thereby creating a liability to be paid in future. (Appendix shows the payoff diagram of Dell’s liability because of the employee stock option program.) To hedge the risk associated with the liability Dell is purchasing a 2.8 M call options. This effectively hedges the risk of the executive stock option program back to the shareholders. Dell by engaging in the put and call options is basically equivalent to buying a forward contract on its own stock. With the share repurchase program, Dell is also pursuing a strategy of having long call and short put position. Using the put-call parity, (Appendix) the long call and short put transaction is equivalent to buying stock by borrowing money. So dell’s long call and short put transaction is equivalent to a levered share repurchase. As a result of the above transaction the risk of having a combination of long call and short put is higher then that of just having a long call position (employee stock option program), which is transferred to dell shareholders. In this case dell is hedging the risk in the same way as a levered share repurchase program would work by creating more value to the shareholders by increasing the risk borne. I had completed the analysis of the Dell’s proposed stock repurchase program for upto 12 Million shares and the use of the equity options as part of the repurchase. As per the information available the put-call transactions along the share repurchase program being employed by Dell would create substantial value for the firm and the shareholders only if management has private information that Dell stock is undervalued and would perform above expectations in the coming months.

First Day on Earth Pro and Antagonist Essay

In the novel â€Å"First Day on Earth†, the protagonist is a boy named Mal whom believes he is an alien and is being tracked. He thinks he doesn’t belong on Earth and is needed in outerspace. Mal’s Father left his mother when he was a kid and now lives with his mother whom is often drunk. He often goes to an abductee support group where he meets people with other worldly secrets of their own which they share at this group. Also,Mal meets a guy named Hooper who seems to be somewhat like Mal. Hooper says he is an alien and Mal thinks that some day these aliens will find him and he is going to be free. Mal is very different from everyone else. He is bullied by all the popular kids and is often ignored. He never likes to share his thoughts in class about anything because he thinks they are stupid and everyone will laugh at him. Mal is the kid with greasy hair, slumped in the last row of seats in class. The kid whom everyone is afraid to talk to. He is full of secreats. Years ago, he disappeared in for three days. weather it was a breakdown or an alien abduction, even Mal isn’t sure. In my opinion, the song â€Å"Fireworks† by Katy Perry describes the character of Mal very well. This is because the quote â€Å"baby your a firework, come and let your colours burst† means that don’t be afraid of what others think of you, just do what you think is right. In this novel, Mal’s character is exactly like this verse from the song because he believes he is an alien and doesn’t care what others think of him. he keeps stuff to himself and doesn’t mind anyone else’s business or what they think about him. Mal is a very loving and caring kind of person. He has only two friends, Mark and Sameer whom don’t sit with him at lunch because Mal likes the outdoors and they dont. All the popular kids ignore him except for a girl named Posey. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her,she’s just always nice to Mal and is always willing to help out. Mal likes animals and can’t see them in trouble, so whenever he finds lost or hurt animals, he brings them to a shelter where Posey’s mother works. That way, the animals are taken care of very well, and Mal gets a chance to get closer to people. When Mal goes with Hooper to send him back home, Mal tells him he wants to go with him and how he doesn’t like it being on Earth. Hooper tells him that he is his only friend and doesn’t want any harm for him, so he refuses. When Hooper leaves into the distance, Mal, Posey and Darwyn go back into the car and go on their way back home, when Mal decides to make a U-Turn and goes back into the place where he left Hooper. Mal decides to go and follow where hooper had left and ended up in space. He then made a really tough decision of staying in Earth because of the people whom need him such as his drunk mother, friends and most importantly, Earth. Antagonist In this novel, the antagonist is a boy named Hooper. Mal meets him at an abductee support group where people share their stories of what they think happened to them. As Hooper shares his story, Mal gets really interested and gets confidence to share his own. As everyone heard Mal’s story, they reacted like nothing happened so Hooper gave him a thumbs-up to show him it went fine.Almost everyone in the group was older than Mal except for Hooper. He was the only person at the abductee support group who was almost the same age as Mal/looked like it. As Mal and Hooper get to know each other a bit more, Hooper tells Mal that he is an alien and doesn’t belong at Earth,which is exactly what Mal thinks about himself. As Mal was driving, he saw a dog and decided to follow it so he can give it to the shelter. The dog ran and went to Hooper whom was living in a box. Mal was shocked and wanted to talk to him about it so he took him to a Burrito place and said it was his treat because he wasn’t sure if he had any money. He told him to take his belongings with him so he can take him to a shelter home. In my opinion, the song â€Å"E.T† by Katy Perry describes the character of Hooper very well. This is because it describes how Hooper is an alien and is different/ has different ways to do things. The verse â€Å"They say, be afraid,your not like the others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  means that people say to be afraid but your not like others so there is no need to be afraid. I believe this is Hooper’s character because he isn’t afraid of humans even though he is an alien and doesn’t know much about humans. Hooper is a very straingt forward kind of person. He says everything direct of whatever he thinks. Outside of the support group, he regularly meets Mal except after he went to the shelter home. After the day Mal took him for the treat to Burrito’s, Hooper’s favourite food became Burrito’s. He would go there almost everyda. One day when Mal and Hooper met, Hooper treated Mal to eat Burrito’s. Mal talked to hooper of how he believes he is an alien and wanted him to take him to outerspace. Hooper starts to laugh and says he is his only friend, and doesn’t want anything to happen to him, and refuses. When Hooper and Mal get very close to eachother, Hooper shows Mal the star chart and tells him how he is an extraterrestril. He also lets Mal keep the chart, but Mal refuses because he thinks he will loose it , so Hooper decides to give him a copy of the chart instead. Near the ending of the novel, Hooper tells Mal that he needs to go to his actual home because it is now or never.

Child Abuse Essays - Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Abuse, Rape

Child Abuse Essays - Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Abuse, Rape Child Abuse General Purpose- to persuade Specific Idea- My audience will be persuaded to think that child abuse is a serious problem. Central Idea- I plan to talk about the alarming numbers of child abuse, the causes, and the signs and symptoms, and some solutions we can use. Introduction I. As you hear this, one little girl is crying out in pain, one little boy is begging not to be touched there anymore. II. I am a strong opponent of child abuse. I believe that it is wrong and I have read and did research on the problem. III. Only we, those adults on outside looking in on the problems in the neighbor?s house can help. Please, don?t hesitate to get involved. IV. Today I plan to talk about the alarming numbers of child abuse, the causes, and the signs and symptoms, and some solutions we can use. Body I. We need to be aware of child abuse. A. 1,185 children in 1996 died from child abuse. B. Over three million cases of child abuse were reported last year. II. I will discuss the two main causes of child abuse. A. The most common and least understood cause child abuse is due to the abuser being a victim of child abuse themselves. B. Another common cause of child abuse is alcohol and drug abuse. III. I will tell about the symptoms and signs of child abuse. A. The symptoms of children being abused by alcoholic parents. B. The symptoms of children being abused by sexual abuse. C. The signs of children being abused. IV. I will talk about some solutions to child abuse. A. Solutions used by parents. B. Solutions used by professionals. Conclusion I.In closing I would like to encourage you all to become more aware of the children around you. Look for the signs that I have just described. With the numbers of children being abused today, it must be going on right under our noses, so please open your eyes and look for a child silently crying out for help. II. My dream is that someday; this kind of speech won?t be needed anymore. My wish is that not a single child will be murdered tonight. Not a single child will be raped as you listen to this speech. My prayer is that we will hear the little cries and finally answer As you read this, one little girl is crying out in pain, one little boy is begging not to be touched there anymore. Child abuse is one of the most commonly overlooked crimes. It is also the most commonly committed. Everyday more and more children are neglected, beaten, raped, touched, or mentally tortured. Right now, children are praying for someone to help them when they can?t help themselves. And we close our ears and avert our eyes. I am a strong opponent of child abuse. I believe that it is wrong and I have read and did research on the problem. What I want to persuade you to do is to keep your eyes and ears open, I want you to listen for the cries of these children who so desperately need our help. It is now estimated that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys are molested in some way before their 18th birthday. This doesn?t even begin to cover how many are beaten or belittled in the name of love. This is a national tragedy that has to stop! Only we, those adults on outside looking in on the problems in the neighbor?s house can help. Please, don?t hesitate to get involved. Child abuse is NOT a family issue. It is a CRIME! Today I plan to talk about the alarming numbers of child abuse, the causes, and the signs and symptoms, and some solutions we can use. The statistics on child abuse are alarming. According to the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse the most accurate data on child maltreatment fatalities, currently available estimate that in 1996, 1,185 children died from child abuse. For those who survive, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. The US department and Human service state that there are over 3 million reported cases of child abuse each year in this country. Three million that?s a lot of kids! And that?s just the reported cases! Can you

Princess Elizabeth Becomes Queen at Age 25

Princess Elizabeth Becomes Queen at Age 25 Princess Elizabeth (born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926) became Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 at the age of 25. Her father, King George VI suffered from lung cancer for much of his later life and died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, at age 56. Upon his death, Princess Elizabeth, his oldest daughter, became Queen of England.   The Death and Burial of King George VI Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were in East Africa when King George died. The couple had been visiting Kenya as part of the beginning of a planned five-month tour of Australia and New Zealand when they received the news of King Georges death. With this very sad news, the couple immediately made plans to return to Great Britain. While Elizabeth was still flying home, Englands Accession Council met to officially determine who was the heir to the throne. By 7 p.m. it was announced that the new monarch would be Queen Elizabeth II. When Elizabeth arrived in London, she was met at the airport by Prime Minister  Winston Churchill  to begin preparation for the viewing and burial of her father. After laying in state at Westminster Hall for over 300,000 people to pay respect to his image, King George VI was buried on February 15, 1952,  at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor, England. The funeral procession involved the entire royal court and 56 chimes from Big Ben, one for each year of the kings life.   The First Television Broadcast Royal Coronation Over a year after her fathers death, Queen Elizabeth IIs coronation was held at Westminster Abbey  on June 2, 1953. It was the first televised coronation in history (yet excluded the communion and anointing). Before the coronation, Elizabeth II and Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, moved into Buckingham Palace in preparation for her reign.   Although it was highly believed that the royal house would assume Philips name, becoming the  House of Mountbatten, Elizabeth IIs grandmother, Queen Mary, and Prime Minister Churchill favored retaining the  House of Windsor.  Ã‚  Ultimately, Queen Elizabeth II released a proclamation on April 9, 1952, a full year before the coronation, that the royal house would remain as Windsor. However, after the death of Queen Mary in March of 1953, the name Mountbatten-Windsor was adopted for male-line descendants of the couple.   Despite Queen Marys untimely death three months prior, the coronation in June continued as planned, as the former queen had requested before her death. The coronation gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II was embroidered with the floral symbols of Commonwealth countries including the English Tudor rose, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, Scots thistle, Australian wattle, New Zealand silver fern, South African protea, Indan and Ceylon lotus, Pakistani wheat, cotton, and jute and the Canadian maple leaf.   The Current Royal Family of England As of February 2017, Queen Elizabeth II is still the reigning queen of England at 90 years old. The current royal family consists of her offspring with  Philip. Their son Charles, Prince of Wales, married his first wife Diana, who bore their sons Prince Henry (of Wales) and William (Duke of Cambridge), who in turn married Kate (Duchess of Cambridge), who bore Prince George and Princesses Charlotte (of Cambridge). Prince Charles married Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall) in 2005. Elizabeths daughter Princess Royal Anne married Captain Mark Phillips and bore Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, both of which married and had children (Peter fathered Savannah and Isla with wife Autumn Phillips and Zara mothered Mia Grace with husband Mike Tendall). Queen Elizabeth IIs son Andrew (Duke of York) married Sarah (Duchess of York) and sired Princesses Beatrice and Eugenia of York. The queens youngest son, Edward (Earl of Wessex) married Sophie (Countess of Wessex) who gave birth to Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn James.

The Effect of Rural Population Density on Socio-economic Dissertation

The Effect of Rural Population Density on Socio-economic Characteristics of Rural Communities - Dissertation Example From the research it can be comprehended that rural population or settlement density is a very important factor or variable in identifying, delineating, analysing and categorising the rural communities. Modern day rural communities are typically formed out of a symbiosis between a central urban centre and a rural matrix within which it is embedded, in terms of the labour market, service provided, social interaction and other activities. The concept of the rural population and the nature of these settlement densities are essential variables as one tries to comprehend the important factor in understanding the socio-economic, the population density and the settlement matrix of the sparsely populated rural areas, where the thin and decreasing population densities presents both theoretical and practical problems for those involved in rural planning. Rural population density has a strong influence over the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the various non-urban communities, especially in the developed world, and forms to be a fundamental variable within the realms of planning and public policy framing. Thus, we find that study of rural population density is an essential subject in order to develop these spresely-populated areas better. However, a closer look at this subject of rural population shows us that not much work has been done in this line owing to the complex nature of the population density. It is not easy to distinguish between cause and effect, while explaining the various planes of human density, and the type and depth of their relationships with different social aspects. The complex nature of population density also implicates the involvement of the socio-economic, environmental, and historical factors that help to create a specific density spectrum and kind, like, linear, clustered, or randomly distributed, in respect to any type of rural community (Argent, Smailes, & Grif?n, 2005). The perceived density or the qualitative dimensions of population density are yet to be explored in details. only a few researchers have worked in this regards, as for example, Irving and Davidson (1973) defined social density (interpersonal relationships between members of a rural community), and Tuan (1977) in his papers emphasized that the feelings of crowding or loneliness were created owing to an individual’