Macroeconomic Condition of the USA in 1996-1999 Essay

Macroeconomic Condition of the USA in 1996-1999 - Essay Example It was a 2.1 increase from that of 1995, at the same time interest rates were low. The unemployment levels were as shown below in the period. In the year 1998 the economy experienced some of the best macroeconomic results that policymakers there were a tremendous outburst of volatility in the asset market. Although the GDP was above average in the year 1998, there was a consistent decline in growth. The economic condition worsened in 1990 making the economy more adverse (Iceland, pp. 12-57). The curve indicates the correlation between the quantity of real GDP and price level required by household. In the long run, the average demand curve and short run average curves intersect at a point on the long term average supply curve. In the presence of contraction policies the aggregate demand curve shifts to the left leading to a reduction in aggregate demand. In this case, price levels will fall but the output is not affected. On the other hand, if it were in the short run both output and price would drop. The aggregate supply shows how much is provided by a firm and at what price. In the long run, the curve is affected by events that lead to a change in the potential output of the economy. The term aggregate supply refers to the total value of services and goods that a country’s firms produce over a period. In case of a decrease in the long run supply curve, there will be a drop in the price level and an increase in the GDP. The health of the economy is by three economic indicators that include the gross domestic product, consumer price index and unemployment levels. For the economy to be termed as healthy there is a certain baseline that should be met. For a well-performing economy, the GDP should be growing at a rate of 2-3 % per annum reflecting a real growth pattern. An increase in any rate above 3% is possible but might be due to stepping on employee and environmental rights.

Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff

Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff Short Response to Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff My initial thought of this reading was that the title would be some metaphor for something else that happens. The story was short and straight to the point. It starts off with a man in a bank waiting, he has to wait in a long line due to going right before it closes. Anders starts off by seeming like a very irritable guy. Immediately he is annoyed with the two when in front of him. They are just complaining about everything. This is where we first see a sense of who Anders is. Two masked men come in to the bank making an attempt to rob it. Anders irritable attitude gets him in trouble a he starts making snide comments to the annoying lady in front of him. One of the men hears him. The man repeatedly tells Anders to be quite, but Anders does not listen. The man shoots Anders in the head, and then he his brain reflects on a distant memory. One from long ago that had much been forgotten. It recalls on a summer when Anders was out playing baseball with him friends. One friend brings a co usin who wants to play as well. When they ask him what position he wants to play he say short stop because ..Thats the best they is. Anders is shocked by what this boy has said, but it stays in his mind for the rest of the game. Memory is what builds this story. It is also what keeps this story going. We first start off with the scene of him in the bank, but eventually more to his recollection of a particular event in his life. Surprisingly he does not remember his first love, his daughter, or his wife. He remembers a time long ago playing baseball with friends. The memory is not one that you would expect from the first character we meet. Initially Anders is irritable and rude. Due to the use of memory in this story we see that Anders is not all bad. He once loved his job as a book critic, but the longer he did this the less he grew to like it. The actual memory that Anders draws on makes me think that this may have pushed him into the direction of being an editor. He remembers a friends cousin say Thats the best they is, he did not stop to fix his grammar but replayed what this boy said in his head. After being shot he plays a distant memory, but to him this is one that was really good for him. Anders memory definitely redeems him. My first thought of Anders is that I dont like him. He just does not seem like the type of person you would want to be around. On top of this, he is provoking one of the robbers. This memory takes us back to a time where Anders was happy. A young boy playing baseball with his friends. It shows us that Anders has not always been and irritable jerk, but a kind person. Someone who is accepting of you no matter. Due to circumstances throughout his life, Anders became a completely different person from that boy on the baseball field that day. Memory gives us a big look into his life, who he is and what he loves (or doesnt love). Memory and Identity The formation of identity comes from the World around you. I believe that your identity is formed based off of your family and environment. We learn morals and rules based off what our parents believe are good morals and rules to have. Each parenting style is different. I have always had more lenient parents while others have parents that can be pretty strict. This formed my identity. I never had to lie to do the things that I wanted. I would always tell my parents, and I knew that if they ever said no what I wanted to do probably wasnt a good idea. I would accept this and move on. Identity does not just come from your parents or your family, but from the places you visit frequently. You dont really form you identity until you are older. I am twenty, and still feel as if I am forming my identity. I often times ask myself Who is Kaylee Strahl? Who do I want to be? As we go to school we start to get a sense of our identity from a different perspective. We will be similar to the people we interact with frequently. I went to a really small school, this formed my identity in a different way. All of the people I graduated had a similar mind set. If you played sports or danced or other things like this. This also plays part in forming your identity. Memory and identity are similar because one has to build off the other. In order to form your identity we base it off the things that have happened in the past, our memory. Memory helps to shape us into the person that we eventually become. If there have been traumatic events in your life, your identity can change based off of that memory.

Justice in Oedpius the King :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Justice in Oedpius the King      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus is not formally charged with any crimes.   He does manage however to commit incest, and murder.  Ã‚   His father is cursed.   The curse states that his son will kill him and marry his wife.   These facts are discovered in the introductory, "...if laius , king of thebes, had a son by jocasta, his queen, that son would kill his father and marry his mother. Laius in light of these facts has Oedipus abandoned as a child.   Another family raises him as their own.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus was on his way to town when he encountered a carriage. Some negative events transpired and Oedipus kills the entire caravan.   He continues on towards the city only to find that a sphinx was terrorizing the city with a riddle.   It killed every man that answered the riddle incorrectly.   Oedipus arrived at the solution and saves the city.   He   is immediately proclaimed King.   He does not know he has killed the former King nor do the people.   He marries the queen which just happens to be his biological mother and has children by her.   " ...child of impurity, begetter in the same seed that created my wretched self."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus does not try to defend his actions.   In fact he blames himself as quoted from the story "Light of the sun, let me look upon you no more after today!   I who first saw you the light bred of a match accursed, and accursed ." The consequences of his actions are harsh.   He stabs his own eyes out and his wife/mother took her own life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Justice is defined as "the abstract principle by which right and

Airbrushing Should Be Banned

Good morning/afternoon class. The topic that we have chosen for our debate is â€Å"That airbrushing should be banned. † We as the affirmative team believe that this statement is true. The points that I will be talking about today is that manipulating images can lead to self-esteem issues, the different types of disorders that photo shopping could lead to and the extensive cost of airbrushing images. To start off, the deceptive imagery of airbrushing can lead to major self-confidence issues. Even though younger girls are exposed to many different types of media and images, the younger generations are not usually able to tell the difference between normal photographs and air-brushed images. †¢This means that over time, young women are increasingly seeing and comparing themselves with images which are neither realistic nor authentic. †¢This can lead to severe self-esteem issues. Images that are altered and manipulated to give an impossibly thin look add to everyoneâ₠¬â„¢s insecurities about their bodies.This is exactly the reason why airbrushing should be banned. Secondly, these diminishing advertisements can sometimes lead to eating disorders. †¢Some people are particularly vulnerable to this pressure to be perfect and risk developing an eating disorder such as anorexia or being bulimic. †¢This is precisely why we're calling for the media to get real and show us bodies in all their gorgeous, natural glory. While it's true that most of us are aware that the majority of women in adverts have been airbrushed to within an inch of their life, sadly, the same can't be said for younger girls, who, from a very early age are constantly being bombarded with digitally altered images without realising just how much they've been manipulated. Do we really want our precious children to change who they are so that they can fit in with society’s perception of perfection?This highlights why any form of enhancing an advertisement should be banne d. Finally, I will address the extensive cost of airbrushing images that companies and we face. †¢Airbrushing images will not only damage young girls self-esteem but it would also take an astonishing amount of money out of the company’s budget. †¢Due to airbrushing, it will not only cost the business money, but also us to go under the knife to achieve these manipulative images from the pressure to be perfect.Are we really going to go to these extreme lengths to look like someone we’re not? This illustrates precisely why photo shopping needs to be expelled. AGAINST OUR ARGUMENTS †¢it’s a clever way for products to be sold, and to attract the target audience they are aiming at. †¢models are usually hired for the purpose to sell the product and being â€Å"Photo shopped† is probably some part of their contract. †¢retouching and photo editing is supposed to make the look of the model attractive, so it is able to sell the product. the models face will usually have to be the image of perfection and beauty to interest a reader to pick up a magazine, thinking that the content will be related to the cover image of beauty. REBUTTALS Would you buy a product from an advert where the model is looking flawless, and has great skin due to airbrushing techniques? Or where it shows the true beauty of someone, and that there should be no reason to change, and to just accept how they look? Should an image that is airbrushed be societies perception of perfection?

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Eleven

â€Å"The nameis Salvatore. As in savior,† he said. There was a brief flash of white teeth in the darkness. Elena looked down. The overhang of the roof obscured the balcony, but she could hear shuffling sounds down there. But they were not the sounds of pursuit, and there was no sign that her companion's words had been overheard. A minute later, she heard the french windows close. â€Å"I thought it was Smith,† she said, still looking down into the darkness. Damon laughed. It was a terribly engaging laugh, without the bitter edge of Stefan's. It made her think of the rainbow lights on the crow's feathers. Nevertheless, she was not fooled. Charming as he seemed, Damon was dangerous almost beyond imagination. That graceful, lounging body was ten times stronger than a human's. Those lazy dark eyes were adapted to seeing perfectly at night. The long-fingered hand that had pulled her up to the roof could move with impossible quickness. And, most disturbing of all, his mind was the mind of a killer. A predator. She could feel it just beneath his surface. He wasdifferent from a human. He had lived so long by hunting and killing that he'd forgotten any other way. And he enjoyed it, not fighting his nature as Stefan did, but glorying in it. He had no morals and no conscience, and she was trapped here with him in the middle of the night. She settled back on one heel, ready to jump into action at any minute. She ought to be angry with him now, after what he'd done to her in the dream. She was, but there was no point in expressing it. He knew how furious she must be, and he would only laugh at her if she told him. She watched him quietly, intently, waiting for his next move. But he didn't move. Those hands that could dart as quickly as striking snakes rested motionlessly on his knees. His expression reminded her of the way he'd looked at her once before. The first time they'd met she'd seen the same guarded, reluctant respect in his eyes – except that then there had also been surprise. â€Å"You're not going to scream at me? Or faint?† he said, as if offering her the standard options. Elena was still watching him. He was much stronger than she was, and faster, but if she needed to she thought she could get to the edge of the roof before he reached her. It was a thirty foot drop if she missed the balcony, but she might decide to risk it. It all depended on Damon. â€Å"I don't faint,† she said shortly. â€Å"And why should I scream at you? We were playing a game. I was stupid that night and so I lost. You warned me in the graveyard about the consequences.† His lips parted in a quick breath and he looked away. â€Å"I may just have to make you my Queen of Shadows,† he said, and, speaking almost to himself, he continued: â€Å"I've had many companions, girls as young as you and women who were the beauties of Europe. Butyou're the one I want at my side. Ruling, taking what we want when we want it. Feared and worshipped by all the weaker souls. Would that be so bad?† â€Å"Iam one of the weaker souls,† Elena said. â€Å"And you and I are enemies, Damon. We can never be anything else.† â€Å"Are you sure?† He looked at her, and she could feel the power of his mind as it touched hers, like the brush of those long fingers. But there was no dizziness, no feeling of weakness or succumbing. That afternoon she'd had a long soak, as she always did these days, in a hot bath sprinkled with dried vervain. Damon's eyes flashed with understanding, but he took the setback with good grace. â€Å"What are you doing here?† he said casually. It was strange, but she felt no need to lie to him. â€Å"Caroline took something that belonged to me. A diary. I came to get it back.† A new look flickered in the dark eyes. â€Å"Undoubtedly to protect my worthless brother somehow,† he said, annoyed. â€Å"Stefan isn't involved in this!† â€Å"Oh, isn't he?† She was afraid he understood more than she meant him to. â€Å"Strange, he always seems to be involved when there's trouble. Hecreates problems. Now, if he were out of the picture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena spoke steadily. â€Å"If you hurt Stefan again I'll make you sorry. I'll find some way to make you wish you hadn't, Damon. I mean it.† â€Å"I see. Well, then, I'll just have to work onyou , won't I?† Elena said nothing. She'd talked herself into a corner, agreeing to play this deadly game of his again. She looked away. â€Å"I'm going to have you in the end, you know,† he said softly. It was the voice he'd used at the party, when he'd said, â€Å"Easy, easy.† There was no mockery or malice now; he was simply stating a fact. â€Å"By hook or by crook, as you people say – that's a nice phrase – you'll be mine before the next snow flies.† Elena tried to conceal the chill she felt, but she knew he saw anyway. â€Å"Abusiness proposition?† â€Å"Exactly. You came here to get a diary. But you haven't got it.† He indicated her empty hands. â€Å"You failed, didn't you?† When Elena made no reply he went on. â€Å"And since you don't want my brother involved , he can't help you. But I can. And I will.† â€Å"You will?† â€Å"Of course. For a price.† Elena stared at him. Blood flamed in her face. When she managed to get words out, they would come only in a whisper. â€Å"What – price?† A smile gleamed out of the darkness. â€Å"A few minutes of your time, Elena. A few drops of your blood. An hour or so spent with me, alone.† â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena couldn't find the right word. Every epithet she knew was too mild. â€Å"I'll have it anyway, eventually,† he said in a reasonable tone. â€Å"If you're honest, you'll admit that to yourself. Last time wasn't the last. Why not accept that?† His voice dropped to a warm, intimate timbre. â€Å"Remember†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'd rather cut my throat,† she said. â€Å"An intriguing thought. But I can do it so much more enjoyably.† He was laughing at her. Somehow, on top of everything else today, this was too much. â€Å"You're disgusting; you know that,† she said. â€Å"You're sickening.† She was shaking now, and she couldn't breathe. â€Å"I'd die before I'd give in to you. I'd rather – â€Å" She wasn't sure what made her do it. When she was with Damon a sort of instinct took over her. And at that moment, she did feel that she'd rather risk anything than let him win this time. She noticed, with half her mind, that he was sitting back, relaxed, enjoying the turn his game was taking. The other half of her mind was calculating how far the roof overhung the balcony. â€Å"I'd rather do this,† she said, and flung herself sideways. She was right; he was off guard and couldn't move fast enough to stop her. She felt free space below her feet and spinning terror as she realized the balcony was farther back than she'd thought. She was going to miss it. But she hadn't reckoned on Damon. His hand shot out, not quick enough to keep her on the roof, but keeping her from falling any farther. It was as if her weight was nothing to him. Reflexively, Elena grasped the shingled edge of the roof and tried to get a knee up. â€Å"Let go of me,† said Elena through her teeth. Someone was going to come out on that balcony at any second, she was sure of it. â€Å"Let go of me.† â€Å"Here and now?† Looking into those unfathomable black eyes, she realized he was serious. If she said yes he would drop her. â€Å"It would be a fast way to end things, wouldn't it?† she said. Her heart was pounding in fear, but she refused to let him see that. â€Å"But such a waste.† With one motion, he jerked her to safety. To himself. His arms tightened around her, pressing her to the lean hardness of his body, and suddenly Elena could see nothing. She was enveloped. Then she felt those flat muscles gathering themselves like some great cat's, and the two of them launched into space. She was falling. She couldn't help but cling to him as the only solid thing in the rushing world around her. Then he landed, catlike, taking the impact easily. Stefan had done something similar once. But Stefan had not held her this way afterward, bruisingly close, with his lips almost in contact with hers. â€Å"Think about my proposition,† he said. She could not move or look away. And this time she knew that it was no Power that he was using, but simply the wildfire attraction between them. It was useless to deny it; her body responded to his. She could feel his breath on her lips. â€Å"I don't need you for anything,† she told him. She thought he was going to kiss her then, but he didn't. Above them there was the sound of french windows opening and an angry voice on the balcony. â€Å"Hey! What's going on? Is somebody out there?† â€Å"This time I did you a favor,† Damon said, very softly, still holding her. â€Å"Next time I'm going to collect.† She couldn't have turned her head away. If he'd kissed her then, she would have let him. But suddenly the hardness of his arms melted around her and his face seemed to blur. It was as if the darkness was taking him back into itself. Then black wings caught and beat the air and a huge crow was soaring away. Something, a book or shoe, was hurled after it from the balcony. It missed by a yard. â€Å"Damn birds!† said Mr. Forbes's voice from above. â€Å"They must be nesting on the roof.† Shivering, with her arms locked around her, Elena huddled in the darkness below until he went back inside. She found Meredith and Bonnie crouching by the gate. â€Å"What took you so long?† Bonnie whispered. â€Å"We thought you were caught!† â€Å"I almost was. I had to stay until it was safe.† Elena was so used to lying about Damon that she did it now without conscious effort. â€Å"Let's go home,† she whispered. â€Å"There's nothing more we can do.† â€Å"I know.† For a moment Damon's proposition swam in Elena's mind. But she shook her head to clear it. â€Å"I'll think of something,† she said. She hadn't thought of anything by the next day of school. The one encouraging fact was that Caroline didn't seem to have noticed anything amiss in her room – but that wasall Elena could find to be encouraged about. There was an assembly that morning, at which it was announced that the school board had chosen Elena as the student to represent â€Å"The Spirit of Fell's Church.† All through the principal's speech about it, Caroline's smile had blazed forth, triumphant and malicious. Elena tried to ignore it. She did her best to ignore the slights and snubs that came even in the wake of the assembly, but it wasn't easy. It was never easy, and there were days when she thought she would hit someone or just start screaming, but so far she'd managed. That afternoon, waiting for the sixth-period history class to be let out, Elena studied Tyler Smallwood. Since coming back to school, he had not addressed one word to her directly. He'd smiled as nastily as Caroline during the principal's announcement. Now, as he caught sight of Elena standing alone, he jostled Dick Carter with his elbow. â€Å"What's that there?† he said. â€Å"A wallflower?† Stefan, where are you? thought Elena. But she knew the answer to that. Halfway across school, in astronomy class. Dick opened his mouth to say something, but then his expression changed. He was looking beyond Elena, down the hall. Elena turned and saw Vickie. Vickie and Dick had been together before the Homecoming Dance. Elena supposed they still were. But Dick looked uncertain, as if he wasn't sure what to expect from the girl who was moving toward him. There was something odd about Vickie's face, about her walk. She was moving as if her feet didn't touch the floor. Her eyes were dilated and dreamy. â€Å"Hi there,† Dick said tentatively, and he stepped in front of her. Vickie passed him without a glance and went on to Tyler. Elena watched what happened next with growing uneasiness. It should have been funny, but it wasn't. It started with Tyler looking somewhat taken aback. Then Vickie put a hand on his chest. Tyler smiled, but there was a forced look about it. Vickie slid her hand under his jacket. Tyler's smile wavered. Vickie put her other hand on his chest. Tyler looked at Dick. â€Å"Hey, Vickie, lighten up,† said Dick hastily, but he didn't move any closer. Vickie slid her two hands upwards, pushing Tyler's jacket off his shoulders. He tried to shrug it back on without letting go of his books or seeming too concerned. He couldn't. Vickie's fingers crept under his shirt. â€Å"Hey, Vickie, leggo. Don't do that.† But Dick remained at a safe distance. Tyler shot him an enraged glare and tried to shove Vickie away. A noise had begun. At first it seemed to be at a frequency almost too low for human hearing, but it grew louder and louder. A growl, eerily menacing, that sent ice down Elena's spine. Tyler was looking pop-eyed with disbelief, and she soon realized why. The sound was coming from Vickie. Then everything happened at once. Tyler was on the ground with Vickie's teeth snapping inches from his throat. Elena, all quarrels forgotten, was trying to help Dick pull her off. Tyler was howling. The history room door was open and Alaric was shouting. â€Å"Don't hurt her! Be careful! It's epilepsy, we just need to get her lying down!† Vickie's teeth snapped again as he reached a helpful hand into the melee. The slender girl was stronger than all of them together, and they were losing control of her. They weren't going to be able to hold her much longer. It was with intense relief that Elena heard a familiar voice at her shoulder. â€Å"Vickie, calm down. It's all right. Just relax now. With Stefan grasping Vickie's arm and talking to her soothingly, Elena dared to slacken her own grip. And it seemed, at first, that Stefan's strategy was working. Vickie's clawing fingers loosened, and they were able to lift her off Tyler. As Stefan kept speaking to her, she went limp and her eyes shut. â€Å"That's good. You're feeling tired now. It's all right to go to sleep.† But then, abruptly, it stopped working, and whatever Power Stefan had been exercising over her was broken. Vickie's eyes flew open, and they bore no resemblance to the startled fawn's eyes Elena had seen in the cafeteria. They were blazing with red fury. She snarled at Stefan and burst out fighting with fresh strength. It took five or six of them to hold her down while somebody called the police. Elena stayed where she was, talking to Vickie, sometimes yelling at her, until the police got there. None of it did any good. Then she stepped back and saw the crowd of onlookers for the first time. Bonnie was in the front row, staring open-mouthed. So was Caroline. â€Å"Whathappened !† said Bonnie as the officials carried Vickie away. Elena, panting gently, pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. â€Å"She went crazy and tried to undress Tyler.† Bonnie pursed her lips. â€Å"Well, she'd have to be crazy towant to, wouldn't she?† And she threw a smirk over her shoulder directly at Caroline. Elena's knees were rubbery and her hands were shaking. She felt an arm go around her, and she leaned against Stefan gratefully. Then she looked up at him. â€Å"Epilepsy?† she said with disbelieving scorn. â€Å"I think class was just dismissed,† Stefan said. â€Å"Let's go.† They walked toward the boarding house in silence, each lost in thought. Elena frowned, and several times glanced over at Stefan, but it wasn't until they were alone in his room that she spoke. â€Å"Stefan, what is all this? What's happening to Vickie?† â€Å"That's what I've been wondering. There's only one explanation I can think of, and it's that she's still under attack.† â€Å"You mean Damon's still – oh, my God! Oh, Stefan, I should have given her some of the vervain. I should have realized†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It wouldn't have made any difference. Believe me.† She had turned toward the door as if to go after Vickie that minute, but he pulled her gently back. â€Å"Some people are more easily influenced than others, Elena. Vickie's will was never very strong. It belongs to him, now.† Slowly, Elena sat down. â€Å"Then there's nothing anyone can do? But, Stefan, will she become – like you and Damon?† â€Å"It depends.† His tone was bleak. â€Å"It's not just a matter of how much blood she loses. She needshis blood in her veins to make the change complete. Otherwise, she'll just end up like Mr. Tanner. Drained, used up. Dead.† Elena took a long breath. There was something else she wanted to ask him about, something she'd wanted to ask him for a long time. â€Å"Stefan, when you spoke to Vickie back there, I thought it was working. You were using your Powers on her, weren't you?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But then she just went crazy again. What I mean is†¦ Stefan, youare okay, aren't you? Your Powers have come back?† He didn't answer. But that was answer enough for her. â€Å"Stefan, why didn't you tell me? What's wrong?† She went around and knelt by him so that he had to look at her. â€Å"It's taking me a while to recover, that's all. Don't worry about it.† â€Å"Iam worried. Isn't there anything we can do?† â€Å"No,† he said. But his eyes dropped. Comprehension swept through Elena. â€Å"Oh,† she whispered, sitting back. Then she reached for him again, trying to get hold of his hands. â€Å"Stefan, listen to me – â€Å" â€Å"Elena,no. Don't you see? It's dangerous, dangerous for both of us, but especially for you. It could kill â€Å"Only if you lose control,† she said. â€Å"And you won't. Kiss me.† â€Å"No,† said Stefan again. He added, less harshly, â€Å"I'll go out hunting tonight as soon as it's dark.† â€Å"Is that the same?† she said. She knew it wasn't. It was human blood that gave Power. â€Å"Oh, Stefan, please; don't you see I want to? Don'tyou want to?† â€Å"That isn't fair,† he said, his eyes tortured. â€Å"You know it isn't, Elena. You know how much – † He turned away from her again, his hands clenched into fists. â€Å"Then why not? Stefan, I need†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She couldn't finish. She couldn't explain to him what she needed; it was a need for connection to him, for closeness. She needed to remember what it was like with him, to wipe out the memory of dancing in her dream and of Damon's arms locked around her. â€Å"I need us to be together again,† she whispered. Stefan was still turned away, and he shook his head. â€Å"All right,† Elena whispered, but she felt a wash of grief and fear as defeat seeped into her bones. Most of the fear was for Stefan, who was vulnerable without his Powers, vulnerable enough that he might be hurt by the ordinary citizens of Fell's Church. But some of it was for herself.

Enron Scandal Essays

Enron Scandal Essays Enron Scandal Essay Enron Scandal Essay Enron and why it was a failure Enron and why it was a failure Marcus E. Tucker University of Phoenix Enron and why it was a failure Enron, known today as one of the biggest business failures this country has ever seen. Enron who in the late ninetyâ„ ¢s controlled twenty five percent of all electricity and natural gas contracts traded worldwide, and was billed by Fortune magazine as Americaâ„ ¢s Most Innovative Companyâ„ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢ for six years straight, became one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history in December 2001(MSN, 2008). This paper will explain how Enron failed as a company by using unethical business practices and also compare and contrast Enronâ„ ¢s leadership, top management and organizational structures to certain Organizational Behavior theories. Enron failed because it lacked proper leadership and poor decision making from its top executives. Leadership is a very important component of OB; it also is a huge reason behind Enronâ„ ¢s downfall. Enronâ„ ¢s top executives were good leaders; the only problem is that they were leading the company to destruction. One of the many definitions of a leader states Leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives (). Kenneth Lay was able to accomplish this task with his people, his employees bought into his beliefs and the culture of the company. He was not only able to gain a following from his employees, but also from outsiders who were invested in his success such as the United States government. Employees were working eighty our weeks and sacrificing their today for a better tomorrow, they believed that by working for Enron that they were going to richer than they had ever imagined. If Enronâ„ ¢s managers had made better decisions and had stuck to OB theories such as planning, organizing, leading and controlling they should have realized that the company was running unethically and blown the whistle on the company and its top executive officers. Enron should have been focused on the future, building a stronger structure and using ethical procedures that would help the company grow. The structure of the Enron did not give other managers or top executives the ability to make decisions for the company. Enronâ„ ¢s decisions were made by Lay or Skeeling, who had immense and unchallenged authority there should have been a board of directors who voted on the decisions and the direction of the company. If you were to compare Enronâ„ ¢s structure, to a company that has high ethical standards the two companies would be identical on the surface. If you were to take a closer you look you would find that Enron priced the value of its deepwater drilling operations higher than what its reserves merited. It claimed that contracts due in the future were worth more than they were. And most famously, it hid losses in partnerships, or what were legally called special purpose entities (). Reference: MSN?  (2008).?  Enron Scandal. Retrieved February?  22, 2009, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_701610398_2/Enron_Scandal.html.

After The Fall Essays - Marilyn Monroe, Joseph McCarthy, Free Essays

After The Fall Essays - Marilyn Monroe, Joseph McCarthy, Free Essays After The Fall After the Fall Arthur Miller has written many great plays in his life, such as A View from the Bridge ,Death of a Salesman ,The Misfits, The Crucible, and After the Fall. Out of all his plays it is said that After the Fall is the darkest plays he has written. I believe that this is a true statement, and that the reasons this is his darkest play is because it deals with his inner feelings on thing that he had to deal with in his life. The certain aspects that he touched in this play are his marriage with Marilyn Monroe , who was a great actress in her time. Marilyn is portrayed though the character Maggie who is a very innocent girl who, like Marilyn, was looked at mainly as a sex symbol. After the Fall also deals with Millers brush with authorities over communism in the 50s. To describe this concept Miller describes himself as a lawyer who is defending an old friend who is being threaded as being a communist or portraying communistic ideas in his latest book. Though out the play the main character, Quentin deals with his relationships with women. Two of the women who play very important roles are his wife Louise, and his mother ,Rose. Lousie tries to break out of the traditional idea that the wife is there to just cook, clean, take care of both the children and the husband, and be what is portrayed to me as a robot, where she does not have any thoughts of her own. Rose is what every Jewish mother is described as. She is seen as a strong woman, has a lot of say in what is going on, seems to have an icy touch when dealing with certain people, but is always trying to look on the good side of things. His mother is the ideal woman who Quentin holds every other woman in his life up to. The back round of most of the play is set in the early 1950 during the McCarthy trials. By 1950 the senate was in an era of anti-Communist hysteria. Senator Joseph McCarthy launched a series of highly publicized investigations in the State Department, Hollywood, and even the U.S. Army. This was intend to root out Communism. The aggressive attacks that McCarthy launched lead to a wide spread fear and suspicion though many sectors of American society. Since McCarthy had little evidence to back his claims up McCarthy fell into disfavor. In 1954 he was censured by the Senate for abusing his authority.