Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity - Essay Example According to the research findings leveraged buyout first came into the picture as an important phenomenon in 1980s. It was predicted that these types of organizations would form the major portion of organization which will eventually become the dominant one. These types of private equity firms involved themselves in various measures like providing incentives based on managerial abilities, and introduced the concept of active governance. They relied upon the possibility of junk bond financing. A few years later the junk bond market crashed resulting in bankruptcy of several leveraged buyouts and the leveraged buyouts of public to private transactions vanished in the starting phases of 1990s. But the market of leveraged buyout was also suffering a gloomy phase as the private equity firms continued their operation by acquiring private companies. The US experienced the boom in market of leveraged buyout in the mid 2000s. The evidences supported by various researches on some selected com panies reveals that private equity investors took the advantages of time factor between the debt and equity markets. The importance of leveraged buyout lies in the usage of financial leverage in order to strengthen the acquisition of the company that has been targeted. The generated cash flow from the bought out business is used to cover he debt incurred in the acquisition. The debt holders are usually expected to earn affixed return while the equity holders seem to grasp all the benefits in a successful buyout. The factors that influence a good leverage buyout includes strong consumer base, small amount of debt on balance sheet, the management team consisting of dependable hands and continuous cash flow (Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth , 2003, p.p. 7-8). Private equity firms Private equity firms are characterized by firms where general partners take the initiative to manage funds while the other partners take the responsibility to provide capital. The limited partners comprise of pension funds, wealthy individuals, and companies operating in the insurance sector. It is important for a partner to contribute to at least 1 percent of the wealth of the firm. The private equity firms has the opportunity to invest the committed capital for at least five years but the period can be extended to ten to thirteen years to return the capital. Again the fund has the life of ten fixed years but can have the extension to thirteen. The limited has little liability in the working of the capital as long as the initial agreements are met. The agreements include restrictions on the amount of capital that can be invested in a company, the particular form of securities in which to invest, and on the level of debt. There are three ways to compensate a general partner. With an annual management fee which is usually a portion of the committed capital and then as a portion of capital employed when the investments are realized. The general partners also earn a share of the profits and they can also charge fees for deal and monitoring to the companies where they put their money in. Portfolio

International trade and economic growth of China Essay

International trade and economic growth of China - Essay Example China before 1980s was agriculture based economy and almost all the businesses, factories and commercial activities were under the state control. Capitalism was a forbidden and a hated world (USChina, 2011). This section examines the growth of the Chinese economy and trade. 2.1. Growth of the Chinese Economy After the people revolution, China closed its doors to external influences, seized all private factories and businesses and nationalised all the industries and banks. The result was a total shut down of free enterprise. Capitalists and scholars were hunted down and all trade, industries were state owned. As a result, the nations stagnated and led to a sharp increase in poverty. While the rest of the world saw booms and busts, China had a stagnant and stable economy that was controlled by the state. The standard of living was slow and bicycles were the main mode of transport in the city. From 1979 onwards, the Chinese premier Deng Xiaoping started the measures of liberalisation, a llowed trade with foreign nations, allowed FDI and created industrial zones along the eastern coast so that foreign firms could set up manufacturing activity (Zhang, 2007, p. 12). This far-reaching vision paid off and very soon, China started its upward trajectory of growth. The growth in the GDP and other economic indicators are given in Appendix â€Å"Table A1. China Economic Indicators – 1 of 3† to â€Å"3 of 3† that gives details of the economic indicators. Growth figures of the economy have been given for 19 indicators for the years 1980 until 2013. Projections for 2012 and 2013 are estimated figures. Following graph illustrates the growth rates in GDP, PPP and the CAB in USD billions from 1980 to 2013 (IMF, 2012).... This paper presents a comprehensive review of various trade and economic policies that China has used to promote the growth of its economy, which is illustrated with the help of analysis of data from different databases on the Chinese economy and trade. It is clear that China, which was lagging far behind the west has grown its GDP by more than 30 times from 1980 to 2011. This huge growth in GDP was brought out by growth in many sectors such as construction, industry, agriculture and trade. China has used its trade policies in a very clever manner to trap the western nations at their own games. The western nations came to China initially to make use of the low labour costs. However, the lure of China proved to be very strong and hundreds of western nations moved to China. China set up huge manufacturing centres where low cost labour was available and other benefits provided to western firms. Hundreds of firms from the west set up their factories in China and exported the goods to USA, Europe and many other nations. China carries out trade with a large number of countries. However, the maximum trade in terms of value of goods is done with only a few nations. After the acceptance of WTO treaty, there was shift in the balance of trade in Chinas favour. In the previous decade, China was a net importer since it could not manufacture many of the products. However, with increase in the manufacturing sector, exports have grown. With a positive trade balance, China offers a unique competitive advantage to western nations.

Evolution of Leadership

Evolution of Leadership Amber Goshe An Evolution of Leadership In order to thrive in the realm of leadership, companies and individual departments have started to recognize that leadership must be adaptable, continuous, and be able to play various roles to create synergy in the work place. Quantum leadership and the path-goal leadership theory are discussed in this paper, as well as, the benefits and limitations of both theories in an organizational environment. A real workplace scenario is presented with a discussion of the type of conflict presented, in addition to, strategies that could be used in addressing the issue at hand. Quantum Leadership Quantum leadership is chaotic and is based on principles of physics and constant change and transformation. It is always changing and evolving. Therefore, the leader’s role is focused on understanding the intricacy of the change and then transforming it into a way that can be understood by those it affects (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). By evaluating a change and anticipating change, a quantum leader can project to see where the change is going (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The theory focuses on adaptation, integration, interaction, and prediction (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership is not based on a hierarchy. It views an organization and its members as interrelated team members that is better served through collaboration (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership emphasizes the importance of the relationships between individuals in the organization rather than focusing on solely the individual. Leaders and the people they lead have to be comfortable with ambiguity and the challenges brought forth by continuous change (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leaders must be vulnerable and open to different realities but also be aware of their limitations (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership also embraces values for individuals and groups within the organization. There is an emotional investment that is important because it provides a perspective of ownership and integrity and should be visible because values stand out by a person’s actions every day (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Also, shared basic underlying assumptions in quantum leadership define the invisible culture and determine what makes the organization function every day (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Yet, these are basic and highly influential in a group’s behavior. This often goes overlooked until someone oversteps on one and then it usually comes out as frustration expressed by a team member that identifies the violation (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The artifacts in the culture address the things someone first comes into contact with an organization and therefore it is easy to see what one encounters but it is hard to decipher the true meaning of the culture (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Another assumption includes beliefs and values including the goals, identified goals and spoken values (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). These assumptions can be driven by groups or by individuals who have influence inside the institute. However, it can be challenging to make these underlying assumptions visible and used to add value. Quantum leadership focuses on the process and embraces that it is indefinite and limitless and does not place emphasis solely on the results and how one gets there. Quantum leadership embraces finding potential. It is not always controllable or predictable and that is a good thing because a leader should become worried once everything becomes predictable (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership lets go of control and opens up the opportunity for various leadership styles to emerge to align the motivation between team members (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). It emphasizes collaboration between members and building upon others strengths but knowing their weaknesses and limitations. Quantum leadership instills meaning into leadership but it does have its own action plans. The action plans within the organization, however, do focus on accomplishing goals appropriately and meaningfully (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The group must have good communication and interaction within the organization to accelerate success which can be aligned by the leader. The individual’s interest in the organization is also taken into account (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Path-Goal Theory The path-goal theory is based on identifying a leader’s motivation or style that best suits the employee to facilitate goal achievement. This theory focuses on three main aspects of leadership which include the leader, the subordinate or the secondary, and the environment (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The characteristics of the subordinate include their own perception of their abilities and control and leaders can adapt to this perception by approaching the leadership from different angles based on their understanding. Characteristics of the environment focus on the structure of the task and the work group. This behavior enables the employee to become empowered, it increases their motivation, and improves employee satisfaction which assists the employee in being a productive member of the institute (Wofford Liska, 1993). A main concept of the path-goal theory is that the leaders will make rewards available in order to motivate their subordinates (Wofford Liska, 1993). These rewards can be adaptable and dependent on the situation at hand which makes the leader vulnerable to opening up to acclimation. In this theory, various different styles of leadership are used for different situations. There are four original types of leadership behaviors in the path-goal theory which include directive, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. In directive leadership, the leader is specific and gives directions to the followers about what needs to be done and includes details on how it should be done, the expectations, and when it needs to be done (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The leader will still provide guidance along the way. This style of leadership can be used when dealing with a complex or unstructured task of if the subordinate is inexperienced (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The second leadership behavior is supportive leadership. In this style, the needs and well-being of the subordinate is taken into consideration, as well as, creating an approachable work environment (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). This is a larger focus than completing the task at hand. This style may be used when the task is boring or puts the subordinate at risk for physical or psychological distress.The third style of leader behavior is participative. In this style, the subordinates are consulted in the process and those ideas can be used when making decisions (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The subordinate’s opinion is highly respected in this style and often this can be used when the subordinates are the experts of the content matter. The fourth style of leader behavior is the achievement oriented leader. In this behavior, high expectations are set for the subordinates and challenging goals are set. A high level of performance is expected from the subordinates is expected while the leade r instills confidence in their abilities (Wofford Liska, 1993). The path-goal theory is flexible in that the leader adapts to the subordinate, taking into consideration the environment and task at hand. This situational framework is strength for understanding how various leader behaviors affect the efficiency and satisfaction of the workers. It also incorporates motivation principles of the expectancy theory (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). However, it can also be complex to try to integrate many different aspects of leadership. Comparing Quantum Leadership and Path-Goal Theory One major difference between quantum leadership and the Path-Goal theory is control. The quantum leader is about aligning motivation between team members and is open to different views on a subject. The path-goal theory focuses on discovering the best behaviors for subordinates and attempts to control subordinates behavior with incentives. Also, the path-goal theory refers to subordinates indicating a hierarchal system where the quantum leader focuses on horizontal communication (). Yet, a similarity is that the leader in the path-goal theory works to facilitate task achievement for the followers and in quantum leadership the leader is focusing on aligning motivation between other team members which results in task achievement. However, quantum leadership is always continuously evolving and is a process, whereas in the path-goal theory there is a specific goal and expectancies on how to get from point a to b. Conflict Scenario In 2010, I started working as a radiographer at Nationwide Children’s hospital. Before starting my new position, I had worked as a student assistant in the radiology department and I was now a peer to those who had been over me. While running images for a fellow co-worker, I noticed she would withhold images to â€Å"run† them herself. As I observed my co-worker and her method, I noticed she was deleting images when there was likely potential for motion. One day, an image was deleted after the wrong radiograph had been taken. A forearm was taken instead of an elbow and the forearm radiograph was deleted. After the elbow came back negative, the physician ordered a forearm and therefore the patient was exposed twice for the same picture unnecessarily. I found this odd, since in every other aspect my co-worker upheld patient safety and often advocated for it. The reject image rate which is calculated for patient safety is based off the images rejected in the computer syste m. Since there were images not being accounted for, an inaccurate portrayal of data occurred. When my co-worker was confronted, she stated that the information from those images was not beneficial for the department and claimed she was unaware that it held any wrongdoing. In my opinion, this is a data-based conflict due to the lack of information and limited access to information. There is some value based conflict components presented in the scenario but the big picture is that data is not being collected and therefore it is affecting patient safety. Since that information would be extremely important for the effectiveness of the department and patient safety, certain measures or in-services were not being implemented based upon false information. The clinical work suffers as a result of not acquiring the appropriate information (54). The information and how it is generated, as well as, how it is distributed and the importance of it all have an impact on the effectiveness of the organization, as well as, its integrity (55). As a quantum leader in this situation, one would need to ensure that proper processes and generation of information are set in place and appropriately structured within the organization. To address the issue presented in the scenario, as a quantum leader I would want to get a basic understanding of the issues at hand and hear from the co-worker their issue with the process put into play, ask her to clarify her reasoning for why the information is not beneficial to the department, and what her feelings are on the issue. I would want to know if she has fear about running images that have â€Å"mistakes† on them and why. I would bring up patient safety with the co-worker for common ground. I would discuss with the co-worker how I praise her advocacy of patient safety in all other aspects and ask her to reflect on the situation to determine if there were patient safety issues involved. Also, this conversation would need to be done in a safe place so she felt open to discussing the conflict at hand. Throughout the conversation, I would discuss expectations for patient safety and assure the co-worker that the data collection system put in place is for the patient safety and for the employees. That information is not used to get employees into trouble, but to help determine in a non-blame way, what could be done in the future to prevent unnecessary exposures to patients. Agreements would need to be made on the process of data collection and a plan to follow-up on the agreement action (). References Alanazi, T.R. Rasli, A.M. (2013). Overview of path-goal leadership theory. Comprehensive Research Journal of Management and Business Studies, 1(1), 01-06. Malloch, K. Porter O’Grady, T. (2009). The quantum leader: Applications for the new world of work (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Wofford, J.C. Liska, L.Z. (1993). Path-goal theories of leadership: A meta-analysis. Journal Of Management, 19(4), 857-876.

The Impact of Slavery on Black Women Essay -- Slavery Essays

The Impact of Slavery on Black Women â€Å"Only by experience can any one realize how deep, and dark, and foul is that pit of abominations.† (Jacobs, 120). These words are spoken by Harriet Jacobs (also known as Linda Brent) and after reading about her life experience as a slave, I have come to believe that slavery was far worse for women than it ever was for men. Jacobs never states that black slave men had it easy during the slave years, in fact she tells a few stories about how some slave men were beaten. She also tells about the life experience of a slave girl, herself. Her own experiences made me feel blessed that I was never born as a black woman during the time of slavery. I do not think that I would have been strong enough to endure such times. Let’s begin with the living conditions and the rights and honor of a slave, male or female. First of all, slaves were given one pair of shoes, two pairs of pants, and maybe one shirt that was to last them for at least a year. Most of the time, their shoes were used or old shoes. Once their shoes got holes and wore down, they wore nothing on their bare feet, even through the winter times. When it came to rights, no black slave had any rights. When I say any, I mean none. Just to name a few; they, and this was for women too, had no right to protect their families, marry who they wish, or own any property. Black men were considered to have no honor. Having honor was something that the Elite white men believed that only they could possess Honor in their eyes of the white man was represented by a dual. If you were a black slave, you could not defend yourself or your family because according to the whites, slaves and women had no honor. If they even thought about proving themse lves, which was rare, they were either whipped or killed by their Masters. Slaves were not looked at as men. They were looked as property, nothing but a working tool. The physical torture that a slave went through was not based on how they were treated in regards to work, but on how they were punished. Most of the time they were beat with a whip made from cow hide, until they bled. They would whip the slaves until the overseer (the person who watched over the slaves) was tired. Other times, slaves were not so lucky. For example, Frederick Douglas, an American slave, told a story that went like this. (Douglas, 34 & 35) â€Å"Mr. Gore on... ...tress would convince her husband to sell the child. Women were also denied the right to marry because the Mistress did not want the slave to take time away from tending or nursing her white children so that they could take care of their own baby. Hopefully I have explained enough of what I have learned about slavery to make you understand the injustice treatments that the black slaves had to endure. When I look back at what I have learned in these readings, I remind myself how lucky we are. We are able to marry who we want, keep our children, and have the right to be respected as a person. Today people whose children are abducted go through probably an unimaginable devastation, and slaves back then were expected to continue life as if nothing happened. It is very sad. Slave men did suffer but in my opinion, women by far had it the worst. Works Cited Douglas, Frederick, Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000. Evans, Sara M., Born for Liberty. New York: First Free Press, 1997. Jacobs, Harriet, Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.

Helen of Troy Fact vs. Fiction Essay

Together, in the spur of the moment, they ran. The walls they enclosed themselves in, along with all of Troy, protected them as the ships launched and war erupted. Helen of Troy’s story of love and deceit inspired authors, such as Homer and Tisias, to write about the war caused by one woman and her act of betrayal towards her husband. As history goes and passes, questions arise as to whom exactly was Helen of Troy, and was she even real. Is the story true about the women who had â€Å"the face that launched a thousand ships† or is the mythological legend narrated as a make-believe tale expressed by the authors of past millennia? The epic tale of Helen of Troy has been told for three thousand years, since 1200 B.C.E. Before the 19th century, Helen of Troy was thought of as a myth written by the Roman author, Virgil, in the _Aeneid,_ and the Greek poet, Homer, in the _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_. However, in the late 1800’s, an archaeologist discovered the lost city of Troy in Turkey. The discovery not only supported the writings of Homer and Virgil, but was based off clues from Homer. Maps of Turkey show evidential proof of Troy and its location. There are three main aspects of the existence of Troy, Sparta, and maybe even Helen herself: literacy, historical, and archaeological. Exactly, who was Helen of Troy? There are three main versions of Helen of Troy: mythological Helen of Troy, goddess Helen, the daughter of Zeus, and Helen the historical figure. In myths, Helen of Troy can be found as the heroine in epics. In Homer’s Iliad, she was the main cause of the Trojan War. As a goddess, it’s only natural that Helen would have sanctuaries made for her. Sanctuaries could be found in ancient Greece, Palestine, Sicily, Turkey (where Troy was said to be located), and Egypt. Helen was thought of as a divine figure because she represented beauty, sexual attraction, and the troubling power of women. If one were to examine and research Helen’s  entire story, he or she would discover that her story relates to the events that occurred during the Bronze Age. Real or not, Helen of Troy had a tremendous impact on the lives of people that knew of her. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy was the daughter of the god, Zeus, and the mortal human being, Leda. When Helen’s parents came across each other, Zeus was in the form of a swan and was being chased by an eagle. They collided into one another, and soon they began to fall in love and had a child. Leda’s baby came from an egg, in which Helen was hatched. Even as a child, Helen was the fairest in all of Greece. One day, she was captured by Theseus, an Athenian who pledged he would wed the daughter of Zeus. Helen’s twin brothers, Castor and Pollex, had to rescue her and take her back to Sparta. When Helen got older, she was still the fairest and was wanted by all the men, but she married Menelaus who then became the king of Sparta. Some years later, Paris, a Trojan prince, was promised Helen by the Greek goddess, Aphrodite. He traveled to Sparta to receive his bride, even though she was already betrothed. Paris seduced Helen, and he escorted her back to Troy with him. When Menelaus noticed his wife had departed, he implored that his brother, Agamemnon, guide the Greek army to attack Troy retrieve Helen. The Spartans and the Trojans fought a decade war in which the Trojans conquered the Spartans and prevailed throughout the battles. Paris perished after the Spartan capture of Greece, and Helen advanced towards Menelaus, where they were reunited. Based off Greek mythology, Homer writes an epic piece, the _Iliad,_ which is recognized as one of the two, first works of Western literature that agrees with the teachings of ancient Greek mythology. Although, scholars are uncertain if it truly was Homer that wrote the _Iliad_, all credit, so far, belongs to him. The _Iliad_ tells the story of the Trojan War and mainly focuses on the characters Achilles and Hector, but it also informs one about the story of Helen of Troy. The story goes as such: Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, but when the Trojans arrived in Greece to notarize the treaty between the Spartans and Trojans, she was seduced by Paris, the prince of Troy. Helen could have either been persuaded by Paris  or set by her own motivations to leave Menelaus and her daughter Hermione, but she departed with Paris to his homeland of Troy. When Helen and Paris left, Menelaus launched his ships to have Helen returned to him. The act of sending out the ships, caused Trojans and Spartans to break their treaty and go to battle, therefore, the Trojan War began. Although Homer was the primary writer about Helen, he was not the only one to do so. Along with Homer’s epic poem, a 6th century B.C.E. lyric poet named Stesichorus wrote two versions of Helen of Troy. Stesichorus was born as Tisias or Teisias in Sicily, and he invented the choral â€Å"heroic hymn†. One of the two stories he wrote about Helen was fact, _Palinodia,_ and one was fiction, _Phaedrus_. Stesichorus first wrote the false story about Helen of Troy. In his writings, he stated that not only did Helen of Sparta not reach Troy, but that the gods sent a phantom of her in her place. Helen and Paris ended up in Egypt, where they stayed there as guests of King Proteus. After the war, Menelaus and Helen reunited in Egypt. When his story was finished, Stesichorus was struck blind. He then wrote the traditional story of Helen of Troy that was inspired by Homer, and he gained back his sight after the accepted story was complete. Homer and Stesichorus are just two of the many literary composers who wrote about the accounts of Helen of Troy. The exact location of Troy has been the search of many geologists and archaeologists’ interests, and other believers of the city. With the help of Homer, geological investigators pursue the search for the ancient city. In May of 1873, an archaeologist by the name of Heinrich Schliemann discovered the Troy, or Truva, in Turkey. Using the Iliad as a guide to find the lost city of Troy, Schliemann found a village in Hissarlik that’s location matched Homer’s writings. The geographical features described by Homer were generally in an accurate location. When Schliemann found Troy in the village Hissarlik, there was a hill next to it where he found the hidden treasure. In Hissarlik, the distance from the Aegean Sea was accurate to Homer’s writings and Mount Ida was visible. The grounds around the walls of the city were flat to the point  where someone could run around them. Through excavating, untold mysteries can be uncovered as one learns about what type of city Troy was. Troy was not just one city but several cities stacked on top of the other. When one would fail or be brought down, a new structure would be built above it. There were twelve recorded cities of Troy one built right on top of the other. Homeric Troy, or Troy VII, dated around 1325 B.C.E. to 1990 B.C.E. and was in ruins sometime from 1200 B.C.E. to 1990 B.C.E. The remains of Troy postwar were in a terrible state. It was obvious Troy VII was destroyed in a conflict that arose among the different territories. The buildings were demolished inside and outside of the city. While excavating and exploring this newly found site, Schliemann and his wife saw glinting copper from the side of a shaft. When Schliemann climbed down, he was facing in the direction of the wall, which seemed to have a copper jug hidden inside it. After carving it out, Schilemann and his wife saw that the inside of the jug was filled with golden earrings, necklaces, and pots of gold and silver. Along with the common jewelry and gold findings, were two gold diadems, crowns worn to show royalty, that only a queen or princess, such as Helen, would wear. Archaeologists now know the dates of the attack of the city because of the imported goods from the Mycenaean were declining. If the attackers were Mycenaean, it would not be a surprise that the number of Mycenaean pottery imported into the city would decrease while other imported pottery was consistent. If trading was happening, there must have been people during that time. Searching through the debris, numerous human remains were discovered. A human skull was found inside the southern gate of Ancient Troy. A lower jawbone, from an adult male, was found in the rubble of what was previously the foundation of a residence outside the city. An entire skeleton was also exposed on the surface of the stratum of ancient foundations. These bones not only prove that Troy was a habitation, but that its former residents were unable or insufficient to withstand their opponents and were all  murdered or enslaved. If there were any survivors of the final assault on Troy VII, they would have buried their deceased, unlike an adversary, who would be unconcerned with its enemy’s lifeless body completely. The location of what geographers and archaeologists believe is Troy fits the description of what was told in the writings of ancient writers. The location of the artifacts uncovered, match the weapons that the Ancient Greeks had used. The Greeks used bronze arrowheads as their tools of weaponry during battle. While excavating the remnants of the forts and city of Troy, three bronze arrowheads were discovered. Two were in the forts and one was in the city. According to scientists, Homer’s description of the Trojan battlefield was accurate. When the scientists drilled sediments in North Western Turkey to map the coastline of the city that stood 2,000 years ago, their findings corresponded with Homer’s description. â€Å"It has to be taken seriously that the Homeric picture of the fighting at Troy is in close accord with the geological findings,† John Luce stated. When mapping the coastline, the scientists noticed that the coastline was pushed back from the buildup of silt deposits. They decided to drill 70 meters of the flood-plain surface and they found marine materials, or seashells. As they drilled south, they concluded that the Aegean Sea coastline had been backed up. The story of Helen of Troy may have been misinterpreted rather than overall false because of the cultures and traditions of both the Spartan and Trojan civilizations. Both societies practiced marriage by abduction, the act of stealing a women and marrying her without her having any say. Because of rivalry, women were stolen and forced to marry. During Helen’s childhood, she was abducted by Theseus and was almost forced to marry him had it not been for her protective brothers. When she was older and already married to Menelaus, she was seduced by Paris and married him. When the war was over, she went back to Menelaus rather than stay in Troy. If Helen wanted to be with Paris, she did not show her affection by grieving over him, but instead went back to her previous husband and original homeland. There are many fictitious and factual conclusions that one can imagine about the true story of Helen of Troy. Helen has been portrayed as many different people: a goddess to look up to and worship, a mythological beauty that caused a tremendous war, a representative of the women who suffered through marriage by abduction, and even just an actual historical figure. As archaeologists, geologists, and historians strive to find clues as to who truly was Helen of Troy, one can only acquire from what one already acknowledges. Work Cited Moltenbrey, Karen. â€Å"Myth Making†. Computer Graphics World Vol.26, Issue 6.Jun 2003.California Offset Printers, Inc. Belles. â€Å"Homer’s Iliad†. Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. 2008.http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/ Quarters/2471/Troy.html Means, Richard. â€Å"Homer: The Epics†. Homer. Jan 2006. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct= true&db=ulh&AN=19625259&site=ehost-live http://www.in2greece.com. 2/24/2007. Web mistress V.E.K. Sandels. 5/3/08. Foley, Helene. Homeric Hymns to Demeter. Princeton University Press. 1994.

Capiz Brief History Essay

Geographic location and Demography The Western part of Central Visayas, Philippines comprises the Province of Antique, Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan all located within the roughly triangular shaped island of Panay. shaped island of Panay Capiz is one of the six provinces in the Western Visayas found on the northeastern portion in the island of Panay. Shaped like an open palm, it is situated at the heart of the Philippine Archipelago at 11 ° 35†² 0†³ North latitude and 122 ° 45†² 0†³ East Longitude . The Province is bounded by the Sibuayan Sea on the North, where Roxas City and the six (6) coastal municipalities: Ivisan, Sapian, Panay, Pontevedra, Pres Roxas, and Pilar are wholly dependent on fishing for their existence. It is bounded on the South and Southeast by Iloilo Province, on the Southwest by the Province of Antique, and on the West and Northwest by the Province of Aklan. Aklan. The coast of Capiz sustains the vibrant fishing industry of the province. Its rich fishing grounds can be a basis for the claim of Capiz as the seafood capital of the Philippines. Roxas City, the provincial capital, where the largest in terms of population size Capiz has a population of 701,664 (2007 census). Among the sixteen municipalities and one city of Capiz, Roxas City, the provincial capital, has the largest population comprising 19.32 percent of the total provincial population Followed next by the municipalities of Tapaz (6.74 percent); Panay (6.21 percent); Dumarao (6.16 percent); and Pontevedra (6.13 percent). On the other hand, Sapian, Cuartero, Ivisan and Dumalaghave the smallest population with less than 4.0 percent each. Linguistic Identity Capiznon refers to the culture anguage and the people of Capiz province. The Capiznon speaks Kinaraya and Hiligaynon, with slightly different inflection compared to Ilonggo speakers in Iloilo. The towns of Ivisan and Sapian of Capiz which are already near Aklan speak Ilonggo mixed with some aklanon words. Those in the interiormost town of Tapaz, Capiz,– home of the mountain people (Bukidnon)– speak Kinaray-a. with some aklanon words. Those in the nteriormost town of Tapaz, Capiz,– home of the mountain people(Bukidnon)– speak Kinaray-a Myths, Folk Beliefs and Practices The early Panaynon believed in many gods like Bulalakaw, a bird which Gods like Bulalakaw, a bird which looks ike a peacock and could cause illness was said to live in the islands sacred mountain called Madya-as. Mediators to the gods, also said to be the first priests, were; Bangutbanwa, who prayed for good harvest and an orderly universe; Mangindalon, who interceded for sick persons and prayed for the punishment of enemies.

Michelangelo Buonaratti essays

Michelangelo Buonaratti essays Michelangelo Buonaratti was born in Caprese, Italy during the renaissance period and lived from 1475-1564. He later moved to Florence, Italy under the Medicis family rule and was found to be a talented painter and sculptor, while also being a gifted poet. Since he was skilled in the arts, he was commissioned by Pope Julius the 2nd to create his tomb, but was later assigned to paint the ceiling of the Sisteen chapel. The chapel was located in Rome, Italy on the grounds of St. Peters Cathedral. For the next five years, from 1508-1512, Michelangelo worked on the chapel and entirely finished its massive ceiling. He was a very dedicated man and took much pride in doing his work. He was first asked to paint the twelve apostles upon the ceiling, but later had a vision and was given permission to paint nine biblical scenes consisting of about 300 figures. Since he was a good Christian man and mostly faithful to the pope, he was given the right to change what he would eventually paint. In th ose long five years, Michelangelo painted through much sickness, exhaustion, pain, and hopelessness to create this wonderful masterpiece. Some of his other great accomplishments was the quote life is found in a block of uncarved marble and the soul is trapped inside, and his famous work on the David, a world renown sculpture that took him four years to create. Michelangelo Buonaratti died at the age of 89 in Florence, Italy. ...