Corporate Governance in Different Countries

Corporate Governance in Different Countries Corporate Governance and theories Development of Corporate Government is a global occurrence. Different countries have different Theories in relevance and also depend on the stage of economic condition the country is in, the corporate structure of the country and the ownership groups present. It is also important to understand that not only shareholders but other stake holders are also involved wit a company and therefore emphasis should be given to other interest groups as well like employees, suppliers, customers and local communities (Christine A Mallin 2007). Theories associated with development of corporate governance Agency theory In the theory, there are two parties – principals and agents. Owners are considered Principal and director – agents. According to the theory due to self interest agents may not be working towards principals interest. In such cases the result may not be as expected by the principals or owners. A good corporate control is thus required to reduce agency problems and to keep control over directors actions. Transaction cost economies As firms desire to grow overtime, they need capital to expand. Often a firm raises a capital by going public or including other shareholders into the firms. As the owners in the company increase it is possible that the separation of ownership and control (which mostly remains in the hands of directors) may create problems. Stakeholder theory As discussed earlier, a firm has a member of stakeholders and is not just accountable to shareholders. If there are other stakeholders that need to be given emphasis then the governance system is developed accordingly. Corporate governance has only recently gained more importance and although agency theory was the main theory that led to its development, stakeholder theory is gaining more importance as it evolves further. It has been observed that good corporate governance have helped business perform better and provided better access to finances. Corporate Governance in UK Cadbury and Greenbury reports had a major contribution in UKs Corporate Governance. Cadbury Report (1992) â€Å"The Report of the committee on the financial aspects of corporate governance†, also known the Cadbury report, was published in December 1992. After 1980s financial scandals, a committee was formed in may 1991 by the financial reporting councils the London stock exchange and the accountancy profession. The committee worked in the financial aspects of corporate Governance and produced a code of Best Practice, which all UK listed companies related to director remuneration, responsibilities and tenure. Some of the recommendations were as follows. The majority of non-executive directors should be independent of management and free from business or other relationship. Non-executive directors should be appointed for the specified terms. Executive remuneration should be subject to the recommendation of a remuneration committee made up entirely or mainly of non – executive directors. Greenbury Report (1995) The rise of remuneration of directors and absence of necessary incentives for directors to perform better works a rising concern for investors and the public at large especially for listed firms. The Greenbury committee was thus established to address the above-mentioned issue. The committee submitted its report in 1995 and much of its findings were incorporated into the code of Best Practice on Directors Remuneration. The report addressed for major issues â€Å"The role addressed for major issues in setting the remuneration package for the CEO and other director. Service contracts - performance†. Hampel Report (1998) After the Greenbury report in 1995, a committee was established in 1996 to review and revise the earlier recommendations of the Cadbury and Greenbury committees. The committee recognized that it was important to understand the situation of each company and the principle of corporate government should be more flexible to be applicable to all companies. While Cadbury and Greenbury reports addressed the abuse of the discretionary authority entrusted to management, Hampel viewed the same to maximize the shareholder value. Combined Code (1998) The combined code was formed from recommendations of Cadbury, Greenbury and Hampel reports put together. It outlined the best practices, which were not mandatory for companies to provide sufficient information to the shareholders about its practices. Higgs Report The report was dedicated towards determining the role, independence and recruitment of non-executive directors. Higgs identified non-executive directors role contributing to corporate strategy, setting remuneration of executive directors, monitoring the performance of executive management et. And recommended that one third board should comprise of non-executive directors. Corporate Governance in Germany In Germany, most of the firms are either public or private limited that have shareholders who control the firm and its policies. Like many other European countries, in Germany there are a number of shareholders in a firm. Both financial and non financial investors hold considerable shares in a firm and are the most influential people. It is therefore important to take into consideration these cross-holdings that investors have when analysing the corporate governance in Germany. According to Charkham (1994), banks have considerable investment in large firms and therefore play a central role in determining the corporate policies of the firm. Banks provide long term loans to the firms and develop long term relationship with the firms in the course of time. Due to these facts the corporate governance in Germany can also be called an ‘insider system (Charkahm, 1994). The German corporate governance has a dual board system comprising of a management board and a supervisory board. The management board handles the day to day activities of the firm and is responsible for management of the whole firm. The supervisory board on the other hand is responsible for appointing the directors in the management board, supervising them and deciding their remuneration. The supervisory board also advices the management board on various aspects of business. According to Charkham (1994), â€Å" if there were a spectrum with ‘confrontation at one end and ‘co-operation at the other, we would definitely place German attitudes and behaviour far closer to the co-operation end than, say, those of British or Americans.† (Charkham, 1994) What Charkham (1994) indicated was how close the shareholders in German firms are to its operations and the interests of different stakeholders are given equal emphasis. This is supported by the Works Constitution Act 1972, according to which work council has the right to deal with employee matters and conditions of work. This is done to improve trust of the employees in the organisation by keeping them informed about companys activities and allowing them to participate in the decisions of the company that may have effects on the workers. However the first corporate governance code, Cromme code, was first published in 2002 as discussed in the next section. Cromme Code (2002) A committee chaired by Dr Gerhard Cromme was assigned the task to submit a report on corporate governance. The committee submitted the Cromme Report, also know as the Cromme Code, which was published in 2002 and has a number of sections that provide guidelines about different aspects of corporate governance. Later in 2005 there some amendments made to the code. Some of the sections that Cromme Code covered are: General Meetings and shareholders According to this section of the code, it is required by the companies to submit annual reports and other financial statements in the general meeting. The meeting decides how the net income has to be disclosed and whether the decision made by the management and the supervisory boards are appropriate and approved. The code also requires the firms to publish these on their website, with any other agenda for public transparency. Co-operation between the Management Board and the Supervisory Board The management board being the set of directors who actually run the company operations, and the supervisory board being the one that advises and sets goals for the management board, it is important that the two boards co-operate with each other. The code therefore suggests that the management board should report its activities to the supervisory board so that the companys strategic approach is rightly followed. The management board can seek guidance of the supervisory board in case of any issue and should look to report these immediately. The supervisory board on the other hand should monitor the progress of the management board and check if the duties assigned to management board are being performed effectively and if there are any changes to be made into them. If there is any deviation from the Cromme Code then it is the duty of the management board and the supervisory board to mention them in the annual report explaining why such deviations had occurred. The company has to keep t hese details available for public viewing for atleast five years. Management Board The management board is set up by the supervisory board, and it is required as per the code to report these notes in the accounts. In case of any difference in the interest of the management board and the supervisory board, it should be immediately conveyed to the supervisory board. This is important so that management board can work independently and in the best interests of the company. The code also mentions that the remuneration of the management board should consist of both fixed salary and variable salary, as in many companies where variable salary is based on performance of the firm. Supervisory Board The supervisory board has the responsibility to determine the composition of the management board and monitoring of the management board. It is therefore important that the supervisory board has suitable knowledge, experience and ability to make good management board and set good targets. Not only this a good supervisory board can provide good guidance to the management board. The code suggests that the supervisory should be independent and not related to the management board so as to avoid any conflict of interests. The code also forbids the chairman of the management board to become the chairman of the supervisory board. The code also states that the management board directors cannot be in the supervisory board of more than 5 non group listed companies. The remuneration of the directors in the supervisory board can contain both fixed and performance related pay and needs to be disclosed n the annual report as well. The remuneration can be determined in the general meeting or in the articles of association. The Cromme Code has an important requirement that if supervisory board take part in less than half of the meetings in a fiscal year then it has to be mentioned in the supervisory board report. Transparency The code requires the management board to disclose any information or fact that might affect the company operations and not known to the public. This is so as to keep all shareholders equally informed about the companys facts. Disclosure should be made through media which is accessible in time to the public. Reporting and Audit of the Financial Resources In order to avoid any fabrication of the reports the code requires the supervisory board or the audit committee to obtain a statement from the auditor clarifying that there is no financial or any other relation between the firm and the auditor that can affect auditors independence. According to the amendments, from 2006 onwards, it is important for the companies to disclose all elements of the directors remuneration. However, if 75 percent of the shareholders feel that further disclosure is not required then the firm can chose to do so. It can be said that the corporate governance code in Germany has provided great emphasis on serving the interests of various stakeholders. Corporate Governance in India Government had set new reforms introduced in India after the economic downturn in 1990-91 to open up the economy to depend on market mechanisms instead of the government. With the new reforms the committee Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which became the regulator of the securities market aimed at transforming the public sector and the banking sector in line with international norms. As the disclosure requirements were introduced to safeguard the interests of shareholders these markets were altered. After the economic downturn in India during 1990 – 91, Indian government introduced new reforms to open the economy to rely more on the market mechanisms instead of the government. The new reforms were mainly aimed at making the public sector more efficient. There were also reforms in the banking sector to bring India in line with international norms, and in the securities market, with the new committee Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) becoming the regulator of the securities market. The securities market was altered as disclosure requirements were introduced to safeguard shareholders interests. Kar (2001) mentions how â€Å" foreign portfolio investment was permitted in India since 1992 and foreign institutional investors also began to play an important role in the institutionalization of the market†. India has a range of business, including the public limited companies listed in the stock exchange, private companies and foreign companies. Main ownership of the companies is difficult to determine as there are very few studies in this area but we can say that after the economy opened up after 1990-91, institutional investors are gaining more shares of the market. The Confederation of Indian Industries published a ‘Desirable Code of Corporate Governance in 1998 and many companies took the recommendation of the committee on board. Still there are many companies that have poor governance practices which has led to the concerns about financial reporting practices, their accountability to losses being suffered by investors and the resultant loss of confidence that this caused. A recent example of Satyam Computers proves this that still there are companies, which are not following the Code of Corporate Governance. SEBI formally established the Committee on Corporate Governance in May 1999, chaired by Shri Kumar Mangalam Birla. The report of the Kumar Mangalam Birla Committee on Corporate Governance was published in 2000. The report emphasizes the importance of corporate governance for future growth of the economy and the capital market. Three key aspects underlying corporate governance are defined as accountability, transparency, and equality of treatment for all stakeholders in terms of information. The recommendations of the SEBI are split into mandatory requirements, which are essential for effective corporate governance, and non-mandatory requirements. Board of Directors Board in Indian companies should comprise of the Executive Directors and Non-Executive Directors and Independent Directors. The code recommends not less than 50 percent of the board should be comprised of the Non-Executive Directors, where there is a non-executive chairman, and at least one-third of the board should comprise independent directors, where there is an executive chairman, and finally at least half the board should be independent, the latter being mandatory. Nominee Directors The Indian system allows nominee directors appointed by the financial or investment institutions to protect their investment in the company. Such directors should have the same responsibility as other directors and be accountable to the shareholders. Chairman of the Board The roles of the chairman and the chief executive are different, the code identifies the roles as related and may be combined and performed by one person. Audit Committee The audit committee has many mandatory recommendations, like the committee should comprise at least three members, all of them being the non-executive directors. The audit committee is empowered to seek external advice as appropriate and to seek information from any employee. Remuneration Committee Remuneration committee is set up to decide on the remuneration of the executive directors. Committee should be comprised of at least three non-executive, chaired by an independent director. All the remuneration package of the directors must be disclosed in the annual report with details on all the elements including the fixed salary and performance based incentives. Another mandatory requirement is that the board of directors must decide on the remuneration package of the non-executive directors. Board Procedures Board Meetings should be held a minimum of 4 times in a year with a maximum of 4 months between two meetings and that a director must not be involved in more than 10 committees or act as a chairman in more than 5 committees. Management Management should ensure smooth day – to – day activities of the company. There should be disclosure of the companys performance, position and other things of interest to shareholders in the annual report. Shareholders Shareholders are allowed to be able to participate in the annual general meeting, therefore whenever there is a new appointment of a director it must be in the knowledge of the shareholders about the same. Manner of Implementation Companies must have a separate section on Corporate Governance in its annual report. Non-compliance of any recommendations should be highlighted and explained. The Indian code is rather complex as compared to UK and Germany as it has a number of mandatory and non-mandatory recommendations in its code. Although India has good recommendations on corporate governance code but still the acceptance of code in many companies is still lagging. Roles, Duties, Responsibilities and Liabilities of Directors Functions of Directors In 1844 an Act in Parliament described directors as ‘ the persons having direction, conduct, management or superintendence of a companys affairs. (Alfred Read) described director as a special kind of agent, whose function is to control the companys affairs. The directors in a company have certain responsibilities at law, which they must perform efficiently and effectively. In large organisations the major role of the board is to set the context of the strategy and not to formulate the strategy. To accomplish this, the board must keep on reviewing the corporate definition ‘what business are we in. This can be done by assessing and reviewing strategic proposals and changing them by giving comment and advice on the same, by encouraging managers to work on their strategic aims. The results of these sets the standards of the organisation as well as the standards others have to attain. Another challenge for the directors in an organisation is to balance the powers of managers w ith accountability to the shareholders. The board of directors act as the internal mechanism for control to overcome the principal agent problem. Directors also help in acquiring critical resources and responding to environmental forces and their impact on the organisation. These were however how the roles were perceived in the 1970s and after a number of highly publicised cases of corporate fraud and failure there has been a strong focus on policy issues. According to the Companies Act 2006, the duties of the directors have been identified seven-folds. These have been formulated to keep the acts of the directors in the interest of the company they serve and their shareholders. It is quite interesting how the roles and duties are slowly being more specifically defined and the need of the directors to comply with these by enforcing these into the Company Act. The Company Director His Functions, Powers and Duties by Alfred Read, Jordan Sons Limited, London, 1971 Safeguarding the Shareholders An important function of the board is to ensure that the interests of the members are properly safeguarded. If saving and investment are to play their proper part in the future, the investor must be assured of fair treatment and an adequate return, and it is for the directors to ensure that, so far as is consistent with the circumstances, he is not disappointed. Take Over Bids The function of the board in safeguarding the interests of shareholders is of particular importance in take-over situations. The general rule regarding the exercise of directors powers applies that the interests of their company must be their paramount consideration. It follows that the directors of a company, when advising their shareholders whether to accept or reject an offer for their shares, must disregard the effect he take-over will have on their own personal positions. Ensuring Progress Another function is that of ensuring that the operations of the company are kept under constant review so that changes which are necessary are made without delay when changes take place in public taste or in political and economic conditions. Checking Up on Progress A board must check up on results in order to ensure that the policy that has been laid down is being carried out and that the results expected from it have been obtained. Proper statements should be presented to the directors at regular intervals to keep them informed of what is happening. Powers of Directors The duty of the board is to see that the business is carried in accordance with the memorandum and articles of association. While some powers may be reserved for shareholders, some powers can only be exercised by the board of directors. Often the directors are given power to declare and pay interim dividends during the year if in their opinion the profits of the company justify them. It is also usual for the fixed dividends on preference shares to be authorized by the board. Other powers usually vested in the board are the allotment of shares, the making of calls, the forfeiture of shares for non-payment o calls, the appointment of the chairman and of agents, officers and servants of the company and all matters of policy and management which are of special importance. Also the directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such members of their body as they think fit; any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the directors. Remuneration of Directors Salary has traditionally been described as a word that represents as monthly income of an individual. Directors Remuneration has been a major concern for investors for long. It is observed that directors remuneration has some or most elements of the following: Basic Salary Benefits in Kind Annual Bonus Share Options Pension Rights Basic Salary Basic Salary is a fixed part of the salary that directors get. The basic is generally in the range that similar jobs are offered. Individual experience, skills, and commitment also form an important factor of determining the basic salary. It is also important for the company to analyze skills, and job security related to the individual while setting the basic pay. Benefits in Kind Certain companies provide the directors with some benefits in kind. For example provision of goods, travel and luxury items are some kinds of benefits given to the directors of the company. It is however important that the remuneration committee keeps a close check on such benefits and reviews them periodically, annually provided to improve executive performance. Annual Bonuses Annual bonuses are given based on the performance of company or division. It is mostly a variable form of remuneration and is generally a percentage of basic pay. Annual bonuses can act as motivation for directors to improve their performance. It is therefore important that the remuneration committee sets the good performance targets for the directors. Long Term Incentive Schemes (Share Options) Executive share option is a long-term incentive scheme that has been used by companies for long. Share Options are provided at a lower price than that in the market or at some future date at current prices. This is a factor used to align directors and shareholders interests. The directors thus would want the share prices to go up so as to benefit from the returns from their holdings. However, the directors may sell off their shares and loose interest in share prices thereafter. In UK a provision in the code C6, limits directors to exercise their share options, for at least three years. This is done to keep directors interest in the share prices high for at least that period. A benefit for share options is that it is not taxed until the shares are sold and thus provide the directors a non-taxed form of investment for a specified period. Pension Rights â€Å"Pension Entitlements are a key element in the total Remuneration, with important longer term implications for the individual and the company† (Greenbury, 1995). The pension provision is carefully considered by the remuneration committees, and is measured in terms of the value of pension entitlements earned during the year. (As written in proposal needs more changes but not sure of the books from where it was written) Remuneration can be defined as the aim to reward people fairly, consistently and equitably in accordance to their value to the organization. The impact of executive remuneration on the efficiency of the company can be explained with many different theories. Other policies and theories on effective remuneration, like theory of Human Motivation, are based on the need for stability and sustained staff commitment. Also there are surveyed and comparable pay market for different grades and specialists. Remuneration also depends on the pay structure practice in comparable organizations. Members of board of directors who are not the employees or major shareholders are paid for their services as directors of the company. In the past directors compensation was relatively dependent on the number of hours they devoted to the company but according to the new federal law a new sense of public outrage has appeared and a new fear of shareholder litigation has caused directors to work even harder as before and hence many of the determinants have changed since then.

Economics Project Market Failure Essay

Ans. A market failure takes place when – Free markets allocate resources inefficiently. The production in an economy is not Pareto optimal as shown on the PPF graph. At A the production is inefficient and at X it is impossible with the current resources. Market failures can take place in all these situations – 1. There is a lack of merit goods such as food in the economy which leads to market failure. 1. There is overprovision of demerit goods which could harm society. For example – drugs, cigarettes etc. 1. There is a lack of public goods as private firms are not ready to produce them as they are not profitable. 1. There is a huge income gap. The rich are too wealthy and the poor are very poor. 1. There is environmental degradation or any negative externality which causes a market failure. 1. There are too many monopolies formed all of which exploit consumers by charging unrealistic prices. 1 of 6 Economics Project – Market Failure Research Question 2 – How does the government deal with market failures? Ans. The government can take the following steps – 1. Taxation – Income tax, sales tax and other ad valorem taxes help generate government revenue to provide merit and public goods. Taxes can be imposed on the production of demerit good to reduce production. Taxes can also be imposed on firms which pollute the environment causing negative externalities. 1. Subsidies – Payments from the government to firms are given to encourage the production of merit and at times public goods. For example – food for everyone, public transport, post service etc. 1. Legislation and Regulation – If taxes and subsidies fail to work then the government can use the law and imply regulations. The government could limit or ban the production of demerit goods such as cigarettes as well as heavily penalise firms which do not comply with the eco – friendly standards set by the government. 1. Tradable Permits – These are used to control the total greenhouse emissions of an economy. The government calculates how much CO2 can be emitted and divides this among all the firms. Some firms might not want high permits and might sell some of theirs. Others might buy from them as they are unable to cut down on their greenhouse gas emissions. 2 of 6 Economics Project – Market Failure Research Question 3 / 4 – How effective is the use of taxation and subsidies? What are the opportunity costs? Ans. The efficacy is as follows – Uses of taxes – 1. Raises revenue for the government which is spent on providing public goods such as defence and merit goods such as food for the poor. It can also be used to offset the interest on national debt. 1. Environmental taxes help reduce pollution and other negative externalities. Landfill taxes, plastic bag taxes etc. are new taxes which reduce social costs. Demerit taxes help to reduce the production of demerit goods which are harmful for society such as cigarettes. Causes for inefficacy of taxes and opportunity costs – 1. Most demerit goods have an inelastic demand. Thus, the producers can pass on most of the burden of the tax on the consumers by hiking the prices. However, as the demand is inelastic it does not react much to the rise in price and thus the quantity consumed remains the same thus defeating the main purpose of taxation. 3 of 6 1. The government does not have proper information when setting the level of environmental taxes as social costs cannot be easily equated to monetary values. Also, firms may commit fraud by reducing pollution when checks take place and polluting the environment liberally at other times. 1. High taxes on companies may cause higher unemployment. As the profit margins of private firms decreases they would tend to cut down on costs and thus might make some of their labour force redundant. Uses of subsidies – 1. To reduce inflation as this causes prices to rise. Due to inflation many low – income households are unable to purchase basic necessities such as food and clothing. The subsidies help bring the prices of these goods down. 1. Encourages provision and consumption of merit goods which lead to positive externalities or social benefits. It ensures that there is no under provision and under consumption of merit goods. Food for everyone can be merit good. 1. Maintain or increase the revenue of producers during tough times such as a recession or economic downturn. Subsidies help producers raise their profit margins and would therefore save them from getting bankrupt during a recession. 4 of 6 Causes for inefficacy of subsidies and opportunity costs – 1. Subsidies tend to distort the market prices as at times only certain industries and firms are given subsidies. This can lead to misallocation of resources and can end up in a market failure itself. 1. Subsidies provide arbitrary assistance. If a certain firm is favoured by the government it will be given more subsidies. Furthermore, fraud can take place as subsidies can be allocated unwisely. 1. The financial cost of the subsidies can at times be too high. This leads us to think whether that much government revenue could be put to another use such as defence or street – lighting. This is a major opportunity cost of giving subsidies. 1. The ones who pay for the subsidy, consumers (taxpayers) might not always benefit from the subsidies and thus the ones who pay are not always the ones who benefit thus making subsidy payments unfair.

Biography of Robert Cavelier de la Salle, Explorer

Robert Cavelier de la Salle (November 22, 1643–March 19, 1687) was a French explorer credited with claiming Louisiana and the Mississippi River Basin for France. In addition, he explored much of the Midwest region of what would become the United States as well as portions of Eastern Canada and the Great Lakes. On his last voyage, his attempt to set up a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River met with disaster. Fast Facts: Robert Cavelier de la Salle Known For: Claiming the Louisiana Territory for FranceAlso Known As: Renà ©-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La SalleBorn: Nov. 22, 1643  in Rouen, FranceParents: Jean Cavelier, Catherine GeesetDied: March 19, 1687 near  the Brazos River  in what is now Texas Early Life Robert Cavelier de la Salle was on November 22, 1643, in Rouen, Normandy, France, into a wealthy merchant family. His father was Jean Cavelier, and his mother was Catherine Geeset. He attended Jesuit schools as a child and adolescent and decided to give up his inheritance and take the vows of the Jesuit Order in 1660 to start the process of becoming a Roman Catholic priest. By age 22, however, La Salle found himself attracted to adventure. He followed his brother Jean, a Jesuit priest, to Montreal, Canada (then called New France), and resigned from the Jesuit order in 1967. Upon his arrival as a colonist, La Salle was granted 400 acres of land on the Island of Montreal. He named his land Lachine, reportedly because it means China in French; La Salle spent much of his life trying to find a route through the New World to China. Exploration Begins La Salle issued land grants of Lachine, set up a village, and set out to learn the languages of the native people living in the area. He quickly acquired the language of the Iroquois, who told him of the Ohio River, which they said flowed into the Mississippi. La Salle believed that the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of California and from there, he thought, he would be able to find a western route to China. After receiving permission from the governor of New France, La Salle sold his interests in Lachine and began planning an expedition. La Salles first expedition began in 1669. During this venture, he met Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, two white explorers, in Hamilton, Ontario. La Salles expedition continued from there and eventually reached the Ohio River, which he followed as far as Louisville, Kentucky before he had to return to Montreal after several of his men deserted. Two years later, Joliet and Marquette succeeded where La Salle had failed when they navigated the upper Mississippi River. Upon his return to Canada, La Salle oversaw the building of Fort Frontenac,  on the eastern coast of Lake Ontario in present-day Kingston, Ontario, which was intended as a station for the areas growing fur trade. The fort, completed in 1673, was named after Louis de Baude Frontenac, the governor-general of New France. In 1674, La Salle returned to France to gain royal support for his land claims at Fort Frontenac. He was granted support and a fur trade allowance, permission to establish additional forts in the frontier, and a title of nobility. With his newfound success, La Salle returned to Canada and rebuilt Fort Frontenac in stone. Second Expedition On Aug. 7, 1679, La Salle and Italian explorer Henri de Tonti set sail on Le Griffon, a ship he had built that became the first full-size sailing ship to travel the Great Lakes. The expedition was to begin at Fort Conti at the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. Before the voyage, La Salles crew brought in supplies from Fort Frontenac, avoiding Niagara Falls by using a portage around the falls established by Native Americans and carrying their supplies into Fort Conti. La Salle and Tonti then sailed Le Griffon up Lake Erie and into Lake Huron to Michilimackinac, near the present-day Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, before reaching the site of todays Green Bay, Wisconsin. La Salle then continued down the shore of Lake Michigan. In January 1680, he built Fort Miami at the mouth of the Miami River, now the St. Joseph River, in todays St. Joseph, Michigan. La Salle and his crew spent much of 1680 at Fort Miami. In December, they followed the river to South Bend, Indiana, where it joins the Kankakee River, then along this river to the Illinois River, establishing Fort Crevecoeur near what is today Peoria, Illinois. La Salle left Tonti in charge of the fort and returned to Fort Frontenac for supplies. While he was gone, Fort Crevecoeur was destroyed by mutinying soldiers. Louisiana Expedition After assembling a new crew including 18 Native Americans and reuniting with Tonti, La Salle began the expedition he is most known for. In 1682, he and his crew sailed down the Mississippi River. He named the Mississippi Basin La Louisiane in honor of King Louis XIV. On April 9, 1682, La Salle placed an engraved plate and a cross at the mouth of the Mississippi River, officially claiming the Louisiana Territory for France. In 1683 La Salle established Fort St. Louis at Starved Rock in Illinois and left Tonti in charge while he returned to France to resupply. In 1684, La Salle set sail from Europe to establish a French colony on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Disaster The expedition started with four ships and 300 colonists, but in an extraordinary run of bad luck during the journey, three of the ships were lost to pirates and shipwreck. The remaining colonists and crew landed in Matagorda Bay, in present-day Texas. Due to navigational errors, La Salle had overshot his planned landing spot, Apalachee Bay near the northwestern bend of Florida, by hundreds of miles. Death They established a settlement near what became Victoria, Texas, and La Salle began searching overland for the Mississippi River. In the meantime, the last remaining ship, La Belle, ran aground and sank in the bay. On his fourth attempt to locate the Mississippi, 36 of his crew mutinied and on March 19, 1687, he was killed. After his death, the settlement lasted only until 1688, when local Native Americans killed the remaining adults and took the children captive. Legacy In 1995, La Salles last ship, La Belle, was found at the bottom of Matagorda Bay on the Texas coast. Archaeologists began a decades-long process of excavating, recovering, and conserving the ships hull and more than 1.6 million well-preserved artifacts, including crates and barrels of  items intended to support a new colony and supply a military expedition into Mexico: tools, cooking pots, trade goods, and weapons. They provide remarkable insights into the strategies and supplies that were used to establish colonies in 17th century North America.   The preserved hull of La Belle and many recovered artifacts are displayed in the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. Among La Salles other important contributions was his exploration of the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi Basin. His claiming of Louisiana for France contributed to distinctive physical layouts of cities in the far-ranging territory and to the culture of its residents. Sources Renà ©-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle: French Explorer. Encyclopaedia Britannica.Rene-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle. 64parishes.org.Renà ©-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle  Biography.  Biography.com.La Belle: The Ship That Changed History. ThehistoryofTexas.com.

Essay on my interest in psychology - 1198 Words

my interest in psychology nbsp; I have always been intrigued by the mental processes of humans and animals. As a young child and into adolescence, as a student and teacher and as a caregiver, I have always been interested in psychology in one form or another. This essay will reflect not only the development of my interest in psychology, but the development of myself as a person. nbsp; I was born into a family with Native American heritage that practiced a strict protestant religion. As a child, I would often wonder why peoples attitudes, behaviors and beliefs could be so different from one another. I wondered why some people believed in things with great zeal, yet other people believed the contrary just as vehemently.†¦show more content†¦I then went back to school with more determination and plunged myself into more psychology classes. nbsp; In these classes, I found myself naturally drawn to the topics of research methods and statistics. These two academic areas in particular provided an environment in which I was able to develop and excercise my naturally analytical way of thinking. I then geared my undergraduate education towards learning to perform research in psychology by taking more research and science based psychology classes. Additionally, I sought out and obtained research assistantships with professors of cognition, physiological and clinical psychology. Specifically, I have been a primary research assistant for an investigation of the effect of irony on recall and recognition, an investigation of the performance of children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on a computer anticipation task, and an investigation of the effect of Polychlorinated Biphenyls on ADHD-like behavior in laboratory rats. I have also assisted in literature reviews in the area of receptive language and Auti sm, as well as a review on sleep and genetics. In addition, I have been a participant recruiter for a research project on familial inheritance of depression and REM sleep abnormalities. For complete information, please see my attached curriculum vitae. nbsp; While taking research-based courses, I found that I had another natural inclination:Show MoreRelatedMy Research Interests in Psychology823 Words   |  4 PagesThe connotation of psychology has evolved historically. However, within some cultures the word psychology and its subsidiary mental health, carry the dark undercurrent of the historical practices of trephining and exorcism. Such perception attributes to the stigma of mental health and its perceived embodiment of an unhinged individual. This particular mindset propels me to research the contributing elements involved in this dilemma. 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The Means Whereby IT Managers as Purchasing Agents...

Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...........4 Decision Ethics The Means Whereby IT Managers as Purchasing Agents Participate in Fraudulent Activities †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..†¦...5 Recommendations For Measures or Actions That Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) Might Mandate to Reduce Fraud and Other Unethical Practices While Protecting the Reputation of the Organization and the Infrastructures of Computer Systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.7 How These Measures Would be Useful and Reduce the Amount of Fraudulent Activities..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......†¦........9 Conclusion ..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦........10 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦........11 Introduction It is challenging to acquire strategic information technology (IT) alliances properly. Devoid of appropriate outsourcing methods, the threat of occupational fraud escalates (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners [ACFE], 2006). Nevertheless, companies employ outsourcing for several strategic motivations (Bass, 2013). Outsourcing assists businesses to concentrate on core-competencies, increase performance, diminish capital investment expenses, and realize increased revenues (Ghodeswar Vaidyanathan, 2008). Any form of fraud or corruption in the selection or management of outsourcing arrangements is inefficacious (ACFE, 2006). Corruption schemes such as conflicts of interest,Show MoreRelatedInformation Technology Manager Acting As A Purchasing Agent1648 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of the study was to identify the means whereby a given organization’s Information Technology manager acting as a purchasing agent, participates in fraudulent activities, including obtainin g kickbacks from vendors. 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The Secret Circle The Power Chapter Ten Free Essays

Cassie stared, beyond speech, beyond thought. Not believing – but inside her, something knew. â€Å"It’s true. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Ten or any similar topic only for you Order Now He’s your father.† Cassie just sat. â€Å"And he wants you to be happy, Cassie. He wants you to be his heir. He’s got a lot planned for you.† â€Å"And what are you?† Cassie cried, outraged, pushed beyond the limits of her endurance. â€Å"My new stepmother?† Faye chuckled – that infuriating, lazy, self-satisfied chuckle. â€Å"Maybe. Why not? I’ve always liked older men – and he’s only about three centuries older.† â€Å"You’re disgusting!† Cassie couldn’t find the right words. None were bad enough, and she didn’t want to believe that any of this was actually happening. â€Å"You’re – you – â€Å" â€Å"I haven’t done anything yet, Cassie. John and I have a – business relationship.† Cassie felt as if she were gagging. For herself, for Faye . . . â€Å"You call him John?† she whispered. â€Å"What do you think I should call him? Mr. Brunswick? Or what he called himself the last time he was here, Mr. Blake?† Everything was spinning around Cassie now. The pale green cinderblock walls were whirling. She wanted to faint. If only she could faint she wouldn’t have to think. But she couldn’t. Slowly, the spinning steadied, she felt the floor solid beneath her. There was no way to escape this. There was no choice but to deal with it. â€Å"Oh, God,† Cassie whispered. â€Å"It’s true. It’s really true.† â€Å"It’s true,† Faye said quietly, with satisfaction. â€Å"Your mother was his girlfriend. He told me the whole story, how she fell in love with him when he went over to Number Twelve to borrow some matches. They never did get married, apparently – but I’m sure he didn’t begrudge her his name.† It was true †¦ and that had been what Cassie’s grandmother was trying to tell her when she died. â€Å"I have one more thing to tell you,† she’d said, and then Laurel had come in. The last words had only been a whisper, â€Å"John† and something else Cassie couldn’t make out. But she could recall the shape of her grandmother’s lips trying to make it. It had been â€Å"Blake.† â€Å"Why didn’t she try to tell me before?† Cassie whispered raggedly, hardly aware she was speaking aloud. â€Å"Why wait until she was dying? Why?† â€Å"Who, your grandma? She didn’t want to upset you, I suppose,† Faye said. â€Å"She probably thought you’d be – disturbed – if you knew. And maybe† – Faye leaned forward – â€Å"she knew it would bring you closer to him. You’re his own flesh and blood, Cassie. His daughter.† Cassie was shaking her head, blind, nauseated. â€Å"The other old women – they must have known too! God, everybody who knew him must have known. And nobody told me. Why didn’t they tell me?† â€Å"Oh, stop sniveling, Cassie. I’m sure they didn’t tell you because they were afraid of how you’d react. And I must say it looks as if they were right. You’re falling apart.† Great-aunt Constance, Cassie was thinking. She must have known. How could she stand to look at me? How can she stand to have my mother in her house? And Mrs. Franklin had been going to tell her, she realized suddenly. Yes. That had been what that last-minute scene in Aunt Constance’s parlor had been all about. Adam’s grandmother had been about to tell, about to say something to Cassie about her father. Granny Quincey and Aunt Constance had stopped her. They were all in a conspiracy of silence, to keep the truth from Cassie. Probably not the parents, Cassie thought slowly, feeling very tired. They probably didn’t remember anyway. They’d made themselves forget everything. But Aunt Constance had warned the Circle against stirring up those old memories, and her gaze had settled on Cassie when she did it. â€Å"Just think about it, Cassie,† Faye was saying, and that husky voice sounded reasonable now, not gloating or triumphant. â€Å"He only wants the best for you; he always has. You were born as part of his plans. I know you and I have had our problems in the past, but John wants us to get along. Won’t you just give it a try? Won’t you, Cassie?† Slowly, painfully, Cassie made her eyes focus. Faye was kneeling in front of her. Faye’s beautiful, sensual face seemed lit softly from within. She really means it, Cassie thought. She’s sincere. Maybe she’s in love with him. And maybe, Cassie mused dizzily, I should think about it. So many things have changed since I came to New Salem – I’m not at all the person I used to be. The old, shy Cassie who never had a boyfriend and never had anything to say is gone. Maybe this is just another change, another stage of life. Maybe I’m at the crossroads. She looked at Faye for a long moment, searching the depths of those amber eyes. Then, slowly, she shook her head. No. Even as she thought it, chill white determination flooded her. That was one road she would never take, no matter what happened. She would never become what Black John – what her father – wanted. Without a word, without looking back, Cassie got up and walked away from Faye. Outside, the melee was still going on. Cassie scanned the front entrance of the school and saw the weak November sun shining on a cascade of fair hair. She headed for it. â€Å"Diana. . .† â€Å"Cassie, thank God! When Nick told us you were alone in his office . . .† Diana’s eyes widened. â€Å"Cassie, what’s wrong?† â€Å"I have to tell you something. At home. Can we go home now?† Cassie was holding on to Diana’s hand. Diana stared at her for another moment, then shook herself. â€Å"Yes. Of course. But Nick will be looking for you. He had the idea that we should start a fight on the first floor as a diversion; just grab a bunch of people and start swinging. All the guys did it, and Deborah and Laurel. They’re all looking for you.† Cassie couldn’t face any of them, especially Nick. Once he knew what she really was – what he’d held in his arms, what he’d kissed †¦ â€Å"Please, can’t you just tell them I’m okay, but I need to go home?† Suzan was standing nearby; Cassie nodded at her. â€Å"Can’t Suzan just tell them?† â€Å"Yes. All right. Suzan, tell everybody I’ve taken Cassie home. They can stop the fight now.† Diana led Cassie down the hill to the parking lot. They had barely reached Diana’s car, though, when Adam appeared, running. â€Å"The fight’s breaking up – and I’m coming with you,† he said. Cassie wanted to argue, but she didn’t have the strength. Besides, Diana might need Adam there when Cassie told her the whole story. Cassie nodded at Adam and he got in the car without further discussion. They drove to Diana’s house and went up to Diana’s room. â€Å"Now tell us what happened before I have a heart attack,† Diana said. But it wasn’t that easy. Cassie went over to the bay window, where sunlight was striking the prisms hanging there so that wedges of rainbow light bobbed and slid over the walls. She turned to look at the black and white prints on either side of the window; Diana’s collection of Greek goddesses. There was proud Hera, queenly with her mane of pitch-black hair and her hooded, untamed eyes; there was Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, with her soft bosom exposed; there was fierce Artemis, the virgin huntress afraid of nothing. And here, on the other side, was Athena, the gray-eyed goddess of wisdom, and Persephone, fresh-faced and elfin and surrounded by blooming flowers. Last of all, in color, was the print of a goddess older than the Greek civilization, the great goddess Diana, who ruled the moon and stars and night. Diana, Queen of Witches. â€Å"Cassie!† â€Å"Sorry,† Cassie whispered, and slowly turned to face her Diana. Who just now looked sick with suspense. â€Å"I’m sorry,† she said, more loudly. â€Å"I just don’t know how to say this, I guess. But I know now why I was born so much later than all of you . . . or, actually, no, I don’t.† She pondered that a moment. â€Å"Not why I was so late. Unless he knew by then the coven was going to try to throw him out, so he thought he’d better have a back-up . . .† Cassie thought it over and shook her head. Adam and Diana were staring at her as if she’d gone crazy. â€Å"I guess I don’t know everything. But I’m not half outsider, like we thought. That isn’t why he’s been after me; it’s a completely different reason. We thought Kori and I spoiled his plans somehow . . . oh, God.† Cassie stopped, feeling a pain like jagged glass shoot through her. Her eyes filled. â€Å"I think – God, it must be. I know why Kori died. Because of me. If she hadn’t died, she would have joined the coven instead of me, and he didn’t want that. She was the one he hadn’t planned on. So he had to get rid of her.† Another spasm of pain almost doubled Cassie over. She was afraid she might be sick. â€Å"Sit down,† Adam was saying urgently. They were both helping her to the bed. â€Å"Don’t. . . you don’t know yet. You might not want to touch me.† â€Å"Cassie, for God’s sake tell us what you’re talking about. You’re not making any sense.† â€Å"Yes, I am. I’m Black John’s daughter.† In that instant, if either of them had loosened their grip on her or recoiled, Cassie felt she might have tried to jump out the window. But Diana’s clear green eyes just widened, the pupils huge and bottomless. Adam’s eyes turned silver. â€Å"Faye told me, and it’s true.† â€Å"It’s not true,† Adam said tightly. â€Å"It’s not true, and I’ll kill her,† Diana said. This, from gentle Diana, was astonishing. They both went on holding Cassie. Diana was holding her from one side and Adam was on the other side, holding both of them, embracing their embrace. Cassie’s shaking shook all three. â€Å"It is true,† Cassie whispered, trying to keep some grip on herself. She had to be calm now; she couldn’t lose control. â€Å"It explains everything. It explains why I dreamed about him – him and the sinking ship. We’re – connected, somehow. It explains why he keeps coming after me, like when we called him up at Halloween, and last night on the beach. He wants me to join him. Faye’s in love with him. Just like my mother was.† Cassie shuddered. Adam and Diana just kept hanging on. to her. Neither of them even flinched when she looked them in the face. â€Å"It explains my mother† Cassie said thickly. â€Å"Why he went to our house that night when he came back, when we let him out of the grave. He went to see her – that’s why she’s like she is now. Oh, Diana, I have to go to her.† â€Å"In a minute,† Diana said, her own voice husky with suppressed tears. â€Å"In a little while.† Cassie was thinking. No wonder her mother had run away from New Salem, no wonder there had always been helpless terror lurking at the back of her mother’s eyes. How could you not be terrified when the man you loved turned out to be something from a nightmare? When you had to go away to have his baby, someplace where no one would ever know? But she’d been brave enough to come back, and to bring Cassie. And now Cassie had to be brave. There’s nothing frightening in the dark if you just face it. Cassie didn’t know how she was going to face this, but she had to, somehow. â€Å"I’m okay now,† she whispered. â€Å"And I want to see my mom.† Diana and Adam were telegraphing things over her head. â€Å"We’re going with you,† Diana said. â€Å"We won’t go in the room if you don’t want, but we’re going to take you there.† Cassie looked at them: at Diana’s eyes, dark as emeralds now, but full of love and understanding; and at Adam, his fine-boned face calm and steady. She squeezed their hands. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. â€Å"Thank you both.† Great-aunt Constance answered the door. She looked surprised to see them and a little flustered, which surprised Cassie in turn. She wouldn’t have thought Melanie’s aunt ever got flustered. But as Cassie was going into the guest room, Granny Quincey and old Mrs. Franklin were coming out. Cassie looked at Laurel’s frail great-grandmother, and at Adam’s plump, untidy grandmother, and then at Aunt Constance. â€Å"We were – trying one or two things to see if we could help your mother,† Aunt Constance said, looking slightly uncomfortable. She coughed. â€Å"Old remedies,† she admitted. â€Å"There may be some good in them. We’ll be in the parlor if you need anything.† She shut the door. Cassie turned to look at the figure lying between Aunt Constance’s starched white sheets. She went and knelt by the bedside. Her mother’s face was as pale as those sheets. Everything about her was white and black: white face, black hair, Hack lashes forming crescents on her cheeks. Cassie took her cold hand and only then realized she didn’t have the first idea what to say. â€Å"Mother?† she said, and then: â€Å"Mom? Can you hear me?† No answer. Not a twitch. â€Å"Mom,† Cassie said with difficulty, â€Å"I know you’re sick, and I know you’re scared, but there’s one thing you don’t have to be scared of anymore. I know the truth. I know about my father.† Cassie waited, and she thought she saw the sheets over her mother’s chest rise and fall a little more quickly. â€Å"I know everything,† she said. â€Å"And †¦ if you’re afraid I’ll be mad at you or anything, you don’t have to be. I understand. I’ve seen what he does to people. I saw what he did to Faye, and she’s stronger than you.† Cassie was holding the cold hand so tightly she was afraid she was hurting it. She paused and swallowed. â€Å"Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I know. And it’ll all be over soon, and I’m going to make sure he doesn’t ever hurt you again. I’m going to stop him somehow. I don’t know how, but I will. I promise, Mom.† She stood up, still holding the soft, limp hand in hers and whispered, â€Å"If you’re just scared, Mom, you can come back now. It’s easier than running away; it is, really. If you face things they’re not as bad.† Cassie waited again. She hadn’t thought she was hoping for anything, but she must have been, because as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened her heart sank in disappointment. Just some little sign, that wasn’t much to ask for, was it? But there was no little sign. For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, warmth filled Cassie’s eyes. â€Å"Okay, Mom,† she whispered, and stooped to kiss her mother’s cheek. As she did, she noticed a thin string of some kind of fiber around her mother’s neck. She pulled, and from the collar of her mother’s nightgown emerged three small golden-brown stones strung on the twine. Cassie tucked the necklace back in, waited one more second, and then left. Can I face it if my mother dies like my grandma? she wondered as she shut the bedroom door. She didn’t think so. But she was beginning to realize that she might have to. In the parlor, Adam and Diana were drinking tea with the women. â€Å"Who put the crystals around my mother’s neck? And what are they?† The old women looked at each other. It was Great-aunt Constance who answered. â€Å"I did,† she said. She cleared her throat. â€Å"They’re tiger’s eyes. For keeping away bad dreams – or so my grandmother always said.† Cassie managed a small smile for her. â€Å"Oh. Thank you.† Maybe Melanie’s affinity for minerals ran in the family. She didn’t bother to tell Aunt Constance what Black John could do to those stones if he tried. â€Å"Bad dreams are a nuisance,† old Mrs. Franklin said as Adam and Diana got up to leave. â€Å"Of course, good dreams are something else again.† Cassie looked at Adam’s grandmother, whose disordered gray hair was coming uncoiled as she happily crunched cookie after cookie. Cassie had never known anybody who liked to eat so much, except Suzan. But there was more to Mrs. Franklin than you’d think at first sight. â€Å"Dreams?† Cassie said. â€Å"Good dreams,† Adam’s grandmother agreed indistinctly. â€Å"For good dreams, you sleep with a moonstone.† Cassie thought about that all the way home. She and Diana had dinner quietly, just the two of them, since Diana’s father was still at his law office. Adam had gone to talk to the rest of the Circle. â€Å"I can’t tell them,† Cassie had said. â€Å"Not tonight – tomorrow, maybe.† â€Å"There’s no reason you should have to,† Adam replied, his voice almost harsh. â€Å"You’ve been through enough. I’ll tell them – and I’ll make them understand. Don’t worry, Cassie. They’ll stick by you.† Cassie couldn’t help but worry. But she put it aside, because she had other things to think about. She’d made a promise to her mother. She lay in bed reading her grandmother’s Book of Shadows. Her book of shadows. She was looking for anything about crystals and dreams. And there it was: To Cause Dreams. Place a moonstone beneath your pillow and all night you will have fair and pleasant dreams which may profit you. She also found a passage about crystals in general. Big crystals were better than little crystals; well, she knew that already. Melanie had said so, and Black John had demonstrated it today beyond question. She put the book down and went to Diana’s desk. There was a white velvet pouch there, lined with sky-blue silk. Diana had long ago given Cassie permission to open it. Cassie took the pouch to the bed and poured the contents out on a folded-over section of the top sheet. The stones formed a kaleidoscopic array against the white background. Blue lace agate – Cassie picked up the triangular piece and rubbed its smoothness across her cheek. She saw light yellow citrine – Deborah’s stone, good for raising energy. And here was cloudy orange carnelian, which Suzan had once used for raising the passions of the entire football team. Here was translucent green jade, which Melanie used for calm thought, and royal purple amethyst – Laurel’s stone, a stone of the heart, Black John had said. There were dozens of others, too: warm amber, light as plastic; dark green bloodstone speckled with red; a wine-colored garnet; the pale green peridot Diana had used to trace the dark energy. Cassie’s fingers sorted through the clinking treasure until she found a moonstone. It was translucent, with a silvery-blue shimmer. She put it on the nightstand by her side of the bed. Diana came in, fresh from her bath, and watched Cassie putting the stones back into the pouch. â€Å"Find anything in your Book of Shadows?† she asked. â€Å"Nothing specific,† Cassie said. She didn’t want to explain what she was doing, even to Diana. Later, if it worked. â€Å"I’m beginning to think my grandmother didn’t mean there was anything specific in the book about Black John,† she added. â€Å"Maybe she just wanted me to be a good witch, a knowledgeable witch. Maybe she’d thought that way I’d be smart enough to beat him.† Diana got in bed and turned off the light. There was no moon; the bay window remained dark. It was peaceful, somehow, with the two of them lying in bed – like a sleepover. It made Cassie think of the old days, when she and Diana had first decided to be adopted sisters. â€Å"We need to find a way to kill him,† she said. A sleepover with a grim and bloodthirsty purpose. Diana was silent for a moment and then said calmly, â€Å"Well, we know two things that can’t kill him – Water and Fire. He drowned the first time when his ship went down, and he burned the second time, when our parents burned the house at Number Thirteen. But he didn’t stay dead either time.† Cassie appreciated the â€Å"our parents.† Her mother hadn’t been trying to burn anybody, she’d bet. â€Å"He said his spirit didn’t need to stay in his body,† she said. â€Å"I think he can make it go different places. Maybe when he died, he just sent his spirit somewhere else.† â€Å"Like into the crystal skull,† Diana said. â€Å"And it stayed there until we brought it and his body together. Yes. But what can we use against him?† â€Å"Earth †¦ or Air,† Cassie mused. â€Å"Though I don’t see how Air could kill anybody.† â€Å"I don’t either. Earth could mean crystals . . . but we don’t have a crystal big enough to use against him.† â€Å"No,† Cassie said. â€Å"It sounds like it’s the Master Tools or nothing. We’ve got to find them.† She could feel Diana nodding in the darkness. â€Å"But how?† Cassie reached over and felt for the moonstone. She put it under her pillow. Maybe it’s not the size, but how you use them, she thought. â€Å"Good night, Diana,† she said, and shut her eyes. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Ten, Essay examples

Piano Critique Essay Example For Students

Piano Critique Essay Friday, February 21, 2014, was the first time that I had the pleasure of sitting in on a piano recital in Merrill Hall. It was a concert by Hye Jin Cho, a young lady from Korea, performing three extensive pieces of music for her graduate recital. I was fortunate enough to be present to watch this budding master at work. The pieces that she played were Joseph Haydns 52nd Sonata in E-Flat Major, Robert Schumanns Opus 11 Sonata in F-Sharp Minor (my personal favorite! and Lowell Liebermanns Gargoyles, Opus 29. As Hye Jin Cho ascended the stage, she bowed towards the audience in an introductory manner, sat down at the piano with a surprisingly hunched back, and began to play the opening of Haydns 52nd Sonata. Haydns Sonata in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI: 52 (Written in 1794) As the recital commenced, Cho allowed her hands to fly across the keyboard with a quick tempo, evoking a sort of Tom and Jerry-esque image in my mind. Of course, having already done my homework by reading up on the pieces which I was going to be privy to during the performance, I was well aware that this particular sonata of Haydns was written in a contredanse style, meaning that it was, in all likelihood, intended for ballroom dancing. I couldnt quite imagine any aristocratic couple attempting to dance to the music, however, as the tempo was simply too quick for anyone to be able to move their feet about fast enough to keep pace with it! Playing in Allegro tempo, I was surprised to see Cho play the piece so effortlessly. Although there were a few minor hiccups during part one of Haydns piece, in which Cho seemed to slam her feet down a little too hard on the grand pianos pedals, hence causing odd loud clicks in time with her playing, she seemed to have everything else under control. Part one was played very cheerfully, and in a very upbeat â€Å"albeit irregular manner, causing the energy in the room to be magnified in intensity. As Part 2 of the piece came around, however, and was played at an Adagio tempo, I was better able to envision the pairs dance to the music. Cho displayed lots of emotion here, and the piece was filled with a lot more suspense as her fingers began veering towards the lower end of the keyboard, and she also began to hold down the keys for a quarter of a note longer than she did in part one. I could also detect quite a few keys being held down at once across several occasions. One small error was committed within this phase, as I feel that some of her notes were played a little too hurriedly â€Å"she should have held her keys down for two beats of four rather than one but other than that, she played the piece well. I could sense a conclusion arriving towards part 3 of Haydns piece, as she played in Presto. Although the piece assumed its quick tempo again, there were more definitive stops to the keys, and, as the piece ended, the last high note that was played hung in the air, and the audience clapped deservedly for Cho. Schumanns Sonata in F-Sharp Minor, Opus 11 (Written in 1835) When I first found out that Cho was going to perform this piece, I was overjoyed. I have been a fan of Schumanns work since I first began listening to classical music, and, since the age of 7, this particular sonata has been tabbed as one of my favorite pieces from the romantic era. The piece consists of four distinct movements: Introduzione (played in Allegro vivace tempo), Aria, Scherzo e Intermezzo (Played in Allegrissimo tempo), and the Finale (played in Allegro un poco maestoso tempo). The movement begins with an introduction played with a brisk, lively tempo, although played on deeper, heavier, bass-filled notes, which then flow into a much more beautiful, heart-wrenching melody. .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e , .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .postImageUrl , .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e , .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:hover , .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:visited , .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:active { border:0!important; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:active , .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u116aab02d7ea9ca92b7d5a0a5a680f1e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Historical Periods in Music EssayIt was played with so much passion that I got goosebumps. Instantly, I could sense the audience sit up a little straighter in their chairs and lean forward, enraptured. As the next movement, Aria, came around, I could tell that this had to be a piece heavily influenced by some female counterpart of Schumanns, as there was no way that so much magic, so much beauty, could be filled into a piece of music such as this sans love. There was such care with which Cho played the notes that I felt like she, too, was sharing a piece of herself while playing them. As Scherzo e Intermezzo â€Å"the third movement began to play, the notes became more playful, lighter, and happier. The song in its entirety began to seem more like a story being told, where, initially (in the first two movements), it felt like Schumann was talking about longing, and then finally, in this movement, he managed to get the girl he loved so much â€Å"and thus began a happier phase of his life. Played in forte and mezzo-forte, this movement caused an aura of happiness to resonate within the room. The Finale was the longest movement in Schumanns piece. It was filled with notes, again played in mezzo-forte, but, unlike in the third movement, the keys were played here in a very masterful, majestic manner. Towards the end of the finale, the notes dipped down to notes played with a piano ? volume, and then moved back to brisker, happier notes played in forte. Cho didnt seem to get anything wrong in playing Schumanns piece, which led me to believe that she spent more time perfecting this piece than the other two, and Im so glad that she did, because she did my favorite work of Schumanns justice. Liebermanns first of four movements, Presto, begins on a sinister note, but then, quite suddenly, evolves into a very fast-paced performance. Cho worked the piece at a rapid pace, her hands practically jumping across the keyboard from the bass notes to treble notes, and I felt like I didnt know what had hit me. The performance was such a contrast to either those of Haydns and Schumanns â€Å" whose pieces were so much easier to listen to because they were so much lighter. As the second movement, Adagio Semplice, was played, I started to believe that Liebermann was a somewhat troubled individual. The piece held an air of mystery and romance to it, but created a haunting effect, so it was very hard not to be enraptured at the same time by it. The movement was played in piano ?, which an Adagio tempo. As Allegro Moderato â€Å"the third movement was played, the piece shifted to a more beautiful melody, one which flowed seamlessly, and was played well with both hands together, to give me the impression that multiple hands were playing at once. I couldnt believe that all the sounds being projected were actually emitting from the piano â€Å" Id actually assumed that a harp was playing some of those notes, somewhere backstage! It was, possibly, my favorite movement within the piece, flawed only once when Cho played the incorrect treble notes during one phase of the movement. She didnt let the slip-up affect the rest of her performance though, although she looked a tad flustered. I gathered, by the name of the final movement, â€Å"Presto feroce, that this next movement was going to be filled with mezzo-forte notes, and played with a certain ferocity. I was right. There were quick changes in the direction of the keys played, and it was somewhat hard for me to keep up with the numerous beats and shifts in notes. I gather that the end of this tale was about the adventure coming to a close, and the mystery being solved. Cho rose from her seat and bowed to the audience once more, to a standing ovation. To sum the recital off, it was nothing short of fabulous. Cho inspired us all to want to learn how to play the piano with as much passion and grace as she herself did, and, although this is only one of the many piano recitals that I will attend, it will, surely, forever remain in my memory. A short analysis of the three pieces of music (Haydns, Schumanns and Liebermanns): .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 , .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .postImageUrl , .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 , .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:hover , .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:visited , .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:active { border:0!important; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:active , .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24 .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue3cf05c93769e91f3fb74c76fbe79c24:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Quadrat Summary EssayHaydns piano piece was more upbeat, happy and light, and evoked an image of a time long gone by. I felt like I had been transported to the early 1900s, where the bourgeois and aristocratic socialized within a ballroom of sorts. The happiness that resonated within the room was almost tangible. Schumanns piece had a strong, romantic element to it, and it was more of a story than that of Haydns. I felt a powerful connection with it, primarily because it has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It held so much honesty and transparency in it, compared with the other two pieces. The melody was so prominent in all four movements, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Gargoyles was an unexpected addition to the recital. It certainly shook me out of my trance â€Å" induced by Chos performance of Schumanns piece â€Å" with its powerful play of keys and its surprisingly modern melodies. Compared with the other pieces, it was haunting, mysterious, heavy and filled with adventure, making it all the more enjoyable to listen to.