First and Second Triumvirates of Rome

First and Second Triumvirates of Rome A triumvirate is an arrangement of government wherein three individuals share the most noteworthy political force. The term began in Rome during the last breakdown of the republic; it actually implies the standard of three men (tresâ viri). The individuals from a triumvirate could conceivably be chosen and might lead as per existing lawful standards. The First Triumvirate A union of Julius Caesar, Pompey (Pompeius Magnus) and Marcus Licinius Crassusâ ruled Rome from 60 BCE to 54 BCE. These three men solidified force in the melting away long stretches of Republican Rome. Despite the fact that Rome had extended a long ways past focal Italy, its political foundations set up when Rome was only one all the more little city-state among others neglected to keep pace. Actually, Rome was still only a city on the Tiber River, represented by a Senate; commonplace governors to a great extent managed outside of Italy and with hardly any special cases, the individuals of the territories came up short on a similar poise and rights that Romans (i.e., individuals who lived in Rome) appreciated. For a century before the First Triumvirate, the republic was shaken by slave revolts, pressure from Gallic clans toward the north, debasement in the territories and common wars. Influential men more impressive than the Senate, now and again periodically practiced casual authority with the dividers of Rome. Against that background, Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus adjusted to bring request out of mayhem however the request kept going a sparse six years. The three men governed until 54 BCE. In 53, Crassus was slaughtered and by 48, Caesar crushed Pompey at Pharsalus and administered alone until his death in the Senate in 44. The Second Triumvirate The Second Triumvirate comprised of Octavian (Augustus), Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Mark Antony. The Second Triumvirate was an official body made in 43 B.C., known as Triumviri Rei Publicae Constituendae Consulari Potestate. Consular force was doled out to the three men. As a rule, there were just two chosen delegates. The triumvirate, in spite of a five-year term limit, was recharged for a subsequent term. The Second Triumvirate contrasted from the first to the extent that it was a lawful substance expressly supported by the Senate, not a private understanding among strongmen. In any case, the Second endured a similar destiny as the First: Internal squabbling and desire prompted its debilitating and breakdown. First to fall was Lepidus. After a strategic maneuver against Octavian, he was deprived of the entirety of his workplaces aside from for Pontifex Maximusâ in 36 and later ousted to a remote island. Antony having lived since 40 with Cleopatra of Egypt and becoming progressively disconnected from the force legislative issues of Rome was conclusively crushed in 31 at the Battle of Actium and from that point ended it all with Cleopatra in 30. By 27, Octavian had retitled himself Augustus, viably turning into the principal head of Rome. In spite of the fact that Augustus paid specific consideration to utilize the language of the republic, therefore keeping up a fiction of republicanism well into the first and second hundreds of years CE, the intensity of the Senate and its diplomats had been broken and the Roman Empire started its about half-thousand years of impact over the Meditteranean world.

Psychology of Stress Free Essays

string(252) of a sleeping disorder and weakness; figuring out how to loosen up prompts rest that is more profound and sounder; counteraction or decrease of psychosomatic issue, for example, hypertension, headaches, cerebral pains, asthma and ulcers; expanded fearlessness and diminished self-blame. The street of torment brought about by a Stress-related ailment 73132:Psychology of Stress Open Polytechnic Wellington Elizabeth Ross Words:2,149 â€Å"The street of agony brought about by a pressure related illness†, is the name of this last task. A nitty gritty contextual investigation and treatment plan for Sera-jean who has a pressure related disease. I will attempt to propose a treatment intend to help Sera-jean oversee hypertension and type 1diabetes. We will compose a custom paper test on Brain research of Stress or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now There will be brief layouts of the strategies I have picked, how it works and what benefits it will be to Sera-jean in general. There will likewise be two unwinding thoughts for Sera-jean to use on the off chance that she so wishes. Sera-jean is matured thirty-four and is hitched with 3 kids. She has a serious bubbly character, agreeable, persistent, persevering, open, genuine, thoughtful audience, information capable and an earnest and caring individual. Sera-jean and her significant other had quite recently purchased a way of life property, so Sera-jean applied and was offered the situation of lead administrator in the new plant of Individual Quick Frozen cheddar office. An extraordinary chance to be a piece of another idea in a worldwide association, Sera-jean readily joined and turned into a significant piece of a decent group, with the goals to need to learn and get a decent beginning to another idea with incredible chances. Following two years IQF had lost 30, 000 metric ton of Pizza Hut and Dominoes arranges, the plant was only unfit to stay aware of the requests. Hardware breakdowns, dismissed item, remote issue in item, bundling flaws and with these glitches from the plant and loosing orders everybody started to consider what might occur. Sera-jean was at that point getting very stressed over what would occur with her area of expertise. There was no word from the organization, the association or the board which from all perspectives was exceptionally upsetting for everybody. She was getting cerebral pains and now and again was having lightheaded spells. She took two vacation days to have a few tests done and when she returned she revealed to us that she had hypertension and type 1diabetes. Poor Sera-jean she couldn’t comprehend why she out of nowhere had these diseases as she had consistently been very fit and sound. Change as a stressor, when change happens your life feels wild and it carries with it uneasiness. Abrupt and delayed change startles us you can experience difficulty adjusting your reasoning and create turmoil. At the point when changes are forced with no contribution to the procedure, the other part of progress that can influence your feeling of anxiety is the hugeness of the change on an amazing remainder. Broad research proposes that two related mental elements can intervene a, life forms reactions to the pressure of progress: controllability and consistency (Krantz, 1986). Seen control is characterized as the felt capacity to escape stays away from and additionally alters undermining boosts (Averille, 1973). Expanded consistency can help limit the pressure of making changes. The dread of the obscure is a strong stressor that needs decrease. Another stressor for Sera-jean that may have added to the hypertension is sympathomimetic operators which are the synthetic substances that copy the thoughtful pressure reaction. Numerous nourishments contain these substances and when they are devoured it can trigger a pressure reaction in the body, so relying upon what amount was expended. Xanthincs are ground-breaking amphetamine-like energizers that expansion digestion which makes an exceptionally alert and dynamic state. They likewise trigger arrival of the pressure hormones that among different activities are equipped for expanding pulse, circulatory strain, and oxygen requests on the heart. Outrageous, delayed pressure hormone discharge can even start myocardial corruption †that is, obliteration of the heart tissue. (pp. 179 †181). Productive adapting strategies for Sera-jean to utilize help oversee pressure. Evaluation centered procedures; identifying and questioning negative self-talk, sane reasoning, utilizing positive reevaluation, discovering humor in the circumstance, going to religion. Issue †centered techniques; dynamic critical thinking, looking for social help, upgrading time the board, developing discretion, getting progressively decisive. Feeling †centered methodologies; discharging repressed feelings, diverting one, overseeing unfriendly sentiments and excusing others, working out, interceding, utilizing orderly unwinding methodology. (pp. 114 †131). To unwind is the very establishment of any program to beat nervousness, fears, or fits of anxiety. Numerous different aptitudes, for example, desensitization, perception, and changing negative self-talk, expand on the ability to accomplish profound unwinding. The kind of unwinding that truly has any kind of effect in managing tension is the ordinary, day by day practice of some type of profound unwinding. Profound unwinding alludes to a particular physiological express that is the specific inverse of the manner in which your body responds under pressure or during a fit of anxiety. This state was initially portrayed by Herbert Benson (pp. 81 †103. 1975) as the unwinding reaction. This includes a progression of physiological changes, remembering diminishes for heart and breath rate, circulatory strain, skeletal muscle pressure, metabolic rate and oxygen utilization, logical reasoning, and an expansion in skin opposition and in alpha wave action in the cerebrum. Normal act of profound unwinding for twenty to thirty minutes regularly can deliver, after some time, a speculation of unwinding to an amazing remainder. So following half a month of rehearsing profound unwinding once every day, Teri-jean will in general feel progressively loosened up constantly. There are numerous advantages of profound unwinding that have been archived, for example, the accompanying; decrease of summed up tension. Numerous individuals have discovered that ordinary practice likewise lessens the recurrence and seriousness of fits of anxiety; to keep worry from developing in quality. Stress that is unabated may will in general develop extra time. Going into a condition of physiological quiet once a day offers your body the chance to recoup from the impacts of pressure. Indeed, even rest can neglect to break the total pressure cycle except if you give yourself authorization to profoundly unwind while wakeful; expanded vitality level and efficiency; improved fixation and memory; customary act of profound unwinding will in general increment your capacity to center and shields your brain from dashing; decrease of a sleeping disorder and weakness; figuring out how to loosen up prompts rest that is more profound and sounder; avoidance or decrease of psychosomatic issue, for example, hypertension, headaches, cerebral pains, asthma and ulcers; expanded self-assurance and diminished self-fault. You read Brain research of Stress in classification Paper models You can perform better just as feel better when you are loose; expanded accessibility of sentiments. Muscle strain is one of the central obstructions to a familiarity with your sentiments. To accomplish a condition of profound unwinding, utilizing a portion of the regular strategies, for example, stomach breathing, dynamic muscle unwinding, uninvolved muscle unwinding, imagining a quiet scene, guided symbolism, reflection, biofeedback, tactile hardship, yoga and quieting music. (pp. 86 †90) Guidelines for rehearsing dynamic muscle unwinding (or any orm of profound unwinding) so the accompanying data will help Sera-jean utilize dynamic muscle unwinding that is embraced to rehearse routinely, including self-mesmerizing, guided perception and reflection. High-impact or cardiovascular activities, extending and conditioning activities would energize your brain and body to be progressively dynamic every day. Arranging a set program of unwinding techniques, breathing activities, reflec tion and advising these are totally appeared in this task as an extraordinary method to help with all diseases that you are encountering. Stress is an ordinary piece of life, however a lot of pressure can prompt enthusiastic and mental and even physical issues †including coronary illness, hypertension, chest agonies or sporadic pulses. Diminishing pressure can help lower hypertension. In the event that pressure itself is a hazard factor for coronary illness, incessant pressure opens your body to unfortunate, relentlessly raised degrees of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Stress changes the manner in which blood clusters, which builds the danger of coronary failure and stroke. Being presented to extensive stretches of pressure is the place your body can offer admonition hints if there is something incorrectly. These physical psychological passionate and social indications of stress ought not be disregarded. Easing back down, on the off chance that you keep on being pushed and if your body doesn’t rest you will create medical issues. Physical signs; tipsiness, general a throbbing painfulness, pounding teeth, migraines, acid reflux, muscle strains, hustling heart, sweat-soaked palms, tiredness, upset belly. Every psychological sign; experiencing steady concern, neglect and the powerlessness to think, absence of inventiveness, loss of comical inclination. Enthusiastic signs; outrage, tension, crying melancholy, feeling weak, visit disposition swings, fractiousness, depression, apprehension, bitterness. The conduct signs; there is bossiness, alongside impulsive eating you show hazardous activities, and now and again you show a basic mentality towards life.. Step by step instructions to adapt to pressure, eat and drink reasonably, declare your-self and exercise routinely, loosen up each day, assume liability and set practical objectives and keep up positive musings. It takes responsibility, learn and practice unwinding, profound breathing, dynamic muscle unwinding, mental symbolism relaxat

10 of the Best Audiobooks of 2016 So Far

10 of the Best Audiobooks of 2016 So Far Audiobooks have come a long way: where once I used to hope that a book would someday be available as an audiobook now I find myself having the conundrum of deciding whether I want to read recent releases with my ears or eyeballs (or both!). The publishing industry has obviously realized how many audiobook lovers there are and thanks to technological advances were getting a lot more selectionand ways to listen. And it’s awesome. Especially with so many great 2016 audiobook releases. Here’s what we’re loving so far. The View From the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman: Neil Gaimans voice deep, calm, with a patient British accent makes for a delightfully soothing listen to an incredible collection of nonfiction works. I wandered through bookstores in New York City while listening to him talk to me about the importance of libraries, his own experience reading as a child, and how no book for a child is a bad book for a child. His essays are fantastic and youll want to highlight your copy of the book up and down, but I highly recommend listening to the audiobook it brings you sort of one step closer to the personal stories and anecdotes Gaiman shares. Nicole Brinkley The Fireman by Joe Hill: Joe.Hill.narrated.by.Kate.Mulgrew.  Need I say more? Okay… I will. Not only did this book inspire in me feelings of outrage, stress and, ultimately, hope, but Mulgrew’s narration added a tension to Hill’s story that only enhanced the feeling that I was experiencing Harper’s situation myself. Kate Mulgrew should narrate all the things and Joe Hill should write all the things.  /gavel Elizabeth Allen Lab Girl by Hope Jahren: This audiobook might be the surprise of the year for me. I don’t listen to a ton of audio because I have a short attention span for listening, and some of the author-read books I’ve tried have been big disappointments. Jahren’s memoir of her life in science is a delight, and the pop-science combined with her reading of it pushes it over the edge into “great” territory. It’s readily apparently that she is in love with science and discovery, passionate about the people on the journey with her, and I loved getting to know her as well as gaining a better understanding of the science of plants. I didn’t realize just how fascinating that could be. Andi Miller Shrill by Lindy West: If you are a person who appreciates unapologetic feminism, body positivity, and a well-placed poop joke, Lindy Wests Shrill might wind up being the best book of essays you have ever listened to in your life. Sandwiched between HILARIOUS jokes about reading high fantasy by Robert Jordan on the bus, and the situation with deeply disturbing high school choir outfits, Lindy has gifted us a fat feminist abortion manifesto (her words), because people don’t expect to hear from women like that. And I want other women to see me do that and I want womens voices to get louder.  Ive long loved Lindy Wests amazing comedic timing in her writing for The Stranger, Jezebel, and The Guardian, and listening to her deliver her jokes on audio was kind of the most fantastic thing ever. She confesses that she never wanted to be the poster child for fighting virtual trolls and calling out rape jokes, yet she does it every day for everyone who wants women’s voices to get louder. She s doing it for me, and shes doing it for you. Thank you, Lindy West 3 Rachel Smalter Hall The Passenger by Lisa Lutz, Madeleine Maby (Narrator): I have a terrible habit of listening to murder mysteries/thrillers while driving alone through long, isolated stretches of highway. So when I put on Lisa Lutz’s The Passenger during a drive to Tahoe, I thought I was facing several nights of sleeping with the lights on. The opening lines were not reassuring: “In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death.” Well, great, glad I’m taking this narrator with me to a cabin in the woods. I neednt have worried. Lutz’s protagonist, Tanya, certainly has skeletons in her closet but they’re more mysterious than creepy. As she flees her past, Tanya slips from identity to identity and meets an increasingly unpredictable cast of characters. Though I never completely trusted Tanya as a narrator, I was glad to be along for the ride. Katie MacBride The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: About 90% of my “reading” these days come from audiobooks and I’ve come to appreciate the recordings that are non-intrusive, where I can listen without really realizing I’m not reading a book myself. That is much easier said than done, but Kim Mai Guest nails it every time. Her narration let me sink in to this wonderful world of magic-based time travel, pirate ships, complicated family relationships, and a mixing pot of mythologies by perfectly, inobtrusively rendering the beautiful prose. Sarah Nicolas And my picks for best audiobooks of 2016 so far are: The Regional Office Is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales: A smart, bonkers, and awesome book filled with lady assassins, a mechanical arm wielding character, an Oracle, and great fight scenes that had me cheering for fightingand was literally what the title says it is about. The delivery of the narrators (Sarah Scott, Natasha Soudek, Susan Hanfield, and Mike Chamberlain) was so spot-on that every time there was an f-bomb dropped Id laugh out loud (the real kind not the online lol kind). The Devourers by Indra Das: Beautifully written, intense, original, brutal, and a captivating story about a professor and the mysterious half-werewolf man he meets who has a strange request: to transcribe a hell of a tale involving a shape-shifter and the woman he rapes. Matching the lush writing is Shishir Kurups delicious voice and Meera Simhans lovely narration which makes the vulgarities, violence, and exploration of what makes us human vs monster go down smoother. Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen   by Jazz Jennings: I recently have seen people making comments about how women under a certain age have no right writing memoirs and I could not disagree more. Jazz Jennings is a teen with a story everyone should read. Shes smart, funny, compassionate, and shows that even with a supportive family the world is still full of hurdles for the transgender community. Shes also a fantastic narrator. American Housewife: Stories by Helen Elli, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator), Lisa Cordileone (Narrator),  Rebecca Lowman (Narrator), Dorothy Dillingham Blue (Narrator): The women and stories in this collection were so funny and entertaining I ended up volunteering to organize my basement so I could spend the day listening. (First time I’ve read an entire short story collection in one sittingâ€"technically standing on a ladder.) From dumpster diving reality show contestants, to a ridiculous neighbor war, to a bra size fitter, and the behind the scenes of a book club I loved every story and moment of this book and its smart, dark humor. Do you have a favorite 2016 audiobook? Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Sign up for Audiobooks to receive the latest from the audiobooks world. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Procompsognathus - Facts and Figures

Name: Procompsognathus (Greek for before the elegant jaw); pronounced PRO-comp-SOG-nah-thuss Habitat: Swamps of western Europe Historical Period: Late Triassic (210 million years ago) Size and Weight: About four feet long and 5-10 pounds Diet: Small animals and insects Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; bipedal posture; long legs and snout About Procompsognathus Despite its name--before Compsognathus--the evolutionary relationship of Procompsognathus to the later and much-better known Compsognathus is uncertain at best. Because of the poor quality of this dinosaurs fossil remains, the best we can say about Procompsognathus is that it was a carnivorous reptile, but beyond that, its unclear if it was an early theropod dinosaur or a late archosaur akin to the bipedal Marasuchus (and thus not a dinosaur at all). In either event, though, Procompsognathus (and other reptiles like it) certainly lay at the base of later dinosaur evolution, either as direct progenitors of this fearsome breed or great-uncles a few times removed. One of the little known facts about Procompsognathus is that it was this dinosaur, and not Compsognathus, that had cameos in Michael Crichtons novels Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Crichton portrays compies as slightly venomous (in the books, Procompsognathus bites render their victims drowsy and ready for the kill), as well as eager consumers of sauropod poop. Needless to say, both of these attributes are complete inventions; to date, paleontologists have yet to identify any venomous dinosaurs, and there is no fossil evidence that any dinosaurs ate excrement (though its certainly not outside the range of possibility).

The Problem Of Driving Under The United States - 1332 Words

How much more time will we be obtained to experience agony and cruelty due to the fact that there are incautious drunk drivers? How did this become a problem? Driving under the influence became a problem in the U.S. ever since the creation of cars; although, people would not consider it an actual issue until the 1980’s. During around that same time, crime was defined as a personal choice and individual fault. Drunk driving fell under personal choice and individual fault. It is now illegal to drive under the influence in every state but apart from that, it is very unsafe for families in both ends of the predicament. When an individual consumes a drink, the alcohol is directed to the blood stream, there are tests that measure how much alcohol is in the system with an approximation percentage. Having 8% percent of alcohol in your body is already considered over board and the person is guessed to be a danger to society if driving a vehicle. DUI is considered to be the nations mos t committed crime up to date, back in the 80’s people started supporting ways to fight drinking and driving, and were willing to give up some â€Å"freedom† to have stricter legal deeds. The people took this movement into a legislative sector. Somewhere between the 1981 and 1987 about 934 laws were passed by state legislatures having to do with the drinking and driving epidemic. Legal measures concentrate on preventing these drunk drivers by enforcing stricter laws and finding ways they could get punished.Show MoreRelatedEssay Persuasion, Indoctrination, and Inoculation1178 Words   |  5 PagesPERSUASION, INDOCTRINATION, AND INOCULATION 2 There are many dangers that plague us in today’s society. One of the most pressing issues is that of driving under the influence of alcohol. This is a problem for many reasons. Firstly, driving while intoxicated is illegal. It shows the rising problem of substance abuse, and most importantly, driving drunk is deadly. According to  Drinkinganddriving.org  (2008-2013),  900,000 are arrested each year for DUI/DWI and a full 1/3 of those are repeat offenders†Read MoreA Brief Note On Deaths From Drunk Driving Essay1120 Words   |  5 PagesAndrew Weaver Mrs. Gallos English 3 1 December 2016 Deaths From Drunk Driving When driving down the road two ambulance’s fly by with sirens screaming, on down the road the ambulance’s stop along with three fire truck’s on the side of the road surrounded by many police officers, passing by there is a car flipped upside down with another car head on into a tree and white drapes over top of bodies on the road, through the window there is a man there blowing into a breathalyzer, the number comes upRead MoreEssay On Drinking And Drinking1311 Words   |  6 PagesNarad Koirala Dr.Jaap English 15 November 9, 2017 Drinking and Driving Solution According to The New York Times, â€Å"The A.B.A.’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs’ most recent national report identified alcohol as the No. 1 substance-abuse problem for lawyers.† From lawyers to ordinary people are all addicted to these substance known as alcohol.This is a problem that needs to be taken more seriously because it has been a major issue in the country for over a decade. The straight solutionRead MoreCause And Effect Of Impaired Driving925 Words   |  4 Pagesinjured every day because either they are driving under the influence (DUI) or they are victims of those people who drink and drive. The United States is the country which has the most accidents caused by DUI. According to the article â€Å"Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Crashes†, the U.S has the most impaired driving accidents. Statistics in the article â€Å"Impaired Driving† show that around 10,076 people were killed in ‘alcohol – impaired’ dr iving in 2013 in the United States. Research shows that people aged 16Read MoreAlcohol Related Accidents Essay874 Words   |  4 Pagesin an accident with a drunk driver. Drunk driving is a serious problem that the United States, as well as the world, is trying to deal with, because it does not only effect a select few, it effects everyone. Drunk driving amongst high school students is an enormous problem that the United States is trying to cope with. Many programs have come to surface over the past few years, that educate students on this situation. MADD, mothers against drunk driving, is a non profit organization that tries toRead MoreDrinking And Driving Should Not Be Taken Lightly1500 Words   |  6 PagesDrinking and Driving Have you or someone you know been personally affected by someone who was drinking and driving? If you have then you understand the seriousness of why this is a major problem and should not be taken lightly. Many people have the understanding that they should not drink and drive when they are sober, when they start drinking however, their opinions most of the time change. Alcohol distorts a person s judgement and allows their perception to be altered, people who are under the influenceRead MoreThe Legal Limit Blood Alcohol Content1018 Words   |  5 PagesDriving under the influence is a continuous problem which is on the rise today. According to the Center of Disease and Control, â€Å"every day, 28 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 53 minutes. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016) That is over ten-thousand preventable deaths every year. The United States Department of Transportation believes that between laws and DUI awareness may be helpingRead MoreDrinking And Driving1335 Words   |  6 Pages Drink and Driving is and Ongoing Problem Erica Esposito Kean University Abstract This paper explores the research and find results on how drinking and driving has become a big problem in the United States. Drinking and driving effects a person’s ability to operate a vehicle and therefore drunk drivers need to be educated on the repercussions with drinking and driving. Every day drunk drivers are arrested, either for traffic violations, reckless driving, and random stops on theRead MoreDriving Is The Most Dangerous Activities1110 Words   |  5 PagesDriving become one the most dangerous activities we do on a daily basis. We all play apart in creating a more hazardous environment for drivers and passengers, either by choosing to answer that text message, or a call, or driving under the influence of alcohol. So why do we risk it? Why do we risk our lives and other human lives while driving? There are things out of our control that can cause accidents, such as weather, or car problems. Paying attention while driving is a key factor of getting homeRead MoreTe xting And Driving Is A Good Thing Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pagesphone. Texting and driving is one of the most daring things people can do on the road now a days. It is a tragic practice in the United States that needs to be stopped. It’s taking many lives of peoples family and friends around the United States today. This phenomenon of texting and driving exists and it isn t a good thing. Although many people would agree that texting and driving isn t a safe act many still do it. Most people feel discluded from the texting while driving danger and believe that

Vampire Academy Chapter 5 Free Essays

string(27) " and hang out for a while\." FIVE OR RATHER, THEY HAD BEEN Strigoi. A regiment of guardians had hunted them down and killed them. If rumors were true, Christian had witnessed it all when he was very young. We will write a custom essay sample on Vampire Academy Chapter 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now And although he wasn’t Strigoi himself, some people thought he wasn’t far off, with the way he always wore black and kept to himself. Strigoi or not, I didn’t trust him. He was a jerk, and I silently screamed at Lissa to get out of there – not that my screaming did much good. Stupid one-way bond. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked. â€Å"Taking in the sights, of course. That chair with the tarp on it is particularly lovely this time of year. Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir. And let’s not forget that beautiful table with no legs in the corner.† â€Å"Whatever.† She rolled her eyes and moved toward the door, wanting to leave, but he blocked her way. â€Å"Well, what about you?† he taunted. â€Å"Why are you up here? Don’t you have parties to go to or lives to destroy?† Some of Lissa’s old spark returned. â€Å"Wow, that’s hilarious. Am I like a rite of passage now? Go and see if you can piss off Lissa to prove how cool you are? Some girl I don’t even know yelled at me today, and now I’ve got to deal with you? What does it take to be left alone?† â€Å"Oh. So that’s why you’re up here. For a pity party.† â€Å"This isn’t a joke. I’m serious.† I could tell Lissa was getting angry. It was trumping her earlier distress. He shrugged and leaned casually against the sloping wall. â€Å"So am I. I love pity parties. I wish I’d brought the hats. What do you want to mope about first? How it’s going to take you a whole day to be popular and loved again? How you’ll have to wait a couple weeks before Hollister can ship out some new clothes? If you spring for rush shipping, it might not be so long.† â€Å"Let me leave,† she said angrily, this time pushing him aside. â€Å"Wait,† he said, as she reached the door. The sarcasm disappeared from his voice. â€Å"What? ­um, what was it like?† â€Å"What was what like?† she snapped. â€Å"Being out there. Away from the Academy.† She hesitated for a moment before answering, caught off guard by what seemed like a genuine attempt at conversation. â€Å"It was great. No one knew who I was. I was just another face. Not Moroi. Not royal. Not anything.† She looked down at the floor. â€Å"Everyone here thinks they know who I am.† â€Å"Yeah. It’s kind of hard to outlive your past,† he said bitterly. It occurred to Lissa at that moment – and me to by default – just how hard it might be to be Christian. Most of the time, people treated him like he didn’t exist. Like he was a ghost. They didn’t talk to or about him. They just didn’t notice him. The stigma of his parents’ crime was too strong, casting its shadow onto the entire Ozera family. Still, he’d pissed her off, and she wasn’t about to feel sorry for him. â€Å"Wait – is this your pity party now?† He laughed, almost approvingly. â€Å"This room has been my pity party for a year now.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Lissa snarkily. â€Å"I was coming here before I left. I’ve got a longer claim.† â€Å"Squatters’ rights. Besides, I have to make sure I stay near the chapel as much as possible so people know I haven’t gone Strigoi? ­yet.† Again, the bitter tone rang out. â€Å"I used to always see you at mass. Is that the only reason you go? To look good?† Strigoi couldn’t enter holy ground. More of that sinning-against-the-world thing. â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Why else go? For the good of your soul?† â€Å"Whatever,† said Lissa, who clearly had a different opinion. â€Å"I’ll leave you alone then.† â€Å"Wait,† he said again. He didn’t seem to want her to go. â€Å"I’ll make you a deal. You can hang out here too if you tell me one thing.† â€Å"What?† She glanced back at him. He leaned forward. â€Å"Of all the rumors I heard about you today – and believe me, I heard plenty, even if no one actually told them to me – there was one that didn’t come up very much. They dissected everything else: why you left, what you did out there, why you came back, the specialization, what Rose said to Mia, blah, blah, blah. And in all of that, no one, no one ever questioned that stupid story that Rose told about there being all sorts of fringe humans who let you take blood.† She looked away, and I could feel her cheeks starting to burn. â€Å"It’s not stupid. Or a story.† He laughed softly. â€Å"I’ve lived with humans. My aunt and I stayed away after my parents? ­died. It’s not that easy to find blood.† When she didn’t answer, he laughed again. â€Å"It was Rose, wasn’t it? She fed you.† A renewed fear shot through both her and me. No one at school could know about that. Kirova and the guardians on the scene knew, but they’d kept that knowledge to themselves. â€Å"Well. If that’s not friendship, I don’t know what it is,† he said. â€Å"You can’t tell anyone,† she blurted out. This was all we needed. As I’d just been reminded, feeders were vampire-bite addicts. We accepted that as part of life but still looked down on them for it. For anyone else – especially a dhampir – letting a Moroi take blood from you was almost, well, dirty. In fact, one of the kinkiest, practically pornographic things a dhampir could do was let a Moroi drink blood during sex. Lissa and I hadn’t had sex, of course, but we’d both known what others would think of me feeding her. â€Å"Don’t tell anyone,† Lissa repeated. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and sat down on one of the crates. â€Å"Who am I going to tell? Look, go grab the window seat. You can have it today and hang out for a while. You read "Vampire Academy Chapter 5" in category "Essay examples" If you’re not still afraid of me.† She hesitated, studying him. He looked dark and surly, lips curled in a sort of I’m-such-a-rebel smirk. But he didn’t look too dangerous. He didn’t look Strigoi. Gingerly, she sat back down in the window seat, unconsciously rubbing her arms against the cold. Christian watched her, and a moment later, the air warmed up considerably. Lissa met Christian’s eyes and smiled, surprised she’d never noticed how icy blue they were before. â€Å"You specialized in fire?† He nodded and pulled up a broken chair. â€Å"Now we have luxury accommodations.† I snapped out of the vision. â€Å"Rose? Rose?† Blinking, I focused on Dimitri’s face. He was leaning toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders. I’d stopped walking; we stood in the middle of the quad separating the upper school buildings. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"I? ­yeah. I was? ­I was with Lissa? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I put a hand to my forehead. I’d never had such a long or clear experience like that. â€Å"I was in her head.† â€Å"Her? ­head?† â€Å"Yeah. It’s part of the bond.† I didn’t really feel like elaborating. â€Å"Is she all right?† â€Å"Yeah, she’s? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. Was she all right? Christian Ozera had just invited her to hang out with him. Not good. There was â€Å"coasting through the middle,† and then there was turning to the dark side. But the feelings humming through our bond were no longer scared or upset. She was almost content, though still a little nervous. â€Å"She’s not in danger,† I finally said. I hoped. â€Å"Can you keep going?† The hard, stoic warrior I’d met earlier was gone – just for a moment – and he actually looked concerned. Truly concerned. Feeling his eyes on me like that made something flutter inside of me – which was stupid, of course. I had no reason to get all goofy, just because the man was too good-looking for his own good. After all, he was an antisocial god, according to Mason. One who was supposedly going to leave me in all sorts of pain. â€Å"Yeah. I’m fine.† I went into the gym’s dressing room and changed into the workout clothes someone had finally thought to give me after a day of practicing in jeans and a T-shirt. Gross. Lissa hanging out with Christian troubled me, but I shoved that thought away for later as my muscles informed me they did not want to go through any more exercise today. So I suggested to Dimitri that maybe he should let me off this time. He laughed, and I was pretty sure it was at me and not with me. â€Å"Why is that funny?† â€Å"Oh,† he said, his smile dropping. â€Å"You were serious.† â€Å"Of course I was! Look, I’ve technically been awake for two days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed,† I whined. â€Å"It’s just one hour.† He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love. â€Å"How do you feel right now? After the training you’ve done so far?† â€Å"I hurt like hell.† â€Å"You’ll feel worse tomorrow.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, better to jump in now while you still feel? ­not as bad.† â€Å"What kind of logic is that?† I retorted. But I didn’t argue anymore as he led me into the weight room. He showed me the weights and reps he wanted me to do, then sprawled in a corner with a battered Western novel. Some god. When I finished, he stood beside me and demonstrated a few cool-down stretches. â€Å"How’d you end up as Lissa’s guardian?† I asked. â€Å"You weren’t here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?† He didn’t answer right away. I got the feeling he didn’t talk about himself very often. â€Å"No. I attended the one in Siberia.† â€Å"Whoa. That’s got to be the only place worse than Montana.† A glint of something – maybe amusement – sparked in his eyes, but he didn’t acknowledge the joke. â€Å"After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord. He was killed recently.† His smile dropped, his face grew dark. â€Å"They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I’d already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus.† I thought about what he’d said before. Some Strigoi killed the guy he was supposed to have been guarding? â€Å"Did this lord die on your watch?† â€Å"No. He was with his other guardian. I was away.† He fell silent, his mind obviously somewhere else. The Moroi expected a lot from us, but they did recognize that the guardians were – more or less – only human. So, guardians got pay and time off like you’d get in any other job. Some hard-core guardians – like my mom – refused vacations, vowing never to leave their Moroi’s sides. Looking at Dimitri now, I had a feeling he might very well turn into one of those. If he’d been away on legitimate leave, he could hardly blame himself for what happened to that guy. Still, he probably did anyway. I’d blame myself too if something happened to Lissa. â€Å"Hey,† I said, suddenly wanting to cheer him up, â€Å"did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that.† He arched an eyebrow curiously. Cool. I’d always wished I could do that. â€Å"You’re complimenting me on that?† â€Å"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried.† â€Å"Last one?† â€Å"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds.† â€Å"This was the first time we found you. In Portland.† I sat up from my stretches and crossed my legs. â€Å"Um, I don’t think I imagined psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it.† â€Å"Maybe,† he said dismissively. I could tell by his face he didn’t believe that. I returned to the novices’ dorm after that. The Moroi students lived on the other side of the quad, closer to the commons. The living arrangements were partly based on convenience. Being here kept us novices closer to the gym and training grounds. But we also lived separately to accommodate the differences in Moroi and dhampir lifestyles. Their dorm had almost no windows, aside from tinted ones that dimmed sunlight. They also had a special section where feeders always stayed on hand. The novices’ dorm was built in a more open way, allowing for more light. I had my own room because there were so few novices, let alone girls. The room they’d given me was small and plain, with a twin bed and a desk with a computer. My few belongings had been spirited out of Portland and now sat in boxes around the room. I rummaged through them, pulling out a T-shirt to sleep in. I found a couple of pictures as I did, one of Lissa and me at a football game in Portland and another taken when I’d gone on vacation with her family, a year before the accident. I set them on my desk and booted up the computer. Someone from tech support had helpfully given me a sheet with instructions for renewing my e-mail account and setting up a password. I did both, happy to discover no one had realized that this would serve as a way for me to communicate with Lissa. Too tired to write to her now, I was about to turn everything off when I noticed I already had a message. From Janine Hathaway. It was short: I’m glad you’re back. What you did was inexcusable. â€Å"Love you too, Mom,† I muttered, shutting it all down. When I went to bed afterward, I passed out before even hitting the pillow, and just as Dimitri had predicted, I felt ten times worse when I woke up the next morning. Lying there in bed, I reconsidered the perks of running away. Then I remembered getting my ass kicked and figured the only way to prevent that from happening again was to go endure some more of it this morning. My soreness made it all that much worse, but I survived the before-school practice with Dimitri and my subsequent classes without passing out or fainting. At lunch, I dragged Lissa away from Natalie’s table early and gave her a Kirova-worthy lecture about Christian – particularly chastising her for letting him know about our blood arrangement. If that got out, it’d kill both of us socially and I didn’t trust him not to tell. Lissa had other concerns. â€Å"You were in my head again?† she exclaimed. â€Å"For that long?† â€Å"I didn’t do it on purpose,† I argued. â€Å"It just happened. And that’s not the point. How long did you hang out with him afterward?† â€Å"Not that long. It was kind of? ­fun.† â€Å"Well, you can’t do it again. If people find out you’re hanging out with him, they’ll crucify you.† I eyed her warily. â€Å"You aren’t, like, into him, are you?† She scoffed. â€Å"No. Of course not. â€Å"Good. Because if you’re going to go after a guy, steal Aaron back.† He was boring, yes, but safe. Just like Natalie. How come all the harmless people were so lame? Maybe that was the definition of safe. She laughed. â€Å"Mia would claw my eyes out.† â€Å"We can take her. Besides, he deserves someone who doesn’t shop at Gap Kids.† â€Å"Rose, you’ve got to stop saying things like that.† â€Å"I’m just saying what you won’t.† â€Å"She’s only a year younger,† said Lissa. She laughed. â€Å"I can’t believe you think I’m the one who’s going to get us in trouble.† Smiling as we strolled toward class, I gave her a sidelong glance. â€Å"Aaron does look pretty good though, huh?† She smiled back and avoided my eyes. â€Å"Yeah. Pretty good.† â€Å"Ooh. You see? You should go after him.† â€Å"Whatever. I’m fine being friends now.† â€Å"Friends who used to stick their tongues down each other’s throats.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Fine.† I let my teasing go. â€Å"Let Aaron stay in the nursery school. Just so long as you stay away from Christian. He’s dangerous.† â€Å"You’re overreacting. He’s not going Strigoi.† â€Å"He’s a bad influence.† She laughed. â€Å"You think I’m in danger of going Strigoi?† She didn’t wait for my answer, instead pushing ahead to open the door to our science class. Standing there, I uneasily replayed her words and then followed a moment later. When I did, I got to see royal power in action. A few guys – with giggling, watching girls – were messing with a gangly-looking Moroi. I didn’t know him very well, but I knew he was poor and certainly not royal. A couple of his tormentors were air-magic users, and they’d blown the papers off his desk and were pushing them around the room on currents of air while the guy tried to catch them. My instincts urged me to do something, maybe go smack one of the air users. But I couldn’t pick a fight with everyone who annoyed me, and certainly not a group of royals – especially when Lissa needed to stay off their radar. So I could only give them a look of disgust as I walked to my desk. As I did, a hand caught my arm. Jesse. â€Å"Hey,† I said jokingly. Fortunately, he didn’t appear to be participating in the torture session. â€Å"Hands off the merchandise.† He flashed me a smile but kept his hand on me. â€Å"Rose, tell Paul about the time you started the fight in Ms. Karp’s class.† I cocked my head toward him, giving him a playful smile. â€Å"I started a lot of fights in her class.† â€Å"The one with the hermit crab. And the gerbil.† I laughed, recalling it. â€Å"Oh yeah. It was a hamster, I think. I just dropped it into the crab’s tank, and they were both worked up from being so close to me, so they went at it.† Paul, a guy sitting nearby whom I didn’t really know, chuckled too. He’d transferred last year, apparently, and hadn’t heard of this. â€Å"Who won?† I looked at Jesse quizzically. â€Å"I don’t remember. Do you?† â€Å"No. I just remember Karp freaking out.† He turned toward Paul. â€Å"Man, you should have seen this messed-up teacher we used to have. Used to think people were after her and would go off on stuff that didn’t make any sense. She was nuts. Used to wander campus while everyone was asleep.† I smiled tightly, like I thought it was funny. Instead, I thought back to Ms. Karp again, surprised to be thinking about her for the second time in two days. Jesse was right – she had wandered campus a lot when she still worked here. It was pretty creepy. I’d run into her once – unexpectedly. I’d been climbing out of my dorm window to go hang out with some people. It was after hours, and we were all supposed to be in our rooms, fast asleep. Such escape tactics were a regular practice for me. I was good at them. But I fell that time. I had a second-floor room, and I lost my grip about halfway down. Sensing the ground rush up toward me, I tried desperately to grab hold of something and slow my fall. The building’s rough stone tore into my skin, causing cuts I was too preoccupied to feel. I slammed into the grassy earth, back first, getting the wind knocked out of me. â€Å"Bad form, Rosemarie. You should be more careful. Your instructors would be disappointed.† Peering through the tangle of my hair, I saw Ms. Karp looking down at me, a bemused look on her face. Pain, in the meantime, shot through every part of my body. Ignoring it as best I could, I clambered to my feet. Being in class with Crazy Karp while surrounded by other students was one thing. Standing outside alone with her was an entirely different matter. She always had an eerie, distracted gleam in her eye that made my skin break out in goose bumps. There was also now a high likelihood she’d drag me off to Kirova for a detention. Scarier still. Instead, she just smiled and reached for my hands. I flinched but let her take them. She tsked when she saw the scrapes. Tightening her grip on them, she frowned slightly. A tingle burned my skin, laced with a sort of pleasant buzz, and then the wounds closed up. I had a brief sense of dizziness. My temperature spiked. The blood disappeared, as did the pain in my hip and leg. Gasping, I jerked my hands away. I’d seen a lot of Moroi magic, but never anything like that. â€Å"What? ­what did you do?† She gave me that weird smile again. â€Å"Go back to your dorm, Rose. There are bad things out here. You never know what’s following you.† I was still staring at my hands. â€Å"But? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I looked back up at her and for the first time noticed scars on the sides of her forehead. Like nails had dug into them. She winked. â€Å"I won’t tell on you if you don’t tell on me.† I jumped back to the present, unsettled by the memory of that bizarre night. Jesse, in the meantime, was telling me about a party. â€Å"You’ve got to slip your leash tonight. We’re going up to that spot in the woods around eight thirty. Mark got some weed.† I sighed wistfully, regret replacing the chill I’d felt over the memory of Ms. Karp. â€Å"Can’t slip that leash. I’m with my Russian jailer.† He let go of my arm, looking disappointed, and ran a hand through his bronze-colored hair. Yeah. Not being able to hang out with him was a damned shame. I really would have to fix that someday. â€Å"Can’t you ever get off for good behavior?† he joked. I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile as I found my seat. â€Å"Sure,† I called over my shoulder. â€Å"If I was ever good.† How to cite Vampire Academy Chapter 5, Essay examples

The Park Avenue Bank and Charles J. Antonucci, Sr. Essay Example

The Park Avenue Bank and Charles J. Antonucci, Sr. Paper It was at this time that Charles J. Ontological, Sir. , became the president and CEO of the Park Avenue Bank. He also assumed a place on the Banks Board of Directors. Antagonistic was responsible for organizing a group of investors that invested more than $10 million into the Park Avenue Bank in 2004, which had four retail branches In the Manhattan and Brooklyn areas of New York City, and he apparently Impressed those Investors with his previous work in turning around troubled banks (Well and Bray). In addition to holding CEO, president, and board positions for the Park Avenue Bank, Antagonistic was also involved in a number f other businesses. Antagonistic was also the 100% owner of Bedford Consulting Group, Inc. , Easy Wealth Group, Ltd. , and the Park Avenue Property and Casualty Insurance Company. Additionally, he had 20% ownership in three properties in Fishkill, NY: one at 1042 Main Street, another at 2 Broad Street, and the last at 48 Jackson Street. Furthermore, Antagonistic also held 20% ownership In a company called TTS Capital. All of these businesses will play roles In the schemes In which Ontological engaged. In short, Antagonistic abused his position at the Park Avenue Bank by engaging in at least eight different schemes involving fraud and/or misuse of company funds. We will write a custom essay sample on The Park Avenue Bank and Charles J. Antonucci, Sr. specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Park Avenue Bank and Charles J. Antonucci, Sr. specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Park Avenue Bank and Charles J. Antonucci, Sr. specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In a majority of these schemes, he had help in the form of co- conspirators, none of whose identities have been revealed at this point. The main co- conspirator will be referred to as Mr.. X throughout this paper. Although it is unknown how many people work for him, at least three of Mr.. Axs employees and/or associates also conspired with Ontological. Those three are referred to as Mr.. W, Mr.. Y, and Mr.. Z. Mr.. X became a client of the Park Avenue Bank in 2007, and he brought with him a umber of different businesses, each one of which required a separate account at the Bank. In the complaint against Antagonistic, those businesses are referred to as the Oxygen-related entities and include the following companies: Oxygen Unlimited, LLc; oxygen unsuited II, LLc; RAH; SQ, LLc; River Falls Botanical services; SAD Realty, Inc. ; and TTS Capital, LLC. As was noted above, Ontological had 20% ownership of TTS Capital. As with the businesses that Antagonistic owned, many of the Oxygen- related entities figured into the scams that Antagonistic and his co-conspirators carried out. One additional company that played a key role was the US Insurance Group, or USIA. USIA also had an account at the Bank, and Oxygen Unlimited had a 25% put option on USIA, which suggests that Mr.. X had a hand in USIA as well. Furthermore, Mr.. Axs administrative assistant was an account signer on all of the Oxygen-related entitles as well as on ten SUSIE account. As tatterdemalion, Ontological was Involved in at least eight different schemes in his time at the Park Avenue Bank. One of these involved the leasing and maintenance of the three properties in Fishkill, NY, in which he had partial ownership. Beginning sometime in 2005, the Park Avenue Bank began leasing the house at 1042 Main Street. The first floor of the house was reserved for the Bedford Consulting Group, which was owned by Antagonistic, and the second floor was used as an office by Bank employees. Additionally, the Bank paid approximately $750,000 to have a storage center built behind the house to accommodate the Banks information technology recovery equipment. The Park Avenue Bank also entered into lease agreements in 2008 for both the property at 2 Broad Street and at 48 Jackson Street. Although Antagonistic indicated that both properties would be used as storage/ assister recovery sites by the Bank, as of 2010, the Bank had yet to use either property in any way. However, despite using only one of the three properties, the Bank paid out more than $1 million in rent and other expenses to these three properties. At no time was it disclosed that Antagonistic had part ownership of any of these buildings. Another scheme involves another one of the companies that Antagonistic owned Easy Wealth Group, Ltd. In early 2006, Antagonistic approached one of his associates with a business opportunity: Easy Wealth was losing money, and Antagonistic was hoping to recoup his investment. He therefore asked his associate to take over the business, promising that the Park Avenue Bank would provide financing. Antagonistic helped his associate prepare the necessary loan paperwork, making it appear that the associate had owned Easy Wealth since 2004 and omitting any connection with Antagonistic. He also helped to create false documents for the application, including a falsified profit and loss statement for Easy Wealths 2005 fiscal year, and false personal financial statements for his associate. Based on the falsified application, the Bank approved a loan of $300,000 to Easy Wealth. At no time as Antibiotics ownership or and financial interest in Easy Money disclosed. In fact, Antagonistic himself personally approved the $300,000 loan. Shortly after his associate was approved for the loan, Antagonistic asked his associate for $70,000 in two interest- free loans. Both times, the associate made checks payable to Bedford Consulting Group. Antagonistic finally repaid some of the money in 2008, but never repaid $20,000 of the loan nor any of the interest that the associate had to pay on the money. Between May 2006 and June 2009, Antagonistic incrementally approved credit increases to Easy Wealth from the original $300,000 to $400,000. He also twice extended the loan due date by a year (for a total of two years), and then in April 2009 extended the due date by another 90 days. In June 2009, Easy Wealth ceased to operate and Antibiotics associate filed for bankruptcy. At that time, Easy Wealth still owed the Bank the entire $400,000 balance. The Bank therefore had to write off the entire amount of the loan, causing a $400,000 loss. As mentioned earlier, Antagonistic had 20% ownership in one of the Oxygen-related entities, TTS Capital. In November 2008, TTS Capital opened an account at the Park Avenue Bank, but no money was deposited r transferred into that account. During 2008, Mr.. W, who worked for Mr.. X, wrote two checks against the TTS Capital Account, totaling $67,000. Antagonistic had one of his employees approve the overdraft fees and pay the checks. In November 2009, the bank was forced to write off those overdraft fees, causing a $67,000 loss. At no point In tale was It Lacrosse Tanat Ontological Ana a Atlanta Interest In I SF capita Antagonistic also approved a number of other overdraft fees on various Oxygen-related entities. In fact, as was disclosed in a Department of Justice Press Release, Antagonistic approved approximately $8. Lion worth of overdrafts from 2007 to 2009 on various accounts associated with Mr.. X. In exchange for this service, Antagonistic was allowed to use Mr.. Axs personal plane. According to witnesses, Antagonistic took at least 10 flights on Mr.. Axs plane, none of which Antagonistic paid for. According to the complaint filed against him, Antagonistic flew, among other places, to Phoenix, Arizona, to attend the Super Bowl in February 2008, to Augusta, Georgia, to watch the Masters Golf Tournament, to Florida to visit a relative, and to Panama. Again, at no time was his relationship with Mr.. X disclosed. In 2009, the Bank failed to approve some overdraft fees on some of the Oxygen-related accounts, and some checks written against those account therefore bounced. Mr.. Axs administrative assistant informed Antibiotics assistant that the free plane rides were over and that Antagonistic could no longer use Mr.. Axs personal plane. Perhaps the most notorious scheme in which Antagonistic engaged involved his alleged investment of $6. 5 million into the Park Avenue Bank. According to the IBID and NYSE, banks are rated as well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, and intellectualized. In August 2008, Antagonistic was informed that the Bank had been downgraded from well capitalized to merely adequately capitalized. By early October 2008, the Bank had been further downgraded to intellectualized. In order to appease regulators and restore the Banks position, Antagonistic invested what he claimed to be $6. 5 million of his own money into the Bank in exchange for common stock from the holding company. He did this over three separate transactions: a $2. 6 million investment made on October 8, 2008; another $2. 4 million investment made on October 16, 2008; and a final $1. 5 million investment made on November 17, 2008. In reality, these investments were a sham. The $6. 5 million was actually money from the Bank that was transferred to a variety of accounts and then reinvested into the Bank under the guise of a large personal investment from Antagonistic. On October 6, 2008, Oxygen Unlimited, one of the companies with which Mr.. X was associated, drew down $2. 6 million against an existing line of credit. The money was then deposited on the same day into the Oxygen Unlimited II account. Later that day, the entire amount was then transferred to the SIGH account, with which Mr.. X was also associated. Yet still on the same day, the entire $2. Lion was then transferred from the SIGH account to a Bank of America account for Bedford Consulting Group. As mentioned earlier, Antagonistic owned 100% of Bedford. On October 7, a check written for $2. 6 million from Bedford Consulting Group was deposited into Antibiotics personal checking account at the Park Avenue Bank. On October 8, Antagonistic wrote a check to the Bank for $2. 6 million, calling it a personal capital investment. After making this investment, Antagonistic wrote a letter to the IBID asking that that Banks status be restored to adequately capitalized so that the Bank could continue to accept brokered deposits. Based on this information, the IBID did in fact grant the waiver and allowed The Park Avenue Bank to engage in certain brokered deposit transactions (Bevel). On October 14, 2008, Oxygen Unlimited line of credit was increased to $6. 4 million. On the same day, barely a week after drawing down $2. 6 million, Oxygen Unlimited drew down an allotting amount was deposited into the Oxygen Unlimited II account. On October 15, the $1. 6 million was transferred to the SIGH account. Also on October 15, 2008, Antagonistic approved an $800,000 loan to USIA, which was deposited into the USIA account on he same day. That brought the total transferred or deposited into the USIA account on October 15 to $2. 4 million. On the same day, SIGH wired $2. 4 million to the Bedford Consulting Group account at Bank of America. Also on the same day, a check for $2. 4 million was issued from the Bedford Consulting Group and deposited into Antibiotics personal checking account at the Park Avenue Bank. On October 16, Antagonistic wrote a check to the Bank for $2. 4 million, again calling it a personal capital investment. On November 15, 2008, Antagonistic approved an additional $2. Million in a line of credit to USIA. On November 17, SIGH drew down $1. 5 million from this newly extended line of credit and deposited the money into the SIGH account at the Bank. On November 10, SIGH wired the $1. 5 million to the Bedford Consulting Group account at Bank of America, Just as had previously occurred with the two prior investments. On November 10, a $1. 5 million check was issued from Bedford and was deposited into A ntibiotics personal checking account at the Park Avenue Bank, again, Just as had occurred with the two prior investments. On November 17, Antagonistic made a final personal capital investment of $1. Million to the Park Avenue Bank. This brought his total investment to $6. 5 million. In exchange for his investment, Antagonistic gained 308,349 shares of Park Avenue Bannock, Inc. , the Park Avenue Bank holding company. This brought Antibiotics common stock ownership in Park Avenue Bannock to 316, 617 shares, from Just over 1% to approximately 52% of the common stock issued and available. This in effect made him a majority shareholder. Prà ªt Barbara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, is quoted by Wiser and Dash as saying that Antibiotics personal capital investment was the functional equivalent of Monopoly money. Yet this did not stop Antagonistic from trying to gain as much leverage as he could from his supposed investment. On October 14, 2008, the Treasury Department announced the beginning of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). On November 14, 2008, the Park Avenue Bank applied for $11,352,480 in TAPER funds. The application was accompanied by a letter from the Banks outside counsel, who indicated in the letter that the Bank had managed to raise $5 million in capital by October 17, 2008, due to the capital investment by Antagonistic (the additional $1. Million was not yet invested at the time of the letter). In addition, according to witnesses, while the application was being reviewed, Antagonistic stressed to the IBID in multiple phone conversations that he had made a sizable personal investment, and that this investment should count favorably toward the Bank getting approved for TARP funds. And in December 2008, when the Bank sent the IBID its proposed capital restoration plan, it noted as an important matter than Antagonistic had invested $6. 5 million as part of the effort to stabilize and restore the Banks capital position (Bevel). Unfortunately for Antagonistic, the Banks financial situation continued to deteriorate while its TARP application was under review, and in February 2009, Antagonistic was informed that the IBID would not be able to recommend the Park Avenue Bank for approval of TARP funds. The Bank subsequently withdrew its application, later indicating in a press release that the Walworth was completely voluntary Owe to ten Banks change AT pollen regarding TARP funds. Antagonistic is quoted in multiple sources as having said, l dont need TARP money, I dont necessarily want TARP money, we are a strong bank, and management is committed to putting capital in as it is needed. To add to Antibiotics woes, in April 2009, USIA filed for bankruptcy. As was described earlier, SIGH had an $800,000 loan and another $1. Million in credit that was funneled through various accounts so that Antagonistic could make his investments. At the time that USIA filed for bankruptcy, the entire $2. 3 million balance was still outstanding. Antagonistic did not want the $6. 5 million scam uncovered, so he could not risk SIGH defaulting on the $2. 3 million outstanding it would raise too many red flags. So another scheme was devised in order to pay off the $2. Million that SIGH owed the Park Av enue Bank. In June 2009, SQ, one of the Oxygen-related entities, purchased a majority of stock in General Employment Enterprise, Inc. GEE). Mr.. W became the chairman of GEEs Board of Directors and appointed Mr.. Y as CEO of GEE. Both Mr.. W and Mr.. Y work for Mr.. X. SQ required GEE to open an account at the Park Avenue Bank and to transfer funds into that account. On July 23, 2009, $2. 3 million was transferred from the GEE account to a Park Avenue Insurance account, which was also at the Park Avenue Bank. As aforementioned, Antagonistic owned Park Avenue Property and Casualty Insurance Company, which is the company with which the Park Avenue Insurance account was associated. The $2. 3 million transfer was authorized by Mr.. Y, who was at the time CEO of GEE. On August 17, 2009, Antagonistic used the $2. 3 million to pay off Gigs outstanding balance. In order to cover the misappropriation of GEEs funds, Antagonistic created a bogus 90-day Certificate of Deposit Receipt, which Mr.. Y showed to the GEE Board of Directors when asked about the missing $2. 3 million. In early October of 2009, Antagonistic returned a certification of the CD, falsely indicating that the $2. Million CD existed when in fact it did not. Numerous bank employees have verified that no 90-day, $2. 3 million CD for GEE ever existed. From November 24 to December 9, 2009, $2. 3 million was wired to the GEE Park Avenue account from various Oxygen-related entities, none of which had business dealing with GEE. The final scam of which Antagonistic is accused involved defrauding two Florida pastors out of $103,940. In 2009, the two Florida pastors and their congregation raised some money to start construction on a church (they currently met at a rented store front, but were hoping for something more permanent). The pastors had met with architects and contractors and were looking into financing options when they met Mr.. Z. As previously mentioned, Mr.. Z worked for Mr.. X. Mr.. Z told the pastors that he could quadruple their money by investing in discounted treasury bonds which would sell at a profit in foreign markets. Mr.. Z provided fabricated proof that he had engaged in such transactions previously and that he worked for the Park Avenue Bank in New York. The pastors bought in to the scam and wired $103,940 to the Park Avenue Insurance account at the Park Avenue Bank on July 3, 2009. Antagonistic enthroned the Park Avenue Insurance account, as was previously detailed. The pastors, of course, never saw a return on their investment, nor have they been able to reclaim any of the original investment. They called the bank, sent letters to the bank, and even visited the bank in New York in an attempt to see Antagonistic, for whom they believed Mr.. Z worked. It all amounted to nothing. In the five weeks following the transfer AT ten Into Nils Park Avenue Insurance account, Ontological wrote $35,000 in checks to Mr.. Z and transferred $60,000 of those funds to his personal checking account. In September 2009, Antagonistic directed his assistant to book a flight for Mr.. Z to Switzerland. On October 27, 2009, Antagonistic was interviewed by IBID examiners and was specifically questioned about the source of the $6. 5 million that he purportedly invested. During the interview, Antagonistic was presented with a diagram that showed the movement of funds from Park Avenue Bank loan proceeds, to Oxygen Unlimited, Oxygen Unlimited II, and USIA, to the Bedford Consulting Group, and ultimately to Antagonistic himself. Antagonistic tried to convince the examiners that the $6. 5 million came from the sale of some of the Bedford stock to Mr.. W, but the numbers did not line up. On October 30, Antagonistic resigned his position at the bank. On March 12, 2010, the NYSE seized the Park Avenue Bank and appointed the IBID as received. The IBID sold the bank to Valley National Bank out of New Jersey, which immediately took control of operations (Wiser and Dash). On March 15, Charles J. Antagonistic, Sir. Was arrested at his home. He was charged with 10 counts of fraud, bribery, embezzlement, and misappropriation of funds (Wee and Bray). In researching this case, I was struck repeatedly at how Antagonistic was able to get away tit so much without being caught. While it is true that he was ultimately caught, his shenanigans remained undetected for some time, and when they were brought to light, it wasnt by the Bank or the Banks auditors, who were conspicuously missing from the complaint filed against Antagonistic. Ironically, Antagonistic was under investigation for 5 months before the claim was filed against him, and he was under investigation because the Ecuador office of the Department of Homeland Securitys U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned of a person interested in engaging in an illegal business deal with Antagonistic. The matter was turned over first to the New York ICE office, then to the El Dorado Task force, which specifically investigates financial crimes (Wee and Bray, ICE Press Release). All in all, the counts against him read almost like fiction that one man could have done so much in such a relatively short period of time. And the unnamed co-conspirators makes it read like a business mob story. But unfortunately, it is all true. One man, who put his personal greed ahead of his professional duties, helped to bring about the end of he Park Avenue Bank (Prà ªt Barbara, as quoted in Minister).

Cylinder Deactivation Variable Engine Displacement

Cylinder Deactivation Variable Engine Displacement What is cylinder deactivation? It is a method used to create a variable displacement engine that is able to supply the full power of a large engine under high load conditions as well as the fuel economy of a small engine for cruising. The Case for Cylinder Deactivation In typical light load driving with large displacement engines (e.g. highway cruising), only about 30 percent of an engine’s potential power is utilized. Under these circumstances, the throttle valve is only slightly open and the engine has to work hard to draw air through it. The result is an inefficient condition known as pumping loss. In this situation, a partial vacuum occurs between the throttle valve and the combustion chamber- and some of the power that the engine makes is used not to propel the vehicle forward, but to overcome the drag on the pistons and crank from fighting to draw air through the small opening and the accompanying vacuum resistance at the throttle valve. By the time one piston cycle is complete, up to half of the potential volume of the cylinder has not received a full charge of air. Cylinder Deactivation to the Rescue Deactivating cylinders at light load forces the throttle valve be opened more fully to create constant power, and allows the engine to breathe easier. Better airflow reduces drag on the pistons and the associated pumping losses. The result is improved combustion chamber pressure as the piston approaches top dead center (TDC) and the spark plug is about to fire. Better combustion chamber pressure means a more potent and efficient charge of power is unleashed on the pistons as they thrust downward and rotate the crankshaft. The net result? Improved highway and cruising fuel mileage. How Does it All Work? In a nutshell, cylinder deactivation is simply keeping the intake and exhaust valves closed through all cycles for a particular set of cylinders in the engine. Depending on the design of the engine, valve actuation is controlled by one of two common methods: For pushrod designs- when cylinder deactivation is called for- the hydraulic valve lifters are collapsed by using solenoids to alter the oil pressure delivered to the lifters. In their collapsed state, the lifters are unable to elevate their companion pushrods under the valve rocker arms, resulting in valves that cannot be actuated and remain closed.For overhead cam designs, generally a pair of locked-together rocker arms is employed for each valve. One rocker follows the cam profile while the other actuates the valve. When a cylinder is deactivated, solenoid controlled oil pressure releases a locking pin between the two rocker arms. While one arm still follows the camshaft, the unlocked arm remains motionless and unable to activate the valve. By forcing the engine valves to remain closed, an effective â€Å"spring† of air is created inside the deactivated cylinders. Trapped exhaust gasses (from previous cycles before the cylinders were deactivated) are compressed as the pistons travel on their upstroke and then decompressed and push back on the pistons as they return on their down stroke. Because the deactivated cylinders are out of phase, (some pistons traveling up while others are traveling down), the overall effect is equalized. The pistons are actually just going along for the ride. To complete the process, fuel delivery for each deactivated cylinder is cut-off by electronically disabling the appropriate fuel injection nozzles. The transition between normal operation and deactivation is smoothed by subtle changes in ignition and camshaft timing as well as throttle position all managed by sophisticated electronic control systems. In a well-designed and executed system, the switching back-and-forth between both modes is seamless- you really don’t feel any difference and have to consult the dash gauges to know that its happened. Read more about cylinder deactivation at work in our review of the GMC Sierra SLT flex-fuel, and see the instant fuel economy it generates in the GMC Sierra test drive photo gallery.

Cylinder Deactivation Variable Engine Displacement

Cylinder Deactivation Variable Engine Displacement What is cylinder deactivation? It is a method used to create a variable displacement engine that is able to supply the full power of a large engine under high load conditions as well as the fuel economy of a small engine for cruising. The Case for Cylinder Deactivation In typical light load driving with large displacement engines (e.g. highway cruising), only about 30 percent of an engine’s potential power is utilized. Under these circumstances, the throttle valve is only slightly open and the engine has to work hard to draw air through it. The result is an inefficient condition known as pumping loss. In this situation, a partial vacuum occurs between the throttle valve and the combustion chamber- and some of the power that the engine makes is used not to propel the vehicle forward, but to overcome the drag on the pistons and crank from fighting to draw air through the small opening and the accompanying vacuum resistance at the throttle valve. By the time one piston cycle is complete, up to half of the potential volume of the cylinder has not received a full charge of air. Cylinder Deactivation to the Rescue Deactivating cylinders at light load forces the throttle valve be opened more fully to create constant power, and allows the engine to breathe easier. Better airflow reduces drag on the pistons and the associated pumping losses. The result is improved combustion chamber pressure as the piston approaches top dead center (TDC) and the spark plug is about to fire. Better combustion chamber pressure means a more potent and efficient charge of power is unleashed on the pistons as they thrust downward and rotate the crankshaft. The net result? Improved highway and cruising fuel mileage. How Does it All Work? In a nutshell, cylinder deactivation is simply keeping the intake and exhaust valves closed through all cycles for a particular set of cylinders in the engine. Depending on the design of the engine, valve actuation is controlled by one of two common methods: For pushrod designs- when cylinder deactivation is called for- the hydraulic valve lifters are collapsed by using solenoids to alter the oil pressure delivered to the lifters. In their collapsed state, the lifters are unable to elevate their companion pushrods under the valve rocker arms, resulting in valves that cannot be actuated and remain closed.For overhead cam designs, generally a pair of locked-together rocker arms is employed for each valve. One rocker follows the cam profile while the other actuates the valve. When a cylinder is deactivated, solenoid controlled oil pressure releases a locking pin between the two rocker arms. While one arm still follows the camshaft, the unlocked arm remains motionless and unable to activate the valve. By forcing the engine valves to remain closed, an effective â€Å"spring† of air is created inside the deactivated cylinders. Trapped exhaust gasses (from previous cycles before the cylinders were deactivated) are compressed as the pistons travel on their upstroke and then decompressed and push back on the pistons as they return on their down stroke. Because the deactivated cylinders are out of phase, (some pistons traveling up while others are traveling down), the overall effect is equalized. The pistons are actually just going along for the ride. To complete the process, fuel delivery for each deactivated cylinder is cut-off by electronically disabling the appropriate fuel injection nozzles. The transition between normal operation and deactivation is smoothed by subtle changes in ignition and camshaft timing as well as throttle position all managed by sophisticated electronic control systems. In a well-designed and executed system, the switching back-and-forth between both modes is seamless- you really don’t feel any difference and have to consult the dash gauges to know that its happened. Read more about cylinder deactivation at work in our review of the GMC Sierra SLT flex-fuel, and see the instant fuel economy it generates in the GMC Sierra test drive photo gallery.

Cylinder Deactivation Variable Engine Displacement

Cylinder Deactivation Variable Engine Displacement What is cylinder deactivation? It is a method used to create a variable displacement engine that is able to supply the full power of a large engine under high load conditions as well as the fuel economy of a small engine for cruising. The Case for Cylinder Deactivation In typical light load driving with large displacement engines (e.g. highway cruising), only about 30 percent of an engine’s potential power is utilized. Under these circumstances, the throttle valve is only slightly open and the engine has to work hard to draw air through it. The result is an inefficient condition known as pumping loss. In this situation, a partial vacuum occurs between the throttle valve and the combustion chamber- and some of the power that the engine makes is used not to propel the vehicle forward, but to overcome the drag on the pistons and crank from fighting to draw air through the small opening and the accompanying vacuum resistance at the throttle valve. By the time one piston cycle is complete, up to half of the potential volume of the cylinder has not received a full charge of air. Cylinder Deactivation to the Rescue Deactivating cylinders at light load forces the throttle valve be opened more fully to create constant power, and allows the engine to breathe easier. Better airflow reduces drag on the pistons and the associated pumping losses. The result is improved combustion chamber pressure as the piston approaches top dead center (TDC) and the spark plug is about to fire. Better combustion chamber pressure means a more potent and efficient charge of power is unleashed on the pistons as they thrust downward and rotate the crankshaft. The net result? Improved highway and cruising fuel mileage. How Does it All Work? In a nutshell, cylinder deactivation is simply keeping the intake and exhaust valves closed through all cycles for a particular set of cylinders in the engine. Depending on the design of the engine, valve actuation is controlled by one of two common methods: For pushrod designs- when cylinder deactivation is called for- the hydraulic valve lifters are collapsed by using solenoids to alter the oil pressure delivered to the lifters. In their collapsed state, the lifters are unable to elevate their companion pushrods under the valve rocker arms, resulting in valves that cannot be actuated and remain closed.For overhead cam designs, generally a pair of locked-together rocker arms is employed for each valve. One rocker follows the cam profile while the other actuates the valve. When a cylinder is deactivated, solenoid controlled oil pressure releases a locking pin between the two rocker arms. While one arm still follows the camshaft, the unlocked arm remains motionless and unable to activate the valve. By forcing the engine valves to remain closed, an effective â€Å"spring† of air is created inside the deactivated cylinders. Trapped exhaust gasses (from previous cycles before the cylinders were deactivated) are compressed as the pistons travel on their upstroke and then decompressed and push back on the pistons as they return on their down stroke. Because the deactivated cylinders are out of phase, (some pistons traveling up while others are traveling down), the overall effect is equalized. The pistons are actually just going along for the ride. To complete the process, fuel delivery for each deactivated cylinder is cut-off by electronically disabling the appropriate fuel injection nozzles. The transition between normal operation and deactivation is smoothed by subtle changes in ignition and camshaft timing as well as throttle position all managed by sophisticated electronic control systems. In a well-designed and executed system, the switching back-and-forth between both modes is seamless- you really don’t feel any difference and have to consult the dash gauges to know that its happened. Read more about cylinder deactivation at work in our review of the GMC Sierra SLT flex-fuel, and see the instant fuel economy it generates in the GMC Sierra test drive photo gallery.

History of the Jet Ski

History of the Jet Ski Personal water craft have been around for more than half a century. The â€Å"Jet Ski,† however, is a trademark used by Kawasaki for its line of personal motorized water craft. Although the word Jet Ski has now become a more generic term describing all personal watercraft, well use it to refer specifically to the Kawasaki vessels. Early Years The earliest water scooters- as they were originally called- were introduced to Europe in the mid 1950s by motorcycle makers looking to expand their markets. The British company Vincent produced some 2,000 of its Amanda water scooters in 1955, but it failed to create the new market Vincent had hoped for. Despite the failure of European water scooters to catch on in the 1950s, the 60s saw continued attempts at tinkering with the idea. The Italian company Mival introduced its Nautical Pleasure Cruiser, which required users to hang onto the craft from behind. Australian motocross enthusiast Clayton Jacobsen II decided to design his own version so that its pilots would be standing up. His big breakthrough, though, was switching from the old outboard motors to an internal pump-jet. Jacobsen made his first prototype out of aluminum in 1965. He tried again a year later, this time opting for fiberglass. He sold his idea to the snowmobile manufacturer Bombardier, but they failed to catch on and Bombardier gave up on them. With patent back in hand, Jacobsen went to Kawasaki, which brought out its model in 1973. It was called the  Jet Ski. With the benefit of Kawasaki’s marketing, the Jet Ski won a loyal audience as a way to waterski without the need  for a boat. It was a small audience, however, as remaining on board while standing up- especially in choppy water- remained a challenge. Jet Skis Go Big The next decade planted the seeds for an explosion in the  popularity of personal water craft. For one thing, new models were introduced that let  riders do what they could do back on the old water scooters. The ability to sit down helped pilot stability. New designs not only improved stability further, but they allowed for two riders at a time, introducing a social element to personal water crafts. Bombardier got back into the game with the introduction of the Sea-Doo, which went on to become the best-selling personal watercraft in the world. With further advances in engine technology and emissions, today’s personal water craft enjoy new-found success in every metric. They can go faster than ever, reaching 60 miles an hour. And they now sell more than any boat in the world. Jet Ski Competitions As the popularity of personal water craft started to take off, enthusiasts started to organize races and competitions. The premiere racing series event is the  P1 AquaX, which launched in the United Kingdom in May 2011. London-based sports promoter Powerboat P1  created the racing series and expanded to the United States in 2013. And by 2015, as many as  400 riders from 11 countries had signed up to compete in an AquaX event. The organizers are looking to expand to other countries.

Cell Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cell Biology - Essay Example They found out that when antibodies of GRASPs were introduced, daughter cells resulting from mitosis had improper stacking of cisternae membranes. Nonetheless, the findings have been inconclusive due to other studies using equally logical and accepted techniques. The studies conducted by other scientists employing gene knockout (removal of gene responsible for GRASP production) and siRNA depletion on animal cells, such as that of Behnia et al (2007), have shown that proper stacking occurred even in the absence of GRASPs. General protein secretion was also unencumbered. Furthermore, the absence of GRASPs in plants has not prevented them from acquiring proper stacking of the cisternia membranes. It is in the confusion regarding the true physiological function of the GRASPs that Kutzen and his colleagues conducted their study. They sought an explanation on why GRASPs exists by determining and establishing its role in cellular development. The authors present a new perspective on the physiological role of GRASPs. They contend that these proteins are not needed for conventional protein secretion, growth (i.e. stacking) and viability of vegetative cells. Their importance lies in making sure that AcbA, a protein that initiates spore differentiation, are secreted. Since AcbA lacks a signal sequence for its transport to the site where terminal differentiation occurs, GRASPs present an unconventional mechanism that facilitates the secretion and transportation of AcbA. Since spore differentiation ultimately results to fruiting bodies containing mature spores, GRASPs can be thought of as necessary for the reproductive mechanism of the cell and not the stacking of the membranes. 3.0 Major Findings Thru the use of cells of Dictyostelium, a type of mold, the authors found that GRASPs are not necessary for insuring cell growth and viability. This was the result of comparing the Golgi structure of cells containing GRASP and those without thru the use of immunoflourescence microscopy. The structure, even the stacking of the Golgi membranes, was similar for both cases. In proving their hypothesis, the authors studied the prespore cell type of the mold. With molds that have GRASPs as the control and those without as the experimental variable, they were able to determine that the viability of the mature spores in the control was 100% as compared to the 25% of those negative for GRASPs. Digging deeper, the authors were able to determine that the decrease in viability was the result of the insignificant production of SDF-2, a major peptide factor necessary for proper spore formation. According to the Anjard and Loomis (2005), SDF-2 is generated in the cleaving of AcbA. The cleaving of the protein AcbA initiates a loopback process that ultimately results to a successful sporulation event. The question now that faced the authors was to determine how GRASPs affected the production of AcbA. After having conducted Western blot analysis on moulds which did not have GRASPs, they found that AcbA was still as abundant as that in normal conditions. The only logical

Discuss the qualities of effective business leaders. Reference at Research Paper

Discuss the qualities of effective business leaders. Reference at least two business leaders . What methods do they use to create a culture of motivation and high performance - Research Paper Example They should have the ability to influence their subordinates in a positive manner with the aim that they are motivated to perform much better. A democratic working style is much better than an authoritarian working style for the leader. A leader with a democratic outlook will strive towards the betterment of the organization rather than his personal benefits. Effective business leaders are usually self-starters and they themselves always strive to improve their performance. They make themselves always available in their organization (Harvard Business School, â€Å"Becoming an effective leader†). Leaders should be visionaries and they should have the capability to articulate their vision to their employees. They should have good communication skills; they should be willing to take risks and always should have the willingness to learn (Holbeche, L., â€Å"Motivating People in Lean Organizations†). Bill Gates has been described many a times as a fierce competitor but no one can deny the fact that he is a great visionary who has always been a step ahead of his times. Microsoft has certain practices that contribute in motivating their employees. The product designers of Microsoft work in small teams. They are provided assignments that are challenging and they are also given recognition for their work. Performance assessment is carried out twice a year in Microsoft. Certain performance objectives are set and employees may compare themselves against those objectives. These self-evaluations are rated by their managers. The rating ranges from exceptional to a very low level. The low level of performance means that it is not matching up to a certain minimum standard. The good performance is rewarded by increase in salary. Bill Gates personally visits those employees who have performed exceedingly well and they are honored for their achievement. The employees are awarded by giving sha res of the company to

French revolution

French revolution To what extent were the ideas of the French philosophes and Enlightenment thinking a precondition to the French Revolution in 1789 were the social and economic crises of the time not sufficient in causing the Revolution themselves? The extent to which the philosophy of the 18th century impacted the French Revolution has occupied the historian ever since the days of the Revolution itself. It has proved to be immensely complex; many historians have written on the subject of the Revolution many choosing to see it purely as a sequence of events culminating in Revolution. The intellectual origins of the Revolution take root initially in the ideas of Sixteenth Century writers. The constant development of these ideas led into the great period of the Eighteenth Century, where philosophers sought to develop new ways of thinking that would allow man to better himself, and to free him from old ways of thinking and superstitions that had engrained themselves in the world. The generations that had grown up in the intellectual environment of the time and the way they were affected by these revolutionary ideas was an essential part of the Revolution. Trained historians have tended to play down the role of played by the philo sophes; instead they focus on the historical causes of the Revolution, on the facts such as the financial crisis or the inefficacy of the tax system. However, it is fundamental in understanding the cause of the revolution to appreciate the undercurrent of the development of new ideas over time this gradual occurrence does not necessarily warrant as much attention as events that happen abruptly, which may have caused the influence of enlightenment thinking to be cast aside somewhat. So how can the extent to which the ideas and writings of the philosophes influenced the general population be measured? To what extent were the revolutionaries influenced by the philosophes and perhaps most importantly did the revolutionaries mould their own philosophies around the circumstances in which they found themselves? The idea of volontà © nationale was a fundamental concept that needed to be considered by many Enlightenment thinkers. What was meant by volontà © nationale? It could be interpreted as volontà © de la majorità ©, but how could the will of the masses be gauged? The will of the people needed to manifest itself in some form in order for a people to become revolutionary. To understand how the Enlightenment affected the everyday individual in France is to fully appreciate the question at hand il faudra chercher a connaà ®tre là ©tat despirit des hommes à   là ©poque, à   nous rendre compte de ce quà ©prouvait alors lindividu par rapport à   la masse dont il fasait partie.[1] The Philosophes and Enlightenment thinking in the 18th Century Voltaire was one of the key figures in terms of his revolutionary thinking during the Eighteenth Century. He believed that laws were outdated and needed to be changed because they had been created at a different time, haphazardly and the existing laws were basà ©es sur lignorance et la superstition.[2] In a letter he wrote to Catherine II Voltaire declared les lois sont faites aprà ¨s coup, comme on calfate des vaisseux qui ont voies deau; elles sont innombrables, parce quelles sont faites sur des besoins toujours renaissants; elles sont condradictoires, attendu que ces besoins ont toujours changà ©. Voltaire was convinced that laws needed to be changed in order to allow the society to become enlightened.   For Voltaire religion also holds man back from becoming enlightened. In terms of morals, he compares the religious morals with philosophical morals. Voltaires belief that the philosophical morality is no different from religious morality is clearly explained by Groethuysen: L es philosophes ont tous des idà ©es diffà ©rentes sur les principes des choses, mais ils enseignent tout la mà ªme parole.[3] All religions thus have a harmonising and moralising aspect, however Voltaire criticises the way in which religion is based upon so many superstitions and obscure cult practices. These outdated superstitions have led to war and destruction les gens se sont disputes sur les dogmes, ils sont fait la guerre; des nations en ont detruit dautres parce queelles croyaient en Jesus-Christ et non en Mahoment.[4] Laws and religion are not necessary in order to allow man to know the difference between right and wrong reason is independent of law and religion. Man has been corrupted by the irrational aspects of religion. He does not use his sense of reasoning to understand the world and commits act of destruction and violence solely in the name of religion. Voltaire wanted man to be freed from its inability to reason, much alike Kants belief in Was ist Aufklarung that Aufklà ¤rung ist der Ausweg des Menschen aus seiner selbstverschuldeten Unmà ¼ndigkeit. Sapere aude! In answering the question as to how a law of reason can be established Voltaire proposes une loi fondamentale [qui] agit sur toutes les nations que nous conaissons.[5] The principle behind this law is first and foremost to distinguish between what is right and what is not. But Voltaire sees this law as secondary in terms of human judgement and reason every man has an inner instinct that allows them to know what is right, un sens de lequite commun a tous les hommes. For Voltaire ideas of morality are of the utmost importantce; knowledge of all other ideas must come second to morality: seules les idees morales peuvent nous server a conduire notre vie de facon a la mener en commun avec les autres hommes. A new philosophy of morality was necessary to create the new modern man; this was Voltaires main objective; he wrote in a letter to Frederic Guillaume in October 1737 that lhumanite est le principe de toutes mes pensees. Man has to look only to the goodness within him and his own instinctive moral principles pour que sa raison trouve en lui une egalite universelle dominant toutes les legislations particulieres. This in turn would lay down the foundations for a moral law. As Voltaire grew older he increasingly focused his thoughts against religion and the Church. In a letter written to Frederic II in 1767 he declared depuis dix-sept cents ans, la secte chretienne na jamais fait que du mal. He called on all philosophers of his time to rise up with him in his fight against the Church. Voltaire declared that sooner or later the time would come in France when people would be able to see the conspiracy and lunacy of religion people were raising des mains invisibles pour percer le fanatisme dun bout de lEurope a lature avec les fleches de la verite. He became very excited about the prospect of the coming revolution through the Enlightenment and could foresee the coming of the age of reason. In 1761 he wrote to dAlembert, je suis tetu. Jusqua mon dernier souffle, je repeterai mon caeterum censo: Ecrasez lInfame. Cest une grande lutte, la lutte de tous les etres pensants contre les etres non-pensantstous les etres pensants doivent etre tendrement uniscontre les fanatiques, les hypocrites, egalement persecuteurs. However, Voltaire was particularly critical of other philosophers of his time, toutes les philosophes sont trop tiedes; ils se contentent de rire des erreurs des hommes, au lieu de les ecraser.[6] Voltaire wanted all the philosophes to join together to cause change in the world and to help the population become enlightenened, he did not wanted the other philosophes to want to enlighten the world and not just see the mistakes in the existing one; les missionaries courent la terre et les mers, il faut au moins que les philosophes courent les rues, il faut quils aillent semer le bon grain de maisons en maisons.[7] This use of particularly strong language by Voltaire shows the extent to which he believed in the Enlightenment and how much he wanted it to be realised in the world. Voltaire, in writing to Alembert vehemently calls those leaders who prevent their citizens from becoming enlightened as monstres persecuteurs, quon me donn e seulement sept ou huit personnes que je puisse conduire et je vous exterminerai.[8] He declared that eventually reason will prevail but bemoans the fact that he will not be alive to see this beau changement of lEglise de la sagesse, dans laquelle les philosophes seront les precepteurs du genre humain. He calls on the philosophes to see the fruit of the trees that they themselves had planted. As regards the division of France into three estates Voltaire is very clear that the existing system needs to be abolished. Representez vous le tier etat. Mais ce sont les paysans sur leur champsles millions dhommes qui travaillent, a cote des deux cent mille members du clerge ou de la noblesse qui ne travaillent pas.[9] This inequality is a major problem for Voltaire for, in his eyes, all men are born equally on the Earth and this inequality from birth poses a major problem in allowing the Third Estate to become enlightened. Le tiers etat a lui seul est dà ©jà   toute la nation[10] Voltaire calls on the revolutionary masses of 1789 to look deeper and more closely at things and to question everything around them. Fiez-vous donc a votre raisonnement, substituez toujours le concret, le defini aux affirmations indecises ou generales. He explains how not every man is born with the ability to be a philosophe but that every man is able to become enlightened; la faculte critique est quelq ue chose de positif en lhomme. Cest la joie detre libre de prejudges, de savoir que la raison est souverain en tout homme.[11] Voltaire wants every man to win the fight against superstition and false beliefs. Voltaire praises the other philosophes, for despite their differences, they are honnetes gensqui ne savent point ce qui est, mais qui savent fort bien ce qui nest pas.[12] They have called the world into question and although they do not have answers to much of it they have created the foundations upon which the Enlightenment can be built. Although Voltaires philosophy may be interpreted as somewhat pessimistic in terms of   the insignificance of man in terms of the universe, he is also optimistic in that man does have the capacity to think about things outside his world there is la misere de la condition humaine but also les grandes pensees, le ciel etoile dans sa legalite invariable, leternite dont lhomem essaye de surprendre le secret pendant le court instant dure sa pauv re existence instable.[13] The philosophes need to join together and give their mutual support to one another in order to win the fight against the enemy that seeks to continue its domination over unenlightened man. But by what means could Voltaires notion of an enlightened nation be achieved? In a letter to the Marquis dArgence de Dirac in 1764 he declares il ne faut pas disputer avec les gens entetesjamais la dispute na convaincu personne; on peut ramener les hommes en les faisant penser par eux memes, en paraisant douter avec eux, en les conduisant, comme par la main, sans quiils sen apercoivent. For Voltaire if all the philosophes were united in their philosophies and it worked its way peacefully through the masses then la plus belle à ©poque de lhistoire de lespirit humain would be born. From the advent of Christianity Voltaire believes that history has only been formed through errors and mistakes. In opposition to Montesquieu, he proposes all existing laws to be forgotten so that humanity can be re-rooted in reason and enlightened thinking. For Voltaire there is nothing to be learnt from history la critique historique decouvre partout la deraison dont temoignent les actes et les lois faites par les hommes, depuis que lEglise a fat regner la superstition dans le monde.[14] Man needs to be enlightened from this absurd world, created by generations of mans mistakes. Although on the face of it Voltaires analysis of the current situation could be interpreted as pessimistic he trusts that reason will prevail in allowing a new order to be created, as Groethuysen explains: la raison conduira la passionla passion devenue raison, la passion de la raison va posseder les hommes de la revolution francaise.[15] Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were also arguably among some of the most important Enlightenment thinkers contributing to the French Revolution. In terms of laws Montesquieu believed that all men should conform to laws and that they must begin by working to create worthy people.[16] Justice, for Montesquieu was a harmonious relationship which really exists between two things. This relationship never varies; whether it is viewed from the perspective of God, an angel, or of maneven if God did exist, we ought always to love justicejustice is eternal and nowise dependant on human conventions.[17] Justice was an absolute standard and laws must exist because they are just. Montesquieu saw man as a product of his environment and felt that man should adapt himself as best he could within this environment. Unlike Voltaire, Montesquieu did not see the need to rid the world of all its existing laws; instead he declares it is sometimes necessary to change certain laws, but such occasions are rare and when they arise one should only touch laws with a trembling hand.[18] This approach to the tampering with laws is not particularly revolutionary; however, he wanted all political societies to be judged on his absolute principles of justice and liberty. For Montesquieu the idea form of government took shape in a moderate government, however, he states that moderate governments are a masterpiece of legislation that chance produces very rarely and men rarely allow prudence to create[19] In de lEsprit des Lois, published in 1748 Montesquieu discusses the legality of laws and how to judge whether a law exists for the good of man. He believes that laws should be made in order to better mankind and to transform the existing system. All laws need to be judged as to whether they correspond or contradict the rights of man. For Montesquieu every law needs to be based on moral principles and should guide man towards morality. Cest dans les principes du droit que noud devons chercher la norme absolue qui nous permettra de construire une collectivite.[20] Montesquieu saw the intellectual world as a group of collectivites. The life of every individual is fundamentally conditioned by the community in which they live. A world of collectivites would create a new, happy people and man would achieve happiness in such a collectivite. It could be interpreted that Montesquieu sees France as a collectivite. Cest la nation qui seule peut se donner la loi.[21] Montesquieu wanted to see a change in the law-citizen relationship; he wanted it to change from man being the object of laws to man becoming the subject of legislative power. Montesquieu wanted human reason to be applied to the reality in which people lived. However, Montesquieus philosophy does not sit well with the French Revolution because his ideals of universal and absolute reason are only applicable to the world at large and which must govern the world at large. As a result, if these laws were to be implemented, one would only be implementing ideas based upon legality within nature. Montesquieu believed that the legislative and executive powers needed to be separate so that the citizens could not be oppressed and would remain free. For Montesquieu the main purpose of religion was to make better citizens; he believed that religious beliefs were a product of the environments in which people lived. Despite the fact that he believed that all religions strengthened the morality of the followers Montesquieu believed Christianity to be the most favourable in creating good citizens. Montesquieus de lEsprit des Lois put forward the notion of liberalism in which liberty could only be secured through a contrived equilibrium between the competing interests within society[22] Although Montesquieus message is not always clear within de lEsprit des Lois he does not waver from his belief that governments should act in the needs of the people, as opposed to being the means to change a society, that institutions and beliefs are the result of the environment and the actions of generations in the past and that there are moral imperatives that transcend time and which bind all men together. Fundamentally Montesquieu and Rousseau had conflicting concepts of freedom. As previously stated Montesquieu believed that freedom could be achieved in collectivites. Governments needed to respect the independence of these collectivites and vote in favour of the esprit general. On the other hand, Rousseaus notion of political freedom consisted of allowing man to achieve all he wanted, which was obviously in the best interest of the community at large. This would be achieved through the liberation of man from his state of ignorance by abolishing all existing institutions and denaturing man. One legislator would ensure this denaturing and change his existence through changing the society in which he lived. Despite Montesquieus belief that governments should let people pursue their own interests, he wanted the governments to pursue both freedom and justice it would be wrong to say to say that Montesquieu was not urging political action. Rousseau was urging for a regeneration of the cur rent system, and as Hampson explains this concept of regeneration was to become one of the most abused words of 1789.[23] Both Rousseau and Montesquieu had devoted a great deal of their time to political issues and had begun to challenge the existing political situation, however more writers needed to challenge the existing order but the influence of these philosophes in allowing revolutionary thinking and ideas to come into being cannot be understated. Montesquieu and Rousseaus impact in the years leading up to the Revolution took shape in numerous forms. There was constant reference to Montesquieu in the many pamphlets of literature of 1788 in support of the parlements challenge to the royal family. Lawyers were constantly referencing Montesquieu and De lesprit des lois. Furthermore, Rousseaus influence was also present with references to du Contrat social the state of monarchy is only useful for corrupted nations.[24] Other pamphlets draw on Rousseau to an even greater extent; man is born free, laws are acts of the general will, government is the agent of the general will and not a part to the social contract.[25] As Hampson further explains all the pamphlets shared a common vocabularythe subjects of the kingdom had been replaced by the citizens of the nation. Those of whom the writers approved were the enfants de la patrie and their opponents agents of ministerial despotism'[26] This is a clear demonstration of the influence of Rousseaus philosophy and his success in shaping revolutionary ideas through the use of this republican language. Billaud Varenne, was particularly influenced by the ideas of Rousseau and expressed his admiration for the fine works of Rousseau, who describes so well the power of the Supreme Being[27] In Varennes Despotisme des ministres de France Varenne echoes many of Rousseaus sentiments; superior by our knowledge, our industry and our force, to every nation in the universe, when we could be second Romans, betrayed by our generals, strangled by our ministers, every day we risk being subjugated to foreign domination or becoming wholly enslaved to our own[28] Moreover, Montesquieus philosophy was also put forward by Varenne in this three-volume work great agitation within a state should always be avoided as much as possible.[29] It is clear that the work of the philosophes had a major impact on the revolutionaries and fundamentally provided the intellectual stimulus upon which the re volutionaries could propose concrete changes contributing to the revolution of 1789. The expression of the philosophes ideals in the French Revolution Many modern day historians continue to argue that the link between Enlightenment thought and the French Revolution long pre-dated the revolution itself, claiming that many anti-philosophes were convinced that the philosophes were attempting to undermine and destabilise the already established order. Nonetheless, the revolutionaries claimed that the Revolution was a direct consequence of Enlightenment thinking; as Brissot boasted in 1791 Our revolution is not the fruit of an insurrection. It is the work of a half century of enlightenment. As Roland N. Stromberg explains Those who tried to guide the Revolution never ceased to legitimize or rationalize their actions by appealing to the words of Voltaire, Rousseau ,Montesquieu, Diderot, and other intellectual heroes of the Enlightenment, though they might do so selectively and erratically[30] Most damming in seeing the Revolution as the result of the Enlightenment is the fact that the majority of the remaining philosophes of the time did not agree with the Revolution. From the Holbach coterie, which included Raynal, Marmontel, Morellet and Grimm. With the onset of revolution, Raynal, who had written perhaps the most influential revolutionary piece of the 1770s, fled Paris. Morellet also declared that the French Revolution had created a state of anarchy and also left Paris. Further, Marmontel saw a dangerous fanaticism and the spirit of licence, faction and anarchy. Grimm, who had served a secretary of sorts to the philosophe movement also fled the country and returned to his native Germany and left his riches to be seized by the revolutionary government.   Alan Kors had named this group as the radical enlightenment group and argues that their opposition to the Revolution held true to their own Enlightenment views. The fact that the French Revolution had taken such an ir rational and anarchic course went against their beliefs in rational order and scientific method.[31] The philosophes favoured a far more gradual progression of the Revolution through reform and allowing the leaders and the population of France to come to understand the ideas of the Enlightenment. The Marquis de Condorcet, whose pure philosophy contributed a great deal to the Revolution still, on the Eve of the Revolution, believed that France could only solve its social and economic crises through the slow diffusion of Enlightenment ideas. His friend The Abbe Sieyes in the Societe de 1789, who essentially symbolised the Revolution of the Third Estate in 1789, also withdrew from politics in 1790 due to his disapproval of the path the Revolution had taken.  Ã‚   Of the philosophes still alive in 1789 the Cercle Social still made attempts to allow the ideas of the past be realised in modern day France. The Cercle Social was later to become the Girondist faction of the Revolution. The group had its own printing press, published journals and placed major emphasis on education of the ideas of the philosophes. Condorcet and Brissot were key members of this group and were determined to make Enlightenment ideals become part of the new emerging world. They wanted to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment and create a rational political institutions based on the ideas of the Enlightenment.[32] They believed that a sudden and aggressive move from one form of government to the next was not the way Revolution should be carried out, rather ideas needed to be understood by the everyday man so that his attitudes could be changed. The point that changes needed to take place on all levels of society is aptly explained by Foucault; nothing in society will be c hanged if the mechanisms of power that function outside, below and alongside the State apparatuses on a much more minute and everyday level are not also changed.[33] It was believed by these revolutionaries that France would become a nation devoted to the Revolution, in which Rousseau du Contrat Socials civil religion would become the new moral cement. Many of the revolutionaries began to see themselves as the priests of this new religion. These Girondists also believed that education could change human nature an idea derived from John Locke and put forward by Condillac in France. The Girondists were adamant that this could be achieved if the philosophes and revolutionaries were able to gain control of education they could mold a new species of mankind.[34] The Jacobins were even more extreme in their views on education as they wanted to take children away from their parents and indoctrinate them in new Enlightenment ideas. As Stromberg explains the philosophes had addressed only an elite, the next task was to expand this charmed circle to embrace the whole nation. However, Gary Kates argues that the Girondists were not a bourgeois party but a party of those who had come to understand the Enlightenment. Despite their will to see the ideas of the philosophes realised within the Revolution they proved to be ineffective politicians and thus were defeated by the Montagnards. Robespierrists felt that their enemies were far more educated than they were and attempted to confuse the masses with their complicated ideas of philosophy. Saint-Just declared that these enemies tried to fool people with complicated intellectual arguments. Robespierre himself was not an advocate of theory and declared it is not necessary to search in the books of political writers, who did not at all foresee the Revolution. Many historians have also questioned the extent to which Robespierre really was influenced by the philosophes given his suspiciousness of their ideas and many argue that he did not even have a very great knowledge of Rousseau, of whom he declared himself to have been greatly influenced. Brissot once called Robespierres speeches unintelligibility posing as profundity. The down with the philosophes slogan of the Jacobins is further evidence in proving the lack of respect that they had for the Enlightenment ideas of the 18th century. At this point it is clear that t he ideas of the philosophes were no longer attached to the Revolution the Jacobins were far more interested in politics than with the ideas of the Enlightenment and thus the Revolution broke away from the Enlightenment.[35] The Bourgeoisie and the Revolution The bourgeoisie and the educated classes played a major role in the French Revolution through the summoning of the Assembly. Between November 1788 and the meeting of the Estates General over 2,500 pamphlets were published. The ideas of the philosophes which were now being forwarded through the revolutionaries became of great interest to the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie began to focus on how the current system could be changed and how their desires might become a reality. The system of government had been attacked and criticised for decades prior to the Revolution the introduction of new ideas change to the existing constitutional and political situation had enlightened the bourgeoisie and fuelled their desire for change. 2 [1] BernardGroethuysen, Philosophie de la Rà ©volution Franà §aise, Page 82 [2] Ibid, Page 133 [3] Ibid, Page 135 [4] Ibid [5] Ibid, page 136 [6] Lettre de Voltaire a dAlembert, 26-XII en 1767 [7] Lettre de Voltaire a dAlembert, 26-VI en 1766 [8] Lettre de Voltaire a dAlembert, 26-VIII en 1766 [9] Page 155, Groethuysen [10] Ibid [11] [12] Letter page 158 [13] Page 161 [14] Philosophie de la Revolution Francaise, page 166 [15] Ibid, page 167 [16] Cahiers, I/393 Grasset, page 119 [17] Lettres Persanes, LXXXIII [18] Ibid CXXIX [19] De lespirit des lois, V/14 [20] Philosophie de la Revolution Francaise, page 128 [21] Philosophie de la Revolution Francaise, page 130 [22] Will and Circumstance, Norman Hampton, Page 24 [23] Will and Circumstance, Norman Hampton, Page 58 [24] Will and Circumstance, Norman Hampton, Page 60 [25] Ibid, page 61 [26] Ibid [27] Le dernier coup porte aux prejuges et a la superstition, London, 1789, page 348 [28] Despotisme des ministres de France, Amsterdam, 1789, 3rd Volume, Page 209 [29] Ibid, Page 243 [30] The Philosophes and the French Revolution, Some Reflections on recent research, Roland N. Stromberg, Page 323