Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Sally Hemings Her Relationship With Thomas Jefferson

Sally Hemings Her Relationship With Thomas Jefferson An important note on terms: the term mistress refers to a woman who lived with and was sexually involved with a married man. It does not always imply that the woman did so voluntarily or was completely free to make the choice; women through the ages have been pressured or forced into being mistresses of powerful men. If it was true and examine the evidence outlined below that Sally Hemings had children by Thomas Jefferson, it is also undoubtedly true that she was enslaved by Jefferson (for all but a brief time in France) and that she had no legal ability to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship with him. Thus, the often-used meaning of mistress in which the woman chooses to have a relationship with a married man would not apply. In the Richmond Recorder in 1802, James Thomson Callendar first began to publicly allege that Thomas Jefferson kept one of his slaves as his concubine and fathered children with her. The name of SALLY will walk down to posterity alongside Mr. Jeffersons own name, Callendar wrote in one of his articles on the scandal. Who Was Sally Hemings? What is known of Sally Hemings? She was a slave owned by Thomas Jefferson, inherited through his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (October 19/30, 1748 - September 6, 1782) when her father died. Sallys mother Betsy or Betty was said to be the daughter of a black slave woman and a white ship captain; Betsys children were said to have been fathered by her owner, John Wayles, making Sally a half-sister of Jeffersons wife. From 1784, Sally apparently served as a maid and companion of Mary Jefferson, Jeffersons youngest daughter. In 1787, Jefferson, serving the new United States government as a diplomat in Paris, sent for his younger daughter to join him, and Sally was sent with Mary. After a brief stop in London to stay with John and Abigail Adams, Sally and Mary arrived in Paris. Why Do People Think Sally Hemings Was Jefferson's Mistress? Whether Sally (and Mary) lived at the Jefferson apartments or the convent school is uncertain. What is fairly certain is that Sally took French lessons and may also have trained as a laundress. What is certain is that in France, Sally was free according to French law. What is alleged, and not known except by implication, is that Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings began an intimate relationship in Paris, Sally returning to the United States pregnant, Jefferson promising to free any of her (their) children when they reached the age of 21. What little evidence there is of a child born to Sally after her return from France is mixed: some sources say the child died quite young (the Hemings family tradition). What is more certain is that Sally had six other children. Their birth dates are recorded in Jeffersons Farm Book or in letters he wrote. DNA tests in 1998, and a careful rendering of the birth dates and Jeffersons well-documented travels puts Jefferson at Monticello during a conception window for each of the children born to Sally. The very light skin and the resemblance of several of Sallys children to Thomas Jefferson were remarked upon by a good number of those who were present at Monticello. Other possible fathers were either eliminated by the 1998 DNA tests on male-line descendants (the Carr brothers) or dismissed because of internal inconsistencies in the evidence. For example, an overseer reported seeing a man (not Jefferson) coming from Sallys room regularly but the overseer did not start working at Monticello until five years after the time of those visits. Sally served, probably, as a chambermaid at Monticello, also doing light sewing. The affair was revealed publicly by James Callender after Jefferson refused him a job. There is no reason to believe she left Monticello until after Jeffersons death when she went to live with her son Eston. When Eston moved away, she spent her last two years living on her own. There is some evidence that he asked his daughter, Martha, to give Sally her time, an informal way to free a slave in Virginia which would prevent the imposition of the 1805 Virginia law requiring freed slaves to move out of the state. Sally Hemings is recorded in the 1833 census as a free woman. Bibliography Sally Hemings: Redefining History. A video from AE/Biography: Here is the complete story of the woman at the center of the first presidential sex scandal. (DVD or VHS)Jeffersons Secrets: Death and Desire in Monticello.  Andrew Burstein, 2005.  (compare prices)Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy: Annette Gordon-Reed and Midori Takagi, reprint 1998.  (compare prices)Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: History, Memory, and Civic Culture: Jan Lewis, Peter S. Onuf, and Jane E. Lewis, editors, 1999.  (compare prices)Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History: Fawn M. Brodie, trade paperback, reprint 1998.A President in the Family: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and Thomas Woodson: Byron W. Woodson, 2001.(compare prices)Sally Hemings: An American Scandal: The Struggle to Tell the Controversial True Story.  Tina Andrews, 2002.Anatomy of a Scandal: Thomas Jefferson and the Sally Story.  Ã‚  Rebecca L. McMurry, 2002.The Jefferson-Hemings Myth: An American Trave sty.  Ã‚  The Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, Eyler Robert Coates Sr., 2001 The Jefferson Scandals: A Rebuttal.  Ã‚  Virginus Dabs, Reprint, 1991.Jeffersons Children: The Story of an American Family.  Shannon Lanier, Jane Feldman, 2000.   For young adults.Sally Hemings: Barbara Chase-Riboud, reprint 2000. Historical fiction.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Your Work Adds Value †Start Pricing It That Way

Your Work Adds Value – Start Pricing It That Way When I began to inquire about a cleaning service – you know, someone to clean my house so I could have two hours of my life back – I was floored with the going rate. The going rate for cleaning toilets (in my area) is $80 per hour. You want clean laundry? Much more. This made me reflect on how experts not only price their services, but whether they believe they offer something of value. This isnt to say cleaning for a living doesnt deserve to be paid. It sure does. But writing for a living is worth at least that, dont you think? If you search online for the going rate of freelance writers, youll be disappointed. Those rates are false. If you accept that $30 an hour for a writing project is fair, youd be better off cleaning toilets for a living. How do you counteract the low fees as a professional writer? Quality clients First, realize you should only accept the clients who will agree to your rates. Clients have to have a substantial marketing budget. Theres a reason why cleaning services are typically used Charge per project Second, drop the hourly rate. When your plumber is working on a task, are you watching the clock and seeing $100 fly out the window every hour? Dont do that to clients. Give them a set project fee, which corporate clients prefer. Dont cheapen your skill Appreciate your value Third, develop confidence in your rates. Dont leave room for negotiation Say no Finally, say no more often. The more work you accept at insulting rates, thats additional work you could lose at better rates. Weed through the undesirable, cheap paying clients. Set yourself up as an expert. Produce quality work and enhance your portfolio. The more quality clients you choose to work with, the more youll believe youre worth every penny. Realize that you will always be surrounded

Thursday, November 21, 2019

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 76

No topic - Essay Example The ideological difference between the Asian drama and the western drama shows a perfectly structured media system in terms of respect for the culture and citizenship as a whole. This research paper explains concepts necessary for understanding of media of globalization and citizenship. Korean Wave (and Korea Herald articles): Korean wave as a global concept plays a very vital role in the understanding of the media of globalization. This is because as a media personality, comparing and contrasting the various views regarding Korean wave as international concept. Significance of the Korean wave additionally brings in the notion of globalization culturally in inter-Asian cultural studies (p.50). Per se, understanding of media of globalization and citizenship requires outstandingly unique and worldly accepted concepts. The Korean Wave presents such uniquely required concepts especially in looking at this cultural media of globalization and citizenship. Korean wave concept liberally presents the concepts of racial proximity, cultural proximity and their limitations. This implies that media of globalization and citizenship is a conglomerate mass media concept which should be an important part of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

EU Law - Incidental Direct effect and indirect effect Essay

EU Law - Incidental Direct effect and indirect effect - Essay Example GB Open Search has a contract with the Ministry of Science and Technology to install the fibre optic cable. The issue regarding Martin follows EU passing a directive (fictitious) on the right of all residents to high speed broadband by January 2014. This directive includes the duty to replace all existing broad band connections with modern connections to the new fibre optic system.1 It is to be implemented by member states by July 2013. UK uses a statutory instrument to implement the directive that says â€Å"all connections within private buildings will be replaced with modern connections†. The connections are being changed by a subcontractor Sparky Limited who has been given the discretion as to how it will complete the job as long as the job is completed by December 2013. 1 J. Fairhurst, Law of the European Union (London: Pearson Longman, 2009), 22. Sparky Limited has been given details of all current broadband users in order to contact them and change the connections. Mart in who has a small IT business leases part of a building used by a local secondary school for his business which is a public building. Sparky refuses to replace the connection on grounds that they were only contracted to replace connections in private buildings. ... The direct effect of regulations in EU law can be applied. Under EU law Article 2492 and Euratom 161 regulations and the final decisions usually have a straight impact and no federal legislation is in most cases needed in order to effect them. The regulation on replacement of copper wires to fibre optic network by the EU cannot be transposed by the UK. Regulations can be termed as the legal formulated acts that gives the EU permission to encroach on the member state’s legal systems and because of the power of the EU, the laws will apply in all Member States. UK has no rightful power to use the regulation in part. 3 In the case of Martin the EU passes a directive on the right of all residents to high speed broadband by January 2014. Under EU law Martin can apply the vertical direct effect of directives against the UK government for not implementing the directive properly and the horizontal direct effect of directives against Sparky Limited for refusing to connect him with the _ ___________________________ 2 Article 249 EU 3 Leonesio v Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry [1973] Case 93/71 p. 352 high speed broad band. Directives differ from regulations as they are not generally applicable. The directive becomes national law when it has been fully implemented within the time frame The EU directive obliges the UK to transpose the requirements of the directive into national law to implement it choosing how and the form to implement it. In this respect, the UK used a statutory instrument to implement the directive by saying â€Å"all connections within private buildings will be replaced with modern connections† Martin has a case because the directive was not properly implemented. The Principle of Direct Effect and its applicability Direct applicability

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Components of atmosphere Essay Example for Free

Components of atmosphere Essay The main components of atmosphere are almost invariant. However, the content of water vapor is an exception that it varies with the changing of location, season and time. Oxygen and water vapor plays a significant role on the processes of atmospheric corrosion. Therefore, atmospheric corrosion can be classified in the following three categories: Dry corrosion Damp corrosion Wet corrosion Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Atmosphere 100 H2O. Components of atmosphere (Impurity excluded, 10? ) 2. 1 Dry corrosion In the absence of significant water vapor, many common metals develop films of oxide. In the presence of traces of gaseous pollutants, copper, silver and other non-ferrous metals undergo film formation which is known as tarnishing. The tarnishing of silver in air is well-known. Tarnishing by hydrogen sulfide may be retarded by moisture if present in very small amounts. 2. 2 Damp Corrosion Damp corrosion would occur only when the relative humidity reaches 70% which is considered generally as the critical value for the onset of corrosion. The precise level of critical humidity varies with the type of contaminants, such as dust and salt particles, and the composition of metals. For instance, in the presence of marine salts corrosion is stimulated at lower values of relative humidity. The difference between the damp and wet environment is very narrow and it is more representative of a climatic condition rather than the magnitude of corrosion. Damp environments promote the corrosion of most metals. Water saturated with dissolved gases, such as CO2, H2S and SO2, cause severe corrosion of iron and steels, copper, nickel, silver and other non-metallic materials and alloys. For example, silver loses its luster and develops a tarnished film of sulfide on coming in contact with H2S, and copper develops tints and becomes black. In agricultural areas abundance of ammonia, particularly during the rainy seasons, subjects copper fittings to seasonal cracking and causes serious damage to water distribution systems. 2. 3 Wet Corrosion This is the most frequently observed form of atmospheric corrosion, where the water layers or pockets are formed on the metal surface, and the metal surface remains constantly in contact with water. The rate of corrosion would depend on the solubility of the corrosion product. Higher solubility means a higher rate of corrosion, because the dissolved ions increase the electrolytic conductivity. In case of alternate dry and wet conditions, the dry corrosion product film may absorb moisture from the air which increases the rate of corrosion of the metal by bringing the moisture in contact with the metal surface. Patina formation on copper, such as brochantite, and corrosion of iron and steel structures are common examples of corrosion caused by wet atmosphere.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

A Trip to Paradise :: Vacations Travel Essays

A Trip to Paradise If I had no limits as to how much I could spend on a vacation, I would take a trip to different cities in Mexico. My dads side of the family is Latino and many of my relatives live in Mexico. My month long trip would consist of a variety of cities I have visited before and others that I would be visiting for the first time. I would take advantage of Mexicos rich culture by participating in the peoples customs and getting as much experience as possible. The trip would be very meaningful because my heritage is something that I am very proud of and passionate about. My permanent residence is in Bettendorf, Iowa and the closest airport is in Moline, Illinois. Unfortunately flights dont leave the Quad City Airport for Guadalajara, my first stop, so Ive decided to take a limousine from Bettendorf to Chicago, which would roughly take two and a half hours. Although the limo ride would cost around two hundred dollars, it would be well worth it because I would not be paying OHare Airport to park there for a month. I checked out three websites to obtain airplane ticket information: Expedia.com, CheapTickets.com, and Orbitz.com. All were extremely useful except for Orbitz.com which wanted me to create an account. This discouraged me from spending anymore time at this site. Expedia.com and CheapTickets.com were very easy to use, but were crammed with different advertisements. Despite the clutter, the sites loaded fairly fast. All of the websites included times for departure, length of flight, cost, which airports used, and airlines used. I also found a va riety of different flights taking me to the cities I wanted to visit: first class, coach, direct flights, round trip, one- way, etc. Overall, my search for a plane ticket was successful. My next obstacle was finding hotels to stay in when I wouldnt be staying with relatives. It was difficult trying to find hotels by checking their sites, so I searched city sites which proved to be more successful. Fortunenatey these websites were not packed with different ads. Hotels ranged from one to five star and cost between twenty and one thousand eight hundred dollars per night. Some were all inclusive while others didnt even have swimming pools! They gave information on addresses, policies, and different packages. I used Google.com and MSN.com search engines to find the different cities websites (Gomanzanillo.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Leaders in the Local Church Essay

Lay leaders can simply be defined as persons chosen from the congregation by ordained leaders to serve as helpers performing such duties as may be delegated or assigned to them in accordance to their church ordinances. More and more ministers are finding themselves weighed down by the demands of the ministry. They are thus unable to be effective in meeting the changing needs of their flock. This has created a need to have different other people taking off some of the less sensitive responsibilities from the ordained clergies’ hands. The concept of lay leadership is however not just a modern day phenomenon; it is deeply rooted in the Bible. Deuteronomy 1:9-13 gives an account in which Moses appoints leaders to take off from him some of the responsibilities that were threatening to overwhelm him. Similarly in the book of 1 kings 19:19, Elijah acquires an attendant in the person of Elisha to serve as a helper in his duties as a prophet. The Apostle Paul also surrounded himself with spiritual people like Timothy and Titus to mention a few to whom he delegated different duties in his mission to preach the good news to the gentiles. The clearest illustration of the significance of lay leadership is however to be found in the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 form verse 1 onwards. In this account, the Apostles as well as the entire group found it wise to appoint seven Godly men to take over responsibilities that were important but did not warrant the attention of the Apostles. In this paper, different lessons will be gleaned from the above scriptures and many others to help in the understanding of the issue at hand. Church leaders are different from either organizational or political leaders and only leaders who seek God’s grace and lead by the grace of the Almighty will be able to maintain the Satan inflicted jolts that characterize today’s ministry of the word of God. 1 The church is undergoing enormous statistical growth but the same is not being experienced in discipleship. Leadership of the church requires individuals who are able to rise above their individual capacities and seek Gods guidance. Shallow leadership is the reason why the church today is struggling to meet the seemingly insurmountable challenges. 2 The church needs godly leaders who are able to fully submit to Jesus Christ and be in complete communion with the Creator. Leaders, who can be disciple makers, honor God and be able to fulfill His Will. There are times when Gods reassuring gift in leadership is obviated making the leadership journey long, arduous, bumpy and jerky akin to rides across rocky mountains. At times the leadership might seem long, dry and desolate often punctuated with seasons when we feel that our leadership is devoid of Gods assistance. It is these experiences that call for insistence on Gods reassuring grace and guidance. Developing leadership in the church is no mean treat as it not only requires leaders to develop a strong rapport with the creator for their own souls but also for the souls of the followers of Christ. God’s spirit reassures, inspires, instructs and guides leaders in the Church as they take that long arduous journey to sainthood and spiritual maturity as our creator commanded. However, it is not easy to develop leaders in the church without succinctly analyzing the philosophy of spiritual leadership. Through, spiritual instruction, God used criticism of leadership or trials to stimulate spiritual revival or to inspire fresh visionary leadership for the future ministry of the word of God. The Biblical desert trek under the leadership of Moses was such an instance when God used the desolate desert to create new frontiers in leadership. By working through the hands of servant leaders, a new vision is created to circumvent, surmount or wade through the challenges required in developing a spiritual oversight and even in building new teams in the church. 1 ii. Importance of Leadership Development Strategies for Training Leaders in the Local Church. Training leaders in the church is an ongoing process that cannot be done haphazardly. It requires a leadership development strategy that helps in identifying, recruiting and training potential lay leaders in any church. The health, the growth and the success of any church or its local branches is solely dependent on the availability of effective and efficient church leadership program that not only inspires the congregation to spiritual; maturity but also discovers and builds the innate potentials of leadership and service in others. Consistency in training of lay leaders may well determine the level of growth and spiritual well being of entire churches. Humanistic philosophies permeate from our culture and these in turn affect the strategies we use in developing leadership in churches. These humanistic philosophies spread a desire that we should be whoever we want to be. Contrarily, God disdains such attempts and instead calls upon humanity to be as his only begotten Son Christ was. This means that good leadership is not a result of a personal ambition but a Godly desire that can only be achieved when leaders are trained to act as our Creator instructed us to act. That is why good leaders can only be shepherds but not saviors; they can only be leaders but not lords and guides to the congregation but not gods of the people of God. 1 In the book of Acts of the Apostles chapter 6, the process of choosing the seven men was done prayerfully and the chosen men were dependable men filled with the spirit. It is important therefore that the process follow the biblical example. Otherwise, when leadership strategies in the church deviate from the Gods commands and instructions on good leadership and instead focus on improving on human efforts alone, spiritual leaders achieve positions of worldly power but not the grace of God. Strategies for leadership should only train leaders to carry out their spiritual obligations as a reflection of what Christ wanted. It is testament today guidelines for church leadership are being drawn from secular platforms without a succinct review of the Christian authoritative text for standard protocols for servant leadership. Because of this reason church leaders are being removed from a worldly instituted office and recycled in various capacities that are only temporary in nature while ideally spiritual leaders are lifetime learners who are obligated by the scriptures to offer lifetime guidance to the flock. It is only by the grace of the Lord that leaders can be able to learn and consequently act as leaders with a spiritual disposition that is created only by the Holy Spirit. In this stride, spiritual leaders should be confident in God but not exhibit self confidence, they should not only know men but also know God. In making decisions they should seek Gods will and not solely rely on their own human capability in making decisions. In Spiritual leadership by J. Oswald Sanders, spiritual leaders should be able to humble in leadership and not be overly ambitious, they should never seek personal rewards but they should love God and other with all their powers. One who enjoys command, treasures independent leadership and creates his own methods of leadership can only be said to be driven by fleshly ambitions. On the other hand, Godly leaders delight in their obedience to God and follow His instructions while shunning the lusts of the flesh. They do not treasure independence in leadership but tend to depend in God and follow His examples.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Current Housing Crisis in Maryland

Abstract The current housing crisis in Maryland has devastated much of the inner city of Baltimore and surrounding counties. The economic collapse of 2008 has left many Maryland residences unemployed or underemployed. The direct impact of the economic collapse has left homeowners wondering how they will pay their mortgages and keep food on the table. Maryland homeowners have been struggling to make ends meet. Some of the issues that are being faced have to do with the predatory lending practices of some mortgage lenders. President Obama signed an agreement to bailout some banks in hope to spare families from losing their homes.Those hopes did not pan out well. There was another bailout of $25 billion dollars allotted in Feb 2012 to help homeowners and reduce mortgages to the principal home values. Thus far the mortgage industry has done as little as possible to hold up their end of that bargain. We need to get educated and hold these predatory lenders accountable. The Current Housing Crisis in Maryland By a show of hands, how many people are in a financially challenging situation with paying their mortgage? Do you know that you may very well be a victim of predatory lending practices?You may be asking yourself what is predatory lending. Some of us are familiar with the term. For those who are not, I will explain what a predatory lender is and the effect they have had on our communities. Predatory lenders and the tactics they use to originate loans with unsophisticated buyers are unfair. We now have predatory legal and rescue services popping up everywhere with the defense that they are here to help us. I intend to provide you with information to free legal services and information to assist in the fight to hold the mortgage lenders accountable for what they are doing.I am a Baltimore City resident who is upside down in my mortgage. I owe more on my home than it is worth in today’s market. I am currently in the fight to have my mortgage lender do what is right by lowering my principle home value to a fair market price. I currently owe double what my home is worth. Many of us are upside down, have high interest rates or are currently in foreclosure. We are looking for relief from the banks that don’t seem to care much about where our families will sleep once we lose our homes. We need to embarrass them for the way they are treating minorities and low-moderate income families.Predatory lending practices are a huge contributing factor in the current economic crisis. Many families lost income and the home values have been declining drastically. Saving our homes from foreclosure is the main focus of many families in Maryland. I intend on exposing predatory lending practices that homeowners may not be aware of. The lack of strong regulations in Maryland has allowed unscrupulous mortgage lenders to take advantage of unsophisticated homeowners. Predatory lending has had a devastating effect on individuals and families.The term  "predatory lending† has been used to describe a broad range of loans that are not common in the prime market. These loans do not offer any benefit to the borrower. Some of the most common predatory practices are: †¢Excessive fees and points †¢Ignoring borrower’s ability to repay †¢Balloon payments †¢Interest only loans †¢Excessive interest rates †¢Concealing the true cost of the loan Federal regulators have warned banks that non-traditional mortgages such as interest-only loans may lead to a rash of defaults when the principal must be paid or interest rates increase.With such loans, the homeowners are not paying towards the principal on the loan, only the interest. Interest rate increases could have a devastating effect on the mortgage payment monthly. Adjustable rates have the same devastating effect on homeowners. The interest rate is not guaranteed and could fluctuate greatly on a per month basis. With adjustable mortgage loan terms home owners have no clue on what the loan would eventually cost them. This lending practice is a â€Å"set up to fail† proposition. Underemployment and lack of employment has been the peripheral nail in the coffin for many Maryland families.Many families have lost at least one household income and a few have lost both incomes. Income loss combined with the volatile housing market has crushed the American Dream for many homeowners. People who were able to find work after economic crisis, had to take drastic pay cuts which were not adequate to support their current needs. With the economic downturn families are left to pay for homes they cannot afford. This crisis occurred when the mortgage bubble burst. Many homes were being sold for much more than their fair market value.Once the bubble burst the home value depreciation was steep and sharp. People lost 20-40% of the equity in their homes. Although there are many programs available to help homeowners, the majority of them are unabl e to help homeowners who are under water on the mortgage due to the lost equity in their homes. Some foreclosures are voluntary. When the bubble burst, homeowners found themselves owing 100,000s more than the homes were worth. Those homeowners decided that paying off the mortgage was indeed a bad deal. So they just walked away from the properties.The new dagger in homeowners back is the rise in property taxes. The city government needs money so they have raised the taxed values of homes to bring in more money regardless if the home values are decreasing. Homeowners are losing their homes because their mortgage payments did not include an escrow for homeowners insurance and taxes. Once a homeowner becomes delinquent on their property taxes, they have to pay the past due amount in addition to the current amount due. For the Maryland residence that find themselves in foreclosure, please seek assistance sooner than later.Maryland laws do not demand that you are notified of the Intent to foreclose. Within your originating loan documents you signed either a â€Å"power of sale† or â€Å"assent to decree† which essentially is an ex parte order to sell your property if you are in default. In addition, the predatory lenders make it impossible to become current again once the mortgage is in default. They can add servicing fees such as late fees, force placed insurance, inspection fees, etc. to make it difficult to bring the account current. We as homeowners have the right to stay in our homes.Homes we have cared for over the years. The banks should not have the right to evict us without improving the foreclosure process so we have better and earlier notice and the opportunity to redeem prior to significant costs being incurred. They should reduce the loan principle to the fair market value, adjust interest rates and reevaluate the financial situation of the homeowners. The mortgage industry did a disservice to many of the homeowners in the room. Many of us were uninformed about the repercussions and pitfalls involved with interest only, variable rates and balloon payment loans.Predatory lending practices contributed directly to the economic crisis of the mortgage industry in Maryland. I would like to provide information to several pro bono legal services and housing resources: Pro Bono Resources Center of Maryland. (410)837-9379 or toll free (800)396-1274 www. probonomd. org 1. Civil Justice, Inc. www. civiljusticenetwork. org 2. Public Justice Center (410) 625-9409 for tenants who landlords are in foreclosure 3. Community Law Center (410) 366-7777 www. communitylaw. org 4. Maryland Hope (877) 462-7555 www. mdhope. dhcd. maryland. gov 5.Foreclosure Proceedings in Maryland (Brochure): http://www. msba. org/departments/commpubl/publications/brochures/foreclosure. htm There has been an ongoing investigation into the banking fraud and predatory lending scandal. President Obama signed another bailout of $25 billion dollars in Feb 2012 to help homeowners and reduce principle mortgage values. The bailout involved Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Ally Financial and JPMorgan Chase. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have yet to come on board however they do offer some homeowner assistance with modification of term and underwater loans.Many look at the bailout as another opportunity to reward the banks for the wrong doing they have done to the citizens and many communities. I was able to look at the bigger picture. This is a way to monitor how many loans are modified and how many principle values are reduced. By providing the bailout this time around there were defined stipulations as to what the funds are to be used for. North Carolina’s Banking Commissioner Joseph Smith will serve as the â€Å"independent monitor† to enforce the deals and their terms. The bailout does very little for the people who have already lost their homes. They are eligible to receive up to $2000.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Macbeth Character Analysis

Macbeth Character Analysis Free Online Research Papers The play Macbeth is about the character Macbeth, but not just because it is his name, he is an interesting person. Macbeth is the thane of Glamis and Scottish general who is told that he will be king by three witches. He kills King Duncan to bring the prophecy to fruition. He deals with a lot of self conflict because he is not comfortable with his decision to kill King Duncan, and later on Banquo. Macbeth and Banquo are confronted by three old witches, and they tell them of how Macbeth will become King. At first both are skeptical, but after the first part of the prediction comes true they begin to believe. This element of foreshadowing leads Macbeth to believe he must kill King Duncan. He is very uneasy with this thought, and even says that it makes him sick. In a soliloquy, Macbeth reveals that he is too kind hearted to commit such a crime. After coming to the conclusion that he must kill King Duncan in order to become king, he informs his wife in a letter of this news. She immediately feels that he should kill the king. She tries to persuade Macbeth to do the deed. This puts more pressure and stress on Macbeth. He starts to hallucinate and imagine a floating dagger. Macbeth commits the murder and becomes the next king. All seems well so far, because Macbeth is celebrating and seems happy. Macbeth starts to become paranoid now that he has King Duncan’s blood on his hands. Realizing that the witches predicted Banquo’s sons to be king after him, he starts to think maybe Banquo’s sons will do him the same way he did Duncan. He also knows that Banquo is a smart man and it wont take him long to figure out what he has done. These thoughts create a very nervous Macbeth. Macbeth sets a meeting with murderers. In this meeting he tells them that Banquo was responsible for King Duncan’s death. He orders them to kill Banquo along with his son, who is said to be the next king by the witches. This shows how desperate Macbeth has become. The murderers return to Macbeth with news of their success. They inform him that they killed Banquo, but his son had escaped. The news of Banquo’s escaped son does not go well with Macbeth. Macbeth is at a dinner when something very unusual happens. A ghost of Banquo is at the dinner sitting in his chair. Macbeth starts yelling and is terrified from the sight of his old recently deceased friend sitting in his chair. He is the only one that can see this ghost. The guests of the dinner are concerned that the king is not well. His wife tells him that he should not be afraid, because it is his fear that causes him to see such frightening things. The ghost appears once again only to show just how uneasy the new king is. Macbeth is essential to this story simply because it revolves around him and the events in his complicated life. The witches inference caused Macbeth a great deal of trouble. They tell him future events that man should never find out ahead of time. This made Macbeth contemplate on the king’s murder, only to create some major self conflict. His wife was there to help him make the decision. Without her, he might not have had the courage or confidence to kill a king. Macbeth kills the king, but not before his hallucinations start. Macbeth becomes king, but with it comes paranoia and suspicion of his friend Banquo. He has his friend killed and attempts to have his son killed also. This only causes more hallucinations for the already anxious king. I feel that this was very interesting story; if there is a change to make it more interesting, I don’t know what it is. Research Papers on Macbeth Character AnalysisComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBringing Democracy to AfricaCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionCapital PunishmentAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XWhere Wild and West MeetHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHonest Iagos Truth through Deception

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

US Government Study Guide to the Legislative Branch

US Government Study Guide to the Legislative Branch Before any bill is even debated by the full membership of the House or Senate, it must first successfully make its way the  congressional committee system. Depending on its subject and content, each proposed bill is sent to one or more related committees. For example, a bill introduced in the House allocating federal funds for agricultural research might be sent to the Agriculture, Appropriations, Ways and Means and Budget Committees, plus others as deemed appropriate by the Speaker of the House. In addition, both the House and Senate may also appoint special select committees to consider bills relating to specific issues.Representatives and Senators often try to be assigned to committees they feel best to serve the interests of their constituents. For example, a representative from a farming state like Iowa might seek assignment to the House Agriculture Committee. All representatives and senators are assigned to one or more committees and may serve on a variety of committees durin g their terms in office. The  congressional committee system  is the burial ground for many bills. The US House of Representatives Known as the lower house of the legislative branch, the House of Representatives currently has 435 members. Each member gets one vote on all bills, amendments and other measures brought before the House. The number of representatives elected from each state is determined by the states population through the process of apportionment. Each state must have at least one representative. Apportionment is recalculated every ten years according to the results of the decennial U.S. census. Members of the House represent the citizens of their local congressional districts. Representatives serve two-year terms, with elections held every two years. Qualifications As specified in Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, representatives: Must be least 25 years of ageMust have been a U.S. citizen for at least 7 yearsMust be a legal resident of the state he or she is elected to represent Powers Reserved to the House To vote on charges of impeachmentTo initiate bills involving the raising of revenue, such as tax bills and the annual appropriations (spending) bills of the annual federal budget House Leadership Speaker of the HouseMajority LeaderLeads the majority party (the party with the majority of votes in the House)Assists the Speaker of the House in making committee appointmentsSchedules floor debate on billsCreates and maintains the House agendaMinority LeaderLeads the opposition party (the party with the minority of votes in the House)Confers with the Majority LeaderFormulates minority party response to the majority party policy and agenda The US Senate Known as the upper house of the legislative branch, the Senate is currently comprised of 100 senators. Each state is allowed to elect two senators. Senators represent all citizens of their states. Senators serve 6-year terms, with one-third of the senators elected every two years. Qualifications As specified in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, senators: Must be at least 30 years of ageMust have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years at the time of their election to the SenateMust be a legal resident of the state they are elected to represent Powers Reserved to the Senate To try officials impeached by the HouseTo confirm presidential nominations, including Supreme Court justices, federal judges, ambassadors and cabinet secretariesTo ratify treaties Senate Leadership The Vice President of the United States: Serves as president (presiding chairman) of the SenatePresident Pro tempore: Presides over the Senate in the absence of the vice president; Is selected by the majority partyMajority and Minority Leaders: Lead their respective party delegations; maintain the Senate agendaMajority and Minority Whips: Attempt to make sure party members vote for bills supported by their party.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Analysis of Financial Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Financial Article - Essay Example The author believes that in all cases, fractal structures and non-periodic cycles were found, which accordingly suggests and provides evidence that capital markets have a non-linear system, which thus makes the EMH doubtful. The author begins the article by asserting that logarithms will be applied to analyze data instead of percentages as logarithms can calculate cumulative returns and percentages cannot. Thus, the steps to analyzing R/S for capital markets include first converting prices into logarithms and then applying the suggested equations. Then each capital market instrument and data is analyzed turn by turn to gauge volatility, cycles, and price changes. The author uses Hurst statistics to analyze various capital market instruments and implies at the end of the article that prices are reflections of investors’ concept of ‘fair value†. While some may believe this to be a single value, this can actually be a range of values which is based on information such as the earnings from an investment, the management system, the new products offered, and the economic environment in that area. After fundamental analysis and technical analysis of what other investors believe their counterparts are willing to pay, the price is automatically adjusted to what is perceived as fair price and thus other investors become attracted to the investment and begin to purchase it. A Hurst statistic of more than 0.5 suggests that new information and previous events may affect the future prices of securities while one, which is lower than 0.5 implies the opposite. The author claims that the capital markets have a fractal nature and thus models such as the CAPM, APT, and Black-Scholes model fail. It is mainly due to their simple assumptions and their lack of acknowledging the importance of time when making vital decisions. Hence, the author believes that fractal analysis is a better measure of the reality of capital markets and the outcomes of human decision maki ng. Fractal analysis is a reflection of the reality of life and how messy and complicated results can be. Thus, while it makes mathematics more difficult, it also explains the qualitative aspects of decision making and capital markets. It also gives capital markets a number of air values, cycles, trends, and recognizes the fact that there are innumerous possibilities. Thus, in the author’s point of view, fractal analysis is a better measure of the capital markets rather than the simple models as it accounts for a number of things, which are not accounted for in simple analysis. Hence, even though it is more complicated, the author encourages its use. The important points in the article are as follows: Logarithm returns are a better measure than percentages when calculating changes in price The author suggests that enough data is collected when the natural period of the system is visible and several cycles are available for analysis The first regression analysis is applied to the S&P 500 from 1950 to July 1958 The high value of H suggests the fractal position of the market The stock market results are not in accordance with the efficient market hypothesis The author suggests that market returns are persistent and have a fractal probability distribution The system is non-periodic and reinforces trends According to CAPM, a higher beta stock value is riskier than a lower beta stock value This is due to higher volatility The author suggests that high H values pose less risk and low H values may pose more risk High H values have less noise in the data while lower H values have more noise High H values may change abruptly Portfolio diversification reduces risk Market efficiency can be determined by the level of noise in the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Developing Good Business Sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing Good Business Sense - Essay Example McDonalds is one of those organizations that are known for continuous development in their systems. Employees at McDonalds are not only involved in manufacturing of food and different aspects of operations management, they are also well-supported by automated system, hi-tech equipments and effective supply chain management system (McDonalds-UK, 2013). A critical analysis of McDonalds’ operations helped in understanding that minimum wastage, customer-oriented approach and environmental considerations are main features that govern the performance of its employees. Hence, effective cold chain, customer services and just-in time delivery by the supplier are the main features of McDonald’s operations that also govern the task performance of its employees. Like McDonalds, KFC is also supported with highly skilled labor and automation in its system. However, there is limited attention paid to materials management in terms of supplier’s selection and waste management. Wh ere McDonalds has strategic alliances to limited suppliers, KFC has a rather extensive pool of suppliers. Yearly assessment of suppliers helps in selection for the next year. Unlike KFC and McDonalds, Amazon chose to identify the top selling items and have a readily available stock of such items. It is important to note that more than warehouse management; Amazon relies on its alliances with suppliers in different regions of the world and courier services. Therefore, employees working with Amazon are more supported with IT-based interventions than the actual manufacturing processes. McDonalds and KFC use flexible operating system when it comes to operations and materials management. They have computer-aided manufacturing programs with human intervention in a supervisory role than direct involvement in production. However, as far as delivery of ready-to-cook items and real-time cooking is concerned, it is performed through their employees. Such practice helps in ensuring that a suita ble quantity of finish product is available to meet the demands of consumers without incurring actual wastages. On the other hand, Amazon focuses on small-batch production when it comes to selection of operations and materials management. The storing capacity of Amazon is rather limited and it focuses on having strategic alliances in different regions for catering customers all around the world instead of having physical facilities across the globe. Only limited items are stored based on their past selling patterns and consumers’ demands. As far as their operations and materials management costs are concerned, McDonalds and KFC incur costs in terms of raw materials purchase, plant management and basic manufacturing, labor, inventory management and distribution (Jones, 2007). All these components are inevitable to incur as these fast food chains cannot outsource manufacturing processes. On the other hand, Amazon incurs costs because of products’ purchase, warehousing an d distribution along with human resource management. Since it does not perform direct manufacturing i.e. publishing, CD burning etc, itself, therefore it purchases ready products from publishers and vendors in different regions and deliver them to customers accordingly. Main source of costs is expected to be warehousing and d