Michelangelos Life essays

Michelangelo's Life essays If one were to be asked if Michelangelos life affected his work, I would have to say yes and that would be saying it in the least. All of Michelangelos work was based on his life from childhood up to six days before his death. Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on March 6, 1475 in the village of Caprese, Italy, where his father was serving as a magistrate of the Florentine Republic. Michelangelo briefly attended grammar school managed by Francesco da Urbino but he spent most of his time drawing or sketching. It was something he couldnt live without, but brought him frequent scolding and even beatings by his father who considered drawing and fine arts to be a waste of time that brought no money or honor to his family. Little did his father know that in time Michelangelo would become one of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance. At thirteen Michelangelo was apprenticed to Dominico Ghirlanaio, the leading fresco (wall) painter in Florence. Michelangelo remained only one year: it was Ghirlandaio himself who sent him to the Medici Gardens Art School that Lorenzo the magnificent had founded in Florence for young artists and sculptures. During this first year at the Medici Gardens, the young Buonarroti developed his innate quality by studying the ancient masterpieces, sketching, drawing and fashioning clay models after the works of Donatello and Masaccio. It is believed that during this period he carved two bas-reliefs: one depicting the Battle of Centaurs a subject taken from Greek mythology in the style of the Old Masters the second one Madonna on the Stairs is a flattened relief derived from Donatello. The Madonna of the steps is one of his earliest sculptures in which he tackles a subject to which he would return several times: the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, with the mother already touched by a foreboding that her son is destined ...

10 Jobs Where High School Dropouts Can Be Successful

10 Jobs Where High School Dropouts Can Be Successful There is a stigma attached to â€Å"dropping out† of high school, which can really appear to affect one’s job prospects. In 2015, almost 20% of unemployed people were high school dropouts. But there are ways to find your way to a successful career without having completed high school. Here are some totally respectable options. You will likely earn less over your lifetime than you would with a diploma or a bachelor’s degree, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up and call yourself a failure either.Here are some good job prospects for people without a high school diploma.1. Construction ManagerConstruction might not seem like the job you want forever, but if you can work your way up to manager, you can earn an average of up to $1.5 million in your lifetime. The number of these jobs is expected to grow, and the median wage is over $87k per year. You’ll probably want to take a few leadership courses as you make your way up the ranks, just to accelera te your promotion prospects.2. MechanicCars always need fixing. As an automotive service technician or mechanic, you can earn a median salary of nearly $38k per year. The competition is fierce, but the more technology skills you pick up along the way, the better off you’ll be. Bonus points if you specialize in big vehicles like buses or trucks- you’ll earn more and have less competition.3. Office ManagerOffice and administrative support managers keep an office running smoothly. This is one of the highest paid non-diploma jobs out there. The competition will be fairly tough, of course, but it’s a good living with estimated lifetime earnings of nearly $1.4 million.4. Sales RepWholesalers and manufacturers look more for candidates who can meet targets, rather than focusing on educational bona fides. These jobs pay well, plus commissions, and are great for communicative people persons. Make a median salary of over $59k per year.5. Food Service ManagerYou don’ t need a diploma to get a job in food service. And if you can work your way up to the managerial level, you can make over $48k per year in median pay. You will have to work long hours- lots of nights and weekends, but if it’s a lifestyle you can get behind, it’s good steady work.6. Administrative AssistantAdmin  work might be hard to get without a diploma, but not impossible. Particularly if you present yourself professionally and show your skills and experience from prior assistant jobs. The median pay is somewhere near $36k per year.7. ElectricianIf you can cultivate this marketable skill through work experience or vocational school, you can make an estimated $1.4 million lifetime as an electrician. Peak earners in this profession aren’t necessarily the ones with extra degrees or diplomas. If you’ve got the skills, you can make the bucks.8. MachinistMost machinists have not attended a four year college, though a bit of extra boning up at a vocational school would stand you in good stead to advance in this career path. Job opportunities in this field are good and estimated lifetime earnings are over a million.9. Home Health AideThis is not an easy job and the median annual pay is relatively low (just under $22k per year). But you don’t have to have a fancy education and you can really make a difference in people’s lives. You’ll need lots of interpersonal skills, stamina, and integrity, but if you’re an idealist and you love to help people, this could be for you.10. EntrepreneurAlways a big risk, but not impossible. If you have an idea or a talent you believe in, see about building a business. There are plenty of billionaires who started off as high school dropouts. All you need is the next big thing. It wouldn’t hurt to take a few courses on the side in business management and study the practices of successful entrepreneurs you’ve read about or met. Be careful, but if you feel strongly th at you can do it, it might be worth a shot.

Five filsm of Martin Scorsese Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Five filsm of Martin Scorsese - Essay Example Everything in his work, from his narrative construction, editing, how he directs his actors, all the way to his set design, sound, music, is in perfect harmony. (Casillo & Robert, 90) The Age of Innocence, for instance, looked like a doomed project in the beginning. It provoked fears of failure to live up to the solid and worthy but essentially boring literary adaptations of its time. It however became a golden piece of art, film and refinement, alive in all of its being. (LoBrutto & Vincent, 56) He brings out the much-heated issue of violence in the other three films. He seemingly presents it in two ways .One is to refusing to show it, but always locating it just off-screen. He manages to leave us free to exercise our imaginations and experience the horror, in a way that modern Hollywood does not. Second is by making it as explicitly disturbing as it can possibly be that it is impossible for anyone except the advanced criminal to enjoy it. This is Scorseses back then. (Wernblad & Annette, 67) These methods are however not evident in his most recent work. It was however, still possible to enjoy the violence in Taxi Driver, because of our strange relationship to the main character, but for GoodFellas or Casino, it is a different story. A notable characteristic of his soonest films is the distance he establishes between his audience and all his characters. Identification is hardly a component of the films as it if it flickers only sporadically. (Martin & Richard, 45). The roots of this influential director run deep in the film industry. Martin Scorsese received the title â€Å"directing god† from Roger Ebert, a movie critic. A fellow director, George Lucas has termed him the most influential and best director of their

Mock Exam Question for advanced topics in international business Essay

Mock Exam Question for advanced topics in international business - Essay Example there were a large number of companies which focused on global markets with homogenous products from Europe to China yielded results only for a short period of time. This is due to various reasons, but first, because of the onslaught of the global competition, the local brands had to strengthen their marketing mix. This led to increase in the competitiveness of the local brands and the customers started to return to the local brands. The next reason is when there is an economic downturn, the spirit of nationalism starts to rise and the loyalty towards local producers is more felt among the consumers. Another major reason is the success of the global brands created a backlash against US brands in particular in Eastern Europe and in the Muslim world. These reasons have created need for the global brands to think and regionalize their brand. The regionalization of the global brand will increase the be better for the global brands because the initial glamour of buying a global brand had only short lived. If we try to understand the advantage of the global brands are they have previous experience and exposure in operating in foreign markets, they can have huge edge over the local companies when it comes to technologies and product design, which may affect in their costing and pricing. The disadvantages of the global brands in adopting a homogenous strategy is the lack of understanding of the local markets. The cultural differences and the dynamics of the market place can be myriad sometimes. The essence of globalization is global competition, when we want to win the customers we have to talk the language of the customer. Whatever may be the brand image and brand equity the question at large is whether we are able make the consumer choose our product when it is stacked in the stores. After the sales started to stagnate, the business managers of the global brands realized that they had taken the global strategies too far. Decentralization of strategic planning was

Environmental Analysis Essay Example for Free

Environmental Analysis Essay As a way of promoting Skoal, the company utilizes print advertisements in magazines whose readers are 85% adults. Aside from this, the company also uses one-on-one events as a way to let the clients know more about Skoal and try out its products. Skoal’s promotions includes reach-out advertising, and it includes a very, very successful direct mail program that we have been running to adult smokers. In 2006, the company mailed to about 2.5 million adult smokers with a series of coupons and product information about Skoal and its products and have been very, very successful in converting about 5% of the people that we mailed to, to actual ongoing usage of moist smokeless tobacco products. (UST 2006 Analyst and Investor Conference) In addition, the company also has its own company website (http://www. ustinc. com/) and product website (http://www. skoalbrotherhood. com) that can be used as a tool for customers to access information about the product and the company 24/7. The product’s unique selling point is that it is the only smokeless tobacco that offers several flavors, cuts and pouches. In its advertisements, Skoal sports the tagline â€Å"A pinch better. † Skoal wanted to position to itself in its main target market’s mind as â€Å"the preferred way to experience tobacco satisfaction† a vision that positions the company not as a smokeless tobacco company, but as a tobacco company whose consumer universe is all tobacco consumers. (UST 2006 Analyst and Investor Conference) Pricing The company utilizes the prestige pricing strategy and this is congruent with the image the brand is trying to project. Since Skoal is the only smokeless tobacco that offers a variety of flavors, cuts and pouches, it is only right for them to charge a price premium to maximize their profits. Over its course of business, Skoal has undergone through several price changes. However, for the entire year of 2006, the company has not yet raised it prices. Murray Kessler, manager of Skoal said â€Å"Prices per can depends on how much we spend on the promotional front and it depends on what we do with the competitors. † (UST 2006 Analyst and Investor Conference) So far though, the company does not see the need to raise prices. Comparing Skoal to other brands, it charges much higher prices as compared to competitors like Couper, Cougar, Gold River, and Grizzly but there are a few brands like Hawken and Kodiac whose prices are higher than Skoal. Sister brand Copenhagen charges the same price as Skoal. Distribution Skoal products can be purchased in several websites online and also several retailers. The company uses extensive distribution channels and which became an edge for Skoal. UST’s long-established brands distributes through tens of thousands of small retail outlets, and the unwillingness of major tobacco companies to enter this market (due to the poor image and social unacceptability of the product) have made UST’s market position unassailable. (Industry Analysis 7) The company does not operate any retailing stores but instead relies on third party retailers to get their products to their target markets. So far, Skoal products can be found in the United States and some parts of Canada but the management is eyeing Eastern Europe as an opportunity to expand Skoal internationally. Conclusion Skoal has been successful in implementing its strategy. Currently, Skoal belongs to the top of mind awareness of its target market when it comes to smokeless tobacco with it capturing 78% of the market together with its sister brands. In order to maintain this position, further significant investments in advertisements, branding, and promotions must be undertaken.

More Reserach Is Needed Before Marijuana Is Legalized :: argumentative essay, against legal pot

The effect of drugs can be harmful to the body. They can damage nerves that are used for thinking. According to the "Nation Institutes of Health"(NIH), cannabis is one of the most popular used drugs in America ranking third after tobacco and alcohol. Marijuana (the most common form used in America), is made of the dried leaves and flowers of the female cannabis sativa plant, and looks like oregano. It is usually smoked in a pipe or in hand-rolled cigarettes. Hashish (hash) is a dried-caked resin from the flowers and leaves of the plant. It is sold in chunks and cubes, and its color range from light brown to black. Hashish is often blended with tobacco and smoked. It is more potent than marijuana because it contains a higher concentration THC (abbreviation for delta-nine-tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in all cannabis preparations (NIH). The more THC cannabis contains, the stronger it is. The existance of the plant has been reported as early as 1500-1200 B.C. in China. Since then, an overwhelming number of studies have attempted to explain the physical and psychological effects of cannibis on humans. According to "The National Clearinghouse," (NCH), the effects of cannabis are similar to alcohol intoxication. Small amounts can make you relaxed and generally less inhibited. Some users say that it enhances the experiences of music, food and sex. Logical thinking tends to be slowed, but cannabis smokers often believe that their minds are flitting from thought to thought with great speed (NIH). Intoxication is more intense during the first hour after smoking, although the drug's effects may persist for three to five hours, depending mainly on the dose. According to " CESAR," regular users often develop a psychological dependence on cannabis. They have a strong desire to continue its use, to get through the day. Without the drug, they can feel anxious, or panicky. Some heavy users of cannabis experience physical dependence. Their bodies become use to the drugs. When they do not have the drug, they may go into withdrawal. Symptoms include sleeping problems, anxiety, sweating, and loss of appetite and upset stomach. Although most symptoms usually disappear within a few days, sleep disturbances may last longer. Regular use may cause a general loss of interest, motivation, memory and concentration. The user may also show a lack of concern for the future, and have problems with abstract thinking. These effects may be harmful for young people, who are still making choices about the future. Once a person stops using cannabis, symptoms tend to disappear gradually, but problems

Bric

The emerging economics, the so-called BRICs: Brazil, Russia, India, and China are predicated to be global players in next few decades. In being the world’s top global players these countries must realize that in order to become a true global power they will have to take on greater social responsibilities that will deal with ethical concerns. An increasing number of companies are moving production to the BRICs in order to take advantage of generous tax incentives, high productivity rates, and cheap labor. For example, Wal-Mart and Bharti Enterprises, a leading Indian cell phone operator, plan to open hundreds of Wal-Mart superstores across India by 2010 (International Business Environments and Operations, Applegate, Austin, and Soule 2009 pp. 219). However, with the BRICs emerging as economic powerhouses and the increasing number of foreign counties increasing to do business with them ethical rules must integrate into their business practices for the BRICs to have an impact on the whole world. Brazil has been an aspiring contender in the up and coming emerging counties but it has been struggling for decades because it has struggled to achieve expectations due to problems in income equality, productivity, and education. In order to obtain the status as one of the world’s leaders these social responsibilities must be addressed and corrected. The emergence of the BRICswill challenge the well-being and sustainability of the global environment. China is one of the pillars of the global economy, but controversies surround China’s future growth because of the controversy surrounding Chinese labor practices or tainted imports traced back to Chinese suppliers. In addition to the surrounding labor and tainted imports our Western-centric view of the world and current media restrictions in China the world’s largest country remains mysterious in many ways. Because of this, the development of a greater focus on corporate social responsibility in China has gone somewhat unnoticed. Chinese government has acted with some hesitancy in years past to fully embrace a more updated idea of corporate social responsibility because of fears such as added costs to exporting goods; however the situation has now changed. Not only are there new proposed regulations that foreign companies must submit their own sustainability reports within China, but various sectors within the Chinese economy have embraced both domestic and international standards to help propel Chinese businesses to greater heights around the world. ttp://www. chinacsr. com/en/2009/02/23/4572-how-far-can-chinese-companies-take-corporate-social-responsibility/. Russia is faced with incurring concerns with ethical issues that is attributed to their uncertain weak and corrupt government and the emergence of widespread market activity in Russia. Bribery has become a way of business in Russia. According to several recent surveys and interviews with dozens of ordinary Russians, it has surged in scale and scope in recent years under the presidency of Vladimir Putin. The prevalence of corruption and crime in business affairs has been generally recognized as a major cause of concern. Speculation about whether the movement toward a legitimate market economy can be sustained without a foundation of supportive institutions has been justifiably raised. The development of a system of ethical business practices in Russia process is needed to create a civil society along with becoming a global world leader. India is well aware of their involvement in corporate social responsibility to gain a position as one of the world’s strongest leaders. In terms of government rules and regulations, Jagdish Sheth, executive director of the India, China and America Institute and a professor of marketing at Emory University said that in India, â€Å"the government acts as a gatekeeper rather than an enabler, with slow approval, a complex bureaucracy and corruption. Enforcement is also lax† (Sheth, 2007). India has enacted several laws pertaining to child labor laws, environmental, and right to information and corruption laws however there are low levels of government capacity for law enforcement and implementation in India, causing relatively high levels of corruption, but other laws were enacted to give the general public right to government information which was meant to promote transparency and responsibility in the work of all governmental institutions. There is a strong belief in corporate social responsibility in India,† Sheth said. He also noted how Indian management style differs from that in the West: Decisions are made by the person at the top, not in a participatory way. And there is what he called a caste system by education. http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/conference/2007/presentations/sheth. html

Human Rights Problem

On May 21, 1999, a local road construction company, Dumez Limited, attacked a group of peaceful protesters with clubs, daggers, axes, machetes, and other dangerous weapons. Tension began to arise when on April 26, 1999 the company began destroying newly planted crops of local farmers in the Ogoni kingdom of Gokana. They did so without paying adequate compensation for the crops or carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the road project, as required by international environmental standards. On May 8, 1998, a Human Rights Defender, Olisa Agbakoba, was arrested at Murtala International Airport in Lagos. The arresting officers were members of the Security Force, an agency of the Nigerian government. No reason for his arrest was given. This arrest was preceded by an earlier encounter in March 1998 where he was attacked and arrested by members of the Nigerian Police when he tried to speak at a pro-democracy rally in Yaba, Lagos. On January 8th and March 23rd of 1998, Batom Mitee and Barileresi Mitee who are brothers of Ledum Mitee, President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), were arrested. No charges were ever given for their arrests. Batum Mitee was kept detained for several weeks without having access to his lawyers, his family, or a doctor. On January 18, 1998 he was brought before a judge who declared that the case was not within his competence because of its political character. Mitee was later transferred to a military hospital because of the beatings and ill treatment inflicted by the military. These incidents of brutality and harassment are just a few examples of the abuse by members of the police, security forces, and Nigerian government and how it remains to be a persistent human rights problem. There are numerous underlying factors that contribute to the problem of human rights in Nigeria. One the major factors is that of religion. Religious differences often correspond to regional and ethnic differences. For example, the northern region is overwhelmingly Muslim, as are the large Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups of that area. Many southern ethnic groups are predominantly Christian. About half the country†s population practice Islam and about 40% practice Christianity. Approximately 10% practice exclusively traditional indigenous religions or no religion at all. Many persons practice both elements of Christianity or Islam and elements of an indigenous traditional religion. Consequently, it is difficult to distinguish religious discrimination from ethnic and regional discrimination, which is pervasive. Although the government has never outlawed proselytizing, it continues to discourage and criticize it publicly because it believes that it stimulates religious tensions. Both Christian and Muslim organizations allege that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Department restricted the entry into the country of certain religious practitioners, particularly persons suspected of intending to proselytize. Consequently, Nigeria†s constitution prohibits state and local governments from adopting an official religion. Though Nigerian law prohibits religious discrimination, it is common for government officials to discriminate against persons who practice a religion different from their own, notably in hiring or awarding contracts. There have been documented reports of harassment of Christian missions by local government officials in predominantly Islamic regions. In April and again in August 1998, the local council of Lafia, in Nasarawa State, reportedly ordered the closure of a Protestant Christian mission church in connection with a dispute about the mission†s title to the land. In March 1998, State Security Service officers detained and interrogated the mission†s pastor. The mission sought to convert members of the generally Islamic Kambari ethnic group. The lack of concern for the environment and the people that it affects has also been a major concern in the struggle for human rights. Since 1958, oil companies such as Shell have exploited oil wealth in the region of the Ogoni people. As a consequence, they have suffered extreme economic deprivation and the environmental devastation of their land. Since Shell began drilling in Nigeria†s Niger Delta, it has spilled oil on farmland and in water sources, bulldozed across farms and flared gas just meters from Ogoni villages. The people of Ogoniland suffer extreme health problems from the air and water pollution. The Nigerian military has played a significant role in the continued persecution of the Ogoni. When the Ogoni began to demand environmental justice, villages were attacked, villagers were killed and their leader was executed by the judgment of a military court. Shell has even admitted to paying the military, which brutally silences voices crying for justice from the government of Nigeria and Shell, along with other multinational oil corporations. Shell is only one of many multinational oil corporations operating in Nigeria. Mobil, Chevron, and Texaco are also found in Nigeria, operating as partners of the Nigerian government, as required by Nigerian law. â€Å"Shell is certainly not the only Oil Corporation that abuses its money, power, and feeling of superiority over the people of Nigeria. † The country†s population of about 120 million is ethnically diverse, comprising more than 250 ethnic groups, many of which speak distinct primary languages and are concentrated geographically. There is no majority ethnic group. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa-Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Igbos of the southeast, who together make up about two-thirds of the population. The fourth largest group, the Ijaw, has a population of approximately 12 million. â€Å"Societal discrimination on the basis of ethnicity is widely practiced by members of all ethnic groups and is evident in private sector hiring patterns, de facto ethnic segregation of urban neighborhoods and a continuing paucity of marriage across major ethnic and regional lines. There is a long history of tension among diverse ethnic groups. Although the country†s successive constitutions all have prohibited ethnic discrimination by the State, northerners and particularly Hausas have long been predominant in the national government, including the military officer corps. Tradition continued to impose considerable pressure on individual government officials to favor their own ethnic groups and ethnic favoritism persisted. Resentment of northern domination of the Government aggravated by the suspension of federal decentralization under the Abacha regime and resentment of Igbo success in private commerce, have contributed to ethnic and regional tensions. Possibly the most controversial issue within Nigeria is that of the political structure of the government. Since Nigeria received its independence from Britain, in 1960, there has been conflict in regards to the military and authoritarian system of government that existed. The citizens of Nigeria have longed for a democratic system of government that included themselves as active proponents. Nigeria became a Republic in 1963 and Nnamdi Azikiwe was made the President of the Federal Republic. In January of 1966, some Igbo army officials staged a coup d†etat to overthrow the government, who were primarily Hausa, because they objected to the population census. They felt it over estimated that number of people in the northern region thereby giving them a larger representation in the federal parliament. They succeeded in killing many of the senior officers but Azikiwe was not harmed. As a result of the attempted coup, the government promised a progressive program, a return to civilian rule determined by elections, and vowed to stamp out corruption and violence. Though idealistic in theory, these promises were never realized. Instead, it became the common practice of the government to consider democracy, but continue to practice authoritarian rule. Nigeria would bear witness to numerous coup attempts over the next three decades, most involving the transition to democracy. It wasn†t until the death of Sani Abacha, possibly the most famous President of Nigeria, in June 1998 that civilian rule would be realized. A new transition program was established that would lead the country back to democracy by Abdulsalam Abubakar, the man chosen to replace Abacha. After a series of elections, Olusegun Obasanjo was declared the new and current, democratically elected president on May 29, 1999. At the end of May 1999, Nigeria completed its transition from authoritarian rule to a formal democracy. A number of Nigerian groups have managed to create strong institutional structures, with narrowly defined mandates and internal staff structures as well as program plans. While there are still growing pains within many of these groups, this type of planning process has resulted in â€Å"the Nigerian human rights community†s being far ahead of its anglophone neighbors in putting human rights institutions into place. † The Center for Advanced Social Sciences (CASS) was formed in 1992 and is based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. CASS is a think tank concerned with improving management and public policy in Africa. It has a Board of Trustees and is governed by an international Board of Directors. The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), established in 1987, is one of Nigeria†s largest human rights organizations. The CLO is a non-governmental organization set up for the defense and expansion of human rights and civil liberties. It investigates human rights abuses and campaigns through litigation, publications, and communications with the government on behalf of people whose rights have been abused. Another human rights advocate is the Constitutional Rights Project (CRP) that was set up in 1990. Their aims are to ensure that Nigerian legislation conforms to international standards, monitor institutions whose activity impact on the rights of citizens, and to provide legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses. The cry for human rights reform in Nigeria hasn†t fallen on deaf ears from those of the international community. On November 12, 1998 the 53rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) met to discuss the situation of human rights in Nigeria. The General Assembly reaffirmed that Nigeria is a party to the International Covenant on Human Rights and thereby making it a Member State. All Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Nigerian government was â€Å"strongly encouraged† that the establishment and strengthening of national structures and institutions in the field of human rights are of the utmost importance for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria. The sanctions imposed on Nigerian government by the European Union, the Commonwealth and the government of the United States of America were to be lifted in light of the progress made towards the restoration of democratic government and respect for human rights. The Nigerian government in its transition to democracy was applauded for its establishment of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the issuance of a detailed timetable for the election process. Overall, the UN General Assembly was satisfied with the progress of the Nigerian government in its transition to democracy. Nigeria has seen some very turbulent times in its history as it relates to democracy and human rights. Democracy consolidation, which appears to be the most immediate challenge for the human rights movement in post transition Nigeria, will require forward thinking and cohesive action on the part of the human rights community. It has been clearly demonstrated that in Africa relatively free and fair elections observed by international monitor and elaborate â€Å"handing over ceremonies† will not necessarily bring about genuine democracy and a human rights culture. Civil society organizations will have to work gradually to expand the democratic space and rebuild the institutions of civil society. The long years of military dictatorship have decimated these institutions and virtually erased the rule of law according to AFRONET Reports. Though politicians glibly vocalize democratic jargon, it is still evident that democratic values and attitudes are not yet commonplace in the political class. Also, among ordinary Nigerians, popular mentalities need to change; the people have become accustomed to not expecting anything but the worst from their leaders in terms of political leadership, economic management and respect for civil liberties and human dignity. The average Nigerian has been driven by economic hardship to adopt a survivalist mode of life in which he or she is preoccupied with access to the bare necessities of life and does not demand or expect accountability or respect for human rights from their leaders. The Nigerian government, though its history is not favorable, is making sincere efforts to overwrite its history. But unless the human rights community and the people they represent adopt a more positive attitude towards its government, change can not be realized.

Your Health & Managed Care essays

Your Health & Managed Care essays AHCA HMO Report According to the AHCA HMO Report the health plan that I would choose, as an employer based on the data collected would be AvMed Inc. AvMed is Floridas oldest and largest not-for-profit HMO, serving some 300,000 members, including approximately 30,000 Medicare members throughout the state, and 10,000 federal employees and their dependents. AvMed contracts with close to 7,000 physicians and 126 hospitals, is federally qualified under the terms of the federal HMO Act, and is privately accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. AvMed was created in 1969 as a prepaid health care system for pilots in Miamis aviation industry. Today, AvMed is Floridas largest not-for-profit health plan. AvMed, whose name is derived from "aviation medicine," became licensed as an HMO in 1973 and earned Federal qualification in 1977. After reviewing the information and statistics on the various health plans, I ch oose AvMed Inc. because it has an overall high rating in the areas such as Annual Well Child Visit (Ages 3-6) 74%, Annual Adolescent (Well Care Visit) 47%, Asthma Medications (Long-Term Control) 60%. Although AvMed Inc. did not rate under the Florida Medicaid Asthma medication for long- term care; all other areas were covered above average. Based upon the stability of the company and their financial report dated June 30, 2003, AvMed Inc. total assets were $180,085,511, and total liabilities were $126,757,724. The calendar year-to-date net income or (loss) was $19,080,629. Although AvMed received 319 complaints in 2002, this was only a fraction when compared with United Health Care, Health Options, Inc., and Vista Health Plan Inc. who also serve this area. There were slight margins in complaints when compared with CIGNA, and Humana, but this does not have any relevance on the quality of service ...

Joan Beaufort, Ancestress of Royals

Joan Beaufort, Ancestress of Royals Joan Beaufort Facts Known for: a legitimized daughter of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, one of Edward IIIs sons, Joan Beaufort was an ancestor of Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VIII, Elizabeth of York, and Catherine Parr. She is an ancestor of todays British royal family.  Occupation: English noblewomanDates: about 1379 - November 13, 1440 Joan Beaufort Biography: Joan Beaufort was one of four children born to Katherine Swynford, John of Gaunts mistress at the time. Joans maternal aunt Philippa Roet was married to Geoffrey Chaucer. Joan and her three older brothers were acknowledged as their fathers children even before her parents married in 1396. In 1390, Richard II, her cousin, declared Joan and her brothers legitimate. In the decade that followed, records show that her half-brother, Henry, gave gifts to her, acknowledging their relationship. Joan had been betrothed to Sir Robert Ferrers, an heir to Shropshire estates, in 1386, and the marriage took place in 1392. They had two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, probably born in 1393 and 1394. Ferrers died in 1395 or 1396, but Joan was not able to gain control of the Ferrers estates, which Elizabeth Boteler, Robert Ferrers mother, controlled. In 1396, after her parents married, a papal bull was obtained legitimizing the four Beaufort children including Joan, the youngest. The next year, a royal charter was presented to Parliament which then confirmed the legitimization. Henry IV, half-brother to the Beauforts, later amended the legimitization act without approval of parliament, to state that the Beaufort line was ineligible to inherit the crown of England. On February 3, 1397 (old style 1396), Joan married the recently-widowed Ralph Neville, then Baron Raby. The papal bull of legitimization probably arrived in England shortly after the marriage, and the act of parliament followed. The year after their marriage, Neville became the Earl of Westmorland. Ralph Neville was among those who helped Henry IV depose Richard II (Joans cousin) in 1399. Joans influence with Henry is attested to by some appeals for support by others addressed to Joan. Joan had fourteen children by Neville, many of whom were important in the years ahead. Joans daughter Mary from her first marriage married the junior Ralph Neville, her husbands second son from his first marriage. Joan was apparently educated, as history records her being in possession of a number of books. She also had a visit in about 1413 from the mystic Margery Kempe, who later was accused of meddling in the marriage of one of Joans daughters. In 1424, Joans daughter Cecily was married to Richard, Duke of York, a ward of Joans husband. When Ralph Neville died in 1425, Joan was made Richards guardian until he attained his majority. After her husbands 1425 death, his title passed to his grandson, yet another Ralph Neville, son of his eldest son by his first marriage, John Neville who had married Elizabeth Holland. But the elder Ralph Neville had ensured by his later will that most of his estates passed to his children by Joan, with a good part of the estate in her hands. Joan and her children fought legal battles over may years with that grandson over the estate. Joans eldest son by Ralph Neville, Richard, inherited most of the estates. Another son, Robert Neville (1404 - 1457), with the influence of Joan and her brother Cardinal Henry Beaufort, gained important appointments in the church, becoming bishop of Salisbury and bishop of Durham. His influence was important in the battles over inheritance between Joans Neville children and her husbands first family. In 1437, Henry VI (grandson of Joans half-brother Henry IV) granted Joans petition to establish a daily celebration of mass at her mothers tomb at Lincoln Cathedral. When Joan died in 1440, she was buried next to her mother, and her will also specified that the tomb be enclosed. The tomb of her second husband, Ralph Neville, includes the effigies of both of his wives lying beside his own effigy, though neither of these wives are buried with him. The tombs of Joan and her mother were seriously damaged in 1644 during the English Civil War. Joan Beauforts Legacy Joans daughter Cecily was married to Richard, Duke of York, who contended with Henry VI for the crown of England. After Richard was killed in battle, Cecilys son, Edward IV, became king. Another of her sons, Richard of Gloucester, later became king as Richard III. Joans grandson Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses. He was known as the Kingmaker for his role in supporting Edward IV in winning the throne from Henry VI; he later switched sides and supported Henry VI in winning (briefly) the crown back from Edward. Edward IVs daughter Elizabeth of York married Henry VII Tudor, making Joan Beaufort the 2 times great grandmother of Henry VIII. Henry VIIIs last wife, Catherine Parr, was a descendant of Joans son Richard Neville. Joans eldest daughter, Katherine Neville, was known for being married four times, and surviving all four husbands. She survived even the last, in what was called at the time the diabolical marriage to John Woodville, a brother of Edward IVs wife Elizabeth Woodville, who was 19 years old when he married the wealthy widow Katherine who was then 65. Background, Family: Mother:  Katherine Swynford, mistress of John of Gaunt at the time of Joans birth, and later his wife and Duchess of LancasterFather: John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III of England and his wife,  Philippa of HainaultSiblings:John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset.   His son John was the father of  Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, the first Tudor kingCardinal Henry BeaufortThomas Beaufort, Duke of ExeterHalf-siblings, by her fathers earlier marriages:Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of PortugalElizabeth of Lancaster, Duchess of ExeterHenry IV of EnglandCatherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile Marriage, Children: Husband: Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem, marrried 1392Children:Elizabeth Ferrers (married John de Greystoke, 4th baron Greystoke)Mary Ferrers (married Ralph Neville, her stepbrother, son of Ralph Neville and his first wife Margaret Stafford)Husband:  Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, married February 3, 1396/97Children:Katherine Neville (married (1) John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk; (2) Sir Thomas Strangways, (3) John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont; (4) Sir John Woodville, a brother of  Elizabeth Woodville)Eleanor Neville (married (1) Richard Le Despenser, 4th Baron Burghersh; (2) Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland)Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (married Alice Montacute, Countess of Salisbury; among his sons was Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker, father of  Anne Neville, Queen of England, and Isabel Neville)Robert Neville, Bishop of DurhamWilliam Neville, 1st Earl of KentCecily Neville  (married Richard, 3rd Duke of York: t heir children included Edward IV, father of Elizabeth of York; Richard III who married Anne Neville; George, Duke of Clarence, who married Isabel Neville)George Neville, 1st Baron LatimerJoan Neville, a nunJohn Neville (died in childhood)Cuthbert Neville (died in childhood)Thomas Neville (died in childhood)Henry Neville (died in childhood)

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