Fostering Ethical Behavior Essay Example for Free

Fostering Ethical Behavior Essay Ethical conduct in today’s work environment is extremely important as it not only affects the climate of the workplace but can also make a major impact on the output of the employees who work for you. As Kreitner and Kinicki state, â€Å"Improving workplace ethics is not just a nice thing to do; it also can have a positive impact on the bottom line† (Organizational Behavior, 2009, p. 25). But the discussion on how to foster more ethical conduct can oftentimes be a tricky question to answer. First, my firm belief is that you have to start from the top of an organization and work down. If a CEO or upper level manager acts unethically in his/her practices then how can you expect another employee to not react in the same manner? â€Å"Managers are potent role models whose habits and actual behavior send clear signals about the importance of ethical conduct. Ethical behavior is a top-to-bottom proposition†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Organizational Behavior, 2009, p. 25). Secondly, an organization should maintain a strong and respected code of ethics that all employees would be required to adhere, train and reinforce in the workplace. Unethical behavior to get ahead can be a poison to any organization. â€Å"Behavior that is reinforced tends to be repeated, whereas behavior that is not reinforced tends to disappear. Ethical conduct too often is ignored or even punished while unethical behavior is rewarded. † (Organizational Behavior, 2009, p. 25). It should be the number one goal of any top management to foster a working environment where ethical behavior is rewarded and I feel that leading by example from the top down will result in a positive outcome in the workplace.

Term welfare Essay Example for Free

Term welfare Essay Government benefits provided to people with little or no income are referred as welfare benefits. The term welfare can refer to a number of different programs in the United States, but often refer to cash assistance. In some cases, this money may be used however the recipient wishes. In others, the money can only be used for specific uses, such as food stamps that can only be used to buy groceries. The welfare state expands on this concept to include services such as universal healthcare and unemployment insurance. To what extent are welfare measures necessary in democratic countries ? What can be the abuses and how could we solutionate those 1/ the importance of welfare Health Care A primary advantages of welfare benefits is promoting the health of the people receiving the benefits Since there is a general correlation between income and health. People who have no income and no health care will, statistically, live shorter and less healthy lives than people who have enough income to buy proper food and to pay for medical care. Support for Children While many adults are able to make choices about how much income they choose to earn, children cant . Children must generally rely on the money that their parents are able to make. Welfare payments, particularly those that are directed for the care of children, allow children to grow up with better nutrition, medical care and possessions that make for a more comfortable standard of living. Lower Crime The provision of welfare has been shown to lower crime. Although some may argue that welfare constitutes a bribe, providing people with some income takes away an incentive to commit property crimes designed to provide the person with money or property. Welfare alleviates some of an individuals economic need, thereby lowering crime and increasing the general stability of society as a whole. Income Distribution Another advantage of welfare benefits is that it more evenly distributes a societys wealth. Some many consider this a benefit in itself. However, others may consider providing money to people who did not earn it to be unfair. There is, according to Arnold, a demonstrated correlation between income distribution in a society and that societys stability. Societies with greater inequities in wealth generally suffer more social and political turmoil. Social welfare programs today provide assistance to the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled and the destitute. While these may at first glance appear to be noble undertakings, there are some who suggest there are disadvantages of the programs, both to the individual and to society as a whole. Among some of the majors disadvantages suggested is the high cost of these programs. Opponents of social welfare programs often argue that governments simply cannot sustain the cost of providing financial support to so many elements of society. Between 1984 and 2002, social welfare programs, including Social Security and Medicare, accounted for between 49 and 60 percent of federal government spending. Disincentive Pointing to Harvard University Professor of Economics Gregory Manikws 10 Principles of Economics, opponents suggest social welfare programs, particularly for the underemployed or unemployed, create disincentives for people to find gainful employment. Manikw asserts that people respond to incentives. For example, they work because there is an incentive to earn an income and support themselves. Social welfare programs risk removing this incentive by providing income for someone who is not working or who is unwilling to work, meaning they no longer have a need to produce. Sponsored Links Modà ¨les de Lettre Tous modà ¨les de lettres et documents sur lettres.net lettres.net Economic Impact According to Mankiw, a societys standard of living is dependent on its ability to produce goods efficiently. More workers producing more goods increases the economic output of a society, thereby increasing the amount of income. When people lose the incentive to produce, the nations productivity goes down and income decreases. This can in turn increase the burden on governments to support the welfare system and result in ever higher costs. When governments print too much money, the rate of inflation increases, raising the price of goods for everyone. Government Control Many opponents of social welfare programs suggest these programs create circumstances in which governments gain too much control over individual citizens. Citizens who rely on government programs for income and sustenance are in a position to allow government to have more say in their individual choices. Opponents argue that social programs allow governments to impose rules on day-to-day choices of welfare recipients because the government is paying for the services. Proponents further argue that even if government does not currently impose such rules, they may assert their ability to do so in the future.

Tiny Encryption Algorithm Tea Computer Science Essay

Tiny Encryption Algorithm Tea Computer Science Essay Today, security is an issue concern by everyone. Many ways of implementing encryption algorithms have been investigated in order to achieve better performance in terms of security level, speed, power consumption and cost. This project will discuss about implementing Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). FPGA are reconfigurable chips that the integrated circuit is designed meant for reconfigurable architecture. A FPGA chips is programmed using Hardware Description Language (HDL). TEA is an encryption algorithm or block cipher that consider fast, easy and used for many application. In this project, TEA will be implemented on Altera Cyclone II FPGA using Altera DE1 Board. Keyboard using PS2 or the SWITCH on the DE1 will be used as input. The output of the encryption and decryption data will be show on VGA monitor. The encrypted data will be store in memory. Specific Objectives In order to complete this project, there are few objectives have to be archieve. Program the Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) using verilog HDL (Hardware Description Language) Verifying the functionality of the implementation of the encryption in FPGA Perform simulation for timing analysis and the encryption process on the implementation of Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) in FPGA Experiment and test the project in practical Literature Research Cryptography Before the modern era, security communication is the primary concern in Government and Military[2]. Security communication become more important today as a result of the increasing use of the electronic communication for many daily activities such as internet banking, online shopping. Cryptography is a practical way of conveying information securely [1]. The main aim of cryptography is to allow authorized person to receive the message correctly while preventing eavesdroppers understanding the content of the message [1]. The original message is called plaintext t[1]. Plaintext will be encrypted using certain algorithms in the secure system in order to hide the meaning[1]. The output of this reversible mathematical process is called ciphertext and the algorithm used in this process is called cipher [1]. Ciphertext can be transmitted securely because ideally eavesdroppers that access to the ciphertext wont understand what the meaning is behind [1]. The reverse of this mathematical proce ss is to decrypt the ciphertext back to plaintext and this only can be done by the original recipients [1]. The processes of encryption and decryption are shown in Figure 1. Eavesdropper Plaintext Encryption Ciphertext Plaintext Decryption Figure 1 Encryption There are two types of encryption or cipher depends on the key used: Asymmetric key and Symmetric key. Symmetric key The encryption and decryption process use the same key [1]. The major problems and drawback of this key both sender and receiver must know the key prior to the transmissions [1]. If the key is transmitted then it will compromise the systems security [1]. The advantages of symmetric key is the process of encryption and decryption will be faster compare to asymmetric key, in another words it can encrypt or decrypt more data in shorter period of time [1]. Asymmetric key The encryption and decryption process use different key but both of the key are related mathematically [1]. It is very hard to obtain one from the other although they are mathematically related [1]. The public key is used for the encryption process and the private key is used for the decryption process [1]. The security of the system wont be compromised even though the public key is made available but the corresponding private key cannot be revealed to anyone [1]. Symmetric key Symmetric key is further divided into two types: Symmetric Cipher and Block Cipher. Stream Cipher Stream cipher that generates a keystream (a sequence of bits used as a key) [4]. The encryption process is usually done by combining the keystream with plaintext using bitwise XOR operation [4]. Keystream that generated is independent of the plaintext and ciphertext is called synchronous stream cipher while keystream that is generated is depent of plaintext is called self-synchronizing stream cipher [4]. Block Cipher Stream cipher that generates a keystream encrypt fixed length block of plaintext into block ciphertext that is same length [3]. The fix length is called block size. Block Cipher using same secret key for the encryption and decryption process [3]. Usually, the size of block cipher is 64 bits [3]. By increasing the size of block cipher to 128 bits will make the processors become more sophisticated [3]. Stream Cipher vs Block Cipher Stream cipher is a type of symmetric encryption algorithm that can be designed to be exceptionally fast and even much faster compare to block cipher [4]. Stream ciphers normally process on less bits while block ciphers can process large blocks of data [4]. Plaintext that encrypted using block cipher will result in the same ciphertext when the same key is used [4]. With a stream cipher, the transformation of thse smaller plaintext units will vary depending on when they are encountered during the encryption process [4]. Stream Cipher Block Cipher Block Size Depends Fixed Encryption/Decryption Speed Fast Slower Size of block data can be process Small Larger Figure 2: Comparison of Stream Cipher and Block Cipher Figure 3 below shows different type of algorithm table.jpgFigure 3 :Different type of encryption algorithm Tiny Encryption Algorithm is implemented in this project because it is one type of cipher encryption algorithm that encrypt 64 bits of plaintext using a 128 bits of key into a 64 bits ciphertext. TEA Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) is a Feistel type routine designed by David J. Wheeler and Roger M. Needham. It used addition and subtraction as the reversible operators [5]. XOR and ADD alternately used in the routine provide nonlinearity [5]. The Dual bit shifting in the routine cause all the bits and data mixed repeatedly [5]. The three XOR, ADD and SHIFT operation will provide Shannons properties of diffusion and confusion necessary for a secure block cipher without the need for P-boxes and S-boxes [6]. TEA is a feistel cipher that split the plaintext into halves [7]. A sub key will be applied to the one half of plaintext in the round function, F [8]. Then the output of the F will be XOR with other half before the two halves are swapped [8]. All same patterns applied to the entire round except the last round where there is often no swap [8]. Figure 2 below show a Feistel cipher diagram where 64 bits of plaintext is divided into halves which are equally 32 bits each part. 128 bits of key is used for the encryption and decryption process and it is spitted into 32 bits subkey [7]. TEA.png Figure 4: Two Fiestal round(one cycle) of TEA The encryption and decryption routine of Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) written in C language [5]. void encrypt (uint32_t* v, uint32_t* k, uint32_t* v1) { uint32_t v0=v[0], sum=0, i; /* set up */ uint32_t delta=0x9e3779b9; /* a key schedule constant */ uint32_t k0=k[0], k1=k[1], k2=k[2], k3=k[3]; /* cache key */ for (i=0; i sum += delta; v0 += ((v1>5) + k1); v1 += ((v0>5) + k3); } /* end cycle */ v[0]=v0; v[1]=v1; } void decrypt (uint32_t* v, uint32_t* k, uint32_t* v1) { uint32_t v0=v[0], sum=0xC6EF3720, i; /* set up */ uint32_t delta=0x9e3779b9; /* a key schedule constant */ uint32_t k0=k[0], k1=k[1], k2=k[2], k3=k[3]; /* cache key */ for (i=0; i v1 -= ((v0>5) + k3); v0 -= ((v1>5) + k1); sum -= delta; } /* end cycle */ v[0]=v0; v[1]=v1; } [5] delta is derived from the golden number where delta = Architectures Untitled.jpg Figure 5: TEA architectures TEA is implemented using three different architectures. The first architecture (Figure 3a) is a multiple 32 bit adders that simultaneously perform operations needed for one encryption cycle [6]. This parallel form structure should be quite large in terms of hardware area but will perform faster [6]. On the other hands, in order to reduce the area, the second architecture (Figure 3b) performs operations sequentially using a single 32 bit adder [6]. The last design (Figure 3c) is a 8 bit digit-serial adders that use advance architecture offered by application-specific hardware solution [6]. The latter two design are meant for low area solutions but in terms of control and data selection, the effectiveness remain confirmed [6]. Software vs Hardware Implementation of Encryption Implementation of encryption using software is easier to design and upgrade, it also portable and flexible [7]. One of the major problems of software implementation is in most typical personal computer have external memory out from the processor, the external memory is used to store raw data or instruction in unencrypted form so if an attacker gain access to the system, the key can be easier obtained [7]. One of the most common way used by the attacker is bruteforce, a special program can be easily design to bruteforce the algorithm. Besides this, reverse engineering method easier to apply on software implementation. So it can be concluded that software implementation is lack of physical security[7]. Implementation of encryption using hardware by naturally is physically more secure as they are hard to read and view by attacker [7]. Another advantage of hardware implementation is all the data in the encryption process is correlated according to an algorithm which usually perform operation on same data [7]. This will prevent computer technique such as out of order execution and cause hang to the system [7]. Hardware implementation also tend to be more parallel so more orders of magnitudes can be done at certain period of time [7]. Hardware implementation is will be better choice for encryption in terms of performance but the cost of implementation is higher compare to software implementation. Higher security level and better performance is the main concern in this project, so the encryption will be implemented on FPGA, one of the hardware implementation method. Microcontroller, Microprocessor, DSP Processor and FPGA Microprocessor The first microprocessors invented in the 1970s [10]. This is the first time where such an amazing devices put a computer CPU onto a single IC [10]. The significant processing was available at rather low cost, in comparatively small space [10]. At beginning stage, all other functions, like input/output interfacing and memory were outside the microprocessor [10]. Gradually all the other functions in embedded into a single chip [10]. At the same time, microprocessor becoming more powerful in terms on the speed, power consumption and so on [10]. Microprocessor is moving rapidly from 8 bits to 32 bits [10]. Microcontroller A microcontroller is an inexpensive single-chip computer [9]. The entire computer system lies within the confines of the integrated circuit chip, so it is called a single chip computer [9]. The microcontroller on the encapsulated sliver of silicon has features similar to those personal computers [9]. Mainly, the microcontroller is able to store and run a program [9]. The microcontroller contains a CPU (central processing unit), ROM (random-access memory), RAM (random-access memory), Input/Output lines, and oscillator, serial and parallel ports [9]. Some more advanced microcontroller also have other built in peripherals such as A/D (analog-to-digital) converter [9]. DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Processor DSP processor is a specialized microprocessor optimized to process digital signal [12][13]. Most of the DSP processors are commonly designed to have basic features such as high performance, repetitive and numerically intensive tasks so DSP processor often have advantage in terms of speed, cost and energy efficiency [11]. DSP processor have the avility to perform one or more multiply accumulate operations (often called MACs) in a single instruction cycle [14]. FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) Xilinx Co-Founders, Ross Freeman and Bernard Vonderschmitt, invented the first commercially viable field programmable gate array in 1985 the XC2064. FPGA is integrated circuit for reconfigurable purposes by user after manufacturer. FPGA is generally specified using Hardware Description language (HDL). FPGA can be programmed to perform logic function and due to this ability, FPGA become more popular. Using FPGA for design can lower non recurring Engineering cost and apply on many application. Hardware Architectures comparison The figure 6 below show the comparison of different architectures used for hardware implementation on encryption. Architecture Efficiency Performance Non recurring Engineering Cost Unit Cost Microprocessor Low Low Low Low Microcontroller Low Low Low Low DSP processor Moderate Moderate Low Moderate FPGA High High Low High Figure 6: Architectures Comparison Comparing the four architectures above, FPGA have the advantage in terms of the efficiency Performance but the unit cost is high. Since costing is not a major concern in this project, so FPGA is better choice for implementing Tiny Encryption Algorithm. Altera DE1 Development and Education Board Altera DE1 is a FPGA Development and Education Board that will be used for this project [17]. Below is the features of this board: DE1_intro_500x.png Figure 7: Altera DE1 Board Altera Cyclone II 2C20 FPGA with 20000 LEs Altera Serial Configuration deivices (EPCS4) for Cyclone II 2C20 USB Blaster built in on board for programming and user API controlling JTAG Mode and AS Mode are supported 8Mbyte (1M x 4 x 16) SDRAM 4Mbyte Flash Memory 512Kbyte(256Kx16) SRAM SD Card Socket 4 Push-button switches 10 DPDT switches 8 Green User LEDs 10 Red User LEDs 4 Seven-segment LED displays 50MHz oscillator ,24MHz oscillator ,27MHz oscillator and external clock sources 24-bit CD-Quality Audio CODEC with line-in, line-out, and microphone-in jacks VGA DAC (4-bit R-2R per channel) with VGA out connector RS-232 Transceiver and 9-pin connector PS/2 mouse/keyboard connector Two 40-pin Expansion Headers DE1 Lab CD-ROM which contains many examples with source code Size ¼Ã… ¡153*153 mm There are few features of DE1 Board will be used for this project. PS/2 mouse/keyboard connector PS/2 keyboard is used as input for the plaintext 4 Push button switches used as a reset button VGA DAC (4-bit R-2R per channel) with VGA out connector VGA monitor is connected to the DE1 board to show the input of plaintext and the output of the encryption, cipher text 4Mbyte Flash Memory Used to store the ciphertext VGA controller IBM introduce video display standard called VGA (video graphics array) in the late 1980s that widely supported by PC graphics hardware and monitors [18]. Figure 8: Simplified Block Diagram of VGA Controller The vga_sync circuit generates timing and synchronization signals [18]. The hsync and vsync signals are connected to the VGA port to control the horizontal and vertical scans of the monitor [18]. Two signals which are pixel_x and pixel_y are decoded from the internal counters [18]. The pixel_x and pixel_y signals indicate the relative positions of the scans and essentially specify the location of the current pixel [18]. Videl_on signal is generated from vga_sync to check whether the display is enable or disable [18]. The pixel generation circuit generate three video signal which is RGB signal [18]. The current coordinates of the pixel (pixel_x and pixel_y), external control and data signals determine the color value [18]. PS/2 Controller IBM introduced PS2 port in personal computers [18]. It is a widely used interface for keyboard and mouse to communicate with the host [18]. PS2 port consists of two wires for communication purposes [18]. One wire for transmitting data in serial stream while another wire is for the clock information which determine when the data is valid and can be retrieved [18]. The data is transmitted in 11 bit packet that contains 8 bits of data, an odd parity bit and stop bit [18]. Figure 9: Timing Diagram of a PS/2 port Quartus II Web Edition Quartus II Web Edition design software is a comprehensive environment available for system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) design developed by Altera [19]. This software is used in this project to program and implement the Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) on Altera DE1 Cyclone II FPGA [19]. This program also can be used for the simulation and timing analysis [19]. Hardware Description Language (HDL) Hard description language (HDL) is a type of programming languages used to program and describe digital logic or electronic circuits [20]. It can describe circuit operation, its design and organization [20]. Figure 10 below shows different type of Hardware Description Language commonly used. HDL Syntax Similarity AHDL Ada programming Language VHDL Ada Programming Language JHDL Java Verilog C Programming Language Figure 10 : Different type of HDL Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL) is used to program the FPGA in this project because it is a widely used HDL and it syntax is similar the C programming language. Methodology Block Diagram VGA Monitor PS/2 Keyboard VGA Controller Plaintext TEA Encryption Core Flash Memory 64 Bits Ciphertext PS/2 Controller Key 128 Bits 64 Bits Encryption/Decryption Acknowledge Key Update Request Busy Asynchronous Reset Clock Figure 11: Core Module The Blog Diagram above explains the design of this project. PS/2 keyboard used as input for the plaintext. All the data from the PS/2 keyboard will be sent into PS/2 controller to process. The processed data, 128 Bits or key or 64 Bits of plaintext will sent into the TEA encryption core for encryption. The output of the encryption, ciphertext will store inside the flash memory. All the plaintext and cipher text will send into VGA controller to process and show on the CRT monitor. The encryption/decryption will be connected to the DPDT switch to switch between encryption or decryption mode. Key Update Request also connected to the DPDT switch for the purpose of updating the key when the switch is on. Asynchronous reset is connected to the push button for the reset purpose. There are internal clock inside the DE1 board so no external clock is needed for this project. Algorithm and Implementation Verification The original Tiny Encryption Algorithm C source code by the author will be compiled or get a compiled executable program from other source to analyze the encryption of plaintext to ciphertext and decryption of ciphertext back to plaintext. A set of plaintext, ciphertext and key can generated from the program as a reference and compare with the encryption and decryption output implemented on FPGA. Figure 12 is an example of compiled executable program of Tiny Encryption Algorithm by Andreas Jonsson TEA.jpg Figure 12 Costing Estimation Components Quantity Price Altera De1 Board [17] 1 RM 512.84 Used 15 Samsung SyncMaster CRT monitor 1 RM50.00 Used PS/2 Keyboard 1 RM10.00 Total RM572.84 Gantt Chart ganchart.jpg Research analysis will be start from week 6 till week 8. Verilog coding on the implementation of TEA and module and test bench verification this 2 task must perform parallel because after finish a certain module, it should be test and simulate. If simulation or test is done after finish the whole coding, there will be a big problem in debugging the error. The synthesis of PS/2 keyboard, VGA monitor and FPGA start week 20 just before finish the coding. The functionality verification task also runs parallel with the synthesis optimization task. References and Figures Figures Figure 4: Tiny Encryption Algorithm .Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Encryption_Algorithm (Accessed: 30 October 2009) Figure 5: Israsena. P, Design and Implementation of Low Power Hardware Encryption for Low Cost Secure RFID Using TEA . Information, Communications and Signal Processing, 2005 Fifth International Conference on 0-0 0 Page(s):1402 1406, DOI 10.1109/ICICS.2005.1689288. Available at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=arnumber=1689288isnumber=35625 (Accessed : 26 October 2009) Figure 7: Available at: http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?Language=EnglishNo=83 ( Accessed : 28 October 2009) Figure 8: Pong P. Chu (2008) FPGA Prototyping by Verilog Examples :John Wiley Sons Figure 9: Pong P. Chu (2008) FPGA Prototyping by Verilog Examples :John Wiley Sons

Absolutism Essay -- English History French History Papers

Absolutism During the pre-Enlightenment period, France and England went through very dramatic and very different government change. At the beginning of this time period, England had achieved relative stability, due largely in part to Elizabeth I long and successful reign. On the other hand, France had been subjected to numerous civil and religious wars, therefore leading to instability. French absolutism was largely a result of these crises and tragedies, with the country recognizing the need for a strong, powerful leader, which they found during the long and successful reign of Louis XIV. In England however, many problems arose due to a series of short and incapable rulers, beginning with James I and ending with James II. During Louis XIV’s reign, he was able to create a strong and stable absolute state by controlling the French nobility. Previously, during Louis XIII reign, the nobility had a great deal of power, and the French government was not centralized. Instead, the nobles acted as the middlemen, regulating the taxes and military of the French regions. The peasants paid taxes directly to the nobles, who kept a certain portion for themselves and then paid the remainder to the King. Individual regions raised and paid for their own armies; when the king required military help, the army came from these semi-private sources. Religiously, the state was also controlled by the nobles due to the Edict of Nantes, which gave the nobles the power to determine the religion of their lands. These factors lead to a divided French state, which reduced the power of Louis XIII. France was subjected to various civil wars and wars of religion, and the future king, Louis XIV, witnessing this period of unrest, vowed to impleme... ...V had achieved, and the English people feared their religious freedom was being jeopardized. These circumstances would then lead to England’s â€Å"Glorious Revolution,† which would take on the unpopular monarchy and defeat it, thereby putting William and Mary in the English throne. France and England underwent very different changes during the seventeenth century. While France transformed from an instability, war-torn country to a united, prosperous nation, England did just the opposite. France’s success can be largely attributed to Louis XIV long reign, and England’s decline was caused by a series of short rules by vastly different rulers. The rise of absolutism in France proved Louis’s power over his people, and the rise of constitutionalism and parliamentary power in France was due to monarchial weaknesses and strained relations between the two governing bodies.

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Essay

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the poem "Let America Be America Again," Langston Hughes paints a vivid word picture of a depressed America in the 1930's. To many living in America, the idealism presented as the American Dream had escaped their grasp. In this poetic expression, a speaker is allowed to voice the unsung Americans' concern of how America was intended to be, had become to them, and could aspire to be again.    Using a conversational style, the author allows the speaker and listener to interact with each other. The issue addressed is that America is not the democratic ideal of all of its people. The original speaker begins in a fairly common quatrain stanza; however, when the listener is allowed to respond, the stanzas become irregular indicating the passion felt as well as the urgency of the message. The listener's response contains the main idea of the piece, comparing the democratic ideal to the conditions of those who are victims because of race, age, or economic status. The author's careful use of alliteration in phrases such as "pushed apart" (19) and "slavery's scars" (20) emphasizes the struggles and alienation experienced by less fortunate Americans.    The speaker begins the narration by making a statement that America should return to the idealistic way it used to be: "Let it be the dream it used to be" (2). Then the narrator continues to relate nostalgically the longing for an America built on freedom and equality for all. This could be the dream of the author himself. Wagner states of the author, "Like his first masters Whitman and Sandburg, like his fellow black Toomer, and like so many other American poets of the period, Lan... ...tion in Depression" (Ramperstad 371). Commenting on this poem and its author, Langston Hughes, Ramperstad observes, "Perhaps his finest poem of the thirties combined his will to revolution with his Whitman-like nostalgia for a vanishing America." Hughes gives us a richer insight of American idealism, American realism, and what, "America will be!" (73).    Works Cited Hughes, Langston. "Let America Be America Again." _Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing_. 4th ed. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1995. 723-24. Rampersad, Arnold. "Langston Hughes." _Voices & Visions: the Poet in America_. Ed. Helen Vendler. New York: Random House, 1987. 352-93. Wagner, Jean. "Langston Hughes." _Black Poets of the United States_. Trans. Kenneth Douglas. Chicago: U of Illinois P, 1973, 385-474.   

Pele :: Biography

Time magazine of London stated early in his career, â€Å"How do you spell Pelà ©? G-O-D† (3). The greatest soccer player in the history of the sport is unquestionably Pelà ©. His statistic rà ©sumà © is unmatched by anyone who has ever played this great sport. He began his career on a high note, and never let off until his retirement. Even after his career ended he helped to work for a world for children. Pele’s life did not begin idealistically, only by chance was he discovered, but he grew to be the greatest soccer player ever and he used that fame and fortune to do even greater deeds for the less fortunate. Pelà ©, born in Tres Coracos, Brazil on October 23, 1940 and was named Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but went by â€Å"Dico† (1 & 2). His parents, Dondinho and Celeste Nascimento, were very poor, and when their son was not playing soccer he shined shoes for pennies when he was a child (2). At age 11, Dico was discovered by one of Brazil’s premiere soccer players of the time, Waldemar de Brito, while he was playing soccer with some friends in the street (2). Brito worked with him for 4 years before he started to take him for professional clubs to evaluate him (2). When he brought Dico to a team in Santos from Chile, Brito declared to the disbelieving directors â€Å"this boy will be the greatest soccer player in the world† (2). The bragging worked and in his first professional game young Edson, who came to be known as Pelà ©, scored 4 goals, leading Santos to a 7-1 victory (2). By the age of 16 he had secured a starting position on the team. He also had earned a position on the Brazilian national team in only his second year pro (2). At the age of 17, Pelà © played in the 1958 World Cup of soccer (1). He surprised the world by scoring six goals throughout the tournament, including two in the championship game of Brazil’s 5-2 victory over Sweden to give Brazil its first World Cup trophy (1). In the 1970 tournament he scored a dazzling goal in the win against Italy, and it was Brazil’s 100th World Cup goal and the one he remembers the most (3). Brazil, unfortunately, did not win that tournament, but Pelà © assisted them in winning two others, totaling up to winning three world cups within 12 years (1).

Mergers and Acquisition Essay

Why are there mergers and acquisitions? Mergers and acquisitions take place for a number of reasons, such as refinancing for a better price, amplifying expansion, and submerging risk through diversification. New entities may drag behind after a merger takes place due to the higher cost of matching different and unconnected economic activities. Diversification by business groups may also reduce technical effectiveness. When a merger takes place, a bigger business groups emerges from the two which usually will have more economic and political influence In this paper, we will assess the impact of mergers and acquisitions on firms, including sensible† and dubious reasons for, and benefits and costs of, cash and stock transactions. We will also be sure to examine the financial risks of merging with or acquiring an organization in another country and how those risks could be mitigated. First we will we will assess the impact of mergers and acquisitions on firms while also touching on the benefits and costs of, cash and stock transactions. Who gains from mergers? Typically, the selling firm tends to be impacted favorably by the merge and/or acquisition rather than the firm acquiring the selling firm. Studies demonstrate that most of the benefits from mergers and acquisitions were earned by the selling firm, not the acquiring company. For example, recent research found that holders in the acquiring firm earned an estimated 4% return on their investment with the completed acquisition in contrast to the holders of the target firm whom typically received a 30% return on their investment. So, to imply that mergers and acquisitions do not create benefits would not be correct because the acquiring firms are paying too much money for their acquisitions. There are many sensible and dubious reasons for mergers and acquisitions. Many times the reason for acquisitions is for expansion. Expansion that is not limited by internal resources means there is no reduction of working capital which crates many benefits such as; stocks can be exchanged faster, assets can be purchased more quickly rather than building, better technology can be gained as well as resources and skills, and the tax benefits can sometimes give the new company better operating leverage in their particular market. Smaller firms will usually always gain from merging with larger firms because larger firms have better equipment, resources, and technology. The aforementioned reasons make the merged firms more effective in daily operations, which in turn, make the merged firms more alluring to their current and potential clients. Mergers and acquisitions also help reduce the merged firm’s risk by diffusing their debt and risk among the various companies with the firm. Oftentimes firms will merge in order to gain a larger market share within their perspective fields. For example, AT&T recently merged with Cingular Wireless to become the nation’s largest telephone network and gain the highest market share of customers in telecommunications, thus trying to eliminate competition. Now, we will discuss the financial risks of merging with or acquiring companies in another country. There are many financial risks of merging or acquiring companies in another country. One, oftentimes there are culture clashes between the foreign firm and the home firm. These cultural clashes sometimes lead to losing valuable managers and workers to other firms because they do not desire to live in another country. Two, there may be a conflict of intentions in two different countries which could spell disaster for all firms involved. Other financial risks can include; foreign exchange rates, lawyer, banker, and brokers fees. Firms must know foreign banking and business laws such as the proper filings they must report with the SEC and foreign officials. Many consideration must be taken when considering merging /and or acquiring a foreign firm. In this paper, we assessed the impact of mergers and acquisitions on firms which we found to be more beneficial to the smaller of the merging firms due to their gaining of better equipment and resources. We found that there are indeed many sensible and dubious reasons for, and benefits and costs of, cash and stock transactions which include risk diversification among the merged firms. We examined the financial risks of merging with or acquiring an organization in another country and conclude that mitigation can be done by ensuring that the proper laws and culture differences are overcome before merging. References Brealey, R., Myers, S., Marcus, A. (2004). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. Chapter 22: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Control. Retrieved from the internet on April 22, 2007 from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary/content/eReader.h#Investopedia.com.(2007). Retrieved from the internet on April 22, 2007 from www.investopedia.com/university/mergers/mergers4.asp – 36k –