Antonio Vivaldi 8 free essay sample

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice, the capital of the Republic of Venice. He was baptized immediately at his home by the midwife. It is not known how the life of the infant was in danger, but the immediate baptism was most likely due to his poor health or to an earthquake that shook the city that day. Vivaldis official church baptism (at least, the rites that remained other than the actual baptism itself) did not take place until two months later. His father, Giovanni Battista, a barber before becoming a professional violinist, taught him to play violin and then toured Venice playing the violin with his young son. Giovanni Battista was one of the founders of the Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia, a sort of trade union for musicians and composers. The president of the association was Giovanni Legrenzi, the maestro di cappella at St. Marks Basilica and noted early Baroque composer. We will write a custom essay sample on Antonio Vivaldi 8 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is possible that the young Antonios first lessons in composition were imparted by him. The Luxembourg scholar Walter Kolneder sees in the early liturgical work Laetatus sum (RV Anh 31, written in 1691 at the age of 13) the influence of Legrenzis style. His father may have been a composer himself: in 1688, an opera titled La Fedelta sfortunata was composed by a Giovanni Battista Rossi, and this was the name under which Vivaldis father had joined the Sovvegno di Santa Cecilia (Rossi for Red, because of the colour of his hair, a family trait). Vivaldi had a medical problem that he called the tightening of the chest (probably some form of asthma). His medical problem, however, did not prevent him from learning to play the violin, composing, or taking part in many musical activities. However, he could not play wind instruments due to his lack of breath. At the age of 15 in the year of 1693, he began studying to become a priest. In 1703, at the age of 25, Vivaldi was ordained a priest and was soon nicknamed il Prete Rosso, The Red Priest, probably because of his red hair. Not long after his ordination, in 1704, he was given a reprieve from celebrating the Holy Mass because of his ill health. From that point onward, he appears to have withdrawn from active practice, but did remain a priest. Style and influence Many of Vivaldis compositions reflect a flamboyant, almost playful, exuberance. Most of Vivaldis repertoire was rediscovered only in the first half of the 20th century in Turin and Genoa and was published in the second half. Vivaldis music is innovative, breaking a consolidated tradition in schemes; he gave brightness to the formal and the rhythmic structure of the concerto, repeatedly looking for harmonic contrasts and innovative melodies and themes. Moreover, Vivaldi was able to compose nonacademic music, particularly meant to be appreciated by the wide public and not only by an intellectual minority. The joyful appearance of his music reveals in this regard a transmissible joy of composing; these are among the causes of the vast popularity of his music. This popularity soon made him famous in other countries such as France which was, at the time, very independent concerning its musical taste. Vivaldi is considered one of the composers who brought Baroque music (with its typical contrast among heavy sonorities) to evolve into a classical style. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldis concertos and arias (recalled in his Johannes Passion, Matthauspassion, and cantatas). Bach transcribed a number of Vivaldis concerti for solo keyboard, along with a number for orchestra, including the famous Concerto for Four Violins and Violoncello, Strings and Continuo (RV 580). [edit] Posthumous reputation Vivaldi remained unknown for his published concerti, and largely ignored, even after the resurgence of interest in Bach, pioneered by Mendelssohn. Even his most famous work, The Four Seasons, was unknown in its original edition. In the early 20th century, Fritz Kreislers concerto in the style of Vivaldi, which he passed off as an original Vivaldi work, helped revive Vivaldis reputation. This impelled the French scholar Marc Pincherle to begin academic work on Vivaldis oeuvre. The discovery of many Vivaldi manuscripts and their acquisition by the National University of Turin Library (with the generous sponsorship of Roberto Foa and Filippo Giordano, in memory of their sons, respectively, Mauro and Renzo) led to renewed interest in Vivaldi. People such as Marc Pincherle, Mario Rinaldi, Alfredo Casella, Ezra Pound, Olga Rudge, Arturo Toscanini, and Louis Kaufman were instrumental in the Vivaldi revival of the 20th century. The resurrection of Vivaldis unpublished works in the 20th century is mostly thanks to the efforts of Alfredo Casella, who in 1939 organised the now historic Vivaldi Week, in which the rediscovered Gloria (RV 589) and lOlimpiade were first heard again. Since World War II, Vivaldis compositions have enjoyed almost universal success, and the advent of historically informed performances has only increased his fame. In 1947, the Venetian businessman Antonio Fanna founded the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi, with the composer Gian Francesco Malipiero as its artistic director, having the purpose of promoting Vivaldis music and publishing new editions of his works. A movie titled Vivaldi, a Prince in Venice was completed in 2005 as an Italian-French coproduction under the direction of Jean-Louis Guillermou, featuring Stefano Dionisi in the title role and Michel Serrault as the bishop of Venice. Another film inspired by the life of the composer was in a preproduction state for several years and has the working title Vivaldi. Filming was scheduled to begin in 2007, but was canceled and tentatively rescheduled for 2008. [citation needed] 2008 Europe Taler featuring Vivaldi among other famous European peopleAntonio Vivaldi is also featured on the 2008 Europe Taler. Vivaldis music, together with that of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Corelli, has been included in the theories of Alfred Tomatis on the effects of music on human behaviour and used in music therapy. His compositions include: Over 500 concerti; approximately 350 of these are for solo instrument and strings, and of these about 230 are for violin; the others are for bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, viola damore, recorder, lute, and mandolin. Approximately 40 concerti are for two instruments and strings, and approximately 30 are for three or more instruments and strings. 46 operas sinfonias 73 sonatas chamber music (even if some sonatas for flute, as Il Pastor Fido, have been erroneously attributed to him, but were composed by Chedeville). sacred music His most famous work is 1723s Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons). In essence, it resembled an early example of a tone poem, where he attempted to capture all the moods of the four seasons without the use of percussion to dramatize the effects he sought to portray. (See section above for more detailed description. ) [edit] 1926 and 1930 discoveries As one biography describes it:[7] â€Å" The fate of the Italian composers legacy is unique. After the Napoleonic wars, it was thought that a large part of Vivaldis work had been irrevocably lost. However, in the autumn of 1926, after a detectivelike search by researchers, 14 folios of Vivaldis previously unknown religious and secular works were found in the library of a monastery in Piedmont. Some even- and odd-numbered volumes were missing, and so the search continued. Finally, in October 1930, the missing volumes were found to be with the descendants of the Grand Duke Durazzo, who had acquired the property as early as the eighteenth century. To its amazement, the world of music was presented with 300 concerts for various instruments and 18 operas, not counting a number of arias and more than 100 vocal-instrumental pieces. Such an impressive list of newly unearthed opuses warranted a re-evaluation of Vivaldis creativity. † [edit] Recent discoveries Recently, four sacred vocal works by Vivaldi have been discovered in the Saxon State Library in Dresden. These compositions were improperly attributed to Baldassare Galuppi, a Venetian composer of the early classical period, mostly famous for his choral works. In the 1750s or 1760s, the Saxon court asked for some sacred works by Galuppi from the Venetian copyist Don Giuseppe Baldan. Baldan included, among authentic works by Galuppi, the four compositions by Vivaldi, passing them ff as Galuppis. He probably obtained the originals from two of Vivaldis nephews, (Carlo Vivaldi and Daniele Mauro), who worked under him as copyists. The recognition of Vivaldis authorship could be made by analyzing style and instrumentation and by recognizing arias from Vivaldis operas. The two most recent among these discoveries are two psalm settings of Nisi Dominus (RV 803, in eight movements) and Dixit Dominus (RV 807, in eleven movements), identified in 2003 and 2005, respectively, by the Australian scholar Janice Stockigt. RV 803 was recorded for the first time in 2005 by the Kings Consort under the direction of Robert King. The world premiere of any part of RV 807 took place on 9 August 2005, at Melba Hall, University of Melbourne [8]. It was recorded in full for the first time in 2006 by the Dresdner Instrumental-Concert under the direction of Peter Kopp. Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot called it arguably the best nonoperatic work from Vivaldis pen to come to light since the 1920s. [9] [edit] Argippo Vivaldis opera Argippo (RV 697) premiered in the Palace of Count Spork, Prague in 1730. The libretto was preserved but the music was presumed to have been lost until portions of it (over two thirds) was discovered in the private archive of the Thurn und Taxis house in Regensburg, in 2006 by harpsichordist and conductor Ondrej Macek. He stated: I found out that in 1733, three years after the premiere, the Italian music ensemble appeared in Regensburg. Theyd been invited there after the theatre in Prague burnt down. [10] Macek used other arias from Vivaldi and said: I used music from operas he wrote at the time, shortly before and after the date of the premiere, and sometimes they [the arias] fit really perfectly. Ondrej Macek and his Hofmusici orchestra chose Prague Castle (seat of the Czech presidency) the 16th-century Spanish, and was performed by 13 singers and 24 musicians[11] on May 3, 2008, the first performance since 1730. The opera is set in an Indian royal court and centers around a young princess smitten by a dishonest suitor. It has three acts and lasts

After The Fall Essays - Marilyn Monroe, Joseph McCarthy, Free Essays

After The Fall Essays - Marilyn Monroe, Joseph McCarthy, Free Essays After The Fall After the Fall Arthur Miller has written many great plays in his life, such as A View from the Bridge ,Death of a Salesman ,The Misfits, The Crucible, and After the Fall. Out of all his plays it is said that After the Fall is the darkest plays he has written. I believe that this is a true statement, and that the reasons this is his darkest play is because it deals with his inner feelings on thing that he had to deal with in his life. The certain aspects that he touched in this play are his marriage with Marilyn Monroe , who was a great actress in her time. Marilyn is portrayed though the character Maggie who is a very innocent girl who, like Marilyn, was looked at mainly as a sex symbol. After the Fall also deals with Millers brush with authorities over communism in the 50s. To describe this concept Miller describes himself as a lawyer who is defending an old friend who is being threaded as being a communist or portraying communistic ideas in his latest book. Though out the play the main character, Quentin deals with his relationships with women. Two of the women who play very important roles are his wife Louise, and his mother ,Rose. Lousie tries to break out of the traditional idea that the wife is there to just cook, clean, take care of both the children and the husband, and be what is portrayed to me as a robot, where she does not have any thoughts of her own. Rose is what every Jewish mother is described as. She is seen as a strong woman, has a lot of say in what is going on, seems to have an icy touch when dealing with certain people, but is always trying to look on the good side of things. His mother is the ideal woman who Quentin holds every other woman in his life up to. The back round of most of the play is set in the early 1950 during the McCarthy trials. By 1950 the senate was in an era of anti-Communist hysteria. Senator Joseph McCarthy launched a series of highly publicized investigations in the State Department, Hollywood, and even the U.S. Army. This was intend to root out Communism. The aggressive attacks that McCarthy launched lead to a wide spread fear and suspicion though many sectors of American society. Since McCarthy had little evidence to back his claims up McCarthy fell into disfavor. In 1954 he was censured by the Senate for abusing his authority.

Persuasive research paper- concealed handgun laws Essay

Persuasive research paper- concealed handgun laws - Essay Example Pro Majority of the criminals are less daring to target individuals who are highly trained and fully equipped with weapons. Citizens must take privilege of this fact and utilize it for their personal protection. They must use the lawful approach for acquisition of legally authorized protective weapons. The armed officials can take absolute advantage of the fact that criminals mostly tend to attack people who are unarmed, and disguise themselves in general public attire to trap the criminals. In 2000, John Lott, PhD conducted a research that clearly asserted that â€Å"shall-issue† commandments have diminished slaughtering by 8.5%, intensified the attacks by 7%, abductions by 5%, and burglary by 3% (Wilson 60). Lott further clarified that if government would have passed the law of authorization of obscured handguns in 1992, which it dissolved in the year 1977, then 1570 assassinated people, 4177 abductions, 60,000 exaggerated attacks and 12000 burglaries would have been avoided in these fifteen years. The modified US bill clearly states that the possession of unrevealed handguns is absolutely lawful and it is not an offense. The modified US constitution further elaborates that there is no harm in legalizing the possession of hidden guns by private army personnel, and there is undoubtedly a dire need for such measures for the security of the people living in a democratic nation. According to the 1997 statistics of National Crime Victimization Assessment, the burglary and battering sufferers who had guns to protect themselves were less probably harassed or experienced a grievance, as compared to those implementing alternative techniques of self-protection, or those people who do not oppose at all in self defense (Wilson 55). Though carrying a concealed handgun is not always a necessity for a grown-up, but it undoubtedly generates a strong sense of self protection in an individual and delivers a state of liberation to go outdoors at night or in treacherous a reas. Many grown-ups who are lawfully carrying concealed handguns are honest and self controlled people who do not abuse their weapons and do not violate the county’s laws. In a report by William Sturdevant (2000) circulated by Texas Concealed Handgun Association website, the common man encounters a 5.7 times greater incidence of being lawfully punished for brutal crimes and 13.5 times more probable to be put up in police lock-ups for peaceful wrongdoings, than licensed hidden arms holders (Bird 38). Bearing a secret handgun possibly will aid in finishing public victimization extravaganzas. If there was a citizen carrying concealed handgun during the slaughtering incidents that were experienced during 1999 in the Columbine High School in Virgina Tech firing event on April 17,2009; then several lives could have been saved. The management cannot assure the security of its inhabitants (Elmer 2012). Every citizen must understand that it is their individual responsibility to prote ct themselves, their families and their community. Any citizen who considers himself bold enough to proudly take this responsibility, then government must not create an obstacle for that person in legal acquisition of concealed handguns. The question of importance that arises here is that if criminals can illegitimately avail concealed hand guns to victimize the innocent people, then why they should the responsible citizens suffer more by

Cancer (carcinoma or sarcoma) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cancer (carcinoma or sarcoma) - Essay Example In some cases the myeloma cells collect in one bone and form a single tumor known as plasmacytoma. In other cases, myeloma cells collect in many bones resulting in the formation of bone tumors. This condition is known as multiple myeloma. (â€Å"Stanford Cancer Center†) There are some cases, though, when myeloma develops from a harmless condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or MGUS. This condition is indicated by the presence of monoclonal proteins produced by abnormal plasma cells in the blood. (â€Å"Mayo Clinic†) Generally, the balance between proliferation and programmed cell death is maintained by firmly regulating these processes to ensure that organs and tissues are well functioning. However, mutations in DNA that cause cancer disturb these systematized processes by affecting the programming and regulating processes. The normal balance between proliferation and cell death is apparently disrupted. (â€Å"Carcinogenesis†) Particularly for myeloma, the group of abnormal plasma cells multiplies, thus, raising the percentage of plasma cells to more than 10%. Under normal conditions, plasma cells usually make up less than 5% of the bone marrow. (â€Å"Mayo Clinic†) Although the exact cause of myeloma is not known, doctors believe that this sickness begins with a single abnormal cell in the bone marrow. This aberrant cell would then multiply. It should be noted that abnormal cells do not mature and die in the same way as normal cells do. With this, they accumulate and eventually overwhelm the production of healthy cells. (â€Å"Mayo Clinic†) Myeloma cells can also populate the other bone marrow sites in the body since they can travel in low numbers in the blood. If the growth and spread of plasma cells remain uncontrolled, bones and surrounding tissues can be damaged. (â€Å"Mayo Clinic†) Moreover, research proved that there is common abnormality in the DNA of abnormal plasma

Out of Body Experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Out of Body Experiences - Essay Example In general terms, an out of body experience can be defined as a situation where individuals think, considering their minds as separate from the body (Nicholls 5). Actually, out of body experiences make people to imagine that they are working with the brains only while the body is at a different place or it is observing the work of the mind. A comprehensive analysis of out-of-body experiences provides several features, which can be very useful in understanding people’s life. Out of body experiences are mainly evident when people are left alone in places that are free from disturbance. Basically, people face out of body experiences when they are left to think freely in a place far from disruption. When left free, an individual is able to picture several life aspects in the past and imagine some future trends. Research on people thinking patterns shows that individuals tend to forget themselves when thinking in segregated places and concentrate on the use of brain only. For instance, someone might be relaxing at a park in New York but his Mind is in Europe watching football. People’s imaginations and past life are of great influence to out of body experiences. Out of body experiences occur when people anticipate occurrence of major life events such as marriage, giving birth or death. In essence, for an out of body experience to occur, there must be some motivating factors. For instance, an expectant woman might have mixed filling regarding giving birth and start imagining things. For example, she might start picturing how life would be after giving birth and how the unborn child will survive the life challenges. A couple planning to marry with a short duration might also have out of body experiences. For instance, the lady has to picture herself as someone’s wife, something she has never gone through in life. Consequently, the man has to visualize on how the life of a provider looks like. In summary, out of body experiences are diverse and appear

Mens Rea And Actus Reus Of A Crime

Mens Rea And Actus Reus Of A Crime Two elements comprise nearly all crimes, a guilty mind (mens rea) and a guilty act (actus reus). An act does not make a man guilty of a crime, unless his mind is also guilty. It is, therefore, not the act which is guilty but respectively the man and his mind. A substantiation of an actus reus is required in every crime. Also, there is a presumption that every element of the actus reus needs proof of a consequent mens rea. Where the presumption of mens rea is not applicable, such offences are called strict liability crimes. Most crimes have the element of a mens rea. It must always be proven by the Prosecution that an unlawful conduct is committed by an accused. Furthermore, it will usually have to be proven that the accused committed with guilty mind in engaging such conduct. For instance, to ensure conviction for rape in contradiction to s.2(1), 1981 Criminal Law (Rape) Act, it must be proven by the Prosecution that the accused committed unlawful conduct (i.e., non-consensual sexual intercourse with a woman), knowing that no consent is given by the woman or being thoughtless regarding whether or not the woman was consenting (mens rea). If the guilty act (actus reus) involves the particular outcome which the criminal conduct of the accused caused, a mens rea may have to be proven by the Prosecution as well with regard to the particular outcome. The actus reus, for instance, in the crime of assault producing injury in contradiction of s.3, 1997 Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, is criminal act, i.e., an assault, and a distinct outcome (i.e., injury). Intention and Mens Rea It is impossible to explore somebodys mind to determine their intentions.  [3]  The meaning of intention, in line with s.14, 1861 Offences against the Person Act, deliberated by the Court of Criminal Appeal in The People (DPP) v. Douglas and Hayes,  [4]  provides that whoever shall fire at any person with the intention to carry out murder shall be guilty of a felony, whether or not it will result to any physical harm. The Special Criminal Court convicted the applicants inter alia of an offence in contradiction of s.14 of the 1861 Act. They argued successfully that the requisite intent under s.14 had not been proven. The courts judgment was conveyed by McWilliam J, stating that unless intent has actually been expressed by the accused, the intent of the accused can only be determined from a consideration of his actions and the surrounding circumstances. What the accused intend or did not intend, only he can know such. Apparently, if the accused expressed the intention to do a thing and carried on to accomplish that intention, proving that the accused acted with intent will be reasonably simple. Conversely, lacking such an expression, intention is harder to prove and other statements expressed by the accused must be considered by a jury or judge as well as the actions of the accused and the circumstances surrounding the case in coming to a decision whether intention is to be inferred or not. Omissions Liability and Actus Reus Precisely what is meant by conduct is commonly referred to as an act. In criminal liability, an omission or a part thereof cannot form the actus reus of a crime as a general rule. As stated by McAuley and McCutcheon,  [5]  the common law traditionally disinclines to punish omissions and to illustrate this time honoured example, watching an infant drowning in a shallow pool by an able-bodied person does not constitute an offence. But this principle is also subject to exceptions. The accused in DPP v. Bartley  [6]  had been convicted of different sexual offences. Carney J on passing judgment commented that where a believable complaint of felony is presented to a policeman, the policeman under the Common Law has no discretion in not investigating the complaint and arrest the indentified offender. This duty if not carried out strongly constitutes on the part of the policeman an illegality and makes him liable to prosecution on indictment. Palles CB remarked in Creagh v. Gamble  [7]  that a person shall be brought to justice where a credible suspicion of a felony is present against him. The Peace Officer is entitled and duty bound as well to apprehend him. This Common Law principle still applies. This was substantiated in R. v. Dytham.  [8]   Concurrence of Mens Rea and Actus Reus If mens rea is to be proven by the Prosecution, it must moreover establish that mens rea existed at the time of the actus reus. At times whether the actus reus and mens rea concurred may not be apparent. The accused in Kaitamaki v. R.  [9]  was charged with rape. Having sexual intercourse with a woman without consent is the actus reus of rape. Knowing that it is non-consensual or whether there is consent or not by being reckless is the mens rea of rape. It was established that the woman initially consented to have sexual intercourse with the accused. In spite of the subsequent withdrawal of the womans consent, the accused persisted and did not desist from having sexual intercourse. It was contended by the accused that at the time of the actus reus (i.e., penetration), consent was present, hence, he did not have a mens rea. Lord Scarman, the Privy Council, rejected this contention by stating that the act of sexual intercourse is continuing and ends only with withdrawal. Accordingl y, the woman had the right to withdraw her consent at whatever time during sexual intercourse, even though she had initially given consent to penetration. The case of Kaitamaki v. R.  [10]  can be referred to in sustaining the proposition that an actus reus entails a continuing act, and as such, in order to ensure a conviction, the accused must be proven to have the required mens rea at some period during its continuation, although it is not essential to establish that at the outset the requisite mens rea was present with the accused.

Invent a Writing Technology :: Writing Technology Technological Papres

Invent a Writing Technology â€Å"And-O Tempora! O Mores!-to lose the soft warm touch of sheepskin, the knowledge that some lamb chop had died to create this beloved writing surface! Let us weep.† (Tribble& Trubek, pg. 9) Some of us may have wept over this project, weeping over how might to do this writing project. Many of us succeeded in coming up with a unique way to write with natural materials, a few of us cheated to by using limited technology and some of us failed to do the project. All of benefited because we were exposed or unexposed to our element, the writing technologies we as writers use everyday. I cheated since there cannot be found in nature a magnifying glass, which I used. My ultimate method was to burn the letters, words and sentences into leaves from a tree. Though I did not weep, I did think twice about plucking the greenery from the tree. (Hey, those environmentalists have been hitting us hard since birth with idealistic guilt trips.) There can be a quite powerful little beam of light produced by the focusing of sunlight through glass, but since the magnifying glass cannot be found in nature it was considered cheating even if it is very simple and primitive. I could argue that it could have been an innovation of writing. I really entered my imagination for this project; pretending that this was a desire or goal of mine, to invent this technology or advancement as if it had never been invented before and was necessary. Since the first words were created, the technology has been advancing. Since I was a young boy, I have been using that technology and this project helps me to realize what struggles and what successes I have encountered. We do not even need pen and paper. I learned to write with paper and pencil. Now, we use computers and voice-mail. These are technologies we did not have a few years ago. I have become so accustomed in such a short time with these brand new technologies. I struggled to find what would be acceptable for the assignment and while I was contemplating, the conclusions teetered between the real significance of the project and the silliness I felt because of not using the conventional, more superior, available technology.

My Life

Machiel de Groot Mrs. Carne AVID 9 March 28 2013 My Mandala DRAFT 2222222 Everybody has things that are important to them and their lives. In this essay, I will be explaining what is important to me and why they are big aspects of my life.. The things that are most important in my life are as follows: Sports, Music, Family, Education, and most of all: my best friend. In my Avid class, we were asked to make a â€Å"Mandala†, a circular piece of paper split into four slices with one space left in the middle; leaving a circle in the middle surrounded by 4 other slices.In the center of the Mandala, you were supposed to write what was most important to you; and on the outside you were to write four other, less important aspects of my life. After a prolonged period of introspection, I was surprised by what I discovered about myself and what was most important to me. Creating that Mandala and thinking about my life and who I am changed the way I thought about myself; and maybe it wil l change how you think too. The first thing I drew on the outside of my mandala was a picture of my 2 brothers and parents: my family.Family is a huge part of my life because they represent safety, security, and support in a young person’s life. Because I am close to my family at home, it means that I’ll always have a place to go to in times of need. My family is always there to support me and for that, I am extremely thankful. I always feel like I have a place to go and a home to live in and that is all because I have a loving family there for me. All of these reasons led me to draw that sketch of my family on my Mandala. The next important part of my life is my education.To represent this, I drew a pencil and books. School and academics are hugely important and they will help me later on in life. Although school is absolutely not something that I enjoy, this assignment is about importance, not feelings. Having a good education, especially in a competitive world like today’s, is key to success later in life. Going to GECA is a great example of this. An early college academy like ours can give you a competitive edge against other applicants for colleges and jobs. Having a good education means having a successful life.I am also blessed to have such a wonderful life where I can get an education and it makes sense to get the best out of what you are offered rather than leave it when so many others don’t even get the chance at it. Education, a blessing that we are very fortunate to have, is the second thing that I drew on my mandala The third thing that I drew on my Mandala was sports. Mainly soccer, for which I drew a soccer ball. I play a lot of them and I enjoy them immensely; especially soccer. I’ve played soccer for almost 11 years and it’s what I look forward to doing throughout the week.I feel a sense of achievement when I learn something new and playing the sport gives me an incentive to improve in it and excel. Th is determination can translate over into other aspects of my life as well. That motivation spills over into school and I feel more motivated to try my best. Also, because I play the sport well, it benefits my self-esteem and I feel more confident. For me, sports are a vent for emotions, a place to excel in, and a point of my life that I’m good at that helps me to feel more confident.This is where things got interesting for me: when I first received this assignment, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that music would be the most important thing to me. Music has helped me through a lot of personal issues in my life and I’ve always felt it to be my rock or something to distract me from the world around me. I am not a religious person, although I was for a very long time; therefore I don’t believe that any supernatural being is rooting for me up in the sky.That makes me feel like my issues are my own and they feel much more personal and real than if I’d t hought that there was a god helping me through it. To me, music is that place that I can go to close my eyes and drown in the music and the chords and sounds and be distracted from my problems. There were times when I felt worthless and times when life was meaningless to me (another side effect of being Atheist- you tend to think about life in a much deeper way). Music always helped me through those things and kept me going until better times came along.Because of this, I assumed that music would be the most important to me for always being my escape. However, when I completed my mandala, it didn’t sit with me. I didn’t feel like it represented me well enough. That’s when I realized what was really the most valued thing in my life. Friends. I realized how important they really are to me. I only have one very good friend and she doesn’t even go to my school or live in my city! She lives in Hollister. We met almost a year ago and we’ve gotten to know each other extremely well.It sounds cliche to say that friends are always there for you and that they love you but it really is true. A friend is somebody who you can trust with anything and they will help you out with it. My friend really knows me and we get along perfectly. We have our bad moments just like all friends do, but in the end, things smooth out again. The reason that my friend is the most important thing in the whole world to me is because she really makes me feel loved. Of course your family loves you but that’s always a given.Knowing that someone else out there loves you like a brother and having that companion through life is touching and I’m thankful beyond words for such a strong friendship at such a young stage in my life. And whenever I’m stressed or worried or upset, her voice and smiling face help me through it. That’s not something that should be put on the outside of my Mandala. These are thoughts that, until writing this essay, I hadn’t realized before. This essay made me realize how much she means to me and how much I value true friendship.The reason that my best friend is in the middle of my circle is because I love her like I would a sister and I don’t know where I would be without her in my life. These are the things that I put on my Mandala: Family, because they’re there to support me; Education, because it’s a necessary thing to have in order to lead a successful life; sports, because they give me self-esteem and help me to be more motivated; music, because it’s an escape from worry and trouble; and most of all, my best friend, for listening and talking and making me laugh and feel loved.Life is a complicated thing but sometimes, all you need is family, some sports, and one, single, wonderful friend to make you happy. I sat back and took a look at my life; and now I realize how much I treasure my friend and family; and I’ll keep that in mind now. Now why donà ¢â‚¬â„¢t you sit back and look at your life and decide what is most important to you. Maybe it will open your eyes to what is really important.

Ipl Strenght and Weakness Essays

Ipl Strenght and Weakness Essays Ipl Strenght and Weakness Essay Ipl Strenght and Weakness Essay The bidding process for the eight franchises that will compete in the Indian Premier League has officially begun with the release of the prospectus for the inaugural Twenty20 competition beginning in April 2008. The tender inviting bids for the franchises will be announced sometime in December. Potential franchisees can submit bids for more than one city-team and must state the total fee they are offering for a franchise for the first ten-year term. The auction of players will immediately follow the awarding of the franchises. The prospectus also laid out the manner in which the IPLs revenue would be shared with the franchises. The franchises will receive 80% of the television revenue over the first two years, 70% in the third and fourth years, 60% between years five and ten, and 50% from the 11th year onwards. In addition, they will also receive 60% of the sponsorship revenue during the first ten years, after which they will receive 50%. Of the total amount to be distributed, 20% will be divided based on the final league positions of the franchises while the other 80% will be shared squally. The IPLs distribution model, which is based on their current forecasts for the first contracts for centralized television and sponsorship agreements, should be adjusted should the forecasts change. The competition comprises 59 matches and spans 44 days with each franchise playing the other on a home and away basis. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals, the winners of which will contest the final. The two finalists will in turn qualify for the Champions Twenty20 tournament, which has been provisionally scheduled for October 2008. Each franchises squad will have a minimum of 16 players and no more than four international players, drawn from the pool of contracted players, may play in a particular match. Four Under-21 players and four players from the franchises catchment area must also be part of the squad, though these can be the same players. Our first round-up of the IPLs finances shows the league generated $209 million in revenue in its second season, for an aggregate operating profit (earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation) of $89 million. The average franchise is worth $67 million, a 31% increase in just one year. The Rajasthan Royals, winners of the leagues first championship, has risen in value by 71%. This despite the uncertainty and logistical headaches caused by moving this years entire 59-game slate, including the final, to South Africa with only three weeks notice. (After terror incidents, the Indian government was anxious about providing security as parliamentary elections coincided with the month-long season. The IPL was conceived in 2007 near some hallowed ground for sports: in Londons Wimbledon suburb. There, Lalit Modi, representing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the governing body of Indian cricket, and Andrew Wildblood, an executive at sports management powerhouse IMG, discussed the disconnect between crickets worldwide popularity and the lack of commercial success of any domestic league. Their solution: a franchise ownership structure modeled after top U. S. sports leagues. Since then , the league has grown at breakneck speed. In January 2008, eight IPL teams were auctioned for a combined $724 million (to be paid in 10 annual installments to the nonprofit BCCI, an umbrella for the IPL). Just three months later, the Redskins First Ladies of Football were flown in to shake their pom-poms at the sold-out opener. Proceeds from the auction, as well as portions of national media and sponsorship deals, are reinvested, mostly in Indias aging (as far back as the 19th century) cricket stadiums, including some of the 10 rented by IPL teams for $100,000 per match. How successful was that first season? The 2008 semifinals and final drew 62 million viewers in India, with a per-match average of 11% of the nations total cable audience. In the months that followed, Modi, now IPL commissioner, opted out of TV deals with Sony and World Sports Group, risking nearly $1 billion of guaranteed payments over the next nine years. The gamble paid off, to the tune of a 98% annual increase from those broadcast partners, both of which deemed the IPL too valuable a property to lose. One reason the league is so TV-friendly is its format: Matches are held under Twenty20 rules that speed up each contest to about three hours (a traditional cricket match can last days, with tea breaks). The format is sweeping cricket worldwide. Revenue from TV, mobile and digital rights deals totaled $100 million for the latest season, of which teams split an 80% share equally. They also divvied up 60% of the $40 million in league sponsorships, including a cool $10 million from the leagues title sponsor, DLF, Indias largest real estate firm, and $5. million from motorbike maker Hero Honda. Despite playing 5,000 miles away, Indian companies actually increased spending on team sponsorships, which grew by 60% to a collective $60 million. Ground staff scurried to change signage before every match so that none of the floating teams advertisers were underrepresented. Ticket sales did not go as smoothly. The move led to a 75% drop in gate receipts, as prices were slashed to fill up stadiums to make the product more appealing on TV. That must have worked: This year, the finals telecast reached 24% more viewers in India than in 2008. Even Modi is surprised by how quickly the league has grown. At the beginning there were not many bidders who were conscious of the fact that the league would succeed, and they had to bid on total blind faith. There was no history, everybody was writing against it, there was no support for it, he says. Then the first season averaged 58,000 fans per match (80% more than a typical Major League Baseball game), and new investors clamored to climb aboard. In February, an ownership group that includes Lachlan Murdoch, the son of media baron Rupert Murdoch, sold a minority stake in the Rajasthan Royals to investors fronted by actress Shilpa Shetty in a deal that reflected the rapid value appreciation. Just last year, the Royals were auctioned for a league-low $67 million over 10 years. While speculation about the IPLs long-term viability drove prices down at the franchise auction, the leagues early success has now translated to unrealistic valuations in the other direction. Not helping is a misguided study frequently cited by cricket officials that calls the IPL a $2 billion business. Perhaps one day, but certainly not yetour cumulative valuation amounts to barely one: The Delhi Daredevils will play for a share of a $6 million purse in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League this fall, on top of receiving $500,000 just for participating in the tournament. Since up to half of team revenue is accrued by dint of gate receipts, local sponsorships and merchandisingrevenue streams of which teams share little with the leaguemarket size plays a major role in making some franchises more valuable than others. Take the Mumbai Indians, who play before a robust corporate base in Indias largest city. The Indians are the IPLs most valuable team, worth $80 million for the owner, oil and gas giant Reliance Industries and company chairman and largest shareholder Mukesh Ambani, Indias wealthiest man. Sensing Mumbai as the IPLs signature brand, akin to the English footballs Manchester United or baseballs New York Yankees, companies from outside of India, like Adidas ( ADDDY. PK news people ) and MasterCard ( MA news people ), have been quick to sponsor the team. Over two seasons, Mumbais $43 million in revenue tops the IPL. Some of the IPLs cachet comes from its owners: Khan uses the resources of his film company, Red Chillies Entertainment, to promote Kolkata and expand the teams reach into new markets. His strategy is paying off. Polls consistently rank the Knight Riders as Indias most popular team, and theyre already more valuable than two teams that were sold at higher auction prices only a year and a half ago. Such hands-on management is a far cry from the Stanford Super Series, the defunct Twenty20 competition between the English national team and all-stars from around the West Indies that was bankrolled by alleged Ponzi schemer R. Allen Stanford and thought to be competition for the IPL. Instead, after only one year, the SSS joined an alphabet soup of failed cricket ventures, including the IISC, WSC and APC. Cricket has been played internationally for 165 years and was once a contest at the Olympics. With 104 nations as members of crickets governing body, its one of the most popular sports in the world. But before the IPL, professional leagues had never truly been run as a business. Most leagues around the world are operated by nonprofit entities and teams owned by athletic clubs with thousands of members; often, making money is a low priority. Says Donald Lockerbie, chief executive of the USA Cricket Association, [English cricket] is as traditional a sport as there is. Its essentially a club membership drive. National teams have always been crickets top draw. But private franchise ownership coupled with the commercial possibilities of the new, abbreviated version of the game in Indias cricket crazed marketplace has upended the sports established order. Its also made Modi into crickets most influential (if polarizing) figure, for whom profit always trumps tradition. A brash and charismat ic promoter, hes the subcontinents answer to Don King. In April he hired around-the-clock security after reportedly receiving death threats from the mob, the gambling operations of which stood to take a hit from the season moving to South Africa. Unfazed, Modi is already laying the groundwork for the IPLs next chapter. We plan to have another shorter [season] that will move around the world, with a main league that will stay in India, he says. Another plan to boost league coffers is to add more teams. IMGs Wildblood projects expansion as early as 2011 with the IPL adding one or two more squads. Unlike in the early days, bidders will have a sense of the leagues long-term prospects. I think a lot of people discounted the fact that there was any value, Modi says. Not anymore.

Ethical Issues essays

Ethical Issues essays The phrase professional ethics is stated as a meaning of morality. Morality to the business world suggests how one should behave toward oneself and toward other individuals: whether to be friendly or unfriendly or whether to be generous or greedy. These, and other questions dealt with in a field of study are called Professional Ethics. This papers intent is to enlighten the publics perception of CPAs in today's society. It will cover all aspects of the field including: pitfalls that they may encounter and methods to prevent some of these negative behaviors and consequences that one will have to accept. If you have ever caught a glimpse at one of those articles stating who the people feel that is trust worthy, you would most likely see that politicians, lawyers, and used car salesmen are at the bottom of that list and certified public accountants would be dominate the top. This is because the CPA profession has what you could call a squeaky-clean image. CPAs are known and respected for their honesty. The accounting profession goes out of its way to project that image, and there is a certain amount of truth to it. All though accountants are looked very highly upon, not all accountants fit into that stereotype. Many of them are quite articulate. Not all CPAs are squeaky-clean and respected for their honesty. Some are quite dishonest and are putting a black mark on the image of the entire profession. In recent months a particular company made history regarding the biggest bankruptcy the US has ever seen. Unfortunate situations such as this one have put a black mark on the CPAs prestigious character. The analogy that states one bad apple can ruin the whole batch, well you could say that Enron is that one bad apple. The one area where the CPA profession has fallen short is protecting the public interest. The general duty that acc ...

International security in the 21st century Essay

International security in the 21st century - Essay Example Still there are some key objectives which determine the foreign policy of Beijing. Among them we can see the aim to promote Chinese economy to maintain its double annual growth; an effort to separate Taiwan; the wish to increase the international prestige of China and efficiently compete with the supremacy of the USA. To achieve these objectives in recent years China has concluded a number of bilateral partnerships and agreements, joined or increased its activity in numerous international organizations and established a few organizations, which are not participated by the USA. In some points China’s approach in policy has several advantages compared with that of the USA. Beijing provides â€Å"unrestricted† nature for overseas investments and loans, which is very attractive for foreign governments. Large state-owned Chinese companies are so strongly supported by their government that they can even afford small short-term losses in favor of prospective long-term profits (Boxell, 2004). However, there are weak points in China’s approach in comparison with the USA. Due to China’s â€Å"win-win† method dealing first with easy problems and putting off the more complicated ones, its foreign development policy has a much narrower base. China actively gets and develops the international presence, while this brings a lot of unexpected issues, for example, â€Å"it provides many opportunities for international misunderstanding and cultural conflicts† (Ellis, 2004). And lastly, in contrast to the USA, China does not benefit from well-developed private sector. However, it is clear that China’s growing international cooperation not only with undemocratic governments but also with key U.S. allies gives reasons to focus the attention on its foreign policy objectives. The convincing argument for this is the fact that since its foundation in 1949 the PRC has greatly changed its foreign policy having shifted from the Mao Zedongâ⠂¬â„¢s policy of â€Å"self-reliance† to deep and wide multinational relations. Already in 1978, two years after Mao’s death China actively started looking for foreign presence, investments and technologies. Since 2000 China’s diplomacy became particularly sophisticated and active (Ellis, 2004). China’s â€Å"New Security Concept† This report would not be complete without mentioning some important changes in security policy of China. China’s politicians stress that in post-Cold War world the PRC’s security policy is based on â€Å"mutual trust, mutual equality, and cooperation†. Accordingly, today China does its best to assure the world that its economy, international development and military potential do not threaten to other countries and serve to balance the power of the USA (Goldstein, 2005). It is difficult to define the PRC’s security policy precisely; it neither spreads its ideology, nor aggressively demands for n ew territories. However, it is undoubtedly that it represents a challenge to policymakers of the USA and raises many unanswered questions: does China’s global activity have a pragmatic strategy or it is just aimed to achieve economic advantages? Does China intend to replace the USA as a global power or it just focuses on internal development? Does China feel confident and strong or uncertain and weak? The â€Å"Soft Power† Concept First the term of â€Å"soft power† was used by Harvard professor Joseph S. Nye, Jr. as opposite to â€Å"

Investigating the impact of Information Technology on a career or Term Paper

Investigating the impact of Information Technology on a career or profession of Healthcare - Term Paper Example Requirement for researchers to facilitate practitioners recognize how information technology can advance hospitals’ productivity is evident. As people are becoming more and more aged, population is becoming a challenge in social and economic sector worldwide. In the United States, people with age over 65 are expected to hit 70 million by 2030. This figure is doubled as compared to 35 million in 2000. Health care in the context of Information technology has become an obsession globally. These increments are been observer globally. The old aged people having diseases, requiring constant monitoring and medication and need to visit the hospitals and clinics on a regular basis. If the disease is identified at the initial stage by health monitoring techniques, the quality of life will be improved and many lives can be saved. At the same time, investigating the disease can reduce the cost and resources which are utilized for the treatment of a patient. The cost related to health care is also an emerging problem (Durresi et al. 211-218). For example, expenditures in the United States will grow to 15.9% for the health care from the GDP of $2.6 trillion by 2010 ("Keynote "). The Research and education along with the clinical practice is the key element facilitating the healthcare realm. The use of online screening tools can be accessed from the Internet is increasing. People are keener to find information regarding health and diseases from the Internet instead of visiting the doctor, which is a long and time consuming process (Koivunen et al. 1141-1150). The usability of computers systems is always an issue. The staff is not motivational to use computing devices installed in hospitals and medical resources. The research on the individual factors on health care staff’s computer use in psychiatric hospitals was conducted by (Koivunen et al. 1141-1150). The aim of the study was to examine the individual factors of