Monday, May 25, 2020

Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee, Fear, Gossip And...

Francis Jeffrey once said, â€Å"Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.† This cannot be closer to the truth, especially in regard to the treatment of black people in the United States during their fight for equality in the 1900’s. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the early 1900’s. The story is told from Scout’s point of view and follows the lives of her, Jem her brother, Atticus their father, and their friend Dill. Atticus is a lawyer and is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, against charges of beating and raping a white girl. Jem and Scout witness and are subject to prejudice on account of race, gender, and social class. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, fear, gossip and stereotyping play a major role in the creation of discrimination and unjust prejudice between people, but these same people seek out common ground with others despite differences which is often times found by crea ting a common enemy which is observed and developed throughout the story by the main character, Scout. The town s prejudice against the Radleys makes them subject to gossip all because when Arthur (Boo) Radley was younger he was charged with â€Å"disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, assault and battery,† (Lee 12) then locked up inside their house, â€Å"to give no further trouble†, by Mr. Radley. Scout, Jem, and Dill use Maycomb’s talk of Boo to fabricate their game of the Radley s lives, â€Å"It was a melancholy little drama, wovenShow MoreRelated The Extent To kill a Mockingbird critiques the cultural values of Maycomb Society3208 Words   |  13 Pages‘To kill a Mockingbird’ is a strong reflection of Harper Lee, the author’s, upbringing. Having been raised in the small town of Alabama in the 1920’s she was frequently exposed to prejudice and this inspired her to write a book, her only to date, loosely based on her early day s. Tom Robinson’s trial, set in Maycomb County, is a parallel to the Scottsboro Trial, which was an infamous case during Lee’s childhood, where a ‘negro’ was accused of rape. However the emphasis is based more on the lawyerRead MoreThe United States Department Of Defense2228 Words   |  9 Pagesprinciple that â€Å"all people are created equal†, the Pentagon, a national headquarters, discriminated against its employees for their race. Despite being the country’s center for defense, it could not protect itself from stereotyping and prejudice. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, highlights the unjustness of discrimination by following the trial of a black man accused of raping a white woman. The story is told from the perspective of two children, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch and her brotherRead MoreThe Voice Of Prejudice By Nelson Mandela2024 Words   |  9 Pagesan internationally acclaimed figure in the fight against racism, d escribes this idea as, â€Å"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harper Lee’s renowned novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic of American literature, explores a story of prejudice through the lives of some small town Southerners in the early 1930’s. The book is narrated by Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, a tomboy who prefers to solve

Friday, May 15, 2020

The Byzantine Roman Emperor Justinian

Name: (At birth) Petrus Sabbatius; Flavius Petrus Sabbatius JustinianusBirthplace: ThraceDates: c.482, at Tauresium - 565Ruled: April 1, 527 (jointly with his uncle Justin until August 1) - November 14, 565Wife: Theodora Justinian was a Christian emperor of the Roman Empire on the cusp between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Justinian is sometimes called The Last of the Romans. In Byzantine Matters, Averil Cameron writes that Edward Gibbon didnt know if Justinian belonged in the category of the Roman emperors who had come before or the Greek kings of the Byzantine Empire who came after him. History remembers Emperor Justinian for his reorganization of the government of the Roman Empire and his codification of the laws, the Codex Justinianus, in A.D. 534. Justinian Family Data An Illyrian, Justinian was born Petrus Sabbatius in A.D. 483 in Tauresium, Dardania (Yugoslavia), a Latin-speaking area of the Empire. Justinians childless uncle became the Roman Emperor Justin I in A.D. 518. He adopted Justinian either before or after he became emperor; hence the name Justinianus. Justinians own birth-based status in society was not high enough to command respect without the imperial office, and his wifes position was even worse. Justinians wife, Theodora, was the daughter of a bear-keeper father who became bear-keeper to the Blues (relevant to the Nika Revolts, below), an acrobat mother, and she herself is considered to have been a courtesan. The DIR article on Justinian says Procopius claims Justinians aunt, Empress Euphemia, by marriage, so disapproved the marriage that Justinian waited until she died (before 524) before even starting to deal with the legal impediments to the marriage. Death Justinian died on November 14, 565, in Constantinople. Career Justinian became Caesar in 525. On April 4, 527, Justin made Justinian his co-emperor and gave him the rank of Augustus. Justinians wife Theodora received the rank of Augusta. Then, when Justin died on August 1, 527, Justinian went from joint to sole emperor. Persian Wars and Belisarius Justinian inherited conflict with the Persians. His commander Belisarius obtained a peace treaty in 531. The truce was broken in 540 and so Belisarius was again sent off to deal with it. Justinian also dispatched Belisarius to settle problems in Africa and Europe. Belisarius could do little against the Ostrogoths in Italy. Religious Controversy The religious position of the Monophysites (whom Justinians wife, Empress Theodora, supported) conflicted with the accepted Christian doctrine from the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451). Justinian was unable to do anything to resolve the differences. He even alienated the pope in Rome, creating a schism. Justinian expelled teachers of paganism from the Academy in Athens, closing the schools of Athens, in 529. In 564, Justinian adopted the heresy of Aphthartodocetism and tried to impose it. Before the matter was resolved, Justinian died, in 565. Nika Riots However improbable it may seem, this event was born of extreme sports fanaticism and corruption. Justinian and Theodora were Blues fans. Despite fan loyalty, they attempted to reduce the influence of both teams, but too late. The Blue and Green teams created a disturbance in the Hippodrome on June 10, 532. Seven ringleaders were executed, but one of each side survived and became a rallying point that integrated fans of both teams. They and their fans began shouting Nika Victory in the Hippodrome. Now a mob, they appointed a new emperor. Justinians military leaders prevailed and slaughtered 30,000 rioters. Building Projects The damage caused to Constantinople by the Nika Revolt paved the way for Constantines building project, according to DIR Justinian, by James Allan Evans. Procopius book On Buildings [De aedificiis] describes Justinians building projects that included aqueducts and bridges, monasteries, orphanages, hostels, and the Hagia Sophia, which still stands in Constantinople/Istanbul.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Marriage Is An African American Woman - 982 Words

Marriage is an interpersonal union established between two people who are in love with one another. Moreover, beneficial marriage is where a person marries someone for the benefits of themselves. â€Å"Santosh, you have no problems. Marry the hubshi. That will automatically make you a citizen. Then you will be a free man† (Naipaul 2750). Naipaul’s â€Å"One Out of Many†, reveals Santosh is marrying an African American woman but not for love. Santosh is a foreigner at the risk of being deported, but when he marries this African American woman, it grants him the benefit of being a citizen. Carter’s â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† presents a young woman marrying a Marquis who is very opulent yet obscure. â€Å"‘Are you sure you love him?’† ‘I’m sure I want to marry him,’ I said† (Carter 2). The seventeen year old girl is marrying a man who is along in years, she makes it blatantly obvious to her mother that she does not love him. The mysterious Marquis attracts her and she wants insight about him and she wants to explore her sexuality. Rather than marrying for love, Santosh and the main character of the â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, marries for their own benefits, which reveals beneficial marriage being a connecting thread between the two texts. They use the marriage for other things advantaging themselves and not for love. Santosh is fresh in to the country didn’t know much of anything. He learned as he developed throughout the short story. He would overhear people speak about green cards and how they wereShow MoreRelatedThe Model Of The American Family1061 Words   |  5 Pagescomputer without seeing or hearing about gay/lesbian marriage or states legalizing same sex marriage. Over time the idea of what the model family was viewed as and the reality of what a model class consist of now began to clash. American families are becoming numb or more excepting of the detrimental ch anges that I have listed above, of the model African American family. Finances and infidelity are at the top of the list of reasons why the African American family is becoming non-existent. Read MoreCauses of Friction in Interracial Marriages Essay1425 Words   |  6 PagesCauses of Friction in Interracial Marriages The United States has witnessed a considerable amount of social and cultural desegregation between African-Americans and Caucasians. However, despite years of desegregation, social and cultural differences still exist. One of these differences that still exists is in the institution of marriage. Americans have been and are continually moving slowly away from segregation. In the past forty years, a multitude of changes have transformed schools, jobs,Read MoreQuentinTarantino and Racial Barriers1202 Words   |  5 Pageschallenges racial stereotypes because he is initially presented as a stereotype, but as the movie progresses he moves away from the clichà © and becomes an individual. His character development thus shows the audience that African Americans are not confined to a few archetypes. African American males are frequently portrayed in media as heartless criminals, who do not think twice about their actions, and this is how Jules is portrayed the beginning of the story. How ever, after he makes it out of the morningRead MoreThe Conflict Of Religious Exchange Between Europeans And Enslaved African Americans886 Words   |  4 Pagesreligious exchange between Europeans and enslaved African Americans. Jon Sensbach tells a remarkable story of Rebecca Protten a Caribbean descent. Born a slave in 1718, Protten had a childhood conversion experience, gained her freedom from bondage, and joined a group of German proselytizers from the Moravian Church. She embarked on a mission spreading black Christianity in the eighteenth century, and preaching to hundreds of the enslaved Africans of St. Thomas, a Danish sugar colony in the West IndiesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Black Men And Divorce 981 Words   |  4 PagesContrary to the stereotype of African-American males not being committed to marital relationships, African-American men who marry suffer greatly when those marriages end, a University of North Texas sociologist says.Dr. Erma Lawson is the co-author of Black Men and Divorce, a book published this spring that focuses on her research of 50 divorced men. Lawson says she was absolutely shocked by the distress all of the men suffered after their divorces.They all experienced a sense of loss, guilt,Read MoreHow Changes Of Marriage And Family Will Change American Society949 Words   |  4 PagesChanges to Marriage and Family will change American Society Temitope Layode DeVry University PHIL 447 Spring 2016 How Changes to Marriage and Family will change American Society Over time, the American society has derailed from the traditional reason and forms of marriage and family set up. The American society acceptance of non-marital childbearing (single parenting), same- sex marriage has led to the trending poverty rate in average families. The main objective of the institution of marriage was meantRead MoreTheme Of Women In Fences1739 Words   |  7 Pagesan empowered, complex, or realistic woman. However, a closer review of the character of Rose in Fences shows that Wilson has not embraced these stereotypes. In fact, he has aimed at subverting them by allowing domestic behavior, maternity and sexuality to serve as an important source of empowerment that allows women characters to overcome subservience and subordination. It is worth noting that Wilson, who was born 1945, grew up in a sexist American society, and this gave him an opportunityRead MoreThe Impact Of Modern Day College Students And Working Members Of Society1321 Words   |  6 PagesInterracial marriages has increased dramatically since the 1970s but according to 2007 U.S. Bureau of the Census data (2009), Black/White marriages count for half a percent of all marriages in America (Field, Kimuna, Straus, 2013, p. 742). In fact, white people are less likely to marry black people then they are to marry any other ethnic race other than their own. According to a 2012 Current Population Survey: â€Å"just 0.3% of White men in marriages were married to Black woman and 0.8% of White woman in marriagesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Passing By Nella Larsen1351 Words   |  6 Pagesand feeling towards their race and how she reveals the female’s inequality in the marriage. At the very beginning of book Passing, Nella Larsen quotes a poem from Countee Cullen to start her story. The poem is very short, which has only four lines. However, this short poem reveals the motif of this novel and the purpose of this writing—what is Africa to me? This question is not only an inquiry which asks African American about their current living conditions in America and their thoughts towards theirRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God By Nora Zeale Hurston1118 Words   |  5 Pagesspeakerly text. Speakerly texts speak to the readers with an authentic black voice. This authentic black voice can only come from an African-American himself or herself, which in this case, is Hurston. S peakerly text is defined as â€Å"a text whose rhetorical strategy is designed to represent an oral tradition† (Harriss). Throughout Hurston’s novel, Janie, an African-American woman, is narrating her past experiences to her good friend, Pheoby. Through her life journey, Janie faces difficult times, but times

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Advanced Financial Management

Question: Discuss about the Advanced Financial Management. Answer: Introduction There are two primary methods being used in the analysis and selection of the stocks namely fundamental and technical (Schlichting, 2013). This report is prepared to discuss various aspects of fundamental and technical analyses. There have been created two portfolios comprising 10 stocks each. The stocks of one portfolio have been selected based on the fundamental analysis and the stocks of other portfolio have been selected based on technical analysis. Various tools and techniques within the categories of fundamental and technical analysis have been applied in this report. The tools used under fundamental analysis are price earnings ratio, return on equity, and dividend yield. Further, the tools used under technical analysis are moving average, line charts, and support and resistance levels. Literature Review Analysis and selection of the right stocks, which prove to be worthy for the investor, is a tedious task. The investors for this purpose employ fundamental as well as technical analytical tools and techniques. The fundamental and technical analysis covers the analytical aspects broadly however still there remains the risk. This risk is explained in the theories of behavioral finance and efficient market hypothesis. The theories of behavioral finance state that the prices of stocks are sometimes affected by the behavioral influences (Ackert and Deaves, 2009). For example, when the stock market of US collapsed followed by the global financial crisis, the stock markets of other countries also slopped downward. This shows the behavioral influence that when the investors started selling their holdings in the US, the investors from other countries also started clearing out their positions in the wake of severe loss. The selling pressure broke the market causing significant downfall in the prices of stocks (Ackert and Deaves, 2009). Thus, it could be noted that when the events like global financial crisis encounters, even the stocks bought rigorously analyzing could be result in loss. In the situation like financial crisis, the investor becomes takes irrational decision while selling the stocks (Baker and Nofsinger, 2010). The theories of fundamental analysis are based on the assumption that the investor always act rationally. However, the theories of behavioral finance state that the investor could be irrational in the events like financial crisis. Thus, the views taken out of behavioral finance principles could contrast with the views taken out of the fundamental theories. Further, there is another crucial aspect of investment analysis that is the efficient market hypothesis. The theory of efficient market states that no one can beat the market. This implies that the investors can not make gains by exploiting the information gap in the market (Harder, 2010). The theory of efficient market hypothesis (EMH) is based on the belief that the stock market always remains efficient. The EMH theory states that all relevant information is available to all the market participants and the investors behave rationally. The theory further states that the current price prevailing on the stock market incorporates all the information and thus, there remains no scope to find the undervalued or overvalued stocks (Kurth, 2013). According to EMH, the stocks trading on the indices are fairly priced and it is impossible to find out the undervalued or overvalued stocks. Therefore, the efficient market theory contrasts with the principles of fundamental analysis. The dividend discount model and harry Markowitz theory of portfolio selection prescribe the fundamentals to compute the fair values of the stocks. According to these fundamental theories, the stocks could be undervalued or overvalued and thus, the investor can make profits by finding out the undervalued stocks and selling them in future at the high prices (Kurth, 2013). The proponents of the EMH claim that it is wastage of time to search and find out the undervalued stocks using fundamental analysis or to predict the future trend using technical analysis. However, the efficient market theory is criticized and its practical application is questioned (Kurth, 2013). There are people such as Warren Buffet who have shown that the efficient market theory is incorrect by beating the market on many occasions. Further, the assumption of EMH that information is available to all the market participants at all times also does not appear to be appropriate. Therefore, it could be inferred that despite being there EMH and behavioral influences, the fundamental and technical analyzes holds importance for the investors (Kurth, 2013). Rationale and Methodology The methodology means the overall approach used by the researcher in collecting the data and analyzing the same to make out meaningful conclusions. It is crucial for the researcher to adopt suitable methodology to carry out the research work in the right direction (Phillips and Stawarski, 2016). The current report aims to analyze two portfolios, one formed based on fundamental analysis and the other based on technical analysis. For this purpose, 20 stocks have been selected for two portfolios each comprising 10 stocks. The stocks selected for fundamental portfolio were based on the parameters like profit margin, return on equity, dividend yield, and price to earnings ratio. On the other hand, the stocks comprising the technical portfolio were selected based on the trend analysis by line chart, analysis of moving average, and the analysis of support and resistance levels. The list of stocks comprised in two portfolios is given in the appendix-1. The appendix shows name of the company along with the reasons for its selection. In regards to the fundamental portfolio, the stocks such as Singtel (Singapore Communications Limited) and StarHub Limited were selected based on the high profit margin and high return on equity respectively. Singtel is earning a profit margin of 23.25% while Starhub is providing a surprising return on equity of 178.51% (Appendix-1). Further, stocks such as Sembcorp Marine Ltd and Wilmar International Limited were found to be with low price to book value ratio, which depicts possibility of increase in price in future. The stocks of technical portfolio were selected by analyzing the trend in historical prices. Analysis of Singapore Airlines Ltds stock price is depicted in the chart given below: Figure 1: Singapore Airlines Daily Price Movement [Source: https://in.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=C6L.SI] It could be observed that the days price of stock is showing rising trend which shows stocks potential to provide high returns in short term. Further, other stocks were also analyzed for trend to make final choice about their selection. Results and Analysis Analysis of one Stock from Fundamental Portfolio The most commonly used fundamental stock evaluation techniques are dividend discount model and PE Multiple model. The stock namely Starhub Limited has been analyzed as under applying these methods: Dividend Discount Model The dividend discount model is used to compute the fair value of the stock. Based on the fair value computed the stock is analyzed as to whether it is undervalued or overvalued and based on this analysis, the decision for investment is made (Madura, 2014): Dividend Discount Model: Starhub Limited Dividend expected 0.198 Growth rate 3% Discount rate 6.70% Intrinsic Value 5.358 The outcome of the above analysis shows that the fair value of the stock is S$5.36 which is higher than the market price of S$2.83 prevailing as on November 28, 2016. As dividend discount model, the stock is overvalued. PE Multiple Model PE Multiple is also used to compute fair value of the stock using earnings per share and industry PE ratio (Madura, 2014): PE Multiple Model: Starhub Limited Industry PE ratio 5.1 EPS of Starhub Limited 0.2 Intrinsic Value 1.02 The results of PE Multiple Model show that the fair value of the stock is S$1.02 which is lower than the market price of S$2.83 prevailing as on November 28, 2016. As per PE Multiple, the stock is undervalued. Analysis of one Stock from Technical Portfolio Three techniques such as line chart, moving average, and support and resistance levels have been used to analyze one of the technical portfolio stocks namely Singapore Airlines Ltd. Line Chart: Figure 2: Stock of Price Trend Analysis The line chart presented above shows historical trend in the stocks price for the period beginning from November 28, 2016 to January 06, 2017. It could be observed that the price of stock was high at the beginning however it reduced in December 2016. Further, in the month of January the trend was observed changing as the price started rising again. The signals of rise in the price in the initial days of January suggested that the stock is worth investing. Moving Average: The simple moving average of Singapore Airlines Ltds prices computed over the historical period beginning from November 28, 2016 and ending on January 06, 2017 has been found to be S$9.57 (Refer Excel). This indicates that buying the stock when price of the stock is above S$9.57 will be beneficial for the investor. Further, when the price of stock goes below S$9.57, it is advisable to sale the stock because the price may fall further down in that case. In the current case, the price of Singapore Airlines Ltd increases to S$9.86 on January 10, 2017, therefore, it is advisable to buy the stock. Support and Resistance Levels: The stock of Singapore Airlines Limited trades in the range of S$9.60-11.67. Thus, the stocks resistance level can be taken as S$11.67 and its support level as S$9.60. This implies that the stocks price would go lower than S$9.60 rarely, but if it surpasses this level, the stock may fall severely down. Similarly, the stocks price would go max high to S$11.60, but once this level is broken, it is more likely that stock will rise high. Figure 3: Singapore Airlines Support and Resistance Activities in Fundamental Portfolio There have been two activities in the portfolio-1 (Fundamental) as depicted in appendix-2. Under the first activity, 1000 shares of SingTel (Singapore Communications Limited) were sold at the price of S$4 per share. This decision to sale 1000 shares was taken to book the profits because the stock achieved new levels reaching at S$4 (Appendix-2). Further, the second activity involves buying 2700 shares of Sembcorp Marine Ltd on January 20, 2017. These 2700 shares of Sembcorp Marine Ltd were bought using the amount received on sales of 1000 shares of SingTel. In buying Sembcorp Marine Ltd on January 20, 2017, it was considered that the share is undervalued and it will pick up in coming months. Activities in Technical Portfolio There have been four activities in portfolio-2 as depicted in the appendix-3. Under the first activity, the 800 shares of Singapore Airlines Ltd were sold on February 01, 2017 at the price of S$10.06. Since, the price of stock increased by 2.14% in less than a months period, thus, it was considered appropriate to book the profits. In the second activity, 15,527 shares of Hyflux Limited were bought using the funds collected from sale of 800 shares of Singapore Airlines Limited (Appendix-3). The price of Hyflux Limited was observed to be slopping down, thus, decision to buy taken to increase the holdings cheaply. In the third activity, 18,000 shares of Hyflux Limited were sold at the price of S$0.6272. The analysis of trend in price showed that the stock was at its peak when reached at S$0.6272 and therefore decision to sell was taken. Under the fourth activity, the cash received on sale of 18,000 shares of Hyflux Limited was used in buying 7162 shares of Far East Orchard Limited. The decision to increase the holdings in Far East Orchard Limited was taken because the company was looking strong to grow in future. Evaluation of Performance of both the Portfolios It could be observed that the fundamental portfolio provided a holding period return of 6.39% which is higher than the expected market return of 5% (Appendix-2). Thus, it could be inferred that the fundamental portfolio beat the market and proved the efficient market hypothesis wrong which states that market can not be beaten. Further, the technical portfolio earned a holding period return of 9.69% which is also higher than the market expectations and thus, it also beat the market comfortably (Appendix-3). Conclusion The report presented here covers the analysis of stocks based on the fundamental and technical parameters. This report provides learning on critical aspects of fundamental and technical analysis covering the knowledge of various tools and techniques such as dividend discount model, PE Multiple model, and line chart analysis, moving average, and support and resistance levels. Further, the report also provides leaning as to how to formulate a portfolio of stocks and monitor the progress throughout. The report covers decision making for the sale and purchase of stocks during the period so that the overall performance of portfolio could be improved. In regards to the performance of portfolios, it was observed that both the portfolios outperformed the market by earning holding period returns higher than the market expectations. The fundamental portfolio earned a return of 6.39% while the technical portfolio earned a return of 9.69% as against the market expectations of 5%. References Ackert, L and Deaves, R. 2009. Behavioral Finance: Psychology, Decision-Making, and Markets. Cengage Learning. Baker, H.K. and Nofsinger, J.R. 2010. Behavioral Finance: Investors, Corporations, and Markets. John Wiley Sons. Harder, S. 2010. The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Application to Stock Markets. GRIN Verlag. Kurth, S. 2013. Critical Review about Implications of the Efficient Market Hypothesis. GRIN Verlag. Madura, J. 2014. Financial Markets and Institutions. Cengage Learning. Phillips, P.P. and Stawarski, C.A. 2016. Data Collection: Planning for and Collecting All Types of Data. John Wiley Sons. Schlichting, T. 2013. Fundamental Analysis, Behavioral Finance and Technical Analysis on the Stock Market. GRIN Verlag.